No, gentlemen also guard against

Chapter 591 Ouyang Sima, who shoulders the responsibility of a city and thirteen counties [asking for monthly tickets! ]

Whether it is Lianhong or Honglian, it is useless to read it forward or backward.

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

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

He looked carefully.

Since it is the relic that Master Zhong Ma kept with him before his death, it should be important to him, or... to Donglin Temple.

The reason is very simple. After the Mad Emperor's Ding Sword was stolen, the swordsmiths on the west bank of Butterfly Creek were killed in large numbers. The Donglin Temple, the largest Qigong force nearby, was also massacred by the Mad Emperor's personal cavalry. All the Qigong practitioners in the Donglin Temple died, and the incense inheritance was directly cut off.

Master Zhong Ma still carried the Xinding Sword and hid in the underground palace without coming out.

For such a matter of life and death, it was impossible for him not to make the worst-case plan in advance.

Then the things he brought into the underground palace were all important things, and their importance also had to do with the Lotus Sect's orthodoxy. It was like when a fire broke out, ordinary people would definitely take out the most valuable things in their hearts.

"Red Lotus... Lotus Sect... It can't be a token of the Lotus Sect's leader, it doesn't look like it, otherwise Master Shandao and the others would definitely recognize it, so why would they give it to me?"

After studying it for a while, I still have no clue.

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

The carriage arrived at the Locust Leaf Lane mansion.

As soon as Ouyang Rong entered the door, he was told that there were guests.

He took the hot towel that Ye Weilai handed to him at the door, wiped his face, and walked into the living room to take a look.

At the first glance, 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 in front of them.

Zhen Shuyuan sat nearby, entertaining the guests on behalf of her nephew.

The beautiful lady in a silk dress with a mole on the corner of her mouth behaved in a dignified manner. While raising her cup to drink tea, she would occasionally glance at the lady historian 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 immediately without even having time to put down the tea in his hand.

Rong Zhen was still sitting.

After not seeing her for many days, this lady is still the same as before. However, after the Lantern Festival, she changed back into her original plain white dress, but she still kept a mandarin duck jade hairpin on her hair.

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

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

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

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

"Tan Lang is back? Madam Lady Historian and Nephew Wang came here this morning and have been waiting for quite some time. Why didn't Tan Lang tell me that he was back? I learned from Madam Lady Historian and Nephew Wang that you arrived this morning."

"Brother-in-law. Are you going to look for Sister Xie?" Wang Caozhi asked with a wink.

Rong Zhen turned his head and looked at Wang Caozhi opposite him.

The latter seemed not to see it.

"Ms. Rong, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting for a long time. But you are well-informed."

Ouyang Rong walked in, found a seat nearby and sat down, then asked the two of them curiously:

"Ms. Rong, what brings you here?"

Rong Zhen picked up the teacup, lowered his head and blew away the tea that was already cooling.

"It was Wang Caozhi who insisted on looking for you, so I came along as well."

Wang Caozhi spread his hands:
"Hey, brother-in-law, it seems that you still don't realize your current position. Jiangzhou City and thirteen counties are all on your shoulders. Once your boat arrives at the ferry, everyone in the city who should know will know within half an hour."

"I can't bear it at all."

Ouyang Rong had a stern face.

Wang Caozhi rubbed his hands and moved forward.

"Brother-in-law..."

"Wang Caozhi."

Rong Zhen suddenly shouted.

"Um, what's the matter, Madam?" Wang Caozhi looked back in confusion.

"go out."

Rong Zhen spoke lightly.

"..."

If anyone else were to be ordered around like this, their face would have turned red long ago.

Fortunately, Wang Caozhi was an old businessman with a thick skin. After hearing the two words uttered by the lady historian, his expression did not change at all.

But his tone was somewhat sad:
"Ms. Rong, I have something to ask my brother-in-law. Didn't you bring him here by the way? Why are you asking me to leave..."

Rong Zhen raised her eyelids and glanced at him.

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

Seeing this, Ouyang Rong glanced at Zhen Shuyuan.

"Oh, by the way, I suddenly remembered that I have something to ask Nephew Wang, would you please come out?"

Zhen Shuyuan stood up and greeted warmly.

"Good good."

Wang Caozhi followed him out obediently.

Before Zhen Shuyuan left, she said to Ye Weilai:

"Change the tea for Madam Shi. It's cold. You girls are so careless."

After saying this, the graceful and elegant lady in a silk dress smiled and said:

"Tan Lang, Madam Historian, please take a seat. I will leave first."

Zhen Shuyuan and Wang Caozhi went out together.

Ye Weilai went forward to pour tea, but found that the cup in Rong Zhen's hand was only seven-tenths full of tea, which meant that he hadn't even taken a sip.

But just now, when Ye Weilai was standing aside waiting, she saw Rong Zhen holding the cup of tea and pretending to drink it.

So you didn't actually take a sip?
The white-haired girl couldn't help but look at the cold and icy girl in palace dress in front of her who seemed to be about the same age as her.

"What do you want, Madam?"

Not noticing the slight abnormality on Ye Weilai's side, Ouyang Rong laughed and asked Rong Zhen.

"Why don't you get off your boat at Xunyang Grottoes instead of going a longer distance to Xunyang Ferry?"

"Um, is there any difference between going back to the city first and going to the grotto first?"

"Yes, it means that your mind at that time was 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 was hungry. I wanted to go to the breakfast shop in the East Market to have a meal before dawn."

"Hmph, that's better." Rong Zhen snorted lightly, turned his head and said seriously;
"It's not safe outside these days, and the city may be unsafe too. I object to your going out this time."

"How to say?"

"Yesterday, when you were away, our people caught a group of traitors' spies."

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

"Anti-thief spy?"

"Well, they're pretty stubborn. Senior Song accidentally killed two of them, and there are two more under investigation. I don't know if we can pry their mouths open."

"Uh, no wonder Ms. Rong is so cautious today."

Ouyang Rong sighed. "What else can I talk to you about in private?"

"Makes sense."

At this time, Rong Zhen turned around and said seriously:
"Ouyang Lianghan, I suspect there are rebels hiding in the city. They are like insects. Every time we catch a nest of them, it means that several nests have already sneaked in secretly.

"I came here to remind you that you need to be more careful these days. You are the official in charge of the statue making, and you are easily targeted by the rebels."

"I tend to be low-key."

"But in the eyes of the rebels, they are all so-called court dogs, so we should be careful."

她微微蹙眉：
"We were able to catch the spy this time, thanks to the fact that we had previously taken down several secret lines of Yunmengze rebels in the city. The secret lines were not updated in time, and someone fell into the trap, so it was a bit of luck.

“But those rebels in the Tiannan Jianghu are not stupid. They will definitely change and find ways to infiltrate the city.

"Now, even some ordinary people from the martial arts world should not be allowed into the city. In the next few days, you should discuss with Yuan Changshi and conduct a census in the city, especially those outsiders who have recently entered the city. They should be searched thoroughly. I will send people to cooperate with you."

Ouyang Rong covered his mouth and coughed lightly:
"Okay, I'll make arrangements this afternoon."

"Okay, I'm still confident in your work."

Ouyang Rong sipped his tea calmly.

The two chatted about official business for a while before ending the topic. Seeing that the atmosphere was getting a little awkward, Ouyang Rong asked:
"Anything else?"

"What else do you want?"

Rong Zhen lowered her eyes and asked back. At this time, she picked up the teacup, blew on it, and this time she finally took a sip and let out a long sigh.

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

Rong Zhen interrupted without looking away:
"However, it's good that you can come back safely this time. You are not allowed to leave the city again. Even if Prince Xunyang travels with you, you are not allowed to accompany him."

"it is good."

Rong Zhen asked again: "By the way, where is the Prince of Xunyang? Didn't he come back with you?"

"Well, the prince still has to inspect several counties and won't be back so soon. As for me, I'm in a hurry and I'm afraid that you, Ms. Rong, will worry. So I'll take the prince for a walk and come back early."

"Heh, you don't seem to care about our worries."

"Ms. Rong, you are joking. I feel warm inside when you show your concern for me."

"I don't care if you are warm or not. It would be best if that Prince Xunyang comes back later and stops harassing Princess Anhui. Otherwise, Senior Song will be unhappy."

Rong Zhen nodded slightly.

She glanced at Ye Weilai who was standing beside her and pouring tea for her obediently.

Suddenly asked:
"By the way, your personal maid, have you no longer had any contact with the Yue girl?"

Ouyang Rong looked at Rong Zhen's expression calmly.

Without waiting for him to speak, Ye Weilai shook her head vigorously: "No."

Rong Zhen's icy expression softened a little:

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

Ouyang Rong suddenly raised his head and drank the tea in the cup in one gulp. He panted slightly, turned around and smiled:
"If my child bride comes back, will it make things difficult for Ms. Rong?"

Rong Zhen asked curiously, "What's so difficult about it? Why don't you catch him right away and keep him for the New Year?"

"..."

"Why, Lord Ouyang is still thinking about the old relationship?" She looked like she was smiling, and asked in a snorting tone, "Didn't you tell me before that it was something that happened when we were kids, and that it's all in the past?"

Ouyang Rong's expression remained unchanged, and he waved his hand:
"It's in the past. I'm just asking. How could it be such a coincidence? Hey, sometimes I always feel that this life experience is really magical. When I was a child, I read a book and there was a sentence that said, "In the morning, I was a farmer, and in the evening, I was in the emperor's palace." At that time, I was wondering what the emperor's palace looked like."

Ouyang's face was full of emotion. Rong Zhen didn't pay much attention to the previous topic. After hearing his later words, she seemed to feel the same way. She put down the teacup, looked directly at Ouyang Rong, and said seriously:
"Ouyang Lianghan, if you want to keep going forward and upward, you will have to leave behind many people and many things. This is the fate of people like you, and you cannot escape it, especially since you come from a poor family. You must make a choice between some people and things."

Ouyang Rong asked back: "Is Ms. Rong also one of these people?"

Rong Zhen glanced at him and didn't answer.

The two chatted for a while.

After two cups of tea, Rong Zhen left, taking Wang Caozhi with him without saying a word to his brother-in-law and who dared not complain or speak out.

After sending them away, Ouyang Rong sighed softly.

He first went back to the study and placed the Mohist sword box and the small purple-red seal in place.

Ye Weilai boiled some water. Ouyang Rong was covered in sweat. He took a bath and fumigated himself with incense. Then he walked out of the bathroom wearing thin underwear. He packed some things, calculated the time, and went out in casual clothes.

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

Ouyang Rong walked in calmly. In the side hall, there were two figures, quietly drinking tea and waiting.

It was Yan Liulang and Pei Shisan Niang. They arrived at some unknown time, quietly and without making any sound.

Neither of them looked at each other, they just waited quietly without looking away.

This was different from the time when Rong Zhen and Wang Caozhi came to visit and were received politely by the female relatives.

At the moment, Zhen Shuyuan, Ye Weilai, Ban Xi and other girls were not seen in the side hall.

Ouyang Rong sat down while lowering his head and adjusting his cuffs.

"Tell me something."

"Yes, Mingfu."

Ouyang Rong first listened to Yan Liulang's report on what had happened in Xunyang City in recent days.

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

"Where is Yuan Changshi?"

"Yuan Changshi has asked for leave today and is not at the Jiangzhou Hall. He should be at his residence at Chengtian Temple in Xingzifang. If you want to see him, I can call him over."

"As expected of him, he asked for leave when I was away. No need, he should still be sleeping in at this time in the morning."

Ouyang Rong curled his lips: "Besides, if he is called over, he will have to eat lunch, and my aunt will have to cook. She will definitely not be happy with him."

"Yes, Sir." After a while, Yan Liulang, who had received the task, withdrew. Ouyang Rong then turned around and looked at Pei Shisan Niang who had been waiting quietly.

When Ouyang Rong was chatting with Yan Liulang, the beautiful woman seemed to be in a daze, ignoring everything. Only when Ouyang Rong looked at her did she come back to her senses.

Their eyes met.

"Son."

Pei Shisan Niang smiled sweetly, stood up and was about to salute.

"no."

Ouyang Rong waved his hand to interrupt.

Looking at her smile, I knew that Xingzifang should be fine, and the embroiderer... hadn't left either.

"Son..."

Pei Shisan Niang wanted to speak and make a routine report.

Ouyang Rong suddenly stood up:
"Let's go to Xingzifang and buy some pork with me."

"pork?"

Pei Shisan Niang, who was originally preparing to report the matters concerning the embroiderer, looked puzzled and followed obediently.

……

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(PS: I finished one chapter today. After taking a look, based on the current number of monthly votes, Xiao Rong owes twenty chapters!

No cheating, brothers, remember the number of chapters I owe you, and finally, I continue to beg for a wave of monthly tickets!! or2)

(End of this chapter)