Chapter 354: Eighty-three, First Meeting Rong Zhen

Eighty-three, First Meeting Rong Zhen

dingdiange (Sorry for being a bit late...) (Sorry for being a bit late...):

The morning breeze was a bit cold.

Especially when there was cold sweat on his back, his body shivered subconsciously, one wave after another.

The curtain Ouyang Rong lifted swayed beside his ear, making a "hissing" sound.

However, Ouyang Rong ignored all of this. His entire attention was focused on the palace-attired girl who had appeared abruptly in the carriage, meeting her cold gaze.

At this moment, he was maintaining the ridiculous posture of bending over and lifting the curtain, with one foot even suspended in the air outside the carriage.

In short, this was a meeting that exceeded his expectations.

Before boarding the carriage, Ouyang Rong had not sensed the presence of the palace-attired girl's Qi at all.

This indicated that the other party was at least a Qi Refiner of a higher grade than him.

Combined with her familiar palace attire, Ouyang Rong had seen it on Mistress Miao Zhen not long ago.

Clearly, this cold palace-attired girl was also a colorful-robed palace maid.

As for why this strange palace maid appeared in Aunt and Weilai's carriage...

Ouyang Rong frowned slightly, his eyes suspicious, revealing a passerby appearance:

"Sorry, got the wrong carriage. You continue... Eh, strange, where is my carriage..."

Pretending not to see Zhen Shuyuan and Ye Weilai, who had widened their eyes, Ouyang Rong looked straight ahead and turned to leave.

The cold palace-attired girl did not move, sitting with her hands tucked into her sleeves.

The next second, Ouyang Rong, who was about to leave, turned around, lifted the curtain again, and returned to the carriage obediently,

Sitting down opposite the palace-attired girl, very honestly.

His Qi had been locked.

Ouyang Rong understood the meaning of this cold-faced palace-attired girl, who looked like everyone owed her eighty thousand taels of silver.

Take another step, and bear the consequences.

This woman is a bit difficult to deal with... Ouyang Rong nodded in his heart.

"Are you a Qi Refiner?"

The palace-attired girl's first sentence, staring at Ouyang Rong:

"Just now, before you spoke, I didn't sense you."

Ouyang Rong hesitated and nodded slightly:

"Understand a little, taught by a teacher."

"Bai Lu Dong?"

"Mmhmm."

The palace-attired girl nodded: "What grade?"

Ouyang Rong thought about it, opened his palm, and circulated Qi in his dantian.

Although lower-grade Qi Refiners cannot yet release spiritual energy from their bodies, Xiao Shimei said that in the eyes of experts, as long as they circulate Qi, they still faintly expose the color of their spiritual energy.

Light blue spiritual energy circulated in the Hand Shaoyang Meridian.

The palace-attired girl said coldly:

"Grade 9, huh? Does the Confucian Daoist pulse have such concealment? Who is your teacher, or do you have a special encounter, having taken something?"

Ouyang Rong thought about it and asked seriously: "Can't it be that I am heaven-gifted?"

The palace-attired girl gave a light scoff. Someone was talking about being heaven-gifted in front of her.

Ouyang Rong also smiled.

The craftsmanship was still hidden in the Prince's mansion, kept by Xiao Shimei. He didn't bring it on this trip.

Moreover, this palace-attired girl in front of him clearly had a spiritual energy cultivation of no less than Grade 7, and she didn't look like someone easy to fool.

Anyway, he couldn't beat her, and he couldn't run away. Ouyang Rong simply stopped worrying.

Inside the carriage, he was calm and composed, sitting down, looking around at the situation in the carriage and the appearance of the palace-attired girl in front of him.

The palace-attired girl seemed to be observing him too.

The two did not speak.

The carriage fell into silence.

Ouyang Rong saw that Zhen Shuyuan and Ye Weilai were a bit wrong.

Except for their expressive eyes, their bodies did not move at all, like statues.

Beside the two women, a short sword and a short knife were scattered on the floor.

In the narrow carriage with limited space, delicate utensils like incense burners and tea tables were scattered on the ground.

Ouyang Rong observed carefully and found that only the objects around Zhen Shuyuan and Ye Weilai were scattered, while the cushions and other items around the palace-attired girl's seat were neat and tidy, unaffected.

Zhen Shuyuan's pair of phoenix eyes were staring at the palace-attired girl with anger.

Ye Weilai's waist-length silvery-white hair was very messy, a few strands of white hair falling in front of her forehead pitifully. However, her pair of blue eyes stared fixedly at the uninvited palace-attired girl, possessing a wild, bloodthirsty nature of a foreign barbarian.

However, after Ouyang Rong entered the carriage, these hateful eyes that were scraping the enemy gradually became misty, and her eyes became crystal clear and bright.

The white-haired girl endured, not shedding tears, but added a few points of unyielding stubbornness.

Ouyang Rong pursed his lips. He had never seen this kind of look on Ye Weilai before.

To describe it hard, it was the difference between a docile house cat and a wild cat.

Ouyang Rong suddenly remembered that when he entered the carriage with no defense and a smiling face, Ye Weilai and Zhen Shuyuan did not call out to remind him.

Looking at the current appearance of the two women, it can be foreseen that while waiting for Ouyang Rong not long ago, this palace-attired girl suddenly boarded the carriage, and both sides broke out in a fierce but short conflict, resolved in a few breaths.

The outcome was also self-evident.

Zhen Shuyuan and Ye Weilai were both controlled by the palace-attired girl with a technique similar to acupoint pressing, unable to even make a sound.

Ouyang Rong looked at Ye Weilai. The two were sitting side-by-side, closest to each other. By logic, the white-haired girl could also turn her eyes to look at him and exchange glances.

However, under Ouyang Rong's long gaze, she just didn't look sideways to meet his eyes. Ye Weilai's petite body seemed to sway slightly, just biting her lips tightly, using so much force that the red color faded from her lips, her misty blue eyes staring hatefully at the palace-attired girl.

Is she ashamed of becoming his burden to leave the city... Ouyang Rong was silent.

"I haven't asked your surname yet." He raised his head and asked: "Are you also a colorful-robed palace maid before His Majesty?"

The palace-attired girl did not answer, but asked instead:

"Chief Clerk Ouyang called to leave, gathering secretly at the city gate in the middle of the night, where are you going with your family?"

"Family? Where is the family? Didn't even bring luggage, Lady Palace Maid is joking."

Ouyang Rong was open and aboveboard, waving his hand:

"The weather is good recently. Today I want to take my family out of the city for a spring outing, to burn incense and worship Buddha at Xiliu Temple ten miles outside the city. Lady Palace Maid, do you want to go together?"

"Spring outing?" The palace-attired girl: "Heh, your two concubines, the intensity of their reaction just now, how does it look like they did something guilty and fearful, afraid of being discovered."

Ouyang Rong smiled: "Maybe it's because Lady Palace Maid has a murderous look in her eyebrows, and at first glance, you are not someone easy to get along with, so there was a misunderstanding. The public security in the city has indeed been restless recently."

The palace-attired girl narrowed her eyes: "You really dare to say."

"It just depends on whether Lady Palace Maid dares to listen."

"Speak again."

Ouyang Rong said without blinking:

"Morning glow doesn't go out, evening glow travels a thousand miles. This official just took a look, there is morning glow in the sky. It seems it's better not to go out this morning. This official will take my family back to the mansion. Lady Palace Maid, do you want to go together and drink a cup of tea at my humble abode?"

The palace-attired girl did not answer this, but said coldly:

"I heard there are rebels in the city tonight."

"Indeed, there is such a matter."

Ouyang Rong nodded directly, boldly admitting it, which made the palace-attired girl look at him a few more times.

Ouyang Rong's speaking speed did not change, continuing:

"This official just came from the Prince's mansion. Two rebels have already been executed, and one thief fell into Magistrate Wang's net. However, the Prince was also frightened and fainted. Palace Maid Mistress Miao Zhen is leading imperial physicians to treat the Prince."

His tone was a bit confused:

"However, Lady Palace Maid, what about you? You don't go to catch rebels, and you don't go to nurse the Prince, but you run to my carriage and sit dryly. This is not very good."

The palace-attired girl pulled the corners of her mouth, as if she smiled, but Ouyang Rong felt that her smile was also very cold, not as good as not smiling.

"Me? I am waiting for the rebels."

"Oh? Where are the rebels? Where are there rebels here?" Ouyang Rong looked around curiously: "So what are you doing now?"

"It's also a coincidence, as soon as Chief Clerk Ouyang arrives, the rebels disappear again."

Ouyang Rong looked serious: "Eh, it seems that my reputation as a rebel nemesis and pioneer of evil removal has spread. They are all avoiding me. Sorry, sorry, delaying Lady Palace Maid from catching thieves and removing traitors."

Ouyang Rong smiled apologetically, and said again:

"How about this, this official will also provide Lady Palace Maid with a clue that may involve the rebels' conspiracy, to compensate for Lady Palace Maid's white waiting, how about that."

The palace-attired girl looked at this Jiangzhou Chief Clerk who was light and breezy, with a completely relaxed posture, and spat out one word:

"Speak."

Ouyang Rong stared at her pair of lacquer-black eyes and said loudly:

"The Prince and I found out from Wang Junzhi in the past two days that the rebel leader Li Zhengyan once took a Peach Blossom Spring painting and went to find the local Sima Watching Yuan Huaimin, asking for two poems by Tao Yuanming of the Eastern Jin Dynasty...

"At that time, Li Zhengyan passed through Xunyang and had not yet raised the flag of rebellion. Watching Yuan Huaimin, unaware of the situation, provided them with one of the copies, the Northern Wei Yuan family's Peach Blossom Spring manuscript..."

Ouyang Rong was articulate and clear. Following the matter he promised Watching Yuan Huaimin earlier, he slightly changed this message, packaged it, and took the opportunity to inform this confidant of the Empress of Great Zhou. It could be considered informing the Great Zhou court...

Only to see that during the palace-attired girl's listening process, at a certain moment, her gaze suddenly became sharp, staring straight at Ouyang Rong:

"Is this... true?"

"This official asked Sima Yuan, and it is indeed true."

The palace-attired girl was silent for a long time, then suddenly reached out. Before Ouyang Rong could see clearly what color her spiritual energy was or how she made the move, the binding of Ye Weilai and Zhen Shuyuan was all untied.

The two women gasped for breath, slumped on the back of the chair. However, the next instant, the freed Ye Weilai, like a mother leopard whose cub had been snatched, rushed toward the palace-attired girl to fight for her life, but was instantly hugged by Ouyang Rong at the side.

Pressing down a struggling white-haired head, he nodded to the palace-attired girl and said: "It can be seen that this message seems quite important."

The palace-attired girl slipped a slender hand from the snow-white sleeve embroidered with golden phoenix patterns. The snow sleeve slid along her wrist, and she held up an index finger. At this moment, her cold face was quite serious:

"Chief Clerk Ouyang, from today on, continue to build the Donglin Great Buddha, and do not delay or pause again. If you delay the major affairs of His Majesty and the court, you cannot bear the consequences."

Ouyang Rong asked curiously: "Li Zhengyan and that Peach Blossom Spring painting, do they also have a relationship with our four-state statue building?"

Hearing this question, the palace-attired girl looked at him deeply:

"Chief Clerk Ouyang has so many questions."

Ouyang Rong shrugged helplessly: "Just curious, always want to know what I am doing, right?"

The palace-attired girl did not answer, still frowning, as if digesting and thinking about the new news she had just received.

The air in the carriage fell into silence.

The next instant, the palace-attired girl stood up and got off the carriage.

Before leaving, she flicked her embroidered shoe, and with a *zheng* sound, the short sword on the floor flew up and shot toward Ye Weilai.

A wisp of white hair floated in the air in the carriage like a kite with a broken string... The short sword stopped between her upright two fingers.

Ouyang Rong hugged Ye Weilai to protect her, caught the short sword with one hand, and the palace-attired girl suddenly said to Ye Weilai:

"That move of yours, the Virgin Splitting the View, is a sword move of the Yue woman, coming from the legend of the first Yue Virgin splitting the view and beheading the dragon in the Spring and Autumn period. Although you only learned the fur... What is your relationship with the Yunmeng Sword Marsh? Have you seen a Yue woman of the Great Lady level?"

Ye Weilai's pretty face flushed, her chin held high, her blue eyes scraping people.

Ouyang Rong lowered his eyes and looked at the white-haired little head in his arms.

The palace-attired girl shook her head, got off the carriage alone, and before leaving, dropped two words:

"Rong Zhen."

Ouyang Rong lifted the curtain, and the figure of the palace maid Rong Zhen disappeared.

Coming and going without a trace.

Ouyang Rong's expression was thoughtful:

"Rong Zhen... Mistress Miao Zhen... Do the eight colorful-robed palace maids of this generation of the Si Tian Jian all have 'Zhen' in their names? Interesting.

"This Rong Zhen, what level is she inside... Don't tell me they are all like this? Luoyang is truly full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers."

Turning his head, he found that Zhen Shuyuan and Ye Weilai both showed shame and dared not look at him.

"It's fine, let's go back."

Zhen Shuyuan hesitated: "Tanlang, didn't you say leave the city? We... are we becoming a burden?"

"Burden? No such thing. Not leaving the city anymore, a false alarm, go back."

Ouyang Rong took his family and returned to the residence in Huaiye Lane.

On the way, Ye Weilai twisted her broken hair, her little face dazed. At a certain moment, she tilted her head to look at Tanlang's side face, finding his expression as usual, not asking much...

Ouyang Rong returned home, ate some breakfast, and closed his eyes to rest. He had been focused all night, and in the morning, he dealt with the unfathomable Rong Zhen, which was mentally exhausting.

That morning, the Luoyang mission arrived at Xunyang Ferry.

Ouyang Rong and Wang Lengran went to greet them personally.

There was no poisoned wine given.

And as Ouyang Rong expected, the Luoyang envoys rushed to Xunyang "angrily" this time. After getting off the boat, they first gave no good looks to Ouyang Rong, Wang Lengran, and others, and then prepared to rush directly to the Xunyang Prince's mansion, as if they wanted to criticize on behalf of His Majesty.

However, after being informed of the rebel assassination last night and Li Xian's fainting, the Luoyang envoys who had just arrived in Xunyang had unexpected expressions, their plans were disrupted, and they hesitated for a while.

At this time, Wang Lengran also brought a "negligible piece of news": the rebel caught last night bit his tongue and committed suicide to avoid punishment.

Ouyang Rong's expression was not surprised at all. He went to the state prison, saw the corpse, and marveled:

"Magistrate Wang, this suicide method is quite novel. Biting the tongue is biting the tongue, why is this face burnt to a crisp."

Wang Lengran snorted coldly:

"I interrogated and tortured him urgently today. Who would have thought that this thief was stubborn and unyielding, struggling wildly, accidentally hitting his head on the fire basin, injuring his face. It's all the fault of the people below for not guarding him properly, letting him bite his tongue and commit suicide by luck."

He tried hard to smile, and said respectfully to the Luoyang envoys and the two colorful-robed palace maids: "However, during the interrogation, the prisoner has already confessed. Please look at the confession, my lords."

Ouyang Rong finished checking, clapped his hands, and stood up:

"This tongue was bitten quite neatly. It seems this unlucky prisoner is the same as Magistrate Wang, truly having a sharp tongue."

Wang Lengran's face was a bit ugly, and he said unhappily:

"Chief Clerk Ouyang, just say whether it is the rebel accomplice who leaked out last night. You and the people in the Prince's mansion have all seen him."

Ouyang Rong glanced at the familiar corpse of Guo Yu. The iconic goat beard had been burned clean, and the face was twisted, not knowing what kind of torture he had suffered before death.

There was no pity in the bottom of his eyes. He nodded and smiled:

"Still Magistrate Wang is fast."

Wang Lengran pretended not to hear.

The Luoyang envoys and palace maids like Mistress Miao Zhen looked at each other. That day, they sent the news of the rebel raid on the Xunyang Prince back to Luoyang.

Everyone waited together for the court's reaction.

(End of chapter)

dingdiange ===== CHAPTER 355 =====