Chapter 829 "Still a Gentleman" [High-energy synopsis, foreshadowing resolved!]
In addition to the skirt-shaped knife, Ouyang Rong now had a jade pendant on his waist.
He was nudged on the shoulder, but he remained standing there, silent for a long time.
The people around remained silent and watched quietly.
Rong Zhen also quieted down considerably, standing still with her sleeves up. Surprisingly, she didn't step forward to disturb him with her cold expression, but instead turned her gaze away.
But after a while, she couldn't help but take another look.
Perhaps it's because of something that everyone in the world has to admit: this brother and sister, standing together, are a perfect match, a match made in heaven.
Not only are they of harmonious height, one tall and slender, the other slender and graceful, but they are also a truly handsome couple.
Xie Lingjiang waited for a while, and seeing that her senior brother was not moving, she muttered "idiot" in a low voice, then pulled out the skirt knife from his waist and took his right hand.
Xie Lingjiang used the blade to precisely and lightly slice open the tip of his index finger, picked out a small drop of blood, and with a flick of the blade, the drop of blood fell silently onto the white jade pendant.
The white deer-shaped jade pendant trembled slightly, its surface glowing faintly before returning to its original state... as if some kind of activation ritual had been completed.
She took a drop of blood from his fingertip, ignoring the stares of those around her. She gently opened her lips, enveloped his bleeding middle finger, and sucked on it to stop the bleeding.
She kept her head down, busy with her work, while Ouyang Rong stood quietly in place.
As he watched his junior sister, dressed in red, rush towards him, Ouyang Rong suddenly recalled the scene when he first met her at the Sanhui Courtyard of Donglin Temple.
She was also dressed in a bright red dress, standing against the sunlight, when she appeared before him.
The young lady's red dress was like a flame, making even the warm sun of the world seem three parts dimmer.
Ouyang Rong silently touched the jade pendant at his waist, a symbol of a gentleman's destiny.
In the past, it was mostly Ouyang Rong who gave things to others, whether it was offering advice or being generous, treating treasures as dirt and giving them away without expecting anything in return.
Although Rongzhen and Liguo'er also sneaked over last night for a chat and gave him farewell gifts.
But upon closer examination, it turns out that the person who has been giving him the most gifts all along has always been his junior sister.
The people around him, including Li Xian and Ye Weilai, seemed to subconsciously accept that Ouyang Rong was a strong person, and that a strong person does not seek external help.
However, the junior sister kept thinking about what her "senior brother" lacked and what she needed to give him.
Besides the embroiderer, only the junior sister was the one who treated him the best without expecting anything in return.
The two women didn't want anything; they just wanted to give something, and they were always thinking about what they could give him.
Coming to my senses, I noticed that my junior sister seemed to be looking at me.
Ouyang Rong avoided eye contact, lowered his gaze, and took out a sachet with a red slip of paper from his bosom, handing it to Xie Lingjiang.
"I haven't found the embroiderer yet. This is a gift from her, and it's most suitable for you to keep it here."
Xie Lingjiang glanced at the sachet; it was the one she had given to Ouyang Rong before they parted ways last time.
It was also given to her by the embroiderer, and inside was a marriage fortune stick.
"Um."
Xie Lingjiang suddenly put away the protective talisman sachet and placed it properly. She then looked at Ouyang Rong seriously and said:
"On my way back, I remembered something. Before we parted ways in Xunyang City, did the embroiderer promise you that she would wait for you in the courtyard of Huaiye Lane or in the courtyard of Thirteen Sister?"
"Um."
Xie Lingjiang raised her delicate hand and straightened her senior brother's collar.
She smiled radiantly and said:
"Perfect timing. If you return to Xunyang and still can't find anyone, don't worry. You can wait in these two courtyards for a while."
"The embroiderer may look gentle, but she is actually very stubborn. She is gentle on the outside but strong on the inside. Once she has made a promise to you, she will never forget it and will definitely fulfill it."
"According to Master Zhang, she was most likely injured in an accident that day and was sent back to Yunmeng Sword Marsh by the Second Lady. Once she regains consciousness, she will definitely try her best to return. You must be careful not to miss her. It would be best to send someone to keep watch in both courtyards..."
Ouyang Rong nodded seriously: "Okay, I'll remember."
Xie Lingjiang noticed that Ouyang Rong's eyes were fixed on her while she was speaking.
Looking down, she realized she was still holding his arm, half-sucking his middle finger, which had already stopped bleeding.
At that moment, he noticed out of the corner of his eye that everyone around him was looking at him in the same way.
A blush crept onto Xie Lingjiang's face. She immediately released his arm, looked away, and said quickly:
"Alright, I've said everything I wanted to say. There's nothing else. Senior Brother, is there anything else you'd like to say to everyone?"
"Um."
Ouyang Rong's expression returned to calm, and he withdrew his warm hand from his sleeve.
Xie Lingjiang quietly handed him a handkerchief, which he accepted without hesitation and tucked into his sleeve to wipe his hands.
At the same time, Ouyang Rong looked at Lu Ya and Zhang Shixiu in front of everyone.
Li Xian understood immediately, but Li Guo'er understood even faster.
The little princess said in a clear, crisp voice:
"Master Zhang, Master Lu, could you please excuse us for a moment?"
Lu Ya and Zhang Shixiu exchanged a glance, then left for the time being, walking to the intersection ahead to keep watch.
Ouyang Rong then strode towards Li Dalang.
He took a wine jug from his sleeve and handed it to his friend:
"Drink it."
Li Dalang asked curiously, "What kind of wine is this?"
Under Ouyang Rong's serious gaze, he finished speaking but still obediently accepted the gift.
He muttered to himself, "It can't be your wedding wine," and then tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp.
When Li Dalang drank unfamiliar wine, Li Xian, Li Guo'er, and Wei Mei did not stop him at all, showing their complete trust in Ouyang Rong.
"Cough cough... spit spit..."
Li Dalang almost vomited halfway through his drink, but Ouyang Rong was quick enough to cover his mouth.
"Swallow it, don't waste it."
"Tan...Tan Lang, what did you add..."
Li Dalang stared wide-eyed and asked, his words mumbled.
His mouth tasted sour and bitter, like dishwater with residue, but under Ouyang Rong's urging gaze, Li Dalang endured the nausea and drank the wine jug clean.
Ouyang Rong nodded: "What flavor did you taste?"
"Like horse urine."
Ouyang Rong didn't look at Zhang and Lu in the distance, but squinted and said:
"I mean, didn't you recognize me? You drank it once before."
Li Dalang was puzzled for a moment, then his expression suddenly brightened:
"You mean the talisman water? Last time, Elder Yuan..."
He was interrupted by Ouyang Rong raising his hand halfway through his sentence.
Li Dalang immediately shut up.
Xie Lingjiang, Li Xian, and Li Guo'er exchanged glances, their eyes showing signs of realization.
Another divination rune.
Ouyang Rong gave detailed instructions:
"Dalang had an experience once. If he encountered danger, whether on the way north or when he arrived in the capital, he should remember that mantra."
Li Dalang nodded like a chick pecking at rice, muttering, "Okay, okay, don't worry, Tanlang, next time it definitely won't be under the skirt..."
Ouyang Rong was rummaging through his robes when he heard this, and he was slightly taken aback. He looked up in surprise:
"What under the skirt?"
Li Dalang shook his head firmly: "No, it's nothing."
Ouyang Rong felt that his reaction was strange, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
He continued to pat his pockets, and after a moment, he took out a string of cracked wooden prayer beads and handed them to Li Dalang.
"Carry it with you at all times. After reciting the incantation, make sure you have this item with you."
Li Dalang looked puzzled, but still obediently agreed:
"I understand, Lianghan."
He took the prayer beads and carefully strung them on his wrist.
On the field, Xie Lingjiang, Rong Zhen, Li Guo'er and several other girls all focused their attention on the string of Buddhist beads, their expressions varying.
Ouyang Rong slowly withdrew his gaze from the wooden Buddhist prayer beads that had once granted him "one reprieve from death."
Last night, in addition to drawing red and black runes, he also drew several Kui Xing runes, which consumed his merits and were imprinted into this string of Buddhist beads.
The prayer beads contain secret gold, making it a semi-finished counterfeit Ding sword.
He only needs to complete the construction of the Peach Blossom Sword Formation by [Craftsmanship] on another day to be able to sense it.
Ouyang Rong turned around, looked around at everyone, and after a moment of silence, he walked towards Rong Zhen.
From the moment she arrived at the camp entrance, Rongzhen held a food box in front of her with both hands.
However, when Xie Lingjiang arrived, she quietly placed the food box behind her back and put her hands behind her back as well.
Ouyang Rong came to Rong Zhen and, without saying a word, picked up the food box she had hidden behind her back.
Before he could speak, Rong Zhen pouted:
"Stop looking, I'm hungry. Drink another bowl, there's none for her." She paused, then emphasized, "I mean two more bowls, there's none for you either."
Ouyang Rong remained silent and handed the food box to Xie Lingjiang. The latter opened the food box and saw three bowls of steaming fish soup. She glanced at Rong Zhen again, her eyes softening slightly.
Rong Zhen's pretty face flushed red, her chin held high, and her tone was somewhat excited:
“Ouyang Lianghan, tell her not to flatter herself.”
Ouyang Rong could only nod: "Mhm."
He took Rongzhen's struggling hand and put a string of eighteen beads on her wrist.
Rong Zhen stopped abruptly, glancing at Ouyang Rong one moment and then at the unique counterfeit Ding sword the next.
"Speaking of which, you were the first to give these eighteen seeds to your aunt, so it can be considered a cycle of cause and effect."
"Actually, I've been wanting to say this all the way here. I'm very sorry for destroying the Donglin Buddha statue that embodies your hard work. The Donglin Buddha statue is one of the fake statues of Emperor Wen, and it was also a precious spot that the court promised to you. Since that's the case, I'll give you another one as compensation. I can't let it affect your future."
The girl in the plain white dress looked unusually hesitant.
"But it's different. This is Emperor Wen's only counterfeit Ding sword. Like the Peach Blossom Spring painting by the Poor Scholar, it is superior to the counterfeit Ding and has uniqueness. In addition, the Buddha statue is also Lianghan's hard work. What you have given me is already more than enough."
Ouyang Rong shook his head:
"This is the explanation I'm giving you. The cauldron sword was presented by the prince. It's not good for you to openly take sides. It's best to distance yourself from the prince and remain neutral. However, you won't get the credit for the cauldron sword. If you take this fake cauldron sword back to the palace, you can easily get rid of the responsibility for the collapse of the Buddha statue. As the only holder of the fake cauldron sword, you can even be blameless. In addition, with the lamplighter's inheritance that I helped you intercept, your position in the palace is secure."
Rong Zhen could not contain her emotions: "Not only will I be safe, but I will also be promoted instead of demoted."
Ouyang Rong reached out and straightened the hairpin that had tilted due to her excited head shaking, and said with a smile:
"That's good. When you return to the capital, please help me protect the Prince's family. Once we reach the capital, we'll part ways and wish each other well. You can continue to be the True Immortal Princess and Lady Caishang."
Rong Zhen stared straight at him with her clear eyes and said, "But do you know that I have selfish motives, new selfish motives? You said that everyone has selfish motives."
Before Ouyang Rong could ask her what her ulterior motives were, Xie Lingjiang, who was beside her, had already finished half a bowl of fish soup, her willow eyes crinkling with a smile as she praised:
"The soup is delicious, thank you, Lady Rongzhen."
Rong Zhen snorted and turned her face away.
Ouyang Rong didn't ask about her new selfish motives, and instead took out another memorial and handed it to Rong Zhen:
"Regarding the Battle of Shuangfengjian, once I return to Xunyang, the Prefectural Government will immediately submit a memorial to the court. This is a draft, which I prepared on the way. You can take a look at it first, and submit a memorial as appropriate."
Rongzhen understood immediately, took the memorial, and quickly scanned it.
I have a better understanding now.
This is called aligning one's words.
Rongzhen pondered:
"Alright, but don't worry. Even if your identity as the master of the Butterfly Love Flower is exposed, your cauldron sword will be safe. The Night-Shining Pearl Cauldron Sword that the King of Xunyang is going to present can cover for you. At worst, we can all agree on one story and say that the Night-Shining Pearl Cauldron Sword is yours and has already been presented to the Holy Zhou... That way, we can switch the two swords."
"That's a good idea."
Ouyang Rong smiled.
Turning around, he gave everyone one last piece of advice:
"Is there anything else, everyone?"
Zhen Shuyuan suddenly took out a string of cash and handed it to Ouyang Rong:
"This is the money the embroiderer received when she sold herself into servitude."
Ouyang Rong took the heavy copper coin and was somewhat stunned.
"Why is Aunt still here?"
“Your mother didn’t want to use it and kept it in front of the Buddha. For so many years, I have been the one keeping it safe.”
“I thought my aunt and mother didn’t care about this matter. They disliked the embroiderer and didn’t care about the money.”
Zhen Shuyuan was silent for a moment, then sighed softly:
“When the incident first happened, your mother never believed that the embroiderer would harm you, but when she was caught red-handed, she couldn’t deny it. I was also skeptical, but mostly I was angry.”
"But I alone cannot make the decision to sell the embroiderer. The reason I have to sell her is that the news of the embroiderer harming her husband has spread throughout the village. People are outraged. She has violated the wife's authority. The elders and villagers have come to our door and want to put the embroiderer in a pig cage. If we don't sell her, her life will be in danger."
Upon hearing the truth of this long-buried past, the entire room fell silent.
Ouyang Rong stood still, his eyes fixed on the copper coin, which was always tinged with helpless memories of the past.
The palm gradually clenched.
Zhen Shuyuan's voice was deep:
"This string of cash wasn't returned to the embroiderer at her birthday banquet because I felt at the time that it wasn't necessary to return it and that it was over and done with. But now that I've discovered that she was taken away by that Jianze guy, I feel it's very necessary to return this string of cash."
"Nephew understands."
Zhen Shuyuan observed her nephew silently tidying up a string of copper coins, then lowered her voice and asked:
"My love, by the way, is that Jian Ze who took away the embroiderer really that powerful? If you exert your strength, can you suppress this Jian Ze?"
Seeing his aunt's cautious expression, Ouyang Rong hesitated for a moment before saying:
"Theoretically, yes." He paused, "and we've already done it once."
Upon hearing this, Zhen Shuyuan seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, patted Ouyang Rong's shoulder with a bright smile, and then raised her chin arrogantly with a sarcastic and disdainful tone:
“That Yunmeng Jianze dared to steal our wife, Tanlang, bring her back. We don’t care about this money.”
"Okay, I'll go redeem it!"
Ouyang Rong smiled, put away his usual "embroiderer's money," and mounted his horse.
Ye Weilai, carrying her small bundle, obediently followed.
Just then, Cai Shou, who was standing next to Li Guo'er, suddenly ran up and tugged at Ouyang Rong's sleeve:
“Young Master Ouyang, I feel a bit pressured because Sister Wei Lai isn’t here. I’m afraid I won’t be able to do a good job as the sword bearer. Could you please teach me a few things so I can feel at ease?”
Ouyang Rong glanced at Li Guo'er, then at the chubby-faced maid.
The young man suddenly smiled:
"Being the swordsman is actually very simple. You just need to remember one feeling: you only have one chance to strike, and all your family and friends are behind you. With this one strike, you can only win and you cannot lose."
The young man in the scholar's robe seemed to be talking to someone, or perhaps referring to something.
Cai Shou seemed lost in thought.
The young woman in plum blossom makeup, who had recently dodged crossbow bolts with Wei Mei as if by teleportation, glanced at Ouyang Rong.
Ouyang Rong turned his horse around, carrying a scroll on his back, and prepared to ride away.
Li Guo'er suddenly raised her hand, holding an old piece of paper between two fingers, and waved it:
“Ouyang Lianghan, this character was given to me by you. When we arrive in the capital, I will present it to my grandmother… Zhao… Zhao… It is a homophone of my grandmother’s given name, just like the Holy Emperor Zhou, shining brightly like the sun and moon, illuminating all people. My grandmother will surely love it!”
The young man in the scholar's robe paused on his horse, as if he had thought of something. Without turning around, he burst into loud laughter:
"Your Highness is truly wise. Perhaps next time we meet in the capital, you will already be a renowned princess of the Great Zhou, favored above all others in Luoyang, with a dazzling array of titles and honors. Hahahaha..."
Li Guo'er's eyes were fixed quietly on that dashing figure.
The people around also watched Ouyang Rong leave with reluctance.
Ouyang Rong didn't look back at all, his figure disappearing into the woods.
"...What a handsome young man! Such charm! This is the young man I've always dreamed of..."
Li Xian sighed deeply, then turned around and called for everyone to set off in the opposite direction.
Xie Lingjiang suddenly turned to Li Guo'er, who was staring blankly to the side, and asked:
"Sister Guo'er, I remember you like to comment on the heroes of the past and present. I've always wanted to ask you, what do you think of my senior brother?"
Li Guo'er's expression seemed to have snapped out of her daze.
She glanced at her best friend Xie Lingjiang, who looked proud and expectant of a reply, then turned away and gracefully boarded the carriage back to the capital.
"Him..."
Unable to discern her expression, she gave a soft scoff:
"He's still a gentleman."
Princess Meihua entered the carriage.
The gray-blue carriage curtains concealed Xie Lingjiang and the others outside, all busy with their tasks. Where they couldn't see, the little princess murmured to herself again:
"Only a true gentleman could reach this level."
(End of this chapter)
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