[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-even-a-gentleman-must-be-careful":3,"chapter-even-a-gentleman-must-be-careful-even-a-gentleman-must-be-careful-chapter-32":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Even a Gentleman Must Be Careful",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2268652,4429,"Chapter 32: Thirty-Two: Treating Others with Sincerity — Ouyang Rong (Happy New Year, Brothers!)","even-a-gentleman-must-be-careful-chapter-32",32,"\u003Cp>Thirty-Two: Treating Others with Sincerity — Ouyang Rong (Happy New Year, Brothers!)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Rong felt that some people were very respectful, yet also very disrespectful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed that in the eyes of certain people in Longcheng, a seventh-rank county magistrate from the Zhou Dynasty had come to beg on his knees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the grand hall of Yuanming Tower, the serving girl on the donation podium announced clearly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This donation drive has gathered contributions from thirteen families, totaling seven hundred and eighty guan in cash! Of this, Longcheng Water Conservancy has raised one hundred and thirty guan, and the county magistrate’s ink and paper expenses have raised six hundred and fifty guan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the gaze of everyone in the hall—some direct, some glancing—Ouyang Rong, seated in the front row, suddenly turned his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He did not look at the local gentry and wealthy merchants inside the hall, but at Xie Lingjiang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And he met her worried gaze exactly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Little sister, it seems the reward I gave you was too light—you didn’t just donate first, you’re the richest patron here. But the most valuable thing I have on me right now is that bead—I’ll make it up to you next time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing her senior brother’s sincere smile, Xie Lingjiang opened her mouth to say something, but could not speak, and finally shook her head:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m fine. As long as Senior Brother is well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What could possibly happen to me?” he asked, surprised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid the varied gazes of the crowd, Ouyang Rong rubbed his face and rose, gripping the hem of his official robe to keep it from dragging, and walked slowly up to the podium; Xie Lingjiang kept her eyes straight ahead and followed silently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve worked hard, young lady.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young county magistrate sincerely thanked the serving girl, who, under his gaze, blushed slightly and left the stage, delighted. Now only the young magistrate stood alone before the two red donation trays, facing every eye in the hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young magistrate glanced down, reached out, first lifted the water conservancy donation tray and weighed it, then lifted the private ink-and-paper donation tray and weighed it too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The left tray held one hundred and thirty guan—solid weight. The right tray held five times that—dense and heavy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was not angry at all. Calmly raising his head, he seemed to ask himself:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So the people here hold me in such high regard that the state’s and the county’s water conservancy projects are only worth one-fifth the value of gifts sent to me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gentry and merchants below fell silent. Some quietly avoided his gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Ziwen, arms crossed, sat in a back row, locking eyes with the young county magistrate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young master of the Liu clan wore an innocent, harmless expression, his eyes tinged with… concern that his limited means had failed to satisfy his lord.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, sometimes a person’s gaze conveys such deep emotion—one look is enough, just like the unspoken understanding that follows a pat on the buttocks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Liu Ziwen did not know that Ouyang Rong, like him, was also a man who “treated others with sincerity.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the young magistrate extended one finger and shook it at the entire hall:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But among you, perhaps there’s a fool pretending to be clever who misunderstood one thing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paused:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I did not come here to beg. You are the ones who came to beg.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At these words, the hall fell utterly silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gentry and merchants below exchanged glances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A scraping sound—Ouyang Rong walked calmly over, dragged a high-backed chair to the stage, sat down on it alone, and looked down upon the crowd without speaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After this startling display, the stage remained still for a long while. Slowly, many gentry and merchants began to sneer at the stage, and whispers started to rise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cough.” Liu Ziwen cleared his throat at the right moment, silencing the murmurs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Ziwen glanced at the scholar on stage, sighed lightly, and stood up helplessly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Respected County Magistrate, donations are voluntary, within one’s means. This year’s flood came suddenly; everyone is suffering. We have done our best. Yet serving the court and aiding you is our duty as humble subjects. Our Liu household still has surplus grain—we will assist you by setting up more porridge stalls in the city.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Rong acted as if he heard nothing. Xie Lingjiang, holding a long-spouted teapot, poured tea into his cup. Her hand was steady; he watched the thin stream of water in the air, deeply interested.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Publicly ignored, even the mild-mannered Liu Ziwen could not help but frown inwardly. I gave you a ladder—why won’t you take it? Are you really just a stubborn block of wood?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“County Magistrate?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Rong suddenly raised a finger to his lips, signaling silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes fixed on the teacup, as if observing the dark green tea leaves swirling in the boiling water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only Liu Ziwen and the others below thought he was putting on a show—even Xie Lingjiang was baffled, her curiosity piqued. She glanced sideways, wondering what was so miraculous about the water in her senior brother’s cup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The result, naturally, was utterly ordinary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the unmoving young magistrate on stage, Liu Ziwen suddenly smiled, shook his head to himself, and signaled to the other gentry and merchants that they could leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, the young master of the Liu clan rose and reached for the cold tea on the table, preparing to take one final sip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But his fingers froze mid-air. His eyes were “nailed” to the water’s surface. Others among the younger, sharper gentry and merchants reacted similarly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All stared, stunned, at the ripples forming on the water’s surface—ripples with a distinct rhythm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This… was the earth dragon turning? No—it was hooves!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Ziwen snapped his head up to stare at Ouyang Rong, seated calmly on the stage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The latter had already risen, lifted his teacup, drained it in one sip, descended the stage, and gently pushed open the second-floor window for everyone:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bustling street had been cleared by force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the far end of the empty street, three hundred iron cavalry charged forward. Even with their hooves deliberately muffled, to the gentry on the second floor, the thundering advance seemed like a tidal wave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet at the sudden, unexpected signal from the lead cavalry captain, the entire force halted abruptly before Yuanming Tower, dismounted in perfect unison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elite troops! How could he possibly have authority to mobilize them? Is he planning rebellion? Liu Ziwen and the others’ pupils contracted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, Yan Liulang—who had vanished since the donation began—arrived on the floor with a dashing captain, approaching the young magistrate by the window.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The captain’s face was cold and stern. He bowed and shouted loudly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“County Magistrate Ouyang, I am Qin Heng, Captain of the Guoyi Division, Jiangzhou Zhechong Fu. I lead three hundred cavalry, here by order to assist in the investigation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Rong, as if he had rehearsed this, pointed directly toward the county government office and declared clearly: “Captain Qin, immediately seal off the eastern warehouse of the Longcheng County government office. Not a single fly may enter without my personal order.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your order is obeyed!” Qin Heng descended the stairs without hesitation, his eyes straight ahead, not glancing once at the trembling crowd inside the hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few elderly gentry, trembling in their seats, ventured to flatter: “County Magistrate, you… you must be mistaken, ha ha…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Rong waved his hand, soothingly: “It’s nothing. Just checking accounts. Elder, rest easy. Go home and get some rest. Don’t overthink it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He smiled again at Liu Ziwen, whose face was expressionless, and at the terrified gentry and merchants, then turned to leave with his slightly stunned little sister. Before exiting the door, the young magistrate seemed to remember something, and kindly added:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By the way, if there is the slightest irregularity or tax evasion in your land tax, labor tax, or commercial tax records—I will confiscate your entire family.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire hall fell utterly silent.\u003C\u002Fp>",1336,"2026-06-19T21:28:25.445Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","e3fe5dc4a560c9163a906bc8497d11d0c39a5dc8250fa35bcd4cca34fe0e99ed","even-a-gentleman-must-be-careful-chapter-33","even-a-gentleman-must-be-careful-chapter-31",864,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Feven-a-gentleman-must-be-careful-cover.jpg"]