Chapter 415 Marriage Alliance

When Li Guo'er asked her question, the study became unusually quiet.

Because of the momentum from the previous conversation, Li Guo'er faced Ouyang Rong when she spoke.

Xie Lingjiang immediately looked at Li Guo'er.

Li Xian, Wei Mei, and Li Dalang were all stunned for a moment, then followed Li Guo'er's gaze to look at Ouyang Rong, whose expression was calm.

Ouyang Rong, with a calm expression, turned to look at Li Dalang.

Seeing this, Li Xian and Wei Mei realized what was happening and turned to look at Li Dalang.

Li Guo'er subtly shifted her gaze, turning it back to her brother.

The noble lady Xie, who had been staring at her, finally looked away, glanced at her eldest brother, and then, along with the others, glanced sideways at Li Dalang.

"Why...why are you looking at me? No...aren't you looking at my lover?"

Li Dalang was a little flustered.

Ouyang Rong nodded slightly:

"The young lady of the Qin family is indeed unmarried and still waiting to be married, but she looks quite old, hmm..."

He seemed to be answering Li Guo'er's question seriously, but his eyes were always on Li Dalang, and it was unclear who he was talking to.

Li Dalang was about to speak when Li Guo'er interrupted:

"The day you picked someone up at Xunyang Ferry last time, didn't Father and Brother go to the Jiangzhou Hall together to pick her up? You must have met Miss Qin by then. What did you think of her?"

Li Xian nodded: "I have indeed met him once, and he and Da Lang are quite a good match."

Li Dalang hurriedly said, "He seems a bit older than me, let's forget it..."

Wei Meilu's face lit up with joy: "Great! A woman three years older than her husband is like holding a gold brick."

Li Dalang: "..."

Li Guo'er looked at her unshaven brother and said, "Brother, you're not young anymore. It's time for you to settle down and start a family. With family responsibilities, grooming yourself will make you look much more mature."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Looking around at Dalang, he had a worried and distressed expression.

Ouyang Rong suddenly spoke up: "Actually, we should respect Dalang's opinion and ask for his opinion on this matter."

"right."

"That makes sense, but he has to make the decision himself."

Li Xian, Wei Mei, Li Guo'er, and the others cast probing glances at Li Dalang, who was "making his own decisions," and the latter stammered a little:

"Could...could we do it later? It's too early now."

"It's not too late, the age is just right."

Wei Mei shook his head in regret:

"You've reached the age where you should get married and have children. Back in Longcheng, there weren't any suitable girls, so you gave up. Look at other kids who got married at thirteen or fourteen. Other kids your age already have grandchildren in their parents' arms..."

Li Guo'er's tone was meaningful:

“Now, this is the granddaughter of the Left Martial Guard General, worthy of our family background and your status as heir. Especially given the current situation, if we can get Qin Jingzhen's help... Eldest son, you know the importance of this.”

After listening to a series of persuasive and reasoned words, Li Dalang stammered.

Li Guo'er glanced at her and couldn't help but ask, "Isn't this Miss Qin pretty?"

Li Dalang opened his mouth.

Li Xian stroked his beard and recalled:

"He inherited the tall stature of the Qin family, being half a head taller than Dalang, and there are no defects or imperfections."

"As for her appearance, she looks a bit plump... a bit chubby. She can't compare to our Guo'er and niece Xie, but she looks pleasing to the eye, like a lady from a respectable family. Besides, it's good for a woman to be a little plump, that's called being voluptuous."

Wei Mei's eyes lit up: "Now that you mention it, I'd like to see you. Are you plump and healthy? Good, that means you'll be fertile."

Li Xian smiled and said, "When we first met, that young lady from the Qin family was wearing a Taoist robe. It seems she also has a preference for Taoism and shares common ground with our family."

Seeing his parents talking more and more outrageously, and treating the other person more and more like their daughter-in-law, Li Dalang was speechless.

Waving hands like a rattle drum:

"It's not even close to being settled yet, and what good is it if we're satisfied? The Qin family and Miss Qin might not agree. Father, Mother, Guo'er, please stop talking."

Wei Mei smiled and said, "Good things take time. It doesn't matter if we're not familiar with each other now. We'll get to know each other better with time... Hmm, I'll find an opportunity to meet Miss Qin another day."

Li Guo'er's pretty face tightened, and her tone mature: "Brother, when choosing a wife, choose a virtuous one, not just a pretty face."

"..." Li Dalang.

He couldn't help but glare at his sister, who had absolutely nothing to do with the word "virtuous," and lowered his voice:

"Guo'er, don't forget, after I get married, it will be your turn. Why are you in such a hurry? Guo'er also wants to be rushed."

Li Guo'er softly said "Oh," and nodded, saying:

"Then you should marry her first."

What a cruel younger sister... Li Dalang felt utterly hopeless.

Ouyang Rong listened for a while, thought about it, and still spoke up for his friend:

"Uncle and Aunt are being a bit hasty. After all, this is a major life event. The most important thing is whether Dalang likes her. If they don't get along, the marriage will be a mess. Don't rush things. Let's get to know each other first."

Just as Li Dalang breathed a sigh of relief, before he could even cast a thank-you glance at his friend, Xie Lingjiang suddenly spoke up:

"These past two days, Uncle Qin will be leading his troops on a campaign, and he may bring along some of the Qin family members. However, it's not convenient for him to bring Miss Qin. At the banquet, I asked her, and she said that Miss Qin is only here to see Qin Jingzhen off and will return to Yangzhou after the mission is over."

"How about... Guo'er and I invite Miss Qin to stay in Xunyang City for a few more days?"

"How about we get to know each other, Dalang?"

Li Dalang said helplessly, "Miss Xie, how come you also... also..."

Xie Lingjiang handed the peeled pear to Ouyang Rong, gently biting her lip and saying:

"Sometimes fate is just that wonderful. How will you know if you don't try? Don't resist too much because of your parents' wishes. Be more patient and try to get to know each other. What if... what if it really is the right person for you? Wouldn't that be great? It's always better than regretting it later and missing out. So, patience is the most important thing in everything."

This experienced tone made Li Dalang swallow his words. He couldn't help but look at Xie Lingjiang, who had a serious expression, and then at his friend who was grinning and eating a pear next to him.

Finally, under everyone's watchful eyes, he hesitated for a moment.

"Okay." He nodded reluctantly.

Li Guo'er suddenly walked over and, in a rather old-fashioned manner, patted her elder brother on the shoulder:

"Brother, you need to take care of your appearance. You need to trim your beard and wash your face. You should learn this from Ouyang Lianghan. Also, your clothes and outfits... In short, don't forget that your surname is Li. Keep it up, you will definitely win over this mere Qin family girl."

"..." Ouyang Rong always felt that Li Guo'er was referring to him as a handsome pretty boy.

But I don't know whether to be angry or happy... As expected of you, Li Guo'er, even praising someone sounds like you're insulting them.

Li Dalang said irritably, "It's easy for you to talk when you're not the one suffering."

Li Guo'er, dressed in a light blue palace dress, gracefully leaped down from the stool, head held high and chest out.

"If I were a man, I would marry women from all five families, not just the Qin family. Subduing them would be a piece of cake."

Li Dalang silently observed her for a while, then suddenly turned his head and made a serious suggestion:

“Lianghan, does the Qin family have any promising young men? My sister is clearly more suitable than me.”

"...??"

Li Guo'er nodded: "I won't be a brother."

Everyone was speechless.

A short while later, the discussion in the study ended with Li Guo'er's frosty face and Li Dalang's reluctant agreement.

The following day, in the main hall of Jiangzhou, a military affairs meeting that lasted all morning finally came to an end.

After the event, Ouyang Rong walked out of the main hall and met up with Xie Lingjiang at the entrance of the Jiangzhou Hall.

They discovered that Xie Lingjiang was chatting idly with Qin Ying, saying one thing and then another.

Like Xie Lingjiang, the latter was waiting for Qin Jingzhen, Ouyang Rong, and others to leave the meeting.

Upon seeing Ouyang Rong emerge, Qin Ying stopped speaking and looked straight ahead.

The three of them waited together for a while.

Soon, a tall, elderly man dressed in plain gray clothes walked out of the Jiangzhou Hall, surrounded by a crowd.

Under Wang Lengran's suspicious gaze from a short distance away, Ouyang Rong and Xie Lingjiang stepped forward to meet them.

Ouyang Rong noticed that Wang Lengran had been somewhat absent-minded since the meeting started today, and he also had dark circles under his eyes when he came in this morning, so it seems that his sleep quality has been worrying lately.

As Qin Jingzhen walked out of the hall after the meeting, he saw his granddaughter, Ouyang Rong, and others coming to greet him. His expression was no longer as calm and stern as it had been during the meeting; instead, it was more amiable.

Qin Jingzhen did not turn against Ouyang Rong and Xie Lingjiang, with whom he had dined the previous night, and exchanged a few pleasantries with them in a calm and composed manner.

The group chatted as they walked.

“Lianghan…”

"Lord Qin..."

Ouyang Rong and Qin Jingzhen spoke almost simultaneously, their words colliding.

"You go first."

Qin Jingzhen waved his hand dismissively.

Ouyang Rong and Xie Lingjiang exchanged a glance, then slowly began to speak…

Based on the decision discussed at the Xunyang Prince's Mansion last night, Ouyang Rong implied that he was inviting the Qin family or their affiliated businesses to participate in the construction of the Xunyang Grottoes.

"oh?"

Qin Jingzhen raised an eyebrow slightly after hearing this.

He did not respond immediately.

Ouyang Rong didn't urge him, as if he had never mentioned it before.

After a short while, Qin Jingzhen seemed to have forgotten about the invitation, and instead spoke up, taking the initiative:

"I was just asking if Lianghan has any recommendations for the commander of the vanguard army."

"I heard yesterday that when Zhu Lingxu was in charge of the vanguard, Liang Han and the Prince of Xunyang jointly recommended a Qin-surnamed captain from Jiangzhou Zhechong Prefecture to serve as the vanguard, but the recommendation was politely rejected."

Ouyang Rong was slightly taken aback, then nodded: "That's right, that's true."

He didn't expect Qin Jingzhen to bring it up suddenly.

Qin Jingzhen walked ahead with his hands behind his back, pondered for a moment, and said, "Lianghan, tell me more about this person."

Ouyang Rong hesitated.

Qin Jingzhen waved his hand: "There is no need to avoid relatives when recommending talents. I will also conduct investigations. Listening to all sides will lead to a clear understanding. Lianghan, please speak with confidence."

Upon hearing this, Ouyang Rong no longer hesitated and spoke of Qin Heng to Qin Jingzhen, naturally offering some positive evaluations, while also pointing out some minor shortcomings such as being "too aloof and rigid" and "difficult to deal with colleagues."

Qin Jingzhen nodded and listened silently.

The group arrived at the residence where Qin Jingzhen was temporarily staying, and Ouyang Rong and Xie Lingjiang stopped in front of it.

Before parting ways, Xie Lingjiang turned her head and said goodbye:

"Master Qin is going on a campaign these days. Why don't you stay in Xunyang City, Sister Qin? It just so happens that Sister Guo'er from the Prince's Mansion and I are free these days. We can take Sister Qin around Xunyang. What do you say?"

Qin Jingzhen and Qin Ying exchanged a glance. The latter was somewhat surprised. Looking at the sincere-faced noblewoman Xie, she tentatively answered:

"Let me think about it."

"Okay." Xie Lingjiang nodded generously, without urging him.

Ouyang Rong watched Qin Jingzhen and Qin Ying enter the mansion, then turned and left...

The Qin family grandfather and granddaughter did not keep Ouyang Rong and the Xunyang Prince's Mansion waiting for long.

The following afternoon, Qin Jingzhen gave a reply, which, though somewhat tactful, clarified two things.

One thing is that the Qin family is willing to donate funds and manpower to build a Buddha statue of similar size in Xunyang Grottoes, as a way to praise His Majesty and the Great Zhou Dynasty and bring good fortune.

Another matter is that Qin Ying will stay temporarily to oversee the construction of the grottoes donated by the Qin family at Shuangfengjian, while also accepting Xie Lingjiang and the little princess of Xunyang Prince's Mansion's invitation to visit Xunyang.

Upon receiving the reply, Qin Jingzhen completed the sorting of the vanguard troops that afternoon with remarkable efficiency, and immediately issued instructions for the expedition to begin the following day.

Meanwhile, Qin Heng, the Jiangzhou Zhechongfu Guoyi Duwei who had been sidelined for a long time, was appointed as the vanguard general, which surprised the Jiangzhou officials and generals of the Zhechongfu.

Wang Lengran's face turned a mix of blue and purple, as if he had been slapped in the face.

Many Jiangzhou officials and Zhechongfu generals secretly glanced at him.

Ever since the day Prince Xunyang and Chief Secretary Ouyang recommended Qin Heng, Qin Heng had been suppressed and neglected by the governor. Now, however, he was rising rapidly in rank, causing many people to have their own thoughts and their gazes towards Prince Xunyang and Chief Secretary Ouyang to change...

Ouyang Rong was unaware whether his recommendation played a role in this appointment and dismissal.

Although at last night's meeting in the study, Li Guo'er and the others speculated that it might be a gesture of goodwill from Qin Jingzhen, a way to exchange favors.

However, he did feel that Qin Jingzhen did not seem like the kind of commander. This famous general of the Great Zhou was strict, even harsh, when it came to military matters. He never joked and always put the overall situation first.

Therefore, it is possible that Qin Heng himself was of high quality and passed Qin Jingzhen's interview and assessment.

However, Qin Heng clearly didn't think that way.

Only those who have been buried in the grassroots for a long time truly understand how precious an opportunity to be "casually recommended" by an important person is.

Qin Heng was very grateful to Ouyang Rong, so at noon that day he placed azaleas on the wall and invited him to a small gathering at Yunshui Pavilion.

Ouyang Rong received the coded message from Ye Weilai and guessed that it was related to expressing gratitude. He hesitated for a moment and did not go over. Instead, he sent Yan Liulang to offer a toast on his behalf and congratulate Qin Heng on his successful start.

It's still necessary to avoid any suspicion, especially when things are calm and the situation is favorable.

Early that morning, the vanguard, having completed its reorganization, officially set off on the expedition.

Qin Jingzhen seemed to have heeded Ouyang Rong's analysis and conclusions at the family banquet that night. Without further hesitation, he launched a swift and decisive attack on Hongzhou, taking advantage of the abundant autumn harvest.

In the dawn light, Ouyang Rong stood atop the city wall, watching Qin Jingzhen's expeditionary army depart.

The morning sunlight made the armored long military column in the distance gleam coldly, and from Ouyang Rong's high vantage point, it looked like golden scales on a dragon.

"The armor gleams in the sun, like golden scales unfolding..." the young man in the white fox fur coat murmured to himself.

He helped in every way he could, whether it was offering advice or recommending people.

The suppression of the rebellion on the front lines has come to an end for Ouyang Rong, and now they can only place their hopes on the veteran general Qin Jingzhen.

As for him...

He remained in Jiangzhou to handle the continuous logistics for the army, as well as the most important task of his term as the Prefect of Jiangzhou... to complete the construction of the Donglin Buddha!

My head felt heavy for two days, I had a sore throat, rhinitis, and diarrhea. After my afternoon nap today, I finally felt a bit better. Sleep really is the best way to rest...

(End of this chapter)