Chapter 344 The Ice Drinking Studio Does Not Support Idlers

Ouyang Rong stood on the embankment, watching the large ship carrying the emperor's private envoy depart.

"I hope that when I return next time, the Prince of Xunyang and the Chief Secretary will still be waiting for me in Xunyang City... What do you mean?"

He muttered to himself, repeating and pondering the words Khufu had previously repeated:

"Could it be that this Envoy Hu is worried that next time he returns, he will pass through Xunyang, and since we are not in Xunyang, where else can we go? What is he worried about...?"

"Could it be that some danger is coming to our door, giving us a warning in advance, and telling us to behave ourselves?"

"Or is there something that needs to be decided after he returns?"

Ouyang Rong turned around thoughtfully, and before leaving the dock, he suddenly remembered the fiery clouds of the previous night.

I turned my head and glanced at the clear blue sky, which was cloudless.

"Red sky at morning, sailors take warning; red sky at night, sailors' delight." Today is indeed a good day for travel. This envoy Hu knows how to pick his days.

Ouyang Rong nodded.

...

The sails, braving the morning breeze, departed from Xunyang Ferry.

On the large ship that was sailing, a bearded eunuch standing at the stern shifted his gaze from the ancient ferry crossing that was gradually shrinking behind him.

He took out the waist knife he had just received as a gift, and glanced at the gleaming, frost-covered blade in the sunlight. It was a standard military knife.

The handle is made of purplish-black wood and has a faint smell of tung oil.

The original owner must have been a knife enthusiast, as he frequently applied ointments and maintained the knife, and even the handle was meticulously crafted.

Khufu nodded, sheathed his sword, and turned to leave the deck.

Accepting only a gift knife is not considered breaking the rules.

He tucked his sword into his waistband, turned around, and asked the palace attendants behind him who were glancing at the sword:

"Where is that lady historian?"

The palace servants all shook their heads, not knowing.

Khufu's expression remained unchanged, as if he were not surprised at all. He turned around and walked into the cabin, arriving at the largest cabin, where he raised his hand and knocked lightly on the door twice.

There was no response from the familiar, cold voice inside the door.

Khufu stood at the door and waited for a while.

He breathed a slight sigh of relief, as if a huge rock had finally been lifted off his shoulders.

Khufu turned his head and glanced in the direction of Xunyang Ferry behind him.

He couldn't help but frown.

A short while later, the bearded eunuch left the empty room.

...

"My lord, your female relatives are waiting for you at the back door."

After seeing Hu Fu off on his ship in the morning, Ouyang Rong rushed back to the main hall of Jiangzhou to continue his work. He had only been sitting down for a short while when Chen Canjun walked in and quietly reported something.

Ouyang Rong signed and stamped the documents at hand.

He stood up, walked out the door, picked up a small stack of official documents from the pile of papers, rolled them up, and stuffed them into his sleeve.

The back door of Jiangzhou lobby.

A carriage from the Huaiye Lane mansion waited quietly.

Ouyang Rong nimbly jumped into the car.

“My love.”

"Um."

Inside the carriage sat Ye Weilai.

She wore a charming pink striped dress that reached her chest, and her waist-length silver hair was tied into a double ponytail style, which added a touch of cuteness and liveliness.

Ouyang Rong noticed that she was carrying a fruit basket, as if she had just gone to the West Market to buy flowers and fruits.

Ye Weilai carefully helped Ouyang Rong, who was bending over to get into the car, and, noticing his gaze, immediately replied:

"My love, the azaleas are in full bloom on Jeonggwang Street today."

Ouyang Rong nodded calmly and instructed the coachman outside, "Go to Yunshui Pavilion."

The carriage slowly started moving.

Ouyang Rong looked at Ye Weilai's exquisite dress and smooth hair, and asked, "Did your aunt buy this for you?"

Ye Weilai shook her head with her white hair: "It's Sister Xie."

"Wanwan? She still has time to buy clothes."

Ouyang Rong swallowed the words "lazier than me".

"Um,"

Ye Weilai's little face looked somewhat happy:

"Sister Xie said that Nu'er learns quickly, which saves her time. When she's in a good mood, she takes Nu'er shopping and dressing her up."

Ouyang Rong raised an eyebrow.

Starting a few days ago, he stopped letting Ye Weilai stay at Yinbingzhai every day to slack off.

I started consciously teaching her some useful things whenever I had free time.

Back in Longcheng, Ouyang Rong had already taught her to read and write, and Ye Weilai, being naturally intelligent, learned very quickly.

She had read many of the books on his bookshelf and could even recite them from memory.

Currently, Ouyang Rong has entrusted Xie Lingjiang to teach her advanced Confucian knowledge, such as the Four Books and Five Classics, after she has learned to read.

However, the focus was not on having Ye Weilai compose poems or songs, but rather on enabling her to understand literary allusions in the future.

The junior sister looked at him with a slightly strange expression when he made these requests.

Ouyang Rong jokingly explained, "Yinbingzhai does not support idle people."

Inside the slightly bumpy carriage, Ye Weilai paused, then said:

"Sister Xie was originally going to come too, but then she received news about Miss Li, so she went instead. She said she was there to keep an eye on Miss Li for Tanlang and prevent her from causing trouble and disrupting Tanlang and the Prince's plans."

"What news is there from Her Highness's side?"

"I heard that the Ju Poetry Society recently recruited several talented young men, including one named Wang Junzhi, who was introduced to Miss Li by that annoying Yue Zi'ang."

Ouyang Rong's lips twitched.

Ye Weilai always had eyes for her master. Whenever Ouyang Rong was around, the little white-haired girl's eyes would almost never leave his face, her clear blue eyes watching him from every angle.

Noticing the subtle change in Ouyang Rong's lips, she asked softly:

"Does Tanlang know this person?"

Ouyang Rong nodded: "I know her, but it's really not a big deal. This princess is actually quite sensible in her actions..."

He paused, seemingly recalling the time he had kindly helped him out of a tight spot, and pursed his lips:

"But Wanwan is very thoughtful and considerate."

"Yes, Sister Xie, she..."

Ye Weilai was about to say more about a certain "first wife" when she noticed Ouyang Rong suddenly looking at her with a serious expression and saying:

"You've learned the Four Books and Five Classics quite quickly, so Wanwan is giving you a reward. I can't be left behind, so guess what gift I brought you?"

Ye Weilai's eyes sparkled, and she couldn't help but straighten her back, saying softly, "I like anything that my beloved gave me."

Seeing this, Ouyang Rong nodded with a look of satisfaction.

Without hesitation, he pulled out a scroll of complicated official documents and unceremoniously stuffed it into Ye Weilai's small bosom:

"Good luck to the girls who learn quickly. Here, this is today's homework. Take it back and study it carefully to familiarize yourself with the signing and signature of official documents."

Now that you've learned to read and write, start learning how to organize your thoughts and write concise written language.

"While both are meticulous and carefully chosen, official documents from the imperial court are a better model for learning to write and speak than poems and songs that cultivate character and show off talent."

Ye Weilai: "..."

Before she could hang her head in dejection and her face could turn from sunny to cloudy,

Ouyang Rong smiled, then suddenly flipped his hand and conjured a snow-white gardenia from who-knows-where.

The broken part of the flower's root system was damp with dew, indicating it had just been picked.

Ouyang Rong twisted two fingers into a flower shape and gently placed it on the right side of Ye Weilai's hair.

Ye Weilai's face lit up with surprise. She tilted her head, raised her hand, and carefully touched the flower.

She sniffed her little nose, inhaling the fragrance of gardenias that filled the carriage.

Ouyang Rong leaned back, looking down at the girl with the flower in her hair, and examined her carefully with a satisfied expression.

The freshly picked flowers were beautiful, but the little girl's oval face was even more beautiful than the flowers.

Ye Weilai, who had never liked the childish games played by her peers, now had a look of surprise and happiness on her face.

But the tenderness of my beloved came too suddenly; one second he was "assigning homework," and the next he was sending flowers.

This made her stutter a little:

"Why...why are you suddenly sending me flowers, my love?"

He said calmly, "There's a gardenia tree in the lobby that's in bloom right now. I often pass by it and I think the color looks a lot like your hair. I feel like we should match."

"So it turns out that my beloved sometimes thinks of me too..."

Ye Weilai's heart fluttered as if she had stolen a piece of candy; her clear blue eyes narrowed into crescent moons like a greedy cat.

"Hmm." Ouyang Rong smiled.

Women generally like surprises and a sense of ritual, and this little girl is no exception.

So, on those occasional dull and monotonous days, I'd casually pick a flower from the roadside, take it home, and give it away with great seriousness.

It's even more romantic and joyful than giving them a carefully prepared, expensive gift on their birthday, which they already anticipated.

This scumbag is well-versed in this.

"Don't move around. It looks good like this."

Ouyang Rong grabbed Ye Weilai's small hand to stop her.

"Oh." Ye Wei nodded like a chick pecking at rice, withdrew her hand, and at this moment she was completely submissive and obedient to her beloved.

She glanced down at the stack of obscure and rigid official documents in her arms, bit her pink lips lightly, and whispered:

“Nu’er will go back and study.”

Ouyang Rong casually said, "There are two more tax ledgers inside. Use the arithmetic I recently taught you to calculate them, and then tell me the answer."

"Okay," she obediently agreed.

Ouyang Rong suddenly asked, "Are you curious why I made you learn these things?"

Ye Weilai immediately shook her head, but under his fixed gaze, she nodded obediently.

Ouyang Rong first glanced at the scenery of Xunyang River outside the window, then turned back, pointed to the document, and said:

"Wei Lai, most of the truly intelligent people and top-notch minds in the world are gathered in this seemingly pedantic and inefficient imperial system."

"These official documents were all written by these clever people who love to play dumb."

"Even the unknown female official serving tea to His Majesty in the palace may be a brilliant and capable female prime minister."

"I hope that your intelligence will not be used to become a talented poet or writer, or to win favor in the palace, but rather to compete with these people, understand?"

The young, fair-haired girl, now a graceful young woman, stared blankly.

After a while.

She nodded vigorously: "As long as I can help my beloved in the future, I will study hard."

Ouyang Rong tapped Ye Weilai's smooth forehead:

"It's not just about helping me. If you learn these skills, they will become your core competencies. Just in case, even if you go out on your own in the future, the road ahead will be wide open, and all kinds of forces will want you."

She paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "You can buy whichever dress you want when the time comes."

This carriage belonged to the Xunyang Prince's Mansion, and the junior sister often rode in it, so over time she brought it back to her residence in Huaiye Lane.

The carriage was covered with soft Persian carpets.

Ye Weilai suddenly stood up, bent her knees and knelt down beside Ouyang Rong's feet, and opened her arms to hug his knees, which were covered by his robe.

She tilted her head, pressing her cheek against his thigh in front of his knee, as if talking to herself:

"I'll study, but I'm not leaving. You can't chase me away. I'm going to stick with you from now on."

Ouyang Rong couldn't help but reach out and stroke the little white head on her knee. She closed her eyes and rubbed against his warm palm.

Ouyang Rong's fingers scratched inside her delicate, flushed earlobe, causing the little girl to bury her head and stammer:

"itch……"

Ouyang Rong tried to stop, but she grabbed him and gestured for him to continue rubbing her little ears, as if she liked this caress.

Ouyang Rong rubbed his ear and whispered:

“Wei Lai, I’ve always felt like I’ve let you down. I’m usually so busy with work that I can’t spend much time with you. When I get home, I either collapse into bed or stay up late studying, and sometimes I’m nowhere to be seen until the middle of the night…”

“You like traditional Chinese clothing, and I’ve always wanted to buy you a few pieces, but I haven’t had time to go shopping with you. It’s always Wanwan who has to do it for you when she has a spare moment.”

"Now you're being forced to learn complex knowledge that ordinary women wouldn't normally be involved in."

"Seriously, what kind of husband would treat his concubines and female relatives like this, treating them as if they were being neglected?"

He smiled bitterly as he spoke, and then made a self-deprecating remark.

The little girl, who had been burying her face between his knees, lifted it up and looked up at him expectantly.

"My beloved is destined for great things."

“This servant knows it, Sister Xie knows it, Madam Zhen knows it, and all the women in the Huaiye Lane mansion understand it.”

"To be honest, Sister Xie has given more. As a noble lady from one of the five noble families, she is clearly in love but cannot get engaged immediately... Compared to her, what can't I give?"

Ouyang Rong was silent for a while:

"wait for me.

"Wait until I take you all away from this Xunyang City."

Just then, the carriage stopped, and the driver's voice came from outside.

"We've arrived. Let's go, I'll introduce you to someone."

Ouyang Rong stood up and led the curious Ye Weilai down from the carriage.

...

“Chief Secretary Ouyang, please forgive me for not being able to understand.”

Inside a private room on the third floor of Yunshui Pavilion, after hearing the news from Ouyang Rong, Qin Heng's cheeks puffed out, his nostrils flared slightly, and his tone was somewhat excited:

"Why doesn't the imperial court thoroughly investigate and severely punish the culprits? Are they just going to let them get away with it? How can the soldiers and officers feel at ease if things continue like this? Isn't this just creating more hidden dangers?"

Qin Heng's reaction was just as strong as Ouyang Rong had anticipated.

He lowered his eyes and said:

"This is clearly a compromise."

"On the issue of dealing with the garrison soldiers, we should adopt the opinions of the Master and ourselves."

"On the issue of officials such as Lan Changhao, they compromised with the Wei family."

"Isn't Chief Secretary Ouyang angry?"

Ouyang Rong took a sip of tea:

"I expected it."

Qin Heng frowned, then suddenly realized:

"No wonder Chief Clerk Ouyang said at the time that he didn't care about their official hats, only about whether the soldiers could return safely... Was the Chief Clerk already pessimistic?"

Ye Weilai, who was pouring tea for the two of them, said softly:

"Tanlang once said that if we abandon expectations and positions and truly look at things realistically, most of the choices that make people indignant are flawless choices that lead to despair, and there is no fault in them that violates the rules of reality."

Ouyang Rong put down his teacup: "General Qin, this is the place where everything in the world is terrible."

Qin Heng hesitated, then remained silent.

The three of them drank tea in silence for a while.

After a while, Qin Heng lowered his head:

"What should we do with the soldiers after they return? Will they still have to deal with Governor Wang Lengran? Will they be retaliated against, stripped of their posts, and sent away?"

"Just a repatriation?" Ouyang Rong shook his head: "General Qin, be prepared."

"What preparations?"

Ouyang Rong put down his teacup: "The safety of the returning soldiers."

Qin Heng stared in disbelief: "Was it a hint from that envoy from Luoyang? Or was it an order from His Majesty?"

"Neither."

"How dare Wang Lengran..."

"Not only do we dare, but we are bound to do it."

Ouyang Rong squinted: "The soldiers returning from the north lay down their weapons and entered the city. On the day they entered, we could just accuse them of plotting a rebellion and wipe them all out... This way of handling things is really clean and efficient."

Qin Heng was suddenly startled.

(End of this chapter)