Chapter 585 The Pure and Kind Princess [Seeking Monthly Tickets!]
Wei Anhui is not particularly noticeable in a crowd.
Her round face, like a newly risen full moon, carries a touch of childishness and innocence.
Her skin was fair with a healthy glow, and the occasional faint blush on her cheeks was like a peach blossom in spring, gentle yet vibrant.
Her eyes, though not large, were bright and expressive, sparkling with curiosity and kindness. Her nose, though not high, had soft lines that blended harmoniously with the rest of her face.
When talking to Ouyang Rong, whom I met by chance at the Xunyang Grottoes, her lips were slightly upturned, always bearing a faint smile that made people feel friendly and warm.
A gentle and unassuming ordinary girl with a round face and a refined air.
This was the first impression Ouyang Rong had.
"Scholar Ouyang, do you have time later? Are you in no hurry to leave?"
Accompanied by Rong Zhen, Ouyang Rong, with his prayer beads in his hands, went over to greet Granny Song.
Song Mama's main attention was clearly on the gentle and graceful young princess, and she didn't pay much attention to Ouyang Rong, who had interrupted to listen in. She just gave a casual reply.
Ouyang Rong listened calmly for a while, when Wei Anhui, who was comforting the old woman who was rolling her eyes, suddenly turned to him and asked curiously.
"No rush to leave, but I have some official business to attend to when we get back to the city later."
Ouyang Rong responded with a smile.
Wei Anhui happily took out a small folded document from her sleeve, and said somewhat shyly:
"I'm also heading back to the city soon. I wonder if I could travel with Scholar Ouyang? I'd like to ask you some questions about the rules of poetry and lyrics. I may be bothering you, but I really love your poem 'Green Jade Table, Lantern Festival'..."
Ouyang Rong smiled sheepishly: "I'm sorry, Princess, please don't believe the rumors outside. This word..."
Wei Anhui rolled her eyes at Ouyang Rong and whispered:
“But I heard from Young Master Su Fu that this poem was written by you… Scholar Ouyang is indeed as humble and indifferent to fame and fortune as he said.”
Ouyang Rong: ...
"snort."
He didn't turn around, but he heard a girl's cold snort beside him.
Lady Rong cast a half-smile at her.
Still saying you didn't write it?
Ouyang Rong coughed, and was about to speak when Rong Zhen spoke first:
“Sima Ouyang, since you are traveling the same way as the princess, why don’t you return to the city together? You can also protect the princess’s safety on the way.”
“That’s right, perfect.” Granny Song nodded in agreement.
He noticed the three women's gazes were directed at him.
Ouyang Rong glanced at Wei Anhui's somewhat expectant expression and nodded slightly:
"Alright. When the princess is about to depart, please call out to me."
"I'll have to trouble you, Scholar Ouyang."
Ouyang Rong waved his hand, bid farewell, and turned to leave temporarily, preparing to go with Rong Zhen to inspect the Buddha statue.
After walking a few steps, he faintly heard snippets of conversation between Wei Anhui and Granny Song behind him.
"Vice Supervisor Song, please accept my condolences... This is also what my father meant in his letter... that I should stay here for the time being at the Donglin Buddha to burn incense and pray for my third brother and Young Master Lin..."
Ouyang Rong turned around and saw Wei Anhui comforting the old woman who had rolled her eyes.
Facing her beloved disciple's former fiancée, the caring young princess, Granny Song's usually stern expression softened. She gently patted Wei Anhui's hand, sighed, and nodded.
What are you looking at?
Rongzhen, who was advancing with her sleeves covered, suddenly asked.
"nothing."
Ouyang Rong withdrew his gaze and calmly walked forward.
Rong Zhen said softly:
“Princess Anhui is also quite devout in Buddhism. She came this time to ask Vice Supervisor Song for some of Lin Cheng’s old clothes so that she could take them to a temple and set up a memorial tablet for him as a lasting memento.”
"She's quite thoughtful. The way Deputy Supervisor Song treats her is quite different from how he treats us."
"Of course, who wouldn't like Princess An Hui's personality?"
Rong Zhen, with her usual cold expression, said indifferently:
"Moreover, she and Lin Cheng are engaged. Deputy Supervisor Song has no relatives and has always regarded his disciple Lin Cheng as his own son. When Lin Cheng was in trouble, Princess Anhui did not forget her friendship and condescended to come and visit him often. How could Deputy Supervisor Song not be soft-hearted?"
Ouyang Rong smiled and said, "What a wonderful thing that true feelings still exist in the world."
"Your tone sounds weird."
"Just a sigh."
...
"What? Scholar Ouyang is saying that the second line, 'I searched for him a thousand times in the crowd...' doesn't actually have any of the messy, profound meanings that are being spread around?"
"Pretty much. Often, the person who writes the lyrics doesn't think as much as the person who appreciates them. This behavior is commonly known as 'filling in the blanks'."
"Pfft. Why doesn't Scholar Ouyang explain this?"
"Why explain? Whether it's poetry or prose, the moment it's created, it no longer truly belongs to the poet or writer. All the different interpretations and opinions from countless people, whether praise or criticism, form part of it—a kind of secondary creation. The original author has no right to stop it..."
"I have never heard of such a thing before, but I feel that it contains profound truths... I see, thank you for your explanation, Scholar Ouyang."
"You're too kind, Princess."
On the official road leading to Xunyang City, two carriages were traveling one after the other.
One was Princess Anhui's carriage, and the other was a carriage driven by Ali.
However, at this moment, Ali's carriage was empty, while Ouyang Rong was helping Princess Anhui with her questions in her carriage.
The curtains around the princess's carriage were drawn, making it appear as if it were in the open air—a routine measure to avoid suspicion.
Soon, the convoy arrived at the West Gate.
Wei Anhui wanted to ask Ouyang Rong more questions about the famous "On Teachers" and "On Chrysanthemums," but Ouyang Rong politely declined.
"Let's talk again next time."
Seeing the somewhat disappointed look on Wei Anhui's face, Ouyang Rong smiled and comforted her.
"Very well, I have benefited greatly from Scholar Ouyang's teachings today."
Wei Anhui straightened her back and performed a disciple's salute.
"You are welcome."
Ouyang Rong offered a false aid.
The two carriages parted ways on the street near the west gate.
Ouyang Rong stood on the street corner, quietly watching Wei Anhui's car gradually disappear into the distance.
The lingering sound of the crisp wooden fish still echoes in my ears.
Ouyang Rong composed himself and frowned slightly.
Turn around and prepare to leave.
At that moment, he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure in the teahouse next door.
Seemingly not expecting Ouyang Rong to come looking at him, they tried to avoid him as fast as they could.
"Dalang?"
Li Dalang, who was upstairs drinking tea, immediately revealed an awkward smile.
...
"How long have you been waiting, Da Lang?"
"What do you mean, how long have you been waiting?"
Ouyang Rong went up to the teahouse, sat down opposite Dalang, bent down, poured himself a cup of tea, and asked without looking up.
Li Dalang scratched his head, looking confused.
Ouyang Rong pursed his lips, blew on the tea leaves on the steaming water, and then said softly:
"How long have you been waiting for her here?"
"What are you saying, my lord? I just finished my shift at the main hall in Jiangzhou. I had some official business to attend to at the Jiangzhou Prefect today. On my way back, I passed by the market and was a little thirsty, so I went upstairs for a cup of tea."
“Heh, alright.” Ouyang Rong nodded.
Seeing his friend silently sipping his tea, Li Dalang maintained his upright posture and asked in a measured tone:
"And where did Tanlang come from?"
"Invited by a beautiful lady, I went for a stroll in the countryside," Ouyang Rong blurted out.
Li Dalang's eyes widened immediately: "Which beauty?"
Ouyang Rong smiled and looked up: "Which beauty are you waiting for?"
Li Dalang instinctively asked anxiously, "Tanlang went on a picnic with Wei Anhui? How did you two get together? She left the city alone this afternoon..."
Ouyang Rong remained silent, looking at him with a half-smile.
Li Dalang was stunned for a moment, then realized he had been tricked, and his old face immediately turned red.
Ouyang Rong put down his teacup, shook his head, and recounted the events of the afternoon truthfully:
"...So since we were both near Xunyang Grottoes, we just came back together on the way."
"I see."
Li Dalang immediately breathed a sigh of relief, and soon regained his spirits:
"My love, what did I tell you? Wei Anhui really likes your poetry, she's not just pretending..."
Ouyang Rong didn't respond, but asked curiously, "Did you really believe that, Da Lang?"
Li Dalang choked, looking at Ouyang Rong with a hint of resentment, and said, "Anyone would find it hard to stay calm, you know. Who can blame him when he's so handsome and talented..."
Ouyang Rong, however, said with a stern face: "But I am a pure lover. It doesn't matter if you don't believe them, but you don't believe me."
Li Dalang nodded perfunctorily: "Okay, okay. Being pure with one is pure, being pure with two is also pure, it doesn't matter."
Ouyang Rong: "...?"
Before he could speak, Li Dalang closed the teacup lid, his face beaming, and asked:
"Tanlang, you've spent the whole trip together, what do you think of her? I wasn't lying to you, was I? She really doesn't have any ill intentions towards us, she's nothing like those Wei family members..."
Ouyang Rong suddenly interrupted, "I don't really look at them. By the way, Wei Shaoqi's ashes were sent away a few days ago. She's staying in Xunyang City temporarily, saying she wants to worship Buddha and pray for blessings. Did you know about this?"
"I know." Li Dalang nodded vigorously.
“Alright.” Ouyang Rong lowered his eyes and asked, “Then from now on, it’s best if you don’t go looking for her anymore. And there shouldn’t be any more pre-arranged encounters like today, do you understand, Da Lang?”
"Why is this? Wait, my love, I didn't..."
Ouyang Rong stood up and dusted off his sleeves:
"Whether it was true or not, let's leave it at that. But now the Wei family is suddenly keeping her in Jiangzhou, which doesn't seem like they're keeping her here for sightseeing."
Li Dalang couldn't help but ask:
“But you and A-mei have analyzed that there are also disagreements within the Wei family. Compared to the Prince of Wei, who has always dreamed of becoming the heir to the throne, the Liang Prince’s Mansion is relatively conservative and stable. Wei Anhui happens to be a female member of the Liang Prince’s Mansion.”
Ouyang Rong nodded slightly:
"Based on our previous analysis of the situation, there are internal divisions within the Wei family. The Donglin Buddha now needs our help to repair it, so the Wei family will not dare to attack us or harm you and the Prince for the time being."
He paused, and sure enough, he uttered a lukewarm "but":
"But don't forget, Dalang, the Wei family tricked us out of the city by pretending to be messengers under the guise of the Prince's token. We never expected them to dare to do such a thing. So never place your hopes on the mercy of your enemy."
"Another lesson is that Jiangzhou is too far from the capital. Every change in the capital takes time to reach Jiangzhou. We must be wary of the Wei family or other potential rivals playing the time and information gap game with us again."
"That's why we're doing everything we can to get back to the capital. The closer we are to the center of power, the smaller the information gap, and the more opportunities we have."
“I understand, Tanlang…” Li Dalang asked with a worried look, “Then… may I look from afar…?”
"No, Da Lang, you're so innocent!"
"No, I'm just curious. I want to see what she's doing every day."
Ouyang Rong squinted at Li Dalang for a moment, put down his teacup, turned and went downstairs, leaving only one sentence:
"Don't forget how her two cousins and fiancé died. Let's assume she's good now, but even the kindest rabbit will be told by its elders that wolves are natural enemies. Hatred can be passed down through bloodlines, and this has been true throughout history."
Li Dalang fell silent.
Leaving his friend, who was deep in thought, Ouyang Rong went downstairs.
He returned to his residence in Huaiye Lane with a calm expression.
Entering Yinbingzhai, Ye Weilai was standing on tiptoe to collect clothes under the clothesline in the courtyard. She turned around and said:
"My dear, there is a letter for you. Miss Xie delivered it this afternoon and left it on your desk."
"Oh?" Ouyang Rong walked to the desk, picked up the new letter, and glanced at the wax seal.
It was a reply from Huang Xuan sent from Shangqing Maoshan.
"Xiao Xuan is so fast."
Ouyang Rong immediately opened the envelope and looked down to examine it closely...
(End of this chapter)
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