Chapter 293

Twenty-two, Leading Away

No way, even a gentleman guards against craftsmanship. Twenty-two, Leading Away. Prince Xunyang Tower.

The first-floor hall that was booked tonight.

A bamboo umbrella painted with a lady's portrait was auctioned for a sky-high price of six thousand taels.

The price was still climbing.

Now only the salt merchant Pei Pei Pei Shisan Niang and the famous monk Master Master Si Hui from Mount Mount Kuanglu were bidding without giving an inch.

The high price had already made the other famous Prince Xunyang scholars who stood up to bid shrink back, their expressions hesitant. After all, famous scholars spend money lavishly, but there is a limit.

"Amitabha, this poor monk is willing to offer six thousand two hundred taels."

Master Master Si Hui gritted his teeth.

Pei Pei Pei Shisan Niang said without hesitation: "Six thousand five hundred taels."

As soon as this price was reported, seeing Master Master Si Hui about to open his mouth, Pei Pei Pei Shisan Niang immediately said decisively:

"Seven thousand taels!"

The whole room was silent, and no one spoke for a while.

Pei Pei Pei Shisan Niang raised her chin slightly. Under the skirt sleeves that everyone couldn't see, the palm of her clenched fist was already full of sweat.

Her expression was indifferent. She looked around the silent hall and gave a faint smile to the guests, her attitude determined, but her peripheral vision was tightly focused on Master Master Si Hui's expression of wanting to speak but stopping, not relaxing.

"This..."

The group of famous Prince Xunyang scholars at the same table as Master Master Si Hui who had not participated in the bidding were confused. They looked at Master Master Si Hui, who was struggling and hesitating, and their expressions became more and more curious.

"Daoist Jiang, why is Master Master Si Hui so persistent in buying the umbrella? Just now you were also..."

A famous scholar lowered his voice and asked the Daoist surnamed Jiang who had gifted the flute earlier.

Daoist Jiang, who had failed in his bid and felt he should withdraw, smiled bitterly and shook his head:

"This..."

His peripheral vision first glanced at Wang Wang Lengran, whose face was livid not far from the same table, paused, and then carefully lowered his voice to point out:

"The painting on this umbrella, the lady with hairpins, the brushwork is round and turning, the ribbons of the skirt are like flying in the wind. It is the 'Wu belt in the wind' clothing pattern painting method, the 'Orchid Leaf Drawing' masterpiece technique of that old Daoist from Chang'an back then, which cannot be imitated.

"I wasn't sure before, but now looking at Master Master Si Hui's appearance, it seems there is no doubt. Master Master Si Hui knows more about the immortal paintings of the Buddhist and Daoist families, and that legendary old Daoist was best at making such murals..."

"Hiss, is Daoist Jiang talking about the Painting Saint who once wandered in East Luo?"

Exclaiming out loud, the eyes of the famous scholars from Mount Mount Kuanglu suddenly widened. Some turned their heads and looked in surprise at the handmade umbrella in the clever maid's arms.

When the Great Gan was still around, there was once an ordinary-looking old Daoist who wandered in the capital of Luo, waving his brush to make murals in many temples and Daoist temples. People at the time were amazed, and finally, it alarmed the Gan Gao Zong and Empress Wei who were in charge of the government in the capital.

The two saints summoned him to the capital Chang'an, enshrined him in the palace, and ordered him "not to paint without an edict." During his temporary stay in the palace, the old Daoist left behind many works, and the name of the Painting Saint spread throughout the world.

It's a pity that this strange person soon disappeared into the smoke and dust. Most of his works left in the world were collected by the palace, and there are very few paintings left outside, except for the murals in those Daoist temples and Buddhist temples in Chang'an and Shenjing Luoyang that are carefully protected and restricted from viewing.

"That's right."

Daoist Jiang, who was "empty-handed," nodded helplessly and sighed:

"This painting on the umbrella, even if it is not the Painting Saint's own hand, it was made by a high disciple or someone with deep origins. It is the same root and source, no different from the Painting Saint's own hand. If one could collect a piece..."

Daoist Jiang looked at his fellow famous scholars at the same table with meaningful eyes.

The latter looked at each other, and some couldn't help but click their tongues: "Seven thousand taels is not expensive!"

Hua Xuanji, the famous Prince Xunyang scholars at this table became anxious. For a while, they ignored the Jiangzhou Cishi Wang, whose face was becoming more and more livid and embarrassed, and discussed in whispers whether to pool money to bid and get a piece of the Painting Saint's calligraphy and painting.

Wang Wang Lengran was a bit restless. Clearly, most of the attention in the room was on the bidding Pei Pei Pei Shisan Niang, Master Master Si Hui, and that oil-paper umbrella.

But he always felt that mocking and happy gazes were cast from somewhere to look at him.

It was like being slapped in the face in public.

Taking advantage of Master Master Si Hui's hesitation, Pei Pei Pei Shisan Niang immediately turned her head and said sincerely and loudly to Chen Jun Xie Chen Jun Xie Xuee, her voice loud enough for the fox-fur-clad young man who had already walked to the door to hear:

"Madam Chen Jun Xie, can you fulfill this woman's small wish?

"Seven thousand taels, part with it for this woman."

Chen Jun Xie Chen Jun Xie Xuee was silent, and Pei Pei Pei Shisan Niang smiled, wanting to speak again.

"Eight thousand taels."

A faint old voice rang out.

Chen Jun Xie Chen Jun Xie Xuee, Pei Pei Pei Shisan Niang, and others were stunned, turning their heads to look at the position where the voice of this strange intruder came from.

In front of a dining table closest to the table of Daoist Jiang and other famous Prince Xunyang scholars, there was a tall old man with silver hair combed meticulously, smiling slightly, raising his glass to everyone:

"Young Master Magistrate Ouyang's umbrella, this old man is also struck by it the moment I saw it. This Madam Pei, can you yield it to this old man?"

Although it was a question, the tall old man's tone was indifferent, determined to win.

He even looked straight ahead, not looking at Pei Pei Pei Shisan Niang.

An attitude of contempt from an old-school noble toward merchant women and big merchants was overflowing.

Chen Jun Xie Chen Jun Xie Xuee could no longer be silent and couldn't help but say: "Qin Bo, why are you also getting involved..."

"Miss Chen Jun Xie." The tall old man, whose seniority was not low, shook his head, his smile slightly apologetic, and said something confusing:

"This old man has no intention of disturbing the Chen Jun Xie family's arrangements tonight, just trying it out... If Madam decides to part with it, please be sure to consider this old man. Price is definitely not a problem."

Qin Bo raised his glass and toasted Chen Jun Xie Chen Jun Xie Xuee and everyone in the room.

Pei Pei Pei Shisan Niang, who had been ignored and intercepted, seemed to recognize the identity of this tall old man, and she was silent as a cicada, not daring to compete again.

Master Master Si Hui was also the same, exhaling a long breath, his face unable to hide the pain of losing money.

Chen Jun Xie Chen Jun Xie Xuee did not wait for everyone for long.

"Qin Bo, and everyone."

Her expression was somewhat apologetic: "This umbrella is special; it is a gift from a guest, how can it be sold lightly..."

"Madam Chen Jun Xie."

Yan Beside Yan Liulang, who had followed Magistrate Ouyang Rong to the door, suddenly turned his head and interrupted loudly:

"Give me the umbrella!"

Chen Jun Xie Chen Jun Xie Xuee's willow eyebrows stood up: "What nonsense are you talking about, kid!"

Yan Beside Yan Liulang tried hard to break free from the big hand of Magistrate Ouyang Rong who was pulling him away from behind, and raised his chin in front of everyone:

"This is what you said yourself, Madam! You said if it's a heavy gift, the Chen Jun Xie family won't accept it! This little one has a question, dare I ask Madam, is this umbrella made by the Magistrate a heavy gift now, or a light gift?"

The noblewoman was choked, her words stuck.

Yan Beside Yan Liulang reached out carelessly, his face unyielding:

"Bring it here. An umbrella worth eight thousand taels of silver, the Chen Jun Xie family and Madam shouldn't be trying to keep it, right?"

"You!" Chen Jun Xie Chen Jun Xie Xuee's face turned red with slight anger.

Yan Beside Yan Liulang stiffened his neck: "Then return the umbrella to the Magistrate."

Chen Jun Xie Chen Jun Xie Xuee turned her head, suppressed her anger, and asked earnestly:

"Young Master Magistrate Ouyang, what this kid said, is this also your intention? You want to take the umbrella and leave?"

Magistrate Ouyang Rong, who had been staying out of the matter, slowly turned his head, looked around the room, and his gaze fell on the oil-paper umbrella in the clever maid's arms.

He actually didn't expect that sending this umbrella would cause such a big disturbance.

He just wanted to leave silently.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong lowered his eyes and pursed his lips:

"Alright, stop making a scene."

It seemed to be said to Yan Beside Yan Liulang, and it seemed to be said to Wang Caozhi, Pei Pei Pei Shisan Niang, Miss Qin, and others who helped tonight.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong said softly: "Tonight is the Xiao Shimei's birthday banquet, don't make it unhappy."

Hearing this, Chen Jun Xie Chen Jun Xie Xuee's expression softened slightly, she suppressed some of her temper, and her stiff tone softened a bit: "Young Master Magistrate Ouyang..."

Magistrate Ouyang Rong suddenly turned around and walked toward the door without looking back:

"Let's go, Beside Yan Liulang, don't disturb the banquet anymore."

Chen Jun Xie Chen Jun Xie Xuee's originally softened expression turned red, and she flicked her sleeves angrily:

"Fine, fine, fine, you're going to leave, right? Your temper is quite big. Mu Wanqing, return the umbrella! We, the Chen Jun Xie family, cannot afford Young Master Magistrate Ouyang's big gift."

Magistrate Ouyang Rong's mellow voice came: "Madam, don't be angry, accept it. This is for the Xiao Shimei, I will not take it back."

"Fine, then sell it!"

Chen Jun Xie Chen Jun Xie Xuee said angrily:

"Mu Wanqing, go, sell it to the noble guest. This woman wants to see how heavy this noble gift really is. Later, let the noble guest send the silver to Young Master Magistrate Ouyang's mansion himself; it has nothing to do with our Chen Jun Xie family."

The clever maid named Mu Wanqing was stunned, nodded obediently, and walked toward the banquet, holding the oil-paper umbrella that was as heavy as a thousand gold.

"No!"

Just at this moment, a female voice, anxious and fearful, rang through the hall.

Chen Jun Xie Chen Jun Xie Lingjiang, the noble daughter of the Chen Jun Xie family who was the focus of the whole room tonight, broke free from the wrist grabbed by the noblewoman, lifted the hem of her floor-length dress with both hands, and ran forward with all her might, like a fiery red butterfly breaking through a thick cocoon.

Chen Jun Xie Chen Jun Xie Lingjiang snatched the oil-paper umbrella she had been longing for all night from Mu Wanqing's hands, held it tightly in her arms, bit her lower lip, and declared her sovereignty to the bidding crowd:

"This is my umbrella, the umbrella the Senior Brother gave me, I won't give it to you!"

"Shiqi Niang, come back!" Chen Jun Xie Chen Jun Xie Xuee said anxiously: "What did you promise your aunt before? Be good, come back!"

"I won't!"

Under the gaze of everyone, Chen Jun Xie Chen Jun Xie Lingjiang shook her head slightly, her tone stubborn:

"You didn't tell me you would be so excessive to him, and even want to give his umbrella to someone else. I'm not coming! The umbrella is mine, I will never give it to anyone!"

The air in the hall was strangely quiet. The words of the noble daughter of the Chen Jun Xie family echoed in the room, and at the same time fell into the ears of someone at the door.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong turned his head blankly, looking at the stubborn back holding the umbrella that was facing away from him.

"You..." Feeling the gazes from all directions, Chen Jun Xie Chen Jun Xie Xuee's face was slightly anxious, and she nodded helplessly:

"Fine, fine, fine, the umbrella won't be given away, the umbrella is yours. Come back quickly, you are the birthday girl tonight, this posture, what does it look like? It's too unladylike, come back quickly..."

Chen Jun Xie Chen Jun Xie Lingjiang held the umbrella and lowered her head, avoiding the thousands of gazes, muttering: "If I continue to be ladylike and noble, people will run away."

The noble daughter of the Chen Jun Xie family didn't dare to turn her head to see if the figure at the door was still there; she didn't dare to look at him.

"Shiqi Niang, stop making a scene, come back." Chen Jun Xie Chen Jun Xie Xuee's expression was difficult.

"Aunt, stop talking, I... I'm tired."

Chen Jun Xie Chen Jun Xie Lingjiang raised her plain hand, wiped her red eyes that were very "itchy" with the back of her hand, held the oil-paper umbrella, lowered her head, and walked sadly toward the stairs she had walked down from today.

The next moment, her peripheral vision saw the gazes of the guests in front of the dining table, which had passed over her and cast toward the back.

Chen Jun Xie Chen Jun Xie Lingjiang was slightly stunned, and then her delicate body trembled, as if sensing something, she didn't dare to turn her head.

A young man in plain clothes wearing a fox-fur shawl held the skirt-sword at his waist, turned from the door, and walked toward her with big strides, walking up to her.

"Don't cry." Magistrate Ouyang Rong said earnestly.

"I... I didn't cry." Chen Jun Xie Chen Jun Xie Lingjiang raised her head slightly, trying hard to open her eyes wide, and answered stutteringly.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong pursed his lips: "I was worried about making your relatives angry again, disturbing your birthday banquet, and making you unhappy. I wasn't leaving out of spite."

Chen Jun Xie Chen Jun Xie Lingjiang said with a trembling voice: "I'm very happy that you could come, how could I be unhappy? Then, then why did you come back now?"

"Because I saw a coward, a coward who has been hiding from me tonight."

Chen Jun Xie Chen Jun Xie Lingjiang glared at him, her mouth hard: "I'm not a coward."

Magistrate Ouyang Rong nodded: "Coincidentally, neither am I, so I came back." He suddenly asked: "Hungry all night?"

Chen Jun Xie Chen Jun Xie Lingjiang turned her pretty face away: "Not at all."

"Want to eat some hot longevity noodles?"

"No."

"Then I'll go make a bowl for Miss Li."

"I'll eat! You're not allowed to make it for her." Chen Jun Xie Chen Jun Xie Lingjiang said anxiously, then realized she had been tricked, and didn't dare to look at Magistrate Ouyang Rong's smile. She said in a voice as thin as a mosquito: "But there are still guests..."

"You are the birthday girl, you are the biggest tonight, who dares to object?" Magistrate Ouyang Rong reached out with a brilliant smile: "Let's go, I'll go make noodles for you."

"Ah?" Chen Jun Xie Chen Jun Xie Lingjiang glanced around, a bit shy: "Now?"

The next second, she suddenly felt her left hand tighten, wrapped in warmth.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong took Chen Jun Xie Chen Jun Xie Lingjiang's soft hand and walked forward without looking sideways.

Chen Jun Xie Chen Jun Xie Lingjiang's pretty face was instantly covered in a blush, as if painted with the brightest rouge. She fell into a short period of tinnitus. She didn't hear a single word of the overwhelming noise in the hall. She stared at their ten fingers intertwined, and was led away by him blankly.

After the sudden action of Magistrate Ouyang Rong and the usual noise, the hall became silent, time seemed to have pressed the pause button, and everyone was stunned in place.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong held the hand of Chen Jun Xie Chen Jun Xie Lingjiang, the little birthday girl of the night, and walked straight past Chen Jun Xie Chen Jun Xie Xuee, who had widened her beautiful eyes, past the stiff-faced young talents like Li Yi and Wang Wang Hengzhi, and past the dining tables of the dumbfounded Wang Wang Lengran and Master Master Si Hui, and walked out of the door without looking back.

The two held hands and left.

Leaving behind all the guests in the room.

The whole Prince Xunyang Tower fell into a short silence.

Chen Jun Xie Chen Jun Xie Xuee maintained her turning posture, looking at this bold pair of men and women in disbelief.

Wang Wang Lengran was stunned for a moment, then ecstatic in his heart. This Magistrate Ouyang Rong is truly bold, not giving Chen Jun Xie Chen Jun Xie Xuee and the Chen Jun Xie family of Chen Jun any face at all, simply tearing his face off and slapping them in public.

He looked at Chen Jun Xie Chen Jun Xie Xuee with great interest, wanting to see her angry reaction.

"Hehe." Qin Bo suddenly clapped his hands and laughed in front of Chen Jun Xie Chen Jun Xie Xuee:

"Miss Chen Jun Xie, the new son-in-law of your Chen Jun Xie family this generation is quite arrogant. How does he compare to your husband back then?

"This old man still remembers that your husband was suppressed by your brother and mother back then. So many years have passed, and he is already the Jiangzhou Cishi of Yangzhou, but I heard that after marriage, he didn't even take a single concubine, and he was obedient to you, Miss Chen Jun Xie, following your lead.

"But the momentum of this new son-in-law tonight, tsk tsk, it seems you, as the aunt, can't suppress him. What will happen to Shiqi Niang in the future? Hahaha, interesting."

New son-in-law?

What the hell?

Wang Wang Lengran was stunned.

"Hahaha." In the room, other guests from noble families with deep foundations let out a tacit and kind laughter, a bit amused by a certain convention of the Chen Jun Xie family of Chen Jun.

The young talents specially invited by Chen Jun Xie Chen Jun Xie Xuee, such as Li Yi and Wang Wang Hengzhi, felt a sense of loss, especially Li Yi, who looked like he had lost his soul.

It seemed that a beautiful shadow from his youth had completely walked away, destroyed by the hands of a certain fox-fur-clad young man... Was that shy, bowing, delicate girl just now actually the always serious and strong Sister Chen Jun Xie?

Only guests like Master Master Si Hui, who were far from the top noble circle, were confused, just as dumbfounded as Wang Wang Lengran.

"It's not that this woman can't suppress him, it's that Shiqi Niang's heart is too soft, she's really stupid. If this continues, won't she be bullied to death in the future... And my brother too, he insists on letting me play the bad guy, and now it's like this."

Chen Jun Xie Chen Jun Xie Xuee frowned and gritted her teeth, standing alone in place, watching the empty doorway, panting for a while.

Finally, seeming to have calmed down a bit, she turned back helplessly.

"Kidnapped by a stinky boy, isn't Madam going to chase him back?" A noble joked.

Chen Jun Xie Chen Jun Xie Xuee snorted coldly: "Can he beat Shiqi Niang?"

Qin Bo joked: "I'm just afraid the young lady won't bear to hit him, and will be bullied by the young man instead."

Chen Jun Xie Chen Jun Xie Xuee was suddenly annoyed.

A moment later, she suddenly calmed down, narrowed her eyes slightly, and turned her head to look at a certain Yan-surnamed kid who had just rudely contradicted her at the door, but there was no sign of him.

Clearly, when Qin Bo was teasing her just now, this kid's figure was still lingering at the door... He slipped away quite fast.

Chen Jun Xie Chen Jun Xie Xuee snorted coldly, then tilted her head, her cold eyes slowly cast toward a certain Jiangzhou Jiangzhou Cishi she had never looked directly at tonight, like a lioness raising her head.

Wang Wang Lengran suddenly shivered.

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