Chapter 464 The Buddha statue is postponed
"Is Your Excellency alright...?"
"Shut up!"
As soon as Ouyang Rong spoke to break the silence, he was interrupted by Rong Zhen's gentle rebuke.
At the same time, he also felt a delicate hand that had grabbed his thigh in a moment of panic tighten its grip.
Ouyang Rong glanced back at the doorway and, finding no one there, breathed a slight sigh of relief. Looking down, he saw Rong Zhen, just like him, withdrawing her gaze from the doorway.
I also breathed a sigh of relief.
After a brief exchange of glances, Ouyang Rong bent down to help the person up.
"The floor is slippery, be careful..."
Before he could finish speaking, Rong Zhen suddenly let go of his hand, pushed his leg away, and moved away from him. At the same time, she turned her head away, coldly ignoring his outstretched hand that was trying to help her.
"You...you turn your back." Rongzhen whispered, looking down.
From her elevated position, Ouyang Rong could only see her bangs covering her forehead, not her specific expression.
He had no choice but to withdraw his hand, turn around and take a few steps, turning his back to the cold, palace-dressed girl who was now supporting herself on her elbows after losing his support.
Do not look at what is improper.
After all... the way this usually aloof and dignified lady fell to her knees was indeed rather unseemly.
"Please let me know when you are ready, Your Excellency," Ouyang Rong said gently, his eyes fixed on the door.
Behind him, Rongzhen remained silent.
A moment later, Ouyang Rong heard soft rustling sounds coming from behind, like the smoothing of clothes, the sound of footsteps moving, and the cracking sound of a cane hitting the floor.
He tentatively turned his head and glanced at the camera out of the corner of his eye.
He noticed that Rong Zhen had already stood up and was moving towards the table with the help of her cane. From Ouyang Rong's perspective, her profile was expressionless, with a cold and indifferent look.
Under the continued gaze of this outsider, the cold, palace-dressed girl slightly raised her chin, just as she had countless times before, strong and resolute in front of others, as if the fall she had just made had never happened. If Ouyang Rong hadn't remembered that outburst of her voice, it would have been a shock.
"Okay, come on over."
Rongzhen walked to the table and glanced at the person who was staring blankly.
"good."
Ouyang Rong nodded quickly and stepped forward to sit down.
He breathed a slight sigh of relief, and a smile involuntarily appeared on his lips.
It wasn't because of Rongzhen's attitude.
It was only because she witnessed Rongzhen's momentary indecent and ugly behavior that she was not penalized with any merit, which was a stroke of good luck amidst misfortune.
As for the others, I'm too lazy to consider them.
Aside from his junior sister and that childhood sweetheart embroiderer whom he felt somewhat indebted to, he generally didn't try to guess what other women were thinking, mainly because it was a waste of time.
Rongzhen reached out her hand.
Ouyang Rong handed over the intelligence report, sat down at the table, poured tea, and waited for her to review it.
A moment later, Rongzhen covered up the intelligence report.
Her eyelashes drooped, she thought for a moment, and then asked a few questions.
Ouyang Rong answered fluently.
"How's the Donglin Buddha going?" Rongzhen changed the subject.
Ouyang Rong didn't speak immediately. He took out a handkerchief from his pocket, unfolded it to reveal a few broken pieces of mung bean cake, and handed it over.
"Thank you, but no need." She shook her head, her eyes still fixed on Ouyang Rong, not on the pastries.
So the person had no choice but to pick up a piece of mung bean cake, put it in their mouth, and mutter:
"The Xunyang Grottoes project is progressing smoothly, but it may be delayed a bit."
Rong Zhen immediately said, "No way!"
Ouyang Rong shook his head, then nodded: "Actually, it's not really a delay, it's more like it's on schedule."
"What do you mean? Explain yourself."
"With the current manpower and resources, if we maintain the current pace, we can complete it on schedule, but... that was the original completion date set by the imperial court."
"Isn't that just a postponement? It's later than the date you told me before, what else could it be but a postponement?"
"That's one way to understand it."
Rong Zhen suppressed the glint in her eyes and said coldly:
"Let me explain why first."
Ouyang Rong lowered his eyes, looking at the teacup:
"Firstly, due to the nature of the mountain rock, the excavation of the grottoes was more difficult than imagined."
"Secondly, with fighting at the front, logistics are entirely on the shoulders of the Jiangzhou Grand Hall. Not long ago, the newly appointed Commander of the Central Army Camp returned to discuss with me and urgently transferred some personnel."
At this point, Ouyang Rong shook his head:
"We had no choice but to help with this, and the battle on the front lines was also important. Now it seems that the manpower we transferred has indeed yielded results, so there's no one left to blame."
"In addition, winter will soon be here. Based on the time it usually takes for heavy snow to close the mountains after winter, even if we resume work as soon as the snow melts, it will still be suspended for half a month, which is another waste of time."
"All these factors mean that the Donglin Buddha will be completed later than expected."
Rong Zhen first clenched the intelligence report in her hand, then loosened her grip, maintaining a calm tone:
"How much later?"
"The specifics are still being calculated, and it is expected to take about a month. These past two days, the Jiangzhou Grand Hall and the Prince have been planning the winter construction."
"Has the matter of the postponement been reported to the imperial court?"
"Uh, not yet. I came today to discuss with Lady Historian beforehand. I plan to write a letter to Luoyang with the Prince in the next couple of days to explain the situation."
Rong Zhen stared directly into the eyes of the composed Ouyang Rong, her gaze hitting the nail on the head:
"What if His Majesty is enraged?"
Ouyang Rong's expression seemed a little strange, and he asked curiously:
"I've done the calculations, and even under the worst-case scenario, the Buddha statue in Jiangzhou will be completed at the latest, but it will still be completed sooner than the Great Zhou Songde Tianshu in Luoyang."
"Moreover, looking at the four prefectures where the statues are being made, well, now it's three prefectures. I asked someone to inquire about Yangzhou, and the progress is almost the same as our delayed completion date, not to mention Taiyuan, which doesn't have the financial and material resources of Yangzhou."
Ouyang Rong shook his head:
"Anyway, our Jiangzhou is definitely not the last to be completed, it's just not as fast as before, so why are Your Majesty and the officials of the court dissatisfied?"
Faced with Ouyang Rong's questioning gaze, Rong Zhen pursed her lips and remained silent, her eyes lowered, her gaze falling on the cane that looked like an old man's.
This walking stick must have been found by the imperial physician on short notice; it looks rather old and worn.
Ouyang Rong followed her gaze and it fell on the cane.
There was complete silence at the table.
Ouyang Rong couldn't help but speak first:
"Is there some hidden story about the Donglin Buddha that I am unaware of? Wasn't this Buddha built in conjunction with the Great Zhou Dynasty's Songde Tianshu (a Buddhist temple) to promote Buddhism and pray for the nation's fortune?"
Rong Zhen didn't look at him. She propped herself up on the table with her elbows and stood up again, waving her hand to decline Ouyang Rong's help.
She leaned on her cane and slowly moved toward the bed, turning her back to say:
"There's no reason why. The sooner the better for Jiangzhou. This is... His Majesty's earnest expectation, and it's also one of the reasons why His Majesty specially sent me here. You just need to know this."
“Chief Secretary Ouyang, well, considering how well we’ve been getting along lately, I’ll just say a few words… If this matter can be accomplished, it will be a sign that Jian is on the Emperor’s mind.”
"Why did Lan Changhao of Guizhou go crazy back then, pouring out all the province's wealth and manpower to build the statue at breakneck speed? Did he want to get ahead of the other three continents? Wasn't it because someone had given him some pointers on how to win that vast imperial favor?"
"This opportunity is now right in front of Chief Secretary Ouyang. I have said all I can say. Don't ask any more questions. Think about it yourself."
Ouyang Rong suddenly said:
"But I am not Lan Changhao, and I heard that this brother's head is still hanging on the city wall of Guizhou."
“But you are much better than Lan Changhao, by a significant margin.”
Rong Zhen frowned and interrupted, then paused before explaining:
"That's why I'm patiently telling you all this now. I'm too lazy to talk to anyone else."
Ouyang Rong replied calmly, "But Lady Historian still has something to say to me."
"What did you say?"
Rong Zhen ignored him, stopped walking, and said with her back to Ouyang Rong:
"Think about it again. There are always more solutions than problems. I don't know much about statue making. I only supervise the dates and whether they are completed on time. Now that your project is delayed, I have to take care of it. You need to figure out a solution yourself."
Ouyang Rong turned his head away: "This humble official will do his best."
"Try your best?"
Rong Zhen turned around with some displeasure, her words a bit cold:
"So what if the mountains are blocked by heavy snow? Everyone, please work hard and don't stop building the statues."
Ouyang Rong's expression turned serious:
"Your Excellency has never been to Jiangnan before, has she? You may not know that winters in the South are not as dry and cold as in the North. Instead, they are damp, cold, and muddy, with snow mixed with rain. Being near a major river, the wind is constant. During the winter snow season, if you force construction to go and carve into the mountainside, there will be fog on the riverbank and in the mountains in the morning... In short, it is very dangerous."
"Isn't this a waste of time and money? The infamy is inescapable. Even if the Lady Historian wanted to take the blame, His Majesty and the court couldn't clear her name."
"Moreover, when I was at the Temple of the Sage Confucius in Jiangzhou, I publicly promised the scholars and people of Jiangzhou that the construction of statues would not be a wasteful or extravagant undertaking. This is my promise."
"Anyway, as long as I am in office, I will not do such a thing."
Ouyang Rong's tone was unusually firm.
Rongzhen fell silent.
After a short while, she looked out the window, gazed at the scenery for a moment, and then, with a hint of dissatisfaction in her expression, said:
"If the Buddha statue were built in the city, a standing statue would be much simpler. I've wanted to say this for a long time, but Chief Secretary Ouyang insisted on choosing that Twin Peaks outside the city to build some stone Buddha statue. I've also heard that he plans to build many more Buddha statues next to the Donglin Buddha..."
Ouyang Rong interrupted:
"The Donglin Buddha will definitely be built first. The Buddha statues in the grottoes are just an afterthought. In order to spread the cost and attract more money from wealthy people and temples, it will not affect the progress of the former. Besides, one flower does not make a spring. If the Xunyang Grottoes are completed, it will be the culmination of Buddhist art from all schools in Jiangnan and will be passed down for thousands of years. Not to mention that it is also a water conservancy project."
Rong Zhen frowned, turned around and said:
"But I've inquired and found that the other states that built their statues, including the one in Luoyang that was intended to commemorate the emperor, all built the large Buddha statues within the city. This is much simpler and more convenient, and there's no need to worry about heavy snow blocking the mountains in winter..."
Ouyang Rong shook his head:
"Your Excellency, as you can see, there is no place to build statues in Xunyang City. We can't just demolish houses, can we? This is the best solution I can think of right now."
Rongzhen looked him straight in the eye: "Some things always come with trade-offs."
Ouyang Rong was silent for a moment, then pursed his lips: "Then let's sacrifice some time and postpone it slightly."
Rong Zhen's expression was displeased, and she seemed about to speak.
Ouyang Rong stood up, placed his hand on the table, and said in a serious tone:
"The benefits of grotto statues have been explained a hundred times already. His Majesty and the court have already agreed, which is why construction has begun. Why is Your Excellency raising objections and complaining now?"
Rong Zhen rolled her eyes slightly upward, stared at his expression for a while, and then said nothing more.
The two remained in that position for a while.
Rong Zhen sighed softly, turned her gaze slightly away, and broke the silence first:
"I've rested enough these past few days. Let's go take a look first. Tomorrow morning, come on time, and we'll go out of the city together. After I visit the Xunyang Grottoes, we'll make further plans. Until then, don't reveal any news of the postponement."
"good."
Ouyang Rong nodded, and after the discussion was over, he turned and left without any hesitation.
After a busy day in the main hall of Jiangzhou, he returned to his residence in Huaiye Lane in the evening. He ate a few bites of food in the dining hall and then went back to Yinbingzhai, seemingly ready to get busy again.
This caused Zhen Shuyuan and the other women to exchange bewildered glances...
The next morning.
Inside the hospital ward, Rongzhen, with the help of several close female officials, finished dressing. She leaned on her old-fashioned cane and limped out to wait.
Before long, Ouyang Rong arrived at the courtyard gate on time.
Just as Rong Zhen was about to speak, she saw Ouyang Rong, who was panting heavily, hand her something.
She paused for a moment, then looked down.
It was a brand new, emerald green walking stick, made of bamboo, as green as jade.
This staff is over five feet long. The bamboo was scraped, and all the burrs on it were carefully removed and polished to a shine. One end was even burned with fire, and then iron was wrapped around the part that was off the ground.
Lightweight and durable, suitable for travel.
It's obvious that they put a lot of thought into it.
She glanced at the handsome chief secretary in front of her and noticed that he had slightly heavy eye bags.
After handing over the jade bamboo staff, Ouyang Rong took out a sesame cake he had bought from a roadside stall from his bosom, took a bite, and casually said:
"When we get to Shuangfengjian, we'll have to hike up the mountain path. Try this one on. The old one was too tall. It's awkward for Lady Historian's height, and she's prone to falling."
Rongzhen silently reached out, took the staff, and touched the handle of the jade bamboo staff. It was smooth, round, sturdy, and easy to hold.
She tried out the new bamboo cane and found it to be very useful. The height was just right, and she could walk a little faster while using it.
"Why are you looking at me, Lady? Are you hungry too? Doesn't the state medical office send breakfast to patients? Here, I can only share half with you. I'm hungry too, and this half is untouched."
Noticing Rong Zhen's gaze, Ouyang Rong reluctantly broke off half of a sesame seed cake and handed it out.
Rong Zhen neither accepted the cake nor spoke. She withdrew her gaze and walked ahead first. Ouyang Rong noticed that she still had a cold expression.
Ouyang Rong had no choice but to follow behind, but after a short while, he suddenly heard some familiar sounds.
It was the little wooden fish inside a quaint little pagoda that was forced to open for business early in the morning.
Merit increases by one, merit increases by one, merit increases by one...
Ouyang Rong couldn't help but glance at the cold, aloof back of the girl in the cold palace attire.
Just then.
“Ouyang Lianghan, don’t submit your memorial requesting a postponement yet. Also, persuade the Prince of Xunyang to wait a little longer…”
Rongzhen, who was walking ahead, waved her hand without turning her head.
Ouyang Rong was slightly taken aback: "What does Lady Historian want us to wait for?"
Rong Zhen remained expressionless and did not answer him.
Before long, the two boarded a carriage and headed west out of the city to Shuangfengjian to see the Donglin Buddha, which was under construction...
(End of this chapter)
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