Chapter 323: Fifty-one, Hard to Distinguish Friend from Foe

Fifty-one, Hard to Distinguish Friend from Foe

Xie Lingjiang noticed that her Ru Shixiong's expression was calm and his tone was firm.

She laid her sword across her knees, took a cup of cold tea from the brocade box on the seat beside her, and handed it to Ouyang Rong.

"Ru Shixiong, drink some to sober up."

"I wasn't really drunk."

Ouyang Rong chuckled, but facing the red-clad beauty who was sitting upright with a serious and inviolable face, he honestly took the teacup and sipped twice.

Xie Lingjiang took an orchid-scented handkerchief as white as the moon from her red sleeve and carefully wiped Ouyang Rong's flushed cheeks, her movements cautious:

"It's scary."

"I just sealed my acupoints, so the blood and alcohol were just rushing up..."

Ouyang Rong explained casually, then paused, squinting to experience it carefully:

"However, this hazy drunken feeling is truly wonderful. I rarely drank greedily before. So this is what being drunk is like; I feel like my actions and words have become bolder.

"No wonder scholars and merchants alike like to discuss business at banquets, and drink nuptial wine on their wedding night..."

"Talking nonsense again." Xie Lingjiang tapped her Ru Shixiong's forehead gently and scolded: "The more you talk, the more improper you become."

"It's true. Wine gives one courage; if you don't believe me, just watch."

Inside the carriage, Ouyang Rong quickly turned over, sat side-by-side with Xie Lingjiang, and replied very "toughly."

He leaned back and lay down on the seat, first picking up the moonlit long sword she had originally placed on her knees, which was in the way.

Drunk and lying on a beauty's lap,

Ouyang Rong crossed his hands to hold the sword, and rested the back of his head on the beauty's round, taut, and pressed-together legs.

"Improper again."

Xie Lingjiang was slightly flustered and reached out to grab the sword.

Ouyang Rong waited for the rabbit to hit the stump, grabbed a soft hand, covered it with his large hand, and pressed it against his own wine-red, stubbly face.

Not knowing if he was truly drunk or faking it, he stared at the beauty and recited with a smile:

"There are three hundred kinds of tea in the world, but none are as sobering as Wanwan."

Xie Lingjiang's face flushed, and she lowered her head, only to bump into the blinking, drunken eyes of the lover lying on her lap below.

"I... I think you're drunk and stupid. Ru Shixiong is a big idiot."

She tilted her head, dodging Ouyang Rong's hot, bold gaze while drunk, and scolded him softly.

Ouyang Rong raised his hand, brushed the hair from her ear, and pinched her round, water-drop-like cute little earlobe.

Xie Lingjiang shyly grabbed his large hand, snorted, and lowered her head. Her thumbs gently stroked the lines on Ouyang Rong's palm, her eyes fixed on them as if studying them.

Ouyang Rong wanted to speak.

Xie Lingjiang hurriedly changed the subject:

"By the way, Ru Shixiong, tell me about the banquet tonight. Why couldn't Li Zhengyan hold it in anymore?"

"Naturally, the dagger was revealed when the map was unrolled; he was testing me."

"And what about Ru Shixiong?"

"Anyway, I was drunk, so it's not too much to say some nonsense, right?"

As with the previous banquets, Ouyang Rong smiled and talked about his drunken words at the banquet tonight.

Xie Lingjiang's expression was thoughtful:

"So Ru Shixiong is so firm that their purpose for this trip is not simple, and not just purely to pledge loyalty."

Ouyang Rong sighed:

"The spirit of this group is clearly different. They are demoted officials, yet they show no frustration or indignation at all. If they had shown even a little resentment or melancholy during the banquets these days, I wouldn't be this vigilant.

"Also, the day I arrived in Jiangzhou, I was so late, yet they waited patiently. Added to all the other things these days, it's more than just 'hitting it off.' It seems I am definitely very useful to them right now.

"I deliberately ignored them for many days, yet today Li Gong mentioned it again. If that's not 'holding it in,' what is..."

He turned his head and gave a warning:

"Wanwan, anything involving the Xunyang Prince's residence is not small. The hints in the letters from my teacher and Lord Shen earlier seem to be correct. I really need to receive them properly and be careful."

Xie Lingjiang frowned slightly and said worriedly: "What exactly is the matter? Is it unfavorable to Ru Shixiong, which is why they are beating around the bush? Are they trying to usurp the host's role? Are they trying to squeeze Ru Shixiong out?"

Ouyang Rong immediately said:

"If it were just usurping the host's role, that would be fine. I'm afraid they have some other agenda, and this agenda is likely inconsistent with the current path of the Xunyang Prince's residence. Otherwise, what is there that cannot be said clearly?

"They must be treating me as an outsider, possibly thinking I will get in their way."

He laughed at himself.

Xie Lingjiang held Ouyang Rong's hand tightly with a pained expression:

"Without Ru Shixiong's strategies and divine plans, grasping the Emperor's heart, and leading Uncle Li and the others to seize the opportunity, how could there be the current resurgence of the Xunyang Prince's residence? Its hidden momentum is not inferior to the Prince of Xiang's residence, attracting scholars from all over the world.

"So what if Li Zhengyan and Wei Shaoqi are talents of Guanzhong? Aren't they still licking their faces to come and visit the Prince's residence?

"If their actions on this trip are truly about cutting off and squeezing out, trying to overthrow and deny Ru Shixiong, then they are the ones who are unrighteous. Let alone arriving late or pretending to be drunk, no matter how Ru Shixiong treats them, it is reasonable."

Ouyang Rong was silent for a while, as if lost in thought.

He changed to a relatively comfortable position and lay lazily on the beauty's lap.

The carriage was moving, and the body of the carriage was bumping and shaking. Ouyang Rong's head was also bumping and shaking along with the scenery above. At first, he didn't think much of it, staring blankly, thinking about Li Zhengyan's affairs in his heart,

until it went dark before his eyes. Looking closely, it turned out to be a beauty's hand covering his eyes.

Ouyang Rong was stunned for a moment before he realized. Not looking at the shy girl, he turned his head silently and looked at the dim night scene outside the window, which had the least bumping amplitude compared to the former.

"Wanwan naturally thinks so, being close to me, that is my private affair. Perhaps in the eyes of Li Gong and Mr. Wei, the Xunyang Prince's residence, as the direct line of the Taizong, needs to 'put the world first,' and I might be the one getting in the way of the implementation of 'great righteousness'."

Xie Lingjiang shook her head: "Ru Shixiong is belittling himself again. They are the ungrateful wolves, forcing people with 'great righteousness'."

Ouyang Rong didn't answer, nodding lightly:

"Hmm, it seems that even with the Master's tacit support for me, among the pro-Li faction civil officials in the imperial court, there are also some who have objections to the path taken by the Xunyang Prince's residence, or rather, have other ideas."

Xie Lingjiang lowered her head gently, her red lips only a finger's width away from Ouyang Rong's ear.

Breathing like an orchid:

"Ru Shixiong is not allowed to talk nonsense while drunk again. At least regarding the calling cards submitted by Li Zhengyan and the others, Uncle Li and Eldest Brother Li rejected them thousands of miles away at the first opportunity, and later informed Ru Shixiong, taking your opinion as the standard.

"They are also standing on Ru Shixiong's side, and also feel that the identities of Li Zhengyan and the others are tricky, which will implicate the hard-won stable situation of the Prince's residence."

"I'm not worried about the position of the number one strategist in the hidden residence being taken away.

"But I feel that the problem of the difficulty in unifying various internal voices does not only exist in the Wei clan; it also exists in the Master's group.

"In this dispute over building the Heavenly Pivot and the Buddha statue, Li Zhengyan, Mr. Wei, and others, these extreme faction members who were demoted from the capital, are the embodiment of this kind of divergence and contradiction, and were easily defeated one by one by the Wei clan..."

Speaking calmly to this point, Ouyang Rong sighed softly and murmured:

"Besides, how can anything remain unchanged? I am not necessarily right, because once the situation changes, it is a different time and a different place."

Seeing the slightly furrowed brow of her Ru Shixiong when he was lost in thought, Xie Lingjiang felt a pang of pain in her heart.

But she couldn't bear to disturb his thoughts.

Xie Lingjiang turned her head, glanced at the paper draft on the opposite seat with her peripheral vision, and picked it up to take a look.

She discovered that it was a piece of information reported by Yan Liulang a few days ago. The paper draft recorded the main content of the chat between Li Zhengyan and several laborers with sweat towels at the pier on the day Li Zhengyan and his group arrived in Xunyang City, before Ouyang Rong "arrived late."

Yan Liulang had inquired about everything in detail and submitted it to Ouyang Rong.

"This is..." she muttered curiously.

Ouyang Rong didn't turn his head, his eyes staring blankly at the ceiling of the carriage, and said casually:

"That day, Li Gong asked the laborers at the pier about some trivial family matters. Besides that, there were also the prices in Xunyang and the daily wages for carrying at the ferry.

"Especially, he also asked about the details of the recruitment at the pier for the construction projects currently underway, such as the Shuangfengjian Canal and the Xunyang Grottoes."

Ouyang Rong seemed to have read this report draft many times and knew it almost by heart.

Xie Lingjiang frowned in suspicion: "The more I hear, the more wrong it sounds. For no reason, why are Li Zhengyan and the others asking about these people's livelihoods in Xunyang City?"

"Indeed."

Ouyang Rong nodded softly: "Inquiring about the people's livelihood in Xunyang... interesting."

Xie Lingjiang pondered: "Could it be Li Zhengyan's unique style? When arriving at a place, he investigates the people's livelihood and customs, and the official achievements of the place."

Ouyang Rong's expression was thoughtful, and he closed his eyes and said suddenly:

"However, he seemed to ask quite a lot about the Jiangzhou Hall hosting the construction of the Donglin Great Buddha."

"Is that so."

Xie Lingjiang muttered to herself. At this moment, a pair of slender hands were gently massaging the brow of the closed-eyed Ouyang Rong, trying to smooth out his gathered brows.

Thinking of something, she raised her delicate chin, her tone somewhat proud and admiring:

"No matter what, Ru Shixiong has a clear conscience, so you don't need to panic, and you aren't afraid of others investigating."

Ouyang Rong chuckled.

After praising her Ru Shixiong, Xie Lingjiang paused slightly, lowered her head gently, her eyes full of him.

She bit her lip, slowly touched this familiar and warm face, and reminded him in a low voice:

"But Ru Shixiong must also be careful. Judging by his style of doing things, he is no ordinary person."

"I didn't underestimate him. Otherwise, I wouldn't have decisively pretended to be drunk and confused when we first met."

Ouyang Rong sighed with his eyes closed:

"Didn't you see that Wei Shaoqi, Du Shuqing, and Wang Junzhi, who also look extraordinary, are all vaguely led by this person?

"Those who can subdue heroes must be commander material."

Ouyang Rong suddenly felt his ear itch. It was Xie Lingjiang burying her head close to his ear and breathing:

"And what about Ru Shixiong?"

He closed his eyes indifferently and pointed at himself with his thumb:

"Me? Naturally, I am a real hero, that's for sure."

Xie Lingjiang held back her laughter and scolded: "Yie, you're really shameless."

Ouyang Rong opened his eyes and asked her in confusion:

"Otherwise, why can't I always pass the beauty's pass?"

Inside the carriage, a beauty suddenly shyly buried her chest, revealing a section of pear-white, fine-porcelain-like neck...

The next few days.

Ouyang Rong continued to respond to Li Zhengyan's invitations and attended banquet after banquet of scholars,

never refusing, and happily accepting the appointments.

Every night, he would be carried home dead drunk.

The next morning, however, he would run to the Jiangzhou Hall full of energy and spirit, supervising the progress of the excavation of Shuangfengjian, or go to the Xunyang Prince's residence to report on the progress of building the Buddha statue.

I don't know how he managed not to have a headache or fatigue the next day after being drunk every night.

Well, maybe this is what he meant by "never gets drunk after a thousand cups."

It's quite fitting.

It seems Li Zhengyan and the others really misunderstood him.

As for the probing questions Li Zhengyan and the others asked explicitly or implicitly during every banquet, they were all fooled by Ouyang Rong's inability to hold his liquor.

By the end, Li Zhengyan and the others stopped asking.

But the attitude of this former Inspector of Meizhou and grandson of the founding Duke toward Ouyang Rong didn't change much.

It was still the affectionate call of "Lianghan."

Ouyang Rong's expression was calm and composed.

"Magistrate."

On this day, Army Supervisor Yan walked into the main hall of the office and handed a note to Ouyang Rong, who was buried in his documents.

He freed a hand to take it and glanced at it.

It was the approximate trajectory of Li Zhengyan and his group's activities in Xunyang City over the past two days, recorded in quite some detail.

Ouyang Rong finished reading it seriously and found no clues. He burned it after reading, said "hard work," and Yan Liulang retreated to continue inquiring.

This was considered a recent routine report.

Ouyang Rong had always grasped the movements of Li Zhengyan and the others during the day.

As for whether Yan Liulang and the others who went to inquire would be discovered by them, Ouyang Rong was not worried at all.

Li Zhengyan and the others were already demoted and awaiting punishment; it was normal to be monitored by eyes everywhere in the local area. What was there to say?

As the Jiangzhou Senior Secretary, this was under his nose; this was called the responsibility of supervision.

Official business during the day.

As for the night, at the scholar's banquets with light and shadow, in front of Li Zhengyan, Wei Shaoqi, and others, he was a confused little brother who was bad at drinking and greedy for the cup.

That was another matter.

Just like this.

As the days passed, Ouyang Rong gradually felt that the focus of Li Zhengyan and his group's energy shifted from him to the social interactions with famous scholars in Xunyang City through their movements during the day and the frequency of attending banquets at night.

For example, Wang Junzhi and Du Shuqing in this group.

They took the opportunity to make extensive friends with the celebrities of Xunyang.

They were demoted to Jiangzhou, and this visit could also be considered taking up their posts.

In a few days, Li Zhengyan and Wei Shaoqi would definitely leave to take up their respective posts, but Wang and Du would stay and be stationed here.

Especially Wang Junzhi.

As the new Jiangzhou Doctor, he was the official in charge of the state school and would stay in Xunyang City often, having more contact with his immediate superior, Ouyang Rong.

As for Du Shuqing, he was the Longcheng County Assistant, which was the position of the former County Assistant Diao.

And before this, Wang Junzhi was the Registrar of Chang'an, and Du Shuqing was the Remonstrance Official; both were considered capital officials and young talents among the former pro-Li faction.

One can imagine how harsh this demotion was.

Simply one in heaven, one on earth.

But Ouyang Rong didn't see these two, who followed Li Zhengyan, show much frustration or disappointment at the banquet.

Could it be that they were all possessed by Yuan Huaimin, one by one "suddenly enlightened," and preparing to give up?

Ouyang Rong felt the possibility was not high.

Then there must be some belief or prospect supporting them.

He cast his gaze on the heroic back of Li Zhengyan, who was currently the focus of the whole venue and leading the atmosphere of the banquet, and nodded lightly.

And these things were highly likely to involve the Xunyang Prince's residence.

It was also related to Li Zhengyan's previous roundabout attempts to make contact with the Xunyang Prince.

Thinking of this, Ouyang Rong became more and more calm,

waiting calmly.

Recommending a daily romance novel from the modern era, "Reborn Starting from Proposing to the Most Beautiful Educated Youth."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 324 =====