Chapter 298 A Date with a Beauty
On the third floor of Xunyang Tower, a sign above the door of a private room reads "Peony".
There are nine similar private rooms on the third floor.
Orchids, roses, azaleas, daffodils... each is labeled with the name of a flower, a total of ten ebony house plaques, all made by one person.
His handwriting is vigorous and powerful, like a dragon soaring through the sky.
If someone knowledgeable were to pass by this floor, they would immediately recognize that these unassuming nameplates are the personal works of Lin Hepu, the great calligrapher who retired to Lushan.
However, all of this seemed insignificant compared to the "century-long plan" that all the wealthy merchants in the Peony Box were focused on at this moment.
After revealing some of his plans, Ouyang Rong sat down, said nothing more, lowered his eyes, picked up some food, and let everyone at the table digest it on their own.
"Expand Xunyang City and build new wards...?"
As Wang Caozhi muttered to himself, he rubbed his face, the shock in his eyes fading considerably, replaced by a thoughtful expression.
Like other wealthy merchants who had traveled from afar, Wang Caozhi arrived in Xunyang City, a hub of water transport in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River.
My first impression, besides its unparalleled prosperity, was that it was crowded and cramped.
The massive passenger flow at Xunyangdu, along with the dirty and chaotic Xingzifang area, further amplified this point.
The main urban area is too crowded, with no room for expansion, and cannot accommodate many people.
However, the influx of wealthy merchants and numerous literati from various regions led to high demand for housing, with residences in the heart of the city center commanding exorbitant prices.
These are definitely important factors restricting the development of Xunyang City.
However, at present, this biggest constraint has been completely resolved by Ouyang Rong's unparalleled strategy of carving out the twin peaks and creating the Xunyang Grottoes.
If strictly implemented, it's uncertain whether it will ultimately attract gold and silver to the bustling city of Xunyang.
The future looks bright.
Wang Caozhi, Manager Ma, Manager Li, and other wealthy merchants looked at the illustrated book with burning anticipation.
"Brother-in-law!"
The shorter young man's address became increasingly heartfelt, and he choked up, his eyes welling with tears.
"Such a big pastry, and you still remembered me, brother-in-law. Brother-in-law, your sister is really lucky to have you! She'll definitely enjoy a good life in the future, no, she's already very happy now."
“…” Ouyang Rong.
Manager Ma, Manager Li, and the others shook their heads in disbelief and speechlessness, moving a little further away from the shameless Wang Caozhi.
Manager Ma stood up, bowed, and offered a toast, saying with embarrassment:
"Lord Ouyang, I was short-sighted before and had doubts. Little did I know that Lord Ouyang always does things that are win-win and reconciles the interests of all parties. He never gives us empty talk about national sentiment and giving back to the people.
"It was my fault for being rude. I apologize to Lord Ouyang with a cup of wine."
The wealthy merchants, including Manager Li with the goatee, also stood up, offered toasts and apologized, their attitudes extremely sincere.
Ouyang Rong waved his hand lightly, his smile unchanged, pointed to the numbers on the table that had been blurred with water, and said loudly:
"Gentlemen, please go and gather some trusted friends to complete this number. Bring them to the next banquet so I can get to know them, and then we can discuss how to divide the cake."
As soon as he finished speaking, Ouyang Rong stretched out his hand to the side.
"Brother-in-law, here!" Wang Caozhi, like a lackey, carefully handed him the stack of picture books and bamboo slips that had been circulated earlier.
Ouyang Rong put away the draft proposal and stood up.
The group of wealthy businessmen at the table stood up along with him.
Ouyang Rong exchanged a few pleasantries with the enthusiastic group, then turned and left.
Before stepping out of the room, he waved to those behind him:
"The dishes Cao Zhi ordered tonight were quite good, much better than the delicacies I had at my welcome dinner last time. Let Cao Zhi arrange the next gathering as well."
"Okay!"
Wang Caozhi's spirits lifted, and he followed closely behind Ouyang Rong, seeing him off at the door.
"Brother-in-law," the short young man said softly, covering his mouth with his hand, "Next time we get together, I'll arrange a second half. There are some high-quality young women at Xunyang Tower, I guarantee you'll be satisfied. Let's do this for now..."
“Okay.” Ouyang Rong nodded, interrupting him, “Next time you bring your sister, you can talk to her and arrange a second half for her too. As for me, I’m fine with anything.”
"..." Wang Caozhi.
Leaving behind the short, wry-faced young man, Ouyang Rong walked out of the Peony Private Room.
As soon as the door to the private room opened, the sounds and hot air from inside Xunyang Tower rushed in.
The melodious pipa music that Ouyang Rong had heard earlier had just ended, and cheers and applause came from the audience in the hall downstairs.
Apart from the main hall on the first floor, which serves as a public performance stage, the number of rooms on each floor of Xunyang Tower decreases as you go up, and the rooms are of increasingly higher standard.
The Peony Private Room, where Ouyang Rong and other wealthy merchants such as Wang Caozhi dined, was located on the third floor. There were only ten private rooms, making it an expensive VIP floor. The corridor was relatively quiet.
Leaning against the railing, I looked down into the central courtyard.
On the first floor, in the grandstand that everyone was watching, a young woman with a veil was sitting with her legs bent on a piano stool, holding a pipa in her arms.
I don't know if it's because the ancient pipa is too big, or because this young lady is too thin.
The pipa in her arms made her appear even more petite and delicate, partially obscuring her face.
With the white veil covering her cheeks, Ouyang Rong, standing on the third floor, could not see her face clearly.
However, this pipa player, with her two arched willow-leaf eyebrows and melancholy frown, caught Ouyang Rong's eye a few more times and left a deep impression on him.
Just by looking at the fervent expressions of the wealthy spectators in the stands, you can tell...
A beautiful woman's furrowed brows can also be alluring, making a man's heart flutter.
If we were to use Ouyang Rong's words from his previous life, the Pipa Girl's style should be called a world-weary, melancholic face, which seems quite sophisticated.
Right now, the world-weary young woman finished tuning her pipa, her brows furrowed and her face cold. She then began to play a new piece.
The lobby downstairs gradually quieted down, and everyone listened intently with expectant expressions.
Third floor, at the railing.
As Ouyang Rong was about to leave, he seemed to remember something, stopped, and turned to look at the world-weary-faced young woman downstairs.
This must be Qin Xiaoniangzi, the famous pipa player at Xunyang Tower who doesn't sell her body, right?
Ouyang Rong thought to himself.
He glanced at Qin Xiaoniangzi, who was playing the zither, then looked away and swept his gaze across the audience below the stage.
After searching around, I couldn't find that old rascal Yuan Huaimin.
Ouyang Rong chuckled and shook his head, patted the railing, listened to the music for a while, and then turned to leave.
...
While Ouyang Rong was looking at the 'scenery' below from the third floor,
There were also people admiring the scenery, watching him from upstairs.
They saw the handsome young man, who held the high position of Chief Secretary, lingering at the railing on the third floor, patting the railing with his hand, his gaze seemingly drawn to the world-weary young woman.
Seeing the handsome young man listen to the music for a while before leaving with a smile.
On the fifth floor, a trailing purple-gold robe brushed past the railing, its shadow vanishing in an instant.
A moment later, the figure of the woman in the purple and gold robe appeared on the third floor and walked to the railing where someone had lingered.
The woman was about thirty years old, with a round face, thick lips, and a pretty face.
She wore a long, elegant black dress and a ring on her little finger.
In particular, a purple-gold embroidered shawl hung between her arms, which was exceptionally dazzling and flamboyant.
The noblewoman in the shawl glanced at Qin Xiaoniangzi, the courtesan downstairs, her clever eyes darting around before turning to look in the direction Ouyang Rong had left.
He nodded slowly, his eyes flickering slightly.
I don't know what she's thinking.
...
Ouyang Rong had no idea that his casual action could be so meticulously interpreted by those with ulterior motives.
He discreetly left Xunyang Tower.
When that young lady Qin was playing, Ouyang Rong couldn't find Yuan Huaimin in the audience. Otherwise, he could have asked him for a drink and chatted with him.
“That’s true. It’s so late, and they’re still wandering around Chaisangfang. They probably won’t be able to get back before curfew. They can’t exactly climb over the wall, can they?”
Thinking of this unreliable colleague, Ouyang Rong chuckled.
Sometimes, seeing Yuan Huaimin's worried expression, Ouyang Rong couldn't help but tease him.
Both Xunyang Tower and the Huaiye Lane residence are located in Chaisangfang, close to the riverbank and relatively close to each other.
Ouyang Rong returned to his residence in Huaiye Lane with practiced ease, informed Zhen Shi, who was waiting for him to return home, that he was safe and sound, and then turned back to his room in Yinbingzhai.
Ye Weilai, who was kneeling and making the bed, turned around curiously:
"Is the dinner gathering with the host for business purposes?"
"almost."
Ouyang Rong sat down at his desk, took out the design draft from his sleeve, and tossed it onto the table.
"Everything is ready except for the east wind... no, it seems there's still a little uncertainty."
He slightly bent two fingers, tapped the table lightly, stroked his chin, and pondered in his eyes.
"As for the Wei family and Wang Lengran... Regarding the restoration of the Prince of Xunyang, the Wei family has not yet fully expressed its opinion. Whether they will fight or make peace is still unclear."
"That's normal. After so many years of rampant expansion, such a large faction probably has all sorts of voices. It's not a monolithic entity, and it will take a lot of time to reach a consensus..."
"That King of Wei is probably having a headache, and he may be hesitant."
"No wonder it's so quiet on Wang Lengran's side. It must be that the Wei family hasn't spoken yet. However, because of the Longcheng incident, I have some personal grudges with Wang Lengran, so I have to be careful that he doesn't try to harm me."
Ouyang Rong muttered to himself for a while, then stopped tapping the table with his fingers. After a moment of thought, he shook his head to himself.
"However, as his superior, he could also benefit from the excavation of Shuangfengjian and the construction of Xunyang Grottoes. Given his lazy and cunning nature, there seemed to be no need for conflict since his interests were not involved."
"At most, it will arouse greed and demands for benefits... But if this century-long plan that benefits Xunyang can be implemented, what harm is there in giving him a few bones?"
"Furthermore, we must be cautious when implementing this policy, so as not to give rise to any accusations of corruption or bribery, thus becoming a target for our opponents... Alas, it's really difficult to get things done."
Ouyang Rong lowered his head, rubbed his face, and looked out at the dark blue night sky.
"No matter what, we need to speed up the implementation and secure the profits as soon as possible."
...
In the two days following the private banquet at Xunyang Tower, Ouyang Rong devoted himself entirely to his work.
He continuously improved the plan for excavating Shuangfengjian and building the Xunyang Grottoes, and the preliminary preparations became more and more thorough.
We should strive to complete preparations before the end of the year, raise the funds to cover the financial shortfall, and once the funds are in place after the New Year and the imperial decree from Luoyang arrives, Ouyang Rong and the Jiangzhou government can quickly get to work without any rush...
Finally, on the last two days before the New Year and Winter Solstice holidays, Ouyang Rong received another invitation to a gathering from Wang Caozhi and others.
That evening, Ouyang Rong finished his shift and went home. He changed into a clean set of casual clothes and left the house, watched by Zhen Shuyuan and Ye Weilai.
Upon arriving at Xunyang Tower again, he skillfully went upstairs.
This time, the private room for the gathering was renamed the "Narcissus" private room.
It is larger in size and space, and can accommodate more guests.
Ouyang Rong pushed open the door and entered.
"I've kept you all waiting."
"Lord Ouyang."
Inside the Narcissus Private Room, now filled with many unfamiliar faces, wealthy merchants including Wang Caozhi, Manager Ma, and Manager Li, along with their friends, rose to their feet to respectfully greet them…
Tonight's gathering will last an hour longer than the last one.
Well, of course, there wasn't a second half planned regarding "skinny horses".
About two hours later, the door to the room with the sign "Narcissus" opened from the inside.
Ouyang Rong walked out, his hands behind his back, a satisfied look in his eyes, and prepared to leave.
The wealthy businessmen introduced by Wang Caozhi and others were fairly reliable and there weren't any major problems.
They have reached a preliminary agreement for tonight's dinner.
The funding gap for the construction of the Shuangfengjian Cave in Jiangzhou and the Xunyang Grottoes has now been filled.
Once the funds arrive at the beginning of the year, construction can begin.
Ouyang Rong let out a soft breath, his serious expression relaxing as he turned to look at the performance stage downstairs.
On the stage, a group of songstresses danced gracefully and sang sweetly.
This is the main program at Xunyang Tower tonight. But there's no sign of that Miss Qin.
Ouyang Rong paid no attention and turned to go downstairs. Suddenly, a pretty maid came up from the bottom of the stairs.
She walked gracefully towards Ouyang Rong, stopped in front of him, and curtsied.
"My lord, my lady has long admired your reputation and has sent me to invite you. I hope you will come to the backyard."
Ouyang Rong glanced at him and asked, "Who is your young lady?"
"Reporting to you, sir, she is the top courtesan of this establishment, Miss Qin."
Ouyang Rong thought about what a certain Jiangzhou Sima had boasted about, and asked:
"Does your wife know Yuan Huaimin?"
"Yuan Huaimin?" The pretty maid was taken aback and shook her head: "Who is this lord? I don't recognize him."
Ouyang Rong frowned slightly. Apart from Yuan Huaimin, he couldn't think of any other connection he had with that world-weary courtesan.
After a moment's thought, he nodded:
Where is it?
The pretty maidservant turned to the side, curtsied, and said, "Please follow me, sir."
"Um."
The pretty maid led Ouyang Rong downstairs, around to the back door, and they left Xunyang Tower.
Xunyang Tower stands on the riverbank, with a private courtyard behind it. It is clearly the work of a master, with high platforms and thick pavilions, winding paths leading to secluded spots, and flowing water, making it extremely elegant.
Ouyang Rong walked through a series of unique gardens, followed by a pretty maid, and stopped in front of a small courtyard filled with orchids.
Inside the secluded courtyard, there is a charmingly decorated room with a swing, incense burner, zither, and tea set.
Inside the inner boudoir, the lights were on.
A familiar, clear sound of a pipa drifted from within.
"It is my young mistress playing music in the hall to welcome you, sir. Please come in, sir. I will go and pour you some tea."
The pretty maidservant left gracefully.
Standing at the door, Ouyang Rong looked around at the quiet surroundings and subtly touched the skirt knife at his waist.
After standing still for a moment,
He raised his hand and pushed open the door to enter the hospital.
He walked straight into the brightly lit lobby.
The first thing you see is a melancholy, furrowed brow, world-weary face, and below...
A body completely naked.
A naked young woman kneels in the high hall, half-holding a pipa, her eyes lowered and submissive.
(End of this chapter)
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