Chapter 683 If you truly understand him, you'll see him as an ant reaching for the blue sky. [Vote for a chance to win a prize during the seven-day National Day holiday!]
“Ouyang Lianghan, say it again.”
Rong Zhen spoke very seriously and methodically.
"What?"
Ouyang Rong raised his head, looking somewhat confused.
Rong Zhen, with a stern face, stared at the scholar-robed youth feigning ignorance for a while before speaking:
"To be able to hear the music of an old master... well, if you don't know him, you see him as a frog in a well seeing the moon in the sky; if you do know him, you see him as an ant seeing the blue sky."
Ouyang Rong nodded and said with a smile:
"Perhaps. Actually, I'm not stupid. Does Lady Rong want to master this piece because it's related to the defense of Xunyang Grottoes?"
Rong Zhen and Ouyang Rong looked at each other for a moment, then nodded almost imperceptibly.
She lowered her eyes: "I suppose it's part of the chain? Why do you ask?"
Ouyang Rong smiled:
"I always felt that this senior was not simple, and time was tight at the Xunyang Grottoes. If it was just about learning the zither music, why would Lady Rong waste her time on this? It's a very simple logic."
Rong Zhen, however, reacted indifferently, letting out a mocking laugh:
"Oh, I thought you were narcissistic and secretly thinking that I had other motives for asking you to teach me music... It seems you are quite self-aware. Good, very good."
Ouyang Rong was taken aback.
Before he could speak, Rongzhen suddenly said:
"Since you've guessed it, I won't hide it from you anymore. The old master and his music involve the core of the Donglin Buddha. The sooner I learn it, the better."
Ouyang Rong asked, "Isn't it best to learn this before the Buddha statue is placed on the ground?"
Rongzhen nodded without saying a word.
Ouyang Rong then asked, "Is that special spot I heard about before also related to it? Only after you learn this piece will your position be secure."
Rong Zhen frowned slightly and glanced at him.
After a short while, he nodded slightly: "Mm."
Ouyang Rong's expression turned serious:
"Then what are we waiting for? Time is tight and the task is heavy. I'll play it a few more times, so listen carefully."
Rongzhen suddenly asked:
"Aren't you going to ask what these special quotas are? What is the actual defense of Xunyang Grottoes?"
Ouyang Rong shook his head:
"If Lady Rong is willing to speak, she would have already said so. If she is not, she has her own reasons. I will not ask any further questions."
Rong Zhen gave him a deep look:
“Actually, I’ve already learned the pieces you taught me. As for the more essential parts, it won’t matter how many times you play them. As the older generation said, it requires understanding.”
Ouyang Rong said with a smile:
"If it doesn't work the first time, try again. You'll eventually learn something. You can't force someone to understand, but we'll use the simplest methods."
Why are you so patient with me?
Just as Ouyang Rong was about to frown, Rong Zhen immediately said:
"I can't stand the fact that the people I teach are so stupid. I hate stupidity. But Ouyang Lianghan, what you just said is not wrong. I am indeed a little lacking in comprehension of the zither pieces taught by the senior."
"What exactly is Lady Rong trying to say? Is she trying to stall for time and slack off, waiting for the senior’s pipa performance downstairs to end so she can go back and rest? How can she be as lazy as Chief Secretary Yuan?"
"Nonsense, I can't be bothered to talk to you about it."
Ouyang Rong smiled and continued tuning and playing the zither.
Rong Zhen kept a straight face for a moment, then suddenly said:
"It's not that you can't participate in the defense deployment at Xunyang Grottoes, but you'll have to go through an identity check by the Imperial Observatory. Everyone who comes into contact with the core defense deployment at Xunyang Grottoes needs to go through this process. This is standard procedure. The reason you weren't allowed to come into contact with the core of the Buddha statue before wasn't because it was targeting you, but because no one outside the Imperial Observatory should know about it. This is the rule."
Ouyang Rong asked, "Is Commander Yi also one?"
"Yes. Several generals from the Xuanwu Guard and Baihu Guard have already conducted the investigation."
Ouyang Rong laughed and said, "We really need to investigate carefully."
Rong Zhen couldn't help but say, "I'll say it again, it's not directed at you."
"I know."
Rongzhen then said:
"Actually, there's another matter concerning the date of the Buddha's unveiling. Senior Song and I have some ideas, though we're not sure if they're fully formed, that could be helpful for defense. Do you have time to come to Xunyang Grottoes in the next two days? We can discuss it behind closed doors."
Ouyang Rong squinted and said, "Alright, the day after tomorrow morning."
"Okay, continue playing the piano."
Rong Zhen gave a soft hum and, with a sense of entitlement, closed her eyes and gave the order.
Ouyang Rong was used to her haughty demeanor, and with a smile as gentle as a spring breeze, he continued playing the zither.
...
The next day.
Ouyang Rong did not visit the Xunyang Grottoes.
Today, he finally got a break. After finishing his work in the main hall of Jiangzhou, he took some time to visit the quiet courtyard and keep the embroiderer company.
"Watch your step." Ouyang Rong took Zhao Qingxiu's hand, who was happily greeting him at the door, and led her to the backyard. He explained gently:
"I have to go home early tonight to have dinner with my aunt. I haven't had dinner at home for many days, and it's not good."
"Mmm." Zhao Qingxiu hugged his arm, tilted her head slightly towards him, and smiled.
Upon arriving at the main room, Ouyang Rong noticed some needles and thread on the table.
"What is this? A sachet?"
It's kind of a talisman, actually. I wanted to make one for you and Sister Xie.
Ouyang Rong remained unmoved:
"Sister Xie?"
Zhao Qingxiu smiled faintly and wrote:
Don't worry, sending out the birthday gift won't disrupt Tanlang's plans. By the way, one has already been made; Tanlang, please take it back.
Ouyang Rong nodded, picked up the amulet, and glanced at it.
It's actually just a small sachet with some wishes inside.
After Ouyang Rong opened it, he pulled out a small piece of paper and saw four characters written on it:
Let us never forget each other.
In addition, there is an elegant poem from the Book of Songs, which is considered a blessing to lovers... And I must say, the embroiderer's handwriting is indeed quite good, but it is indeed inconvenient for blind people to write. You can see that she used up a lot of paper to copy it relatively neatly.
Ouyang Rong glanced at the amulet that Zhao Qingxiu was still making for her junior sister, and pursed his lips.
"Thanks a lot."
He said softly.
Zhao Qingxiu, who was tidying up the table, paused for a moment, then continued tidying, her back slightly shaking her head.
[It's my lover's fault for trying to use my aunt's birthday gift to introduce me to my sisters, but I'm stuck in the courtyard, unable to do anything. It breaks my heart.]
Ouyang Rong shook his head vigorously:
"Didn't we agree before that I would handle things in Huaiye Lane, as long as you don't mind that I already have a woman with me?"
Zhao Qingxiu hurriedly waved her hand.
No, I don't reject it, I just feel apologetic towards that Miss Xie.
"An apology?" Ouyang Rong asked curiously.
Zhao Qingxiu bit her lip and remained silent.
He also wrote:
[My love is working so hard, I won't let him down. I will work hard too.]
Ouyang Rong assumed that her "efforts" referred to things like talismans to please her junior sister, and offered a few words of comfort.
After a short while, they lingered tenderly before preparing to leave the quiet courtyard.
Before leaving, Zhao Qingxiu stuffed the amulet into his arms.
It wasn't pinned to his waist.
Ouyang Rong understood and silently put it away.
...
I returned to the mansion in Huaiye Lane just in time for dinner.
After finishing his meal with his aunt, Ouyang Rong returned to Yinbingzhai.
He took the sword case off the carriage and brought it back with him.
Back in the courtyard, he went to the study instead of the bedroom.
At the table, Ouyang Rong opened the sword box, took out the various items, and examined them one by one.
Ouyang Rong then took out the original copy of "The Peach Blossom Spring" and two bronze short swords.
One was a simple bronze dagger given to him by Lady Rong.
There was another one, which was seized from Master Yizhi, and it had a special bloodstain on its blade.
Ouyang Rong tried placing the original copy of "The Peach Blossom Spring" with the two bronze short swords, fiddling with them for a while, and carefully observing them.
He seemed to be trying to combine two things.
The entire process was fruitless.
After studying it for a while longer without any results, Ouyang Rong shook his head.
It seems that the original bronze scroll rod of the authentic "Peach Blossom Spring" treasured by the Yuan family of Jingzhao was made of blood bronze, which must have been quite extraordinary and could not have been easily replaced by the main material of the Yunmeng Order...
Based on this, it's reasonable to guess that even Blood Bronze has different grades.
He gathered the items on the table, put them back into the Mo family sword box, and concealed his aura.
Finally, as usual, Ouyang Rong checked the merit points on the small wooden fish, opened his eyes, stood up, and left the study.
As soon as he returned to the master bedroom, the wardrobe inside was pushed open by two small, short hands.
Little Mo, with her clever mind, peeked out from the crack in the wardrobe door, her little face suspiciously scrutinizing him, her tone interrogative:
"Why are you back so early today? I hadn't fallen asleep yet, and you're already back. I don't know where you used to go gallivanting every day. I never saw you before bed. You're not going to be on dates with Xie girl every day, are you? She must be grinning from ear to ear."
Ouyang Rong didn't say anything, and pressed her little head back into the wardrobe.
"Xiao Rongzi, this is emotional abuse! It's the most hurtful thing, bar none."
"Don't shout, you won't produce spirit ink, so don't speak."
"...?"
Ouyang Rong looked slightly tired. He took off his coat and went to the bathroom to take a shower.
Miao Si poked her little head out of the wardrobe again, squinting at his back.
As night fell.
The bathroom was filled with steam and still warm, but Ouyang Rong, who had just finished showering, was nowhere to be seen.
A young woman in Confucian robes quietly appeared, ran to a bamboo basket containing dirty clothes and personal belongings, climbed up, and began searching.
"Little Rongzi, have you been hiding something from me again? You jerk, I knew something was off about you a long time ago. What good stuff is it that you won't show me..."
Miaosi jumped into the basket, buried her face in the fabric of her scholar's robe sleeve, sniffed it carefully, and muttered to herself:
"That's right, that's the smell. It smells vaguely familiar, but where is it coming from... Hmm! It's a bit like the scholarly aura of that old drunkard from hundreds of years ago. No wonder it's so familiar. But his scholarly aura wasn't strong either, it was faint and intermittent, and it was mixed with a very unfamiliar scholarly scent... No wonder I couldn't smell it the last few times, it turned out it was mixed up. I finally understand now... Strange, where is the thing? Where did he hide it? Seriously, I'm guarding against it too? Laughable, who would want that old drunkard's stinking scholarly aura..."
Miao Si pinched her nose, looked disgusted, and rummaged around for a while before her fiddling hands suddenly pulled out something.
After seeing it clearly, a look of surprise appeared on her face:
"This is... a sachet?"
As the little ink spirit opened the sachet, which was half her size, she muttered to herself:
"How come this kid has so many sachets? The worst, without a doubt. And these sachets are pretty new. Hmm, 'May we never forget each other'? Ugh, so cheesy, ugh..."
Miao Si suddenly exclaimed "Eh!" and brought her little nose closer to sniff... the ink on the paper.
...
early morning.
Xunyang Grottoes.
Rongzhen and Granny Song stood silently at the foot of the Buddha, looking up at it.
"You haven't mastered the sword technique of the guy surnamed Yu yet?"
"Um."
"Hurry up."
"Know."
"It's not that I'm rushing you, but that old fellow surnamed Yu is very unreliable. If you can't handle it, and you bring him in, who knows what kind of slacking off or other trouble he might cause. Only His Majesty can control him, but His Majesty is thousands of miles away..."
Granny Song sighed, and after a moment, continued to give instructions:
"It's best to leave this kind of matter in the hands of our Imperial Observatory. This is also an opportunity His Majesty has given you, and the Grand Master of Fate has high hopes for you."
"I understand."
Granny Song turned her head and glanced at the palace-dressed girl with her eyes lowered, and asked:
"Should we really let him know about this Buddha statue?"
Rong Zhen seemed not to hear.
The old woman with the white eyes remained silent and continued:
“Prefect Ouyang is only in charge of the construction. What use is all this knowledge? Moreover, with the Buddha statue nearing completion, the more people who know, the greater the risk. I don’t need to explain this to you, do I?”
Rongzhen finally spoke:
"It's time to talk. We'll wait for him to come today and discuss the date we set, as well as the cover-up for the outside world. Some things can't be avoided, so let's follow the procedure, do one more check, and tell him about the deployment of the Buddha statue today."
"You should do your best to keep your word and not be soft-hearted or lenient. If you are negligent, you will cause trouble in the end."
"Are you saying that the minister appointed by His Majesty to commission the statues, the scholar of the Imperial Academy, is a traitor?"
"That's not what I meant."
The two female officials from the Imperial Observatory, one old and one young, began to ask and answer questions.
Just then, a middle-aged female official rushed in from outside and called out from a short distance away:
"Ms. Shi..."
Rong Zhen frowned: "What is it?"
The middle-aged female official seemed to be Rong Zhen's confidante. She glanced at the old woman beside her, Song, and shut her mouth.
Seeing this, Granny Song chuckled, turned and walked away, making room for her.
The old woman with the disdainful eyes walked a little further away, and when she turned around at a certain moment, she saw the middle-aged female official lean close to the ear of the girl in palace attire and seem to say something.
The girl in palace attire looked surprised and confused.
Granny Song withdrew her gaze and walked towards the golden Buddha head, which was being heavily guarded by Yi Qianqiu and his men in the distance...
Led by the middle-aged female official, Rongzhen arrived at a pavilion.
She looked up and glanced at it.
Inside the pavilion was a messenger, a thin-faced man who was a complete stranger.
Rongzhen entered the pavilion, and without turning her head, said:
"You may leave."
"yes."
The middle-aged female official took a few steps back and quickly disappeared.
Only Rongzhen and the thin-faced messenger remained in the pavilion.
The slender-faced messenger clasped his hands in a respectful bow and handed over a letter.
Rongzhen frowned and accepted it.
The face-slimming messenger clasped his hands in farewell and left without uttering a word.
Rongzhen didn't stop her. She twirled the letter between two fingers, glanced at the familiar wax seal, and then slowly opened it.
She unfolded the letter, glanced at it for a while, and her originally indifferent expression gradually softened.
At one moment, the nasolabial folds on the slightly chubby cheeks of the palace-dressed girl, whose cultivation had preserved her youthful appearance, twitched slightly.
Rongzhen suddenly turned her head and looked towards Xunyang City in the distance.
The next second, the figure of the girl in palace attire disappeared into the pavilion.
Only a scrap of letter remained on the spot.
It was crushed by a jade-like hand that was clenched so tightly that its five fingers were bloodless and pale.
——————
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(End of this chapter)
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