Chapter 503: The selfishness of the female historian
"The reasons for the delay should be explained frankly, appealing to emotions and reasoning with people. There is no need to talk about persuasion."
The street fell silent for a short while.
Ouyang Rong walked forward, carrying a sandalwood zither case carved with auspicious clouds and mythical beasts, his eyes fixed on it as he spoke.
Lin Cheng turned his head, looked at Ouyang Rong's profile for a while, and sighed softly:
"Upright and honest, sometimes one has to admit that Ouyang Changshi's demeanor is truly admirable."
"Lin Lingtai Lang doesn't seem like someone who can be easily convinced."
Ouyang Rong shook his head.
Lin Cheng smiled: "Then what kind of person does Chief Secretary Ouyang think I am?"
Ouyang Rong remained silent for a while.
“Those who eat meat are base and lack foresight. Although Lin Lingtai Lang comes from Luoyang, he is clearly not one of them.”
Lin Cheng thought for a moment, then suddenly realized:
"Does Chief Secretary Ouyang mean that I am capable of long-term planning?"
Ouyang Rong nodded, then shook his head:
"Lin Lingtai and I are very similar, but not quite the same. I always feel there are some differences."
"Perhaps it's because we both come from humble backgrounds, not from noble families, that we naturally feel a sense of kinship."
Ouyang Rong turned and looked at him for a moment, then said in a serious tone:
"Since we both come from humble backgrounds, Lin Lingtai should be able to empathize with the hardships of the lower classes, just like me. After reading these past few days, he should be able to understand the postponement of the Donglin Buddha statue to some extent now."
Lin Cheng smiled:
"Of course. I also know that the people of Jiangzhou are extremely fortunate to have a magistrate like Prefect Ouyang."
Ouyang Rong's expression was serious:
"That's not the main point. The main point is that the people of Jiangzhou can't withstand any more turmoil. The front lines are currently engaged in battle, and Xunyang City is also under immense pressure. The specific details have already been compiled for Envoy Hu and Lin Lingtai. It's always better to postpone the Donglin Temple visit. Not long ago, Grand Steward Qin sent word to the Jiangzhou government, ordering us officials remaining behind to stabilize the rear and refrain from any radical actions in the short term..."
Lin Cheng remained noncommittal, ignoring Ouyang Rong's veer towards official business, and asked instead:
"Shouldn't Chief Secretary Ouyang teach that merchant who just criticized Chief Secretary Ouyang a lesson?"
He said in a nonchalant tone:
"An official is an official, and a commoner is a commoner, especially one who is a crude and uncouth merchant."
“Chief Secretary Ouyang, it’s not wrong for us poor scholars of humble origins to be approachable in our daily lives, but as the chief official, we cannot lack authority and must be ruthless when necessary.”
"Otherwise, if private criticisms are allowed to fly freely, those below may not see it as the official being compassionate and down-to-earth. Instead, they may easily become contemptuous, thinking that the official can't even handle a lowly merchant. They will inevitably become frivolous and disrespectful towards the official, which is human nature."
"Actually, all you need to do is send someone to warn them and give them a warning. Of course, it would be best to make an example of someone and punish them as a warning to others."
Lin Cheng offered his sincere advice.
Ouyang Rong shook his head again:
“This is not how authority is derived, or rather, this kind of authority derived from fear is better left unused.”
Lin Cheng turned his head, gazing intently at Ouyang Rong's sharply defined, marble-sculpted face, and said with focused expression:
"Those who eat meat are base, those who eat grains are foolish, those who eat air live long, and those who do not eat live forever..."
“Prefect Ouyang, it is true that we come from humble backgrounds, but even the sages acknowledge that people are divided into classes. When dealing with vulgar and base people, we can only use vulgar and base methods.”
Ouyang Rong stared ahead for a while, then said softly:
I disagree.
Lin Cheng said calmly:
"It's alright, I am too."
"But I thank Lin Lingtai for his concern."
“I only mentioned it casually, so please take it as just a casual remark, Chief Secretary Ouyang.”
"good."
Ouyang Rong smiled, then changed the subject:
"Lin Lingtai just said that, apart from His Majesty who is devout in his worship of Buddha, Lady Rong is the one who most hopes that the Donglin Buddha will be completed as soon as possible. What is the meaning of this statement?"
"What do you mean by 'what's the explanation'? It's just the literal meaning."
Ouyang Rong's brows furrowed, a look of doubt appearing on his face:
"I'm asking, is the Donglin Buddha closely related to Lady Rong?"
He paused, then added:
"To put it bluntly, besides the routine rewards from the imperial court for meritorious supervision after the completion of the Buddha statue, what benefits could Lady Rong possibly gain?"
Lin Cheng looked somewhat surprised, sized up Ouyang Rong who was pressing for answers, and asked:
"Does Chief Secretary Ouyang truly not know, or is he feigning ignorance?"
Ouyang Rong observed Lin Cheng's expression and shook his head.
"That's true, Chief Clerk Ouyang isn't from our Imperial Observatory after all..."
Ouyang Rong looked up and interrupted, "Lady Rong only mentioned that a golden Buddha head would be sent from Luoyang... Is there some connection between them?"
"More or less... Actually, it doesn't matter if Chief Secretary Ouyang doesn't know, it's just about some Yin-Yang School Qi practitioners."
Ouyang Rong said in a serious tone:
"I do know some things, please enlighten me, Lin Lingtai Lang."
Lin Cheng squinted and said:
“Alright then, Chief Secretary Ouyang can understand it this way: the advancement of a Yin-Yang School Qi cultivator requires a series of special ceremonies, the larger the scale and the more fortune involved, the better... And the construction of the Donglin Buddha is a ceremony that perfectly meets the conditions for advancement in the Yin-Yang School. It is also... the kind of ceremony that a sixth-rank Qi cultivator like Lady Rongzhen currently needs the most. It might just be able to complete the advancement from sixth-rank to fifth-rank in one step.”
Ouyang Rong suddenly said, "If we exclude the one in Guizhou, isn't that three grand Buddha ceremonies?"
Lin Cheng nodded:
“That’s right, three ceremonies, three opportunities, only three Yin-Yang School Qi cultivators can participate… and they need to be involved in the entire process until the Buddha statue is completed.”
Ouyang Rong nodded: "I understand. The quota for the Donglin Buddha statue in Jiangzhou has been reserved for Lady Rong, right?"
"That's right."
Lin Cheng sighed:
"Ever since the King of Wei and the King of Liang promoted the construction of the Great Zhou Praise Center and the Four Directions Buddha statues, countless people in the Luoyang Astronomical Bureau have been eyeing these four limited spots. Among them are many senior officials who have been stuck at the sixth rank for a long time. It is truly remarkable that Lady Rongzhen was able to secure a place, whether in terms of strength or connections."
Ouyang Rong suddenly said, "Isn't Lin Lingtai Envoy also eager for the position that Lady Rong occupies?"
Lin Cheng nodded without any hesitation:
"That's right, but that was what I thought before I came to Jiangzhou. After visiting the Xunyang Grottoes in Jiangzhou, I didn't have much of a desire to go there."
Ouyang Rong smiled and asked, "Why is that?"
Lin Cheng hesitated for a moment, his words remaining vague:
"According to the teacher's guidance, the feng shui of Twin Peaks is not very good, and I need to stay away from it. That's not an opportunity for me, so I shouldn't think about it too much. Besides..."
"Besides what?"
Lin Cheng shrugged:
"Besides, even if I had any other thoughts, it wouldn't matter. This opportunity with the Donglin Buddha is already a certainty for Lady Rongzhen. Who would dare to compete? Not only do we have to get past the Grand Master of Fate, but we also have to get past that prince..."
"Which prince?" Ouyang Rong asked shrewdly.
Lin Cheng's expression changed slightly, as if he had accidentally let something slip. He immediately composed himself, smiled but remained silent, and changed the subject:
"Regarding the ceremony, Prefect Ouyang, please don't say it was me who spoke of it. Just keep it to yourself. Lady Rongzhen is indeed very loyal to Prefect Ouyang. If it were anyone else, they would be eager for the Buddha statue to be completed as soon as possible. Prefect Ouyang, you should handle the arrangements properly..."
Ouyang Rong frowned as he looked at him.
Lin Cheng looked completely innocent, glanced around, and prepared to leave.
"By the way, I wonder if Chief Secretary Ouyang will be free tomorrow afternoon?"
Ouyang Rong nodded: "Of course."
Lin Cheng smiled and said:
"Thinking back, I've been in Xunyang City for quite some time now. Recently, I've been inspecting the Xunyang Grottoes with Envoy Hu. I have great admiration for Prefect Ouyang's painstaking efforts in building the Buddha statue. At the same time, I also have some small insights and suggestions... Tomorrow, I will come with Envoy Hu. Let's meet and talk. Consider it... our last gathering before returning to the capital."
Ouyang Rong immediately understood that this was their last chance to express their stance and communicate before returning to Luoyang to report back.
He nodded immediately.
"Very well, then we will welcome Envoy Hu and Lin Lingtai tomorrow. If there is anything wrong with the Jiangzhou Hall, please feel free to speak up."
"Alright." Lin Cheng clasped his hands in a fist salute, then turned and left.
Ouyang Rong watched his figure disappear, then looked up at the already late sky and muttered to himself:
“Your Highness…which Your Highness…first, let’s rule out Uncle Li, then it’s easy to guess. Who else could be the prince who could oversee the construction of the four Buddha statues but that Prince Wei?”
"But what did Lin Cheng mean by saying that? Did he say it on purpose for me to hear? Or did he accidentally let it slip and deliberately tease me?"
Ouyang Rong's eyes showed a thoughtful expression, and he muttered to himself:
"Putting aside his ulterior motives for now, if what he said is true, then Rongzhen's ability to firmly occupy the position of the Donglin Buddha, preventing Lin Cheng from even having any thoughts about it, is due to the influence of the Prince of Wei's words..."
"But why would the King of Wei speak up for Rongzhen? Is it to curry favor with the emperor's favorite and make Rongzhen owe the Wei family a favor? But what would Rongzhen do if she owed a favor... wait a minute."
Ouyang Rong suddenly looked up.
The words Rongzhen had said to him not long ago, before they parted in the backyard of Yunshui Pavilion, flashed through his mind:
Ouyang Lianghan, tonight you revealed your selfish motives... But if I were to tell you, I also have my own selfish motives for coming to Xunyang City...
After a long silence, Ouyang Rong murmured:
“Wei Shaoqi…reversed the verdict…from the very beginning he has been relentlessly pursuing the case of the Butterfly Love Flower Master…”
Ouyang Rong suddenly turned his head and looked south towards the distant Dagushan Mountain in Longcheng.
He remembered something else.
When Ji Chu was on Da Gu Mountain, he stormed into the courtyard where Zhao Rushi's body was kept. While dealing with Li Li and the others one by one, he discovered that the Persian merchant was stalling for time, as if waiting for some reinforcements.
Ouyang Rong even speculated at the time, could it be Xue Zhongzhu who came later?
It now appears that Yunmeng Jianze and the Wei clan have no connection whatsoever, and are even on the verge of becoming enemies due to their shared blame.
That night, later at Dagushan, Ouyang Rong, who was preparing to destroy the evidence and leave, bumped into Rong Zhen, who seemed to be investigating the case and had come after him. It was also during that time that he mistakenly confiscated her purple undergarment...
"Was the reinforcement Li Li and the others were waiting for before they died yours... Or rather, did Li Li contact you under the pretense of providing clues, wanting to join you in besieging me at Dagushan, which is why you 'coincidentally' appeared at Dagushan at that time... and made contact."
Ouyang Rong sighed deeply and muttered to himself:
"Personal reasons...personal reasons...is this your personal reason, Lady Historian?"
"From the initial investigation of Zhao Rushi's case to the later case of the owner of Butterfly Love Flower, you have relentlessly pursued it... So you are not entirely selfless after all; do you also have some selfish motives?"
Ouyang Rong calmed down, returned to the carriage, turned to look at the dark night outside the window, and was speechless for a moment.
After an unknown amount of time, he looked away and rubbed his face hard.
"You said everyone has selfish desires, and I agree. You've asked me many times whether my public-spiritedness or my selfishness outweighs my selfishness..."
"And this time, in overturning the case of Zhao Rushi and Zhu Lingxu, how much of your actions were based on fairness, and how much on personal gain? Which one was more significant...?"
At this point, Ouyang Rong raised his head, frowned, and asked:
"No, why would Lin Cheng tell me all this? Was it accidental or intentional? What is his purpose in revealing Rong Zhen's information? Is he trying to lead me in some direction?"
His brow furrowed, and silence fell over the car.
Just then, the carriage stopped halfway. Ouyang Rong snapped out of his thoughts, turned around, and asked:
"What's wrong? Have we arrived?"
Ali's voice came from outside the carriage:
"My lord, there's a carriage stopped at the entrance of Huaiye Lane, blocking our way..."
Ouyang Rong lifted the carriage curtain and peeked at the unmoving, luxurious carriage at the alley entrance ahead. He immediately recognized it and calmly gave the order:
"Stop here for a moment, Ali. Wait for me over there. I'll be right back."
"Yes, Tanlang."
Ouyang Rong stepped down from the carriage and went straight into the understated luxury carriage in the shadows.
"What business does Your Highness have with me?"
Ouyang Rong entered, sat down directly, and asked without any politeness.
Across from them sat a young woman with plum blossom makeup, her face veiled in black gauze.
Her eyes were like stars, calm and serene, her makeup exuding a serene and timeless beauty. The black veil further accentuated the whiteness of her forehead and slender neck. Combined with the luxurious interior of the private room, featuring Persian carpets and plush pillows, she radiated an air of noble aloofness from within.
A woman wearing a black veil can actually evoke a sense of mystery and taboo, like the night itself, making most men want to tear off its mask of nobility and arrogance to see what's hidden inside...
Li Guo'er, who had been lost in thought, slowly turned her gaze back and glanced at Ouyang Rong's serious expression.
She parted her jade-like lips slightly:
"Where have you been going, coming back so late?"
"How long has Your Highness been waiting?"
Li Guo'er's pretty face was tense, and she said in a tone devoid of any emotion, "I came right when you were supposed to finish your shift."
"Cough cough."
Ouyang Rong was a little embarrassed.
"Excuse me, I had some miscellaneous business to attend to at Xingzifang... Your Highness, please speak if you need anything."
Li Guo'er lowered her eyes:
"It's not important official business I'm looking for you about, it's about my brother... Ouyang Lianghan, what's been going on with my brother lately?"
"What? What happened?" Ouyang Rong asked calmly.
Li Guo'er scrutinized his subtle expressions intently.
“My brother came to see me today and moved the soup kitchen of Bihantang to Xingzifang. He said he was going to distribute soup and clothes and do some charity work.”
“I asked him why he suddenly thought of doing this, and he said that he was influenced by Tanlang and wanted to learn from you… Ouyang Lianghan, what exactly did you teach him?”
“…” Ouyang Rong.
His first reaction was to refute, to immediately refute, that he hadn't taught anything!
But he quickly realized what was happening and restrained himself, keeping his mouth shut.
Did they move the soup kitchen from Bihantang to Xingzifang? Isn't there Princess Anhui's soup kitchen there? Are you sure it's for charity?
Ouyang Rong was both amused and exasperated.
What kind of expression is that?
Li Guo'er looked at him with a questioning gaze.
"No...it's nothing. Dalang is getting more and more efficient at doing things. He gets right to do it. Good, well done."
He praised sincerely, while the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.
(End of this chapter)
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