Chapter 688 There's No Woman Who Can't Be Coaxed [7K views, Bonus Chapter for Monthly Tickets!]

After listening, Ouyang Rong rubbed his face:

"An unexpected discovery, is it really that simple...?"

Rong Zhen didn't turn her head, her voice calm: "Otherwise what?"

Ouyang Rong asked in a normal tone, "Did they find what they were looking for?"

"No, Yue Chuzi has most likely left, especially after your massive arrest operation a few days ago. You alerted her, and since you didn't catch her, she must have really escaped."

"It was my fault."

Ouyang Rong nodded, just about to deal with it, when Rong Zhen in front of him slowly stopped.

"What's wrong, Lady Historian?"

Rongzhen turned her head, her brows furrowed:

"Stop, take me there first."

Where to?

Ouyang Rong saw her expressionless face and said:

"To meet your childhood sweetheart."

...

"Is the governor ready yet? I've been waiting since yesterday. I'm not like you, a lazy bum who can keep a mistress in a golden house while handling official business, taking her out to eat every meal, and taking care of everyone without neglecting a single one."

"They'll be back soon, the embroiderer and Madam Pei will be back soon."

After a pause, Ouyang Rong's voice said helplessly:

"What do you mean 'adult' or 'not adult'? Lady Rong, please don't call me that, it feels really strange. Also, Lady Rong, please don't joke with me, I'm exhausted these past two days..."

"Oh."

The next day, at the entrance of the quiet courtyard.

Yesterday afternoon and into the night there was a torrential downpour, but today the sun is shining brightly.

In the morning, Ouyang Rong and Rong Zhen arrived at the quiet courtyard again, stopping in an alley not far from the courtyard gate to wait quietly.

This was their agreement from yesterday.

Today, Rong Zhen had changed back into her plain white palace dress. Standing with her hands clasped in the alley, she exchanged a few words with Ouyang Rong, and after a cold laugh, she continued in a sarcastic tone:

"Governor, please hurry up. Why are you treating her like a precious treasure, afraid of dropping her if you hold her in your hands or melting her if you keep her in your mouth? It's so troublesome to let me take a look. Are you hiding something, or do you not trust me?"

"If you don't believe me, I wouldn't have brought Lady Rong along. It's just that the embroiderer's condition is special and she needs to rest. You'll see when you meet her later."

After speaking, Ouyang Rong glanced at the aloof, palace-dressed girl beside him and asked:

"Is Lady Rong still angry?"

Rong Zhen immediately turned her head, and her words fell like a string of pearls:

"Angry? What's there to be angry about? I'm not angry at all. Which eye of yours saw me angry? I'm not angry. I'm just doing my job. In my opinion, it's because you, Governor, have too many personal concerns and have forgotten what official business is."

"I haven't forgotten. As I said, the matter of the embroiderer may have been motivated by personal reasons, but it wouldn't interfere with official duties or affect the landing of the Donglin Buddha. I have always kept that in mind."

Rong Zhen lowered her eyelids, tucked her sleeves into her eyes, and gazed ahead: "I hope so."

Ouyang Rong also stood with his sleeves tucked in.

The two, one tall and one short, one calm and the other sulking, were dressed in blue robes and white skirts, both with their sleeves tucked in, standing side by side.

If a stranger were to pass by the alley at this time, Gao Di would take a few more glances; the unusual combination of styles would leave a deep impression.

Unfortunately, the person involved was unaware of this.

After a night of reflection and deliberation, Ouyang Rong had a general understanding of the situation and took the initiative to speak:

"Thinking about it carefully, it's understandable that I was angry. My junior sister did say some things that were inappropriate yesterday. She shouldn't have judged others so arbitrarily. I apologize to Lady Rong here. I hope Lady Rong will be magnanimous and not take offense."

Rongzhen countered:

"Weren't you looking for those broken umbrellas? How do you know what we talked about?"

Ouyang Rong coughed and said, "I learned a little bit from Madam Pei."

Rongzhen glanced at him sideways.

Just then, the two of them fell silent and looked toward the street corner.

A luxurious carriage arrived and stopped in front of the quiet courtyard.

A beautiful woman in a purple and gold robe stepped off the carriage first. Her face was covered by a black veil, so her features were not visible. She turned and helped a young girl out of the carriage.

The young girl was pretty and charming, her eyes blindfolded with a sky-blue ribbon, her hair adorned with a tinkling, icy-white jade hairpin, and she held a jade cane. She landed lightly, seemingly mute, and made a gesture of thanks to the beautiful woman whose face was veiled in black. The latter smiled and helped her into the quiet courtyard...

The two women, one adult and one child, only had about ten breaths between getting off the bus and entering the courtyard.

Rong Zhen stared intently, and Ouyang Rong noticed that the expression on her face was very complex, including shock, bewilderment, and... pity.

When the beautiful, blind, and mute girl alighted from the carriage, the pendant of the white jade hairpin on her head swayed and made a peculiar sound. Rong Zhen stared intently at it with her dark eyes, as well as at the jade staff in the girl's hand... She slowly lowered her head, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath, lost in thought.

The blind and mute girl was taken into the courtyard, while the beautiful woman in purple and gold robes returned, boarded a luxurious carriage, and slowly drove away.

The two people standing in the alley did not make a sound or get noticed by anyone.

After a long silence, Ouyang Rong asked softly:

"You saw him?"

"Um."

"Then there's no need for me to explain."

Rongzhen concealed a hint of pity in her eyes, raised her head, looked straight at him, and asked very seriously, "Are these things congenital, or... all because of you?"

Ouyang Rong remained silent.

Rong Zhen looked at him with complicated emotions, taking it as a tacit agreement. A flood of guesses rushed through her mind, and she whispered:

"No wonder you treat her so well, going so far as to bend the law to hide and protect her, even at the risk of being discovered by your jealous junior sister."

She gazed at the cozy little courtyard ahead, murmuring absentmindedly, "She must really like you. She's a pure and abstinent woman from Yue, yet she sacrificed so much for you... But you didn't let her down either. Because of her, you broke your principles and were willing to defy the world to stand in front of her. She didn't choose the wrong person, and she didn't give her heart to the wrong person."

"In this way, you will never let down the woman who has silently sacrificed for you, and you will cherish every true feeling. Is this your selfish desire? Ouyang Lianghan, you may not be a public servant who completely abandons personal feelings, but you are definitely a man, the kind you can entrust with your life to... you're just a bit of a womanizer."

Ouyang Rong was slightly taken aback and turned to look at her.

Rong Zhen, who felt a sudden empathy, turned her head away. After a moment, her expression and tone returned to normal, and she said with a touch of arrogance, "It was right that you didn't bring me along to bother you. I will reluctantly forgive you for this."

Ouyang Rong shook his head: "It's not that I'm bothering you, it's just that the embroiderer..." His tone was slightly hesitant.

Rongzhen suddenly asked, "Does she not know your specific job title?"

"Almost. They only know my given name, but not my courtesy name."

Rongzhen said softly:

"To address someone by their given name upon coming of age is to show respect for their given name. One should address them by their given name in front of one's father and ruler, and by their courtesy name in front of others. As the governor of a prefecture, apart from one's father, ruler, teacher, or if one wishes to be humble, who would dare to openly call you by your given name?"

Ouyang Rong remained silent.

In the Great Zhou Dynasty, having a courtesy name was not something ordinary people could have. It was something that only people with status, position, and culture could acquire. One had to possess at least one of these qualities. It was a matter of etiquette for the aristocratic and scholarly groups and, in a sense, a threshold for entering their social circle.

Because a man is considered to have the duty of fatherhood after turning twenty, he is given a courtesy name (字). Once he has a courtesy name, peers or younger generations can no longer address him by his given name. To call someone by their name in public would be considered extremely disrespectful and offensive. The names of superiors and inferiors, especially those of the monarch or one's parents and elders, are strictly forbidden; to mention them would be considered a grave offense.

Ouyang Rong's courtesy name, "Lianghan," was given to him by his mentor Xie Xun when he studied at Bailudong Academy. It was taken from the phrase "Zhou Bang Xian Xi, Rong You Lianghan." Having a teacher give you a courtesy name is a form of recognition and a continuation of the literary tradition. Otherwise, how could one say "a teacher for a day is a father for life"? The teacher can directly give you a courtesy name that you'll use for a lifetime—it's a kind of naming right. If they deliberately misuse it, quoting classical texts and insisting on calling you something strange like "Goudan" (Dog Egg), then you're doomed…

From Tao Yuanming in the distant past to Yuan Huaimin more recently, all used the surname followed by a courtesy name. Yuan Huaimin also had a given name, but even his close friend Ouyang Rong didn't know it, as he was used to calling him by his courtesy name every day. When Yuan Huaimin was appointed to an official post outside the capital, he still used his courtesy name when he went out. His given name was probably only known to the elders in his clan. Even Yi Qianqiu, who was furious with Yuan Huaimin, didn't call him by his given name when they last met and he was about to beat him up.

Tao Yuanming's name is "Qian" (潜), which is understandable. It shows how angry a certain golden-haired empress would be when she called him a thief by his given name.

"So you're afraid that if I meet her face to face, she'll realize our identities and see through you?"

Ouyang Rong frowned and remained silent.

Rong Zhen chuckled: "Your name, Ouyang Lianghan, should be quite well-known. Like me, you are regarded as a traitor to the imperial court by the Yunmeng Yue Nu and the rebels of Tiannan Jianghu."

Ouyang Rong shook his head: "The embroiderers are different from them."

"Yes, they are definitely different."

Rong Zhen nodded again, each word distinct:

"Judging from the last time your child bride taught your personal maid Ye Weilai the sword technique 'Virgin Splitting View,' she should be a Yue woman of the level of a female ruler. How could she be the same as an ordinary Yue woman?"

Whether Ouyang Rong tacitly agreed or simply didn't want to discuss the matter further, he asked:

"Is there anything else that Lady Rong would like to ask or see?"

Rongzhen stared at him for a moment, then asked:

What are your plans to do with her?

Ouyang Rong lowered his eyes:

“After the last city-wide cleanup, there are no more spies from Yunmeng Jianze around the embroiderer. She is blind and mute and cannot contact the outside world, so she can be considered out of contact. I will stay with her and not let her get involved in the mess again.”

“You have indeed severed all ties with her over there, but what if she secretly or deliberately gets involved? Can you stop her?”

Ouyang Rong remained silent for a long time, then said softly:

“I promised her that I would bring her back to the mansion in Huaiye Lane to attend my aunt’s birthday celebration, and I will keep my word. Xiu Niang also promised, and she will try her best.”

Rong Zhen squinted at him and said:

"No wonder you didn't let her know your courtesy name and official rank."

Her suggestion, drawing inferences from one instance to others:

"And don't let them know the date the Donglin Buddha was completed..."

Ouyang Rong remained silent and stepped forward with his sleeves tucked in.

Rong Zhen paused halfway through her sentence, turned to examine Ouyang Rong's calm and peaceful face, and suddenly gave a self-deprecating smile:

"I'm actually offering you some advice. Ha, you must have already planned this out, so there's no need for anyone else to say anything. I'm just making a fool of myself."

"No, Ms. Rong's advice was very helpful. I have learned a lot."

Rong Zhen remained frowning in thought, then, realizing what was happening, asked:

"When was your aunt's birthday celebration originally scheduled?"

After a moment of silence, Ouyang Rong said, "One or two days after the Donglin Buddha is completed and placed on the ground."

Rongzhen's eyes became meaningful:

"You, Ouyang Lianghan, you were prepared all along. The timing of this is quite exquisite. Are you trying to use this matter to keep her in check? By dragging it out until the Buddha statue is built, your child bride will have no choice but to fulfill her promise and go home with you."

Ouyang Rong stared straight ahead, remaining calm and silent.

I don't know what I'm thinking.

Rongzhen withdrew her gaze: "You should know the date when the Buddha statue will be completed, since you'll be in charge of its construction."

Ouyang Rong quietly announced a tentative date, and Rong Zhen frowned in deep thought.

Just then, Ouyang Rong suddenly asked:

"Ms. Rong just said that she sent a team of female officials to investigate and found a woman in my courtyard who was suspected to be from Yue. After observing her for a while, didn't they tell you that the embroiderer was blind and mute?"

Rong Zhen kept her gaze fixed on him, remained silent for a moment, and then said:

"They failed in their duties. I will punish them when I return. Is there anything else you need, Governor?"

Ouyang Rong shook his head and glanced at her again.

Rongzhen had already turned around and walked away into the distance.

Ouyang Rong followed her as they left the quiet courtyard.

On the way, Rongzhen, who had been pondering for a long time, spoke again:

"Actually, there's something you've never considered."

"What's up."

"Your safety. She is truly in love with you, but right now you are the abbot of Donglin Temple and have issued a decree restricting women from crossing the border. You are a thorn in the side of Yunmeng Sword Marsh and a corrupt official of the court... Have you not considered your own safety? It's not that she wants to hurt you, that won't happen, but what about her fellow disciples? There is an unstable danger involved. A wise man does not stand under a crumbling wall. You should understand this principle."

Ouyang Rong smiled:

“One thing at a time. I will not tolerate the embroiderers because of them, and they do not need to forgive me because of the embroiderers. Let each rely on their own abilities. If they have the ability, they can take my life.”

Rong Zhen couldn't help but turn her head, glance at the composed man beside her, and ask:

“You may be carefree, but what about your responsibilities? His Majesty entrusted you with this important task, appointing you to create the statue. Prince Xunyang also relies on you to gain merit. If you are gone, what will happen to your responsibilities?”

This question made Ouyang Rong's expression more serious:

"Actually, there's another reason why I've been delegating power to Cao Zhi and the others these days. I've already taught you how to build the Donglin Buddha, and the same goes for Xunyang City. Lin Cheng has left, and the Xingzi Lake Buddha has been abandoned, but the hearts of the people of Xunyang City remain. As long as this heart remains, the court can still erect a Buddha statue in Xunyang City. This is the foundation, indispensable. So, does the system stop functioning without me? It won't, and it shouldn't be."

Rongzhen couldn't help but glance at him after hearing this.

At one point, she suddenly interrupted Ouyang Rong, who was speaking eloquently, and asked:

"And what about me?"

Ouyang Rong was taken aback.

Under his gaze, Rong Zhen said softly:

"You promised to teach me the zither music, and the essence that Elder Yu hid in the music. You promised to teach me until I did. If you are gone, who will teach me?"

Ouyang Rong slowly furrowed his brows, seemingly deep in thought about the question.

He first tentatively asked:

"So, Lady Rong has agreed to this condition and is no longer angry about today's events?"

Rongzhen did not answer, her face cold and expressionless.

Ouyang Rong, however, felt somewhat relieved.

A woman's silence can be either anger or tacit consent.

"Ms. Rong said that to truly grasp the essence of this teaching, it would be best to do so before the Donglin Buddha is completed. I will dedicate more time to teaching Ms. Rong during these days, so that even if I am gone, at least I will not have broken my promise."

Rong Zhen coldly criticized:

"Why do you always say such discouraging things? Don't you know it's bad luck?"

Ouyang Rong smiled:

"Why does Lady Rong always have such a sour face? Don't you know it's unlucky? Come on, smile, and you'll look ten years younger."

"I don't need any less, it's already very little."

Ouyang Rong couldn't help but look at her height and nodded understandingly.

Her threat without turning her head:

"Look again? I'll rip your eyes out."

Ouyang Rong looked away.

At that moment, Rongzhen's voice came from ahead:

"Furthermore, Ouyang Lianghan, confidence is a good thing, but it's not good to be too arrogant and make promises you can't keep. Do you know how difficult it is to master the essence of that zither piece? You make promises so easily? Even Senior Yu doesn't dare to guarantee that he can teach me."

Ouyang Rong was about to speak when Rong Zhen interrupted him with a disdainful laugh:

"Are you really going to teach me for the rest of your life? You have time to teach, but I don't have time to learn. However, you have already promised to teach me until I can do it. You said it yourself, and I want to see how you will keep your word. Before that, heh, you are not allowed to die too early, understand?"

Perhaps out of habit, Ouyang Rong suddenly found these sarcastic and mocking words surprisingly... not unpleasant or offensive.

The two remained silent.

Rongzhen walked forward for a while, then spoke again:

"I'm a little curious, how exactly did you meet her?"

Upon hearing this, Ouyang Rong smiled slightly and recounted how he had inadvertently attracted the embroiderer's attention with the unique sound of the ice-white jade hairpin at Chengtian Temple that day.

Rongzhen listened quietly, occasionally glancing at his enthusiastic expression.

After a short while, she slowly nodded:

"Chengtian Temple, that makes sense... Besides, this ice-white jade hairpin was originally a token from your mother's clan, it has symbolic meaning. So it is indeed only suitable for women of the clan, and it should be given to her. No wonder your junior sister didn't mind this matter. In addition, your child bride is blind and mute, which is quite pitiful... Heh, you're lucky."

Ouyang Rong chuckled and scratched his head.

Immediately, he heard Rong Zhen, who was beside him, ask a question out of the blue:

"Does being a child bride count as childhood sweethearts?"

Ouyang Rong asked curiously, "I suppose so. Why does Lady Rong ask this?"

Rong Zhen immediately revealed a mocking expression:

"It's not that I envy Governor Ouyang. Today's matter has been resolved peacefully, and with my junior sister's situation settled, I can finally start enjoying the bliss of having two wives."

Ouyang Rong shook his head speechlessly.

"There's something I need to tell you."

Rongzhen changed the subject:

"If it weren't for what happened today, I was prepared to wait until you went to Xunyang Grottoes before we talked."

Ouyang Rong immediately became interested:

"Please speak, Lady Rong."

Rong Zhen pondered for a moment, then slowly opened her mouth...

The shores of Xingzi Lake are very quiet, with only the wind creating ripples on the surface.

After hearing this, Ouyang Rong's eyes lit up slightly, and he couldn't help but glance at Rong Zhen:

“Good idea. Did Lady Rong come up with this herself?”

"Pretty much. Yesterday, I discussed it with Senior Song and we both thought it was feasible, so I came to ask you if it was suitable and if you could cooperate."

Ouyang Rong didn't hesitate for long and said directly:

“Okay, what a clever smokescreen…” He paused, thought for a moment, and said, “Then we should not only spread false information to confuse them, but also deceive our own people.”

Rong Zhen nodded slightly: "Yes, it can only be known by a small number of us, and some craftsmen at the Xunyang Grottoes construction site."

Ouyang Rong said thoughtfully:

"However, what is bound to come will likely come. We must be prepared for the worst-case scenario, where the smokescreen is useless."

"Agreed."

"Ms. Rong, are you certain that once the Donglin Buddha is successfully landed, there's no way to reverse the situation in the Tiannan Jianghu? Can they withstand any sudden counterattacks?"

Rongzhen paused for a moment, then nodded vigorously:

"Yes. Let me put it this way: the Donglin Buddha itself is an important part of this defense deployment. We must wait until it is completed before it can exert its full power."

"Therefore, the Imperial Observatory had been worried that the people of Tiannan Jianghu would not take the usual route and would try to force their way in ahead of time."

"No wonder they set up this illusion. If the Buddha statue had landed prematurely, they would have been powerless to reverse the situation."

Rong Zhen sneered:

"That's right. If they dare to force their way in, with the existing targeted defenses, we'll make sure they have no chance of escape and never return."

"Okay. But we need to be careful of Wei Shaoqi; they have a strange painting."

"Don't worry, there's one, one for each of us, we've included them all in advance."

"That's fine then."

Ouyang Rong echoed this, then saw Rong Zhen scoff and step forward with his sleeves tucked in, saying nothing more.

He couldn't help but ask:

"Besides this matter, does Lady Rong have anything else to say?"

Rongzhen retorted, "What else do you want? Isn't this matter important?"

"Important, but..."

"But what?"

"Didn't Lady Rong promise me something the night before? I thought Lady Rong was going to tell me."

"What's up?"

"The core defenses of Xunyang Grottoes".

Rong Zhen turned around, her face cold, and asked:

"But as I said, I need you to pass a confidential investigation."

"Yes."

Rongzhen asked directly:

"That's settled then. Do you think you can get past the confidential investigation by the Imperial Observatory if you forcibly protect a Yue woman who is suspected of being a female ruler?"

"Um, probably not."

"That settles it."

Ouyang Rong observed her displeased expression, smiled, and said:

"I see. I understand now. I thought the confidential investigation failed because of something else."

What are you worried about?

"Well, for example, it was the anonymous reports that made Ms. Rong hesitate."

"snort."

Rongzhen turned and left.

No longer loitering by the lake.

Ouyang Rong followed closely behind, speaking in a broad voice:

"I was indeed wrong in what happened today. It is normal that the investigation was not conducted in a confidential manner. This shows that Ms. Rong is enforcing the law impartially and adhering to the procedures. This is a matter of public interest."

Rongzhen remained silent.

The two returned to the carriage, and Ouyang Rong prepared to get in.

As they were about to part, Rongzhen called out to him:

"I have not said I forgive you for what happened today."

Ouyang Rong hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

Rong Zhen immediately said:

"I can understand your selfish motives today. I've said before that everyone has selfish motives. I can barely understand why you were so honest about those things, but..."

"But what?"

Rongzhen silently shook her head: "It's nothing."

Ouyang Rong asked again, "Really nothing?"

Rongzhen seemed to have figured it out and finally spoke:

"Yes, Ouyang Lianghan, you owe me a favor this time for your personal matter. It's a favor beyond teaching me the essence of the zither music. I will keep this favor."

"As I said before, everyone has selfish motives. I hope that if, by any chance, you happen to discover my selfish motives, you will also have to forgive me this once. That way, we will be even."

Ouyang Rong looked curious, slightly confused, and could only nod:

"Alright, but what ulterior motives does Lady Rong have?"

Rong Zhen waved her hand impatiently and said:

"Alright, let's go back. Your mouth is dry from talking so much."

"good."

"etc."

"What's wrong now?"

"One last question, how old is your aunt this time? She looks quite young."

"It seems like she's past her prime, but I don't know exactly. Every time I ask, she taps my forehead and says she's eighteen, and tells me not to ask any more questions. She also says that women are forever eighteen."

Rong Zhen:......

She seemed to ask casually, without pursuing the matter further, and turned to leave without any hesitation.

Ouyang Rong rubbed his face.

They finally managed to stop the situation from turning the table upside down.

He watched the palace-dressed girl's figure disappear into the distance, then turned around and boarded the carriage.

"Go to the Xunyang Prince's Mansion first. Also, call Sixth Brother over," Ouyang Rong instructed softly.

"yes."

Halfway through the journey, Yan Liulang climbed into the carriage.

Ouyang Rong, who had been resting with his eyes closed, said directly:

"Go and verify the identity of the group of secret female officials that the Overwatch Council originally left in the city to investigate Yue Chuzi. Also, check if they have been active around Xingzi Lake recently."

"Yes, Your Excellency."

Yan Liulang accepted the order and withdrew.

Ouyang Rong opened his eyes, stared at the empty carriage, and murmured to himself:

"Openly repairing the plank road while secretly crossing the Chencang pass... This sleight of hand of Lady Rong is interesting. It's good that we landed ahead of schedule."

...

Xunyang Grottoes.

In the evening, there was a magnificent sunset.

Rongzhen returned and met Song Mama, who had been waiting for her, at the entrance of the construction site.

Granny Song glanced at the young girl who had changed out of her purple palace dress and asked directly:

"What happened in Xunyang City? Why have you gone there alone for two consecutive days? I heard from the people below that you're not letting anyone get close to Xingzi Lake. What's going on? Do you need any help?"

Rong Zhen's expression remained calm as she shook her head earnestly:

"It's nothing serious, Senior Song, you don't need to worry, I can handle it."

Granny Song gave her a somewhat inexplicable look:

"Okay, as long as you know your limits."

At this moment, Rongzhen faintly heard Princess Anhui's familiar voice coming from the grotto construction site.

A hint of warmth appeared on Granny Song's previously wrinkled and gloomy face:

“An Hui is here again. That girl is so filial and well-mannered, and the people around her are also very sensible and considerate. Rong’er, would you like to go over and say hello?”

Rong Zhen's tone was somewhat cold: "Let's skip it for today. Senior Song, please go and entertain them. I'm a little tired, so I'll go back and rest first."

"OK."

After parting ways with Granny Song, Rongzhen walked into a bamboo grove next to the grotto construction site to visit Elder Yu.

The old man has recently become fascinated with carpentry, spending all his time whittling bamboo, saying he wants to make a special kind of musical instrument...

Rongzhen immediately turned around and returned to her bamboo house. As soon as she returned, she saw someone in the courtyard...

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(PS: This chapter is a bonus chapter for monthly votes, 7,000 words, one more chapter to go, twelve chapters owed)

(End of this chapter)