Chapter 478 Old Faces, New Faces

Even in late autumn, Xunyang Ferry remains bustling with activity.

Early in the morning, constables from the Jiangzhou government arrived to clear the area and make room for a dock. Judicial Advisor Yan Wuxu led the constables to surround the area and began to prepare for action.

Officials of all ranks in the Jiangzhou Grand Hall, special female officials from the Procuratorate, and resident censors of the prefecture.

Prince Li Fusu, who came on behalf of Prince Xunyang, along with a special envoy from the Jiangnan Road military camp at the front line, arrived at the dock one after another.

Such a grand spectacle naturally attracted much attention from the local residents and tourists.

At the very front of the waiting crowd were three figures:

Rongzhen, Wang Lengran, and Li Fusu.

The three of them didn't have much to say to each other, some lost in thought, others gazing at the distant river.

The imperial envoy was a private messenger of the emperor, sent to inspect the region on behalf of the emperor in Luoyang. Naturally, no matter how high the level of his status, it was not excessive.

The sun had just risen in the morning, and its rays fell on the people and the river, offering some protection against the chill of the river breeze.

"Make way."

Ouyang Rong politely squeezed through the crowd at the back and came to the front row to stand next to Rong Zhen and the other two.

Aside from Wang Lengran, who was staring straight ahead but with a furrowed brow.

Rongzhen and Li Dalang both glanced at him sideways.

"Why is my love so late?"

"Why did you come so early? I rested at home for a while and had my aunt's breakfast before coming."

“But today is the arrival of the Chinese envoy’s ship…” Li Dalang lowered his voice.

"I know, I was the one who informed you yesterday."

Ouyang Rong looked around and laughed:

"But there's no use coming so early. I often pick people up here, I know it like the back of my hand. I always came too early before."

"Hmm, I guess they'll probably transfer in Yangzhou. I know the schedules for ships from Yangzhou to here like the back of my hand; they'll never arrive before noon."

"So why come so early? The envoy doesn't know you've been waiting for so long. Besides, you should keep your respect for the envoy to yourself. Coming so early and getting chilled in the wind might make the envoy feel guilty."

"..."

Li Dalang couldn't help but sigh again, "Tanlang is really experienced."

A certain aloof, palace-dressed girl pursed her lips and softly uttered four words:

"Nonsense."

However, the three people in the front row spoke very softly, and apart from Wang Lengran next to him, the subordinate officials at the back door could not hear their conversation.

Ouyang Rong smiled and handed over two oil paper packages, one for Rong Zhen as well.

"What is this?" Li Dalang asked curiously, taking the box and opening it to examine it.

"These pastries from Jingyiting were just given to me by my junior sister. You guys eat them. I know you haven't eaten yet. When you get hungry later, remember to pretend to cough and sneak a couple of bites."

"This Guanghan cake melts in your mouth and you can hold it in your mouth, which is convenient for occasions like this... In the past, when I was too busy to go out and had an empty stomach, I would do this."

Someone was enthusiastically sharing tips on how to slack off.

Wang Lengran, who was being ignored and rejected at the front, couldn't hold back any longer and turned around to glare fiercely at Ouyang Rong.

His eyes seemed to say, "Don't go too far, kid."

Ouyang Rong ignored him completely.

Wang Lengran glanced at the aloof, palace-dressed girl standing not too far from Ouyang Rong.

The governor of Jiangzhou felt somewhat helpless and puzzled.

It's unclear why this lady of high status is following Ouyang Lianghan's nonsense. It was the same thing when the Donglin Temple delayed submitting its memorial; it was completely unexpected...

"she is?"

Rong Zhen stood still with his sleeves tucked in, and asked a question.

Ouyang Rong turned his head curiously, following her gaze as she turned her head to look behind the crowd from which he had come.

Because the four people in the front row were standing on a raised step at the ferry dock, they had a good view.

At that moment, Ouyang Rong's carriage was parked on the street behind the crowd, and a beautiful figure in red was standing gracefully by the carriage, waiting.

She's my junior sister.

She seemed to clench her fists together and place them near her lips, breathing out warm air to warm her hands as she gazed into the distance at the pier where people were waiting to pick up passengers.

"How come Lady Rong has such good eyesight?"

Ouyang Rong couldn't help but admire him, but he still had an oil paper package left in his hand that he hadn't handed over.

Rong Zhen didn't raise her hand, as if she had forgotten to take it, and casually asked:

"Are you referring to any women in your household? Does Chief Secretary Ouyang have a family? Won't you introduce them?"

“No.” Ouyang Rong shook his head: “It is my junior sister.”

As if realizing something, he asked curiously:

"Haven't you met Lady Rong before? Back when Zhu Lingxu was at the West Gate, Junior Sister was there too."

"Is she just my junior sister... Oh, I remember now, I've seen her before, I have a vague impression of her, but I didn't recognize her because she changed her clothes. It's been a long time, I thought she had left."

Rongzhen reached out and took the oil paper package containing the pastries, her eyelashes drooping slightly as she asked:

"Is she the only daughter of your teacher Xie Xun, a noblewoman of the Jinling branch of the Xie family of Chenjun? If I remember correctly."

“Yes, that’s right.” Ouyang Rong nodded.

"Her father should be in Luoyang, right? Why is she still in Xunyang City with you? Did your teacher arrange this?"

"no."

Ouyang Rong shook his head and said softly:

"It was left behind by my junior sister. She is quite close to the granddaughter of General Qin, the little princess of the Xunyang Prince's Mansion. Recently, they have often traveled together in Kuanglu, participating in literary gatherings and the like. As the senior brother, it is not convenient for me to ask too many questions. At most, I can occasionally ask about her well-being on behalf of our teacher."

Li Dalang turned to look at his tight-lipped friend.

Even when facing Rong Zhen, who trusted him, Ouyang Rong did not reveal much about the Xunyang Prince's Mansion.

Rongzhen nodded, weighing the oil paper package in her hand with her delicate fingers, and said with a hint of teasing:

"It feels like your junior sister is the one who's being so attentive to you, her senior brother, even coming over early in the morning to see you off."

"Ms. Rong, you flatter me."

Ouyang Rong, somewhat helplessly, explained in a concise manner:

"That's right. Recently, my junior sister wanted to gain some experience, so I had her stay by my side during the day to observe and learn more. She's quite happy with this kind of experience."

Rongzhen suddenly asked, "So she's been following you around all day lately?"

"Um."

"Then why haven't I seen her these past few days?"

"Forehead."

Ouyang Rong was somewhat speechless at Rong Zhen's focus.

"You didn't bring it?" she asked.

He had no choice but to say:

"When I went to the Control Yuan to see you this morning, she was too lazy to move and didn't come with me..."

"Is that so? What a coincidence, I've never run into you before, haha."

"Yeah, that's how it is. We ran into each other today, haha."

Ouyang Rong nodded and chuckled.

But then he realized something.

Something feels... off.

Why is it spoken in such an interrogative tone, like someone is questioning a criminal?

He's not a criminal, why are you making me feel like a criminal with all these words? I'm a little nervous.

Ouyang Rong was somewhat wary:

Why is Lady Rong asking these questions?

Rong Zhen looked up through her sleeves, not looking at him, and asked with a pursed mouth:

"You said you would teach her?"

"If I'm not mistaken in observing his aura, this is a mid-level Confucian Qi cultivator. Don't you Confucianists believe that the higher one's realm, the deeper one's understanding?"

"Does she need you to teach her?"

“Ouyang Lianghan, you’re just a low-grade Qi Refiner, a mere ninth-rank cultivator. Are you sure you taught her, and not the other way around?”

Her tone suddenly turned disdainful in front of Ouyang Rong.

Ouyang Rong, who was initially suspicious, suddenly became displeased and calmly said:

"Does Lady Rong look down on those of the ninth rank? And those of the lowest rank are even less worthy of showing their faces, are they?"

"no."

He snorted, "You'd better not be..."

She interrupted, "I just have some doubts about your abilities."

“…” Ouyang Rong.

After a moment, he said seriously:

“Miss Rong, there is a sequence to learning, and everyone has their own expertise. I may not be as good as my junior sister in Qi cultivation, but as she said, she also needs to learn from me in some aspects. That’s why she has been training by my side these days.”

“That’s right.” Rong Zhen nodded vigorously.

The sudden change in attitude stunned Ouyang Rong, who was originally about to get revenge:

"What did you say?"

Rongzhen pursed her lips, looked into his eyes, and said:

"I say, you are right. You are indeed very capable in some areas, with profound insights that are worth learning from."

She nodded: "Your junior sister has good taste, just like me."

Ouyang Rong chewed for a moment, then tentatively asked:

"Would Lady Rong also learn from me?"

"Hmm." She remained noncommittal.

I guess that's a compliment...?

Ouyang Rong smiled, about to ask another question, when Rong Zhen suddenly asked:

"Is she a virtuous woman?"

"What?"

"I ask you, is your junior sister already at the sixth rank? Is she a sixth-rank Qi cultivator from the Confucian school?"

"Yes. Lady Rong's ability to observe qi is quite good."

Rongzhen asked calmly:

"If I remember correctly, wasn't she just a seventh-rank book reader before? How come she's so fast?"

"If I were to say that I, a mere ninth-rank official, did help her in a small way, would Lady Rong believe me?"

Rongzhen stared at him for a while, then glanced at the woman in red waiting gently by the carriage in the distance, and slowly nodded:

"No wonder she likes to follow you around."

"What do you mean?" Ouyang Rong frowned.

Rongzhen ignored him.

A young woman in palace attire stood on a high platform, her eyes slightly narrowed, her sleeves tucked behind her head as she gazed at the distant river.

Her petite figure, dressed in a simple white palace dress, was bathed in the pale golden sunlight, and her usually cold temperament seemed to lessen with the change of color.

Before the two could continue their conversation, a sudden commotion arose from the crowd, as if they were cheering for something.

Ouyang Rong and Rong Zhen immediately followed their gaze and saw that on the distant horizon of the Xunyang River, where the sky was high and the sea was vast, the golden, surging river was pushing a huge official ship from Yangzhou toward them.

Braving the winds and waves.

Fifteen minutes later, the official ship that had been used for transfers in Yangzhou heavily docked at the cleared-out wharf.

The plank was put down with a "bang".

The crowd, which had been whispering amongst themselves, suddenly fell silent and waited patiently.

Ouyang Rong, Rong Zhen, Wang Lengran, and Li Dalang took the lead and stepped forward.

A moment later, a bearded man appeared on the deck, his steps brisk, and he leaped off the ship in a few quick movements.

The bearded man was about thirty years old, very fair-skinned, but tall, robust, and strong.

"Prefect Wang, Chief Clerk Ouyang, it's been a long time!"

His voice was deep and resonant, and his laughter was hearty.

After disembarking, the tall, bearded man glanced around at the people who had greeted him. His gaze then fell on a certain cold, aloof young woman dressed in palace attire, and his attitude became slightly more serious, though his tone carried a hint of reminiscence:

“Ms. Rong, we came to Xunyang together from Luoyang, right at this very dock? We parted ways here, and Ms. Rong disembarked early… More than half a year has passed in the blink of an eye, and Ms. Rong’s charm remains unchanged.”

It was Khufu!

Ouyang Rong and Li Dalang exchanged a glance, their eyes showing some surprise.

Khufu had previously served as an envoy, but it didn't go very smoothly. It was thought that he would be demoted and punished after returning, but now it seems... I wonder what he went through after returning to Luoyang.

However, since they are acquaintances, things will be easier.

Li Dalang breathed a sigh of relief and winked at his friend.

Ouyang Rong remained silent and turned to observe.

Seeing Khufu's familiar attitude, Rongzhen nodded as a greeting.

Her gaze passed over Khufu and landed on the others on the deck.

"Your Excellency, it has been many days since we last met. Are you still the same as before? Your Excellency is even more dashing than last time, which I greatly admire."

Wang Lengran forced a fawning smile onto his old face.

"You're too kind, Governor Wang. You look quite well."

Hu Fu exchanged a few polite words, then turned to look at Ouyang Rong.

The two stared at each other for a brief two and a half breaths.

Khufu nodded to him as a greeting.

He turned around and chatted with Li Fusu, the Prefect of Jiangzhou.

They treated Ouyang Rong and Wang Lengran almost the same way, polite and courteous.

Ouyang Rong raised an eyebrow and glanced at the back of the tall, bearded eunuch.

"Envoy Hu, this way."

"Very well, very well. Governor Wang, please lead the way."

Wang Lengran, accompanied by Hu Fu, led the way out of the dock, and the crowd that had come to greet them spontaneously parted to make way for them.

Li Dalang followed as well.

Ouyang Rong and Rong Zhen fell behind.

Rongzhen glanced back at the crowd following Khufu down the deck, frowned slightly, and stepped forward to catch up with Khufu.

Before leaving, she suddenly stuffed the oil paper package into Ouyang Rong's hand and left coldly.

Ouyang Rong was slightly taken aback, then shook his head after a moment.

He didn't follow immediately. Instead, he stood still, opened the oil paper package, picked up a piece of pastry, and put it in his mouth to chew.

"Fine, don't eat it then," he muttered.

Just then, a slightly overweight young man walked down from the deck at the rear.

He was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with an ordinary appearance, somewhat plump and easygoing, with a naturally smiling face and a kind and cheerful demeanor.

The slightly overweight young man walked up to Ouyang Rong, patted his belly, turned his head, and watched him eat with a somewhat longing look.

Ouyang Rong didn't even turn his head, and handed it over.

The slightly chubby young man reached out, unceremoniously picked up a piece, put it in his mouth, and mumbled:

"It's delicious. Could it be that Lady Rongzhen made it? That would be a blessing I've accumulated over eight lifetimes to be able to taste it."

"Bought on the street, three large boxes for one tael of silver." Ouyang Rong asked with a smile, "And you are?"

The slightly chubby young man who flattered the wrong person wasn't angry:

"I am Lin Cheng, a native of Jingzhao, a minor official in the Imperial Observatory, whose name means 'sincere' in dealing with people."

"I've heard so much about you." Ouyang Rong clasped his hands in greeting.

The slightly chubby young man smiled: "And you are?"

Without any politeness, he casually replied: "I am Ouyang Rong, the third-ranked scholar in the imperial examination of the first year of the Jiushi era, a student of Bailudong Academy, a renowned gentleman who does not get close to women, a hidden gem in the southeast selected by Her Majesty the Empress, the creator of Xunyang Grottoes in Zheyiqu, and the Junior Secretary of Jiangzhou. I also call myself Rong, the one who abandoned his pen for the sword."

"Disrespect...disrespect."

(End of this chapter)