Chapter 371: 107. Changing Blood

107. Changing Blood

Not really, even a gentleman guards against craftsmen 107. Changing Blood Zhu Zhu Yuheng is dead.

When Magistrate Ouyang Rong received this news,

He had finished his daily inspection of the Great Buddha Grotto being built on the double peaks and was on his way back.

A rider came galloping from afar, and the knight respectfully handed a piece of intelligence to the "Registrar Yan" in his mouth.

Yan Beside Yan Liulang immediately reported it to Magistrate Ouyang Rong, who was resting with his eyes closed in the carriage.

"Who killed him?"

Magistrate Ouyang Rong did not open his eyes.

Yan Beside Yan Liulang, who was sitting with the coachman outside, read the letter and sighed:

"Cai Qin, Yue Zi'ang."

"Yue Zi'ang?"

"Yes, according to the intelligence, he was also on the city wall of Hongzhou at that time."

Magistrate Ouyang Rong nodded and said: "The reinforcements previously sent by Li Li Zhengyan have arrived. He should have been following the army to support Hongzhou."

"The Magistrate's analysis makes sense."

Magistrate Ouyang Rong nodded: "And then?"

Yan Beside Yan Liulang explained in detail:

"Zhu Zhu Yuheng fled for a thousand miles and arrived at Hongzhou City, exhausted. He seemed to have taken out a token, sent someone to present it, and spoke of defecting. Cai Qin and Yue Zi'ang allowed it, but did not allow them all to enter the city, requiring Zhu Zhu Yuheng to enter the city first to present the memorial.

"Zhu Zhu Yuheng did not hesitate and led a dozen personal guards to enter the city on horseback. However, just after passing the city gate, he was hacked into mud by chaotic knives.

"At that time, Cai Qin and Yue Zi'ang were both on the city wall, watching coldly."

Magistrate Ouyang Rong was silent, and Yan Beside Yan Liulang sighed:

"It's really retribution. Defecting here and there, defecting too much, people don't believe it anymore. Sigh."

Magistrate Ouyang Rong suddenly asked: "What about those surrendered soldiers who served as the vanguard?"

"The Magistrate is concerned about this?" Yan Beside Yan Liulang nodded: "With Zhu Zhu Yuheng dead, they were leaderless and surrendered one after another. Very few ran back, and they were originally from Hongzhou, so Cai Qin didn't make things difficult for them."

Magistrate Ouyang Rong nodded: "Li Li Zhengyan and Cai Qin are particular people."

Yan Beside Yan Liulang nodded: "The Magistrate is also a particular person. In the past few days, dealing with the aftermath of Zhu Zhu Lingxu and his son, you let go of so many people..."

Magistrate Ouyang Rong shook his head: "I can't be counted as one."

Yan Beside Yan Liulang was dumbfounded, put down the letter, and said strangely:

"However, it says above that Yue Zi'ang sneered and ridiculed at the time, and cursed a few words... I don't know what he meant."

"Speak."

"This... he cursed the Magistrate, so it's better not to say it."

"It's okay, let's hear it."

Magistrate Ouyang Rong nodded.

Yan Beside Yan Liulang had to confess:

"At that time, Yue Zi'ang held up a felt hat and said... Yan Gong is truly a master of divine calculation. He specially reminded me before leaving. I didn't expect it to really happen. Zhu Zhu Yuheng, do you and your father want to do it again? This kind of petty trick of borrowing a token is taught to you by Magistrate Ouyang Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan; it's really childish and ridiculous!"

Magistrate Ouyang Rong chuckled:

"Well cursed."

Yan Beside Yan Liulang was curious, but Magistrate Ouyang Rong did not explain, just shook his head:

"Let's go back."

"Yes."

Half an hour later, Magistrate Ouyang Rong returned to the Jiangzhou main hall.

The frontline war situation was already urgent, and like Rong Zhen unsealing the Jiangzhou main hall not long ago, the court did not have much time to continue dragging it out.

In the Divine Capital Shenjing Luoyang, the Empress had already characterized the defection of Zhu Zhu Lingxu and his son as an iron case. Even the Wei Clan had no possibility of overturning it, at most they could cut off their tails to survive.

Or continue to find evidence later to clear some charges, rather than carrying the whole pot.

At present, the news of Zhu Zhu Yuheng's death arrived late. Magistrate Ouyang Rong could receive it, and the Wei Clan could also receive it.

But he was not worried at all. This follow-up news of "failing to surrender" sounded a bit strange, but it could not affect the overall situation.

Except for Magistrate Ouyang Rong, who could understand the cause and effect, at most it would arouse the suspicion and vigilance of the Wei Clan. As for other people who were not related to the interests, most of them were too lazy to pay attention and hung high.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong shook his head and muttered a sentence that he should not have sighed:

"What a cold world."

In the past two days, Magistrate Ouyang Rong discovered that after the news of his resignation as Registrar of the Marching Camp spread back, the eyes of Jiangzhou officials like Chen You looking at him, this superior, were a bit strange.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong was calm and composed, doing whatever he should do on weekdays.

This time, the Wei Clan sat at home, and the pot fell from the sky, confusedly exiting the game, giving up a big cake.

And this time, when dividing the cake, Magistrate Ouyang Rong was included.

But he refused very decisively.

Because what Magistrate Ouyang Rong wanted by doing these things was never to share military merit.

The previous complaints about not including him in sharing the cake were more of self-deprecating jokes, mocking the ugly eating appearance of the Wei Clan.

If he only did these things for the benefit of the cake, then how would he be any different from the Wei Clan?

First of all, clarify a premise: Great Gan and Great Zhou were not terminally ill, but the blood-changing mechanism had some problems.

When necessary, he could act as a catalyst for blood changing once, remove the silt, and let the fresh blood that should have flowed in be injected.

But Magistrate Ouyang Rong did not participate in it, labeling himself as the so-called fresh blood.

At present, Prince Wei Wei Jisui's dereliction of duty and the appointment of the famous general Qin Qin Jingqin as the Jiang Nan Circuit Marching Grand Commander were just like this.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong followed the implicit general trend, assisted the Prince Xunyang Wang Fu, and resolved the Li-Wei dispute, which was also like this.

The fresh blood produced by their own bodies, Magistrate Ouyang Rong was more like an outsider.

If the dynasty was compared to a body, then a relatively healthy body could change blood normally, without the need for outsiders to intervene too deeply, and without the need for unparalleled national scholars to bow and scrape until they die. Just like the Shu Han Prime Minister in the previous life, on the contrary, it was precisely because the body was unhealthy that unparalleled national scholars were needed to do everything themselves and work hard.

In short, if this unified dynasty established for less than a hundred years still possessed the potential for blood changing that Magistrate Ouyang Rong still believed in to nurture a peaceful and prosperous age, then he did not need to bow and scrape until he died.

If it was gone, and it was as rotten as Li Li Zhengyan said, old and frail, unable to overwhelmingly suppress even a Kuangfu Army uprising, then Magistrate Ouyang Rong did not have the necessity to bow and scrape until he died for it.

So Magistrate Ouyang Rong refused the position of Registrar of the Marching Camp.

He chose to stay in Prince Xunyang City, look after the Prince Xunyang Wang Fu, and at the same time continue to watch the Donglin Great Buddha he personally supervised.

He would not deeply participate in suppressing Li Li Zhengyan's Kuangfu Army rebellion. Qin Qin Jingqin and others could solve it. The Great Zhou Dynasty had plenty of famous generals to solve it.

The only thing Magistrate Ouyang Rong had to do was to act as an external lubricant, reduce the intensity of the struggle, and try not to involve the grassroots people as much as possible—so he had never criticized the surrender of the southwest states and counties in the civil war, but had always tolerated and understood it.

And yielding this position could also sell a favor to the newly appointed Qin Qin Jingqin, which was done in passing.

In the afternoon, Magistrate Ouyang Rong continued to deal with the aftermath of the Zhu Zhu Lingxu incident.

The aftermath of this storm fell on Magistrate Ouyang Rong,

Because Rong Zhen had to supervise the army, and Wang Wang Lengran did not dare to take it, fearing being implicated by Zhu Zhu Lingxu and his son. In order to avoid suspicion, he had recently acted as a shrinking turtle.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong had handled those implicated by Zhu Zhu Lingxu accordingly.

Like the servants and beautiful concubines in the house, Magistrate Ouyang Rong sent them all away with silver.

Except for several stubborn personal guards of Zhu, including Chen Lao San, most of the other guards were handled leniently by Magistrate Ouyang Rong.

As for those generals in the vanguard army appointed by the Wei Clan and Zhu Zhu Lingxu, Magistrate Ouyang Rong and Rong Zhen discussed it and decided to leave them to Qin Qin Jingqin, who was about to take office, to identify and deal with.

In short, the thunder was loud but the rain was small.

This made Wang Wang Lengran, who originally thought Magistrate Ouyang Rong would retaliate and make a fuss, a bit surprised. When they met during the day, the look in his eyes when he looked at Magistrate Ouyang Rong was like looking at a fool.

Rong Zhen also looked at him twice more.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong did not care.

After work in the evening, he left the Jiangzhou main hall.

He did not return to the residence in Huaiye Lane, but went straight to the Prince Xunyang Wang Fu.

At present, the relationship between Magistrate Ouyang Rong and the Prince Xunyang Wang Fu no longer needed to be covered up.

Familiar with the road, he entered the mansion for dinner...

An hour later, in Li Su Xian's study, everyone gathered.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong handed over a piece of intelligence.

"Zhu Zhu Yuheng is dead?" Everyone was surprised.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong nodded gently:

"The felt hat that Zhu Zhu Yuheng took as a token was the one Li Li Zhengyan dropped at the pier when he saw him off. Yue Zi'ang was present that day."

Li Su Guoer could not help but laugh:

"Looking at the reaction, Yue Zi'ang and the others probably still think that this was a scheme set up by you and Zhu Zhu Lingxu to feign surrender and steal the city... Zhu Zhu Yuheng didn't know until the moment he died why he died.

"Magistrate Ouyang Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan, what a 'one hat kills two Zhus'."

Magistrate Ouyang Rong nodded, then shook his head:

"Actually, I didn't expect Yue Zi'ang to be there. I thought Cai Qin didn't know that this felt hat of Li Gong had changed hands, and would accept Zhu Zhu Yuheng's surrender."

"It's all the same."

Everyone nodded:

"It's time, it's fate."

Li Su Guoer shook her head and said:

"But you are generous this time, refusing the position of Registrar of the Marching Camp. I don't know how many people are fighting for this popular position right now..."

Magistrate Ouyang Rong said seriously: "Princess, you are joking. I am not good at military affairs, and I can't shift my focus at all."

"Heh." Li Su Guoer rolled her eyes at him, indicating she didn't believe it.

Li Su Dalang asked:

"Who is this Qin Qin Jingqin?"

Li Su Guoer answered immediately:

"The son of the Duke of Hu. He started with his father's merits. However, the Duke of Hu did not receive the honor of inheriting the title without reduction from Taizong Ancestor..."

Li Su Dalang asked curiously: "Other founding dukes were mostly granted it, why didn't the Duke of Hu get it?"

Li Su Guoer said meaningfully: "Some people said that the Duke of Hu was a good minister, not a loyal minister."

"Good minister? Loyal minister? Aren't they about the same?"

Chenjun Xie Xie Lingjiang curled her lips: "A good minister is not a so-called loyal minister. A good minister is loyal to the country and the society, not to a single monarch, even if it is Taizong Wen Emperor."

Li Su Guoer looked at Magistrate Ouyang Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan with her peripheral vision, and then continued to smile shallowly:

"The Duke of Hu's title could not be inherited, but the Qin family's descendants were considered to have turned a misfortune into a blessing.

"Back when Emperor Gao Zong was on the throne, the Great Gan's momentum in expanding its territory was at its peak. He joined forces with the Empress Dowager to suppress the old-guard nobility of Guanzhong. Qin Qin Jingqin has the style of his father, the Duke of Hu. Since he didn't inherit the dukedom, he started from a low position. He didn't live off his family's shadow; instead, he took advantage of his father's remaining connections to join the military early and accumulate military merit. He doesn't have much entanglement with the old-guard nobility who live in comfort in the Guanzhong region..."

"Qin Qin Jingqin led the Great Gan soldiers to fight everywhere, expanded territory for the country, stood out, received the holy grace of his grandfather, and served as the Left Martial Guard Grand General, a position his father held when he founded the country, which was considered not disgracing the family."

Li Su Guoer has an extremely broad range of knowledge. She is as familiar with the current nobility of the Great Zhou and the incumbent princes, dukes, and ministers as if she were reciting a family genealogy. It's unknown where she learned all this.

Everyone looked at each other, but they also listened with great interest.

Her voice was as melodious as a lark. When she finished speaking, only the little princess with plum blossom makeup narrowed her bright eyes, and her cinnabar lips parted with a smile:

"Actually, I think the most interesting thing is the name the Duke of Hu gave his son."

"What do you mean?"

Everyone was curious, and Magistrate Ouyang Rong also raised his eyebrows.

Li Su Guoer lowered her eyes, raised her onion-white fingers, and counted them one by one:

"Qin Jingqin, Qin Jingqin, Qin Jingqin like mist.

"If I remember correctly, this sentence comes from the epitaph of someone who experienced the 'Six Towns Rebellion' at the end of the Northern Wei Dynasty during the Northern and Southern Dynasties.

"I also happened to read a rare copy of the epitaph rubbing. I liked a sentence in it very much at the time, which described the situation in Longyou during the alternation of several regimes before the establishment of the Northern Wei Dynasty, so I was deeply impressed..."

Northern Wei Dynasty? Six Towns Rebellion?

Magistrate Ouyang Rong turned his head.

Because of the descendants of the Northern Wei royal family, Yuan Yuan Huaimin, Li Li Zhengyan, and the Peach Blossom Spring map, he was particularly sensitive to these terms, so he was naturally attracted.

Only Li Su Guoer was heard chanting in a low voice:

"After the stone chamber announced the garrison, the Fu clan rode horses. The Zhang clan seized the opportunity and stroked their swords in Hexi. Heroes stood like tripods in three directions, and strong men were sluggish in this year. Titles and orders were colorful, Qin Jingqin... like mist."

She paused and smiled:

"Qin has the meaning of prosperity. What a good sentence, 'Titles and orders are colorful, Qin Jingqin like mist.' It seems that after the Xuanwu Gate incident of Taizong Ancestor, the Duke of Hu was idle at home and also liked to read that period of Northern and Southern Dynasties history very much."

Everyone looked sideways.

"The Zhang clan seized the opportunity, stroked their swords in Hexi... Good sentence." Magistrate Ouyang Rong smiled: "A bit interesting."

Chenjun Xie Xie Lingjiang chewed for a while and said crisply:

"I like the sentence 'Heroes stood like tripods in three directions, and strong men were sluggish in this year' even more."

A few people tasted it for a while, and Magistrate Ouyang Rong suddenly asked:

"Six Towns Rebellion? What is this?"

"History books say that at the end of the Northern Wei Dynasty, the Six Towns Rebellion broke out, and the Tuoba clan suppressed it with tripod swords, bloody and crushing. But the Six Towns Rebellion also became the beginning of the Northern Wei's demise."

Magistrate Ouyang Rong was thoughtful.

Li Su Guoer narrowed her eyes and said:

"The epitaph of the tomb owner at the time of his death summarized the Six Towns Rebellion in eight words—'The Wei Dao ends, the Great Zhao responds to the period.'

"The Duke of Hu was once a follower, and later surrendered to Gao Zu... Maybe in his eyes, it was also... 'The Dao ends, the Great Gan responds to the period'."

"What about now?" Chenjun Xie Xie Lingjiang smiled lightly: "In the eyes of his son Qin Qin Jingqin, is it 'The Great Gan ends, the Great Zhou responds to the period'?"

Everyone was calm and exchanged glances.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong smiled: "Why not 'The Great Zhou ends, the Great Gan responds to the period'?"

"Ahem." Li Su Xian coughed.

The topic was a bit bold. Li Su Dalang silently diverted it for his friend and sighed:

"Looking at it this way, this Qin Qin Jingqin has fought all his life and can be called a famous general of the time. Grandmother should have sent such an old general long ago. It seems Li Li Zhengyan and the Kuangfu Army are in big trouble."

Magistrate Ouyang Rong nodded:

"Teacher wrote in a letter that it was Master who strongly recommended it at the imperial meeting, won the support of neutral ministers, and the Emperor adopted it."

Li Su Guoer sighed lightly:

"Sending such a person here, I don't know if Master thinks too highly of Li Li Zhengyan, his former subordinate, or simply wants to end the war in the southwest early to avoid the war harming the people."

"If I remember correctly, Xiao Shimei and I have met this person."

Magistrate Ouyang Rong suddenly said, his eyes cast on Chenjun Xie Xie Lingjiang.

Chenjun Xie Clan noblewoman nodded: "It is him, Aunt introduced us."

"When did you meet?" Li Su Xian asked suspiciously.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong said softly:

"Xiao Shimei's birthday banquet. At that time, there was a Uncle Qin who bought an umbrella at a high price in public. I didn't expect it to be Qin Qin Jingqin who was recuperating from illness in Yangzhou... Chenjun Xie Clan Aunt is really amazing, she could invite him to give face. Well, it seems I underestimated the face of Xiao Shimei's birthday banquet."

Chenjun Xie Xie Lingjiang threw a pear over and rolled her eyes cutely, "Just know it."

The two flirted, making Li Su Xian, Li Su Dalang, and others laugh, and Li Su Guoer also smiled lightly.

"So what is this person's attitude toward us?" Wei Mei could not help but ask.

Li Su Guoer said softly:

"After Grandmother established Zhou, Qin Qin Jingqin's official position did not change, so it is conceivable that he did not clearly stand in line. At least in Grandmother's eyes, there is no need to move him. Moreover, Qin Qin Jingqin is considered to have inherited the true biography of his father, the Duke of Hu. In these years of constant fighting in Shenjing Luoyang, he has also been asking for leave and claiming illness, retreating when he is successful, and recuperating in Yangzhou."

Magistrate Ouyang Rong nodded:

"It's fine if he can be neutral. It would be better if he could sympathize with the Prince, but it's not forced... The situation in Prince Xunyang City cannot just have us and the Wei Clan. It also needs to introduce fresh blood to balance.

"A neutral party like Rong Zhen is quite good. At critical moments, it can prevent the Wei Clan from not caring about decency and messing up the table."

Everyone praised it and felt slightly relieved.

Qin ===== CHAPTER 372 =====