[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-even-a-gentleman-must-be-careful":3,"chapter-even-a-gentleman-must-be-careful-even-a-gentleman-must-be-careful-chapter-41":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Even a Gentleman Must Be Careful",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2268661,4429,"Chapter 41: Forty-One: The Hidden Dragon, Do Not Use","even-a-gentleman-must-be-careful-chapter-41",41,"\u003Cp>Forty-One: The First Nine—The Hidden Dragon, Do Not Use\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Rong recently received many letters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some from fellow students at the academy, some from former teachers, some from his hometown’s magistrate in Nanlong, and even from those who passed the imperial examination in the first year of Jiushi—though if he remembered correctly, he’d only exchanged a single cup of wine with one of them at the Apricot Garden banquet, and he’d forgotten what the man even looked like.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These old acquaintances all wrote to exchange pleasantries, reminisce about past friendships, and promise to meet again soon—but in the end, each letter would casually mention a slight connection to some wealthy family in Longcheng County, hoping Young Master Lianghan might show them a little favor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is this reasonable?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It is very reasonable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Rong set down the letter, gave a light laugh, and tossed the stack into the trash basket at his feet before rising and leaving the study.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside the study, the plum blossoms were falling, a sight both pleasing and serene—Longcheng’s plum trees bloomed late and shed late.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Rong plucked a pale pink petal from his shoulder, picked up a flask of wine, and stepped out humming a folk tune from his hometown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was actually in good spirits, because he had received no letters from his mentor Xie Xun or Inspector Shen Xisheng—and days earlier, he had already prepared himself mentally for receiving letters from both.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Rong arrived at the government office, and not long after, led a large group of officials and government office runners to the city outskirts to see them off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The day before, he had ordered Qin Heng and the other officers of the Zhechong Fu to return to the Jiangzhou garrison; today, the soldiers were departing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the ten-mile pavilion south of the city, Ouyang Rong lowered his head and poured a cup of wine, gesturing to Qin Commandant and the other officers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“General Qin, I lack literary talent, so I won’t recite poetry to stir emotion—may you all travel safely. These past days have been hard on you all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“County Magistrate, you are too modest,” Qin Heng shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By the way, please deliver another letter for me to Inspector Shen.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Rong pulled out a letter and handed it over; Qin Heng took it without asking a word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After drinking the farewell wine, everyone broke willow branches to bid farewell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young commandant of the Jiangzhou Zhechong Fu, just riding off a few paces, suddenly turned his horse around and said to the young county magistrate who watched calmly from the pavilion:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“County Magistrate Ouyang, I’ve always wondered—when I saw you carry a head out of the storage shed that night, I could tell… you really, really wanted to lead the men to raid those households. So why didn’t you go?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Does General Qin also want to raid those households?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Heng, usually quiet and efficient, nodded without hesitation. “These local bullies and villains—raiding a hundred a day wouldn’t satisfy my hatred. They deserve to die.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“General Qin is a man of true feeling.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So is County Magistrate Ouyang.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then why didn’t you raid them?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I lack military orders. But you, County Magistrate, can issue them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I can issue orders, but I am not a general—I need only lead the charge, draw my blade, and act on impulse. I am the magistrate of this county.” Ouyang Rong paused, then said seriously: “I am the county magistrate.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Heng fell silent for a moment, then raised his vermilion riding whip and pointed toward the relief camps scattered across the fields, shouting:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“County Magistrate Ouyang, my soldiers and I rode out of Jiangzhou at night, passed through Xingzi, Hukou, and Jishui counties—and along the way, your county is the one where we saw the least hunger among refugees, the best-controlled disaster, and the fastest official response… You’ve done an excellent job as county magistrate!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“County Magistrate Ouyang, may our paths cross again!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Heng laughed loudly, turned his horse, cracked his whip, and led three hundred armored cavalry away in a cloud of three-zhang dust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Rong stood stunned for a moment, then smiled and shook his head, returning to the county office with the officials behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How much per dou?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sixteen cash, sir—this is premium Qianshan tribute rice…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Liulang interrupted: “Are other rice shops charging the same?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“All the same, honest prices for young and old.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Two dou, then.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Certainly. Thank you for your patronage—thirty-two cash.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the bustling marketplace, Yan Liulang paid, took his sack of rice, and turned to leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Along the way, the blue-clad constable clearly felt the city had grown far busier and livelier, filled with more smoke and warmth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sails on Butterfly Creek stood like a forest; foreign boats had increased sharply. At Peng Lang Ferry, laborers hauling cargo were so overwhelmed they needed higher wages and had to recruit from the refugee camps outside the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shops in the East and West Markets that had closed due to the disaster were gradually reopening; temples and courtyards across the county were being repaired and rebuilt, all bustling with activity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In recent days, the young county magistrate’s numerous edicts promoting commerce and labor, along with his vigorous promotion of the Dragon Boat Festival, had become the hottest topic among Longcheng’s wealthy families, commoners, and refugees in the suburbs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone on the streets and alleys was talking: rumors said the county magistrate himself would attend the Dragon Boat Festival to give a speech, and that the county office would award real silver to winning boats and subsidize active merchants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In past years, the Dragon Boat Festival had always been a grand event, for the people of Wu and Yue believed in superstitions, viewing the races as a way to pray for favorable weather and bountiful harvests—and thus participated enthusiastically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, one standard in evaluating county magistrates was whether they had successfully reformed local customs; previous magistrates had all organized the event. But no magistrate had ever pushed it as hard as this young one—especially after the great flood in Yunmeng Marsh, when every county was struggling to cope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So as soon as the news spread, Longcheng County became strikingly visible throughout the entire Jiangzhou region.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Yan Liulang knew this was only the beginning—the merchants and wealthy families arriving now were only from nearby counties; more tourists and traders were still on the way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the advantage of well-developed water transport: only Jiangzhou suffered the floods, while surrounding prefectures remained “prosperous and peaceful”—a simple boat ride away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the young county magistrate said this was both a blessing and a curse—you had to lock your doors… Yan Liulang was puzzled, but since the magistrate didn’t elaborate, he didn’t press.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, Yan Liulang had just returned to the county office with his sack of rice when he encountered Ouyang Rong and his party returning from outside the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Magistrate, the rice price in the East Market…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come inside and tell me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two entered the back hall; before Yan Liulang even sat down, he reported everything he’d observed in the city, including today’s rice price.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Only sixteen cash per dou?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Rong took a sip of tea, then immediately set down his cup, visibly displeased:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Too cheap. Do they think we Longcheng people can’t afford rice?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Liulang’s lip twitched; he couldn’t help saying:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Magistrate, sixteen cash per dou is already like stealing. I paid without haggling, and the shopkeeper looked at me like a fool—happy, even. This is the baseline price; even a one-cash increase would be huge.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Rong acted as if he hadn’t heard, rolled up his sleeves, grabbed a handful of snow-white rice from the sack, and stared at the “trickling stream” falling between his fingers, muttering:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not high enough. Must rise further. Before the Dragon Boat Festival, it must reach at least twenty cash per dou—we need to give these grain merchants a little Longcheng shock.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Liulang: “...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Magistrate, if you’ve been kidnapped and threatened by grain merchants, just blink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Liulang opened his mouth to speak, but Ouyang Rong beat him to it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sixlang, send someone to spread a rumor first…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After his detailed instructions, Yan Liulang nodded hesitantly and withdrew—but barely had he stepped outside when he turned right back into the main hall, this time followed by a man with a tattooed face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Magistrate, look who’s here!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Rong, still bent over, examining the white rice, looked up in surprise: “Ashan?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you, Master, for saving my life.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Ashan knelt and kowtowed right there in the corridor outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Rong hurried forward to help him up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t kneel to me. You survived because you’re tough—nothing to do with others.” He sighed. It was true: surviving that ordeal was no small feat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Ashan ignored him, completing the full kowtow with solemn respect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, in his recent haze of busyness, Ouyang Rong said something that made him himself embarrassed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ashan, what brings you here? Is there trouble at home?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Ashan froze. “Didn’t you tell me, Master, to come to the county office once I’d recovered?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Rong realized belatedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That offhand remark had been remembered by the sick man on his bed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His face flushed slightly; he said calmly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, yes—Ashan, you’ve come at the perfect time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paused, then asked: “I recall you’re a government slave—where were you assigned before?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Ashan replied immediately: “The Gu Yue Sword Workshop. My family were artisan households, originally under county office control as government outcasts. Later, the Liu family on the west bank was appointed Imperial Swordmakers by the Emperor, and our group of artisans was transferred to the Gu Yue Sword Workshop to serve the Liu family as long-term laborers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Rong nodded, then turned to Yan Liulang: “Can a government slave like Ashan be redeemed?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Liulang blinked, thought for a moment, then said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s possible, but no need to waste money. Magistrate, just issue a simple order transferring Ashan to the county office—he works for you now, doesn’t he? Gu Yue Sword Workshop has countless such artisans; the Liu family won’t quarrel with you over one slave…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No.” Ouyang Rong cut him off. “Though I’m poor, I have some savings. I’ll use them to redeem Ashan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Neither Yan Liulang nor Liu Ashan understood why Ouyang Rong insisted on redeeming his freedom—because in the Zhou Dynasty, private slaves to powerful clans sometimes lived better than commoners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Rong then asked about the price, told them to wait, returned to the Plum Deer Garden study, fetched some money, and came back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Last time, his aunt had given him ten guan; the Yuanming Pavilion fundraising banquet had cost only two and a half guan—perhaps because no Hu dancers or courtesans were hired, or perhaps the tavern owner had given him a “time-limited discount.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the six hundred fifty guan “ink-and-paper donations” from local gentry and magnates, he had donated it all to the county office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even so, the nearly eight guan he still had was a fortune to a commoner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Rong selected a few copper coins, slipped them back into his pocket, and handed over the remaining seven guan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Ashan flinched and waved his hands. “Master, I don’t need this much for my redemption.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Rong shook his head. “Then redeem your sister or your mother too. Seven guan may not be enough, but redeem as many as you can—and use the rest to buy household goods.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Ashan opened his mouth, speechless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Rong waved him off. “Go. Follow Sixlang to complete the paperwork. After redemption, come back to me—I’ll hire you. I hear you’re a good swimmer. I’m short-handed… and you’ll be needed. I’ll count on your help, Ashan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Ashan looked at the young magistrate’s sincere smile, nodded firmly, said nothing more, and turned to follow Yan Liulang out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Rong watched them leave, paused at the door, then turned to handle official documents—when his peripheral vision caught a flash of red hurrying down the distant corridor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In no time, they rushed right up to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Rong stepped back silently, as if afraid of being illegally knocked over by his little sister while she was carrying the ball.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Lingjiang, who only the other day had chirped “Big Brother” at him like an inquisitive little follower, now furrowed her brows and glared at Ouyang Rong:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Big Brother… why did you lift the grain price? Don’t you know grain in the county has already soared to sixteen cash per dou? I heard rumors that the County Magistrate’s family is secretly selling grain to line their own pockets—is this true?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Rong raised an eyebrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But his first thought was… his little sister looked kinda cute when she was angry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You mean, after the County Magistrate beheaded a clerk that night, he didn’t immediately send troops to seize his household—instead, he sealed the granaries and stopped auditing accounts? Then, two days later, he sent someone to attend the apology banquet hosted by the thirteen families in town? And these past few days, he’s been talking about organizing a Dragon Boat Festival with local gentry? And today, he even sent the troops from the Zhechong Prefecture back to their barracks?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Fu, rear garden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After listening silently to the chubby-faced maid’s gossip, Su Guoer quietly confirmed it again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s right, Miss.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cai Shou nodded like a little chick pecking grain, but her focus was clearly not on the same wavelength as her mistress’s; she added in a whisper:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Miss, I never thought the new County Magistrate, so handsome and delicate-looking like a scholarly boy, would kill someone with his own hands.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes… I never thought so either…” Su Guoer murmured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cai Shou’s eyes sparkled. “Hmm, just like those deadly scholars in the tales—elegant and charming, yet every move is lethal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Guoer didn’t even lift her eyelids. Seeing this, Cai Shou didn’t bother herself further and continued painting the plum blossom design on her mistress’s forehead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chubby-faced maid held the vermilion brush, and the more she painted, the more she felt her mistress’s lovely face was unfairly beautiful—even she, a girl, felt her heart flutter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too bad her mistress rarely smiled, never displaying the sweet, coquettish charm of a young lady; she often spent time alone, either with cold eyes or furrowed brows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Previously, a fortune-teller came to the household and told her father and mother that their daughter’s brilliance would harm her, and she should think less and engage more in the idle pastimes of a young lady.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Raising a pet cat and painting plum blossoms were among those idle pastimes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The plum blossom makeup was oddly fitting: two years ago, one day, the mistress had dozed under the eaves when a breeze blew a plum blossom onto her forehead. Perhaps because it stayed too long against her skin, or because the blossom had faded and stained her skin red, a faint red plum-shaped mark remained on her forehead, stubbornly refusing to be wiped away—and it softened her naturally cold, proud face into something tender and alluring. When her father and mother saw it at dinner, they loved it and ordered her to keep it, and she now often paints the plum design daily…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s as if she’s become someone else… this is…” Su Guoer murmured: “Top Nine: The Dragon Soars Too High, and Regrets It.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cai Shou, still painting, froze slightly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh? What does that mean?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Guoer brushed her aside, rose from the bamboo chair, and walked slowly through the garden, holding a book against her chest; after a moment, she squinted and whispered:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I misjudged her.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cai Shou grew even more confused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The plum-blossom-painted lady who loved metaphysics ignored the clumsy maid, flipped idly through the Book of Changes in her arms, and lightly traced a line with her slender finger; she murmured:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then now… it’s First Nine: The Hidden Dragon Must Not Act.”\u003C\u002Fp>",2661,"2026-06-19T21:28:25.445Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","a9abb6c79b65872870afaf5f4a95406d58d7c25b138d514cd2cf03e234559b10","even-a-gentleman-must-be-careful-chapter-42","even-a-gentleman-must-be-careful-chapter-40",864,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Feven-a-gentleman-must-be-careful-cover.jpg"]