Chapter 738 Perilous Situation [Seeking Monthly Tickets!]
The hall fell silent for a moment, then Rongzhen turned and asked:
"Ouyang Lianghan, what are you thinking about?"
Ouyang Rong raised his head, as if coming back to his senses, and said:
"It's normal for the bandits to launch a counterattack while Duan Quanwu was away with his men in Hukou County. What's strange is why the soldiers who were left behind were so easily defeated and they ended up occupying Hukou County."
"Taking Hukou County was something that the pirates had failed to do on previous expeditions, but this time they did it with overwhelming force. Don't you find that strange?"
Rong Zhen also seemed to be thinking about this, and nodded:
That makes sense.
Ouyang Rong continued to ask:
"How many soldiers did Duan Quanwu leave behind in Hukou County before he left? How many did he take with him?"
“Leave three hundred armors behind, and take three hundred armors with you.”
"All of them are elite White Tiger Guards?"
"About right. There were originally 600 Jia over there. The 300 most elite Jia were brought back by Duan Quanwu. The remaining 300 Jia, although not the most elite, are still quite formidable. They are standard White Tiger Guards."
Ouyang Rong nodded slightly and said:
"That's right. Even three hundred White Tiger Guard soldiers would be enough to easily wipe out two mid-level Qi Refining rebels. But they were still annihilated by the counterattack of this group of water pirates. The strength of the water pirates should not be underestimated. Judging from the result, the three hundred soldiers left behind were far inferior to them in terms of combat strength."
In Ouyang Rong's memory, the three hundred White Tiger Guards were indeed very intimidating, so he was quite surprised when he learned of the news from Hukou County. He remembered that Ouyang Rong had previously used Qin Yanqing's three hundred Black Tortoise Guards to clean up all the spies of the rebels in the entire Tiannan Jianghu in Xunyang City. In terms of combat strength alone, the White Tiger Guards were even a level above the Black Tortoise Guards in terms of the imperial court's northern and southern guards.
Ouyang Rong knew very well that once such a well-organized military machine specifically targeting Qi Refiners was activated, three hundred men would be enough to make mid-level Qi Refiners avoid it. But now it was being crushed by the enemy, which was definitely not normal.
Rongzhen seconded:
"That's right. However, Duan Quanwu's men had previously discovered Qi Refiners among this group of river pirates and had reported it. They just didn't expect them to be so capable. Perhaps they have reinforcements. It's possible that the Queen of Yunmeng Sword Marsh, Yue Nu, is hiding among them."
She frowned and said:
"As for why the counterattack happened right after Duan Quanwu's men left, is it possible that this was a coincidence? Duan Quanwu had long ago mentioned that he would bring his troops back on the day of the celebration, and today is the day of the Buddha's celebration, which is the day when the rebels of Tiannan Jianghu are most likely to make their move."
Ouyang Rong tilted his head: "What do you mean?"
"It means that this group of rebels not only wanted to launch a counterattack, but also originally planned to wipe out Duan Quanwu and all the armored soldiers in one fell swoop. They had already mobilized enough manpower from the rebels in Tiannan Jianghu and were ready. However, Duan Quanwu happened to take half of the armored soldiers with him and left, which was a lucky escape, so they were not wiped out in one fell swoop."
Ouyang Rong thought for a moment and nodded: "That's possible."
He glanced towards the door and asked:
"Where is Duan Quanwu?"
"I met them at Shuangfengjian Ferry and ordered them to immediately lead the armored soldiers back to Xunyang Grottoes to set up defenses."
"Hmm." Ouyang Rong's face showed a thoughtful expression, mainly thinking about Wang Caozhi, Lu Ya and others who had been sent there.
Duan Quanwu has returned. Not to mention Wang Caozhi, Lu Ya should have followed Duan Quanwu back. However, he has not yet returned to the palace to protect the prince. He is somewhat late, and we don't know what he has been through.
It's unclear whether the two encountered the bandits who had occupied Hukou County. If so, things might be in trouble.
However, it is also possible that they left before the pirates occupied Hukou County, thus avoiding a counterattack from the pirates behind them.
As Ouyang Rong pondered quickly, Rong Zhen asked in a cold voice:
"Ouyang Lianghan, what do you think these pirates are planning? Where will they attack from once they get close to Xunyang City?"
Ouyang Rong pondered:
"Now that they have the government's large ships, they can fight on the water. Once they arrive in Xunyang, there are only two ways they can attack the Buddha."
"One option is to land at Shuangfengjian Ferry in a conventional manner, take advantage of the situation to occupy the south bank of Shuangfengjian where the ferry is located, establish a foothold, sever the connection between Xunyang City and Xunyang Grottoes, isolate the Buddha statue in the main grotto on the north bank and our remaining forces, and begin the assault."
"One method was to take advantage of the control of the government's large ships, bypass the ferry crossing, and directly turn into the Shuangfengjian waterway from the Yangtze River tributary. This would allow them to forcibly land on the main grotto on the north bank, or to anchor in the waterway and engage in naval warfare, attacking the Buddha statues and crowds on the shore."
Rong Zhen nodded slowly: "That's similar to what I was thinking. Which one do you think is more likely?"
Ouyang Rong stated frankly:
"Judging from their manpower, if they have already gathered enough people in Hukou County, then the second option is naturally the most suitable, allowing for a swift and decisive strike."
"If the people are not all here yet, then it will be the first method. In that case, this group of pirates will land on the south bank to break through the impregnable defenses of Shuangfengjian, waiting for the rebels in Tiannan Jianghu to gather before attacking the Buddha on the north bank and gradually taking control."
Rong Zhen nodded emphatically, her expression showing admiration.
"Okay, let's prepare for both scenarios. We need to devise defensive counter-attack strategies for both."
She frowned, glanced at the sky outside, and urged:
“Ouyang Lianghan, it’s getting late. Let’s not linger here. Come back to Xunyang Grottoes with me to set up defenses.”
Ouyang Rong nodded calmly.
“That’s fine, but I need to inform the Prince first.”
Rongzhen asked directly:
"Is Your Highness going today?"
Ouyang Rong pondered, "If it's not necessary, it's best to keep the prince in the city and not let him take any risks."
The girl in palace attire nodded: "I think so too. It's fine to let Li Congshan and Miaozhen guard the palace."
Ouyang Rong remained noncommittal, got up and left.
"Please wait a moment, Ms. Rong."
"Go back quickly."
"Um."
As soon as Ouyang Rong stepped outside, he saw Yan Liulang's figure. The latter was pacing and waiting on the corridor not far away, probably waiting for Ouyang Rong and Rong Zhen to finish their conversation.
Ouyang Rong breathed a slight sigh of relief.
In reality, the so-called notification to the prince was just a delaying tactic. He wanted to postpone the meeting to verify the information, but he couldn't tell Rong Zhen the truth.
Before Ouyang Rong went to the study to see Li Xian's family, he first took Yan Liulang to a nearby garden open space.
He asked with a calm expression:
"What's the rush?"
"Your Excellency, something terrible has happened! In Hukou County..."
Yan Liulang, in a hurry, reported the latest intelligence from Hukou County, which came through official channels. This included information about the group of river pirates who had already boarded their ships and were sailing down the river. The location of the ships they had hijacked was uncertain, and it was unknown when they would arrive in Xunyang...
After listening, Ouyang Rong showed no surprise, since he had already heard about it from Rong Zhen and was now more focused on filling in any gaps in his knowledge.
Yan Liulang asked in surprise, "Does Your Excellency already know?"
Ouyang Rong nodded and asked again:
"Have the people keeping watch over Xunyang Ferry sent any news? Has Master Lu returned?"
Yan Liulang shook his head:
"No, but Wang Caozhi sent a few trusted men back, saying they would replace Daoist Lu Ya and follow Duan Quanwu and his group by boat along the waterway..."
"What about Lu Ya? Isn't he coming back today?"
"I'm coming back, but before I left early yesterday morning, Wang Caozhi called me to help out, so I might be a little late."
Hearing this, Ouyang Rong lowered his eyes and remained silent, feeling slightly relieved.
Although Lu Ya did not return, he was at least by Wang Caozhi's side, which ensured the latter's safety. Even if Hukou County was captured, he should be able to escape.
Ouyang Rong had a lot of faith in Lu Ya's abilities.
Ouyang Rong suddenly looked up:
"Go to the governor's mansion to retrieve my governor's seal. I'll wait for you here. Return quickly."
"Yes, Your Excellency."
Yan Liulang left like a whirlwind, and Ouyang Rong turned back and continued towards the study.
In the back garden, inside the study.
The Li family has been waiting for a long time.
After Ouyang Rong arrived, he immediately repeated the information that Rong Zhen and Yan Liulang had just revealed.
"Was that secret letter placed by Rong Zhen?"
Xie Lingjiang asked first.
Ouyang Rong shook his head: "It's not certain yet, she didn't respond to me."
Li Guo'er said, "Since she's anonymous, it means she doesn't want us to know her identity."
Li Xian asked, "My lord, the Great Buddha is in crisis. What should our royal palace do?"
Ouyang Rong was quiet for a while, then took out the secret letter again and examined it closely.
Instead of serving it at the dinner table, present the recipe...
For some reason, every time he read this letter, he felt like he was being secretly watched, and it was a very unpleasant feeling.
Li Guo'er asked directly:
"Should we help with the Buddha statue? It seems the bandits from Tiannan Jianghu are likely to make their move today. If we help, it might invite their retaliation. Ouyang Lianghan, are you sure Rongzhen can hold them off today?"
Ouyang Rong did not answer, but said softly, "I wrote a letter a few days ago and went to the central army camp at the front."
Li Guo'er couldn't help but look at him with newfound respect.
The two looked at each other across the distance.
Li Guo'er raised an eyebrow, not asking further whether the reinforcements from Qin Jingzhen's side were coming to aid the Buddha or to aid the Prince's Mansion and pick up people to escape.
She asked again, "By the way, where's Lu Ya? Why hasn't he come back yet?"
Ouyang Rong shook his head: "It should be soon."
Li Xian looked worried, glanced at his youngest daughter and Tan Lang, and asked:
"Are all these contingency plans that Tanlang has prepared for the Buddha statue to fall?"
Ouyang Rong nodded, then shook his head.
Xie Lingjiang grabbed his sleeve and said:
"Why don't you skip the Xunyang Grottoes, Senior Brother? We'll stay out of it."
Ouyang Rong gestured to the secret letter in his hand and said seriously:
"Sometimes, the worst thing is that we don't take action against others, but they take action against us. They're not on the dinner table, but on the menu. We can't put all our hopes on other people's wins and losses. We can't let others decide and control the situation."
"What's the meaning?"
Ouyang Rong didn't explain, pursed his lips, and then said:
"I am the governor of Jiangzhou. I have no choice but to go. I need to preside over the victory celebration. Also, today at the main grotto, an old master will be playing the zither. The music he plays is exactly what I need. This may be the last time I hear it. In any case, I must go and see."
Everyone hesitated, as if they wanted to say something but then stopped.
Ouyang Rong spoke calmly to Wei Mei:
"Another batch of ice from the Ice Drinking Room will be delivered this morning. Well, let's just consider it the last batch of ice."
Wei Mei was taken aback upon hearing this, and exchanged a glance with Xie Lingjiang.
Upon hearing the words "last batch," Xie Lingjiang frowned and asked:
"Is Senior Brother sure?"
The two seemed to be exchanging secret messages.
Ouyang Rong nodded slightly:
"But don't move yet. Wait until Li Congshan and the others leave the palace before you go to drink ice."
Upon hearing the words "drinking ice," everyone looked at them strangely.
A moment later, Li Guo'er got up and left first, and Li Xian and the others also started to move and prepare themselves.
Xie Lingjiang accompanied Wei Mei out to receive the last batch of ice delivered by the Ice Drinking Room.
Before leaving, Ouyang Rong took paper, ink, brush, and inkstone and asked Li Xian for a warrant, which the latter truthfully confessed.
Before leaving, Ouyang Rong calmly walked to the table, took some extra paper, ink, and brushes, and stuffed them into his sleeve without caring about getting them wet.
As soon as he stepped out of the study, he saw Yan Liulang's figure, who had already returned with the seal.
Ouyang Rong walked over, took the governor's seal from his hand, took out his pen and paper, wrote a letter, stamped it with the seal, and handed it to Yan Liulang.
He seemed to have issued a rather strange order, and Yan Liulang was somewhat stunned after reading it.
However, Ouyang Rong had already strode away without saying a word. Yan Liulang respectfully clasped his hands in greeting as he watched Ouyang Rong's retreating figure.
"Yes, ma'am."
Ouyang Rong, with his hands tucked into his sleeves, returned to the main hall, found Rong Zhen, and went straight to the point:
"His Highness is unwell and cannot go for the time being. Let's go instead."
"good."
Rongzhen was decisive and efficient.
Ouyang Rong suddenly proposed:
"However, Your Highness has a suggestion. He plans to send Li Congshan and Miaozhen with three hundred armored soldiers from the Prince's Palace to protect the Buddha. This would be the Prince's Palace's contribution to the Buddha."
Rongzhen asked, "What about the Prince's residence? We need to take time to defend it, in case something happens to the Prince and the Heir Apparent..."
Ouyang Rong interrupted, "It's alright. The Prince's residence has some security measures in place, and the Prince told us we don't need to worry."
Rong Zhen hesitated for a moment, then Ouyang Rong took out two items from his sleeve, gestured, and nodded, saying:
"This is the Prince's personal order, and this is my official seal as governor. If anything goes wrong, I will take responsibility. Lady Rongzhen, you only need to nod in agreement."
Rong Zhen was quiet for a while, then looked at Ouyang Rong, who looked at her calmly.
"good."
Rong Zhen nodded heavily, and without further ado, wrote a letter in his own hand and handed it to Ouyang Rong.
Ouyang Rong nodded, took the three seals—the Li Xian warrant, the Jiangzhou Prefect's seal, and the Rong Zhen warrant—and handed them directly to Li Congshan, who was patrolling inside the mansion.
“This is…” Li Congshan exclaimed in surprise.
"General Li, please do as instructed."
Li Congshan hesitated for a moment, then clasped his hands in a fist salute, turned around, and went to gather manpower to prepare to leave the mansion and rush to the aid of the Buddha.
With the agreement of these three parties, even if Li Congshan and Miaozhen had some objections, they had to obey.
Ouyang Rong and Rong Zhen did not wait for Li Congshan and Miao Zhen to finish mobilizing their troops, and went ahead first.
The two quickly set off for Xunyang Grottoes.
...
At the entrance of the Xunyang Prince's Mansion.
About fifteen minutes had passed since Ouyang Rong and Rong Zhen's carriages and horses departed.
A luxurious carriage slowly came to a stop in front of the Prince's Mansion.
A silver-haired girl got off the carriage, looked around the Prince's mansion, and noticed that people were coming and going, as if troops were being mobilized. She frowned slightly, pulled a maidservant aside, whispered a few words to her, and the maidservant went inside to inform her.
Before long, Li Dalang hurriedly went out and rushed over.
"Miss Ye?" he asked in surprise.
With her back to the quiet, luxurious carriage behind her, Ye Weilai whispered a few words to Li Dalang.
Li Dalang immediately shook his head, pointed towards the Twin Peaks outside the city, and spoke a few words. Ye Weilai was taken aback for a moment, bowed and thanked him, then turned around and returned to the carriage. She said to Zhao Qingxiu, who was waiting earnestly:
"Sister Xiu Niang, an urgent message came from Shuangfengjian early this morning. Tanlang has gone ahead of schedule and probably won't have time during the day to preside over the celebration..."
Inside the car, Zhao Qingxiu looked up, her small face blank, it was unclear whether she had heard anything.
However, upon hearing the word "celebration," she swayed slightly.
Ye Weilai offered a few words of comfort and then ordered the carriage to return to the residence in Huaiye Lane.
Just before leaving, Li Dalang specifically instructed them to hurry back to Huaiye Lane and not to move around for the time being, as there might be danger in the city.
After sending Zhao Qingxiu back to Yinbingzhai, Ye Weilai went to find Zhen Shuyuan.
However, Ye Weilai was unaware that not long after she left, the Yinbingzhai became empty.
The slender figure had already disappeared.
The long cloth bag I always carry with me is also gone...
About half an hour later, on an official road outside the city, Zhao Qingxiu's figure moved swiftly towards the twin peaks.
A hint of worry flickered across her face, as if she feared that if she arrived even a moment too late, her beloved would run into her senior sisters...
(End of this chapter)
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