Chapter 39 Returning to Zong City
Ouyang Zhong escorted his father, Ouyang Ming, back to the national capital, Zong City. On this journey, his father slept and woke up, and the person became quieter, which gave Ouyang Zhong an excellent time to think alone.
The night before leaving Beiwang City, Ouyang Zhong staged a scene with Hussar General Wei Kongji.
His own old man in the barracks did such a disgraceful farce, openly disturbing the military, contradicting the commander-in-chief, but also forcing the death of a heart to protect the country's loyal and good generals; this is no matter which is enough for military justice to execute a heavy sentence. But after all, the father is the first-grade Prime Minister, and Ouyang Ming has back the royal princess's extra horse harnessed by a team of horses. Wei Kongji did not take the initiative to take action; he had to take the brambles and ask for punishment on behalf of the father who suffered.
Inside the General's account, Wei, the prominent General, sat squarely on the position of commander-in-chief. On both sides stood a few vice generals, and he was worshiped as the military division of Xuan Mo. And on the ground, bare-chested and carrying thorns, was the Left Guard General Ouyang Zhong. General Wei narrowed his eyes and didn't say much, then called for the executive officer to administer the cane to Ouyang Zhong.
Next to him, Xuan Mo spoke up instead: "General, although according to military law, General Ouyang should be subjected to a cumulative total of 200 canes, tomorrow he still needs to send Lord Ouyang back to the capital, so why don't we reduce it to 20 clubs for today, and we'll 'pay for the rest in installments' later? "
"Oh? What kind of 'installment payment' does the military division want?" General Wei looked at him with interest.
Xuan Mo continued expressionlessly, "Today's is the interest; the remaining 200 staff members are the principal; today, you will first ask for your interest, while you will also ask for it back one by one later."
Kneeling on the ground, Ouyang Zhong almost didn't fall over. He stabilized himself and squeezed out a cry between his teeth, "Obey."
So, in full view of everyone, Ouyang Zhong was solidly beaten twenty big boards. Even though he is young and robust from childhood martial arts, in the military in these months also not a day slack, the body doubly good to eat well after the caning of the back has been bloody, before the back of the thorns and thorns are also deeply rooted in the flesh.
Ouyang Zhong is adamant; from the beginning to the end, he does not scream; he is untied to Wei General's couch. Wei General dismisses the crowd and gives Ouyang Zhong a medicine bandage. While cleaning the wound, he, like an elder uncle, took Ouyang Zhong's advice: "This is my family's ancestral medicine for cold sores, to put on you to get well quickly. You have this bitter trick acted, and we do not accompany you to perform more realistically. How do we deal with the city inside the several?
You and Linghu Xian, these two young people, are also enough to have their ideas. You can not do anything in the future with us in advance to discuss, ah? But..."
General Wei paused momentarily in what he was doing and gave Ouyang Zhong a forbidding look. Then he listened carefully to the surrounding movements with his side ear. He knew that there were still spies that still needed to be cleared out. So he dipped his teacup in water and wrote the plan for Ouyang Zhong. Ouyang Zhong carefully looked at the problem, encountered problems, and used water to ask questions. In this way, a few rounds of back and forth, two brilliant people, so a plan to discuss the completion.
Finally, when General Wei sent Ouyang Zhong back to his residence, he patted his shoulder and said: "In the past, I could not see you as the son of a family. I always think that petulance, pretentiousness, and lack of commitment will only play into the young man's temper. Fortunately, although you still have some faults that have not completely changed, following me for this period, I see you have grown up a lot. After that, even if it's not for the sake of national hatred but just for yourself to stand up to the heavens and live in the world and become a real man, you have to rely on yourself, you know?"
Ouyang Zhong's eyes glistened with tears but did not flow out. He dragged all his wounds and pains to once again give General Wei a big salute by kneeling on one knee seriously.
Ouyang Zhong drew back to reality from the memories. He sighed and thought to himself: planning a drama, it is time to put the plan into action step by step.
"Young master, we are about to arrive." The driver whispered back to Ouyang Zhong, afraid of disturbing Master Ouyang's snoring.
"I know. First, I should serve the old master a good rest, and then I should also go back to see my mother."
The matter of Ouyang Ming leaving Zongcheng to go to Northwatch City was initially done secretly. Still, how could he not help that he was a First Grade Sangguo Duke, and no matter how he acted in a low profile, there were quite a few pairs of eyes inside and outside the imperial court staring at it! Among the many sights, one or two teams belong to the scheming ministers of the Nanling Elder Princess. As soon as the Ouyang family's convoy entered the city gates, they were stopped by several families.
One of them, naturally, was the Ouyang family's steward who had come specially to greet his lordship's return to his residence by order of the Lady. At the same time, the other two were the people from the Eldest Princess of Nanling's residence and County Princess Jiao Yang's residence, who didn't care about how Ouyang Ming was doing but instead had received a secret report that Ouyang Zhong had returned with him. They had come over so that they could snatch him.
A few families stopped the horseman, and he immediately lost his mind. He hurriedly stopped the carriage and horse and waited for Ouyang's young master's disposition. The horseman has been working in Ouyang's family for many years. If anyone were unaware of the situation and blocked the Ouyang family's carriages in the past, he would have to reward the other party with a whip. He waited for the eldest young master's gunpowder temper to kick in. Still, after waiting for half a day, instead of radiating a solid aura and ordering him to scold his master on the street for him, he listened to a burst of choking sounds coming from inside the carriage. Then the eldest young master started to scream with a sobbing voice:
"Father! Father! What's wrong with you? You can't be alright? Father..! Our entire Ouyang clan is still counting on you, and the Zhongming Kingdom still needs to rely on you, Lord Sangguo! Father, wake up! Don't scare Chong'er--!"
Ouyang Zhong's cries were not too loud and not too small, just enough for everyone present to hear. Ouyang Ming's injuries are not severe, just some unconsciousness and drowsiness, when Linghu Xian's sword looked bluff as if it went through his chest; in fact, it was from the sleeves of his wide robe through the armpits and stabbed into Linghu Xian's own body, did not injure him in the slightest. Linghu Xian used his blood to dye his clothes to increase the natural effect of the hostage.
On the road, Ouyang Zhong changed the past gentleman's style, really did a filial son; not only his father's food and living all his hands, and even end of the shit end of the urine this dirty work he did. They did not let outsiders near the father's step. Therefore, no one knows how injured Master Ouyang is.
At this time, Ouyang Ming was merely still asleep, and there was nothing abnormal at all. But outsiders didn't know that everyone was dumbfounded when Ouyang Zhong acted so miserable, even crying and screaming.
The Ouyang family hurried to open up: some went to ask the doctor, in addition to the city's best medical center, but they also ran to the Imperial Hospital to ask the Imperial Doctor. They are also panicked to run to the house, the master accident, this must be the first time to report to the elders of the family and the principal mother ah! The rest of the people hurriedly clustered around the carriage, saying nothing can let outsiders touch his Ouyang family a penny.
The people from the Princess's and Sheriff's Mansions also panicked. What's this all about?
Zhongming country has always first advocated the so-called hundred exemplary filial piety. People's old man had an accident, and then this way to take away his life was ultimately unreasonable and unreasonable does not meet the majority of people in the heart of the word "rules." Therefore, the two families that were initially aggressive and determined to win also converged on arrogance and hurriedly gave way to the Ouyang family.
Ouyang Zhong looked at the people on both sides through the curtains, an imperceptible cold smile hooked in the corner of his mouth.
When they arrived at the Ouyang residence, the family was busy out and about. Ouyang Zhong personally carried his father into the bedroom and then discarded the subordinates, in addition to the mother; whether it was the other siblings or which concubine wanted to see the master, a cadre of people were all blocked by Ouyang Zhong outside the door, not to receive.
After many days of absence, Ouyang Zhong did not hold back. He kneeled tearfully before Mrs. Xie's mother and kowtowed. Mrs. Xie panicked. What was going on?
Mrs. Xie recalled what happened ten days ago. At that time, his lordship had just been promoted to the first rank of Sangguo Gong, and the entire residence was immersed in a festive atmosphere. Later, Master Ouyang went to see his in-laws' mother, the Princess of Nanling. When he returned, he panicked, counted the roster of subordinates, and even quietly sent someone to the County Lord's residence to inquire about the registration of subsidiaries there. Mrs. Xie asked the master what was happening, but he refused to say anything and sulked with a black face. Later on, the master asked people to clean up that night hastily and secretly departed to the border.
But only ten days, when standing out of the old master, now even lying back? And his son, who had gone to the station at the border, how did he come back? Although Mrs. Xie is a woman but also knows that the Emperor has not summoned the son and is not allowed to return, otherwise counted as desertion! This is not a small matter. Mrs. Xie hurriedly helped her son, and the mother and son sat aside to talk carefully.
Ouyang Zhong told his mother about his father's trip to Northwatch City. Because he wanted to behead Linghu Xian to give the Eldest Princess an assignment, but instead, Linghu Xian pretended to hijack and let his father sleep. Linghu Xian saved their Ouyang family and the Great General's Wei family, which was a favor. On the contrary, the Eldest Princess and Princess Jiao Yang started to work against him, Ouyang Zhong, and the entire Ouyang family and Wei family. They were bound to suppress their two great families; this was one hatred.
Ouyang Zhong said to his mother: ''Not to mention that Linghu Xian is now no longer a slave of the Ouyang family, even if she is still, she, the Eldest Princess family, can make a big fuss with us today over a small enslaved person, and tomorrow, I don't know what else will be bullied into our heads. She can't be arrogant and overbearing, even as a royal relative.
Mother, this time I came back, it was Linghu Xian who pushed me back to save my life from the pain of war. Such a person, how can we fail her? General Wei also helped me to write the zheng shi, enabled me to write the military order, ordered me to take care of the personal safety of the first-ranked Sangguo Duke of the current dynasty, and personally escorted me back to the capital city, so I'm not considered to be on the verge of fleeing. Still, instead, I'm under a military order."
Mrs. Xie, the principal mother of the Ouyang family, although she usually said tiny and continually acted on her husband Ouyang Ming's wishes, wasn't a mediocre woman without her opinions. She was watching Linghu Xian grow up. Although she is a petite maid serving Ouyang Zhong, it has always been very pleasing to her. She also thought to give this child to ask for status in the future Ouyang Zhong to take as a concubine and take care of her son's lifetime happiness. I did not expect a little girl's family, but she was so sentimental and righteous that she was moved by it.
Mrs. Xie nodded and said: ''In that case, I also understand why, a few days ago, General Wei's house was suddenly surrounded by the Emperor's order. Your sixth aunt married into one of the Wei family's side families last year, and even these sides of theirs were supervised. Your sixth aunt quietly sent me a letter to let us be more or less careful.
And the day before yesterday, that new wife of yours, my new child's wife, sent someone to ask me to sit down at her house. According to the rules, as the daughter-in-law of the Ouyang family, she should come with you to Ouyang's house after the wedding to meet the in-laws and greet them. Because you completed the wedding in a rush to go to the border to guard the city, her status could be better suited for these official family customs and rules. Anyway, after the wedding, she did not even set foot in the door of our house once. I thought about it: go and do not force those customary rituals.
Unexpectedly, I dressed up, following the rites and ceremonies grandly to the Sheriff's Mansion, into the door to see her begin to be her burst sneering. Said that I will not teach my son, and even said that the subordinates of our house are some lowly things, can not take the hand. I'm also the wife of the Duke of Ouyang. How can I stand such insults? So I didn't give her much good face, and directly said goodbye and left. Now, I finally understand what she called what matters.
At first, I was against your father's allowing you to set up such a marriage; the fruit is not expected. Or let you suffer, but also allow our Ouyang family to ride the tiger, which is challenging to get down."
"This bitch is so arrogant!" Ouyang Zhong listened to his mother's story and was immediately angry, even treating his mother like this; such a daughter-in-law doesn't want it! But he still slowly suppressed the anger in his heart and said to his mother, "This time is just the beginning; even if I return to the county lord's residence and treat her with a thousand obedience and love, I may not be able to smooth out their mother and daughter's minds. Therefore, General Wei and I probably made some plans, but please, Mother, slowly listen to it ..."
Ouyang Zhong quietly whispered to his mother. His mother's face suddenly turned white when she heard, and her lips were colorless with fear, but she thought about it. Maybe this could help her son and save the Ouyang and Wei families. She understood that as long as her son decided these things, she, as a mother, could only give her full support.
That night, Ouyang Zhong returned to the small courtyard where he used to live. Once again, he was coming to this familiar place, but it had been only half a year, and he felt like it had been a lifetime ago.
It was still the same begonia tree, standing alone in the corner of the courtyard. He usually paid little attention to it, but Linghu Xian had always loved this tree, constantly watering it, fertilizing it, and carefully pruning its branches and leaves. She always liked to stand under the tree full of begonias after finishing her work, quietly looking at the moon and listening to the birds and insects. Ouyang Zhong still remembers that night; she was wearing a moon-white jacket dress, standing under the tree and admiring the moon; that scene has long been deeply engraved in the depths of his mind.
And now, things have changed here. From now on, he and Linghu Xian no longer have anything to do, Linghu Xian may never come back, or even as Xuan Mo said, there is no more Linghu Xian in this world. When everything had become a thing of the past, once it had become lost, Ouyang Zhong realized how unappreciated it was then. From the moment he left Beiwang City, he longed for Linghu Xian.
The earth is slowly recovering, and spring is coming, but before the night of the first month, the sky is quiet with light snow. Those snowflakes fluttered in the courtyard as if scattered with the wind begonia petals. Ouyang Zhong saw in a trance the young girl dancing with a sword in the yard, with a face of innocence, dancing with a sword in intoxication while chanting a verse of poetry.
Ouyang Zhong's heart is sour, but he is becoming more and more sure. He is truly like a fox fresh, no matter if she is human or demon, no matter if she ever appeared in his dream. The important thing is that she is her, and she is in Ouyang Zhong's heart and life.
He must have her back!