Chapter 636

536. All Vinegar Jars

"Ouyang Lianghan, you guarded the night alone, without resting?"

The sky was just turning white. Qin Ying, who got up early for morning exercise and was dressed in men's clothing, saw the young man in Confucian robes in a daze by the bonfire. She asked with an unexpected tone.

Ouyang Rong, who was like a statue, suddenly stood up and patted his cuffs.

He tidied his sleeves and said with a smile:

"It's nothing, I'm used to being quiet alone, it's convenient to think about things."

Last night, Ouyang Rong indeed stared at the bonfire and thought about many things.

But it wasn't about the "dragon-tiger battle" between his Xiao Shimei and the Lady Historian, and it had nothing to do with petty affairs between men and women.

It was about the current aftermath of Xunyang City.

The Wang Lixian family definitely had to continue going north and could no longer stay in the Jiang Nan Circuit.

Now it is according to what everyone discussed last night:

Taking advantage of the fact that the Wei family's eyes and dogs were all destroyed and they temporarily lost control of the situation here, the Wang Lixian family immediately rushed back to the capital, entered the palace to meet the Sage unexpectedly, and then in the name of auspicious signs, offered this brand-new tripod sword.

At present, the four-sided Buddha statues including the East Forest Great Buddha and the Songde Tian Shu have collapsed. This was known to Ouyang Rong in advance through Cui Hao, and it was also Cui Hao's work.

Rong Zhen, Xie Lingjiang, Wang Lixian, and the others knew that the East Forest Great Buddha had collapsed, but they didn't know that the other Great Buddhas and the Luoyang Tian Shu had not survived either. They didn't know it was so serious.

But this is a good thing.

Luoyang doesn't know who the real culprit is, and the anger will only be poured onto the rebels of the Tiannan Jianghu.

The Sage will definitely be furious. At this time, they offer a new tripod sword that rivals 【Emperor Wen】.

The credit is no less than Prince Wei and Prince Liang building the Tian Shu Great Buddha.

There is a feeling of amazement that everyone below has messed up, and they, who were not valued, have turned the tide in one fell swoop.

And this kind of heaven-sent auspicious sign also vaguely has a taste of destiny.

Looking at Rong Zhen's reaction after learning about it not long ago, I know that the female emperor in Luoyang must be happy.

On the way, it is best to let their Xunyang Prince's Mansion people become the sword wielder of this new tripod sword. Now the Sage will have to use them even more.

This strategy was improved on the strategy Ouyang Rong designed for the Xunyang Prince's Mansion to return to Luoyang earlier.

It added the offering of the "New Xin Dingjian" auspicious sign, instead of just Wang Lixian selling misery to gain sympathy.

It's just that when they were in Xunyang City, arranging for them to flee north from Xun, Ouyang Rong was not sure whether the night pearl could manifest, and was not sure whether the Red Lotus Sword Seal inspired by the embroidery maid was useful.

Including the explanation he promised to give Rong Zhen on the road not long ago, it is the same reason.

Ouyang Rong carefully reviewed it for half the night and determined that this was the best solution he could think of at the moment.

And staring at the bonfire in a daze last night, besides thinking about these, he also considered many other things.

From taking office in Xun, to the Xiao Shimei's birthday banquet, to resisting the imperial decree and then building the East Forest Great Buddha, his official career rose and fell, working with the Lady Historian and knowing each other... to meeting the embroidery maid again later, spending a period of comfortable time in the quiet courtyard, and finally that battle at Shuangfengjian, suppressing both sides, resisting thunder with his body, and harvesting a series of big and small blessings.

Every event flashed through Ouyang Rong's mind frame by frame.

It was like watching an old silent movie from a previous life. He didn't call stop, just observed silently.

The moment the morning sun struggled out from below the horizon, he understood some things.

At this moment, finding Ouyang Rong a bit distracted, Qin Ying looked curiously.

She couldn't help but ask:

"Are you sleepy? Do you want to rest? Why did you guard the night alone? What about Xie girl and the others? If I had known, I would have come to accompany you. You could have changed shifts to doze off."

Ouyang Rong shook his head:

"I used to read at night often, and it would be dawn as soon as I looked up. I'll just make up for some sleep in the afternoon."

He smiled and added a sentence:

"I found that Northerners don't seem to like napping, but we Southerners have this habit. It counts as the difference between the North and South of our Great Zhou, but don't underestimate napping. A quarter of an hour of nap can be worth an hour of sleep at night."

Qin Ying laughed dumbly, then remembered something:

"By the way, I heard your aunt is coming later. I'm going to take Qin Yanqing to pick her up. Do you want to go together?"

Ouyang Rong looked at the opposite bank where the cooking smoke was rising, and said in his mouth:

"Wait a moment, I'm going to find Lady Historian Mistress Miao Zhen on the opposite bank. By the way, there is one more thing to discuss with you."

Qin Ying stared seriously at his dark brown eyes:

"You speak."

Ouyang Rong found that Qin Ying had an advantage: she liked to look at others' eyes when speaking, giving people a sense of respect, similar to his Xiao Shimei, equally generous, which is estimated to be the temperament that only ladies from great families have.

As for the Lady Historian and the little Princess?

Hmm... one is "doesn't look at people," and one is "looks at people with her chin," of course, it also depends on the person.

Ouyang Rong said seriously:

"Mistress Miao Zhen and the three hundred surrendered Bai Hu Guards need to trouble you and General Qin to escort them back to Xunyang City and hand them over to Commander Yi and Army Supervisor Yan. Just today, the weather is good, suitable for setting off."

"So fast..." Qin Ying hesitated, then nodded: "No problem, are the Prince and the Heir preparing to continue going north to the capital?"

"Hmm."

Ouyang Rong nodded, cupped his hands to say goodbye, but saw Qin Ying's expression a bit hesitant.

"What's wrong?" he questioned.

"Ouyang Lianghan, what about you? Are you still returning to Xun?"

Qin Ying said halfway, stuttered, she forced a smile and waved her hand:

"Forget it, asked a stupid question. It's a big deal for the Prince to return to the capital, of course, you have to go together. Besides, you are still a scholar in the Xiuwen Pavilion, you have a name to go back... Ouyang Lianghan, you are a person who does big things. Grandfather saw it long ago. A small Xunyang City can't trap you, if it weren't for the Xunyang Prince's Mansion.

"That's fine, I'll go notify Qin Yanqing first, let him start feeding the horses, expected to leave at noon."

Ouyang Rong nodded silently, watching the back of the Qin family girl disappear.

Shortly after, the young man in Confucian robes turned and crossed the river, arriving at the surrendered Bai Hu Guard camp on the left bank, and found Mistress Miao Zhen.

This middle-aged female official was standing by the water, looking at the rushing water in a daze.

Ouyang Rong tucked his sleeves and walked up, standing side by side with her.

He looked forward, also looking at the river water, and repeated the matter he had just ordered Qin Ying to do in a low voice.

Of course, he didn't use the word "escort," just said let Mistress Miao Zhen take the soldiers back to support Xun, where there is Commandant Yi Qianqiu to meet.

Mistress Miao Zhen turned her head and looked at the young man beside her.

She asked word by word:

"Ouyang Lianghan, is this your arrangement, or Wang Lixian's arrangement?"

Ouyang Rong turned his head and looked directly at her, frank and broad-minded:

"My arrangement, my meaning. The Prince has some hesitation about this. After experiencing yesterday's events, he trusts you. It can be seen that he has guilt, but I cannot let the Prince take risks. It was I who persuaded him."

Mistress Miao Zhen stared at Ouyang Rong's eyes for a while.

She said slowly:

"It doesn't matter. I took action, not for him, just because I don't like the way the Wei family does things, don't like this kind of twisting conspiracy, and stabbing allies in the back when foreign enemies are in front."

Ouyang Rong nodded: "It can be seen that Lady Historian Mistress Miao Zhen is a straightforward person, otherwise she wouldn't be so unhappy about the misunderstanding between the Prince and the Princess about you back then."

Mistress Miao Zhen frowned first, then turned her gaze away, as if she was a bit embarrassed by the praise.

She pointed to the hundreds of armored soldiers who were making fire and cooking behind her. Ouyang Rong saw that many of the armored soldiers took off their face masks, and what were revealed were young faces. They lowered their heads, depressed and discouraged, not daring to speak loudly, disturbing the noble family on the opposite bank, and even less daring to look at the young inspector who was chatting with Lady Historian Mistress Miao Zhen by the river, with a calm expression that was awe-inspiring and frightening.

Mistress Miao Zhen said:

"Ouyang Lianghan, these are all good sons of our Great Zhou. They just followed the wrong person. Don't look at only three hundred armored soldiers, but behind them are three hundred households, the sons, husbands, and fathers of thousands of women and children.

"If they died in battle, so be it. Soldiers should have been loyal to the country and died on the battlefield, but dying in internal strife, I can't bear to see it.

"This time at the Shuangfengjian battle, we lost too many people, far more than three hundred... I couldn't stop that side, but if it's under my nose, it's good to save one."

Ouyang Rong asked softly: "Does Lady Historian Mistress Miao Zhen have family members in the army?"

Mistress Miao Zhen didn't answer, turned to face him, and said solemnly, calling out his official title:

"Jiangzhou Cishi Ouyang, how to end and report the Xunyang City side, I can cooperate with you, just ask that after returning to Xunyang City, don't liquidate them. Save one if you can. Of course, if among them, there are still Li Congshan's party members who haven't died, I will work with Commander Yi to help you pick them out and deal with them. You can believe in our Si Tian Jian's means of picking out traitors."

Ouyang Rong looked around the camp and suddenly asked:

"Lady Historian Mistress Miao Zhen is indeed righteous, since you said so, how dare I not respond. But I have a question, troubled in my heart, want to ask Lady Historian Mistress Miao Zhen for the real answer."

Mistress Miao Zhen was puzzled: "What question? You speak."

Ouyang Rong asked with a smile:

"You said it was to save them as much as possible, to save three hundred households from being destroyed, then I am a bit curious. If Li Congshan succeeded, with an overwhelming advantage to kill us, they all followed the thieves and got on the thief ship, then would Lady Historian Mistress Miao Zhen also sacrifice me and the Prince, sacrifice the few families behind us, just to save them, and turn a blind eye?"

Mistress Miao Zhen was silent for a moment.

Ouyang Rong waited for a while, didn't hear an answer, and turned to leave.

Mistress Miao Zhen suddenly shouted:

"The attitude of the letter I left, you should know, Wang Lixian also knows. And yesterday you were trapped by crossbow arrows, the outcome was actually uncertain, you also know these."

Ouyang Rong stopped and looked back with a light smile:

"I know, I know Lady Historian Mistress Miao Zhen is not a wallflower that sways with the wind, but your silence just now is very interesting, and it also explains a lot. Lady Historian Mistress Miao Zhen didn't refute at the first time, she hesitated."

Mistress Miao Zhen heard the young man's breeze-like voice say words that pierced her heart as accurately as a sharp blade.

"And this kind of hesitation, if I didn't guess wrong, it wasn't just now, you knew about the back-stabbing conspiracies that Li Congshan and Wei Wu did privately, but you, like Commandant Yi Qianqiu and Mother Song, kept silent..."

He smiled and shook his head:

"But it doesn't matter, many people are drifting with the tide. Many clean-stream civil officials in the court also drifted with the tide when facing the Li-Wei dispute, not just Lady Historian Mistress Miao Zhen alone.

"However, a gentleman judges by deeds, not by heart. The letter you left on the morning of the East Forest Great Buddha celebration was indeed critical, making us alert later and avoiding danger.

"You know, there are very few people who make firm choices for every matter. Being able to have one or two things firm and unmoving is already not easy. More people just choose to play dumb and be confused for a lifetime."

Ouyang Rong pointed to the Bai Hu Guard soldiers and shook his head:

"Don't worry, you and they will be safe. Li Congshan will be reported as dying while protecting the Buddha, just like most of the Bai Hu Guards who died in the Xunyang Grotto. However, Li Congshan, Wei Wu, and the others should really thank Commander Yi and you in the underworld. If it weren't for the fear of troublesome explanations and implicating you, they would be plotting against the Prince's Mansion and rebelling and colluding with the enemy."

Mistress Miao Zhen's expression was moved.

Shortly after, she took the initiative to say:

"Last night, I heard from Lady Historian Rong Zhen about the Xunyang Grotto. Was the East Forest Great Buddha destroyed? Although the Tiannan Jianghu rebels were seriously injured and repelled, the Buddha was also destroyed in their hands."

Ouyang Rong raised his eyebrows slightly: "Did Rong Zhen tell you that?"

Mistress Miao Zhen was stunned when she heard this: "Hmm, otherwise, is there any hidden story?"

Ouyang Rong nodded seriously:

"No, Lady Historian Rong Zhen is right. The Buddha-destroying rebels are indeed hateful."

Mistress Miao Zhen pursed her lips and suddenly mentioned:

"Are you the master of Butterfly Loves Flowers? Are you the legendary sword wielder?"

Ouyang Rong narrowed his eyes: "Did Lady Historian Rong Zhen say that too?"

Mistress Miao Zhen shook her head: "I asked, she said she didn't know. I guessed it. Looking at your tone, it should be."

Ouyang Rong asked directly:

"How did you guess?"

"First, you have a tripod sword hidden in your hand. Second, that tripod sword like a bright moon that slowly rose into the sky yesterday, isn't it the supernatural power of 【Scholar】, Return to the Fields?

"Like this sword formation, I can only think of the master of Butterfly Loves Flowers. Although I haven't seen him draw his sword with my own eyes before, as far as I know, only he draws his sword like this, and currently only he knows Return to the Fields."

Ouyang Rong suddenly frowned and asked seriously:

"Are you sure that is Return to the Fields?"

Mistress Miao Zhen was puzzled:

"It looks like... wait, you draw the sword yourself, and you ask me? Could it be that the person who draws the sword is not you?"

Ouyang Rong suddenly restrained his expression and waved his hand casually:

"Just a joke."

Mistress Miao Zhen pondered:

"You are the sword wielder and have a mythical tripod sword. Actually, there is a way to please the Sage."

Ouyang Rong nodded:

"Know."

Mistress Miao Zhen looked at his expression and breathed a sigh of relief:

"You know it, that's right. Also, Lady Historian Rong Zhen understands the Sage. I don't need to say she will remind you. Besides... back in Longcheng, it could be seen that you understand the Sage's mind very well. Those divine strokes when Wang Lixian was re-appointed should all be planned by you, right?"

Ouyang Rong did not deny it.

Mistress Miao Zhen looked at him deeply:

"No wonder Rong Zhen did so much for you... I will take the Bai Hu Guards back to Xun today and will watch them all the way, but before leaving, let me see Wang Lixian."

Ouyang Rong hesitated.

She nodded: "You just need to report."

Ouyang Rong nodded and turned to leave.

"Ouyang Lianghan."

Mistress Miao Zhen suddenly called him.

Ouyang Rong's back paused: "What's the matter?"

Her voice came:

"Back in Longcheng, I never thought that in a small Longcheng, there would be a national scholar like you. With you by Wang Lixian's side, I am relieved."

Ouyang Rong waved his hand.

He didn't say anything and continued forward.

He crossed the river back to the right bank camp and found Wang Lixian in a tent, Li Dala was also there.

"Tan Lang."

Wang Lixian immediately greeted him, grabbed his sleeve, and poked his head to look behind him:

"Where are the niece and Lady Historian Rong Zhen?"

Ouyang Rong shook his head: "Don't know, Xiao Shimei might be preparing to pick up Aunt."

Li Dala sized up his friend and asked calmly:

"Tan Lang didn't sleep well, did anything happen last night?"

He asked back: "What could happen?"

"Alright Dala, don't ask blindly."

Wang Lixian scolded Li Dala, turned to pat Ouyang Rong on the shoulder.

He had an experienced tone and sighed:

"This Prince understands Tan Lang's situation. This Prince was also like this back then. With appearance and talent, I was destined for peach blossom luck. It's fate, no way."

Wang Lixian shook his head at his bearded eldest son:

"Dala, you haven't experienced these, you wouldn't understand even if I told you. I'll tell Tan Lang."

Li Dala:?

Ouyang Rong:...

Wang Lixian's expression was serious, facing Ouyang Rong:

"Tan Lang, remember I told you back in Longcheng, but that was just meeting and knowing, not familiar, just a shallow talk... Now you must remember, peach blossom luck and peach blossom calamity are often only a line apart, must be treated seriously, don't just enjoy the admiration at the beginning, otherwise it will be rotten peach blossoms. This is golden advice.

"Dala can't use it, this Prince is too lazy to tell him, but Tan Lang is different. Tan Lang is an adult and needs to understand these. This Prince can't teach you other things, but this Prince knows a thing or two about men and women, maybe understands more than you. If you have any confusion in the future, you can come and ask this Prince..."

Ouyang Rong listened quietly, looked at Wang Lixian and his son who were staring at him, and nodded.

"You understand." Wang Lixian smiled and asked casually: "By the way, Tan Lang, what's the matter?"

Ouyang Rong said directly:

"Lady Historian Mistress Miao Zhen wants to talk to you, waiting for you by the river, told me to report it."

Wang Lixian's expression changed slightly.

Ouyang Rong and Li Dala looked at him together.

The atmosphere was silent for a while.

"Cough, cough, Tan Lang, you are busy, this Prince will go out for a while. By the way, don't let anyone know about this."

Lowering his voice to exhort, Wang Lixian left in a hurry.

Ouyang Rong turned his head and found that Li Dala was gone. He didn't care, turned and walked out of the tent to find Rong Zhen, preparing to chat about Mistress Miao Zhen.

Arriving at her tent, no one was around. He called Shun Bo and asked curiously.

"Reporting to the Young Master, Lady Historian seems to have gone to the camp entrance to pick someone up."

"Pick someone up?"

Ouyang Rong was stunned, reacted, she should be going to pick up Zhen Shuyuan.

"Right, Lady Historian came to find the old slave early in the morning, let us go to pick some herbs, and also caught a perch in the river."

He was puzzled:

"What to do with catching fish and picking herbs?"

"Boil soup."

Ouyang Rong's expression changed, hearing Shun Bo's voice:

"Lady Historian filled a bowl and brought it out..."

Ouyang Rong didn't listen anymore, left Shun Bo behind, and quickly went out to the camp entrance.

Just as he approached the camp entrance, he saw Wei Mei walking over angrily, leaving from the camp entrance, in the opposite direction to Ouyang Rong.

Li Dala followed behind Wei Mei.

Wei Mei only greeted Ouyang Rong and brushed past him.

Ouyang Rong looked back, the direction Wei Mei hurried to was the opposite bank of the river.

He looked at his nose and heart, and arrived at the camp entrance.

Xiao Shimei is there.

Lady Historian is there.

Little Princess, Qin Ying and her brother are also there.

Ouyang Rong looked silently.

Qin Ying and Qin Yanqing were riding on horses.

Xiao Shimei and Little Princess stood together, very close.

Rong Zhen stood alone on one side, hands in front of her, carrying a red lacquer food box.

Her chin was slightly raised, her eyes narrowed slightly, looking at the official road ahead.

Ouyang Rong came, but Rong Zhen didn't look back.

Ouyang Rong's gaze withdrew from the food box in her hand and turned to look at Xie Lingjiang's side.

He found that his Xiao Shimei had changed clothes.

The red men's clothing she loved to wear was gone, replaced by a narrow-sleeved skirt with a round collar.

The long skirt dragged on the ground, the scarf on her shoulders, the thin clothes perfectly combined with her posture, the natural and smooth silk texture of the clothes, increasingly highlighting the magnificent scenery somewhere, outlining those two beautiful and rich arc lines.

Xie Lingjiang stood elegantly and calmly, her figure graceful, looking straight ahead, not looking at Rong Zhen.

Li Guo'er on the side, however, tilted her head, her eyes interestedly falling on the food box in Rong Zhen's hand.

Ouyang Rong walked up, looked left and right, and asked with a smile:

"Why are you all here so early?"

Xie and Rong didn't pay attention to him.

Only Qin Ying and Qin Yanqing answered.

Li Guo'er also replied:

"I said it wouldn't be this early, Sister Xie was impatient, and pulled me here early."

Xie Lingjiang turned her head, Li Guo'er smiled and shut up.

Ouyang Rong suddenly found that Xie Lingjiang and Rong Zhen were both wearing that mandarin duck jade hairpin on their heads, not knowing if it was a coincidence.

Qin Ying seemed to have discovered this point too, turned slightly, her gaze lingering on Xie Lingjiang and Rong Zhen, her expression thoughtful.

At this time, Li Guo'er smiled at Ouyang Rong:

"Remember one thing, if our people really inherit the new tripod sword, the Imperial Grandmother and Si Tian Jian will definitely provide the 【Emperor Wen】 sword technique, so you don't need to worry, what zither music to learn, after returning to the capital, there are plenty of opportunities to get this sword technique..."

The voice was not loud or small, just right for everyone to hear.

Rong Zhen didn't look back.

Ouyang Rong didn't know how to answer.

Xie Lingjiang suddenly said to Li Guo'er: "Alright."

At this time, Wang Lixian returned.

Wei Mei followed on the side, with a straight face and not speaking, Li Dala also followed honestly behind.

Everyone saw that the Prince was a bit bruised and swollen.

Wang Lixian turned his head and laughed heartily: "Haha, the road by the river is slippery, everyone be careful when crossing the river."

Qin Ying and Qin Yanqing looked at each other and nodded in confusion.

Everyone waited for a stick of incense, a team of carriages drove slowly, and stopped in front of the camp.

Zhen Shuyuan and Ye Weilai got off the carriage together.

Wei Mei took a step forward and took Wang Lixian's arm. The latter seemed to be startled at first, but hurriedly straightened his expression.

The couple, accompanying Ouyang Rong, took the lead in greeting them.

And greeted Zhen Shuyuan.

Xie Lingjiang and Rong Zhen followed together.

However, Zhen Shuyuan was mainly talking to Wang Lixian. The woman's attention was all on Ouyang Rong at the moment. She pinched her handkerchief, occasionally stroking her beloved nephew with heartache.

Everyone walked back together and returned to the main tent.

Qin Ying and Qin Yanqing retreated tacitly to arrange the evacuation of the surrendered Bai Hu Guards on the left bank.

Lu Ya and Zhang Shixiu went to the entrance to stand guard.

Inside the main tent, only Ouyang Rong, Xie Lingjiang, Rong Zhen, and Wang Lixian's family remained.

Plus the women Zhen Shuyuan, Ye Weilai, and Banxi.

In addition, Caishou was also there, left by Li Guo'er.

Ouyang Rong saw Li Guo'er walk to one side with Caishou and began to tell something.

Xie Lingjiang and Rong Zhen walked toward Ye Weilai together.

The white-haired girl originally prepared to find Ouyang Rong, but was pulled to one side by the two women.

Ouyang Rong was kept by Zhen Shuyuan and could only see the expressions of Ye Weilai and Caishou from afar.

Ye Weilai's expression was slightly calm, frequently looking at Ouyang Rong.

Caishou's expression was the most interesting. She stood in front of Li Guo'er, opened her mouth slightly, pointed at herself, with a look of "What, me?"