Chapter 822 They're all jealous people
"Ouyang Lianghan, you've been keeping watch all night without rest?"
As dawn broke, Qin Ying, dressed in men's clothing and having gotten up early for her morning exercise, saw a young man in a scholar's robe standing by the campfire in a daze and asked him a question in an unexpected tone.
Ouyang Rong, who had been standing like a statue, suddenly stood up and patted his sleeves.
He straightened his sleeves and said with a smile:
"It's okay. I'm used to being alone, it's quieter and easier for me to think things through."
Last night, Ouyang Rong did indeed stare at the campfire, pondering many things.
However, this is not a matter of "dragon fighting tigers" between the junior sister and the lady historian, and has nothing to do with the petty romantic affairs of men and women.
It's about the current predicament in Xunyang City.
The Xunyang Prince's family will definitely continue north; they can no longer stay in Jiangnan Circuit.
Now we will proceed according to the agreement reached last night:
Taking advantage of the fact that Wei's spies and lackeys had all been eliminated and that the situation here had temporarily fallen out of control, the Xunyang Prince and his family immediately rushed back to the capital, unexpectedly entered the palace to meet the emperor, and then presented the brand-new cauldron sword in the name of auspicious omens.
The four Buddha statues, including the Donglin Buddha, and the Songde Tianshu have collapsed. Ouyang Rong learned of this in advance through Cui Hao, and it was Cui Hao's doing.
Rongzhen, Xie Lingjiang, and Li Xian knew that the Donglin Buddha had collapsed, but they did not know that the other Buddha statues and the Luoyang Tian Shu had also perished, nor did they know how serious the situation was.
But this is a good thing.
Luoyang has no idea who the real culprit is, so their anger will be directed at the rebels in the southern Jianghu.
The sage would surely be furious, and at such a time, they would offer him a new cauldron sword comparable to that of Emperor Wen.
His contribution was no less than that of the King of Wei and the King of Liang in building the Tian Shu Buddha.
There's a sense of amazing success where everyone else messed up, but they, who were overlooked, turned things around in one fell swoop.
Moreover, this extraordinary auspicious omen also subtly carries the flavor of divine mandate.
Judging from Rongzhen's reaction when she found out not long ago, you can tell that the female emperor in Luoyang must be delighted.
On the way, it would be best to have the people from the Xunyang Prince's Mansion become the wielders of this new Ding Sword, so that the Sage would need them even more.
This strategy was an improvement upon Ouyang Rong's earlier plan for the Xunyang Prince's Mansion to return north to Luoyang.
The offering of the auspicious "New Ding Sword" has been added, and it is no longer simply about Li Xian playing the victim to gain sympathy.
However, when they were in Xunyang City and were being arranged to leave Xunyang and head north, Ouyang Rong was still unsure whether the Night-Shining Pearl could work its magic, or whether the Red Lotus Sword Seal inspired by the Embroiderer would be effective.
This also applies to his promise to give Rongzhen an explanation not long ago on the road.
Ouyang Rong carefully reviewed the situation for half the night and determined that this was the optimal solution he could think of at the moment.
Last night, while staring blankly at the campfire, he pondered many other things besides these thoughts.
From taking office in Xunyang, to falling in love at his junior sister's birthday banquet, to first defying the imperial decree and then being ordered to build the Donglin Buddha, his career has been full of ups and downs. He works with and gets to know the lady historian... and later reunites with the embroiderer, spending a peaceful time together in a quiet courtyard. Finally, there is the battle at the Twin Peaks, where he overpowers both sides, takes the lightning with his own body, and reaps a series of blessings, both big and small.
Each event flashed through Ouyang Rong's mind frame by frame.
It was like watching an old, silent movie from a past life; he didn't call for it to stop, but simply watched silently.
The moment the morning sun struggled to emerge from below the horizon, he understood something.
At this moment, Qin Ying noticed that Ouyang Rong was somewhat distracted, and curiously looked him over.
She couldn't help but ask:
"Are you tired? Do you want to rest? Why did I leave you to keep watch all night? Where are Miss Xie and the others? I should have come to keep you company. You could have taken a nap during your shift."
Ouyang Rong shook his head:
"I used to read late into the night, and before I knew it, it was dawn. I could just take a nap in the afternoon."
He smiled and added:
"I've noticed that northerners don't seem to like taking afternoon naps, while we southerners do. It's a difference between the north and south of our Great Zhou Dynasty. But don't underestimate the power of an afternoon nap; a 15-minute nap can be equivalent to an hour of sleep at night."
Qin Ying chuckled softly, then seemed to remember something:
"By the way, I heard your aunt is coming later. I'm planning to go pick her up with Qin Yanqing. Do you want to come along?"
Ouyang Rong glanced at the rising smoke on the opposite bank of the river and said:
"Wait a minute, I need to go to the other side to find Lady Miaozhen. Oh, and there's something else I need to discuss with you."
Qin Ying stared intently into his dark brown eyes:
"Go ahead and speak."
Ouyang Rong noticed that Qin Ying had a good point: she liked to look people in the eye when she spoke, which gave people a sense of respect, similar to his junior sister. She was also very poised and elegant, which was probably the kind of temperament that only a lady from a well-to-do family could have.
As for your questions about the Lady Historian and the Little Princess?
Well... one of them "doesn't look at people," while the other "looks at people with her chin." Of course, it depends on the person.
Ouyang Rong said earnestly:
"Miaozhen and the three hundred surrendered White Tiger Guards need your help to escort them back to Xunyang City with General Qin and hand them over to Commander Yi and Military Advisor Yan. Let's do it today; the weather is nice and it's a good day to set off."
"So soon..." Qin Ying hesitated for a moment, then nodded: "No problem. Are Your Highness and the Heir Apparent planning to continue north back to the capital?"
"Um."
Ouyang Rong nodded, clasped his hands in farewell, but noticed that Qin Ying seemed hesitant to speak.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
“Ouyang Lianghan, what about you? Are you going back to Xunyang…”
Qin Ying paused halfway through her sentence, then forced a smile and waved her hand:
"Never mind, I asked a stupid question. The Prince's return to the capital is a big deal, of course we should go together. Besides, you are a scholar of the Xiuwen Academy, so you have a legitimate reason to go back... Ouyang Lianghan, you are a man who is destined for great things. Your grandfather has long seen that. A small city like Xunyang cannot hold you back, if it weren't for the Xunyang Prince's Mansion."
"Alright, I'll go and inform Qin Yanqing first, and have him start feeding the horses. We expect to leave around noon."
Ouyang Rong nodded silently, watching the Qin family girl's figure disappear.
A moment later, the young man in the scholar's robe turned and crossed the river, arriving at the White Tiger Guard's camp on the left bank, where he found Miaozhen.
The middle-aged female official stood by the water's edge, gazing intently at the rushing water.
Ouyang Rong, with his sleeves drawn, stepped forward and stood beside her.
He looked ahead, gazing at the river, and softly repeated the instructions he had just given Qin Ying.
Of course, the word "escort" was not used; it was simply said that Miaozhen was to lead the soldiers back to Xunyang to provide support, where Yi Qianqiu would meet them.
Miaozhen turned her head and looked at the young man beside her.
She asked, word by word:
"Ouyang Lianghan, is this your arrangement or Li Xian's arrangement?"
Ouyang Rong turned his head, met her gaze directly, and appeared open and magnanimous:
“My arrangement, my intention, the prince is somewhat hesitant about it. After what happened yesterday, he trusts you and it’s clear that he feels guilty. But I can’t let the prince take risks. It was I who persuaded him.”
Miaozhen stared into Ouyang Rong's eyes for a while.
She spoke slowly:
"It doesn't matter. I'm not taking action for him. I just can't stand the way the Wei family acts. I don't like their convoluted schemes and tricks. They betray their allies when facing external enemies."
Ouyang Rong nodded: "It's clear that Lady Miaozhen is straightforward, otherwise she wouldn't be so displeased with the misunderstanding that the Prince and Princess had about you."
Miaozhen frowned at first, then looked away, as if she was a little embarrassed by the praise.
She pointed to the hundreds of armored soldiers behind her who were cooking over a fire. Ouyang Rong saw that many of them, after removing their armor, revealed youthful faces. They lowered their heads, looking sullen and dejected, not daring to make a loud noise that might disturb the noble family on the other side of the river, and even less daring to look at the young governor on the riverbank who was chatting with Lady Miaozhen, his calm expression inspiring awe and fear.
Miaozhen spoke:
“Ouyang Lianghan, these are all good men from my Great Zhou. They just followed the wrong people. Don’t be fooled by the fact that there are only three hundred armored soldiers. Behind them are three hundred families, and thousands of women, children, sons, husbands, and fathers.”
"If it's about going into battle to kill the enemy, then so be it. Soldiers should be loyal to their country and die on the battlefield. But I can't stand seeing someone die in internal strife."
"We lost too many people in this battle at Twin Peaks, far more than three hundred... I can't stop them from over there, but if they're under my nose, it would be good if even one less person died."
Ouyang Rong asked softly, "Does Lady Miaozhen have any family members who are also in the army?"
Miaozhen didn't answer, but turned to face him and solemnly addressed him by his official title:
"Prefect Ouyang, I will cooperate with you on how to handle the situation in Xunyang City. I only ask that after returning to Xunyang City, you do not settle scores with them. Save as many people as possible. Of course, if there are any accomplices of Li Congshan who are still plotting against us, I will work with Commander Yi to find them and deal with them. You can trust our Imperial Observatory's methods of finding out traitors."
Ouyang Rong surveyed the camp and suddenly asked:
“Miracle Lady Miaozhen is indeed very righteous. Since she has said so, how could I dare not refuse? But I have a question that is troubling me, and I would like to ask Miracle Lady Miaozhen for the real answer.”
Miaozhen asked in confusion, "What's the problem? Tell me."
Ouyang Rong asked with a smile:
"You said it was to protect them as much as possible, to prevent the destruction of three hundred families. Then I'm a little curious. If Li Congshan succeeds and overwhelmingly kills us, and they all become traitors and get on the pirate ship, will Lady Miaozhen also turn a blind eye to protect them, sacrificing me and the prince, and the few families behind us?"
Miaozhen fell silent immediately.
Ouyang Rong waited for a while, but received no reply, so he turned around and prepared to leave.
Miaozhen suddenly shouted:
"You should know what my attitude was when I left that letter, and Li Xian knows it too. Moreover, you also know that you were trapped by crossbows yesterday and the outcome was still uncertain."
Ouyang Rong stopped, chuckled, and turned back:
"Yes, I know that Lady Miaozhen is not an opportunist, but your silence just now was very interesting and it explained a lot. Lady Miaozhen did not refute immediately because she hesitated."
Miaozhen heard the young man's voice, which was as gentle as a spring breeze, speak words that pierced her heart with the precision of a sharp blade.
"And if I'm not mistaken, this hesitation isn't just something you're experiencing now. You've known all along about the backstabbing plots Li Congshan and Wei Wu were plotting behind the scenes, but you've remained silent, just like Yi Qianqiu and Granny Song..."
He smiled, shook his head, and said:
"But it doesn't matter. Many people just go with the flow. Many upright civil officials in the court and the countryside also go with the flow when faced with the dispute between Liwei and Wei. It's not just Lady Miaozhen who is like this."
"Moreover, a gentleman judges by actions, not intentions. The letter you left on the morning of the Donglin Buddha celebration was indeed crucial, serving as a warning to us and helping us avoid danger."
"You know, there are very few people who make firm choices in everything. It is already quite difficult to be steadfast in one or two things. Most people just choose to pretend to be confused and live their whole lives in confusion."
Ouyang Rong pointed at the White Tiger Guard soldiers and shook his head:
"Don't worry, you and they will all be fine. Li Congshan will be reported as having died protecting the Buddha, just like most of the White Tiger Guards who died in Xunyang Grottoes. However, Li Congshan and Wei Wu should really be grateful to Commander Yi and you in the afterlife. If they weren't afraid of the trouble of explaining and implicating you, they would be accused of plotting against the Prince's Mansion and rebelling against the enemy."
Miaozhen's expression changed slightly.
After a short while, she took the initiative to speak:
"Last night, I heard from Lady Rongzhen about the Xunyang Grottoes. Was the Donglin Buddha destroyed? Although they were severely injured and repelled the rebels from the southern Jianghu, the Buddha was also destroyed by them."
Ouyang Rong raised an eyebrow slightly: "Is that what Rongzhen told you?"
Miaozhen was taken aback upon hearing this: "Hmm, otherwise what? Is there some other hidden story?"
Ouyang Rong nodded solemnly:
"No, Lady Rongzhen is right. Those who destroy Buddhism and rebel are indeed hateful."
Miaozhen pursed her lips and suddenly mentioned:
"Are you the master of the Butterfly Love Flower? Are you the legendary swordsman?"
Ouyang Rong squinted: "Was it also said by Lady Rongzhen?"
Miaozhen shook her head: "I asked, and she said she didn't know. I guessed. Judging from your tone, it should be it."
Ouyang Rong simply asked:
How did you guess?
"First of all, you have the Ding Sword in your possession. Secondly, yesterday, the Ding Sword, which was shaped like a bright moon, rose into the sky. Wasn't that the supernatural power of the 'Humble Scholar,' the Return?"
"The only person I can think of who can draw a sword like this is the master of Butterfly Love Flower. Although I have never seen him draw his sword before, as far as I know, he is the only one who can draw a sword like this. Currently, only he can return to the origin."
Ouyang Rong suddenly frowned and asked seriously:
Are you sure that's "Returning Home"?
Miaozhen's question:
"It looks like... wait, you set up the sword yourself, and you're asking me? Weren't you the one who set up the sword?"
Ouyang Rong suddenly composed himself and casually waved his hand:
"Just kidding."
Miaozhen pondered for a moment and said:
"You are the swordsman and possess the mythical sword, so there is a way to please the sage."
Ouyang Rong nodded:
"Know."
Miao Zhen glanced at his expression and breathed a sigh of relief:
"It's good that you know. That's right, Lady Rongzhen understands the Sage. Even if I don't say it, she will remind me. Besides... I could tell back in Longcheng that you understand the Sage's thoughts very well. Those brilliant moves when he was reinstated after leaving his post were probably all your planning."
Ouyang Rong neither agreed nor disagreed.
Miaozhen gave him a deep look:
"No wonder Rongzhen did so much for you... I will take the White Tiger Guard back to Xunyang today and keep a close eye on them along the way, but before I leave, let me see Li Xian."
Ouyang Rong hesitated.
She nodded: "You just need to report it."
Ouyang Rong nodded, turned around and left.
“Ouyang Lianghan”.
Miaozhen suddenly called out to him.
Ouyang Rong paused, his back slightly turned. "What is it?"
Her voice came through:
"When we first met in Longcheng, I never imagined that such a small city would have a national hero like you. With you by my side, I feel at ease."
Ouyang Rong waved his hand.
Without saying anything, they continued on their way.
He crossed the river back to the camp on the right bank and found Li Xian in a tent, where Li Dalang was also there.
“My love.”
Li Xian immediately stepped forward, grabbed his sleeve, and peered behind him:
"Where are my niece and Lady Rongzhen?"
Ouyang Rong shook his head: "I don't know, Junior Sister is probably preparing to pick up her aunt."
Li Dalang sized up his friend and asked calmly:
"Didn't you sleep well, Tanlang? Nothing happened last night, right?"
He countered, "What could happen?"
"Alright, brother, why are you asking such nonsense?"
Li Xian scolded Li Dalang, then turned and patted Ouyang Rong on the shoulder.
He sighed deeply, as if speaking from experience:
“I understand Tanlang’s situation. I was in the same situation back then. My looks and talent were there, but I was destined to be surrounded by romantic entanglements. That’s just how my luck is, there’s nothing I can do about it.”
Li Xian shook his head at his unshaven eldest son:
“You haven’t experienced these things, Dalang, so you wouldn’t understand even if I told you. Let me explain them to Tanlang.”
Li Dalang: ?
Ouyang Rong: ...
Li Xian looked serious as he faced Ouyang Rong:
"My love, I remember telling you this a long time ago in Longcheng, but we had just met and were not familiar with each other, so we only had a brief chat... Now you must remember this well: the difference between good fortune and misfortune in love is often very thin, so you must take it seriously. Don't just focus on enjoying the initial infatuation, otherwise it will turn into bad love. This is golden advice."
"I don't need to talk to Dalang, but Tanlang is different. He's an adult now and needs to understand these things. I can't teach you anything else, but I know a little about matters between men and women, and I might know more than you. If you have any questions in the future, you can come and ask me..."
After listening quietly, Ouyang Rong glanced at Li Xian and his son, who were staring at him, and nodded.
"It's good that you understand." Li Xian smiled and casually asked, "By the way, what brings you here, Tanlang?"
Ouyang Rong stated frankly:
"Lady Miaozhen wants to speak with you. She's waiting for you by the river and asked me to make sure she tells you."
Li Xian's expression changed slightly.
Ouyang Rong and Li Dalang both looked at him.
The atmosphere was quiet for a moment.
"Ahem, my lord, you're busy. I'm going out for a bit. By the way, don't make a fuss about this."
He lowered his voice and gave a few words of advice before leaving in a hurry.
Ouyang Rong turned around and saw that Li Dalang was gone, but he didn't pay attention to it. He turned around and walked out of the tent to find Rongzhen and prepare to talk about Miaozhen.
Arriving at her tent, he found no one around. He called over Uncle Shun and asked him curiously.
"Reporting to the young master, it seems that Lady Historian has gone to the camp gate to meet someone."
"Pick someone up?"
Ouyang Rong was taken aback, then realized that she must have gone to pick up Zhen Shuyuan.
"Yes, Lady Historian came to see me early this morning and asked us to pick some herbs and catch a perch in the river."
He wondered:
Why would you fish or gather herbs?
"Making soup."
Ouyang Rong's expression changed as he heard Shunbo's voice:
"The lady-in-waiting ladled out a bowl of it..."
Ouyang Rong stopped listening, abandoned Shunbo, and quickly went out to the camp gate.
As they approached the camp entrance, they saw Wei Mei striding angrily towards them, leaving the camp in the opposite direction from Ouyang Rong.
Li Dalang followed behind Wei Mei.
Wei Mei only greeted Ouyang Rong once before passing by.
Ouyang Rong looked back and saw that Wei Mei was rushing towards the other side of the river.
He kept his eyes down and his mind focused as he arrived at the camp entrance.
My junior sister is here.
The female historian is here.
The little princess and Qin Ying and her brother were also there.
Ouyang Rong glanced at it silently.
Qin Ying and Qin Yanqing were riding on horseback.
The junior sister and the little princess stood together, very close to each other.
Rongzhen stood alone to one side, her hands in front of her, holding a red lacquered food box.
She slightly raised her chin, narrowed her eyes, and gazed at the official road ahead.
When Ouyang Rong arrived, Rong Zhen didn't turn around.
Ouyang Rong withdrew his gaze from the food box in her hand and turned to look at Xie Lingjiang.
He noticed that his junior sister had changed her clothes.
The red men's dress she loved to wear was gone, replaced by a round-necked, narrow-sleeved ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress).
The long skirt trailed on the ground, and the shawl draped over the shoulders. The light and thin dress blended perfectly with her figure. The natural and flowing silk texture of the dress further highlighted a certain majestic scene, outlining two beautiful and full curved lines.
Xie Lingjiang stood with an elegant and composed posture, her figure graceful and slender, her eyes fixed straight ahead, not looking at Rong Zhen.
Li Guo'er, standing beside her, tilted her head, her eyes fixed on the food box in Rong Zhen's hand with great interest.
Ouyang Rong stepped forward, glanced around, and asked with a smile:
Why are you all here so early?
Xie and Rong ignored him.
Only Qin Ying and Qin Yanqing responded.
Li Guo'er also replied:
"I already said I wouldn't be here this early, but Sister Xie is impatient and dragged me here much earlier."
Xie Lingjiang turned around, and Li Guo'er smiled and shut her mouth.
Ouyang Rong suddenly noticed that Xie Lingjiang and Rong Zhen were both wearing the same jade hairpin with mandarin ducks on their heads, and he wondered if it was just a coincidence.
Qin Ying seemed to have noticed this as well. She turned slightly to the side, her eyes lingering on Xie Lingjiang and Rong Zhen, her expression thoughtful.
At this moment, Li Guo'er smiled and said to Ouyang Rong:
"I just remembered something. If our people truly inherit the New Cauldron Sword, the Empress Dowager and the Imperial Observatory will definitely provide the [Emperor Wen] sword manual. So, you don't need to rush. Why bother learning any musical pieces? After returning to the capital, there will be plenty of opportunities to obtain this sword manual..."
The sound was neither too loud nor too soft, just enough for everyone to hear.
Rongzhen did not turn around.
Ouyang Rong didn't know how to answer.
Xie Lingjiang suddenly said to Li Guo'er, "It's done."
At this point, Li Xian returned.
Wei Mei followed behind, her face stern and silent, while Li Dalang obediently followed behind.
Everyone noticed that the prince had some bruises on his face.
Li Xian turned his head and laughed heartily: "Haha, the riverbank is slippery, everyone be careful when crossing the river."
Qin Ying and Qin Yanqing exchanged a glance and nodded in bewilderment.
After waiting for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a caravan of carriages slowly arrived and stopped in front of the camp.
Zhen Shuyuan and Ye Weilai stepped off the carriage together.
Wei Mei stepped forward and took Li Xian's arm. The latter seemed startled at first, but quickly composed herself.
The couple, along with Ouyang Rong, were the first to go to greet him.
He exchanged pleasantries with Zhen Shuyuan.
Xie Lingjiang and Rong Zhen followed together.
However, Zhen Shuyuan was mainly talking to Li Xian, while the woman's attention was currently on Ouyang Rong. She held a handkerchief in her hand and occasionally stroked her beloved nephew with heartache.
The group walked back together to the main tent of the camp.
Qin Ying and Qin Yanqing tacitly withdrew and went to the left bank to arrange the evacuation of the surrendered White Tiger Guard generals.
Lu Ya and Zhang Shixiu went to stand guard at the gate.
Inside the main tent, only Ouyang Rong, Xie Lingjiang, Rong Zhen, and Li Xian's family remained.
In addition, there were female relatives Zhen Shuyuan, Ye Weilai, and Banxi.
In addition, Cai Shou was also there, left behind by Li Guo'er.
Ouyang Rong saw that Li Guo'er had taken the colorful ribbon aside and was beginning to tell him something.
Xie Lingjiang and Rong Zhen walked towards Ye Weilai together.
The white-haired girl was originally going to find Ouyang Rong, but was pulled aside by the two women.
Ouyang Rong was kept there by Zhen Shuyuan and could only see the expressions of Ye Weilai and Caishou from afar.
Ye Weilai's expression calmed down a bit, and she frequently looked at Ouyang Rong.
Cai Shou's expression was the most interesting. She stood in front of Li Guo'er, slightly opened her mouth, pointed to herself, and looked like she was saying, "What? Me?"
(End of this chapter)
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