Chapter 360 A zither that is not a zither, a painting that is not a painting
His expression seemed completely unsurprised; he simply took off his felt hat, covered his chest, and turned around.
"What business does Master Li have with you?"
Yuan Huaimin noticed that Ouyang Rong did not question him about why he hadn't spoken up before, but instead showed a serious attitude of listening attentively.
"I concealed this from you before, Brother Lianghan, are you not angry?" he asked curiously.
“Annoying.” Ouyang Rong nodded, his expression unchanged.
"Of course I'm annoyed. I want to drag Dongmei in right now and give you a good kick in the ass. Are you satisfied now, Brother Huaimin?"
Yuan Huaimin shrank back: "Dongmei is kind by nature, Brother Lianghan must not lead her astray."
Ouyang Rong's lips twitched slightly, but he remained silent, staring at Yuan Huaimin.
Seeing this, the latter stopped smiling obsequiously, his expression turned serious, and he replied:
"I was not familiar with Li Gong and Wang Junzhi before, but I was on good terms with a cousin of Du Shuqing. We used to ride horses and wear fine clothes together when we were young. After Li Zhengyan and others arrived in Jiangzhou, it was Du Shuqing who took the initiative to come and reminisce with me."
"One night, as I was about to undress and go to sleep, Du Shuqing suddenly brought someone to my door, saying that he was introducing a friend who had long admired my talent and reputation."
"This person is none other than Li Zhengyan, or Lord Li."
“Brother Lianghan knows my temperament. I only like pipa, poetry and painting and do not talk about national affairs. It is better to keep a respectful distance from such a banished celebrity. I thought it was better to avoid trouble, so I wanted to decline his visit. But I did not expect that he would take out something.”
What is it?
“A painting.” Yuan Huaimin’s eyes showed reminiscence: “A familiar painting, a painting by an old friend.”
Whose painting is this?
"Brother Lianghan, do you still remember the painting of ladies wearing flowers in their hair that I helped you paint on the oil-paper umbrella?"
"Remember."
Ouyang Rong nodded slightly; his memory was excellent.
"You later said that this painting skill was taught to you by a strange old Taoist priest who painted murals, whom you met when you woke up drunk in a dilapidated temple in Chang'an when you were young."
"Judging from the old Taoist priest's painting skills, he is very likely the Wu family painting master who had a brief period of fame during the reign of the two emperors."
Upon hearing this, Yuan Huaimin sighed.
He didn't say anything more.
Ouyang Rong realized what was happening, his brows furrowed slightly, and he pressed for an answer:
"So, the painting that Li Zhengyan took was a portrait of ladies wearing flowers in their hair, painted by the old Taoist priest himself? Or was it some kind of Buddhist or Taoist painting?"
"Neither."
Yuan Huaimin shook his head and sighed:
It is a picture of a paradise.
“Brother Lianghan, I had only seen Mr. Wu paint Buddhist images before, and I accompanied him to visit hundreds of temples in Chang'an and Luoyang. I thought Mr. Wu was only interested in Buddhist and Taoist paintings. I never expected that he would paint a picture of Peach Blossom Spring.”
"And for some reason, this painting ended up in Li Zhengyan's hands."
"The Peach Blossom Spring?"
Ouyang Rong frowned, pondered for a moment, and asked curiously, "What happened next? Why did he bring the painting to find you?"
Yuan Huaimin shook his head, his expression equally puzzled:
"He asked me some strange questions, inquiring about the poems and travelogues of a famous scholar from the Eastern Jin Dynasty, and asking if I knew these rare pieces."
Ouyang Rong immediately became alert, but asked calmly, "Which famous scholar from the Eastern Jin Dynasty?"
"Speaking of which, you should know Brother Lianghan."
Yuan Huaimin directly confessed:
Tao Qian, courtesy name Yuanming.
"oh."
Ouyang Rong chuckled softly: "I'm quite familiar with this one."
He asked casually:
"However, there is no scholar in Jiangzhou who is not familiar with him. It's just that I didn't expect Lord Li to also like Tao Yuanming's works. That's quite rare. Hmm, did he ask you about which poems and essays?"
Yuan Huaimin did not hide anything:
"A poem called 'Returning Home' and a travelogue called 'The Peach Blossom Spring'."
He recalled for a moment, then nodded and said:
"The main reason is that Tao Yuanming was a recluse from hundreds of years ago. He went into seclusion in his later years, and most of his writings were lost. Not many of them have survived to this day."
"Even if they exist, they are treasured by prominent families and literary circles in the north and south. I don't know why this Mr. Li suddenly became interested in these two obscure works."
Unaware of the slight change in the expression of the young man in the felt hat in front of him, Yuan Huaimin continued to mutter dejectedly to himself:
"At the time, I thought that this Mr. Li had the intention of retiring to a life of seclusion, which is why he was interested in the articles of a famous recluse like Tao Qian."
Ouyang Rong nodded: "So now, do you still think so?"
Yuan Huaimin smiled bitterly, sighed, and looked south towards Guizhou outside the window:
"Naturally, I became increasingly confused."
"This is also why I confessed to Lianghan today. There are some strange things going on, and I'm a little scared. After thinking about it for a long time, I decided it was better to report to Lianghan."
Ouyang Rong glanced at him, nodded slightly, and asked first:
"However, there is one thing I don't understand. Tao Yuanming is a famous figure in Xunyang. So many famous scholars in Xunyang know about him. Why did Lord Li come to see Brother Huaimin alone, and even do so secretly in the middle of the night?"
Yuan Huaimin scratched his head:
"Someone must have told him something before he came here, and he certainly didn't come to the wrong place."
"I do know one of these two isolated poems. I didn't think much of it at the time and just told them."
Ouyang Rong immediately asked, "Which one?"
"It's that travelogue called 'The Peach Blossom Spring'."
Yuan Huaimin slightly raised his chin, his expression a little proud, and said:
"Although our Yuan family has declined, our ancestors were once very wealthy. From the Northern Wei to the Qian Zhou Dynasty, for three or four hundred years, our family secretly collected many rare and precious books, including Tao Yuanming's articles. The Peach Blossom Spring was one of them. I remember that it was my grandfather's favorite book, which he kept in the high pavilion."
"It is a treasure of the Yuan family, and no more than a handful of outsiders have ever seen it."
As he was boasting, Yan Liulang, who was standing at the doorway holding a zither case, looked down at the case.
The box seemed to tremble slightly just now, like a dragonfly flapping its wings.
This movement was fleeting.
The zither case remained completely still, and Yan Liulang, who was guarding the door, continued to keep his eyes straight ahead.
Inside the room, Ouyang Rong slumped his shoulders, his previously tense body relaxing slightly.
"I see. No wonder they are from the Tuoba clan of the Northern Wei Dynasty, they have a rich family fortune."
He praised it.
Yuan Huaimin said embarrassedly, "Brother Lianghan, you flatter me."
However, in the next instant, he saw Ouyang Rong calmly recite:
"Tao Yuanming's 'Peach Blossom Spring,' hmm, isn't it... during the Taiyuan era of the Jin Dynasty, a fisherman from Wuling made his living by fishing and followed a stream... which one?"
Yuan Huaimin was taken aback for a moment.
The atmosphere inside was quiet.
This descendant of the Yuan family was dumbfounded:
"How did you know, Brother Lianghan? This is a rare and unique piece, who have you heard of it from before, Brother Lianghan?"
Who told you this?
Oh, it's the People's Education Press edition of the eighth-grade textbook.
"Does this mean I have to tell you something I know by heart, just like 'Return to the Past'?" Ouyang Rong thought to himself.
His expression remained unchanged, and he shook his head:
“Brother Huaimin should know that I once served as the magistrate of Longcheng, which was the last place Tao Yuanming served as an official. There are many ancient books left there, which I obtained by chance.”
Yuan Huaimin looked suspicious: "Really?"
"Otherwise what?"
Ouyang Rong nodded and asked several questions:
"It couldn't be that you accidentally told Lord Li, and then Lord Li accidentally told me, could it?"
Yuan Huaimin hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.
Ouyang Rong suddenly asked:
"Is the Mr. Wu that Brother Huaimin mentioned from Zhongnan Mountain?"
"He is indeed from Zhongnan Mountain. The last time I saw him, Mr. Wu said he was going back to the mountains..."
The room fell silent.
The two seemed to be deep in thought.
After a long silence, Ouyang Rong broke the silence first:
"So why did Wang Junzhi, who is wanted today, not run away but come to you first? What does he want?"
Yuan Huaimin paused for a moment, then answered:
"He introduced me to the Chrysanthemum Poetry Society, which led to my acquaintance with the little princess. We became somewhat acquainted. Recently, he's been pressing me about other isolated poems by Tao Yuanming, especially the one called 'Returning Home'..."
"What was your answer?"
"I don't know, so what else can I say?"
Yuan Huaimin said with distress.
Ouyang Rong stood up again, walked to the door, and before leaving, calmly asked:
"I have one last question: how did you guess that he would go to the Prince of Xunyang's residence after leaving you?"
Yuan Huaimin hesitated and said:
"Out of friendship, I advised him to run away and be careful of being arrested by the court. But he leisurely drank tea as if taking a stroll, wiped his hands with a handkerchief, and said to me, 'Today is a good day, why should I run away?'"
His tone was quite helpless:
He said he had something important to do, and he came to Xunyang City to wait for this day...
"He also promised me that before long, my position as the Sima of Jiangzhou would have real power, and after that, the Yuan family would no longer be a minor clan in Jingzhao, and my name, Yuan Huaimin, would definitely be listed at the top of the family genealogy."
"So, Brother Huaimin, are you interested?"
"No, actually... I don't care about that. From beginning to end, it was just because of friendship, and I helped as much as I could."
"I understand."
Ouyang Rong nodded, put his felt hat back on, and turned to walk out of the main house.
Yan Liulang, who was waiting outside the door, followed behind him.
Just as the two were about to step out of the courtyard gate, a shout suddenly came from behind them:
"Brother Lianghan."
"Hmm?" Ouyang Rong paused slightly.
"I am ignorant and slow to understand state affairs... Will what Lord Li and Brother Du did in Guizhou affect many, many people, even more seriously than what Cai Qin did in Hongzhou?"
Ouyang Rong nodded: "Some people will die."
"Will Jiangzhou be among the first to be hit?"
"Um."
Yuan Huaimin was silent for a moment, then said seriously:
"I'm worried that I might unintentionally do something wrong..."
"Lianghan, could you report what I told you today to the court? But could you not mention my name and find a pretext to mainly report the strange painting and travelogue?"
Ouyang Rong asked with a smile, "Brother Huaimin, are you so timid?"
Yuan Huaimin sighed, "Brother Lianghan truly understands me."
"Alright."
Ouyang Rong turned around, gave Yuan Huaimin a deep look, and suddenly said:
“Brother Huaimin’s name is not wrong, it’s quite good. He is as good as his name. In fact, he is quite suitable to be included in the family genealogy.”
Yuan Huaimin, with a sour face, waved his hand:
"Brother Lianghan, please spare me, don't joke around."
He paused, then pointed to the zither case in Yan Liulang's hand:
"I suddenly feel like playing a musical instrument. May I stay and borrow it to play?"
Ouyang Rong said without turning his head:
"Next time, I'll use this zither today."
After leaving Yuan Huaimin's courtyard, Ouyang Rong suppressed his smile and remained silent all the way to the carriage.
"Mr. Ming, where are we going now?"
"I asked Yan Liulang, who was holding the zither case."
"The Prince of Xunyang's Mansion".
Ouyang Rong sat inside the carriage, closed his eyes in thought, and then answered with a single sentence.
Yan Liulang was about to respond, but then paused, glanced at the bright sun, and asked worriedly:
"My lord, it's broad daylight, isn't it inappropriate for us to go directly there? There will be too many people around."
Ouyang Rong shook his head: "It's come to this, it's alright, go ahead, it doesn't matter."
"Okay." Yan Liulang nodded.
Ouyang Rong suddenly said:
"Wait, don't come with me, I'll go by myself."
"Liu Lang, go back to Huaiye Lane and wait. If Wei Lai has anything to report, you must come and tell me immediately."
"Your Excellency is saying that there's been a change in General Qin's military headquarters..."
Yan Liulang shut his mouth and nodded vigorously:
"Yes, Your Excellency."
The carriage continued its journey.
Yan Liulang left midway.
Only the attendant, the coachman, and the person inside the carriage with their eyes closed remained.
Ouyang Rong muttered to himself:
"The Taoist priests of Zhongnan Mountain... The most famous sect in Zhongnan Mountain is the Xianshi Shangzong, Louguan Taoist sect. Could there be a connection between them?"
"What is the relationship between this Taoist priest Wu and the Taoist priest from Zhongnan Mountain who Li Zhengyan casually mentioned when he left, the one who said there was royal aura in the southeast? Or is it just a coincidence...?"
"In addition, Wu Daoshi appeared during the reign of the two emperors and entered the palace to paint. At that time, Emperor Gaozong was still alive, and Emperor Qianlong was still alive. He was considered a high-ranking official..."
"Speaking of which, it seems that when he went into seclusion and disappeared, it was around the time when Emperor Gaozong passed away, Empress Wei deposed the emperor, and took over the reins of government."
He suddenly remembered what his junior sister had mentioned about the Northern and Southern Daoist sects, and deduced:
"It is said that Louguan in the north and Sanqing in the south are more prominent than the Sanqing Taoist sect in the south. They are skilled in observing stars and qi. At the end of the Sui Dynasty, they supported the Li family and thus became the state religion of Daqian."
"Since the change of the dynasty from Gan to Zhou, Taoism has been suppressed by the Buddhist-worshipping Empress, and the Louguan Taoist sect should be the first to be targeted..."
"So, Li Zhengyan is raising the banner of supporting Li Gan, could it be that he has received secret support from the Louguan Taoist sect? And was it they who revealed the royal aura in the southeast?"
With this thought in mind, Ouyang Rong took a deep breath:
"What we know so far is that the Peach Blossom Spring painting was probably given to Li Zhengyan by the long-lost Taoist Wu, or by someone from his side."
"What's the use?"
"Is it meant to serve as a token of a meeting? But what connection does this restoration of Ligan have with the descendants of the Northern Wei royal family three hundred years ago? Could the royal aura refer to Yuan Huaimin?"
"That's not right. The Northern Wei royal family is ancient history. Apart from the Buddhist community, which still remembers the good deeds of the Tuoba clan who once worshipped Buddhism and built temples, the people and the five surnames and seven noble families have long forgotten about it. Its legitimacy is even inferior to that of the Wei Zhou."
"Why did Li Zhengyan specifically come to find him, and even ask for the rare copy of 'The Peach Blossom Spring' that Yuan Huaimin's family happened to have in their possession? What is his purpose...? I can understand asking for the 'Returning Home' poem, but asking for 'The Peach Blossom Spring'..."
"They seem to be equally important? But surely there shouldn't be two identical sword manuals."
"If that's the case, and we've already obtained the original text of 'The Peach Blossom Spring' from Yuan Huaimin, why is Wang Junzhi still repeatedly asking about the meaning of 'Returning Home'?"
After a thorough analysis, Ouyang Rong's logic temporarily reached a dead end.
At this moment, he recalled that on the day he accompanied Li Zhengyan, who had been turned away, as they left the Xunyang Prince's Mansion, Li Zhengyan seemed to have casually mentioned Tao Yuanming, comparing himself to him with a smile.
At the time, it seemed like nothing special.
Ouyang Rong rubbed his face:
"Tao Yuanming, Tao Yuanming, it would be one thing if it were any other famous scholar of the past, but you were the legendary sword master who created the Poor Scholar Sword Technique."
"It seems that Li Zhengyan and the others are also aware of this identity. Perhaps they have been guided by a master and are now searching for the 'Return to the Past' poem."
"And the search for the sword manual must be related to the Ding Sword."
"Could it be that the legendary 'Humble Scholar' that was lost during the Northern and Southern Dynasties?"
Ouyang Rong murmured, "The Peach Blossom Spring...?"
After a long silence, he nodded:
"As for what Li Zhengyan believes to be the royal aura of Jiangzhou, judging from Wang Jun's words and actions... it's already quite obvious."
Ouyang Rong lifted the carriage curtain, his gaze fixed on the distant Xiushui Workshop, and suddenly spoke:
"Go faster."
"yes."
The coachman quickly cracked the whip, and the wheels rolled toward the Xunyang Prince's Mansion.
Kaven, sorry for the lateness... I probably won't be able to clock in on time at midnight tonight either, sob sob (or 2)
(End of this chapter)
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