Chapter 318 Li Guo'er's Annoyance
No matter how straightforward you are.
Ouyang Rong also knew that women liked romantic surprises.
Following the direction pointed out by Li Dalang, Ouyang Rong, carrying a red umbrella, walked through the long corridor and, under the starry night, arrived at a lakeside in the back garden.
He looked up and saw two courtyards standing in front of him.
Each of the two courtyards contains a boudoir.
Of the two boudoirs on the lakeside ahead, the one on the left is brightly lit, and through the paper windows, one can vaguely see the silhouette of a woman. The gate of the boudoir is open.
The courtyard on the right was dark and quiet, with the gate tightly shut.
The two boudoirs, one bright and one dark, stand in stark contrast and are quite conspicuous on the lakeside.
Ouyang Rong had overheard Xie Lingjiang mention that, just like in the Su family mansion in Longcheng County, she and Li Guo'er lived side by side in the Xunyang Prince's Mansion, each with their own independent courtyard.
It seems to be true.
"Found it."
Ouyang Rong nodded slightly.
He tiptoed around the brightly lit courtyard on the left and arrived at the door of the quiet courtyard on the right.
Ouyang Rong leaned his bright red oil-paper umbrella against the tightly closed courtyard gate, then turned and left.
After taking a few steps, he paused slightly and turned to look at the lone red umbrella leaning against the door panel in front of the gate.
Then I looked at the sidewalk in front of this dark courtyard, which seemed to be bustling with people during the day.
To get to Li Guo'er's boudoir on the left, it seems you'll also pass by the path leading to the entrance of Junior Sister's boudoir.
Ouyang Rong returned to the gate, picked up his umbrella again, and seeing that no one was around, he glanced at his junior sister's courtyard wall. In a moment, he climbed over the wall with his umbrella and entered.
Once inside the courtyard, Ouyang Rong looked around and, in the darkness, could make out that there were swings, a zither stand, and a pitch-pot game, among other things that were considered auspicious for women.
The junior sister also cultivated a small field in the southeast corner of the courtyard, where a cluster of chrysanthemums, blooming proudly against the frost, stood tall and elegant.
Ouyang Rong smiled, walked to the boudoir with only two lanterns hanging in front of the door, and put the red umbrella down again.
Leaning against the white wall next to the building entrance.
He let out a soft breath, turned around, and left.
"Hmm, look how many umbrellas I made before you returned."
...
Li Guo'er was a little tired.
Xiushuifang, a luxurious mansion with exquisite decorations, in a lavish lobby where poetry is recited and sung.
She knelt on the seat at the head of the table, looking down at the group of scholars and talents at the banquet below. Her pretty face, hidden beneath a thin veil, showed a hint of weariness and boredom.
Li Guo'er suddenly stood up, quietly found an excuse, and left the regularly held poetry gathering ahead of schedule.
The assembled scholars and gentlemen at the banquet were left staring blankly at her departing, elegant figure, their expressions a mixture of confusion, disappointment, and unease...
Li Guo'er didn't care about these things.
Perhaps during the day when she is full of energy, she would be polite and courteous, taking care of everyone's feelings.
But now, after holding so many poetry gatherings at the Juhua Poetry Society, which she had casually organized, she was really losing patience.
Surrounded by a group of beautiful maids, Li Guo'er walked along the corridor, her fingertips gently rubbing her slightly furrowed brows, which were adorned with plum blossom makeup.
She glanced at the sky outside the corridor, lowered her eyes slightly, and murmured, "There's still time."
"Your Highness, where are we going now?"
"Return to the residence."
"yes."
A short while later, a carriage pulled by four tall horses slowly started moving on the street and headed towards the Xunyang Prince's Mansion.
Inside the stable carriage, bright lights shone, and Li Guo'er leaned back lazily on the soft cushions.
After a moment of silence, she took out a small booklet and a brush, dipped it in ink, and began to write.
As the little princess with plum blossom makeup wrote, she murmured:
"Chen Shiyin of Yangzhou is arrogant and self-important, outwardly strong but inwardly weak, and unfit for important positions..."
"Yue Zi'ang of Hongzhou is as fiery as fire and outspoken, but he is brave but lacks strategy, hates evil but is incompetent. However, he hates the Great Zhou and strongly supports the restoration of Li Gan. His attitude is firm. Depending on the situation, he can be used to some extent."
“Taiyuan, Wei Wenchuan, a nephew of a branch of the powerful Wei family, is eccentric, perverse, cunning, and treacherous. He is too opportunistic. This person should not be recommended, nor should he be allowed to stay by Father’s and Elder Brother’s side.”
"I'll have to find a reason not to hold a grudge and get rid of them another day..."
Li Guo'er held the scroll in one hand and a brush in the other, occasionally using the brush dipped in ink to draw circles on the scroll in her hand.
On this small booklet, the young girl's delicate and neat small characters recorded a dense array of names.
There were many names crossed out with a single stroke of ink, and a few others were casually circled, seemingly pending confirmation.
This is the result of Li Guo'er's efforts since the end of last year, enduring the cold, aloofness, and quiet nature of her personality, attending dozens of boring literary gatherings and keeping busy for one or two months.
Of the scholars and talented individuals she met, only a few were barely qualified enough to join the Juhua Poetry Society, which she had originally hoped to establish.
The others are all mediocre and incompetent, unfit for important tasks.
Not to mention a man of extraordinary talent, none of whom could compare to Ouyang Lianghan in her brother's study.
But Li Guo'er felt that this vast city of Xunyang in Jiangzhou, gathering scholars from all over Jiangnan, as well as so many exiled officials and disillusioned scholars from the ends of the earth,
By casting such a wide net, she should at least be able to catch a few rough gems, which can be polished and used.
As a result, the closer Li Guo'er got to him, the more disappointed he became.
A few days ago, she suddenly realized that most of these scholars were not as interesting to her as the clever, quick-witted, and shrewd white-haired maid in Ouyang Lianghan's house.
Li Guo'er casually tossed the register onto the soft carpet, then lifted the carriage curtain with her little finger, gazing at the dazzling lights and nightscape outside.
Li Guo'er gently bit her lip with a few pearly teeth and stared blankly for a while.
It seems that not all officials who were demoted to Jiangzhou were like Ouyang Lianghan, hidden gems concealed in the dust, dragons in the abyss yet hidden in the depths.
For this family to meet him during his lowest point while living in seclusion in Longcheng was incredibly lucky.
It's like a child finding a pearl on the roadside and being able to safely bring it home—it's a rare and precious find, one in a million.
In addition, there may also be a cause and effect related to the prophecy made by Master Yuan of the Shangqing Sect.
"A benefactor in my destiny... A hidden dragon emerges from the abyss, carrying the bright moon in its beak; he serves as an official and then resigns, bestowing his name upon the bright moon... Sharing wealth and hardship..."
The dim streetlights cast flickering light on Li Guo'er's pretty face.
She gazed at the night view outside the window for a while, as if she had figured something out, and suddenly turned her head:
"Hurry up, carriage, hurry back to the manor."
"Yes, Your Highness."
The groom and maid outside immediately agreed.
A certain chubby-faced maid was not by Li Guo'er's side. Not long ago, during a banquet, the topic of a certain master of poetry and lyrics came up, and Li Guo'er sent her back to find a rare copy of a poetry collection.
It seems we won't need it right now.
As Li Guo'er abandoned the poetry gathering, Qiu Shui's eyes brightened as she looked towards the distant Xunyang Prince's Mansion, where the eaves were faintly visible.
It's not time yet; the scheduled meeting time that Ouyang Rong and his family agreed upon should be in time.
"Okay, let's not dwell on that for now."
The young woman with plum blossom makeup pressed down on the corner of her lips, pouted, and muttered:
"Giving away a gift given by someone else to another woman without even saying hello is indeed quite rude. So, I, the princess, will also stand you up this time. Your absence from one of the events a few days ago will settle things once and for all, Ouyang Lianghan."
She nodded with satisfaction.
Before the eve of the Lunar New Year, after the birthday banquet of the Xie family elder sister, the Xie family elder sister returned to her boudoir at night. Li Guo'er, who was on the upper floor of her boudoir preparing to close the window and go to sleep, caught a glimpse of the smiling Xie family elder sister with a white fox fur shawl draped over her shoulders. She wondered what had happened at the birthday banquet.
This white fox fur shawl was originally chosen by Li Guo'er at her mother's request, "reluctantly," and given to Ouyang Lianghan.
This also caused her to close the window much louder that night, though it's unclear whether Xie Lingjiang noticed.
Anyway, after that day, Li Guo'er's pretty face was frosty for two days, and later, during a night of plotting in the study, she "coincidentally" attended a literary gathering in Chaisangfang and couldn't come back.
After two cups of tea, the carriage carrying Li Guo'er entered the understated yet luxurious back gate of the vast Xunyang Prince's Mansion.
"Guo'er's back? Why so early?"
As soon as Li Guo'er stepped into the flower hall, she took off her pale yellow shawl and handed it to the beautiful maid standing by. She then saw her mother smilingly come to greet her.
Wei Mei happened to be in the flower hall as well.
"Yes, the literary conference ended early, and I had nothing to do, so I came back."
Seeing Guo'er's seemingly indifferent reply, she calmly asked:
"Hasn't he arrived yet? When does it start?"
As she spoke, two beautiful maids entered and skillfully draped a warm, light green blouse over the young lady with plum blossom makeup as she returned home. After changing her clothes, Li Guo'er walked towards the door, intending to go to the study.
But then he immediately heard his mother shaking her head behind him:
"Guo'er, Tanlang just left. He came a little early today, and since you weren't here, he started early..."
Li Guo'er paused slightly in her steps.
Several beautiful maids standing at the door seemed to have noticed the expression on the young prince's face, and quickly lowered their heads and buried their chests, as if they dared not look any longer.
Inside and outside the flower hall, there was a moment of silence after she stopped.
"Guo'er..."
"Oh." Li Guo'er suddenly responded, turning her head to give her mother a slight smile:
"I'm a little tired today, so I'm going home to rest. Goodnight, Mom."
Several women, including Wei Mei, watched curiously as Li Guo'er's figure calmly and naturally disappeared into the distance.
Li Guo'er left the flower hall and returned to her boudoir, her face expressionless.
The pace quickened, and the steps became faster and faster.
A night breeze from the great river blew by, and the wind chimes hanging from the eaves of the long corridor tinkled, their clear sounds unable to keep up with her steps.
Suddenly, a chubby-faced maid appeared around the corner.
Cai Shou walked towards us, carrying a book of poems.
They had just crossed the corner and exchanged a glance when they passed each other.
Miss?
Cai Shou felt a gust of cold wind hit her face. She froze for a moment, then took two extra steps before turning her little head and calling out to Li Guo'er's quiet back:
"Miss, why are you back? Did the gathering end so quickly? Hmm, I found the rare copy of 'Five Willows Poetry Talks' that the gentlemen at the poetry gathering wanted to see."
The wronged little maid, who had made a wasted trip, clutched the rare book and quickly turned around with her short legs to catch up with her mistress's unruly pace.
"Miss," she scratched her head and asked cautiously, "Did I look for you too late and make you late for the gathering?"
Li Guo'er remained silent.
Cai Shou sighed, "Lady Xie borrowed it last time, but I don't know where she put it. She's not here now. Green Pearl and I searched for a long time in her study before we finally found it."
Li Guo'er suddenly stopped and turned to ask, "Tell me, has this princess ever offended Ouyang Lianghan?"
The seemingly unrelated but earnest question caught Cai Shou off guard. She glanced at her young mistress's calm face and asked softly:
"Why do you ask this, Miss? Has Young Master Ouyang upset you again?"
"No, I'm just curious."
Li Guo'er shook her head and corrected, "This princess is not angry. Why would this princess be angry? It's not worth it."
After speaking, she continued to stare into her personal maid's eyes, as if waiting for the answer to her question.
Cai Shou swallowed hard, struggling to find the right words:
“Miss is kind, gentle, virtuous, elegant, kind, and well-educated. How could she possibly offend another man? Young Master Ouyang must have misunderstood, or perhaps he went too far himself.”
Li Guo'er nodded: "Right, I think so too. Then he's just acting strangely."
After saying that, she did not accept the rare poetry collection that Cai Shou handed her, and turned to leave.
Li Guo'er continued back to her boudoir, but her pace finally slowed down, and she returned to some semblance of normalcy.
After arriving in Xunyang City, Jiangzhou, she vaguely sensed that Ouyang Lianghan was deliberately ignoring and treating her coldly.
Li Guo'er thought back carefully and realized that apart from that bowl of water with half a intestine floating on it, she had not done anything to offend him.
In order to invite him to join her family as an advisor, the pampered woman cooked with her mother to make refreshing iced drinks to beat the heat.
Those chilled watermelons were all carefully selected by her while squatting in the field, with few seeds, after she rolled up her skirt.
When Ouyang Lianghan first entered the mansion, he walked into his elder brother Li Fusu's study to discuss matters, seemingly to show his attitude. It was unclear who he was openly or secretly guarding against, or who he was warning in advance.
Li Guo'er tolerated it and didn't care. After all, her brother and she were siblings from the same mother and had a deep bond.
Although she was spoiled and liked to bully her honest and kind older brother from childhood, she never allowed outsiders to bully him.
He suggested building a pagoda at Donglin Temple to create auspicious omens, and she cooperated wholeheartedly without hesitation, withdrawing all her birthday gifts and money from her private treasury.
He was promoted to Prefect of Jiangzhou, and she followed her father and brothers to present him with a promotion gift. She specially visited the East Market of Xunyang and carefully selected a rare white fox fur shawl from Liaodong with no blemishes to give to him.
Before this, Li Guo'er had never given gifts to any man other than her father and brothers; it was always others who came to her door to give her birthday gifts.
But what did this ultimately earn him? His disdain and indifference.
Now, he doesn't wait a moment longer at the routine night meetings of the Xunyang Prince's Mansion, excluding her as if she doesn't matter whether she's there or not.
So, her father and brothers' confidants weren't her confidants.
Her father, brothers, and mother hadn't treated her like an outsider, but he had.
Li Guo'er narrowed her long, narrow eyes like a fox, and her cheeks puffed out unconsciously.
Could it be that this guy directly advised Princess Chang Le back then, and deeply resented this kind of overbearing and domineering princess?
Do you think she'll become as spoiled and arrogant as her aunt, Princess Chang Le?
Aside from this barely plausible reason, Li Guo'er really couldn't figure out why Ouyang Rong would act this way.
As for the other possibility, it could be Xie's older sister.
Li Guo'er didn't believe that this Xie family sister would speak ill of others behind their backs, although she was secretly a jealous person who was very possessive of her food.
"Sharing hardship and wealth, Ouyang Lianghan, with your actions, I really can't think of any other way for us to share hardship and wealth."
It seemed that they knew their young mistress was in a bad mood, so Cai Shou and the other maids dared not come along and were shaken off by Li Guo'er.
A short while later, Li Guo'er returned to the familiar lakeside in the garden.
With a stern face, she walked through Xie Lingjiang's courtyard, went straight into the right-hand boudoir, pushed open the door, passed through a patch of newly planted chrysanthemums, and prepared to push open the door to enter the building.
The next instant, Li Guo'er stopped moving, turned her head and glanced at the red paper umbrella leaning against the gate.
She looked around the quiet, deserted courtyard.
The young woman with plum blossom makeup tilted her head slightly, lifted her red umbrella, and opened it to examine the scene.
There appear to be words on the umbrella.
Bathed in the soft glow of the lanterns in front of the door, she lowered her eyes and looked down:
"You are so beautiful, I can never forget you..."
The air in front of the door was utterly silent.
Li Guo'er lowered her head, so her expression couldn't be seen, but her ears gradually flushed a rosy red.
It was Ouyang Lianghan's familiar handwriting.
Ahem, it seems like it's double monthly tickets now (hinting wildly) or 2 (pouting).
(End of this chapter)
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