Chapter 205 Su Guo'er's Ambition
Yilan Pavilion, inside the west wing study where Ouyang Rong left.
In front of a tea table.
It was now surrounded by people.
But no one spoke to break the silence.
Li Xian stood there, looking lost and dejected, his hands supporting himself on the tea table. The tea set on the table trembled and made a series of creaking sounds.
Wei Mei stood beside her husband, holding his arm. Her face was somewhat wistful, as if she too had been reminded of some past memories.
Behind him, Su Dalang remained silent.
Xie Lingjiang stood silently with her sleeves drawn, equally silent.
Su Guo'er silently walked to the door, her delicate hand tightly gripping the fabric of her sleeve. She slightly raised her chin and gazed in the direction of the courtyard gate where Ouyang Rong had left.
Su Guo'er could understand her father's feelings quite well.
When my father first ascended the throne, he honored my grandmother, Lady Wei, as Empress Dowager. However, my father's power base was weak, and he was essentially sidelined. All important matters of the court depended on my domineering mother.
Therefore, the father had no choice but to rely heavily on the Wei clan, relatives of the emperor, in an attempt to build his own power in the court. The grandmother, Lady Wei, turned a blind eye to this, just like Duke Zhuang of Zheng had done before, and deliberately indulged and induced him, which eventually led to the outbreak of conflict.
At that time, his father made a series of personnel appointments, quickly promoting his father-in-law, Wei, and finally wanted to promote him to the position of Attendant-in-Ordinary, which is one of the prime ministers in the Council of State Affairs, but was opposed by the ministers in the court.
My father, being the emperor, was naturally furious when his decrees were obstructed. In a moment of impulsiveness, he blurted out that he would give the entire empire to my father-in-law without hesitation. Why would he begrudge a mere position as a court attendant?
These impulsive and reckless words naturally caused a great uproar in the court and among the people, becoming a fuse. The grandmother, Lady Wei, used secrets to plot against her father, deposing him as the Prince of Xunyang and installing her fourth son, Li Lun, as the new emperor.
After that, all government affairs fell into the hands of her grandmother, Lady Wei, who later ascended the throne and changed the dynasty name from Gan to Zhou...
Although more than a decade has passed since the dethronement of the emperor that changed her family's fate, it has left her father with a great inner shadow.
Su Guo'er had heard her mother mention that her father often woke up suddenly in the middle of the night, talking in his sleep in terror, and would rush into her mother's arms, weeping bitterly.
Su Guo'er didn't find her father's cowardice funny at all.
He may not have been a good emperor back then, but he was definitely a good husband and a good father.
Her grandmother, whom she had never met, was the complete opposite.
Su Guo'er turned slightly to the side and glanced at the note that Li Xian was holding in his hand.
She stepped forward and, taking advantage of the moment when Wei Mei and Su Dalang were comforting Li Xian, took the note from the latter's hand.
Xie Lingjiang glanced sideways at the unconventional Su Guo'er.
Su Guo'er lowered her eyes quietly, her gaze lingering for a moment on the line of writing belonging to Ouyang Rong.
"Thus, mother and son were reunited... Did Duke Zhuang of Zheng defeat Duan at Yan... Is there truly such a person in this world who is all-knowing and can foresee the future?"
The young girl, with a bright red plum blossom dot on her forehead, murmured softly to herself:
“Ouyang Lianghan… truly lives up to the noble person mentioned in that proverb, and now he is… also a noble person in my family…”
Unlike her father's focus on separation, Su Guo'er, like Ouyang Rong, also felt that the phrase "then mother and son were as before" was the most exquisite and vivid.
Oh, and there's also the exquisite story of "Duke Zheng defeats Duan at Yan".
If the situation develops as Ouyang Lianghan just said, exactly as they overheard, then Empress Wei will reconcile with her son, reinstate her family, return to Luoyang, divide the pro-Li faction, and ease the conflict between Li and Wei...
Therefore, her family's ups and downs are indeed very much in line with "Zheng Bo Ke Duan Yu Yan".
Because the Wei empress, like Duke Zhuang of Zheng who dominated the Spring and Autumn period, was impeccable in her imperial power tactics.
However, his behavior regarding family matters and kinship was despised by historians and later generations.
Even if the two men, who had achieved great accomplishments, were to exaggerate and spread the story of how their younger brother, Shu Duan, and son, Li Xian, were arrogant, domineering, and unbecoming of rulers, it would not change the fact that they were not worthy of being called rulers.
No matter how innocent they pretend to be, or how forced they are to take action.
Neither of them could explain why they, as the older brother and the mother, did not discipline and stop it in time.
If someone refuses to change despite being taught, then taking action is certainly the right thing to do.
But to punish someone without prior instruction reveals their true intentions.
Ultimately, the two of them still regarded their brother and son as enemies and adversaries from the bottom of their hearts, without giving any consideration to brotherly affection or mother-son kinship.
The opponent's actions, which had provoked the wrath of both heaven and man, were exactly what Duke Zhuang and Empress Wei wanted. By feigning weakness to lure them in, they could eliminate their adversary in a legitimate and open manner.
The elder brother is not an elder brother, the younger brother is not a younger brother, the mother is not a mother, and the son is not a son.
That's all there is to it.
The word "as before" in the final line, "thus mother and son were as before," is truly exquisite.
Historical records state that Lady Jiang was frightened when she gave birth to Duke Zhuang.
Because Duke Zhuang was born feet first, a typical case of difficult childbirth, Lady Jiang named him Wusheng, which means "born backwards." It is conceivable that she disliked Duke Zhuang from birth.
Duke Zhuang suffered scorn from childhood, so the relationship between him and his mother was naturally one of mutual loathing. This is what makes the phrase "as before" so intriguing.
As for why Duke Zhuang went to all this trouble to stage a scene of meeting his mother in the underworld, it was meant to show that the conflict had eased and that they were "as close as ever" again.
For such a monarch, the driving force behind his actions is nothing more than "fame and fortune".
Perhaps it was for the sake of her posthumous reputation for filial piety, or perhaps it was based on considerations of the interests at the time. After all, intermarriage between royal families of various states was common during the Spring and Autumn Period, and Lady Jiang naturally also had a family from her home state...
But as Su Guo'er overheard Ouyang Lianghan's assertion, that the grandmother was very likely to send someone to bring their family back to Luoyang to inherit the imperial line.
It was all for her power and interests.
The Empress of Wei is remarkably similar to Duke Zhuang of Zheng a thousand years ago.
Su Guo'er repeatedly twisted the creases on the paper with her fingers, remaining silent.
My father had said not long ago that my grandmother disliked him since childhood and favored Princess Chang Le and Prince Xiang Li Lun, because a fortune teller had said that my father resembled Emperor Taizong, and that my grandmother's feelings for Emperor Taizong must have been very complicated...
Regardless, she didn't know about her father, who valued relationships, but for her grandmother, if it was in her best interest, it wouldn't be surprising if, after years of estrangement, she were to publicly stage a "mother and son as before" scene.
Su Guo'er took a deep breath, her mind constantly trying to figure out what her grandmother, whom she had never met, was thinking.
After all, the future of their family depended entirely on the grandmother's wishes.
Ouyang Lianghan's words just now rekindled her previously listless heart.
Standing at the door, the young girl in plum blossom makeup, whom Li Xian had described as resembling her mother, suddenly felt a surge of curiosity:
What is it like for a woman to wield power? How could it make that white-haired grandmother hold on so tightly, so passionately?
Do all men in the world bow to me, or do all cultivators of Qi lower their heads when they see me?
Su Guo'er turned her head to look outside the door, her long, slender eyes gazing north towards Luoyang, which was also the direction of the Plum Deer Garden.
As if a carefree figure of "leaving without a trace" had surfaced in her mind, she couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration.
"I wonder how he found such an extraordinary historical anecdote. Did he really just flip through it randomly...?"
"No, it's impossible for it to be such a coincidence."
"It seems you've seen through this all along, haven't you? You chatted with me before, but you knew nothing about anything."
"It seems that either they treat me as an outsider, or they see me as a naive young woman, not someone they can reason with..."
Su Guo'er slightly clenched her teeth, her eyes gazing at a wisp of cloud drifting away under the dazzling sun overhead. A strange thought suddenly occurred to her:
"If one day, such an outstanding man could obediently fall at my feet, be completely devoted to me, and be utterly loyal to me, what would that feel like?"
"Speaking of which, how much power would it take to buy off and subdue him? Would someone like Grandmother be enough...?"
Even though her chest binder wasn't tight, Su Guo'er suddenly felt a little breathless, and her cheeks became unusually hot.
A strange competitive spirit, once it arose, filled her chest uncontrollably.
For some reason, I suddenly feel a strong urge to prove something to that guy who pretends to be oblivious and ignores me, to see his surprised or submissive expression...
This was the first time Su Guo'er had tasted the power of authority.
Although it was just a distant thought.
...
Ouyang Rong had no idea that his junior sister's study was so lively after he left, capable of hiding so many people, including a stunningly beautiful young woman with ambitions beyond measure.
If they knew the latter, they would probably just shake their heads and laugh, saying, "That's pretty childish."
"Strange, what's the deal with these merits?"
Ouyang Rong returned to the plum grove courtyard, utterly bewildered.
He had just been drinking tea in his junior sister's study when he was so overwhelmed by the sudden increase in his merit that he left Yilan Pavilion and returned home.
Ouyang Rong didn't say goodbye to Xie Lingjiang either, mainly because he was afraid that his junior sister would ask him to stay for tea again, and that she would use her cuteness and coquettishness to get a lot of information out of him.
Anyway, Ouyang Rong would be going to see her later that evening to discuss the case, so he left without saying goodbye.
Meilu Garden, Study.
After dismissing Ye Weilai and the other maids, Ouyang Rong closed the door tightly, lay back in his chair, and muttered to himself with a frown:
"Could it be that the things I revealed to my junior sister will have a positive impact on her and the teacher, which is why I was rewarded with so much merit? That makes sense."
"But these things haven't happened in the short term yet, so how come a merit has been awarded so quickly? Could it be that some kind of impact has already occurred?"
"But wasn't Junior Sister there at the time? Could it be that my image was more imposing and powerful in her eyes, so I gained merit? Junior Sister, oh Junior Sister, how come you're like an experience pack?"
Feeling he'd gotten quite a bit out of his junior sister, Ouyang Rong smiled sheepishly, then sighed.
"In any case, the increase in merit at least proves that what I said today, which I shouldn't have said, still had some positive effect, so it wasn't just worrying for nothing."
Ouyang Rong rubbed his face, his eyes brightening slightly: "Go check how much merit I've accumulated."
Without hesitation, Ouyang Rong locked the door, turned around, closed his eyes, and immersed himself in his inner world.
A short while later, he arrived at the familiar cloud tower and entered the familiar tower interior.
The bronze bell, the small wooden fish, and the pristine white background—everything remains as it was.
Only the line of cyan-gold text above the small wooden fish changed—it had increased significantly:
[Merit: 20,381]
"Wow, so many! It's actually broken 20,000?"
Ouyang Rong lowered his head to calculate:
"Hmm, after exchanging for that strange merit last time, I had 11,288 left, but a while ago I successfully stopped the flood in Yunmengze, and suddenly my merit increased by nearly 8,000."
"And just now, I showed off my divine abilities and foresaw the future in front of my junior sister, which surprisingly increased my merit by six or seven hundred."
"In addition, some other policies and measures implemented by the Longcheng County government to benefit the people have also contributed to a considerable increase over the past few days..."
"A total of 20,381? Then this is definitely a sure thing. We can set off in the next couple of days. There will be more than enough time to exchange for the blessings from the Pure Land Palace."
Ouyang Rong nodded in satisfaction.
"Speaking of that strange blessing that turned pinkish-red last time, it was a complete trap..."
"After I redeemed this blessing, I was constantly bothered by that Su family girl for a while. I could run into her everywhere I went. It was really strange."
Ouyang Rong suddenly realized:
"Good heavens, your fortune is tinged with pink? Your fate is tinged with romance, right? Let's just call it Peach Blossom Luck Fortune. But what's the use? It's so useless and wastes a lot of merit points. Speaking of which, just to arouse the interest of that Su family's little sister, it actually cost so much merit points? How is this calculated? Or is this woman not simple?"
Inside the desolate Pagoda of Merit, Ouyang Rong stood before the cyan-gold characters and muttered to himself for a while.
A short while later, he shook his head, glanced at the still motionless Blessing Bell, and turned to leave the Merit Pagoda.
Ouyang Rong opened his eyes, returned to reality, got up and left the study to go to the Longcheng County Government Office.
In the evening, Ouyang Rong returned to the Melu Garden. He had just washed his face when he met Su Dalang, who had been waiting for him, in the courtyard. Su Dalang invited him to a banquet at the Su residence.
It is said that Uncle Su caught another big fish today, so he specially invited the neighbors to come and eat fish.
Ouyang Rong chuckled and nodded: "Alright, alright, I know, I know Uncle Su caught a big fish, that wasn't easy..."
In the courtyard, it was quite dark, and Ouyang Rong did not notice the specific expression on Su Dalang's dark face.
Ouyang Rong went to the Su residence with ease, but learned some very unexpected news on the way.
"What? Junior Sister left this afternoon? Where did she go? Why didn't she tell me she was going out?"
Ouyang Rong frowned. He had originally planned to come looking for her in the evening, but his junior sister had suddenly gone out, catching him off guard.
Upon hearing this, Su Dalang explained, "Lianghan, Miss Xie said she needs to go to Jiangzhou City and then stop by Longhu Mountain to take care of some business."
"Longhu Mountain?" Ouyang Rong stopped, puzzled. "Why would you go to Longhu Mountain for no reason?"
"I don't know." Su Dalang shook his head and glanced at Ouyang Rong again.
Ouyang Rong hesitated, but then realized that his junior sister's sudden trip to Jiangzhou City was probably to see her mentor, Xie Xun. It was likely related to what he had talked about that afternoon. She probably felt that sending letters was unsafe, which was understandable.
As for why he went to Longhu Mountain, Ouyang Rong had no idea. Maybe he did something along the way. He shook his head.
"By the way, although Miss Xie left in a hurry, she specifically instructed us to leave some things for you."
"What is that?"
"Miss Xie left them all in the study of Yilan Pavilion... Let's go, Lianghan, we'll talk about it later. We'll go get them after dinner. Father and the others are still waiting for us."
Ouyang Rong had no choice but to nod.
A short while later, Ouyang Rong arrived at a spacious hall in the Su family mansion. As soon as he sat down, he suddenly sensed that something was amiss.
Ouyang Rong looked around.
Uncle Su was warm and hospitable, Aunt Wei was gentle and generous, Su Dalang was honest and simple... and Su Xiaomei was holding a white cat, looking down at her skirt, lost in thought.
In the empty hall, apart from fine wine and delicacies and a constant stream of maids, there was only him and the Su family.
Wait, why is Su Xiaomei here? With the women of the household present, is this a private family dinner? But why invite an outsider like him?
Ouyang Rong asked calmly:
"Uncle Su, do you have any important guests invited to your residence tonight who require you to stay with us?"
The patriarch of the Su family waved his hand:
"No, everyone is here, we can start the meal."
He cheerfully gave instructions to the maid beside him, then turned to Ouyang Rong with a kind and benevolent expression and said:
"I suddenly remembered that my dear nephew lives alone next door, and he's just recovered from a serious illness, so it must be quite lonely. I thought I'd invite him over for a meal. Don't worry, my dear nephew, tonight is just a small gathering of relatives and friends; we won't invite any outsiders..."
Ouyang Rong's eyelids twitched.
Don't you treat him like an outsider?
(orz Day 3)
(End of this chapter)
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