Chapter 680 Senior Sister and Second Senior Sister will like him... right? [Seeking monthly votes!]
Inside the antique-style, dark room, a bronze artifact that appears to be stained with blood was found.
The atmosphere was mysterious and strange.
However, the pretty blindfolded girl's cute gesture of tilting her head slightly lessened the serious atmosphere.
On the bronze longsword, a line of words is faintly engraved:
If I fight the evil dragon for too long, I will transform into the evil dragon myself.
If you gaze at Mengyuan for too long, Mengyuan will return the gaze.
However, obscured by large areas of dark red bloodstains, only two simple characters were clearly visible on the sword near the hilt:
Evil dragon.
Zhao Qingxiu seemed very familiar with this sword. Her fair little hand stroked the blade, her fingertips lingering on the words "Evil Dragon" for a moment.
She pressed her fingertip against the words "Evil Dragon," and crimson spiritual energy traveled along her meridians to her fingertip, flowing into the sword.
In the dimly lit room, large patches of dark red bloodstains on the sword suddenly lit up, their dullness fading to reveal a deep crimson color, like cinnabar blood.
Like a branding iron heated red-hot in a furnace.
The "blazing red light" on the sword illuminated the furniture in the surrounding darkness.
The line of text that was originally covered by bloodstains became more and more obvious, as if it was about to break free from the cover of bloodstains and emerge from its cocoon.
Cluck cluck cluck—!
The entire sword began to tremble.
If you listen carefully, in addition to the "clunking" metallic trembling sound, there is also a deep but fragmented strange sound, similar to the sound of some kind of flute.
Dragon's Roar.
When the maiden wields the sword, a dragon's roar echoes across the marshland.
Feeling the bronze sword in her hand becoming scorching hot, approaching a certain extreme temperature, Zhao Qingxiu, who was blindfolded with a ribbon and looking down at the sword, gently withdrew two fingers.
After a brief test of her sword skills, she slowly put it away.
She always carried this sword with her, even when she was lurking near the Xingzi Lake construction site.
It wasn't until she met Tanlang by chance and was taken back to this courtyard to settle down that she began to hide the sword.
This was left to her by her master; it was a key to a place called "Dream Abyss".
It's also... a key to getting some things out of there.
Her second senior sister told her not to be afraid of the "evil dragon".
The eldest sister told her that the "evil dragon" was afraid of her.
Zhao Qingxiu didn't know whether the "evil dragon" was afraid of her.
But Zhao Qingxiu knew that the Queen's Palace could not exist without her.
So, last time, she was able to be a little willful in her letters to her senior sisters...
Zhao Qingxiu's face remained calm. She sheathed her sword, carefully wrapped it again with a gray-white cloth strip, hid it in the cabinet, and placed it on a folded red slip of paper.
This red fortune slip is the marriage fortune she drew at Chengtian Temple last time. According to her lover, it is a kingly fortune slip.
It reads: A perfect couple? A divine pair! What more could one ask for?
So she carefully put it away, as important as the sword she wore.
In front of the wardrobe, the blindfolded girl turned around, facing the silent, dark room.
I stood quietly for a while.
Her face was lost in thought, and then, for some unknown reason, she suddenly smiled.
With a radiant smile and two sweet dimples on her cheeks, Zhao Qingxiu softly hummed a folk rhyme from her hometown.
The next time she sees her eldest and second eldest sisters, she will personally hand them this marriage fortune slip.
She and her lover were a match made in heaven.
After chuckling to herself for a moment, the girl, now deeply in love, wiped her hands on the greasy apron she wore while cooking, patted her flushed cheeks with a slight pout, and headed to the kitchen to continue washing the dishes.
Zhao Qingxiu waited quietly for her second senior sister.
...
"Well, are you two full?"
"I'm not sure if I'm full or not, but Brother Yu is definitely full. I think he choked on his food. Um, although my sister-in-law's cooking is delicious, Brother Yu shouldn't be this overeating. Could it be that the food in my yard these days has been bad?"
Ouyang Rong and Yuan Huaimin walked along the lake. Ouyang Rong asked a question with a smile, and Yuan Huaimin talked eloquently and teased Li Yu.
"No, no, I'm just really hungry today."
Li Yu lowered his head and said somewhat awkwardly.
Yuan Huaimin laughed heartily:
"If Lianghan invites you to the Huaiye Lane mansion for dinner next time, you'll be stuffed to death. The food there is good. Madam Zhen is really good at managing the household. I don't know how Lianghan, who has had such good food since childhood, is still so weak and thin."
Ouyang Rong curled his lip: "That's called being lean and wiry, what do you know?"
Yuan Huaimin nodded: "Good, good, concise and to the point."
"?"
Yuan Huaimin changed the subject: "But my sister-in-law is a bit too thin. You two do look like a married couple, but I noticed she didn't say a word the whole time, and her eyes were covered. Could it be..."
Ouyang Rong's smile remained unchanged. After walking for a while, he made a nasal "hmm" sound.
Yuan Huaimin sighed:
“What a pitiful woman. Lianghan treats her better. It’s obvious that your sister-in-law likes you very much.”
Ouyang Rong pursed his lips and remained silent.
Li Yu suddenly asked:
"How did you come to know the young lady, sir?"
Ouyang Rong didn't turn his head, and said succinctly: "Old friends reunited, two hearts in love, the word 'fate' is wonderful beyond words."
Li Yu kept his head down and followed behind Ouyang Rong and Yuan Huaimin.
Upon hearing this, he lowered his eyes and thought for a moment, preparing to speak, when he suddenly noticed that the young man in the scholar's robe in front of him had turned around at some point, his sharp eyes fixed on his face, which was filled with mixed feelings of hesitation.
"Young master, why are you looking at me like this?"
Li Yuqiang asked with a smile.
Ouyang Rong watched quietly for a while, until Yuan Huaimin turned around curiously, then he spoke softly:
"I wanted to say something, but I forgot what I was going to say."
Li Yu suppressed her smile, but after a moment, she smiled again.
Ouyang Rong escorted him for a while longer, and Yuan Huaimin volunteered:
"Alright, Lianghan, you should go back and keep your sister-in-law company. Her eyesight is poor, so it would be best if you took good care of her."
"Um."
Ouyang Rong stopped and prepared to take his leave.
Yuan Huaimin stroked his chin, as if he had thought of something, and slowly frowned:
"By the way, I remember you were engaged to that noble lady Xie. Does Miss Xie know about your sister-in-law?"
Ouyang Rong paused for a moment, then replied, "I will."
Yuan Huaimin seemed to ponder for a moment on behalf of his friend, then asked:
"Does your sister-in-law know Miss Xie?"
"Know."
"That's fine then."
Yuan Huaimin breathed a sigh of relief, patted Ouyang Rong on the shoulder, and said with a serious expression:
"Such a good girl, traditional and respectful, she'll probably be pinning her hopes on you for the rest of her life. You must treat her well and never be a heartless man who abandons his good wife to marry a noblewoman. Otherwise, I, Yuan, will sever ties with you and draw a clear line between us. Although Lianghan has many friends and may not care about me, I still have to say this. I can't stand seeing lovers unable to be together."
Ouyang Rong looked at his friend, who was unusually reliable and serious, and nodded:
"Me too, I'm waiting for your wedding banquet with Commander Yi."
"...?"
Yuan Huaimin left cursing and swearing, his mouth full of "disgraceful behavior".
Ouyang Rong smiled.
Yuan Huaimin and Li Yu returned to the courtyard of Chengtian Temple.
After entering, Yuan Huaimin glanced at Li Yu and suddenly said:
"Why are you so distracted? Do you know your sister-in-law?"
No, no.
"That's true, my sister-in-law doesn't seem to recognize you either."
Yuan Huaimin went to take a bath, leaving Li Yu standing in the courtyard.
The slightly overweight rich man looked up at the sunset and murmured to himself:
"Is it a good karmic connection or... a bad one...? It's a real mess..."
...
Evening drum at dusk.
Ouyang Rong strolled with his hands behind his back, heading towards the quiet courtyard.
Halfway there, Yan Liulang and Pei Shisan Niang appeared.
The latter brought the former over.
The sentries near the secluded courtyard were all kept by Pei Shisan Niang and her men.
Only Pei Shisan Niang knew Ouyang Rong's whereabouts when he was here, and Yan Liulang had to find her first.
Occasionally, Ouyang Rong would have a private time with the embroiderer in a quiet courtyard, but if it wasn't convenient, Yan Liulang would be stopped.
Yan Liulang approached Ouyang Rong and handed over a red cloth-wrapped object with both hands.
Ouyang Rong glanced at it; it was the Yunmeng Token he had found from Master Yizhi.
This bronze short sword is subtly different.
He casually took it and put it into his sleeve.
"Your Excellency, the spies from Taoshouzhai and Chengtian Temple who were arrested have all been imprisoned in the Jiuzhou Prison as you instructed, and are temporarily detained."
"That Zen Master Yizhi is imprisoned in a thatched hut in the temple, which is specifically for confining disgraced monks. Chengtian Temple is very cooperative, and he is being held in the name of the abbot and the monks. I have also sent people to supervise him."
"Well, after all, this bald monk is a monk from the Hanging Temple. If he is directly imprisoned, it will easily attract the attention of the female officials of the Censorate and the censors of the prefecture. Now that the emperor is a devout Buddhist, the whole country is following suit. If someone from the Wei family reports this, it would be bad if Luoyang ordered the Censorate to reopen the case. This is a compromise."
"As for the Fang sisters, they have already been taken back by Fang Yiwu and are under strict confinement. I have also sent people to the Fang family to supervise them at all times. Without the order of the Prefect, the two sisters cannot leave."
"By the way, as per your instructions, Your Excellency, the Jiangzhou government is currently collecting some precious herbs in your personal capacity to treat the lady of the Fang family. Your Excellency is truly kind-hearted; Fang Yiwu is now completely devoted to you..."
Yan Liulang had been busy all afternoon, sweat beading on his forehead, and he clasped his hands in a fist salute as he recounted his experiences.
Ouyang Rong walked ahead, nodding slightly.
Finally, a slight smile appeared on the blue-clad constable's lips:
"Now, we've wiped out all of Yunmeng Jianze's spies in Xunyang City. However..."
"But what?"
"The Censorate has some objections to this operation that the Ming government suddenly took the lead in, especially since they were not notified in advance. They also want to participate in the case and investigate the new prisoners in the old state prison."
Since the arrival of reinforcements from the Four Imperial Guards in Luoyang, Rongzhen and the Censorate have devoted all their energy to the Xunyang Grottoes.
All the death row inmates previously imprisoned by the Censorate in the old state prison in Xunyangfang who were involved in the rebellion of the Tiannan Jianghu were transferred to the new state prison in the suburbs near Xunyang Grottoes.
Old Yang and the others all moved there.
So, the old state prison was empty a while ago, and this time it was put to use by Ouyang Rong and the Jiangzhou Grand Secretary.
Ouyang Rong's voice was calm:
"No female official is allowed to enter the old state prison, not even Lady Rong. You should reply that they should guard the Xunyang Grottoes well. I am in full charge of Xunyang City and they are not allowed to enter the city and disturb the people without authorization."
"This is my official seal, and also the Prince's warrant. I will personally explain this matter to Lady Rong; there is no need for them to say anything more."
Ouyang Rong took out a governor's seal and a black silk scroll from his sleeve and handed them over.
Yan Liulang carefully accepted it and nodded emphatically.
"Understood." After a pause, he asked again, "Minister, what should we do with these spies in the prison?"
Ouyang Rong remained silent for a while:
"Keep him locked up for now, but don't torture him or interrogate the dead. We'll talk about it after the Buddha statue is placed on the ground."
"Yes, Your Excellency."
Yan Liulang accepted the order and prepared to leave, but before leaving, he remembered something and said with a troubled expression:
"My lord, there is one more thing. This afternoon, Lady Rongzhen sent someone to the main hall of Jiangzhou."
Ouyang Rong frowned immediately: "Why didn't you say so earlier? How is she so well-informed?"
"It's not about the case we're handling today; she sent someone to see you."
Looking for me?
"Yes, Lady Rongzhen sent someone to tell you sternly where you went, whether you're still teaching the zither, and why you left without saying goodbye this morning."
Ouyang Rong: ...
...
When Ouyang Rong returned to the quiet courtyard, Zhao Qingxiu had already finished washing the dishes and was in the main room.
Hearing Ouyang Rong return, she ran to the door of the main room, held onto the threshold, and tilted her head to "look" in the direction of the footsteps.
Without Fang Shengnan, who liked to shout, the courtyard became much quieter, returning to the desolation it had been when Zhao Qingxiu first moved in.
However, winter has passed and spring has arrived. Several months have gone by, and now it is the season of birdsong and fragrant flowers, so it is not "cold" at all.
Tonight, the moon overhead is exceptionally bright.
"Why did you come out? You don't have to pick me up every time."
Ouyang Rong's tone was helpless.
Zhao Qingxiu remained silent, raised both hands, groped forward, and quickly walked towards him.
The two people were positioned at opposite ends of the corridor.
Upon seeing this, Ouyang Rong quickly stepped forward to greet him.
Upon seeing this slender and delicate body, Ouyang Rong couldn't help but hug her tightly.
The two collided, and Zhao Qingxiu hugged him tightly with both arms.
They embraced under the eaves.
Just then, two swallows flew back to their newly built mud nest under the eaves in the courtyard.
Without the Fang sisters, the two, who had already established a relationship, became somewhat unrestrained.
They embraced tightly in the dimly lit, unlit corridor, each wanting to pull the other into their arms.
Ouyang Rong buried his face in her hair and took a deep breath of its delicate fragrance.
Zhao Qingxiu tilted her head and gently bit his ear with her cherry lips.
Ouyang Rong, who had been restraining himself, was like a torch lit in the dark night, and he could no longer hold back.
He picked up the embroiderer in a princess carry and strode into the nearest house, which turned out to be the west wing where Fang Shengnan and Fang Juxiu had slept.
Zhao Qingxiu blushed, realizing she had entered the wrong room. Her face panicked, and she pushed against his broad chest a few times with both hands.
"Ah... Ahh."
She shook her head anxiously, wanting to say that this place wouldn't work, it wasn't acceptable.
However, Ouyang Rong, who was already engrossed in the atmosphere, ignored him.
Even Zhao Qingxiu's slight "rejection" and push was mistaken by Ouyang Rong as a special interest deliberately added by the beauty, and his heart fluttered.
Somewhat barbarically, they threw Zhao Qingxiu heavily onto the soft, red-clad bed of the Fang sisters, where many strands of hair remained...
On the table inside the room, a candle went out with a "whoosh," as if it too had closed its eyes in embarrassment.
——————
P.S.: Double monthly tickets are here! I'm begging for monthly tickets!
or2 (bow up)
(End of this chapter)
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