Chapter 517 The Way to Break Free

Inside the study, there was a somewhat stressful atmosphere.

Yan Liulang said in a low voice:

"But I've heard that Lin Cheng has connections with the Wei family and General Qin, bypassing our Prince's Mansion. Now, in the Jiangzhou Grand Hall, Chief Secretary Yuan can't control Lin Cheng, nor can he suppress Wang Lengran, who naturally holds a higher official position. In the matter of building the Donglin Buddha, he has become a mouthpiece..."

"I heard from the government that General Qin has sent the Chief of the Central Army, who is in charge of logistics, along with a group of officials in charge of provisions back to Xunyang City. They will arrive soon and will discuss logistics matters with Wang Lengran and Lin Cheng again, in coordination with the Xingzifang statue project."

Li Guo'er's pretty face was somewhat solemn as she said:

"If this continues, we'll become caged birds again."

The study fell silent instantly.

Everyone turned their heads and looked at Li Dalang.

Wei Mei's face hardened: "Look what you've done!"

Li Dalang, whose bruises had just healed, lowered his head obediently, looking like a wilted eggplant.

It was Li Guo'er who took the initiative to warm things up and help her brother out of the awkward situation:

"It's not entirely Dalang's fault. Our royal family and the Qin family's marriage alliance was based on mutual benefit from the beginning. We promised the Qin family the benefits of the Xunyang Grottoes, and the Qin family reciprocated by leaving Qin Ying in Xunyang City to try and make contact with Dalang..."

"Currently, the Xunyang Grottoes project has been suspended because we couldn't protect our interests. Seeing this, the Qin family turned to cooperate with the Wei family and Lin Cheng, who controlled the Xingzifang statue project. It's not entirely wrong."

"After all, it's a connection based on mutual interests... people come together for profit, and they also disperse for profit..."

As Li Guo'er sighed, she gently shook her head:

"I just didn't expect General Qin to change his mind so quickly. It's quite different from what Ouyang Lianghan and Sister Xie said before. He seems to have no humanity at all..."

"That makes sense. Isn't the reason they came to the front lines to lead troops to accumulate military merits and enhance their family's status? Naturally, they'll follow whoever offers the highest price and has the best prospects."

Ouyang Rong suddenly spoke up: "But Qin Ying has been staying at Jingyiting these days and hasn't left. She often interacts with her junior sister."

Li Guo'er thought for a moment and said:

"Sister Qin is indeed loyal and kind. She's been very good to us. It's just that Dalang is disappointing and has let her down. No wonder she's also contacting Wei Shaoqi. Even though she's still living in Jingyiting and hasn't left, she probably still favors us... But family interests have always been above personal feelings."

Wei Mei frowned and said:

"Tanlang, Guo'er, now it seems that General Qin's attitude is too important. What benefits can we offer to win over the Qin family? How about we have Qilang promise something? He'll definitely reward us handsomely once we return to Luoyang..."

"Sigh, if all else fails... then let Dalang go and apologize to Qin Xiaoniangzi, coax her a little, and see if... if..."

Li Dalang glared: "Mother, how can a man kneel before a woman? Do you expect me to marry into her family...?"

Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes lit up slightly, as if they felt it was worth considering.

"..." Li Dalang.

Li Guo'er squinted and calmly analyzed:

"Actually... it's not impossible. Take Qin's daughter for example, she definitely won't be mistreated in the Prince's mansion. The eldest son must listen to Miss Qin, and we'll have to agree on three rules. However... this requires our whole family to get involved now. We have to be humble, just to get Miss Qin into the family first... but I'm afraid General Qin won't accept this..."

Li Dalang was dejected.

I wanted to say something, but I lacked conviction and conviction.

Li Xian sighed, "It's really unbearable to feel like your future is entirely in someone else's hands, depending on whether they choose a side on a whim."

At this point, everyone couldn't help but look at Ouyang Rong, and Xie Lingjiang's eyes showed some emotion:

"Our senior brother's prediction was correct. Once the Xingzifang statue is established and Lin Cheng takes charge, we will be sidelined. Our senior brother is still stuck in the position of Jiangzhou Sima and can't get involved in important matters... If this continues, we will really become like the caged birds in Sister Guo'er's mouth."

Ouyang Rong remained silent for a long time, then suddenly said:

“Then let’s go out of the cage. I’ll go to the front line and see Old Qin.”

For a moment, everyone turned to look at him.

"We can't go!"

"You must not leave the city now."

Xie Lingjiang and Li Guo'er almost simultaneously stopped them.

They turned around at the same time and looked at each other.

Xie Lingjiang first looked away, frowning as she said:

"The Wei family is on guard against you now. They know you're not satisfied. If you leave the city without permission, not to mention they'll send people to intercept and kill you on the way, even if they don't, just impeaching you would be hard to handle. For example, they might say you neglected your duties... or that you harbored resentment towards His Majesty after being demoted. Once you're back in office, things will get complicated."

"Thunder and rain are both the emperor's grace, and a subject's resentment is disloyalty. Senior brother, we are in the eye of the storm right now. In Xunyang City, His Majesty and the Wei family have countless eyes watching you. We must not allow any further changes to occur and give others ammunition to criticize us."

"Sister Xie is right."

Li Guo'er pinched her fingers in her sleeve and nodded slightly:

"The first nine: Hidden dragon, do not act; the fourth nine: Perhaps leaping in the abyss, no blame... Now is the time when the hidden dragon is in the abyss, do not act rashly."

"And what I fear most isn't the Wei family, but Qin Jingzhen. If he's already gotten close to the Wei family, going to him would be like throwing good money after bad, putting you in a passive position..."

The two women tried their best to dissuade him.

Ouyang Rong immediately fell silent.

Wei Mei asked, somewhat puzzled:

"Is this official position of Tanlang truly useless? He's at least a fifth or sixth-rank prefectural official..."

Li Guo'er shook her head and said:

“A high official rank is useless; this position has no real power. What does the Jiangzhou Sima say?”

"Initially, it was a position that managed military taxes and was in charge of military and civil defense. In this dynasty, the Zhechongfu was established to take charge of this matter. The world has been at peace for a long time... Now it has lost its actual power and has become the deputy of the governor, but it is far inferior to the chief secretary in charge of civil affairs. Just look at Yuan Huaimin before."

"There's a saying that goes like this... 'If the people of the state are well-off, it's not the Sima's achievement; if the administration of the prefecture is bad, it's not the Sima's fault; if one speaks without responsibility, and does nothing to worry about...' In reality, it just means letting the demoted official go off and have fun, whether it's traveling or sightseeing. Mother can understand it that way."

Wei Mei looked thoughtful.

Li Dalang asked:

“Yuan Huaimin has taken over Tanlang’s position as chief secretary. Isn’t Yuan Huaimin on good terms with Tanlang? Why don’t I and my father go and try to win Yuan Huaimin over to join the royal household and help us…”

Ouyang Rong immediately shook his head: "No."

Why?

“Yuan Huaimin can’t beat Lin Cheng. Bringing him in would only harm him. Putting aside his unreliable personality, just his many bad habits of being late and leaving early are enough for Lin Cheng and Wang Lengran to file a lawsuit if they’re not stupid. They have too much leverage against him.”

“For Lin Cheng and Wei Shaoqi, if they are disobedient, we can just replace them with someone else.”

Wei Mei asked again:

"What about Qilang and Dalang? Qilang is the Jiangnan Construction Supervisor appointed by His Majesty. Our Prince's Mansion also has a Jiangzhou Prefect. Are we going to end up like birds trapped in an iron cage?"

"The Prefect of Jiangzhou is not much better than the Military Commander of Jiangzhou," Li Guo'er said, pursing her lips.

"The powers within Xunyang City are nothing more than a few things. In a sense, authority is the power to handle affairs. Right now, the two biggest things in Jiangzhou are the statues in Xingzifang and the logistics of supplying the expeditionary army in the southwest and organizing the transportation of grain and fodder."

"The statues in Xingzifang have been entirely commissioned by Lin Cheng in his capacity as the Right Supervisor of Construction in Jiangnan Province."

"The logistical supply matters on the southwestern front were decided by the central army camp of the expeditionary force and the local governments of Jiang and Hong prefectures through regular wartime meetings. Only a handful of people, including my father, Qin Jingzhen, the Grand General of the Jiangnan Road Army, Wang Lengran, the Governor of Jiangzhou, the Chief Secretary of the Central Army Camp, the Chief Secretary of Jiangzhou, and the Chief Secretary of Hongzhou, were able to participate in these meetings and hold the power of decision-making.

"Now, Ouyang Lianghan is no longer the Chief Clerk of Jiangzhou, and Yuan Huaimin's position is essentially meaningless. The Chief Clerk of Hongzhou is similar to Wang Lengran, someone supported by the Wei family. As for the Chief Clerk of the Central Army Camp, he is General Qin's man, and was recommended for the position by him..."

“Now the Wei family is trying to win over the Qin family. If this continues, soon Father will be left alone in the wartime conference. He won’t be able to lead any initiatives and they will be ignored. He will really become a mascot.”

At this moment, Ouyang Rong's soft voice came from the side:

"Power does not exist in a vacuum; it only changes hands."

"What are the powers that are out in the open right now? To put it bluntly, they are the knife handle, the money bag, and the pen. That's all."

"Your Highness, Your Highness, from this perspective, the situation in Jiangzhou is actually quite clear."

"For example, with the help of the Wei family and the Yangzhou Chamber of Commerce, Lin Cheng has essentially gained control of Xingzifang. Jiangzhou Datang must cooperate, which means he has taken control of Jiangzhou's finances and gotten his hands on the money bag."

"By contacting the Qin family privately and winning over Old Master Qin, we gained the initiative at the wartime conference and the support of the frontline troops. In a sense, we actually got the handle of the knife."

"As for the pens... that is, the opinions of the common people and the scholars of Jiangzhou. They are still sympathizing with our Prince's Mansion. In fact, the Wei family has always had a bad reputation, but it doesn't seem to affect their unbridled behavior..."

"We only have some writing tools at hand, so we're not without a channel to voice our opinions, and we can at least slightly curb the Wei family's influence."

"This is the current situation."

Ouyang Rong calmly analyzed:

"The little princess's description of the caged bird is correct. To break this deadlock, the most crucial factor right now is the Qin family. The Qin family's attitude is extremely important. Your Highness must win over Elder Qin in order to break the iron cage created by the Wei family. We must be hesitant to act rashly..."

"I see." Wei Mei and the others suddenly realized.

Li Guo'er turned her head and said:

“Ouyang Lianghan is right. The key to breaking the deadlock is the Qin family. We need to win over Qin Jingzhen. However, an old general like him will definitely not act until he sees something. Just like last time when we sent a letter asking for help... Qin Jingzhen did not respond directly. He probably just brushed it off.”

Ouyang Rong asked in confusion, "What do you mean? What did you say in the letter you sent to General Qin?"

Upon hearing this, Li Xian's mood somberly changed as he replied:

"It was about the incident last time when Tanlang refused to obey the imperial edict. During that time, I was worried about Tanlang, so I asked Xie Lingjiang's aunt, Madam Xie, to help me send a letter to General Qin. I subtly mentioned that I wanted him to speak on Tanlang's behalf, even if it was just a word."

"However, the reply from the other side was rather bland. I don't know if they understood what I meant, or if they deliberately didn't understand. In any case, General Qin didn't write to the court to speak on behalf of my beloved. It seems they are unwilling..."

Ouyang Rong immediately turned his head, his brows furrowing slightly:

Why wasn't this discussed with me beforehand?

Li Dalang explained in a low voice:

"The situation was urgent at the time. My father and everyone else were very worried that something might happen to Tanlang. However, Tanlang was also angry at the time, and if you found out, he probably wouldn't agree, so..."

Ouyang Rong wanted to speak, but seeing the concerned and guilty expressions on everyone's faces, he stopped himself from blaming them further.

Li Guo'er turned her head and asked seriously:

"Sister Xie, has Aunt Xie replied anything recently? Has Qin Jingzhen responded since then?"

Xie Lingjiang shook her head, then nodded and said:

"I don't know, Aunt didn't say. But this afternoon, when Aunt and Father passed through Xunyang City and had dinner at Senior Brother's residence, Aunt specifically instructed him that it would be best for him to stay in his position as the Jiangzhou Sima for now, conserve his energy, avoid causing any more trouble, and wait for an opportunity..."

Everyone fell silent, unsure of what to say.

Their attitude was quite clear. Like the Xie family of Chenjun, they were advising Ouyang Rong to behave himself and stop arguing with the Empress of Great Zhou, as such a head-on confrontation was too dangerous.

The study was quiet for a while, until Ouyang Rong raised his head and said:

"Then I'll do it. I'll go and persuade General Qin. Even if, as Her Highness the Princess says, General Qin and the Qin family behind him are after profits and want to sell for a good price, helping the Wei family is just icing on the cake. Helping us now is truly a lifeline. Which is more important... I can let General Qin think it over carefully..."

The two women wanted to speak.

Ouyang Rong shook his head: "Don't worry, I won't leave the city... I'll have a reliable person deliver the message."

"Alright, Danlang, be careful."

"Um."

Soon, the discussion in the study ended amidst everyone's worries, and they all dispersed.

Ouyang Rong returned to Yinbingzhai.

Zhen Shuyuan, Ye Weilai, and other female relatives were still waiting for him in the hall.

Ouyang Rong spent a meal with them and kept them company. They gradually came to terms with it and went back to their own business.

At midnight, the study of Yinbingzhai was brightly lit.

From the outside window, one could vaguely see the figure of a tall, slender man bent over a desk.

He would occasionally look down and write something.

I haven't slept all night...

The next day, early in the morning.

Ouyang Rong was all ready to go and left early.

With nothing to do in the afternoon, he took leave and left Jiangzhou Hall early, preparing to head to Jingyiting.

However, just as he stepped out of the gate, he saw Yan Liulang rushing over, clasping his hands in greeting.

The news disrupted his plans.

"My lord, people from the front lines in Hongzhou have arrived and will be at Xunyang Ferry today."

Who is it?

"They are people from Marshal Qin's side. Among them are important officials in charge of logistics, such as the Chief Clerk of the Central Army Camp. They should have come to Xunyang City to attend the wartime meeting at the invitation of Governor Wang Lengran and Lin Cheng, the Right Supervisor of Jiangnan Construction."

"The people on Elder Qin's side..."

Ouyang Rong pondered for a moment, then got back into the carriage and instructed Ali:

"Let's go to the governor's mansion."

"Yes, young master."

Inside the car, Ouyang Rong sat upright.

He first took out a letter from his sleeve that he originally intended to hand to Qin Xiaoniangzi, glanced at it, then folded it again and put it back in his sleeve before sitting up again.

(End of this chapter)