Chapter 110: Activating Ouyang Rong, News at Last

Chapter 110: Chapter 110: Activating Ouyang Rong, News at Last

If you want to be healthy, you have to live a disciplined life.

The three daily meals are an absolute must.

In the morning, after waking, completing his daily routine, and eating breakfast, Pei Shaoqing set out with Zhao Zilan to visit Ouyang Rong on the mountain. He even made a point of bringing a gift.

Horses couldn’t climb the mountain, not even General Hei, so Pei Shaoqing also had two Jing’an Guards accompany them, leaving them at the foot of the mountain to watch the horses.

They trekked over mountains and streams, passed through a sea of bamboo, and soon saw the two-story wooden cottage that Ouyang Rong had built with his own hands.

In front of the house was a vegetable patch, and behind it, a field of medicinal herbs.

The yard was full of chickens and ducks, with cats and dogs playing together.

A large wild boar lay sleeping lazily under the eaves.

This idyllic life was like playing a farming simulator in the real world. It couldn’t be more comfortable, except for the lack of a woman, which meant he had to be his own pilot at night.

The dog was the first to spot Pei Shaoqing.

"Am I going to be lucky this year?" Pei Shaoqing asked.

The dog opened its mouth and replied, "WOOF! WOOF WOOF WOOF!"

The wild boar was startled awake. It stood up and stared warily at Pei Shaoqing, clearly remembering this great villain.

"Is that a visitor, Brother Pig?" Ouyang Rong, sleeves rolled up and half a head of bok choy in hand, came out at the sound of the commotion. The moment he saw Pei Shaoqing, his expression instantly stiffened. "Ah, not a person," he muttered, "just him again."

"Brother Ouyang, long time no see!" Pei Shaoqing laughed and walked forward, casually smacking the growling dog. "Your dog speaks better than you do."

"What brings Lord Pei here?" Ouyang Rong forced a smile, not inviting him in to sit.

He was cut off from news in the mountains.

He had no idea that the man standing before him was now a Hundred Households Commander of the Jing’an Guard, the Baron of Pingyang, and the owner of a Qilin Robe.

Pei Shaoqing turned and gestured with his hand.

Zhao Zilan handed over the gift.

Pei Shaoqing shook it slightly. "Pastries from the best shop in the city. I came bearing gifts today, Brother Ouyang. You should show a little hospitality."

’It’s over.’ Ouyang Rong suddenly felt like the sky was falling.

’He’s like a weasel paying a New Year’s visit to a chicken—this can’t be good!’

’Last time he came without a gift and robbed me of so many herbs like a bandit. What’s going to happen now that he’s brought one?’

"Lord Pei, please, come in." He casually tossed the washed bok choy in his hand into the yard for the chickens, took the pastries with both hands, and stepped aside to invite Pei Shaoqing and Zhao Zilan inside.

Pei Shaoqing stepped inside, looking around at the simple, unadorned, yet stylish interior. "I didn’t get a chance to see the inside of your house last time."

"My humble abode is a bit simple. I’ve made a poor showing for you, Lord Pei," Ouyang Rong said with false modesty.

Pei Shaoqing nodded. "It is indeed shabby. But I’m a kindhearted person; I can’t bring myself to laugh at someone whose life is so miserable."

Ouyang Rong: "..."

"Oh? Brother Ouyang, are you making lunch?" Pei Shaoqing asked, spotting the pot hanging over the fire pit.

Although Shu State had cooking stoves, most homes had a fire pit. A hook was suspended above the pit, and pots or jars were hung from it for heating.

Ouyang Rong nodded, placing the pastries on the table. "I only made enough for one person."

"I’ve already eaten my fill," Pei Shaoqing nodded.

Ouyang Rong took a deep breath, clenched his fists, and grit his teeth. "Lord Pei, this is my fucking house!"

"I know. But did you have a permit from the county when you built this house? Do you have a deed for this land?" Pei Shaoqing asked casually, pacing around the room with his hands behind his back.

’Never mind that the laws of Great Zhou didn’t actually require a permit to build a house; the right to interpret the law was his.’

Ouyang Rong let out a laugh and quickly rushed forward to help Pei Shaoqing to a seat. "I wasn’t finished speaking! While this may be my fucking house, since Lord Pei is here, you mustn’t stand on ceremony! Please, make yourself at home."

"I couldn’t possibly bear such hardship. I’ve never lived in such a shabby house," Pei Shaoqing said, shaking his head.

’Damn it! Does having power mean you can do whatever you want?’

Ouyang Rong didn’t want to talk to him anymore. "Lord Pei, please have a seat for a moment. I’ll go stir-fry the vegetables."

As is often the case with men who live alone, his cooking skills were quite good.

He quickly stir-fried one meat dish and one vegetable dish.

He even served Pei Shaoqing a bowl of rice.

"This official is not one to eat alone," Pei Shaoqing said to Zhao Zilan. "Lan’Er, and our host here, don’t be polite. Go get some bowls and chopsticks and sit down to eat. It’s alright if there isn’t enough to get full, just have a little something to tide you over."

"Many thanks, Lord Pei!" Never in his wildest dreams did Ouyang Rong imagine that one day he would be eating his own food in his own home and still have to thank another person for the privilege.

’Is there any justice in this world? Is there any law?’

After eating, Pei Shaoqing picked his teeth and said casually, "I came here today not just because I missed you, Brother Ouyang, but also to take care of some official business."

’Here it comes, here it comes!’

’Today it’s courtesy first, then coercion!’

"Please speak, Lord Pei." Ouyang Rong took a deep breath.

Pei Shaoqing stated succinctly, "Collecting taxes."

"Didn’t I just pay you last month?" Ouyang Rong shot to his feet, his eyes wide as he stared at him.

Pei Shaoqing nodded. "This is for this month."

"HA! HAHAHAHA!" Ouyang Rong suddenly burst out laughing. When he’d had his fill of laughing, he slammed both hands on the table. "What do you want this time? Just say it!"

"Fiery Sun Grass," Pei Shaoqing said frankly.

Ouyang Rong plopped back down in his seat and waved his hand, his face a mask of utter despair. "Take it. Take it all."

Pei Shaoqing looked at Zhao Zilan.

Zhao Zilan stood up, cupped her fist to Ouyang Rong in a gesture of respect, then went out to the herb field behind the mountain to find the Fiery Sun Grass.

Ouyang Rong sipped his tea with a melancholic gaze.

He was somehow managing to drink it as if trying to get drunk.

When your heart is full of sorrow, anything you drink tastes like alcohol.

Soon, Zhao Zilan returned with an armful of Fiery Sun Grass.

"For Medicine King Valley to expel a genius like you, Brother Ouyang... they’re truly blind!" Pei Shaoqing said after picking up a stalk of Fiery Sun Grass and examining its quality.

The expression on Ouyang Rong’s face instantly froze.

"How did Lord Pei come to know of this?" he asked after a moment of silence, his lips pursed and his expression calm.

Pei Shaoqing replied, "Heh heh, I heard it around."

’Ouyang Rong was noncommittal. Medicine King Valley was quite a distance from Tongzhou, and they wouldn’t air their dirty laundry in public. Where would Pei Shaoqing have "heard" it? He must have sent people to investigate.’

"I’ve always been a good judge of character. Brother Ouyang doesn’t seem like the type of person who would kill his own master," Pei Shaoqing said.

Ouyang Rong gave a bitter laugh. "Does the truth even matter? This is the reputation I’m stuck with now."

"I am willing to help you clear your name, Brother Ouyang, and punish the real culprit," Pei Shaoqing said earnestly.

Ouyang Rong was stunned for a moment. "Why?"

"It’s about give and take. This official never lets his friends get the short end of the stick." Pei Shaoqing smiled faintly and shook the Fiery Sun Grass in his hand. "What do you say, Brother Ouyang?"

Ouyang Rong was silent. After a long while, he gave a dejected shake of his head. "Forget it. I’m fine like this. Life is comfortable enough."

’Except for you coming to mooch off me every other day.’

’How can this be? How can he be content with the status quo?’

’If you don’t become the Sect Leader of Medicine King Valley, where am I going to get an endless supply of high-quality medicinal herbs? Where will I find a Physician who can serve me personally anytime, anywhere?’

"Brother Ouyang! You are in the prime of your life! Are you really going to waste it away in these deep mountains and old forests? Are you going to let all your skills go to waste?!" Pei Shaoqing said in an agitated tone.

’For my own benefit,’

’I must activate Ouyang Rong’s ambition!’

When someone insists you should be more ambitious even when you’re living a perfectly fine life, it’s usually because they want to get something out of you.

Ouyang Rong raised his teacup, downed it in one gulp, and gave a self-deprecating smile. "No matter how you live, it’s still just one life, isn’t it? Who decreed that everyone must stand out from the crowd? Someone has to be ordinary and common, so why can’t that person be me?"

"Fine, it’s okay if you think that way. But does the truth of your master’s death also not matter to you? Can you bear to let him die with such a grievance? Can you truly stop thinking about the enemy who killed your master?" Pei Shaoqing played his trump card.

Ouyang Rong stood there, dumbstruck and silent.

Pei Shaoqing stored the Fiery Sun Grass in his Storage Ring, cupped his hands, and said, "Brother Ouyang, thank you for your hospitality and the Fiery Sun Grass today. You can give some serious thought to what I’ve said. No one can live for themselves alone; we also have to live for those who truly care about us."

As soon as he finished speaking, he turned and left without hesitation.

Zhao Zilan followed closely behind him.

The large wild boar snorted and poked most of its head through the doorway, looking at Ouyang Rong without a word.

Because it couldn’t talk.

Ouyang Rong looked at the wild boar and sighed.

"Brother Pig, do you think I’m being too selfish? My master taught me my skills, Medicine King Valley gave me resources, but all I want is to live life on my own terms, without any responsibility. I haven’t even investigated the truth of my master’s death..."

.........

Back home, Pei Shaoqing gave the Fiery Sun Grass to Xie Qingwu. "My dear wife, see if this is enough."

"So much! It’s more than enough," Xie Qingwu nodded repeatedly. She picked up a stalk to examine it and once again praised, "This friend of yours really takes good care of his herbs. A quick glance shows there’s hardly a single Lower Grade one among them. This quality would fetch a high price on the market."

"Perhaps he saved the best quality ones for me," Pei Shaoqing said with a straight face.

’Ouyang Rong’s professional skills are so strong. I have to make him the Sect Leader of Medicine King Valley. It would be beneficial to the entire Medicine King Valley, and beneficial to the entire Jianghu!’

’And incidentally, beneficial to yours truly.’

’And lastly, it would be beneficial to Ouyang Rong.’

Xie Qingwu said, "Husband, you should introduce me to him someday. I’d like to thank him in person."

"We’ll see," Pei Shaoqing replied. He then added, "My dear wife, calculate your time for this closed-door session of pill refining. Don’t take too long. We need to go to the capital at the end of the month."

Although this world didn’t distinguish between the Gregorian and solar calendars, the Great Zhou had two calendar systems: one was the universally recognized Jiuzhou Calendar, and the other was the Great Zhou Calendar.

The Wei Kingdom also had its own internal Great Wei Calendar.

Their workings all differed slightly from the Jiuzhou Calendar.

For example, today was the fourth day of the ninth month of the thirtieth year of Jingtai according to the Great Zhou Calendar. However, according to the Jiuzhou Calendar, the fifteenth day of the eighth month was still nearly two months away. The people of the Zhou Kingdom generally used the Great Zhou Calendar for official documents, but in private, they all used the Jiuzhou Calendar.

It was the same in the neighboring Wei Kingdom. The calendar systems created by the feudal dynasties to strengthen their rule were too chaotic for the common people, who were long accustomed to using the Jiuzhou Calendar.

This year was year 4250 of the Jiuzhou Calendar. It was said that before the Spiritual Qi dried up, only the Jiuzhou Calendar existed. Afterward, when mortals took charge, the various nations began creating their own calendars.

"Don’t worry. The Qi Gathering Pill isn’t difficult to make. I’ll master it quickly after a few more practice runs. It won’t take up much time," Xie Qingwu said with a faint smile.

Pei Shaoqing rubbed her belly. "But this will delay your pregnancy plans."

"Indeed. So tonight, Husband, you’ll have to fill me up," Xie Qingwu said, her eyes silky with allure.

Pei Shaoqing felt like making her pot and bowl overflow right then and there.

Just as he was about to make his move, the voice of the maid, Qiu Ye, came from outside. "Young Master, Standard-Bearer Chen requests an audience."

"I’ll be right there," Pei Shaoqing replied, then looked helplessly at Xie Qingwu. "Of all the times to show up..."

"You should go. For Standard-Bearer Chen to come all the way to the house, it must be something important. I can be ’filled up’ anytime," Xie Qingwu said with a smile, giving him a gentle push.

"Tonight, I’ll fill my dear wife’s chamber with jade essence," Pei Shaoqing tossed out the line, shook his head, and turned to leave.

Arriving at the main hall, before he could even speak, Chen Zhongyi spoke first: "My lord, we’ve found Young Hero Ye."