Chapter 235 Liang Han's Three Crimes!
At the foot of Dagushan Mountain.
"Lord Diao, Miss Aqing, what's wrong with the magistrate? He seems rather unhappy..."
Yan Liulang, who had been so busy that his feet barely touched the ground, stopped in his tracks, looked at the silent figure returning not far away, turned around, and asked in a low voice.
But no one answered the strangely solemn returning procession he was greeted by.
County Magistrate Diao, A Qing, and the others silently followed in Ouyang Rong's footsteps.
Yan Liulang and the group of blue-clad constables couldn't help but turn their heads to look.
Just moments ago, while they were busy evacuating the people, they suddenly noticed that Ouyang Rong had returned to the foot of the mountain without saying a word.
The young magistrate walked past them indifferently, heading towards the square at the foot of the mountain without looking back.
At the foot of Dagushan Mountain, there is a square for guests to rest. In the past, temple fairs and holidays would sell temple supplies or local specialties of Longcheng. Near the center, there is a huge stone with the four characters "Mingxin Jianxing" carved on it, which is considered the highest point in the square.
Then, Ouyang Rong, carrying a sword, walked up to the top of the stone without saying a word, looking down from above.
This strange behavior immediately drew the attention of the refugees in the square.
What surprised Yan Liulang and the other constables even more was his lowered gaze and order:
"Sixth Brother, go and call all the elders and folks you can. I have something to say to them."
"Ah...yes, Your Excellency."
Ouyang Rong lowered his head slightly, took a deep breath, and suddenly called out to Yan Liulang, asking:
"Wait, where is the Jade Cup Fairy?"
“This humble servant brought her here from the office.”
Yan Liulang answered, and seeing that Ouyang Rong remained silent with his eyes lowered, he turned and left with his orders.
A short while later, the refugees who had gathered from all directions of Longcheng County heard the magistrate's summons and flocked to the square at the foot of the mountain.
The crowd grew larger and larger beneath the boulder.
On the boulder, Ouyang Rong stood tall. In the interval of waiting, he raised his head and glanced at the great sun that was about to rise into the sky above him.
The sunlight fell on his bloodshot eyes, seemingly reflecting a kaleidoscope of colors.
Ouyang Rong felt dizzy for a moment, and squinted slightly as the sunlight stung his eyes.
He looked dazed and lost in thought.
Countless people below were waiting for him to speak.
But Ouyang Rong, who was lost in thought, suddenly remembered that when the original Ouyang Rong took office, he also gave a speech in front of all the people of the county by the bridge over the water.
The sun shone brightly that day as well.
He fell into the river and was drowning when he was rescued by a taciturn man who was a complete stranger at the time. The man held him and brought him to the surface. As he was choking and suffocating with water in his mouth and nose, the scorching sunlight above his head refracted through the water droplets in his eyes, creating a colorful spectacle.
Now, Ouyang Rong stands before the thousands of people of Longcheng County once again, but where is Liu Ashan at this moment? Now, it's his turn to save people.
Below, in the square, all the refugees from Longcheng County gathered in layers.
Everyone who came here was now drawn to the strange figure of the young county magistrate standing on the boulder.
Ouyang Rong suddenly drew his sword.
Clang—!
A clear, sharp sword rang out.
The crowd in the square, which had been somewhat noisy, immediately fell silent.
Ouyang Rong held the sword upright between his eyes, with the blade pointing inwards.
"Today, I have called my fellow villagers here to apologize to them in public."
He said.
Everyone was stunned.
An elderly clansman with white hair and beard stepped forward shakily: "Your Excellency is impartial and incorruptible, what crime have you committed?"
Ouyang Rong stared straight ahead at the sword's edge, shaking his head:
"No, I have three offenses to apologize for."
He took off his official hat.
Throw it at your feet.
"The first sin is the sin of dereliction of duty."
"In the face of great calamity, I was complacent and negligent. In my position, I was unable to focus on my duties. Due to personal matters, I left my post without authorization, which almost led to a major disaster."
"This is a crime of dereliction of duty!"
After saying that, Ouyang Rong tore off his hair crown in front of everyone, lowered his head, grabbed his long black hair, and slashed it with his sword.
The entire audience erupted in uproar.
Our bodies, hair, and skin are given to us by our parents; we must not damage them, for to do so is unfilial.
For a scholar with official rank, this was a very serious and solemn matter.
"He cut off his hair to replace his head, as an atonement for his crime."
A thick, jet-black head of hair slowly cascaded down to her feet.
Ouyang Rong's short hair was disheveled, and his bangs covered his eyes, but he stared intently at the sword blade standing before him, and continued to speak, word by word:
"The second crime is negligence and oversight."
"I am not very talented, but I am deeply trusted by the people of Longcheng and supported by my colleagues in the county government. During my term as an official, I should have thoroughly dealt with the tyrannical Liu family."
"Yet they were arrogant and dismissive, allowing such scoundrels to lurk and thrive right under their noses, brewing a shocking conspiracy that threatens the safety of the entire city's inhabitants."
"If the despicable Liu family's conspiracy succeeds today, I, as the county magistrate, will be guilty even if I die ten thousand times."
"This is a crime of negligence and dereliction of duty!"
This time, the entire room fell silent upon hearing this.
Ouyang Rong tore off his belt and ripped off his expensive and beautiful light green official robe. He muttered as he stabbed the robe with his longsword, finally hacking it into pieces and throwing it on the ground.
"Please forgive me for using this robe as a substitute! My life is temporarily suspended, and I must use it today to do one last thing for myself, for Liu Ashan's family, and for the elders and folks of Longcheng."
His eyes were as calm as a still lake, and he nodded.
"This is also my last crime... the crime of abusing my power and using it for personal gain."
"As the magistrate of Longcheng, when the sluice gate is about to collapse and the flood is about to come, I should be sitting here to maintain order and settle the people."
"But today, my brothers and comrades have been captured by the Liu family, and I cannot control myself; the Liu brothers are plotting a monstrous conspiracy, which is imminent."
"For personal and public reasons, for the sake of reason and emotion, I, Ouyang Lianghan, must go on this mission, even if the county government has few people, the enemy is many and we are few, and people laugh at me for overestimating my abilities. But even if there are thousands of enemies, I will still go!"
"This is a crime of dereliction of duty."
Ouyang Rong loudly listed the three crimes, then immediately sheathed his sword.
He turned and instructed Yan Liulang and the others to gather the few remaining soldiers. Before leaving, he clasped his hands in a final gesture of respect in front of everyone, his face filled with apology and melancholy.
"Having committed three crimes, Lianghan has nothing left to repay. I humbly beg the elders and fellow villagers to forgive Lianghan for the time being and allow my ill-fated life to be spared for this trip to the Liu family."
He composed himself and said with a serious expression:
"Today, Lianghan will surely be able to apologize! Whether he eradicates the evil thief or... pays with his life, I will be at peace."
The entire audience fell silent.
Ouyang Rong flipped off the boulder, instructed Magistrate Diao to stay behind, and ordered Yan Liulang to gather the remaining constables and soldiers.
He led the remaining dozen or so constables and soldiers out of the square.
Looking at the resolute figure standing ahead, Yan Liulang hesitated, wanting to say something but holding back.
County Magistrate Diao was also very anxious. He rubbed his waist as he ran over to stop him. It turned out that all his previous words had been in vain.
On the way, after Magistrate Diao was kicked away, Ouyang Rong remained silent for a moment, then suddenly turned his horse around and returned to Dagushan... The old magistrate thought at the time that he had been persuaded and was going with the flow.
So after coming back to apologize, this magistrate is going to charge into battle and die again, without listening to a word? Wait, then wasn't he just kicked for nothing?
County Magistrate Diao's face darkened slightly.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the young magistrate was about to face his death alone, and the people in the square spontaneously surged forward, reluctant to let him go.
Several elders and respected villagers stepped forward to try to stop Ouyang Rong.
An elder from the clan, after observing the young magistrate's resolute expression, cautiously inquired:
"Your Excellency, there is no need for such words. Your achievements are evident to all. To be honest, some people are puzzled. The Liu family has already been punished by being separated from the family. What did they do this time, and what crime did they commit that makes Your Excellency feel so guilty, even saying that you bear three sins?"
After a pause, the elder, whose hair and beard were already white, also frowned and asked with concern:
"My lord, the people who just returned from Zheyi Canal said that the Liu brothers publicly accused you, saying that you had angered the Dragon King of the water, which caused the recent floods upstream. They also said that you..."
The young magistrate suddenly stopped, turned around, and said earnestly:
"Fellow villagers, there has never been a savior in this world, nor a dragon king or immortal. If there is one, it is malicious and man-made."
"Haven't you realized that it has always been the Liu family that has been trying to become the Dragon King of this Dragon City, wanting to forever oppress our fellow villagers and act like tyrants?"
The elders and respected villagers of Longcheng mostly looked hesitant and uncertain, exchanging bewildered glances.
"It's not hard to knock down the mountains in reality, but it's hard to knock down the mountains in your heart."
Ouyang Rong pursed his lips, remained silent for a moment, then turned his head and instructed Yan Liulang:
"Go and bring up the Jade Cup Fairy."
Yan Liulang was taken aback, then realized what was happening and glanced at the calm expression on the Mingfu's face.
The blue-clad constable immediately led his men away, but soon returned, bringing with him a haggard and weak, plump female priestess.
The Jade Cup Fairy may have had her meridians and acupoints sealed by Xie Lingjiang, or she may not have fully recovered from the backlash she suffered last time.
Her face was pale and bloodless, her steps were unsteady, and the shackles on her body rattled.
But who would have thought that after the weak priestess was brought in, upon seeing Ouyang Rong, with his short, disheveled hair and wearing only a white undergarment, her eyes suddenly widened and her pupils contracted sharply:
"Demon! A demon that has risen from the dead! You are not the original sacrifice, you are a demon that has been released! Ahhhhh, save me, save me, the demon is going to eat people..."
The Jade Cup Fairy seemed to have seen the most terrifying thing in the world, and turned to flee like a madwoman.
"Hmph, just like pretending to be asleep, feigning madness and stupidity again?" Yan Liulang frowned.
He swiftly stepped forward and delivered a knee strike. The Jade Cup Fairy clutched her stomach, writhing like a shrimp in a bow, before Yan Liulang dragged her to Ouyang Rong's feet, where she obediently knelt.
"Don't eat me, don't eat me..." The Jade Cup Fairy knelt and kowtowed, not daring to look at Ouyang Rong, her hair disheveled, muttering to herself.
Ouyang Rong frowned slightly, but he didn't pay much attention to these crazy words at the moment.
After hesitating for a moment, he closed his eyes and said:
"Sixth Brother, while the elders and villagers are all here, you should explain the case of the ribbon-cutting ceremony instructed by the Liu family, as well as the reason for the destruction of the Di Gong Gate in the past, so that everyone who is still kept in the dark can hear who the real 'Dragon King' is."
"Your Excellency, what does this mean..." The elders and respected villagers were astonished and curious.
Ouyang Rong nodded, signaling them to listen quietly.
Yan Liulang stepped forward with a stern expression, pulling out the case files from his investigations over the past few days, along with witnesses and physical evidence such as the Burning Heaven Shark Oil and the Jade Cup Fairy...
Finally, under the sunlight, the truth that had been hidden all along was revealed one by one and laid bare before everyone:
"Ladies and gentlemen, the collapse of the Di Gong Gate every four years is actually the work of the Liu family of Longcheng!"
His first words caused a stir among the audience.
Yan Liulang continued in a loud voice:
"In the past ten years or so, every major flood that has caused the destruction of homes and loss of life in the village has not only been a natural disaster, but also a man-made one."
"Taking advantage of the sword shop craftsmen's access to the sluice gate, the Liu family repeatedly loaded the strange oil that exploded into the main sluice gate chamber... Look, this is the oil, provided by the priestess here..."
"The Liu family will take advantage of the rising water to detonate the strange oil and destroy the sluice gate."
"When the flood ravaged the downstream areas, the Liu family, who had already made preparations, set up soup kitchens and orphanages, and acquired fertile land, taking the opportunity to make a fortune during the disaster year!"
"Then they pretended to cooperate with the county government to repair the sluice gate again, and planted mines again to prepare for the next four years. This cycle repeated itself, and that's how the Liu family grew so powerful!"
The crowd seemed stunned; in the silent arena, Yan Liulang grew increasingly angry, gritting his teeth and sneering:
"What a magnificent Dragon King Liu family! What a wonderful character 'Liu'! Born by the water, growing strong by drawing water, drawing strength from the hard-earned money and sweat of our fellow villagers!"
"Everyone sold their fields and children, only to have a wicked willow tree grow up, wanting to become the Dragon King and tyrannize the land! Today, it even dares to stage another flood of Dragon City!"
The jade cup fairy and other witnesses and physical evidence were presented one by one.
The truth has come to light.
The entire audience erupted in uproar!
It turns out that the main culprit that caused their family to be destroyed and their wives and children to be separated was not a natural disaster, but the once benevolent Liu family!
Previously, everyone knew that the three Liu brothers were tyrannical and powerful, but they just thought that their ancestors were good and had accumulated wealth over generations, so they didn't have much resentment.
But little did anyone expect that they were secretly engaging in such heinous and reprehensible acts of castration!
The elders and respected villagers stomped their feet, threw down their canes, and cursed loudly; the common people gritted their teeth, filled with righteous indignation.
In an instant, the sounds of grief, anger, and curses from the audience shook the heavens and the earth.
The people grabbed wooden sticks and carrying poles and rushed forward, tugging at the young magistrate's clothes.
A commoner, filled with grief and indignation, cried out: "Your Excellency, let's fight them!"
The response came from all sides, creating a powerful momentum.
Ouyang Rong remained silent, stunned.
I looked around.
Bloodlust and anger rushed in from all directions.
He closed his eyes slightly, tilted his head back, and took a deep breath.
I felt as if something indescribable was gushing out of my chest.
This was the sound that made him hesitate to leave, lingering in the Pure Land Palace, deceiving himself, reluctant to part.
This is also something he has been searching for since taking office, but has been unable to find—something that can burn away all filth and sweep away all paper tigers:
It is the fierce spirit inherent in the blood of the people of Wu and Yue.
It was what kings and generals called the rage of a common man.
It is the power of the people!
"Who says they have nothing? Who says they're empty-handed? Who says they're overestimating themselves?"
Ouyang Rong suddenly opened his eyes, turned to the astonished Magistrate Diao, and said softly:
"Popular support is valuable!"
"So what if the enemy outnumbers us? They're just a mob."
"What good is mythical power? The rage that gathers in this mortal realm is the true myth of this world!"
Ouyang Rong, his short hair flowing, dressed in plain clothes, climbed to a high place and raised his arm to shout:
"Everyone, don't be impatient! Women, children, and the elderly, stay here. Men over six feet tall, follow me! Today, with everyone united, the Liu family will surely perish!"
The indignant crowd quickly gathered under the guidance and organization of Ouyang Rong and others.
Ten people, a hundred people, a thousand people.
Immediately, Ouyang Rong swiftly made the assignments and turned to give the instructions:
"Yan Liulang, organize the young men who volunteered, assign them to teams... Once everything is ready, we'll head to Songlin Ferry immediately!"
"County Magistrate Diao, I hereby order you to go to Songlin Ferry immediately to gather official boats and await the arrival of the main force. Also..."
"Take out all the Burning Sky Shark Oil that we previously stored in the ship's hold, put it into bamboo tubes, and distribute it to everyone once they board the ship..."
"Remember, today our targets are the ancient Yue sword shop on the west bank of Butterfly Creek, the Liu family mansion on Little Lonely Mountain, and... a suspicious sword furnace."
(End of this chapter)
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