No, gentlemen also guard against

Chapter 587 The mysterious sword energy from the underground palace murals! [Please give me a monthly ticket!]

"The cleaning ladies arranged by Xunyang Palace come to clean every half a decade. They are responsible for not only maintaining the inner residence of the Su Mansion, but also this Meilu Garden.

"However, the Meilin Courtyard in Meilu Garden where you lived is under the personal care of Miss Aqing. She does not allow the housekeeping lady to touch it. She comes here every three days. I have given her a key so that she does not have to go to the lobby of Longcheng to get the key every time.

"Hey, why did the grape trellis in this garden fall down? No one took care of it over the winter, and it became like this when the wind and snow blew. It even blocked the path. Those women who cleaned the garden are really...

"Mingfu, please go this way. Don't take this path yet. Wait for them to clean it up. If we want to go to Meilin Courtyard, we can go this way..."

Inside Meilu Garden, on a corridor slightly covered with dust and fallen leaves.

Magistrate Diao was stuck in the middle of his words because Ouyang Rong, who was following behind him in a casual Confucian robe, had already passed him.

Ouyang Rong quietly put his hands behind his back and walked straight in a certain direction, as if he was familiar with the route.

"That's right. After all, you have lived here for so long, so you must be more familiar with it than I am. Haha..."

Magistrate Diao scratched his pointed head, which was covered with a few white hairs by his official hat, and smiled awkwardly, still smelling of alcohol.

Ouyang Rong smiled slightly.

It was afternoon, and the sunlight filtered through the gaps between the wooden vines on the corridor, falling sporadically at the feet of the two.

The midday wind rustled the leaves.

The slight drunkenness also made me sober up a lot.

Ouyang Rong and County Magistrate Diao had just returned from Yuanming Restaurant in the downtown area.

Yesterday, Li Dalang, as the deputy governor of Jiangzhou, launched a tour of inspection in several counties and appeased the officials and the people.

After Ouyang Rong went to Xunyang Grottoes to give instructions to Rong Zhen and Wang Cao, he followed them out of the city in a low-key manner.

He promised Ms. Rong that he would return to Xunyang City within three days. After all, he was still the governor and had important things to do. For the sake of Prince Xunyang's face, it was enough for everyone to escort the ambitious prince for a while.

The carriage of Prince Xunyang and Deputy Governor of Jiangzhou Li Fusu arrived at Penglang Ferry in Longcheng County in the morning.

Magistrate Diao led a group of officials from Longcheng government to the dock to receive them. Then, with the warm welcome from the local elders, they moved to Yuanming Restaurant to welcome them.

Ouyang Rong was rather low-key and didn't even wear his official uniform. After just a few drinks, he left Li Dalang alone on the grounds that he couldn't hold his liquor, leaving him to deal with the enthusiastic officials, civilians and fellow villagers all alone.

Ouyang Rong returned to Meilu Garden with the enthusiastic company of County Magistrate Diao.

On the corridor, Magistrate Diao, who was following behind, looked back.

The attendant of Ming Mansion named Ali was following them quietly not far behind, holding a long musical instrument case in his arms, carrying a cloth bag and a cake box in his hands.

Magistrate Diao blinked his eyes, took small steps forward, approached Ouyang Rong, and whispered apologetically:

"Mingfu, I have been too busy these days. The prefecture and the lady historian of the Supervisory Council have frequently issued orders to arrest traitors. I haven't had time to celebrate your promotion to the Xiuwen Academy and the governor of Jiangzhou. I should have taken the time to go to Xunyang City to report to you... Congratulations, Mingfu, congratulations, Mingfu."

Ouyang Rong glanced at Magistrate Diao's proud and happy face.

"He is just an acting governor. His main job is still the Sima of Jiangzhou. As for the Xiuwen Academy, I have not been there yet. Who knows what the situation is there?"

"Mingfu is too modest!"

County Magistrate Diao wanted to say more, but the two of them had already arrived at the Meilin Courtyard.

Ouyang Rong walked quickly forward, took out the key and opened the gate.

The golden afternoon sunlight fell on the bluestone slabs in the yard.

A swing swayed in the wind.

I haven't been here for a long time, and the Merlin Courtyard seems to have not changed, only the smell is a little stale.

It was early spring, and the yard was dotted with green leaves poking out of the soil.

In addition, the plum forest behind the courtyard, which connects to Li Guoer's boudoir in the back house of the neighboring Su Mansion, is in full bloom in January and February.

The jade branches have sparse shadows, the mossy branches are adorned with jade, and there are small green birds sleeping on the branches.

A lively atmosphere of early spring blows over.

When Ouyang Rong walked into the courtyard, his eyes were immediately caught by a plate of orchid buds on the windowsill of the study.

He stepped forward.

Magistrate Diao did not notice anything unusual and followed Ouyang Rong into the yard, still chattering away with saliva flying everywhere:
"Mingsir, houses are meant to be lived in. Even if they are newly built and magnificent, once no one lives there, the walls and tiles will easily collapse and the houses will become dilapidated and outdated in a few years.

"On the other hand, some poor old houses are often occupied and remain new over time, without collapsing... The older generation is superstitious and says that people support houses, and the bigger the house, the more it needs the smell and energy of people to support it...

"So, it's still Miss Qing who cares about us. She comes every three days to clean up and ventilate the place. Occasionally, we see her taking a nap in the yard...

"Hmm, what is Mr. Ming looking at? Miss Qing should be watering the orchid."

In front of the window, Ouyang Rong looked down at the plate of orchid buds about to bloom.

This is also an old friend.

I remember that it was first given to him by Ailan’s junior sister. Later, Ouyang Rong was obsessed with going to the Pure Land Palace to exchange for the "Return" blessing and leave. On that day, he quietly said goodbye to everyone, and before leaving, he talked to himself in front of the plate of orchids.

What a great day it was last year. In this door, the faces of the people were as red as the peach blossoms.

"This flower is delicate, so you need to water it dry but not too dry, moist but not too wet, and it needs to be well ventilated and exposed to the sun, and you need to change the pot frequently.

"When Junior Sister asked me to take care of it, I was quite troubled. Later, when I went to Xunyang City, I forgot to take the flower with me... Ah Qing really has a lot of heart to take care of it so well and to raise it to the point where it is about to bloom."

Ouyang Rong's face was filled with emotion.

Magistrate Diao smiled and was about to speak when a shout came from outside the courtyard gate:

"Brother."

Ouyang Rong looked back.

A graceful young girl was standing at the gate of the courtyard, with an upright figure, slender like a willow, and a pair of big black eyes that were lively and beautiful.

She seemed to be in a hurry, with a few strands of hair falling in front of her fair forehead and her little mouth slightly panting.

Facing the gazes of Ouyang Rong, Magistrate Diao, and Ali, the slender girl placed her hands in front of her abdomen, holding a sewing bag, and lowered her head slightly.

"Ah Qing, long time no see."

Ouyang Rong smiled as if in spring breeze and stepped forward to greet him.

Ah Qing had already raised his head, jumped down three steps in one step, and ran lightly into the yard.

After not seeing each other for a long time, Ah Qing no longer has the thin body caused by malnutrition. His black hair has replaced the yellow hair that used to hang down his temples. Although his skin is not white, it is a healthy wheat color.

Girls always mature early, and during puberty, when their bodies grow rapidly, they look different every year.

"Brother..."

She was quite excited and happy. Just as she was about to speak, she paused after calling out the name. Her dark eyes turned to Magistrate Diao and Ali who were standing beside her.

After seeing this, the two of them immediately left the yard as if nothing had happened.

The two who called each other brother and sister were left behind.

"Brother, why didn't you tell me that you came so suddenly? I heard about it from my sister-in-law. She happened to be passing by Yuanming Restaurant."

Ah Qing's tone was a little complaining.

Ouyang Rong coughed: "It was also a last-minute decision. By the way, what is Ah Qing doing here?"

He took a look at Ah Qing's outfit and the sewing kit in her hand.

Ah Qing smiled generously and said:
"I was at the Gu Yue Sword Shop on the west coast this morning. Brother, do you remember the sword tassel workshop? I was teaching the new female workers how to weave sword tassels there..."

Ouyang Rong listened silently for a while.

After the fall of the Liu family, the Gu Yue Sword Shop returned to the government of Longcheng, including the Jian Sui Workshop.

However, this time, the Gu Yue Sword Shop is no longer the only one on the west bank of Butterfly Creek. Other swordsmiths and wealthy merchants are allowed to forge swords and jointly promote the prosperity of the sword-making industry in Longcheng County.

As a result, many private sword shops with different names have gradually opened up on the west coast, and these sword shops need Ah Qing's workshop to produce sword tassels.

Because of her cleverness and the fact that she was the younger sister of Liu Ashan, a martyr who martyred flood control in Longcheng, Ah Qing was rehired by the government-run Jiansui Workshop and became a respected craftswoman, teaching the new female workers the craft of weaving Jiansui. This position paid well, the treatment was good, and most importantly, Ah Qing seemed to be very happy doing it.

Ouyang Rong smiled.

"Brother, do you have any plans tonight? How about we go back to Sanhuiyuan for dinner together?"

Ouyang Rong nodded calmly: "Okay, but I have to leave tomorrow."

Ah Qing looked slightly disappointed, but soon cheered up again, and walked around Ouyang Rong lively, saying happily:

"Brother, official duties are more important. I heard from Lord Diao that brother is now the most important official in Jiangzhou, and the prince must treat him with courtesy when he sees him..."

Ouyang Rong smiled but said nothing.

Ah Qing suddenly pulled at the hem of his scholar's shirt and looked down carefully:
"It seems to be too big for you. Have you lost weight? This piece of clothing I made last year is too big for you."

"Well, that's how clothes are. The more you wear them, the bigger they get. And the bigger they are, the more comfortable they are."

"No, my brother often appears in public, so he needs to look respectable, and his clothes must fit him."

After saying this, without giving him time to retort, Ah Qing immediately squatted down, deftly opened the sewing kit, took out the tools, and said in a serious tone:

"Let me measure you, brother."

"Ah? How do I measure it?"

She turned her eyes away slightly, "Brother, open your arms."

"Oh." Ouyang Rong subconsciously spread his arms.

Ah Qing took a small step forward, entered his arms, stood on tiptoes, and hugged him.

Ouyang Rong also didn't understand the process of these tailors making clothes, so he could only let her do it. However, he always felt that Ah Qing was a little slow this time.

Hug for a long time.

"Is A-Qing okay?"

"Uh-huh."

The girl finally slowly measured out.

The two separated.

The little girl squatted down and quietly put away her sewing kit. She didn't know if it was because of the strong sun above her head, but the earlobe on her neck seemed to be congested under the sunlight, like a red agate shining through the sun.

The two also talked about Liu's mother's health.

At this time, Ah Qing's eyes fell on the orchid on the windowsill, and he smiled and said:

"Brother, you are so considerate. Let it ventilate and get some sunlight. The last time I came, it was a rainy day, so I closed the doors and windows.

"I came here today and was just about to open it, but my brother got there first."

Ouyang Rong was stunned for a moment:

"It was like this when I came here, the window was open, wasn't it you who opened it?"

Ah Qing was stunned and shook his head: "I didn't, I thought it was opened by my brother."

Ouyang Rong frowned and said nothing.

"Could it be that some other cleaning lady came in to clean?"

Ah Qing lowered his head and counted the days with his fingers:

"They come here once every half a decade. The most recent visit was the day before yesterday. However, they don't have the key to the Plum Forest Courtyard, only the key to the main gate of the Plum Deer Garden."

As he spoke, Ah Qing pulled out a set of keys from his sleeve and looked at them in confusion.

"Could it be that they climbed over the wall to get in? They saw Lanhua staying indoors and opened the windows to ventilate..."

Ouyang Rong remained silent and glanced at the orchid bud on the windowsill.

If not them, then who would it be?

Could it be the Junior Sister? Impossible, the Junior Sister has always been in Xunyang City, and so have the Xunyang King's family.

But apart from them, who else is familiar with his yard?
Moreover, only Ouyang Rong and Ah Qing have the key to the Meilin Courtyard, and everyone else can only climb over the wall.

If it was a stranger or an enemy who came to search the front wall, it could be explained, but why did they search for no reason and leave the orchids he raised ventilated and exposed to the sun?

Could it be that the enemy happens to be an Ailan?
This is a bit ridiculous.

Moreover, Ah Qing comes once every three days, and the last time he came was three days ago. This means that the person who opens the windowsill and helps ventilate the orchids does not stay in the Meilin courtyard for more than three days.

Ouyang Rong was deep in thought.

Ah Qing looked at the soil of the orchid curiously and said:
"I've already watered it. You don't need to water it again today."

Ouyang Rong nodded gently and said, "I didn't water the water either. The person who watered the water should be the same person who opened the window."

Without waiting for Ah Qing to say anything, he suddenly turned to Ah Qing and asked:
"Has that blonde lady ever come to see you again?"

"No."

Ah Qing shook his head.

Ouyang Rong nodded slowly and walked into the house with Ah Qing.

Before entering the house, he turned around and looked at the key in Ah Qing's hand.

Ouyang Rong suddenly remembered that he had indeed given the key to the Merlin Courtyard to an "outsider" out of kindness, but he later returned it.

……

night.

Dagu Mountain, Donglin Temple.

In the backyard of Beitian Nursing Home, next to a dry well.

A slender figure appeared again.

He had a long sword on his waist and was carrying a cake box in his hand. He walked to the well, grabbed the rope skillfully, and slid into the well.

After meeting Ah Qing in the afternoon, Ouyang Rong went back to Sanhuiyuan with her to visit Liu's mother.

We had dinner at Sanhuiyuan and also stayed overnight at Donglin Temple.

In the middle of the night, the old night owl Ouyang Rong got up quietly without waking up the girls in Sanhuiyuan, and rushed to the Pure Land Palace, which was also the real purpose of this trip.

The toes just touched the floor of the Pure Land Palace.

"Donor, there is hell above..."

A young monk with a dull and lonely look in his eyes immediately got up from the ground, his grey monk robe dirty, and walked forward with his palm raised.

But the next moment, he was stuck in his words, because an opened box of fragrant cakes was hooked by someone's two fingers and dangling in the air... The dirty monk stared at the cake box and swallowed.

"If I brought sweet-scented osmanthus cake from the hell, I wonder how the master would respond?" Ouyang Rong asked seriously.

Xiuzhen calmed down, held the food box in her arms, and walked to the side blankly. She reached her dirty black hands into the box, picked up the pastries, put them into her mouth, tasted the sweetness, and grinned foolishly.

Ouyang Rong also smiled and drew out the moonlight sword from his waist.

His face calmed down, and he picked up a night-shining pearl relic in his other hand and walked step by step towards the wall where the Buddha's previous life was depicted.

When Master Zhong Ma was trapped in the underground palace, he left the Hanshi sword technique "Returning" on the wall of the underground palace before he was suffocated to death by the thick smoke.

At that time, there was a fire in the Lotus Tower above the underground palace. The temperature in the underground palace was scorching hot and thick smoke was billowing. How did Master Zhong Ma quickly carve a sword formula on the wall?
The most likely possibility is the Ding sword forged by the Mad Emperor that was stolen by Master Zhong Ma.

When the four-character stone carving of "Return Home" under the lotus stone pedestal was activated, it and the stone carving of "Return Home" on the wall emitted a hazy moonlight. If I'm not mistaken, it was the sword energy of this mysterious Ding Sword!

Ouyang Rong glanced at the night pearl relic in his hand. The light it emitted under the moonlight was exactly the same as the moonlight sword energy on the wall!

(End of this chapter)