Chapter 403: 159. Borrowing a Pair of Eyes

159. Borrowing a Pair of Eyes

Craftsmanship, craftsmanship

Seeing Rong Zhen and a group of strange Si Tian Jian Qi-practitioners gathered in her small courtyard, Miaosi, who had no defense, felt a "thump" in her heart, and her expression stiffened.

How did the debt-collecting-faced Li Xianzi find Huang Xuan's place?

Could it be that she found something?

Her first thought was, could it be that this debt-collecting-faced Li Xianzi found out that the young Long-term Official Ouyang had kindness to Huang Xuan, and indirectly had kindness to her who knew nothing in the inner treasury just now, so she deduced something and came to the door to verify?

Miaosi, who had a guilty conscience, felt a bit desperate.

"Fai... why did the Li Xianzi come?"

She raised her little head and forced a smile at Rong Zhen and the others.

Rong Zhen glanced at her, expressionless, and turned to look at Huang Xuan. This action made Miaosi's heart, which still held luck, fall rapidly.

But just at this moment, Huang Xuan left Rong Zhen's side, went to the kitchen to pour tea, and said in a light tone:

"Miaosi, are these sisters your new friends? Why didn't you mention it before? Where did you go just now? Early in the morning, these sisters have been waiting for you for a long time, saying they came to find you."

"Uh..." Miaosi stuttered.

She couldn't help but look at Rong Zhen and the other eight Si Tian Jian Qi-practitioners, finding their expressions as usual. Rong Zhen looked around the courtyard, and there was no unfriendly atmosphere in the courtyard.

"No need to pour tea." Rong Zhen opened her mouth toward the kitchen, then turned to look at Miaosi, glancing at the bowl in her hand: "Are you full?"

Miaosi nodded cautiously.

Although Rong Zhen said no need, Huang Xuan still insisted on serving a cup of hot tea to everyone in the courtyard.

When passing by Miaosi, the red-jacketed little girl lowered her voice and asked curiously:

"Miaosi, is this the Qi-practitioner you mentioned? Like a fairy floating."

Huang Xuan looked at the best-looking cold palace-dressed girl among them, feeling that she stood there like a high moon on a branch in late autumn, cold and rejecting people thousands of miles away.

Miaosi nodded with a stiff head.

Huang Xuan's eyes revealed some awe.

Rong Zhen suddenly opened her mouth: "Is she the Huang Xuan you mentioned?"

Huang Xuan couldn't help but turn her head, looking at Miaosi's eyes as if asking in surprise: You mentioned me?

Miaosi naturally didn't dare to say that it was mentioned when she started pretending to be the name. She forced herself to be calm, trying to pretend she didn't care:

"En, this girl is an ink worker at Hanlei Lei Mozhai. She served this fairy quite well before. Another day when this fairy leaves, I am prepared to reward her with some literary Qi, becoming a talented woman in Xunyang or something. It can be considered a bitter life, bitter ending..."

She paused, her words turned, and she smiled:

"Li Xianzi, let's go in and talk. Speaking of which, this little girl here asking this and that is really annoying, too ignorant. Li Xianzi, don't be the same as her."

Rong Zhen glanced at the little ink spirit who was arrogant in front of Huang Xuan, and didn't speak.

On the contrary, Huang Xuan shook her head and opened her mouth:

"Lei Mozhai is not in a hurry, entertaining your friends is important. It is rare to see you bring friends, have they had breakfast? There is still some porridge in the kitchen, if not enough, I will boil more..."

"Shut up, is there a place for you to speak here?"

Miaosi suddenly scolded.

Huang Xuan's hand pouring tea froze.

Rong Zhen and the others watched coldly, seeing the little ink spirit who was respectful and flattering in front of them, but had no good face for the red-jacketed little girl, pointing her finger at the door, her tone very impatient:

"Chirping, meddling in other people's business, is the Li Xianzi someone you can call sister? This fairy doesn't dare to get close.

"Get out and do your work. If you talk too much, after this fairy leaves, don't even think about getting any benefits for your family."

Rong Zhen and the other Si Tian Jian Qi-practitioners in the courtyard looked sideways, either calm, or cold-eyed, or watching the fun.

Huang Xuan closed her mouth that wanted to speak, and lowered her head.

She went to pour the tea for the last white-clothed female official, lowered her face and returned to the kitchen, ready to get out.

Among the eight white-clothed Qi-practitioners brought by Rong Zhen, the leader was a man and a woman, both with vermilion hair and painted clothes, with vermilion moles between their eyebrows.

"Heh."

Unlike the cold-eyed Rong Zhen and the female official with the red mole, the male official with the red mole laughed.

The laughter sounded a bit harsh in the lonely courtyard.

The male official with the red mole lowered his eyes and sniffed the tea, then blew on it, sipped half a mouthful, and said leisurely:

"You little ink spirit are actually arrogant and domineering, free and unfettered in the marketplace."

Miaosi immediately changed her face smoothly, her tone pitiful:

"Let the Li Xianzi and Immortal see a joke. It is mainly because these poor girls have no upbringing. If you give them a little sunshine, they will be brilliant, and they like to climb up the nose."

The male official with the red mole wanted to sneer, but at this moment, Rong Zhen and the female official with the red mole cast their gazes at him.

The male official with the red mole lowered his eyes and said no more.

On the other side, Rong Zhen and the female official with the red mole exchanged glances.

"Is it that one, right?"

Rong Zhen asked lightly.

The female official with the red mole nodded, looking up and down at the red-jacketed little girl in the kitchen, and couldn't help but praise:

"That's right, this pair of eyes is really beautiful, and the most critical thing is that there is such abundant spirituality."

Miaosi, who was eavesdropping, was suddenly nervous, and hurriedly interjected:

"Female Official, let's go in and talk. Speaking of which, I thought of a possible clue..."

Rong Zhen and the female official with the red mole didn't pay much attention to Miaosi who was looking for a topic. The female official with the red mole walked to the door, blocked Huang Xuan who was preparing to go out, and asked kindly:

"Does the girl know about Qi-practitioners?"

Huang Xuan was stunned, wanted to take a look at Miaosi, but the scolding just now made her refrain, and she nodded:

"Miaosi mentioned it."

"Then has she ever said that you are very suitable for practicing Qi."

Huang Xuan asked weakly: "Really? I thought it was coaxing me."

The female official with the red mole shook her head and opened her mouth with a smile:

"No, you are a good seedling. Born in poverty, but shouldn't fall into the marketplace, making the bright pearl covered in dust. Speaking of which, I was similar to you when I was young, and I sympathize and understand very much.

"Fortunately, the current Holy Emperor is wise, treats the people well, the world is clear, and the Si Tian Jian respects the teachings of His Majesty, accepts folk raw jade, and does not let any bright pearl be covered in dust. You are also like this, Little Xuan, right? Are you willing to follow us back and practice in the Si Tian Jian?

"From now on, not only will you have no worries about food and clothing, but you will also have the opportunity to see the Holy Face, honor your family, and those official masters you looked up to in the past will have to respectfully bow to you... This is not a dream, you only need to nod your head to reach it..."

The female official with the red mole replaced Rong Zhen, who was not very good at persuading people, her tone was intimate, and she spoke slowly. The most critical thing was that she did not force people, but reasoned with emotion and tempted with profit.

Miaosi, who was listening on the side, felt her scalp numb. Her plan to drive people away failed.

Originally, she deliberately scolded Huang Xuan, which was a little cleverness, both to get rid of her suspicion of helping that Ouyang Long-term Official hide for Huang Xuan,

although looking at the reaction of Rong Zhen and others now, it didn't seem like

Besides that, she also wanted to send Huang Xuan away, fearing that this group of Qi Refiners from the Imperial Observatory would discover the truth about her eyes.

Yet she hadn't expected that what she feared most would come to pass.

"I... I don't know if I can consider it..." Huang Xuan answered weakly at this moment.

The female historian with the mole on her brow frowned slightly, then smoothed her brow, her smiling corners unchanged as she patted the girl's head and sighed:

"Sigh, what is there to consider? Poverty versus wealth—isn't that an easy choice? Could it be that you have some difficulty, or rather...

"If someone is threatening you and doesn't want you to go, it's fine; you can just tell me. I and Female Historian Rong Zhen will stand up for you and uphold justice..."

The female historian with the mole on her brow spoke persuasively, and as Huang Xuan hesitated, she couldn't help but glance toward Miao Si's side.

The female historian with the mole on her brow immediately turned her head, the smile vanishing from her lips, and together with the male historian with the mole on his brow, they looked coldly at the young Daoist nun in Confucian robes.

Miao Si immediately put on an innocent, harmless expression and even blinked her eyes, as if trying to act cute for everyone.

The female historian with the mole on her brow didn't buy it; she poked a finger at Miao Si and narrowed her eyes to ask:

"Xiao Xuan, is this little ink spirit intimidating you, or... has she said anything bad about the Sages and the Imperial Observatory in private?"

"No." Huang Xuan immediately shook her head on her behalf.

Well, except for the sentence "Luoyang is not a golden age."

"Then why?" The female historian with the mole on her brow frowned.

Huang Xuan opened her mouth but stopped, still not saying it out loud.

In truth, she wanted to say that from the time she was small until now, she had never picked up more than a few coins while walking, let alone such a huge pie falling from the sky.

And in the past, every time Huang Xuan encountered a "huge pie," it was either someone trying to trick her into selling herself in a brothel, or someone trying to use her influence to drag some Commandant benefactor into the mud.

Rong Zhen suddenly asked:

"Did Ouyang Lianghan help you?"

Huang Xuan didn't answer, glancing at this cold, soft-spoken girl in palace attire.

Rong Zhen's voice softened a little, rarely being so cold:

"Regarding this matter, I made some slight inquiries when I arrived. It seems to have happened a few days ago."

She nodded gently:

"You need not be on guard. I have no enmity with Ouyang Lianghan; on the contrary, I am quite familiar with him. We deal with each other often and can be considered to have a friendship. Looking at it this way, we are quite fated."

Huang Xuan pursed her lips and asked in a small voice:

"Is Sister really on good terms with the Commandant benefactor?"

Rong Zhen nodded faintly:

"I won't hide it from you—to say we are very close would be a stretch, but we have professional cooperation. Moreover, I quite admire his style of conduct.

"I have been to Dragon City once. Although I don't speak much with him outside of official business on ordinary days, in my heart, I have some recognition for him. He is a down-to-earth, good official who does practical things for the people. His selfish motives... are few."

Upon hearing this, Huang Xuan's originally stiff little face, though she tried hard to restrain it, still blossomed like a flower.

Hearing that the cold girl in palace attire, who seemed to be the leader of the group, actually praised him—and judging by the reactions of the surrounding historians with moles on their brows who couldn't help but glance sideways—it seemed to be a rare, high evaluation.

Huang Xuan was rarely so exuberant and said happily:

"When you see a virtuous person, you should think of becoming their equal. Sister can see this, so Sister is equally amazing and also a good person."

A good person? Miao Si opened her mouth slightly.

Rong Zhen raised an eyebrow.

She didn't mind the straightforward and bold impudence of the little girl in the red jacket, and she nodded, suggesting:

"Do you need me to call him over? It just so happens you can also express your thanks."

Huang Xuan shyly dodged her gaze: "No need to call the benefactor. I believe Sister's eyes won't deceive me."

Rong Zhen's lips softened slightly: "Good, we won't call him for now."

The female historian with the mole on her brow's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and she looked left and right at Huang Xuan's star-bright, ink-dot-like eyes, as if she were admiring a rare work of art.

She asked impatiently:

"Now that you know we aren't bad people, Xiao Xuan, are you willing to come with us?"

Huang Xuan wanted to ask Miao Si one last time, feeling conflicted.

Rong Zhen suddenly said:

"Whether you join the Imperial Observatory or not, you can consider it for a few more days. However, today, we have an urgent matter that requires your help."

Huang Xuan was startled: "What help... can I provide?"

Rong Zhen lowered her eyes:

"There is a case that requires tracking down a thief... This case is also one that your respected Commandant Ouyang is concerned about. He is also assisting me in handling the case. If the thief can be found, he will also have merit and will surely be gratified."

Before Huang Xuan could reply, Miao Si couldn't help but interject: "Li Xianzi, she is still young, and her constitution is weak, so it's not very appropriate..."

The next instant, her words were cut short because both the female and male historians with moles on their brows cast cold gazes, and Miao Si had to lower her head, speechless.

Huang Xuan didn't understand, and her little face said earnestly:

"If I can help solve the case, I naturally cannot refuse... May I ask what I need to do?"

Rong Zhen walked in front of the little girl in the red jacket and bent down to be at eye level with her.

Rong Zhen stared straight into Huang Xuan's ink-black eyes that could pierce through falsehoods and said softly:

"I need... to borrow this pair of eyes of yours to catch this thief... Rest assured, I will not hurt you."

Huang Xuan's expression became increasingly curious.

Miao Si seemed to understand something, and anxiety immediately welled up in the depths of her eyes, but it was a pity that the male historian with the mole on his brow was staring at her from the side, so she couldn't give a warning.

Rong Zhen turned her head and began to speak into Huang Xuan's ear.

They had just spoken for a while.

"Knock, knock, knock."

The courtyard gate was suddenly knocked upon.

Everyone in the courtyard turned their heads instantly.

After bidding farewell to the Junior Sister in the Jiangzhou main hall, Ouyang Rong arrived directly at Star Child Ward.

He brought Yan Liulang along, followed the address, walked through streets and alleys, and found an old courtyard.

Ouyang Rong sized up the dilapidated courtyard; if the address information was correct, the Huang father and daughter were living here now, but he didn't know if anyone was home in the morning.

Ouyang Rong held a long cloth bundle, faintly heard voices inside the gate, and so knocked on the door himself.

"Knock, knock, knock."

The conversation inside the courtyard gate came to an abrupt halt.

Before he could ask more, the courtyard gate was suddenly opened from the inside, revealing a female official of the Imperial Observatory in white.

Ouyang Rong's expression remained unchanged, his gaze leaping over the female official's shoulder to glance at the scene inside the courtyard.

"Oh, why is the Female Historian here too?" he asked curiously.

He saw that inside the courtyard were the little girl in the red jacket he had met several times, and the incomparably familiar cold girl in palace attire.

At this moment, Rong Zhen was standing beside Huang Xuan, seemingly whispering.

Ouyang Rong's arrival brought their conversation to an end.

Huang Xuan, who had been listening with a serious little face, turned her head abruptly, looking somewhat pleasantly surprised.

Rong Zhen also looked toward him.

"Here to investigate a case. Why has Commandant Ouyang come as well?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

As she spoke, Rong Zhen's gaze slowly moved downward, landing on the long cloth bundle in Ouyang Rong's arms.

"Investigating a case?"

Ouyang Rong explained calmly:

"I was originally prepared to go find Commandant Yuan to exchange pointers on zither arts. He happens to live nearby, and I heard the Huang father and daughter were living here, so I came by on the way to visit them."

Having said this, he suddenly turned his head and instructed:

"Liulang, help me put the zither back in the carriage. I'll go in and sit for a while, and I'll go find Commandant Yuan later."

"Yes, Magistrate."

Everyone in the courtyard saw Ouyang Rong hand the long cloth bundle in his arms to Yan Liulang.

Then Yan Liulang held this unremarkable, zither-case-like long cloth bundle and walked out of the courtyard gate, placing it inside the carriage at the entrance.

Ouyang Rong turned back, smiled at everyone, patted his sleeves, and under the gaze of all, walked into the courtyard.

At the same time, his peripheral vision was also quietly sizing up the entire scene...

(End of chapter)