Villa

After becoming the Imperial Preceptor, my father—no, I should call him City Lord Ouyang—rewarded me with a mountain villa, which I named Ouyang Villa. Hu Weiyuan, City Lord Ouyang's guard, said that the current Ouyang Villa was Zi Ling's former residence. Because I had to attend court every morning, I set up a formation for Zi Ling to control Ouyang Villa. It became like instinct.

As Zi Ling gazed at the lotus pond, her eyes brimming with the excitement of a boat trip, I saw her subconsciously seeking Yi Shan's company, and a strange feeling of bitterness suddenly washed over me. "I'll go boating with you," she blurted out.

She was startled for a moment, then her face brightened, and she happily pushed me aboard. The boat pushed through the ripples and sailed among the towering lotus leaves. She reached out and gently touched a petal, chanting, "I only love the lotus, which rises from the mud without being stained, and washes in the clear water without being coquettish." Then, she broke off the most blossoming lotus and handed it to me. I took it. The stem was slightly cool, the petals soft. I looked into her clear eyes—she was using the lotus as a metaphor for me. She knew I was in this imperfect, impure world, constructed by my father's power, and she was advising me to stay true to my heart.

But then, a colder, sharper thought, like a poisoned ice spike, suddenly pierced my heart: This Ouyang Villa, this seemingly elegant lotus pond, even the tiny bit of warmth and peace I felt with my fingertips, hadn't it all grown from the bloody struggles and piles of bones of my ancestors? Could I, Ouyang Mingri, truly be "untainted"? Or had I been caught up in this turmoil ever since I accepted the position of Imperial Master and moved into this villa?

"How can one emerge from the mud untainted?" I looked at her, voicing the despair swirling within me. It wasn't a question, but a tortured interrogation. Zi Ling tilted her head, pondering intently for a moment. Suddenly, a bright light flashed in her eyes: "I once saw a story about a chess fanatic playing against a deity. Just as the fanatic was about to win, the deity cast a spell and vanished the fanatic's pieces. The fanatic then transformed himself into a piece, locking the game in place and ultimately winning by half a step!" She paused, her gaze fixed firmly in my eyes: "Only by remaining true to your original aspiration can you achieve your goal!"

The haze that shrouded my heart seemed to be split open by a sharp sword. That's right! A chess fanatic who enters the game with his body is half a piece ahead of heaven. Am I, Ouyang Mingri, not entering this endgame left by my father's generation? Whether I am in the mud or not is not determined by my background, but by where I will go in the end. Ziling really understands me. She knows that I am not willing to sink, but choose to take risks and make my own way in this quagmire. I clenched the lotus in my hand, as if holding some kind of oath. I will always remember my promise to Ziling: to protect her and her family, to resolve grievances with all my strength, and to benefit the people of Sifang City! This is my "never forgetting my original intention". This is the "half piece" that I, Ouyang Mingri, have won for myself in this silt!

Lately, she's been constantly complaining about gaining weight from her gluttony, and suddenly she's thinking of learning to dance and slim down. I obliged, hiring the city's best dancer. As she danced gracefully to the music, her clothes fluttering, I accompanied her with the sound of the flute, never wanting to take my eyes off her. When she was in high spirits, I spread out paper and drew, capturing the spirit of her dance, and she would smile and write a poem that complemented it perfectly. These days, with my beautiful wife by my side and the harmonious music of the zither, were so peaceful and beautiful that I often felt lost, as if all the hardships of the past had been for the sake of this present perfection. However, the court was not a pure place. To maintain his power, my father often protected those who were greedy and despicable, a fact I despised. I repeatedly spoke out against them, drawing criticism for my actions. Zi Ling, however, understands the art of balancing things better than I do. She advised me to hold back my edge, saying that politics requires balance: "Law is about right and wrong, and politics is about balance, sacrificing the interests of a few to maintain the interests of the majority. Although I don't remember the past, but looking at these historical books and biographies, anyone who can gain a foothold in the center of power for a long time, such as Wei Zheng in the Tang Dynasty, also knows how to give timely advice instead of just being strong. I know you care about the people, and because of this, you must protect yourself so that you can go further." At the end, she added softly, "I'm just afraid that they will target you and hurt you." The worry in her eyes was genuine. Although I didn't completely agree with forbearance, I was extremely greedy for this unreserved care. In order to reassure her, I was willing to make some concessions.

We often visited Mother Shuiyue Temple together, under the guise of paying respects to the Buddha. Madam Yuzhu didn't say anything, but her loving yet complex gaze betrayed her deepest feelings. She asked Ziling to bring me a hand-sewn sachet. I was completely bewildered, my eyes reddening slightly before I realized what was happening. I took the sachet and examined it closely. The meticulous stitching was a testament to a mother's silent love, and I treasured it close to my body.

One day, while painting, I accidentally sketched the image of a childhood swaddling cloth, long since destroyed, onto paper—an unintentional mistake by Yishan. While I didn't blame him, a lingering regret remained. Ziling saw it and silently kept it in her heart. Later, I learned that she had privately asked my mother to teach her needlework, so she could sew a new one for me, intending to give it to me for my birthday. That day, I stumbled upon the unfinished swaddling cloth in her room. The stitching was a little crude, but every stitch was filled with love. Naturally, I assumed it was my mother's work, and I was overwhelmed with emotion, touched that she could cherish even such a trivial object from so long ago. Seeing my emotion, Ziling's clear eyes flickered with hesitation, but it eventually transformed into a gentle smile. She didn't point it out, simply playing along with my misunderstanding, softly saying, "Madam Yuzhu... actually misses you terribly and loves you very much. She remembers every detail, from the moment she found out she was pregnant to your birth." Her words, like a final spring breeze, completely dispelled the last vestiges of fear and hesitation within me. My longing for family affection overwhelmed everything, and I immediately set off for Shuiyue Temple to reunite with my mother. The tears and embrace at that moment reflected her silent support and profound thoughtfulness. She was always like this, like the gentle spring rain that moistens everything, using her kindness and wisdom to gradually mend the cracks in my life and guide me toward the warm light. Because of her, Ouyang Villa truly became the "home" I had longed for.

The warmth of reuniting with my mother and sister still lingers in my heart, and the swaddling clothes she quietly sewn only completes this lost and regained family bond. The moment I learned the truth about the swaddling clothes, I couldn't help but hold her hand and thank her for her help. But she just smiled, saying that she enjoyed helping others and was touched by our happiness. Her kindness, like sunshine, illuminated my bleak first half of life, almost making me believe that this was heaven's compensation for all my past suffering. Ziling is so perfect, like a fairy sent by the heavens to save me. But happiness is treading on thin ice! Is God really so generous?