No, gentlemen also guard against

Chapter 552: Rong Zhen's heart-to-heart talk, twin sword techniques! [Please give me a monthly ticket! ]

"From now on, I have to call you Grand Secretary Ouyang."

"You are too polite, Madam."

"You're not polite, either?"

"There were too many people just now, so I won't be polite."

"Keep being polite."

"Um, should I be polite or not?"

"want."

"That's okay..."

"It's up to you." She said suddenly.

At the residence in Huaiye Lane, Ouyang Rong first returned to the study, put away the new official seal, official uniform, and the hemp rope Buddhist beads that he had "re-stringed for another time", then turned and left, found the cold and icy girl in palace dress who was waiting in the yard, and sent her out.

The two of them walked out of the house together. As expected, Rong Zhen ran out of things to talk about halfway through the conversation. Ouyang Rong seamlessly switched the topic:

"Ms. Rong, have you been staying at Shuangfeng Peak recently?" he asked, changing his address.

"Yeah." Rong Zhen's expression showed no surprise. The soles of her feet were covered with a lot of mud on the women's boots under the white snow-white skirt.

Over at the Xunyang Grottoes, the ground was covered with mud and water after the snow melted.

"Recently, this palace and most of the female officials of the Supervisory Council have been watching over there, and the soldiers brought by Qin Changshi are also stationed there. Senior Song is guarding over at Xingzi Lake to protect the Buddha's head, which is also close to Lin Cheng's funeral hall."

"Ms. Rong is still cautious."

"It's not a matter of caution, it's a necessity."

Rong Zhen took a deep breath:

"That rapist is full of tricks and has a mind that borders on devilish. We must be on guard against him." After a pause, she repeated, "We must be on guard against him."

Ouyang Rong nodded and remained silent.

"You seem to be relaxed. Are you having a good time during the Spring Festival?"

"good."

"I received the soup you sent me on New Year's Eve. Thank you very much."

Ouyang Rong looked confused: "Soup? What soup? Is there such a thing?"

Rong Zhen stopped and turned back suddenly.

"Cough cough."

Ouyang Rong quickly covered his mouth and said sincerely:
"It's fine if you like it. It's New Year's Day and you guys have been working hard, so I asked my aunt and the others to make some more chicken soup to warm you up..."

Rong Zhen did not correct the word "love to drink". She turned her head back to her original position, and her expression could not be seen. Only a serious voice came:

"Ouyang Lianghan, come here and help me. Jiangzhou needs you, Xunyang Grottoes also need you, and I... are all waiting for you."

After a moment of silence, her voice came again:

"In fact, I know that you will eventually accept the order."

"Why?"

"I heard that Army Generals Chen and Yan have renovated the city gate to prevent the accident of the Buddha head being stuck last time. They should have listened to your advice. Isn't this to prepare for transporting the Buddha head back to Xunyang Grottoes later?
"Ouyang Lianghan, you have actually been preparing to come back a long time ago, haha, you have a sharp tongue but a soft heart."

Ouyang Rong lowered his eyes and looked at the ground: "Can't you just help the people behind you?"

"Do not believe."

"Do not believe?"

"I don't believe you can be idle."

"But I have been idle for the whole Spring Festival."

"But you can't be idle for a year, ten years, or even your whole life. You really want to be a Sima of Jiangzhou. I know your character."

Looking at Rong Zhen's stubborn and determined face in front of him, Ouyang Rong, whose mind was silently working, was slightly stunned.

He tilted his head and looked at the scenery outside the corridor.

It’s true that although this lady is cold, old-fashioned and sometimes unkind, it feels warm to be trusted and confided in by her. Occasionally, there are one or two crisp wooden fish sounds in the ear, which make people guess what she is thinking. The emotional value is simply full... However, he just feels a little guilty sometimes, but... it’s just a little guilty feeling, not worth mentioning... someone is very thick-skinned.

"Anyway, I have received the imperial decree today. Whatever Ms. Rong says is right. I will not argue with you."

"That's it."

Rong Zhen is stubborn and moves forward with his head held high.

"Ms. Rong, please slow down. Don't go the wrong way."

"I know the way, so you don't need to send me off." She said, walking in front, a head shorter than me.

Ouyang Rong did not retreat either. He followed her and saw her out.

"Why? Are you worried that I might take the wrong road? Is there anything in your house that I would not be able to see?"

Rong Zhen said without turning his head, his tone was a little impatient, but he didn't chase him away. The two of them continued to move forward, one after the other.

Ouyang Rong shook his head and changed the subject, asking, "How is the murder case involving the collapsed Buddha statue going?"

"Don't you care?"

"We have received the imperial edict. Now we all share the same fate. We need to care about each other now."

Rong Zhen snorted lightly, and there seemed to be some laughter in his voice, but he restrained it and spoke in a cold voice:
"The thief is definitely nowhere to be found. We still don't know where he is hiding and laying out his sword. Also, how did those rebels in Tiannan Jianghu arrange a way for him to escape... I have searched the city inside and outside, but I am still puzzled.

"In addition, there is the matter of the Ding Sword performing the 'Returning' sword movement.

"Lin Cheng once built many fire watchtowers at the Xingzi Lake construction site. It took quite some time for Hanshi to master the magical power of Guiqulaixi to deploy the sword. The strange thing now is how this Ding sword was deployed successfully under the surveillance of the secret guards and the martial law.

"Didn't Lin Cheng and the others know to run away after seeing Ding Jian Bu's sword?"

"Yes, it is indeed strange." Ouyang Rong nodded and asked seriously: "Is there any way to hide the sword deployment process?"

Rong Zhen's expression was serious, and he frowned as he pondered:
"That's right, I also suspected this. The Supervisory Council has a guess that the Ding Sword was inside the Buddha's head at the time, and it took advantage of the Buddha's head's rise to cover the sword to complete the sword deployment. So by the time Lin Cheng and others reacted, it was too late... This caused the damage to the Buddha's head's face.

“In fact, I initially thought that the damage to the Buddha’s face was caused by Ding Jian’s attempt to destroy both the Buddha’s head and body after he killed Lin Cheng and the others.

"But now it seems that this point needs to be discussed for two reasons. First, the Buddha's head was not completely damaged. It was not destroyed by the cauldron fire like the Buddha's body. Second, according to the recollections of the onlookers at the time, it seems that the strange phenomenon did appear on the Buddha's head's face first. Later, Lin Cheng, Wei Shaoqi and others on the field were beheaded by the cauldron sword, and then the Buddha collapsed. The damage to the Buddha's head's face was at the beginning..."

Rong Zhen analyzed the situation calmly and sighed softly:

"But the scene was too chaotic, and because of the strict rules set by Lin Cheng, most of the workers were confined to their posts. There were only a dozen or so people watching nearby... The workers who used the winch and pulley to lift the Buddha's head all had their backs to the Buddha...

“Moreover, among these ten or so people, most of them have already lost their memories. Some even waited until Lin Cheng and the others died and Pei Shisanniang screamed before they realized what was going on.

"There are also some who are illiterate and have bad memories, and they love to talk nonsense. Later it was proved that his testimony contradicted that of several others, and it was all nonsense...

"This seriously interferes with our Supervisory Commission's on-site review... eh, it's a mess."

Ouyang Rong consoled him, "Take your time. Investigating a case is a slow process. You can't be impatient. Just unravel the mystery." "Yeah, that's right."

Rong Zhen nodded, and couldn't help but look at Ouyang Rong's gentle and calm expression. She slightly turned her eyes away and exhaled a breath of orchid:
"You better calm down. Now that you are here to help me with my advice, things will definitely be better."

"Okay." Ouyang Rong nodded harmlessly and gave a warm suggestion:
"In fact, Pei Shisan Niang is very important. She is close to the police, and her testimony is closer to the facts and more convincing than other witnesses."

"That's right. That business woman is indeed crucial and can sort out a lot of confusion."

Rong Zhen nodded vigorously, agreeing very much, but after a while, he sighed again:
"But she is still in a coma. The doctor has examined her and said that she was frightened too much. Her life is safe, but I don't know when she will wake up. I am waiting for her too."

Ouyang Rong seemed to remember something, raised his head, and asked curiously: "Speaking of which, among the five people closest to the Buddha at that time, why was she the only one alive?"

"I don't know." She frowned and murmured, "Maybe it's luck. If it's my accomplice, is it too obvious?"

Rong Zhen frowned as he narrated, and briefly told Ouyang Rong about the progress of the Overwatch Council's investigation:

“In fact, I have been thinking about this for the past few days. If the Ding Sword is really hidden inside the Buddha’s head, then we should investigate how the Ding Sword got in.

"Did the owner of the nearby Butterfly Love Flower directly control the Ding Sword to enter, or, more boldly, did he separate the man and the sword? The Ding Sword had already been hidden in the Buddha's head, and the sword owner was hiding at the Xingzi Lake construction site... If it was the former, it would be too easy for Lin Cheng and the others to find him.

"If it's the latter, the more suspicious thing at the moment is that when the second lady of Yunmengze led people to attack the convoy, someone might have taken advantage of the chaos to hide the Ding Sword in the Buddha's head...

“These are still being investigated intensively.”

"Makes sense."

Ouyang Rong pondered for a moment and said seriously:

"I have thought of a possibility."

"What's possible?" she asked curiously.

"Doesn't this guy have a bronze mask? According to what you said last time, it's called a mirage mask, which can change the appearance of others. Do you think it's possible that he changed into a female official and mixed in with our people when he was in Xingzifang Qinyin, so he escaped Qinyin's exposure?

"It was also during this time that he took advantage of the situation and hid the Ding Sword inside the Buddha's head?"

"Hey, that makes sense. And last time in Huang Xuan's courtyard, he killed a female official from my department. Maybe he collected the corresponding spiritual energy for this demon mask at that time..."

Rong Zhen suddenly realized something, tapped his chin with his index finger, and pondered. The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed.

Ouyang Rong asked calmly, "Is the Buddha's head empty? Last time I saw it, it was somewhat damaged. Should it be alright?"

"It's OK. We've assessed the damage and it's only cosmetic."

"That's good."

"So I am increasingly suspicious of the other possibility you mentioned earlier."

"What's possible?"

"He doesn't have time to destroy the Buddha's head." Rong Zhen whispered and continued to ponder:

"After the Ding Sword was hidden in the Buddha's head, in order to prevent it from making any noise and being exposed in advance, it was inconvenient to destroy the Buddha's head. After the sword was successfully placed, he chose to kill people first, and then destroyed the headless Buddha, which was the most time-consuming... At this point, he might have been exhausted, or he might have wanted to buy time to escape, so he left the damaged Buddha head behind."

"Madam Historian's analysis makes a lot of sense." Ouyang Rong couldn't help but give a thumbs up.

Rong Zhen calmly analyzed: "Our two possibilities can be linked together. From this perspective, he first used the mask to disguise himself, hid the Ding Sword in the Buddha's head, then avoided the sound of the zither, hid at the construction site, used the sword to kill people, and escaped in time... This makes sense."

Ouyang Rong nodded in admiration: "That makes sense. Now we just have to wait for Pei Shisan Niang to wake up and ask her where the Dingjian vision first appeared. If it first appeared from the Buddha's face, it will be more certain."

"That's right." Rong Zhen's eyes lit up and narrowed: "But, in addition to this, the owner of the Butterfly Love Flower could also be the hidden monarch of the Female Monarch Palace?"

"The Hidden Lord of the Female Lord Palace? Isn't he... isn't he a man?" Ouyang Rong looked a little confused.

“The Hidden Lord has no gender restrictions. This is the only exception in the Female Lord Hall. However, the Hidden Lord in the Female Lord Hall is not permanent, because it is difficult to find a sword holder, and it is even harder to find a reliable one… This can also explain why the old musician’s music can’t find him… It is rumored that the Yunmeng Hidden Lord will take an ancient strange insect called the Tortoise Shell Longicorn to gain the magical power of hiding wind and gathering energy and restraining breath.

“It is said that in ancient times, there was a person who swallowed a whole tortoise-shell longhorn beetle and became a ‘non-existent person’. He was invisible and not only did he suppress all his aura, but he could also walk into a busy city as if he were in an empty space.

"If this person is the Hidden Lord, and he has swallowed the Tortoise-shelled Longicorn, then that would explain why Qin Yin couldn't find him. If that's the case, then the destructive power of Yunmeng Jianze, or the level of danger, would have directly risen to a higher level. Yue women are good at swords, and the leaders of the world's swordsmanship and swordplay all come from this place. Yunmeng Jianze, which possesses the Hidden Lord and the Mythical Ding Sword, has completed the sword-wielding skill of the swordsman. With their complementary strength, the increase in strength is simply unimaginable..."

Rong Zhen muttered to herself, and the expression on her face gradually restrained. It was rare to see her so serious. Ouyang Rong raised his eyebrows slightly and kept it in mind.

After a while, Rong Zhen was sent to the door.

Ouyang Rong stopped and watched the petite and beautiful figure go away. He rubbed his face and muttered, "Yunmeng Yinjun...Turtle-shelled Longicorn...can hide the wind and gather energy, and restrain the breath. Why does this effect sound so familiar? But...I'm not invisible..."

Putting it aside for the moment, he turned around to comfort the excited aunt of the newly promoted lady of honor, then changed into an official uniform, and then strode out without looking back under the reluctant gazes of Ye Weilai, Banxi and other female relatives.

However, when passing by the door, he paused for a moment, looked carefully at the neatly arranged door god couplet, and nodded with satisfaction.

After walking a few steps out of the door, I came to a dark alley and saw Yan Liulang sitting in the coachman's seat of a carriage waiting.

"Has the Ming government received the order?"

"Ah."

Ouyang Rong got on the car and sat down.

Yan Liulang said calmly:

"Don't worry, sir. No matter how you investigate, the incident at the west gate that day was an accident. If you want to suspect someone, Wang Lengran, some female officials, and generals were also present in the bridge tunnel at that time. They are all suspects...

"Besides this, no one else knows except me, including Army Officer Chen."

"Ah."

Ouyang Rong didn't say much, and suddenly asked:

"Over at Xingzifang, how is the land that Yangzhou Chamber of Commerce and the Governor's Mansion jointly acquired doing now?"

Yan Liulang was stunned and replied:
"They are all still there. During the Spring Festival, the prefecture did not receive any orders and no one was in charge, so Yuan Changshi sealed these in the name of the Jiangzhou Hall and put them aside, and did not allow them to sell them... Now they are all there, what are you going to do with them?"

Ouyang Rong narrowed his eyes slightly and said nothing.

Yan Liulang asked again: "Mingfu, where are we going now? The governor's mansion or Jiangzhou Hall, everyone is looking forward to it now."

Ouyang Rong said softly: "No hurry, Liu Lang, go over first for me, I'll go take a look at the land in Xingzifang."

"Yes." Yan Liulang jumped off the carriage nimbly and left.

Ouyang Rong was alone in the bumpy carriage. While waiting, he took out the manuscript of "On Chrysanthemum" from his sleeve. He rubbed his face and said, "It's a good thing I didn't write out all the sword techniques, otherwise it would be troublesome..."

That's right, the one in my hand is not the complete sword art of the craftsman, but... half of it. There are two sword arts of the craftsman, one is "On Chrysanthemums", and the other is "On Chrysanthemums after Failing the Imperial Examination", which is the one with "The fragrance of the sky penetrates Chang'an, and the whole city is covered with golden armor". I want them all!
This is the twin sword tactics, one bright and one dark! [Craftsman] The favorite, and also the secret, poem "Chrysanthemum after Failure" is now known only by Ouyang Rong in the world, and is hidden deep in his heart.

Fortunately I didn’t write it that day. Now the “Chrysanthemum” which is displayed in public has become famous all over the world…

In addition, the original manuscript of "On Chrysanthemums" in his hand could not be revealed.

Because he wrote it himself, as one-half of the sword technique, sword-wielding people can sense the true meaning of the sword energy hidden in the original manuscript.

Just like the "Return" sword technique written on the wall of the Pure Land Palace - the sword technique written by the sword wielder himself contains his true meaning!
Moreover, his true literary style is also in the original manuscript, and if outsiders see it, his identity will be easily exposed.

"Ming Fu, Pei Shisan Niang is awake!"

At this time, Yan Liulang suddenly came back, stopped the carriage, leaned close to the window, and reported in a low voice.

Ouyang Rong put away the manuscript of the sword formula, opened the car curtain, and raised his eyebrows slightly.

"woke up?"

(End of this chapter)