Chapter 41

Forty-one: The Ninth Day, Hidden Dragon Do Not Use

Ouyang Rong had received quite a few letters recently.

There were some from academy classmates, some from former teachers, some from officials in his hometown of Nanlong, and even some from the same year he passed the imperial examination in the first year of Jiushi. And if he remembered correctly, he had only toasted a glass of wine with this person at the Apricot Garden banquet, and he had forgotten what they looked like.

These old acquaintances all sent letters to exchange pleasantries, reminisce about past friendships, and make appointments to get together properly in the future. Then, at the very end of the letters, they would all slightly mention that they had a little bit of friendship with a wealthy family in Longcheng County, hoping Brother Lianghan would take care of them a little.

Is this reasonable?

It is very reasonable.

Ouyang Rong put down the letter paper, smiled lightly, casually threw the stack of letters into the trash basket by his feet, and got up to leave the study.

The plum blossom forest outside the study was shedding petals, which was very pleasing to the eye. The plum blossoms in Longcheng bloomed late and withered late.

Ouyang Rong picked up a pale pink plum petal from his shoulder, carried a pot of wine, and went out humming a "hometown ditty."

He was actually in a very good mood because he hadn't received any letters from his mentor Xie Xun or the Inspector Shen Xisheng, and a few days ago, Ouyang Rong had already prepared himself mentally to receive letters from both of them.

Ouyang Rong arrived at the government office, and before long, he took a large group of officials and government office runners to see them off at the outskirts of the city.

He had ordered Qin Heng and the other soldiers of the Zhechong Prefecture to return to the Jiangzhou camp yesterday, and the soldiers were leaving today.

At the ten-mile pavilion south of the city, Ouyang Rong lowered his eyes and poured a glass of wine, signaling to Commandant Qin and the other soldiers.

"General Qin, I don't have much literary talent, so I won't recite poems to be sentimental. Everyone, walk well on the road. It's been hard on everyone these days."

"Magistrate, you are too modest." Qin Heng shook his head.

"By the way, bring another letter to Inspector Shen for me."

Ouyang Rong took out a letter and handed it over. Qin Heng took it without asking.

Everyone finished the farewell wine and broke willow branches to see them off.

The young Commandant of the Jiangzhou Zhechong Prefecture, who had just ridden a few steps on his horse, suddenly turned his horse's head and said to the young magistrate who was quietly watching from the pavilion behind:

"Magistrate Ouyang, this subordinate actually... has always been puzzled by one thing. That night I saw you walk out of the warehouse carrying a head, this subordinate could tell... the Magistrate really, really wanted to take the brothers to raid the house, but why didn't you go later?"

"Does General Qin also want to raid the house?"

Qin Heng, who was usually taciturn and capable, nodded without hesitation: "It's hard to vent the hatred even if you raid a hundred houses of such local gentry and bullies a day. They deserve to die."

"General Qin is a man of temperament."

"Isn't Magistrate Ouyang the same?"

"Then why didn't General Qin go to raid the house?"

"I hate that there is no military order. But Magistrate Ouyang can, you can give the order."

"I can give the order, but I am not a general, I only need to lead the charge and draw my sword willfully." Ouyang Rong paused and said seriously: "I am the magistrate of a county."

Qin Heng was silent for a while, raised his vermilion horse whip to point at the disaster relief camps in the fields, and said loudly:

"Magistrate Ouyang, this subordinate led the soldiers out of Jiangzhou City at night, passing through Xingzi, Hukou, and Jishui counties. Along the way, your county is the place where we have seen the least hunger among the refugees, the best disaster control, and the fastest work by officials... This magistrate has done a beautiful job!"

"Magistrate Ouyang, we will meet again!"

Qin Heng laughed, turned around, swung his whip, and led three hundred armored cavalry to gallop away, raising three zhang of dust.

Ouyang Rong was slightly startled, shook his head with a smile, and led the officials behind him back to the county government office.

"How much for a dou?"

"Sixteen coins, sir, this is top-quality tribute rice from Qianshan..."

Beside Yan Liulang interrupted: "Is the price the same at other rice shops?"

"It's all this price, no cheating children or old people."

"Give me two dou."

"Alright, thank you for your patronage, thirty-two coins."

In the busy market rice shop, Beside Yan Liulang paid the money, took the bag of rice, and turned back.

Walking along the way, the blue-clothed constable clearly felt that the county town was much more lively and busy inside and out, with much more signs of life.

The sails on Butterfly Creek were like a forest, and there were many more foreign ships than usual. The porters at Peng Lang Ferry were so busy they were short-handed, needing to raise wages and recruit people from the refugees outside the city.

The shops in the East and West Markets that had closed down due to the disaster were gradually resuming business, and temples and buildings were being renovated everywhere in the county town, all in full swing.

In the past few days, many official documents issued by a certain young magistrate to promote commerce and labor, as well as the policies vigorously promoting the Dragon Boat Festival, had become the liveliest topics among the wealthy families, commoners, and refugees outside the city in Longcheng.

People were discussing on the streets and alleys that it was said the Magistrate would personally attend the Dragon Boat Festival to deliver a speech, and the county government would also take out real gold and silver to reward the winning dragon boats and subsidize some active merchants.

In fact, the dragon boat race during the Dragon Boat Festival in previous years was also a very grand event, because the people in the Wu and Yue regions were also superstitious, regarding the dragon boat race as a major event to pray for good weather and a good harvest in the coming year, so they naturally participated enthusiastically.

Moreover, whether the magistrate could achieve the change of customs was also a standard for the state's assessment of the local magistrate, and previous magistrates had to handle it. However, it was truly rare to see such vigorous efforts as the current young magistrate, especially when all counties were exhausted from dealing with the floods in Yunmeng Marsh.

So as soon as the news spread, Longcheng County appeared very conspicuous in the upper and lower reaches of the entire Jiangzhou region.

And Beside Yan Liulang knew that this was just the beginning. Now, the merchants and wealthy families from the nearby counties were the ones coming, and more tourists and wealthy merchants were still behind.

This was the advantage of developed water transport. Only Jiangzhou was affected by the floods, while the surrounding counties were "rich and peaceful," and you could get there by boat.

However, the young magistrate said that this was both a benefit and a disadvantage, and the gates must be locked... Beside Yan Liulang was a bit confused about this, but since the Magistrate didn't elaborate, he didn't pursue it.

At this moment, Beside Yan Liulang had just returned to the county government office with the rice when he ran into Ouyang Rong and the others returning from outside the city.

"Magistrate, the rice price in the East Market..."

"Come in and talk."

"Yes."

The two came to the back hall. Before Beside Yan Liulang's butt touched the stool, he reported the situation he had observed all the way in the county town, including today's rice price.

"Only sixteen coins a dou?"

Ouyang Rong sipped his tea, put down his cup upon hearing this, and was very unhappy:

"So cheap, who are you looking down on? Those who don't know outside will think our Longcheng people can't afford rice."

Beside Yan Liulang's mouth twitched, and he couldn't help but say:

"Magistrate, sixteen coins a dou is already like robbery. This subordinate paid for the rice without saying a word just now without bargaining. The boss looked at me as if he were looking at a fool... This is the most basic rice price. Even if a dou rises by one coin, it's a big deal."

Ouyang Rong acted as if he hadn't heard, rolled up his sleeves, grabbed a handful of snow-white, ice-cold rice from the bag, stared at the "trickling rice stream" falling through his fingers, and muttered:

"No, it's not high enough. It has to rise again. It has to be twenty coins a dou before the Dragon Boat Festival. Our county has to give those grain merchants a little Longcheng shock."

Beside Yan Liulang: "..."

Magistrate, if you are kidnapped and threatened by grain merchants, blink your eyes.

Beside Yan Liulang wanted to speak but stopped, but Ouyang Rong spoke first and gave orders.

"Liulang, send someone to release a message first..."

After his careful instructions, Beside Yan Liulang nodded hesitantly and retreated. However, not long after he walked out of the main gate, Beside Yan Liulang returned to the main hall, but this time he was followed by a man with a tattooed face.

"Magistrate, look who's here!"

Ouyang Rong, who was still lowering his head and thinking about the white rice, looked up and was a bit surprised: "Ashan?"

"Thank you, sir, for saving my life."

Liu Ashan knelt on the corridor outside the door and kowtowed.

Ouyang Rong hurriedly stepped forward to help him up.

"No need to kneel to me. Being able to survive is because your life is tough, it doesn't have much to do with others." He sighed. It was the truth; being able to hold on was indeed a ruthless person.

Liu Ashan didn't listen and still respectfully finished the kowtow ceremony.

However, immediately after, Ouyang Rong, who had been a bit busy and confused recently, said something that made him feel embarrassed.

"Brother Ashan, why did you come here? Is there any difficulty at home?"

Liu Ashan was stunned: "Didn't you tell me to come to the county government office to find you after I recovered?"

Ouyang Rong realized it later.

The casual words of that day were actually remembered by the bedridden man.

His old face flushed slightly, and he said calmly:

"That's right, that's right. Brother Ashan came just in time."

He paused and asked: "I remember you are a government slave. Where were you working before?"

Liu Ashan said immediately: "Ancient Yue Sword Shop. Our family are craftsmen. Before, we were government slaves managed by the county government. Later, the Liu family on the west bank was appointed by the Emperor as the Imperial Sword Envoy, so our group of craftsmen was assigned to the Ancient Yue Sword Shop, which is considered helping the Liu family as long-term laborers."

Ouyang Rong nodded and immediately asked Beside Yan Liulang: "Can government slaves like Ashan be redeemed?"

Beside Yan Liulang was stunned, thought for a while, and said:

"It is possible, but don't waste money. The Magistrate can find an excuse, simply issue a document to transfer Brother Ashan back to the county government office. Working for the county government is working for the Magistrate. In the Ancient Yue Sword Shop, there are countless such craftsmen. The Liu family can't care about the Magistrate for the sake of a government slave..."

"No need." Ouyang Rong interrupted directly: "Although I am poor, I have some savings. I will use it to redeem Brother Ashan first."

Beside Yan Liulang and even Liu Ashan didn't understand why Ouyang Rong was obsessed with the freedom of redemption, because in the Great Zhou Dynasty, sometimes those who were private slaves to powerful families didn't live worse than commoners with good household registration.

Ouyang Rong then asked about the price, told the two to wait a moment, returned to the study in the Plum Deer Garden, and brought back some money.

Last time he took ten guan of money from his aunt, but the fundraising banquet at Yuanming Tower only cost two guan. It might be because the whole banquet didn't invite any Hu dancers or accompanying wine hostesses, or it might be because the restaurant owner gave him a "limited-time discount."

As for the six hundred and fifty guan of "paper and pen money" donated to him by the local gentry and wealthy clans, he donated it all to the county government.

But even so, the nearly eight guan of money he had left was a huge sum for commoners.

Ouyang Rong picked out a few copper coins, stuffed them back into his bosom, and handed all the remaining seven guan to him.

Liu Ashan waved his hands in panic: "Sir, I don't need that much for my redemption money."

Ouyang Rong shook his head: "Then redeem your sister or mother as well. But seven guan doesn't seem enough, but redeem as many as you can, and use the remaining money to buy household items."

Liu Ashan opened his mouth.

Ouyang Rong waved his hand: "Go, go through the formalities with Liulang. Come back to me after redemption, just treat it as working for me. I heard your swimming is good, I... happen to be short of people. I will need Brother Ashan's help in the future."

Liu Ashan looked at the sincere smile on the young magistrate's face, nodded vigorously, said no more, turned around, and followed Beside Yan Liulang out the door.

Ouyang Rong watched the two leave, thought for a while at the door, turned back to prepare to handle official documents, when his peripheral vision caught a figure in red rushing over from the long corridor in the distance.

Before long, she rushed to his front.

Ouyang Rong retreated silently, as if afraid of being bumped into by his Xiao Shimei.

Xie Lingjiang, who had been calling him "Senior Brother" every other word like a curious little follower the day before yesterday, now had her eyebrows furrowed and questioned Ouyang Rong with angry eyes:

"Senior... Lianghan, why did you lift the grain price limit! Do you know that the grain in the county has risen to sixteen coins a dou! I heard rumors that the Magistrate's family is secretly selling grain, which is why you opened up the grain price to fill your own pockets. Is this true?"

Ouyang Rong raised his eyebrows.

But his first reaction was... Xiao Shimei looks quite cute when she's angry.

"You mean, on the night of checking the accounts, after the Magistrate beheaded a clerk, he didn't immediately take soldiers to raid the house, but instead sealed the warehouse and stopped checking the accounts? Two days later, he even sent people to attend the apology banquet of the thirteen families in the city? In the past few days, he said he wanted to organize the Dragon Boat Festival with the gentry? And today he sent back the soldiers of the Zhechong Prefecture?"

Su Fu, back garden.

After Su Guoer silently finished listening to the things the little maid with the bun face had inquired about, she couldn't help but confirm with her again.

"That's right, Miss."

Caishou nodded like a chicken pecking at rice, but the little maid's focus was clearly not on the same channel as her lady. She added in a low voice:

"Miss, I really didn't expect that the new magistrate, who looks so handsome and like a weak scholar, would actually kill someone with his own hands."

"Yeah, I really didn't expect it..." Su Guoer whispered.

Caishou's eyes were bright: "Hmm, just like the life-taking scholar in the romance novels, romantic and suave, yet every move is fatal."

Su Guoer didn't even lift her eyelids. Seeing this, Caishou didn't ask for trouble and continued to draw the plum blossom makeup on her lady's forehead.

The little maid with the bun face pinched the vermilion pen, and the more she drew, the more she felt that her lady's pretty face was so beautiful that it was against the rules, making even her, a girl, feel a little moved.

It's just a pity that her lady doesn't smile most of the time, without the coquettishness of a daughter, often alone, either cold-eyed or frowning.

A physiognomist came to the mansion before and told the master and mistress that the lady was too wise and would be hurt, so she should think less and do more of the leisure of a daughter in the boudoir.

Keeping a civet cat and drawing plum blossom makeup were among the leisure activities.

This plum blossom makeup was a coincidence. One day two years ago, the lady was taking a nap under the eaves, and the wind happened to blow a plum blossom onto the lady's forehead. It might have been because it stayed on the skin for too long, or it might have been that the plum blossom faded and stained it red, leaving a pale red plum blossom-shaped mark on the lady's forehead that couldn't be wiped away, and it set off her originally cold and arrogant face to be a bit charming and delicate. So it was seen by the master and mistress at dinner, and they liked it very much, so they asked the lady to keep it specially, and she often drew plum makeup on weekdays...

"It's like a different person, this is... The top line, the dragon that has gone too far will have cause to repent." Su Guoer whispered.

Caishou, who was drawing makeup for her, had a slightly dull face:

"Ah, what does that mean?"

Su Guoer gently pushed her away, her slender and delicate body left the bamboo chair, holding a book in front of her chest, pacing and walking in the garden. After a while, she narrowed her eyes and whispered:

"I misjudged him before."

Caishou was even more confused.

The lady with plum blossom makeup who loved to talk about mystery didn't pay attention to the stupid maid, casually opened the "I Ching" in her arms, and her slender fingers gently tapped on a certain page and line. She chanted:

"Then now it is... The first line, the hidden dragon should not be used."