Chapter 692 A Preemptive Move, Both Overt and Covert: The Grand Wife's Demeanor [Seeking Monthly Tickets]
Shoe Mountain, Maple Forest, Inside the Main Hall.
Xue Zhongzhu lowered her head and played with the large wooden Buddha carving she picked up from the sand table. After a while, she chuckled and said, "Trying to draw a tiger but ending up with a dog instead." At the same time, she picked up a piece of golden Buddha head that had been restored on the sand table with two fingers and pieced it onto the headless Buddha carving.
The palm-sized statue fits perfectly.
Xuezhongzhu did not answer the previous question, but instead raised the large wooden Buddha sculpture and gestured to Zhang Shixiu:
"Master Zhang, haven't you been asking me and my second junior sister how to preserve Yunmeng's substance while also maintaining its reputation?"
"Is that so..."
Before Zhang Shixiu could finish speaking, still in a daze, she interrupted him again.
"It's very simple."
Zhang Shixiu didn't even hear a sound before he saw a fine powder mixed with gold dust flow from between the fingers of the Yunmeng Grand Queen and dissipate into the air.
Turning his head again, he saw that the landscape of Xunyang Grottoes, which was simulated and restored on the sand table, was swept into powder by a snow-white sword aura that rose up for no reason, and vanished into thin air without a sound.
A piece of the sand table was missing out of nowhere, as if it had been completely erased by some powerful and undeniable force, without any regard for reason.
He didn't look at Du Shuqing, who was staring at the sand table in the distance, his eyelids twitching.
The blonde orchid nodded slightly.
"Wouldn't this be fine?"
...
"Where is Junior Sister?"
At the Xunyang Prince's Mansion, Ouyang Rong had just entered the study when he suddenly turned around and asked a question.
"Well, Xie Xian's niece seems to be unwell and didn't come tonight. She said she had something to discuss. Let's talk about it first, and have Guo'er relay the results and arrangements of our discussion."
Li Xian and Li Dalang exchanged a glance and replied.
Ouyang Rong paused for a moment, then looked around the study.
Wei Mei and Li Guo'er were waiting, but their junior sister was nowhere to be seen.
There were a few empty chairs in the study, presumably reserved for them. The tea on the other seats had already been brewed, but it was unclear whether the mother or daughter had poured it.
However, those fortunate enough to enter this study to discuss matters are fortunate enough to taste the tea ceremony performed by the Queen and the Little Princess.
"Tanlang?"
Seeing Ouyang Rong's somewhat lost in thought, Li Fusu couldn't help but call out to him.
"Um."
Ouyang Rong snapped out of his daze and went into the study.
He didn't sit down. Instead, he stood in front of everyone, picked up his teacup, and took a sip.
Li Xian asked with a worried expression:
"My lord, before you arrived, I heard that your Jiangzhou government issued a notice asking everyone to stay away from Xunyang City in the near future and not to approach Shuangfengjian, saying that there is a risk of flooding and that it may affect the construction of Xunyang Grottoes, so construction has been suspended for ten days. Is that true?"
Ouyang Rong nodded:
"That's true. I had the announcement drafted and released by someone."
"My love, what does this mean?"
The crowd was puzzled.
Ouyang Rong said softly:
“Rongzhen mentioned a special plan to me a few days ago.”
"A special plan? So all of today's events are part of that?"
"That's right."
Li Guo'er suddenly asked:
"Will the Buddha statue be delayed by ten days, or will it be quietly laid down during the ten days of flooding and government control?"
The study fell silent.
Li Xian, Li Fusu, and Wei Mei realized what was happening and turned to look at Ouyang Rong's expression.
He said calmly:
"When I return from there this time, the ten-day period will be over, and the situation at Xunyang Grottoes will have largely settled down. Your Highness, Prince, and Princess, please wait for me with peace of mind. I will certainly not let you down."
Upon hearing the words "the dust has settled," Li Guo'er understood and asked no further questions.
Li Fusu frowned and pondered deeply.
Li Xian and Wei Mei exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with worry.
"Tanlang, please be careful. Is it possible that we won't be able to return to the city for almost ten days?"
"Yes, during this period, the area between the two peaks will be sealed off, not even a fly can get out, let alone a person."
"Alright, Tanlang, please be careful."
Just then, Ouyang Rong curiously pointed to the flower and bird screen inside the study.
The flower and bird screen subtly divides the study into two halves.
He asked curiously, "Who gave you this screen? Why would a prince buy it?"
Li Guo'er nodded:
"This is a new gift from me to my father. What do you think? Isn't it beautiful?"
Ouyang Rong shook his head without answering, and calmly said:
"When I'm not around, Liu Lang will be responsible for reporting to the Prince and understanding the situation in the city."
"In addition, I have arranged an escape route. I have secretly prepared a boat at Xunyang Ferry, and the evacuation route has been planned so that I can pick you up if necessary..."
Ouyang Rong spoke eloquently, causing Li Xian, Li Guo'er, and others to glance at him sideways.
"Finally, there's one more thing."
Ouyang Rong put down his teacup and spoke.
Li Xian seemed to know what the previous sentence meant, and he continued to ask:
"Please speak, what other plans does my lord have?"
"Transfer Li Congshan and Miaozhen away. These two cannot remain in the Xunyang Prince's Mansion, especially while I am not here."
Everyone frowned and looked at the rather bold Ouyang Rong:
"But they were acting on imperial orders, so is it inappropriate to forcibly transfer them away?"
Ouyang Rong said softly:
“What’s wrong with that? Even if we ask Luoyang for permission, it will take time on the way. Give us plenty of time to find a suitable excuse.”
"Well, let's transfer them tonight. I've brought the governor's seal, and the prince has taken out his seal. We'll send out the handwritten letters we've prepared. How dare they disobey? If they do, they're up to no good. We'll have a way to deal with them."
"I actually discussed this matter with Lady Rong beforehand. One thing that's been confirmed is that she can tacitly agree to let Miao, Li Congshan, and the others return to the grotto, just like me, regarding the blockade of Shuangfengjian. Also, she can be a little more lenient about the time it takes for me to arrive..."
Ouyang Rong finished explaining in detail.
The Li family listened attentively.
After speaking, Ouyang Rong put down his teacup, took his leave, and departed.
"It's getting late. I need to report to Xunyang Grottoes first thing tomorrow morning, so I'll head back now."
"good."
"Tanlang, be careful walking at night."
He was in a hurry and didn't sit down at all.
Everyone watched his tall, slender figure disappear into the distance.
"My love, wait a moment."
Li Dalang suddenly called out to Ouyang Rong.
The latter paused slightly, without turning around:
"What is it?"
Li Dalang stared at Ouyang Rong's retreating figure for a while, then asked:
"Won't it be dangerous for you to be stationed at Xunyang Grottoes this time? You might face those rebels from the Jianghu in the south at any moment?"
Ouyang Rong shook his head:
"It's nothing, what's meant to happen will happen."
"Big Brother, you, Junior Sister, and Master Lu stay here in the Prince's Mansion and protect the Prince and Princess. Don't worry about things outside, I'll take care of them."
Li Dalang knew what his friend meant by asking him to protect him. He took a deep breath, and words welled up in his throat. He was about to speak when Li Guo'er pulled him back.
Ouyang Rong strode away.
Only the group of people, each burdened with their own thoughts, remained in the study.
As Ouyang Rong walked out of the palace gate and got into the carriage, he glanced at the large red lanterns at the entrance.
After hesitating for a moment, I didn't go to her.
He glanced at the deep night, lowered his eyes slightly, and boarded the carriage.
He took out a fully filled sword box, placed it across his knees, and sat up listlessly.
At one point, he murmured softly:
"Emperor Wen... Emperor Wen... What is Emperor Wen... Where did that old senior hide the missing Lotus Boat Melody from the sword manual...?"
Before long, Ouyang Rong looked at the Xunyang Grottoes in the distance, his eyes brightening again.
"Let's go back to the mansion in Huaiye Lane first."
"Yes, young master."
...
"He's already gone, why aren't you coming out?"
Inside the empty study.
All that remained was the silhouette of a young woman in a light pink ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) with plum blossom makeup.
Li Xian and the others had all left.
Li Guo'er lowered her head to tidy up the teacups as she spoke.
A young woman in red emerged from behind the screen.
Li Guo'er noticed that Xie Lingjiang looked somewhat dazed, and she wondered what she was thinking.
Li Guo'er asked calmly:
"Why aren't you seeing him? He's about to leave."
Xie Lingjiang said, "It's just going to Xunyang Grottoes, it's not far."
Li Guo'er pointed out:
"But it's dangerous. Who knows if the two sides will start fighting within the next ten days, leaving him alone there."
Li Guo'er noticed that the Xie family sister's jade-like hand, which was placed on her abdomen while she was sitting upright, seemed to tremble slightly. A look of worry appeared on her face, which seemed to want to say something but couldn't, mixed with a look of loss and regret... Her expression became more and more complicated.
"If you want to go, then go. Why hesitate? Even if you believe he can come back safely, what if he doesn't? Can you afford to gamble?"
"I didn't want to say much about your trivial matter, but I just can't stand people like you who are so indecisive and hesitant in your actions. Why be so conflicted? Just love if you love, and hate if you hate. Isn't it simple?"
Xie Lingjiang pursed her lips:
"I don't want to see him."
Li Guo'er praised, "Good, then let's not see each other, never see each other again, that's fine."
"No, I just don't want to see him right now. I'm afraid I won't be able to resist beating him up."
Li Guo'er nodded again: "Okay, we'll see each other now, and talk about it later."
Xie Lingjiang suddenly asked, looking lost in thought:
"Tell me, should I have gone to see him just now?"
Li Guo'er's pretty face finally broke down:
"Do whatever you want."
Xie Lingjiang shook her head: "You don't understand."
"I don't understand? I... that's true, I don't understand men, but I do know how to make myself feel at ease."
How comfortable is it?
Li Guo'er casually flicked her sleeve:
"I disagree with you. I think it's fine for a man to have several concubines. Which of the great men in history didn't have three wives and four concubines? But that didn't stop them from being remembered in history. This shows that outstanding men always have many beautiful women and are surrounded by admirers, which also proves that they are indeed outstanding. Otherwise, why would so many women be vying for them..."
"Of course, I was just saying it offhand, and I don't know if it's right or wrong. But since that's how people think, I'm naturally more tolerant of it and take it as normal. On the contrary, I feel..."
"What do you think?"
“You’re being a bit petty. Besides, that embroiderer was the one who arrived first. Strictly speaking, you met Ouyang Lianghan later. What’s there to argue about?”
Xie Lingjiang immediately said, "I don't blame the embroiderer sister."
"Then who do you blame? Ouyang Lianghan."
Xie Lingjiang didn't answer. After a moment of silence, she said softly:
What you said makes some sense.
Li Guo'er asked with a smile, "Only a trace?"
Xie Lingjiang pursed her lips, gazing blankly at the distant night.
Just then, she heard the young woman with plum blossom makeup mutter beside her:
"Actually, every time I hear you talk about these things, I feel like you're the one who's conflicted a lot. What Ouyang Lianghan did wasn't anything special, but the way he cared about you actually made him seem like a good man..."
Xie Lingjiang asked, "What did you say?"
"nothing."
Li Guo'er clapped her hands, turned and left.
Xie Lingjiang sat alone, utterly alone.
...
Before dawn, Ouyang Rong arrived near Xingzi Lake.
That night, he returned to his residence in Huaiye Lane and made arrangements, having his aunt and others pack their luggage in advance, ready to leave Xunyang City with the people from the Prince's Mansion and travel by boat.
Approaching the quiet courtyard, Ouyang Rong first went to see someone.
"Young master."
Wearing a black veiled hat, Pei Shisan Niang gracefully boarded the carriage and bowed respectfully.
Ouyang Rongxu helped her up and asked:
Is your face feeling better?
"Hmm." Pei Shisan Niang lifted the black veil covering her face and smiled sweetly: "Thank you for the ointment, young master. The swelling has gone down and I feel much better."
Ouyang Rong glanced at it, slightly distracted, and gave instructions on preparing boats at Xunyang Ferry and the retreat route to Longcheng County.
Pei Shisan Niang noticed that her young master's mind was wandering. She took the letter he handed her and sensibly took her leave. Before leaving, she looked at the courtyard of the embroiderer in front of her and sighed softly...
After sitting quietly for a while, Ouyang Rong got up and stepped down from the carriage.
He took a deep breath.
Step into the quiet courtyard.
"Huh?"
Zhao Qingxiu was in her room, seemingly puzzled by his arrival that morning.
Ouyang Rong smiled and ate breakfast porridge with her.
The Xunyang Grottoes were not mentioned at all during the interview.
"I may have to go out to take care of some things. I'll be back in about ten days. Embroiderer, please wait for me. Madam Pei will come to keep you company every day."
"Um."
After a pause, Zhao Qingxiu took the initiative to write:
It's been several days. How is Sister Xie doing? Has Tanlang managed to speak with her? Has he managed to appease her?
Ouyang Rong was silent for a moment, then said:
"Soon. She's been busy lately, and so am I. Let me finish what I'm doing, okay?"
"Um."
Zhao Qingxiu responded, her little face showing some curiosity.
What's the rush? You have to leave right away.
Ouyang Rong glanced at the seemingly clueless embroiderer, then after a moment, he placed a bite of food on her plate and chuckled softly.
"It's a small matter, I'll be relieved once it's done. My aunt's birthday banquet is next..."
Zhao Qingxiu didn't ask any more questions and listened attentively.
Before long, after settling the embroiderer in, Ouyang Rong left the courtyard and strode away.
The courtyard quieted down.
After dawn, the first rays of sunlight fell on the great river.
Zhao Qingxiu tidied up the yard, washed some clothes, and then carried the wooden bucket to the clothesline to dry them.
Just then, she suddenly heard a rhythmic knocking sound.
Zhao Qingxiu immediately went over and opened the courtyard gate.
A familiar female aura wafted towards me.
Zhao Qingxiu couldn't help but tilt her head.
"Eeya ya?"
"Yes, it's me." He paused, then asked, "Has your sister eaten?"
Xie Lingjiang, standing at the door, spoke the first words.
Zhao Qingxiu immediately nodded: "Yes."
"I haven't eaten yet, can you make me some?"
With that, Xie Lingjiang lowered her head and walked into the courtyard, showing no politeness whatsoever.
But Zhao Qingxiu was pleasantly surprised and quickly went to the kitchen to prepare a meal for her.
"Uh-huh."
Xie Lingjiang couldn't help but remind her, "Be careful, don't fall. Never mind, I'll do it."
Zhao Qingxiu, of course, wouldn't let Xie Lingjiang cook herself, and gently pushed her out of the kitchen.
Xie Lingjiang didn't insist, and stayed in the courtyard, silently looking around.
Her gaze lingered on several men's scholar's robes on the clothes rack...
(End of this chapter)
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