No, gentlemen also guard against

Chapter 554: The beautiful woman surrenders to her master, and the new governor gets someone else's wedding dress
"She seems very afraid of you."

Night, Procuratorate.

Ouyang Rong walked out of the ward and came to the corridor. Rong Zhenzhen was standing in front of the railing, waiting for him with her back, and suddenly spoke.

"Ah, what are you afraid of me? Who?" Ouyang Rong asked after a stunned expression.

"President Pei."

Rong Zhen turned around, looked directly at Ouyang Rong, and spoke in a serious tone.

"Have it?"

"Ah."

Rong Zhen nodded and said softly:
"When you approached her to talk, she started shaking all over. I can't hide these details from you. Although President Pei didn't look at you much, his attention should have been on you. He was very concerned about your reaction.

"The emotion revealed by that subtle movement shows that my fear for you is second only to my fear of the moon."

After listening to this, Ouyang Rong chuckled, put his hands behind his back, walked to the railing next to Rong Zhen, and looked out at the night scene outside the corridor.

Rong Zhen saw that he was calm and composed, and said jokingly:

"Looking at it this way, maybe she wasn't frightened by the moonlight just now, but maybe she was frightened by me."

Rong Zhen looked away from him and shook his head:
"The moon phobia is not fake, but the fear of you is also real. President Pei should be afraid that you will retaliate against her. I have inquired about it.

"Before you were demoted to Sima, and after Lin Cheng and Wang Lengran took over, the renovation of the old houses in Xingzifang, which you had been suppressing, was lifted by them. Chairman Pei and the late Shen Bingqiang fawned on them and became their pawns.

"President Pei should know that she has offended you severely. Now you have not only been promoted to the position of governor, but also hold the power of life and death. She is naturally afraid that you will retaliate. This is the long-lasting affection of human beings. She does not know that you are magnanimous and a gentleman. You handle official matters impartially and do not hold grudges."

After listening to this, Ouyang Rong couldn't help but sigh:

"That makes sense. Ms. Rong is really thoughtful."

Rong Zhen tilted his head slightly and thought for a while, then whispered:
"It's not good to keep her worried and scared. You should come over more often these few days to make your attitude clear, ease the misunderstanding, comfort her, and don't let her make blind guesses. Your calm expression just now would scare anyone, not to mention a business woman like her who is so versatile and sensitive..."

"it is good."

Ouyang Rong looked at the girl in palace dress who was always thinking of him and patiently giving him advice, and nodded.

After a while, he changed the subject:
"Are you hungry?"

"what?"

Rong Zhen was slightly startled, thinking he had heard wrongly.

"I asked, are you hungry?"

"Hungry... huh?"

"What do you mean by hungry? Doesn't Ms. Rong know whether she is hungry or not?"

Ouyang Rong laughed and shook his head, then turned and left:

"Wait, Liu Lang is over there in the carriage. I asked him to bring the chicken soup over so that you can have a taste. This black chicken, yam and red dates soup was made by my aunt herself. It was just out of the oven not long ago and is still hot..."

Rong Zhen asked in a strange tone, "Did you ask your aunt to make it for me?"

Ouyang Rong shook his head honestly:

"No, it was made by my aunt. I was going to take it to Jiangzhou Hall to share with Liu Lang and Yuan Changshi. But when I learned that Madam Pei had woken up, I brought it here."

As if he didn't notice the stern face and gradually downward corners of the mouth of the girl in palace dress in front of him, he smiled and said:
"Didn't Ms. Rong say that we should make our stance clear and appease her? It's a good opportunity to ask Liu Lang to send some chicken soup over to nourish her.

"But let's try some too. If Ms. Rong is hungry, this will be just right, right? Hey, is Ms. Rong feeling unwell? Why do you look so pale..."

Ouyang Rong was halfway through his speech when he noticed that the lady historian was looking at him expressionlessly, and asked in a low voice.

"No." Rong Zhen asked patiently, "Is Governor Ouyang done with his words?"

"Um, I think I'm done."

"Oh."

Rong Zhen nodded, turned around and left, leaving behind a sentence:
"I'm not hungry. I don't like eating or drinking during official business. Governor Ouyang, please drink slowly. You can give some to President Pei. It's up to you." His tone was cold and distant.

"..."

Ouyang Rong watched the moody lady disappear around the corner, but he was used to it and shook his head.

He turned and looked in the direction of the bed.

"Moonophobia?... Interesting. Are you more afraid of the moon or me? Which one scared you the most?... Never mind. It's the same thing."

Ouyang Rong patted his sleeves, put his hands behind his back, and walked away.

I went to find Yan Liulang to bring him chicken soup.

Yan Liulang must deliver it to her personally.

……

Pei Shisanniang's awakening kept the Supervisory Office busy for a while.

As the number one eyewitness in the Xingzi Lake Buddha collapse homicide case, Rong Zhen and other female officials did not want to give up. They questioned her about many things but got nothing.

Pei Shisan Niang didn't know why she was the only one who survived.

If she was an accomplice of the owner of Butterfly Love Flower, it would be too obvious. Moreover, if that was the case, it would be very easy to cover it up. All she had to do was injure Shen Bingqiang slightly, or kill him so that he would be a companion to her. Only Wei Shaoqi, Lin Cheng, and Wang Lengran would die...

After all, living two lives is always more low-key than living only one.

But there is no if, this is the fact.

After repeatedly confirming that Pei Shisan Niang had a clean background and no motive to kill, Rong Zhen and other female officials had no choice but to focus on investigating people Shen Bingqiang had offended or people Pei Shisan Niang had helped.

This was another big project, and the case was once again progressing at a crawl.

However, after unremitting efforts, Rong Zhen still obtained a relatively detailed confession, which clarified a key point:
The tripod sword in the shape of a clear blue moon did indeed emerge from the face of the Buddha first.

This further supports the possibility that Ouyang Rong and Rong Zhen had discussed before, that is, the Ding Sword was originally hidden in the Buddha's head, and the owner of Dielianhua either relied on the Qingtong mask to transform to avoid the sound of the piano, or the invisibility ability of the tortoise-shelled longhorn beetle eaten by the Hermit King, which is logical...

With a vague idea of ​​direction, Rong Zhen became busy again.

After the Spring Festival holiday, Ouyang Rong entered the Jiangzhou lobby and the governor's mansion the next day and began to deal with the mountains of affairs.

Yan Liulang stayed in the Supervisory Council under the pretext of sending chicken soup to comfort Ouyang Rong. When Pei Shisanniang was interrogated by the female officials, Yan Liulang was also there, and even made a lot of suggestions that the female officials found useful...

That afternoon, Ouyang Rong, who had been busy for most of the day, walked out of the governor's mansion.

He boarded the carriage, closed his eyes and sat upright, rubbed his nose tiredly, and whispered: "Let's go to Xingzifang for a walk."

At present, in Xingzifang, including the Xingzi Lake construction site, large areas of former slum buildings have been vacated and razed to the ground after being forcibly sold.

A small half of these lands are in the hands of the governor's office, and the rest are mostly in the hands of wealthy Yangzhou merchants such as Pei Shisan Niang.

Ouyang Rong lifted a corner of the car curtain and silently looked at the greatly changed streets outside, such as Qingyang Hengjie.

He suddenly remembered what Yan Liulang asked him last time.

What to do here?

"How to deal with it... Isn't it enough to just have hands? It's such a simple thing. They have taken all the blame, and left us with this large piece of clean land. All I have to do is build a new house on it with my own hands and hand it over to me with both hands, eh..." Ouyang Rong sighed, looking a little embarrassed.

When he first took office in Xunyang City, he actually had no ambition to mess with Xingzifang, because it would do more harm than good. The existence of this kind of urban slum has its own meaning and operating logic. Forcibly correcting it will only make the problem change its appearance and reappear somewhere else.

But now, Wang Lengran and others boldly touched the forbidden zone, and pushed forward forcefully without hesitation despite the infamy. This just opened up the situation in Xingzifang and left him a good legacy... However, the people of Xingzifang, whose interests had been damaged and suppressed by Wang Lengran and the Governor's Mansion, still needed Ouyang Rong to appear and appease them, and to appear as a "clear official".

However, why does it feel like an unscrupulous government official is playing both the villain and the hero? But now that Xingzifang has reached this point, it naturally cannot retreat, otherwise the loss will be even greater. He had no choice but to reluctantly pick the peach of political achievement that Wang Lengran had longed for...

When Ouyang Rong had a strange and complicated look on his face, Yan Liulang suddenly got into the carriage.

"Ming Fu, the Supervisory Office has released Pei Shisanniang back home."

"What did I tell you to do?"

"As you ordered, I have been staying by her bedside for the past few days. This merchant woman is afraid of me, but she is very honest and doesn't talk nonsense. She is a smart person... I also followed your instructions and returned all her properties that were sealed by the government in front of Ms. Rong. I didn't deduct or bully her."

"Okay." Ouyang Rong said lightly.

"but……"

"But what?"

Yan Liulang gestured outside with his eyes and said, "Mingshou... not long after this merchant woman returned home, she came to me again and wanted to see you."

"Oh?"

Ouyang Rong raised his eyebrows...

Not long after, in the dim alley at dusk, a plump and beautiful woman followed the expressionless Yan Liulang out. She wore a black silk hat, a emerald brocade feather satin cloak, and a low-key black silk long skirt with red edges on the sleeves... Pei Shisanniang, who dressed expensively and elegantly when she hurriedly went out, was brought by Yan Liulang to the carriage in the shadows. She took small steps forward and got into the carriage.

Inside the car, Ouyang Rong, who was resting with his eyes closed, just opened his eyes and before he could open his mouth, a fragrant breeze blew over him.

Pei Shisan Niang dropped her veil and cloak, and with a plop, she knelt on the hard wooden board of the carriage, crawled a few steps on her knees, and suddenly pounced forward and hugged his legs.

"Master, I know I was wrong."

Ouyang Rong leaned back and raised his hands to prove his innocence: "You get up first!"

"I can't stand it. I made a mistake. My master is so kind and generous. Not only did he spare my life, he also gave me my property. I am so grateful and can't repay you. I am willing to be your slave and servant for the rest of my life and be loyal to you..."

This beautiful woman who was so powerful in the Yangzhou Chamber of Commerce actually called herself a slave. She hugged his calves, raised her round face that was dignified and virtuous, which was unique to young women in the south of the Yangtze River, and looked at his handsome face eagerly with crystal eyes:

"I hope the master will accept this humble slave. The master is wise and powerful, like a dragon and a tiger, and is the greatest man in the world. I was stupid and arrogant before, and I didn't know the value of gold and jade. Now I have come to my senses, I am ashamed, and I have repented and changed my ways... My respect for the master is like a surging river..."

Ouyang Rong stared at her silently for a while, pursed his lips, and then spoke seriously:
"If you are willing to help me and do something practical for the people, that's fine, but you have to change the way you address me. Don't call me 'slave' anymore. We have a legitimate relationship between a man and a woman... a cooperative relationship." He corrected seriously.

"Yes, yes, I know." Pei Shisan Niang nodded repeatedly. Seeing that he gave in, her eyes were full of gratitude.

"..."

Ouyang Rong was speechless, but the crisp sound of wooden fish in his ears made him look at her more.

Pei Shisan Niang said timidly, "Slave...I didn't say anything in the Supervisory Office. The master is always acting on behalf of heaven."

"I don't know what you are talking about." Ouyang Rong's face was calm.

Pei Shisan Niang suddenly realized, and a flattering smile appeared on her face: "Yes, Master, I was just talking nonsense."

Her eyes, filled with tears, rolled up as she carefully examined the subtle expression on the young master's lips... Having witnessed the mythical, overwhelming and unrivaled power, the beautiful woman was now completely convinced, and was in awe of the unassuming and frail scholar in front of her.

"Master..." she called weakly.

"Don't call me master." Ouyang Rong was helpless.

"Then... Young Master?"

Ouyang Rong remained silent, as if agreeing.

Pei Shisan Niang immediately changed her tone and called out sweetly, "Young Master~"

She asked quietly, "Does the lady named Rong Zhen have a crush on you? Does she admire you?"

Ouyang Rong's left eyelid twitched, his face expressionless: "What are you talking about? We are just colleagues. If you keep talking nonsense, get out."

He tried to pull his legs away, but failed to kick away the beautiful woman who was holding his legs tightly.

"Okay, just a colleague." She shrank her head and lowered her eyes.

Pei Shisan Niang ignored the deformation and compression of her bulging chest and hugged him tighter with her arms. She put her chin on his knees obediently and looked up at his cold face with admiration:

"Well... you are really amazing, young master. The lady historian from Luoyang who serves the saint is so noble and arrogant, but she obeys your... your colleague's orders..."

Ouyang Rong only felt his right leg sunk into a ball of soft and warm cotton. He tried to move, but the space in the carriage was too small and he couldn't get out.

He had no choice but to turn his head away, pointing to the Xingzifang Street outside, and whispered a few instructions... Pei Shisan Niang agreed one by one. She sat on the ground, tilted her head obediently, as docile as a cat, and pressed her face against the inside of his calf. Her red lips even touched the muddy hem of his clothes. She whispered: "What belongs to me is yours. If you need those pieces of land, I will transfer them to your name tomorrow..."

"I don't need it... Never mind, you should go back first. It's too late. We can talk in detail later."

"Yes, Master... Sir."

Pei Shisan Niang looked reluctant to leave, but she picked up her veil and cloak, put them on, and left obediently.

It was late at night outside. There were no clouds tonight and a full moon was hanging high in the sky.

But this beautiful woman who had regained her life was not afraid at all, and her fear of the moon disappeared. She returned to her luxurious car, told the servants and the driver to go back to the mansion, her face flushed red under her veil, unable to hide her excitement and joy...

In the carriage behind, Ouyang Rong looked at her carriage in silence as it went away. "Is there some kind of Stockholm syndrome?"

The carriage still stank of the scent of the Western spices used by Pei Shisan Niang. He restrained his expression and opened the window to let the smell dissipate. He bent down to pick up the purple gold shawl she had forgotten on the ground and casually stuffed it under the seat.

Looking at this charming and enchanting purple and gold shawl, Ouyang Rong's eyes were as calm as a lake.

Whether it was Stockholm syndrome or acting, it didn’t matter. But the choice of this business woman was very smart.

After being given chicken soup by Yan Liulang and having all her properties returned to her, she should have known that having acquired so much land in Xingzifang, it would be impossible for her to get away with it and leave Xunyang.

Ouyang Rong's action of returning everything was more like a warning.

But he actually just wanted her to cooperate honestly, because she would be needed for the reconstruction of Xingzifang... At most, he would not make money, but he would not let others go bankrupt or drain their blood. Ouyang Rong would not do such a thing.

But Ouyang Rong did not expect that Pei Shisan Niang would kneel down directly and prostrate herself to acknowledge her master. Was she so frightened that she completely surrendered?
Or is this the rule of the game in this era?
Merchants are lambs in front of officials. After the storm, the winner takes all? Pei Shisanniang is actually just following the rules? Especially after seeing his generous move, she directly chose to submit to him and tacitly agreed that since it was not destroyed, it was the spoils of war that the winner had set his eyes on. Did she just accept this?
That's true. I can't resist anyway. Instead of being forced unwillingly, it's better to take the initiative and take advantage of him, the winner.

Moreover, her humble and cooperative attitude of following him was even higher than that of Wang Caozhi, her cheap brother-in-law. This was her own property, and she had completely switched sides to be his white glove.

And as a result, Ouyang Rong felt a little embarrassed that she had suffered a real loss.

"Why do I feel like she's taking advantage of me..."

Ouyang Rong thought for a moment and shook his head. "No matter if she has some ulterior motives or not, it still means the same thing...it's all the same."

His eyes were indifferent, and at this moment, his palm, which was stuffing the purple gold shawl under the seat, touched a long musical instrument case.

Ouyang Rong raised his head, glanced at the rising moon outside the window, and touched the empty sword case through the thin fabric of the purple gold shawl. His eyes flickered slightly.

The blue moon that Pei Shisanniang feared was still at the bottom of Xingzi Lake, because Nanny Song had been guarding the Buddha head and the mourning hall by the lake...

"It's not a good idea to stay in the lake forever. Even though the water is deep enough... I have to find a chance to fish it out." He rubbed his face and muttered.

(End of this chapter)