Chapter 741 Hmm, she's a virgin, and then what about her wife? [Seeking monthly votes!]
"Is this really true?"
Lu Ya asked in surprise.
Li Guo'er observed his subtle expressions, then gently shook her head:
"Fortunately, you must have left first and avoided running into them... Those river pirates have already seized an official boat and headed south. They could reach Xun at any time. From now on, the waterway leading to Hukou County is extremely dangerous. You might run into the pirates' blades. In a river battle, it would be extremely difficult to defeat them. You would become lambs to the slaughter."
Wei Mei suddenly asked, "Doesn't that mean our waterway to Longcheng County is also blocked? Longcheng County is in the same direction as Hukou County."
That's right.
Li Xian said with admiration:
"No wonder when Tanlang left this morning, he didn't mention the waterway to Dragon City at all, and directly told us to prepare iced drinks."
Li Guo'er and Xie Lingjiang, the two women, were standing in front of a large map in the center of the study, their heads bowed, each examining it.
Li Guo'er's slender finger glided smoothly down the river on the map, pausing at a point between Xiushuifang, where the Xunyang Prince's Mansion was located, and Mount Kuanglu. She murmured in admiration:
"Thanks to him, he planned ahead and prepared a new route. He had just proposed expanding the ice caves and transporting ice blocks, which we initially thought was unnecessary..."
Xie Lingjiang nodded emphatically, her clear voice ringing out: "Senior Brother never does anything in vain, Your Highness. Now that the restrictions on the Prince's Palace have been lifted, let's continue along the path Senior Brother arranged before he left, and go to Yinbing..."
Everyone agreed and immediately headed out. Just then, Wei Mei, who was walking at the back, looked around and suddenly asked:
"Wait, where's Dalang?"
Everyone stopped in front of the door, their faces blank with surprise.
Wasn't it just here a moment ago?
"Did you go to pour tea?"
"Ask Uncle Shun if he saw it; he might have gone back to the yard to pack his things..."
The crowd chattered amongst themselves, but after searching in vain, they summoned Uncle Shun and the stewards to search the area.
Half an hour later, there was still no clue, and the person was not in the inner courtyard.
Li Xian frowned deeply, while Wei Mei paced anxiously.
"Where did Dalang go at this crucial moment?!"
Li Guo'er frowned, pondered for a moment, then stepped forward in front of everyone and whispered a few words to Shunbo.
Uncle Shun looked surprised, but obeyed and went out. Not long after, the old steward returned, trembling, with a stable manager behind him.
The steward knelt down with a thud and kowtowed heavily, saying:
"The young master just rushed to the stables, seized a fast horse, and went out. He said he was going to Xunyang Ferry to stop someone and settle things. He said he would regret it for a long, long time if he didn't go... The young master also said that Your Highness and Your Highness should not worry, as Military Advisor Yan is there and there is no danger for the time being..."
The group looked at each other in bewilderment.
They dared to take the initiative and sneak out.
This is something that Dalang, who is usually timid and honest, could do.
The atmosphere inside the Prince's study was somewhat quiet.
Li Xian stood there with several women.
It's obvious without even guessing who Li Dalang went to see.
They had known about Wei Anhui's departure by boat for several days, but news from Hukou County later confirmed the Guanyin Temple incident, which greatly reduced the vigilance and attention of Ouyang and the Wangfu people. In addition, the situation this morning was so rapidly changing that everyone hadn't paid attention and almost forgot about it.
Looking at it now, it seems that Li Dalang still remembers him.
The stable manager continued stammering:
"The young master also said that if the situation is urgent, Your Highness, you can go drink ice first. He will come back after fulfilling his wish. The young master also said that he still remembers the magic technique taught by Master Lu."
After delivering the message, the steward kept his mouth shut, not daring to break the gradually solidifying atmosphere around him.
Li Xian's square face was ashen.
"Ni, Ni Zi."
The once leisurely prince spat out a few words through gritted teeth, his chest heaving, clearly quite angry.
Wei Mei remained silent throughout, gently patting Li Xian's back to soothe him.
Even though she dotes on her eldest son, she can't say a word right now.
Li Guo'er looked somewhat surprised and gazed towards the door.
Xie Lingjiang looked astonished.
Li Xian slammed his hand on the table with a loud "bang":
"You unfilial son! I have no such beastly son! Tanlang had planned everything so well, but he just had to botch it up and fall behind. Tanlang is still out there protecting everyone, risking his life on the front lines, and this little beast, at this crucial moment, runs off to find some wild woman! It's all Wei's fault... fault..."
Li Xian choked on his words, swallowing back the word "troublemaker" to the last breath. Perhaps he remembered that there was also a "Wei family woman" at the highest level of the Luoyang court, who was also his mother, so he dared not curse her along with him.
However, after the pause, he became increasingly anxious, his face turned red, his body swayed, and the table creaked.
"Seventh Brother," Wei Mei called out with concern.
Lu Ya, who had been silent all along, stepped forward, grabbed Li Xian's hand, and pretended to take his pulse. After a moment, he shook his head at everyone, then took out a small pill from his sleeve, which emitted a calming fragrance. He handed it to Wei Mei and asked her to give it to Li Xian with water. The latter immediately complied.
"When the emperor was deposed, Your Highness suffered a seizure. It would be best for you to cultivate your character and avoid getting angry..."
Lu Ya nodded and gave his instructions, then, after a moment's thought, uttered some rare words of comfort:
"Furthermore, Your Highness, do not worry. Since the Heir Apparent said he would memorize the incantation, he does have some sense of crisis and is not being too reckless. Also, Military Advisor Yan is over there..."
Li Xian didn't answer, drank some water, swallowed the pill, brushed Wei Mei's arm away, and glared at her, saying:
"It's all because you spoiled her!"
Wei Mei's eyebrows immediately furrowed, but before she could speak, Xie Lingjiang frowned and asked first:
"There's a problem. Did someone instigate the Crown Prince? Based on his past behavior, he doesn't seem like the kind of person who would dare to do something like this."
After these words were spoken, the atmosphere fell silent for a moment.
Li Guo'er picked up her teacup and quickly took a sip.
Xie Lingjiang turned to look at her, but then someone stepped forward and said apologetically:
"It was my fault. I unintentionally mentioned Princess Anhui to my eldest son. When I disembarked at Xunyang Ferry, I saw Princess Anhui's carriage enter the ferry..."
"Boundless Heavenly Venerable, it was I who spoke out of turn. I was unaware of the entanglement between the young master and that side."
Xie Lingjiang and the others looked at him.
Li Xian swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.
Li Guo'er glanced sideways quietly.
"Since things have come to this, let's not argue anymore and think about how to deal with it."
Upon hearing Li Guo'er put down her teacup, everyone stepped forward and said calmly:
"Brother, you probably went there this time to report the danger to Wei Anhui. Not many people know about the unusual movements of the river pirates in Hukou County this morning. We are among the first to know."
"If what Master Lu saw is true, at this critical juncture, Wei Anhui's carriage is still heading towards Xunyang Ferry. It is reasonable to speculate that she may not know the truth yet, or she is still following the original plan to leave Xunyang and go to Guanyin Temple in Hukou County to worship Buddha."
"But as mentioned earlier, our route to Longcheng County is already dangerous, not to mention Wei Anhui's journey straight to Hukou County, where it's easy to encounter river pirates."
"After learning the news from Master Lu, my brother must have been worried about this, which is why he went to intercept them. My brother probably didn't mean to disobey his parents. He is kind-hearted and wanted to save people."
Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent.
Even in moments of leisure, there is silence.
Until Xie Lingjiang sighed softly and spoke:
"The Crown Prince is still kind-hearted; he meant well but did something wrong."
"Wait, going to Guanyin Temple to worship Buddha? Is it Guanyin Temple in Phoenix Ridge, Hukou County?"
Li Guo'er tilted her head and said:
"That's right, it was Wei Anhui's original schedule... What's the meaning of Master Lu's expression? Is something wrong?"
Lu Ya's expressionless face showed a hint of emotion, and he hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped himself.
"I don't know much about it either, but before I returned from Hukou County, Manager Wang, one of Young Master Ouyang's subordinates, persuaded me to stay and went to Guanyin Temple. We staked out the place in the middle of the night and arrested a group of people..."
Xie Lingjiang immediately pressed, "Who are they? And where are these people? Where is Wang Caozhi? Does Senior Brother know about this?"
Lu Ya shook his head:
"I didn't ask for specifics, but Brother Wang took the suspect and got off the boat at Shuangfengjian Ferry early to go find Young Master Ouyang. You just said that he left the city this morning and went there, so we should be able to run into him."
Xie Lingjiang and Li Guo'er exchanged a glance and murmured:
"The people Wang Caozhi led you to capture at Guanyin Temple..."
"Your Highness, Your Highness, Miss Xie! Someone has arrived from Huaiye Lane."
Uncle Shun's figure returned suddenly and appeared at the door to report.
Upon hearing the words "Huaiye Lane," Li Xian immediately stood up:
"Who? Who is it?"
Xie Lingjiang immediately cast a concerned glance at her.
"It was a maid sent by Madam Zhen. She came to inquire with the Prince and Miss Xie, asking if they had seen Xiu Niang. She said that Xiu Niang was missing and they couldn't find her even after searching the entire mansion. Miss Ye over there said that she brought Xiu Niang to the Prince's mansion this morning to look for Tan Lang. Xiu Niang wanted to see him, but they couldn't find him."
Everyone was taken aback. Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, Li Guo'er immediately said:
"It was Dalang who received them in the morning and told them that Ouyang Lianghan had gone to Shuangfengjian."
Xie Lingjiang frowned, looking worried:
"There are two possibilities: either the people from Yunmeng Jianze have come looking for us, or the embroiderer sister came to the Prince's Mansion looking for someone but couldn't find them, so she went to Shuangfengjian instead."
Li Guo'er analyzed the situation calmly:
"Now that I think about it, it's a bit strange that the embroiderer came to Ouyang Lianghan so early in the morning. It might not be for some sweet talk, but rather that she had something to say. Considering today's situation, it's very likely that it's related to the Buddha's celebration. She might know something, and with the unusual activity of the water bandits this morning... Yunmeng Sword Swamp is very likely to really take action against the Buddha today."
She turned to Xie Lingjiang and said:
"From this perspective, the Embroidery Girl's visit to Ouyang Lianghan might be to deliver a message, which is not necessarily a bad thing. With the Embroidery Girl's connections, the Yue women of Yunmeng Sword Marsh might be more lenient towards Ouyang Lianghan."
Xie Lingjiang pondered for a moment, then nodded slightly, the worry on her face lessening.
The woman in red, who was closest to the door, turned around and directly instructed Uncle Shun:
"Take this message with you and have the maid return to Huaiye Lane to tell Aunt Zhen that the embroiderer is not in the Prince's Mansion, but don't worry about her or frantically search for her. First, pack up the important belongings of Tanlang's family and wait for news. The situation in Xunyang may change today, so let them wait and see."
"Received, Your Majesty!"
After Xie Lingjiang gave her detailed instructions, Uncle Shun bowed and withdrew.
Xie Lingjiang turned around and said:
"We can't wait any longer. Senior Brother finally persuaded Rong Zhen to gather the warrants and help us transfer the White Tiger Guards away. Now that we have a rare window of opportunity, let's proceed according to the pre-prepared plan and adapt to the situation."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Xie Lingjiang drew his sword, preparing to leave, when he inexplicably said:
"Then we'll split into two groups. You go drink ice, and I'll go with Master Lu..."
"No, we'll split into three routes."
Li Guo'er interrupted her crisp voice. Under the questioning gazes of Xie Lingjiang and the others, she pondered for a moment and carefully made her plans:
"Sister Xie, let's proceed according to the original plan, but we'll separate Master Lu. Master Lu wasn't originally part of the plan that Ouyang Lianghan and we agreed on. Why don't we have him go to Xunyang Ferry now to find my brother and see if he can bring him back?"
Li Xian and Wei Mei immediately nodded in agreement:
"That makes sense. We need to go pick up Dalang."
Xie Lingjiang pondered for a moment, then nodded:
“Alright, but Master Lu will be coming to meet me later after he brings the person back. We can’t all stay together. He’s a mid-level Qi Refiner… This is something my senior brother specifically instructed me to do.”
The Li family exchanged glances and nodded in agreement.
Lu Ya asked in confusion, "Why is that? I'm not here. What if something happens to Your Highness and the Princess?"
Xie Lingjiang insisted on shaking her head:
"This is our senior brother's instruction, and we must listen to him."
Lu Ya pondered for a moment, then said:
"If the young master is found, I may leave temporarily, leaving the young master behind."
Xie Lingjiang shook her head again: "Regardless of whether the young master can be found or not, Master Lu will come to find me."
Lu Ya and Xie Lingjiang looked at each other, the former's brows gradually furrowing, while the latter's gaze remained fixed.
Li Xian then spoke up, tugging at Lu Ya's arm:
"Master Lu, regardless of whether you think Tanlang's words are right or wrong, you must be cautious in questioning them. In the past, there have been many times when we initially thought Tanlang was wrong or overthinking things, but looking back, we found that he was right."
Lu Ya paused for a moment, and Li Guo'er beside him nodded slightly.
Lu Ya hesitated for a moment, then nodded under Xie Lingjiang's gaze. He asked curiously:
"Miss Xie hasn't said where we're going yet? And what's the meaning of 'drinking ice'?"
Xie Lingjiang remained silent, dressed in red and carrying a sword. He walked to the table, picked up a bowl of freshly drawn mung bean soup from the ice cave, and drank it all in one gulp.
...
Outside the twin peaks.
Inside a waiting carriage in the woods.
The two embraced.
Feeling the strength of the embroiderer's arm, Ouyang Rong asked with a gentle smile:
"What's wrong? Why did you suddenly come looking for me? Uh, it can't just be to hug me, can it?"
Zhao Qingxiu buried her face in his arms for a while.
Without looking up, she grabbed his hand and wrote in his palm:
I just miss you.
Ouyang Rong shook his head, his tone sharp and calm:
"No, it can't be just for that reason. Although that reason is also quite valid, there must be other reasons. Because the embroiderer is not a willful woman; she is considerate of others. And of course, the embroiderer knows that I am very busy right now."
He chuckled as he finished speaking, then gently patted her head, which was buried in his chest, and said:
"Tell me honestly, what's the matter that made you come all this way?"
Zhao Qingxiu was quiet for a while. She had just written the word "I" in his palm with her finger when she paused and drew a circle, as if she was hesitating.
Ouyang Rong loosely clenched his fist, grasped Zhao Qingxiu's fingers as she wrote, and cupped her absent-minded face in one hand, saying:
"Tell me the problem, and I'll solve it."
Those few simple words made Zhao Qingxiu's eyelashes tremble beneath the ribbon.
She suddenly ripped off the blue ribbon that blindfolded her, and in front of him, she tilted her small, delicate face up like a lotus emerging from water. Her eyes were dull and lifeless, yet she seemed to be "gazing" at him very seriously, like a lost traveler in the dark trying to see a single light ahead with wide eyes and straining their vision.
Zhao Qingxiu no longer hesitated and wrote:
[I am Yue Nu, my true identity is Yue Chuzi of the Yunmeng Sword Marsh generation, the seventh-ranked Queen of the Queen's Palace, and the first successor to the future Yuanjun. The family members I mentioned to you are actually my senior sisters. You should have heard of their titles as Queens. The government of Jiangnan is looking for them.]
After she finished writing the line of words, she immediately felt a pang of regret. Her slender little hands clenched into fists as she wrote. But then, in her tense and focused state, Zhao Qingxiu clearly heard the breathing of the young man in the scholar's robe in front of her. His breathing was very even, just as usual, without any sign of becoming more rapid.
She couldn't help but wonder if she had written so quickly that her lover hadn't recognized the words. So the pretty young woman lowered her head again and carefully wrote it all over again, stroke by stroke.
After putting down her pen, Zhao Qingxiu vaguely sensed that the young man in the scholar's robe in front of her seemed to tilt his head in thought for a moment, before asking in a gentle voice:
"Why write it twice? Is there anything I missed or didn't mention if I rewrite it?"
He paused for a moment, then gently rubbed her disheveled hair with a warm smile, causing the icy white jade hairpin in her hair to make a crisp, tinkling sound.
In the dimly lit carriage, his slightly magnetic voice seemed even louder and more deafening than the sound of jade clashing together:
"Yes, it's the Virgin Yue, the future Primordial Ruler, and then what?"
Zhao Qingxiu's small face was blank, her slender body was nailed to the seat, still like a puppet, letting his broad palm roam freely and... pinch her face.
That's right, someone has already started customizing the character's appearance.
Ouyang Rong gently pinched the baby fat on the right cheek of this Yue maiden and future ruler with two fingers, and asked her softly and repeatedly:
"And then, honey? Hmm, you keep writing, I'm reading."
In her seat, a blush gradually appeared on the small face of the blind and mute girl.
Scorching hot, like fire and rosy clouds.
(End of this chapter)
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