Chapter 701 Demanding Merit
The Prince's Study.
Li Guo'er paused slightly in her petting of the cat, frowning and glancing sideways:
"Ouyang Lianghan, why are you looking at me like that?"
Ouyang Rong shook his head and did not answer.
Wei Mei, standing to the side, said with a beaming smile:
"With the Buddha statue successfully completed, Qilang, as the supervisor of the construction in Jiangnan, has already secured his credit. Now, with Tanlang's unique design of the 'Golden Auspicious Light,' returning to the capital shouldn't be too difficult. Tanlang is truly reliable."
Ouyang Rong shrugged helplessly:
"If I said I didn't do it on purpose, would you believe me?"
The expressions on Li Xian's family's faces were indeed skeptical.
Even people like Li Xian gave him strange smiles, as if to say they understood him, well, everyone understood.
Only Li Guo'er carefully observed his subtle expressions, seemed to consider them seriously, and suddenly spoke:
"Even if there was an element of luck involved, it was your personal fortune, your good luck. Heaven wouldn't favor a good-for-nothing for no reason. You have the qualifications, it's part of your strength, and you deserve it. There's no need to be modest."
Faced with the chorus of opinions, Ouyang Rong pondered for a moment, then slowly shook his head in front of them:
"No, this golden auspicious light is not my doing, it belongs to the prince."
Li Xian was somewhat bewildered, pointing at himself: "Huh? Me?"
Ouyang Rong nodded: "Yes, just say... say it's the prince's plan, and we're relying entirely on the prince."
He hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back.
The people around them, including Li Guo'er, Li Dalang, and Wei Mei, had expressions of either deep thought, sudden enlightenment, or a sudden brightening of their eyes.
Li Dalang asked with a somewhat complicated expression:
"Does Tanlang mean that we should give the credit to Father and concentrate our resources so that our palace has a better chance of leaving Xunyang City and returning to the capital? Is that right?"
Ouyang Rong nodded calmly.
Wei Mei was both surprised and moved:
"Tanlang is truly considering the bigger picture, but this is all thanks to you. Although we don't need to stand on ceremony with each other anymore, isn't this a bit inappropriate?"
Li Guo'er remained silent, stroking the cat with her head down. The fluffy head of the cat in her arms stretched forward, its bright eyes looking at Ouyang Rong with a curious gaze, as if it were expecting something.
Surprisingly, Li Xian suddenly shook his head and said:
"No, this is not appropriate. I cannot shamelessly take credit for Tanlang's work."
He turned to Wei Mei and the others who were preparing to offer advice and said:
"My mother knows perfectly well what abilities I have and how much knowledge I possess, as do the officials in the court. There's no need for this. I'm too ashamed to take credit that belongs to Tanlang."
"Is that your main concern...?"
Ouyang Rong lowered his eyes and murmured, pondering for a moment before revising his suggestion:
"Then that's settled. The credit for the auspicious golden light will still go to Your Highness. But we'll change the story later. We'll say that the location of the Donglin Buddha was something Your Highness dreamed about one day, and that it was guided by a deity or auspicious beast. After waking up, Your Highness gave me some advice... That would make sense."
"When the time comes to report the victory, Your Highness can make the story of the deity appearing in your dream even more mysterious and exciting. It will be a good omen, and His Majesty will surely like it."
Ouyang Rong spoke more and more fluently, offering a series of suggestions.
After listening, Li Xian still firmly shook his head:
"No, no, this is Tanlang's achievement, there's no need to give it to me. Actually, that factor was only one aspect, the second was..."
The Prince of Xunyang paused for a moment.
Ouyang Rong asked curiously, "What is it?"
Li Xian couldn't help but glance at Ouyang Rong a few more times before speaking:
"Secondly, that lady named Rongzhen is obviously on good terms with Tanlang and wants to promote him. She will definitely speak well of Tanlang to the Empress Dowager."
“Ms. Rongzhen was involved in the entire construction of Xunyang Grottoes. She can easily expose our fabricated dream.”
Ouyang Rong hadn't expected this, and his brows furrowed.
Li Dalang took the initiative to smooth things over, saying, "This matter needs to be decided later, there's no rush..."
Ouyang Rong glanced at Li Xian's insistent attitude and decided not to bring up the matter for the time being.
He glanced at the sky outside, then lowered his head and took a sip of hot tea.
Li Dalang took the initiative to say:
"Miss Xie may not be back for a while, so Tanlang doesn't need to stay with us. You can go find her and tell her the good news."
He held back his laughter:
"My lord, you don't know that in the days you were away, Miss Xie went out every day to visit Madam Zhen at the Huaiye Lane residence, and she also went to see Yan Liulang every day to ask about the Xunyang Grottoes. Sometimes she would ask several times a day."
Ouyang Rong glanced at him, but neither replied nor got up to leave.
He gently put down his teacup and said:
"There's one more thing we need to discuss. We'd like to hear the opinions of Your Highness and everyone else."
Li Xian and Wei Mei held hands and gazed tenderly into each other's eyes. With the completion of the Donglin Buddha statue, the sword that had been pressing down on the Prince's Mansion was finally lifted. At least there was no need to worry about failing to deliver due to unexpected events such as the rebels in the southern Jianghu, or being blamed by the Empress.
Upon hearing Ouyang Rong's words, Li Xian said gently:
"Tanlang can decide."
Ouyang Rong calmly said:
"We still need to hear everyone's opinions. Actually, I'm fine with anything."
Li Guo'er asked, "What is it?"
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Ouyang Rong spoke softly:
"A ribbon-cutting ceremony. Rongzhen and the others suggested that on the day the completion of the Buddha statue is announced to the public, a completion ceremony similar to a ribbon-cutting ceremony should be held. At that time, officials and people from Xunyang will be invited to attend and celebrate the completion of the Donglin Buddha statue together."
"In addition, we will invite a skilled painter to paint the grand ceremony, and together with the auspicious golden light at sunrise on the Buddha's first day, we will send it to Luoyang to present to His Majesty, hoping to win a smile from the emperor."
Li Xian and the others looked at each other in bewilderment.
A moment later, Li Dalang sighed, "No wonder he's from the palace; he knows how to please Grandmother."
Li Guo'er asked calmly:
"Who first brought this up, and who has agreed to it so far?"
Ouyang Rong glanced at her and said fluently:
"It was proposed by Lady Rong first, and Deputy Supervisor Song, Commander Yi, and Lady Miaozhen immediately agreed. Military officers such as Wei Mi, Duan Quanwu, and Li Congshan also supported it."
"So, back then, Ouyang Lianghan, you were the only one with reservations. What were you worried about?"
Ouyang Rong paused for a moment, then said:
"It's not that I'm worried, it's just that I'm used to being conservative. This time it was a bit too high-profile, and I really don't want to go..."
Li Xian pondered for a moment and said:
"I think holding a celebration ceremony is fine, but we must be careful about the Jianghu in Tiannan. It would be bad if they took the opportunity to cause trouble."
Ouyang Rong nodded directly and said:
"I brought this up, and Lady Rong said she had considered it. Judging from her demeanor, she didn't seem like she would take it lightly. Besides, the Donglin Buddha statue has already been completed, and the weakest point of the Xunyang Grottoes has passed..."
"Well, it's not impossible for the rebels from the Jianghu in the south to come, but I don't understand why they didn't come before. In the words of Lady Rong, now that the Buddha statue has been laid, we're just waiting for them to come, hoping they'll stumble upon us..."
Ouyang Rong shook his head slightly as he finished speaking.
Li Xian breathed a long sigh of relief:
"That's good. I have no objections. If I had to say something, it would be that we should invite fewer people to the celebration ceremony, both commoners and officials, so as not to let the original defenses be confused by the crowd and cause any oversights or loopholes."
Ouyang Rong nodded: "Okay."
In fact, he had already mentioned this point to Rongzhen, who readily accepted it.
Li Guo'er tilted her head and asked:
"What's interesting about this matter is the attitude of the people at Xunyang Grottoes. Ouyang Lianghan, have you considered why Rongzhen is holding this celebration, and why everyone else is so unanimously in agreement?"
Ouyang Rong glanced at her; the two seemed to share a tacit understanding.
He nodded and said:
"I was thinking about this matter on the way here. It's easy to guess that Lady Rong has some ulterior motives. She organized this completion celebration to curry favor with His Majesty."
"As for the fact that everyone else agrees, it is naturally because this matter is beneficial to everyone. It makes it easier to celebrate the victory. The grander the ceremony, the happier His Majesty will be, and the greater the merit will naturally be. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. Similarly, officials who know how to celebrate the victory and report on it are more likely to be promoted in the court."
Li Guo'er praised:
"That's right, it's pretty much what I analyzed. Actually, Rongzhen might have another purpose in holding this celebration."
She calmly replied:
"Inviting officials and common people to observe can actually boost the morale of Xunyang while promoting the glory of the sage, and indirectly undermine the prestige of Yunmeng Jianze. It will let the people of Xunyang in Jiangzhou, and even the people of Jiangnan Road, know that the majesty of the imperial court is inviolable, even if it is the legendary Yunmeng Yuanjun."
Li Dalang said with some worry, "Wouldn't that be further provoking Yunmeng Jianze?"
Li Guo'er nodded:
"Sort of, but I just heard Ouyang Lianghan say that this lady named Rongzhen seems to have been waiting for this, which may be one of the hidden purposes behind her holding this ceremony."
Ouyang Rong pursed his lips.
Li Dalang muttered to himself, "So how should we express our stance on this matter?"
Li Guo'er glanced at the silent Ouyang Rong and said crisply:
"Naturally, this is the direction that maximizes our interests. With so many people already supporting us, this kind of celebration ceremony is just for our subordinates to claim credit. Father, Ouyang Lianghan, and we can't go against the grain."
"Besides, this matter is actually beneficial to us, so let's do it. The happier Grandmother is, the more credit we will get, and we'll also benefit from it."
At this point, Li Guo'er changed the subject:
"Ouyang Lianghan, what do you think?"
Ouyang Rong glanced at the little princess with plum blossom makeup who was staring intently at him.
"Me too."
Li Guo'er didn't let him off the hook, and continued to ask him a few more questions, which Ouyang Rong vaguely answered.
After a short while, Ouyang Rong finished his tea and waved his hand to politely decline Wei Mei's offer to pour him more tea.
Standing up, before leaving, he, who had been lost in thought with his eyes downcast, uttered a single sentence:
"It can be done, but we should avoid going to the celebration if possible, just in case."
Li Guo'er frowned at first, then her eyes lit up slightly, and she answered crisply:
"good."
"My love, why don't we go?"
Li Guo'er put down the jade pendant in her arms and patiently explained to Li Dalang, who looked on with curiosity and doubt:
"First, safety;"
"Secondly, in case of an accident, it will be easy for us to shift the blame, or at least we won't be held accountable. Because if something really happens and we are investigated, Rongzhen and the others will be the ones to take the lead, and we will at most be implicated."
"Moreover, the suggestions we make now are the last ones to be answered. Just in case, it will give the court the impression that we followed them helplessly and offered our advice with concern."
Li Dalang couldn't help but slap the armrest: "So that's how it is."
Ouyang Rong was seen off by Li Xian and Wei Mei, who treated him with great courtesy. Li Xian tugged at Ouyang Rong's sleeve and asked him a few questions, mainly inquiring about Zhen Shuyuan's birthday gift. Ouyang Rong answered a few questions.
Upon hearing Li Guo'er's analysis of Li Dalang from behind, Ouyang Rong, who was straightening his clothes and preparing to go out, remained silent.
Before he stepped out the door, Wei Mei stopped him again:
"Tanlang, why hasn't Li Congshan left yet? Can't you switch my nephew with him? Speaking of which, Li Congshan must have figured out our attitude by now, he's getting a bit shameless."
Ouyang Rong shook his head:
"There are only three candidates here. General Wei and Xuanwu Wei need to stay at Xunyang Grottoes to set up defenses, which involves a certain formation... Duan Quanwu is even less suitable, as he is suspected of having connections with the Wei family. Let him continue to suppress the bandits. That leaves only Li Congshan."
Wei Mei nodded reluctantly:
"Alright then, I'll have someone make some soup and send it over tonight, and we'll see how it goes in a few more days."
"Your Highness has worked hard."
Ouyang Rong offered a few words of comfort and then left the palace.
Back in the carriage.
He sat quietly for a while.
Actually, there was another benefit to holding this completion ceremony, which Ouyang Rong didn't mention at all.
Because it's for him.
Inviting Jiangzhou officials and residents to observe the celebration ceremony can actually be a way to accumulate merit.
After pondering for a while, Ouyang Rong instructed Ali to go to the main hall of Jiangzhou.
Upon entering the main hall, Ouyang Rong gave a few instructions to those below. Shortly afterward, Yan Liulang, Pei Shisan Niang, and others arrived one after another.
Ouyang Rong questioned them carefully.
He checked again and found that apart from the unusual behavior of the group of river pirates from Hukou County, nothing had happened in Xunyang City during the ten days he was away.
Ouyang Rong glanced at the sky, then returned to the main hall, summoned the officials of the governor's office, and brought over a pile of important documents that had accumulated over ten days. He then revised and signed them one by one and began processing them.
During this time, he heard a series of crisp tapping sounds from the small wooden fish inside the pagoda.
His merits increased out of thin air.
A quick calculation suggests that this should be the merit points gained from his order to lift the ten-day lockdown on Xunyang City due to flooding... The lockdown did indeed affect people's livelihoods, and resentment was bound to grow and gradually accumulate.
With an hour left before evening, Ouyang Rong finally finished dealing with the most important batch of official business.
Having extricated himself from the situation, he immediately took off his official robes and went to work on the spot.
Upon returning to the carriage, Ouyang Rong eagerly gave the following instructions:
"Go to the embroiderer's courtyard."
"Yes, young master."
About half an hour later, at the shore of Xingzi Lake, Ouyang Rong lifted the carriage curtain and glanced into the distance.
The quiet courtyard is surrounded by vermilion walls, paired with dark blue eaves tiles.
It gives people a feeling that is both romantic and profound.
This is also how Ouyang Rong feels every time he sees the quiet courtyard from afar; it's almost become a conditioned reflex.
It shares the same red walls as Chengtian Temple. If Ouyang Rong is not mistaken, this quiet courtyard used to be property of Chengtian Temple. Later, because of its good location by Xingzi Lake, it was bought by a wealthy pilgrim. Eventually, it came into the hands of Pei Shisan Niang and became the residence of the embroiderer...
(End of this chapter)
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