In the next few days, Xie Lingjiang came every morning.
Unless there are important members of the Xunyang Palace who have a trip out of the city and need to be accompanied for safety reasons, she will arrive later.
Maybe it’s because I feel like I’ve spent less time with my senior brother in the past six months, and I’m trying to compensate.
As a staff master, Xie Lingjiang began to intervene in Ouyang Rong's work and life, just like he did in Longcheng.
However, she does not follow him all the time. For example, right now, it is the morning, and Ouyang Rong is going to the Jiangzhou Procuratorate on the next street to report some materials to the censors and female supervisory officials in the state.
Xie Lingjiang did not follow, but waited in the lobby of Jiangzhou, making an appointment to go back to the Huaiye Lane mansion for dinner at noon.
This has also been their daily routine at noon recently, which made my aunt Zhen Shuyuan laugh so hard that she couldn't close her mouth. She cooked for several days in a row. The most important thing was that she didn't even make black-bone chicken, yam, and red date soup.
As expected, the only one who could control my aunt was our pretty little junior sister.
On the second day of the lunar new year, Ouyang Rong arrived at the Procuratorate and walked into a public office hall with ease.
Rong Zhen was sitting in his seat, with tea on his fingers, writing something on the table.
Ouyang Rong approached.
Rong Zhen didn't raise his eyes, brushing his sleeves on the table and sweeping away the water stains.
Ouyang Rong smelled a faint scent of osmanthus, which even overshadowed the scent of tea.
He sat down in the seat next to him and glanced at the tea cup with water on Rong Zhen's finger. There were osmanthus petals in it.
"I'm not late today."
Rong Zhen wiped his hands.
"It seems like I've never been late on any day."
"But it's always on time. I guess the lobby in Jiangzhou is also very busy and needs to be checked."
Ouyang Rong coughed, did not answer, and talked about business.
But while chatting, he looked around.
When Rong Zhen saw it, he took out an oil paper bag from his sleeve with a straight face and handed it over.
"Next time, you can prepare your own breakfast. I don't have time to bring it to you every day."
Ouyang Rong was not polite, opened the oil paper bag, took a bite of oil sesame cake, and said vaguely:
"good."
"What do you do every morning?"
"I told you, I'm busy."
Ouyang Rong's mouth was stuffed with cakes and he kept talking. Rong Zhen turned his mouth downwards and didn't want to talk to anyone anymore.
She brought him breakfast these days.
In the first few days, Rong Zhen took the initiative. Later, Ouyang Rong got up as a matter of course. Every time he came over, he asked if there was anything to eat, and he treated this place as a kitchen.
Her face turned a little cold.
After talking about business, Ouyang Rong was about to leave, slapped his butt and walked away.
However, Rong Zhen's expression was silent, and there was no sound of crisp wooden fish in his ears.
He paused, sat back on his seat, and poured himself a cup of tea.
Then, under the unkind look of a certain female historian, I also refilled her teacup.
"The sweet-scented osmanthus blooms again in this golden autumn." Ouyang Rong smiled.
"If you have nothing to say, you don't have to say it."
"Yes, how could I have nothing to say? To be honest, Rong Zhen, I talk a lot when I see you. It's just that you have a straight face and I'm embarrassed to say it. If I want to say it again, I'll forget it."
"That means you have nothing to say?"
"No, it doesn't count." He shook his head firmly.
"On the contrary, when I see you, I don't want to talk."
"It must be the same as me. I was too embarrassed to speak up if I wanted to, and then forgot about it."
Rong Zhen was noncommittal, took a sip of tea and asked:
"what do you want to say in the end?"
Ouyang Rong pointed to the water stains on the table: "What are you writing?"
"I won't tell you."
In the current private chat atmosphere, Ouyang Rong suddenly showed a sad and sighing expression, and said in a sad tone:
"Well, as expected of Rong Zhen, who is indeed a genius of the Yin Yang family, with an innate Yin and Yang Holy Body, known as Si Tianjian Xiao Siming, and Rong Da Nu Shi, there is already a tragically thick barrier between us, that point in the Xingzifang courtyard
A life-long friendship is fleeting.
"Okay, I understand. I'm probably planning on getting promoted back to the capital in the future. Of course I can't interfere. From now on, if the eldest daughter Shi can say a few nice words in front of His Majesty, I will be satisfied."
"What thick barrier? What are you talking about?"
Rong Zhen glared at him.
Ouyang Rong asked sternly:
"Just tell me, are you a sixth-grade female in the age of Jasper, and a top-grade female in the age of Huaxin, with a bright future? Unlike me, you can only shrink down in a small Jiangzhou and work hard."
"What does this have to do with me not telling you? It can't be that I'm in a bad mood, don't want to talk to you, and don't mean to look down on you?"
Rong Zhen put down his teacup, sat upright, and asked sternly.
Ouyang Rong suddenly realized: "It turns out I'm just in a bad mood. It's okay. Goodbye..."
"Is everything okay?" Her face, which had just softened, suddenly dropped.
"You're kidding." Ouyang Rong, who was about to leave, sat back in his seat and acted like he was listening: "You tell me, I listen. We are all friends. If you are unhappy, you can tell me and let me laugh too... If you don't feel happy, please
, Yeah, I feel the same way.”
Rong Zhen's eyelids drooped and he whispered softly: "It's better, don't ask."
"OK."
He really didn't ask anymore. As a result, Ouyang Rong, who had just stood up to leave, was stopped by Rong Zhen's words:
"You only praise others, but don't you also have a bright future? You are the first of such a young governor in this dynasty."
Ouyang Rong sighed:
"That is also a life of hard work. Maybe it is a long history now, but more than ten years later, it will go round and round, and it will still be a long history."
Rong Zhen corrected him seriously:
"Ouyang Lianghan, you have done a very good job, at least... the best I have ever seen. There is no need to belittle yourself.
"No way, we can meet again in Luodu next year."
"Then let me lend you some good words."
Rong Zhen thought for a while and then said surprisingly:
"When the Donglin Giant Buddha is completed, your contribution will be enough. Don't resign from the capital by then. Do you understand, Ouyang Lianghan, are you listening?"
"Well, it seems that we can indeed meet in the capital. The Donglin Giant Buddha's contribution is enough for you to go back."
Rong Zhen shook his head: "I will definitely go back, but I can't tell the time. I won't leave until I find the thief who wrote Die Lianhua."
Ouyang Rong asked calmly: "Well, what if he is no longer in Xunyang? You can't spend time here all the time."
Rong Zhen was silent for a while, then nodded slowly: "I have a hunch that this thief is still in Xunyang."
"Premonition? That's okay. Women's premonitions are usually very accurate." He nodded and expressed his approval.
"Do you also believe in my judgment?"
"Um."
Rong Zhen turned his head, looked at his profile in a daze, and murmured:
"The female officers and colleagues around me are now privately complaining about me, feeling that I am crazy and, in Buddhist terms, calling me a prime minister. Over in Luoyang, the people in the prison are also quite vocal.
"Ouyang Lianghan, you are the only one who trusts me now."
Ouyang Rong sighed: "The main thing is that I... admire you very much. This spirit is very good. As I said, there is endless joy in fighting with others. I am like this, so I will give it to you."
"good."
She nodded heavily and murmured: "It's so fun."
Ouyang Rong lowered his eyes to drink tea, then reached out and silently refilled her cup.
Around the tea table, the two of them fell silent in tacit understanding.
After a while, Rong Zhen came back to his senses, turned his head and looked at the carefree and casual, affectionate and approachable weak-guan Changshi in front of him, and asked:
"Do you know what the holiday is tomorrow?"
"What festival?"
"Winter Clothes Festival."
"What festival is this?" Ouyang Rong was curious: "It sounds a bit familiar."
"The Winter Clothes Festival is not celebrated much here in the south of the Yangtze River, but the people in Guanzhong and the two capitals like to celebrate it. Your Majesty also loves celebrations. Every year during the Winter Clothes Festival, hundreds of officials will be given clothes and some sachets will be rewarded in the palace..."
"oh."
Ouyang Rong said indifferently:
"No wonder, I said I didn't remember it. It turns out it's a festival for city people... The main reason is that there is no holiday, otherwise I would definitely remember it deeply and I would never forget it."
He smiled again.
Rong Zhen pursed his lower lip, took out something from his sleeve, and threw it into someone's lap.
"Every Winter Clothes Festival in Luodu, in addition to gifting clothes to beauties, some... friends also give each other sachets to ward off evil spirits and pray for blessings, but they need to be worn for a day to be effective."
"This is……"
Ouyang Rong stared blankly at the sachet in his hand, sniffed and found the strong scent of osmanthus, and then heard Rong Zhen say again:
"These female officials from our procuratorate are all from the capital. They have not returned this year and have nothing to do. They decided to make a few sachets and picked some golden osmanthus seeds to put in them. They gave me one extra as a gift. It is just extra. You can take it.
Go ahead and wear it tomorrow to ward off evil spirits."
After a pause, she stared at the scenery outside and said, "Remember, you have to wear it for a day."
"Oh ok."
Ouyang Rong left with the osmanthus-flavored sachet in confusion.
After going out and returning to the carriage, I lowered my head and looked at the sachet.
The pattern above should be embroidered by a woman herself, stitch by stitch. At first glance, it is not made by the exquisite embroidery work of the market shops, but by unfamiliar and clumsy craftsmanship. It seems that it was indeed made by those female officials who had nothing to do.
.
There is a faint scent of osmanthus exuding from the sachet.
"These female officials are really free, and so is Rong Zhen...wait, can you wear it for a day?"
Ouyang Rong reacted and quietly glanced at the Jiangzhou lobby where someone was waiting.
"I have to come over tomorrow morning... Hey, it's okay. It's better to celebrate the Winter Clothes Festival in Jiangnan, without all these bells and whistles."
He silently put the sachet away. After thinking about it, it was not safe, so he took out a box and put it in it to cover up the fragrance.
After hiding the box, he opened the doors and windows to let in some ventilation.
"Ali, don't go back to the Jiangzhou lobby yet. Take a walk outside." Ouyang Rong suddenly ordered.
"Yes, Tanlang."
After the carriage wandered around the nearby streets for two times, it felt like the smell inside the carriage had dissipated a lot, and then Shi Shiran returned to the Jiangzhou lobby.
"Well, work harder. You go wash the carriage and pick me up and my junior sister at noon."
Ouyang Rong gave another order and turned around to enter the lobby.
On the deserted corridor, he took off his clothes, shook himself, frowned and took a breath. When passing by the corridor, he stopped, broke off an osmanthus flower, and hid it in his sleeve.
"Eldest brother is back?"
"Um."
"This is……"
"It's for you."
"It's so good. What are you doing with the branches?"
"It smells very good, I want you to smell it too."
Looking at the serious Ouyang Rong, Xie Lingjiang complained, but he still took it honestly and lowered his head to sniff.
After a while, she put it in a vase and helped him place it on the desk in his office.
The two went back to have dinner at noon, and came to Xunyang Prince's Mansion in the evening to discuss matters.
After dinner, everyone dispersed.
Ouyang Rong sent Xie Lingjiang back to the yard.
I happened to meet Li Dalang, and they were walking on the corridor together.
When Li Dalang saw Ouyang Rong out, the former warned:
"It's a holiday tomorrow, and Lianghan will come over for dinner tomorrow night, with Miss Xie."
"What festival?" Ouyang Rong asked subconsciously.
"The Winter Clothes Festival is celebrated every year in our family. Oh, come to think of it, last year, I was still in Suzhai, Longcheng. Lianghan was still controlling floods at that time, so he wasn't familiar with us."
Hearing the words "Winter Clothes Festival", Ouyang Rong coughed and was about to find an excuse to decline.
At this moment, Li Guo'er suddenly came over with Cai Shou and other maids.
"Brother, wait."
She took out a sachet from her sleeve and handed it to Li Dalang.
Then he glanced at Ouyang Rong again.
"You happen to be here too, there's an extra one for practicing, here."
Li Guo'er took another one, threw it to him, and said at the same time:
"This sachet is meant to ward off evil spirits. I put the petals of a few residual chrysanthemums in the corner of the courtyard. Instead of mourning and burying the flowers, it is better to protect the living. Well, come over tomorrow for grandma's dinner, remember to wear it."
"My sister can also embroider and make sachets?" Li Dalang asked curiously.
Ouyang Rong's face changed slightly. Just when he was about to hand the sachet back, the colorful ribbon was already crisp and he opened his mouth:
"Dalang, Mr. Ouyang, you don't know something. This is my first time doing embroidery. I made two embroidery pieces. I'm still wondering why I made one more..."
"Colorful ribbon."
Li Bao'er suddenly spoke, and the little girl with a bun-faced face immediately shut up.
The little girl with plum blossom makeup looked at Li Dalang intently and did not look at Ouyang Rong.
"Practice your hands."
She said to her brother again:
"On the Winter Clothes Festival, we should give out clothes, but I don't know how to make clothes, so I'll leave it to my mother. The sachet is simple, so brother, don't dislike it."
"It's already great. Thank you very much, A-mei. A-mei is so considerate."
Li Dalang looked delighted.
Ouyang Rong couldn't help but glance at Li Guo'er's profile.
Li Guo'er was surrounded by a group of maids. Before leaving, when he passed by Ouyang Rong, he stopped and asked:
"Did that pill work last time?"
"It's a great help. Thank you princess for your generous donation."
Ouyang Rong sighed and said in a sincere tone:
"I owe the princess a favor."
As Lu Ya said, the elixir given as a gift by Master Yuqing was indeed very precious, but as soon as he asked for it, a certain little princess with plum blossom makeup gave it to him without saying a word.
Li Guo'er nodded calmly: "That's OK. The favor will be waived."
Turn around and leave.
Ouyang Rong swallowed his polite refusal and looked down at Li Bao'er's sachet. After a while, he looked at Li Dalang silently.
I saw my friend wearing the sachet happily, with the expression of a pleased brother who did not pamper his sister in vain.
"Lianghan, why are you looking at me?"
"Nothing, I just want to see you."
"..."
Li Dalang shrank his head: "Don't be like this, I'm a little scared."
Ouyang Rong ignored him, turned to look at the little junior sister's boudoir not far away, and suddenly asked:
"Dalang, will there be a Winter Clothes Festival in Jinling?"
"There seems to be some. Just ask Miss Xie to find out. I remember she sent a sachet to Mr. Xie in Luoyang last year."
"Understood."
He nodded.
Li Dalang tied up the sachet, clapped his hands, and left with satisfaction, without forgetting to say:
"Tan Lang, remember to come for dinner tomorrow night. Grandma should cook the food herself. You are so lucky..."
"Okay, I'll be there for sure."
Li Dalang passed by Ouyang Rong, but the latter suddenly reached out and pulled the sachet from Li Dalang's waist, and then calmly put it into his arms, as if it was his own.
"Lianghan, what are you doing? Don't you have one? How can you steal it from me?" he asked urgently.
"Jianghu rescues you, don't ask."
Before his friend could ask more questions, Ouyang Rong turned around and slipped away.