Chapter 534 The Princess's Invitation, Chrysanthemum Poetry Gathering (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)

"Sister Qin has left?"

Deep within the Xunyang Prince's Mansion, a vermilion tower sits atop a garden nestled amidst towering peaks.

A stunningly beautiful young woman in a peach-pink dress pushed open the window of a boudoir and asked without turning her head.

She had a bright red plum blossom mark on her forehead, and her tone was languid with a hint of coquettishness.

"Yes, they left the evening before last."

Inside the warm pavilion, which was decorated in the style of a secluded lady in her boudoir, another pretty young woman in a red dress, sitting on a chaise lounge warming herself by the fire, nodded and answered with a soft hum.

"Why didn't you mention it? We didn't even have time to see her off. Did Sister Xie go?"

Li Guo'er looked at the plate of chrysanthemums on the windowsill with some surprise and asked a question.

"No, when my father wrote that day, I had to deliver it to the Prince's Mansion. When my sister from the Qin family saw that I was busy, she told me not to deliver it. She was also in a hurry to go back to the front line to see Old Master Qin, so we didn't have to do any of those sentimental farewells."

Xie Lingjiang rested her chin on one hand and held a chess piece in the other, pondering her move, then gently shook her head.

A chessboard lay before him, clearly indicating that he was playing against Li Guo'er.

However, at this moment, her beautiful eyebrows were slightly furrowed, and she was hesitant; while Li Guo'er still had the leisure to open the window and admire the flowers.

Clearly, there was one move that slightly stumped her.

At a certain moment, Xie Lingjiang relaxed her brows, and with a "thud," the white piece held between her two jade-like fingers landed on the chessboard.

Her snow-white skin made her fingers appear even whiter and more delicate, with a lovely pale pink hue at the base of her nails.

Her ten fingers were slender, like freshly peeled scallions.

As the noblewoman Xie lowered her head in deep thought, two strands of black hair slipped from her forehead and brushed against the tip of her upturned nose.

After placing the piece, he retracted his two slender fingers and scratched the itchy spot on the tip of his nose.

Upon hearing the sound of a piece being placed, Li Guo'er leisurely returned from the window to the chessboard.

"Sister Xie's hands are so beautiful." She blinked.

"Just play your game, stop talking so much." Xie Ling and Jiang Xiaoqiong wrinkled their noses.

Li Guo'er glanced at the chessboard and, almost without thinking, returned the favor with a move.

Then, shifting from a chess-playing posture to one where she rested her chin on her hand, her pretty eyes blinking as she continued to watch Xie Lingjiang, who was frowning in thought again, and asked:

"If I don't speak, no one will talk to you. Your beloved senior brother doesn't have time to keep you company."

Xie Lingjiang frowned, looked down at the chess pieces, and didn't want to pay attention to anyone.

Li Guo'er's expression became even more interested as she scrutinized Xie Lingjiang's face.

She simply liked Sister Xie's serious and dignified demeanor as a noblewoman from one of the five noble families, a quality she somewhat inherited from Mr. Xie.

"My senior brother has his own things to do and doesn't need me to follow him around lately. You don't understand our way of getting along; it's not that sickeningly sweet, clingy kind of relationship..."

"Haven't he been attending poetry gatherings and traveling around lately?"

Li Guo'er suddenly changed the subject and asked:

What is he doing?

Xie Lingjiang's expression remained unchanged, as if she hadn't understood, and she said softly:

“Although we didn’t go to Xunyang Ferry to see off the Qin family’s younger sister the day before yesterday, our eldest brother was there at the time, and he said he happened to run into her.”

Li Guo'er glanced at Xie Lingjiang's face, but couldn't discern anything amiss, and asked:

"What was he doing at Xunyang Ferry the day before yesterday?"

"I came back from a poetry gathering this afternoon... Rongzhen was there too... I helped her find the owner of the Butterfly Love Flower..."

Xie Lingjiang spoke softly, lowering her head slightly as if examining the chessboard, making it difficult for Li Guo'er to discern her expression.

"Rongzhen? That haughty lady-in-waiting?"

Li Guo'er asked with a smile, "How did you know, Sister Xie?"

Xie Lingjiang pursed her lips: "My senior brother told me when he came back."

"Tsk tsk, so honest, so you're all about being frank, huh?"

Li Guo'er then asked with a smile, "Sister Xie, aren't you going to do something?"

"What do you mean? Go play your game."

Xie Lingjiang rolled her eyes at her, annoyed.

Li Guo'er tried hard to suppress her smile, clapped her hands on the side of her shoulder, and sighed, "As expected of a lady from a prominent family, she is so magnanimous and has the natural demeanor of a first wife."

Xie Lingjiang didn't really want to talk to her.

But after a short while, after placing a piece, she looked up, her small face serious, and said:

"That night, during the discussion in the study, didn't the eldest brother leave halfway through?"

"He wasn't unhappy. He told me afterwards that he had been experiencing auditory hallucinations lately, especially in places he used to frequent, such as the Prince's Mansion and the Jiangzhou Hall, as well as when he was discussing matters with us."

"It's only slightly better when the night is quiet or when I'm attending some joyful poetry gatherings."

Xie Lingjiang's eyes showed a hint of heartache. She bit her lip, paused for a moment, and then gave him some instructions.

"So, Senior Brother didn't mean to distance himself. Sister Guo'er, please tell your uncle and aunt not to overthink or worry."

"Hallucinations?"

Li Guo'er gently tapped her chin with her slender index finger:

"I see. But why would I suddenly have auditory hallucinations? Should we send the royal physician from the Prince's residence..."

Xie Lingjiang shook her head, stating succinctly: "No need. This matter... might be related to that Dao vein..."

Li Guo'er immediately fell silent, her eyes holding a meaningful look.

A moment later, the two beauties on the chaise lounge continued playing chess. Li Guo'er seemed to be lost in thought, somewhat absent-minded; Xie Lingjiang, on the other hand, had a serious and focused expression on her face.

However, Xie Lingjiang, who was still undecided, quickly made two more moves.

To resign and admit defeat.

Li Guo'er's expression remained unchanged as she poured a small handful of black seeds from her palm into the box.

Xie Lingjiang stood up, preparing to take her leave, when Li Guo'er suddenly said:

"It's been several days since we last saw him. Father and brother are quite worried about Ouyang Lianghan. Since he is prone to auditory hallucinations and likes to attend poetry gatherings, why not organize one? It would be a good opportunity for them to meet and chat."

"The recent events involving Lin Cheng and Wei Shaoqi have put everyone in a bad mood and created a serious atmosphere."

“Perfect, let’s hold it under the name of the Chrysanthemum Poetry Society. I’ll be the host and invite some famous scholars from Xunyang.”

"Although we can't interfere with the Buddha statue in Xingzifang, as Ouyang Lianghan put it, they have both the money bag and the knife handle."

"But our Xunyang Prince's Mansion cannot remain completely silent. The scholars and the people still support us. We still have the power to wield our pens, so the Prince's Mansion must make some noise and demonstrate some influence to avoid being taken advantage of by some sycophants."

Li Guo'er put away the chessboard and clapped her little hands.

"Sister Xie, could you please invite Ouyang Lianghan and ask if he's coming?"

Xie Lingjiang hesitated for a moment, then nodded slightly and asked:

"It's best not to let the eldest brother write a poem; you know the situation."

Li Guo'er slightly pursed her lips: "I've never seen him write any poems. Don't worry, no one will make trouble for him."

Xie Lingjiang did not explain upon hearing this.

At this moment, Li Guo'er said with a smile:

"Besides, I won't invite that Rong Zhen."

Xie Lingjiang stood up, waved her hand, and left: "It's up to you, it doesn't matter whether you invite me or not."

"It's fine with me. Shall I treat you then?"

Xie Lingjiang immediately turned her face away and said sternly:

"It's not certain whether they'll come or not."

Before Li Guo'er could speak, Xie Lingjiang had already gotten up and walked away quickly.

"Ha, you're just saying one thing and meaning another."

Li Guo'er's expression was calm, and her tone was lightly amused.

...

late at night.

Outside Xunyang City, in the luxurious manor of a wealthy man surnamed Yuan, a poetry gathering had just ended. The guests either left or stayed overnight at the manor.

The Yuan family's manor in the suburbs was very grand.

There was a curfew in Xunyang City late at night, so people couldn't enter the city and had to wait until morning. Many people were persuaded by their hosts to stay overnight, or simply got drunk until dawn.

Outside the manor, in a dark grove of trees, a carriage waits quietly.

Xie Lingjiang sat inside the carriage, her clear eyes gazing absently at the curtain in front of her.

A moment later, a drunken figure walked over from the wall, lifted the carriage curtain, and climbed into the carriage.

"Senior Brother."

"Let's go to Brother Huang's house."

Not long ago, Ouyang Rong, who was still drunk when he bid farewell to the Yuan family, suddenly regained his senses as soon as he sat down and gave a sigh of relief.

"good."

Xie Lingjiang didn't ask any further questions.

Recently, my senior brother has been frequently attending parties and poetry gatherings both inside and outside the city, and he often doesn't return to the city at night. Gradually, this has stopped attracting much attention.

Even now, many people in the manor still believe that Ouyang Sima, who is said to be "not asleep," is fast asleep in his luxurious house with beautiful concubines... However, the concubines have been drugged and put to sleep.

Half an hour later, the carriage arrived at a farmhouse on the outskirts of the city and quietly stopped outside the back wall.

"wait for me."

Xie Lingjiang, who was about to travel together, heard her senior brother say something and turned to jump off the carriage.

Before getting out of the car, he took a heavy bundle from under the seat and put it inside.

Xie Lingjiang sat back down and watched her senior brother's figure disappear into the courtyard.

She turned her head, and her gaze fell upon the dark farmhouse courtyard, which was devoid of lights.

After Ouyang Rong entered the courtyard, the lights inside remained on for a long time, and it was still pitch black.

Xie Lingjiang closed her eyes, placed her sword across her lap, and sat alone in the carriage, patiently waiting.

I don't know how much time passed.

A pale dawn appeared on the distant horizon.

With a creak.

The courtyard gate was pushed open from the inside.

Xie Lingjiang opened her eyes and saw her senior brother's figure appear at the door, but the bundle in his hand was gone.

He was being escorted out of the courtyard by three people who came out of the courtyard.

Xie Lingjiang, with her sharp eyes, noticed that besides the figure of a burly man with a thick beard, there were two other figures that were both familiar and unfamiliar:

A petite and slender female Taoist priest and a dull, expressionless young man stood there. One was tall, the other short, and both carried peach wood swords on their backs.

The eldest brother waved his hand at them without turning his head, and the three of them turned around and returned to the courtyard.

The eldest brother pressed down his felt hat and quickly got into the car.

Xie Lingjiang looked away and helped him sit down.

The carriage continued moving.

"Xiao Xuan is back? And Fellow Daoist Lu is here too?"

"Um."

As soon as Ouyang Rong entered the carriage, he exhaled a long breath, gave a noncommittal reply, and then closed his eyes to rest.

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

Ouyang Rong suddenly spoke up, adding, "Don't mention it to the Prince's residence for now."

"good."

Xie Lingjiang didn't ask any further questions.

This is the tacit understanding between the two.

"Are you feeling better with the auditory hallucinations?" she asked with concern.

Ouyang Rong, with his eyes closed, simply nodded slightly and said nothing more.

Xie Lingjiang felt a warmth in her palm. Looking down, she saw that he had grasped her hand and was gently stroking the back of it.

The eldest brother's palms were warm and thick.

She felt somewhat at ease.

"Junior sister, you've worked hard."

"Hmph, you're all talk," Xie Lingjiang said, deliberately keeping a straight face.

"Who said that? There are clearly still two hands."

Ouyang Rong suddenly opened his eyes and pulled her into his arms.

The latter immediately felt a pair of large hands begin to "stir up trouble" inside the small red pouch in his bosom...

A blush rose to her pretty face.

Naturally, the little hand pushes forward.

But it was not successful in pushing it away.

If you don't push it open completely, you'll end up not pushing it open at all.

Finally, the force of her shoving gradually diminished until it was negligible, reduced to a mere symbolic push...

Hmm... it seems my senior brother particularly likes this place, just like... like a child...

She thought.

Inside the carriage.

The two sat close together, embracing each other.

The young woman's blushing face was buried in her lover's arms.

Sisi—!

After a soft rustling sound of ropes, there was a sound.

A woman said angrily:

"How...how can you be so skilled..."

"I'm used to it, I'm quite familiar with this one..."

"...?"

A moment of tenderness.

The woman in his arms spoke, her voice still carrying a slight, unavoidable tremor:

"Stop pinching...stop fooling around, there's...there's something I need to tell you..."

Ouyang Rong lowered his head, burying his face in his hair, and muttered:

"You say your piece, I'll do mine, I'm not sobering up."

"You don't look drunk at all. With such skill, all you do is humiliate and degrade others..."

Xie Lingjiang's tone was sorrowful and ashamed.

She gently pinched his waist, and after a moment, somewhat embarrassed, she shifted her hips slightly, adjusting to a position that was convenient for him to move while also allowing her to feel comfortable.

Xie Lingjiang cleared her voice, which was as soft as her delicate body, and began to talk about the poetry gathering with Li Guo'er.

"Chrysanthemum Poetry Gathering? What's that?"

"It's like this, there's a pot of chrysanthemums in Sister Guo'er's yard. When the cold wave hit and winter came, all the flowers withered, but it alone did not wither, which was quite strange. She used this as an excuse to hold a chrysanthemum poetry gathering, to sing about autumn chrysanthemums instead of winter snow in this early winter..."

Ouyang Rong pondered for a moment, then asked:

"when?"

Xie Lingjiang gave a date, saying softly, "About three days from now, in the morning."

"Three days later..."

Xie Lingjiang saw Ouyang Rong take out a map from his sleeve, look down at it, and squint his eyes as if he was thinking for a moment.

He put the picture away, his expression unchanged, and said:

“Alright, tell the princess that I will keep my appointment on time.”

"good."

Xie Lingjiang nodded, and then said softly:

"Actually, the Prince's Mansion is also very concerned about you. Your uncle and eldest brother should also be attending this poetry gathering. If you're free, eldest brother, please spend some time with them that day."

"knew."

Ouyang Rong suddenly said again:

"Actually, this poetry gathering came at just the right time."

"What do you mean? Just what?"

“I was actually very busy those days, with many events to attend, and it filled the gap of half a day that I had freed up,” he said with a smile.

"Then there won't be any rest time at all."

Xie Lingjiang was speechless, not knowing what was so good about him, and couldn't help but take another look at him.

The eldest brother was lifting the carriage curtain, and the pale yellow dawn light fell on his calm face.

Xie Lingjiang noticed that the carriage was just entering the city at that moment, passing through the bridge arch of the west city gate.

Xie Lingjiang followed her senior brother's gaze and looked outside.

The West Gate has just been repaired.

The old bricks they saw when they rode back from the front lines last time have all been replaced by new bricks.

This resulted in the opening of the city gate bridge being slightly narrower and the ceiling being lower.

However, after reinforcement, it is safer and will no longer experience the previous situation where loose bricks would fall from time to time, affecting the continuous flow of people entering and leaving the city below.

At this moment, Xie Lingjiang noticed that Ouyang Rong's gaze seemed to be fixed on the newly reinforced bricks.

A moment later, she saw him withdraw his gaze and seem to utter two words softly.

"good."

(End of this chapter)