Chapter 301 Junior Sister Checks Up
Inside the brightly lit lobby.
Apart from Ouyang Rong, Pei Shisan Niang, Qin Xiao Niangzi, and Hong Xiao all looked at the sudden appearance of the woman in red with surprise.
When she rushed in, she looked anxious and concerned, as if she were a close confidante of this Chief Secretary.
Xie Lingjiang, holding the hilt of her sword, stared at Ouyang Rong, who was only wearing a plain white undergarment, for a moment.
Qin Xiaoniangzi glanced down at the men's robes she was wearing, realized something, and opened her mouth to speak.
Pei Shisan Niang remained calm and prepared to observe from the sidelines.
But Ouyang Rong suddenly raised his hand.
"ah!"
Xie Lingjiang suddenly covered her fair forehead, cried out in pain, and widened her beautiful eyes.
He rewarded her with a chestnut on the spot.
Ouyang Rong waved his hand and said, "What are you guessing? You have such a vivid imagination. Let's go, it's nothing."
He walked towards the door first.
Xie Lingjiang paused for a moment, then rubbed her forehead, which had been knocked awake by her senior brother.
She nodded and obediently followed.
Xie Lingjiang stopped just as she crossed the threshold.
"Senior Brother, wait for me outside."
A woman in a fiery red dress turned her head and rushed back into the lobby.
Ouyang Rong stood in the courtyard, hands behind his back, gazing at the moon and waiting quietly.
A moment later, Xie Lingjiang emerged from the main hall again, carrying a moon-white men's robe, neatly folded, which she draped over her lotus-leaf arm.
The woman in red, holding a sword, walked out with her head held high, leaving only a tall and slender figure behind the several women in the hall.
“Let’s go, Senior Brother,” she called out.
Ouyang Rong nodded.
The two left the secluded courtyard together.
On the way, they remained silent, tacitly avoiding talking about what had just happened.
At the entrance of Xunyang Tower, Ouyang Rong and Xie Lingjiang encountered Wang Caozhi.
The short young man, accompanied by his coachman and entourage, was waiting in the dimly lit alley.
"Sister, brother-in-law!"
Upon seeing Ouyang Rong and Xie Lingjiang, Wang Caozhi's eyes lit up, and he went to greet them.
Upon hearing this address, Xie Lingjiang, hidden in the darkness, turned her face slightly away.
"Brother-in-law, where did you go? I just left the Narcissus private room and you disappeared. I searched all over and only your beloved horse was still waiting outside."
Wang Caozhi looked worried.
Ouyang Rong saw a groom leading Dongmei out from behind him.
"Something came up just now, I received an invitation at the last minute... I'm all set now."
Ouyang Rong shook his head.
"It's good that you're alright."
Wang Caozhi breathed a sigh of relief and didn't ask any more questions, but he complained a little:
"Just now, Sister Jiang suddenly rushed in looking for you, asking me with a worried look on her face where you went. I didn't know how to answer, since there was no second half planned... cough cough."
His muttering subsided, and under Xie Lingjiang's dangerous gaze, he coughed twice, covered his mouth, and obediently shut up.
"It's alright now, thank you for your concern, you can go back now."
Ouyang Rong said to Wang Caozhi with a smile.
"Alright, brother-in-law, I won't disturb you and Sister Jiang any longer. You two chat, we'll get together again later. I'm off now."
Before Xie Lingjiang's long legs could even begin to kick, Wang Caozhi ducked and fled.
Winter Plum remained where she was, head bowed and snorting.
Ouyang Rong went to fetch the horse.
Xie Lingjiang followed silently.
At the entrance of the alley, the two students fell silent again.
We walked to a place where the lights were slightly brighter.
Ouyang Rong turned to look at Xie Lingjiang, calmly sizing her up and down.
Today, my junior sister wore a long, flowing peach-pink dress popular among aristocratic ladies. She wore a light, elegant rosy makeup look, with two charming dimples on her cheeks. Upon closer inspection, she even had a light application of rouge and powder... She had dressed up specially for the occasion.
However, at this moment, there was a fine layer of fragrant sweat on her forehead, and her carefully styled phoenix crown and hair were a little messy.
It was obviously because she had just been searching for him in a hurry.
Before this, the two had clearly agreed that she would be a graceful, gentle, and obedient lady in Xunyang City.
Ouyang Rong's gaze silently shifted from the long sword at Xie Lingjiang's waist, which seemed utterly out of place with her elegant lady-like attire:
There was no blame on his face; on the contrary, he seemed a little guilty.
"Senior brother, stop looking. Your makeup's all ruined. What's there to see?"
Xie Lingjiang turned to the side and raised the man's robe in her hand to cover her face.
Ouyang Rong nodded:
"When I called you with my skirt knife, I thought you were far away in the Xunyang Prince's Mansion in Chaisangfang, and that I would have to wait a while to arrive."
Xie Lingjiang bit her lip: "When I sensed it, I was not far from Xunyang Tower. Tonight I heard... I heard that Wang Caozhi has come to Xunyang City. I'm going to come and see if this kid is listening to Senior Brother."
Ouyang Rong raised an eyebrow slightly and glanced at her again.
After thinking about it, he still didn't ask his junior sister why she was dressed so formally and why she had come all the way to meet her family friend and cousin.
Don't expose her.
"It was a misunderstanding."
Ouyang Rong changed the subject and briefly recounted Pei Shisan Niang's story.
Xie Lingjiang, who had initially pretended to be nonchalant, turned her head as she listened, her expression becoming unusually serious.
"So it was a honey trap."
Xie Lingjiang nodded in conclusion.
Ouyang Rong shrugged: "Who would have thought that the top courtesan who only sells her art and not her body would pull this stunt? That Pei Shisan Niang does have some tricks up her sleeve; she knows how to manipulate women."
"My senior brother is so powerful, and he's also young and handsome."
Xie Lingjiang glanced at him sideways and praised him:
"Perhaps it's also because I was captivated by the senior brother's charm."
She smiled, her tone nonchalant:
"Well, the young man is powerful and influential, and the young woman is beautiful and charming. It can be considered that both parties are willing."
"What do you mean by 'mutual consent'? I'm not willing."
"A beautiful woman like jade, the sound of a pipa in spring, a lone man and a lonely woman, doesn't Senior Brother feel any attraction at all?"
Is your heart fluttering?
Ouyang Rong wanted to say something, and he did move a little, but he was firmly suppressed by a certain skirt-shaped knife.
I dared not look up.
"Not tempted." He shook his head firmly without hesitation.
Why is that?
Xie Lingjiang bent her index finger, lightly touched her red lips, glanced at her senior brother, and spoke in a voice like a cat, somewhat coaxing:
"How could the eldest brother not be tempted at all by having such a famous courtesan in Xunyang, who is sought after by thousands, offer herself to him?"
"Yes, even as a woman, I can't help but feel a little tempted. I just wish I were a man."
"Unmoved."
Ouyang Rong shook his head firmly and said softly, "Because I know there is an important person waiting for me outside."
Xie Jinjiang choked on her words, and the smile on her face vanished.
Her voice trembled slightly: "Wh...what important person?"
"My junior sister."
Ouyang Rong smiled brightly, then paused:
"Well, as the senior brother, of course I had to set an example. At the time, I only gave that young lady Qin an outer robe to wear, and that was it."
Seeing that he had evaded the question again, Xie Lingjiang pouted and put on a stern face:
"I understand. It's because you accidentally touched the skirt knife beforehand and notified me to come, that's why you held back, right? Okay, okay, I won't come next time. Senior Brother, feel free to use your skills without worrying about saving face."
Ouyang Rong nodded: "That's fine. I'll take off a few more layers next time, so that they don't catch a cold."
"You dare?"
Xie Lingjiang glared at her and asked reproachfully.
Ouyang Rong suddenly reached out his hand, "Don't move."
What are you doing?
She instinctively shrank back, but when the man in front of her glared at her domineeringly, she suddenly felt an urge to be obedient and compliant. She dared not disobey, nor did she want to disobey. Instead, she felt a little excited and expectant.
Your hair is messy.
Xie Lingjiang stopped abruptly, looked up, and saw Ouyang Rong brush a strand of hair that had fallen across her forehead behind her ear.
Xie Lingjiang was a little shy. She turned her pretty face toward his chest, trying to get away, but then she noticed something tucked behind her ear. She reached up and touched it, and was pleasantly surprised to find that it was an orchid.
A delicate fragrance lingered between the two.
"This is……"
Ouyang Rong had already left, walking forward without turning his head, and said:
"While I was waiting for you to get your clothes, I picked a flower in the yard, and it really looks good on you."
He paused, then said softly:
"Thank you for your hard work tonight."
Xie Lingjiang was slightly taken aback, stopped in place, and her cheeks began to burn.
Before long, after the two walked out of the alley, a carriage from the Xunyang Prince's Mansion drove up and stopped in front of them.
Ouyang Rong helped Xie Lingjiang, who was dressed in her finest attire, onto the carriage.
He rode Dongmei on his own horse, escorting the carriage.
"Stay in Huaiye Lane for the night, and go back tomorrow morning."
"good."
On the way, separated by the thin carriage curtain, the two chatted about Pei Shisan Niang again.
Xie Lingjiang said softly, "I don't like this woman."
Ouyang Rong nodded and said calmly, "A typical Jianghuai merchant, full of gold standard and officialdom mentality."
"The gold standard and officialdom-centric ideology?" Xie Lingjiang pondered the new terms.
Ouyang Rong glanced at her and explained:
"It can be understood as money being the most important thing, official position being the most important thing, and these two are considered the most valuable and respected, especially the latter."
"No wonder she's so eager to please Senior Brother, but..." Xie Lingjiang asked, "Most men would feel comfortable being so carefully fawned over and served by such a rich and beautiful woman, right?"
Ouyang Rong turned around, his face serious:
"She doesn't revere or fawn over me, but rather over my crimson official robes. Today she can treat me with utmost respect because of these crimson robes, and tomorrow she will be just as obedient to me in another set of purple robes."
"I don't feel comfortable at all. We have different paths, so we can't work together."
Xie Lingjiang stared blankly at Ouyang Rong, who was speaking righteously.
"Senior Brother sees things very clearly."
Moreover, she always manages to say something novel and enlightening.
After a while, she asked:
"What do you think of her proposed flood control plan? It seems to make some sense."
Ouyang Rong nodded: "That's feasible."
Xie Lingjiang asked curiously, "Then why did Senior Brother refuse outright?"
Ouyang Rong, bathed in the oncoming river breeze, let out a long breath:
"She wanted to renovate and rebuild Xingzifang to cater to the wealthy, but a city should not only accommodate the rich, but also provide a place for the poor to live."
"The prosperity of Xunyang City is by no means solely supported by wealthy merchants."
“There is more than one Brother Huaimin in Xingzifang.”
"They are the foundation of Xunyang City's prosperity."
Xie Lingjiang seemed to be deep in thought.
There was a moment of silence between the two.
As they approached Huaiye Lane, Xie Lingjiang suddenly asked:
"Is Senior Brother about to start his vacation?"
"Um."
Xie Lingjiang said in a low voice, "During the holiday, how about Senior Brother accompanies me and Sister Guo'er to go shopping, attend some gatherings, and relax a bit?"
Ouyang Rong hesitated for a moment, then said, "Okay."
Xie Lingjiang smiled broadly.
Before long, the carriage arrived at the mansion in Huaiye Lane...
The next day.
Ouyang Rong entered the main hall of Jiangzhou and continued his work, focusing on the matters of carving Shuangfengjian and Xunyang Grottoes.
I ran into Yuan Huaimin.
Yuan Huaimin suddenly asked, "Brother Lianghan, did you go to Xunyang Tower last night?"
Ouyang Rong paused, but didn't turn around: "Yes, I have been there. What happened, Brother Huaimin?"
"Brother Lianghan, you went to see Miss Qin, didn't you?"
Ouyang Rong asked calmly, "Brother Huaimin, how did you know I went to Xunyang Tower?"
He glanced at his clothes, which were clearly brand new and should not have contained any trace of Qin Xiaoniangzi's fragrance from last night.
Yuan Huaimin, however, spoke frankly:
“I was also at Xunyang Tower last night. When I left, I saw Dongmei and guessed that you were there too. I waited for a while next to Dongmei, but I didn’t see you, so I had to go back in time.”
"I see." Ouyang Rong couldn't help but glance at Yuan Huaimin again: "What were you doing at Xunyang Tower, Brother Huaimin? Listening to music again?"
"Yes, as is customary, there was a pipa performance by Miss Qin at Xunyang Tower last night. Wait, did Brother Lianghan go there also to listen to the pipa? Is there something else you need, Brother Lianghan?"
Yuan Huaimin shook his head: "I thought Brother Lianghan went there because he heard my description and thought seeing is believing."
Ouyang Rong maintained his smile:
"Yes, I think so. I wanted to hear Qin Xiaoniangzi's pipa music. There was a private banquet going on, so it was convenient to go. However... I don't think I was very lucky. Last night on the first floor of Xunyang Tower, there was a song and dance performance, but I didn't see that pipa master."
"Alas." Yuan Huaimin sighed in regret: "I also came here empty-handed. I heard that Miss Qin seems to be unwell and has been depressed lately. She has taken leave to rest in her boudoir and has declined to receive guests."
His eyes were filled with longing: "Even the owner of Xunyang Tower can't easily order around a pipa master like Qin Xiaoniangzi. Her performance depends entirely on her mood. We weren't very lucky last night. Brother Lianghan must have been listening to pipa music for the first time. He was even more unlucky than me."
Yuan Huaimin, with the expression of a wise older brother, patted the arm of the bewildered and honest Ouyang Rong, offering words of comfort:
"It's alright, there will be other opportunities next time. There will be plenty of time in the future, and we will have the chance to hear Miss Qin's pipa music again. Brother Lianghan, don't be disappointed."
“Okay, I look forward to it.” Ouyang Rong nodded, then paused, “I must see your beauty next time.”
"It is indeed a chance to appreciate celestial music. Miss Qin likes to wear a veil and usually hides herself, so it is rare to see her beautiful face. I have been there so many times, and I have only caught a glimpse of her once. I hope Brother Lianghan will have such good luck next time."
"Okay, okay."
As he responded, Ouyang Rong couldn't help but glance at the honest Yuan Huaimin, his eyes slightly unfocused, as if some dazzling white scene had flashed before his eyes again... Ouyang Rong nodded earnestly and hurriedly:
"Okay, Brother Huaimin."
After showing off and sharing, Yuan Huaimin left satisfied.
Ouyang Rong glanced at the departing figures of his colleagues and friends, a strange sense of guilt rising in his heart.
Two days later, the Jiangzhou Grand Hall finally welcomed the long holiday of the New Year.
This holiday is similar to Lunar New Year's Eve, a time to bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new.
However, officials in various regions are prohibited from returning to their hometowns for the holidays.
After a long period of busy work, Ouyang Rong finally had some free time.
However, on the first day of the holiday, I only managed to take one nap in the morning before being dragged out again...
(End of this chapter)
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