Chapter 11 Joys and sorrows are not shared
After Ouyang Rong left, he looked back at the plaque of Sanhui Temple one last time.
He shook off the woman in the silk skirt, turned his back to her, and strode out... This carefree and unrestrained feeling allowed him to exhale a long breath of pent-up frustration, and in that instant, the world outside seemed to expand, giving him a sense of exhilaration.
These past few days, Ouyang Rong has been confined to his sickbed and room by Madam Zhen, with nothing to do, and has been spending too much time "hearing" and "thinking" about it.
I always feel like something is missing.
Finally, this morning, Master Shandao pointed out the truth: it is better to take action than to sit and talk about the Tao.
The so-called three wisdoms are not only about "hearing" and "thinking", but also about "cultivation and practice"!
Ouyang Rong felt that if he could risk climbing out of the "dangerous well" that night in the underground palace for the slightest hope, then now he could also recklessly perform ten thousand merits for the slightest possibility that the blessing of "returning home" might be the way back home.
"Do not hesitate, dare to take risks. Ordinary people are often hesitant; a great man can accomplish everything because he knows and can do."
Ouyang Rong recalled that unfinished poem from that day and murmured to himself: "Wailing cries and blood-soaked cities, all for the sake of saving the common people... Since this is your last thought, and I need ten thousand merits, then I will take your share down the mountain and do a good job as the magistrate of Longcheng County in controlling the floods!"
...
Yan Wuxu rushed to Donglin Temple and saw Ouyang Rong waiting with his hands behind his back at the gate.
"Your Excellency!"
"Let's talk as we walk."
"Yes, Your Excellency."
On the mountain path, where fallen leaves mingled with damp mud, the newly appointed, barely-coming-of-age magistrate of Longcheng County walked ahead, followed a step behind by a young constable in a dark blue uniform.
"Prefect, the floodwaters have receded considerably. The water that rushed down from Yunmengze in the south has flowed into the Yangtze River in the north. Many houses in the county town have collapsed, but the worst affected are the towns and villages under Longcheng, where most of the houses have collapsed."
"The fields are the same. Most of the people's fertile land has been flooded, and even the low-lying areas have not yet been submerged and have become lakes. Except for the high-lying, superior fields, none of them have been spared. However, these almost all belong to the few wealthy families in the city."
"Merchants and craftsmen are doing alright. Penglangdu has done some emergency repairs, and ships passing through Yunmengze and the Yangtze River are docking as usual, so the impact is not too great. The Liu family's Guyue sword shop on the other side of Butterfly Creek has not stopped production at all, and the sword furnace has never been turned off..."
Yan Wuxu sighed and pointed to the families of disaster victims who could be seen from time to time on the mountain road, heading up the mountain to seek refuge in temples. "The ones who suffered the most were the farmers. Right now, most of the disaster victims and refugees in and around Longcheng are them. They have neither houses nor fields. They have all been washed away by the flood. In some places, even entire villages have fled to the county town. The security situation has become somewhat tense."
"Magistrate Diao is opening the granaries and distributing grain on your behalf, and has also joined forces with several kind-hearted gentry families in the city to set up soup kitchens..."
“A ‘great philanthropist’, huh?” Ouyang Rong, who was walking ahead with his hands behind his back, suddenly interrupted and chuckled. “So our Dragon City has one too.”
Yan Wuxu was taken aback and asked curiously, "What is Your Excellency laughing at...?"
"It's nothing, I just smelled something familiar. Liu Lang, continue."
Yan Wuxu was about to continue explaining the flood situation when he heard the young magistrate in front of him suddenly turn around and say, "Let's not talk about the flood first. Liulang, introduce me to some of the officials in our county government. They've been unconscious for a long time and I don't remember some of them."
Yan Wuxu frowned slightly. "Your Excellency is the one in charge. The highest-ranking officials in Longcheng, such as the County Magistrate, the Registrar, and the County Commandant, are all your subordinates. How can you call yourself 'Your Excellency'? Your Excellency is being too modest."
Ouyang Rong smiled but didn't explain. Power is something that flows from the bottom up, but it often gives the appearance of flowing from the top down.
Yan Wuxu didn't waste any time and recounted everything he knew about the county magistrate, registrar, and county lieutenant of Longcheng County in great detail.
Although these three official positions were minor, together with the county magistrate, they constituted the highest decision-making body of a county-level unit in the Great Zhou Dynasty. In the eyes of the local people, they were all extremely important figures...
After listening, Ouyang Rong pondered for a while and prepared to go down the mountain to take a look, but Yan Wuxu seemed to remember something and called him back.
"Does Your Excellency still remember the brave man I mentioned the other day who truly saved your life?"
Ouyang Rong turned around, slightly startled. "I remember. What's wrong?"
Yan Wuxu first clasped his hands in apology, and said with shame:
"His name is Liu Ashan, and he is also recuperating at Donglin Temple. After rescuing you, sir, that day, this man's waist was also cut by a sharp weapon in the rushing water. Later, his injury worsened, and then a great flood occurred, destroying his house and property. He was left homeless, and it was only when his younger sister came to our door in the middle of the night that I learned of his situation. So, I took it upon myself to arrange a guesthouse at Donglin Temple for his family on your behalf. I hope you will forgive me..."
Before Yan Wuxu could finish speaking, he was stunned, because the young county magistrate had disappeared from sight, and Ouyang Rong's voice came from behind.
"Then what are we waiting for? Quickly take me to visit the hero."
...
The Great Zhou Dynasty had a slave system; it also divided the people into good and lowly, with many categories of lowly people, such as artisans, musicians, and entertainers.
Slaves were the lowest class of the lowly, described as "slaves and lowly people, legally treated like livestock," their lives and deaths entirely in the hands of their owners.
However, slaves can be divided into official slaves and private slaves based on their affiliation.
The Silla maid Bansi who served her aunt was a private slave, and the treatment of such people depended on their master.
The family that Ouyang Rong was seeing was a government slave.
...The atmosphere inside the room was a little awkward.
Yan Wuxu stood guard at the door and did not come in.
Only Ouyang Rong, dressed in a clean and white robe that had been taken care of by the Zhen family, stood in front of the sickbed, looking somewhat at a loss.
Because he was the only one standing inside the room.
The three members of the Liu family, including an old man and a child, were kneeling on the ground kowtowing and paying their respects. The remaining tattooed man was lying on the bed, thin as a stick, and looked like he was on the verge of death, but he still struggled to get up and pay his respects.
"You...you guys...don't be so polite...don't be so polite, brave warrior, you're already in such a state, don't stand on ceremony, just focus on recovering from your injuries."
Ouyang Rong could barely speak properly and didn't know how to start. He hurriedly pressed down the sick man who was trying to get out of bed and then quickly reached out to help the old and young people on the ground up.
Ouyang Rong knew this was the norm in this era, but even if he could live with himself, he was afraid that his mere one hundred merit points would not be accepted.
He exchanged a few warm greetings and learned the general situation.
The thin, tattooed, and frail man on the sickbed was none other than Liu Ashan, who had saved him that day.
Inside the room was another little girl with tattooed characters on her forehead and her face tattooed. She was in her early teens and had a very pretty face. In particular, her eyes were very big and bright, like a girl from an anime. Ouyang Rong couldn't help but take a second look. He hadn't seen such intelligent eyes in a long time.
However, at this moment, the young girl's eyes were red-rimmed, and she looked somewhat sad. She lowered her head deeply, refusing to look at him. Ouyang Rong heard Ah Shan call her name just now, it sounded like he was calling Ah Qing.
In addition, there was a frail old woman, who was the mother of the brother and sister, Liu.
Ouyang Rong was already tall and slender, with a clean and scholarly air. Standing in the room, he was like a bright pearl thrown into the dust, extremely conspicuous.
Little did he know that these were the words Yan Wuxu, who frequently looked back into the room, was using to describe his thoughts.
"Young Master, please take good care of your injuries. I will have Constable Yan come to check on you often. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to let me know, whether it's medicine or supplements..."
"Auntie, please take care of yourself, eat and drink well. I'll have the abbot send some temple servants over later, so they can help if there's anything you need..."
"Little sister... Little sister, study hard... whether it's embroidery or some other skill. Don't worry your mother and brother. If you have any difficulties, you can also tell Liulang..."
Ouyang Rong racked his brains to come up with some words of concern and comfort for the Liu family of three, but what surprised him was that the three of them did not react with much enthusiasm, gratitude, or flattery; instead, their expressions were all different.
Liu and Aqing seemed somewhat afraid of him, and they answered hesitantly.
As for Liu Ashan, who was lying on the bed, apart from being pressed down by Ouyang Rong when he initially got up to greet her, he stared blankly at the gray bed curtains above his head the whole time, showing no surprise or emotion on his face.
The group of women answered each other like puppets on strings. If Ouyang Rong didn't ask any questions, they wouldn't speak up either. Occasionally, they would offer a forced smile, but their muscles were stiff, which made things a bit awkward.
However, Ouyang Rong was not angry. He only said that he had arrived too late and that it was indeed his fault for neglecting his savior.
"I should come and visit more often when I have time..." the young magistrate thought to himself.
"Then I won't disturb Brother Ashan's recovery any longer. I'll come back another day!"
"Please take care, sir."
Ouyang Rong took his leave and finally breathed a sigh of relief. At that moment, Yan Wuxu leaned close to his ear and whispered something:
"My lord, I just examined him, and Liu Ashan's injuries appear to be convulsions, it seems there's no hope for him..."
Someone paused.
(End of this chapter)
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