Chapter 285 Where will I be when I wake up from my drunken stupor tonight?
Outside the window, the night was cool and still.
The room was dark.
A ray of moonlight shone down on a bed.
The young magistrate would sometimes rise to check his luggage for tomorrow's departure; at other times he would lie down and count sheep with his eyes closed.
He tossed and turned in bed until dawn before finally falling into a deep sleep.
I have very light sleep.
The rising sun shone through the paper window, illuminating Ouyang Rong's slightly furrowed brows as he slept, feeling warm. He suddenly awoke.
He slept for only two hours, stared at the empty room for a while, then silently got up, dressed and put on his shoes, and pushed open the door.
"Junior sister, Dalang, what are you doing here?"
Inside the courtyard, Xie Lingjiang, Li Fusu, and Li Guo'er could be seen quietly basking in the sun.
"Tanlang, you're awake!" Li Fusu got up with a look of joy.
Ouyang Rong looked at them and asked softly:
"Wasn't the boat supposed to be in the afternoon, going to Xunyang City? It's been moved up?"
The Li couple first went to Xunyang City to "recuperate," while Li Dalang and Li Guo'er remained in Longcheng to handle the relocation of the Su family mansion.
Just then, Ouyang Rong was about to take up his post as the Prefect of Jiangzhou.
Both parties agreed to travel together by boat this afternoon to Xunyang City, the capital of Jiangzhou.
"The boat wasn't scheduled for earlier; it's still in the afternoon."
Xie Lingjiang jumped off the swing, held her sword, shook her head, and explained:
"However, to celebrate the promotion of the eldest brother, as well as the joyous occasion of the county's exemption from labor service and adjustment of two taxes, the county magistrate, along with some local gentry, organized a promotion luncheon for the eldest brother at Yuanming Tower."
She laughed and said:
“This morning, since my eldest brother didn’t go to the county government, Magistrate Diao asked me to convey his message that you, the main guest of the luncheon, must be present.”
Ouyang Rong patted his forehead: "I was still half asleep." He went over, drew a bucket of well water, and washed his face.
Li Fusu looked at his friend's face and said with a smile, "My dear friend, you are suffering from restlessness and insomnia. You should take the sour jujube seed soup."
"..."
Ouyang Rong's lips twitched.
After washing up, he passed by the three men and strode out the door.
Let's go.
Xie Lingjiang and the other two quickly followed.
At the entrance of the Meilu Garden on Luming Street, a long-awaited carriage slowly started moving, heading towards the largest restaurant in the county.
"I haven't yet congratulated you, my lord, on your promotion to Chief Secretary of Jiangzhou!"
Inside the carriage, Li Fusu beamed with joy.
"My father and mother are also very happy. They'll present a promotion gift to Tanlang after he arrives..."
Li Fusu, sitting upright, and Li Guo'er, wearing a veil and nodding slightly, discussed how to celebrate the gift-giving ceremony after returning to Xunyang City.
The Li family, a noble lineage, still maintains numerous rules and regulations even in their decline; this is the mark of a top-tier family.
Ouyang Rong looked out the window, slightly distracted, and didn't really listen.
He leaned closer to Fusu and lowered his voice:
"My dear son, your father is in Xunyang City. He's been faking illness and it's been quite difficult for him. Female officials and imperial physicians are keeping watch nearby. The pill he took is very potent, but it's also very effective. No one has noticed anything amiss."
"Now Father is eagerly waiting for us to deliver the antidote..."
Ouyang Rong nodded: "Please bear with it a little longer, Uncle. Thank you for your hard work."
“This is not hard work.” Li Fusu shook his head: “If it weren’t for Tanlang’s brilliant plan, Father and I would still be hiding in Longcheng, living in fear, and we would not dare to hope to restore the title of Prince of Xunyang.”
“Brother is right.”
Li Guo'er gazed at Ouyang Rong with her beautiful eyes and said in a clear voice:
"With the restoration of our royal status and the continued attention from my grandmother, people like Wei Shaoxuan will no longer dare to openly threaten us. At least we are safe within Xunyang City."
"Yes." Li Fusu and Ouyang Rong looked out the car window together, their faces filled with longing.
“My father’s fiefdom is in Xunyang City, and Lianghan has just been promoted to a prefectural official and is going to Xunyang City to take up his post. We can be together again and not be separated!”
"Heh, that emperor will arrange official positions."
Ouyang Rong nodded slightly.
He looked out the window at the bustling street scene for a while, then suddenly turned around:
"After lunch, the boat to Jiangzhou is scheduled for this afternoon. When will it depart?"
"The first moment of the unitary hour."
Ouyang Rong pursed his lips; it was around five o'clock.
After finishing lunch, it will probably be two or three o'clock. I still need to leave the city to catch a boat at the new ferry crossing. The schedule is tight... It seems like there's no time to do anything else.
Why is Senior Brother asking this?
"fine."
Ouyang Rong rubbed his face.
...
The promotion banquet at Yuanming Tower was even grander than Ouyang Rong had imagined.
The large number of visitors filled the three-story building to capacity.
County Magistrate Diao and his colleagues from the county government, more than a dozen local gentry and wealthy people, scholars from Longcheng with official titles, and respected elders and virtuous people from various towns and villages in Longcheng.
Not to mention the people who spontaneously came from all over Longcheng to celebrate and enjoy the feast.
The building was so crowded that there wasn't even room for an extra bench.
Ouyang Rong hadn't expected everyone to be so enthusiastic.
At the head table on the first floor, he raised his glass to everyone, drank heartily, and then dealt with toasts from various guests...
After downing nearly a sip of wine, Ouyang Rong leaned back in his chair.
Magistrate Diao leaned in, smiling broadly:
"Your Excellency is so generous... no, I should change my address. Now I'm calling you Chief Secretary. I've heard so much about you, Chief Secretary."
"I need to change how I address you too." He took a package from his junior sister and handed it to the old county magistrate.
The latter opened it and found a light green official robe, official seal, and other items inside.
Slightly tipsy, Ouyang Rong chuckled, "From now on, I'll have to call you Magistrate Diao. I'll add another layer to your four-season uniform. Magistrate Diao, my apologies."
Magistrate Diao quickly waved his hand: "Oh, not at all, not at all, Chief Secretary, please don't laugh at me."
Despite his humble tone, the old county magistrate couldn't suppress a broad smile, his face beaming with joy.
Ouyang Rong was promoted to Prefect of Jiangzhou, and because of his meritorious service in assisting with flood control, as well as being the first to submit a memorial and present auspicious omens, he was promoted from an eighth-rank county magistrate to a seventh-rank county magistrate.
The only pity is that he is too old, otherwise with his achievements, he would have great potential... But Magistrate Diao is already content.
Magistrate Diao sighed, "Chief Secretary... never mind, let's just call you Magistrate for now, it's easier to say. Hey, if I can always follow in your footsteps, I'll be happy to be your subordinate."
The old county magistrate spoke in a joking tone, with a hint of self-deprecation.
After all, there is no doubt that Ouyang Rong's promotion speed will be faster than his. If this statement is true, wouldn't he also be promoted rapidly?
However, it seems that this statement is not wrong so far.
Jiangzhou administers about ten counties, and the Prefect of Jiangzhou manages the affairs of the prefecture, naturally being the direct superior of each county...
Previously, due to the corruption case at the Jimin Granary in Jiangzhou, the two important positions of the previous governor and chief administrator of Jiangzhou had been left vacant.
Later, Wang Lengran was parachuted into the position of governor of Jiangzhou. The position of chief secretary remained vacant, and the governor assumed the authority, making him virtually invisible.
Currently, Ouyang Rong has been promoted to fill the vacancy.
At the subsequent luncheon, Ouyang Rong noticed that the way the people who came to toast him looked at him was different.
It is reverence and admiration.
In officialdom, besides the major hurdle of going from a local official to a Beijing official, the transition from the sixth to the fifth rank is also a significant hurdle, causing countless scholars to waste their lives.
Ouyang Rong, however, stepped over it with ease.
To be honest, the speed is a bit too fast...
Having served as the magistrate of Longcheng for a year, Ouyang Rong had a deep understanding of the vast boundaries of power held by local officials of this type.
Moreover, among the ten regions under heaven, in terms of wealth, Jiangnan Region is located in the middle and upper reaches, in the heart of the southern country.
Jiangnan Circuit has only a handful of superior prefectures, and Jiangzhou is one of them. Although it suffers from frequent floods, it also has a well-developed waterway trade route, controlling the lifeline of transportation in Jiangnan.
The soon-to-be Chief Secretary of Jiangzhou... it's unknown how many resources he can mobilize or how much distribution of benefits he can control.
I remember a long time ago, during the Dragon Boat Festival grain price war, a certain domineering grain merchant was said to have been backed by the Prefect of Hongzhou next door. You can imagine how much influence he had.
After a hearty meal and drinks, the luncheon came to an end.
After bidding farewell to the enthusiastic crowd, Ouyang Rong returned to the Deer Park to retrieve his belongings.
The Li siblings had already emptied the Su residence. On Luming Street, ten carriages carrying luggage were lined up, along with dozens of maids and servants waiting.
Ouyang Rong bid farewell to the gatekeeper, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and set off lightly.
The two sides met up, drove away from the county town, and headed to Zheyi Canal on the outskirts of the city.
With too much luggage and Penglangdu being too small, the group opted to take a boat from the spacious new ferry terminal.
They had only been out of the city for a short time.
"This is……"
Ouyang Rong lifted the carriage curtain and stared at the crowd of people thronging the official road ahead, his expression slightly stunned.
On the official road in the suburbs, there is a long pavilion every mile.
Before us, ten miles outside the city, at every long pavilion, people spontaneously gathered, bringing food and drink to see someone off.
Previously, Ouyang Rong had deliberately not mentioned leaving today, intending to leave quietly.
He only mentioned it briefly to Magistrate Diao and others at the luncheon.
Ouyang Rong saw the figures of County Magistrate Diao and others in front of the pavilion, along with many guests from the lunch banquet, all seeing them off.
His face showed helplessness: "Lord Diao, you guys..."
“Your Excellency, it wasn’t entirely my doing that you summoned them. The villagers came spontaneously. The whole county is watching what you’ve been up to at Meilu Garden.”
Ouyang Rong fell silent.
Xie Lingjiang, sitting next to him, took his bag and chatted with him with a smile:
"Senior Brother, you should go and say goodbye to the people of Dragon City."
"Go, my love." Li Fusu couldn't help but chuckle.
"And what about you?"
Li Guo'er withdrew her gaze from the expectant faces of the people outside the window and softly made arrangements:
"We'll take our luggage to the dock first and wait for you by the ship. Go on, Ouyang Lianghan, say goodbye properly."
Ouyang Rong remained silent for a moment, then nodded, "That works too."
On the official road, the carriage procession continued its journey.
Ouyang Rong took the reins from his junior sister, slung only his sword case over his shoulder, mounted his horse, and rode off without looking back.
"Wait for me at the dock."
"Um."
Ouyang Rong rode alone, his chariot behind him, to greet the enthusiastic crowds of Longcheng residents who were coming to greet him.
The wind blew his long, crown-like hair, making it flutter like colorful prayer flags.
Ouyang Rong suddenly remembered that he had done the same thing when he took up his post in Longcheng.
He came alone with only one horse, empty-handed, possessing nothing but his official position.
Today, as we part, he too leaves empty-handed.
But it's not that they have nothing.
What did he leave behind after serving as an official for a term?
Disaster relief, flood control, and fairness.
What else did they take away?
A sword whose truth and falsehood are indistinguishable, yet it vows to sever all matters of truth and falsehood in the world.
Ouyang Rong suddenly smiled and rode forward.
At the ten-mile-long pavilion, the people of Longcheng, with their baskets of food and jugs of wine, warmly greeted Magistrate Luobo, leading his horse and pulling at his sleeves. A young man carrying a box on his back drank wine with every step he took, welcoming all who came.
Ten miles outside the city, willow branches have all been broken, creating a scene of reluctant farewell...
In the midst of his drunken revelry, Ouyang Rong faintly heard the melody of a folk song:
Outside the long pavilion,
Along the ancient road,
Fragrant grasses stretch to the horizon.
The evening breeze caressed the willows, and the sound of a flute faded away.
Sunset over the mountains...
evening.
Zheyi Canal, Tanlang Ferry.
The new ferry crossing was not actually named, but the people of Longcheng had already privately called it Tanlang Ferry, and the county officials did not object, so it gradually became a custom.
Tanlangdu is now a bustling place, its prosperity seemingly surpassing that of Penglangdu.
On the official road, a thin horse carrying a drunken, sleeping, and sprawled young man slowly drove into the ferry crossing, getting closer and closer to the dock.
The golden sunset draped over the tall, slender body of the drunken young man like a garment.
A thin horse was riding through the bustling city when suddenly a cry rang out:
"Selling sesame cakes~ Freshly baked sesame cakes~ Don't miss out if you're passing by..."
Ouyang Rong, still slightly drunk, opened his eyes, dismounted, and staggered closer, glancing down at the steaming sesame cakes in the pan.
The vendor selling sesame cakes warmly welcomed them: "The cakes are still warm, would you like some, esteemed guest?"
Ouyang Rong stared at the sesame seed cake with drunken eyes, his face flushed, and he seemed somewhat dazed.
He reached out his finger to touch the pancake, and recoiled from the heat.
Slightly awake.
"Hey, hey, hey, don't touch me like that!"
Ouyang Rong stopped and looked around. The bustling city noise lessened the drunken look in his eyes.
"Where am I..." he muttered to himself.
"This is Tanlangdu, are you drunk?"
"Tanlang Ferry?" The young man with the box on his back, nicknamed Tanlang, took a deep breath and murmured in astonishment:
“Tanlang knows that the boat is waiting ahead, and there are people waiting ahead. Tanlang has to move forward and look ahead. Isn’t that how we taught Aqing before…”
The pancake vendor sized up the young man carrying the box, who was muttering nonsense, with curiosity:
"Are you dressed like this for a long journey?"
"Um……"
The vendor asked curiously, "Judging from your appearance, do you recognize my stall? Are you a regular customer?"
Ouyang Rong nodded, then shook his head.
"Hey, this business belongs to my old man. I took over last month, so it's normal that you don't recognize me."
"Then you should know that my family's sesame seed cakes are a long-established brand in Longcheng, which is incomparable to the new merchants from other places like Tanlangdu. They were already famous in Penglangdu before."
The pancake seller boasted to himself, then suddenly asked:
"Do you know Liu Ashan, the hero who bravely fought against the local tyrant and controlled the floods? He's the good man that Magistrate Luo Bo specially erected a shrine for him."
Ouyang Rong raised his eyelids and nodded to him.
The pancake vendor thumped his chest loudly: "I heard from the old man that this hero once bought pancakes from us... Even heroes love our pancakes. Would you like a piece, esteemed guest? It would be such a waste not to try them before you leave."
Ouyang Rong slowly raised his head, stared at the pancake vendor, and asked, "Is it really such a pity?"
"Of course, we must not leave with regrets!"
The young man, just waking from a drunken stupor, let out a long sigh and suddenly nodded vigorously:
"OK."
...
Several clerks on duty at Tanlang Ferry received the news and hurriedly went out.
After waiting outside the dock for half an hour, the young county magistrate still did not appear.
"Strange, where did the master go? Didn't we just receive a message that he had arrived? Where is he?"
"It seems someone saw Magistrate Ming just now."
A city official came from the rear dock, wiping his sweat, and told him:
"There's no sign of Magistrate Ming on Master Xie's side either. Master Xie has already ordered the ships to postpone their departure, and now we're just waiting for Magistrate Ming."
The city officials looked at each other in bewilderment, then turned and searched the bustling streets of Tanlangdu.
As a city official passed by a pancake stall, a vendor touched the three pieces of silver in his pocket and grinned from ear to ear.
With just three sentences, the customer bought all the cakes... The vendor suddenly felt a bright future for selling cakes at the new ferry crossing, full of hope, and thought about putting up a signboard one day and carving a sign that read "Hero Cakes".
The peddler gazed towards the county town and muttered to himself:
"Huh, that's strange. Wasn't this distinguished guest supposed to be on a long journey by ship? Why is he engrossed in eating a pancake and rushing back?"
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
