Chapter 539 Empress Yu Nianyuan, Chrysanthemum Gathering in Xunyang (Seeking monthly votes!)
The sound of the zither seemed to be coming from the Xingzi Lake construction site, sometimes near, sometimes far, sometimes slow, sometimes fast.
When gentle, it is like the calming and soothing sound of rain in an empty mountain after a fresh rain; when sudden, it is like the sound of raindrops pattering on banana leaves and pearls falling onto a jade plate.
The sound of the zither was like a sudden rain, falling on every corner of Xingzifang.
Most people were "drenched" by the rain, but those with "qi" in their bodies, such as Rong Zhen, Lin Cheng, the white-robed female teacher, the scholar with the trunk, and the thin monk, were as if they had opened an umbrella and were completely unharmed. However, the rain-like sound of the zither depicted the "shape and color" of their respective spiritual cultivation.
Mysterious and mysterious.
The gentle lady stood up, dressed in white, and walked barefoot out of her boudoir, making a clear, tinkling sound as she went.
The gentle female voice that Ouyang Rong had heard through the wall outside the Sanhui Temple on Dagushan Mountain reached the street where the Buddha Head Caravan was located.
"Whose music is that? You'd better stop playing, or you'll give away your location. Be careful, or your senior sister will turn around and twist your head."
"ridiculous!"
On the second floor of the tavern, Granny Song left the assassin corpses scattered on the tea table, walked to the window, sneered, and spoke across the room:
"This Taiyin sword energy, the Yue Nu Dao lineage? Are you Yunmeng Sword Swamp people courting death? You dare to act recklessly, and you have repeatedly done so. This time the evidence is conclusive, isn't it? As expected, you are colluding with the traitor Li Zhengyan and working for the thief."
The gentle female voice didn't answer, continuing to speak to herself, offering a friendly reminder:
"The Donglin Buddha must not be erected. Anyone who assists in this matter shall be punished by everyone in the entire Tiannan Jianghu."
"How dare you, the female cultivators of Yunmeng, consider yourselves the rulers of the Jianghu in the south! Jiangnan and Lingnan are the territory of the Great Zhou, His Majesty's royal land. Do you Yue women think you can occupy the mountains as kings and live off the law?"
A gentle female voice said apologetically, "I'm sorry, we women rarely come out, and we don't know who to follow, let alone who to assist. We only know that now, many martial arts worlds are bowing their heads, and there is not a single man in the Central Plains."
Granny Song nodded:
"You've got quite the big mouth. What's your name? Where do you rank in the Queen's Palace? You're definitely not Xue Zhongzhu. Are you the Second Queen, or the Fourth Queen? Or the current Yue Chuzi?"
"Wait, Purple Qi cultivation? A newly promoted Yue Chuzi couldn't possibly reach Purple Qi so quickly. I've heard that the Fourth Lady is a current generation of Mountain Walker, and the last time she appeared was on the shores of the North Sea. So you are the Second Lady... Yu Nianyuan!"
A gentle female voice laughed and said:
"It doesn't matter who it is. The position is higher than yours. This old dog is too old to be let out to bite people. He's just making the most of his remaining years. He's a waste. That pseudo-emperor surnamed Wei is really stingy."
"Ha, you're asking for death!"
Granny Song rebuked her angrily, but in the next instant, her expression suddenly changed, and her tone became calm:
"Who are they stalling for time for? A candle in the snow?"
Before the white-clad lady in her secluded chamber could answer, the old woman with the disdainful eyes had already disappeared from the window.
In the next instant, two clusters of purple energy collided in the sky above Qingyang Heng Street.
A sharp voice, tinged with disdain, rang out from mid-air, even drowning out the gentle melody:
"The Buddha's head arrived suddenly, and they were unprepared. There are few of them today. I will take care of this girl and the reinforcements. You all hurry up and get to work! Clean it up."
On Qingyang Heng Street, Rongzhen and Lin Cheng had already stopped arguing and temporarily cooperated. They moved quickly, and a group of female officials followed them, rushing towards the three mid-level Qi cultivators in the crowd: a scholar, an old man, and a thin monk, all of whom exuded a crimson aura.
A group of Xianbei guards protected Wei Shaoqi, Wang Lengran, and others.
"Go ahead and help too."
Yuan Huaimin, who had followed, noticed that Wei Shaoqi and Wang Lengran remained completely calm. Wei Shaoqi even gave a cold order. Immediately afterward, a burly figure among the Xianbei guards, whose body was also emitting a faint red aura amidst the music, rushed out to assist Rong Zhen, Lin Cheng, and other Qi cultivators from the Imperial Observatory in attacking the rebels who wanted to destroy the Buddha's head.
Can they finish clearing it? The number of people on both sides doesn't seem to be much different... Just as Yuan Huaimin was wondering, he noticed that the hundreds of black-armored guards escorting the Buddha's head had all drawn their swords and were united against the outside.
Meanwhile, among the onlookers who had been following the convoy, many peddlers and laborers drew their hidden snow blades, their faces displaying the same cold, stern expressions as the black-armored soldiers, and rushed forward to assist in killing the enemy.
Moreover, a large number of hidden black-armored soldiers emerged from the streets of Xingzifang, some setting up crossbows on rooftops, others leading out armored cavalry and mounting their horses... rushing towards those unfamiliar figures who had revealed their "qi".
Judging from their synchronized and menacing movements, Yuan Huaimin estimated that they were likely elite troops transferred from the southwestern front.
The old woman with the disdainful eyes wasn't exaggerating when she said "clean it up!"
Yuan Huaimin gasped. No wonder Wei Shaoqi, Wang Lengran, and the others weren't flustered. Today was a setup, using the Buddha's head to lure out the thieves.
With the sound of the zither and the overwhelming number of people, all outsiders with spiritual cultivation in Xingzifang today were revealed by the zither music, surrounded, punished, and wiped out!
But could you please have informed me beforehand? This whole thing is so complicated, will it ever end? Was he the only one kept in the dark the whole time?
Yuan Huaimin, huddled inside the Buddha Head convoy, gave a wry smile.
I just felt that being the Chief Secretary of Jiangzhou was too difficult; it wasn't a promotion, it was practically like being in jail.
...
Xunyang Tower, far away in Xingzifang.
The Chrysanthemum Poetry Festival is currently underway.
Princess Li Guo'er still holds considerable influence, attracting numerous renowned scholars from Xunyang, as well as many literati from Jiangzhou. Currently, all the literary figures in Xunyang consider it an honor to receive an invitation to the Princess's Chrysanthemum Poetry Gathering.
The poetry gathering at Xunyang Tower was just as lively as the crowd welcoming the Buddha statue at Xingzifang.
After Li Xian, Li Dalang, Xie Lingjiang and the others returned, they told Ouyang Rong about what had just happened at the West Gate.
However, the latter didn't seem to listen much, as if he wasn't interested. Seeing this, Li Xian and the others couldn't help but smile wryly.
Before long, the poetry recital began, and a pot of chrysanthemums that had not yet withered was placed in the center of the room.
Besides the literati who enjoyed drinking and chatting alone, talented scholars gathered below the central viewing platform on the first floor to compose poems.
With the Prince of Xunyang present, the atmosphere was even more lively, and many scholars wanted to impress him.
One after another, poems and lyrics praising chrysanthemums were born.
It was delivered to Li Guo'er and Li Xian for evaluation, and several famous scholars and experts also gathered around to watch and appreciate it.
Before long, Yan Liulang appeared inside Xunyang Tower, but apart from Ouyang Rong and Xie Lingjiang, not many people noticed him.
Yan Liulang walked up to Ouyang Rong, sat down, and dusted himself off.
The two looked at each other in silence.
Ouyang Rong poured a glass of wine for his friend and subordinate.
Yan Liulang tilted his head back and finished the whole thing in one go.
He glanced at Mingfu's pale, bloodless, bandaged hand and remained silent.
The two sat alone and drank for a while. Ouyang Rong seemed a little drunk. He opened the window next to him, and the river breeze entered the room. He squinted and looked at the scenery outside.
At this moment, Xie Lingjiang came over and sat down to keep him company.
Li Guo'er, who was being enthusiastically surrounded by the crowd in the distance, also glanced over.
"Senior Brother, what's wrong?" Xie Lingjiang asked with concern.
It's going to rain.
"Yes, it's definitely going to rain today."
Ouyang Rong, who had been gazing at the sky outside the window for a long time, suddenly said:
"It's so noisy over there."
Which side is making the noise?
Ouyang Rong pointed in the direction of Xingzifang.
"What did you hear this time, Senior Brother?"
Xie Lingjiang couldn't help but grasp the back of his injured right hand.
“I heard… many people are fighting to the death over that Buddha statue.”
"What do you mean?" Xie Lingjiang asked curiously.
“Junior Sister, I once told you about the swallows that once graced the halls of the Wang and Xie families, saying that we all have to follow the general trend and the laws of nature. Logically speaking, I shouldn’t have refused to obey the imperial edict. I should have endured it and acted within the rules, just like I did when I was assisting the Xunyang Prince’s Mansion.”
He turned around and said calmly, "But at that time, I had a lump in my throat that kept me awake all night. I had to get it out. Even after I refused to obey the imperial edict, it still lingered in my chest and I couldn't release it. It was more tormenting than auditory hallucinations. Junior sister, what do you think I should do?"
Xie Lingjiang was speechless.
After a moment of silence, Ouyang Rong suddenly picked up his wine glass and stood up.
He walked with a slight sway, tilting his head back to drink as he approached the group of people reciting chrysanthemums.
...
In Xingzifang, a massacre and purge is nearing its end.
The two figures in mid-air had disappeared; the white-eyed old woman and the white-robed lady were nowhere to be found.
Rongzhen stood in a secluded, vermilion-painted building, the very place where the two Yunmeng ladies had once stood. She looked around.
Inside the red building, chaos reigned. Several petite figures huddled under the table. They were the maids who played with the little girl with her hair in pigtails. Before the two Yunmeng ladies retreated, they only took this little girl with her pigtails.
"etc."
She suddenly reached out and stopped the Xianbei guards who were pulling the hair of several girls under the table.
Rongzhen squatted down and gestured to the huddled figures of the little girls.
But the little girls looked terrified and shrank even further away from her hand.
Rongzhen looked down at her slender hands stained with blood.
She remained silent for a moment.
He stood up and summoned several female officials who were searching his house.
"Take this family away first, and do not harm them. I will personally interrogate them another day."
After giving her instructions, Rongzhen turned around, walked out of the house, and onto the street.
Dozens of human or warhorse corpses were left on the streets.
When the last figure, emanating "qi" from its body, fell down.
Most of the soldiers remained standing on the street, silently beginning to clean up the battlefield.
Lin Cheng, Wei Shaoqi, and the others breathed a sigh of relief.
The music continued.
However, looking around, whether it was Qingyang Hengjie or the Xingzihu construction site, there was no "qi" coming out of the entire Xingzifang area.
Commander Shi Qinyanqing of the Central Army Battalion, accompanied by several stern-faced captains, stepped forward and said coldly:
"It's all resolved."
Wang Lengran and Lin Cheng exchanged a glance and smiled.
Rongzhen lowered her head and used a handkerchief to wipe her delicate fingers, which were covered in blood.
Lin Cheng said gently, "Thank you, Chief Secretary Qin. You are experienced in dealing with these things. Please go back and thank Marshal Qin on behalf of our teacher."
Qin Yanqing nodded calmly without saying anything more; he had only come on orders.
Wang Lengran shook off Yuan Huaimin's hand that was grabbing his arm after he shrank back, and glanced at the timid Yuan Huaimin with some dissatisfaction. Wang Lengran covered his nose and stepped forward to examine the corpse on the ground, kicking it occasionally.
"Chief Secretary Qin, is the owner of the Butterfly Love Flower here?"
"Many thieves have been beheaded, and it's impossible to tell them apart. Do you know what this person looks like?"
Wei Shaoqi shook his head:
"I don't know. Logically speaking, he's very likely to be among the rebels who are trying to stop the Buddha statue. Anyone who dares to come and has spiritual cultivation should be able to slip up in the old man's music."
Wang Lengran looked around coldly: "Could it be dead?"
Lin Cheng nodded, glanced around, and frowned slightly.
"But why didn't he summon the Cauldron Sword?"
Wang Lengran stroked his chin:
"With so many watchtowers, and we've been keeping an eye on the sky the whole time, how could he possibly deploy his swords? He's probably already been wiped out by Lady Historian, Young Master Lin, and the soldiers in one fell swoop."
Wei Shaoqi concealed the burning desire in his eyes and said, "Let's clean up first, then look for it..."
Qin Yanqing led his men to continue clearing the area and searching for clues. Wei Shaoqi ordered the surrounding Xianbei guards to join the search, while he himself stayed behind, his face showing some excitement.
"Let's go and let General Qin and the others clean up this place. We need to hurry and install the Buddha's head. Things could get complicated if we wait too long."
"good."
The Buddha statue convoy continued its journey.
However, the old musician continued playing his instrument, as if he intended to finish.
With the sound of the zither playing, everyone felt safe.
However, just in case, the guards on the watchtower remained on alert, and would report as soon as they saw any sign of a cauldron sword rising into the air and spreading out.
"Let's go, we still need to thank Mr. Yu, and ask him about it while we're at it."
But before leaving, Lin Cheng turned back and said:
"Your Excellency, I have just thought about it and realized that some of my previous remarks were indeed inappropriate. Furthermore, I should not have doubted Ouyang Sima. Please do not take offense."
Rongzhen ignored him and turned to look at the corpses around her. She wasn't following the convoy; it seemed she was looking for the body of someone who owned the Butterfly Love Flower.
Lin Cheng, Wang Lengran, and the others had no choice but to follow the convoy and continue to the Xingzi Lake construction site.
At this moment, a light drizzle began to fall from the sky, as if to wash away the filth and blood on the streets.
The blood on Rongzhen's palms was also being washed away.
She stopped searching the body absentmindedly, looked up at the gray-blue sky, and raindrops pattered on her long, unblinking eyelashes.
The terrified faces of the little girls under the table flashed before my eyes again.
"It really was just one person's selfishness."
Her voice was muffled by the sound of rain, and it was unclear who she was talking about.
A moment later, Rongzhen accepted the oil-paper umbrella respectfully handed to her by the accompanying lady-in-waiting, opened the umbrella, turned around, and walked in the opposite direction from the Buddha head convoy, away from the Xingzi Lake construction site.
It seemed as if they didn't want to stay a moment longer.
The woman holding the umbrella lowered her head and touched the orange-red sachet at her waist. The image of the man who had just spoken to her flashed before her eyes.
What is he doing now?
Rongzhen suddenly really wanted to know.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
