Chapter 353: Eighty-two, Breaking the Situation with One Move

Eighty-two, Breaking the Situation with One Move

How dare you!

To be lectured in public by a subordinate, this official's job is truly too cowardly.

It's just that, having been hiding and fishing for law enforcement not long ago, and now running over in a sorry state to protect the carriage, anyone, no matter how thick-skinned, would feel guilty and nervous.

Wang Lengran is naturally no exception.

Facing the thick-skinned person who lectured them without forgetting to boast,

He wiped his face with his hand, his eyes drifting slightly:

"Chief Clerk Ouyang misunderstood..."

Instead, he said with a holy light:

"This official has been worried about the city defense recently. Tonight, I was patrolling with the soldiers of the Zhechong Prefecture, passing by Xiushui Ward, and happened to hear the movement in the Prince's mansion, so I rushed over immediately. How can there be any dereliction of duty? It is clearly performing duties faithfully...

"Wait, speaking of which, why is Chief Clerk Ouyang in the Xunyang Prince's mansion in the middle of the night? The Prince's mansion has noble women like the Princess and the Princess, and Chief Clerk Ouyang coming in the middle of the night, just with a far-fetched reason of being worried about safety, I'm afraid it's inappropriate."

Ouyang Rong was righteous and dignified:

"Naturally, there is a concrete reason. My Xiao Shimei was recently invited by the little Princess to stay in the Prince's mansion. She sensed signs of treacherous people making trouble tonight, and couldn't contact the busy Magistrate Wang for a time, so she had to settle for the next best thing and called me over.

"Sure enough, this happened in the middle of the night. Fortunately, my Xiao Shimei and I were here, otherwise, the treacherous people would have succeeded."

Ouyang Rong emphasized the word "treacherous people" heavily, looking at Wang Lengran and Mistress Miao Zhen with a serious face.

"Oh, so it was just a coincidence that you were patrolling and passing by? So late, Magistrate Wang led hundreds of elite soldiers of the Zhechong Prefecture to patrol all night, it is truly professional. Those who don't know would think that the Hongzhou rebel army was attacking the city tonight."

Ouyang Rong nodded, then suddenly restrained his smile and said incredibly calmly:

"Just now, seeing Magistrate Wang and the Lady Palace Maid rush in with soldiers, this official was timid and had an illusion, thinking you were coming to ransack the house and destroy the mansion, almost thinking that the Prince and I had become rebels.

"Heh, you say it's strange or not, once a person has nothing to do, they think wildly all day long. This official is like this, making everyone laugh, don't blame, don't blame."

In the open space, there was silence.

Only the sound of the century-old red cedar beams in the ruins of the burning house being burned and crackling in the fierce fire remained.

Wang Lengran was stared at by someone's calm eyes and felt uncomfortable. He turned his head and took a small step back.

Mistress Miao Zhen looked at Ouyang Rong, who was speaking with hidden meanings, pursed her lips, and continued to carefully check and treat Wang Lixian and his son with palace maids and imperial physicians.

Wang Lengran lowered his head and coughed, his eyes turned, and he immediately picked a fault and asked:

"Sensed signs of treacherous people making trouble? How did Miss Xie sense the signs? This official has always been here. Why couldn't you contact me and had to find Chief Clerk Ouyang? Could it be that there is a hidden reason?"

Ouyang Rong asked curiously:

"What signs? Doesn't Magistrate Wang have any idea in his heart?

"The matter of the rebel suspect Wang Junzhi walking into the Xunyang Prince's mansion openly, does Magistrate Wang not know? Does the Lady Palace Maid not know? Such dereliction of duty?"

Wang Lengran retorted: "Of course I know!"

"Knowing, why didn't you ask? Leaving the crisis to the Prince?"

"This official... this official thought the Prince had a deep friendship with Wang Junzhi and wanted to protect this person. After all, this rebel was also a guest of the Xunyang Prince's mansion before, a member of the Princess's poetry club... What could this official do? I had to endure it and wait for instructions from above..."

"You thought? What a coincidence. The Prince and the Heir also complained to this official that Magistrate Wang, who is always shouting about catching rebels, let Wang Junzhi go and tacitly agreed that this person was safe. That's why they tolerated this thick-skinned person who wouldn't leave for a few days. Those who don't know would think that Magistrate Wang and Wang Junzhi are in the same gang."

Ouyang Rong used his own way to treat him, using Wang Lengran's excuses on the spot, lying without blinking:

"The Prince and the Heir also complained to this official that Magistrate Wang and him were close friends, and the so-called arrest was a misunderstanding, and he wouldn't come for real, and even entrusted him to enter the Prince's mansion in a low-key manner..."

"Spitting blood! When has this official ever known this person? I haven't even seen him a few times!" Wang Lengran hurriedly denied, explaining somewhat nervously to Mistress Miao Zhen and others who were looking sideways:

"And I never gave him any such entrustment. It is absurd and ridiculous, a great joke in the world."

Ouyang Rong suddenly nodded: "Is that so? Looking at it now, of course, the rebel's words cannot be fully believed, but Magistrate Wang, what are you in a hurry for? Don't be in a hurry yet."

He sighed helplessly:

"Eh, looking at it this way, it really was a farce, allowing this rebel to take the opportunity to mix into the Prince's mansion and get close to the Prince and the Heir.

"This fellow hasn't been here for a few days before he started to beat around the bush, inciting the Prince and the Heir. The Prince and the Heir were worried and reacted to this matter to this official.

"This official helplessly suggested, since Magistrate Wang is indulging and ignoring it, why not wait for the Luoyang mission to arrive and send this fellow to the Emperor's envoy for disposal."

Ouyang Rong looked at Wang Lengran, pointed at the corpses in the darkness not far away, and said angrily:

"Who would have thought that this fellow, not knowing who reported the news, seemed to sense that the mission was coming, and tonight gathered accomplices outside the city, sneaked into the Prince's mansion, and together incited and coerced the Prince and the Heir.

"Fortunately, my Xiao Shimei discovered the signs in time and notified this official to come, which saved the situation.

"It's just that the Prince and the Heir are too kind and generous. They tried to persuade them with good words before, wanting to reform this batch of rebels, persuading them to understand the Saint's heart, not to make trouble again, to turn back from the wrong path, and not to cunningly use the banner of the Xunyang Prince's mansion to rebel.

"Who knew that this rebel and his accomplices were ashamed and angry, desperate, and assassinated the Prince in public? My Xiao Shimei and I tried our best to stop them...

"Fortunately, there was the Heir, who sacrificed himself to block a knife for the Prince, which saved the Prince's life at the first moment. After that, in the chaos, the Prince fainted again.

"However, this batch of rebels had some martial arts skills. My Xiao Shimei and I could only barely hold on, slightly having the upper hand. Unfortunately, reinforcements didn't come for a long time. Seeing that we were falling into a disadvantage, the rebels wanted to escape and set fire to the house...

"My Xiao Shimei and I spent a lot of effort to behead the two thieves! Preserving the Xunyang Prince's family roughly safe."

Ouyang Rong was articulate, finished in one breath, and took a long breath.

Mistress Miao Zhen, Wang Lengran, and Qin Heng couldn't help but look at him a few more times.

This explanation had ups and downs, twists and turns. Those who didn't know would think they were in a teahouse listening to someone telling a story.

However, Princess Wei Mei, little Princess Li Guoer, and the injured Heir Li Fusu, these eyewitnesses, all nodded earnestly to testify for him.

Mistress Miao Zhen and others couldn't refute or falsify, so they had to be silent and nodded.

Wang Lengran doubted: "Two thieves? There is only the corpse of the rebel Wang Junzhi on the ground here. Where are his accomplices?"

Ouyang Rong raised his chin, signaling to the raging flames and crackling house in front:

"There, roasting in the fire. Magistrate Wang is quite interested in these minor details. The fire is so big, and I don't know if you should save it. In a while, the corpse will be burnt to a crisp."

Seeing that he couldn't pick out any faults for the time being, Wang Lengran gritted his teeth and had to lead the soldiers to fetch water to put out the fire.

Mistress Miao Zhen checked the sword wound on Li Fusu's arm, stood up, walked to the side of Wang Junzhi's corpse, picked up the three-foot green blade beside the corpse, and squinted at it in the firelight.

Xie Lingjiang glanced at the woman in palace attire from the corner of her eye.

Ouyang Rong's expression was as usual, cooperating with the imperial physician to take care of Wang Lixian and Li Dalang.

Mistress Miao Zhen returned. The imperial physician stood up and whispered a few words in her ear. Mistress Miao Zhen heard this, looked at the fainted Prince surrounded by Li Guoer and Wei Mei on the ground, and said suddenly:

"This symptom is so similar to the time he fainted while praying for blessings in Dragon City before, almost exactly the same."

Ouyang Rong shrugged:

"The Prince has a precedent of convulsions. This is a recurrence of an old illness... Speaking of which, is the Lady Palace Maid here to save people or interrogate prisoners? Why are you the same as Magistrate Wang."

Mistress Miao Zhen pursed her lips and did not speak.

Not long after, with the hard work of the soldiers of the Zhechong Prefecture, most of the fire in the flower hall was extinguished. The fire was too big, and the other houses were temporarily ignored.

The houses that caught fire this time were the flower hall and the reception hall in Juxian Garden. A west wind blew tonight, and the study in the west wing was also affected, submerged by the raging fire and burned to the ground.

It can be said that it was burned clean.

Wang Lengran and others rescued four residual limbs from the ruins of the flower hall house and pieced together a big man's corpse like building blocks.

This corpse was already charred on the outside, even more serious than Wang Junzhi's tattered semi-charred state.

Only a rough human shell could be distinguished, charred black.

As for clothes and tokens, they were all burned to carbon ash. As for what this man looked like, no one knew.

An effort to rescue evidence left Wang Lengran panting and sweating profusely, but the more he checked, the colder his heart became. After a big fire, not a single piece of evidence was left.

How ruthless.

Handled so cleanly in such a short time.

Wang Lengran's palms trembled as he covered Wang Junzhi's pale corpse face with a white cloth, unable to help turning his head to look at Ouyang Rong's calm face.

This face in his eyes became increasingly terrifying.

"Finished checking? Looking at Magistrate Wang's face, do you recognize this rebel Wang Junzhi's accomplice?"

"This... this official doesn't recognize him." Wang Lengran denied it, and said loudly:

"This man's corpse was cut into four pieces at the waist. Even if the wound is charred, looking at the bones, it was cut very neatly. Chief Clerk Ouyang's sword is truly powerful."

Ouyang Rong looked at Xie Lingjiang:

"Xiao Shimei, be lighter next time."

Wang Lengran and Mistress Miao Zhen turned their heads to look. Not far away, the noble lady of the Xie family stood holding her sword, looking up at the moon, her beautiful egg-shaped face cold, and she snorted coldly:

"Experts' business, I advise you to worry less."

Cold and ruthless Xiao Shimei, no feelings.

Accidentally exposing the Ru Shixiong's family status, Ouyang Rong shrugged helplessly and sighed at the crowd.

With nothing left to ask, the atmosphere fell into silence.

At this time, Ouyang Rong turned his head leisurely and asked a sentence:

"Actually, speaking of which, there is another rebel accomplice. He escaped halfway, I wonder if Lady Palace Maid and Magistrate Wang saw him?"

Wang Lengran stiffened slightly.

Mistress Miao Zhen turned her head silently and looked at Wang Lengran.

Wang Lengran had no choice but to bite the bullet and nod in admission:

"The people below were patrolling the street and did catch a suspect. Lady Palace Maid, Chief Clerk Ouyang, this official will go back to interrogate now..."

"Eh, really caught one?"

Ouyang Rong's tone was quite surprised, and he rarely praised Magistrate Wang:

"It seems Magistrate Wang is still a bit useful... um, I mean patrolling in the middle of the night."

Everyone looked sideways, their expressions different.

Wang Lengran was furious, smiled reluctantly at the crowd, and immediately turned his head, leading the soldiers away with a stinky face to "interrogate" a certain rebel suspect.

In fact, he said more of these words to Mistress Miao Zhen, who knew the truth. This caught suspect, whether horizontal or vertical, after the Luoyang mission arrived, would definitely not be let go and would be questioned and investigated.

"Magistrate Wang, be careful on the night road, walk well and don't send."

Ouyang Rong respected the old and loved the young, and did not forget to greet Wang Lengran's hurried back.

"Don't forget to pick up people tomorrow when the Luoyang mission arrives."

"Good, good."

Watching Wang Lengran's messy and sorry figure go away, Ouyang Rong smiled lightly.

Not long after, Xunyang Prince Wang Lixian and Heir Li Fusu were taken away by imperial physicians for treatment, accompanied by Princess Wei Mei, and palace maids like Mistress Miao Zhen also followed.

In the open space of Juxian Garden, only Ouyang Rong, Xie Lingjiang, and Li Guoer remained, continuing to deal with the remaining fire.

"Guo Yu is dead."

Ouyang Rong turned his head and said softly to the two women.

The cold and ruthless Xiao Shimei immediately took off her cold face and asked softly and curiously: "Ru Shixiong means... killing to silence?"

"This caught rebel can be anyone, but it cannot be Guo Yu."

Li Guoer nodded:

"He has the label of the Xiang Prince's mansion on him. Once he is handed over alive to the Luoyang mission sent by Grandmother, and interrogated by the Lady Palace Maids, it doesn't matter if our just-rounded lie is punctured, but the Wei clan's face will be swollen. The most shameful thing is them.

The firelight of the burning stumps illuminated Li Guoer's fair little face, which was beautiful:

"So from now on, until the Luoyang mission arrives in the morning, this person must not only die but also die in the same way as our fire-burned corpse, unrecognizable."

Xie Lingjiang's lips curled into a curve:

"Deserved! I don't know how the Wei clan bought him off. Now it's good, the new backer has become a death bell. Even harboring him is trouble. Ru Shixiong's move is a counter-attack."

Ouyang Rong shook his head gently:

"It's not a counter-attack. That palace maid Mistress Miao Zhen actually knows everything. I pointed it out on purpose, but she played dumb and didn't control the suspect at the first moment, letting Wang Lengran go back to finish the job.

"This is not offending either side."

"Smart person, knowing this is a pit, can't be our knife to investigate. After all, the Wei clan is still powerful."

Li Guoer sighed lightly:

"These palace maids are all human spirits, representing Grandmother's attitude to some extent. The struggle between Li and Wei is fought but not broken. In the end, whoever wins, they follow.

"Waiting for the rabbit outside the mansion tonight should also be like this. Unless they see us fleeing the city, with concrete evidence, otherwise they won't be the Wei clan's knife."

Li Guoer smiled to herself:

"This struggle for imperial power is truly dangerous. The truth and right or wrong are not important at all. What is compared is who makes a mistake first, and who rounds off the lie more beautifully..."

Ouyang Rong and Xie Lingjiang looked at her.

The big fire burned until the sky turned white.

Ouyang Rong finished presiding over the fire extinguishing, made some arrangements, and left the Prince's mansion.

On the street, he rubbed his tired face, preparing to return to the residence in Huaiye Lane. Walking halfway, his expression was dazed.

Aunt and the others seemed to have been taken by Yan Liulang to the Xicheng Gate, waiting for him to meet up and leave the city together.

Ouyang Rong immediately turned his head.

Passing through Xingzi Ward, he arrived near the Xicheng Gate.

He immediately saw a few familiar carriages parked low-key under a hidden tree shade.

Ouyang Rong silently watched Captain Chen and the others changing shifts on the city wall; dawn had broken, and it was already 6:30 AM.

However, he and the Xunyang Prince's mansion no longer needed to flee west.

Looking up at the fiery red morning glow in the sky, Ouyang Rong let out a long breath.

Looking back now, the context of this night became clear. Previously, he was in the game, but now the clouds have cleared.

Almost fell into a poisonous plot, truly dangerous.

Ouyang Rong shook his head, walked to the leading carriage, boarded easily, lifted the curtain, and smiled:

"Aunt, Weilai, waited a long time, let's go..."

The voice stopped abruptly.

Inside the carriage, besides the familiar woman in a skirt and the white-haired girl, a strange girl in palace attire sat with a straight face, her eyes looking coldly at him.

Ouyang Rong's smile stiffened slightly.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 354 =====