Chapter 708 Rong Zhen: I've never seen anyone so stupid! [4k2 chapters, requesting monthly votes at the beginning of the month!]
“Ouyang Lianghan, it takes you this long to escort someone. Are you trying to see this through to the end?”
The sky was ablaze with sunset colors, and stars were already visible in the distant heavens.
In the pavilion outside the main grotto of Xunyang Grottoes, Rong Zhen spoke expressionlessly.
Ouyang Rong emerged from the darkness, entered the pavilion, and looked around.
Do you have tea?
"No," Rong Zhen replied curtly. "Where am I supposed to find you tea? And besides, I'm asking you a question. You said you'd come over after seeing people off, but do you know how long I've been waiting? If you have other things to do, just say so. You promised but didn't keep your word..."
Ouyang Rong said softly:
"I came over right after dropping someone off, but I walked here."
Rong Zhen's composure crumbled, and she frowned as she asked, "You came all the way from Xunyang Ferry?"
"Um."
Why are you walking around like that?
"I just wanted to take a walk." He paused, then added, "And also give Ali a break; he's been working really hard."
Rongzhen was both annoyed and amused after hearing this.
After a moment of silence, she observed Ouyang Rong's expression and asked:
Are you in a bad mood?
"without."
Ouyang Rong shook his head, glanced silently at the mandarin duck jade hairpins securing Rong Zhen's hair, and added, "I'm not in a bad mood."
Rong Zhen pursed her lips, and after a moment, took out a water pouch from her sleeve and tossed it to Ouyang Rong:
"No tea, but water."
Ouyang Rong looked down, his expression hesitant.
Rongzhen turned her head to the side:
"I haven't drunk it yet... just don't drink it directly from my mouth."
Ouyang Rong, without any apparent reason, followed up on that question, saying, "What if you accidentally bump your mouth?"
Rong Zhen paused for a moment, then turned and walked out of the pavilion, leaving behind a sentence:
"Are you sick?"
Ouyang Rong noticed that the girl in palace attire seemed to have very red ears.
He put away his water pouch, didn't drink any water, and followed them.
After walking for a while, Ouyang Rong became more composed and asked:
When will the senior colleague leave?
"After the celebration ceremony, he also wanted to take a look."
Ouyang Rong hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.
What he really wanted to say was, "It was you who made Mr. Yu stay and wait, otherwise, given his personality, he probably would have run away with the bucket tonight."
Ouyang Rong followed Rong Zhen, and together they walked along the misty bamboo path, soon arriving at the bamboo house where the old musician lived.
Although the Donglin Buddha statue has been secretly laid to rest, the strange white mist still lingers.
This also indicates that the smokescreen used to conceal the completion of the Buddha statue is still in effect.
Even at dusk, white mist still permeated the grottoes, and light rain often fell within the area of the twin peaks, maintaining the dampness of the rainy season.
Having spent ten days at the Xunyang Grottoes, Ouyang Rong had gotten used to it. But after returning to Xunyang City for a few days and basking in the sun, he immediately felt a significant difference upon his return.
It is estimated that only people like Rongzhen and the old musician who never left Xunyang Grottoes have become accustomed to it.
When the two arrived at the bamboo house, the old musician had already prepared the meal and set it on the table.
However, there was only one set of bowl and chopsticks on the table.
Granny Song, Yi Qianqiu, and others were not present.
It's another case of being better off arriving at the right time than arriving early.
The old musician, who had almost managed to eat alone, glanced at Ouyang Rong and Rong Zhen, whose height difference was obvious, and said in surprise:
"You two know how to be on time. Go to the kitchen and get your own bowls and chopsticks. I'm an old man with nothing to lose, so I won't stand on ceremony."
Ouyang Rong smiled and went out to get bowls and chopsticks.
Rong Zhenli sat down naturally, waiting for Ouyang Rong to bring her the food.
Ouyang Rong went to the kitchen, took out a bronze short sword from his sleeve, and looked down at it.
The bronze short sword, now back in the white mist environment, was covered with an extra layer of rust, obscuring the eerie bloodstains and making the entire sword appear much dimmer.
After observing for a while, Ouyang Rong put away the Yunmeng Token, washed the dishes, and returned to the courtyard...
After a short while, the three of them sat down and began to eat and chat.
"Is Mr. Yu going back to his hometown?"
"Um."
Where is my hometown?
Before the old musician could speak, Rongzhen answered on his behalf: "Wutong County, Cangzhou, Lingnan Circuit."
Ouyang Rong nodded:
"So you're from Lingnan, but your appearance doesn't seem like it."
The old musician smiled at Rongzhen and said, "Actually, if you hadn't looked it up, I wouldn't even know the official full name of my hometown. I only have a general impression and the common name of the village."
His face was filled with emotion, and he said to Ouyang Rong:
"I went to Chang'an when I was young and stayed in the north for a long time. The local environment shapes people, so naturally I'm like a northerner. Haha, it's a fallacy, but it sounds quite reasonable. But, young scholar, you also know about physiognomy?"
"I know a little bit."
"oh?"
The old musician seemed to take a liking to it and changed to a more upright sitting posture.
Ouyang Rong and Rong Zhen, who was biting her chopsticks, glanced at him, thinking he had something serious to say. Unexpectedly, the old musician pointed at Rong Zhen and asked in a solemn tone:
"Then, young scholar, take a look at this girl's face and see who she looks like a husband to."
Ouyang Rong: ...
Rong Zhen:?
After a short while, the old musician, who had been sternly and righteously lectured by the young woman in palace attire, quieted down and ate with a laugh.
After the meal, Ouyang Rong saw the old musician take out a strangely shaped wooden zither.
This zither has only one string.
The old musician, with childlike playfulness, fiddled with the one-stringed zither and said to Ouyang Rong:
"This was my first zither when I was young. It was a gift from my father, a carpenter. I took it with me all the way to Chang'an. Chang'an was so prosperous and dazzling that everything seemed like fleeting clouds. I forgot where I lost it in the end. I searched for it for a long time before leaving the capital."
"I never thought that now, in my old age, returning to my hometown, I would miss it so much. Xunyang has beautiful mountains, rivers, and bamboo. I couldn't resist making a batch. I plan to take it back with me. What a wonderful cycle!"
After listening, Rongzhen interjected, "Senior, you may be happy, but don't forget what you should do."
The old musician shrugged and said, "Even the emperor has issued a decree; what can I do?"
He added:
"But Rong girl, don't forget what you promised."
"I won't forget."
After leaving the bamboo house, Rongzhen saw Ouyang Rong off.
A brilliant Milky Way stretched across the night sky overhead.
Ouyang Rong asked, "What did Mr. Yu agree to?"
Rongzhen said softly, "On the day of the fifteenth anniversary celebration, the elder will play that piece again."
Ouyang Rong asked, "The seven-character quatrain and zither music from your last trip to Mount Lu?"
“That’s right.” Rong Zhen recited it again: “A lotus boat floats on the shallow bridge, the mountain cliffs cannot stop the pine trees from flowing. The pear pavilion stands in the distance, and the valley still echoes with the sound of the wind…”
Ouyang Rong asked, "Logically speaking, there are seven pieces in total. Will the senior also play the Lotus Boat Song?"
"Yes." Rongzhen nodded: "The senior said he can play it. He said that Lianzhou's piece actually existed a long time ago."
Ouyang Rong's eyes brightened slightly.
But then, remembering something, he asked:
"So, Lady Rong is pinning her hopes of mastering the essence of seven-character quatrain poetry and music on this matter?"
Rong Zhen didn't answer, but glanced at Ouyang Rong, who had promised to teach her, and suddenly said:
"The senior is actually very impressive. In his youth, he was a legend in Chang'an, with many stories to tell."
Ouyang Rong nodded: "I can tell."
Rong Zhen glanced at Ouyang Rong's unsurprised expression, gently shook her head, and remained silent, probably thinking he was just being polite.
However, she was unaware that Ouyang Rong had already discovered the old musician's identity as the swordsman.
Such a swordsman, who served as a musician in the courts of Chang'an and Luoyang, must have had a legendary life.
As they approached the farewell location, Ouyang Rong turned back and asked:
"So what did you promise the old musician?"
Rongzhen sighed softly:
"It's actually very simple. He told us not to make a big fuss about welcoming him in Wutong County, Cangzhou, and not to tell his hometown. Keep it simple, just treat him as an ordinary young man returning home... Besides that, the most important thing is... no one in the court, including the Directorate of Astronomy, can go to see him anymore."
Ouyang Rong pursed his lips.
Rongzhen turned her head and said, "You saw Wang Caozhi off today. Speaking of which, quite a few people have left recently."
Ouyang Rong asked, "Who else, besides Mr. Yu?"
Rongzhen said softly, "Princess Anhui."
Ouyang Rong immediately asked, "Is the princess returning to the capital?"
"Hmm, more or less," Rong Zhen said softly. "They might leave before the celebration."
Ouyang Rong asked calmly, "Why are you leaving so early? Aren't you going to participate in the victory celebration?"
Rongzhen shook her head:
"Perhaps they're afraid of being reminded of painful memories, like the Xingzi Lake Buddha incident... Now that the Donglin Buddha has been completed, there's no need to linger."
Ouyang Rong remained silent.
After an incense stick had burned, the two parted ways outside the Xunyang Grottoes. Before leaving, Ouyang Rong asked in a joking tone:
"Is the princess worried that something might happen on the day of the celebration?"
Rong Zhen shook her head.
Ouyang Rong heard her indifferent tone: "What could possibly be wrong?"
Ouyang Rong took a boat back to the south bank and returned to Xunyang City.
The boats on the river slowly sailed away from the area shrouded in white mist. After realizing that they had left the area, Ouyang Rong took out the "rusty" Yunmeng Token from his pocket and examined it carefully under the lamplight for a while.
The rust that was originally covering the surface was gradually fading away, restoring the luster of the bronze material.
Ouyang Rong muttered to himself:
"As expected, it restrains the Cloud Dream Order. Also... will the senior play the zither again? It seems I have no choice but to go that day. This may be the only chance to hear the Lotus Boat Melody... Whether I can fully master the Emperor Wen's Sword Technique depends on it..."
...
Holding an oil lamp, Rongzhen returned alone to the bamboo house where they had eaten dinner not long ago.
The old musician's hunched figure appeared at the doorway.
As night fell, he sat on the doorstep, holding a wooden zither with a single string in his arms.
The music of the zither was mournful.
The old musician seemed to have his eyes closed.
As the young woman in palace attire entered the bamboo courtyard, he began to speak, accompanied by the sound of a zither:
"On the day of the celebration, I will leave that zither piece inside the Buddha. After playing it one last time, I will leave. Whether you can comprehend it afterward depends on your destiny."
"Fine, at worst I'll listen to it a thousand or ten thousand times inside the Buddha's palace."
Rongzhen, with her sleeves tucked behind her, passed by the old musician and entered the house.
The old musician suddenly said, "You little rascal, aren't you being far too obvious?"
"What's obvious?"
The old musician sighed, "Don't end up like young Song, a lovelorn fool for the rest of your life."
Rong Zhen shook his head: "I don't know what you're talking about, senior."
The old musician sighed, "You are so attached to appearances, how can you break free from them?"
Rongzhen turned her head and asked, "If one does not break through this illusion, one cannot comprehend the sound of the zither?"
The old musician shook his head:
"The fact that you ask this question shows that your mind is bound by obsession. With obsession comes difficulty in seeing through things. You can't even break through your mere obsession, yet you think you can break through my music?"
Rongzhen frowned and asked:
"Senior, what is the true essence of Emperor Wen's sword technique? Why is your zither music different from the zither music recorded by our Imperial Observatory?"
The old musician smiled gently:
"Why insist on this point? What you hear is what it is. Rong girl, why do you doubt yourself and insist on finding the most correct answer? Is there really such a thing as the most correct answer in this world?"
Rongzhen shook her head: "The Grand Master of Fate said that seeking the truth is never wrong."
The old musician paused for a moment, then said softly:
"Emperor Wen's sword technique has always been based on the sound of a zither, but the sound of the zither is different for each generation. The sound of the zither is determined by the sword master."
"It was once the sound of a prosperous era, and it was also a song of battle and slaughter... Now, in my hands, it is more like a song that only a wanderer can understand... It is both optimistic and cheerful, yet lonely and desolate. Prosperity, slaughter, obsession, what do they have to do with me? Rong girl, don't you think so?"
Rong Zhen frowned: "So it was you, senior, who changed the melody without permission? What was the previous melody? Prosperous Era? Slaughter? Perhaps I would understand it better."
The old musician twitched the corner of his mouth, waved his hand, and said:
"Forget it, it's like casting pearls before swine. Some emotions are beyond the comprehension of you little kids. By the time you understand, it will be too late. Don't regret it then."
The old musician was about to go back inside when he remembered something and asked:
"By the way, last time you mentioned that Scholar Ouyang knows my zither music and even taught you some of it, is that true?"
Rongzhen nodded, then shook her head:
“Ouyang Lianghan can only play the instrument, but he doesn’t understand its essence.”
The old musician said with a smile:
"But he is indeed more perceptive than you."
Rongzhen suddenly said, "I've never seen anyone so stupid."
The old musician paused for a moment, then burst into hearty laughter.
...
late at night.
In the study of Yinbingzhai, a solitary lamp burns.
Ye Weilai was already asleep.
Spring is in full bloom, and the temperature is no longer so low after nightfall.
Ouyang Rong habitually wore an overcoat, sat at his desk, and rested his chin on his hands.
A blazing thunderbolt was placed in front of him.
The Heaven-Burning Thunder had been dismantled. Ouyang Rong used a small porcelain cup to collect some of the Heaven-Burning Flood Dragon Oil and examined it under the lamplight.
The liquid in the glass had a greenish tinge.
He poured the Burning Heaven Dragon Oil into a larger brush washer basin.
He reached out, picked up the lamp, and lit the Heaven-Burning Dragon Oil inside.
A ghostly green light bloomed before his eyes.
Completely different from the orange glow of the candles next to it.
Ouyang Rong squinted and examined it, then took a roll of Xuan paper and threw it in, making the fire burn even more fiercely.
He discovered long ago that the Burning Heaven Dragon Oil was very special; not only was the flame highly attached and powerful, but it could also float on the water and would not be easily extinguished by water.
It can be considered an essential item for murder, robbery, and disposing of corpses.
Ouyang Rong had previously planned to use it to block the river and defend against the rebels in the southwest, but after the incident involving Zhu Lingxu and his son, it was ultimately not used.
After observing for a while, Ouyang Rong discovered that no thick smoke appeared after the Xuan paper was dropped in.
"Burned so cleanly?"
He began to have some doubts.
In general, in addition to high temperature and lack of oxygen, dense smoke containing toxic gases is also a major killer in fires. However, the Burning Dragon Oil seems to burn too cleanly, producing little to no smoke. Although it is very suitable for cremating corpses and can clean them up, the lack of smoke means that a major weapon is missing.
After a moment of regret, Ouyang Rong suddenly thought of Master Zhongma, who had been trapped in the Pure Land Palace.
He was suffocated by the thick black smoke from the fire at Donglin Temple on the ground.
If it had been the Heavenly Dragon Oil that burned Donglin Temple at that time, Master Zhongma would probably have had a much better time in the underground palace.
Although it was a hellish joke, Ouyang Rong did not laugh, thus preserving his merits.
After a moment, as if he had thought of something, he narrowed his eyes slightly.
"If it can be done this way, why can't it be done that way?"
(End of this chapter)
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