Chapter 325: Fifty-three, Mutiny

Fifty-three, Mutiny

Yue Yue Ziang lowered his head to toast, continuing to apologize in his mouth.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong, under the mediation of Li Li Zhengyan, Wang Wang Junzhi, and others,

raised his wine glass and took a sip.

The Yue Yue Ziang opposite him looked relieved.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong's expression was as usual, but he was somewhat surprised in his heart.

He wasn't joking; he really hoped Yue Yue Ziang would continue to be arrogant and untamed.

However, this apologetic appearance now.

This is very unlike Yue Yue Ziang.

There must be a demon if something is abnormal.

Sensing someone looking over from the seat beside him, as if staring at him steadily.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong turned his head and saw it was the Zhu eldest son he had met once.

I don't know if it was intentional or unintentional, but his seat was next to Magistrate Ouyang Rong.

"Registrar Magistrate Ouyang, I am Zhu Yuhuang. I have long admired your name. At the birthday banquet of the Chen Jun Xie clan's noble daughter, I witnessed your style. I don't know if you remember me."

Zhu Yuhuang toasted Magistrate Ouyang Rong.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong nodded:

"Naturally I remember, it's just a pity that my ugly state that day made you and the guests at the banquet laugh."

"How can you say laugh? It's clearly that we couldn't envy you enough."

"Registrar Magistrate Ouyang passed the imperial examination at a young age, became famous in his twenties, was favored by the noble daughter of the five surnames, and was recognized by the Chen Jun Xie clan of Chenjun, holding the beauty in his arms..."

"Registrar Magistrate Ouyang doesn't know, how many young talents at that banquet admired you."

Zhu Yuhuang sighed.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong heard this and sized up this eldest son of the Hongzhou Governor's Mansion.

This person was tall and big, strong and powerful, with wheat-colored skin that had been exposed to the sun, but he was wearing a white shirt as white as snow, which was somewhat out of place and pretentious.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong caught a glimpse of some calluses on Zhu Yuhuang's tiger's mouth,

This feature, Magistrate Ouyang Rong had seen in Qin Heng's place,

It was a habit formed by holding the reins for a long time.

Not just a playboy, he should have military experience... he judged in his heart.

However, the scholars of the Great Gan and Great Zhou dynasties are mostly full of martial virtue, mounting horses to go to the border to gallop on the battlefield, and dismounting to drink wine and write poetry.

Plus the way his father Zhu Zhu Lingxu started as a border military officer.

Like father, like son, it's not strange.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong nodded lightly.

Because since the Taizong and Gao Zong dynasties, it has been a trend of rising national strength, and so is the territory,

Joining the army to expand the territory and making military achievements to rise is the second most important promotion path in the hearts of the sons of Great Gan, second only to the imperial examination,

It's just that now in the Great Zhou Dynasty where the Empress claims the title, the expansion of the territory has gradually slowed down, and even suffered setbacks, such as the Yingzhou Rebellion...

Magistrate Ouyang Rong replied in a flat tone:

"Young Master Zhu doesn't look like someone who envies others."

Zhu Yuhuang shook his head and lowered his voice:

"I also envy Registrar Magistrate Ouyang."

"Oh?"

He said word by word: "Registrar Magistrate Ouyang can be valued by the Prince Xunyang Prince and the heir, and be treated as a guest in their curtain. This is the real ability."

Magistrate Ouyang Rong didn't speak, and glanced at Yue Yue Ziang opposite.

He was brought by him. Zhu Yuhuang should have known some details from Yue Yue Ziang,

For example, last time at Yunshui Pavilion, Yue Yue Ziang saw Magistrate Ouyang Rong talking and laughing with Eldest Brother Li.

"False rumors, I don't dare to accept it. As everyone knows, the Prince Xunyang Prince is polite to the virtuous, not just to me alone."

Zhu Yuhuang was stunned for a moment, then smiled,

And toasted with an apologetic expression.

Seeing this tacit and knowing look from the eldest son of Zhu, Magistrate Ouyang Rong had a headache.

The influence of the Prince Xunyang Prince's identity as the former Great Gan deposed Emperor was even greater than he imagined.

As the Crown Prince appointed by Gao Zong before his death, the legal successor of Great Gan, and the elder brother of Xiang Prince Li Lun.

He is also one of the two direct lines of the Li royal family who have received the most grace from Taizong and Gao Zong.

One of the biggest gold-letter signboards.

Scholars who miss Great Gan from all over the world flocked to him.

Like fireflies in a dark room, attracting people of talent.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong suddenly heard a sigh from Zhu Yuhuang:

"To tell you the truth, I also submitted a post to the Prince Xunyang Prince on behalf of my father, wanting to visit the Prince and invite the heir to travel to Mount Lushan, but unfortunately the Prince and the heir were busy, and I was humble, so I have been procrastinating from the New Year until now..."

Zhu Yuhuang complained while glancing at someone unintentionally.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong's reaction was flat.

He patted his drunken red cheeks, put down his wine glass,

Lowered his eyes, took out his chopsticks, and picked up food to sober up.

As the chief strategist of the Prince Xunyang Prince's Mansion, the "outsider" whose words carried the most weight in front of Li Su Xian and Li Li Fusu,

The person who monopolized the channel of human resources.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong inevitably experienced the essence of something called power.

What is power.

From a certain angle, power is a social node.

The reason why Li Li Zhengyan, Zhu Yuhuang, and others sought opportunities to contact him, were amiable and treated him with sincerity,

Isn't it because he is that important node for connecting with the Prince Xunyang Prince's Mansion.

Li Li Zhengyan, as an old-fashioned Guanzhong aristocrat who inherited the Duke of England, although he appeared heroic, generous, and unconstrained,

He grew up in this system since childhood, was rough but detailed, and deeply understood the way power operates, and was also the rule of this era:

He knew that when coming to a place to do a thing, he needed to find the most useful person, which is the social node.

Whether talking about money or feelings, both must be "implemented" on the most correct person.

Therefore, when Li Li Zhengyan and the others were still far away in the capital, they noticed Magistrate Ouyang Rong and followed the vine to find Chen Jun Xie Xun and Shen Shen Xisheng first.

This set of processes is so precise.

It's just a pity that this time he met Magistrate Ouyang Rong, who was soft and hard to eat and had a clear head.

Teacher's recommendation, guests from afar, enthusiastic reception is fine.

Talk about introduction? Wait, what kind of wine is this, it actually made me, who "can drink a thousand cups without getting drunk," slightly tipsy...

When Zhu Yuhuang approached Magistrate Ouyang Rong to talk, many people at the banquet also stopped picking up food and listened sideways.

Because of Magistrate Ouyang Rong's smile without speaking, to prevent Zhu Yuhuang from being cold and embarrassed, Wang Wang Junzhi inserted into the topic and asked with a smile:

"Brother Zhu, what is the matter with your father entrusting you to visit the Prince Xunyang Prince."

Zhu Yuhuang immediately said:

"During the Gao Zong Dynasty, when the Prince Xunyang Prince was the Crown Prince and supervised the country, he presided over the military merit awards and promoted my father to the position of Junior Minister of the Imperial Stud,

"My father will never forget this kindness. Recently, hearing that the Prince Xunyang Prince is unwell, my father is worried, so he specially sought precious medicinal materials and sent me to deliver them."

Magistrate Ouyang Rong couldn't help but twitch the corners of his mouth.

Good fellow, when Li Su Xian's family was demoted to commoners and lived in seclusion in Longcheng, why didn't I see your Zhu father and son send medicine to repay the kindness of promotion.

Did you have short-term amnesia?

Now that he has been restored as the Prince Xunyang Prince and has obtained the qualification to compete for the imperial crown, your father Zhu Zhu Lingxu suddenly remembered it, didn't he.

However, Magistrate Ouyang Rong saw Zhu Yuhuang's spirited appearance and his eyes reddened by being moved by his father's firm adherence to the friendship between monarch and subject, and couldn't help but mutter in his heart.

For a while, he couldn't tell whether this Zhu eldest son was pretending to be stupid or really stupid.

No, brother, it's okay to lie to brothers, don't lie to yourself. It really doesn't matter if brothers are lied to by you, just laugh it off, but you...

Magistrate Ouyang Rong complained in his heart, but soon found that it might be because the era of growth was different. Except for him, the others at the banquet seemed to be very fond of this narrative of the friendship between monarch and subject.

They sighed one after another, not sparing praise.

"Governor Zhu is truly a loyal minister in troubled times, a model for our generation." Yue Yue Ziang was excited.

"If all the court officials were like Governor Zhu, how could the villains of the Wei clan be so arrogant." Du Du Shuqing, who was usually silent, said word by word.

"A tiger father has no dog son. Brother Zhu is young and so deep in righteousness, he is also a hero." Wang Wang Junzhi nodded seriously.

Li Li Zhengyan nodded solemnly and raised his cup to everyone: "Come, let's toast to Lord Zhu and Young Master Zhu."

Everyone at the banquet raised their cups and drank happily.

As if like Yue Yue Ziang, being able to get the praise and recognition of Li Li Zhengyan and other "demoted celebrities" whom he had admired for a long time,

Zhu Yuhuang's face was flushed, he took a few deep breaths, his hands shook slightly as he raised his wine glass, looked up, and drank the wine happily.

Except for the someone who was silently picking up food, the atmosphere at the banquet became more and more enthusiastic.

Wang Wang Junzhi asked curiously:

"Brother Zhu looks like he has the temperament of a military officer, have you ever joined the army?"

Li Li Zhengyan, Du Du Shuqing, and others looked sideways.

Zhu Yuhuang nodded, and Yue Yue Ziang opposite smiled and inserted:

"Wang Doctor's words 'a tiger father has no dog son' are absolutely right. The family style of the Hongzhou Governor is like this. Yuhuang brother has practiced martial arts since childhood, is proficient in archery and horse riding, and is well-versed in military books.

"Unlike those playboys who only know how to enjoy themselves, Yuhuang brother was sent into the Longyou army by Governor Zhu at the age of sixteen, starting as a scout and rising to the position of Captain...

"At the moment, Yuhuang brother has been transferred back to Jiang Nan Circuit. After this holiday, he will report to the Fourth Folding Army of Hongzhou."

"Like Registrar Magistrate Ouyang, what a dragon and phoenix among people." Wang Wang Junzhi praised.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong raised his eyebrows slightly and looked at Zhu Yuhuang a few more times.

Although he might have the help of his father's military connections, his promotion was fast, but this Zhu eldest son still had some things, compared to those playboys of the nobility.

It's just that his personality is a bit passionate and angry, similar to Yue Yue Ziang, and I don't know if it's like attracting like, or if he is near vermilion and becomes red.

Du Du Shuqing said suddenly:

"Oh, Brother Zhu is also a scout from the border of Longyou Circuit? I don't know which military town, which guard army, and what is the number..."

"Is Brother Du also?"

Zhu Yuhuang's eyes lit up, reported a number, as if they were familiar, Du Du Shuqing nodded, and chatted enthusiastically with him.

During the period, Li Li Zhengyan, as the head of the crowd, also had words,

It seems that because he inherited the Duke of England from his grandfather and father who were military giants,

Li Li Zhengyan was also familiar with the border military of Longyou Circuit. A few words revealed the amount of information, which made Zhu Yuhuang admire him, looking up, and toasting frequently.

"Li Gong, your grandfather is a model in my heart, a high mountain to look up to." Zhu Yuhuang sighed:

"The old Duke of England served the three dynasties of Great Gan Taizu, Taizong, and Gao Zong, went out to be a general and came in to be a prime minister, with outstanding military achievements. The court relied on him as a dry city, and he was named a Duke. He is truly the highest honor for us Han children who aspire to the military."

Li Li Zhengyan looked up and drank a sip of wine, his tone was light:

"It's all in the past. Besides, the glory of the ancestors has nothing to do with the children. In fact, my grandfather liked me the least, saying bluntly that I was a disaster of ruining the family, and I don't want to touch his glory, so let's not mention it."

Zhu Yuhuang was stunned, smiled and said:

"Actually, the old men at home all criticize their own children like this. My father also often criticizes me for being outspoken and impulsive, and that one day I will ruin the family and implicate him. This kind of talk, actually, just listen to it, Li Gong don't take it seriously."

Li Li Zhengyan nodded and smiled faintly, turned his head, looked at Magistrate Ouyang Rong who was looking sideways, and toasted each other.

Since changing Gan to Zhou, in recent years, the Wei clan has often intervened in the military, and a large number of military nobles originally from Guanzhong have been transferred one after another, and new regulations have been issued constantly.

Maybe because they are all military people, Li Li Zhengyan, Zhu Yuhuang, Du Du Shuqing, and others have many topics,

Even, the latter two began to complain indignantly about the military abuses since the Wei Zhou Dynasty.

Complaining, missing the turbulent years of Great Gan's expansion of territory in the past.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong listened more and more and found that Yue Yue Ziang and Zhu Yuhuang could get together with extreme pro-Li factions like Li Li Zhengyan, Du Du Shuqing, and Wang Wang Junzhi, which is not unreasonable.

Zhu Zhu Lingxu's scolding of Zhu Yuhuang is not without reason.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong heard the topics discussed by everyone at the banquet becoming more and more bold.

But the only problem is, why bring him, who is honest and doesn't discuss state affairs?

Is it because they all know he represents the Prince Xunyang Prince's Mansion?

Magistrate Ouyang Rong twitched the corners of his mouth, somewhat speechless.

Continued to bury his head and drink wine honestly,

Feeling that it is better to be drunker.

Just at this moment, a dense sound of footsteps suddenly came from outside the door, and at the same time, it was mixed with the sound of hard metal objects such as waist knives colliding due to the violent running of the owners of the footsteps.

The banquet hall was instantly silent.

Clatter—!

Clang—!

A crisp sound of a wine glass falling to the ground resounded through the hall.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong ignored the familiar movement outside and first turned his head to observe the expressions of everyone with his peripheral vision.

Only to see Li Li Zhengyan and Wei Wei Shaoqi's expressions as usual, one picking up food, one drinking wine, as before.

Du Du Shuqing stood up at some point, his hand reached into his sleeve, and his eyes stared at the door.

Zhu Yuhuang's hand holding the cup stopped in the air, frowning in confusion and looking at the door.

And Wang Wang Junzhi was also looking sideways, looking at Magistrate Ouyang Rong.

The two gazes met in the air.

Stared at each other for a moment.

Wang Wang Junzhi smiled, moved his gaze away, took out a pure white handkerchief from his sleeve, and handed it thoughtfully to Yue Yue Ziang beside him.

"Watch your feet."

"Thank... thank you Wang Junzhi."

Yue Yue Ziang hurriedly took the handkerchief.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong moved his line of sight down and swept a glance.

Beside Yue Yue Ziang's feet, a copper wine glass was tilted on the ground, and turbid wine stained a large area of the floor. He was bending down, wiping the floor messily with somewhat urgent movements.

It turned out that his hand shook and the wine glass fell.

"Magistrate!"

At this moment, the familiar footsteps Magistrate Ouyang Rong was familiar with arrived at the door, and Yan Yan Liulang led a group of government office runners to break into the hall.

Without time to pay attention to Li Li Zhengyan and the others, Yan Yan Liulang passed by them nervously, hurriedly leaned over to Magistrate Ouyang Rong's side, and whispered a few words.

The speed of speech was extremely fast.

Li Li Zhengyan, Wei Wei Shaoqi, Wang Wang Junzhi, and others exchanged glances, with curious expressions on their faces.

Hua Xuanji, they saw Magistrate Ouyang Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan, who was burying his head and drinking alone in the center of the hall, holding a cup and drunk, gradually tensing his body and slowly raising his head.

The next moment, he stood up abruptly.

The Registrar in his twenties, who had always been gentle and polite, swung his large sleeves and scolded loudly:

"Lan Changhao deserves to die ten thousand times!"

Magistrate Ouyang Rong's cheeks were bulging, ignoring everyone, he raised his head and strode away. Yan Yan Liulang and the others hurriedly followed. Li Li Zhengyan and the others vaguely heard Yan Yan Liulang lowering his voice and asking:

"Magistrate, this change involves Jiangzhou, what should we do now?"

Magistrate Ouyang Rong didn't look back, stepped out of the door, and left a sentence:

"Why ask me, ask Zhu Zhu Lingxu and Wang Wang Lengran!"

The tone was as cold as winter frost.

Zhu Yuhuang, who was originally relieved in the hall, heard this, and his expression was instantly uncertain, "Father, Father"

Li Li Zhengyan and the others also looked at him in confusion.

The crowd didn't have to be confused for long. Not long after Magistrate Ouyang Rong left, a well-informed guest ran over to tell them.

An urgent report came from the western border of Lingnan Circuit to Jiangzhou:

The second year of Tianyou, April 15th, the capital of Guizhou.

More than 1,500 border soldiers from Hongzhou and Jiangzhou, because the border defense was extended and there was no hope of returning home, mutinied, killed the surveillance officers in public, elected a leader with prestige, and mutinied to return north.

More than 1,500 brave border soldiers have left Guizhou in anger and are on their way home...

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 326 =====