No, gentlemen also guard against

Chapter 815: Gu'er left a poem, Liang Han solved the mystery

"What is the name of this post station?"

"Qingya Posthouse."

Hanyang County Government Office, inside the lobby.

Upon hearing the urgent report from the messenger clerk to the Hanyang County Magistrate, Ouyang Rong ignored the puzzled looks of the surrounding county officials, took out a map on the spot, spread it on the table, and examined it carefully.

Rong Zhen and Qin Ying also stopped arguing and moved closer to watch.

The Hanyang County Magistrate heard the news and caught a glimpse of the three people's actions. He immediately slammed the table and stood up angrily:
"What do the Qingya Postmasters do? I have repeatedly warned them to be careful of flooding due to the dry weather. Did they take the county government's words as bullshit? Today they burned down the entire post station. What a bunch of rats! Rats!"

The clerk who reported the news said with a bitter face:

"Please calm down, magistrate. This fire is very strange. It started too fast and too violently. I have never seen such a strange fire in my life. I don't know what is burning. We didn't have time to get water..."

A cold voice sounded.

"What color is this fire?"

The Hanyang County Magistrate and other officials saw that it was the stunning young lady in palace dress sitting on the main seat who suddenly asked.

The clerk answered honestly, "It's a ghostly green color, like a will-o'-the-wisp."

Rong Zhen looked at the young man in Confucian robes who was studying the map attentively next to him, his eyes thoughtful.

Before the pirates attacked the Xunyang Palace that day, a fire suddenly broke out in the palace. Wei Wu was on the high platform of the main cave at that time. When he received the report from his subordinates, Rong Zhen was also beside him.

In the lobby, the Hanyang County Magistrate waited for a while, but the lady historian did not speak again, so he continued to question his subordinates with a stern face:

"Are there any wounded people in the post?"

"No, no!"

The petty official said with lingering fear:
"I heard that before the fire started, a young lady in red clothes was beating gongs everywhere in the post station to warn people. Fortunately, it was evening and the new guests had just put down their luggage. No one was asleep, so they all ran out after receiving the warning. Otherwise, the fire would have killed people..."

When he heard "the girl in red clothes", Rong Zhen turned his eyes slightly.

Ouyang Rong's finger moving on the map also stopped for a moment.

"Trash! What a bunch of trash!"

The magistrate of Hanyang County was furious and pointed at the petty officials and cursed:
"I also want to remind the passengers, are you all idiots? You are wasting the imperial food. This fire must be investigated and held accountable!"

Ouyang Rong, who was sitting in the main seat in the hall, was about to look up when the Hanyang County Magistrate, who was sitting in the deputy seat, suddenly turned his head, his expression changed instantly, and looked at him.

The Hanyang County Magistrate looked concerned and ashamed, and asked Ouyang Rong cautiously:
"Mr. Governor, Ms. Madam Historian, is it possible that the person you two are looking for also passed through Qingya Posthouse?
"Fortunately, there were no casualties this time, otherwise these bastards would not be able to escape and would have to be beheaded. However, this fire incident was a close call, and this county government will conduct a thorough investigation and give you two adults an explanation. By the way, I will send someone over right away..."

Ouyang Rong suddenly spoke:
"Wait, let's go together."

The magistrate of Hanyang County hesitated: "Together? But the governor and the lady historian are both worth a lot of money..."

Ouyang Rong looked up, pointed at the map, and said seriously:

"I have seen on the map that there is a wild ferry closest to Qingya Post where we can stop our boats. It will take us less than half an hour to get from the county ferry to this wild ferry. Forget about the welcoming banquet or the like. You should prepare the boat immediately and gather all the staff of the county government to go together. I and the lady historian will go first by boat and see you at Qingya Post."

"But... yes, yes!"

The Hanyang County Magistrate and other officials were stunned, but before they could ask any more questions, the young governor had already stood up and left quickly with Rong Zhen and Qin Ying.

Everyone looked at each other and thought to themselves that this young governor was indeed as unique and decisive as the rumors said.

About an hour later.

Qingya Posthouse.

When Ouyang Rong, Rong Zhen and others arrived on horseback, the fire had been extinguished.

Qingya Station is a ruin.

The yamen runners and guests staying overnight gathered outside the ruins, some set up tents in the woods, and some looked depressed and worried.

Ouyang Rong rode silently around the ruins, and the Hanyang officials who followed him went to notify the yamen runners to assemble.

Qin Ying and fifty soldiers also followed.

She left a few people at the ferry in Hanyang County, waiting for the arrival of the ship carrying Qin Yanqing's large army, and reporting and giving directions.

"Is there anything special about the color of this fire?"

Qin Ying couldn't help but ask.

Ouyang Rong nodded.

Before they parted in Xunyang City, he left two cans of Burning Sky Dragon Oil for his junior sister.

Combined with what the clerk who just reported the news said, it is self-evident who set the fire.

Seeing that Ouyang Rong was silent, Qin Ying did not urge him. Instead, he turned around and sent the soldiers away to look for any traces of him.

Ouyang Rong called the manager of Qingya Post and asked seriously:
"Where did the fire start first?"

"The fire spread so quickly, I don't know, I just know it was in the backyard, from the back to the front."

"Is there a group of people surnamed Su arriving at the post station to rest today?"

"That's right, how did the governor know this? Could it be someone you know?"

"Where is the man?"

"After the fire started, I was busy putting it out with my men and didn't pay much attention. However, there was a girl in the Su family who was the first to ring the gong to alert people to the fire. She might have been the first to discover the fire. Thanks to her, if you are a friend, please do me a favor and thank all the staff at Qingya Posthouse..."

Rong Zhen interrupted and asked, "Don't you know where this Su family is going? Where were they originally going?"

"I don't know. The stables at the post station were all burned down, and the Su family's carriage was not spared. I just checked and found that most of their luggage was also burned. I am really ashamed. But they said at the beginning that they were going to Hanyang County. I don't know if they have gone there now. The governor and the lady historian can go back to Hanyang County to look for them..."

Ouyang Rong didn't even raise his eyelids.

There are people left in Hanyang County, and if the "Su family" arrives in the county, they will report the news immediately.

But several hours have passed since the fire started, and there is still no news from Hanyang County, at least no one has entered Hanyang County. Could it be that they have passed through the city without entering?
Just as Ouyang Rong was pondering.

Qin Ying and a group of soldiers came hurriedly, and before they got close, they shouted loudly:
"Ouyang Lianghan, we found traces of the White Tiger Guards on the official road heading south. They are heading south."

Rong Zhen frowned:

"The official road heading south? Isn't this the direction to Hanyang County? How long have they been walking? Why didn't we meet them in Hanyang County?"

"It will probably take no more than half an hour."

Rong Zhen turned around and said decisively:

"It is very likely that they are going after the prince and his men. This fire is very strange. It is possible that the prince is using it to hinder Li Congshan and his men. But Li Congshan may not be so easy to get rid of. Now it seems that the prince and his men are heading south. Let's take a boat back to Hanyang County and see if we can stop them. We can't miss them again."

Ouyang Rong suddenly asked:
"How do you think this fire hindered Li Congshan?"

Rong Zhen opened his mouth, pursed his lips, and answered rigorously, "I don't know the details, but there must be a purpose for setting the fire."

Ouyang Rong calmly pointed out:
"This fire has no thick smoke, and is limited to the post station. It is not a forest fire. If it is just to confuse Li Congshan's tracking method, setting the fire is useless. Li Congshan can just bypass it."

Rong Zhen tilted his head and asked, "Then why set the fire?"

Ouyang Rong remained silent.

He could only think of one possibility at the moment, which was to "drink ice in the fire" just like the plan he had used to deceive the pirates in Xunyang Palace.

But this Qingyayi Posthouse is not the royal palace, so where does the ice cave come from to hide?

But there was no doubt that the fire was set by Junior Sister and her friends. Junior Sister was even worried about accidentally hurting passers-by, so she gave an advance warning.

In addition, Ouyang Rong had another question. Did the junior sister know that he was chasing after her? If the skirt knife's sensing function had not failed, the junior sister should be able to sense his movements in Hanyang County.

Qingya Posthouse is not far from Hanyang County. If Junior Sister senses that he has arrived in Hanyang County ahead of time, she will naturally know that he is here to find them.

But how do we explain this sudden fire and their current disappearance?
Doesn't this mean that the situation was critical at the time, the arrow was on the string and had to be shot, and there was no time to wait until Hanyang County, so they set fire to Qingya Station in advance?

If, as the post officer said, after the fire, they really continued to take the official road south to Hanyang County, then why did they set fire to Qingya Post in advance?

This brings us back to the question Rong Zhen had just raised. Can this smokeless, sky-burning dragon fire really stop Li Congshan and his mobile cavalry?

What is its significance?

Let’s ignore all that for now and just work backwards from the results.

The result now is that Li Congshan and other White Tiger Guard pursuers continue to pursue along the official road southward.

If the official road heading south is the correct direction, then Junior Sister's arson plan has failed.

On the contrary, if it was the wrong direction, it would be quite reasonable and it did confuse Li Congshan.

But this also confused Ouyang Rong.

He also didn't know where his junior sister and the others had gone.

Back to the current question, should we follow the trail of Li Congshan and other cavalrymen and continue to chase them southward?
With many questions lingering in his mind, Ouyang Rong lowered his eyes slightly and fell into deep thought.

The station manager next to him looked as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.

Rong Zhen caught a glimpse and suddenly asked:
"What are you talking about? Just tell me."

The station manager said cautiously:
"You two adults are probably looking for this Su family, right?"

Rong Zhen had a cold and stern face, as if he didn't want to answer this nonsense.

The steward pointed weakly at the huge stone tablet at the door with the three words "Qingyayi" engraved on it.

Everyone looked and saw that the entire Qingya Post had been burned down. Only this stone tablet was left, standing in front of the ruins, very conspicuous.

"My Lords, there is an inscription wall behind the stone tablet. It is newly built by our post station. I remember that there was a young lady with a stunning appearance in the Su family. There was a plum blossom between her eyebrows. When she first arrived, she stopped by the wall and wrote a poem with a pen."

"A poem?"

Rong Zhen was curious, and Ouyang Rong immediately looked up:

"Take me there."

"Yes."

Soon, Ouyang Rong was led to the back of the "Qingya Station" stone tablet.

As he looked over, he was immediately attracted by a beautiful and elegant poem among a bunch of poems written by other travelers.

It was a familiar female handwriting.

Beside him, Qin Ying looked straight ahead and chanted softly:

"The cold branches cut through the iron bones, the cold fragrance penetrates the lonely intestines... The frozen buds break through the black frost, the icy soul tempers the sword's edge... Standing outside the clouds on the lonely mountain, a blade cuts through the spring barrenness... Without the help of the east wind, it stands on its own across the sky."

Rong Zhen raised her head slightly. The girl who wrote the poem was obviously half a head taller than her.

Frowning secretly, she asked coldly:

"'Song of the Jade Blade of Lonely Mountain'? What does it mean? Is there a message pointing to a certain plum mountain? But where can I find plum blossoms at this time of year?"

Ouyang Rong stared at the poem written by Li Guoer carefully and read it over and over again.

This poem about plum blossoms is quite remarkable. It is in the style of Li Guoer's aloofness, but it seems to be written casually and is not very amazing.

As for the Tibetan language... Ouyang Rong thought about it for a long time but still couldn't figure it out.

Rong Zhen and Qin Ying had given up thinking long ago and turned to look at him, waiting for the answer from this scholar from Xiuwenguan.

Ouyang Rong stood still, feeling a little embarrassed.

At this moment, an armored soldier ran back and whispered something to Qin Ying. The latter was stunned and immediately shouted:

"Ouyang Lianghan, Ms. Rong Zhen, we found traces of a fight in the woods outside the post station."

Ouyang Rong and others rushed over immediately.

When we arrived at the woods and checked, we found traces of yellow talisman paper used by the Taoist priest on the ground.

"Could it be Lu Ya?"

Ouyang Rong muttered to himself.

Qin Ying urged:

"If it's Taoist Priest Lu, then it proves that the prince and his men fled to the southern official road. Taoist Priest Lu and his men had a fight with Li Congshan here. Judging from the traces, Taoist Priest Lu also fled to the southern official road. I don't know if he was caught up by Li Congshan. Let's go over and rescue him quickly."

Ouyang Rong, however, remained where he was.

He suddenly turned around and asked the postman:

"Did you invite the girl in plum blossom makeup to write a poem, or did she take the initiative?"

"Of course it was the young lady who brought it up herself. We would not approach the female relatives of guests without reason. If we meet a talented official, we would shamelessly ask for a copy of his calligraphy..."

The station chief suddenly stopped talking. He saw the young governor in front of him turned around and ran back to Qingya Station halfway through.

Ouyang Rong returned to the stone tablet and sent everyone away.

When no one was around, he took out a clever idea from his sleeve and asked directly.

"Can you smell where the owner of this aura is?"

The little ink spirit rolled his eyes:

"I am not a god."

"What about the approximate location?"

"Well, you can try the new poem. It should be quite accurate."

"Why didn't you tell me earlier if you had this ability?"

"You didn't ask earlier."

The little Mojing stood with his hands on his hips and spoke in a righteous tone. The hardest part of his body was probably his mouth.

She turned her little face away and muttered a few more words: "But Xie girl, you know that the last time I caught you and Xiu Niang having an affair, it was me who sniffed out the general direction."

Ouyang Rong:……? ?

Without waiting for Ouyang Rong to get angry, Miao Si jumped onto the stone tablet, got close to smell the literary scent, looked around, and suddenly pointed to the east:
"He went that way."

Ouyang Rong immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

The poem about Li Guoer should have been written by the junior sister. It was a carefully left signpost for him. The junior sister knew that Miao Si was by his side.

All the previous clues and irrationalities suddenly made sense.

The only thing he didn't understand now was how Junior Sister's arson scheme deceived Li Congshan, but it didn't matter anymore.

Ouyang Rong grabbed the little ink spirit, stuffed it into his sleeve, ran to the station, and called Rong Zhen and Qin Ying:
"Qin Ying, you rush back to the county town and call on Qin Yanqing and the main force of the Xuanwu Camp to stop Li Congshan who is heading south. Taoist Lu and his men are probably trying to attract firepower, so you rush to rescue them.

"Rong Zhen, get on your horse and go. We are going to chase them eastwards. The official road to the south is a decoy to deceive Li Congshan!"

(End of this chapter)