Chapter 472: 291. The worries of Embroidery Girl and the eldest martial sisters

291. The worries of Embroidery Girl and the eldest martial sisters

: qiushu

The great river flows eastward, the night is like ink.

A bright moon slowly rises to the middle of the sky, like a bright pearl hanging on the ink-colored sky, emitting a soft and clear radiance.

This night's moon is particularly round and full, as if it were a jade plate that had just jumped out of the Yao Pool, crystal clear, without a speck of dust.

Don't know how many people from the ends of the earth and the corners of the sea it attracted to look up.

On the river surface washed by the moonlight to be without a speck of dust, an ordinary large merchant ship is sailing quietly.

The ship is brightly lit, and the ship's head hangs a "Taoshou Zhai" merchant house flag, fluttering in the wind.

At the stern deck where the bright lights of the ship's cabin cannot reach, a tall and graceful figure is standing, the woman has golden hair like flames, and carries a frost-white long sword on her back.

There are a few white sturgeons, chasing the white waves and water splashes splashed by the stern of the ship.

Xue Zhongzhu does not look at the Lantern Festival moon, lowers her head, a pair of emerald eyes seem to be watching a long-river white sturgeon chasing the ship below.

"Thinking of you, it's hard to sleep, the candle goes out and the stars sink, shouldn't the eldest martial sister also stand until the candle goes out and the stars sink."

From the pitch-black ship's cabin behind, came a gentle light laugh. Xue Zhongzhu didn't turn her head, but her gaze, which had been absent for a long time, moved away from the white sturgeon chasing the ship hard.

Xue Zhongzhu took out a small red jade gourd from the wide skirt sleeve of Wu clothes, raised her head and sipped wine.

Ding ling ling—

A pair of bare feet tied with red rope bells walked out of the ship's cabin lightly.

"Passing by that prefecture city after boarding the ship at night, on a lantern at the guest-sending pavilion, I saw this line of unknown poetry, it is quite interesting."

Yu Nianyuan stopped behind Xue Zhongzhu, she seemed to be night-rising after going to bed, casually draped a large mink fur, a red ribbon tied around her slender waist, lazy and lazy:

"Not knowing the passage of time in the mountains, the world has quietly passed half a year, the city life and the literary scholars and poets under the mountain are indeed interesting. No wonder the third junior sister, the fourth junior sister, and even the junior sister before she went blind liked to run outside."

"And then?"

Xue Zhongzhu's hoarse voice was colder than the river wind, and the strong wine in the jade gourd couldn't warm it:

"One can never see again, one is missing, whereabouts unknown, and the last one is the stupidest, even her eyes are gone."

Yu Nianyuan didn't commit, took the initiative to say:

"Contacted Li Zhengyan's side, the Xuanwu Camp people are chasing tightly, and there are imperial court running dogs like the female officials of the Supervisory Court assisting, Wei Shaoqi, Du Shuqing and others entered Hongzhou, took a detour...

"Still have to wait for some days... to meet the eldest martial sister at the appointed place..."

On the deck at the stern of the ship, the whistling river wind at night blew the soft words of this Yunmeng second female lord intermittently.

Only Xue Zhongzhu, who was close, could hear it.

Yu Nianyuan paused, and then said again:

"Heard that on the front line in the Southwest, the situation of the Kuangfu Army is not very optimistic. That Qin Jingqin is indeed powerful, worthy of being a famous general of the Great Zhou, a veteran of three dynasties."

"No wonder so urgent." Xue Zhongzhu had no expression, cold hum.

Yu Nianyuan narrowed her eyes: "Urgent is good, have requests for us."

Xue Zhongzhu turned her head, looked at the figure of the second junior sister wrapped in a large mink fur in the darkness:

"What do you think, what is the chance of winning for the Southwest Kuangfu Army?"

Yu Nianyuan tightened the large mink fur on her body, looked up at the moon, and opened her lips:

"Surface situation, the one suppressing the momentum of the Kuangfu Army is Qin Jingqin's old-fashioned command, using troops like a god, but truly inside, the most critical one... is actually the Xunyang Prince's Mansion, which sits firmly in the rear, in Jiangzhou.

"The banner that the Kuangfu Army fought under at the beginning was the former abolished emperor, the current Xunyang Prince Wang Lixian, but after clashing with the Zhou Court until now, it has been slow to win over the Xunyang Prince's Mansion."

She paused, her tone was ghostly:

"Not to mention leaning toward the Kuangfu Army, even if the Xunyang Prince died unexpectedly early before the rebellion, it would be better than now that he is still alive and kicking, doing the Jiang Nan Pacification Commissioner, becoming a banner for the Zhou Court to slap the Kuangfu Army in the face.

"The great cause of the Restoration Army is to restore the Li-Qian dynasty. This great cause is even more important than the victories Li Zhengyan has achieved in the southwest, capturing cities and seizing land, singing his way to triumph."

"Killing people is not as effective as striking at their hearts. Now, the Xunyang Prince's Mansion has instead become a handy weapon for Empress Wei Zhao to strike at the hearts of the Restoration Army. It has severely diverted the forces in the world that could have originally assisted the Restoration Army, and it has also caused heroes in many places throughout the world who hate Wei and oppose Zhou to adopt a wait-and-see attitude."

"This move is bound to make Li Zhengyan's Restoration Army feel as if they have a fishbone stuck in their throat, and it is also the true reason why the current situation is unfavorable."

"By all logic, as far as the Restoration Army is concerned, they are not afraid of short-term setbacks at all. No matter how formidable Qin Jingqin is, as long as the great cause remains, and the southwest is far from the emperor, Li Zhengyan can afford to lose many times. But the Zhou court is corrupt and rigid; he, Qin Jingqin, and the imperial army cannot afford to lose many times."

"Wei Zhao is harsh, tyrannical, and harms loyal officials, but it cannot be denied that in terms of playing with power and the art of the emperor, she is far superior to the men of the Li clan of the past few generations."

"I heard that recently the Great Zhou court has bestowed many rewards upon the Xunyang Prince's Mansion in Jiangzhou and has vigorously promoted officials of the Xunyang Prince's line. It is not impossible that Wei Zhao has even hinted at or promised the Xunyang Prince, Li Lixian, an opportunity to return to the capital, compelling him to serve loyally."

Xue Zhongzhu frowned and spoke coldly:

"As for the Xunyang Prince's Mansion, it's not as if Li Zhengyan's side hasn't tried to win them over. I heard that at the time of the uprising, they sent lobbyists and strategists to persuade them to defect."

"Li Zhengyan, Wei Shaoqi, and the others even stayed in Xunyang City for a while, but all returned without success. According to their letters, there was an official from Jiangzhou named Ouyang Lianghan who devised strategies for the timid Xunyang Prince and repeatedly ruined their major plans."

"Ouyang Lianghan?"

Yu Nianyuan whispered the name.

Xue Zhongzhu nodded:

"That's him. He is the corrupt official who is currently devising strategies and assisting the court's lackeys, such as the female officials of the Censorate, in hunting us down throughout the Jiang Nan region. I heard that he used to be a world-renowned gentleman."

Yu Nianyuan nodded gently:

"A hypocrite, then... This person should be the chief official of Jiangzhou now, and he was also involved in the Great Buddha affair... Even if we don't care about his grievances with Li Zhengyan and the others, we need to keep an eye on him from now on."

"Fine, I'll leave it to you."

Xue Zhongzhu turned her head back, looked again at the water ripples and the Chinese sturgeon stirred up at the stern of the boat, and suddenly said:

"It's the Lantern Festival."

"Yes."

Yu Nianyuan said softly:

"The people below made some glutinous rice balls; the Eldest Yuan Shijie should try some too. Li Shu loves them."

Xue Zhongzhu slowly shook her head, staring at the Chinese sturgeon, not knowing what she was thinking.

Yu Nianyuan lowered her eyes and said in a low voice:

"During this Lantern Festival holiday, the city gates and ferry crossings in Xunyang City should have relaxed their vigilance a bit."

"The informants in the city were all destroyed by those court lackeys before, so now is the perfect time to redeploy. I have sent some new people over."

"However, the vigilance of the female officials of the Censorate is still very strong. I heard that the ferry crossing at Shuangfeng Peak is still taken over and blocked by them, and there is an old woman surnamed Song sitting in charge at the Xunyang Grottoes all day long. The arrangements in Xunyang City will have to be done slowly, and even if they are restored, they certainly won't be as accumulated as before..."

"Whatever you think is best, Second Xiao Shimei..."

Yu Nianyuan detected the absent-mindedness in Xue Zhongzhu's tone and looked up at her tall back with golden hair reaching her waist. At this moment, she heard the Eldest Yuan Shijie's voice:

"Is there... still no news of the Xiao Shimei in Jiangzhou?"

Yu Nianyuan was quiet for a while, then shook her head:

"Not yet. But... as I said before, the less movement there is, the safer it is. At least there has been no conflict with the female officials of the Censorate. I just don't know if she is still in Xunyang City, or why she hasn't returned."

"The Xiao Shimei is good at hiding her presence; it's very difficult to discover her. If she wanted to leave, no one should have been able to find her..."

"Yes."

Xue Zhongzhu spoke at this moment:

"I suddenly remembered something. Is the Red Lotus Sword Seal still with the Xiao Shimei?"

Yu Nianyuan was slightly startled and nodded: "That's right, it's with her."

Xue Zhongzhu narrowed her eyes:

"That day, when we were held up by the one surnamed Song and the female officials of the Censorate, and that little thief Die Lianhua was sacrificing the sword to kill, the craftsman appeared. The Xiao Shimei's Red Lotus Sword Seal should have been able to sense it."

Yu Nianyuan frowned slightly: "That makes sense... Wait, does the Eldest Yuan Shijie mean..."

Xue Zhongzhu was silent for a while, her brows furrowed as if worried about something. A moment later, she shook her head:

"It's nothing. I was just worried that the Xiao Shimei might be foolish and, disregarding her own safety, went to chase after this thief. That would explain why she hasn't returned for so long."

Yu Nianyuan's expression suddenly turned grave, her tone thoughtful:

"What the Eldest Yuan Shijie says is not impossible..."

The two were silent for a while.

A moment later, Yu Nianyuan let out a breath and was the first to comfort her:

"As for the specifics, we are not the Xiao Shimei, so we can't be sure. Eldest Yuan Shijie, please don't worry too much. Besides, with the Xiao Shimei's abilities, plus the Red Lotus Sword Seal that can sense things, it is very likely that the master of Die Lianhua was captured before they could even set up the sword. Perhaps it's a blessing in disguise..."

"Yes."

Xue Zhongzhu nodded reluctantly and said no more.

Seeing this, Yu Nianyuan added:

"Don't take the Fifth Xiao Shimei's impulsive words from last time to heart... Eldest Yuan Shijie, everyone in the Sword Marsh, including the Xiao Shimei, respects you very much."

"Besides, we have all seen how you treat the Xiao Shimei; how could we not know? Among the junior sisters in the palace, you are the strictest with her, but you also care about her the most..."

"Alright, that's enough of that mushy talk."

Xue Zhongzhu interrupted, her tone impatient:

"I am not being sentimental..."

After speaking coldly, she kept a straight face and was quiet for a long time, her green eyes looking down at the waves below:

"It's just... I happened to see a few rare Chinese sturgeon. This creature is the most nourishing; it replenishes Qi, supplements deficiencies, promotes blood circulation, and clears stranguria. Ancient books say it benefits the five viscera and makes beauties plump... It's just right for replenishing the Xiao Shimei's blood and Qi; she is too thin and weak."

Yu Nianyuan suppressed the corners of her lips and nodded:

"Fine, fine, fine. It's just a coincidence."

After a pause, she also sighed:

"Speaking of which, the Xiao Shimei must be spending the Lantern Festival alone tonight. I wonder where she is; it must be very lonely. We used to be the ones accompanying her..."

"I'm tired." Xue Zhongzhu waved her sleeve, her face taut, and turned to return to the cabin.

Yu Nianyuan stepped forward to where the Eldest Yuan Shijie had been standing, glanced at the white shadow rising and falling in the white waves below, tapped the railing lightly with her palm, returned to the cabin leisurely, and muttered to herself: "Since that Mr. Wei is coming too, then I'll take two."

Just as the two women left, a three-legged giant bird darted out from the pitch-black night sky like a sharp arrow, skimming across the water and drawing a perfect arc.

The bird's three-clawed feet held two Yangtze Chinese sturgeon, and as it flew over the merchant ship, it loosened its claws and dropped them.

"Bang, bang—"

On the deck, the two plump and nourishing Chinese sturgeon flopped helplessly a few times.

Ouyang Rong discovered that Xiuniang seemed very happy tonight.

The carriage they were riding in was traveling along the Xingzi Ward main street, which was still bustling in the early morning hours. Outside the carriage, there was a scene of prosperity.

In fact, at the very beginning, when Ouyang Rong took Zhao Qingxiu's hand to go out, the emotions revealed by the latter toward him were somewhat fearful.

The young girl, whose eyes were covered by a sky-blue silk ribbon, was accustomed to hiding in corners where no one would notice her to be alone.

However, Ouyang Rong held her hand very considerately, even using this as an excuse to sit beside her, and even sat body-to-body with her.

Seeming to feel Ouyang Rong's warm, furnace-like body, Zhao Qingxiu's nervous emotions eased a little.

Later, after entering the bustling market, the sounds of fireworks, songs, and hawking came rushing toward them. When passing by a few small stalls hawking on the side of the street, Ouyang Rong even took out money and, through the window, bought a string of candied haws and a rattle-drum, stuffing them into Zhao Qingxiu's hands.

With a string of candied haws in one hand and a rattle-drum in the other, her small face, covered by the silk ribbon, froze for a moment.

Ouyang Rong lowered his head and took a small bite of the candied haws, saying indistinctly and threateningly: "If you don't eat it, I'm going to eat it all."

Zhao Qingxiu hurriedly lowered her head and began to take small bites of the candied haws.

Ouyang Rong quietly spat the candied haws from his mouth into his hand and threw them under his feet; he had almost vomited the moment he tasted the sweetness.

Seeming to be influenced by the festive atmosphere around them, and most importantly... because of someone's company, Zhao Qingxiu gradually stopped being afraid, and her mood became cheerful.

The babbling sounds in her mouth increased quite a bit, and she was full of curiosity about the outside world.

It was rare for Ouyang Rong to see her lively side.

Sure enough, there is no one who doesn't like going out to play. Hmm, if it weren't for being lonely and bored, who would like to stay at home in a dark corner every day, "twisting, crawling, rotting, and stinking"?

The most important thing is who you are with; if you are alone, of course, it's meaningless.

During the bumpy carriage ride, Ouyang Rong felt the sensation of Xiuniang's shoulder bumping against his shoulder several times. At one moment, when the bump was too large, Ouyang Rong even reached out to support the round, small shoulder of the young girl whose eyes were covered by the sky-blue silk ribbon.

His hand remained on Zhao Qingxiu's shoulder, and he asked with concern: "Are you alright?"

"Ah, ah."

Zhao Qingxiu shook her small head, and immediately after, slowly turned her head to look at the hand that had appeared on her shoulder.

But before she could speak, she discovered that the man beside her had released his hand very gentlemanly.

Zhao Qingxiu buried her small head.

Ouyang Rong sat upright the whole time.

Accompanied by the inevitable bumps of the carriage, her thin, small body bumped into his arms from time to time.

Ouyang Rong stared at the carriage curtain in front, quietly giving a thumbs-up to A-Li, who was driving the carriage outside.

After the time it takes to burn an incense stick, Ouyang Rong lifted the carriage curtain and saw that a familiar street was near.

He couldn't help but rub his face and sighed, muttering to himself: "Sigh, since we're here,"

Ouyang Rong hadn't actually planned to come here specifically, but A-Li had driven the carriage toward this side.

"Stop by the side of the street, A-Li."

"Yes, Young Master."

Ouyang Rong fished out his old partner—a folding fan—from under the seat, turned his head toward the ignorant young girl beside him who was "looking" left and right, and instructed her gently:

"Miss Xiuniang, you wait in the carriage; don't walk around. I'm going out to queue... I'll be back soon. Well, before you finish your candied haws."

"Ya, ya, gulu." Zhao Qingxiu immediately put down the candied haws and stopped eating, her small hand grabbing his sleeve tightly.

"What, you want to come too? Er, it's not impossible, but you'll have to wait for me outside the long corridor for a while later? It's crowded and noisy over there. Are you sure you're not afraid standing there?" He asked with a difficult expression.

Zhao Qingxiu opened her mouth with an "ah," bit the remaining half of the candied haws between her white teeth, freed both hands, grabbed Ouyang Rong's palm, and used her index finger to write on it, her small face focused and serious:

I am more afraid of being alone.

Ouyang Rong felt his palm tickle and shrugged helplessly: "Alright, wait a moment... Here, take this green bamboo staff."

Ouyang Rong took out a green jade bamboo staff from under the seat and handed it to Zhao Qingxiu.

This green bamboo staff was one he had just made, similar in style to the one he had given to Female Official Rong earlier.

Seeming a bit curious, the young girl whose eyes were covered by the sky-blue silk ribbon looked blankly down at the area under the seat from which Ouyang Rong kept pulling out small trinkets.

"Cough, cough, let's go, stop looking."

Ouyang Rong hurriedly pulled her away and led her off the carriage.

Looking at the lantern riddle corridor in front, he walked up with a slightly embarrassed expression and began to queue.

Anyway, he had already been here twice, so one more time wouldn't hurt. Besides, he couldn't waste the extra silver, could he?

Three taels of silver were enough for half a month's salary.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel justified. He didn't even bother to fan himself with the folding fan and stuffed it back into his sleeve. But Zhao Qingxiu reached into his sleeve, took out the folding fan, opened it, and began to fan him earnestly, like a thoughtful little follower.

Outside the lantern riddle corridor, seeing this familiar, handsome young master with a folding fan arrive again with a beautiful companion, the grandfather and grandson who were selling tickets both trembled slightly.

The atmosphere went quiet for a moment. The grandfather and grandson were very taciturn and almost immediately turned their heads to look at the blind, delicate young girl holding Ouyang Rong's sleeve behind him. Their expressions were very complicated...

(End of chapter)

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