No, gentlemen also guard against

Chapter 663: Spring is here and peach blossoms are everywhere [ask for monthly tickets! ]

Maybe he didn’t notice Ouyang Rong’s embarrassment.

Xie Lingjiang said to himself:
"My eldest brother just said that you can take a concubine instead of marrying a principal wife, but you also need to have the ability to reconcile the two contradictions.

"That's the problem. Dalang doesn't have the ability to do this. He probably realizes it himself, so it's better to have less trouble than more."

Ouyang Rong immediately agreed:

"That's right, Junior Sister's analysis is still thorough."

Xie Lingjiang tapped her red lips with her index finger:

"Actually, I think if Dalang simply refused to get married, there's nothing wrong with that. Who hasn't refused to get married before? But he insisted on not taking a concubine in advance, which inevitably made Uncle Li and Sister Guo'er think that he just didn't want to get married. He didn't have any other excuses, he just wanted to wait for someone and used those words as an excuse."

Ouyang Rong praised: "Little Junior Sister, what you said is absolutely right."

Xie Lingjiang squinted his eyes and said, "Brother, don't flatter me. Why did you suddenly come to see me today? If you are being nice to me for no reason, you must be a traitor or a thief."

"Not really. I was just asking about the peach blossom forest in Kuanglu Mountain and came to take a look."

"By the way?"

Ouyang Rong changed his words in seconds:

"No, I thought about it again. I came to see you and ask you something. You see, I didn't even go to ask the prince and the princess."

"Big Brother is getting sweeter and sweeter."

Ouyang Rong didn't respond, but suddenly covered Xie Lingjiang's eyes, took out something from his sleeve and placed it in front of her.

"What are you doing?"

"Open your eyes."

"What era is it, and you're still playing such an old-fashioned game."

"The Great Zhou Dynasty has three years of God's blessing."

Ouyang Rong's serious voice came from behind.

"Puch."

Xie Lingjiang couldn't help laughing, and opened her eyes after he let go.

In fact, he had already smelled the fragrance of the flowers when he closed his eyes just now, but when he opened his eyes and saw it, Xie Lingjiang still smiled.

There was some surprise in his eyes.

"Does it look good?" Ouyang Rong asked.

"Hmph, just so-so." Xie Lingjiang suppressed his laughter and lowered his head to sniff the flower petals.

Ouyang Rong nodded: "That means I like you. I say one thing and mean another."

Xie Lingjiang did not answer. He picked up the flower with two fingers and looked at it carefully. After a moment of happiness, he asked suspiciously:
"Why would Senior Brother send me an apricot blossom for no reason? Is today a special day?"

"No, but I think that every day from the time two people meet to the time they get to know each other is actually very special and should be treated with respect...Do you like it, Junior Sister?"

"I like it, but... Could it be that this apricot blossom, Senior Brother, was taken from Aunt Zhen's vase?"

"No, it was by the roadside. I saw that it was a spring flower and found this one particularly beautiful. I thought it would be a good match for Junior Sister, and it was just as beautiful as the spring sun, so I picked it."

The garden path of Xunyang Palace is also on the roadside.

Ouyang Rong nodded quietly.

"Then it's really an unexpected disaster." Xie Lingjiang joked, lowered his head and touched the petals for a while, then opened the cake box, picked up a sweet-scented osmanthus cake, put it in his mouth, and it melted at the touch.

Two pairs of star-like eyes curved into crescents.

"Hmm, the apricot blossoms are quite fragrant... This osmanthus cake is really sweet. I tried it with Aunt Zhen last time and wanted to ask how it was made."

Xie Lingjiang tasted the cake and mumbled a few words, his speech a little unclear.

Ouyang Rong observed the nose with his eyes and the heart with his nose, and obediently wiped and tied the hair for his junior sister.

Xie Lingjiang suddenly closed the lid of the cake and said with a half-smile:
"Big Brother, you sent me flowers and pastries... It makes me feel a little uncomfortable."

Ouyang Rong smiled without saying anything, put down the towel, went to the house to get the mandarin duck jade hairpin, helped Xie Lingjiang to tie up her hair into a high bun, lowered his head to look at it carefully, and inserted the hairpin properly.

Xie Lingjiang stood up, walked over to put the apricot blossoms into the vase, then lowered his head to take a picture of the small piece of water in the vase.

The beauty in the water has a sweet smile.

"nice."

Ouyang Rong's voice suddenly came from behind.

Xie Lingjiang looked back and saw the eldest senior brother bending over, looking at him with a smile.

She turned her face away shyly.

Ouyang Rong hugged her from behind, and this time, his hands surprisingly did not climb up, but just held her obediently, with his chin resting on her shoulder, sniffing the fragrance from the fair skin of Xie Lingjiang's neck. Xie Lingjiang had lush hair, and there were many black hairs on her neck that had escaped from her high temples, tickling Ouyang Rong's nose.

Xie Lingjiang asked softly, "Big Brother, you are thoughtful."

Ouyang Rong scratched his nose and felt an itch:
"Miao Si produced some spiritual ink for me last night."

"Oh? Really? That's good." She tilted her head, her face showing a little surprise.

Ouyang Rong tilted his head and said directly:
"You are a sixth-rank Confucian sage. You obviously need spiritual ink, but you gave it to me and even fed it with precious ink for me without telling me, your senior brother."

Xie Lingjiang's expression gradually calmed down. He turned his head and looked at a few spring swallows returning to their nests on the eaves not far away.

"I am happy to do this. It has nothing to do with you, Senior Brother. You don't have to feel guilty."

Ouyang Rong pointed at the flowers in the vase and the cake box and said:

"I am happy to do so. I saw some beautiful flowers and wanted to give them to Junior Sister. It has nothing to do with Junior Sister."

Xie Lingjiang glared at him, but could not refute him. He snorted and went back to the house.

Ouyang Rong followed and changed the subject.

"Looking at Dalang's expression, he has rejected the marriage and is willing to be beaten."

"Well, so you should talk more with Dalang, and he will probably listen to you. I always feel that the methods of uncle and sister Guo'er are not right."

Ouyang Rong was silent for a while.

"Actually, I kind of understand Dalang."

"understand?"

Ouyang Rong asked: "If you and I were put in his and Princess Anhui's positions, what would we do?"

Xie Lingjiang said without thinking:
"If the eldest brother were in his position, he would definitely not sit and wait for death. Uncle Li and Sister Guo'er would not worry about the eldest brother making mistakes. The eldest brother is different. As for me..."

Lady Xie raised her chin slightly:

"It's just a surname. What's wrong with being surnamed Wei? No one can restrict me. My father once said something good. The wealth and honor that our ancestors fought for are meant to give our descendants better choices. Otherwise, this family won't last long. No one can recognize and fight for it from the bottom of their hearts."

Xie Lingjiang changed his tone again:
"But it's different with Li Dalang. Uncle Li and Sister Gu'er still treat him more like a child. Even though he is already a prince, they still think he will mess things up.

"If he could be more resolute, and stand up like Sister Gu'er, proving that he has grown up, and letting Uncle Li and the others realize this, then they might not stop him, and might even help him persuade us..."

Ouyang Rong was silent for a while and sighed:
"good."

After a while, Ouyang Rong asked a few questions about the peach blossom forest in Kuanglu Mountain, then said goodbye and left. Before leaving, Xie Lingjiang suddenly said:
"Big Brother, are you here today to talk about something?"

Ouyang Rong pondered for a moment.

"It's best to hold Aunt's birthday banquet after the Donglin Buddha lands to avoid a conflict in time. It can be postponed for a few days. This is also what Aunt wants... Junior Sister, please take care of it."

"Okay." Xie Lingjiang nodded and asked, "Do you really have nothing else to say?"

Ouyang Rong laughed:
"Yes...thank you for your hard work, Junior Sister."

Xie Lingjiang shook her head. Before she could speak, Ouyang Rong continued:
"What Junior Sister said just now is very true."

"What?" she asked curiously.

"If I come, I can definitely handle it."

After Ouyang Rong finished speaking, he chuckled, turned around and left.

Xie Lingjiang was slightly stunned.

……

Mount Kuanglu is very big.

It is not a single mountain, but a group of mountains, with an average altitude higher than the basin where Xunyang City is located.

Therefore, it is also nicknamed the summer resort of Jiangnan.

There is a valley on the west side of Mount Kuanglu, which is seldom visited by people.

In this spring season, there is a pink peach forest. In the afternoon, the spring sun shines on the forest and the peach blossoms are in full bloom.

There are three figures in the forest.

The old musician was walking in front, holding a xylophone.

Ouyang Rong and Rong Zhen fell behind.

The two stood side by side, quite a distance away from the old musician.

Ouyang Rong asked in a somewhat resentful tone: "Why didn't Ms. Rong bring her zither?"

"Just use yours."

"Then you take it too."

"No, I'm not as big as you. Do you have the nerve to let me carry something this heavy?"

Ouyang Rong glanced at the short and petite figure of the lady historian and said speechlessly:
"You are definitely stronger than me."

"As long as you know."

"What do you mean?"

"Whoever is stronger has the final say. I am stronger and more powerful. You should listen to me."

Ouyang Rong:…”

What is Rong's contrast method?

He complained in his mind.

After a while, Ouyang Rong followed Rong Zhen's gaze and looked at the old musician in front of them.

Since entering the peach forest, the old musician has had a smile on his face. He walks and stops, stretching out his hands to make the petals floating in the air temporarily stop.

Ouyang Rong and Rong Zhen looked at each other and smiled.

It seems that this old senior is in a good mood and may even play two more songs for them.

At this moment, there was a sudden noise coming from the front. Looking closely, I saw seven or eight scholars and Taoists drinking and having fun in a pavilion in the middle of the peach forest, with singing girls playing the flute and the piano beside them.

The old musician paused, and after seeing clearly, his face showed interest and he was ready to step forward.

Ouyang Rong, holding the zither, was about to follow, but found that Rong Zhen next to him frowned slightly and waved his hand.

A group of female officials with serious faces appeared out of nowhere, stepped forward quickly, passed by the old musician, went to the pavilion, and asked the drunk guests to leave. Before leaving, they checked the identities of each guest one by one to prevent assassins.

Rong Zhen's expression softened.

Ouyang Rong turned his head silently and saw that the smile on Mr. Yu's face had disappeared.

After Rong Zhen asked the female official a few questions, he returned to the old musician and Ouyang Rong and said apologetically:
"Senior, please make room. I'm sorry, my subordinates were negligent in their work and did not conduct a thorough inspection, so they let a stranger in."

The old musician shook his head, picked up his zither and turned away, without entering the elegant and quiet pavilion that Rong Zhen had helped to vacate.

Rong Zhen couldn't help but frown and look back.

Ouyang Rong shook his head.

On the way back down the mountain, Rong Zhen seemed to have figured something out. He took the initiative to step forward and apologize to the old musician:
"I'm sorry to bother you, senior. The situation is critical right now, so we should be on guard against others and try to avoid contact with strangers."

"It doesn't matter."

Ouyang Rong saw that Mr. Yu had a calm expression and did not show any dissatisfaction.

It seems that these things are forgotten very quickly.

The female officials who were clearing the area were driven away by Rong Zhen and disappeared without a trace, without following them.

At this time, the three people who were going down the mountain passed by a clear stream. The sunlight shone through the shadows of the trees, casting mottled rays of sunshine.

The spring water gurgles.

The old musician suddenly picked up a large stone by the stream bank, sat on the ground, and placed the piano horizontally on his knees.

Rong Zhen's pretty face showed a little joy. She gave Ouyang Rong a look, and the two of them immediately sat down on the spot.

Ouyang Rong was about to put down the piano when he found his hands were empty. It turned out to be Rong Zhen, who had taken the piano without any hesitation and placed it on his lap.

This time no one said she was small.

Rong Zhen ignored Ouyang Rong's increasingly resentful look.

The old musician used his hands as a ladle, scooped up some spring water, tilted his head back to take a sip, and let out a long breath.

"Do you believe that there is a paradise on earth?" he suddenly asked.

Ouyang Rong and Rong Zhen exchanged glances.

Ouyang Rong tried to ask: "Mr. Yu, are you referring to the Peach Blossom Spring in Tao Qian's poem?"

Rong Zhen said softly:

"As long as the old gentleman wants, no matter how many paradises there are, the saint and the Sitianjian can find them for you."

The old musician shook his head.

Rong Zhen was afraid that he would not believe it, so he said directly:

"Old senior, the hometown you mentioned to Deputy Supervisor Song last time has been found by the Sitianjian. It is in a township in Wutong County, Cangzhou, Lingnan Road... The village is halfway up the mountain and is still there.

"Old senior, you don't have to look for the way. This time, Deputy Supervisor Song and I will personally take you back to the village. The court has already notified the officials of Cangzhou in Lingnan Road and asked them to prepare to welcome you back. You must return home in glory and let the villagers know your glory... As for the peach blossom forest at the entrance of the village, it seems to be a little withered, but it's not a big problem. Someone has already gone to help plant it..."

The old musician's thin face, which was full of wrinkles, smiled at first, then smoothed out the wrinkles and fell silent. After a while, he continued to smile and said:
"Yeah."

Rong Zhen was about to nod.

Ouyang Rong suddenly pulled Rong Zhen's sleeve. Rong Zhen frowned and glared at him: "What are you doing?"

In front of us, the old musician's mumbling voice came:
"You say, if we find it, can we still call it Peach Blossom Spring?"

Suddenly the topic of Peach Blossom Spring came up again. Rong Zhen frowned and thought, not knowing how to respond.

Ouyang Rong murmured softly:
"At that time, I only remember going deep into the mountains, and how many times Qingxi River reached Yunlin. In spring, the water was full of peach blossoms, and I couldn't tell where to find the immortal source..."

The old musician glanced sideways.

Ouyang Rong nodded and said:

"Why do you want to find a place to feel at ease? Hometown is the same. The so-called hometown is just the last stop of the wandering ancestors. Wherever my heart is at ease is my hometown."

The old musician pondered for a moment and then smiled.

"What a wonderful state of mind! Wherever my heart is at peace is my hometown. It's a pity that I am just a layman."

He pointed with a smile at Ouyang Rong who was sitting upright, and he clasped his hands together, scooped up a spoonful of stream water, wiped the xylophone, and started playing the instrument without any warning.

The sound is like running water in the mountains, like rolling and unrolling clouds, and like the fleeting white clouds.

Ouyang Rong listened carefully.

Rong Zhen on the side also listened attentively for a while, but after a while, a look of disappointment appeared on his face.

When the song ended, the old musician got up and left without saying anything.

While recalling the song, Ouyang Rong took the piano from Rong Zhen's lap and played it again carefully.

After a moment, he calmed down his thoughtful expression, turned around and asked Rong Zhen who was about to leave:

"Ms. Rong, don't you want to learn?"

Rong Zhen waved his hand:

"It's not this one... that song should be a military battle song..."

"What do you mean?"

Rong Zhen frowned without answering, then stood up and followed.

"Military song?"

Ouyang Rong murmured as he stood up. The music just played was indeed unrelated to the military battle music.

Could it be that the piece that Ms. Rong wanted to learn from the old musician was related to military formation music, similar to the piece of music in Xingzifang that could make the Qigong practitioners appear? Could it be helpful in the defense of Xunyang Grottoes this time?

Ouyang Rong seemed to be thinking about something, and followed with his zither in his arms.

……

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(PS: Brothers, please give me a monthly ticket~or2)

(End of this chapter)