No, gentlemen also guard against

Chapter 577: The Concerns of the Senior Sisters of the Embroidery School [Please give me a monthly ticket! ] (Change to a more appropriate title)
The river flows eastward, and the night is as dark as ink.

A bright moon slowly rises to the middle of the sky, like a pearl hanging above the inky sky, emitting a soft and clear light.

The moon tonight was particularly round and full, like a jade plate that had just leapt out from the Fairyland, crystal clear and spotless.

I don’t know how many people from all over the world have come to watch it.

On the dust-free river surface washed by the moonlight, an ordinary large merchant ship was sailing quietly.

The boat was brightly lit, and the "Taoshouzhai" business flag was hung on the bow, fluttering in the wind.

On the stern deck, where the bright lights in the cabin could not reach, there was a tall and graceful figure standing. The woman had flaming golden hair and a frost-white sword on her back.

There were several white sturgeons chasing the white water splashing from the stern of the boat.

The candle in the snow did not look at the Lantern Festival moon, but lowered its head, and its pair of blue eyes seemed to be gazing at a Yangtze sturgeon chasing the boat below.

"It is hard to sleep when I miss you. The candles are extinguished and the stars are sinking. I wonder if the eldest sister will also stand until the candles are extinguished and the stars are sinking."

A gentle chuckle was heard from the dark cabin behind him. Xue Zhongzhu did not look back, but his gaze, which had been lost in thought for a long time, moved away from the white sturgeon that was struggling to chase the ship.

Xue Zhongzhu took out a small red jade gourd from the wide sleeves of her Wu dress, and took a sip of wine.

Jingle Bell--

A pair of bare feet tied with red ropes and bells walked out lightly from the cabin.

"Before boarding the ship that night, I took Li Shu to pass by the Shangyuan Lantern Festival in the state capital. I saw this unknown poem on a lantern in the farewell pavilion at the ferry, which was quite interesting."

Yu Nianyuan stopped behind Xue Zhongzhu. She seemed to have just gotten up from bed. She casually put on a large mink fur coat and tied a red ribbon around her slender waist. She said lazily:

"I don't know how much time has passed in the mountains, and it has been half a year in the human world. The various aspects of life in the market and the scholars below the mountain are really interesting. No wonder the third and fourth junior sisters, and the youngest junior sister before she became blind, all liked to run outside."

"The results of it?"

The hoarse voice of the candle in the snow is colder than the river wind, and the strong liquor in the jade gourd is not even warm:

"One was never seen again, one was nowhere to be found and no one had any news from him, and the last one was the stupidest, he didn't even want his eyes."

Yu Nianyuan did not comment, and took the initiative to say:
"We have contacted Li Zhengyan. The people from Xuanwu Camp are chasing us closely. They are also assisted by the female officials of the Supervisory Council and other court lackeys. Wei Shaoqi, Du Shuqing and others entered Hongzhou and took a detour...

"We have to wait for some time... to meet Senior Sister at the agreed place..."

On the stern deck, the howling river breeze at night made the soft voice of the second lady of Yunmeng intermittent.

Only the candle in the snow that is close can hear it.

Yu Nianyuan paused, then said:
"I heard that the situation of the Kuang Fu Army on the southwest front is not optimistic. Qin Jingzhen is indeed powerful, worthy of being a famous general of the Great Zhou and a veteran minister of three dynasties."

"No wonder you're so anxious." Xue Zhongzhu snorted coldly with a blank expression.

Yu Nianyuan narrowed his eyes: "Hurry up, you need our help."

Xue Zhongzhu turned around and glanced at the figure of the second apprentice sister wrapped in fur in the dark:

"What do you think of the Southwest Restoration Army's chances of winning?"

Yu Nianyuan tightened his large mink coat, looked up at the moon, and said:

"On the surface, what suppressed the momentum of the Kuangfu Army was Qin Jingzhen's experienced command and his mastery of military tactics. But the most crucial thing inside... was actually the Xunyang Palace in Jiangzhou, which was firmly located in the rear.

"The banner that the Kuangfu Army raised at the beginning was the former deposed emperor, the current Xunyang Prince Li Xian. As a result, they have been fighting with the Zhou court until now, but have not yet won the Xunyang Palace."

She paused and said in a quiet tone:
“Let alone joining the Kuang Fu Army, even if Prince Xunyang died unexpectedly on the eve of the rebellion, it would be better than him being alive and kicking now, serving as the Jiangnan Pacifier and becoming a banner for the Zhou court to slap the Kuang Fu Army in the face.

"The righteous cause of the Kuangfu Army is to restore Liqian, which is more important than Li Zhengyan's previous victory in conquering cities and territories in the southwest.

"It is better to destroy the heart than to kill the person. Now, the Xunyang Palace has become a weapon for the Empress Wei Zhao to destroy the hearts of the Kuangfu Army. It has seriously diverted the Tianxia Baoqian forces that could have helped the Kuangfu Army, and also made many heroes who dislike Wei and are against Zhou in many places in the world wait and see.

"This move must have been a thorn in Li Zhengyan's side, and it was also the real reason why the situation was not good today.

"In theory, the Kuangfu Army has nothing to fear from a short-term defeat. No matter how powerful Qin Jingzhen is, as long as the righteous cause is there and the southwest is far away, Li Zhengyan can lose many times. However, the Zhou court is corrupt and rigid, and Qin Jingzhen and the court army cannot afford to lose more than a few times.

"Wei Zhao was harsh and cruel, and he murdered loyal people, but it is undeniable that he was far better than the Li clan men of recent generations in terms of political manipulation and imperial mentality.

"I heard that the Great Zhou court has recently given a lot of rewards to the Xunyang Palace in Jiangzhou, and vigorously promoted officials of Xunyang Prince's faction. It is not surprising that Wei Zhao also hinted that he promised Xunyang Prince a chance to leave and return to the capital, so that he would work hard and be loyal."

The candle in the snow frowned and said coldly:

"Li Zhengyan has also fought for Xunyang Palace. I heard that when the uprising started, he sent lobbyists and advisers to persuade them to rebel.

"Li Zhengyan, Wei Shaoqi and others even stayed in Xunyang City for a while, but returned empty-handed. According to their letter, there was an official from Jiangzhou named Ouyang Lianghan who gave advice to the timid Prince of Xunyang and repeatedly ruined important events."

"Ouyang Lianghan?"

Yu Nianyuan recited it softly.

The candle in the snow nodded:
"That's him. The official who is currently giving advice and assisting the female officials of the Supervisory Council and other court lackeys in the entire Jiangnan region to arrest us. I heard that he was once a well-known gentleman."

Yu Nianyuan nodded gently:
"A hypocrite? This guy should be the chief officer of Jiangzhou now. He was also involved in the Buddha project. Even if we don't care about his feud with Li Zhengyan and the others, we still need to pay attention to him next."

"Okay, leave it to you."

Xue Zhongzhu turned around and looked at the waves and white sturgeon stirred up by the stern below, and suddenly said:

"It's the Lantern Festival."

"Ah."

Yu Nianyuan said softly:
"The servants downstairs made some dried rice balls. Senior Sister, please try some. Li Shu likes them very much."

Xue Zhongzhu shook his head slowly and stared at the white sturgeon, not knowing what he was thinking.

Yu Nianyuan lowered his eyes and whispered:

“During the Lantern Festival holiday, the city gates and ferry crossings in Xunyang City should have relaxed their guard.

"Before this, the spies in the city were destroyed by the court's lackeys, so now is a good time to re-arrange them. I sent some new people over.

"However, the female officials of the Supervisory Council are still on high alert. I heard that the ferry crossing at Shuangfengjian is still under their control and blocked. There is also an old woman named Song who is in charge of Xunyang Grottoes all day. The layout of Xunyang City needs to be done slowly. Even if it is restored, it will definitely not be as good as before..."

"It's all right. Second Junior Sister, just watch over it..."

Yu Nianyuan could sense the absent-mindedness in Xue Zhongzhu's tone, and looked up at her tall figure with waist-length blonde hair. At this moment, he heard the voice of the senior sister:

"There's still no news about Junior Sister in Jiangzhou?"

Yu Nianyuan was quiet for a while and shook his head:
"Not yet. But... I still say that the quieter the situation, the safer it is. At least I didn't have a conflict with the female official of the Supervisory Council. I just don't know if she is still in Xunyang City, and why she hasn't returned yet.
"Junior sister is very secretive and hard to be discovered. If she wants to leave, no one should be able to find her..."

"Ah."

The candle in the snow spoke at this time:
"I suddenly remembered something. Is the Red Lotus Sword Seal still on Junior Sister?"

Yu Nianyuan was slightly startled, then nodded: "Yes, I put it there."

The candle in the snow narrowed its eyes:
"That day, we were held back by the man surnamed Song and the female officials of the Overwatch Council. When that little thief Die Lianhua was sacrificing his sword to kill someone, [Craftsman] appeared. Junior Sister's Red Lotus Sword Seal should have been able to sense it."

Yu Nianyuan frowned slightly: "That's right... Wait, what does Senior Sister mean..."

Xue Zhongzhu was silent for a while, frowning as if he was worried about something, and then shook his head:

"It's alright. I was just worried that Junior Sister was foolish enough to chase after this thief without caring about her safety. That would explain why she hasn't returned yet."

Yu Nianyuan's expression suddenly became serious, and he said thoughtfully:

"What Senior Sister said is not impossible..."

The two of them were silent for a while. After a while, Yu Nianyuan let out a sigh and took the lead in comforting:

"As for the details, we are not Junior Sisters, so we cannot be sure. Senior Sister, please do not worry too much. Moreover, with Junior Sister's ability and the Red Lotus Sword Seal that she can sense, the owner of the Butterfly Love Flower may be captured before she can even place the sword. It may be a blessing in disguise..."

"Ah."

Xue Zhongzhu nodded reluctantly and said no more.

Seeing this, Yu Nianyuan said:

"Don't take Fifth Junior Sister's impulsive words seriously, Senior Sister. The sisters in Jianze, including Junior Sister, all respect you very much.

"Besides, we have seen how the eldest sister treats the youngest sister. How could we not know that among the several sisters in the palace, the eldest sister is the most strict with her and cares about her the most..."

"Okay, the more you talk, the more disgusting it becomes."

Xue Zhongzhu interrupted, saying impatiently:
"I am not sentimental..."

After she finished speaking coldly, she kept a straight face and remained silent for a long time, her blue eyes looking down at the waves below:
"It's just... I happened to see a few rare white sturgeons. This is the most nutritious thing. It can replenish qi and nourish deficiency, activate blood circulation and relieve stranguria. Ancient books say that it benefits the five internal organs and makes people fat and beautiful... It's just right for replenishing qi and blood for my junior sister. She is too thin and weak."

Yu Nianyuan pressed the corners of his lips and nodded:

"Okay, okay, it's just a coincidence."

After a pause, she also sighed:

"Come to think of it, Junior Sister should be spending the Lantern Festival alone tonight. I don't know where she is. She must be very lonely. We always accompanied her in the past..."

"I'm sleepy." Xue Zhongzhu waved his sleeves, frowned, turned around and returned to the cabin.

Yu Nianyuan walked forward to where the eldest sister had been standing, glanced at the white shadows rising and falling in the white waves below, gently patted the railing with his palm, and returned to the cabin leisurely, muttering to himself: "That Mr. Wei is coming too, so let's take two."

As soon as the two women left, a three-legged bird shot out from the dark night like a sharp arrow, skimmed across the water, and drew a perfect arc.

The three claws of this strange bird held two Yangtze sturgeons, which it dropped when it flew over a merchant ship.

"Bang bang—"

On the deck, two plump and juicy white sturgeons jumped a few times helplessly.

……

Ouyang Rong found that the embroiderer seemed very happy tonight.

The carriage they were riding in was driving on Xingzifang Street, which was still bustling in the early morning, and there was a prosperous scene outside the carriage.

In fact, at the beginning, when Ouyang Rong took Zhao Qingxiu's hand and went out, the latter's expression revealed to him that she was a little scared.

The girl with her eyes covered with a sky-blue ribbon is used to hiding in a corner where no one notices her and being alone.

However, Ouyang Rong held her hand considerately, and even used this as an excuse to sit next to her, with his body pressed against hers.

As if feeling Ouyang Rong's body which was as warm as a furnace, Zhao Qingxiu's nervous mood eased a little.

Later, after entering the bustling market, the sounds of fireworks, songs, and hawking were heard. When passing by several street stalls, Ouyang Rong took out money, bought a string of candied haws and a rattle through the window, and stuffed them into Zhao Qingxiu's hands.

Holding a candied haws in one hand and a rattle in the other, her little face, with her eyes covered by a ribbon, froze for a moment.

Ouyang Rong lowered his head and took a small bite of the candied haws. He said in a slurred voice, "If you don't eat it, I'll eat it all."

Zhao Qingxiu quickly lowered her head and began to take small bites of the candied haws.

Ouyang Rong quietly spat the candied haws in his mouth into his hand and threw it at his feet. He almost vomited when he tasted the sweetness.

Seemingly influenced by the festive atmosphere around her, but most importantly... with someone by her side, Zhao Qingxiu gradually lost her fear and became cheerful.

He made a lot more babbling sounds and was full of curiosity about the outside world.

Ouyang Rong rarely saw her lively side.

Sure enough, no one doesn’t like to go out and play. Well, if it weren’t for loneliness and boredom, who would like to stay alone in a dark corner every day, "twisting, crawling, rotting and stinking"?
The most important thing is who you are with. It would be boring if you are alone.

As the carriage was bumpy, Ouyang Rong felt the touch of the embroiderer's shoulder touching his several times. At one point, the bumps were so big that Ouyang Rong even reached out to support the round shoulders of the girl who was blindfolded with a sky-blue ribbon.

His hand still rested on Zhao Qingxiu's shoulder, with a concerned look on his face: "Are you okay?"

"Ah."

Zhao Qingxiu shook her little head, then slowly turned her head and looked at the extra hand on her shoulder.

But before she could say anything, she found that the man next to her let go of her hand very gentlemanly.

Zhao Qingxiu buried her little head.

Ouyang Rong sat upright throughout the whole process.

With the carriage shaking uncontrollably, her frail little body would bump into his arms from time to time.

Ouyang Rong looked at the curtain in front of him and secretly gave a thumbs up to Ali who was driving the carriage outside.

After a stick of incense, Ouyang Rong opened the curtain of the car and saw a familiar street approaching.

He couldn't help rubbing his face, sighing, and muttering to himself: "Hey, now I'm here,"

Ouyang Rong actually didn't plan to come here specially, but Ali drove in this direction.

"Stop on the street, Ali."

"Yes, son."

Ouyang Rong fished out his old partner, a folding fan, from under his seat, turned to the ignorant girl who was looking around, and gently instructed:
"Miss Xiu Niang, please wait in the car and don't move. I'll go out and line up... I'll be back soon, uh, before you finish eating your candied haws."

"Ah ah gulp." Zhao Qingxiu immediately put down the candied haws and stopped eating it, grabbing his sleeve with her little hands.

"What, you want to come too? Well, it's not impossible, but you still have to wait for me outside the corridor for a while. There are so many people and it's noisy over there. Are you sure you're not afraid standing there?" He said with an embarrassed look on his face.

Zhao Qingxiu opened her mouth and bit the remaining half of the candied haws between her white teeth. She freed her hands, grabbed Ouyang Rong's palm, and wrote on it with her index finger, her little face focused and serious:
【I am more afraid of being alone. 】

Ouyang Rong felt an itch in his palms, and shrugged helplessly: "Okay, wait a moment... Here, take this green bamboo stick."

Ouyang Rong took out a jade bamboo stick from under his seat and handed it to Zhao Qingxiu.

This green bamboo stick was newly made by him, and was similar in style to the one he had given to Ms. Rong before.

As if she was a little curious, Ouyang Rong repeatedly took out small toys from under the seat. The girl with her eyes blindfolded with a sky-blue ribbon lowered her head blankly and "looked" down.

"Ahem, let's go and stop looking."

Ouyang Rong hurriedly pulled her away and unloaded the carriage.

Glancing at the riddle corridor in front of him, he walked forward with a slightly embarrassed look on his face and started queuing up.

Anyway, I have come here twice, so this time won’t make a difference. I can’t waste the extra money I gave, right?

Three taels of silver were enough for his half-month salary.

Thinking of this, someone couldn't help but feel justified, and didn't even bother to fan himself with his folding fan, so he stuffed it back into his sleeve. But Zhao Qingxiu reached into his sleeve, took out the folding fan, opened it, and fanned him earnestly, like a caring little follower.

Outside the lantern riddle corridor, the familiar figure of the handsome young man with a folding fan and his beautiful wife were seen again. The grandfather and grandson who were selling tickets were both slightly shocked.

The atmosphere was quiet for a moment. The grandfather and grandson were in perfect sync. They turned their heads almost immediately and looked at the blindfolded pretty girl holding Ouyang Rong's sleeve. Their eyes were very complicated...

(End of this chapter)