Chapter 598 Li Guo'er: If you've got the guts... come over here! [Seeking monthly votes!]
afternoon.
The Prince of Xunyang's Mansion, Plum Shadow Studio.
At the entrance of the courtyard.
"Young Master Ouyang?"
When Li Guo'er's personal maid Cai Shou opened the door and saw Ouyang Rong, she was holding a stick that looked like a feather duster.
The two locked eyes.
After a moment of silence at the entrance, Cai Shou weakly pointed with the stick in her hand towards the direction next door.
"Young Master Ouyang, Miss Xie's courtyard is next door. I wonder if she's home..."
"oh."
Ouyang Rong gave a brief reply, his gaze passing over the shoulder of the chubby-faced maid and looking into the courtyard:
"Is Her Highness the Princess here? Is she still taking a nap? I can wait a moment..."
Halfway through his speech, he suddenly felt something soft bump against his ankle. He looked down and was stunned.
It was a fluffy, snow-white tabby cat with black spots around its mouth. It seemed to be slightly lame. As Caishou opened the door, it leaped over the threshold and was rubbing its kitten face against his trouser leg.
Meow~
A cat's meow can sometimes sound as delicate as a baby's, soft and with a hint of milkiness, making you want to cherish it.
"Sniffle." Cai Shou used the stick in her hand to hook the snow-white raccoon cat, trying to lure it to the side.
Unfortunately, the snow-white tabby cat ignored her, turning its back to her and rubbing its little face against Ouyang Rong's heels repeatedly, meowing and making him feel ticklish.
Only then did Ouyang Rong realize that what Cai Shou was holding was actually a cat toy.
Seeing that even a cat toy wasn't as useful as a man's trouser leg, the chubby-faced maid widened her almond-shaped eyes and looked at the cat toy several times, seemingly doubting its authenticity.
Cai Shou tossed the cat toy aside, and with a "whoosh," quickly squatted down, picked up the snow-white tabby cat, and nodded.
"Oh, so you're looking for Miss. Young Master Ouyang, please come in. I'll go and call Miss. She's still awake, reading in her study..."
"Meow~" The snow-white raccoon cat lifted itself up on all fours, its big blue eyes looking innocently at Ouyang Rong.
Cai Shou picked up the snow-white tabby cat and ran back inside.
Standing at the door, Ouyang Rong chuckled and touched the pear wood box hidden in his sleeve.
He stepped inside, following a cat and a girl ahead.
...
Li Guo'er, dressed in a loose-fitting men's scholar's robe, descended from the red building.
We entered the courtyard.
Her first reaction upon seeing Ouyang Rong was similar to Caishou's when she was playing with the cat.
He tilted his head to look in the direction behind Ouyang Rong.
"Um, what is Your Highness looking at?"
Li Guo'er withdrew her gaze from the surroundings, turned to him and asked:
"Sister Xie didn't come?"
"I just passed by Yilan Pavilion. She was taking a nap, so I didn't disturb her."
"So, what made you decide to bother me today, Young Master Ouyang?"
As expected of Li Guo'er, her words were perfectly yin and yang.
"I have a small matter to trouble you, Princess."
At this moment, in a corner of the courtyard, Cai Shou, who was staring at the snow-white tabby cat, seemed to remember something, picked up the cat, and ran to the red building.
Only Ouyang Rong and Li Guo'er remained in the courtyard.
The courtyard floor was very clean, and Caishou made Ouyang Rong change into a pair of cloth shoes when he came in.
Right now, he saw that the princess was walking barefoot in the courtyard, her feet wrapped in white socks.
Li Guo'er had a slender neck, beautiful collarbone, straight shoulders and a thin back, and long, slender thighs. Although she was not plump, her waist and hip ratio was excellent, making her a natural clothes hanger. So, she went barefoot in white socks and wore a men's scholar's robe, looking more refined and heroic than a man, and adding a touch of elegance and nobility.
The two looked at each other, about to speak, when a snow-white raccoon cat returned, leaping several times to its side.
It circled Ouyang Rong curiously twice, then stepped forward and rubbed against his heels. During this time, its fluffy little head would occasionally tilt up, its bright blue eyes curiously watching Ouyang Rong, who was looking down at it.
Not far away, at the window on the second floor of the red building, a little maid with a round face looked a bit anxious.
Li Guo'er waved her hand in the air, indicating something.
The colorful ribbon disappeared through the window, leaving behind a snow-white raccoon cat.
"Don't be afraid, its name is Butterfly Bearer. It used to be mischievous, but now it's docile and won't bite anyone. This thing..."
Seeing that Ouyang Rong was standing still and not sitting down, Li Guo'er assumed that he was intimidated by the relatively rare and exotic beasts of this era. Many of the guests who had come before had encountered similar embarrassing situations.
She shook her head and stepped forward to hug the cat.
Suddenly, Li Guo'er noticed that Ouyang Rong squatted down, stroked the cat's head, and put two fingers together, scratching the cat's chin and then its ear.
"Gurgle gurgle~" The butterfly-wielding slave squinted in comfort.
He seemed to be more skilled at the movements than she was.
"The Butterfly Slave" doesn't sound good; it's too literary and boring.
Li Guo'er heard a calm voice coming from the direction of Ouyang Rong, who was chuckling and petting the cat.
"What should we call it then?"
Seeing him petting the cat so enthusiastically, Li Guo'er also stepped forward, squatted down, and petted the cat with him.
"Male or female?"
"male."
Upon hearing this, Ouyang Rong lowered his head and counted on his fingers with a practiced air. After a moment, he raised his head and said with a serious expression:
"You've got guts."
"What do you mean, 'brave'?"
"It's called 'having a kind'."
Li Guo'er asked curiously, "Have guts? What do you mean?"
Ouyang Rong nodded:
"Come here if you dare. Didn't it not respond when Miss Caishou called it? You change its name, and it'll be obedient from now on."
"..."
There was a moment of silence, and Li Guo'er remained expressionless.
"It's a palace cat, it was neutered a long time ago."
"Then it should be called that. Even if we don't like it, we'll definitely miss the name."
"Nonsense."
Li Guo'er pressed down on the corners of her lips and strained her face.
Ouyang Rong was unfathomable, and smiled without saying a word.
The two of them stood around the cat, chatting away.
It seems I've forgotten about today's important matter; my attention has been entirely focused on the cat.
Moreover, this time they actually spoke quite well, without either side being sarcastic or sarcastic.
"Why is it so clingy? I never see it like this on ordinary days."
After a while, Li Guo'er frowned slightly and asked.
"Do you have something on you...?"
Before he could finish asking the question, Ouyang Rong pulled out a pale pink handkerchief from his pocket, unfolded it, picked up a fragile, square-shaped pastry with two fingers, and offered it to "Youzi's" mouth.
In the next instant, the Taoshouzhai pastry between his fingers vanished without a trace, not even a crumb remained.
Meow~
He felt a fluffy little cat's head rubbing enthusiastically against his heels.
Ouyang Rong, holding the pastries, stood up and said with a smile:
"He's got guts, he really has guts."
Li Guo'er frowned: "Some sounds unpleasant. Xian Die Nu is better."
Ouyang Rong ignored him and started walking around the courtyard, teasing the kitten. Every few steps he took, he would throw a piece of pastry behind him, occasionally laughing and saying, "Come on, if you dare."
The snow-white tabby cat limped obediently behind Ouyang Rong, appearing to Li Guo'er as nothing more than his number one lackey.
Her expressions changed quite a bit.
Not long ago, she had carefully nurtured a wealthy and aloof kitten that she often took to banquets to show off.
A stiff voice came from not far away:
"Ouyang Lianghan, don't give him anything too sweet, he'll get fat."
"No wonder it ran out as soon as the door opened. If I had the guts, I would have run away too, not giving it a single bit of sweetness. You might as well not eat the food at Meiyingzhai, you might as well find your own food."
"I'm doing this for its own good. Eating too much will make it fat, and all sorts of illnesses will follow. This is experience passed down from my aunt in Luoyang; it's necessary to control its food intake..."
Li Guo'er rattled off a series of theories, and before he could finish speaking, she walked over and, without giving Ouyang Rong a chance to refuse, picked up the snow-white tabby cat that was happily eating at his feet.
Ouyang Rong shrugged slightly and put away the handkerchief.
Li Guo'er covered the kitten's eyes with her palm, preventing it from seeing, as if afraid it would learn bad habits from someone.
She glanced at the handkerchief Ouyang Rong had tucked into his pocket and asked casually:
"You always carry this handkerchief and pastries with you. Which young lady gave them to you along with these? Was she the one who gave you the jade hairpin with mandarin ducks before?"
Ouyang Rong ignored him and took out a pear wood box.
"I have something wonderful that I would like to share with Your Highness."
"Another hairpin?"
"Uh, no."
"What is that?" Li Guo'er asked suspiciously. "If you have something good, why would you think of me?"
Ouyang Rong did not answer, but took out a silk scroll from the box and handed it over with a smile.
Li Guo'er took the package with suspicion, opened it, and took a look.
Holding the silk scroll in her hands, her expression first furrowed, then became puzzled, and finally surprised and delighted.
"Hey, Tao Qian's original 'Peach Blossom Spring'? Where did you get this from?"
"What do you mean by 'deceiving'? It sounds awful. It's a treasured possession of the Yuan family's Chief Secretary."
"Not bad, not bad, you tricked him out of his house, right? Then let me borrow it for two days to admire it."
Li Guo'er nodded in satisfaction, glancing at Ouyang Rong again, seemingly having a much better impression of him.
Seeing that she accepted the silk scroll without any hesitation, he couldn't help but remind her:
"We still have to pay it back to the other party."
"I know, I know."
Li Guo'er seemed to be in a good mood, waving her little hand and saying:
"Speak, what do you need? As long as it's not an inhuman request like last time, I can consider it."
"Your Highness is too kind."
Ouyang Rong cleared his throat, his tone serious:
"I still can't forget Your Highness's dream from last time. After thinking about it, I feel obligated to cooperate with Your Highness in finding the bright moon."
Li Guo'er asked with a hint of disbelief, "Are you really that kind?"
“Of course.” Ouyang Rong said righteously, “I think that the so-called ‘hidden dragon emerges with the bright moon in its mouth’ should involve things related to the bright moon. The thing closest to the bright moon in my life is poetry.”
"So?" Li Guo'er stared at him intently.
"Therefore, I brought several poems about the moon with me. They are all works of inspiration, for Your Highness to browse and see if Your Highness can find that moon in your dreams and gain some inspiration."
Li Guo'er thought for a moment and said, "Actually, I don't know what kind of commotion it will cause after obtaining the bright moon held by the hidden dragon."
"It's alright," Ouyang Rong said with thick eyebrows and big eyes. "As long as it's not riding some kind of hidden dragon."
As Ouyang Rong took out several poems and handed them to Li Guo'er, he casually remarked:
"By the way, Your Highness, could you lend me the original manuscript of 'Green Jade Table: Lantern Festival,' which I gave you last time on the Lantern Festival? I'll come back later to pick up 'Peach Blossom Spring,' and we can exchange it for it..."
Ouyang Rong suddenly stopped speaking because Li Guo'er in front of him had stopped moving at some point and was giving him a half-smile.
"So the true purpose of your trip has been revealed?" Li Guo'er asked leisurely.
Ouyang Rong pretended not to understand, handed over the manuscript of Mingyue Poetry, and asked curiously:
"Your Highness, please check if these are the correct ones."
Li Guo'er glanced at the poem manuscript he earnestly handed over, gave a soft snort, and took it.
"It's not impossible to change it, but you must report to me as soon as you have any clues related to Mingyue, just like today."
"In addition, you need to return the original manuscript of 'Qing Yu An: Lantern Festival' to me in a few days, otherwise you can forget about getting the original manuscript of 'Peach Blossom Spring' either. We'll exchange one thing for another, understand?"
Seeing that Ouyang Rong seemed hesitant, Li Guo'er waved her hand: "Then think about it again..."
"good."
Unexpectedly, Ouyang Rong readily agreed the next moment, his expression reluctant.
Li Guo'er couldn't help but scrutinize his expression, vaguely sensing that he seemed to have agreed rather quickly, rather than reluctantly.
However, once a promise is made, it's not easy to go back on one's word.
Li Guo'er added, "It depends on your performance. Also, next time you come, don't bring too many sweet pastries for... for Xian Die Nu."
"Alright, Your Highness, please take a look at these poems..."
Li Guo'er's gaze fell on the few poems about the bright moon in her hand.
Examine it carefully.
However, at Ouyang Rong's suggestion, she quietly recited these poems about the moon a few times.
These poems do indeed involve the bright moon, but perhaps coincidentally, Li Guo'er noticed that words related to the bright moon appeared quite frequently in the poems.
There are names like "full moon," "moon god," "moon spirit," and "moon palace," as well as some more unusual names like "round god."
However, since Ouyang Rong was cooperating in helping her find the moon in her dreams, Li Guo'er couldn't refuse, since doing it all wouldn't hurt her.
Why were you staring at my face while I was reading?
Li Guo'er couldn't help but ask.
"Cough, it's nothing."
Ouyang Rong turned around, sleeves tucked in his sleeves, and looked away.
Not long after, Li Guo'er returned to Zhu Lou and retrieved the original manuscript of "Qing Yu An: Lantern Festival".
Ouyang Rong lowered his eyes, took the original manuscript, left behind "The Peach Blossom Spring" and several poems about the bright moon, agreed on a time to bring new clues about the bright moon next time, and strode out the door.
Watching the handsome young man, who seemed quite enthusiastic today, leave, Li Guo'er gently shook her head.
She handed the butterfly-carrying servant into Caishou's arms and walked towards the red tower.
"Oh dear, why did you run away again? Come back, come back quickly."
Suddenly, Cai Shou's exclamation came from behind Li Guo'er.
A snow-white raccoon cat darted towards the tightly closed gate with lightning speed, seemingly reluctant to let Ouyang Rong, who had brought his own dessert, leave.
I just don't know how it can run so fast when it has a limp. Maybe it's because of its love for someone.
"Butterfly Slave... Butterfly Slave... come back quickly..."
Cai Shou pouted and shouted.
There was no response; the snow-white tabby cat didn't even glance at it.
Li Guo'er paused, hesitated for a moment, and then called out:
"There is... a kind?"
"Whoosh—!"
The snow-white tabby cat darted to Li Guo'er's feet, rubbing against her heels, tilting its little head back and meowing twice, its big blue eyes looking at her as if waiting for something.
Li Guo'er: ...
Colorful ribbon: ...
The one who didn't see any pastries tilted its head slightly: "Meow?"
...
The residence in Huaiye Lane, the Yinbingzhai.
In front of the wardrobe, Ouyang Rong smiled and placed the original manuscript of "Qingyu'an: Lantern Festival" in front of Xiao Mojing, whose expression changed slightly.
"Ouyang Lianghan, how come it's so fast? Did you plan this all along...?"
Miao Si looked doubtful.
Her response was two fingers striking the elegant manuscript heavily, the sound heavy and the tone unquestionable.
The little ink spirit, dejected, accepted its loss, closed the cabinet door, and obediently... obediently squeezed out the spirit ink.
Early the next morning, in front of the wardrobe.
Listening to Xiao Mo Jing's exhausted snoring, Ouyang Rong carefully closed the cabinet door.
He carried a small golden bowl to the desk.
The bowl contained a small half-bowl of blood-red ink, deep red like blood, and filled with the scent of pine nuts.
At his desk, Ouyang Rong tore off a page from the back of the booklet "Zhen Gao" and laid it flat on the table.
With all the materials for the red and black talismans ready, he picked up a snow-white whisk the size of a fingertip with two fingers and took a deep breath.
With a clear mind, I focused intently on drawing talismans.
Ouyang Rong already had a good memory, and with his previous successful experience, plus the enhanced abilities brought about by his improved spiritual cultivation...
This time, his hand was very steady, and he didn't sweat much.
Time slowly moved forward.
The morning has passed... and so has the morning...
At noon, Ouyang Rong, who was hunched over his desk, suddenly leaned back and threw himself into the back of his chair.
"Phew~" He let out a long breath.
Before him, on the cluttered desk, the blood ink in the golden bowl had dried up.
A brand new red and black talisman lies quietly on the table.
Ouyang Rong rubbed his face vigorously, straightened up, and mustered his energy to examine the new red and black talismans.
After a short while, he nodded in satisfaction; it was better than the first painting.
Last time, I borrowed Huang Feihong's divine decree at the Xingzi Lake construction site, which consumed one red and black talisman. Now I'm replenishing it with another one, just in case.
However, it's better to have more of this stuff; we can coax it a few days later... Ouyang Rong glanced at the little Mo Jing who was fast asleep in the wardrobe.
After carefully putting away the red and black talismans, Ouyang Rong went to the main hall for his meal. He quickly ate a mouthful of rice to replenish his strength, straightened his clothes, and strode out the door.
Ouyang Rong went to the state prison, having promised Lady Rong yesterday that he would go and take a look.
...
——————
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(End of this chapter)
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