Chapter 120 I predicted your prediction
Longbei Mountain on the west bank of Yue Nu Gorge is not very high.
But it is enough to overlook the Di Gong Gate.
Especially on a midsummer night when the moon is bright and the stars are few.
There were a lot of mosquitoes, and they kept getting into the collar and sleeves.
"Mr. Ming, are we going to... look at the stars?"
"If we're going to look at the stars, why should my junior sister and I bring you along?"
"..."
That makes a lot of sense.
On a narrow lawn on Longbei Mountain, which jutted out like a high platform, County Magistrate Diao, accompanied by several attendants, couldn't help but scratch his itch all over while glancing at the backs of the handsome man and beautiful woman in front of him, occasionally asking questions out of curiosity.
This high lawn with a good view on Longbei Mountain is where the young county magistrate likes to bring them every morning.
From here, one can look down at the Di Gong Gate below, and even gaze into the distance at the Yunmeng Marsh, with its shimmering waves and thousands of islands resembling boats.
The scenery is beautiful during the day, which is fine.
But to come here in the middle of the night...
Magistrate Diao sighed with melancholy, saying that it was truly unbearable to have a superior like the Prefect, and he was not fortunate enough to enjoy such a position.
He always manages to come up with something new and exciting.
"Mr. Ming, why aren't we going down? Aren't we going to the sluice gate? Why are we here in the middle of the night?"
"Didn't I say it was something interesting?"
Ouyang Rong smiled and turned around, then tossed a small bottle of mosquito repellent cream that his junior sister had prepared for him to the county magistrate, Diao, who was cowering behind him.
"Apply some. Hmm, Lord Diao, come a little closer."
Magistrate Diao hurriedly took it, his eyes lit up, and he began to apply it, saying:
"My lord, I am afraid of heights, so please don't get too close to the cliff, or you'll get dizzy."
"Come here."
"Perhaps we should just forget about it. Whatever happens next, Your Excellency can simply tell me. I'm listening attentively..."
"come over."
"Your Excellency, I am indeed afraid of heights. I once fell off a roof when I was young."
"I'm not interested in Lord Diao's childhood. Come here, you won't fall."
"Your Excellency..."
“I called you here, don’t play dumb.”
"Ah... Magistrate, no!"
The young magistrate smiled and grabbed the skinny old magistrate's arm, pulling him to his side. They were on the edge of the lawn halfway up the mountain. The magistrate pointed down towards the Di Gong Gate and gestured with his chin.
"Did Magistrate Diao see clearly what they were doing?"
"Working overtime at night... right?"
"You call this working night shifts and overtime?" Xie Lingjiang glanced sideways at the seasoned veteran next to her who seemed to want to avoid getting involved in anything.
"Sneaking around like rats in a den, oh no, there's a slight difference. After all, it's considered embezzlement, and they did work the night shift, right? Should we go and give them an extra midnight snack?"
County Magistrate Diao shrank back, remaining silent as if trembling in fear.
Originally intending to look away, their eyes were drawn to a scene quietly unfolding inside the Di Gong Gate.
He and his entourage craned their necks to stare at the strange sight below.
At the Di Gong Gate, where a torch is placed every ten meters, shadowy figures can be seen everywhere.
A group of craftsmen under Mr. Chen's command were carefully carrying wooden barrels, and under the guidance of a chubby clerk, they filed into the inner gate of the Di Gong Gate, which was about to be completed and was also the last to be completed.
At the entrance to the inner gate chamber, Mr. Chen and other veteran craftsmen took out their keys and opened the doors one by one, allowing the craftsmen to enter.
You can vaguely see these craftsmen carrying wooden barrels in and coming out empty-handed.
It was obvious that those strange wooden barrels were left inside the soon-to-be-completed and sealed inner gate chamber.
This scene was taking place quietly on the gate, or rather, it was happening openly, as it was brightly lit by the torches nearby, making it difficult to conceal even in the darkness of night.
But no one stopped it.
Looking to the left from the high platform on Longbei Mountain where Ouyang Rong and County Magistrate Diao were located, bonfires were burning in the duty camp on the other side of the riverbank, where many county clerks, runners and workers were having their evening meal and resting.
It seems no one is aware of the orderly events unfolding at the Di Gong Gate not far away.
Or perhaps someone saw it or even asked about it, but assumed it was Mr. Chen and the other craftsmen working on night duty, without much suspicion. They continued to guard the outer camp, watching for any external disturbances, never imagining the strange occurrences behind the Di Gong Gate.
Ouyang Rong turned his head and asked with a smile:
"What do you think of this scenery, Lord Diao? Was it worth the trip?"
County Magistrate Diao remained silent, his wide eyes reflecting the scene unfolding below.
"Lord Diao, you've stretched your neck so far, it seems you're not afraid of heights."
Ouyang Rong thought for a moment, then smiled and said.
County Magistrate Diao gripped the slender-necked porcelain bottle containing mosquito repellent cream tightly in his hand, his mouth dry, and he stammered:
"Your Excellency, what... what are they doing...?"
“Obviously, it’s night shift overtime,” Ouyang Rong replied.
"..." County Magistrate Diao.
"Lord Diao is no longer pretending to be confused?" Xie Lingjiang asked, glancing sideways.
"You flatter me, Master Xie."
Magistrate Diao chuckled awkwardly, watched silently for a while, then couldn't help but turn his head:
"Madam, Master Xie, are we just going to stand here like this without going down to check and stop them?"
"Stop it? Why should we stop it? Does Lord Diao have a death wish? This is a slide that you can't even touch."
Ouyang Rong couldn't help but lean back slightly, grimacing and inhaling:
"Lord Diao, you want to catch your lover in the act? Hmm, but you should also consider your own frail arms and legs. What if you can't beat the adulterer?"
The young magistrate's playful expression vanished, and he chuckled as he asked:
"If we go down now, they outnumber us, how can we possibly win?"
"Such petty thieves, sneaking around like this, it's simply outrageous!"
County Magistrate Diao gritted his teeth, forcefully waved his sleeve, and shouted a sentence.
Then, observing Ouyang Rong's calm expression, he cautiously asked:
"So what do we do now, Magistrate? Should we lay low for now, and then bring troops tomorrow to raid them again, arrest them all, and interrogate them one by one?"
"Why are you in such a hurry, Lord Diao? Maybe they just brought in some flowers, plants, bricks, and stones. They can be used as ballast in the lock chamber to add weight... Hmm, what do you think of this explanation, Lord Diao?"
Magistrate Diao immediately shook his head and said solemnly:
"I don't believe it! If it were truly an upright and honorable matter, why would they choose the middle of the night to do it so furtively? They must have something to hide..."
"Your Excellency, the wooden barrels that the priests of the Dragon King Temple brought in by carriage are definitely not filled with anything good. I suggest an immediate and thorough investigation."
Ouyang Rong withdrew his gaze from the righteous and indignant Magistrate Diao's face and silently watched the craftsmen below who had finished transporting the wooden barrels and were beginning to finish their work in an orderly manner.
He nodded, then shook his head, only asking:
"Has Lord Diao clearly seen who these people are down below?"
"Look... I can see it clearly now."
County Magistrate Diao organized his thoughts and said:
“A clerk named Yuan Tao, and Mr. Chen and his craftsmen.”
Ouyang Rong casually asked again:
"So what are they doing?"
"Tonight, they are transporting buckets of something whose name and purpose are unknown to us into the gatehouse of the Di Gong Gate."
After a pause, seeing that the young magistrate in front of him remained silent, Magistrate Diao braced himself and continued to organize his thoughts:
"These wooden barrels were brought by the priests from the Dragon King Temple who came to perform the gate-washing ceremony today, under the pretext that they were materials for the Liu family craftsmen to build the inner gate."
"Oh? So Magistrate Diao has such good eyesight, he can see quite a lot."
County Magistrate Diao exchanged glances with his men, then gritted his teeth and said:
"Your Excellency! My subordinates and I have witnessed everything that has happened. If there are any problems with the newly constructed Di Gong Gate in the future, it will most likely be their doing! We will definitely investigate this thoroughly."
"Eh."
Ouyang Rong, sleeves tucked in, stood at the edge of the lawn cliff. For some reason, he sighed, then nodded and said:
"However, Lord Diao's translation is quite good."
At this point, Ouyang Rong turned and smiled:
"Since Lord Diao and everyone else have seen it with their own eyes, that's enough. Don't say anything more for the next few days, just wait for my arrangements."
County Magistrate Diao and his entourage were all taken aback.
Ouyang Rong looked at them and asked softly, "Did you understand?"
"I...I understand."
"Alright. Everyone, please go back first. It's getting late, and we can't keep Lord Diao from sleeping."
"Your Excellency is too kind. Official business is of utmost importance!"
Ouyang Rong smiled, then left with Xie Lingjiang, who stood gracefully with her sword in hand, without looking back.
"Lord Diao, please take another route down the mountain and return on your own. Be careful on the road. I have some other matters to attend to, so I will not accompany you."
"Yes, Your Excellency."
Here it comes, catching the last bit of the daytime... cough cough. There will be another update around midnight tonight! (bows)
(End of this chapter)
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