Chapter 633 A Formation Enveloping Jiangnan? [Seeking Monthly Tickets!]
"Why did you suddenly ask this question today, Senior Brother?"
Xunyang Prince's Mansion.
Ouyang Rong and Xie Lingjiang returned from Xunyang Grottoes and, after arriving at the Prince's Mansion, went straight to Li Guo'er's boudoir, Meiyingzhai.
As they passed a waterside promenade, Xie Lingjiang suddenly turned around and asked.
"What's the problem?" Ouyang Rong asked curiously.
"You're asking me if I know anything about your family's past practice of having a child bride?"
Ouyang Rong pursed his lips, paused for a moment, and said softly:
"My aunt gave me some of my mother's belongings a while ago. I looked through them these past couple of days, and there was a crumpled red paper with my birth date and time written on it. But next to it was another old red paper with another birth date and time written on it, which seemed to belong to a girl..."
"Her name seems to be Xiu Niang. She was probably the child bride I had when I was little. She was from the same clan as my mother. When my mother went back to her parents' home to bring her over, the elders made a rough marriage agreement. Later..."
"My aunt may have told my junior sister about what happened afterward. This girl named Xiu Niang has been kicked out of the house by my mother and aunt. This rough marriage agreement made by the elders is no longer valid. But thinking about it carefully, there was a connection between us after all. I wonder if my junior sister has any grudges about it."
The two were walking side by side, but Ouyang Rong subconsciously slowed his pace a little when he spoke.
Xie Lingjiang walked ahead a little. After Ouyang Rong finished speaking, he waited for a while, but when he didn't hear a reply from ahead, his heart couldn't help but tighten.
The noblewoman Xie walked forward for a while, and it's unclear whether she had been listening attentively.
The two were approaching Meiyingzhai.
At this moment, Xie Lingjiang nodded slightly: "I've heard Aunt Zhen mention it."
Ouyang Rong glanced sideways without making a sound, only able to see the loose ponytail at the back of her head that bounced with her steps, unable to discern her specific expression.
Before he could even get a word out.
"We're here. Senior Brother, go in first. I'm going back to change my clothes. It's all your fault. You were being naughty and loosened the wrapping cloth..."
Xie Lingjiang suddenly turned around, and said to him shyly, the blush on her pretty face from their tender moment in the carriage not long ago had not faded much.
Ouyang Rong noticed that her eyes were still bright and sparkling, and nodded slightly in surprise.
"good."
...
Xie Lingjiang changed into a loose-fitting men's scholar's robe that concealed her figure. In fact, she also changed her undergarments and a certain wrapping cloth underneath. As for why she changed these items... it was all the fault of her senior brother.
She bit her lower lip lightly, climbed the red tower, and chased away the guy who wanted to cling to her again.
When Xie Lingjiang arrived at the three-story study of Meiyingzhai, carrying a black and white folding fan, the atmosphere was already silent.
She looked around the room.
Little Sister Guo'er was standing by the bookshelf flipping through books, one hand holding a scroll and the other behind her back.
In the center of the study were two armchairs, which must have been moved there not long ago. The eldest brother and Fellow Daoist Lu sat facing each other on them.
Fellow Daoist Lu sat upright, a sword across his lap, his familiar expressionless face fixed on his senior brother opposite him.
The eldest brother was much more relaxed, leaning back in the armchair, tapping his fingers lightly on the armrests, his head slightly lowered, seemingly lost in thought.
Not far away, by the bookshelf, the little sister Guo'er would occasionally turn her head to glance at her senior brother, who was deep in thought.
Xie Lingjiang walked behind the armchair where Ouyang Rong was sitting, and the latter turned his head to look at her.
Receiving a look from his senior brother, Xie Lingjiang understood and stood quietly, listening intently.
"Fellow Daoist Lu means that Yunmeng Sword Marsh is determined to stop the Great Buddha of Donglin."
After listening to Lu Ya's brief account of the information, Ouyang Rong asked.
"That's right, but we don't know exactly when we'll make our move."
Lu Ya nodded solemnly.
Ouyang Rong nodded slightly, his expression showing no surprise, and slowly began to speak:
“Your senior brother Yuan Xiuzi overlooked one point. In fact, Yunmeng Jianze may already know of my existence, that I am in charge of the statue making at Xunyang Grottoes, and that I have an unclear relationship with Xunyang Royal Palace.”
Lu Ya raised his eyelids slightly: "What do you mean?"
Before Ouyang Rong could explain, Li Guo'er, who was reading a book by the bookshelf, spoke up on his behalf:
"What I mean is that the condition proposed by the Grand Queen of Yunmeng that we would not harm our royal family was a trap. Right now in Jiangzhou, Ouyang Lianghan is in charge of the Donglin Buddha statue, and my father is also the nominal Jiangnan Construction Supervisor, helping my grandmother to build the statue. At the same time, our royal family also needs this credit, because my grandmother is watching from above, so it's not so easy to back down."
"As a result, this great lady made us obediently stop and step aside... Regardless of whether she kept her promise not to commit any offenses, this move of dividing and neutralizing was very well done. If our Xunyang Prince's Mansion had listened to her, wouldn't the visible forces protecting the Donglin Buddha in Xunyang City have been reduced, which would have relieved some of their pressure?"
"Actually, they're not at a disadvantage either way. Perhaps they never intended to target our Xunyang Prince's Mansion in the first place. They're just using this as an excuse to bargain, a hollow bargaining chip."
Li Guo'er pouted. After saying all that, she couldn't bear to look at the book in her hand anymore. Her mind wasn't on it. Li Guo'er tiptoed and stuffed the book back into the gap at the top of the bookshelf.
Lu Ya nodded thoughtfully, then shook his head after a moment:
"But Yunmeng Jianze is determined to go this time, and they do have the strength to make such a demand. If the imperial court can't hold out and their people temporarily take control of Xunyang City, the safety of the Prince's Mansion cannot be guaranteed in the chaos of war. We still need to plan ahead..."
Xie Lingjiang listened quietly for a while, glanced at her senior brother who was bowing his head and remaining silent, and then spoke in a clear voice:
"So Yuan Xiuzi stayed there himself, and had Fellow Daoist Lu come to Xunyang City immediately to inform the Prince's Mansion and tell Yunmeng Jianze the bottom line. He wanted the Prince's Mansion to hedge its bets, maintain good relations with the Jiangzhou Supervisory Council, and at the same time not to completely offend Yunmeng Jianze. It was like sitting on the fence. When the conflict came, they would hide in a low-key manner and wait for the situation to settle down before making a decision?"
"Yes, that's right."
Lu Ya said seriously:
"The Ancestral Hall roughly agrees with this, which is why they sent me and Senior Brother Yuan Xiuzi down the mountain to contact Yunmeng Jianze and plead our case in advance. We are afraid of involving the Prince. Regardless of whether Yunmeng Jianze or the Qi cultivators from the Luoyang Astronomical Bureau win, the Prince's Mansion cannot take even the slightest risk. This is the safest course of action."
He paused, then added:
"When I participated in the Peach Valley Sword Challenge, I met these Yue women. They valued their promises very much, so there was no need to worry about their credibility."
"Brother Lu."
Ouyang Rong suddenly spoke up, chuckling as he asked about something else:
"When you went to Yunmeng Jianze this time, did you see any members of the Southwest Restoration Army at their strongholds?"
"The Kuangfu Army? Who are they?" Lu Ya couldn't help but ask.
Seeing his puzzled expression, Ouyang Rong shook his head slightly and didn't ask any more questions.
Li Guo'er realized what was happening, immediately frowned, and said coldly:
"That queen only agreed that we would abide by the conditions and that she would not allow the Yue women to harm our royal palace. But what if Wei Shaoqi, Du Shuqing and others from the Kuangfu Army want to plot against our royal palace?"
"These traitors who stole the king's banner have precedents. The matter of Wang Junzhi is still fresh in our minds. How can anyone believe them?"
"The actions of the Tiannan Jianghu against the Donglin Buddha this time are inseparable from the presence of these Kuangfu Army rebels. It's not impossible that the Yunmeng Grand Queen might turn around and use our royal palace as a bargaining chip to exchange with the Kuangfu Army."
Lu Ya frowned and remained silent.
Ouyang Rong sighed softly, drawing everyone's attention. He then said in a low voice:
"That's only one aspect."
Ouyang Rong turned his head and calmly said to Lu Ya:
"The Donglin Buddha is no longer just a matter for that sage in Luoyang; it is now firmly linked to the situation in the southwest, involving the entire Jiangnan region. A single move can have far-reaching consequences."
"If the Donglin Buddha is destroyed, it will most likely indicate the temporary annihilation of the forces deployed by the imperial court in Xunyang City. At that time, Xunyang City will fall into the hands of these martial arts practitioners from the southern Jianghu who disrupt the law. The Jiangzhou Grand Hall alone will not be able to control them and will find it difficult to force them to stop."
"Especially with Wei Shaoqi, Du Shuqing and others mixed in, it's impossible that they won't do something or instigate something. Capturing the Prince of Xunyang and arresting me are minor matters; what I'm afraid is that they will directly paralyze the entire Xunyang City."
"Xunyang City is the most important logistical base for the Qin Grand Marshal's expeditionary army. If it is lost, the war on the southwestern front will inevitably be unfavorable, affecting the lives of thousands of soldiers."
"If the front line is breached, Hongzhou and Jiangzhou will fall into enemy hands, the southeastern gateway will be wide open, and the entire Jiangnan region will be in danger."
Ouyang Rong faced the crowd and asked, "When the nest is overturned, how can the eggs remain intact?"
After listening, Lu Ya sighed softly, "I understand."
Li Guo'er left the bookshelf, paced in front of the crowd, and said coldly with a stern look:
"That's the second point, and there's a third."
She held up a slender index finger:
“If Father and Ouyang Lianghan abandon the Donglin Buddha and become cowards, our return to the capital will be even more hopeless. The Donglin Buddha must be completed. Even if it has to collapse, it should collapse after it is completed and after we have returned to the capital with our credit.”
The entire room fell silent.
Ouyang Rong suddenly spoke up: "Actually, it's not necessarily true. There is another way, which is to return to the capital, but we can't use it unless absolutely necessary."
"What method?"
Ouyang Rong shook his head and remained silent, seemingly still pondering and weighing the options.
Li Guo'er kept glancing sideways, wanting to ask for clarification.
At this moment, Lu Ya spoke:
"The main purpose of my visit is to inform you of this matter. It is enough for Your Highness the Princess and Young Master Ouyang to keep it in mind. I am not good at weighing the pros and cons. I will stay here for the next few days. Just tell me what needs to be done."
Ouyang Rong, Li Guo'er, and Xie Lingjiang exchanged a glance and nodded.
"good."
The meeting in the study ended, and everyone dispersed.
Xie Lingjiang was a step too slow. After Ouyang Rong and Lu Ya left the study, she suddenly grabbed Li Guo'er.
The two women stopped and stayed.
Ouyang Rong and Lu Ya didn't pay attention to this and went downstairs together.
Lu Ya suddenly said:
"Young Master Ouyang, have you ever seen something called the Yunmeng Token?"
Ouyang Rong remained calm and asked, "Why is Brother Lu asking this?" He paused, then replied, "The Censorate confiscated this item and has seen it."
Lu Ya hesitated for a moment, then said directly:
"There's something fishy about this thing. Yunmeng Sword Marsh is distributing it widely, which may be related to the operation against the Buddha. Since you're inclined to assist in the construction of the Buddha, you should prepare early."
"This time, Yunmeng Sword Marsh is definitely going to be taken without hesitation, and we will not hold back. No matter what, this humble Taoist and the Ancestral Hall of this mountain will do our best to protect the Prince."
Ouyang Rong asked, "What is the significance of this object?"
Lu Ya pondered:
"The secret I learned from the Ancestral Hall is that the Yunmeng Token can generally only be issued by the Yuanjun or the first successor, Yue Chuzi. This item is vaguely related to a legendary great formation, and this great formation seems to involve the entire Tiannan region."
"What kind of grand formation is this, covering such a vast area? What is its purpose?"
"I don't know. According to some rare ancient books collected by the Maoshan Ancestral Hall, there are scattered fragments that reveal that this formation was set up by a very early group of Yunmeng Yue women, perhaps even tracing back to the first Yue maiden... And Yue maiden, as the first successor of the Yuanjun, seems to be the most important link in this great formation... I just don't know if this formation still exists after so many years."
Ouyang Rong's pupils contracted slightly. "Involving Yue Chuzi?"
The two looked at each other in silence.
After bidding farewell to Lu Ya, Ouyang Rong immediately returned to his residence in Huaiye Lane.
Upon entering the study at Yinbingzhai, he immediately retrieved a bronze short sword, sat down, and carefully examined it.
At one point, Ouyang Rong had a sudden inspiration and tried to infuse some spiritual energy into the bronze artifact.
The deep blue spiritual energy, nearing the perfection of the eighth rank, was smoothly absorbed upon touching the bronze short sword.
Ouyang Rong was surprised: "It really works..."
He immediately closed his eyes, and the blue spiritual energy flashing on the back of his hand became even more intense, disappearing into the bronze short sword.
Time passed second by second.
The bronze dagger remained motionless.
His brows, which were closed, gradually furrowed.
Finally, he reluctantly opened his eyes and put down the Cloud Dream Token.
No matter how much spiritual energy was injected, the bronze short sword remained completely still, as if a stone had been thrown into an abyss without making a sound.
Ouyang Rong stared at the bronze short sword on the table, where a line of inscription caught his eye once again.
"If I fight the evil dragon for too long, my body will transform into the evil dragon... If I gaze at Meng Yuan for too long, Meng Yuan will return the gaze?"
He muttered to himself.
...
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(End of this chapter)
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