Chapter 528 Suffer a Little...The Infamy Is Mine... (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)
"The deceased was said to be named Wang Yu."
"It was the youngest son of Granny Wang, who died tragically in a fire the night before. In broad daylight, he jumped off the nearly completed Buddha statue."
"Good heavens, the Prince of Xunyang and the new Chief Secretary were inspecting the area at the time. He was literally killed right in front of them. I heard the scene was quite gruesome, and many people vomited on the spot."
"I heard that afterwards, the gentle Prince of Xunyang was helped out by the Crown Prince; he must have been quite frightened."
"Haha, I think that Vice Envoy Lin, who was parachuted in from Luoyang, is more interesting. I heard that the Prince of Xunyang and the others looked at him with suspicion, but this Vice Envoy Lin said directly that it had nothing to do with him..."
"Tsk tsk, is this an act to make excuses, or is he genuinely innocent and unlucky?"
"Who knows... But the most interesting thing, I heard, is that the coroner later found a blood-written letter on Wang Yu's body."
"A letter written in blood?"
"That's right, a letter written in blood. It directly and tearfully accuses Lin Cheng, the Right Deputy Supervisor of the Jiangnan Construction Project, and Wang Lengran, the Prefect of Jiangzhou, of colluding with unscrupulous merchants Pei and Shen Er to coerce innocent people, force them to buy and sell, disregard human life, and commit arson that led to the tragic death of his mother, Wang..."
"Wow……"
"Keep your voice down, keep your voice down. I heard the governor's office is blocking information... no, they've posted notices to sternly refute rumors, ordering the public not to spread 'rumors' about the Wang family..."
"Now, the new Chief Secretary Yuan Huaimin is soft-hearted and is suppressed by Governor Wang Lengran in political affairs. The governor's mansion has more power than the Jiangzhou government, so he can't speak as freely as before. You guys keep your voices down, don't send the proprietress to jail. She'll lose a husband, and then she'll lose her teahouse... Hey, speaking of which, I kind of miss the time when Ouyang Lianghan was here."
"Don't worry, Mrs. Xu, rumors stop with the wise. We'll keep our mouths shut, and even if we get caught, we won't betray you..."
In the morning, at a teahouse on a corner of Xunyang City, the middle-aged proprietress, who was doing the accounting at the counter, was looking at a group of gossiping tea drinkers with a dark face. Some tea drinkers would crane their necks toward her from time to time, laughing and joking.
Inside the teahouse, an elderly customer who had been sitting there all morning nodded in response:
"That young chief clerk was indeed quite good in his post. At least Xingzifang was not a mess at all, unlike now where it's all chaotic and disorderly. I've lived for so long, I can hardly understand the prices in the market anymore. The price of pork has almost doubled."
"The poor people next to Chengtian Temple have all been driven out. Not only do they have nowhere to live, but I heard that the governor's mansion also forbids them from affecting the appearance of the city near Donglin Buddha... They drive people everywhere, and now the whole city's security is not very good."
Someone was pouring tea while shaking their head:
"Yes, it's good if there's no turmoil. No turmoil is the greatest good governance. When things are peaceful at the top, things will be more lively at the bottom... Sometimes it's not the incompetence of officials that's scary, it's their love of causing trouble."
"What makes Ouyang Lianghan so remarkable is that he knows where to act and where not to act, or rather, when to act, with a sense of priority and urgency."
"Take Xingzifang for example. It was the most difficult place in Xunyang on the surface. Countless Jiangzhou officials wanted to take action against it to gain political achievements. However, when Ouyang Lianghan took office, he rarely mentioned Xingzifang in public. At that time, we could tell that he was a formidable person."
"Sir, you have great insight. Ouyang Lianghan was indeed a good chief historian for the people of Xunyang, unlike now..."
"Alright, alright, watch your words, watch your words..."
In a corner of the teahouse, a handsome young man put down his teacup, silently walked to the counter, paid his bill, and, under the furtive glances of the proprietress, left the teahouse and headed towards the Jiangzhou main hall.
Aside from his good looks, not many people in the teahouse noticed this unassuming young man in a felt hat and shirt.
Ouyang Rong just went to the Censorate to find Rong Zhen to prepare for a poetry gathering.
But there was no sign of the cold, palace-dressed girl.
I have no idea where they went so early in the morning.
So on his way back, Ouyang Rong stopped at a teahouse to relax and have some tea.
Ouyang Rong walked at a leisurely pace. The news he had just heard at the teahouse did not cause any ripples on his face. However, when he heard that the mother and son of the Wang family had died tragically in the fire, he buried his head and took a few bites of the cold, hard tea cake.
Jiangzhou Main Hall.
As Ouyang Rong entered the main hall, he was greeted by Li Xian and his son Li Dalang, who were pacing and waiting.
Yuan Huaimin and Yan Liulang were keeping him company.
Upon seeing Ouyang Rong return, the four of them hurriedly went to greet him.
"My love!"
Where did Lianghan go?
"The Censorate," Ouyang Rong explained, then calmly asked:
"Your Highness, what brings you here, Prince?"
After speaking, he glanced at the two of them briefly.
Li Xian's expression remained somewhat blank and absent-minded as he spoke to others, seemingly still caught up in something.
It was only when they saw Ouyang Rong that they came to their senses.
"Lianghan, are you aware of the matter concerning the old lady of the Wang family on Qingyang Heng Street and Wang Yu?"
Ouyang Rong nodded slightly.
"I've heard about it. What's wrong?"
Yuan Huaimin said weakly, "Brother Lianghan, you weren't there yesterday, so you couldn't feel that sense of awe."
"Hmm, that makes sense."
Li Dalang asked, somewhat confused:
"Tanlang, what should we do now? The Xingzifang statue is Grandmother's will, but now it has caused such a mess. What should we do? I understand why Lianghan strongly opposed it back then."
Ouyang Rong remained silent, lowering his eyes slightly.
Li Xian looked up and said:
"Lianghan, I must report this to the court. Lin Cheng is too opportunistic and cruel, bringing shame upon His Majesty. We cannot let him get away with this. I will impeach him for the matter of Wang Yu, the scholar of Jiangzhou Academy!"
His eyes were somewhat bloodshot as he said:
“Lianghan, do you have any good suggestions? Why don’t we submit a memorial together? You are familiar with the affairs of Jiangzhou and can better refute Lin Cheng.”
Ouyang Rong and Li Xian, father and son, looked at each other for a moment, then gently shook their heads:
"My advice is not to go for it, calm down, and wait a few more days to see."
"Why is this happening! Lin Cheng has already nominally disregarded human life, forcing the Wang family mother and son to their deaths in public!"
Li Xian spoke urgently:
"My love, I know I was wrong. I shouldn't have advised you that way!"
"Looking back now, you did absolutely nothing wrong. For someone like Lin Cheng, compromise is just a form of indulgence!"
"My love, do you know how I felt when I went to Xingzifang to inspect the Buddha statue and saw the corpse that had fallen and been smashed into a pulp in front of me?"
"My face is burning with pain. I feel that standing next to Lin Cheng, even for a moment, makes me his accomplice! What a load of rubbish about inspecting the Xingzifang statue!"
Ouyang Rong glanced at Li Xian, whose cheeks were puffed out, and continued to advise:
"As I said before, times have changed, Your Highness, please calm down."
"This king..."
Li Xian took a deep breath and muttered to himself:
"My lord, I have decided to submit a memorial to the throne and speak out, otherwise I will not be at peace with myself."
He pulled a memorial from his sleeve, his face showing reluctance, and said:
"I finished writing it last night, and this morning I read it several times and revised it a few times. But I'm still a bit apprehensive and unsure, so I came to consult my advisor, Tanlang, for some polishing..."
Ouyang Rong, who had been idle at home these days, remained silent for a moment, then made an exception and took the memorial, quickly glancing through it with his eyes down.
"Here...here...all the insults directed at Lin Cheng and Wang Lengran have been deleted, but what Old Madam Wang said can be left..."
He offered a few brief suggestions, returned the memorial, and turned to go inside.
Li Xian, who had been delighted to see that he was willing to help with the advice, paused for a moment and tried to persuade him to stay: "Won't you join me in submitting the memorial, my lord?"
"No."
Ouyang Rong shook his head, packed his things in the lobby, put on his coat, and went out the door.
"Where is Tanlang going?"
"I'm going back to Huaiye Lane to buy groceries," he answered truthfully.
Everyone stared in disbelief at Ouyang Rong's untainted figure.
A day passes in the blink of an eye.
In the evening, Ouyang Rong, who was preparing to pack his things and leave work early, saw the cold, palace-dressed girl appear at the door.
"Ouyang Lianghan, I heard you came to see me this morning?"
"Um."
"What is it?"
When Ouyang Rong explained his purpose, Rong Zhen hurriedly waved her hand:
"The poetry gathering isn't urgent. I was busy with other matters this morning."
Ouyang Rong didn't ask any questions, just nodded and said "Oh," then turned to leave.
Rongzhen couldn't help but call out to him:
"Regarding the Wang family you mentioned last time, I feel guilty for not taking good care of them. You... don't blame me?"
Ouyang Rong nodded: "Ms. Rong must have done her best."
"No, I had overestimated the moral standards of people like Lin Cheng. Now it seems they are nothing but hypocrites."
Ouyang Rong glanced at Rong Zhen's expression.
The latter took a deep breath: "This morning I was busy writing a memorial to His Majesty, stating that the Wang family's matter must not be easily tolerated..."
Ouyang Rong nodded, took his leave, and departed.
Rongzhen watched his retreating figure, but before he had taken more than a few steps, she suddenly called out to him:
“Ouyang Lianghan, did you foresee this day coming? Ever since His Majesty chose to relocate the Donglin Buddha to Xingzifang?”
Ouyang Rong did not answer.
...
In the past two days, memorials impeaching officials from Jiangzhou have been flying to Luoyang, the capital city.
The Wang family's situation is still rapidly escalating.
These memorials from Jiangzhou included some that vehemently denounced Lin Cheng, and others that subtly complained about him.
There are also those like Li Xian, the Prince of Xunyang, who never mentions Lin Cheng in the entire letter, but talks about some small things he did with Madam Wang in the letter. For example, how much Madam Wang respected His Majesty, how she had seen the two emperors in Luoyang, and how she was the kindest and most honest citizen of the Great Zhou... But now she has been struck by a disaster, not only dying in the fire for no reason, but also causing her son to be buried with her.
Lin Cheng, the person involved, also submitted a letter.
Instead of arguing, he confessed his wrongdoings, explaining his shortcomings and, aside from some strong words, almost agreeing with most of the criticisms, and requesting the court to punish him severely.
Almost all of these memorials were pressed onto a table deep within the Luoyang Palace, where they were read by an elderly woman in a dragon robe.
Half a month later.
The imperial edict from Luoyang, which was the result of the punishment, arrived in Jiangzhou City and was announced to the public.
Lin Cheng was punished by having three years' salary deducted, and the female official sent to him gave him a stern warning, but... he was not demoted.
He continued to serve as the Right Deputy Inspector of Jiangnan Circuit, and focused on the construction of the Donglin Buddha.
The Empress's actions immediately silenced the Jiangzhou officialdom.
Lin Cheng accepted the imperial decree with utmost respect. At the same time, he visited the Prince of Xunyang, Lady Rongzhen, Chief Secretary Yuan, and other officials who had submitted the memorial, to apologize and admit his mistakes. His attitude was extremely sincere.
Everyone fell silent.
However, before Lin Cheng could finish humbly admitting his mistake, the next day, Wang Lengran submitted a memorial to the imperial court, reporting the case of Wang Yu's suicide, which was being investigated by the governor's office.
Some key evidence was found: a pile of old letters... Wang Yu had been very close to Wang Junzhi and Yue Zi'ang of Jiangzhou State School, and they exchanged many letters.
Although many scholars in Jiangzhou State School were in similar situations, and Wang and Yue had long lost contact after joining the Kuangfu Army in rebellion.
However, at this sensitive time, these letters vaguely explained another possibility for Wang Yu's public self-immolation and suicide, which Wang Lengran reported to the court on suspicion.
Moreover, the memorial brought up the matter again... During Ouyang Lianghan's tenure as the chief secretary, he was in charge of the Jiangzhou Prefectural School. He not only received Li Zhengyan's rebel gang, who had not yet rebelled, but also became quite familiar with Wang Junzhi, who later stayed on as the prefectural school administrator in Jiangzhou.
The meaning is self-evident.
Although Wang Lengran's memorial did not draw a direct conclusion, every sentence implied a certain association.
Anyone with eyes can see the implication in his words: Ouyang Lianghan is the mastermind behind the Wang Yu case.
The strong counterattacks from Lin Cheng and Wang Lengran have attracted a great deal of attention.
However, it soon became clear to everyone in the court and among the people that Wang Lengran's memorial had also disappeared without a trace.
Even a few days later, Ouyang Rong's resignation application, submitted immediately in accordance with the unwritten rules of officialdom, was rejected by the Ministry of Personnel.
This suggestion is not accepted.
Ouyang Lianghan, the Sima of Jiangzhou, is safe and sound.
Meanwhile, some unsubstantiated rumors, of dubious veracity, were also circulating within the palace:
It turned out that when the emperor in Luoyang saw the memorial submitted by Wang Lengran, the governor of Jiangzhou, he turned to the female official and asked her about Yang Lianghan's recent whereabouts in Jiangzhou, who had refused to obey the imperial edict.
When they heard that this Jiangzhou Sima had not slept, had been late and left early, and had shown no sign of participating in the incident involving the tragic death of the Wang family, they were shocked.
The sage remained indifferent.
A disturbance was suppressed by the powerful hand of the emperor.
However, the way this incident was handled also indicates that the sage in Luoyang has no intention of suppressing any side for the time being.
Wang Lengran wisely refrained from submitting further petitions, while Lin Cheng continued to oversee the statue's construction, but also bore all the blame for the Wang family's misfortune.
But it's not too bad. At least for Lin Cheng, who only needs to please His Majesty, all the holdouts on Qingyang Hengjie Street have been removed, and no one can stop the Donglin Buddha from being built in Xingzifang anymore.
As for the two flames in Xiaoxiaoxingzifang at a certain time on a certain day at the end of the first year of Tianyou, they were quickly forgotten by all parties and the matter was left unresolved.
Everyone eagerly awaited the appearance of that benevolent-looking Buddha head.
...
Night, the study of the Prince of Xunyang's mansion.
Everyone gathered together.
Ouyang Rong also made an unprecedented appearance.
The attitude of the sage in Luoyang and the way he handled the incident left Li Xian and the others somewhat silent.
"Why does the Empress Mother protect her..." Li Xian asked bitterly.
"Because the Buddha statue is about to be completed, His Majesty will definitely protect Lin Cheng."
Li Guo'er suddenly spoke:
"Moreover, Lin Cheng is very cunning. In fact, the real cause of the Wang family's tragedy is not Lin Cheng, but everyone knows who it is, but they can't say it out loud. Lin Cheng's cleverness lies in the fact that he doesn't defend himself or shirk responsibility for the blame and infamy. He honestly accepts the accusations from his father and Yuan Changshi."
"He knew that in order to survive and rise through the ranks, he had to act as a shield, taking the blame for his grandmother's misdeeds. With such a wise and discerning minister, how could his grandmother not protect him..."
At this point, Li Guo'er looked at Ouyang Rong, who was quietly drinking tea, with a complicated expression:
"But later, Lin Cheng and Wang Lengran investigated Wang Yu's past. I didn't expect that... Looking back now, it was a close call. If you had participated in the memorial with your father and severely criticized him, they would have brought up Wang Yu's past identity at the right time."
"If we just consider your interactions with Wang Junzhi and Li Zhengyan when they passed through Xunyang, it might arouse Grandmother's suspicion. Even if she knows you have no reason to collude with rebels, suspicion is a complicated thing..."
"It's hard not to think back and wonder if you really did what happened to Wang Yu."
Upon hearing this, Li Dalang couldn't help but curse:
"Lin Cheng is a despicable man. He endures the insults without retaliating. It turns out that besides trying to please his grandmother, he was also plotting something big, wanting to drag his beloved Tanlang down with him!"
Li Guo'er sighed, "You didn't do anything the whole time, and you didn't take the opportunity to kick someone when they're down and get involved in this mess. Lin Cheng probably didn't expect that either."
Upon hearing this, Li Xian felt both relieved and deeply ashamed.
"My love, I was careless and almost implicated you. We have failed you..."
Ouyang Rong shook his head and said calmly:
"The ones who should truly feel guilty are the Wang family."
Everyone fell silent.
Waaaaah, please vote for me, my brothers! It's double vote period now, and I desperately need your votes. I can't be lazy anymore; we need to compete for a better ranking. And I can't let you down either; I have to add extra chapters for everyone! (Serious face)
(End of this chapter)
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