Chapter 586 Embroidery Girl, Pinky Promise... Don't Leave! [Seeking Monthly Tickets!]
Huang Xuan's letter was very long.
Perhaps it was because he spent his days in the Maoshan Ancestral Hall, eating vegetarian food and cultivating Taoism with a group of old Taoist priests, that he became so stifled by the lack of desire for worldly pleasures.
On the letter paper, delicate handwriting, over a thousand words long.
Ouyang Rong scratched his head.
However, Huang Xuan answered the question raised in Ouyang Rong's previous letter directly at the beginning.
According to Huang Xuan's inquiries, the members of the Shangqing Sect's Ancestral Hall had never interpreted any dreams for the little princess of the Xunyang Prince's Mansion.
However, the late Master Yuan, who was Huang Xuan's nominal master, was an expert in physiognomy and spirit writing, and was a famous physiognomist on the mountain.
Many years ago, when Master Yuan passed through Longcheng, he performed face reading and spirit writing for the Xunyang King's family.
At that time, it seems that the old celestial master left a hidden prophecy for the little princess.
Moreover, according to the attitude Huang Xuan learned from Lu Ya and the others, it seems that the Shangqing Sect's Ancestral Hall attaches great importance to the little princess.
However, Huang Xuan did not know what the prophecy meant for the little princess was, and Lu Ya and the senior masters of the Ancestral Hall were all very tight-lipped about it.
However, Huang Xuan revealed in the letter that not only in the Maoshan Shangqing Sect, but throughout the entire Sanqing Taoist sect, the prophecies of Master Yuan were highly valued.
However, Huang Xuan had only been a disciple for a short time, and there were some secrets that Lu Ya and the others had not yet revealed to her.
Ouyang Rong let out a breath, put the letter down for the moment, and rubbed his temples with two fingers together.
After a while, he continued reading the letter.
In the letter, after Huang Xuan finished recounting the matter that Ouyang Rong had asked her to inquire about, she didn't ask why Ouyang Rong was interested in this secret matter. Instead, she changed the subject and started talking about the daily life of Taoist practitioners on Maoshan Mountain:
For example, discovering a cluster of bright yellow chrysanthemums on the cliff of a certain peak.
Or perhaps, while practicing martial arts with my senior brother at dawn, I saw the legendary purple aura coming from the east in the sea of clouds on the mountaintop.
Or perhaps it was during one of her late-night scripture copying sessions that the girl woke up to find a noticeable pimple on her cheek. She frowned for most of the day, but when she washed her hands and looked at her face before lunch, she suddenly realized that when she smiled, the pimple had created a small dimple. She was delighted for days...
Aside from that, there was a little complaint about how her father loved to drink too much and often made mistakes.
Of course, Huang Xuan also inquired about Ouyang Rong, asking him how he was doing in Jiangzhou recently. She hadn't heard from him in a long time and wondered if he was too busy, suggesting he get some rest.
Of course, Ouyang Rong couldn't say that he was always busy with "time management" every now and then.
After patiently reading through Huang Xuan's subsequent chatter, he casually put down the letter, intending to "read but not reply."
However, it's a bit cold to think that such a young girl wrote so many words to share her life and then didn't reply at all.
Ouyang Rong took out his brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, and wrote a simple letter.
In just a few dozen words, he concisely expressed his concern from the perspective of an older brother, such as... not washing your face with cold water if you have acne.
His words were mature and steady, yet warm.
Ouyang Rong nodded in satisfaction, folded the letter, put it in an envelope, and handed it to Ye Weilai, instructing her to give it to her junior sister the next day.
He returned to his study, picked up Xiaoxuan's letter again, and stared at it silently for a while, of course, at the beginning about Master Yuan.
"Spiritual writing and prophecy? As expected of you, Li Guo'er. You don't even tell the truth to your own family, only half-truths."
Ouyang Rong curled his lip and took out the luminous pearl relic again.
He leaned back in his chair and looked down to examine the bead closely.
As the last rays of the setting sun faded outside the window, the moon gradually climbed above the treetops.
At the desk, a person and a bead remain almost still, the light in the room gradually dimming.
"Strange, it's already dark, why isn't Tanlang lighting a lamp?"
Just then, Ye Weilai's footsteps and muttering could be heard outside.
The little girl, who had just finished hanging up the clothes, still had her sleeves rolled up, revealing two sections of her fair and smooth arms.
Seeing that Tanlang seemed to be in a daze in the darkness and did not answer.
As she lowered her sleeves, she went to light the lamp, muttering a complaint:
"My love, it's pitch black, reading in this darkness is bad for your eyes, and the moonlight is no match for candlelight..."
"What did you say?"
Ouyang Rong suddenly looked up and asked.
As Ye Weilai lit the oil lamp, she repeated curiously, "I said reading in complete darkness is bad for your eyes..."
"The next sentence."
"ah?"
Before Ye Weilai could answer, Ouyang Rong had already gotten up from his chair and, as he passed by her, blew out the lamp she had just lit.
Ye Weilai: ...
Ouyang Rong stepped to the window, opened his tightly clenched palm, and placed the luminous pearl relic under the moonlight.
The moonlight fell on the crystal-clear pearl, and suddenly it burst into a hazy, snow-white moonlight.
Looking at the hazy, snow-white moonlight, Ouyang Rong suddenly realized.
He finally remembered what the strange light emanating from the luminous pearl he had found in the Pure Land Palace resembled under the moonlight!
...
A quiet courtyard by Xingzi Lake.
At midday, the sun was dazzling.
Ouyang Rong and Zhao Qingxiu sat at the stone table, eating quietly.
Zhao Qingxiu was unable to speak, so she buried her face in the bowl and ate rice in small bites. As a result, Ouyang Rong also remained quiet and did not speak while eating.
Zhao Qingxiu had a small belly, and even though Ouyang Rong kept putting food on her plate, she finished her rice in a few bites and didn't ask for more.
She put down her empty bowl, which was completely devoid of grains, and rested her chin on her hands, silently "watching" Ouyang Rong eat across from her.
Hearing him finish his meal slowly and carefully, and put down his bowl, Zhao Qingxiu stood up, leaning on her jade cane, and began to clear away the dishes.
Ouyang Rong also got up to help.
However, after he had taken all the bowls and chopsticks into the kitchen, Zhao Qingxiu kicked him out again.
A girl with a sky-blue ribbon blindfolded is slowly washing dishes by the sink.
In the courtyard, Ouyang Rong paced back and forth in the sun to digest his food.
He turned to look at the kitchen, staring at the thin, slender back of the blindfolded apron-wearing girl, and for no reason thought of the past his aunt had told him... Was his mother also so virtuous and strong back then?
Ouyang Rong raised his hand and touched the icy white jade hairpin on his head.
Today, accompanied by Pei Shisan Niang, Zhao Qingxiu went out to buy groceries and also bought some pastries.
After lunch, I took a plate of pastries and tea, placed it on the table, and gave it to Ouyang Rong in the courtyard.
There was also a bamboo recliner in the courtyard. I don't know where Zhao Qingxiu got it from. Ouyang Rong only saw it today when he came over for dinner. It was placed in the sun in the courtyard.
Perhaps they want someone to stay a little longer after lunch, maybe even take a nap.
However, today, Ouyang Rong, who was wandering around the courtyard, only bent down to pick up a piece of pastry to eat, but did not go to sit in the recliner to sleep.
"Longling—"
Zhao Qingxiu, who was washing dishes by the kitchen sink, heard a clear, jade-like sound coming from the kitchen doorway.
He was leaning against the kitchen door frame.
"ah……"
Before she could turn around in confusion, Ouyang Rong's voice came, still somewhat indistinct, as if he was eating something.
"I may have to go out for a while and won't be back for a couple of days."
Zhao Qingxiu paused while washing the dishes, and after a while, she continued washing them.
"Uh-huh."
"Longling—Longling—"
Zhao Qingxiu noticed him suddenly walk into the kitchen and approach. A warm, cozy scent of fabric that had been sun-dried for a long time wafted over her from behind, carrying a sense of grounded comfort like spring soil.
He didn't stop even after getting close, as if he wanted to press himself against her back.
Zhao Qingxiu's frail body froze instantly, and she gripped the dishcloth in her hand so tightly that not a drop of water could be squeezed out.
"The ribbon is about to fall off, you go wash it, don't worry about me."
It wasn't until she heard his gentle voice that her body relaxed slightly.
So it was for tying ribbons... But after relaxing, there was a slight sense of disappointment in her mouth, and she didn't know why... Zhao Qingxiu washed the dishes even more slowly.
Ouyang Rong, who was leaning against the door eating pastries, put the remaining large piece of pastry between his teeth, freed his hand, walked forward, stood behind Zhao Qingxiu, and bent down to re-tie the sky-blue satin ribbon knot on the back of her head.
Just now, when the pretty young girl was engrossed in washing the dishes, the sky-blue ribbon covering her eyes slipped down to her little nose, like the glasses frame of a well-behaved, studious girl from her past life when she was looking down at a book.
Aren't you going to ask me where I'm going?
After tying the ribbon, Ouyang Rong let go, took a step back, picked up the pastry he was biting again, took a small bite, and mumbled a question.
Zhao Qingxiu wiped her hands on her apron, turned her head, tilted her little head back, and looked at him with her blindfolded eyes.
"Huh?" She tilted her head slightly.
"The Prefect of this Prefecture is going to inspect the counties of Longcheng. As a lowly Sima, I have to accompany the Prefect. It won't be long, just two days."
Ouyang Rong said with a serious expression, then cleared his throat:
"Ahem, Xiu Niang, Pei Shisan Niang will keep you company while I'm away. If there's anything you need, just tell her. You've been having many dreams and waking up easily lately, which is probably due to poor blood circulation. I've asked Pei Shisan Niang to find a famous doctor to get you medicine. I'll also be passing through Longcheng County this time and will visit Dagushan Mountain to find Master Shandao. He's a master of gynecology and can get you a prescription... Anyway, you have to wait for me to come back. To be honest, I'm always afraid you'll disappear again."
"Speaking of which, even if your family members come knocking on the door, you can ask them to wait until I come back so everyone can meet, right? Get to know each other. Why do you just leave without saying goodbye like the last few times? Are all your family members difficult to get along with? It's okay, I have a good personality and can get along with everyone..."
Zhao Qingxiu heard him rambling on and on, but he was speaking with great seriousness. She was a little embarrassed to interrupt him and tell him that her senior sister could send someone flying without warning, and she wouldn't be responsible for their landing.
After giving a long list of instructions, Ouyang Rong paused, blinked, and said:
"Oh, by the way, I'll give you a small gift when I get back."
Zhao Qingxiu fell silent for a moment, as if she was thinking.
After a while, she nodded, "Uh-huh."
Ouyang Rong nodded with satisfaction, then solemnly extended his left little finger:
"Come on, let's pinky swear and never change our minds for a hundred years."
Zhao Qingxiu: ...
"Don't you have this custom in your hometown?" Ouyang Rong asked, feigning ignorance.
There was a moment of silence between the two. The blindfolded apron girl lowered her head and weakly extended her only remaining thin little finger. The other person immediately reached out his little finger and made a pinky promise with her.
Ouyang Rong nodded in satisfaction, and held the small piece of pastry he had eaten to her lips:
"It's so sweet, you should try some."
Seeing nothing but darkness, Zhao Qingxiu instinctively bit into it, but after chewing only a few times, her delicate brows furrowed slightly.
"Mmm...mmm?"
"It broke on its own. It was like this when I took it out of the box. It has nothing to do with me."
Ouyang Rong spoke with righteous indignation.
He was a smooth talker, and seeing that she stopped talking and obediently ate the pastry, he patted the crumbs off his hands with satisfaction and left the kitchen.
Standing by the kitchen sink, Zhao Qingxiu touched the corner of her lips, her face blank. Why did this sweet pastry have the spiciness of dogwood? Just like the spicy dish she made for lunch today.
Zhao Qingxiu's face turned bright red, as if from the spiciness. Just then, she heard his loud, boisterous voice coming from the courtyard:
“Miss Embroidery, I’d like to take some of these pastries with me. Hmm, Taoshouzhai? The name of this pastry shop is quite interesting. Did Pei Shisan Niang recommend it, or did you buy it yourself, Miss Embroidery?”
"Mmm." Zhao Qingxiu, who had gone to the Taoshouzhai branch in Xunyang City that morning with Pei Shisan Niang, responded with her head down, her reply muffled.
Ouyang Rong didn't pay any attention to these things.
"Then I'll take one box with me. It'll be a gift for an old friend in Longcheng, a token of our mutual affection..."
After saying that, without waiting for Zhao Qingxiu to ask any further questions, Ouyang Rong picked up the pastry box and left.
In the quiet, empty courtyard, Zhao Qingxiu, wearing an apron, walked out of the kitchen. Holding onto the doorframe, she silently faced the direction Ouyang Rong had left, the direction from which the clear, jade-like sound had faded. Every noon, upon hearing the crisp sound of that icy white jade hairpin, she knew he had arrived…
After a while, Zhao Qingxiu lowered her head and quietly touched the little finger of her left hand that had the hook.
She slightly opened her mouth.
“Eeya ya…”
Should we meet...? Although I haven't received any news from my "family" at Taoshouzhai, if they find out that Tanlang is with her now, they certainly won't give him a good look...
After leaving the quiet courtyard, Ouyang Rong went directly to the Xunyang Prince's Mansion.
Upon arriving at the gate of the Prince of Xunyang's mansion, he left the pastry box in the carriage and entered the mansion alone.
Ouyang Rong first approached Xie Lingjiang, whispered a few words to her, and retrieved the Moonlight Sword that had been placed beside her.
Under Xie Lingjiang's somewhat worried gaze, he gave her a few words of advice, waved his hand, and left.
Immediately afterwards, they went straight to the Crown Prince's study and found Li Dalang, who was airing out books in the afternoon.
"Let's go on a long trip, let's leave today."
Ouyang Rong leaned against the courtyard gate, sword in his arms, hands tucked into his sleeves, and spoke casually.
He was stroking a luminous pearl relic from his sleeve.
Li Dalang looked up in confusion:
"Where are we going for no reason?"
Ouyang Rong glanced at the Moonlight Longsword in his arms, a masterpiece casually made by the old craftsman at the Guyue Sword Shop.
He silently drew his Moonlight Longsword, and even in broad daylight, the sword still emitted a hazy, pure white glow, like moonlight.
Ouyang Rong squinted as he examined the object, saying:
“Go to Longcheng County. You will go there as a deputy magistrate and say that you are inspecting several counties and passing through Longcheng. I will give you a ride along the way.”
"It's Tanlang who wants to go back to Longcheng, but why does he insist that I go with him?"
"What do you think?" Ouyang Rong asked sternly.
Li Dalang said helplessly, "Is Tanlang afraid that I'll go to Wei Anhui again?"
Ouyang Rong neither confirmed nor denied, but simply explained:
"I am in charge of the acting governorship and also preside over the Donglin Buddha, so it is inconvenient for me to mention this matter, as it would be easy to be criticized. Your position as the prefect is suitable for going out to inspect the counties on behalf of the prefecture. As for me, I will just accompany you for a while, take you to the neighboring Longcheng County, and then return. It is all reasonable."
"As for the inspection of the remaining counties, I'll have to go by myself, young master... Well, what can I do? You're the young master, so I have to obey and put aside my own affairs."
Li Dalang: ...
Without giving Li Dalang time to ponder the question of "who is the real boss," Ouyang Rong made the decision directly. He went to pick up the official seal of the Prefectural Governor, stamped a document to be issued to several counties, put away the document, and left with his sword.
"Elder brother, please pack your things first. We'll meet at Xunyang Ferry at 2:45 PM this afternoon, board the boat, and set off. I've already given instructions to the Jiangzhou government. I'll go to Xunyang Grottoes first to hand over my work to Lady Rong and Wang Caozhi... It's decided then."
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P.S.: It's almost the end of the month, please vote with my monthly tickets, my bro! They'll expire if I don't vote soon, sob sob sob or 2 (pouting)
(End of this chapter)
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