Chapter 826 Rongzhen: That Broken Hairpin
"Here you go. One of them is for healing. I heard that as long as you have a breath left, it can keep you alive. Although it can't bring someone back to life or heal wounds, it can save your life in critical moments."
"There's another one, given to me by the Taiqing Sect Leader of Longhu Mountain. He said it's some kind of golden pill that can help with cultivation..."
Li Guo'er lowered her eyes and said.
Ouyang Rong suddenly said:
"This is the Transcendent Golden Pill, refined from the Six-Winged Celestial Cicada. It can improve one's Qi Refining talent. Although I heard that the rare Six-Winged Celestial Cicada was turned into three Transcendent Golden Pills by True Person Gezaoshan, this should be one of them, or one-third of the medicinal effect. But do you know how precious it is? Just one pill can allow an ordinary mortal to successfully refine Qi and achieve some success. Two pills can grant one outstanding root bones, superior Qi Refining talent, and be noticed and nurtured by Qi Refining sects. As for consuming all three... one can directly join the ranks of the top prodigies on the mountain."
"oh?"
She tilted her head, her tone somewhat casual.
Ouyang Rong put the golden-patterned pill back into the pill box, raised his head, and looked serious:
"Does anyone else know about this pill? Did you tell your junior sister?"
"without."
Li Guo'er shook her head:
"It was given to me by the head of Longhu Mountain through Lu Ya, and he has not told anyone else about it."
Ouyang Rong instructed:
"Don't tell anyone about this in the future. Keep this a secret."
Li Guo'er turned her head and carefully examined Ouyang Rong's undisguisedly moved expression, then softly recited:
"It seems to be very useful to you. You did make a good choice with this gift."
Ouyang Rong suddenly threw something away.
Li Guo'er instinctively caught it.
Looking down, I saw a small gourd.
He had just hidden it behind his back.
Ouyang Rong said in a serious tone:
"Remembering there is still one pot left, Your Highness, please drink carefully and do not tell the Prince and Princess."
Li Guo'er: ...
Beside the campfire, Princess Meihua gave a soft "humph," and without saying a word, pulled out the cork, tilted her head back, and poured the wine.
Ouyang Rong subconsciously said, "Don't just say it out loud, leave a little bit."
"You have to say it."
Li Guo'er rolled her eyes at him, and Ouyang Rong was slightly taken aback, as he rarely saw this little princess show such a girlish side.
The yellowish, cloudy wine entered the fair throat.
The young woman drank the wine in large gulps, displaying a surprisingly bold spirit.
Ouyang Rong glanced at it a couple more times.
Li Guo'er suddenly put down her wine gourd, and with a finger raised from the hand holding the gourd, she gestured to the distance: "Sister Xie is in my tent. I asked her to come and deliver the sachet, but she refused."
Ouyang Rong couldn't help but turn his head and look at the former tent of his junior sister, where the lights had already been turned off.
It turns out that the junior sister hadn't slept; she had just changed her sleeping spot.
Li Guo'er said directly:
"If you go looking for me, I will avoid you."
Ouyang Rong remained silent, staring down at the pill box.
Just as Li Guo'er thought he was about to agree, Ouyang Rong suddenly pointed to the pill box with two small holes and said:
"The box bears the Taiqing seal of Longhu Mountain. This pill box is specially supplied by Longhu Mountain. Judging from the position inside, it should have originally contained two pills. And this healing pill looks to be from Gezao Mountain."
He looked at Li Guo'er and asked:
"Besides this Transcendent Golden Pill, did the Celestial Master's Mansion send another pill? What kind of pill is it?"
Li Guo'er glanced at him but didn't say anything.
Ouyang Rong smiled and asked:
"Guess if there are two Transcendent Golden Pills?"
The two looked at each other for a moment, then Li Guo'er suddenly laughed:
“Ouyang Lianghan, sometimes you’re so smart it’s annoying.”
Having already taken one pill, Ouyang Rong didn't mince words: "Has Your Highness taken it?"
Li Guo'er remained calm:
"I plan to save that one for the sword master of the Night-Shining Pearl Cauldron Sword."
Ouyang Rong nodded:
"The 'Return to the Homeland' is a sword technique, and it is also with Your Highness."
Li Guo'er nodded: "Yes, this sword manual will eventually be given to the sword master of the Night-Shining Pearl Cauldron Sword."
Ouyang Rong: "Your Highness, who do you think should wield the Night-Shining Pearl Sword?"
Li Guo'er nodded again:
"We'll have to wait until they reach the ninth rank of Qi Refining before we can test their true names."
Ouyang Rong quieted down.
Their eyes met, and neither looked away.
In the middle, a flame burned quietly, occasionally spitting out tongues of fire.
Ouyang Rong stared at her and asked, word by word:
"Why did Your Highness think its real name was '曌'? A newly created character."
Li Guo'er tilted her head: "Didn't I tell you? I had a dream where you were a benefactor, and the gifts you gave me were all extraordinary, including the calligraphy."
Ouyang Rong laughed loudly:
"I've had some free time these past two days, and I've been thinking about all sorts of things. I've come up with another possibility. Would Your Highness like to hear it?"
Li Guo'er looked on with great interest: "Go ahead and tell me."
He half-jokingly said:
"Perhaps Your Highness is a person with a strong temper, which is why you have such a reaction."
Upon hearing this, Li Guo'er frowned slightly and murmured:
"Is he a hot-tempered person? But what good is it? My father and mother forbid me from practicing Qi cultivation. When I get to Luoyang, I should avoid trouble, keep a low profile and be docile. So what if I'm hot-tempered? So what if I'm hot-tempered?"
Ouyang Rong narrowed his eyes:
"When the arrows struck that day, Your Highness and the Princess were strangely moved together. Did you notice anything unusual?"
"No, it doesn't hurt or itch at all. What, did you find the cause?"
Ouyang Rong nodded: "There are two possibilities. One, the sword is spiritual and protects those who are destined to be with it; two, it already has a master."
Li Guo'er waved her little hand:
"You must be joking."
Ouyang Rong looked at her silently for a while, then said softly:
"Alright, the sword manual and pills are yours, but you must guarantee that this cauldron sword belongs to our people?"
“Of course.” Li Guo’er nodded somewhat seriously: “It will definitely be in our hands, even if we have to offer it up.”
Ouyang Rong asked, "Do you know why the Prince won't let you cultivate Qi?"
Li Guo'er nodded:
“I know. Royal family members are not allowed to cultivate Qi. Otherwise, that's what happened to the mad emperor who followed the dynasty back then. He became madder the more he cultivated. He was wise and powerful in his early years, but he became muddleheaded and stubborn in his later years, and he ruined the country.”
Even the Sage, when he wanted to mobilize the power of the Cauldron Sword, did so indirectly by constructing the Peach Blossom Sword Formation, such as the Four Great Buddhas and the Praise Heavenly Pivot.
"Just so you know."
Li Guo'er asked with a smile:
"So you ruled out the possibility of your brother cultivating Qi from the beginning, and never even thought of him being the sword wielder of the Night-Shining Pearl Cauldron Sword."
"Um."
Ouyang Rong nodded, pursed his lips, and continued:
"Your Highness and Princess Consort do not want you to cultivate Qi, not only because they hope for your stable and wealthy life, but also because princesses of the Great Zhou Dynasty cannot cultivate Qi, just like Princess Chang Le. Unless one becomes a nun or leaves the royal family to join a sect that is open to the world or hidden from the world, away from the center of power, one can cultivate to one's heart's content. Your Highness and Princess Consort are also afraid that you will be disliked by the Sage. After all, Rongzhen and Miaozhen, the female historians, both said that you resemble the Sage in his youth, so you should be the easiest to please the Sage. The portrait of you that was sent to the Imperial Clan Court is still hanging in Shangyang Palace."
Li Guo'er said softly, "I know. I don't want to become a nun either. I don't blame my father and mother."
Ouyang Rong's eyes held a hint of something deeper.
A moment later, Li Guo'er glanced at the woods beside her, then got up and left.
"Someone is looking for you. Don't forget about Sister Xie, or she'll keep bothering me and preventing me from sleeping again."
After Li Guo'er left, a young girl in palace attire slowly walked out of the woods.
She went to the campfire and sat down directly opposite Ouyang Rong.
Ouyang Rong coughed and asked:
What brings you here?
Rongzhen retorted, "I was just taking a walk. What were you talking about with her in the middle of the night? A lone man and a lone woman."
"Is your walk causing insomnia? No wonder your tent fire wasn't turned off."
Rong Zhen glanced at him sideways: "You know I haven't slept?"
"Um."
"You weren't asleep either."
"right."
"Then why don't you come to me? Didn't you say you wanted to sleep with me? I mean, don't you have anything to say to me?"
Ouyang Rong thought for a moment, then said, "Yes."
Rong Zhen immediately said, "You speak."
Ouyang Rong probed:
"good evening?"
"..."
Rong Zhen's face turned cold; she didn't want to talk to him anymore.
Ouyang Rong immediately straightened his face:
"I won't forget to go to the lantern festival with you on the Lantern Festival, but there are still six months until the Lantern Festival."
"Um."
After Rongzhen responded, she silently took out a long zither.
Ouyang Rong thought it looked familiar; it seemed to have been left behind by the old musician.
They left her a zither and Ouyang Rong a pipa.
Rongzhen whispered:
"Time is running out, I can't hold a grudge against you any longer, I will now perform the sword technique."
Before Ouyang Rong could react, a zither melody rang out.
Ouyang Rong quieted down.
Rongzhen played the piano earnestly.
The firelight fell on her small face, highlighting her delicate nose and exquisitely beautiful profile.
Ouyang Rong sat upright, his attention seemingly entirely focused on the music.
His gaze, however, fell on her face as she played the piano with such seriousness.
A melodious, soft sound drifted through the camp, tinged with a faint sense of melancholy and sobbing.
The song is over.
Rongzhen asked softly, "How is it?"
She noticed that Ouyang Rong's eyes were fixed on her face.
Why are you staring at me? Did you hear the zither?
"I heard it."
"How about it?"
"It's alright. Try it again, and I'll think about it some more."
"Okay, listen carefully."
Rongzhen, undeterred, played it again.
The sound of the zither echoed around once more, highlighting the solitude of the two figures, a man and a woman, by the campfire.
The music ended again.
Rongzhen put down her zither and asked expectantly, "How was it?"
The firelight was shining against him, so Rongzhen couldn't quite make out his expression.
The young man in the scholar's robe seemed to nod:
"I'm almost there, can we go again?"
Rong Zhen frowned slightly: "Could it be that I forgot the details and played it incorrectly?"
Having said that, he prepared to play again.
Ouyang Rong waved his hand: "Wait, maybe the position is wrong."
"What's the meaning?"
Ouyang Rong gestured for Rong Zhen to stand up, and he also stood up, moving a little closer. At the same time, he reached out and pointed out her finger technique in a very professional manner.
Rongzhen blushed slightly at her incorrect finger technique, but she remained serious and focused, lowering her head to study with a somewhat cold expression.
Ouyang Rong's guidance was reasonable and well-founded. Although Rongzhen had mastered the zither music, her fingering technique was indeed a problem.
She listened very attentively.
Before they knew it, Ouyang Rong's arm had wrapped around Rong Zhen's petite body as she held the zither.
By the time the girl in palace attire realized what was happening, she was already in his arms.
"you……"
Ouyang Rong suddenly pulled her into his arms and sat down, and Rong Zhen naturally sat in his lap.
The atmosphere suddenly became quiet.
At this moment, Rong Zhen sat with her back to Ouyang Rong, her graceful back curves perfectly pressed against his embrace.
Ouyang Rong felt her heat.
Rongzhen could also feel his pleasant breathing, and her ears felt itchy and hot.
“Ouyang Lianghan, what are you thinking about instead of practicing the zither properly? Let go, let go of my hand.”
Ouyang Rong calmly shook his head: "Shh, you can continue talking."
Rong Zhen was so ashamed that she tried to break free, but she couldn't move. His hands were bent and handcuffed around her slender waist, his arms remained motionless, and his attitude was firm.
She felt a hot breeze blowing near her burning ears, a ticklish and warm sensation.
"Just like that, I didn't actually grasp the sword technique at all. Let me listen closer."
Ouyang Rong whispered in her ear.
Rongzhen's reaction weakened for a moment.
She played it again, then lowered her head and asked in a muffled voice:
"Did you learn it, you idiot?"
Ouyang Rong shook his head, his tone not dejected, and said truthfully:
"No, I don't know why, but I actually know the zither music, but I haven't grasped the sword technique after listening to it twice. Maybe I haven't understood the true meaning of the Emperor Wen's sword technique."
Rong Zhen said with some concern:
"Then what should we do? Right, this zither music isn't the original sword technique; it's an improvement by the old musician. It truly requires understanding its true meaning. I was in the same boat back then, failing to learn it even after numerous attempts. The old musician said I was attached to appearances, and those attached to appearances cannot glimpse the true meaning of the Emperor Wen's music. Later... later they said I lost my appearance before I understood the true meaning. Lianghan, are you also going to lose your appearance?"
"I see, that explains it. Perhaps we just need a catalyst."
Ouyang Rong smiled and said something, appearing unhurried.
"You're still laughing." Rong Zhen turned around and saw that he wasn't angry at all, but rather disappointed in him. For a moment, she forgot to break free from this incredibly embarrassing position.
"Stop laughing. Hurry up and think of a solution. How could you be so foolish? If you don't learn it, then you can come to Luoyang with me. You're not allowed to go find the embroiderer anymore. Without the sword technique, your cultivation is not high enough. Going there would be dangerous."
Ouyang Rong shook his head: "It's alright, you can continue playing."
Rongzhen asked curiously, "Do you have a feeling?"
Ouyang Rong honestly said:
"No... I don't feel any sense of sword intent. I do have other feelings, but for me, the important thing is not to comprehend the true meaning." He looked up at the bright moon in the sky, then at the beauty in his arms: "At least that's not the most important thing right now."
After a moment of silence from Rongzhen's side, a trembling voice came: "What...what is that?"
"What's important is the way you played it."
She asked, both excited and embarrassed, "Why are you saying these things in the middle of the night? You're so shameless."
Rong Zhen saw Ouyang Rong lower his head as if in thought for a moment, then raise his head, revealing a bright, moon-like face with a gentle smile:
"I just suddenly realized that Lady Historian is really cute."
He pointed to the moon in the sky and said with utmost seriousness:
"Also, there are some things that we shouldn't say at night. You care about your image in front of others, and I also want to be serious in front of others. Look, there are only two hours left until dawn. We'll leave when it's light. Hmm, could you play it for me again?"
The young man casually rested his chin on her shoulder from behind.
For some reason, Rongzhen's eyes were already red. She turned her head and simply closed her eyes in embarrassment, leaning back in his arms, seeking a moment of tenderness.
It was the most comfortable position. The young woman, her iceberg melting, began to play the zither with her delicate hands.
Amidst the music, her faint, almost inaudible voice drifted over: "Alright, but you have to promise me one thing."
Ouyang Rong asked with a smile, "What is it?"
"You're only allowed to generate inspiration when listening to music, not anything else."
He asked curiously, "What is that?"
Rongzhen's eyes darted away:
"That, that broken hairpin."
Ouyang Rong: ...?
(End of this chapter)
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