Chapter 331

Xunyang Ferry.

After the large ship departed, only Ouyang Rong and Wang Junzhi, who had come to see them off, remained at the pier.

The two turned their heads and exchanged a glance.

Wang Junzhi took out a handkerchief, wiped his hands, and explained with a smile:

"Brother Zi'ang and Brother Shuqing were having such a pleasant conversation that he decided to accompany him for a stretch on his way to take up his post in Longcheng, and to take the opportunity to tour the nearby Yunmeng Great Marsh."

Ouyang Rong nodded.

Wang Junzhi put away his handkerchief, gave a light smile, and without lingering, turned and left.

Ouyang Rong watched his back recede in silence, then turned and cast one last look at the ship's silhouette, which was gradually shrinking on the river surface in the distance.

Yan Liulang walked up to him: "My Lord, where to now..."

Ouyang Rong suddenly moved, passing in front of him and walking straight toward the east side of Xunyang Ferry.

There stood an office of the Shipping Bureau, where procedures were handled for the registration of all docked vessels.

Yan Liulang was slightly startled, immediately shut his mouth, and followed the Magistrate's footsteps.

Moments later, he saw the Magistrate stride into the Shipping Bureau's main gate and stop in front of the desk of a minor official who was yawning while on early shift.

The Magistrate extended his palm and said with a calm face:

"The large ship that just departed—where did it set out from, and what is its final destination? Bring me the procedural documents."

The yawning official was taken aback and was about to put on a stern face, but immediately saw a blue-clad constable quickly step out from behind the plainly dressed young man with the imposing tone, holding a bronze tablet in his hand.

"Yes, yes, my lords, please wait a moment."

The official greeted them with a smiling face and began searching for the documents.

Yan Liulang didn't pay much mind to the official's sudden change in attitude; he glanced sideways at the Magistrate, who stood quietly with his hands behind his back in front of the desk,

his eyes as quiet and deep as a dark pool.

The ancient Xunyang Ferry, known as the premier crossing of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, was left behind.

Standing on the deck and watching the bow of the ship breaking through the waves with the wind, Du Shuqing watched for a while before turning back.

He silently passed by the excited and chatterbox-like Yue Ziang and nimbly ducked into the ship's cabin at the rear,

saying to the two figures inside who were engrossed in a game of chess:

"Lord Yan, what should be done about the residence on Luming Street?"

Du Shuqing spread out the set of keys in his hand and asked woodenly.

Li Zhengyan was playing against Wei Shaoqi, his eyes fixed intently on the black and white pieces on the board, and without lifting his head, he said:

"What else can be done?" He sighed slightly: "Go ahead and leave it for now."

"Yes."

Wei Shaoqi spoke up: "He served as a County Magistrate in Longcheng; he should have acquaintances there."

Du Shuqing glanced sideways.

Li Zhengyan nodded: "This is something that needs to be noted."

Du Shuqing gave an "en," put away the keys, and left in silence.

After the person left, only the two playing chess remained in the cabin.

Li Zhengyan dropped a black piece and sighed with regret:

"Jiangzhou truly possesses the aura of royalty, and its location is excellent; it really is a fine place, ha."

Wei Shaoqi was concise: "It and Hongzhou serve as the gateway to the southeast."

Li Zhengyan nodded: "Especially Jiangzhou; sailing down the Xunyang River, one can easily reach Jin Ling and Yangzhou, making it the gateway to both."

The cabin fell quiet, leaving only the "da-da-da" sound of chess pieces landing on the board.

Li Zhengyan suddenly threw the chess piece in his hand back into the jar, stood up, and waved his hand:

"Let's go. Jiangzhou cannot be stayed in for long; our paths are different, and we cannot conspire together.

"The rest is left to Junzhi."

Wei Shaoqi acted as if he hadn't heard and pointed at the chessboard:

"Lord Yan, sit down. This game isn't finished yet."

"Cough, cough." Li Zhengyan coughed:

"What is there to play between Mr. Wei and a poor chess player like me? If you want to play, I'll go out and call Shuqing to accompany you, sir."

Wei Shaoqi sighed: "Lord Yan, this is not good sportsmanship."

"You know what my sportsmanship is like."

"For example?"

"For example, like this."

Li Zhengyan calmly waved his sleeve, swept the losing chessboard into a mess, and nodded: "Smashing the board."

Wei Shaoqi nodded and suddenly returned to the topic from a moment ago:

"People like Wang Lengran are not to be feared, but Jiangzhou has Ouyang Lianghan; it truly cannot be stayed in for long. It is time to go."

"I haven't asked yet, Mr. Wei, what do you think of Ouyang Lianghan?"

Wei Shaoqi pointed his finger at the square chessboard, where the black and white round pieces were in a mess, and spoke bluntly:

"Square in conduct and righteous, round in wisdom and versatility; bold and unrestrained in action, quiet and proud in spirit."

Li Zhengyan couldn't help but turn his head and take two extra looks at Mr. Wei, who was always stingy with his praise.

The rough meaning of these four lines of praise was that his conduct was upright and disciplined, yet his strategy was round and versatile; his actions were bold and sweeping, yet his heart was calm and peaceful.

"What a 'quiet and proud in spirit'."

Li Zhengyan nodded in approval:

"What is most rare is that at such a young age, he possesses such 'quiet energy.' I don't know what he encountered when he was demoted to Longcheng; he is far too unlike a 'young man'."

"That is correct. The presence of such a figure is the fortune of the Wei Zhou dynasty."

After a pause, Wei Shaoqi sighed:

"If only at the end of last year, Ouyang Lianghan could have accepted the decree to enter the capital and join the Censorate. Then Lord Yan and I could have gotten to know this person sooner, and there wouldn't be such a thorny situation in Jiangzhou today."

Li Zhengyan's expression was one of surprise:

"Mr. Wei rarely praises people like this."

Wei Shaoqi shook his head: "Ever since the change from Gan to Zhou, I have seen too many times where there are no heroes, and mere boys make a name for themselves. It is rare to meet someone who lives up to his reputation."

He sighed with emotion: "He is worthy of the Master's favor, allowing him to defy the decree and remain in Jiangzhou."

Hearing the word "Master" spoken with such reverence by Wei Shaoqi, Li Zhengyan lowered his eyes and remained silent.

Wei Shaoqi seemed to have noticed the awkward silence and shut his mouth.

After a quiet moment, someone in the cabin tidied the messy chessboard and asked as if casually:

"Where to next? Guizhou?"

"No." The man who had swept the chessboard quieted for a moment, then nodded and said: "Hongzhou."

"Excellent."

Ouyang Rong walked out of the Shipping and Trade Bureau under the morning sun.

Yan Liulang, following behind, flipped through the documents in his hand and muttered:

"It seems there is no problem; it truly did set out from Jin Ling and passed through Longcheng and Yixian."

Ouyang Rong was noncommittal.

The two returned to the Jiangzhou government office.

"Wait at the door."

Ouyang Rong entered the main hall, picked up a brush to write a letter, and upon exiting, handed it to Yan Liulang, instructing:

"Yan Liulang, send this to Assistant Magistrate Diao for me... no, Magistrate Diao."

Yan Liulang heard Ouyang Rong's slip of the tongue and couldn't help but laugh.

"Yes, my Lord."

He turned to leave.

"Wait."

Ouyang Rong turned back and called out to stop Yan Liulang to ask:

"Regarding Wang Junzhi, I had you keep an eye on him. What movements has he had recently, besides attending classes at the Prefecture School?"

Yan Liulang said: "Wang Junzhi was introduced by Yue Ziang; subsequently, he attended three elegant gatherings of the Chrysanthemum Poetry Society and has had some contact with that little Princess from the Xunyang Prince's Mansion."

Ouyang Rong frowned slightly.

Yan Liulang observed his expression and asked: "My Lord, is there something amiss?"

"It's nothing." Ouyang Rong shook his head.

"Does my Lord not like this person?"

"I wouldn't say that."

Yan Liulang thought for a moment and said hesitantly:

"My Lord, after all, she is the younger sister of the eldest son, so she is not an outsider. You could also let the eldest son pass on a message. If you have any words or warnings, it would be better to speak clearly to her directly."

He recalled the attitude of Li Guoer, who had kept people at a distance since that misunderstanding.

Ouyang Rong nodded lightly but said no more.

There were some things that, as the chief strategist of the Xunyang Prince's Mansion, it was actually inconvenient for him to say.

Furthermore, his attitude had always been consistent:

To be inclusive of newcomers and not to exclude any talented individuals who were unrecognized and sought refuge in the Xunyang Prince's Mansion, provided they didn't lead them into a ditch.

If there were truly world-class talent, Ouyang Rong felt he would gladly yield the position of chief strategist.

Only those who are insecure and arrogant cling to positions out of jealousy.

Of course, sometimes, this attitude of not contending is the greatest contention of all, though it was unconscious.

Previously, regarding the extreme young radical Yue Ziang, he had never spoken any ill words in front of Wang Lixian and his son.

Driving him out of the Prince's Mansion was a decision made by Wang Lixian and his son at the time to avoid suspicion.

And refusing to see the highly famous Li Zhengyan and Wei Shaoqi was also because Wang Lixian and his son were worried that contact with such extreme "Pro-Li" factions, who were under the shadow of guilt, would cause trouble, so they were turned away.

Ouyang Rong had also not spoken ill of them beforehand behind their backs.

However, regarding the possible motives held by Li Zhengyan, Wei Shaoqi, and others, Ouyang Rong was actually holding an attitude of worry and vigilance.

If Wang Lixian and his son had truly met them, Ouyang Rong, out of his duty as a strategist, would have warned them a few words afterward, but it hadn't happened.

Yet at this moment, regarding Wang Junzhi's behavior of gradually drawing closer, it was also inconvenient for Ouyang Rong to say much.

Especially since it was highly probable he was taking the path of introduction through Li Guoer.

Perhaps it was just a normal act of seeking refuge after Wang Junzhi remained in Jiangzhou, unrelated to Li Zhengyan and the others; after all, the Xunyang Prince's Mansion's appeal was too great.

Ouyang Rong could not be certain,

and could only wait and see how things developed.

Actually, speaking of Li Zhengyan and his party, setting aside their stance and the trouble of their guilty status, after interacting with them these days, he did indeed have a good impression of them.

He even sympathized with their encounter of being cut off and abandoned by the main force of the "Pro-Li" faction in the imperial court.

But this was not a reason for him to treat the future and lives of his junior sister, the women of Huaiye Lane, and the Xunyang Prince's Mansion as child's play.

Ouyang Rong had to walk firmly along a planned path.

This was what had been discussed and agreed upon with everyone when he first became the "Su Fu Strategist":

To endure this darkness before the dawn, to remain unbowed no matter how they were struck, to quietly wait for the situation in the Divine Capital to change, and to help the Wang Lixian family return to the capital, inherit the imperial succession, and even eventually reclaim the throne.

As for what came after.

That was the agreement Ouyang Rong had made with Li Dalang on the Dragon-Slaying Platform at the Ancient Yue Sword Shop that summer afternoon.

He would help the Wang Lixian family return to the capital.

And they, in turn, would provide Ouyang Rong with a grand stage to realize his ambitions.

In the process, he would certainly not let those who carried the firewood freeze to death in the snow.

And Ouyang Rong, who knew a certain trajectory of his past life, understood clearly that there was still a future prosperous age hidden behind the many chaotic phenomena of the current Wei Zhou dynasty ruled by a woman.

That was the era when the young unified dynasty, which had changed from Gan to Zhou, would have its greatest national strength.

It was also an expectation that still remained in Ouyang Rong's heart.

He wanted to walk into that prosperous age, take a look, and touch and change something.

At the same time, Ouyang Rong, having experienced Longcheng County, did not want this prosperous age to be only the prosperous age of a few people in the two capitals within the pass.

Just like what he did in Longcheng, he wanted to save the lonely souls scattered across the land under the prosperous age.

When he first took office as County Magistrate in Longcheng, Ouyang Rong often asked himself:

Compared to the past life, is this hell?

Yes, it is hell, no mistake.

But ever since he crawled out of that Pure Land underground palace the second time he woke up, Ouyang Rong had completely severed his hopes for the afterlife and the Pure Land, and planted his feet firmly.

Since the Avici Hell could not be turned into a Lotus Pure Land in one step, then let it be turned into something slightly better.

He still clearly remembered the words he carved next to that "Return, O Return" stone inscription before crawling out of the underground palace that day:

Today the long tassel is in hand, when shall I bind the Azure Dragon?

What is the long tassel?

A single "Craftsmanship" is far from enough.

He also had to obtain a "Sword of Power" that every man in the world dreamed of, to sever the many abuses of this dynasty.

And all of this, everything, required Ouyang Rong to wait quietly and endure this darkness before the dawn.

From the Rebellion in Yingzhou, to the Central Buddha construction instigated by the Wei clan, to the demotion of radical "Pro-Li" factions like Li Zhengyan, and then to the Guizhou tragedy and the mutiny of the Guizhou garrison soldiers not long ago.

In a short period, all kinds of events came one after another, leaving no time to catch one's breath.

May I ask, is the current chaotic phenomenon of the Wei Zhou dynasty chaotic?

Chaotic, of course it is chaotic.

Is the heart of the Wei clan Empress, the heart of ten million people, hateful?

Hateful.

Ouyang Rong nodded without hesitation.

Then he must go and end it using the most time-saving, labor-saving, and lowest-intensity method.

Since the pages of history written hereafter all contain the optimal answer of "Monarchical Autocracy."

Then the life-and-death struggle and blood-stained palaces of the upper echelons are fine, as long as they don't affect the general peace and stability of the lower-class people.

Unless it reaches the point where fresh blood can no longer be replaced, and one is forced to tread upon the bones of the nobility in the Heavenly Street.

Otherwise, the infighting and blood-swapping within the ruling class is always better than the earth-shattering upheaval when the lower classes rise from the bottom to change the world, leaving fewer than one in ten of the population.

Time-saving, labor-saving, low intensity.

The Wang Lixian family of the Xunyang Prince's Mansion is the answer closest to him at the moment.

And it is also the reason why Ouyang Rong chose to take over from the Wang Lixian family when he walked out of Longcheng, put on the identity mask of "Strategist Tanlang," and assumed this responsibility.

It's just that he didn't expect that in Xunyang City, he would confess his love and pledge his heart to his junior sister.

And so, he added another identity mask: "Canteen Contractor for the Xiao Shimei's Son."

It is just fortunate that his junior sister, the women of Huaiye Lane, and the Xunyang Prince's Mansion are all in Xunyang City, all by Ouyang Rong's side.

Personal desires and future ambitions are currently consistent and do not conflict for the time being.

So even if Xunyang City is a cage where one walks on thin ice, his heart is stable and increasingly calm.

Inside the main hall, Ouyang Rong sat down, calmly tidied the documents, lowered his eyes, and said:

"No need to worry about Wang Junzhi for now. Liulang, if there is a reply from Longcheng, notify me immediately."

"Yes, my Lord."

Three days later, Ouyang Rong received a reply from Magistrate Diao.

Du Shuqing and his party had already arrived in Longcheng.

Du Shuqing remained and moved into the vacant Meilu Pavilion that very night.

Ouyang Rong read the letter in silence, wrote another letter, gave Magistrate Diao a few instructions in the letter, and sent it back.

After finishing, he leaned back, rested against the chair, and his expression relaxed slightly.

Li Zhengyan and his party had finally left; for now, it seemed nothing had happened.

However, there was one piece of bad news.

Regarding the Pagoda of Merit.

I don't know if it expired or if there was no key object to continue triggering it, but the red blessing within the Pagoda of Merit suddenly disappeared.

The purple mist of the bronze bell vanished, and it remained motionless.

Restored to its original state.

Ouyang Rong couldn't help but frown after discovering it when he woke up the morning before last.

However, once he thought about the insufficient merit, it would be difficult to make up the seven thousand in a short time, and he couldn't force it, so he had to console himself, turn his head to busy himself with official business, and had no time to regret it.

Ouyang Rong began to search for a way to help the soldiers of the Third Regiment of the Jiangzhou Zhechong Garrison out of their predicament.

He racked his brains for several days.

This night, he came to the Xunyang Prince's Mansion for his nightly strategy session as usual.

Just as the people in the study had gathered, before Ouyang Rong could speak, Wang Lixian suddenly took the initiative to bring up the matter of Qin Heng and the soldiers of the Third Regiment.

"Does Tanlang have a strategy?"

Ouyang Rong's expression was somewhat surprised: "How does Uncle know?"

Wei Mei smiled and said: "The niece Xie told us, saying you were worried about this matter recently. During the day a few days ago, when I went to the flower hall to deliver pastries, I saw you and Qilang looking worried and deep in thought while discussing official business."

Wang Lixian continued: "I asked the niece that night, and it turned out to be about the mutinous garrison soldiers."

Li Dalang's tone was reproachful: "Tanlang, really, why didn't you discuss this with us?"

Li Guoer, holding the cat, also glanced over.

Ouyang Rong heard this and couldn't help but glance at his junior sister, then looked at the Wang Lixian family who cared about him.

His heart felt slightly warm.

(End of chapter)