Chapter 427: 193. King Meets King?

193. King Meets King?

At the busiest time of noon, the main hall of Xunyang Tower was booked out.

It was used to receive the newly arrived Middle Envoy from Luoyang, the eunuch Hu Fu.

This welcoming banquet was prepared by Wang Lengran, who was nominally the chief official of Jiangzhou; Hu Fu, who had just arrived in Jiangzhou, did not refuse.

It was almost an open secret in Jiangzhou officialdom that the relationship between Wang Lengran, the Inspector, and Ouyang Rong, his deputy, was poor.

But it was unknown if Hu Fu knew.

In any case, the fact that this Middle Envoy attended the luncheon made many who originally didn't want to come change their minds.

For example, Ouyang Rong, for example, Li Fusu who came on behalf of the Prince of Xunyang, and a certain cold, palace-dressed young girl.

In any case, Wang Lengran must have invited them all, but usually, they would decline and not join in the fun.

So today, as the Emperor's private messenger, Hu Fu still had a lot of face.

Or rather, official banquets throughout history have always had some artistic nuances.

Discussing many things at a dinner table or wine table is different from discussing them in public offices or public places.

Perhaps one might be selfless in public, but after picking up a favorite dish at a semi-private dinner table, maybe the conversation flows a bit more, and feelings deepen? The originally aggressive or cold attitude could also be probed...

In any case, Wang Lengran was well-versed in this.

Ouyang Rong and the others were naturally clear about this too.

With the Middle Envoy giving so much face, Wang Lengran, who had been "the monkey acting as king in the absence of a tiger" these days, couldn't help but straighten his back. When he passed by Ouyang Rong, his little mustache curled up quite proudly.

When Ouyang Rong arrived at Xunyang Tower in his regular clothes, the luncheon had already begun for a while.

Just after picking up the guests with everyone at the pier, he had returned to the residence in Huaiye Lane with his junior sister, changed out of his official uniform, and came to the banquet in light attire.

Walking into the building, he turned his head to look at the main table where Li Fusu and Wang Lengran were drinking with Hu Fu, as well as Yan Liulang, Chen You, and other high-ranking subordinate officials of the Jiangzhou government.

That side was the focus of the whole room, in the midst of drinking.

Among them, close people like the eldest son of the Li family noticed him and signaled with their eyes.

Ouyang Rong shook his head, didn't go over, scanned the room, and turned to walk to a corner of the first-floor hall, a seat by the window.

In front of the people chatting, he sat down unceremoniously.

Before this quiet table, several people were already seated.

Rong Zhen and several leading female officials from the Inspectorate.

And a figure who could be considered newly familiar, the slightly chubby young man Lin Cheng.

Everyone looked at Ouyang Rong, who had sat down.

"Aren't you going to the main table to keep them company?" Rong Zhen asked, glancing sideways.

Ouyang Rong shook his head:

"My aunt warned me not to drink, so forget it. Let them keep company; they don't lack one tiny Senior Secretary like me. Besides, I don't like it too lively."

He looked at the expressionless Rong Zhen again:

"Why doesn't Female Official Rong go? Judging by your conversation when you met this morning, aren't you quite familiar with the Middle Envoy?"

Perhaps because she was in front of her colleagues and subordinates, facing Ouyang Rong, Rong Zhen's face was cold, and her tone was also:

"Same, I don't like it lively."

Ouyang Rong smiled.

From the moment Ouyang Rong walked over to sit down and started chatting with Rong Zhen, the slightly chubby young man Lin Cheng had been watching him with interest.

At this time, he waved his hand to interject:

"Senior Secretary Ouyang, it's like this: we are Qi-refiners of the Astronomical Bureau, considered people of the palace, and Middle Envoy Hu is also a person of the palace, but he is from the Inner Palace Service.

"One bureau, one service, both loyally serve Her Majesty the Empress.

"As for too much contact... hmm, there are some unwritten rules; it's better for people on both sides to have less interaction.

"If Female Official Rong and I went over, the Middle Envoy might not eat well or drink comfortably."

Rong Zhen didn't look at the slightly chubby young man who was talkative, warm-faced, and smiling kindly, but she didn't speak either, remaining noncommittal.

"I see."

Ouyang Rong nodded in realization, turned to cup his hands at Lin Cheng, and asked Rong Zhen with a smile:

"This brother, won't Female Official Rong introduce him?"

"I heard him say you met at the ferry this morning."

Ouyang Rong nodded, lowering his eyes to pick up food:

"That did happen. The Lord Lord Xiaoguan Lingtai Lang is still quite easy-going."

Lin Cheng gestured with his cup and said with a smile:

"Hmm, Senior Secretary Ouyang is too; the self-introduction was quite unique and impressive."

Rong Zhen's tone carried some curiosity: "How did he introduce himself?"

Lin Cheng thought for a moment and summarized:

"Told the truth, didn't hide anything, and like me, treats people with sincerity."

Praising both at once.

Ouyang Rong smiled, put down his chopsticks, and raised his cup to clink it in the air with him.

The two drank it all in one gulp simultaneously.

The people around looked at each other in dismay.

Ouyang Rong put down his cup and immediately asked:

"Is Female Official Rong very familiar with Lord Lord Xiaoguan Lingtai Lang Lin?"

Lin Cheng, who was dressed in simple soap-colored clothes similar to Ouyang Rong's, waved his hand:

"I wouldn't call myself an official; Senior Secretary Ouyang can just call me Little Lin, or A-Cheng. Usually, in the bureau, the teacher calls me that."

Ouyang Rong nodded with a smile, but his gaze turned to Rong Zhen again.

The cold, palace-dressed young girl, who had been ready to speak, saw his expression and swallowed her words.

Instead, she asked faintly:

"Why wouldn't colleagues be familiar? Does Senior Secretary Ouyang feel that I am not familiar with you?"

Ouyang Rong was dumbfounded.

Lin Cheng looked at Rong Zhen with a flattered expression.

"Familiar, of course familiar, all familiar."

Ouyang Rong nodded with a smile.

Rong Zhen said coldly:

"Lin Cheng, Xia Guan Lord Lord Xiaoguan Lingtai Lang, one of the five Lord Lord Lingtai Officials of the Astronomical Bureau."

"Five Lord Lord Lingtai Officials?"

Rong Zhen didn't speak, Lin Cheng smiled, and a female official beside him interjected to introduce:

"The chief subordinate officials of the Astronomical Bureau, there are Spring Official, Xia Guan, Autumn Official, Winter Official, and Central Official Lord Lord Lingtai Officials, collectively known as the Five Lord Lord Lingtai Officials, originally established to observe celestial phenomena."

Ouyang Rong nodded; he didn't know any of them, but he started his praising mode first.

"Amazing, to be a Xia Guan Lord Lord Xiaoguan Lingtai Lang at such a young age, Brother Lin's future is limitless."

Lin Cheng looked at the sincere young man who was only twenty years old and already a Grade 5 official, and the corners of his eyes twitched slightly:

"Is Senior Secretary Ouyang talking about himself?"

"No, sincere and earnest."

"Flattered, not as amazing as Senior Secretary Ouyang."

"I'm just average, average."

"Modest."

"When out and about, one's identity is given by oneself."

After chatting for a few sentences, perhaps because Lin Cheng was present, Ouyang Rong and Rong Zhen didn't say too much.

Soon, the luncheon ended.

After seeing off Middle Envoy Hu, everyone dispersed one after another.

The table of Rong Zhen, Ouyang Rong, and Lin Cheng was the same.

Rong Zhen shook off her subordinates and didn't leave, walking to the river balcony at the back door to get some air and blow in the wind.

Taking advantage of no one paying attention, Ouyang Rong followed, stood side by side with Rong Zhen, and gazed at the river water.

"What do you say?"

"What do you mean, what do I say?"

"What is the background of this Xia Guan Lord Lord Xiaoguan Lingtai Lang? Is he here to assist you, or is it that the Astronomical Bureau... wants to replace you?"

"I wouldn't say that. I'm not very familiar with him, but I have heard some things about this person's deeds... He is not as simple as he appears on the surface. Don't underestimate him."

"Is he coming with ill intent?"

"It is that the one who comes with ill intent is not a good person."

"It's obvious he's not a good person, but sometimes it depends on who he's facing. After all, even a fierce dog has to bow and scrape before its master. So, is he also ill-intentioned toward us?"

"He doesn't dare toward me, but toward you... not necessarily."

"Seeing you unhappy, I thought he was your mortal enemy. It's fine, he's already restrained himself."

Ouyang Rong smiled.

Rong Zhen glanced at him sideways: "So you've already clashed? At Xunyang Ferry."

"No."

He shook his head and answered truthfully:

"On the contrary, I even treated him to a piece of osmanthus cake."

"Then why did this guy restrain himself?"

Ouyang Rong nodded:

"When you see someone of the same kind, of course you have to restrain yourself and not underestimate them. It's like a tiger; when it comes to the other's territory, it naturally cannot let its guard down."

"Same kind of person?"

"You can understand it as a smart person."

Hearing something so mysterious, Rong Zhen sized up Ouyang Rong's expression and frowned:

"That mouth of yours, even when you're playing god and acting like a ghost, you speak with reason."

She nodded:

"Then you two are indeed similar, both asking for a beating, but there are also differences."

"What's the difference?"

"The attitude in front of me."

"Oh?"

"He is indeed a smart person, respectful in front of me."

"And me?"

Rong Zhen stood with her back to him, as if looking at the river view:

"You are a hypocrite and not serious, you have no proper form in front of me, you... you are increasingly deserving of death."

After speaking, she immediately turned and left; Ouyang Rong couldn't see her specific expression.

Before leaving, Rong Zhen dropped a sentence:

"The official rank of this Five Lord Lord Xiaoguan Lingtai Lang is actually not high, as for being a mere Grade 7, but the current Five Lord Lord Lingtai Officials are all not simple...

"Lin Cheng is the Xia Guan Lord Lord Xiaoguan Lingtai Lang, with Grade 6 cultivation in the School of Yin-Yang, ranking third among the five, second only to the Central Official and Spring Official Lord Lord Lingtai Officials, but... his teacher is a Deputy Supervisor of the Astronomical Bureau."

Ouyang Rong raised his eyebrows, chased after her, followed behind Rong Zhen, and asked:

"Deputy Supervisor of the Astronomical Bureau? How amazing is he?"

To avoid being heard by pedestrians in the corridor, he lowered his voice.

"A senior who is more amazing than me." Rong Zhen didn't look back.

"That's for sure, after all, a Deputy Supervisor, just hearing the title sounds like he's very old, how can he be as youthful, beautiful, and promising as Female Official Rong."

"If you flatter me again, I won't talk to you."

"Then you speak first. I'll praise you later."

"I'm talking about cultivation."

"Is that Deputy Supervisor a Top-grade Qi-refiner?"

Ouyang Rong was thoughtful.

At this time, the people in the first-floor hall had almost dispersed; the two crossed the hall and walked out of Xunyang Tower.

Outside the main entrance of the building, the glaring sunlight and the bustling noise of the marketplace rushed toward them, making those who walked out squint their eyes and need a moment to adapt.

Ouyang Rong, who was following Rong Zhen, was about to ask again, but the next second, he saw the cold, palace-dressed young girl in front of him stop at the door.

"What's wrong?"

He asked curiously.

Rong Zhen didn't speak, her eyes staring straight ahead.

Ouyang Rong stretched out his head, followed her line of sight, and his expression changed slightly.

Only to see at the entrance, the carriage driven by A-Li parked on the side of the road, and Xie Lingjiang was standing beside the carriage, with her hands in front of her abdomen, holding a small wooden box.

Xie Lingjiang seemed to have been chatting with A-Li, her gaze falling on the main entrance of Xunyang Tower from time to time.

As the figures of Rong Zhen and Ouyang Rong appeared at the entrance one after another, Xie Lingjiang suddenly fell silent, causing A-Li to curiously look over, following her calm gaze...

Ouyang Rong had no warning of this meeting between the two women.

Clearly, this was a critical moment when his early warning radar was blaring, but all his attention was diverted to a certain slightly chubby young man not far away.

Lin Cheng hadn't left after the luncheon and was still at the entrance, as if waiting for something.

When he saw Rong Zhen and Ouyang Rong walk out of the main entrance, he stepped forward to greet them, but after walking a few steps, he noticed that the atmosphere at the entrance was vaguely wrong, so he couldn't help but stop curiously, following Rong Zhen's gaze, looking at a beautiful woman standing gracefully by the carriage on the side of the road...

At the entrance of Xunyang Tower, a cold, palace-dressed young girl and a beautiful, red-clad young lady stood quietly in place.

Two gazes collided in the air.

Vaguely confronting each other.

The atmosphere was somewhat silent.

For some reason, Ouyang Rong's scalp felt a bit numb.

After staring at each other for a while, Xie Lingjiang moved her eyes away first, her gaze falling on the senior brother following like a lackey behind Rong Zhen.

"Junior sister..."

Ouyang Rong immediately straightened his expression, walked forward, and looked around:

"Uh, didn't you say you were tired earlier and wanted to go back for a nap? Why wait until now..."

Xie Lingjiang didn't speak, and her eyes didn't look at him either.

Ouyang Rong turned back to introduce:

"This is Female Official Rong, whom I often mention to you. Half a year ago, you should have met at the West City Gate..."

"Rong Zhen."

The cold, palace-dressed young girl ignored Ouyang Rong and introduced herself directly to Xie Lingjiang, then immediately asked:

"Is this young lady Ouyang Lianghan's junior sister? The daughter of his teacher, Mr. Xie?"

Ouyang Rong stepped forward, vaguely blocking the middle:

"Cough, cough, junior sister, I have mentioned some things to Female Official Rong..."

Like Rong Zhen, Xie Lingjiang also ignored the person in the middle, stared at Rong Zhen with her starry eyes for a while, and nodded lightly:

"Xie Lingjiang. Long heard of Female Official's great name."

"Same, Ouyang Lianghan often mentions you."

"Really, Tanlang?" Xie Lingjiang finally turned her gaze.

"Yes, yes, junior sister!"

"Said it so many times, call me by that name."

Ouyang Rong was stunned: "Wan... Wanwan?"

"Hmm." She smiled faintly.

Rong Zhen turned to ask: "Tanlang?"

Xie Lingjiang politely pursed her lips and said nothing; she didn't acknowledge the intimate nickname for her senior brother, but it was as if she had said everything.

Rong Zhen's expression changed slightly, and she tilted her head to look at Ouyang Rong.

The latter was helpless:

"Junior sister, don't call me that outside. You, you just call me what you called me before..."

"Oh, forgot, I'm used to it at home."

Carrying the food box in one hand, Xie Lingjiang walked forward, hooked her arm through Ouyang Rong's as if nothing were the matter, and smiled with pursed lips:

"I originally wanted to go back and wait for you, fearing you would have a headache from drinking at the luncheon, so I came to send some hangover soup."

She turned to ask Rong Zhen again:

"Did Female Official get drunk? Would you like to taste the hangover soup that Tanlang likes to drink together?"

Ouyang Rong asked in a low voice:

"Junior sister, hangover soup is not needed, but I see Female Official Rong hasn't eaten much, and neither have I. Why don't we go to Huaiye Lane and sit for a while, and let aunt make something to eat?"

"Thank you, no need."

Rong Zhen turned and left, without any hesitation. When passing by Xie Lingjiang, she dropped a sentence:

"This young lady is worthy of being a Sage."

Xie Lingjiang didn't stop her, turned her head, and said politely:

"Female Official, walk slowly, I won't see you off."

Ouyang Rong wanted to speak, but Xie Lingjiang turned her head.

He looked at his nose and his heart.

Not far away, Lin Cheng immediately followed Rong Zhen's back. Before leaving, he couldn't help but look back, his gaze toward Ouyang Rong carrying some admiration.

Ouyang Rong had no time to pay attention to him, glancing at the junior sister beside him whose expression was as calm as an ancient well.

The junior sister didn't look at him, silently watching Rong Zhen's back gradually fade away.

Ouyang Rong, who was waiting on the side, secretly swallowed his saliva...

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 428 =====