Chapter 291 The Night Plot in Xunyang
Most of the prefectural cities in the Great Zhou Dynasty were planned and built in imitation of the neighborhood system of Chang'an and Luoyang, which facilitated management.
The same applies to Xunyang City.
It contains several neighborhoods including Chaisang, Lianxi, Xiushui, Dehua, and Xingzi.
The size of each neighborhood was almost equivalent to most of the core urban area of Longcheng County, where Ouyang Rong once served.
The neighborhood was surrounded by high walls, with a gate on each side called a neighborhood gate. These gates were closed at night, and entry and exit were prohibited.
However, the neighborhood has all the necessary living facilities and can operate independently even when closed off.
Between the high walls of each ward and along the main streets, a strict curfew was enforced, and guards patrolled the streets.
It closes at dusk and opens at dawn.
However, within the neighborhood, one could move freely and enjoy their own nightlife, such as brothels, singing houses, and pleasure boats.
The only rule is that during curfew, people cannot visit each other's neighborhoods.
Huaiye Lane is located in Xiushuifang.
Unlike Chaisangfang, where the mansions of nobles and wealthy people gathered, and Lianxifang, which was adjacent to Mount Lu and loved to live by eminent monks, scholars and literati, this place was different.
There are many government offices and government departments in Xiushuifang.
Most of the government offices of Jiangzhou Prefecture, including the main hall, were located in this area.
Xiushuifang and the adjacent Xingzifang were the two oldest neighborhoods built when Xunyang City was first established.
The largest ferry crossing in Jiangzhou, Xunyang Ferry, is located between these two neighborhoods and can be considered their dividing line.
Xiushuifang is located on the left, and Xingzifang is on the right.
They are also the only two neighborhoods adjacent to the riverbank.
However, in the eyes of most locals in Xunyang City...
Compared to Xiushuifang, where local officials gathered and the high walls and courtyards stood aloof and unapproachable.
Xingzifang, a place that brought together dockworkers, peddlers, laborers, craftsmen, and a large number of people from other places seeking a living, was clearly a synonym for filth and disorder, a low point in the security and discipline of Xunyang City.
Xingzifang has many old and dilapidated houses, as well as numerous brothels and prostitutes. Well, it can be considered an alternative urban village... but let's leave that aside for now.
Ouyang Rong spent more than half a month in office, walking through the streets and alleys, and actually visiting the entire city of Xunyang before he could summarize and become familiar with these characteristics.
Tonight, Ouyang Rong and Xie Lingjiang met and left Huaiye Lane with practiced ease.
Before long, two figures nimbly scaled the tall wall and gracefully evaded the weary-looking curfew soldiers.
They deliberately bypassed the chaotic Xingzifang area and headed towards the distant Chaisangfang area...
About an hour later.
In the clean and tidy Chaisangfang, inside a newly built, magnificent princely mansion, there is a simple study with dim lighting.
Familiar figures are gathering together.
"My love, you've come!"
Li Xian greeted him with a joyful expression, pulling Ouyang Rong to the seat of honor. Ouyang Rong slightly stepped aside and turned to sit on the right side of the main seat.
The two sat down, and Ouyang Rong looked Li Xian up and down. He saw that Li Xian was wearing a magnificent red robe, embroidered with various auspicious beasts and flowers, which was the formal attire of a prince of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
When Ouyang Rong turned his head again, he saw that his aunt, Wei Mei, who was the princess, was also dressed in palace attire with a dignified and luxurious appearance.
Li Fusu, however, was still dressed in ordinary clothes. Because he had been living in seclusion for a long time and was reading in his study, he was quite casual.
As for Li Guo'er, as a princess of the Great Zhou royal family, her makeup standards were no lower than those of her father and mother.
She walked along in a long, dark blue-purple pomegranate-colored dress, and on her snow-white forehead, a newly painted plum blossom decoration shone brightly.
During the days since leaving Guo'er, she has been dazzling and outstanding at many afternoon tea parties held by the ladies of high-ranking officials and noble families in Xunyang City.
They were meeting privately in the study now, unlike during the day when she was veiled, aloof, and kept everyone at arm's length.
She seemed to have just returned home from a banquet and had just finished bathing and incense burning. Her oval face was bare of makeup. She didn't look at Ouyang Rong, but instead silently stroked the snow-white cat in her arms.
In the dim light, it was difficult to discern the expression on the face of this stunning little princess.
Ouyang Rong didn't mind and turned around to say, "Congratulations, Your Highness, on your return to the throne."
Li Xian panicked, gripping Ouyang Rong's sleeve tightly and shaking her head vigorously:
"You flatter your uncle, Tanlang. Don't call me prince or anything like that. Just call me uncle. Tanlang, and niece Xie, everything between you and our family is as it was before. Just like it was in Longcheng, it is just like it is now."
"Qilang is right, we must not change our minds."
Wei Mei stepped forward carrying a plate of pastries in both hands and greeted Ouyang Rong warmly:
"Don't be so formal, Tanlang. In fact, we should be congratulating you on your promotion to Chief Secretary. Mr. Xie and Wanwan have gifted us a mansion in Huaiye Lane, how could we be left out? We have prepared a small gift, please accept it before we leave."
Ouyang Rong tried to refuse, but Li Fusu grabbed his sleeve and spoke in a friendly tone:
"Please accept this, my lord. It's just a small token of our appreciation."
Looking at his friend Ouyang Rong, Miss Xie, and their happy family, Li Fusu smiled and said:
"The other day while shopping, besides picking out a formal outfit for Xie's younger sister, she also chose a fox fur shawl for Tanlang to keep warm; the fur was snow-white..."
Li Guo'er, who was quietly petting the cat, looked up and glared at her brother: "It was Mother who said she wanted to buy it, so I just picked one out at random. In the end, Sister Xie said it looked good and decided on this one. Brother, please be more precise in your speech."
Li Fusu scratched his head helplessly: "But it's also part of my sister's good intentions... Alright, alright."
Ouyang Rong couldn't help but chuckle.
"My lord, please try this. It's a tribute cake from the imperial palace, bestowed upon us by His Majesty..."
Li Xian, Li Dalang, and Wei Mei enthusiastically surrounded Ouyang Rong.
Ouyang Rong had no choice but to pick up the silver spoon, take a bite, and find it cloyingly sweet. However, in the Great Zhou Dynasty, it was a tribute delicacy that ordinary people could never taste in their entire lives.
He smacked his lips.
The atmosphere maintained by the Li family was somewhat unexpected. It seems that the kinship they shared through more than a decade of hardship and joy in Longcheng is indeed profound.
Ouyang Rong and Xie Lingjiang shared the pastries together.
He took the white handkerchief from his junior sister, carefully wiped each of his fingers, turned his head, calmly glanced at the smiles on Li Xian and the others' faces, and suddenly said:
"It's not time to completely relax yet."
Everyone was taken aback.
The atmosphere quickly quieted down.
Li Xian, Wei Mei, and Li Fusu all wore serious expressions, and Li Guo'er, who was quietly petting the cat, also looked up at him.
“Uncle, right now you only have one goal, and that is to return to the capital, to return to the capital no matter what.”
Li Xian's spirits lifted, "Teach me, my love."
"It's very simple."
Ouyang Rong shook his head and uttered only one word:
"wait."
"Wait?" Li Xian asked in confusion. "Aren't we going to do something like Xian Xiangrui did?"
"What needs to be done has been done. His Majesty is aware of your intentions and your understanding of how to get things right. Now, all you need to do is stay put, make sure you don't make any mistakes, and just wait patiently."
Ouyang Rong sighed: "Moreover, we are not the only ones waiting; His Majesty is also waiting."
What does this mean?
Ouyang Rong narrowed his eyes and asked, "Your Majesty, since you have restored your uncle's title and have an excuse to seek medical treatment, why not just recall him to the capital? Why do you insist on coming to Xunyang City to recuperate?"
"And why, by such a coincidence, was I assigned to this position? Haven't you thought about these things, Uncle?"
Li Xian's expression turned stern: "What is Mother waiting for?"
"The reaction of the Wei family, the reaction of the Prince of Xiang's mansion, and the reaction of the entire court. His Majesty is also testing the waters, and you, Uncle, are that stone."
"His Majesty is going in circles by not directly summoning my uncle's family back to the capital."
"I see. At first I thought it was because Mother hadn't fully forgiven me..."
"The fact that she hasn't completely forgiven him is just a facade. His Majesty is a very 'clear-headed' person. She knows exactly who is beneficial to her and who is not. Otherwise, why would she indulge the Wei family? And why would she heavily rely on Master Di?"
"This is neither a foolish ruler nor a wise ruler."
Therefore, there is no question of whether or not to forgive completely.
"Whether a mother is truly loving and affectionate towards her child is not important; what is important is whether a mother's love and affection are needed and whether the child is filial."
Li Xian asked nervously, "Then... why is Mother observing the reactions of the various factions within the Wei clan?"
Ouyang Rong spoke calmly:
"Because the Wei clan was the foundation upon which His Majesty changed the Gan dynasty to the Zhou dynasty and established the new dynasty. They were not only an aid to His Majesty, but also a hidden danger. Like a vicious dog that bites people everywhere, is the master not afraid at all? Before the Yingzhou Rebellion, there was already a tendency for them to become too powerful to control."
“But after the chaos in Yingzhou, we cannot allow the pro-Li faction to completely eliminate the Wei family. This would also be detrimental to Her Majesty. How can she just stand by and watch a large-scale restoration take place? The position of heir to the throne must be passed to someone who agrees to continue the name of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Even if his surname is Li, it must be changed to Wei.”
Li Xian suddenly realized.
Ouyang Rong calmly said:
"At present, we cannot abandon the Wei family, nor can we support the Wei family as the legitimate successor. Therefore, how to deal with the Wei family, which is a double-edged sword, becomes extremely important."
"Even if there is already an optimal solution, which is to use you, Uncle, to balance the two families."
"But it is not convenient for His Majesty to tell the two princes directly that they will not be able to obtain the position of heir apparent."
"Because the two previous Wei princes, especially the Prince of Wei, fought against the Prince of Xiang and the Baoli faction for far too long, charging into battle for the throne. They were whetted by His Majesty's hints and acted as His Majesty's black gloves, doing countless things that angered both heaven and man."
"His Majesty, who is well-versed in the art of ruling, would naturally not tell him directly, thus shattering his complete disillusionment."
"So right now, the reason for bringing my uncle to Xunyang City and restoring him to the status of a prince, but not directly bringing him back to the capital, is to see what the attitudes of all parties, especially the two princes of the Wei family, are toward this trend."
"Sometimes, if you implement something all at once, there will be strong reactions from all sides. But if you do it step by step, making progress day by day, people will be divided and eventually have to accept it reluctantly."
Ouyang Rong sighed:
"Your Majesty now wants to see if the Wei family reacts strongly, whether they will suppress your uncle or try to win him over."
"Moreover, if we really want to win them over, we should give the Wei family some time to change their mind. Right now, my uncle is temporarily staying in Xunyang City, which is a buffer period to allow both sides to make contact and build trust, rather than waiting until my uncle returns to the capital."
"Therefore, for now, Uncle, all you need to do is hold on and wait. Once the situation becomes clear and you see how everyone is reacting, His Majesty will naturally make his next move and recall you to the capital!"
Li Fusu couldn't help but ask, "Then... what if the Wei clan remains unrepentant and chooses to suppress this trend, or even eliminate us?"
Ouyang Rong's eyes held a meaningful look:
"Then His Majesty should take a look at our own capabilities. We can't even leave Xunyang City, let alone the imperial court in the capital."
"Of course, such a conflict would not benefit either us or the Wei family; on the contrary, the Prince of Xiang might be happy to see it happen..."
Xie Lingjiang couldn't help but say, "But what if something really happens to Uncle? Wouldn't His Majesty's best solution to ease the conflict between Li and Wei be lost?"
Ouyang Rong sighed: "As an emperor, how could he place all his hopes on Uncle alone? Of course, there are other backup plans and contingency plans."
"Junior sister. Sometimes, history doesn't choose the optimal solution, but rather spirals upwards, and the same is true in the arena of power."
Li Guo'er suddenly said, "Just in case, that's why Grandmother transferred you to Jiangzhou City to serve as the Chief Secretary. Does she know about our relationship?"
Ouyang Rong thought for a moment, then chuckled and said:
"That female official named Miaozhen probably spoke highly of me after I went back last time."
Wei Mei frowned slightly: "Tanlang, do you think the Wei family has gone mad? After the chaos in Yingzhou, the situation has become like this, yet they are still obsessed with the position of heir to the throne. Don't they know that once the Prince of Xiang ascends the throne, the Wei family will be doomed?"
Ouyang Rong extended two fingers:
"If I'm not mistaken, the King of Wei is in a dilemma right now. The situation is indeed not good, but he is unwilling to give up easily and is even hoping for some lifeline."
"A lifeline?"
"It's the New Ding Sword. The Wei Prince's Mansion has been using the Liu family to forge swords in Longcheng County for many years, just to use this most auspicious symbol of a prosperous era to try and win... But right now, it seems that this fantasy hasn't been shattered yet."
Ouyang Rong and Li Guo'er exchanged a glance, both suppressing their laughter.
"Besides, the Wei family has been arrogant and domineering for so many years. How could they possibly bow down and submit to your family? In particular, they are very unfamiliar with you and distrust you. Your father also has the surname Li. Who knows if he will be closer to Prince Xiang?"
Ouyang Rong asked directly, "Uncle, if you are able to return to the capital in the future, how will you treat the Wei family?"
Li Xian hesitated for a moment, then said seriously, "I'll listen to Tan Lang. Does Tan Lang have any grudges against them?"
"Just make sure they're not stupid enough to mess with me." Ouyang Rong, who had previously snatched many benefits from me, shook his head and added:
"For the sake of the bigger picture, we need to move in a direction that benefits His Majesty. We need to do two things: first, follow His Majesty's wishes and accept the Wei family's offer; second, express a certain attitude."
"What attitude?"
"As for upholding the orthodoxy of the Great Zhou, Uncle, don't even think about restoring the Gan Tong lineage. In fact, after we return to the capital, we should stay away from Master Di."
Ouyang Rong said calmly, "This is exactly what His Majesty would like to see."
“This…” Li Xian, Li Fusu, and Wei Mei were all stunned. Li Guo’er looked at the Xie family elder sister and found her sitting upright with her eyes down, as if she had not heard her senior brother’s amazing words.
Ouyang Rong immediately changed the subject:
“That’s still a long way off… Uncle, from now on, we must not leave Xunyang City even for a moment. This is the ‘place for recuperation’ that His Majesty has chosen for you.”
"As long as you are in the city, you are safe."
“All eyes are on this place. If something happens to you, it will be thoroughly investigated. Once you are smeared or evidence is found, the perpetrator will be completely eliminated by the other party.”
"Understood, my love!"
Li Xian nodded vigorously.
Ouyang Rong turned to look at the night view outside the window.
"The storm has passed..."
Everyone turned to see the young strategist continuing to mutter, "This is the most nerve-wracking thing—being on guard at all times. But how can you guard against thieves every day..."
Li Xian suddenly remembered something: "Oh, right, a little news came from the capital. It seems that the Empress Dowager wants to build a Buddha statue in Jiangzhou..."
“I am aware of this matter,” Ouyang Rong interrupted.
"What does Tanlang think?"
Ouyang Rong sighed: "What else can we do? We can choose a location in advance and squeeze some money out of Jiangzhou Prefecture's coffers to prepare for the future."
"It's good that Tanlang is prepared."
Inside the study, the group chatted for a while longer.
Li Fusu grinned and said, "New Year's Day is almost here. Have you decided how you're going to spend the holiday, my love?"
Ouyang Rong smiled.
The New Year's Day holiday in the Great Zhou Dynasty lasted for seven days, similar to the Lunar New Year's Eve in the previous life.
Not far away, Xie Lingjiang, who was secretly eating pastries, glanced at Ouyang Rong, who was about to go on vacation, and her eyes flickered slightly...
After a cup of tea, the study lights went out, and figures left one by one.
The next day.
In front of a mansion in Huaiye Lane.
With the beautiful woman in a flowing skirt and the silver-haired girl seeing him off, Ouyang Rong, dressed in a crimson official robe, stepped out of the door and headed to the main hall of Jiangzhou to begin a new day...
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
