Chapter 625 [The Poor Scholar] Left Behind in the North, Hidden Among Peach Blossoms [6k views, requesting monthly votes!]
Meow~
At the entrance to the library, a lame raccoon seemed to be patting a small toy the size of a palm.
This "little doll" has long arms and legs, it can move, and it can even spray ink all over its face.
Most importantly, it also comes with voice effects; every time it pokes, the "little doll" immediately plays a noisy voice message.
I felt a mix of curiosity and restlessness.
"Wait, Xiao Rongzi, don't move now! This Western Region monster has a hostage. We shouldn't provoke it, or it might kill the hostage... Ouch! Be gentle, don't scratch my face, Demon Brother... Demon Immortal... Demon Saint!"
Even after falling into enemy hands, the little ink spirit didn't stop talking. It remotely directed the rescue efforts for itself, and the library was filled with its cries that turned into pleas for mercy. It changed its name three times in a second to call someone "brave."
It's breathtaking.
Ouyang Rong had a stern face. Li Guo'er saw him flipping through books and drinking wine by himself, showing no intention of moving at all.
Because the beautiful hostess with plum blossom makeup adorning her forehead was inside the library, some people didn't dare to enter, not daring to cross the line even half a step. If Little Ink Spirit had run fast enough and tripped after crossing the threshold, she would probably be swaggering around by now.
Meow~
Li Guo'er glanced at the "little black cat" meowing ingratiatingly at her from the doorway.
She picked up the wine pot, poured herself a cup of wine, and raised it as if to punish herself, asking Ouyang Rong with a half-smile:
“Ouyang Lianghan, should we break another leg of this beast who has made a mistake? He never learns his lesson and dares to bully our guests. He deserves to be punished.”
Ouyang Rong remained expressionless.
At the doorway, on the floor.
Miao Si felt a sharp pain in her chest from being stepped on, as if she was about to be crushed back into her original form, the little inkstone, and she cried out incoherently.
Suddenly, she felt a lightness in her body.
Opening one eye, she immediately saw that the "Demon Saint," who had been so agile and fierce, was being lifted up by Xie Yatou and removed from her body.
Xie Lingjiang held the soft, hairy belly in both hands.
After being lifted into the air, the latter's four legs swayed weakly in the air, like rowing a boat, making it look somewhat silly and harmless.
Meow~
Miaosi, whose eyes were still brimming with tears, was stunned when she saw this scene.
She got up from the ground, dusted herself off, and hurriedly ran into the library.
As Little Ink Spirit ran, she kept looking back, her little face somewhat blank.
A moment later, she looked up, gazing at the sky above everyone with a puzzled expression, as if searching for a familiar scene.
At the doorway, Xie Lingjiang didn't go inside. Instead, she held Youzhong, who was dangling in the air and completely helpless, and took a towel to wipe its fluffy "little black head".
Miao Si ran to Ouyang Rong's feet, and under Li Guo'er's curious gaze, skillfully scrambled up onto his lap.
She raised her hand to poke his chin, her face stern and angry as she said:
"Little Rongzi, where's your sword? Why didn't you protect the king?"
Ouyang Rong didn't even glance at Miao Si, and before Xiao Mo Jing could speak again, Li Guo'er raised her sleeve and waved towards the door:
"Sister Xie, please bring it in. We don't usually let it in because we're afraid it will mess up the study and leave cat hair. But now... anyway, the study will be cleaned up again, so it won't make a difference if it leaves a little bit of hair."
Xie Lingjiang smiled and nodded, then wiped the ink off Youzhong's body and carried it inside.
Once inside, it's like a tiger being caged; it becomes docile and dares not bark anymore.
However, facing Xie Lingjiang who was so close, it turned around in Xie Lingjiang's arms, adjusted its posture, raised its two paws, and began to knead.
"Clap clap clap..."
Miao Si, who was just about to confront Ouyang Rong for being late to the rescue, was stunned for a moment upon seeing this.
Little Mo Jing lowered her head, touched her flat chest that had just been stepped on, and then looked at You Zhong, who was diligently and skillfully kneading in Xie Ling Jiang's arms.
She suddenly realized, "So that's what it's stepping on."
Miao Si touched her chin, lost in thought:
"Does that mean that Your Majesty is harmless to those you can step on, but becomes a ferocious demon to those you can't? Hmm, that's strange..."
As she muttered to herself, she glanced at the chests of Li Guo'er and Ouyang Rong beside her.
Ouyang Rong: ...
Li Guo'er: ...??
Ouyang Rong remained silent, picked up a pastry from the plate on the table, and tossed it onto the carpet at his feet.
Youzhong, who was exercising in Xie Lingjiang's arms, suddenly broke free from her embrace, leaped up, and darted to Ouyang Rong's feet.
With a flick of her tongue, she swallowed the pastry. After finishing, she looked around and circled around Ouyang Rong's feet twice.
Meow~
It poked its head out, its kitten-like face rubbing against Ouyang Rong's heels.
Ouyang Rong didn't take the pastries. Instead, he bent down, reached out, and stroked the fluffy cat's head, then hooked two fingers together to scratch its ears.
"Gurgle, gurgle..."
He squinted his eyes and made sounds of enjoyment.
As soon as Ouyang Rong moved his hand, she rolled over in perfect unison, just like a mature woman being patted on the buttocks, exposing her softest belly to him.
Ouyang Rong casually kneaded the pastry, seemingly quite satisfied, then picked up another piece and tossed it to the side.
The one who was being cute suddenly turned over and devoured the food whole.
Meow~ Meow~
Seeing the "Demon Saint" in her mind submit at Xiao Rongzi's feet, while also making a very cute and ingratiating meowing sound.
The little girl, who had been earnestly summarizing the ingenious pattern of kneading, suddenly fell silent, her mouth agape.
At this moment, Xie Lingjiang walked back and sat down next to Ouyang Rong.
Ouyang Rong handed the brilliant idea to Xie Lingjiang.
He's got guts to get rid of them.
Miao Si nestled in Xie Lingjiang's arms, standing on her lap, and looked thoughtfully at the plate of pastries beside Ouyang Rong.
She pushed aside the obstructing Xie's daughter, Shuoguo, and stood on tiptoe to grab the pastries from the plate.
With a "smack," Ouyang Rong slapped away her not-so-clean little hand.
"Xiao Rongzi, you..."
Miao Si rolled her eyes at Ouyang Rong.
She stood on Xie Lingjiang's knees, one hand on her hip, the other pointing at the person on the ground who was engrossed in eating, and said:
"The most hated, without a doubt."
There's a kind of urge to look up and glance at a brilliant idea.
Miao Si immediately leaned back and shrank back into Xie Lingjiang's arms, explaining, "I was referring to Xiao Rongzi."
Ouyang Rong patted the dog, who continued to obediently keep its head down and eat.
He nodded slightly and said:
"His initial arrogance followed by his later obsequiousness is laughable."
"..."
Xie Lingjiang and Li Guo'er exchanged a glance and both chuckled. The two stunning young ladies, with their distinct temperaments, each had their own unique way of laughing.
"What are you laughing at? Don't laugh! Don't laugh at this fairy! Xie girl, we must unite against Xiao Rongzi! We must stand together, unite, unite!"
Miao Si jumped up and hurriedly covered Xie Ling Jiang's mouth, not forgetting to turn her head and shout at Li Guo'er, who was smiling and sipping her wine:
"You too, Miss, don't laugh. You're not far off either. If Xiao Rongzi bullies you in the future, no one will help you. We need to unite now and not let Xiao Rongzi divide us up and bully us terribly..."
puff--!
Li Guo'er couldn't help but clutch her chest and spray a mouthful of wine onto Ouyang Rong's face.
Miao Si was halfway through his sentence when he suddenly noticed a delicate hand in red sleeves reaching out and tightly covering his mouth.
Before it could struggle, another jade-like hand, clad in men's clothing, reached out and covered the red-sleeved hand in front, as if adding an extra layer of insurance, pressing the two hands against her mouth.
It was Xie Lingjiang and Li Guo'er; the two women reached out their hands almost simultaneously.
"Mmm...mmm?" Little Ink Spirit opened his eyes wide.
"Don't talk nonsense." Xie Lingjiang said sternly.
"What nonsense are you talking about, you little brat?"
Li Guo'er reprimanded him expressionlessly.
Then, almost smoothly, she turned her head towards Ouyang Rong, whose eyes were wide and who was touching the water stains on his face, and said in a stiff tone:
"Excuse me, I couldn't help it. Ouyang Lianghan, could you please not bring in any unauthorized people? You're turning my study into a stage for our private conversation."
Ouyang Rong was originally teasing the cat, and he happened to have picked up a piece of pastry in his hand, intending to feed it to Youzhong.
As a result, the little princess sprayed water all over his face.
He froze on the spot, somewhat bewildered. He touched his face, looked down, and saw murky, pale yellow acidic water.
Yes, this is what warm rice wine should look like.
On the carpet at their feet, Ouyang Rong and Li Guo'er were looking around curiously.
Meow~
It made a triple leap, first landing on Ouyang Rong's lap, snatching the pastry from his right hand, then leaping back to the ground, and then leaping towards the door. With agile movements, it ran away in a flash.
Unfortunately, the brilliant idea couldn't escape.
Xie Lingjiang and Li Guo'er, the two women, covered her completely with their four hands. The scene looked just like two little girls fighting over a doll.
"Is Senior Brother alright? Let me wipe him clean."
Xie Lingjiang quickly handed over a handkerchief, her pretty face full of concern.
After Li Guo'er apologized, she had already put one hand in her bosom. Seeing that Xie Lingjiang had taken out a white handkerchief from her sleeve, her expression unchanged, she took out the handkerchief, wiped her mouth, and then set her gaze on Miao Si.
Xie Lingjiang was busy wiping the water stains off her senior brother.
Li Guo'er took Miao Si from Xie Ling Jiang's arms.
"Thank you, little girl, mmm mmm..."
Before the young woman in Confucian robes could even make her declaration, her mouth was immediately covered by Li Guo'er's handkerchief.
With a focused expression, Li Guo'er carefully stuffed the entire wad of handkerchief into Miao Si's stubborn mouth, leaving her no space at all.
"I won't stand in front of Her Highness next time; it's a miserable position."
Ouyang Rong muttered a complaint as he wiped his collar with his head down.
Li Guo'er remained noncommittal, simply continuing to cover the mouth of the mournful little ink spirit with her jade hand, and asked:
"Should I ask Caishou to find you some clothes?"
"It's alright, let's leave it at that." Ouyang Rong waved his hand. "Where were we?"
"The whereabouts of the [Humble Scholar]," Xie Lingjiang reminded him.
Ouyang Rong nodded, pondered for a moment, and said:
"As far as I know, Tao Yuanming had a hidden identity: the legendary swordsman of the 'Humble Scholar'."
"Tao Yuanming?"
The two women were surprised and exchanged a glance.
The little ink spirit, who had been struggling, quieted down and tilted her head slightly, but no one noticed her.
Xie Lingjiang frowned, while Li Guo'er looked thoughtful and glanced at Ouyang Rong.
Xie Lingjiang asked curiously, "History records say that in his later years he refused to bow down for five pecks of rice and resigned from his official post to live in seclusion. Could it be that he took the poor scholar with him to live in seclusion? Given his character, it's possible."
Ouyang Rong suddenly spoke up: "No, not necessarily."
"Why?" Xie Lingjiang asked curiously.
Li Guo'er frowned and remained silent.
Ouyang Rong didn't go to see Li Guo'er, and his words were concise:
"Before he resigned from his official post, he left the Sword Manual of the Poor Scholar at Donglin Temple. The Sword Manual of the Poor Scholar may not have been taken with him. Moreover, if he was the legendary master of the Sword Manual of the Poor Scholar, his experiences, which are not recorded in history books, must have been extraordinary and unconventional."
"According to the prevailing opinion at the time, the 'Humble Scholar' was related to the dynasty's fortune and was originally forged by the Liu Song imperial family. It was already surprising that Tao Yuanming, an outsider, could become the legendary sword master. How could they let him take away the 'Humble Scholar' and the sword manual?"
"Since the Sword Technique of the Poor Man was left behind, then the Sword Technique of the Poor Man may also have been left behind."
"Wait a minute. In chronological order, which came first, Tao Yuanming's resignation from office and his seclusion, or the three Yuanjia Northern Expeditions of the Southern Song Dynasty?"
Li Guo'er suddenly asked a question, and at the same time got up, found a book from the pile of books next to her with ease, pulled it out, and flipped through several pages.
She glanced down at the screen as she spoke:
"After the Eastern Jin Dynasty came the Liu Song Dynasty, which was the longest-lasting and largest dynasty in the Southern Dynasties. It lasted for four generations, through ten emperors, and for fifty-nine years..."
"Looking at his birth and death dates, Tao Yuanming was born in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, into a once-prosperous family that had fallen into decline. Some of his ancestors had served as high-ranking officials, but the family later declined, and he could barely be considered poor... Hmm, these are all old clichés in the books."
"It is said that he gained a noble reputation for reclusion in his early years and was considered a famous scholar of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. He lived into the Liu Song Dynasty and should have witnessed the establishment of the new dynasty by Emperor Wuzong of Song, Liu Jinu."
"As Sister Xie said, since the 'Humble Scholar' sword was forged by Liu Jinu, then he must have become the sword's master during the Liu Song Dynasty..."
Ouyang Rong and Xie Lingjiang saw Li Guo'er place a red cardamom-smeared index finger on the page of the book, slowly sliding it across, and her jade lips parted slightly:
“Found it. Judging from the timeline, the Yuanjia Northern Expedition was launched by the third emperor of the Southern Song Dynasty, long after Tao Yuanming resigned from his official post and went into seclusion... So, it should be unrelated to him.”
"According to Sister Xie's family history, the Southern Song Dynasty dared to launch the Yuanjia Northern Expedition only because it had 'impoverished scholars' and even had mature methods for using them, although they all failed in the end..."
Li Guo'er nodded and affirmed to the two of them:
“That matches perfectly. Ouyang Lianghan, you are right. Before Tao Yuanming resigned from his official post and went into seclusion, he must have left behind the phrase ‘Humble Scholar’.”
Ouyang Rong nodded slightly.
Xie Lingjiang shook her head: "So many years have passed, who knows where they went..."
"Ugh ugh ugh..." The little ink spirit beside Li Guo'er suddenly started to struggle.
The three of them turned their gazes in that direction.
Her eyes looked so pitiful.
I wasn't going to pay any attention to it, but Miao Si looked very anxious.
Ouyang Rong casually pulled the drool-soaked handkerchief from her hand and said seriously, "Go out and play, and stop making noise..."
Unexpectedly, a single sentence uttered by Miao Si immediately caught the attention of the three:
"Are you looking for the [Humble Scholar]? I think I've seen him before."
Ouyang Rong immediately asked, "Where have you seen me before?"
"Hmm, didn't you just mention the Yuanjia Northern Expedition? The Yuanjia era name sounds familiar. I don't know if you're talking about that time. I hate memorizing the almanac, but I remember that I had a follower who was from a noble family in a southern dynasty with the surname Liu. I think it was the Southern Song Dynasty you mentioned. At that time, it was fighting with the Northern Wei. Those northern barbarians were really too much. The north originally belonged to them. What's wrong with letting them fight back? They don't understand gentleness, kindness, respect, frugality, and humility at all. Barbarians are barbarians."
"Anyway, the last time I saw [Humble Scholar] was around that time, so it was definitely him. That azure rainbow sword aura was exactly the same. I would recognize it even if it turned to ashes, but..."
"But what?" Xie Lingjiang pressed.
"However, it seems to have changed. When the follower returned to his tent that night, I heard him say with a serious expression that the Imperial Advisor had escorted a scroll from the palace, and the General had led them to personally greet it. It should be the 'Humble Scholar'."
"At first, I didn't believe him. I've seen the [Humble Scholar] before. The last time I saw it, it wasn't a scroll. But later, I saw the [Humble Scholar] sword energy rising on the battlefield, so I figured it must be true. It's probably hidden in that scroll."
"Hidden inside a scroll?" Li Guo'er asked curiously, "Why go through all that trouble?"
"have no idea."
Miao Si tapped her chin with her finger, pondering:
"Or maybe it's been reworked, but to be honest, it's not as good-looking as before. Why turn it into a scroll? It used to be so beautiful, hanging upside down above people's heads, just like the color of the southern sky."
"But it's really hard to say. Let me tell you, back then there was a lot of effeminate men among the gentry in Jiankang. They either wore women's clothes, applied rouge and powder, or even ran around naked and took elixirs. In short, it was a chaotic mess. With their terrible aesthetic sense, I wouldn't be surprised at all what they did. Maybe they just thought round scrolls looked better. It's a pity for the poor scholars."
"Tsk tsk, named as a poor scholar, yet he falls into the hands of powerful clans, kings, and generals. It's true what they say, the more they complain, the more they lack."
"When was the last time you saw [Humble Scholar], the one you said looked the best?" Ouyang Rong asked sharply.
Miao Si glanced at him, muttering ambiguously:
"I forgot. That follower from the Yuanjia era was someone I first met after waking up from a deep sleep. I've forgotten a lot of things from before I fell asleep. Hmm, I need to eat more ink to remember properly."
Ouyang Rong suddenly said, "You once said that there was a ding sword without a hilt, which was the same as a normal sword except for the lack of a hilt... Is that it?"
"Huh, you have a good memory, kid." Miao Si muttered in surprise, then quickly changed her expression, her eyes now clear and intelligent, her tone confused: "Um, did I say that? I don't remember."
Ouyang Rong then asked, "What does that scroll look like?"
"I don't know, only my follower has seen it. He said there was an article about a place covered with peach blossoms..."
"A place full of peach blossoms?" Ouyang Rong fell silent.
"Did they say what kind of article it was?" Xie Lingjiang pressed.
Miao Si fell silent for a moment upon hearing this, then, under the gaze of the three, lowered her eyes and muttered:
"Well, I asked, and my servant said it was left by Master Tao."
"Tao Qian?" Li Guo'er blurted out.
"Who else could it be but him?" Miao Si crossed her arms and grumbled, "Didn't you just find out that he's the strange sword master of [Han Shi]?"
Li Guo'er looked thoughtful.
Ouyang Rong's expression turned somewhat strange.
Xie Lingjiang asked, "And then, where did the poor scholar go?"
Miao Si looked at her: "Later? Later he lost, of course. Could he have won?"
The three were speechless.
"As for where she went," Miao Si waved her hand, "Hmm, I forgot which year it was in the Yuanjia era. Anyway, there was war again, which affected this fairy's life of luxury..."
As she muttered to herself, she reached for the pastry plate on the table, her eyes also glancing at the pastries that could subdue "Lord Demon Saint".
Ouyang Rong placed the plate of pastries directly in front of her and said seriously:
"Alright, enough chit-chat, let's get down to business."
"whee."
Miao Si's little face lit up with a smile. Sitting by the plate, she crumpled the pastries into pieces with both hands, playing a game, and casually remarked:
"One day I came back in a hurry, saying that I needed to make a tactical retreat... In reality, I was just running away because I couldn't win. My follower led me on a night ride back to Jiankang. When I woke up, I heard him and his companions chatting. They seemed to be in a hurry. I vaguely heard them say that the scroll had fallen into the hands of the Northern Wei army and had been taken back to the north of the Yangtze River."
"Hey, this Southern Song Dynasty is really pathetic. They launched a northern expedition and ended up losing their own possessions. I knew it all along. In fact, I already knew their character from their previous follower. When it comes to disappointing people, the Southern Dynasty never disappoints..."
Miao Si shook her head.
"You're comparable to Xiao Rongzi, but you're such a dog, mmm mmm..."
"Alright, that's enough."
Ouyang Rong stuffed a piece of pastry into its mouth, then turned his head and exchanged a glance with his junior sister and Li Guo'er.
"It fell into the hands of the Northern Wei?"
Unexpected yet reasonable, the three were surprised for a moment before gradually digesting it.
Ouyang Rong's eyes were slightly dazed, and it was unclear what he was thinking.
Later, Li Guo'er and Xie Lingjiang asked some more questions, talking about other periods of Buddhist worship during the Northern and Southern Dynasties and analyzing Yunmeng's motives... However, Ouyang Rong was a little distracted and didn't respond much.
As evening fell and darkness descended, the three concluded their leisurely conversation over warm wine in the study and departed one after another.
Before stepping out of the courtyard, Ouyang Rong suddenly asked Miao Si, who was turning back reluctantly, "You just said that this was the last time you would see [Han Shi]. Where did you see it before?"
Miao Si didn't turn her head, but kept talking about completely unrelated topics:
"This defeat to the Demon Saint was not due to a lack of skill. I first met the white goose at my servant's house, and I also narrowly lost. I was chased by the white goose. Later, I figured out a way to deal with them. Hehe, now I have them all under my thumb! I've plucked all their feathers!"
It waved the pastries wrapped in its handkerchief, full of fighting spirit:
"Little Rongzi, just you wait and see. Watch me take down this great demon and pluck all its fur. Well, it has a lot of fur, so scalding it with boiling water is too much trouble. I'll just let it be my mount, hehe."
Ignoring Ouyang Rong's question, Miao Si tilted her head and asked with a curious look:
"By the way, Xiao Rongzi, its name is Youzhong, right? Well, what a domineering name! It's comparable to this fairy maiden, a worthy rival..."
Ouyang Rong frowned as he stared at the smug-looking Little Ink Spirit.
Finally, the two of them, one big and one small, remained silent the entire way...
The moon rises above the branches.
Ouyang Rong returned to his residence in Huaiye Lane, declined the meal, and quickly went back to his study in Yinbingzhai.
Send the brilliant idea to sleep.
He returned to his desk and took out another silk scroll, which was the original manuscript of "The Peach Blossom Spring," a treasured work of calligraphy from the former Northern Wei imperial family, now the Yuan family of Jingzhao.
Ouyang Rong's gaze shifted downwards, landing on the scroll of silk that served as the medium for the text.
His brows furrowed slightly...
——————
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(End of this chapter)
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