Chapter 333

Just as Watching Yuan Huaimin was still racking his brains over who "Qiji" was.

Ouyang Rong put on a stern face, nodded, and said:

"Arriving late today, your salary will be deducted as usual."

"Alas, Brother Lianghan, please show mercy."

Watching Yuan Huaimin, who thought he had escaped a disaster, wailed with a bitter old face.

Having learned that he had such wealthy ancestors, Ouyang Rong felt no sympathy for this fellow now.

The Jingzhao Yuan clan was indeed down and out, incomparable to the prominent Five Surnames and Seven Clans and the few great Guanlong families of the current Gan and Zhou dynasties,

but three hundred years ago, the predecessor of his ancestors, the Northern Wei Tuoba clan, was the original founder of the aristocratic system that prevailed for three hundred years after the Northern Dynasties.

In other words, the top-tier noble clans and wealthy families that rose since the Gan dynasty, in a sense, all had to thank his family.

Down and out as they were, the top-tier noble clans still looked up to you, because respecting the descendants of the Yuan Wei dynasty, in a sense, was maintaining the glory of their own family status.

No wonder the children of noble families like the Jingzhao Du clan were willing to get to know Watching Yuan Huaimin; he could still eat off the shade of his ancestors.

Ouyang Rong looked at Watching Yuan Huaimin, who had a look of despair after being fined, and sighed:

"Can't you show some ambition?"

Watching Yuan Huaimin looked bitter for a while: "It seems I have to find Brother Wang and try to get some benefits again."

His expression became spirited and open-minded again.

Ouyang Rong stared at him and asked: "When did Du Shuqing see you?"

Watching Yuan Huaimin scratched his head, pondered, and shook his head: "Forgot, when was it last month."

Ouyang Rong asked calmly: "Besides Wang Junzhi, didn't he introduce anyone else for Brother Huaimin to get to know?"

"Get to know who?"

"Lord Li."

"Who is this?" Watching Yuan Huaimin looked confused.

"Li Zhengyan."

Watching Yuan Huaimin acted dazed:

"Oh, the famous demoted official, former Meizhou Inspector, I've heard of him, he also came to Jiangzhou a while ago."

"Didn't introduce him to you?"

"No. But I have long admired his name."

"So you only saw Du Shuqing and Wang Junzhi?"

"Yes."

Watching Yuan Huaimin answered with a natural expression. Ouyang Rong watched for a while and couldn't see anything.

He became vigilant in his heart. Yan Liulang had been sending people to follow Li Zhengyan's movements in Xunyang City and reporting daily; Ouyang Rong didn't remember that the group had gone to Xingzi Lane to see Watching Yuan Huaimin.

How did it get missed?

If the two sides had truly met, wouldn't that mean they could easily bypass the eyes and ears of Yan Liulang, the local snake? This was not something an ordinary person could do.

Ouyang Rong vaguely smelled some strange wind direction.

But... what could they do by secretly meeting this unreliable fellow Watching Yuan Huaimin?

Watching Yuan Huaimin couldn't help but ask: "Brother Lianghan seems very concerned about them."

"Just afraid they'll lead you astray." Ouyang Rong said casually.

Watching Yuan Huaimin thought for a moment and asked cautiously:

"They should know that I am the Jiangzhou Sima, a nominal position, without power, and idle all day long, right?"

Ouyang Rong sighed: "Well, that's true, they probably know better than you do yourself."

Watching Yuan Huaimin felt that this sentence was strange, as if he were very unreliable, and Watching Yuan Huaimin wanted to refute.

Ouyang Rong suddenly asked:

"At the end of last year, you helped me paint a picture of ladies with hairpins on an oil-paper umbrella; do you still remember?"

Watching Yuan Huaimin stroked his beard, looking gratified:

"There is such a thing. Why, Brother Lianghan, do you also feel that the picture of ladies with hairpins is not as good as the picture of horses bathing, and want to change it?"

Ouyang Rong shook his head:

"No, I want to say that after the umbrella and painting were sent out, it caused quite a stir. I inquired about it afterward, and the painting technique and brushwork seem to be quite particular."

He sighed: "It is said to be the 'Wu Belt in the Wind' orchid leaf stroke, a unique skill of a famous painting saint during the time of the two empresses."

"Is there such a thing?"

Watching Yuan Huaimin was stunned and answered:

"My painting art was learned when I was in Chang'an. Once, when I was sobering up in a roadside temple, I bumped into an old Daoist priest who was painting a mural. We got familiar after a few times, and he let me help and taught me."

"Asked him where he was from, he said he was from Mount Zhongnan. Eh, could he be a master?"

Ouyang Rong stared at Watching Yuan Huaimin for a while and nodded:

"He might indeed be a master who hides his true self."

Watching Yuan Huaimin was immediately overjoyed and rubbed his hands:

"Brother Lianghan, I didn't lie to you, did I? Poetry and painting are both excellent. How about taking care of the salary deduction for arriving late today..."

Ouyang Rong praised and nodded, interrupting to ask:

"Then, Brother Huaimin, who is excellent in both poetry and painting, is there anything else I don't know? If there is, Brother Huaimin can say it together now, don't stab me from time to time like an assassin."

Watching Yuan Huaimin looked bitter: "Brother Lianghan is joking with me again."

Ouyang Rong's expression seemed to recall something, and he asked directly:

"By the way, after working together for so long, I haven't asked Brother Huaimin why you were demoted here."

Only to see this Jiangzhou Sima, who found it expensive to live in Xunyang, look up at the sky again, sighing:

"Alas, it's a long story."

"Then make it short."

Watching Yuan Huaimin heard this and was rarely concise: "Said the wrong thing."

"Discussed the imperial court or the Sage?"

Watching Yuan Huaimin was dejected.

"Brother Lianghan, don't tear open the wounds."

It seems I guessed right.

Ouyang Rong didn't tear open the wounds again, looked at the sun outside, stood up, and prepared to leave the main hall.

Walking to the door, he stopped and said without turning his head:

"Brother Huaimin."

"Hmm, what's wrong, Brother Lianghan."

Ouyang Rong lowered his eyes and tidied his sleeves, saying softly:

"If there is anything, you can tell me at any time; it's never too late."

Watching Yuan Huaimin was stunned and nodded: "Good."

"Also."

Ouyang Rong's expression was serious, and he added:

"Remember to be on duty on time from now on. Starting today, I will wait for you every day."

Watching Yuan Huaimin: "...!"

Leaving the main hall, Ouyang Rong stood at the door for a while, looked at the horizon, and let out a long breath.

He didn't like this feeling of being vaguely out of control and having accidents pop up frequently.

But ever since Li Zhengyan, Wang Junzhi, and others came, everything was wrong.

Especially Wang Junzhi, who in a short time had interacted with more people in Xunyang City than Ouyang Rong, the Jiangzhou Chief Clerk, and had figured out the network of relationships in the city.

Ouyang Rong even admired his energy for reaching so far.

As expected of a former Chang'an Registrar and a noble child from Chang'an.

Shaking his head, Ouyang Rong turned and left.

In the main hall behind him, Watching Yuan Huaimin turned his head to watch the back of his superior, the "Salted Fish Killer," recede and disappear.

He withdrew his gaze, looked south, and was dazed for a while.

At some point, this descendant of the Northern Wei imperial family, whose ancestors were wealthy, rubbed his face, then smiled, his tone open-minded and cheerful:

"The Yuanjia era was sloppy, sealing the wolf at Juxu, winning the emperor's panicked northward glance... Good poem, good poem."

He tasted it with a smile on his face, but soon, his expression and emotions became visibly low, and he sat alone and muttered:

"I heard from my grandfather before that in that Yuanjia Northern Expedition two hundred years ago, even though the Southern Dynasty Song had 'scholars,' they didn't win, and ended up with a panicked northward glance.

"Since ancient times, it seems that wanting to win from south to north is very difficult...

"Eh, why is this? Strange, strange."

Several days later.

Besides listening to his junior sister and Liulang report on Wang Junzhi's social interactions daily,

Ouyang Rong devoted his energy to welcoming the garrison soldiers returning north not long after.

This day, the Jiangzhou government office received a message from the side of Imperial Envoy Hu, who was pardoning the garrison soldiers in the south.

This message was very solemn.

The letter first wrote a piece of good news, which was that the Imperial Envoy Hu had arrived at a place called Tan Prefecture and met with the 1,500 garrison soldiers returning north,

and that day, he read the Emperor's pardon edict.

The returning garrison soldiers were successfully comforted by him.

It could be considered a narrow escape from danger.

Imperial Envoy Hu promised the garrison soldiers in public that he would send them back to Hongzhou and Jiangzhou, and would order officials along the way not to block them.

Allowing them to return north with peace of mind.

Imperial Envoy Hu even said that he could help them prepare ships and take the most convenient waterway.

The 1,500 garrison soldiers returning north didn't hesitate much and immediately put down the weapons in their hands, supporting this imperial private envoy who was like a life-saving straw.

At this moment, this message from Hu Fu,

was to notify the Jiangzhou government office and the Hongzhou Governor's Mansion to prepare in advance to welcome the returning garrison soldiers.

It could be considered reporting good news and communicating.

Ouyang Rong finished browsing this message and let out a slight breath.

The situation in the Jiang Nan Circuit, which had been tense, finally eased a lot.

According to the letter, Hu Fu's handling of this matter was relatively smooth, and he was returning north with the 1,500 garrison soldiers who had laid down their weapons.

It seems Ouyang Rong's preparations for these past few days were correct; now only the framing and buck-passing by Wang Lengran and others on the day the garrison soldiers entered the city needed to be prevented.

"Wait, Jiangzhou is settled, but how will Hongzhou handle it?"

Ouyang Rong frowned and pondered for a while:

"However, this Zhu Lingxu doesn't seem to be a person of the Wei clan, but a person of the Teng Prince's Mansion; there is no need to work so hard for the face and majesty of the Wei clan.

"And that Imperial Envoy Hu is not stupid; he must have thought of this point, so after comforting the garrison soldiers, he chose to follow the team and return, and the first stop is Hongzhou City, which should also be to prevent changes..."

Ouyang Rong sat alone, thought carefully for a while, and continued to check for omissions and fill in the gaps:

"Go talk to Uncle Li tomorrow night; next time when submitting a memorial to plead for mercy, also include the 1,200 garrison soldiers returning north from the Hongzhou Zhechong Garrison, and see if they can be 'punished' to Jiangzhou for statue construction together, to add a layer of insurance for them.

"And Jiangzhou is not far from Hongzhou, and there are wages to be earned for statue construction, so there shouldn't be much resentment."

He nodded lightly.

That night, returning to the Yinbing Study, Ouyang Rong went to bed early with Ye Weilai to rest.

In the middle of the night, in a deep sleep, on the bed, he suddenly opened his eyes and sat up straight.

The drowsy sleepiness was completely dispelled by the continuous crisp sound of wooden fish by his ears.

"Merit increased?"

Only stunned for a moment, Ouyang Rong first pressed down the white-haired little head that was about to lift in the quilt, and then he quickly closed his eyes and lay back down to sleep.

Ouyang Rong's mind sank into the Pagoda of Merit and flew directly toward the little wooden fish that was forced to work in the middle of the night.

Merit: 7,168

The line of blue-gold characters above the little wooden fish had changed significantly, and it was still jumping sporadically.

Ouyang Rong's expression was both happy and confused.

Why did it suddenly increase by more than five hundred merit in the middle of the night? It was still over 6,600 merit before.

Could it be that the merit instrument in the Buddha's home in the Heavenly Court crashed, stuck in a bug, and gave it away for free?

Uh, it shouldn't be.

"Suddenly skyrocketing merit, could it be that the folks in Dragon City have set up statues and built shrines for me again, or is it other measures, helping others, and rewarding merit?

"Is it the key to Meilu Pavilion given to Du Shuqing last time? But looking at Magistrate Diao's letter, didn't he move in a long time ago? Why give it now?

"Speaking of which, during the time Du Shuqing just moved into Meilu Pavilion, the little wooden fish didn't seem to have any obvious increase in merit, so it seems he wasn't grateful for this move..."

He tried hard to recall, wanting to find the root cause of the skyrocketing merit.

"Forget it, I've done too many good deeds, I can't think of which one it is."

Ouyang Rong shook his head, gave up helplessly, and muttered half-worried and half-happy:

"But increasing merit should be a good thing..."

Ouyang Rong didn't think much more, exited the Pagoda of Merit, and continued to sleep.

Soon it was dawn, he was full of energy and went to work.

Although he had missed the red blessing of seven thousand merit that might have been related to it before,

Ouyang Rong was still rushing about, busy with the matter of preserving the garrison soldiers returning north.

Some things have nothing to do with rewards.

Afternoon.

Third floor of Yunshui Pavilion, the old place.

Ouyang Rong met Qin Heng again.

As soon as they met, he went straight to the point and told Qin Heng the idea discussed with the Xunyang Prince's Mansion.

Qin Heng's breathing became heavier, he took a deep breath, his expression calmed down, and he clasped his fists heavily:

"Many thanks to Chief Clerk Ouyang for your righteousness, and many thanks to the Prince for such great kindness."

His expression was firm, as if he was not good at expressing true feelings.

However, listening to the crisp sound of wooden fish ringing by his ears, Ouyang Rong roughly understood the heartfelt gratitude of this Fruitful Commandant who was not good at words.

He smiled and consoled him a few words.

Afterward, the two discussed the cooperation matters of going out of the city to welcome the garrison soldiers returning north not long after.

Qin Heng asked casually: "Chief Clerk, you mean, that day, you gifted the saber I gave you to Imperial Envoy Hu?"

Ouyang Rong "That's right, this time the comforting of the garrison soldiers went smoothly, perhaps it also had the reason for the response of Commandant Su..."

He stopped halfway through his sentence.

Closing his mouth, lowering his head to sip tea, Ouyang Rong frowned and glanced at Qin Heng.

"Chief Clerk Ouyang, what's wrong? Why is your hand shaking?"

"It's nothing."

Ouyang Rong ignored the trembling of the bell by his ears, covered his emotions, and put down the teacup again:

"A bit sleepy."

"Then Chief Clerk Ouyang, rest early."

"No major problem."

Ouyang Rong and Qin Heng continued to talk and laugh freely.

After a stick of incense, the discussion ended, and he stood up to bid farewell to Qin Heng.

On a carriage slowly driving back to the Jiangzhou government office, as soon as Ouyang Rong got on the carriage, he sat with his eyes closed, and flew into the Pagoda of Merit for the first time.

Inside the Pagoda of Merit, he looked up at the bronze ancient bell above that was trembling and flowing with "water mist" again, and his expression couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

The purple mist gushing from the bell body was mixed with blood-red threads, a bit familiar...

That red blessing worth seven thousand merit was back.

Looking at it this way, the triggering condition was indeed related to Qin Heng.

He thought calmly in his heart.

After hesitating for a moment, Ouyang Rong closed his eyes, and his mind moved.

Only to see the blue-gold characters floating above the little wooden fish suddenly turn into a swimming carp, flying rapidly toward the trembling ancient bell in the air that was unsatisfied.

Blessing exchange.

Clang—!

The great bell rang, echoing by his ears.

Blood-colored blessing, exchange successful.

Ouyang Rong opened his eyes; above his head, the bronze ancient bell that was trembling and restless before was silent and motionless.

The blue-gold characters in front were cleared again.

"Even the landlord's family has no surplus grain." He sighed with a smile.

After wasting time in the pagoda for a while, Ouyang Rong left the Pagoda of Merit with expectation in his eyes...

(End of chapter)