Chapter 211 Jade Pendant

"It seems I am quite famous."

Ouyang Rong put down the documents and token, looked around, and said with a smile.

He looked apologetic.

"It's a pity I don't know you. My apologies."

“A lowly palace woman, not worth a second glance.”

"Your Excellency's grand entourage suggests you are not someone of humble status as a palace maid."

"I'm just here on orders; I don't have the same reputation as Magistrate Ouyang."

Miaozhen nodded and said:

"He dared to speak frankly to the princess and anger His Majesty, yet he is still alive and well. Magistrate Ouyang's reputation as a righteous gentleman is known throughout the world. Who in the capital doesn't know him? I have also heard of him in the palace."

"You flatter me." Ouyang Rong smiled sheepishly and waved his hand.

Miaozhen then said leisurely:

Princess Chang Le said, "Is this boy trying to sell his integrity by slandering the emperor?" and "He is a hypocrite."

Ouyang Rong raised an eyebrow, but before he could speak, Miao Zhen changed the subject and smiled slightly:

"Magistrate Ouyang, please don't misunderstand. Her Highness the Princess said this in front of His Majesty to protect you."

"That day at court, Your Majesty was furious and wanted to execute you directly. But when he heard what Your Highness said, he waved his sleeve and said, 'You've even prepared your coffin? Do you want to be remembered in history? I won't grant this brat's wish. You want to be like Bi Gan? I am not King Zhou!'"

"It was thanks to Her Highness the Princess's tactful words and the petitions of several senior officials that Magistrate Ouyang was spared. Such a reputation is truly hard to earn."

Miaozhen smiled slightly.

Ouyang Rong also laughed, glancing at Miaozhen. This sixth-rank female official in front of him was indirectly insulting him.

Princess Chang Le, whom he advised, turned around and helped him escape, stopping the furious Empress Wei from killing him... If Ouyang Rong nodded in gratitude and agreed with Miao Zhen's words, wouldn't that further confirm that he was just seeking fame and fortune, and that he was an ignorant mad dog biting indiscriminately?

Ouyang Rong sighed, shook his head, and looked regretful.

Miao Zhen glanced sideways: "Why is Magistrate Ouyang shaking his head and sighing?"

Ouyang Rong didn't speak immediately. He casually handed the documents and tokens back to Miaozhen, and calmly pointed to them, saying:

"It's no wonder you're only a sixth-rank female official. It seems your career will end here. I find it a bit of a pity."

Miaozhen frowned slightly: "What makes you say that?"

Ouyang Rong shrugged:

"You don't even understand His Majesty's intentions. It's a good thing you're still serving His Majesty. I suggest you don't serve His Majesty in the morning or evening, but try to do so around noon."

Why not in the morning or evening?

"Because it's going to end sooner or later."

"..."

A faint burst of laughter rose from the surrounding crowd, who couldn't help but chuckle.

Miao Zhen's face fell, and she said coldly, "Is it funny?"

The crowd immediately fell silent.

Ouyang Rong laughed and said, "It's not funny, it's a bit lame, but it's just the truth."

He faced north towards Luoyang and slightly cupped his hands, saying:

"If His Majesty truly intends to kill, who in the world can stop him? Will this provocation work? Princess Chang Le is just a mother who knows her daughter better than anyone else. She understands His Majesty's intention to protect people, so she offered him a way out and let him go downhill with the donkey."

"Princess Chang Le would never have wanted to protect me. The lavish banquets and competing with the people for profit were just self-degrading tactics to preserve her excessive favor in the court and among the people. However, I took it seriously and reported it to the Emperor. It was put on the scales and became known throughout the world, making her infamous. Her Highness felt like she could tear my heart out. No matter how you look at it, her scolding was the truth."

Ouyang Rong smiled sheepishly and nodded, saying:

"If I should thank anyone, it should be the Holy Lord for his grace and favor. Why should I thank her?"

Miao Zhen's expression changed slightly. She stared intently at Ouyang Rong and said, word by word:

"Does Magistrate Ouyang really believe that he is so favored by the Emperor that His Majesty is unwilling to kill him? Does he have such divine favor? Could it be that he has become confused from serving as an official in this remote and impoverished place and has developed some kind of illusion?"

Ouyang Rong sighed again:

"What does this have to do with whether or not one has the Emperor's favor? It seems you truly don't understand, and you're not pretending."

The more the aloof, palace-dressed woman listened to Ouyang Rong's words, the darker her expression became. She rebuked him:

"Don't play tricks and delay. Speak your mind directly, don't beat around the bush. If you have nothing to say, step aside. You can't bear the consequences if you delay the matter His Majesty has ordered."

Despite the stern and demanding tone, Ouyang Rong seemed to have an excellent temper, showing no anger whatsoever, and instead nodded cheerfully.

"I cannot bear the responsibility of delaying His Majesty's affairs, but can you bear the responsibility of accidentally misunderstanding His Majesty's intentions and ruining them?"

He glanced at the midday sky above and added warmly, "It's going to end sooner or later."

Miaozhen suddenly narrowed her eyes: "Speak."

With his hands behind his back, Ouyang Rong paced back and forth leisurely in front of Miaozhen, Su Xian and his wife, and everyone else present, slightly raising his chin as he said:

"Your Excellency is unaware that His Majesty now loves fame? He has long since passed the stage of being ruthless and bloodthirsty. If you don't believe me, go and see for yourself whether any of those notorious cruel officials from when the Great Zhou Dynasty was first established are still active in the court."

"Those who openly oppose the new Great Zhou Dynasty should be either killed or exiled; there's no need to resort to swift action..."

Ouyang Rong paused, then softened his tone slightly:

"Yes, His Majesty is now a compassionate and virtuous ruler who cherishes his reputation and is known throughout the world as a wise and virtuous monarch."

"Therefore, Your Excellency must be careful not to use your old way of thinking, misunderstand His Majesty's intentions, or recklessly risk your life. If you do, you will ruin His Majesty's important affairs and tarnish His Majesty's reputation as a wise ruler. I will not be able to help you then."

Ouyang Rong was clearly speaking to Miaozhen, but he glanced sideways at the brocade box in the hands of the palace maid in green not far away, revealing a half-smile.

Miao Zhen looked at Ouyang Rong's expression and remained silent for a while before suddenly saying:

"Of course I would not interfere with Your Majesty's important affairs. Everything is done in accordance with the law and under the watchful eyes of everyone. How could I act on my own initiative, let alone misunderstand His Majesty's intentions? His Majesty's intentions are my intentions, and I will resolutely carry them out."

She paused, her tone suggestive:

"As for you, Magistrate Ouyang, ha, I've heard that when you were flogged and imprisoned by His Majesty, many senior officials petitioned for your release. And then, by sheer coincidence, you came to serve as an official in Longcheng County. It seems you have some connections, Magistrate Ouyang, and now you just happen to be here..."

Ouyang Rong shrugged:

“The Longcheng County Government Office is located on this street. Your arrival with such a large entourage, and your failure to enter the office without even a greeting, naturally aroused my suspicion. I have come here specifically to verify your identities. If I had not arrived in time, it would have been a dereliction of duty.”

He smiled:

"As for those officials who pleaded for me, ha, do you really not know or are you pretending not to know? I was just a scapegoat by some twist of fate, a barometer in the eyes of the court officials. As long as His Majesty didn't kill me, it means that His Majesty is now truly becoming compassionate in his Buddhist practice and cares a lot about his reputation."

"Your Excellency, being in Luoyang, have you not noticed that since I left the capital unharmed, there has been an increase in upright officials in the court who have begun to offer advice and remonstrance to the Emperor?"

Everyone turned to look, and saw the woman in the scarlet palace dress who had been so dazzling before standing still with her hands clasped, her expression slightly changing, and she fell silent.

Clearly, the young magistrate's seemingly casual remarks were at least mostly correct.

"Ha, what a sharp tongue you have. Magistrate Ouyang is so good at guessing the Emperor's intentions. Shouldn't you also guess what gift is in this box?"

Miaozhen nodded: "You guessed right. If we go back and report the truth, even the Emperor will look at you with new respect. Wouldn't that bring you imperial favor?"

"How dare I presume to know His Majesty's thoughts? I have always firmly believed that His Majesty is a wise and virtuous ruler who cares for all living beings. His years of vegetarianism and Buddhist chanting must be out of compassion."

Ouyang Rong, unmoved by the flattery, cupped his hands towards the northern horizon and said calmly:

"The deposed Prince Xunyang's family were His Majesty's own flesh and blood. Even though the son was unfilial, His Majesty, as a mother, was still magnanimous and sent people from afar to deliver congratulatory gifts. What else could this be but a mother's love for her child? I really can't understand it. Does Your Excellency have any other understanding? You can tell everyone."

Miaozhen lowered her eyes and said, "Magistrate, please don't flatter me... Have you finished your inspection? Are you disobeying the imperial decree by blocking my way?"

"I finished the inspection long ago. We had a very pleasant meeting with Your Excellency and talked for a long time. How could I dare to disobey Your Majesty's decree?"

Ouyang Rong remained calm, turned to the Li Xian couple who were staring at him in a daze, and said in a serious tone:

“Su… this humble commoner, Li Xian, why don’t you quickly open the gift box and thank the Emperor for his honor?”

"Okay, okay."

Li Xian realized what was happening and nodded quickly. His originally pale face regained a lot of color after hearing Ouyang Rong's eloquent and argumentative words.

Whether it was psychological or not, the latter stood between him and Miaozhen like a mountain, resisting the invisible pressure from before.

Li Xian cast a grateful glance at Ouyang Rong.

Ouyang Rong stood quietly with his sleeves tucked in, and for some reason, he slightly avoided looking at her.

This made Su Guo'er, Wei Mei, and others who were always watching him feel a little unfamiliar.

Without much thought, Li Xian walked up to the palace maid in blue, grabbed her sleeve, and quietly wiped her face.

Extend your hand.

Everyone held their breath.

With a soft "click," the gift box opened.

Li Xian's slightly constricted pupils and the open gift box in front of him instantly became the focus of everyone's attention.

However, Ouyang Rong didn't even look at her. His back was already soaked with sweat, and his gaze immediately fell on Miaozhen's face.

They stared intently, as if they wouldn't miss a single minute detail.

Ouyang Rong quickly noticed something: Miaozhen was also intently observing Li Xian's expression.

This woman had no idea what was in the gift box!

Ouyang Rong snapped out of his reverie, quickly walked to Li Xian's side, and peered into the carved brocade box.

It wasn't an empty box, white silk, or a wine pot.

His brow relaxed immediately.

But after seeing the gift clearly, he frowned.

Then it was released again.

Ouyang Rong smiled broadly, facing the entire audience, pointed to the items in the brocade box, and said loudly:

"His Majesty's gift is a pure white jade pendant!"

He turned to Li Xian, clasped his hands in greeting, and said:

"Congratulations, Your Highness. Jade pendants are objects of gentlemen. As the ancient saying goes, 'A Confucian scholar who wears a jade pendant is decisive in all matters!' His Majesty's gift of a jade pendant to you is likely a sign that after wearing it, you will be decisive in all things and possess the qualities of a gentleman. I hope Your Highness will not forget this teaching!"

Li Xian stared blankly at the jade pendant lying quietly on the woolen fabric in the box.

It was milky white all over, with a warm and lustrous sheen, but there was a small chip on its perfectly round jade body.

The character 玦 (jue) means a ring that is not fully complete.

"Yes, yes!"

Li Xian realized what was happening and quickly picked up the pure white jade pendant, preparing to express his gratitude.

Miaozhen suddenly stepped forward and interjected:

"Oh? Is that so? But I heard a different, less auspicious interpretation."

"It is said that one should hire a person with a jade tablet, inquire about a scholar with a jade disc, summon a person with a jade ring, sever ties with a person with a jade pendant, and reverse severance with a jade ring!"

"When someone gives a jade ring as a gift, isn't it usually a way of making a clean break and signifying the severing of ties?"

“Even I have heard this saying before. Magistrate Ouyang is a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) and a scholar of Confucianism. How could he not know these implications?”

"This doesn't match Magistrate Ouyang's quick wit and decisiveness just now. Was it intentional, or accidental?"

Miaozhen pointed it out and questioned her in front of everyone.

Upon hearing this, everyone turned to look, only to see that Ouyang Rong's expression remained unchanged, and he remained calm and composed.

"Of course I know that Yu Jue had this intention. He cuts ties with people with a jade ring, and then cuts them off with a ring in return. But didn't Her Majesty the Empress declare long ago that she had severed her mother-son relationship with the Prince of Xunyang, and they haven't had any contact for more than ten years?"

"But now, His Majesty suddenly presents a gift, a jade pendant, to reiterate the intention to sever ties. What good is that?"

After a pause, Ouyang Rong addressed the entire audience:

"After severing ties with his family, presenting the jade pendant was more of an encouragement to His Highness Prince Xunyang to cultivate the qualities of a gentleman. At the same time, it was a way of emphasizing that the severing of ties was unforgivable. This was a gesture of disappointment at his son's lack of ambition, as well as His Majesty's affection for his son."

He answered fluently, his speech becoming increasingly smooth and confident.

"Moreover, the difference between a jade pendant and a jade ring is only a corner. Although His Highness Prince Xunyang was an unfilial son in the past, he has sincerely repented over the years and has been taking this jade pendant to care for it. Jade is inherently spiritual, so perhaps sincerity can move even metal and stone, and filial piety can move heaven and earth, and the pendant may turn into a ring again."

“A jue is a jue, and a ring is a ring. It’s a promise!” Miaozhen still wouldn’t let go: “When His Majesty presents a jue, he’s emphasizing the meaning of his decision again. Doesn’t that imply a further separation?”

Ouyang Rong countered:

"You think so?"

"Does Magistrate Ouyang not think so?"

"I'm asking you."

"I'm asking you the same question!"

"Reply to me first."

"Answer me first!"

The entire room fell silent, save for the sharp exchanges between the young magistrate and the woman in palace attire.

Ouyang Rong suddenly said, "Since you think it exists, then hurry up and carry out the decree that you believe exists."

He glanced at the sky, calmly nodded, and said:

"Then you should hurry up and get started, while it's still just past noon and not yet morning or evening."

Seemingly understanding Ouyang Rong's veiled joke, Miaozhen stared at the young magistrate, who had a half-smile on his face, for a while, then suddenly asked:

Are you threatening me?

Ouyang Rong glared at him coldly: "This humble official dares not."

Even though there was no wind on the street, Miao Zhen's crimson palace dress with its sleeves fluttered wildly, like a blazing flame.

Ouyang Rong swayed slightly, but still managed to stand upright in place.

The atmosphere froze, and it was unclear how much time had passed.

Ouyang Rong suddenly felt the mountain-like pressure disappear.

Miaozhen suddenly turned around and left behind a sentence:

“Alright, the magistrate seems to understand His Majesty better than I, who have served him for many years. Let’s go with the magistrate’s explanation, but…”

She spoke each word clearly:

“I will report everything you said today to His Majesty without missing a single word. Magistrate, please be prepared.”

"Please make yourself at home."

Ouyang Rong nodded calmly.

I couldn't help but chuckle to myself... It's hilarious. Anyway, he's going to resign and run away, and he's not going to serve me anymore. What can we do to him?

Miaozhen snorted coldly, ignoring him, and calmly instructed the palace servants behind her:

"Go and present the little princess's gift."

With her back to Ouyang Rong, out of his sight, Miaozhen lowered her eyes, the oppressive expression she had just worn completely vanished.

If it really came down to a fight, how could she, a dignified sixth-grade Qi cultivator, be easily subdued by a weak scholar, even if the latter had the renowned title of "righteous gentleman" and a silver tongue that she found utterly repulsive yet had to admit was somewhat reasonable? At most, she would only hesitate.

What truly made Miaozhen behave was the birthday gift His Majesty gave to his granddaughter named Guo'er.

His Majesty's mind is indeed unpredictable, but these two gifts should be viewed together... As Miaozhen remained silent, no one else spoke.

A moment later, another palace maid in green came forward respectfully, carrying a long gift box.

Gently pushing aside her elder brother Su Dalang who was blocking her way, Su Guo'er covered her face with a thin veil and walked out of the Su family mansion alone, facing the gazes of everyone present with composure.

Unlike her father Li Xian's hesitation, Su Guo'er opened the long gift box without saying a word.

Take out a long scroll from it.

She unfurled the scroll in front of everyone, only to find... the scroll was completely empty, without a trace of ink.

Su Guo'er frowned slightly and said to Miao Zhen, whose expression remained calm:

"This is……"

It resembles an empty scroll.

Everyone looked on with curiosity.

Ouyang Rong also glanced sideways.

(End of this chapter)