Chapter 486: 339. [Cold Scholar] Left in the North, Hidden in Peach Blossoms

339. 【Cold Scholar】 Left in the North, Hidden in Peach Blossoms

"Shui Miaomiao."

At the entrance of the library, a lame tabby cat seemed to be patting a palm-sized doll.

This "little doll" had long arms and long legs, could move, and could even spray ink all over its face.

The most critical part was that it came with its own voice effects; every time the cat poked it with a claw, the "little doll" would immediately play a noisy voice.

It was a mix of curiosity and annoyance.

"Wait, Little Rongzi, don't move right now! This Western Regions demon beast has a hostage in its hands. Let's not provoke it; we must be careful it doesn't tear up the ticket... Ouch! Be gentle, don't scratch my face, Demon Brother... Demon Immortal... Demon Saint, Your Excellency!"

Little Xiao Mojing had fallen into enemy hands, but its mouth was never idle. It directed its own rescue from afar. The library was filled with its clamorous pleas for mercy, and it changed its form of address for the cat three times in a single second.

It was truly breathtaking.

Ouyang Rong kept a straight face. Li Guoer saw him reading and drinking on his own, with no intention of moving at all.

Because the beautiful mistress with plum blossom makeup between her brows was inside the library, the cat actually didn't dare to enter, not daring to cross the threshold by even half a step. If the Little Xiao Mojing had run faster earlier and fallen after crossing the threshold, it would probably be showing off its power right now.

"Shui Miaomiao meow."

Li Guoer glanced at the "little black cat" at the entrance that was fawningly meowing at her inside the door.

She picked up the wine pot, poured a cup of wine, and raised it as if punishing herself and pleading guilty, asking Ouyang Rong with a half-smile:

"Ouyang Lianghan, should we break another leg of this beast that has made a mistake? It doesn't learn its lesson, daring to bully a guest. It really deserves to be punished."

Ouyang Rong remained expressionless.

At the entrance, on the floor.

Miaosi's chest was stepped on until it hurt; she was about to be stepped back into her original form as a small ink ingot, and she was crying out "yiya yiya" in her mouth.

Suddenly, she felt a lightness on her body.

Opening a slit of one eye, she immediately saw the "Demon Saint, Your Excellency," who had been as agile and ferocious as a demon, being picked up by Xie Yatou with both hands and moved away from her.

Xie Lingjiang was holding the cat's soft, furry belly with both palms.

After being lifted into the air, the latter's four legs paddled helplessly in the air, like rowing a boat, appearing somewhat silly and harmless.

"Shui Miaomiao."

Miaosi, who still had tears in the corners of her eyes, was stunned when she saw this scene.

She climbed up from the ground, patted the dust off her bottom, and hurriedly ran into the library.

The Little Xiao Mojing kept looking back as she ran, her little face somewhat wooden.

A moment later, she didn't forget to look up, glancing suspiciously at the space above everyone's heads, as if trying to find a familiar scene.

At the entrance, Xie Lingjiang did not enter, holding the cat, which was kicking its four legs in the air with no power to fight back, and took a towel to wipe its furry "pitch-black little head."

Miaosi ran to Ouyang Rong's feet, and under Li Guoer's curious gaze, she skillfully climbed onto his thigh in one go.

She raised her hand to poke his chin and said with a straight, angry face:

"Little Rongzi, where is your sword? Why didn't you protect the sovereign?"

Ouyang Rong didn't even look at Miaosi. Before the Little Xiao Mojing could speak again, Li Guoer raised her sleeve and waved it toward the entrance:

"Xie Jie, bring it in. I don't usually let it in because I'm afraid it will mess up the study and shed cat hair. Now... anyway, the library needs to be cleaned again, so it doesn't matter if it sheds a little hair."

Xie Lingjiang smiled and nodded, wiped the ink off the cat, and carried it into the room.

Once the cat entered the room, it was like a fierce tiger entering a cage; it became honest and didn't dare to meow wildly anymore.

However, facing Xie Lingjiang, who was close at hand, it twisted its body in her arms, adjusted its posture, raised its two claws, and began to knead.

"Pa pa pa..."

Miaosi, who was preparing to hold Ouyang Rong accountable for being late to save the sovereign, was stunned when she saw this.

The Little Xiao Mojing lowered her head, touched her own flat chest that had just been stepped on until it hurt, and then looked at the cat kneading diligently and familiarly in Xie Lingjiang's arms.

She suddenly realized: "So that's what it was kneading."

Miaosi touched her chin with her hand and fell into thought:

"Could it be that the Demon Saint, Your Excellency, is harmless to those it can knead, and fierce to those it can't? Hmm, how strange..."

While muttering, she aimed her eyes at the chest positions of Li Guoer and Ouyang Rong nearby.

Ouyang Rong:...

Li Guoer:...??

Ouyang Rong was speechless. He picked up a piece of pastry from the plate on the table with his fingers and threw it onto the carpet at his feet.

The cat, which was exercising in Xie Lingjiang's arms, "whooshed," broke free from her embrace, leaped up, and darted to Ouyang Rong's feet.

Its pink tongue curled, the pastry went into its belly, and after eating, the cat looked left and right, circling Ouyang Rong's feet twice.

"Shui Miaomiao."

The cat stretched out its head, its little cat face constantly rubbing against Ouyang Rong's heel.

Ouyang Rong didn't take any more pastry. He bent down, reached out, touched the furry cat head, and hooked his two fingers to scratch its ears.

"Purr purr..."

The cat squinted its eyes, making an enjoyable sound in its mouth.

As soon as Ouyang Rong's palm moved, like a mature woman being patted on the bottom, the cat turned over with great tacit understanding, belly up, revealing its softest belly to him.

Ouyang Rong rubbed it casually, appearing quite satisfied, and threw another piece of pastry at his feet.

The cat, which had been acting cute, immediately turned over and swallowed the pastry whole.

"Shui Miaomiao meow."

Seeing the "Demon Saint, Your Excellency" in her mind surrender at Little Rongzi's feet, while also making a very coquettish and fawning meowing sound.

Miaosi, who had just seriously summarized the rules of kneading, opened her little mouth wide and fell into a brief silence.

At this time, Xie Lingjiang walked back and sat in the seat next to Ouyang Rong.

Ouyang Rong handed Miaosi to Xie Lingjiang.

He went to dismiss the cat.

Miaosi squeezed into Xie Lingjiang's arms, stood on her legs, and looked thoughtfully at the pastry plate by Ouyang Rong's hand.

She pushed away the obstructive Xie family's bounty, stood on tiptoe, and went to grab the pastry in the plate.

"Pa," her not-so-clean little hand was slapped away by Ouyang Rong.

"Little Rongzi, you..."

Miaosi rolled her eyes at Ouyang Rong.

She stood on Xie Lingjiang's knees, one hand on her hip, and pointed at the cat burying its head in eating on the ground, saying:

"Most annoying, none other."

The cat raised its head and glanced at Miaosi.

Miaosi immediately leaned back, shrank into Xie Lingjiang's arms, and explained: "I meant Little Rongzi."

Ouyang Rong touched the cat, which continued to eat obediently with its head down.

He nodded gently and said:

"Arrogant at first and respectful later, it makes one laugh to think about it."

Xie Lingjiang and Li Guoer looked at each other and both burst into laughter. The two beautiful young ladies with different temperaments had their own unique ways of laughing.

"What are you laughing at? You are not allowed to laugh, you are not allowed to laugh at this Immortal Mistress! Xie Yatou, regarding Little Rongzi, we must share a common hatred, unite against the outside, we must unite, unite, unite!"

Miaosi jumped up, anxious to cover Xie Lingjiang's mouth, and didn't forget to turn her head and shout at Li Guoer, who was laughing and sipping wine:

"Miss Li, you too, don't laugh. You look like you're not far off either. If you are bullied by Little Rongzi in the future, no one will help you. We must unite now, we can't let Little Rongzi divide and conquer us, bullying us miserably..."

Pfft—!

Li Guoer couldn't help but cover her chest, and a mouthful of wine sprayed onto Ouyang Rong's face.

Halfway through her words, Miaosi suddenly discovered a red-sleeved, plain hand reaching out and tightly covering her mouth.

But before she could struggle, another jade hand in a man's sleeve reached out and covered the red-sleeved hand, as if adding an extra layer of insurance, both pressing on her mouth.

It was Xie Lingjiang and Li Guoer; the two women reached out almost simultaneously with tacit understanding.

"Wuwuwu... Wu?" The Little Xiao Mojing opened her eyes wide.

"No nonsense." Xie Lingjiang straightened her face.

"What nonsense is a little thing like you talking about?"

Li Guoer lectured expressionlessly.

Then she turned her head smoothly and said to Ouyang Rong, who was staring with wide eyes and wiping the water stains off his face, in a stiff tone:

"Sorry, I couldn't help it. Ouyang Lianghan, can you not bring in miscellaneous people and turn this princess's study discussion into a theater?"

Ouyang Rong had been teasing the cat and happened to have picked up another piece of pastry, preparing to feed it.

As a result, he was sprayed with water by this little princess.

He was stunned on the spot, somewhat confused. He wiped his face with his hand, lowered his head, and looked blankly; it was turbid, pale yellow sour water.

Well, warm yellow wine is like this.

On the carpet at his feet, the cat looked left and right at Ouyang Rong and Li Guoer, appearing curious.

"Shui Miaomiao."

It performed a triple jump, first leaping onto Ouyang Rong's knees, snatching the pastry from his paused right hand, then leaping back to the ground, and then leaping toward the entrance, its posture agile, and it ran away in one go.

Unfortunately, Miaosi couldn't run away.

She was covered tightly by the four hands of Xie Lingjiang and Li Guoer. This scene looked exactly like two little girls fighting over a doll.

"Is Ru Shixiong okay? Wipe it."

Xie Lingjiang quickly handed over a fragrant handkerchief, her pretty face full of concern.

After Li Guoer apologized, one of her hands was already in her bosom. Seeing that Xie Lingjiang had already taken out a white handkerchief from her sleeve, her expression didn't change. She took out her own handkerchief, wiped the corners of her mouth, and then aimed her gaze at Miaosi.

Xie Lingjiang was busy wiping the water stains for her Ru Shixiong.

Li Guoer took Miaosi from Xie Lingjiang's arms.

"Xie Jie, you wuwuwu..."

The Confucian-robed little Taoist nun hadn't had time to declare her manifesto before her mouth was blocked by Li Guoer's handkerchief.

Li Guoer looked focused and seriously stuffed the ball of handkerchief into Miaosi's mouth, which loved to be stubborn, without leaving any gap.

"I won't stay in front of the princess next time; this position is suffering."

Ouyang Rong complained while lowering his head to wipe his collar.

Li Guoer was noncommittal, just continuing to cover the mouth of the aggrieved Little Xiao Mojing with her jade hand, and asked:

"Do you want Caishou to find you some clothes?"

"It's fine, just like this." Ouyang Rong waved his hand: "Where were we talking?"

"The whereabouts of the Cold Scholar." Xie Lingjiang reminded.

Ouyang Rong nodded and pondered:

"As far as I know, Tao Yuanming has a hidden identity: the legendary sword-wielder of the Cold Scholar."

"Tao Yuanming?"

The two women were surprised and looked at each other.

The Little Xiao Mojing, who had been struggling, also quieted down and tilted her head slightly, but no one noticed her.

Xie Lingjiang frowned, while Li Guoer showed a thoughtful expression and looked at Ouyang Rong more.

Xie Lingjiang was curious: "History books say that in his later years, he did not bow for five pecks of rice, resigned from office, and lived in seclusion. Could the Cold Scholar have been taken by him to a world outside the world? Living in seclusion together, it's possible according to his character."

Ouyang Rong suddenly spoke: "No, not necessarily."

"Why?" Xie Lingjiang was curious.

Li Guoer frowned and said nothing.

Ouyang Rong was concise:

"Before he resigned, he left the Cold Scholar Sword Art at Donglin Temple. The Cold Scholar might not have been taken away. And if he was the legendary sword master of the Cold Scholar, the experiences not recorded in history books must be twists and turns, very extraordinary.

"According to the saying at that time, the Cold Scholar involved the dynasty's destiny and was originally cast by the Liu Song royal family. It was already surprising enough that Tao Yuanming, an outsider, could become the legendary sword master. How could they let him take away the Cold Scholar and the sword art?

"Since the Cold Scholar Sword Art was left behind, the Cold Scholar might also have been left behind."

"Wait. Tao Yuanming resigned and lived in seclusion, and the Yuanjia Northern Expedition of the Southern Dynasty Song, in terms of chronological order, which came first and which came later?"

Li Guoer suddenly asked, and at the same time stood up, found a book from the pile of books nearby with ease, pulled it out, and flipped through several pages.

While looking down and browsing, she spoke:

"After the Eastern Jin Dynasty was the Liu Song Dynasty, which was also the dynasty with the longest existence and the largest territory in the Southern Dynasties, passed down for four generations, experienced ten emperors, and enjoyed the country for fifty-nine years...

"Looking at the years of birth and death, this Tao Yuanming was born in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, a declining high-ranking family. His ancestors had served as ministers, but later the family declined, and he was barely considered a cold scholar... Hmm, these books are all clichés.

"It is said that he gained the name of nobility through seclusion in his early years and was considered a famous scholar of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. Later, he lived to the Liu Song Dynasty and should have witnessed the establishment of this new dynasty by Emperor Wu of Song, Liu Jinu.

"As Xie Jie said, since the Cold Scholar was cast by Liu Jinu, he should have become the sword master of the Cold Scholar during the Liu Song Dynasty..."

Ouyang Rong and Xie Lingjiang saw Li Guoer's index finger, painted with red balsam, pointing at the book page, sliding slowly, and her jade lips opened slightly:

"Found it. In terms of time, the Yuanjia Northern Expedition was launched by the third emperor of the Southern Dynasty Song, long after Tao Yuanming resigned and lived in seclusion... So, it should have nothing to do with him.

"According to the clan history of Xie Jie, the Southern Dynasty Song possessed the Cold Scholar and even possessed the mature method of using it, so they dared to carry out the Yuanjia Northern Expedition, although they all failed later..."

Li Guoer nodded and affirmed to the two:

"It all matches. Ouyang Lianghan, you are right. Before Tao Yuanming resigned and lived in seclusion, he must have left the Cold Scholar."

Ouyang Rong nodded gently.

Xie Lingjiang shook her head: "So many years have passed, who knows where it went..."

"Wuwuwu..." The Little Xiao Mojing by Li Guoer's side suddenly struggled.

The three people's eyes turned to her.

Her eyes were pitiful.

Originally not intending to pay attention, but Miaosi's expression was very anxious.

Ouyang Rong casually pulled out the handkerchief full of saliva from her hand and said seriously: "You go out to play, don't make noise again..."

Who would have thought that Miaosi would spit out a sentence that attracted the attention of the three:

"You are looking for the Cold Scholar? This Immortal Mistress seems to have seen it."

Ouyang Rong immediately asked: "Where did you see it?"

"Hmm, didn't you mention the Yuanjia Northern Expedition just now? The reign title Yuanjia is a bit familiar. I don't know if you are talking about that time. This Immortal Mistress hates remembering the almanac the most. Anyway, I remember that there was a follower. At that time, it was also in a family of a Southern Dynasty Song royal family surnamed Liu. It should be the Southern Dynasty Song you mentioned. At that time, it was fighting with some Northern Wei. Those Northern barbarians were really bullying people too much. The north was originally someone else's. What's wrong with letting people fight back? They don't understand humility and courtesy at all. Barbarians are barbarians.

"Anyway, the last time this Immortal Mistress saw the Cold Scholar was at that time. It must be it, no doubt. That sky-blue long rainbow sword energy is exactly the same. Even if it turned into ashes, this Immortal Mistress would recognize it. However..."

"However what?" Xie Lingjiang urged.

"However, it seems to have changed its appearance. When the follower returned to the tent at night, this Immortal Mistress heard him say with a serious face that the National Master had escorted a scroll from the palace, and the Great General took them to greet it in person. It should be the Cold Scholar.

"This Immortal Mistress actually didn't believe his words at first. I haven't seen the Cold Scholar before. The last time I saw it, it wasn't a scroll, but later this Immortal Mistress saw the Cold Scholar's sword energy rising on the battlefield. Thinking about it, it must be correct. It might have been hidden in that scroll."

"Hidden in a scroll?" Li Guoer was curious: "Why do something unnecessary?"

"I don't know."

Miaosi pointed her finger at her chin and pondered:

"Or maybe it was remade in the furnace, who knows. But one thing to say, it's not as good-looking as before. Why turn it into a scroll for no reason? It was so beautiful before, I like to hang it upside down on people's heads, the same color as the sky in the south.

"But it's really hard to say. Tell you, at that time, there were a large number of sissies among the aristocratic families in Jiankang. Either they wore women's clothes or applied rouge and powder, and there were people running naked and taking immortal pills. Anyway, it was a group of demons dancing. With their broken aesthetics, this Immortal Mistress wouldn't be surprised at anything they did. Maybe they just thought round scrolls looked better. It's a pity for the Cold Scholar.

"Tsk tsk, named Cold Scholar, but fell into the hands of powerful families and princes and generals. It really lacks whatever it is called."

"Then when was the last time you saw the Cold Scholar, which is what you called the best-looking time?" Ouyang Rong asked keenly.

Miaosi looked at him and muttered ambiguously:

"Forgot. The follower in the Yuanjia period was encountered by this Immortal Mistress after waking up once. I forgot a lot of things before falling asleep. Hmm, I need to eat more ink and think about it carefully."

Ouyang Rong suddenly said: "You said before that there was a tripod sword without a hilt. Except for no hilt, everything else was the same as a normal sword... Is it it?"

"Eh, you kid has a good memory." Miaosi muttered in surprise, then changed her face quickly, wearing a clear look full of wisdom, and said vaguely: "Hmm, did this Immortal Mistress say this? I don't remember."

Ouyang Rong asked again: "What did that scroll look like?"

"I don't know, only the follower has seen it. I heard him say that there is an article recording a place full of peach blossoms on it..."

"A place full of peach blossoms?" Ouyang Rong suddenly fell into silence.

"Did you say what article it was?" Xie Lingjiang pursued.

Miaosi quieted down for a while after hearing this, and under the gaze of the three, lowered her eyes and muttered:

"Hmm, this Immortal Mistress asked, and the follower said it was left by Master Tao."

"Tao Qian?" Li Guoer blurted out.

"Who else could it be if not him." Miaosi hugged her chest and hummed: "Didn't you already know that he is the legendary sword master of the Cold Scholar just now."

Li Guoer's expression was thoughtful.

Ouyang Rong's expression became a bit strange.

Xie Lingjiang asked: "What happened later? Where did the Cold Scholar go?"

Miaosi looked at her: "Later? Later it was defeated, could it be that it could win?"

The three were speechless.

"As for where it went." Miaosi waved her hand: "Hmm, forgot what year of Yuanjia it was. Anyway, it was fighting again, which affected this Immortal Mistress eating delicious food and drinking spicy drinks..."

While muttering, she reached out to the pastry plate on the table, and her eyes also looked at the pastry that could subdue the "Demon Saint, Your Excellency."

Ouyang Rong directly brought the pastry plate in front of her and said sternly:

"Alright, stop talking nonsense, talk about business."

"Hee hee."

Miaosi's little face bloomed with a smile. While sitting by the plate, using her two hands to crush the pastry into pieces to play games, she said casually:

"One day he came back in a hurry, saying he wanted to make a tactical transfer... actually, it was just running away because he couldn't beat them. The follower took this Immortal Mistress to ride at night. On the way back to Jiankang, this Immortal Mistress woke up and heard him chatting with his companions. They seemed to be in a hurry. I vaguely heard them say that the scroll fell into the hands of the Northern Wei army and was taken back to the north of the Great River.

"Eh, this Southern Dynasty Song is really inferior. Taking the initiative to launch a Northern Expedition, and losing their own belongings. This Immortal Mistress knew it. Actually, I already knew their character from the previous follower. In terms of disappointing people, this Southern Dynasty never disappoints people..."

Miaosi shook her head.

"Compared to you, Little Rongzi, but you are too dog-like wuwuwu..."

"Alright, not allowed to say any more."

Ouyang Rong stuffed a piece of pastry into her mouth, turned his head, and looked at his Junior Sister and Li Guoer.

"Fell into the hands of Northern Wei?"

Unexpected, but reasonable. The three were surprised for a moment, then gradually digested it.

Ouyang Rong's eyes were slightly trance-like, and he didn't know what he was thinking.

Later, Li Guoer and Xie Lingjiang asked some more questions, talked about other periods of worshiping Buddha in the Northern and Southern Dynasties, and analyzed Yunmeng's motives... but Ouyang Rong was a bit distracted and didn't answer much.

In the evening, the sky was dim, and the three ended the warm wine discussion in the library and left one after another.

Before walking out of the courtyard gate, Ouyang Rong suddenly asked Miaosi, who was looking back reluctantly: "You just said it was the last time you saw the Cold Scholar. Where did you see it before?"

Miaosi didn't look back, but her mouth was on a completely unrelated topic:

"Losing to the Demon Saint, Your Excellency, this time is not a crime of war. I saw a big white goose for the first time at the follower's house before. This Immortal Mistress also narrowly lost. I was chased by the big white goose. Later, I figured out a way to deal with them. Hehe, isn't it easy to handle now? Pluck all the goose feathers!"

She waved the pastry wrapped in a handkerchief in her hand, full of fighting spirit:

"Little Rongzi, wait and see. When this Immortal Mistress takes down the big demon, won't I pluck all its hair? Forget it, there is a bit too much hair, and boiling water is too troublesome. Let it be this Immortal Mistress's mount, hee hee."

Ignoring Ouyang Rong's question, Miaosi tilted her head and asked curiously:

"By the way, Little Rongzi, is its name 'Have Guts'? Good, what a domineering name, comparable to this Immortal Mistress, worthy of being an opponent..."

Ouyang Rong frowned and stared at the smug Little Xiao Mojing.

Finally, one big and one small, no words all the way...

The moon climbed onto the branches.

Ouyang Rong returned to the mansion in Huaiye Lane, refused dinner, and quickly returned to the study of Yinbingzhai.

He sent Miaosi to sleep.

He returned to the desk and took out a silk scroll again. It was the original manuscript of "Peach Blossom Spring," a precious ink treasure collected by the former Northern Wei royal family and the current Jingzhao Yuan clan.

Ouyang Rong's gaze moved down and fell on the silk scroll that served as the carrier of the article.

His brows gradually furrowed... ===== CHAPTER 487 =====