Chapter 531

"If you're bored, you can go squeeze some spiritual ink; if you want to hop around, you can go back to the wardrobe to do it. So, can you please get down and stop jumping around on my desk?"

"This immortal maiden just wants to keep you company."

In the Yinbing Studio, Ouyang Rong lowered his head to write while saying coldly.

On the desk, Miaosi stood on a pile of xuan paper, swinging her short legs, resting her chin on her hands, and watching Ouyang Rong write intently.

She didn't speak.

The latter couldn't be bothered to pay her any mind, continuing to write his own things and dropping one sentence.

"Fine, if you're sick, you can go find a physician."

"Little Rongzi, are you angry with this immortal maiden? Mm, you mustn't be angry with this immortal maiden, you hear?"

Ouyang Rong didn't say a word.

Miaosi watched for a while, jumped down from the pile of xuan paper, and tugged at his sleeve:

"How about this immortal maiden takes you to see something good?"

After being tugged several times in a row, Ouyang Rong shook his hand and said:

"Too small, not looking."

"……?"

"In your dreams. Who would show you that? Do you think I'm that Xie girl or that mute blind girl?"

"Then get lost."

"……"

Miaosi suddenly covered her face and began to wail, appearing heartbroken.

But Ouyang Rong remained unmoved, continuing to write his letter.

Miaosi cried for a while, seemingly finding it boring, then lowered her hands, expressionless:

"Little Rongzi, you've changed; you've become heartless."

"Please show some respect. What 'Little Rongzi'?"

"Little Rongzi, you are Little Rongzi, the hypocritical Little Rongzi, the Little Rongzi who secretly hides women outside. Hehe, but in this immortal maiden's memory, you also had a handsome side. Back in Little Xuan's courtyard, seeing you wearing a bronze mask, strolling leisurely and tossing red leaves—one poem, one head—I have to say, you were truly devastatingly handsome."

"Get down. Sweet talk won't work."

Ouyang Rong prepared to wave her away, but paused, withdrew his hand, and continued writing the letter.

However, while writing, he rested his left hand on the desk, his sleeve fabric dragging across the surface.

Miaosi, the size of a palm, simply sat by his cuff and earnestly gathered the sleeve fabric into a small pillow.

As she lay down, she rested her head on the "small pillow" and yawned:

"Mm, sleepy. I'm going to sleep for a bit; tell this immortal maiden when you're done, Little Rongzi."

She fell fast asleep, and Ouyang Rong noticed that even in her sleep, her right hand subconsciously gripped his sleeve fabric, as if afraid he would run off.

Ouyang Rong pursed his lips.

Miaosi suddenly whispered:

"Little Rongzi, you won't abandon this immortal maiden, will you?"

Ouyang Rong gave a light huff.

Miaosi climbed up, knelt halfway on the desk, tugged at his cuff, and looked up with eager eyes:

"Alright, this immortal maiden admits she did something a tiny bit wrong. Don't be angry anymore."

She scratched her head and said:

"Mm, although I don't really want to admit it, I have to acknowledge that sometimes this immortal maiden acts impulsively. I thought it was an interesting thing and didn't think it was a big deal, not expecting it to cause you displeasure. At the time, I just assumed we were good friends and that there was no problem with it, treating yours as my own. To use your words from before, I had no sense of propriety or boundaries..."

Hearing the little ink spirit at his side engaging in a rare self-reflection and muttering.

Ouyang Rong said softly:

"Say it again, I'm not angry."

"Then why won't you talk to this immortal maiden?"

"I'm busy, writing a letter."

"Writing to whom?"

"My teacher, and Lady Xie, the junior sister's aunt."

"Why write to them?"

Ouyang Rong said earnestly:

"About the engagement with the junior sister. My aunt said she would go talk to them, but I feel that for some things, I also need to state my position, not just leave it to the elders."

"So recently I've been exchanging letters with my teacher and Lady Xie. About the matter with the junior sister, my situation, and... the matter of Xiuniang, I've explained them all roughly."

Hearing Ouyang Rong finish speaking softly, Miaosi couldn't help but say:

"No wonder that Xie girl and that mute blind girl love you to death. A man like Little Rongzi—every woman should like him, right?"

The little ink spirit was quite moved.

Ouyang Rong pulled a straight face:

"If you just want to flatter me awkwardly, you can go back to the wardrobe and say it to the cabinet."

Miaosi shook her head:

"It's not a lie, it's the truth. This immortal maiden truly feels that way."

Ouyang Rong didn't really want to talk, focusing on writing the letter.

Miaosi suddenly asked:

"Actually, thinking about it carefully, that day it was indeed this immortal maiden's fault. I should have notified you first upon discovering the matter of that Xiuniang; I shouldn't have launched a surprise attack."

Ouyang Rong asked:

"So, you determined Xiuniang's courtyard through the literary Qi and ink on the talisman paper?"

"Mm, pretty much."

"Then regarding Lady Rong, do you know what method she used? To find Xiuniang's courtyard?"

Miaosi shook her head.

Silence fell between the two once again.

Only the sound of Ouyang Rong writing remained.

Miaosi suddenly said:

"Is it true that as long as this immortal maiden produces spiritual ink, you will completely forgive me?"

Ouyang Rong frowned and didn't speak.

Miaosi suddenly jumped down from his cuff and ran toward the wardrobe.

Her tone had a hint of determination:

"Little Rongzi, don't miss this immortal maiden too much these few days."

"What are you going to do?"

"Going into seclusion to squeeze spiritual ink; I'm going to be busy."

"So you were just slacking off before, right? You were idler than the ones in the little princess's courtyard, yet you claimed every day you couldn't squeeze out any spiritual ink."

"Cough, cough, no, no. Forget it, I can't be bothered to explain to you. Just don't miss this immortal maiden too much, hmph."

Having said that, the little ink spirit dove headfirst into the wardrobe.

With a click.

The sound of her locking the door from the inside came from the cabinet.

Whether one meal is enough or every meal is full, the little ink spirit still distinguished that very clearly.

Ouyang Rong shook his head, not holding high expectations for this. Based on past experience, when it came to disappointing people, the little ink spirit never disappointed.

Before long, the letter was written, he sealed it with wax, placed it by the desk, and rose to return to his room to rest.

The next day, morning.

Ouyang Rong carried the letter and went out.

After finishing breakfast in the dining hall and preparing to leave, Zhen Shuyuan suddenly said:

"Did you make Wanwan angry?"

Zhen Shuyuan saw Ouyang Rong's movements were normal, without pause:

"Mm, that's right, I did something wrong, but it's fine, I can solve it."

Zhen Shuyuan continued softly:

"No wonder when I chatted with her yesterday, Wanwan's tone was a bit strange, as if she had no energy, and she loved to stare blankly. Later, she didn't even wait for you to return and left early. It wasn't like this before... It seems this lady guessed correctly; there's definitely something going on."

She paused, then suddenly asked:

"Is it related to that friend of yours... that woman? Does she know?"

Ouyang Rong pursed his lips.

He considered it a tacit admission and went out.

Ouyang Rong boarded the carriage and rubbed his brow.

Ever since the junior sister met Xiuniang, during these days, she had been avoiding Ouyang Rong.

Ouyang Rong had been exchanging letters with Xie Xun and Xie Xuee, clarifying the relationship and discussing the engagement.

The two elders had certainly written to Xie Lingjiang, but Xie Lingjiang still refused to see him.

The two maintained this distant relationship.

Ouyang Rong went to find Xie Lingjiang every day, but was politely refused each time.

However, just as his aunt said, yesterday during the day, while Ouyang Rong was busy with official business, the junior sister came to visit her again.

Such an attitude left Ouyang Rong a bit unsure.

On the way to the Jiangzhou main hall, Ouyang Rong took the time to enter the Merit Pagoda and glanced at the merit value above the small wooden fish:

【Merit: 3,912】

These past two days, Xingzi Ward had handed over another batch of low-rent housing, and Ouyang Rong's merit value had risen quite a bit. However, it should have been higher, but a few days ago, when Xie Lingjiang and Rong Zhen met Xiuniang, the original merit experience package suffered a backlash.

Ouyang Rong sighed:

"Still acceptable. Speaking of which, I've fed Xiuniang so much, why is there still no movement in her body... Uh, referring to her cultivation."

Arriving at the Jiangzhou main hall, he handed the letters to his trusted aides and went to the main hall.

Beside Yan Liulang was waiting in the hall. Seeing Ouyang Rong, he immediately stepped forward and reported.

It was about the matter Ouyang Rong had him investigate last time. Ouyang Rong listened for a while and roughly understood the intelligence: the team of female officials the Inspectorate left in the city—the results showed that such a team of female officials did indeed exist.

However, in Ouyang Rong's operation to clear out Master Yizhi and the Fang sisters, this team of female officials was blocked.

They were prevented by Beside Yan Liulang and Qin Yi's men.

They had sent people to keep an eye on them.

These things, even if Ouyang Rong hadn't ordered them, Beside Yan Liulang and the others were doing them.

As for the follow-up, whether this team of female officials left behind to investigate Yue Chuzi went to supervise the quiet courtyard, that remained unknown.

Additionally, the captured informants had not been interrogated by the Inspectorate.

Ouyang Rong frowned slightly.

He fell into deep thought.

Lady Rong didn't seem to have told the whole truth.

Just then, a minor official suddenly reported. Hearing the name of the person seeking an audience, Ouyang Rong was stunned.

Going out to take a look, he indeed saw Wang Caozhi and a female official waiting quietly in the side hall.

"What is it?"

"Brother-in-law, a letter from Sister Rong. Additionally, Sister Rong asked me to ask you if you still remember that special idea she mentioned to you last time."

Wang Caozhi took a secret letter from Rong Zhen from the female official and handed it to Ouyang Rong.

"That one from last time?"

Ouyang Rong unfolded the letter paper.

The words on the letter were few, concise and to the point.

But his expression gradually turned serious.

After reading the letter, he stood up and began to pace in the main hall.

Beside Yan Liulang, Wang Caozhi, and the others either lowered their eyes or watched him.

Ouyang Rong turned his head. Seeing his calm and composed expression, the crowd began to receive orders one by one:

"Caozhi, you first take the female official back to report, and say that I will arrive on time tomorrow morning, before they seal the Twin Peaks."

"Yes, brother-in-law."

"Liulang, go find Registrar Yuan and have him come over immediately. This official has matters to arrange. In the short term, it will involve the livelihood of the people of Xunyang, and I need him to come forward to soothe them. I may not be in the city..."

"Good."

Wang Caozhi left hurriedly with the female official.

Before long, Beside Yan Liulang brought Yuan Huaimin.

The latter looked at Ouyang Rong curiously. Ouyang Rong threw out a flood control plan he had prepared in advance but hadn't been able to use for a long time.

Half an hour later.

Yuan Huaimin walked out of the main hall, his expression also serious, and immediately began to get busy.

Looking at the squinting Ouyang Rong, Beside Yan Liulang asked calmly:

"Magistrate, where are we going now? The Xunyang Grottoes?"

Ouyang Rong shook his head:

"Go to the Huaiye Lane residence... Wait, let's go to the Prince Xunyang's Mansion first!"

"Yes."

Before long.

In the carriage heading to Prince Xunyang's Mansion, the atmosphere was quiet, Ouyang Rong and Beside Yan Liulang sitting opposite each other.

Ouyang Rong suddenly opened his eyes and said:

"In a while, when I enter the mansion, you go call Pei Pei Shisan Niang. When I leave the mansion, I want to see her."

"Yes."

Ouyang Rong closed his eyes again.

Because of a secret letter from Rong Zhen about the Xunyang Grottoes, everyone had been busy for a long time and finally rested.

At this time, Beside Yan Liulang asked in a low voice:

"Magistrate, what exactly is the matter? So urgent."

Ouyang Rong pondered for a long time and said:

"It's about to land."

Beside Yan Liulang asked subconsciously: "What is about to land?"

Ouyang Rong looked at him, pointed lightly at the distant Great River, and said:

"The flood. The flood of Xunyang City. It's the plum rain season; it's coming."

Beside Yan Liulang was stunned: "Ah?"

He scratched his head curiously:

"But this subordinate remembers that the flood disaster in Xunyang City has already been cured. There hasn't been any flood damage for a long time, and there aren't even many signs of it. Ever since the Magistrate built the Twin Peaks and successfully diverted the flood, even during the plum rain season, no flood has been able to harm the main urban area of Xunyang..."

The young man in the Confucian robe with closed eyes suddenly interrupted:

"Mm, that's right, because it's about to land."

Beside Yan Liulang's expression became increasingly confused...

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