Chapter 652 A Cursed Wife-Killing Star [Seeking Monthly Tickets at the End of the Month!]
"Where are Lady Rong and Granny Song? Has Military Advisor Chen seen them? Don't rush, you can speak slowly and make things clear."
Ouyang Rong rushed out of the Jiangzhou main hall, boarded the carriage, and turned to ask Yan Liulang, who was following closely behind.
"I don't know. The person Chen sent urgently only said that a commander surnamed Yi led a squad of White Tiger Guard cavalry into the city. He asked the magistrate whether these soldiers were acting inappropriately, and whether such a sudden intrusion into Xunyang City without any official documents or warrants from the Jiangzhou government should be restricted in the future..."
Yan Liulang asked with obvious anxiety:
"But now that she's already inside, there's nothing we can do. Military Advisor Chen and the city guards couldn't stop her. That woman named Yi Qianqiu is too domineering. The man Military Advisor Chen sent to follow her has returned with news that she led her men straight to Xingzifang and Xingzihu!"
"Before I arrived to deliver the message, I had already sent someone to inform Pei Shisan Niang in advance, so that she could move the embroiderer girl away."
He lowered his voice for the last few sentences.
"Very good, Liu Lang's reaction is good."
Ouyang Rong took a deep breath and calmly said:
"Here's what we'll do: go and gather all the constables and yamen runners you can mobilize in Jiangzhou, and take them to Xingzifang. Just say... just say you're arresting rebels and searching for rebels. Once you get to Xingzi Lake, act according to the situation and find a pretext to delay Yi Qianqiu and the others..."
"Furthermore, send someone to deliver a message to Military Advisor Chen, carrying my order, instructing him to immediately seal the city gates and temporarily prevent any large force from entering the city..."
Ouyang Rong spoke clearly and gave orders one by one.
"Yes, Your Excellency."
As if he had found his pillar of support, Yan Liulang wiped his face vigorously, jumped off the carriage, and hurriedly returned to the main hall to call for help.
Ouyang Rong suddenly turned his head and instructed the still bewildered Ali:
"Let's go to the Embroidery Lady's Courtyard at Xingzi Lake, right now, quickly."
"Oh, yes, young master."
Ali was feeding the horses when the young master and Yan Liulang suddenly arrived. Although his young master remained relatively calm, Yan Liulang's anxious and urgent tone made Ali realize that something important had happened unexpectedly, which was probably outside of the young master and Yan Liulang's plans.
Then, connecting the words "Xingzi Lake" and "Embroidery Courtyard"... Ali quickly moved the hay aside, got everything ready, spurred his horse, and rode towards Xingzifang.
Inside the carriage.
Ouyang Rong was sitting upright with his eyes closed.
Upon entering the Merit Pagoda, he immediately looked at the Blessing Bell.
It remained completely still, the wind and waves were calm.
No good fortune was triggered.
Before his consciousness left the Pagoda of Merit, Ouyang Rong glanced hastily at the cyan-gold characters above the small wooden fish.
[Merit: 5,599]
Ouyang Rong opened his eyes.
The carriage beneath them was rushing towards the quiet courtyard without stopping.
He couldn't rest either, and immediately bent down to touch the empty space under the seat.
A sword case disguised as a musical instrument.
Mirage Beast Mask.
A genuine copy of "The Peach Blossom Spring" is available for future reference.
A small, square seal, engraved with the two characters "Red Lotus".
Upon touching this spot, Ouyang Rong stuffed the small seal back into place.
Only the first three were chosen.
The bronze mask and the original copy of "The Peach Blossom Spring" were tucked into his left and right sleeves respectively.
He picked up the violin case, lowered his head and closed his eyes, as if silently sensing something.
"Fifteen breaths is the safest."
He muttered something to himself, a nonsensical statement.
A moment later, Ouyang Rong took out a bronze short sword wrapped in white cloth from his bosom.
The carriage curtains were tightly closed, and the bronze artifacts faintly glowed with a faint green light in the dim environment.
The soft light fell on the young man's calm face.
He pursed his lips.
This Yunmeng Token was dropped by Yi Qianqiu along with two enemy heads not long ago on the official road outside Xunyang Grottoes.
According to her, it was left by the two beheaded pirates.
Afterwards, Yi Qianqiu left Ouyang Rong aside and took Lady Rong and Granny Song aside for a private talk.
Furthermore, without informing the Jiangzhou government, Yi Qianqiu suddenly led his men into the city without warning, heading straight for Xingzi Lake...
Ouyang Rong suspected that the two river pirates had left behind some confession or information before they died, which concerned the Yunmeng Order or the Yunmeng Yue Maiden.
Furthermore, the timing of the appearance of this gang of river pirates from Hukou County, who have been identified by the White Tiger Guard as rebels in the southern Jianghu region, is extremely suspicious...
Could they have come to meet and rescue the Yue women hiding in Xunyang City?
The bronze dagger was stained with the blood of river pirates and emitted a nauseating, bloody smell. Ouyang Rong wrapped it in a white cloth and put it away. He rubbed his face and hugged the zither case in his arms even tighter.
He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but after Rong Zhen introduced him, this female White Tiger Guard general named Yi Qianqiu seemed to be subtly rejecting and ignoring him.
Later, when talking to Lady Rong and Granny Song, they treated him as an outsider and ignored him. They even openly mocked him as a "civilian scholar".
This is not the thought process of a normal person. Even a highly intelligent martial artist would find it difficult to have such low emotional intelligence, offending someone on the very first meeting.
Ouyang Rong was indeed a civil official and scholar, but he was also one of the few scholars in the Imperial Academy of Literature in this dynasty, and he also served as the acting governor of Jiangzhou. He was a civil official and scholar who was trusted by the emperor of Luoyang and was in charge of the Donglin Buddha!
Even Song, the deputy director of the Imperial Observatory, had to soften her tone and ask him to accept the imperial decree.
Yi Qianqiu, having been ordered to lead the White Tiger Guards to reinforce Jiangzhou, couldn't possibly be unaware of his name. Therefore, there are only two possibilities: First, she is a truly passionate person, with clear likes and dislikes, and Ouyang Rong has offended her in some way, creating a negative initial impression. Second, she did it intentionally, deliberately displaying it for certain people to see.
The second possibility is the most intriguing; the first possibility might be related to that gang of river pirates, but there's one thing Ouyang Rong can't figure out:
If the water bandits who had surrendered the Yunmeng Token informed Yi Qianqiu that a Yue maiden was hiding near Xingzi Lake in Xingzifang.
How did Yi Qianqiu learn that Ouyang Lianghan had protected Yue Nu?
Could the information be that readily available?
Or did someone from the Wei family inform her? Did she have dealings with the Wei family?
As Ouyang Rong pondered in silence, Ali's voice came from outside:
"Young master, we've arrived."
"Um."
Ouyang Rong snapped out of his daze, picked up his zither, and got out of the carriage.
Look around.
Everything around the quiet courtyard was as it always was. As usual, a gentle breeze blew from the lake, and the pear trees with their canopies rustled in the courtyard.
But Pei Shisan Niang and the others were nowhere to be seen.
Ouyang Rong remained calm and continued carrying his zither into the quiet courtyard.
"Brother Ouyang, why are you here so early today? It's not lunchtime yet."
In the courtyard, Fang Shengnan, who was practicing sword dancing, sheathed her sword and asked curiously.
Ouyang Rong glanced around the empty courtyard, his expression indifferent, and asked:
Where is the embroiderer?
"No, she went out." Fang Shengnan breathed slightly. She walked over, picked up the water ladle, tilted her head back and took a big gulp of water, and said casually, "This morning, Madam Pei took her shopping. She came back at noon, and after lunch, she went out with Madam Pei again, saying there was a Buddhist ceremony at Chengtian Temple, and she went to worship Buddha. She hasn't come back yet... Brother Ouyang, do you want some water? Hey, where are you going?"
Fang Shengnan watched as Ouyang Rong walked out with his zither, but before leaving, he stopped and asked again without turning back:
"Did any strangers come into our yard just now?"
"Uh, no, not at all." Fang Shengnan shook her head.
"Where's your sister?" Ouyang Rong suddenly asked.
"I don't know. She was gone when I woke up from my nap. She probably went out." Fang Shengnan knew nothing about it and said with a mournful tone, "My sister went out to explore and adventure without taking me with her..."
Ouyang Rong didn't finish listening before leaving the quiet courtyard. He didn't get on Ali's carriage, but instead rushed to Chengtian Temple.
Upon arriving at Chengtian Temple, a Buddhist ceremony was indeed being held, with people coming and going in a bustling atmosphere. However, a group of White Tiger Guards stood outside the gate, waiting like statues, causing many pilgrims and monks to detour.
Ouyang Rong, hidden in the shadows, quickly scanned the doorway but couldn't see Yi Qianqiu.
Ouyang Rong bypassed the group of armored soldiers, scaled the wall, and entered Chengtian Temple to search for the embroiderer's whereabouts.
First, I went to the familiar fortune-telling hall.
There was no sign of anyone.
Remembering something, Ouyang Rong forgot his anger and rushed to the Zen Master's Temple.
Sure enough, Pei Shisan Niang was seen at the entrance of a Zen temple.
Where is the embroiderer?
"Young master?" Pei Shisan Niang asked in surprise, "The embroiderer is inside. She wanted to pray to Buddha this afternoon, so I accompanied her."
Before Ouyang Rong could finish listening, he rushed into the room. At that moment, Zhao Qingxiu had already come out of the meditation room, seemingly having heard his shouts, and came to greet him.
"Ah," Zhao Qingxiu said weakly.
Are you alright?
Ouyang Rong grabbed her hand and looked around, but there was no sign of Yi Qianqiu.
Inside the monastery, a middle-aged Zen master sat upright, tilting his head to scrutinize him.
Ouyang Rong ignored the man and, unable to find Fang Juxiu, withdrew his gaze.
"Ya ya."
Zhao Qingxiu blindfolded herself with a ribbon, gently shook her head, and as usual, groped Ouyang Rong's body with both hands. She looked somewhat happy and prepared to write on his chest, but bumped into something hard. Curious, she touched the unfamiliar zither case in his arms.
Ouyang Rong moved aside at the opportune moment, holding the zither case in one hand and leading the embroiderer out of the courtyard with the other, leaving the middle-aged Zen master behind.
He asked Pei Shisan Niang seriously:
"Thirteenth Sister, have you received Liu Lang's message?"
The latter was taken aback: "What news?"
It seems she hasn't received it yet; it's still on its way. The messenger wasn't as fast as him and hasn't found Pei Shisan Niang.
Ouyang Rong breathed a slight sigh of relief, but immediately frowned and looked around.
Wasn't he here for the embroiderer? Then why did Yi Qianqiu come here?
"Go back first, Thirteen Sister. Take the embroiderer to your house first."
He pondered for a moment before making a decision.
“Yes, young master.” Pei Shisan Niang nodded hurriedly.
They sent the embroiderer back to Pei Shisan Niang's modestly luxurious carriage.
"Let's go through the back gate of the temple." Ouyang Rong got into the carriage, ready to leave quickly. Halfway there, he suddenly remembered something, turned around and instructed the coachman: "Stop at the square ahead."
A short while later, quite a distance from the courtyard where Yuan Huaimin was staying, the carriage stopped, and Ouyang Rong got off.
The carriage was parked and waiting.
Ouyang Rong frowned and hurried to Yuan Huaimin's courtyard.
As they approached, they saw that the gate to Yuan Huaimin's courtyard was wide open, and Li Yu was hiding in the doorway with a panicked expression, looking timidly into the room.
"What's going on inside? What are you doing standing outside?"
Ouyang Rong asked.
He approached silently, and by the time Li Yu heard his voice, Ouyang Rong was already standing behind her. Li Yu jumped in fright.
"Young Master Ouyang, you..."
Before Li Yu could finish speaking, Ouyang Rong heard a sound of ghosts wailing and wolves howling coming from the courtyard.
"Ah—! I was wrong, Qiu Niang, please spare me, stop hitting me, stop hitting me... Don't touch these branches and sticks, don't step on them, they're not mine, they're really not mine! They belong to Brother Li Yu, those calligraphy and paintings are mine, please don't step on them, please! It's all over, it's all over, I really can't afford to pay for them..."
Yuan Huaimin was wailing and begging for mercy.
Ouyang Rong's expression froze slightly.
I walked to the door and looked inside and out.
The courtyard was a mess. Yi Qianqiu was holding a horsewhip, grabbing Yuan Huaimin by the back of his collar, dragging him to the open space in the center of the courtyard, and casually throwing him aside. With a fierce face, she raised the whip and whipped it hard while smashing the treasured musical instruments, chess pieces, calligraphy and paintings in Yuan Huaimin's room. At the same time, many broken straight tree branches lay at her feet. Yi Qianqiu's chest heaved violently.
"Yuan Huaimin, it's been years, and you're still the same good-for-nothing! Do you live up to the name of the Yuan family of Jingzhao?"
Her face was full of anger, and her voice was icy cold.
This scene left Ouyang Rong completely bewildered.
He looked closely and saw that Yi Qianqiu had already taken off the silver tiger mask. The woman's appearance was rather ordinary, the kind of face that symbolized peace and prosperity, but her eyebrows were extremely thick, giving her a very heroic air that was quite unforgettable.
She was a woman with masculine features; judging from her eyebrows and the wrinkles around her eyes, she was about thirty years old, similar in age to Yuan Huaimin.
However, this woman has a square face. According to Li Guo'er, who loves reading the I Ching and is somewhat proficient in physiognomy, this is a tiger's face, which means she will inevitably be afflicted by evil stars.
Ouyang Rong stepped into the courtyard. Yi Qianqiu turned around, her gaze falling upon him. Before she could even see him clearly, she spoke impatiently:
"Get the hell out of here, you bunch of bastards! Are you deaf? Or should I grab a stick and clear your ears?"
However, upon seeing the newcomer's appearance, she paused in her speech and tilted her head to examine the young man carrying the zither.
After a while, her gaze gradually shifted downwards and landed on the long, narrow violin case he was holding in his arms.
"Lianghan! Lianghan, you need to leave quickly, don't come in. She's still angry. I... I'll handle it..."
"Just cope? Ha."
"ah--!"
Yi Qianqiu sneered, drew his whip, and Yuan Huaimin raised his head, clutching his buttocks and inhaling the chill in the courtyard.
She gripped both ends of the whip with both hands, pulling it straight with each stroke. Seeing that Yuan Huaimin had calmed down, she turned her head and asked calmly:
“Prefect Ouyang? What are you doing here looking for this good-for-nothing? Oh, you're here to drink and brag, aren't you? You become like those you associate with, and he always has a lot of cronies wherever he goes.”
"Commander Yi, have you finished drawing your stones? I have something to discuss with Brother Huaimin."
Ouyang Rong asked softly, and before Yi Qianqiu could speak, he calmly walked into the courtyard, standing right in front of the fallen Yuan Huaimin.
The latter instinctively got up and huddled behind Ouyang Rong, as if grasping at the last straw, while still trying to persuade him:
"Brother Lianghan, don't come in! Waaah, you're so loyal..."
With outsiders present, Yi Qianqiu temporarily stopped his lashing and squinted at the young governor who dared to enter and vouch for him.
Ouyang Rong took out a copy of "The Peach Blossom Spring" from his sleeve and handed it to Yuan Huaimin, who was still in shock.
The latter looked down and was also stunned.
"I've come to return Tao Qian's original work. Brother Huaimin lent it to me before, and I almost forgot to return it. I'd also like to ask Brother Huaimin for some pointers on the art of playing the zither."
Yi Qianqiu shifted his gaze from the zither case to the painting of "The Peach Blossom Spring," his brows furrowing as if he were deep in thought.
Ouyang Rong turned his head and glanced at Yuan Huaimin, who reluctantly accepted the original copy of "The Peach Blossom Spring".
He suddenly understood why Yuan Huaimin had taken the day off.
If I hadn't asked for leave, who knows, this woman might have dragged me out and beaten me in public when I picked her up this afternoon. That would have been incredibly embarrassing. Luckily, I only made a fool of myself in my own yard.
However, Ouyang Rong remembered that Yuan Huaimin seemed to be all alone, never married, and didn't even have a concubine.
"Aren't you going to introduce me?"
Ouyang Rong turned around, a smile playing on his lips, and asked Yuan Huaimin.
"She...she is..."
"Oh."
Just as Yuan Huaimin was about to speak, Yi Qianqiu suddenly sneered and cracked his whip to the side with a sharp "snap," as if testing his skills.
Yuan Huaimin immediately shut his mouth, lowered his head to consider, and dared not look at her.
Faced with Ouyang Rong's gaze, he hung his head dejectedly, as if he were too ashamed to face anyone.
...
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(End of this chapter)
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