Chapter 494 Rong Zhen: Who are you waiting for?
"Tanlang, what are the signs of winter coming over Jeonggwang Street?"
Before leaving home in the morning, Ye Weilai asked Ouyang Rong a question while helping him get dressed.
Ouyang Rong paused in adjusting his cuffs, then replied:
"It's the same as placing a flowerpot. You don't have to put any flowers in it, but the flowerpot has to be on the wall of that yard. If you don't have a flowerpot, come back and let me know, and it will be the same as it is now."
Ouyang Rong said calmly.
Ye Weilai nodded: "I understand, it's just like the flowerpots we use to display chrysanthemums in autumn. If we run out, we should inform Tanlang, right?"
"Um."
Ouyang Rong lowered his eyes.
This was a crisis warning signal that he and Qin Heng had agreed upon a long time ago.
If something changes in the flowerpots on the wall of Qin Heng's house on Zhenguang Street, it's a warning that something needs to be done, and a meeting needs to be held in a private room at Yunshui Pavilion.
However, some flowers do not bloom in different seasons, so a signal for different seasons was agreed upon in the beginning.
It was spring and summer, and the agreement was to switch between azaleas and crabapple blossoms. Now it's autumn, and the question is whether or not there are potted chrysanthemums.
This warning signal had previously helped Ouyang Rong in the matter of Meng Shouguang's fake messenger, providing him with considerable assistance.
This practice was maintained thereafter. Ouyang Rong would have Ye Weilai go out every day to check the signal in Xingzifang Zhenguang Street, and sometimes he would have maids like Banxi do it for her.
Although Qin Heng has been selected by General Qin as the vanguard for the campaign, the two still tacitly agree to keep this agreement in mind, just in case.
"If there are any changes... even if it's just a change in the type of flowerpot on the wall, you must notify me immediately."
Before leaving, Ouyang Rong gave one last piece of advice.
"Yes, Tanlang. But at this time of year, there aren't many potted plants besides chrysanthemums, are there?"
Ye Weilai nodded and glanced back at the wardrobe.
"Tanlang, where's that little guy?" she asked in a low voice.
"It's been sent to my junior sister."
Ouyang Rong didn't even lift his eyelids.
Miao Si was recently sent to his junior sister's place and hidden in Jingyi Pavilion. However, these past two days, his junior sister has been complaining that this female immortal has almost plucked all the geese raised in Jingyi Pavilion.
Moreover, Ouyang Rong heard from his junior sister that Miao Si had given these geese nicknames. The one whose feathers had been plucked the most thoroughly was, according to its smug muttering, called "Little Rongzi".
When Ouyang Rong heard this, he didn't say anything, but decided that when he returned next time, he would give the female immortal a proper welcome.
Lost in thought, Ouyang Rong finished dressing and turned to leave.
...
Inside the main hall of Jiangzhou.
Ouyang Rong summoned Yan Liulang, dismissed everyone else, and asked directly:
"What have the envoys Hu Fu and Lin Lingtai Lang been up to these past few days?"
Yan Liulang whispered;
"Envoy Hu has been staying at Tingzhu Pavilion and doesn't go out much, except for the occasional banquet... Due to defense reasons, I have been accompanying Envoy Hu."
"As for Lin Lingtai Lang, the only thing our people can find out about is that he has been going to Shuangfengjian frequently recently. Compared to Hu Zhongshi, he seems to be quite concerned about the progress of the Donglin Buddha statue."
"In addition, our people discovered Lin Lingtai Lang on a ferry at Xunyang Ferry the day before yesterday. After checking, we found that the ferry was heading south, passing through Longcheng and Jishui."
"Later, we sent someone to confirm that he had indeed gone to Longcheng, and Magistrate Diao also sent a letter saying that Lin Lingtai Lang had toured Longcheng County, personally visiting the Zheyi Canal, the Donglin Temple on Dagu Mountain, the ruins of the ancient Yue sword shop, and..."
"what else?"
Ouyang Rong, who had been listening silently, turned to ask Yan Liulang, who seemed hesitant to speak.
The latter took a deep breath: "There is also a shrine on Little Lonely Mountain to commemorate Brother Ashan. Lin Lingtai Lang went in and lit an incense stick there."
Ouyang Rong nodded: "Understood."
Yan Liulang couldn't help but say:
"Your Excellency, what does he mean by this? Is he going to inquire about the situation and investigate the case, or... is he trying to curry favor with Your Excellency?"
Ouyang Rong said softly, "It's possible."
"You have them all?"
Yan Liulang pondered, "It seems that when you and Qin Xiaoniangzi went to see him for tea last time, it wasn't for nothing."
Ouyang Rong interrupted and asked, "So he said he came back yesterday morning? And went to Yunshui Pavilion for tea as soon as he got back?"
Yan Liulang nodded: "Yes, I've seen him go there often before."
"good."
Ouyang Rong nodded, then asked:
"By the way, what about Rongzhen?"
"We can hardly find any trace of this lady. We haven't seen anyone report where they've seen her." Yan Liulang shook his head: "These Yin-Yang School Qi cultivators are all somewhat elusive."
Ouyang Rong shook his head: "Isn't Lin Cheng one? He also came from the Imperial Observatory."
Yan Liulang was taken aback and scratched his head:
"Hmm, that does seem to be the case. Why is Lin Cheng still around? Wait, does the Prefect mean that this Xia Guan Lingtai Lang deliberately revealed some of his whereabouts to us? He could have disappeared without a trace? Is he trying to mislead us, or is he deliberately revealing himself to put our minds at ease?"
Ouyang Rong shook his head and did not answer:
"Keep an eye on things, report any developments, especially... keep an eye on Rongzhen's side."
"yes."
Yan Liulang clasped his hands in a deep fist salute, but before leaving, he glanced at the morning autumn sun shining through the corridor and asked curiously:
"Doesn't the Prefect go to the Censorate every morning? Why don't you inquire about it yourself? I remember there was some gossip a while ago..."
Under Ouyang Rong's narrowed gaze as he turned back, Yan Liulang hurriedly coughed and ran away, leaving the main hall.
Before leaving, Yan Liulang didn't forget to leave behind a new intelligence report for the day.
Ouyang Rong stared at the daily intelligence reports he had personally delivered to the Censorate, and remained silent for a moment…
He dealt with some urgent official business for a while, then stood up, tidied his appearance, and walked out of the main hall.
Fifteen minutes later.
As usual, Ouyang Rong arrived at the Censorate.
However, he did not go in immediately. Instead, he sat down and ordered food at a breakfast stall outside the Control Yuan.
After eating a bowl of spicy soup and two sesame cakes, Ouyang Rong, feeling full, took out some loose silver and placed it on the table. Amidst laughter and conversation with the stall owner, he walked into the Censorate.
Ouyang Rong arrived at the Censorate on time with new intelligence.
Rongzhen is still not here.
He stood outside the sunlit hall, looking around at the empty space.
A moment later, Ouyang Rong, with no surprise on his face, went inside and went to the table and chair at the head of the table that belonged to Rong Zhen, where he put down the new intelligence report.
He turned and left.
He passed by several familiar female historians, chatted with them for a few minutes, and then left the Censorate.
They said that the Lady Historian seems to have been busy these mornings, only coming to the Censorate in the afternoons to handle a backlog of official duties, such as new intelligence reports.
Ouyang Rong boarded the carriage and returned.
On the way, he lifted the car curtain and glanced outside; his face remained calm.
After that secret meeting attended by Wei Shaoqi and Wang Lengran, Rong Zhen is now in this state.
Ouyang Rong came over every day to deliver new intelligence, and then he never saw her again.
Rongzhen should know that he comes here on time every morning, but she didn't go to see him in the afternoon.
Of course, upon closer reflection, it seems unnecessary.
Ouyang Rong placed the carriage curtain and sighed softly.
"I can't exactly say that I only learned about her nickname 'Zhi Shuang' after I disarmed Xue Zhong Zhu, can I? Even if I told you the truth, you wouldn't believe me, and probably no one in the whole world would believe me."
"As for... the embroiderer, I'm not even sure if she's a hidden queen, and even if she is, I have no idea what her title is."
He paused, then, sitting alone in the carriage, rubbed his right cheek.
"Can't you just smile like Wei Shaoqi and Wang Lengran and look down on me?"
...
Xingzifang, Zhenguang Street.
Not far from a courtyard with chrysanthemum pots on a wall, in an inconspicuous alley, stood the figure of a cold, palace-dressed girl.
Occasionally, peddlers and laborers would pass by the dark alleyway, but none of them noticed the quiet girl hidden inside.
Rongzhen raised her head and glanced at the sky.
Just after dawn, the morning market in Xingzifang was exceptionally lively, with noise from the street constantly emanating from it.
I had previously heard from Ouyang Lianghan that there are many delicious breakfast stalls on the streets of Xingzifang, even better than the one in front of the Supervisory Commission.
But Rongzhen hasn't eaten for the past few days, and she hasn't eaten today either.
She couldn't eat.
Rong Zhen remained expressionless, wearing the same sour face that Miao Si had described as that of the debt-owing fairy.
She gazed quietly at the pot of chrysanthemums on the wall of the courtyard not far away.
This pot of chrysanthemums is unremarkable, but it is carefully cared for and watered by the lady of the house every day.
Meanwhile, every morning, sometime after sunrise, a discreet purchasing carriage from the residence in Huaiye Lane, Xunyangfang, would pass through the area.
That was a carriage carrying women who had come out to buy fruits, pastries, and other items; the servants of the household should be sitting on it.
Each time it passed through Zhenguang Street, it would just happen to lift a barely perceptible corner of the carriage curtain, flashing past like a fleeting white horse.
Rongzhen, with her sharp eyes, noticed a familiar silver-white glimpse through the slightly parted carriage curtain...
Rongzhen knew her.
Seeing that the time for the carriage to pass by again had not yet arrived, and that she had come too early today, Rongzhen stood quietly and looked at the yellow flowers on the wall that had not changed for many days.
Suddenly, she didn't want to wait any longer.
A gust of autumn wind blew by, and the figure of the palace-dressed girl disappeared from the alley.
A moment later, the figure of the girl in palace attire reappeared in the house with chrysanthemums on the wall. She passed through the living room, side rooms, kitchen, backyard and other places.
The housewife surnamed Zhao and her maids continued their daily routines as usual, eating, washing dishes, arranging flowers, and so on. Rongzhen drifted by like a cloud, attracting no one's attention.
This wasn't Rong Zhen's first time coming in.
Actually, when she first came in, she wasn't as carefree as she is now. Instead, she was cautious, pausing frequently, and extremely wary of the Yue Maiden's sword that might appear from behind a certain curtain...
Rong Zhen moved forward silently. She already knew the identity of the owner of this house very well.
This woman surnamed Zhao was a female relative of Qin Heng, the Commandant of the Zhechong Prefecture, and this private residence on Zhenguang Street belonged to him.
However, at present, Qin Heng, as the vanguard general of the expeditionary army, is on a campaign with Qin Jingzhen, the Grand General of the Jiangnan Road Army. Without the male head of the household, the courtyard suddenly feels quite empty...
A moment later, Rongzhen's figure appeared silently inside the wall where flower pots were placed.
She turned around and looked around the courtyard.
Besides the chrysanthemums on the wall, there were seven pots of chrysanthemums in the yard.
There were no other colors or patterns, and the size of these flowerpots was almost identical to that on the wall, so even the meticulous Rongzhen couldn't see anything amiss.
Rongzhen pursed her lips.
I glanced once more at the chrysanthemums blooming in the wind atop the wall.
A moment later, an autumn breeze swept through the courtyard, and the figure in the cold palace attire disappeared by the wall.
At the same time, the autumn wind also brushed past the top of the wall.
The conspicuous chrysanthemum that bloomed in late autumn fell down and slammed onto the muddy ground inside the wall with a "thud".
This seemingly accidental commotion went unnoticed by the Zhao family woman and her maids in the main hall. The women inside chatted and laughed.
...
When Ouyang Rong received this urgent message, he had just returned from the Censorate.
Jiangzhou Main Hall, near the back door.
Ouyang Rong silently boarded the carriage and glanced at the white-haired girl wearing a veil opposite him.
Beneath the white veil, her oval face appeared exceptionally serious.
Ouyang Rong patted Ye Weilai's small shoulder with his big hand:
"I understand, thank you for your hard work."
"My love, what should we do now?"
Ouyang Rong pondered for a moment, then looked up and gave the order:
"No rush. Go to Yunshui Pavilion first, book an empty private room in your private capacity, then leave and go straight back to the mansion in Huaiye Lane. Don't come out again... Go, do as I say."
"Yes, Tanlang."
Ye Weilai nodded nervously, preparing to leave.
"Wei Lai".
Ouyang Rong turned around and called out to her.
"What's wrong, Tanlang?"
Ouyang Rong looked at her for a while, then pursed his lips and asked:
"You must have read quite a few books these days."
"Um."
“Then you should have calmed down a bit.” He nodded: “No matter what happens, you must not act impulsively anymore. Protecting yourself is the priority. No matter what happens, remember… wait for Tanlang to come.”
Ye Weilai was taken aback, then nodded vigorously.
"OK."
They watched as Ye Weilai's unassuming carriage hurriedly departed.
Ouyang Rong turned back to the main hall, briefly explained some official business, then asked for half a day's leave, changed into casual clothes, and left the Jiangzhou main hall.
The carriage carrying Ouyang Rong deliberately circled around several times before stopping at Yunshui Pavilion.
On the third floor, Ouyang Rong walked into a familiar private room and sat down calmly.
He lowered his head to pour tea and quietly waited for Qin Heng's men.
At the same time, he didn't forget to fill the teacup on the opposite seat with hot tea to about seven-tenths full.
After a long time.
No one came for a long time.
Ouyang Rong refilled the teacups on the table with hot tea several times.
During this time, he frowned slightly and glanced at the closed door of the private room from time to time, his eyes filled with doubt.
Ouyang Rong got up, walked around the private room several times, and finally sat down.
Continue to wait.
I don't know how much time has passed.
The sun rises to its zenith and then slowly sets behind the mountains.
Guests arrived at Yunshui Pavilion in droves, and the noise downstairs gradually faded into silence.
Inside the private room, Ouyang Rong sat alone with his head down, simply refilling the teacup on the empty seat in front of him with hot tea.
finally.
The door to the private room in front of him was pushed open.
A cold, aloof young woman dressed in palace attire walked in, sat down in front of Ouyang Rong, picked up a hot teacup, and splashed it onto the ground beside her.
Tea leaves were scattered all over the ground.
She calmly asked the handsome young man in front of her, whose expression was one of utter astonishment:
"Ouyang Lianghan, who are you waiting for?"
(End of this chapter)
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