Chapter 545 Princess, please accept my condolences; ladies and widows, please accept my condolences.
"This humble general has a particular admiration for Ouyang Sima."
"What."
"Composure, the composure to sit on the sidelines and endure hardship."
"The Grand Marshal often said that there are many outstanding young talents, but few who can resist temptation, endure loneliness, and maintain integrity."
“Ouyang Sima definitely counts as one.”
"You flatter me, Elder Qin. Please convey my thanks upon your return, General Qin."
"good."
Outside Xunyang City, at the Shili Pavilion, beneath withered willows and dead wood.
Ouyang Rong, dressed in white with a white fox fur shawl around his shoulders, clasped his hands in a fist salute to Qin Yanqing as he saw him off.
The turmoil in Xunyang City has temporarily subsided and has not escalated; everything is progressing steadily.
Qin Yanqing, as the chief clerk of the central army camp at the front, was busy with affairs and needed to return immediately. However, he only took a small number of soldiers with him and returned with minimal equipment.
Most of the black-armored soldiers remained, all of them elite, to continue cooperating with the female officials of the Censorate to protect the Buddha's head and assist the Jiangzhou Grand Hall in maintaining stability in Xunyang City.
On the other hand, in addition to Granny Song overseeing the operation and providing tight protection for the Buddha's head, the Supervisory Council is actively communicating with Luoyang and issuing arrest warrants in the name of the Jiangzhou Grand Hall to apprehend the suspects involved in this incident from the Tiannan Jianghu.
However, these were all hindsight measures, routine procedures, and were the duties of female officials of the Imperial Observatory such as Granny Song and Rongzhen.
Since it was outside of Ouyang Rong and Qin Yanqing's responsibilities, the two relaxed.
Before leaving, Qin Yanqing raised the head of his fine horse and suddenly took something out of his pocket and handed it to Ouyang Rong.
"Before I came here, the Grand Marshal actually gave me something and told me that if there was any change in Xunyang and the situation was urgent and it was difficult to ask Ouyang Sima, I should pass this on to him. Haha, but now it seems that it was not used. That Lady Rongzhen is quite capable. She still managed to invite Ouyang Sima here."
"However, it's not too late now. Ouyang Sima, take it."
It was a thin object, yet Qin Yanqing held it in both hands and solemnly handed it over.
"This is……"
Ouyang Rong looked somewhat surprised, took the item, and opened it to take a look.
Yuan Huaimin, Yan Liulang, Chen You, and others who were seeing them off also curiously craned their necks to watch.
"Door gods and couplets?"
Yuan Huaimin muttered curiously, while everyone else remained puzzled.
Ouyang Rong paused for a moment, his gaze falling directly on the statue of Duke Hu on the left side of the door god couplet.
Qin Yanqing's smile faded, and he said somewhat seriously:
"This was painted by the Grand Marshal. In the past, when the Grand Marshal was living in Yangzhou, guests would come to our Qin family every year to ask for door gods and couplets. The Grand Marshal would paint a few every year. As the year drew to a close, the Grand Marshal said that this one would be given to Ouyang Sima."
Ouyang Rong paused for a moment, took a deep breath, and spoke:
"Mr. Qin is very kind, but I was negligent and have nothing to return the favor."
"Haha, it's alright! I've already prepared Ouyang Sima's gift. I'll deliver it to the Grand Marshal and Yingniang as soon as I get back. They'll definitely like it, especially Yingniang!"
Before Ouyang Rong could ask or anyone else could react, Qin Yanqing whipped his horse and led his entourage away, leaving behind only a hearty laugh.
At the same time, the people who remained in place faintly heard a laughing sound coming from a distant direction:
"The west wind rustles through the courtyard, the buds are cold and the fragrance is faint, butterflies dare not come... If I were the Green Emperor in the future, I would make the peach blossoms bloom together! What a fine poem! Especially the poet, the poem is superb, the person is even more superb... What a poor scholar in white robes."
Ouyang Rong watched Qin Yanqing leave, remained silent for a moment, and then suddenly burst into laughter.
He shook his head and turned around.
After calling to everyone, they returned to Xunyang City together.
On the way, Yan Liulang rode up to Ouyang Rong's carriage and, as Ouyang Rong lifted the curtain, whispered:
"My lord, Brother Huang has left with Daoist Lu and Xiao Xuan. Before leaving, Brother Huang left a message for you, and asked me to return this item to you."
"What did you say?"
Ouyang Rong took the felt hat handed to him by Yan Liulang, his expression unsurprised, and casually asked.
Yan Liulang hesitated slightly, then finally straightened his face and said:
"Brother Huang said... Young Master, next time please serve more food and don't just drink alcohol."
"..."
Ouyang Rong looked somewhat surprised as he watched Yan Liulang's retreating figure disappear into the distance.
After sitting alone in the carriage for a while, he raised his hand to rub his face, looked at his felt hat, and chuckled to himself:
"Hmm, next time I'll show you what it means to be able to drink a thousand cups without getting drunk..."
After a short while, his expression calmed down, and he turned to give an order:
"Ali, go to the Xingzi Lake construction site."
"Yes, sir."
Ouyang Rong sat alone in the carriage. He took out a zither-shaped sword box from under the seat, tapped it gently, and found it was still empty.
At this moment, the carriage entered the Xingzi Lake construction site, where many female officials were also present.
Ouyang Rong used two fingers to lift the curtain and glanced at the calm Xingzi Lake next to him.
He withdrew his gaze, and with unhurried movements, placed the felt hat over the empty, zither-shaped sword case that was missing its cauldron and sword, and put both back under his seat.
Ouyang Rong got out of the carriage and called out to a familiar female official:
"Where is Lady Rong? Please call out for me and say that I have something to discuss."
"good."
After watching the female official leave, Ouyang Rong returned to his carriage, closed his eyes to rest, and waited patiently.
Outside the carriage, Dongmei, who was holding the reins, yawned and exhaled white mist.
Inside the car, the young man with his eyes closed furrowed his brow slightly, and at one moment he murmured almost inaudibly:
"Stop fooling around, I'll get you back later... What, you say the lake water isn't as cold as my heart? Ha, Lord Dingjian, you're joking. Who did you learn that from? Could it be Miaosi? The tone is exactly the same? I can't let you stay with her next time."
The female officials, busy sealing off the murder scene at the construction site, were unaware that the bright blue moon that had risen a few days ago, striking fear into the hearts of Lin Cheng and his companions, was now hovering somewhere at the bottom of the lake, dim as an ordinary object, swaying with the water plants, while simultaneously lamenting to a certain cheap sword master from afar…
He got extremely drunk and used a divine decree to possess another person. After wielding his sword and killing the enemy, he immediately escaped and threw the body into a deep lake, claiming that "the most dangerous place is the safest place" and "I was so angry from killing that I needed to calm down." Then he disappeared and has been missing ever since, just like a dead ghost... If resentment could materialize, the cauldron and sword in the lake would now be soaring into the sky.
Ignoring the little guy's resentful mood for the time being, Ouyang Rong opened his eyes and took out a small, slightly heavy seal from his sleeve.
The seal is made of jade, square and simple in shape, with a curved dragon-shaped top. The bottom is engraved with the four small seal characters "Jiangzhou Golden Seal". The seal script is round, vigorous and simple, and the structure and strokes are natural and smooth.
This official seal of the Governor of Jiangzhou was personally handed to him by Rong Zhen and the others when they asked him to come out on that night.
Ouyang Rong was appointed to take charge of the seal on his behalf.
He passed by Yuan Huaimin, the Prefect of Jiangzhou, and surveyed the affairs of Xunyang City.
A small seal, not heavy in the palm of your hand, yet it represents the power to control the military and political affairs of a state.
In the past, when he had just been promoted to Xunyang City, he was often suppressed by Shangguan Wang Lengran. As the second-in-command, Ouyang Rong might have been more eager to get his hands on this seal.
But now...
Inside the carriage, a person and a seal stood silently facing each other.
Ouyang Rong stared at the governor's seal.
The jade dragon head with its lifelike eyes, carved on the seal, seemed to be watching him as well.
"Lady Ouyang is not here. She had an urgent matter to attend to and went out with Vice Supervisor Song. Lord Ouyang is late."
Ouyang Rong snapped out of his daze, flipped his hand to put away the seal, and glanced at the female official outside the carriage.
He nodded slightly, said nothing, and then turned to give an instruction:
"Then let's go to the Jiangzhou main hall."
Under the curious gaze of the female official, the carriage left the Xingzi Lake construction site.
Fifteen minutes later, Ouyang Rong got off the car outside the main hall of Jiangzhou.
The surrounding officials greeted the young man in white, who was in charge of the governorship, with great enthusiasm.
Given the current situation in Xunyang City, any smart person knows that the young man in white will most likely be able to remove the "acting leader" label and officially become the "acting leader."
Ouyang Rong nodded with his sleeves closed and a gentle smile, and walked all the way to the main hall.
The young man in white, who had been praised by Qin Yanqing not long ago for his perseverance in getting ahead, walked up to the governor's seat at the top. Instead of sitting down, he casually hung the official seal on a corner of the long table and turned to leave the Jiangzhou main hall.
Stepping outside, Ouyang Rong glanced at the time; it was still early. He called Yan Liulang over and asked:
"Is Pei Shisan Niang awake yet?"
"Not yet. I check on him every day, but he is still unconscious today."
"Okay. Let me know that the woman has woken up."
"Yes, Your Excellency."
Ouyang Rong then asked, "Is today the seventh day after their death?"
Yan Liulang nodded. "Chief Clerk Yuan said that it would be best for the Prefect to represent the Jiangzhou Grand Hall to offer condolences to the family... This matter is definitely beyond the capabilities of Lady Rong and the others; it will have to be done by you, as you are skilled at handling such matters."
I'm afraid they'll be furious down there.
Ouyang Rong muttered to himself, then nodded slightly:
"Just do your job and be diligent for one more day, then let's go."
Yan Liulang was a little confused by the previous sentence, but he didn't ask any further questions and went out with him.
A short while later, the group arrived at Wang Lengran's residence.
Inside the governor's mansion, white cloth and banners with the character "奠" (meaning "offering sacrifice") were hanging.
Ouyang Rong entered the mourning hall and solemnly offered his condolences to Wang Lengran's widow and family members.
"Ladies, please accept my condolences."
The women wept bitterly, but Ouyang Rong comforted them and ordered the Jiangzhou government to treat them well and arrange for their return home.
However, the attempt to appease them had little effect. Led by Wang Lengran's son and wife, the group began to curse the owner of the Butterfly Love Flower, and they didn't even notice that Ouyang Rong had left.
Ouyang Rong felt a little embarrassed. He had just stepped out the door amidst the cursing when a series of clear wooden fish sounds rang in his ears.
Ouyang Rong was stunned for a moment. He turned around and glanced at the family members of the mourning hall behind him who were cursing the owner of Butterfly Love Flower. His lips twitched slightly.
He vaguely understood something, yet it seemed he didn't quite understand... Ouyang Rong didn't really want to understand it.
He went to Wei Shaoqi's residence, and as soon as he entered the mourning hall, he saw a pretty figure.
It was Princess Anhui, dressed in mourning clothes, her eyes red and swollen. The Wei family currently had no one in Jiangzhou, and Wei Anhui, as her cousin, was considered a close relative, presiding over the funeral arrangements while awaiting the arrival of people from Luoyang.
"Please accept my condolences, Your Highness."
Ouyang Rong subconsciously said that he was prepared to stay with her and offer some comfort.
He's judging her personally, not objectively; his impression of Princess Wei is fairly good. There's no indication yet that she'll be acting in a drama.
Just then, there was a thud, as if a stool had been knocked over at the back of the mourning hall. Ouyang Rong turned around and saw a figure dart inside.
The faint sound of Li Dalang's familiar footsteps could be heard, as if he was trying to avoid him.
Ouyang Rong's eye twitched slightly. After a moment, he pretended not to notice, said nothing more, and turned to leave... There was no need for his comfort here. However, before leaving, Ouyang Rong left Yan Liulang behind, just in case.
Upon arriving at Shen Bingqiang's home, Ouyang Rong met Shen's family members in the mourning hall. Just like Wei Shaoqi's side, the only person standing at the front was a young woman dressed in snow-white mourning clothes.
A subordinate whispered a few words to Ouyang Rong: "This is Master Shen's newlywed wife."
"Oh." Ouyang Rong nodded and stepped forward to offer a few words of comfort in a businesslike manner. During this time, he noticed the young woman in white mourning clothes crying in front of Shen Bingqiang's altar. She kept peeking through the gap in her handkerchief, her gaze seemingly fixed on his face.
He didn't think much of it; after all, he was already used to being handsome.
A short while later, it started snowing outside. A young woman in white mourning clothes came up and invited Ouyang Rong to drink warm wine in a side hall next door, and to leave after the snow stopped.
Ouyang Rong exchanged a few polite words, and seeing his sincerity, he didn't insist any further and stayed to wait for the snow to stop.
"Please come in, my lord. I will go and warm the wine."
"good."
Ouyang Rong moved to a side hall and sat alone for a short while.
Creak—Clang—!
Turning around, I saw the young woman in mourning clothes had bolted the front door and closed the back door. She came in alone, carrying wine, and pulled up a stool. She sat down near the fire, and there were cups and plates on the table. The young woman in white mourning clothes held a cup of wine in her hand and looked at Ouyang Rong, saying:
"My lord, you have worked hard. Please drink this cup to the brim."
"ah?"
She reached out and pinched Ouyang Rong's shoulder: "My lord, aren't you cold wearing only these clothes?"
"..."
Seeing that he didn't move, the young woman in white mourning clothes tilted her head back and drank half of the wine. A significant amount of wine spilled onto the collar of her pristine white mourning clothes, soaking it considerably. She breathed slightly, then held the wine cup forward with both hands, exhaling:
"If you feel cold, drink this half cup of leftover wine."
Ouyang Rong's gaze slowly moved downwards, and he saw that her breasts were slightly exposed, her hair was half-undone, and her misty eyes were slightly rolled up as she looked at him. Coupled with her mourning clothes, she was truly a lovely and pitiful sight.
He immediately thought to himself, "Damn it."
As if recalling a painful memory, tears welled up in her eyes: "That villain killed my beloved husband, my lord, you must do justice for me..."
To be in charge? What kind of control? To be the master? How could Ouyang Rong dare to linger here any longer?
He brushed her aside, quickly got up, pretended to be calm, and took his leave.
Only the young widow with mournful eyes remained inside the house.
Your families are all outrageous, especially Shen Bingqiang's widow... Ouyang Rong was speechless, feeling that he shouldn't have worked this last day, as he had only encountered strange people.
Immediately, he began to doubt himself, wondering if he, as a half-official, had corrupted the atmosphere of Jiangzhou City. They didn't learn a single thing about being a virtuous person.
Braving the wind and snow, he had only taken a few steps outside when he bumped into a beautiful figure.
Inside the mourning hall, a young woman in palace attire stood alone and forlorn beneath the curtain, watching as a young man in white, wearing a white fox fur shawl, walked towards her through the snow, his footsteps treading on the scattered jade fragments.
"Why don't you stay inside a little longer? Have a few more drinks with them?" she asked coldly.
"When did you arrive?" Ouyang Rong asked curiously.
"When you come is not important, I hope I haven't delayed your good time."
"What good news? Isn't there a funeral going on inside?" he asked, feigning ignorance.
"It can turn into a happy event."
"Your Excellency is too kind."
"snort."
However, seemingly satisfied with Ouyang Rong's speed in leaving to avoid suspicion, Rong Zhen didn't say anything more.
The cold, aloof young woman in palace attire took out a glass-headed official seal and asked him, word by word:
"Ouyang Lianghan, what brings you to me today? What is the meaning of this? Why did you resign and leave?"
Ouyang Rong passed by her without answering.
(End of this chapter)
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