Chapter 202 Junior Sister, I suggest you choose your side in advance and make sure the underdogs are fed!

Ouyang Rong noticed this a long time ago.

The general trend of this world is similar to, yet different from, a certain period of Tang Dynasty history in my previous life.

This ambiguity made him pay special attention to information in this area when Donglin Temple first reopened, and he often compared the two periods of history, summarizing many points.

Firstly, the term "Great Gan" seems to correspond to the Tang Dynasty, and the current Wei Zhou corresponds to the brief Wu Zhou period that the Tang Dynasty once experienced.

The only difference is in the name. In addition, there is a group called Qi Practitioners, which may be the reason for the subtle differences in names.

However, Ouyang Rong searched through the memories of this incarnation of Ouyang Lianghan and discovered that the country's name was "Qian," which came from the hexagram and lines of the Qian hexagram in the Book of Changes, such as "Great is Qian! Strong, vigorous, upright, pure, and refined."

Furthermore, the title of the founding emperor of the Li clan, which involved the complex history of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, caused Ouyang Rong a great deal of trouble.

As for the current Wei Zhou, it seems that the only difference between it and the Wu Zhou of the previous history is the name.

The deeds and experiences of the Empress Wei, who now sits high in the imperial court and is nearing the end of her life, are somewhat similar to those of Wu Zetian, a woman Ouyang Rong was very familiar with. However, because she was a Qi cultivator, some of her stories are even more legendary.

Another similar state name, "Zhou," is easy to understand. The Wei surname originated from Kang Shu, the ninth son of King Wen of Zhou. When the Wei empress first ascended the throne, she also claimed to be a descendant of King Wen of Zhou for many generations. She named her state "Zhou" to uphold the Zhou rites and govern the prosperous dynasty, showing an attitude of reviving the Zhou dynasty's rites.

It can only be said that, in order to establish the legitimacy of their regimes, people throughout history and across the world have been quite fond of invoking their ancestors.

In addition, up to April of the first year of the Holy Calendar when Ouyang Rong woke up in the underground palace, the development trajectory of the Wei Zhou Dynasty over the past ten years, and the things that the Wei Empress did, were similar to that period of history in the previous life.

However, the intervention of violent organizations such as Qi cultivators along the way made the establishment of the new regime by Empress Wei more intense, but the result was the same, just different paths leading to the same destination.

The third emperor of the Great Gan dynasty, Li Shan, who is currently buried in the Qianling Mausoleum and whose temple name is Gaozong, was known as one of the Two Saints along with Empress Wei during his lifetime.

Unfortunately, he later fell seriously ill and was unable to restrain Empress Wei's power, eventually dying from exhaustion. The reins of government then fell into the hands of Empress Wei.

Before his death, Emperor Gaozong designated Li Shan as his successor, who was originally the then Crown Prince Li Xian.

Li Xian was the seventh son of Li Shan, and also the third son of Li Shan and Empress Wei.

The couple's first two sons had died, leaving only their third son, Crown Prince Li Xian, their fourth son, Prince Xiang Li Lun, and their youngest daughter, Princess Chang Le.

However, after Crown Prince Li Xian ascended the throne, Empress Dowager Wei, who was then the Empress Dowager, was at odds with him and eventually deposed him, making him the Prince of Xunyang, and installed her fourth son, Li Lun, as emperor.

However, by this time, Empress Wei had already assumed power and, through two instances of deposing and installing emperors, had completely seized control of the court. Her ambitions had swelled, and she no longer needed a puppet emperor.

So she imprisoned the emperor in a separate palace, took control of the government, and eventually usurped the throne from her son, changing the name of the dynasty from Gan to Zhou, and establishing her capital in Luoyang.

However, it is unclear whether it was because he had become less ruthless in his later years, with only a few of his own flesh and blood left and he was unwilling to kill any more; or because he saw that his four sons, Li Lun, had cooperated well and had readily relinquished the throne, showing their obedience and understanding.

Empress Wei did not kill Li Lun, but demoted him to Prince Xiang, changed his surname to Wu Lun, and raised him in the deep palace, which can be considered as keeping him by her side.

Although it wasn't the same favor shown to the young Princess Chang Le—the one Ouyang Rong had dared to speak out and accuse back then.

But they were treated quite well.

This move also provided considerable psychological comfort to the civil officials both inside and outside the court. The pro-Li faction, both in and out of the court, began to subtly gravitate towards Prime Minister Wang Lilun, becoming a force that rivaled the two princes and nephews of Empress Wei's maternal family.

As for the former Prince Xunyang who was demoted, he was moved to Hongzhou and Jiangzhou in Jiangnan Circuit. Finally, because many people in various places called for rebellion in the name of deposing the emperor, Prince Xunyang and his family were completely stripped of their titles and reduced to commoners, disappearing from most people's sight.

The current situation in the Great Zhou Dynasty is taking place against this backdrop.

The Wei clan and the pro-Li faction were at the height of their struggle for the imperial succession.

After his junior sister left, Ouyang Rong, who was deep in thought in the study, recalled his memories from his previous life. With a slight turn of his mind, he figured out the general trend of the struggle for the throne of Liwei.

In particular, he learned about and continued to follow the Yingzhou Rebellion that occurred on the northern border of the Great Zhou Dynasty from the imperial gazette while he was busy with flood control.

This jolted Ouyang Rong awake, and he suddenly realized what was happening.

"Previously, I was oblivious to what was happening outside my window and only focused on the current affairs of Longcheng County. I never imagined that we were at such a critical juncture."

"Is there a rebellion in Yingzhou in this lifetime? It feels like witnessing history firsthand. It's like being a spectator right here."

"Judging from this, the political situation in this world is not much different from that of my previous life. That Empress Wei is still sitting firmly on the sidelines, coldly observing the conflict between Wei and Li. It seems she is preparing to activate her 'backup plan'..."

Ouyang Rong muttered a few words to himself, then shook his head with a sigh.

In fact, Ouyang Rong had not specifically studied these things in his previous life, but unfortunately, he was influenced by his surroundings. His postgraduate entrance exam was already a niche subject of literature and history, and the "upright and virtuous postgraduate entrance exam group" he joined was full of political commentators who dared to touch on any dynasty's slippery slope.

I have no idea where the members of this dog-related group learned so much random knowledge.

Having spent a lot of time diving, Ouyang Rong naturally learned quite a bit.

It is also clear that the Empress of the Great Zhou Dynasty in the previous life did not choose either of the two popular factions in the struggle for the imperial succession. Instead, she took a different approach and, with divine intervention, brought the deposed emperor and his family, who were far away in the capital, back to Luoyang, thus balancing the two factions who were fighting like idiots...

However, he did not know whether his arrival would create a butterfly effect, changing the course of the conflict between Li and Wei in this lifetime.

“Longcheng County is just a corner of Jiangnan Province, far from the capital and the imperial court. I have been working hard and keeping a low profile these days, and I haven’t said anything out of line. It shouldn’t affect the decision of that Empress Wei.”

After his junior sister left, Ouyang Rong muttered to himself in the study and paced around the desk a few times.

At one point, he suddenly stopped and looked up, a realization dawning on his eyes:

"Wait, why is my junior sister suddenly asking me about this? Could it be that Teacher Xie Xun said something to her? Otherwise, given her personality, she wouldn't ask."

"If this is Teacher Xie Xun's intention, doesn't it mean that Junior Sister's family has already taken sides and joined the fray?"

Outside, the sun was shining brightly.

Inside the room, Ouyang Rong's expression shifted between light and dark.

A long silence followed.

The figure in the study disappeared.

Only a sigh echoed softly across the table.

"This is a bit of a headache, but... what can I do? I'm the senior disciple who's destined to cause trouble."

...

"Junior Sister is very busy?"

"No...no, I don't think so." Xie Lingjiang, inside the door, shook her head: "Not very busy."

"Then why does it take so long to open the door, um."

Ouyang Rong shook his head. Xie Lingjiang stepped aside, and Ouyang Rong walked past her into the study.

"Oh, you've already poured me tea?"

Ouyang Rong chuckled.

He then saw that the maids outside the door had been dismissed, and his junior sister closed the door and went inside. For some reason, her eyes kept looking at him.

Why is this tea a little cold?

Ouyang Rong muttered something, glanced at the water stains on the table and the teaware that looked freshly washed and still had water droplets on it, and couldn't help but ask:

"Junior Sister was drinking tea just now?"

"Yes." Xie Lingjiang nodded unconsciously, putting her hands behind her back as if she were pounding garlic.

Ouyang Rong chuckled, "Next time I'll teach you how to splash water so the table gets wet."

He shook his head and suddenly said:

"Is Junior Sister writing a letter to Father?"

This time, Xie Lingjiang was stunned. "How did Senior Brother know?"

"When you were hurriedly called back by the Su family, I guessed that such an urgent matter was probably related to the teacher. When I entered the courtyard, I saw you writing furiously at your desk, so I guessed that you might be replying to a letter or something."

He paused, took a sip of tea, and said, "It's not hard to guess."

Xie Lingjiang was speechless, neither confirming nor denying the previous guess, but simply nodding and saying:

"I am indeed preparing to write a letter to my father. My eldest brother understands me."

Ouyang Rong lowered his eyes and said, "If it's convenient, you can tell me anything you need to know."

His words seemed to have a hidden meaning.

Xie Lingjiang couldn't help but glance at Ouyang Rong, opened her mouth, then silently closed it again, her peripheral vision involuntarily drifting towards the tightly veiled beaded curtain behind her.

"What is Junior Sister looking at?"

Ouyang Rong couldn't help but put down his teacup and follow her gaze, looking back curiously.

"No...it's nothing." Xie Lingjiang immediately shook her head, smiling with her dimples, and said, "I was just daydreaming, thinking about what Senior Brother said."

Ouyang Rong smiled broadly, seemingly delighted, but in an instant, he suddenly lowered his voice and said:

"Junior Sister took what I said to her so seriously, which is quite surprising and touching. It means she listened to me. So, Senior Brother, I don't mind saying a little more."

He said calmly, "Junior Sister, would you like to hear more? You left in a hurry just now, and there were some things I wanted to say but didn't elaborate on."

"What details?"

Xie Lingjiang was taken aback at first, then her expression changed slightly, as if she realized something. She quickly said:

"Senior Brother has just woken up, so it would be best for him to rest a bit more. Let's talk another day. Anyway, Junior Sister will always be here, so it's not too late to chat another day."

At this moment, if there were outsiders at the door, they would notice from a distance that Xie Lingjiang's position was somewhat unusual:

She subtly positioned herself between Ouyang Rong and the beaded curtain behind him in the inner room.

Beneath her delicate, poetic eyebrows, the woman dressed as a man had a pair of beautiful eyes that were fixed intently on Ouyang Rong's expression, her face showing a hint of restraint.

Meeting her gaze, Ouyang Rong gently shook his head, gazing into Xie Lingjiang's eyes as he said:

"But there are some things that can't wait, so it's better to say them sooner rather than later... Life is unpredictable, and gatherings and separations are uncertain. Sometimes, no one knows whether this parting will be a long separation or a final farewell. So let's treat every separation as if it's the last time we meet."

"Why is Senior Brother suddenly so sentimental?" Xie Lingjiang asked with a worried expression.

"It's nothing. I'm probably just feeling a bit melancholy from being bedridden and idle for so many days."

Ouyang Rong remained calm, shook his head, and offered an explanation.

Xie Lingjiang hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped.

Ouyang Rong suddenly stood up, spun around twice, and then turned around, his expression now serious.

"Junior sister, listen carefully to what I'm about to say. I'm only telling you this, and only this once."

"Only to me? Only once?"

Xie Lingjiang was taken aback. Seeing Ouyang Rong's furtive and mysterious expression, her face flushed red instantly, as if she was thinking of something inappropriate. She hurriedly raised her slender hand and quickly waved her jade-like palm.

"Senior Brother, please stop! Or... or let's talk about it another day, somewhere else. Let's not talk about it here."

Xie Lingjiang looked at Ouyang Rong with pleading eyes, whispering shyly:

"Is it alright, Senior Brother? I... I'm not refusing, I just want some time to prepare myself mentally."

Her last few words seemed to be squeezed out with difficulty from between her lips.

Damn it, what if Senior Brother really has a change of heart? Why are there people in the inner room? I should have chased them away earlier. I regret it so much. Why are you so shameless... Xie Lingjiang felt extremely annoyed and distressed.

She was practically reaching out to grab Ouyang Rong's hand, cradling it in her heart, to prove her feelings and swear that she had no intention of rejecting or dismissing her.

Ouyang Rong gave his junior sister a strange look, frowned, and whispered:

"Why change the location and time? Is there such a big deal about discussing politics? Do you expect me to be like Su Xiaomei, taking a bath and changing clothes before every gathering?"

"Or is it that it's not safe for you here, Junior Sister?"

Ouyang Rong couldn't help but look around.

"Discussing politics?"

This time, Xie Lingjiang was completely stunned. She looked up and down at Ouyang Rong, who seemed to be sneaking up to whisper something, and couldn't help but tilt her head:

"My senior brother came to see me to continue discussing court affairs? No... nothing else?"

"Otherwise what?" Ouyang Rong frowned, looking at Xie Lingjiang with considerable confusion: "What else could we possibly talk about?"

Inside the inner room, Su Xian, Wei Mei, Su Guo'er, and Su Dalang, who were tiptoeing around, breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. They were glad they hadn't overheard anything about romantic love, or it would have been quite embarrassing.

Coming to her senses, Su Guo'er's delicate nose suddenly wrinkled.

"Why is he using me as a random example? Ouyang Lianghan is really annoying!" she thought to herself, resolving never to discuss current affairs with him again, lest her good intentions be wasted.

"No...it's alright now."

In the study, Xie Lingjiang shook her head, looking somewhat absent-minded. She waved her hand and said:

"Then let the eldest brother speak."

Ouyang Rong asked directly, "Didn't you ask me at the Plum Deer Garden who would win the fiercely contested position of heir apparent?"

“That’s right.” Xie Lingjiang nodded.

Ouyang Rong spoke calmly and got straight to the point:

"His Majesty will not choose the King of Wei or the King of Liang from the Wei clan."

Xie Lingjiang wanted to laugh, but Ouyang Rong's voice continued: "They won't choose His Highness the Prince of Xiang, who is supported by the pro-Li faction. It's all a smokescreen."

He pursed his lips and shook his head, his eyes fixed on his stunned junior sister, saying:

"His Majesty will try every means to bring back the deposed Emperor Li Xian and his family, who have been demoted to commoners for many years, to the capital and reinstate them as heirs to the throne."

Xie Lingjiang looked at her senior brother, who was so calm it was as if he were stating a given fact. She opened her mouth silently, unable to utter a word for a moment.

“Junior sister can write a letter to tell the teacher. As for the reason, it’s actually easy to figure out with a little effort. The teacher is just too caught up in the situation to see clearly… Let him prepare in advance, take sides in advance, or do something unexpected.”

After quickly and perfunctorily finishing his sentence, Ouyang Rong waved his hand, put down his teacup, and left.

Just then, a slight "clunk" sound came from the direction of the inner room.

What's that noise?

Ouyang Rong turned around instantly.

"No...it's nothing, it's just that the window in the inner room was left open."

Xie Lingjiang quickly waved her hand to explain. Sure enough, as she finished speaking, the faint sound of the windows being shaken by the wind came from the inner room. Only then did Ouyang Rong withdraw his gaze, shake his head, and prepare to leave.

At this moment, Xie Lingjiang frowned deeply, fidgeting restlessly. She looked up and said urgently:

"Wait, Senior Brother, don't go yet! You mean you've always firmly believed that the deposed Prince Xunyang and his family will reap the benefits of the conflict between Li and Wei?"

“That’s right.” Ouyang Rong nodded, his eyes fixed straight ahead.

"The hasty end to the Yingzhou Rebellion does not mean that His Highness Prince Xiang is superior, nor does it mean that the two princes of the Wei family are inferior. Rather, it means that... His Majesty is about to, or has already, reached the point where he has no choice but to use the deposed emperor's family as a backup plan."

The man's magnetic voice echoed in the study. His words seemed casual, but one could faintly hear the speaker's confidence and certainty.

Little did the person know that the adjacent inner room was currently packed with people.

The room was completely silent.

(or2, day 2 of abstaining from pornography)

(End of this chapter)