Chapter 475

Three hundred and five: Ouyang Sima, who shoulders one city and thirteen counties

: qiushu

Whether it is Lianhong or Honglian, reading it forward or backward doesn't work.

Ouyang Rong coughed, gave up, and put away the sword case again.

He tossed the small purple-red seal with his palm.

He examined it carefully.

Since it was a relic that Master Zhong Ma kept by his side until he died, it should be important to him, or rather... important to Donglin Temple.

The reason is very simple. After the Mad Emperor's Ding Sword was stolen, the heads of the sword craftsmen on the west bank of Butterfly Creek rolled, and Donglin Temple, the largest cultivator force nearby, was also blood-washed by the Mad Emperor's personal iron cavalry. The cultivators of Donglin Temple on the surface all died, directly breaking the incense inheritance.

Master Zhong Ma still took the new Ding Sword and hid in the underground palace without coming out.

For such a major event of life and death, it was impossible for him not to make the worst plans in advance.

Then the things he brought into the underground palace were all important items, and they had to involve the Daoist lineage of the Lotus Sect. Just like when a fire comes, what ordinary people take out first must be the valuable things in their hearts.

"Red Lotus... Lotus Sect... It couldn't be the token of the head of the Lotus Sect, right? It doesn't look like it, otherwise, Master Shan Dao and the others would definitely recognize it. Why send it to me?"

After studying it for a while, there was still no clue.

Ouyang Rong put away this small purple-red seal for the time being.

The carriage arrived at the mansion in Huaiye Lane.

As soon as Ouyang Rong entered the door, he was told that a guest had come.

At the door, he took the hot towel thoughtfully handed over by Ye Weilai, wiped his face, and walked into the living room to take a look.

At the end of the two long rows of chairs in the living room, Rong Zhen and Wang Caozhi were sitting on each side, with tea placed in front of them.

Zhen Shuyuan sat on the side, accompanying the guests on behalf of her beloved nephew.

The beautiful woman in the silk skirt with a mole on the corner of her mouth behaved with dignity. While raising her cup to drink tea, she would occasionally glance at the Female Official whom her beloved nephew often mentioned.

Seeing Ouyang Rong walking in while wiping his face, Rong Zhen and Wang Caozhi looked over.

Wang Caozhi stood up at the first moment, not even having time to put down the tea in his hand.

Rong Zhen remained seated.

After not seeing her for many days, this Female Official was still the same, but after the Lantern Festival, she changed back to her original plain white palace dress, but she still kept a mandarin duck jade hairpin on her hairpin.

Zhen Shuyuan, who was also wearing a mandarin duck jade hairpin today, turned her head and glanced at the same style of hairpin on her head.

"Ouyang Lianghan, didn't you arrive in the morning? Why did you dawdle until now to come back? Where did you go just now? You were nowhere to be seen in the Jiangzhou Hall or the Prefect's Mansion."

Rong Zhen, who didn't know how long she had been waiting, put down her teacup and asked with a frown.

Ouyang Rong didn't answer immediately and looked at his aunt.

"Is Mr. Tan back? Female Official and Young Master Wang came in the morning and have been waiting for a while. Why didn't you say anything when you came back, Mr. Tan? Your aunt only learned from Female Official and Young Master Wang that you arrived this morning."

"Brother-in-law. You wouldn't have gone to find Sister Xie, would you?" Wang Caozhi asked with a wink.

Rong Zhen turned her head and looked at Wang Caozhi opposite.

The latter acted as if he didn't see it.

"Female Official Rong, sorry to keep you waiting, but your news is quite well-informed."

Ouyang Rong walked into the door, found a nearby seat, and asked the two curiously:

"Female Official Rong, Caozhi, what brings you here?"

Rong Zhen picked up her teacup and lowered her eyes to blow on the tea that was already cold.

"It was Wang Caozhi who insisted on finding you, so I came along."

Wang Caozhi spread his hands:

"Sigh, Brother-in-law, it seems you still haven't realized your current position. One city and thirteen counties of Jiangzhou are all on your shoulders. Your boat arrived at the ferry, and within half an hour, everyone in the city who should know knew."

"I can't shoulder it at all."

Ouyang Rong kept a straight face.

Wang Caozhi rubbed his hands and leaned forward.

"Brother-in-law..."

"Wang Caozhi."

Rong Zhen suddenly shouted.

"Er, what is it, Female Official?" Wang Caozhi turned his head in confusion.

"Get out."

Rong Zhen said lightly.

Being called and dismissed like this would have made others blush.

Fortunately, Wang Caozhi was an old merchant with a thick skin. Hearing the two words spat out by the Female Official, his expression didn't change much.

It was just that his tone was a bit resentful:

"Female Official Rong, I still have something to ask Brother-in-law. Didn't you come along? Why let me go out..."

Rong Zhen raised her eyelids and glanced at him.

In broad daylight, Wang Caozhi felt a chill and couldn't help but shiver.

Seeing this, Ouyang Rong looked at Zhen Shuyuan.

"By the way, I suddenly remembered that I have something to ask Young Master Wang. Would Young Master Wang mind coming out?"

Zhen Shuyuan stood up and greeted enthusiastically.

"Fine, fine, fine."

Wang Caozhi followed obediently.

Before Zhen Shuyuan left, she said to Ye Weilai:

"Change the tea for the Female Official; it's cold. You girls are really careless."

After speaking, the beautiful woman in the silk skirt smiled generously and said:

"Mr. Tan, Female Official, you sit. I'll take my leave first."

Zhen Shuyuan and Wang Caozhi went out together.

Ye Weilai stepped forward to pour tea, but discovered that the teacup in Rong Zhen's hand was seven-tenths full, which meant she hadn't taken a sip at all.

But just now, when Ye Weilai was standing by and waiting, she had been watching Rong Zhen holding the cup, pretending to drink.

So you didn't take a sip?

The white-haired girl couldn't help but look at this cold palace-dressed girl who seemed to be about the same age as her.

"What are your orders, Female Official?"

Not noticing the small abnormality on Ye Weilai's side, Ouyang Rong asked Rong Zhen with a smile.

"Why didn't you dock your boat at the Xunyang Grottoes? You took a long detour and ran to the Xunyang Ferry."

"Er, is there a difference between returning to the city first and going to the Grottoes first?"

"Yes, it represents your thoughts at the time. You were in the city, not on the Buddha's side."

Ouyang Rong said seriously: "Actually, I just couldn't sleep in the second half of the night, and I was hungry, so I wanted to take advantage of the dawn to eat at a breakfast shop in the East Market."

"Hmph, I hope so." Rong Zhen snorted lightly and turned to say seriously:

"It's not safe outside recently, and it might be the same in the city. I am against you going out this time."

"What do you mean?"

"Yesterday, when you weren't here, our people caught a group of rebel spies."

Ouyang Rong listened for a while and couldn't help but look sideways:

"Rebel spies?"

"Yes, their mouths were quite hard. Senior Song accidentally killed two, and two are still being interrogated. I don't know if we can pry their mouths open."

"Er, no wonder Female Official is so cautious today."

Ouyang Rong sighed.

"Otherwise, what else could I talk to you about in private?"

"That makes sense."

At this moment, Rong Zhen turned her head, her small face serious as she instructed:

"Ouyang Lianghan, I suspect that rebels are already hiding in the city. Just like insects, every time we catch a nest, it means that several nests have actually slipped in privately."

"I am reminding you to be extra careful these few days. You are the official in charge of the statue construction and are very easily targeted by rebels."

"I am relatively low-key."

"But in the eyes of the rebels, you are all so-called court lackeys, so you still have to be careful."

She frowned slightly:

"This time, we were able to catch the spies thanks to the fact that we had previously destroyed several dark lines of the Yunmeng Marsh rebels in the city. The dark lines were not updated in time, and some people came to throw themselves into the net. It can be considered a bit of luck."

"However, those rebels in the Tiannan Jianghu are not stupid; they will definitely replace and update them, trying every means to infiltrate the city."

"Now, it's best not to let even some ordinary Jianghu people into the city. You and Changshi Yuan should discuss it these few days and conduct a census in the city, especially for those outsiders who have entered the city recently. Search them well, and I will send people to cooperate with you."

Ouyang Rong covered his mouth and coughed lightly:

"Fine, I will arrange it this afternoon."

"Good, I am relieved when you do things."

Ouyang Rong sipped tea calmly.

The two chatted about official business for a while before ending the topic. Seeing that it was a bit cold, Ouyang Rong asked:

"Is there anything else?"

"What else do you want there to be?"

Rong Zhen lowered her eyes and asked back. At this moment, she picked up her teacup, blew on it, and finally took a sip, letting out a long breath.

Ouyang Rong smiled awkwardly and turned to call Zhen Niang and Wang Caozhi back.

Rong Zhen interrupted without looking sideways:

"However, it's good that you came back safely this time. From now on, you are not allowed to leave the city again, not even to accompany the Xunyang Prince."

"Fine."

Rong Zhen asked again: "By the way, what about that Xunyang Prince's heir? Didn't he come back with you?"

"Er, the heir still has to inspect several counties and won't be back so soon. As for me, I had urgent matters, and I was afraid that you would be worried, so I sent the heir off for a stretch and came back early."

"Heh, you don't look like you care about our worries at all."

"Female Official is joking. Being cared about makes me feel warm inside."

"I don't care if you feel warm or not. It's best if that Xunyang Prince's heir comes back later, so he doesn't go and harass Princess Anhui and make Senior Song unhappy."

Rong Zhen nodded gently.

She looked at Ye Weilai, who was pouring tea for her obediently on the side.

She suddenly asked:

"By the way, your personal maid, she doesn't have any contact with the Yue women anymore, right?"

Ouyang Rong looked at Rong Zhen's expression calmly.

Before he could speak, Ye Weilai shook her head vigorously: "No."

Rong Zhen's cold expression eased a little:

"That's good, otherwise I will definitely not spare you."

Ouyang Rong suddenly raised his head and drank the tea in his cup. He breathed slightly and turned to smile:

"If my child bride comes back, would it make things difficult for Female Official?"

Rong Zhen asked curiously: "What's difficult about it? Should I not arrest her immediately and keep her for the New Year?"

"Why, is Ouyang still thinking about old feelings?" She asked with a half-smile on her small face: "Didn't you tell me before that it was something from childhood? You said it was all in the past."

Ouyang Rong's expression didn't change, and he waved his hand:

"It's in the past. I was just asking. How could it be such a coincidence? Sigh, sometimes I feel that this life experience is truly magical. When I read books as a child, there was a sentence: 'In the morning, I was a farmer; in the evening, I entered the Emperor's hall.' At that time, I was wondering what the Emperor's hall was like."

Ouyang's expression was emotional. Rong Zhen didn't pay much attention to the previous topic. Hearing his later words, she seemed to feel the same way. She put down her teacup, looked directly at Ouyang Rong, and said seriously:

"Ouyang Lianghan, you must walk forward and upward. You have to abandon many people and things. This is the fate of people like you; you can't escape it. Especially since you are from a humble background, you must make trade-offs for some people and things."

Ouyang Rong asked back: "Is Female Official also this kind of person?"

Rong Zhen looked at him and didn't answer.

The two chatted for a while longer.

Two cups of tea later, Rong Zhen left, taking Wang Caozhi, who didn't get to say two words to his brother-in-law and dared to be angry but didn't dare to speak, with her.

After sending them away, Ouyang Rong sighed lightly.

He returned to the study first and placed the Mo family sword case and the small purple-red seal.

Ye Weilai boiled hot water. Ouyang Rong was covered in sweat, took a bath and perfumed himself, walked out of the bathroom in thin inner clothes, packed some things, calculated the time, and went out in casual clothes, feeling refreshed.

A quarter of an hour later, in the side hall of the mansion in Huaiye Lane.

Ouyang Rong walked in naturally. Inside the side hall, two figures were quietly drinking tea and waiting.

It was Beside Yan Liulang and Pei Pei Shisan Niang. I don't know when they arrived, but they were silent.

Neither of them looked at the other, and they had been waiting quietly without looking sideways before.

Unlike the polite reception by the female family members when Female Official Rong and Wang Caozhi came to visit just now.

At this moment, the figures of Zhen Shuyuan, Ye Weilai, Ban Xi, and others were not seen in the side hall.

Ouyang Rong sat down while lowering his eyes to tidy his sleeves.

"Speak."

"Yes, Prefect."

Ouyang Rong first listened to Beside Yan Liulang's report on what happened in Xunyang City these past few days.

Seeing that there was nothing too important, he asked Beside Yan Liulang:

"Where is Changshi Yuan?"

"Today Changshi Yuan asked for leave and is not at the Jiangzhou Hall. He should be at his residence in Chengtian Temple in Xingzi Ward. Does the Prefect want to find him? Your subordinate can call him over."

"As expected of him, when I'm not here, he asks for leave. No need. At this time in the morning, he should still be sleeping in."

Ouyang Rong curled his lips: "And if I call him over, he'll have to scrounge for lunch again. Auntie will have to be busy in the kitchen, and she definitely won't give him a good look."

"Yes, Prefect." A moment later, Beside Yan Liulang, who had received the errand, retreated. Only then did Ouyang Rong turn his head to look at Pei Pei Shisan Niang, who had been waiting quietly.

When Ouyang Rong was chatting with Beside Yan Liulang, the beautiful woman seemed to have been in a daze, turning a deaf ear to everything. Only when Ouyang Rong's gaze fell on her did she come back to her senses.

Their gazes met.

"Young Master."

Pei Pei Shisan Niang smiled sweetly and stood up to salute.

"No need."

Ouyang Rong waved his hand to stop her.

Glancing at her smile, he knew that things in Xingzi Ward should be fine, and Xiuniang... hadn't left either.

"Young Master..."

Pei Pei Shisan Niang wanted to speak, intending to report routinely.

Ouyang Rong suddenly stood up:

"Let's go, go to Xingzi Ward and accompany me to buy some pork."

"Pork?"

Pei Pei Shisan Niang, who was originally prepared to report on Xiuniang's affairs, looked confused and followed honestly.

(End of chapter)

qiushu