Chapter 286: Twelve, A Beauty's Appointment

Twelve, A Beauty's Appointment

On the third floor of the Xunyang Tower, the door to one of the private rooms bore a plaque with the two characters "Peony."

There were nine other similar private rooms on the third floor.

Orchid, Chinese Rose, Azalea, Narcissus... each bore the name of a flower, totaling ten ebony room plaques, all from the hand of a single person.

The calligraphy was as spirited as a startled dragon, with vigorous and powerful strokes.

If anyone knowledgeable were to pass by this floor, they would instantly recognize that these understated door plaques were the authentic work of Lin Hepu, the great calligraphy master who had retired to Mount Kuanglu.

Yet, all of this seemed utterly insignificant compared to the "Century-Long Plan" that currently held the full attention of the wealthy merchants inside the Peony room.

After Ouyang Rong revealed a portion of his plan, he sat back, ceased speaking, lowered his eyes to pick at his food, and let the people at the table digest the information themselves.

"Expand Xunyang City, build new wards..."

As Wang Caozhi muttered to himself, he rubbed his face; the shock in his eyes faded significantly, replaced by a contemplative expression.

Like the other wealthy merchants who had traveled from afar, after Wang Caozhi arrived in Xunyang City, the water transport hub in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River,

his first impression, besides its unparalleled prosperity, was its congestion and narrowness.

The massive passenger flow at the Xunyang Ferry and the filthy, chaotic Xingzi Ward only magnified this point.

The main urban area was crowded, with no room for expansion, making it impossible to retain too many people.

However, the gathering of wealthy merchants and scholars from all over had led to a shortage of housing, and the prices of residences in the core wards of the city center were exorbitant.

These were absolutely the major factors constraining the development of Xunyang City.

Yet now, this greatest constraint had been completely resolved in the face of Ouyang Rong's peerless strategy of carving the Twin Peaks and building the Xunyang Grottoes.

If strictly implemented, it was hard to say whether it would attract gold and silver to flow toward the bustling Xunyang City.

The prospects were bright.

Wang Caozhi, Shopkeeper Ma, Shopkeeper Li, and the other wealthy merchants looked at the atlas and bamboo slips with fiery longing.

"Brother-in-law!"

The short young man's address became increasingly sincere; his eyes grew a bit teary and choked up:

"For such a big opportunity, Brother-in-law actually remembered me, your younger brother. Brother-in-law, our sister didn't lose out by being with you! She will definitely enjoy happiness in the future—no, she must be very happy right now."

"..." Ouyang Rong.

Shopkeeper Ma, Shopkeeper Li, and the others shook their heads in speechless disdain, moving slightly further away from the thick-skinned Wang Caozhi.

Shopkeeper Ma stood up, bowed to offer a toast, and said with shame:

"Lord Ouyang, previously it was Ma who was short-sighted and actually harbored doubts. How could I not know that Lord Ouyang always does things that are win-win, harmonizing the interests of all parties, and would never feed us empty, pale, and powerless grand principles about patriotism and giving back to the people.

"It was Ma who was rude. I offer this cup of wine to Lord Ouyang as an apology."

Shopkeeper Li, who had a goat beard, and the other wealthy merchants also stood up together to offer toasts and apologies, their attitudes incomparably sincere.

Ouyang Rong waved his hand slightly, smiling as usual, and pointed to the numbers in the water stains he had previously traced on the table, saying in a clear voice:

"Gentlemen, first go and pull in some trusted friends to complete this string of numbers. At the next dinner, bring them over. I will get to know them, and then we can discuss the subsequent matter of dividing the cake."

As he finished speaking, Ouyang Rong reached out his hand to the side.

"Brother-in-law, here!" Wang Caozhi, like a sycophant, carefully handed the stack of atlases and bamboo slips that had been circulated to his palm.

Ouyang Rong put away the proposal draft and stood up.

The wealthy merchants at the table followed him and stood up as well.

Ouyang Rong exchanged a few pleasantries with them, then turned and walked out the door.

Before stepping out of the room, he waved his hand behind him:

"The dishes Caozhi ordered tonight were not bad, much better than the delicacies at the welcome banquet last time. Arrange the next gathering as well, Caozhi."

"You got it!"

Wang Caozhi felt a surge of spirit and followed closely behind Ouyang Rong, seeing him out the door.

"Brother-in-law." The short young man covered his mouth with his palm and whispered: "For the next gathering, I'll arrange a second half. There are some high-quality 'slender horses' in this Xunyang Tower that will surely satisfy you. When the time comes, we'll do it like this..."

"Fine." Ouyang Rong nodded, interrupting him: "Bring your sister next time, and you can tell her. Arrange a second half for her too. As for me, anything is fine."

"..." Wang Caozhi.

Leaving behind the short young man with a bitter smile, Ouyang Rong walked out of the Peony room.

As soon as the room door opened, the roar and hot air from the Xunyang Tower outside rushed toward him.

The melodious pipa music Ouyang Rong had heard earlier had just ended, and cheers and applause from the audience came from the lobby downstairs.

Besides the public performance stage in the lobby on the first floor, the higher the floor in the Xunyang Tower, the fewer the rooms and the higher the specifications.

The Peony room where Ouyang Rong ate with Wang Caozhi and the other merchants was on the third floor, which only had ten rooms and was considered an expensive VIP floor, making the corridor relatively quiet.

He leaned against the railing and looked down at the lobby in the central courtyard.

He saw that on the stage that was the focus of everyone's attention on the first floor, a young lady wearing a veil sat cross-legged on a zither stool, holding a pipa in her arms.

It was hard to tell if the ancient-style pipa was too large or if this young lady was too slender.

She was made to look even more petite and exquisite by the pipa in her arms, which half-covered her face.

Added to the white veil on her cheeks, Ouyang Rong, standing on the third floor, could not see her specific features.

However, this pipa-playing young lady had two willow-leaf eyebrows that were slightly arched and a melancholy, furrowed brow, which made Ouyang Rong take a few extra looks and left him with a somewhat deep impression.

Just by looking at the fanatical expressions of the wealthy guests and audience members under the stage, one could tell:

A beauty's furrowed brow was also a kind of charm that could make a man's heart itch.

If one were to use the words from Ouyang Rong's previous life, this pipa-playing young lady's style should be called a "world-weary melancholy face," which seemed very high-class.

At this moment, the world-weary-faced young lady lowered her head to tune the pipa, her brow furrowed and her face cold, and she began to pluck the strings to play a new piece.

The lobby downstairs gradually quieted down, and everyone listened with anticipation.

On the third floor, by the railing.

Ouyang Rong, who was preparing to go downstairs and leave, seemed to remember something, stopped his steps, and turned to look at the world-weary-faced young lady downstairs.

This must be that Qin Xiaoniangzi who sells her art but not her body, the famous pipa-playing courtesan of the Xunyang Tower over the past two years.

Ouyang Rong thought to himself.

He glanced at Qin Xiaoniangzi, who was playing the zither, then moved his gaze away to scan the crowd of guests under the stage.

After searching a circle, he did not see the figure of that old brat Watching Yuan Huaimin.

Ouyang Rong laughed and shook his head, patted the railing with his hand, listened to the zither music for a while, and turned to leave.

While Ouyang Rong was looking at the "scenery" downstairs on the third floor,

there was also someone looking at the scenery, looking at him from upstairs.

She saw the handsome young man who held the position of Commandant staying and lingering in front of the railing on the third floor, patting the railing with his hand, his gaze seemingly attracted by the world-weary-faced young lady.

Seeing the handsome young man leave with a smile after listening to the zither music for a while,

a purple-gold scarf trailing on the ground brushed past the railing on the fifth floor, and the shadow disappeared in an instant.

A moment later, the figure of the owner of this purple-gold scarf appeared on the third floor and walked to the railing where someone had lingered.

This woman was about thirty years old, with a round face, rather thick lips, and a beautiful appearance.

She wore an elegant and luxurious black long dress, and wore a ring on her little finger.

Especially between her two arms, she hung a purple-gold embroidered scarf, which was exceptionally gorgeous and flamboyant.

This scarf-wearing noblewoman glanced at Qin Xiaoniangzi, the courtesan downstairs, her clever eyes turning, and she turned to look in the direction Ouyang Rong had left.

She nodded slowly, her eyes flickering slightly.

It was unknown what she was thinking.

Ouyang Rong did not know that any casual action of his could be scrutinized in every possible way by those with ulterior motives.

He felt he had left the Xunyang Tower in a low-key manner.

When Qin Xiaoniangzi was performing earlier, Ouyang Rong did not find Watching Yuan Huaimin's shadow under the stage; otherwise, he could have had a small drink with him and made some fun.

"It's also true, it's so late, and he's still wandering around here in the Chaisang Ward; he probably won't be able to go back before the curfew, and he can't climb over the wall."

Thinking of this unreliable colleague, Ouyang Rong chuckled lightly.

Sometimes, seeing Watching Yuan Huaimin's distressed expression, Ouyang Rong could not help but tease him.

Both the Xunyang Tower and the residence in Huaiye Lane were in the Chaisang Ward, both close to the riverbank, and the distance was relatively short.

Ouyang Rong returned to the residence in Huaiye Lane with ease, reported his safety to the Zhen woman who was waiting for his late return, and turned to return to the room in the Yinbing Studio.

Ye Weilai, who was kneeling and spreading the bed, turned her head curiously:

"Was the Master's dinner party tonight for official business?"

"More or less."

Ouyang Rong sat down at the desk, took out the proposal draft from his sleeve, and threw it on the table.

"Everything is ready, only the east wind is lacking... no, it seems there is still one uncertain factor."

He curled his two fingers, tapped the table lightly, touched his chin, and contemplated in his eyes.

"The Wei clan and Wang Lengran's side... regarding the restoration of the Prince of Xunyang, the Wei clan has not yet fully expressed their stance. Whether they are fighting or reconciling, their attitude is vague, and it is unknown.

"It's also normal. Having expanded barbarically for so many years, such a large faction probably has all kinds of voices and is not a monolith. It will take quite some time to reach a consensus...

"That Prince Wei probably has a headache and might be hesitant.

"No wonder Wang Lengran's side is so quiet. It should be because the Wei clan hasn't spoken yet. However, because of the matter in Dragon City, I have some personal grievances with Wang Lengran, so I must prevent him from sabotaging me."

Ouyang Rong muttered to himself for a while, his fingers stopped tapping the table, he thought for a moment, and shook his head alone:

"However, as for the carving of the Twin Peaks and the building of the Xunyang Grottoes, he can also benefit as a superior. According to his lazy and old-hand nature, if it doesn't touch his interests, there seems to be no need for conflict.

"At most, it will arouse greed and he will ask for benefits... But if this century-long plan that benefits Xunyang can be implemented, what does it matter if I throw him a few bones?

"In addition, when promoting this policy, I must be cautious and not leave any handle for corruption or bribery, becoming a target for opponents... Sigh, it's really hard to do some practical things."

Ouyang Rong lowered his head, rubbed his face, and looked at the dark green night outside the window:

"No matter what, I must speed up the promotion and settle it early for peace of mind."

In the two days after the private banquet at the Xunyang Tower, Ouyang Rong devoted himself entirely to his work.

The plan for carving the Twin Peaks and building the Xunyang Grottoes was constantly perfected by him, and the preliminary preparations became increasingly sufficient.

He strove to finish the preparations before the end of the year, raise the funds to fill the fiscal gap, and wait for the new year, when the funds were in place and the decree from Luoyang arrived, Ouyang Rong and the Jiangzhou Hall could quickly start construction, unhurriedly...

Finally, in the last two days approaching the New Year and Winter Solstice holidays, Ouyang Rong received another invitation to a gathering from Wang Caozhi and the others.

On this evening, Ouyang Rong finished his shift and went home, changed into a clean set of casual clothes, and went out under the gaze of Zhen Shuyuan and Ye Weilai.

Arriving at the Xunyang Tower again, he went upstairs with ease.

The private room for this dinner party had changed to the "Narcissus" room.

The specifications and space were larger, capable of accommodating more guests.

Ouyang Rong pushed the door and entered.

"Gentlemen, you have waited a long time."

"Lord Ouyang."

Inside the Narcissus room, which had many more unfamiliar faces, Wang Caozhi, Shopkeeper Ma, Shopkeeper Li, and the other wealthy merchants stood up together with their friends to respectfully welcome him...

The duration of tonight's gathering was one hour longer than the last one.

Well, of course, there was no arrangement for any second half regarding "slender horses."

About two hours later, the door with the "Narcissus" plaque was opened from the inside.

Ouyang Rong walked out, his hands behind his back, a look of satisfaction appearing in his eyes, preparing to leave.

The wealthy merchant friends introduced by Wang Caozhi and the others were quite reliable, with no major problems.

At tonight's dinner, they had already reached a preliminary agreement.

The funding gap required for the Jiangzhou Hall to carve the Twin Peaks and build the Xunyang Grottoes could be considered filled.

When the new year arrived and the funds were in place, construction could begin.

Ouyang Rong let out a light breath, his serious expression relaxed, and he turned his head to look at the performance stage downstairs.

On the stage, there was a group of singing girls, dancing gracefully and singing songs in soft voices.

This was the main program of the Xunyang Tower tonight. Qin Xiaoniangzi's figure was nowhere to be seen.

Ouyang Rong did not care, turned to prepare to go downstairs, and suddenly, at the stairs, a pretty maid walked up.

She walked gracefully toward Ouyang Rong, stopped in front of him, and bowed:

"Lord Commandant, my young lady has long admired your great name and specially sent this servant to invite you. I hope you will move to the backyard."

Ouyang Rong looked sideways and asked: "Who is your young lady?"

"Reporting to you, my lord, it is the top courtesan of this building, Qin Xiaoniangzi."

Ouyang Rong thought about the bragging words of a certain Jiangzhou Commandant and asked:

"Does your young lady know Watching Yuan Huaimin?"

"Watching Yuan Huaimin?" The pretty maid was stunned and shook her head: "Which lord is that? I don't know him."

Ouyang Rong frowned slightly. Besides Watching Yuan Huaimin, he could not think of any connection he had with that world-weary-faced courtesan.

After contemplating for a moment, he nodded:

"Where is she?"

The pretty maid turned sideways and bowed: "My lord, please follow this servant."

"Hmm."

The pretty maid led Ouyang Rong downstairs all the way, bypassed to the back door, and left the Xunyang Tower.

The Xunyang Tower stood by the riverbank, and behind it was a private courtyard, which looked like it had been arranged by an expert, with high platforms and thick pavilions, winding paths leading to secluded spots, and flowing water, which was very elegant.

Ouyang Rong passed through one unique garden after another, followed the pretty maid, and stopped in front of the gate of a small courtyard planted with secluded orchids.

Inside the orchid courtyard, the layout was elegant, with swings, incense burners, zither tables, and tea sets.

In the boudoir further inside, the lights were bright.

From it, a familiar clear pipa sound faintly came.

"It is my young lady playing the zither in the hall, welcoming you, my lord. Please enter, my lord, and this servant will go pour tea."

The pretty maid left gracefully.

In front of the door, Ouyang Rong stood tall, looked at the quiet surroundings, and touched the skirt knife at his waist calmly.

Standing still for a moment,

he raised his hand to push the door and enter the courtyard,

and he walked straight into the brightly lit hall.

The first thing that caught his eye was a melancholy, furrowed world-weary face, and below it...

a body without a stitch of clothing.

The naked young lady knelt in the high hall, half-holding a pipa, with her eyebrows lowered and eyes submissive.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 287 =====