Chapter 471: 286. There is blue better than blue, there is a girl fighting for Tanlang

286. There is blue better than blue, there is a girl fighting for Tanlang

The Lantern Festival banquet in the front house of the Xunyang Prince's Mansion was in full swing.

Xunyang Prince Li Xian, as the Jiang Nan Pacification Commissioner appointed by Empress Wei, sits in the rear Jiangzhou, and the Jiang Nan Circuit Marching Grand Commander Qin Jingqin, who leads the army on the front line of Jiang Nan and Southwest, one inside and one outside, has a transcendent status.

Especially not long ago, after the case of the Tiannan Jianghu rebels obstructing the landing of the Great Buddha, and the heroic martyrdom of Wei, Lin, and Wang, the dispute over the route of the Donglin Great Buddha indirectly ended, and Ouyang Lianghan was invited out of the mountains again.

The Wei forces in Xunyang City had been swept away, and the situation in Jiangzhou was already clear!

So tonight, the Lantern Festival banquet held by the Xunyang Prince's Mansion in the name of pacifying the Jiang Nan scholars and people was naturally lively and bustling?

The famous scholars and nobles of Jiang Nan all came, among whom the representatives of the Jiang Nan scholars were the Wang and Xie families, as well as the spokespersons sent by the main officials of each prefecture and county, and even several collateral branches of the Li clan princes far away in Lingnan and Jin Ling sent direct descendants to recognize relatives and reminisce about the past, picking up the feelings of the clan.

This was not a complete act of taking sides or defecting, but rather a congratulatory gesture toward the victor. Of course, some of the noble families and civil and military officials who had previously been "sitting on the fence" would also begin to have active thoughts.

This kind of romantic banquet social interaction seems useless, but it is the soil for the formation of a new interest group.

In short, a Lantern Festival banquet marked that the influence of the Xunyang Prince's Mansion had risen to another level, breaking through some kind of obstacle and projecting it to the entire Jiang Nan Circuit.

Xie Xuee's appearance at the Prince's Mansion tonight, this detail, also made Ouyang Rong realize this point more deeply.

Remember before, every time Xie Xuee came to Xunyang City, she kept a respectful distance from the Xunyang Prince's Mansion. On this point, it was different from her brother Xie Xun.

Last time at the junior sister's birthday banquet, Xie Xuee didn't even invite the Xunyang Prince's Mansion, instead, she routinely invited Wang Lengran, who was biased toward the Wei family.

Yet today, her figure appeared at the Lantern Festival banquet of the Xunyang Prince's Mansion, and she was dressed in grand attire, having hitched a ride with her junior sister and her mentor Xie Xun to enter smoothly.

This is a set of skilled small combos of the Five Surnames and Seven Hopes, the top family of Jiangzuo, and it is just a glimpse of the tip of the iceberg...

In addition, the junior sister just revealed that there are experts in the Prince's Mansion tonight.

Ouyang Rong almost understood in seconds, without even asking in detail.

Sanqing Dao Sect, someone came.

Don't know if it's the familiar paralyzed face Lu Ya, or other members of the Taiqing and Yuqing Ancestor Hall.

And one point worth noting is that compared to Li Dalang, the people of Sanqing Dao Sect seem to be closer to that little princess.

When Lu Ya brought the Yuan Old Heavenly Master's legacy talisman to the Xunyang Prince's Mansion, Ouyang Rong noticed it, and several times saw Lu Ya by Li Guoer's side.

However, after Ouyang Rong asked half-jokingly once, Lu Ya said that his master, Yuan Old Heavenly Master, had left some divination words for the little princess, and after saying it, he looked at Ouyang Rong again.

Ouyang Rong didn't ask much after hearing this, but last time the little ink essence Miaosi was seriously injured by the Nian Zhen Yan, the healing holy pill used was asked by Lu Ya for Ouyang Rong to find Li Guoer...

The lanterns were just lit, on a gallery in a back garden of the rear house.

In his spare time chatting with teacher Xie Xun, Ouyang Rong glanced at the front left, the back of a noble lady in gorgeous clothes, who was walking side by side with the junior sister's red-clothed figure, elegant and comfortable.

Knowing that the men had serious things to talk about, this pair of aunt and niece walked to one side spontaneously, talking about some private words of women.

Don't know what they talked about, Xie Xuee, as the aunt, turned her head from time to time, and gave Ouyang Rong a sidelong glance for her beloved niece.

Xie Xun walked in front, Ouyang Rong followed closely, as for Wang Caozhi, he was even more sensible, honestly following behind the two, curiously looking at the elegant forest garden in the Prince's Mansion.

Xie Xun waited for his disciple a little, Ouyang Rong didn't follow and walk side by side, still falling half a step behind.

Xie Xun laughed, shook his head; the two continued to walk forward for a while.

"Lianghan, this jade hairpin is quite good-looking, did Wanwan pick it for you?"

"No, Auntie gave it, said it was an heirloom left by mother."

"So that's it." Asked again: "Why not come to the banquet tonight, many people want to see you, especially the young master sent by the Xiang Prince."

Ouyang Rong said concisely:

"At the forefront of the storm, although the rewards from the Emperor are many, the Great Buddha is not completed for one day, the rewards are all virtual, not doing business, making friends everywhere, it seems too proud and rampant... As for the banquet, there are the Prince and the Young Master, if there is anything, there is also the little princess to help advise, I will focus on official business these days, less social interaction."

"Lianghan is indeed sober, every word is a pearl."

The two chatted for a few sentences, Xie Xun stopped and turned his head, patted Ouyang Rong's shoulder with his palm, and sighed:

"This trip to Luodu, the scenery is infinite, it's been a few years since I've been in the limelight like this, Lianghan really gave me face."

"The student just did what he should do."

"Should do?"

Xie Xun smiled and said:

"Last time I came to Xunyang, we ate together at the Huaiye Lane residence, didn't Lianghan promise that he would be at ease and wait for the opportunity, and not do anything..."

Ouyang Rong explained calmly: "It's this, didn't I do it?"

Xie Xun kept smiling, looked at his beloved disciple with meaningful eyes, and took the initiative to skip this topic:

"Regardless, it's time for Lianghan to show his skills."

"Teacher praises me too much."

Ouyang Rong sighed, looked at the bright moon in the sky, as if talking to himself:

"Teacher praises the student like this every time, supports the student the first time every time, even if many people laugh at the student for being stupid, just like when I contradicted the Emperor in the Golden Throne Hall, it was still through teacher's connections and face that I was able to get out of prison, and then later drowning in Dragon City, recovering from illness and going down the mountain to fight the bully Liu family... Teacher seems to have never stopped the student from doing anything, aren't you worried... the student did something wrong, and walked on a path of no return."

"Worried, of course worried, I also love to worry, but correcting and pointing out, that is for the pedantic and rigid students I treat, or for you who are still studying in the academy.

"At that time, Lianghan, only then needed a teacher to manage, just like a new tree seedling, just starting to need to be managed and straightened."

Xie Xun laughed, stroked his beard for a while, and his face gradually became serious:

"But after leaving the academy, a student like Lianghan, a tree like this, has already grown up, grown straight, grown upright, lush and green... then there is no need for me to nag and correct anymore."

The middle-aged Confucian scholar with a decent dress pointed his index finger in his sleeve at a straight garden tree outside the gallery, turned his head and asked seriously:

"Lianghan, do you know when I realized that you have grown straight and upright?"

"Wh... when?"

"That day, at an hour when the moon was above the willow branches just like tonight, I finished teaching and had just returned to the study from the schoolhouse when I saw your junior sister walk through the door with a look of surprise and admiration on her face. She was holding a court gazette in her hand and asked me if I knew Ouyang Lianghan, saying the name sounded familiar and wondering if he was a senior brother from one of her previous classes."

Xie Xun looked at Ouyang Rong's slightly stunned face, and said softly:

"I took the gazette, only to know that you had just returned to Beijing after mourning, took office as a censor, the future was bright, so you prepared a coffin and left a message, went into the palace alone, risked death to impeach the princess, and remonstrate with the Empress."

"That day the study didn't light up, the words on the gazette were dim and blurry, making my eyes sore and dizzy."

"But I don't know why, from that moment on, I knew very clearly in my heart that you had walked on a path that I could no longer nag and point out, and you could only walk alone and move forward."

"Such a student, as a teacher, if I call him to turn back again, nagging and pointing out, it is delaying and harming him."

"Because I don't know what will be in front, but just like the "Teacher's Talk" that Lianghan made famous in the capital a few days ago, there is a sentence in it, so the disciple does not have to be inferior to the teacher, and the teacher does not have to be wiser than the disciple. Just as the Saint said, blue, taken from blue, is better than blue.

"I don't know if this 'blue' of yours is better than my 'blue', but it is definitely better than blue. I am gratified and also very curious, what does this path of Lianghan look like."

Ouyang Rong listened in silence, the Xie Lingjiang and Xie Xuee aunt and niece who were whispering in front, and Wang Caozhi who was looking around behind seemed to have stopped, pricking up their ears to listen.

Xie Xun sighed, Ouyang Rong felt him pinch his shoulder harder:

"To tell you the truth, Lianghan, I have taught many students, and many disciples often follow me, listening to my words and actions, even if they are not by my side, they often rely on my arrangements, or write letters to ask for advice, or often come to the door to solve puzzles."

"But the only students who can really let me see that they have the atmosphere of being better than blue, and at the same time walk on a new path without looking back, are only a few, Lianghan is one of them, and also the one who has walked the most brilliantly so far."

Speaking to the back, he seemed to be talking to himself, muttering and repeating:

"You asked me, am I worried that your path will go crooked and you will fall and die? Of course I am worried, but as long as you don't regret it and can bear the consequences, then this path is right, who says you can't be better than blue."

Ouyang Rong raised his head, his face calm:

"No wonder teacher never denied me."

Xie Xun smiled suddenly, gesturing to his side:

"Lianghan doesn't need to follow behind me anymore, you can take a step forward and walk side by side with me."

Ouyang Rong shook his head earnestly and bowed:

"Teacher goes first, the student is not as far as the teacher yet."

Xie Xun chuckled, shook his head and stopped forcing.

After a while, the group returned to the guest hall.

On the way, Xie Lingjiang followed Ouyang Rong, preparing to go out together.

Ouyang Rong turned his head and looked at Wang Caozhi who was laughing secretly.

The latter spread his hands, as if indicating that he couldn't help.

Ouyang Rong actually knew that Wang Caozhi came this time, because he was the one who called him over in advance.

The Donglin Great Buddha needs to start construction officially after the Lantern Festival, and needs to coordinate with Wang Caozhi and others.

Ouyang Rong looked up at the sky, his face slightly worried.

"What is eldest martial brother looking at?"

"Fireworks, fireworks."

He pointed his finger at the top of his head.

Xie Lingjiang smiled lightly:

"Wait for you to finish your work, let's go too." She suddenly leaned close, whispered in his ear: "Is this skirt of eldest martial brother good-looking?"

Ouyang Rong looked down, couldn't see his toes.

Her toes and his toes couldn't be seen.

"Good-looking..."

"That's good."

Xie Lingjiang smiled beautifully, then her little nose wrinkled: "Speaking of which, what are you going to be busy with later."

"Uh..."

Ouyang Rong was about to answer, the group happened to walk to the door of the guest hall.

Suddenly, everyone found Ouyang Rong stopping at the door.

"Female Official Rong?" Ouyang Rong was stunned.

Xie Xun, Xie Xuee, Wang Caozhi and others looked curious, following his gaze.

Only to see in the hall, not only Pei Shisan Niang's figure, but also a cold palace-dressed girl's figure, sitting in a chair with her sleeves tucked, looking straight ahead, the tea beside her hadn't been drunk, and she didn't know what she was waiting for.

"Ouyang Lianghan, why did you run here, not staying honestly in Huaiye Lane, I couldn't find you when I had something to do."

Hearing Ouyang Rong's voice, Rong Zhen stood up as if she had been woken up from a nap, and said coldly like the cold tea on the table.

Don't know how long she had been waiting, her patience seemed to have reached a node.

Pei Shisan Niang, who was sitting opposite, also stood up wiping sweat: "Young Master, Female Official Rong is looking for you, seems to have something urgent."

"Is this female official..."

Xie Xun found that his daughter's originally smiling face suddenly calmed down, and she didn't say a word, he stepped forward and asked.

"Rong Zhen." The palace-dressed girl reported, and asked: "Are you Mr. Xie."

"Exactly."

Rong Zhen's face looked a little better, but her voice was still stiff:

"There is something at the Xunyang Grottoes, Ouyang Lianghan needs to go over, sorry to disturb your master-disciple meeting, hope for understanding."

"What's the matter on this Lantern Festival?"

"This is an imperial order, and also the mission of Ouyang Scholar, the matter at the Xunyang Grottoes cannot be sloppy, and it is not convenient to disclose, hope Mr. Xie understands my difficulties."

Xie Xun cast an inquiring look at Ouyang Rong.

Ouyang Rong's expression didn't change, he couldn't help but look at Rong Zhen, Pei Shisan Niang thought Ouyang Rong was looking at her, raised her right hand weakly, she, who was a transparent person tonight, carefully interjected:

"Miss Xie, Mr. Xie, Madam Xie, the matter at the Xunyang Grottoes is indeed urgent, tonight I came to find Young Master Ouyang for this matter, for this, Young Master Ouyang even regretfully refused the Lantern Festival banquet of the Prince's Mansion..."

Ouyang Rong coughed, had to stand up:

"Junior sister, the matter at the Xunyang Grottoes is urgent, can't be delayed, I'll go see with Madam Pei, you accompany teacher first, if I return early..."

Xie Lingjiang lowered her eyes and didn't speak, hearing him halfway, her beautiful eyes rolled up, giving him a "good you look at it, I'll follow you, I don't care" look.

Ouyang Rong's body paused, turned his head silently, and began to try to enlighten Rong Zhen:

"Female Official Rong, I'll go with junior sister, she happens to be free, and can help together, what do you think..."

"Don't go!"

"No!"

Xie Lingjiang and Rong Zhen said almost in unison.

Ouyang Rong's face changed slightly, the merit in his ears fell ka ka ka, making him tremble with fear.

Rong Zhen and Xie Lingjiang both stared at him, from the moment they entered, they almost didn't look at each other.

At this time, Rong Zhen stepped forward first, grabbed Ouyang Rong's arm, and walked out:

"Miss Xie said she wouldn't go, you heard it, let's go."

Ouyang Rong felt the strength of her little hand grabbing his forearm, the two could be considered to have had a physical contact for the first time, Ouyang Rong was also stunned, and before he could react, he was pulled to the door, and hurriedly turned his head:

"Junior sister isn't going, then wait a moment, wait for me and Madam Pei..."

"Female Official Rong chose to handle official business on the Lantern Festival, and even changed into a new color for the palace dress she wore every day before, it seems it is indeed an unusual official business."

Xie Lingjiang suddenly opened her mouth.

As soon as this was said, the hall fell silent in an instant, and Rong Zhen, who had one embroidered shoe stepping out of the threshold under her palace dress, also paused halfway.

After a while, the palace-dressed girl withdrew her jade foot from under the skirt and turned her head slowly, her clear eyes looking at Xie Lingjiang who also took a step forward and grabbed Ouyang Rong's other arm tightly.

The two women each grabbed one arm, as if they were going to tear him in half.

Across the shoulder of Ouyang Rong who was caught in the middle, two gazes collided in the air.

Clearly there was still the heat of the Lantern Festival banquet outside the door, but Xie Xun, Wang Caozhi, Pei Shisan Niang and others felt that the temperature in the whole hall dropped by two degrees silently.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 472 =====