Chapter 196 Junior Sister's Visit, The Conflict Between Li and Wei
In the afternoon, the plum grove courtyard was quiet.
The pot of snow-white orchid on the windowsill stopped swaying as the midday wind subsided.
Ye Weilai loved being held tenderly in Ouyang Rong's arms after she finished her work, her body pressed close to his, her small head with messy silver hair resting on his arm.
Ouyang Rong's slightly snoring breathing brushed against her reddened ears and neck, making her feel a little itchy and a little comfortable... The air was filled with his unique scent.
Whenever this happens, Ye Weilai would quietly lower her breathing, afraid of disturbing him, but she couldn't help but hug his waist, roll her eyes, and carefully look at his slightly tired sleeping face.
She's a light sleeper and woke up after a short rest. Ouyang Rong has a habit of taking a nap, and now that things are done, it's a good time for him to rest.
He had just recovered from his illness, why did I have to put him through this again... Ye Weilai suddenly felt guilty and secretly regretted it for a while.
But she just couldn't help it at the time.
For some reason, Ouyang Rong sometimes gave Ye Weilai a sense of estrangement, a sense of indifference towards everyone around her, including her.
Danlang was very respectful and polite to everyone around him, including the lowly servants, and was not cold or mean.
But it gives people a sense of distance and indifference.
As if separated by layers of curtains, he stood apart from this world, observing everyone from a high cloud.
You can easily make eye contact with it, but you can never get close to it.
It's a strange feeling, like we don't belong to the same world.
Perhaps it's because Tanlang is a virtuous gentleman who is self-disciplined and acts with caution even when alone... Ye Weilai pondered for a long time and could only offer this explanation.
However, for those who live far away, such upright gentlemen may be like a gentle breeze, inspiring respect and admiration.
However, for those who want to get close to him, it is a source of great distress and frustration.
Ye Weilai didn't know if Miss Xie felt the same way, but that's how she felt.
Therefore, on some occasions, the more upright and distant her lover seemed, the more Ye Weilai wanted to unveil this seemingly upright facade and get close to him.
This is also why Ye Weilai couldn't resist clumsily "seducing" her lover not long ago.
Otherwise, what shy desires would a young girl of marriageable age have? What truly moves her is the happiness and satisfaction of her beloved, and his closeness and affection for her; she would be willing to do anything for him.
Of the three thousand kinds of medicines in the world, this one is the most potent aphrodisiac.
Even so, Ye Weilai still feels a little guilty when she thinks back on it now.
Because Tanlang's expression after they finished not long ago seemed to indicate that he was somewhat unwilling.
Ye Weilai, her cheeks burning, squinted slightly and vaguely noticed that Tanlang seemed to be looking ashamed, sighing deeply.
Tanlang was still considerate and caring towards her, gently coaxing her to sleep, but he seemed to blame himself, muttering things like "his righteousness is leaking" and "he will be punished again."
Ye Weilai didn't quite understand, and could only interpret it as Tanlang strictly demanding of himself the standards of a virtuous gentleman and unwilling to break the rules.
On the bed, looking at the man in front of her, the white-haired girl's eyes couldn't help but grow more and more admiring and worshipful.
Ouyang Rong was unaware of Ye Weilai's bizarre thoughts. When he opened his eyes, a cool breeze blew into the room from outside the window.
"Not asleep?"
Ouyang Rong yawned and asked Ye Weilai, who had buried her head under the covers.
The latter shook his head, then nodded, his large, gray-blue eyes peeking out from under the covers, staring intently at the languid-looking Ouyang Rong.
"Why don't you sleep a little longer?"
Ouyang Rong chuckled, put on his robe, got out of bed, turned around, poured a cup of tea, and handed it to Ye Weilai.
The girl also got out of bed, grabbed a light pink undershirt, and silently put it on. Under Ouyang Rong's gaze, she blushed as she closed the open front of her shirt, tied the belt, and covered her chest.
"I'm not thirsty."
Ye Weilai said softly, but the next second, she found that Ouyang Rong's eyes were fixed on her lips, and he handed her the tea without saying a word.
Certain aftertastes immediately returned to her taste buds, as if recalling something. Ye Weilai took the teacup with her head down, tilted her head back and drank it all. However, she did not swallow it immediately, but left a mouthful of tea in her mouth, covered her mouth with her small hand, and made some gurgling sounds. Her ears turned even redder.
As if afraid that the white-haired maid would be embarrassed, Ouyang Rong coughed lightly and looked away. He only occasionally raised his hand to support her fair chin and gently wiped her swollen lips with his thumb.
Ye Weilai covered her mouth and lowered her head to ask, "Why is Tanlang so good to me?"
Am I good to you?
Ouyang Rong suddenly asked a question in return.
Ye Wei nodded like a chick pecking at rice, her eyes very serious.
There is no one like you in this world.
Ouyang Rong thought for a moment, then lowered his eyes: "I will naturally treat those who are good to me well in return."
“There are so many people who want to be good to Tanlang,” Ye Weilai blurted out.
Ouyang Rong smiled but did not reply.
Ye Weilai seemed to remember something, her eyes flickered, and she said calmly:
"What if there were a woman who was very, very good to her lover, even better than to herself, who did not ask for anything in return, did not seek credit or love, and even gave silently without her lover knowing it?"
Ouyang Rong shook his head, "How could anyone be that stupid?"
Ye Weilai couldn't help but glance at him and ask, "But what if it really is?"
"If she really is, I'll definitely catch her and ask her why she's so stupid," Ouyang Rong said, half-jokingly and half-seriously.
"Are they going to catch him no matter where he is...?"
Ye Weilai couldn't help but ask further, but before she could finish speaking, a soft sound suddenly came from the courtyard outside.
Ouyang Rong and Ye Weilai, who were inside the house, looked over curiously.
"It's alright, you guys continue. I was just passing by and watering the orchids. Just pretend I don't exist."
Outside the window, a beautiful young woman with a heavy heart and a radiant face walked over with a calm expression. She came to the windowsill and, without looking to the side, used a water ladle to water the orchids.
His expression seemed very focused, and he didn't look at the two people inside the room.
Ye Weilai looked around nervously, then secretly breathed a sigh of relief when she found that her clothes were still relatively tidy.
"Junior Sister".
Ouyang Rong, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, stood up and exclaimed in surprise.
Xie Lingjiang glanced sideways and asked, "I hope I didn't disturb Senior Brother."
"Don't worry about disturbing me, come in and sit down. I woke up at noon and was just about to come find you," Ouyang Rong said with a smile.
"Oh, really?"
Seeing her senior brother's sincere and enthusiastic manner, Xie Lingjiang's expression seemed to improve. She put down the water ladle, put her hands behind her back, and walked into the house.
Inside the house, facing the approaching Ouyang Rong, Xie Lingjiang looked him up and down, sniffed, and frowned as she asked:
What does it taste like?
Ouyang Rong looked around, as if to ask, but then realized something, immediately composed himself and shook his head, pretending not to know.
"My lord, I'll go and bring some tea and snacks to Miss Xie," Ye Weilai suddenly volunteered.
Xie Lingjiang was about to refuse, but before she could speak, the white-haired maid slipped between the two of them and ran out of the room with her cheeks burning.
Ye Weilai's steps were slightly unsteady.
We can't exactly tell Miss Xie that this is the scent of Tan Lang's righteous spirit, can we?
"This girl is getting more and more reckless," Ouyang Rong said, feigning a stern face.
He subtly observed his junior sister's expression and, seeing that she showed no suspicion, breathed a slight sigh of relief.
"You can't say that. She's been taking good care of Senior Brother these past few days," Xie Lingjiang said casually.
Ouyang Rong invited Xie Lingjiang to sit down, and the two sat around the table.
Having not seen her for several days, Ouyang Rong couldn't help but look his junior sister up and down.
I don't know if it's because she's been traveling a lot, but her skin has gotten a little darker. However, this darker skin only makes her look a bit darker compared to the snow-white skin that is sometimes visible around her neck.
On the contrary, Ouyang Rong thought that being a little tanned was quite good. Besides, his junior sister's skin was quite easy to whiten. He wondered if it was because of her Qi cultivation. When she was bedridden in Yilan Pavilion for a while, she went to the government office the next day and was dazzlingly white. Ouyang Rong still remembered it...
In addition, Xie Lingjiang was still dressed in a red men's suit and wearing a small crown, sitting upright at the table.
In addition, I don’t know if it’s just Ouyang Rong’s imagination, but after not seeing her for a few days, I feel that my junior sister’s heart has become a bit more open. Wait, is there still room for her to grow?
Thinking of his junior sister's youthful age and immense potential, Ouyang Rong couldn't help but feel a surge of emotions.
"Senior brother, there's no need to look. I'm fine. The trip went smoothly."
Xie Lingjiang had no idea that her senior brother's frequent glances were out of concern for her development. Mistaking his concern for her worries, she couldn't help but offer an explanation.
"I trust Junior Sister to handle things." Ouyang Rong nodded, poured Xie Lingjiang a cup of tea, and took a sip with his eyes lowered.
Although she told Ouyang Rong to stop looking, Xie Lingjiang repeatedly put down her teacup and scrutinized Ouyang Rong.
"Junior Sister, don't bother looking. I'm fine. It's just a cold, nothing serious," Ouyang Rong said with a wink.
Xie Lingjiang hesitated for a moment, but finally said, "I heard about what happened to Senior Brother at Di Gongzha. Why was Senior Brother so foolish?"
Ouyang Rong did not answer, but suddenly looked up and said, "Junior Sister, wasn't it you who drew your sword at the dam that day?"
Xie Lingjiang was taken aback.
Ouyang Rong lowered his eyes to look at the moonlight longsword at her waist. If his junior sister drew her sword, it should emit a dazzling moonlight, just as she had demonstrated to him before.
That day, he was soaking in the water and vaguely thought it was his junior sister, but after waking up, he thought about it again and ruled out that option.
Facing Ouyang Rong's gaze, Xie Lingjiang nodded:
"She was an unknown Yue woman."
"The Yue woman?" This time it was Ouyang Rong's turn to be stunned.
"Yes, I heard it from them after I came back. By the way, your maid was there at the time. According to their description of the sword strike and movements, it should be a Yue woman from Yunmeng Sword Marsh."
Xie Lingjiang looked at the sky outside and sighed:
"Perhaps she just happened to be passing by the Di Gong Sluice Gate, or perhaps she was attracted by the noise from the sluice gate. After all, it's quite close to the Yunmeng Sword Marsh. This Yue Maiden must have been moved by what you senior brothers did and chose to lend a helping hand, repelling several waves..."
"However, I heard that this Yue woman did not stay at the sluice gate for long. Later, when the rain stopped, she rode the waves and disappeared into the depths of the marshland in full view of everyone."
"Is that so..." Ouyang Rong seemed to be deep in thought.
Just then, Ye Weilai returned with a plate of pastries. Ouyang Rong couldn't help but turn around and ask her a few questions, to which the little girl answered cautiously.
"Wei Lai, can you see her face clearly?"
"At that time, I was worried about my beloved and did not see him clearly."
"They didn't leave any name?"
Ye Wei glanced at him, shook her head, and couldn't help but add, "Perhaps she doesn't want to leave her name."
"That's a pity." Ouyang Rong shook his head regretfully: "Otherwise, if we have the chance to meet again in the future, we should express our gratitude properly."
Ye Weilai hesitated, then finally lowered her head and looked at the plate of mung bean cakes in her hand.
This was a skill the embroiderer taught her. The embroiderer left, saying she was returning to her master's school to handle an important matter and could not stay in Longcheng any longer.
Soon after, Ouyang Rong and Xie Lingjiang's conversation turned to their trip to Gezao Mountain.
"So, that senior named Chongxuzi was indeed a righteous, kind, and amiable person."
After listening, Ouyang Rong chuckled and said something.
Xie Lingjiang's eye twitched involuntarily.
She didn't tell all of Chongxuzi's words; she only picked out the normal ones. So Ouyang Rong was unaware of the former's playful side.
Xie Lingjiang was speechless.
She can't just tell everything, can she? Wouldn't that make her lose face?
At this moment, as if recalling the secret revealed by Chongxuzi, Xie Lingjiang's expression turned serious, and she suddenly looked up and said:
"If only Senior Brother could practice Qi cultivation, then the incident at the Di Gong Gate that day would not have happened, and he would not have been plagued by illness ever since."
Upon hearing this, Ye Weilai, who was tidying up the bed in the inner room, turned her head and looked at the front hall. It seemed that a certain mute girl had expressed a similar meaning to her.
"Why did you suddenly bring this up, junior sister?"
Ouyang Rong paused for a moment, then shook his head.
"Senior brother, don't you want to practice Qi cultivation?" Xie Lingjiang pressed.
Ouyang Rong hesitated for a moment, then shook his head again:
"I don't know my situation yet, so I won't consider it."
He was about to walk away, so what was the point of practicing? But he couldn't say this outright in front of his enthusiastic junior sister, so he had to make up an excuse and answer resignedly.
But to everyone's surprise, his nonchalant attitude made Xie Lingjiang's eyes light up.
"So the eldest brother is right after all, it's just that he has a flawed temperament."
Ouyang Rong glanced at her but did not offer any explanation.
Xie Lingjiang seemed to be in a good mood, and got up to walk around the room a few times.
Suddenly turning his head, he abruptly changed the subject:
"Does Senior Brother know what the people and officials of the ten circuits of the world are most concerned about, both inside and outside the court in Guanzhong and the two capitals?"
Ouyang Rong looked surprised; how did the topic change so quickly? However, he still answered truthfully:
"It's a conflict between Li and Wei."
He shook his head, his expression turning intrigued, and said:
"It has been nearly ten years since the current Empress changed the name from Gan to Zhou. Although most of the Li clan of the previous dynasty were slaughtered, those who did not die were either demoted or changed to ugly surnames. However, the two princes who are the Empress's flesh and blood are still alive and well. One of them is even being raised in the deep palace and seems to have no shortage of imperial favor."
"Moreover, there are still many ministers in the court who are traditional and conservative civil officials. They have supported Li Gan for seventy years, so it is not something that can be easily severed. Naturally, they are concerned about Li Gan and secretly support the Li family prince."
Ouyang Rong answered casually, taking a sip of tea. He had actually figured out the political situation as soon as he woke up, but Longcheng County was too far from the Luoyang court, so it was mostly irrelevant to him. After all, he was just a seventh-rank county magistrate in a remote corner of Jiangnan.
Ouyang Rong lowered his eyes to stare at the tea, and said with a pursed lip:
"But the princes of the Wei family, the emperor's maternal relatives, are quite ambitious, or rather, unwilling. After all, they have been advising the emperor all the way to change the name of the dynasty from Gan to Zhou. The royal family of the Great Zhou Dynasty should be surnamed Wei, not Li."
"His Majesty is currently old, and the position of heir apparent remains undecided, naturally attracting the attention of the Li family prince and the Wei family prince. The people of the world are all watching this matter... But Junior Sister, why are you asking this?"
"So, Senior Brother, who do you think will win?" Xie Lingjiang narrowed his long eyes slightly.
Ouyang Rong paused in his tea-drinking motion.
Last night while typing, I suddenly experienced lower back pain, headache, and a burning sensation in my forehead and palms. I could hear my heartbeat in my right ear, and my eyes were also very sore. After finishing typing, I felt dizzy… At first, I thought it might be due to excessive sexual activity, but after asking around, I found out it might be kidney yang deficiency… Unbelievable! I'm only 24, so young and already deficient! It's terrifying. I've only just recovered a little today. I dare not to abuse my body again. I always relied on my youth… Everyone should take care of their health too! Good health is more important than anything else! (or Day 2 of abstaining from pornography)
(End of this chapter)
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