Chapter 372 Clues to the Dinner
In the dining hall of the mansion in Huaiye Lane, everyone was engrossed in their meal.
Apart from Xiufa, whose face was filled with curiosity, everyone else pretended not to hear Ouyang Rong's casual conclusion about "civil war".
Ye Weilai served Ouyang Rong a bowl of steaming white rice and couldn't help but glance at her lover.
If this statement were to accidentally get out and be misled by busybodies, not to mention a hundred heads, even a thousand heads wouldn't be enough to chop off.
Fortunately, the people invited to dinner tonight are all old friends from Longcheng, who have shared Ouyang Rong's fortunes and misfortunes, and they won't say anything out of line.
The real crime in his statement was not the mockery of Her Majesty the Empress's expertise in civil war but incompetence in foreign war.
It was "civil war," those two words.
The Great Zhou court defined Li Zhengyan's raising of the banner to restore the dynasty in Guizhou as a rebellion.
As for the claim of a "civil war," we would never agree to it.
Ouyang Rong took a bite of rice and then fell silent along with the weary Magistrate Diao, Master Shandao, and others at the table.
He slightly twitched the corners of his mouth.
Acknowledging the civil war, in a sense, is acknowledging a certain degree of legitimacy in Li Zhengyan's restoration of the army.
Civil war is different from foreign war.
Even though Li Zhengyan and his gang were called rebels by the Great Zhou Dynasty.
However, it cannot conceal the fact that the recent unrest in Guizhou and Hongzhou was a convergence of anti-Zhou forces, including former officials, nobles, and extreme pro-Zhou factions.
There is an element of chance and serendipity involved, but there is also an element of inevitability.
This was a result of a group of established forces failing to seize power from the top down, or rather, suffering setbacks.
The inevitable result is the adoption of a bottom-up, violent, armed seizure.
It remains a genuine civil war, with both sides vying for supreme power.
Therefore, it was to be expected that each side would refute and attack the legitimacy of the other's regime.
However, the Great Zhou Dynasty, having inherited the throne and been established for ten years, had developed a natural inertia due to its vast size, placing it in a position of advantage.
Among the common people, Zhou Ting still had some power to suppress the voices of the restoration army, which was labeled as traitors by Li Zhengyan and others, so this point was easily overlooked.
If we compare the dynasty to a human body, the body of this unified dynasty has not yet rotted. The current Great Zhou Dynasty is just the Great Qian Dynasty in "women's clothing" and with a different name. The appearance has changed, but the internal structure remains the same.
Therefore, Li Zhengyan and his Kuangfu Army cannot be simply regarded as tumors in this body, that is, rebels who want to destroy the body.
Just look at the social class of people like Li Zhengyan, Wei Shaoqi, Du Shuqing, and Prince Teng, Li Lou; they were all born into noble families, imperial clans, or powerful clans.
Like Empress Wei Zhao and the two kings of the Wei clan, they were also part of the old rentier class, but they clashed over the issue of "cross-dressing".
The former stated that he would continue to wear women's clothing.
The latter glared in protest, saying that one shouldn't always wear women's clothing; it was uncomfortable, and that was enough.
The conflict escalated, and they immediately took decisive action.
Two conflicting thoughts were swirling in my mind: I couldn't possibly destroy the healthy body below the neck, could I?
What should we do then?
The smart ones are already lying in bed.
Waiting for the two little figures in my head to finish fighting.
This can be seen as a concrete manifestation of the logic of civil war.
Therefore, it is not difficult to explain why, when Li Zhengyan fought his way from Guizhou in Lingnan to Jiangnan, the prefectures and counties along the way either surrendered or fled at the mere sight of him, with very few fiercely resisting.
It's not that we lack courage, but it's just that when the gods above are fighting, ordinary people below are bleeding—it's not worth it.
Of course, surrendering directly would be too humiliating and inappropriate.
The smarter ones would be forced to surrender out of desperation, while simultaneously shouting slogans of loyalty, filial piety, propriety, and righteousness, denouncing Li Zhengyan, and refusing to cooperate.
Li Zhengyan could only greet him with a smile, showing great magnanimity, not taking it to heart, and even treating him well.
After all, the prefects and magistrates had already surrendered, and you still killed prisoners, setting a bad precedent. What if the resistance from the prefectures and counties along the way intensified? It would be a losing proposition.
This method of surrendering with such righteous indignation is indeed effective.
First, we can observe the situation. If Li Zhengyan and his restoration army win, then it's fine, and we can continue to play along.
If it is forcefully suppressed, then it is a welcome to the king's army, and one can defend oneself by adhering to the banner of loyalty and courage, and being in Cao Cao's camp.
So far, Ouyang Rong has heard of at least ten such cases of surrender from the officials fleeing north who disembark at Xunyang Ferry every day.
As for the officials from Lingnan and Jiangnan who fled north at the first sign of trouble, most of them thought the imperial court had a great chance of winning, which is why they ran away.
Therefore, surrendering is also an art, with many different styles and methods, and there's bound to be one that suits you.
Therefore, Ouyang Rong was neither surprised nor did he reprimand his old friend, Magistrate Diao, for abandoning Longcheng and fleeing with the crowd; it was not worth it.
Among the endless stream of officials surrendering, the only one that surprised and left Ouyang Rong speechless was...
It was Zhu Lingxu, the governor of Hongzhou.
This person can be considered a prime example of surrendering when forced into a corner and with no other options, perhaps even the first of his kind.
He was the first high-ranking local official of the Great Zhou to surrender during the Guizhou and Hongzhou rebellions.
Logically speaking, the smart choice would be to shout slogans of loyalty, filial piety, propriety, and righteousness, denounce Li Zhengyan and Cai Qin, and refuse to cooperate.
But the truth is, Zhu Lingxu not only surrendered, but also turned around and accepted the recruitment of Li Zhengyan and Cai Qin.
He even helped manage the soldiers of Hongzhou Zhechong Prefecture, and took on the duties assigned to him by Li Zhengyan's Kuangfu Prefecture, and together with Cai Qinjun, they attacked Jiangzhou.
They turned against their cause quite thoroughly, even going so far as to offer a pledge of allegiance.
This was something Ouyang Rong never expected, and it's also the reason for the current crisis in Jiangzhou... a traitor has emerged.
Everyone else only surrendered tactically, but you, Zhu Lingxu with your thick eyebrows and big eyes, actually became a traitor.
This is not the best option.
Ouyang Rong was puzzled. As the Grand Governor of Hongzhou and a high-ranking official of the Great Zhou Dynasty, he was not necessarily a shrewd person, but he was certainly intelligent enough to understand the implications.
Could there be some hidden story, or perhaps there was a premeditated rebellion? Had they received some promises in return?
Ouyang Rong suddenly remembered Zhu Yuheng, the eldest son of this Grand Commander Zhu.
Back in Xunyang City, he hung out with Yue Ziang, Wang Junzhi, and others.
Could it be that someone acted as a go-between, and he was persuaded early on by Li Zheng, Wei Shaoqi, and Prince Teng, Li Lou?
Ouyang Rong shook his head.
Ouyang Rong had only heard of the two labels attached to this governor of Hongzhou: "greedy for money and lustful" and "skilled in military strategy".
Someone who climbs up from the bottom should be the best at grasping the winds of change...
Perhaps he felt the position of Governor of Hongzhou was too low and wanted to try his luck with Li Zhengyan for wealth and status.
All I can say is that I respect other people's fate.
Regardless,
The nature of the civil war, along with the window of opportunity during which the imperial army had not yet fully assembled, led to a surge of surrenders from prefectures and counties in the southwest, while many heroes and patriots across the land remained on the sidelines.
This meant that Li Zhengyan's restoration army in Guizhou and Cai Qin and Zhu Lingxu's army in Hongzhou encountered almost no significant resistance.
Furthermore, after annexing surrendered prefectures and counties, their paper strength rapidly expanded and even inflated.
For a time, the Kuangfu Army gained immense momentum.
Even when the imperial court appointed Xunyang Prince Li Xian as the Pacification Commissioner of Jiangnan Circuit to assist in suppressing the rebellion, the latter calmly accepted the imperial decree.
The restoration army, which originally flew under the banner of the Prince of Xunyang, did not stop. Instead, they raised the banner of Li Gan, the former crown prince, who was also the elder brother of Li Xian and Li Lun, the former deposed crown prince, and continued their advance...
Dinner continued, but everyone seemed tired, and no one mentioned the current battle situation or the overall situation.
So dinner was finished in silence.
Magistrate Diao and Master Shandao praised Zhen Shuyuan and Ye Weilai's culinary skills.
Zhen Shuyuan introduced Ye Weilai to the two of them, explaining that she had cooked the meal herself.
Ye Weilai's cooking skills are quite good now; she can make even simple meals taste delicious, which makes Zhen Shuyuan very satisfied.
Magistrate Diao and Master Shandao naturally praised this person in Ouyang Rong's room to the skies, saying good things about him from different angles.
The little girl with white hair was a bit shy and kept lowering her head.
Master Shandao even offered to draw a fortune stick for her.
Ye Weilai immediately refused, as she had no shortage of marriage prospects. However, unexpectedly, Xiufa interjected, saying that Donglin Temple's latest expanded business was the "Many Children, Many Blessings" fortune slip, which was for those seeking pregnancy. This immediately made the young girl's face blush.
The relaxed chat after the meal ended after we finished drinking tea.
Ouyang Rong stood up, walked out the door, and was followed tacitly by Master Shandao and Magistrate Diao. The group went to the study of Yinbingzhai to start their discussion.
Zhen Shuyuan and Ye Weilai served some tea and snacks, then withdrew to attend to their respective tasks.
Xiufa walked to the door and waited obediently.
Ouyang Rong glanced at the white-bearded, black-robed old monk and the sharp-faced, down-on-his-luck county magistrate in front of him.
The two men, despite being older than him, looked distressed and sighed in front of Ouyang Rong, a stark contrast to Ouyang Rong's calm and composed demeanor.
However, Ouyang Rong understood.
Although Master Shandao was a monk, because of the Donglin Buddha, he was considered an accomplice of the tyrannical guard in the eyes of Li Zhengyan and others who raised the banner of rebellion and refuted the Tian Shu statue.
This time, after Cai Qin and Zhu Lingxu's army captured Longcheng County, Master Shandao naturally could not hide in the temple to avoid the world like other monks. Besides, the temple was not safe, after all, it was too rich.
While other temples might be able to avert disaster by spending money, the situation at Master Shandao and Donglin Temple was far more complex than simply spending money to avert disaster; people there would likely be physically destroyed and sent to meet the Buddha.
Therefore, the eminent monks of Donglin Temple also fled immediately, escaping to Xunyang City together with Magistrate Diao.
Ouyang Rong spoke in a serious tone: "Great Master Dahui, do not worry. The royal army will arrive soon, and the Donglin Buddha will be built as scheduled."
Master Shandao sighed, "Your Excellency is making fun of this old monk again."
He paused, then asked hesitantly, "The rebels seem to be very opposed to the statues, Your Excellency. Should we stop for now?"
Ouyang Rong asked in surprise, "Why did you change your tune?"
Master Shandao sighed: "Upon careful consideration, this matter is indeed inappropriate and has caused a rebellion, like in Guizhou... sigh."
"It's just a starting point," Ouyang Rong said softly.
"But what's coming will come. If the conflict doesn't erupt from this point, it will erupt from other points. It's unavoidable."
"Furthermore, it seems that the matter of creating the statue is more complicated than you and I imagined, and it is no longer something that one person can decide to stop or start."
He squinted, and the cold voice of Rong Zhen from not long ago echoed in his ears again.
Master Shandao and Magistrate Diao exchanged glances, but did not ask any further questions.
Ouyang Rong suddenly changed the subject:
"When Li Zhengyan, Wei Shaoqi, and Yue Zi'ang escorted Du Shuqing to Longcheng to take up his post, did they linger there at all?"
Magistrate Diao was taken aback, then nodded.
Ouyang Rong lowered his eyes: "During their stay, did they look for anything?"
Magistrate Diao and Master Shandao exchanged a glance; the former frowned, while the latter seemed dazed.
“Now that you mention it, I do recall something. Those Benefactors Du and Yue visited our temple three times.”
Master Shandao's eyes revealed a look of reminiscence.
"Master, you have a really good memory."
Master Shandao certainly wouldn't say that the more money worshippers donate for incense, the better their memory will be. He explained in detail:
"The first time they came, they visited the temple on their own, lit two sticks of incense, and left. They came again later, donated some money for incense, found me, and asked to go to the library to study the Buddhist scriptures. I granted their request."
"The last time was rather strange. They sat on the ground with me to discuss Buddhist scriptures, but before leaving, they asked me something that seemed familiar."
"What familiar thing?"
"That little princess from the Xunyang Prince's Mansion also asked about this."
"Oh?" Ouyang Rong had a vague idea in his mind.
"They asked if the old monk's temple had a rare copy of Tao Yuanming's poetry collection, especially a poem called 'Returning Home'."
Ouyang Rong sighed. He knew that Li Guo'er had searched everywhere for the "Return to Home" poem, which was why he gave it to her as a birthday gift.
He later learned that this poem was actually a sword manual for poor scholars.
So after arriving in Xunyang City, Ouyang Rong asked Li Guo'er about this matter, why she was looking for this word. However, at that time, the two were having a cold war, and the princess's answer was, "I have no comment."
Li Guo'er had been collecting Tao Yuanming's poems for a long time, and was searching for this particular poem even before Ouyang Rong came to Longcheng. Later, the Juhua Poetry Society she established also wrote about chrysanthemums, which was meant to commemorate Tao Yuanming picking chrysanthemums by the eastern fence.
Ouyang Rong took it as a hobby, mainly because Li Guo'er didn't have much spiritual cultivation, so Ouyang Rong naturally couldn't suspect anything. He just warned her not to spread the poem, and Li Guo'er nodded in agreement.
The fact that Li Zhengyan, Wang Junzhi, and others are currently unable to find the "Return to the Past" poem and are wandering around Longcheng County like headless flies proves that she has indeed kept her mouth shut.
As Ouyang Rong pondered, Magistrate Diao spoke up:
"Your Excellency, I just remembered something. When Li Zhengyan and Wei Shaoqi stayed in Longcheng for a few days, in addition to looking through the Longcheng County Annals, they also went to explore Tao Qian's former residence, and I accompanied them."
"This was one of the two places they frequented most at the time."
"Oh?" Ouyang Rong asked curiously, "Where is the other place?"
Magistrate Diao took another look at the handsome young man in front of him:
"It was you, Your Excellency, who built the Zheyi Canal. Li Zhengyan and Wei Shaoqi often went to see it and praised it highly."
Ouyang Rong fell silent.
Magistrate Diao: "I don't think I've done anything wrong."
"Accompanying someone is fine, it doesn't count as being implicated, so what then?"
Ouyang Rong pursed his lips:
"Did they carry a painting?"
"What painting?" the two asked curiously.
Ouyang Rong shook his head and remained silent.
Magistrate Diao then said:
"By the way, when they left Longcheng County, they took the Yue Nu Gorge route and went to Yunmengze. Du Shuqing took leave to go boating on Yunmengze with them."
"Yunmengze?"
Ouyang Rong frowned slightly and muttered to himself:
"Shouldn't it have been Hongzhou? Considering what happened later."
"Or perhaps they went to Yunmengze to look for something, and maybe they took that Peach Blossom Spring painting with them?"
"But what do they need in Yunmengze? Could the Peach Blossom Spring be real? Wait..."
He suddenly looked up.
The image of that great female ruler with golden hair that descended from the sky reappeared in my mind.
(End of this chapter)
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