Chapter 345 The New Blessing of Seven Thousand Merits!
On the third floor of Yunshui Pavilion, in the Qinghe private room.
A silence fell over the room.
Qin Heng lowered his head and remained silent for a while, then said in a hoarse voice, "Chief Secretary Ouyang, could you please help me save the soldiers of the Third Regiment?"
"I know Colonel Su Qian well. He's like a silent, taciturn man. He would never betray us unless he was forced into a corner by treacherous people."
"This humble general dares to guarantee with his life that he will personally go out of the city to welcome them on that day."
"Besides, they will be persuaded to surrender and return home by the imperial envoy another day. Since they have laid down their weapons and can return to their hometowns, what reason do they have to rebel, especially since there are only a mere three hundred people..."
"Wang Lengran is utterly shameless for trying to frame unarmed soldiers."
Qin Heng clenched his fists on his knees, leaned forward, and spoke with utmost sincerity:
"If you, Chief Secretary, can help us, we, along with Lieutenant Su and the soldiers of the Third Regiment, will never forget your kindness."
Ouyang Rong shook his head:
"I naturally trust General Qin, and I also trust General Qin's ability to judge people. But I am telling you about this dangerous situation today not to coerce you or to curry favor with you."
He sighed:
"I really can't think of any way to stop Wang Lengran for the time being. I can only inform General Qin and brainstorm together."
Qin Heng sighed silently.
Even Ouyang Rong, as the Prefect of Jiangzhou, is in a difficult position. As the Commandant of the Vanguard Prefecture, he is a military officer, naturally subject to restrictions and even more suspicion from the civil officials of the court. What can he do?
The main reason is that Wang Lengran, as the governor of Jiangzhou and the chief official of the prefecture, wielded too much power.
However, he was protected by the Wei family during this incident and was not implicated or held accountable.
The court is now even ordering Wang Lengran to fulfill his duties as governor and open the gates to welcome the returning northern soldiers, whose mutiny was indirectly instigated by his actions.
It has to be said that this is a great irony.
"How about I try to submit a memorial to the emperor to plead for leniency for the soldiers of the Third Regiment? Wang Lengran should then stop framing them against the wind."
"No."
Ouyang Rong immediately stopped him:
“Wang Lengran controls the military and political affairs of Jiangzhou. The Third General’s Office in Jiangzhou is full of his people. He doesn’t know about our relationship yet. If you go directly to submit a memorial without going through your superiors, wouldn’t you expose yourself and be regarded as an outsider and ostracized by them?”
"This method, which sacrifices one's future and has minimal effect, is truly the worst possible strategy."
Qin Heng's face was blank: "Then what should we do?"
Ouyang Rong was about to speak, but in the next instant, he suddenly shut his mouth and sat still.
Qin Heng was deep in thought and didn't notice anything amiss.
Ye Weilai, who was brewing tea for the two of them, glanced sideways at the ripples in Ouyang Rong's teacup.
She, who had been focusing her attention on Ouyang Rong, keenly noticed that Tanlang's hand trembled slightly. At that moment, he lowered his eyes to drink tea, as if something was amiss.
Not long after, Ouyang Rong spoke again and discussed the matter with Qin Heng for a while. The two of them did not have any better ideas for the time being, so they parted ways after meeting for the next time.
Qin Heng left first, departing from the Qinghe private room.
Ye Weilai cleaned the tea set, took out a handkerchief, wiped her hands, and prepared to get up, only to find that Tanlang remained motionless.
Ouyang Rong suddenly moved, removing the coffee table between himself and Ye Weilai.
"Take a nap, and keep watch for me."
He lay back on the silver-haired girl's slender legs.
Ye Weilai paused for a moment, then immediately nodded and began to massage the furrowed brow of Ouyang Rong, who was seemingly asleep with his eyes closed.
Ouyang Rong emptied his mind and body, letting his thoughts sink into his brain.
Flying into the ancient-style pagoda of merit, Ouyang Rong looked up at the "excited" bronze bell above.
The bell trembled violently and hummed incessantly.
Thick, inky purple mist, like boiling water, overflowed from the bronze bell and flowed down like a waterfall.
An ancient bell hangs in the air, and purple mist rises in a swirling haze.
This scene resembled a purple waterfall cascading down from the sky.
Ouyang Rong noticed with his sharp eyes that there were faint blood-red threads mixed in with the purple mist, similar to the peach-colored threads mixed in with the previous blessing, but the color was different.
"What a blessing! It suddenly appeared while I was chatting with Qin Heng..."
Ouyang Ronglong watched for a while, then frowned slightly and flew into the air.
His palm touched the Blessing Bell, which had been inexplicably activated that day.
In an instant, a faint, dreamlike divine thought exploded in his mind, and Ouyang Rong immediately digested the information.
"Seven thousand merit points for that? Why don't you just rob someone?"
Ouyang Rong remained silent.
"If I remember correctly, I don't think I have enough."
He muttered something, flew down to the small wooden fish below, and stared intently at the row of cyan-gold characters above it:
[Merit: 6,621]
Ouyang Rong rubbed his forehead.
A moment later, he frowned and turned back to look at the ancient bronze bell, which seemed like a woman with unfulfilled desires and a resentful heart.
"Do you think my merits came from a flood? You want so much all at once, where are you going to find it..."
Since leaving Dragon City, Ouyang Rong's merit points have increased much more slowly.
The past six months have passed, and we have accumulated more than 6,600 merits. This is largely thanks to the dialogue between the Temple of the Sage Confucius and the scholars, which has spread throughout the world and alleviated many sharp conflicts between scholars and local communities.
Well, as the junior sister of the merit-making juicer, I also contributed a lot, adding a little bit to the story.
Ouyang Rong thought he had accumulated enough merit, but unexpectedly he encountered a situation today where his merit was insufficient and he could not redeem the sudden blessing.
The last time I encountered this situation was when I was reborn and woke up, penniless and facing the blessing of returning home.
But what someone can exchange 10,000 blessings for is at least a peerless sword technique, and possibly a life-saving ability at a crucial moment.
"What the heck is this red blessing?"
Ouyang Rong suppressed his complaints, glanced a few more times at the Blessing Bell shrouded in purple mist and blood-red threads, and murmured:
What can seven thousand merits give?
"What is the significance of the extra red color that appears in the purple mist? Is it related to the type of blessing?"
"Is it a bloody disaster or a great happy event? Could it be that, like the blessing of peach blossoms, I will be given a similar good fortune?"
"Well, if I can break through the obstacles right away and quickly get to the wedding night with Wanwan, seven thousand merits doesn't seem like an unacceptable option..."
"The premise is that we don't mistake the person for someone else; it would be terrible if it were someone like He Liguo'er."
Ouyang Rong nodded, unsure whether this blessing was from a malicious or conscientious person, but of course, he hoped it wasn't just for fun.
Having experienced two previous romantic entanglements, he began to be more cautious.
A misunderstanding with Li Guo'er almost cost Ouyang Rong his life.
He felt that he couldn't just exchange these blessings indiscriminately; he had to be careful.
Maybe even Buddha was a bit of a comedian; there's a reason he had so many bumps on his head.
Ouyang Rong collected his thoughts and circled the little wooden fish with "insufficient balance" twice.
"We're still short four hundred merit points. Where are we going to find that in such a short time..."
A thought flashed through his mind:
"Wait, this red blessing should be related to Qin Heng. It was triggered while we were talking to him."
"The topic I just talked about with him was how to save the soldiers who were returning to Jiangzhou from the north. Could it be that this blessing is to help me save the lives of three hundred soldiers? If so, seven thousand merits is indeed not expensive, after all, it is for three hundred households."
"Furthermore, we can secure the assistance of Qin Heng and a regiment of soldiers from the Zhechong Prefecture..."
Ouyang Rong muttered to himself.
However, the most pressing issue now is how to raise the shortfall of four hundred merits.
"By the way, where is Junior Sister? I need to go and farm some points."
As Ouyang Rong muttered to himself, his mind left the Pagoda of Merit, and he lifted the back of his head off Ye Weilai's slender thigh.
"Let's go back first."
"Yes, Tanlang."
Ouyang Rong stood up and looked back.
The white-haired girl, who had been kneeling on the floor, was putting a roll of official documents into her sleeve when she got up and followed.
While Ouyang Rong was "resting with his eyes closed," she was probably rubbing his eyebrows while taking the opportunity to review the official documents he had given her.
Ouyang Rong watched silently.
After leaving Yunshui Pavilion, we returned to Chaisangfang.
He offered to drive Ye Weilai back to her residence in Huaiye Lane.
Ouyang Rong returned to the main hall of Jiangzhou, and before he could even sit down properly, he suddenly received a report from Liu Lang:
Li Zhengyan, Wei Shaoqi, and Du Shuqing bid farewell and boarded the ship in the afternoon.
Ouyang Rong turned his head in front of the pearwood table.
...
This is Ouyang Rong's second visit to Xunyang Ferry today.
Both times, it was given away as a gift.
"Lianghan is busy, there's no need to see him onto the ship, let's stop here."
Li Zhengyan turned his head and smiled.
Ouyang Rong also asked with a smile, "Why did Mr. Li and Mr. Wei leave so suddenly?"
Li Zhengyan laughed heartily: "Lianghan can't bear to part with us, can he?"
Wei Shaoqi, Du Shuqing, Wang Junzhi and others behind him all laughed.
Ouyang Rong didn't answer. He looked around for a moment, then turned back and asked, "Won't you all have a farewell drink, just to show your appreciation?"
"..." The crowd.
Good heavens, so this is what you were waiting for... Li Zhengyan and the others twitched at the corners of their mouths.
Li Zhengyan said seriously, "The others can drink, but Lianghan should skip it. He still needs to get back to the government office. Drinking in broad daylight will ruin things."
Ouyang Rong said in a serious tone, "Drinking is fine, I can drink a thousand cups without getting drunk."
Li Zhengyan and the others burst into laughter.
Some people looked on with reminiscence.
I remember a month ago, also at Xunyang Ferry, when we first arrived, this young clerk personally came to greet us and made the boast that he could drink a thousand cups without getting drunk.
"Good, good, good. Lianghan is not only a true gentleman who speaks up for the people, but also a hero from Jiangnan who can drink a thousand cups without getting drunk."
Li Zhengyan laughed heartily and said loudly:
"Li's trip here is also to speak out for the people. Next time we meet, let's drink together until we're drunk."
“Good.” Ouyang Rong nodded upon hearing this: “Lord Li has lofty ambitions and a bright future. I look forward to Lord Li speaking up for the people and making achievements during his tenure in Raozhou.”
Li Zhengyan patted Ouyang Rong's shoulder forcefully: "As you say."
Ouyang Rong turned his head and glanced at the crowd behind him.
Yue Zi'ang and Wang Junzhi were also there.
However, Wang Junzhi, as the newly appointed Jiangzhou Doctor, came here only to see Ouyang Rong off, and he would return to the Jiangzhou Official School later.
Yue Zi'ang, on the other hand, was a persistent pest, so seeing him off was perfectly normal.
As for that young master Zhu, he rushed back to Hongzhou the day news of the Guizhou garrison mutiny reached him.
Ouyang Rong glanced at the slowly docking ship and suddenly asked:
"Heading southwest, this doesn't seem to be the direction to Raozhou."
Li Zhengyan nodded:
“That’s right. First, I’ll send Shuqing to Longcheng to take up his post, then I’ll send Mr. Wei to Yixian, and then I’ll return to Raozhou to take up my post.”
Ouyang Rong nodded: "Lord Li is indeed very thoughtful and considerate."
Li Zhengyan sighed: "We're just brothers in misfortune."
Ouyang Rong shook his head: "It is 'Hidden Dragon, Do Not Use'."
Hearing this roundabout compliment, Li Zhengyan smiled and nodded, saying:
"Speaking of the Hidden Dragon. When I was first demoted by the court, I was drinking my way back from Zhulou in Luoyang. On the bustling street, I met a Taoist priest from Zhongnan Mountain who said that a few days ago he built a thatched hut in the mountains and observed the stars at night. He discovered that there was a royal aura in the southeast."
Ouyang Rong thought for a moment and then praised him:
"Master, your eyesight is quite good."
Li Zhengyan's lips twitched involuntarily as he was discussing sex.
Ouyang Rong suddenly became serious, looking at the dark-skinned, slightly overweight man in the felt hat in front of him, and asked:
"Then, from Yangzhou to Jiangzhou, Lord Li, you traveled through the scenic mountains and famous cities of the southeast. Did you make any discoveries along the way?"
Li Zhengyan raised an eyebrow slightly, pointed his index finger downwards, and pointed to the ground:
"Lianghan, the aura of royalty resides in Jiangzhou."
Ouyang Rong asked curiously:
"But it seems that Lord Li did not see or want to see the real person."
"No need to see him." Li Zhengyan waved his hand.
"Does Master Li also know how to read qi?"
Ouyang Rong looked at him and asked in a half-joking tone:
"Could Master Li be some kind of hidden Qi cultivator?"
"There's no need to look." Li Zhengyan shook his head.
"So how did they discover this so-called royal aura?"
Li Zhengyan stared into Ouyang Rong's eyes, his tone resolute:
"Just as history books say, when a country is about to perish, there will surely be monstrous signs. Where the aura of a king soars to the heavens, there will surely be talents who can help the emperor and save the world."
Ouyang Rong didn't mince words; an embarrassed look immediately appeared on his face as he scratched his head.
"A talent capable of supporting the emperor and saving the world, cough, Lord Li, you wouldn't be referring to me, would you?"
Li Zhengyan just looked at him, smiling without saying a word.
Ouyang Rong let out a sigh of relief:
"That's good, as long as he's not a monster of a chaotic world."
"However, I think that Li Gong is the real talent to support the emperor and save the world. I am at best a mediocre person, and my only two points are that I am handsome and can drink a lot without getting drunk, which will leave a few words in the history books."
"...??" The people at the dock asked.
Li Zhengyan glanced at the humble young man in front of him, whose words seemed to have a hidden meaning, and shook his head.
Ouyang Rong suddenly took out a bunch of keys from his sleeve, handed them to the tall, taciturn young man following behind Li Zhengyan, and smiled at him, saying:
"Brother Du just happened to be going to Longcheng to take up his post as county magistrate. I also served in Longcheng last year and have a vacant house on Luming Street where I live comfortably."
"Now that I'm leaving my post, the house is uninhabited, and I'm reluctant to sell it. It's quite a coincidence that I've come across it with Brother Du. Take the key; don't be shy, consider it a place to stay."
Du Shuqing was slightly surprised and looked at Li Zhengyan.
The latter nodded.
Du Shuqing hesitated for a moment, then solemnly accepted the key with both hands, clasping his hands in a fist salute:
"Thank you, Prefect Ouyang."
Ouyang Rong waved casually.
The group exchanged pleasantries for a while longer.
The boatman ran over to inform them that the boat was about to depart.
Li Zhengyan and his group turned around and boarded the ship.
Ouyang Rong remained on the dock, watching the crowd board the ship one by one. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Yue Zi'ang among them.
He followed Du Shuqing onto the ship.
Before he could ask any more questions, a gust of river wind suddenly blew by.
Just as Li Zhengyan stepped onto the deck, his felt hat was blown away by the wind.
It floated in the air, flew towards the dock, and landed on the ground.
Ouyang Rong bent down and picked up the felt hat at his feet.
Li Zhengyan and the others turned around in surprise.
Ouyang Rong glanced down at the hat, intending to hand it over: "Lord Li..."
On the deck, Li Zhengyan, the current British duke with slightly graying temples, stood with his hands behind his back, smiling and waving to indicate that there was no need to trouble him.
Ouyang Rong nodded and put away his felt hat.
The boatman raised the sails, and the large ship slowly started moving, leaving the dock.
White waves rolled up at the stern of the boat.
Ouyang Rong looked up at the sky.
It was evening, and the sky was not as bright as yesterday's sunset; instead, it was gray and gloomy, like the dusty old felt hat in his hand.
The weather probably won't be this good for travel tomorrow. Like Envoy Hu, Lord Li also picks his days carefully… Ouyang Rong subconsciously thought, watching the distant ship depart, muttering to himself:
"Red sky at morning, sailors take warning; red sky at night, sailors' delight."
(End of this chapter)
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