No, gentlemen also guard against

Chapter 739: The Gift of Rong Zhen, the Embrace of Qing Xiu [Ask for monthly tickets at the beginning of the month! ]

A convoy escorted by female officials from the Supervisory Council and Jiangzhou police chiefs was passing through the west gate of Xunyang City and heading towards Shuangfengjian along the official road.

Along the way, you can see many horse-drawn carriages heading towards Shuangfeng Peak.

Ouyang Rong frowned slightly and was lifting a corner of the curtain, looking outside.

At this moment, he smelled the fragrance of oil. He withdrew his gaze from the window and immediately saw the lady historian who had been sitting opposite him with a serious look, taking out a ball of oil paper wrapped sesame cakes from her purple silk sleeves. There were two cakes, but they were wrapped in a piece of oil paper.

She tore open the oil paper, slightly opened her lips, and took a bite of the greasy round cake with her white teeth under her red lips. Even though she bit it very lightly, the sound was unavoidable.

Ouyang Rong was stunned.

Rong Zhen ignored him, lowered his head, and ate the cake in small bites.

After a while, she swallowed with a slightly bulging Adam's apple and asked coldly:

"There's one more piece. I can't eat it. Have you had breakfast?"

Perhaps because Ouyang Rong's eyes were too blunt, the girl in palace dress turned her head slightly and pouted:
"I heard your stomach growling. I saw you went to the palace so early in the morning without changing into formal clothes... But you have to wait until I finish eating, but I eat a little slowly.

"It's useless for you to watch. This is how fast I eat. It's a habit I've developed in the palace over the years. I eat very fine food..."

Before Rong Zhen finished speaking, he discovered that the extra piece of cake in the oil paper in his hand had disappeared.

When she looked up, she saw Ouyang Rong reaching out and grabbing it without even bothering with the greasy stains, and without waiting for her to finish eating before wrapping it in oil paper.

"you……"

Rong Zhen stared at him with her almond-shaped eyes.

The sesame cake was indeed very hot. Ouyang Rong switched his left and right hands to squeeze it, and ignored the murderous look in the lady historian's eyes. He took a big bite and started to eat it with relish.

Ouyang Rong's cheeks puffed up and he said incoherently:

"Well... I am indeed hungry... Thank you very much, Ms. Rong."

He swallowed a mouthful of meat and said with a smile:

"It's okay. I'm just a vulgar person, and I don't eat very fine food...

"This cake was bought from the breakfast shop in front of the Overwatch Council where we often eat. Ms. Rong really likes to patronize his business."

Rong Zhen frowned and looked at him for a while, then admonished:
"Can you please not eat so roughly? Although you were born in a poor family in Luling, you are now a scholar in Xiuwen Academy and a governor of a state. What if you go to the capital in the future? Will you eat like this at the banquet given by His Majesty?"

Ouyang Rong shrugged, took a bite of the biscuit, and said calmly:

“That’s not the case. I know that you should eat what you like, but you should eat these sesame cakes bought from street stalls in big mouthfuls. Ms. Rong’s way of eating them is a bit unusual.

"But think about it, it is true. Ms. Rong must have had a good upbringing. She was born into a wealthy or noble family. Not only did she develop the habits in the palace, but she was also influenced by the upbringing she saw and heard since she was a child. You can tell at a glance that she is different from the girls of ordinary families."

Rong Zhen didn't respond to the topic. He looked at him for a while and continued to eat the cake with his head down.

Ouyang Rong quickly finished the sesame cake and clapped his hands, saying:
"Speaking of which, Ms. Rong seems to like talking to me about returning to the capital in the future, but it's still too early to do that. We can't just go back whenever we want.

"In the capital of gods, at the feet of the emperor, official positions are very limited. Even if you are lucky enough to squeeze in, like the scholar of Xiuwenguan, it is just a low-paying government office with low salary. The prices in the capital are also hard to afford. It is not easy to live in a big city.

"Ms. Rong is a female official and can live in the palace, but I am just a civil servant, I can't live in the palace."

Ouyang Rong's words were just a joke, but Rong Zhen seemed to think seriously about it and said:
"No matter what, you have to return to the capital. Just based on your current contribution, His Majesty will certainly not treat you unfairly. What if he grants you a house or marriage? And..."

"And what?"

Rong Zhen looked straight ahead and said to the side:
"Besides, with me here, at least I can say a few words for you in front of His Majesty. I can't say that I can help you rise to prominence, but what is yours will definitely be yours. No one can take away your credit, and no one can suppress you."

She said with certainty.

No matter what, no matter whether out of friendship or any other relationship, everyone felt warm in their heart after hearing these words, and Ouyang Rong was no exception.

He was quiet for a moment, and clasped his fists vigorously:
"Thank you, Ms. Rong, for your support, but...if it is not necessary, it is better not to do this. Let it be what it is. To put it bluntly, if we do this, what is the difference between us and those who use the back door to squeeze out others' deserved quotas?"

Rong Zhen asked back in a crisp voice:

"But if there is no one above you, what will you do if others squeeze you out? If you don't fight for it, you will become a stepping stone for others, just like Lin Cheng did in the past."

Ouyang Rong was speechless, as if he didn't want to bring up this topic anymore.

Rong Zhen stared at his gentle smiling face and said bluntly:
"Ouyang Lianghan, I have said it many times, you are different from them, you are a good person, a capable minister, a good official who benefits the country and the people, you are a blessing to the country and the people of Jiangnan, but you should not be limited to Jiangnan, the world is big, and the Zhou is also big, and your talents are needed.

"I used to look down on people who use connections to speak well of the saint, but since it exists and cannot be stopped, why not give it to you instead of giving it to those inbred, wealthy and wealthy people? It's the right place for the capable."

Ouyang Rong asked softly, "Ms. Rong is a little extreme."

Rong Zhen looked stern, lowered his head, swallowed the last bite of the cake, and asked:

"I want to ask you, if you have the chance, would you like to return to Beijing and go to the real big stage in the capital?"

Ouyang Rong was helpless: "Why did Madam Shi suddenly bring this up?"

Rong Zhen's eyes did not move away. He did not change the subject. He looked at him for a while and continued to ask:
"Ouyang Lianghan, has the Xunyang Palace already promised you something? So you are considered to have someone above you, and you don't think highly of me?"

Ouyang Rong looked somewhat embarrassed and said:

"Speaking of which, let's just sit back and eat some cake. Can you please not talk so nakedly?"

Rong Zhen said categorically:

"No, let's not talk like this. You always like to play dumb."

As soon as she finished speaking, she saw Ouyang Rong suddenly smile.

"why are you laughing?"

Ouyang pointed at her lips, and Rong Zhen subconsciously put his finger next to her lips:
"Ms. Rong has a little habit. I wonder if she knows it herself."

"What……"

Rong Zhen paused, silently loosened his lips from sucking his finger, withdrew his crystal clear and wet index finger, and reached into his sleeve to get a handkerchief to wipe it.

Having just finished eating the sesame cake, she habitually put her oily index finger between her lips, a habit she developed when drinking soup as a child.

Rong Zhen snorted coldly: "What are you looking at? I am frugal."

Ouyang Rong nodded and raised his hand as if he was going to lick his fingers.

Rong Zhen turned his head instantly and glared at him.

Ouyang Rong then stopped joking and said seriously:
"Ms. Rong said that I like to play dumb, but I think Ms. Rong is the one who likes to play dumb the most."

Rong Zhen's pretty eyebrows knitted together: "Why am I pretending to be confused?"

Ouyang Rong lifted the curtain and glanced outside, as if to see where the carriage had arrived, but saw that it had not yet reached its destination, Shuangfengjian.

He retracted his gaze and spoke in a calm tone, but went straight to the point:

"Well, I'll speak more nakedly.

"Ms. Rong has been keeping the matter of the defense of Xunyang Grottoes secret.

“Although the Donglin Buddha was built by me and the Jiangzhou government, Ms. Rong has been avoiding me about the Buddha head that was transported by the Imperial Astronomical Observatory and the other uses of the Buddha after it was built.

"If it happened once or twice, it would be fine, but today, the Buddha has been completed for a long time, and we are facing a powerful enemy. I have to come to the grotto to help guard it, but you didn't let me know. It's too unreasonable."

He added:
"You can't hide the matter of the Big Buddha from others. It's a very simple truth. If the Big Buddha is really just a simple Buddha statue, why did Yunmeng Jianze and Tiannan Jianghu stop it?"

Rong Zhen got angry when she heard his questioning tone. She subconsciously puffed out her chest under her palace dress and asked back:

"Ouyang Lianghan, why have I kept this secret from you until now? Don't you know the reason? "The matter of the Donglin Buddha is related to the Great Zhou Songde Center in Luoyang. It is the top secret of the Si Tianjian. Not to mention local officials like you, even the dignitaries in the Luoyang Center know about it. Only a handful of people know about it. And they have to have the trust and favor of your majesty... If anyone leaks the secret without confidentiality investigation and reporting, the King of Wei and the Great Sima will be held accountable."

Rong Zhen became more and more angry as he spoke, and stared at him with squinted eyes:
"Ouyang Lianghan, didn't I fight for you? How dare you blame me for keeping it a secret?"

After hearing this, Ouyang Rong thought about the incident with the embroiderer and felt that he was in the wrong. However, since it was a negotiation, he could not show weakness. He understood this principle, so he said calmly:

"Oh, that was before. Now the situation is critical and we have to make decisions based on our discretion.

"Since Ms. Rong has asked me to come here to give advice and assist the Buddha, you should explain it clearly. At least let me know the current strength of our enemy."

After a pause, Ouyang Rong asked with a dignified and upright tone:
"For example, do we have any corresponding methods to deal with the owner of Dielianhua and Xuezhongzhu?"

After Ouyang Rong finished speaking, the carriage was silent for a while, with only the bumpy and rolling sound of the wheels.

Rong Zhen was quiet for a moment, slowly turned her head and stared at Ouyang Rong for a while. The latter did not even blink under her gaze.

After a while, Rong Zhen nodded reluctantly, as if he had figured something out.
"That's fine. I'll guarantee this for you. You can tell me today."

When Ouyang Rong heard this, for some reason, he felt a little guilty.

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But on second thought, he is a ally this time, not the owner of Butterfly Love Flower, so what is there to feel guilty about... Well, it must be that Lao Liu has taken on too many roles, and he has the aftereffects.

Ouyang Rong had a face with thick eyebrows and big eyes, showing an expression of listening attentively:
"You speak."

Rong Zhen shook his head and said:

"But this is not a place for confidential discussions. Let's go to the main grotto on the north bank later. I will take you to visit the Buddha and explain while we watch."

Ouyang Rong frowned and asked, "I am very familiar with the Buddha. Do I need to visit it?"

She suddenly asked, "Where is the golden Buddha head? Are you familiar with it?"

Ouyang Rong paused.

Rong Zhen lowered his eyes and said:
"The Buddha body you built is just a shell. The real mystery of the Donglin Buddha lies in the Buddha head. However, the Buddha body is necessary. The more majestic and towering it is, the better. It will last longer because it needs to collect the incense and aroma of Buddhist believers. It also involves the consideration of Feng Shui..."

Hearing the word "formation", Ouyang Rong showed no surprise and asked directly:

"So, the Donglin Buddha is actually a large formation? The Buddha head is the core?"

Rong Zhen nodded, then shook his head
Although he had just said that he would introduce it during the tour, he did not refuse Ouyang Rong's curious question.

"Yes and no. To be precise, it is part of a top-secret formation. The scope of this top-secret formation is very wide, far beyond your imagination. The saint values ​​its role so much that he has strongly promoted the construction of Tianshu and the four-sided Buddha statues... Anyway, you will know when you go to see it later. It is difficult to explain it here."

After a brief question and answer session between the two.

The carriage arrived at Shuangfeng Peak and stopped on the official road outside.

Inside the carriage, Ouyang Rong put away his thoughtful expression and got off with Rong Zhen.

There were many carriages parked on the official road, and many people were waiting outside. They were all civilians who were originally preparing to attend the celebration ceremony. However, at this moment, Shuangfengjian seemed to have received the latest order and did not let them in, but temporarily blocked them outside.

The female officials and soldiers guarding the entrance, upon seeing Ouyang Rong and Rong Zhen's carriage arrive, immediately pushed through the crowd and stepped forward to greet them.

One of the leading young generals in white armor clasped his fists and asked Ouyang Rong and Rong Zhen:
"Lady Historian, Lord Governor, Commander Yi wants to ask you two, given the current situation, the pirates may come at any time, should we still hold the celebration ceremony as planned? Should we send these invited spectators home first?"

Rong Zhen turned and looked at Ouyang Rong.

The latter pondered for a moment:
"Don't move, put down your weapons, and don't scare anyone. I'll take care of this."

Rong Zhen nodded slightly.

"Yes, Your Excellency the Governor."

The young general in white armor clasped his fists and retreated.

Ouyang Rong turned around and said seriously:

"Ms. Rong, let's go to the main cave later. According to what we just discussed, the two most likely attack plans for this group of pirates are to land at Shuangfengjian Ferry, seize the dock, and control the southern bank of Shuangfengjian where we are now...

"We must prepare in advance. You must immediately gather a group of soldiers and go to block the Shuangfengjian Ferry. Leave someone to guard it. If a pirate fleet approaches, you can burn the ferry depending on the situation to prevent them from landing on a large scale.

"As for another attack plan... we can try to block the Shuangfengjian waterway with iron chains. From now on, no ships will be allowed to pass through the Shuangfengjian waterway...

"If we don't have time to arrange it or can't find the iron chain, then we can try another method. I remember that the Xuanwu Guard has a batch of small boats. You can have the Xuanwu Guard fill the small boats with fodder and oil barrels, place them on the Shuangfengjian waterway, and use fire attacks to disrupt the attack..."

Ouyang Rong gave the order calmly. Rong Zhen looked at him who was arranging every detail, approved with his eyes, and nodded slightly.

"Okay, I'll take someone over there to take a look. You take care of this first."

"Well, be careful."

Rong Zhen's expression softened a bit when he heard that, although he still waved his hand impatiently at Ouyang Rong's back.

Halfway through the walk, she stopped and said with her head tilted:

"By the way, do you still remember the gift I mentioned before? It's for you."

Ouyang Rong, who was about to turn around, paused, thought for a moment, and nodded:

"Remember, I asked you once before when the Buddha was completed, but to no avail. I thought Ms. Rong had forgotten."

"I haven't forgotten. I never break my promise."

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is, I will give you the gift today. When I come back, I will take you to the main cave to explain the defense. Then I will take you to see the gift... With your personality, you will definitely like it."

Ouyang Rong became more and more curious: "What on earth is this? It's so mysterious."

Rong Zhen did not answer, but continued to move forward and dispatched personnel to block the Shuangfengjian ferry.

Ouyang Rong stayed where he was, watching the girl in palace dress go away.

After a while, he shook his head, turned around, and began to gather people to evacuate the crowd waiting for the celebration at the door.

Ouyang Rong evacuated some of the observing soldiers and civilians with proper reasons and sent people to escort them back to the city and home.

However, because the celebration ceremony had to be held today, the plan to invite Yuan Huaimin to paint a picture of officials and civilians enjoying themselves remained the same. So even though there was a danger of attacks from pirates and rebels, Ouyang Rong still left some county officials at Shuangfeng Peak for easy management and confidentiality, ready to serve as spectators and as the backdrop for the celebration ceremony.

Ouyang Rong was busy directing his subordinates when his officer Chen You suddenly came over. Ouyang Rong thought he was here to report business, but unexpectedly Chen You took a step forward with a stealthy expression and whispered in his ear.

Ouyang Rong's expression froze as he was about to speak. He glanced at him and calmly ordered:
"General Chen, please take charge of this for me. I will be right back."

"Yes, Mingfu."

Ouyang Rong walked out of the crowd and went to a shady forest nearby. The morning sun shone through the treetops and scattered in the forest. The carriage driven by Ali was quietly parked in the scattered sunlight in the forest.

Coming in front of the carriage, Ouyang Rong exchanged a tacit look with Ali, then quickly got into the carriage.

Inside the carriage, there was a pretty girl, with her eyes covered with a sky-blue satin ribbon. She was holding a long cloth bag, and was sitting there waiting with a dazed look on her face.

Ouyang Rong sat down in front of her, frowning, and couldn't help asking:

"Xiu Niang... why are you here alone? Where are Wei Lai and the others..."

Before he could finish his words, Ouyang Rong felt his arms sink, and his vision was filled with fragrant black hair.

Zhao Qingxiu threw herself into his arms like a young swallow flying into the forest.

It was as if they had experienced life and death, and they hugged each other very tightly.

(End of this chapter)