Chapter 663: Spring is full of peach blossoms [Please vote for me!]
Maybe he didn't notice Ouyang Rong's embarrassment.
Xie Lingjiang said to himself:
"Elder brother also said just now that you can take in concubines without marrying the main wife first, but you also need to have this ability to reconcile the contradiction between the two.
"That's the problem. Dalang actually doesn't have this ability. He probably realizes it himself, so it's better to do less than to do more."
Ouyang Rong immediately agreed:
"That's right, junior sister's analysis is thorough."
Xie Lingjiang tapped his red lips with his index finger:
"Actually, I think it's understandable if Dalang simply refuses to marry. No one has ever refused to marry. But he insists on not marrying a concubine in advance, which inevitably makes Uncle Li, Sister Guo'er and others think that he just doesn't want to get married, isn't it?
What other excuses are there, just wanting to wait for a certain person and using those words as an excuse."
Ouyang Rong praised: "What the junior sister said is absolutely true."
Xie Lingjiang squinted his eyes: "Senior brother, don't praise me so harshly. Why did you suddenly come to me today? If you show your courtesy for nothing, you are either committing adultery or stealing."
"No, I'm just asking about the peach blossom forest in Kuanglu Mountain. I came over to take a look."
"By the way?"
Ouyang Rong immediately changed his words:
"No, I thought about it again. I came here mainly to see you and ask questions. You see, I didn't even go to the prince or princess to ask questions."
"Eldest Brother's mouth is getting sweeter and sweeter."
Ouyang Rong didn't answer, and suddenly covered Xie Lingjiang's eyes, took something out of his sleeves, and put it in front of her eyes.
"What are you doing?"
"Open your eyes."
"In what era did you still play such old-fashioned things?"
"The third year of the Great Zhou Dynasty."
Ouyang Rong's serious words came from behind.
"Puch."
Xie Lingjiang couldn't help laughing. After he let go, he opened his eyes.
In fact, when he just closed his eyes, he could smell the fragrance of flowers, but when he opened his eyes and saw it, Xie Lingjiang still smiled.
His eyes looked a little surprised.
"Does it look good?" Ouyang Rong asked.
"Humph." Xie Lingjiang suppressed her laughter and lowered her head to sniff the petals.
Ouyang Rong nodded: "That's just like it, it's duplicity."
Xie Lingjiang didn't answer. He held the flower with two fingers and looked at it. After being happy for a while, he asked curiously:
"It's so good. Why are you sending me an apricot flower? Is today a special day?"
"No, but I think that from the moment two people meet to the moment they get to know each other, every day is actually special and should be treated grandly... Do you like it, little junior sister?"
"I like it, but... senior brother, this apricot flower, could it be taken from Aunt Zhen's vase?"
"That's not it. I was on the roadside. I saw flowers blooming in spring. I found this one particularly beautiful. I thought it suited my junior sister very well. It is as beautiful as the spring sun, so I picked it."
The garden path of Prince Xunyang's Mansion is also a roadside.
Ouyang Rong nodded quietly.
"Then it's really an unforeseen disaster." Xie Lingjiang joked, lowered his head and touched the petals for a while, then opened the pastry box, twisted an osmanthus cake, held it in his mouth, and it melted at the touch.
Two pairs of star-like eyes curved into crescent moons.
"Well, the apricot blossoms are quite fragrant... This osmanthus pastry is so sweet. I tried it with Aunt Zhen last time, and I wanted to know how to make it."
Xie Lingjiang tasted the cake in his mouth and mumbled a few times, his speech a little unclear.
Ouyang Rong looked at his nose and heart with his eyes, and he honestly wiped his little junior sister's hair and curled her temples.
Xie Lingjiang suddenly closed the lid of the pastry and said with a half-smile:
"Eldest brother, here you are sending flowers and bringing pastries...it always makes people feel a little uncomfortable."
Ouyang Rong smiled and said nothing, put down the towel, went to the house to get the mandarin duck emerald hairpin, helped Xie Lingjiang have a high hairpin, lowered his head to look at it carefully, and inserted the hairpin straightly.
Xie Lingjiang stood up, walked over, inserted the apricot flowers into the vase, lowered his head to look at a small piece of water in the vase, and took a look.
The beauty in the water smiles beautifully.
"nice."
Ouyang Rong's voice suddenly came from behind.
Xie Lingjiang looked back and saw that his senior brother was bending over and looking at him with a smile.
She turned her face away shyly.
Ouyang Rong hugged her from behind. This time, his palms surprisingly did not climb up. He hugged her honestly and rested his chin on her shoulder. He lightly smelled the fragrance of Xie Lingjiang's fair skin on her neck. Xie Lingjiang's hair was very lush.
, there are a lot of jet black hair on the neck that has separated from the temples, tickling Ouyang Rong's nose.
Xie Lingjiang asked softly: "Elder brother is interested."
Ouyang Rong scratched the itchy part of his nose:
"Miaosi gave birth to some spiritual ink for me last night."
"Oh? Really? That's a good thing." She tilted her head, with a little surprise on her face.
Ouyang Rong tilted his head and said directly:
"You are a sixth-grade Confucian sage. You obviously need spiritual ink, but you gave it to me without telling me. Instead, you helped me privately feed it the precious ink from my family without telling me, senior brother."
Xie Lingjiang's expression gradually calmed down, and he straightened his head, looking at the few spring swallows returning to their nests in the eaves not far away.
"I'm happy to do it. It has nothing to do with senior brother. Senior brother doesn't need to feel guilty."
Ouyang Rong pointed to the flowers in the vase and the pastry box and said:
"I'm also happy. When I saw some nice flowers, I just wanted to give them to my junior sister. It has nothing to do with my junior sister."
Xie Lingjiang glared at him, but couldn't refute him. He snorted softly and went back to the house.
Ouyang Rong followed and changed the topic.
"Looking at Da Lang, he has refused the marriage and will not hesitate to be beaten."
"Well, so senior brother, you'd better talk to Da Lang more, and he will probably listen to you. I always feel that the methods of uncle and sister Guo'er are wrong."
Ouyang Rong was silent for a while.
"Actually, I understand Dalang a little bit."
"understand?"
Ouyang Rong asked: "If you and I were put in his and Princess Anhui's position, how should we interpret it?"
Xie Lingjiang said without thinking about it:
"If the eldest brother were in his position, he would never sit still and wait for death. Uncle Li and sister Guo'er would not worry about the eldest brother causing trouble. The eldest brother is different. As for me..."
Lady Xie raised her chin slightly:
"It's just a surname, so what if my surname is Wei? No one can try to restrict me. My father has a saying that is right. The wealth and honor that the ancestors of the family have worked hard for, isn't it just to let future generations have better choices? Otherwise
Even if this family doesn’t wait, it won’t make people recognize and fight from the bottom of their hearts.”
Xie Lingjiang changed his style again:
"But it's different from Li Dalang. Uncle Li and sister Guo'er still regard him as their child. Even though they are already the heir, they still think that he will definitely mess things up.
"If only he could be more resolute and stand out like Sister Guo'er sometimes and prove that he has grown up and let Uncle Li and the others realize this, then they might not stop him and might even help him.
Come and persuade us..."
Ouyang Rong was quiet for a while and sighed:
"good."
After a while, Ouyang Rong asked a few questions about the peach blossom forest in Kuanglu Mountain, then said goodbye and left. Before leaving, Xie Lingjiang suddenly said:
"Elder brother is here today, do you have anything to say?"
Ouyang Rong pondered for a moment.
"It's best to hold Auntie's birthday party after the Donglin Giant Buddha lands. In case there is a time collision, it can be postponed for a few days. This is also what Auntie means... Junior Sister, it's up to you."
"Okay." Xie Lingjiang nodded and asked, "You really have nothing else to say?"
Ouyang Rong laughed:
"Thank you for your hard work, little junior sister."
Xie Lingjiang shook her head, and before she could speak, Ouyang Rong said again:
"What little junior sister said just now is quite right."
"What words?" She was curious.
"If I come, I can definitely handle it."
After Ouyang Rong finished speaking, he chuckled lightly, turned around and left.
Xie Lingjiang was slightly startled.
…
Kuanglu Mountain is very big.
It is not a mountain, but a group of mountains, with an average altitude higher than the basin where Xunyang City is located.
Hence the nickname of Jiangnan Summer Resort.
There is a valley on the west side of Kuanglu Mountain that is rarely visited by people.
In this spring season, there is a brilliant pink peach blossom forest.
In the afternoon, the spring sun shines in the forest, and the peach blossoms are in full bloom.
There are three figures in the forest.
The old musician walked at the front holding a xylophone.
Ouyang Rong and Rong Zhen fell behind.
The two stood side by side, quite far away from the old musician.
Ouyang Rong asked in a sad tone: "Why doesn't Rong Nushi bring a piano?"
"Just use yours."
"Then take it too."
"No, I'm not as big as you. How dare you let me carry such a heavy thing?"
Ouyang Rong glanced at Ms. Shi's short and petite figure and said speechlessly:
"You are definitely stronger than me."
"It's good that you know."
"What's the meaning?"
"Whoever is more powerful has the final say. I am more powerful and more powerful. You listen to me."
Ouyang Rong:..."
What is Yung's contrast method?
He complained in his heart.
After a while, Ouyang Rong followed Rong Zhen and looked at the old musician in front of him.
From the moment he entered the peach forest, the old musician's smile never left his face. He walked around, stretched out his palms, and let the petals floating in the air temporarily stop.
Ouyang Rong and Rong Zhen looked at each other and smiled.
It seemed that the old man was in a good mood, and he might be able to play two more songs for them.
At this moment, a burst of noise suddenly came from the front. Looking closely, in a pavilion in the center of the peach grove, there were seven or eight literati and Taoists drinking and having fun. There was a singer playing the flute and playing the harp beside them.
The old musician paused for a moment. After seeing clearly, his face showed great interest and he was ready to step forward.
Ouyang Rong, who was holding the piano, was about to follow, but found Rong Zhen beside him frowning slightly and waving his hand.
A group of serious-faced female officials appeared out of nowhere, quickly stepped forward, passed by the old musician, and went to the pavilion. They invited the drunken guests away. Before leaving, they checked their identities one by one to prevent assassins.
Rong Zhen's expression softened.
Ouyang Rong turned his head silently and saw that the smile on Mr. Yu's face had disappeared.
After Rong Zhen asked a few questions to the female officer, he returned to the old musician and Ouyang Rong and said apologetically:
"Old senior, please, please make room. I'm sorry, my subordinates were negligent in their work and did not check thoroughly, so they let the stranger in."
The old musician shook his head, hugged the piano and turned around to leave, without entering the elegant and quiet pavilion that Rong Zhen helped to free up.
Rong Zhen couldn't help but frown and look back.
Ouyang Rong shook his head.
On the way back down the mountain, Rong Zhen seemed to have figured out something and took the initiative to step forward and apologize to the old musician:
"I'm sorry, senior, for disturbing your enjoyment. The situation is really urgent now, so we must be on guard against others. It's better to have as few contacts with strangers as possible."
"It doesn't matter."
Ouyang Rong saw that Mr. Yu's face was calm and showed no dissatisfaction.
It seems that these things are forgotten very quickly.
The female officials who were clearing the place were driven back by Rong Zhen. They disappeared and did not follow them.
At this time, the three people who were going down the mountain passed by a clear stream. The sunlight filtered through the shadows of the trees and cast dappled sunlight.
The spring water made a tinkling sound.
The old musician suddenly picked a big stone on the bank of the stream, sat on the ground, and placed the piano horizontally on his knees.
Rong Zhen's pretty face was slightly happy, and she gave Ouyang Rong a look, and the two of them immediately sat down on the spot.
Just as Ouyang Rong was about to play the piano, he found that his hands were empty. It turned out to be Rong Zhen, who had already taken the piano away politely and placed it on his lap.
This time she didn't say anything about her small size.
Rong Zhen ignored Ouyang Rong's increasingly sad eyes.
The old musician made a gourd with his hands, scooped up a handful of spring water, raised his head, took a sip, and let out a long breath.
"Do you believe there is a paradise in this world?" he asked suddenly.
Ouyang Rong and Rong Zhen exchanged glances.
Ouyang Rong tried to ask: "Mr. Yu, is he referring to the Peach Blossom Spring in Tao Qian's poem?"
Rong Zhen said softly:
"As long as the old gentleman wants it, no matter how many paradises there are, the Saint and Si Tianjian can find it for you."
The old musician shook his head.
Rong Zhen was afraid that he wouldn't believe it, so he said directly:
"Old senior, Si Tianjian has found the hometown you mentioned to Deputy Supervisor Song last time. It is in a township in Wutong County, Cangzhou, Lingnan Road... The village is halfway up the mountain, and it is still there.
"Old senior, there is no need to find the way. This time it has happened. Junior and Deputy Supervisor Song are personally escorting you back to the village. The imperial court has notified the government in Cangzhou, Lingnan Province, asking them to prepare to welcome the old senior. You will return home in glory and in fine clothes. Let's
Those villagers all know your glory... As for the peach blossom forest at the head of the village, it seems to be a little withered, but it's not a big problem. Someone has already helped plant it..."
The old musician's thin face, which was dissatisfied with the wrinkles of vicissitudes of life, first smiled, then the wrinkles smoothed out, and he fell silent. After a while, he continued to say with a smile:
"Yeah."
Rong Zhen was about to nod.
Ouyang Rong suddenly pulled Rong Zhen's sleeves, and the latter frowned and glared at him: "What are you doing?"
From the front, the old musician's murmur came:
"You said that if I found it, would it still be called Peach Blossom Spring?"
Suddenly, Peach Blossom Spring was mentioned again. Rong Zhen frowned and thought about it, not only how to answer the question.
Ouyang Rong chanted:
"At that time, I only remembered that the green stream went deep into the mountains and reached Yunlin several times. When spring came, peach blossoms were everywhere, and I couldn't tell where to find the source of immortality..."
The old musician looked sideways.
Ouyang Rong nodded and said:
"Why do old-timers want to find a place to find peace of mind? The same goes for my hometown. The so-called hometown is just the last stop of my ancestors' wanderings. My hometown is where my peace of mind lies."
The old musician pondered for a moment and then smiled.
"A good state, a good place for me to feel at ease is my hometown. It's a pity that I am a common man."
He smiled and pointed at Ouyang Rong, who was sitting upright. He clasped his hands together and took another spoonful of water from the stream, wiped the xylophone, and started playing without warning.
The sound is as soft as the flowing water in the mountains, like the rolling clouds, and like a dog with white clouds.
Ouyang Rong listened carefully.
Rong Zhen, who was on the side, listened intently for a while, but after a while, a look of disappointment appeared on his face.
When the song ended, the old musician stood up and left without saying anything else.
While Ouyang Rong was recalling the music, he took the piano from Rong Zhen's lap and played it again seriously.
After a while, he calmed down his expression and turned around to ask Rong Zhen, who was about to leave:
"Don't you want to learn more about female history?"
Rong Zhen waved his hand:
"Not this one...that song should be a military formation song..."
"What's the meaning?"
Rong Zhen frowned and didn't answer, got up and followed him.
"Military formation song?"
Ouyang Rong stood up and murmured that the piano music he just played had nothing to do with military formation music.
Could it be that the music that Rong Nu Shi wanted to learn from the old musician was related to military formation music, similar to the music in Xingzifang that made the Qi practitioners reveal themselves? Could it be helpful in the defense of Xunyang Grottoes this time?
Ouyang Rong was thoughtful and followed him with his piano in his arms.