Chapter 348 The Mysterious Surge in Merit
While Yuan Huaimin was still racking his brains trying to figure out who "Qiji" was.
Ouyang Rong nodded sternly and said:
"You're late today, so your salary will be deducted as usual."
"I cry out, brother Lianghan, hold your hand high."
Yuan Huaimin, who thought he had escaped a calamity, let out a howl, his old face contorted in misery.
Upon learning of his wealthy ancestry, Ouyang Rong felt no sympathy for the man whatsoever.
The Yuan family of Jingzhao has indeed fallen on hard times, and is no match for the five prominent families and seven powerful clans of the Daqian and Dazhou dynasties, as well as the major families of Guanzhong.
However, three hundred years ago, their ancestors, the Tuoba clan of the Northern Wei Dynasty, were the original founders of the aristocratic system that prevailed for the next three hundred years in the Northern Dynasties.
In other words, the top aristocratic families and wealthy clans that have risen since the Sui Dynasty are, in a sense, all grateful to his family.
Despite your current predicament, the top aristocratic families still respect you, because respecting the descendants of the Northern Wei dynasty is, in a sense, maintaining their own family's honor and prestige.
No wonder the scions of prominent families like the Du family of Jingzhao were willing to befriend Yuan Huaimin; his legacy still allows him to live a life of luxury.
Looking at Yuan Huaimin, who looked utterly dejected after being penalized, Ouyang Rong sighed:
"Can't you be a little more sensible?"
Yuan Huaimin frowned for a while and said, "It seems I have to ask Brother Wang for help again."
His expression brightened and he became more cheerful again.
"..."
Ouyang Rong stared at him and asked, "When did Du Shuqing meet you?"
Yuan Huaimin scratched his head and thought for a moment, then shook his head: "I forgot, what time was it last month?"
Ouyang Rong asked calmly, "Besides Wang Junzhi, have you introduced anyone else to Brother Huaimin?"
"Who do you know?"
"Master Li."
"Who is this?" Yuan Huaimin asked, puzzled.
"Li Zhengyan".
Yuan Huaimin feigned a dazed state:
"Oh, a famous person who was exiled, the former governor of Meizhou. I've heard of him. He also came to Jiangzhou recently."
"Didn't I introduce you?"
"No. But I have certainly heard a lot about you."
"So you only saw Du Shuqing and Wang Junzhi?"
"Um."
Yuan Huaimin answered calmly, but Ouyang Rong couldn't discern anything from him after observing him for a while.
He became wary. Liu Lang had been sending people to follow Li Zhengyan's movements in Xunyang City and report back daily. Ouyang Rong did not recall that the group had ever visited Yuan Huaimin in Xingzifang.
How was it missed?
If the two sides have actually met, wouldn't that mean they can easily bypass Yan Liulang's local spies? That's not something an ordinary person can do.
Ouyang Rong vaguely sensed something strange was going on.
But... what could that unreliable guy Yuan Huaimin possibly do in secret?
Yuan Huaimin couldn't help but ask, "Brother Lianghan seems to care about them a lot."
"I'm just afraid of leading you astray," Ouyang Rong said casually.
Yuan Huaimin thought for a moment, then asked cautiously:
"They should know that my position as the Sima of Jiangzhou is a nominal one, I have no real power, I'm just idle all day long."
Ouyang Rong sighed, "Yes, that's true. I probably know it even better than you do."
"..."
Yuan Huaimin felt that there was something strange about this sentence, as if it made him seem very out of touch with reality, and Yuan Huaimin wanted to refute it.
Ouyang Rong suddenly asked:
"At the end of last year, you painted a picture of a lady wearing flowers in her hair on an oil-paper umbrella for me. Do you still remember?"
Yuan Huaimin stroked his beard, a look of satisfaction on his face:
"That's true. What's wrong, Brother Lianghan? You also think that the 'Ladies Wearing Flowers in Their Hair' painting isn't as beautiful as the 'Horses Bathing in the Bath' painting, and you want to change to another one?"
Ouyang Rong shook his head:
"No, what I meant was that the umbrella and painting caused quite a stir after they were given away. I inquired about it afterwards, and it seems that the painting technique and brushwork of your painting are quite sophisticated."
He sighed: "They say it's the 'Wu-style brushstrokes with flowing lines' orchid leaves, a unique skill of a renowned painting master during the reign of the two emperors."
"Is that so?"
Yuan Huaimin paused for a moment, then answered:
"My painting skills came from a time when I was in Chang'an. I woke up drunk at a roadside temple and bumped into an old Taoist priest with a bull's nose who was painting a mural. We became acquainted after a while, and he taught me how to paint and asked me to help him."
"When asked where he was from, he said he was from Zhongnan Mountain. Hmm, could he be a master?"
Ouyang Rong stared at Yuan Huaimin for a while, then nodded:
"Perhaps he is indeed a highly skilled person who is keeping his abilities hidden."
Yuan Huaimin was immediately overjoyed, rubbing his hands together like a fly:
"Brother Lianghan, I wasn't lying to you, was I? You excel in both poetry and painting. How about you be lenient with me regarding the lateness and salary deduction today..."
Ouyang Rong nodded in approval, then interrupted to ask:
"Brother Huaimin, who is skilled in both poetry and painting, is there anything I don't know? If so, Brother Huaimin, you can say it all now, instead of acting like an assassin and stabbing me every now and then."
Yuan Huaimin said with a bitter face, "Brother Lianghan is joking with me again."
Ouyang Rong's expression seemed to recall something, and he asked directly:
"By the way, we've worked together for so long, but I haven't asked Brother Huaimin why he was demoted to this position."
Then, the Jiangzhou Sima, who lived in Xunyang where housing prices were high and living was difficult, looked up at the sky again, sighing:
"Well, it's a long story."
"Then let's get to the point."
Upon hearing this, Yuan Huaimin unusually succinctly replied, "You misspoke."
"To speak ill of the imperial court is the act of a saint."
Yuan Huaimin was dejected.
"Brother Lianghan, don't expose people's hardships."
It seems I guessed right.
Ouyang Rong didn't reopen old wounds. He glanced at the sun outside, stood up, and prepared to leave the main hall.
He stopped at the door, and without turning his head, said:
"Brother Huaimin."
"Hmm, what's wrong, Brother Lianghan?"
Ouyang Rong lowered his eyes, straightened his cuffs, and said softly:
"If anything happens, you can tell me anytime, it's never too late."
Yuan Huaimin was taken aback for a moment, then nodded: "Okay."
"in addition."
Ouyang Rong, with a serious expression, added:
"Remember to be on duty on time from now on. I'll be waiting for you every day."
Yuan Huaimin: "...!"
After leaving the main hall, Ouyang Rong stood at the door for a while, looked up at the horizon, and let out a long breath.
He didn't like this feeling of being subtly out of control and constantly encountering unexpected situations.
But ever since Li Zhengyan, Wang Junzhi and others arrived, something has been wrong all along.
In particular, Wang Junzhi had more connections in Xunyang City in a short period of time than Ouyang Rong, the Prefect of Jiangzhou, and he had figured out the entire network of relationships in the city.
Ouyang Rong was somewhat impressed by his energy; he stretched his arm so far.
As expected of the former registrar of Chang'an, he comes from a prominent family in Chang'an.
Shaking his head, Ouyang Rong turned and left.
Inside the main hall behind him, Yuan Huaimin turned and watched the back of a certain "salted fish killer" officer disappear into the distance.
He withdrew his gaze, turned to look south, and stared blankly for a while.
At one point, this descendant of the once-wealthy Northern Wei imperial family rubbed his face, then smiled broadly, his tone open and cheerful:
"Yuanjia hastily sealed the wolf's lair, only to win a hasty retreat northward... What a fine poem, what a fine poem!"
He savored it with a broad smile, but soon his expression and mood visibly darkened again, and he sat alone, muttering to himself:
“I remember my grandfather saying that during the Yuanjia Northern Expedition two hundred years ago, even though the Southern Song Dynasty had ‘poor scholars,’ they still couldn’t win and ended up in a panic and looking north.”
"Throughout history, it seems that winning has always been difficult, no matter where you go, from south to north..."
"Huh, why is that? That's strange, that's strange."
...
In the next few days.
Besides listening to her junior sister and Liu Lang's daily reports on Wang Junzhi's extraordinary social skills,
Ouyang Rong devoted his energy to welcoming the soldiers who would soon be returning north to their garrison.
On this day, the main hall of Jiangzhou received a letter from Hu Zhongshi, who had traveled south to pardon the soldiers on their way to exile.
This message was sent with great seriousness.
The letter began with good news: the envoy Khufu had arrived at a place called Tanfu and met with the 1,500 soldiers returning north.
On that day, the emperor's edict of pardon was read aloud.
He successfully comforted the soldiers returning north.
It was a close call, but ultimately safe.
Hu Zhongshi publicly promised the soldiers that he would send them back to Hongzhou and Jiangzhou, and that he would order the officials along the way not to obstruct them.
They are allowed to return north without worry.
Hu Zhongshi even said that he could help them prepare boats and take the fastest waterway.
Without much hesitation, the 1,500 returning soldiers laid down their weapons and immediately supported the emperor's private envoy, who was like a lifeline for them.
At present, Khufu's message,
This was to notify the Jiangzhou government and the Hongzhou governor's office to make preparations in advance to welcome the returning soldiers.
This can be considered as announcing good news and letting people know.
After reading the message, Ouyang Rong let out a slight sigh of relief.
The previously tense situation in Gangnam Province has finally eased considerably.
According to the letter, Khufu's mission went relatively smoothly, and he was returning north with the 1,500 soldiers who had laid down their weapons.
It seems that Ouyang Rong's preparations over the past few days have been correct. Now, all that remains is to guard against Wang Lengran and others framing him and shifting the blame on the day the garrison soldiers enter the city.
"Wait, things are settled in Jiangzhou, but what about Hongzhou?"
Ouyang Rong frowned and pondered for a moment:
"However, this Zhu Lingxu doesn't seem to be a member of the Wei family, but rather a member of the Prince Teng's mansion. There's no need for him to go to such lengths for the sake of the Wei family's reputation and prestige."
"Moreover, that envoy Hu is not stupid; he must have thought of this as well. That's why, after comforting the garrison soldiers, he chose to return with the troops, and the first stop was Hongzhou City. This was probably to prevent any unforeseen events..."
Ouyang Rong sat alone, pondered for a while, and continued to fill in the gaps:
"Tomorrow night I'll talk to Uncle Li and ask him to include the 1,200 northern garrison soldiers from Hongzhou Zhechong Prefecture in the next petition, and see if they can be 'punished' together and made into statues in Jiangzhou, to give them an extra layer of protection."
"Moreover, Jiangzhou is not far from Hongzhou, and the statues are paid for their work, so there shouldn't be much resentment."
He nodded slightly.
That night, upon returning to Yinbingzhai, Ouyang Rong went to bed early with Ye Weilai.
He was fast asleep in the middle of the night when he suddenly opened his eyes and sat up in bed.
The drowsiness was completely dispelled by the continuous, clear sound of the wooden fish in my ears.
"You've gained merit?"
After only a moment of hesitation, Ouyang Rong first pressed down the white-haired little head that was about to drowsily lift its head in the quilt, then quickly closed his eyes and lay back down to sleep.
Ouyang Rong's mind sank into the Pagoda of Merit and flew directly to the little wooden fish that was still forced to operate in the middle of the night.
[Merit: 7,168]
The line of cyan-gold characters above the small wooden fish had suddenly changed, and the numbers were even starting to appear sporadically.
Ouyang Rong's expression was a mixture of joy and confusion.
How come my merit points suddenly increased by more than 500 in the middle of the night? It was more than 6,600 before.
Could it be that the merit-making ritual of the Buddha's family in Heaven has malfunctioned, causing a bug and resulting in a freebie?
Um, probably not.
"Is the sudden surge in merit because the people of Longcheng Township have erected a statue and built a shrine for me again, or is it some other act of helping others and giving back merit?"
"Is this the key to the Plum Deer Garden that we gave to Du Shuqing last time? But look at Magistrate Diao's letter, didn't he move in a long time ago? Why did it take so long to give it to him?"
"Speaking of which, when Du Shuqing first moved into the Melu Garden, the little wooden fish didn't seem to have gained any significant merit, so it seems it wasn't grateful for the gesture..."
He tried hard to recall the source of his sudden surge in merit.
"Never mind, I've done too many good deeds, I can't think of one."
Ouyang Rong shook his head, reluctantly giving up, and muttered to himself with a mixture of worry and joy:
"But increasing one's merit should be a good thing, right..."
Ouyang Rong stopped thinking about it, left the Pagoda of Merit, and went back to sleep.
Dawn broke quickly, and full of energy, he went to his shift.
Although I had previously missed out on the potential 7,000 merits and blessings associated with it.
But Ouyang Rong continued to work tirelessly, preoccupied with protecting the soldiers returning north.
Some things are unrelated to reward.
afternoon.
The third floor of Yunshui Pavilion, the usual place.
Ouyang Rong met with Qin Heng again.
Upon meeting, he went straight to the point, informing Qin Heng of the idea he had discussed with the Prince of Xunyang's residence.
Qin Heng's breathing became heavier. He took a deep breath, his expression calmed down, and he clasped his hands in a deep fist salute:
"Thank you for your kindness, Chief Secretary Ouyang, and thank you for your great favor, Your Highness."
His expression was resolute, as if he were not good at expressing his true feelings.
However, upon hearing the clear sound of the wooden fish in his ear, Ouyang Rong roughly understood this resolute and taciturn captain and felt genuinely grateful.
He smiled and offered a few words of comfort.
Afterwards, the two discussed their cooperation in welcoming the returning soldiers from the north when they would soon leave the city.
Qin Heng casually asked, "Does the Chief Secretary mean that the day you gave the sword that I gave you to the Hu envoy?"
Ouyang Rong said, "That's right. The successful pacification of the garrison soldiers this time might also be partly due to Lieutenant Su's response..."
He stopped abruptly halfway through his sentence.
He shut his mouth, lowered his head to take a sip of tea, and frowned as he glanced at Qin Heng.
"What's wrong with Chief Secretary Ouyang? Why are your hands shaking?"
"fine."
Ignoring the trembling of the bells beside his ears, Ouyang Rong concealed his emotions and put down his teacup again.
I'm a little sleepy.
"Then Prefect Ouyang should get some rest."
"It's nothing serious."
Ouyang Rong and Qin Heng continued their conversation as if nothing had happened.
After an incense stick had burned, the discussion ended, and he stood up to bid farewell to Qin Heng.
On a carriage that slowly drove back to the main hall of Jiangzhou, Ouyang Rong closed his eyes and sat upright as soon as he got in, and immediately flew into the Merit Pagoda.
Inside the Pagoda of Merit, he looked up at the ancient bronze bell above, which was trembling again and flowing with "water mist," and his face fell into deep thought.
The purple mist emanating from the Blessing Bell was mixed with blood-red threads; they looked somewhat familiar…
That red blessing worth seven thousand merits has returned.
From this perspective, the triggering condition is indeed related to Qin Heng.
He calmly thought to himself.
After hesitating for a moment, Ouyang Rong closed his eyes, his mind stirring.
Suddenly, the cyan-gold characters floating above the small wooden fish transformed into a swimming carp, hurtling swiftly towards the trembling ancient bell in mid-air, which was filled with unfulfilled desire.
Exchange of blessings.
clang--!
The resounding bells echoed in my ears.
Blood-red blessing, successfully redeemed.
Ouyang Rong opened his eyes. Above him, the bronze bell that had been trembling and restless was now silent.
The cyan-gold characters in front of me were cleared again.
"Even the landlords don't have surplus grain," he chuckled and sighed.
After lingering inside the tower for a while, Ouyang Rong left the Merit Tower with anticipation in his eyes...
(End of this chapter)
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