Chapter 320

Forty-eight, The Scholar from Top to Bottom

"The moon is bright in my hometown; I understand the feeling of being in a foreign land."

Ouyang Rong suddenly nodded and sighed:

"Sometimes when I think of it at night, I always feel that there is nothing more important than going home."

Qin Heng looked at Ouyang Rong's expression twice more:

"Chief Clerk Ouyang hasn't been home for a long time either?"

Ouyang Rong nodded: "It's alright, I just went back last night."

Qin Heng was stunned for a moment, reacted, and laughed as he nodded: "I often dream of it too. Where is Chief Clerk Ouyang's home? Is it very far?"

"It's not far."

Ouyang Rong put down his teacup, thought for a moment, and looked up at the ceiling.

His eyes seemed to have a look of recollection; he raised his hand to measure casually and muttered: "A round trip, it seems to be less than ten meters..."

Qin Heng was puzzled: "Meters? Isn't that grain? How long is that distance?"

"It's nothing."

Ouyang Rong restrained his gaze, smiled, and said: "Just a joke."

Qin Heng nodded, "Chief Clerk Ouyang's way of speaking is quite interesting."

Ouyang Rong looked out the window, pondered for a moment, and suddenly said:

"General Qin's reluctance to see the soldiers unable to return home is something I deeply understand. The delay in this matter is indeed not handled properly by the Guizhou Prefectural Office, the Hongzhou Jiangzhou Cishi's Office, and the Jiangzhou Prefectural Office.

"When I go back, I will write a memorial for them, doing my best."

Qin Heng was pleasantly surprised: "Thank you, Chief Clerk Ouyang!"

He stood up to bow, but was held down by Ouyang Rong's shoulder:

"Wait, listen to me first. Although I am submitting a memorial, I do not guarantee it will be useful.

"In terms of military affairs, I haven't had any outstanding performance before. In the eyes of the Emperor and the officials, I may not have much say. If it involves water control or people's livelihood, the superiors might pay more attention.

"So General Qin, be prepared that my memorial will be useless."

Qin Heng nodded vigorously, his tone a bit excited:

"That is natural; how can one force it? Chief Clerk Ouyang submitting a memorial on this matter is already offending Chief Clerk Lan, Jiangzhou Cishi Zhu, and Magistrate Wang.

"Being able to stand up and plead is already a blessing for the soldiers of the Third Regiment, including Colonel Su. How could I have any reason to blame you for lack of effort?"

Ouyang Rong nodded with satisfaction, then his face turned serious: "However, I also have a small request."

"Chief Clerk, please speak."

"Can you organize a list of the three hundred soldiers sent out by the Jiangzhou Zhechong Prefecture and give it to me?"

"What does the Chief Clerk want this list for..."

Qin Heng looked at Ouyang Rong's calm expression, his words stuck, and he didn't ask more, his face hesitant for a while.

"Very well."

A moment later, the two looked at each other tacitly and toasted each other...

It was on the third afternoon after their reunion at the Yunshui Pavilion that Ouyang Rong received the list of soldiers of the Third Regiment of the Jiangzhou Third Zhechong Prefecture sent by Guo-Yi Commandant Qin Heng.

Ouyang Rong put down his official business and flipped through it.

An establishment of three hundred men, the Third Regiment actually had over two hundred and ninety.

"Colonel Su Qian, Flag-bearer Xie Li, Squad Leader..."

Ouyang Rong muttered to himself with lowered eyes, scanning it roughly.

Most of them were indeed local good families from Jiangzhou.

Hua Xuanji, he took this roster to the inner treasury of the Jiangzhou Main Hall, and according to the names and military households, searched for the household registration files.

Ouyang Rong randomly pulled out a dozen or so, found the addresses of their families left in Jiangzhou one by one,

Recorded them in a book, and left.

The next day, Ouyang Rong summoned Yan Liulang, walked to a deserted place, and turned to give him some instructions.

A moment later, the latter took a certain book and went out...

A few days later, in the afternoon.

In the main hall of the Jiangzhou Main Hall, Ouyang Rong was working at his desk.

Yan Liulang walked in quickly, his low-key casual clothes not yet changed. Ouyang Rong dismissed the others.

Yan Liulang reported on the investigation of the past few days.

"Magistrate, those military family addresses you gave me, except for the military families who moved away, all have their households.

"For the past two days, I have inquired about them one by one, and the sons in their families are indeed far away in Guizhou, reclaiming land and guarding the border.

"And there was a batch of family letters sent back in the last ten days; they should be safe and sound in Guizhou..."

Yan Liulang said in great detail.

"It seems it's true; it's not as complicated as I thought. It shouldn't be any ghost-like operation by the Wei family."

Ouyang Rong nodded, poured a cup of tea for Yan Liulang, and handed it over:

"Liulang has worked hard."

Yan Liulang couldn't help but praise: "It's not hard; it's still the Magistrate who is cautious."

Ouyang Rong shook his head helplessly and muttered: "It's persecution mania, rather..."

A moment later, Yan Liulang left.

Ouyang Rong let out a long sigh and looked at the list of soldiers of the Third Regiment stationed in Guizhou on the table.

He pursed his lips, straightened his back, and reached into the pen holder to pick out a wolf-hair brush that felt right...

Ouyang Rong submitted a memorial as promised.

He accused the Guizhou Main Hall of breaking its promise and delaying, and opposed such childish behavior.

It's a pity that after ten days, this memorial was like a stone sinking into the sea.

Ouyang Rong sighed slightly.

Unlike the last time his memorial sank into the sea, this time, Ouyang Rong almost guessed the result.

The reason is simple: in terms of military affairs, in the eyes of the imperial court, he did not possess any authority and had no glorious achievements.

Therefore, his speech naturally did not carry as much weight as local military commanders like Jiangzhou Cishi Zhu of Hongzhou and Wang Lengran of Jiangzhou.

A few days later, during a busy interval, Ouyang Rong heard Assistant Chen trot in and whisper in his ear:

"Chief Clerk, Chief Clerk Lan is here again; the ship has just docked."

Upon hearing this, Ouyang Rong rubbed his brow with his fingertips.

Because of the Liuzhou tragedy, a censor in the imperial court impeached Lan Changhao, so according to the procedure, he had to go to Yangzhou, the seat of the Jiang Nan Circuit, to report his duties to the officials of the Jiang Nan Circuit.

Not long ago, after colluding with the Hongzhou Jiangzhou Cishi's Office and the Jiangzhou Prefectural Office on the delay, Lan Changhao went to Yangzhou to report his duties.

Now he should be on his way back, passing through Jiangzhou.

Ouyang Rong thought for a moment and went to receive him politely.

Hua Xuanji, at the same old place at the pier, he met this thin, tall Chief Clerk with an arrogant face.

"Magistrate Lan."

"Magistrate Ouyang."

Lan Changhao cupped his hands, pulled an arc from the corner of his mouth, and his tone was very polite.

Ouyang Rong entertained him for a while and found that Lan Changhao seemed to be in a good mood, and even his tone and attitude while speaking along the way were much better.

It seems it's not just as simple as a smooth duty report in Yangzhou... he thought to himself.

Not long after, Lan Changhao cupped his hands to say goodbye and left politely.

That day, at night, Yan Liulang suddenly visited the residence in Huaiye Lane.

As soon as they met, he immediately told Ouyang Rong a piece of news:

Lan Changhao was hosting a banquet at the Xunyang Tower for Wang Lengran, General Yang, and a group of main officials and generals.

After hearing this, Ouyang Rong was silent for a moment and shook his head.

"Magistrate, this Chief Clerk Lan is very rude. Seeing that he is a guest from afar, the Magistrate receives him seriously every time, but he is good; every time he comes, he only moves towards the Prefectural Office, which is fine.

"Now he is hosting a banquet for local main officials in public, but he leaves out the Magistrate alone. Is it intentional or unintentional?"

Yan Liulang held his sword and sneered:

"Or rather, does he really think he is of the same rank as a prefectural governor? It's just that he was lucky that Guizhou lacked a governor, so he took over the military and political affairs of this prefecture. Heh, now he doesn't even look down on a Chief Clerk of another prefecture?"

Ouyang Rong looked at the indignant Yan Liulang and shook his head: "I don't know."

After a pause, he said calmly: "It could also be that he knows I'm singing a different tune."

He turned and left.

The next afternoon, Qin Heng suddenly sent an invitation.

Ouyang Rong went quietly.

On the third floor of the Yunshui Pavilion, in a private room, the two met again.

Qin Heng was expressionless and said directly:

"The official document from above has arrived, adopting the suggestion of Chief Clerk Lan, the main official of Guizhou, to delay the 1,500 soldiers stationed in Guizhou for one year.

"At the same time, several other batches of stationed soldiers dispatched from other circuits have also been delayed for one phase accordingly... to cooperate with Lan Changhao to stabilize the local order of the remote Guizhou Prefecture..."

His nostrils trembled slightly: "Heh, three years and another three years, now add another year. What the main official says is nothing but empty words."

Ouyang Rong nodded: "Sure enough."

"The Chief Clerk guessed it early?"

"Hmm."

Qin Heng fell silent. Ouyang Rong leaned forward, lowered his eyes to pour him a cup of tea, and analyzed calmly:

"I have also calculated for the Chief Clerk and Lan Changhao's interests, and I have roughly guessed some of it.

"Demanding that this batch of stationed soldiers be delayed for one year, besides the high-sounding reason of avoiding the instability caused by rotation, there is also the small intention of saving a sum of military expenses for Guizhou in the short term.

"As usual, the soldiers who are transferred after their term expires need to be paid the military pay owed for the delay in a lump sum, and at the same time, they have to bear the travel expenses for dismissal.

"Not to mention the new soldiers who come by rotation, who also need to be entertained and settled, which is another expense."

The more Qin Heng listened, the tighter his brows furrowed.

He was a professional military officer with a straightforward way of thinking, and he had never thought carefully about the interests involved here before.

For a moment, he was a bit stunned.

Qin Heng's eyes were filled with admiration, and he couldn't help but look at the young man in the fox-fur cloak before him, who was lowering his head, pausing, and sipping tea.

"Actually, this is the obligation that a prefecture with stationed troops should fulfill. After all, the autonomy of this kind of border prefecture is much greater than that of our ordinary prefectures, and there is more tax revenue that does not need to be turned over.

"Guizhou is a large prefecture in the western corner of the Lingnan Circuit. If it were just this kind of small calculation, it might be difficult to get through this year, but the Guizhou Main Hall wouldn't be unable to come up with this money...

"The reason for the one-year delay is that this Chief Clerk Lan is calculating another account in his heart, which is also a much more complex and important account than the military pay for the stationed troops."

"What account?" Qin Heng couldn't help but ask.

Ouyang Rong tasted the tea that was gradually becoming sweet in his mouth, lowered his eyes, and continued:

"A Buddha statue.

"The Guizhou Great Buddha of Her Majesty the Empress.

"Lan Changhao is running around, delaying for one year, just to squeeze out time and silver for building the Great Buddha.

"Previously, Her Majesty's new imperial decree also extended the deadline. Now, one year is enough for him and the Guizhou Main Hall to build an expensive golden Great Buddha for Her Majesty.

"Hmm, as for the rotation of the stationed soldiers, let's talk about the money and grain needed after one year."

Qin Heng's tone suddenly became louder: "Saving military pay to build a Buddha statue, how can he do this?"

Ouyang Rong nodded:

"Whether it is to delay the stationed soldiers who have already compromised and delayed for another year, or to build the statue while being strapped for cash after paying military pay and rotating soldiers, how to calculate this account is very simple for Lan Changhao.

"Moreover, holding high the banner of building the Buddha statue, the matter of delay is naturally smooth sailing."

Qin Heng was silent for a moment and suddenly asked:

"Then what about after one year? Who knows how much the Buddha statue will cost? If the Buddha statue is finished and there is no money left, what should we do? After one year, can the Guizhou Main Hall squeeze out military pay again?"

Ouyang Rong looked at Qin Heng with a complex gaze that was silent and self-evident.

The latter's voice stopped.

The two looked at each other quietly for a good while.

The answer was in their hearts.

Not long after, Qin Heng left with an indignant back.

Ouyang Rong sat in front of the small tea table, silently fiddling with the tea set.

He drank the pot of half-cold tea before him earnestly before getting up to leave.

He didn't waste a drop.

The next day, in the morning.

Xunyang Ferry Pier.

On an official ship belonging to the Liuzhou Main Hall, the boatman untied the rope and prepared to set sail.

On the pier under the ship, two teams of people slowly approached.

The leaders of the two teams were both in crimson official uniforms, walking side by side.

"Thank you, Magistrate Ouyang, for taking the time to see me off."

"Magistrate Lan is too polite. It's a pity I didn't invite Magistrate Lan to dinner; it's my failure to fulfill the duties of a host."

"It's nothing. Let's eat next time we have a chance. There are many unruly people in the mountains of Guizhou, and they are very restless. I have to go back early. Magistrate Ouyang, we are all subjects of Her Majesty, and our duties are paramount."

"Hmm."

Ouyang Rong's reaction was flat. He turned his head to look at Lan Changhao, who was lifting his chin, and suddenly asked:

"Magistrate Lan seems to be in a good mood."

"It's alright."

Lan Changhao's gaze wandered, looking around at the Xunyang Ferry, where thousands of sails were moored and it was bustling with activity, and sighed:

"Speaking of which, I really envy Magistrate Ouyang for being able to serve in such a good place with good mountains and water."

Ouyang Rong replied: "Guizhou is also a good place, otherwise why would Her Majesty let a Great Buddha fall there."

"But it can't compare to Magistrate Ouyang's Jiangzhou."

Lan Changhao curled his lips: "Magistrate Ouyang doesn't know, our Guizhou is the poorest among the four prefectures for statue building, and also the most difficult."

Ouyang Rong said in a meaningful tone:

"No matter where you are, and no matter how difficult it is, maintaining stability and peace, and letting the people live and work in peace and contentment is the most important thing. Every place has its difficulties, and every place has its precarious aspects. Otherwise, what are we scholars in official uniforms for?"

Lan Changhao stopped, turned his head, looked at Ouyang Rong for a while, and nodded:

"Hmm, that makes sense. Magistrate Ouyang has a great vision. In addition, thank you, Magistrate Ouyang, for submitting a memorial to postpone and sending over 20,000 strings of 'powder money'. On behalf of the people of Guizhou, I thank Magistrate Ouyang."

"Magistrate Lan is too polite." Ouyang Rong shook his head, paused, and asked: "I heard recently that the stationed soldiers in Guizhou have been delayed for a year?"

Lan Changhao smiled: "Did Magistrate Ouyang really just hear about it 'recently'?"

Ouyang Rong was not angry and urged patiently:

"After Magistrate Lan goes back, it is best to appease or reward the stationed soldiers, and give them a good explanation. Guizhou is special, and stability is paramount..."

"The rumors are correct. Magistrate Ouyang is indeed a gentleman worthy of admiration. Not only do you care about the affairs of your own prefecture, but you also worry about the affairs of the world."

Lan Changhao praised him and asked in his usual tone:

"So Magistrate Ouyang thinks my ability is not good, so you submitted a memorial to oppose the delay, right?"

Ouyang Rong looked at him, unafraid, and reminded: "I hope Magistrate Lan will think about how long ago the Guizhou scholar tragedy happened."

Lan Changhao snorted coldly: "Our green leaf in Guizhou is even more of a foil to Magistrate Ouyang and the red flower of Jiangzhou."

Ouyang Rong asked: "What does Magistrate Lan want to say? You might as well speak directly."

"Magistrate Ouyang, don't pretend to be confused."

Lan Changhao flicked his sleeves, his tone a bit dissatisfied:

"I don't have the conditions and opportunities that Magistrate Ouyang has. You passed the imperial examination at a young age, made a name for yourself in your prime, and at a young age, you are already the Chief Clerk of a superior prefecture. You have a great Confucian as a teacher, the Five Surnames and Seven Clans standing behind you, and you are favored by the officials in the court, not to mention that you might even be in the Emperor's heart.

"You have a worry-free future, but I don't have such good luck."

"I am not as worry-free as Magistrate Lan says." Ouyang Rong looked straight ahead and said earnestly:

"I have heard of Magistrate Lan's deeds. You are also a young talent who passed the examination early; you are no worse than anyone else."

"Deeds, young talent... are you mocking me for overestimating my own abilities back then?"

Ouyang Rong answered decisively: "Not at all. On the contrary, I feel that Magistrate Lan is extraordinary. Without great talent, how can one be so unrestrained?"

"But do you know that after I offended that old Prime Minister, my official career has been secretly blocked, and people have been avoiding me?"

He shook his head: "I don't know."

Lan Changhao laughed until he had tears in his eyes:

"Hahaha, even if you have talent, so what? Without anyone above you, without noble people to help you, no matter how talented you are, you are just grass and trees by the roadside, unnoticed by anyone."

Ouyang Rong was silent.

Lan Changhao suddenly agreed: "Magistrate Ouyang is right. We scholars in official uniforms do need to be precarious and maintain stability and peace for the people."

He changed the subject: "But if even the official hat cannot be kept, or if one is just a tiny official, then how can one maintain anything?"

After speaking, Lan Changhao held his head high, his back arrogant, and only left one sentence:

"Magistrate Ouyang, just watch. Guizhou is poor, but the Buddha statue we build will definitely not be worse than Jiangzhou's."

Ouyang Rong turned to look at his back, a thousand words in his mouth turning into one:

"I wish Magistrate Lan a smooth journey."

"I'll take your auspicious words."

(End of chapter)