Chapter 838 Even Governor Ouyang Wants to Slack Off
Yinbingzhai, inner room.
Ye Weilai lowered her head, stepped off the bed, and tightly gripped Ouyang Rong's sleeve, refusing to let go.
She slipped the letter into Ouyang Rong's sleeve.
Ouyang Rong, however, pushed it back without any room for argument.
“This is not a game. You must listen to me. I am very touched that you have been working so hard by my side these days, but this is not a solution. I have delayed you. Now it is time for you to get back on track. Go back to the capital.”
Ye Weilai was on the verge of tears, and couldn't help but say:
Why not go back to Nanlong?
Ouyang Rong pursed his lips:
"Wei Lai, I remember saying a long time ago that it was a waste of your talents to be my bed warmer. Since there is a wider world to explore in Luoyang, you should go there."
"The past two years in Xunyang City, allowing you to focus on your studies, were actually preparations for this moment."
Ye Weilai subconsciously said, "But Nu'er studies only for...for..."
“I know that you were bullied by Rongzhen when you first met her, which motivated you to study hard. That spirit is admirable, and you should keep it up.”
Ouyang Rong patted Ye Weilai's shoulder encouragingly:
"Silly girl, it's not like I don't want you anymore. I'm just sending you to Luoyang first. Once I find the embroiderer, I'll come over too, and then we'll be reunited."
"Besides, you're not all alone over there. Wait a minute, take this."
Before Ye Weilai could explain, Ouyang Rong turned and went to the study. He returned shortly afterward with a wooden hairpin in his hand.
Ye Weilai looked at the hairpin, then at the icy white jade hairpin on Ouyang Rong's head.
This wooden hairpin was one that Ouyang Rong had replaced; he had been wearing it all along, and all the women recognized it.
"Once you arrive in Luoyang, after giving the letter to your junior sister, you can take this hairpin with you and go find anyone."
"I mean, you can give it to your junior sister, or to Lady Rong, or even to the little princess. Well, it's fine with the eldest son too. Just pick one person, give the wooden hairpin to her, and then keep it by her side."
"Go pick a place that makes you comfortable. I know that although you have a good relationship with your junior sister and seem to get along well with others, and you are very tactful, you still have your own likes and dislikes. Now you can choose for yourself, and I will not interfere."
"After you've chosen the right person, whoever gets this hairpin will take good care of you. Just stay here and wait for my aunt and me to come over."
Ye Weilai was somewhat moved, and under Ouyang Rong's pull, she gripped the wooden hairpin tightly.
She stared blankly at Ouyang Rong, and after a moment spoke:
"My love, I'm so afraid I'll never see you again."
Ouyang Rong smiled:
"They say that those who survive a great calamity are destined for good fortune. Let me count how many times I've survived. Hmm, I've got plenty of good fortune ahead of me. If they want to take my life, Ouyang Lianghan, they'll have to see how tough their luck is."
Ye Weilai seemed to resign herself to her fate, sniffed, and asked:
"Tanlang, what do you need to do by sending me away? Is it inconvenient for you to take me with you? But I am a very good girl. I will wait wherever you tell me to wait. I will not interfere with your business."
She tried again.
Ouyang Rong waved his hand dismissively: "Then go to Luoyang and wait there."
Ye Weilai hesitated, then asked, "Where exactly is Tanlang going? Has the government found any trace of Yue Nu?"
Ouyang Rong turned and walked towards the door, leaving behind a sentence:
"I didn't find them, but they're all hiding and won't come out. Okay, I'll go over myself."
...
The next day.
Ouyang Rong took the initiative to find Hu Fu.
"Didn't Ambassador Hu sleep well last night?"
He noticed Khufu's dark circles under his eyes and couldn't help but ask.
Khufu waved his hand, yawned, and said:
"No, no, we just stayed up a little late and went to enjoy the scenery of Xunyang."
"Xunyang Scenery?"
Ouyang Rong spoke in a strange tone and couldn't help but sized up the tall, bearded eunuch.
"What was Governor Ouyang thinking? He was just taken by Chief Clerk Yuan to listen to a piece of music, a pipa piece unique to Xunyang."
"Moreover, Commander Yi is also here. How could my family and Chief Secretary Yuan do anything reckless? Chief Secretary Yuan is very honest. It's obvious that when he goes to those brothels, he really only listens to music and doesn't get involved in worldly affairs. He truly loves music and art."
Hu Fu sighed and stroked his stubble.
Ouyang Rong was somewhat speechless, and subtly reminded him:
"Eunuch Hu, please be careful of Chief Secretary Yuan. He's a night owl and used to staying up late. Don't let him influence you too much."
"Very well, Governor Ouyang's words are invaluable."
Khufu flicked his sleeve, his face radiating righteousness, and snorted:
“From this day forward, our family will stay far away from that crony, Chief Secretary Yuan.”
Just then, Yuan Huaimin and Yi Qianqiu walked into the hall and heard Hu Fu's righteous words.
Yuan Huaimin was also taken aback.
He turned and exchanged a glance with Yi Qianqiu.
Yi Qianqiu's face immediately turned cold.
In the next instant, Yuan Huaimin took off running outside.
Yi Qianqiu also disappeared from the spot.
Immediately, Ouyang Rong and Hu Fu heard the sounds of wrestling and dislocation coming from outside.
Yuan Huaimin's voice was urgent:
"Qiu Niang, Qiu Niang, you went with me last night too. You know I only listened to the music, I didn't do anything. We didn't get back until dawn, there was no second half... Oh dear!"
Khufu felt a little embarrassed and prepared to leave.
Ouyang Rong stopped him and brought up serious business.
He was very serious:
"Ignore him. Don't be fooled by his complaints; he's actually enjoying himself. Don't bother them."
Khufu paused for a moment, then suddenly realized:
"So that's why they like this kind of thing. We always said that the two of them are together all the time, but we never see them being affectionate. Turns out, this is how they show affection."
"That's right."
Khufu turned around and asked:
"What are your orders, Governor Ouyang?"
Ouyang Rong spoke:
"Could you please take someone with you when you return to Beijing this time, Ambassador Hu?"
"who?"
"A female relative, Hu Zhongshi is escorted by imperial guards, so she is safer."
"No problem, but we can't take her into the palace. How about we send her to your junior sister when we get to Luoyang?"
"That's exactly what I was thinking. Thank you for your help, sir."
After the two reached an agreement, Yi Qianqiu walked into the hall, followed by Yuan Huaimin, who limped but had a serious expression.
Yi Qianqiu clasped his hands in a fist salute:
"Prefect Ouyang, the handover in Xunyang City has been completed. I am preparing to return to the capital with Eunuch Hu. Is that alright?"
Hu Fu looked at Ouyang Rong and Yi Qianqiu with some curiosity, not quite understanding why Yi Qianqiu, as the commander of the White Tiger Guard, would seek Ouyang Rong's opinion.
However, upon reflection, the demeanor of this Prefect Ouyang is indeed quite admirable.
Ouyang Rong and Yi Qianqiu exchanged glances and saw the sincerity in her eyes.
Nod:
"Commander Yi, please make yourself at home."
Ouyang Rong looked at Yuan Huaimin: "Aren't you going back?"
Yuan Huaimin scratched his head:
"Why should I leave? I am the Chief Secretary of Jiangzhou. I cannot leave without being transferred. Besides, Lianghan is here too."
Yi Qianqiu suddenly spoke:
"If all goes well, Huaimin will leave another day. My father originally planned to arrange it, but if Governor Ouyang is unwilling, then let Huaimin stay by your side. It will also be a learning opportunity for him."
Yuan Huaimin was somewhat speechless.
Ouyang Rong replied, "But I may not stay in Xunyang any longer; perhaps I will have to leave soon."
"What's the meaning?"
Yuan Huaimin, Yi Qianqiu, and Hu Fu looked at the young governor with surprise.
Ouyang Rong took out a memorial from his bosom and handed it to Hu Fu.
"Besides asking you to escort that lady to Luoyang, I have another favor to ask."
"This is?"
Ouyang Rong handed the memorial to Hu Fu and said earnestly:
"Please be sure to submit this to Fengtai for me."
Khufu did not open it, and suddenly said:
"Is Governor Ouyang still preparing to resign?"
Ouyang Rong said seriously:
"Yes, I haven't been feeling well lately, perhaps due to the aftereffects of my drowning in Longcheng. I plan to rest for a few months and request to temporarily resign from my acting position as Governor of Jiangzhou and return to my official post as Sima of Jiangzhou."
Yi Qianqiu seemed to understand something, and it was confirmed once again. She looked at Ouyang Rong with a meaningful gaze, without the slightest surprise, and asked:
"He didn't even bring his female relatives. Where does Governor Ouyang plan to recuperate?"
Ouyang Rong glanced at her.
Hu Fu and Yuan Huaimin also looked on curiously.
Ouyang Rong joked:
"It might be Donglin Temple in Longcheng."
Looking at the young governor who was clearly not ill, Hu Fu sighed:
"Miss Xie and Mr. Xie were right after all."
Ouyang Rong tilted his head:
"What's the meaning?"
Khufu sighed:
"Before I received the imperial decree to leave the capital, Miss Xie and Mr. Xie came with the Earl of Shun at night and asked me to stop them if they were to leave Xunyang and you, Prefect Ouyang, were to resign."
Ouyang Rong remained silent for a moment.
Khufu lowered his voice and said:
"First of all, Governor Ouyang is now a virtuous minister in His Majesty's eyes, so it's not so easy for him to resign. Although he is acting governor of Jiangzhou, I heard that the Ministry of Personnel is already drafting the procedures for his transfer to the position of governor. Governor Ouyang will probably receive his appointment letter soon."
"Secondly, Mr. Xie and Miss Xie are worried that after you resign, you'll be stuck in a vacancy and won't get a better position. So they suggest that we stop you at this time and have you find a more tactful way to handle things."
Yuan Huaimin couldn't help but ask, "What other smooth way is it?"
In fact, Ouyang Rong already knew the general idea, but before he could speak, Hu Fu whispered:
"If Governor Ouyang really has to leave Xunyang to attend to other matters, he should change his excuse and simply ask for three months' leave, saying that he is recuperating from injuries in Jiangzhou. At that time, no matter where you go, whether it's Longcheng or somewhere else, you can use the excuse of recuperating your mind and body."
Ouyang Rong frowned: "Isn't this dereliction of duty and negligence in governance?"
Yuan Huaimin, however, grew anxious and corrected him sternly:
"Hey, how is this dereliction of duty or laziness? It's clearly working despite being injured and doing his job conscientiously."
Ouyang Rong: "..."
As expected of Brother Huaimin, you always have the power to drag everyone down into being lazy and complacent, and you do it all with a clear conscience, disrupting the environment wherever you go.
In fact, Ouyang Rong understood why his junior sister and mentor Xie Xun had been wary of him beforehand, because he had a precedent for this back in Longcheng County.
In order to go to the Pure Land Palace and exchange blessings for a way to return home, Ouyang Rong resigned from his position as county magistrate and prepared to leave alone.
In Xie Xun and Xie Lingjiang's eyes, Ouyang Rong was the kind of straightforward person who would rather suffer losses than occupy a position without contributing anything.
Ouyang Rong fell silent.
Even if he didn't submit a memorial about recuperating from his injuries, he would still hold the position of Governor of Jiangzhou. He could simply slack off and let Yan Liulang handle everything.
But I just feel that this is very inconsiderate.
Yi Qianqiu suddenly said, "Prefect Ouyang, have you thought about the people of Jiangnan? You're leaving like this, what will become of them?"
Ouyang Rong frowned:
"There's nothing I need to do right now, and I've already dealt with the aftermath of the Battle of Twin Peaks these past few days."
Yi Qianqiu shook his head: "Has Governor Ouyang forgotten the war in the southwest?"
Ouyang Rong immediately fell silent.
Yi Qianqiu calmly analyzed:
"Although there is no war in the southwest now, I don't know if it was affected by the Battle of Shuangfengjian and the Kuangfu rebels were temporarily relieved, but autumn is approaching and these rebels could come at any time. Governor Ouyang is the main logistics officer that General Qin relies on. If he leaves directly, who will take charge of the rear area of the southwest front?"
Ouyang Rong remained silent for a moment, then sighed.
Even though I've been busy and thought I was about to get away, there's always a responsibility weighing on my shoulders.
Upon seeing this, Khufu's eyes lit up.
Yuan Huaimin also gave Yi Qianqiu an approving look, but with his face bruised and swollen, raising an eyebrow aggravated his pain, causing him to grimace and hiss in pain.
Ouyang Rong remained silent for a moment, then slowly nodded.
"I will first submit a letter requesting leave to recuperate in Jiangzhou. If the court has a suitable candidate, they may send him directly to replace me as governor. If there is no suitable candidate, I will continue to act as governor. If the war situation changes, I will perform my duties diligently. However, my primary position is still Sima of Jiangzhou, a point I have never forgotten."
"good!"
Khufu and the others immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
Yuan Huaimin nodded in agreement:
"Yes, yes, you mean the Jiangzhou Sima? I don't know why you like this position so much, Lianghan. It's a position that everyone else avoids like the plague."
Ouyang Rong neither agreed nor disagreed.
He went to the main hall, retrieved paper and pen, changed the wording of the memorial, and used new language.
A moment later, the new memorial was handed back to Hu Fu, who carefully put it away.
Hu Fu set a date for their departure, at which time Ouyang Rong would bring Ye Weilai along to accompany the imperial envoy back to the capital.
Yi Qianqiu and Miaozhen will also travel together.
As for Yuan Huaimin and Yan Liulang, they remained in Xunyang City as Ouyang Rong's deputies.
"Sixth Brother, are you really not going to Luoyang?"
On the carriage back to the mansion in Huaiye Lane, Ouyang Rong suddenly asked Yan Liulang, who was driving the carriage.
Yan Liulang carefully gripped the reins and rode along the long street:
“Your Excellency, you know me. I just like being by your side. As for going to Luoyang to become a high-ranking official, I don’t care, unless Your Excellency goes there too.”
Ouyang Rong paused for a moment, then said:
"I'm sorry to have troubled you."
Yan Liulang shook his head resolutely:
"No, it is Your Excellency who has been wronged."
After a moment of silence, Yan Liulang couldn't help but turn around and ask:
"The magistrate is going to Longcheng to recuperate from his injuries."
Ouyang Rong sat upright with his sleeves tucked in, seemingly murmuring:
"I need to visit Liu's mother and Aqing; it's been so long since I've seen them."
night.
Yinbingzhai Study.
Ouyang Rong put on his clothes, got up, and went to the desk.
On the other side of the bed, a certain obedient and submissive white-haired girl was exhausted and fast asleep with her fair shoulders bare.
On a late summer night, her rosy belly was covered by the blankets, so she wasn't afraid of catching a cold.
At the desk, Ouyang Rong took out a scroll and slowly unfurled it on the table.
In the stillness of the night, when the lights are dim.
The young man at the table tapped his fingers, taking out various items from the drawing paper one by one to examine them...
——————
[The next chapter is a bonus chapter for those who vote with monthly tickets. You need to vote for it on its chapter page to unlock. It's just a solo chapter for the female lead and doesn't involve the main plot. You don't need to read it! It doesn't affect the main story; it's just extra content!]
(End of this chapter)
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