Chapter 419 You're actually a pretty nice person.
Actually, it was just a small detail about how I was robbed by a rogue named Dingjian on Dagushan that night.
Rongzhen secretly concealed this when reporting to the Imperial Observatory.
I think of this matter again now.
Rongzhen's jade-like hand, which was twisting the paper, suddenly clenched into a fist, and the bamboo-scented paper in her palm was crushed into powder.
"It's better to be killed than to be humiliated. Don't let me find you..."
A trembling murmur echoed in the courtyard.
For Rongzhen, the most shameful and infuriating thing was that her purple undergarment, which had been with her in the palace for many years, had been completely exposed, and the marks and other things on it were also openly displayed to others...
Whenever she thought about this, Rongzhen, who had always lived a life of asceticism and celibacy, felt extremely ashamed, as if a noble virgin had been stripped naked in the street for the first time in her life.
If someone were in the courtyard at this moment, they would notice the delicate, small earlobes of this cold, palace-dressed girl, peeking out from between her slender neck and black hair, their color as red as blood.
Under the warm autumn sun, it is somewhat translucent, like a cherry in early summer, so beautiful and tempting that you can't help but want to take a bite.
Unfortunately, no one witnessed this scene...
When Ouyang Rong left the backyard and passed the counter, he saw Yan Liulang and seven or eight constables.
They are helping Rongzhen organize the workshop's sales accounts and customer lists one by one.
Ouyang Rong stopped and greeted him.
Before turning to leave, he and Yan Liulang exchanged a fleeting, almost imperceptible glance...
Ouyang Rong left the Zhuxiang Paper Mill.
On the way back to the main hall of Jiangzhou, he kept his eyes closed the entire time in the carriage, as if he were resting.
Rongzhen continued her investigation relentlessly, which was to be expected.
The only unexpected thing was that Rongzhen came to him for help, asking for manpower...
"You trust me that much...?"
Ouyang Rong muttered to himself.
I remember that Rongzhen's attitude towards him changed quite a bit after he returned from investigating the case in Longcheng.
Although he remained cold and distant towards him, this was simply a tactless personality, not the distant and unapproachable attitude he used to have.
The current appropriate cooperation seems to stem from a certain familiarity and a slight acceptance of him as the Chief Secretary of Jiangzhou, as an assistant and teammate.
This attitude was subtle, and Ouyang Rong could sense it.
At first, Ouyang Rong remained vigilant, thinking it was a trap. He believed Rong Zhen might still be suspicious of him and was deliberately trying to lower his guard.
Therefore, even though Ouyang Rong sent his trusted confidants, such as Yan Liulang, to "assist" during these days, he did not allow Yan Liulang to do anything underhanded. Instead, he wholeheartedly cooperated with Rongzhen and other female officials in their investigation.
However, as time went by, and after observing and testing Rong Zhen repeatedly, Ouyang Rong gradually felt that... Rong Zhen didn't seem to have any traps.
The reason they came to him for help was simply because they lacked manpower for investigation; there was no entrapment involved.
That's very strange.
Ouyang Rong frowned slightly and returned to the main hall of Jiangzhou.
The afternoon passed quickly. Ouyang Rong chatted with Yuan Huaimin for a few minutes before preparing to finish his shift and go home.
Yan Liulang returned with his men and suddenly requested an audience.
Ouyang Rong's smile remained unchanged. He dismissed Yuan Huaimin, who happily left work. Ouyang Rong then met Yan Liulang, who had returned to report, in the main hall.
"Your Excellency..."
"Have a sip of tea to quench your thirst first."
Ouyang Rong lowered his eyes, poured a cup of tea, and pushed it towards him.
Yan Liulang took a sip of tea, but before putting the cup down, he suddenly said in a low voice:
"There's nothing going on at the paper mill."
Ouyang Rong paused slightly, then continued drinking his tea. He put down his teacup and asked casually:
"You only came back after you finished your work and had nothing else to do, right?"
Yan Liulang remained calm and said, "Hmm."
Silence fell between them afterward; their conversation had sounded like a casual chat before leaving get off work.
They silently drank the freshly brewed cloud and mist tea.
Ouyang Rong breathed a slight sigh of relief.
Unlike his colleagues in the Jiangzhou government office who used official paper and ink for personal purposes, he did not use official documents.
He never brought public property home before, so all the paper, ink, brushes, and inkstones in the Huaiye Lane mansion were newly purchased by his aunt and Wei Lai from the market.
The poem "Butterfly Loves Flowers" that he wrote on a whim that night, although it was written with a specially made pen and fountain pen style, the bamboo-scented paper and ink he used, along with the poem itself, ended up in the hands of female officials such as Miaozhen.
When Wei Lai and Ban Xi went to the market to purchase paper and ink, they should have kept purchase records at the paper and ink shops. It's just unknown whether the merchants had the habit of keeping records.
That would be best if it weren't there.
If such a record exists, it is likely hidden among the vast number of buyer records.
Although it would be difficult for Rongzhen to find them all, if she were to investigate too closely, she might still get herself into trouble.
Originally, Ouyang Rong had already prepared himself for Rong Zhen to confront him with the two purchase records and question him.
They've already come up with all sorts of excuses to deny it to the death.
Unexpectedly, Rong Zhen came to him asking for help, so Yan Liulang went over and "diligently" helped her for two days.
Yan Liulang was naturally very cautious in his work, as he was originally a constable.
Only now has he returned to report, hinting to Ouyang Rong that a small purchase record from the Zhuxiang Paper Mill has been quietly disposed of.
Prior to this, Yan Liulang should have been cooperating with Rongzhen very honestly in investigating the paper mill list. Only after confirming this afternoon that there were no traps or surveillance did he secretly destroy a certain inconspicuous name.
Presumably, the list of suspects now in Rongzhen's hands no longer contains any clues related to the Huaiye Lane residence.
Ouyang Rong no longer needed to worry about the clues revealed by the paper.
Now only the ink shop remains; it's unclear whether they have saved any relevant buyer records.
However, even if the ink shop later found out Wei Lai and Ban Xi's purchase records, without the paper shop's evidence, the threat posed by that single item to Ouyang Rong is much smaller.
In short, we are now largely safe.
"You've worked hard," he said softly, setting down his teacup.
Yan Liulang shook his head.
Recalling his conversation with Rongzhen not long ago, Ouyang Rong asked again:
"What did the ink shop say?"
"After investigating the Bamboo Fragrance Paper Mill, the Lady Historian told her subordinates to return and wait for further instructions, saying that the investigation of the Ink Mill had already begun, and if there were not enough people, she would call us again."
Ouyang Rong asked, "How is Lady Rongzhen's attitude towards you? Is there anything she is dissatisfied with?"
Yan Liulang shook his head: "I'm not dissatisfied, but before I took the summary list this afternoon, on the contrary..."
"On the contrary what?"
Yan Liulang shrugged: "Instead, she gave a small compliment to the brothers' efficiency. The Lady Historian told us to come to the Magistrate to ask for a reward. Judging from her tone, she seems to be serious."
Ouyang Rong's lips twitched slightly.
It tastes a little strange in my mouth.
It feels like I've received a genuine assessment from the enemy: "You're actually a pretty good person."
But is Rongzhen stupid? Obviously not, judging from her past behavior, she should be quite difficult to deal with.
Too favorable the wind, Ouyang Rong sighed:
"Alright, I've got it. We'll settle it together later. Yan Liulang, you and the others should continue to wait. Don't go to Shuangfengjian for the next few days. If Lady Historian needs anything for the subsequent investigation of the Ink Workshop, remember... it's your duty to go and help."
Yan Liulang glanced at him, then lowered his eyes: "Yes, Your Excellency." He paused, "It is my duty."
The person stepped down.
After finishing his shift, Ouyang Rong sat quietly in the empty main hall for a while, his eyes somewhat vacant as he gazed at the setting sun over the long corridor outside the door.
In the dim light inside the room, his face showed a hint of embarrassment:
"It doesn't seem like an act. If it were a trap, she should have brought Liu Lang, who made the mistake, here this afternoon to confront him..."
"So, when did you remove me from the suspect list? If she were just being unreasonable or setting traps, I wouldn't mind; it's just a difference in perspective. But her trust in me like this makes me feel guilty..."
Ouyang Rong murmured, his tone thoughtful.
It was an alibi given to him by Li Dalang and other Jiangzhou officials who went down to inspect Longcheng during his previous trip.
Or did Rongzhen experience and see something in Longcheng that changed her impression of him?
Or perhaps... the sword of a certain Butterfly Love Flower Master did something ungentlemanly, which made Rongzhen think that this person was lewd and lustful, which did not match Ouyang Rong's impression of him as a righteous gentleman, and they could not connect them.
Or perhaps, based solely on the paper and ink used by the owner of Butterfly Love Flower, she subconsciously excluded most of the Jiangzhou officials, including Ouyang Rong?
Ouyang Rong couldn't help but mutter to himself:
"Women's minds are truly hard to fathom. Is it really possible to be completely unprepared for a gentleman? Something feels off..."
"Could it be that I overlooked something, overlooked a clue... that Rongzhen could use to prove my innocence? Strange, how could I not know that..."
"Even if the person she saw that day was wearing a mask and had deliberately altered their appearance, making them different from me, this would at most only allow her to rule out that I am the owner of the Butterfly Love Flower, not to be certain that the owner of the Butterfly Love Flower is not on the side of the Xunyang Prince's Mansion. But since she has lowered her guard against me, it means that she has largely ruled out the Xunyang Prince's Mansion as a suspect. The question then comes back: what evidence has cleared me of suspicion with the Xunyang Prince's Mansion..."
After racking his brains for a while, he still couldn't find any clues, so Ouyang Rong had no choice but to give up and pondered, "A woman's heart is like a needle at the bottom of the sea."
He stood up, preparing to leave. Before walking out of the main hall, he remembered something, paused, walked to the corner table of miscellaneous items, took out two reams of pale yellow rattan paper and six ink sticks, and packed them together in a bag.
Ouyang Rong casually stole a few things and returned to his residence in Huaiye Lane.
He remained calm and composed as he returned to Yinbingzhai, whereupon he reached out and forcefully shoved the paper and ink he had bought for free into the hands of the stunned white-haired girl.
"From now on, you should use these papers and ink for reading and calligraphy practice. Don't buy them from outside anymore."
"Oh. The paper and ink from before have disappeared; I haven't been able to find them for the past two days..."
"I've taken it. Don't mention this to anyone else."
"yes."
Ye Weilai agreed, looking down at the new paper and ink, and asked curiously, "Where did this come from? Which shop did you buy it from, Master?"
"From the main hall of Jiangzhou."
Ye Weilai asked in surprise, "Does the master also steal things to supplement the family income?"
“Everyone’s like this, but I’m not doing well and don’t fit in. It’s better to have a little bit of luck.” He paused, then solemnly instructed, “Oh, and also, if you need any odds and ends at home in the future, let me know, and I’ll see if the government has them and if we can get His Majesty to reimburse us.”
"..."
Seeing Ouyang Rong's extremely serious expression, Ye Weilai remained silent for a while, then nodded in agreement without asking any further questions.
The next morning, Ouyang Rong arrived at the main hall of Jiangzhou. After reviewing the front-line battle reports as usual and supervising Yuan Huaimin's shift, he went out with a normal expression and went to find Rong Zhen.
In the past few days, Ouyang Rong has frequently visited Rong Zhen under the guise of showing concern and offering help, inquiring about her progress.
For a time, they seemed very cooperative.
When the two met in the morning, Rong Zhen was in the government office, holding a new register in one hand and a vermilion pen in the other, occasionally drawing circles on the paper, seemingly marking suspicious individuals.
A group of female officials were waiting inside the government office.
In the outer courtyard, scholars and literati were occasionally brought in by female officials to be interrogated.
Ouyang Rong strode into the office, glanced at them, walked around them, and went straight to Rong Zhen.
As usual, he asked a few questions, but Rongzhen answered casually without looking at him.
Seeing that nothing was wrong, Ouyang Rong prepared to turn and leave.
“Prefect Ouyang”.
Rong Zhen suddenly called out to Ouyang Rong.
"What is it?" Ouyang Rong asked with a gentle smile.
"There's a problem."
Rong Zhen put down her pen, remained silent for a moment, and finally asked under his curious gaze:
"Why are you so eager to help me? When we first returned to Xunyang City, didn't you try to persuade me with reason?"
This question immediately stumped Ouyang Rong.
I can't exactly say that I have your undergarment and that I'm the mole, feeling guilty, so I'm loitering around to spy on the progress.
He lowered his eyes and thought for a moment before answering:
"It was my duty to offer advice back then, and it is also my duty to cooperate now. In a sense, we are no different."
“Duty, huh…” Rongzhen looked at him for a while, then suddenly asked, “Are you really not acting out of self-interest?”
"Um, actually, a little bit." Ouyang Rong nodded and readily admitted.
Rong Zhen, who had been staring at him, finally lowered her eyes slightly.
"It's alright, you don't need to say it. Everyone has their own selfish desires. Judging from your actions, you've already done quite well by prioritizing the overall interests of the court."
Ouyang Rong blushed.
After thinking for a moment, he asked in a curious tone, "From what I've observed, Lady Historian is very dedicated to her duties. Could it be that she has ulterior motives?"
Rongzhen remained silent.
He continued after a short while:
"Even if you do your best to help me, my attitude towards the Xunyang Prince's Mansion and the Donglin Buddha remains the same. I will not tolerate anyone who makes a mistake."
"That's how it should be."
Upon hearing this, Ouyang Rong nodded solemnly.
Rongzhen watched him silently.
She felt that the polite and respectful tone was genuine.
Seeing that the conversation was getting awkward and there was nothing left to talk about, Ouyang Rong took his leave.
Rong Zhenlong watched them leave, and after an unknown amount of time, she withdrew her gaze and continued interrogating the suspect…
Inside a carriage that has resumed its journey on Xingzifang Street.
"What do you mean? Are you asking about selfish motives? I do have some selfish motives, but it feels like the selfish motives we're talking about are a little different."
Ouyang Rong pondered Rong Zhen's words all the way, then traveled by carriage to the Xunyang Prince's Mansion to report to Li Xian on the Buddha-building project.
After the report, seeing that it was still early, Ouyang Rong paused in the corridor and suddenly turned onto another road... towards Xie Lingjiang's boudoir.
Kang Kang, is Junior Sister awake yet?
So, after being caught for tea at Yunshui Pavilion that day, my junior sister hasn't spoken to him for several days...
(End of this chapter)
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