Chapter 395 Traveling with a Sword
After the busy autumn harvest season.
A cold wave is approaching, and temperatures are dropping in Xunyang.
As the nights grow longer, I find myself with little sleep; I haven't made my autumn clothes yet, and I fear the coming chill.
Ouyang Rong had plenty of thermal underwear, in fact, he had more than enough.
Xie Lingjiang and Wei Mei.
Aunt, Wei Lai.
Perhaps there's also Li Guo'er... and other familiar female relatives, all of whom had prepared autumn clothes for him well in advance, making perfect preparations.
This can be considered a basic code of conduct for women of this era, and even my energetic junior sister, who doesn't care much about ordinary housework, doesn't forget it.
Besides preparing a quilt for her eldest brother, she also sent a few to her father in Luoyang. Although the Xie family of Chenjun was not short of money, Xie Xun, as an old father, was extremely gratified to receive his daughter's filial piety. She was truly a thoughtful little cotton-padded jacket, but unfortunately, it was already being worn by some brat... The old father sighed.
Moreover, what Ouyang Rong didn't know was that in the Xunyang Prince's Mansion, his "sweetheart's" autumn clothes were prepared before those of the family head Li Xian and the eldest son Li Fusu, having the highest priority and being made of the best materials.
Even before the White Dew solar term in autumn, Li Xian and Li Fusu took the initiative to remind Wei Mei and the other women not to forget to prepare for their beloved and to make sure they were properly settled.
He repeatedly gave instructions.
Just like that exquisite white fox fur shawl from Liaodong last year, a true gem.
However, surrounded by warm and gentle female companions, Ouyang Rong couldn't help but think of his sister Aqing and his mother Liu when he stepped outside and was blown by the cold autumn wind.
The main problem was that the threat of hunger and cold had not been completely eliminated in this era. The historical records of the previous and current dynasties that Ouyang Rong read were full of calm descriptions of disasters, such as "Heavy rain and snow caused many people to freeze to death," "When heavy snow fell, the valleys were full, and many soldiers froze to death," and "Fish in rivers and streams froze to death."
These few words are shocking.
Ouyang Rong, after becoming the chief official of Jiangzhou and receiving reports on the people's conditions from various places, truly understood how difficult autumn and winter were for poor families.
Although Ouyang Rong had made arrangements and taken care of them, Aqing and Liu's mother in Longcheng were unwilling to trouble him too much. Unless absolutely necessary, they were self-sufficient and supported their families through labor.
Whenever Magistrate Diao came to Xunyang City to report on his duties, or Yan Liulang returned to Longcheng to visit his parents and elder sister, Ouyang Rong would ask them about Aqing's situation.
Fortunately, the news I received each time was pretty good.
Aqing's family was doing quite well. Apart from the medicine and medical supplies needed for Liu's mother to recuperate in bed, Aqing had hardly ever asked Ouyang Rong for anything.
It was because he kept a close eye on Aqing's family affairs that Ouyang Rong, who always had enough autumn clothes, was able to stay connected with the masses and had a deep empathy for the lives of ordinary people in Jiangzhou.
Most of the ancient people's lamentations about autumn stemmed from the withering of plants and trees, the bleak weather, and the fact that ordinary people lacked food and clothing and were in danger of freezing, which added another layer of desolation.
In addition, autumn is not only a busy season for farming, but also a suitable season for waging war.
The so-called "turbulent times" are not just an empty sigh.
For ordinary people living in poverty, how to survive the autumn and winter seasons when they lack food and clothing is an extremely worrying problem.
Currently, Jiangzhou is at the forefront, and the Jiangzhou government is facing a severe financial strain as it has to build a Buddha statue while preparing war supplies for the upcoming Grand General of the Jiangnan Road Army.
Even with the recent autumn harvest and newly harvested grain stored, we are still short of supplies.
These days, Ouyang Rong is meticulous and calculating, occasionally standing up and pacing anxiously in the autumn wind of the long corridor... before sitting back down to continue calculating.
He began to understand the difficulties that his teacher had mentioned in his letter regarding Master Di.
From the perspective of bystanders like Xie Lingjiang, Ouyang Rong, the Jiangzhou official in charge of people's livelihood, was truly living on thin ice, worrying about this and that every day. They had never seen such a busy official in Xunyang.
In the past, those people all attended the Xunyang Poetry Gathering and drank and chatted with famous scholars.
Although he could hear the heartache in his junior sister's words, Ouyang Rong still couldn't stay idle.
In addition, two days prior, Ouyang Rong received a message that he was preparing to leave the city and plan a long trip.
Of course, as the Prefect of Jiangzhou, he was surrounded by many officials in the main hall, and many eyes were on him. He couldn't just disappear immediately; he had to plan carefully...
On this day, as it was nearing the end of the morning, Ouyang Rong rode his horse across the street early in the morning and arrived at the Xunyang Prince's Mansion.
"Where are Tanlang and Dalang going this time?"
Inside a warm pavilion in the Xunyang Prince's Mansion, Xie Lingjiang, Wei Mei, Li Guo'er, and several other women were present. Wei Mei, leading a group of pretty maids, was circling around Ouyang Rong and Li Fusu in the center of the room, tidying up their clothes and luggage. Wei Mei looked up curiously and asked.
Ouyang Rong lowered his eyes, straightened his cuffs, and explained:
"I need to inspect the counties. Autumn and winter are approaching, so I have to go down and take a look around to see if any local officials are neglecting their duties and shirking their responsibilities under the pretext of the war to restore the army."
"There are also tasks assigned by the imperial court, such as allocating grain to the expeditionary army, which also need to be supervised to prevent forced requisitioning and collection from the countryside..."
"Perfect timing. The Grand Commander of the Jiangnan Road Army hasn't arrived yet. I'll take advantage of the two days left and go out for a trip. Otherwise, once he arrives, the autumn war will begin, and in these turbulent times, we'll be busy again."
Ouyang Rong shook his head.
Aside from Li Guo'er, who routinely pets the cat, the women, including Wei Mei, listened in stunned silence. Xie Lingjiang interjected:
"The eldest brother is just a worrier and suspicious. He sits in the main hall all day, listening to the well-intentioned reports from his subordinates. He is always worried that these slick officials have figured out his personality and preferences and will say nice things to flatter him. So he has to go and check on them."
"That's part of the reason." After a pause, Ouyang Rong nodded: "We have to be careful."
Xie Lingjiang puffed out her cheeks: "So Auntie, don't try to persuade him anymore. Let him go for a stroll. He's just destined to be a hard worker."
Ouyang Rong smiled.
Wei Mei could only nod, glancing at Ouyang Rong's taciturn eldest son, who was silently adjusting his brand-new official robes beside him. She couldn't help but worry:
"Tanlang, does Dalang really have to go?"
Upon hearing this, Li Fusu looked up, his tone helpless: "Mother."
Li Guo'er, who had been listening attentively, answered on behalf of her brother:
“Brother is no longer a child and can no longer stay at home studying. He is the Prefect of Jiangzhou, the nominal second-in-command.”
“Mother, my brother will eventually have to step into the limelight. This time, he went out on an inspection tour with Ouyang Lianghan to show his understanding of the people’s conditions. It’s a good opportunity for him to make his debut.”
"Everyone's watching, so you'd better do your best, brother."
Wei Mei immediately understood the deeper meaning behind Ouyang Rong's taking Fusu away.
I couldn't help but sigh.
A mother worries when her son travels a thousand miles.
Even if Wei Mei was short-sighted, she understood that in this era where imperial power, wealth, and resources were steadily passed down through family bloodlines, and the primogeniture system was highly valued,
A stable and promising faction or power needs to have an orderly succession, that is, it needs to be clear to outsiders and potential allies that the line of succession can be seen from afar.
Therefore, if the Xunyang Prince's Mansion wants to rise to power smoothly, it is not enough to just have Li Xian as a shining banner; the issue of succession is equally important.
Undoubtedly, the eldest son, Li Fusu, was the successor of the Xunyang Prince's Mansion. He was once appointed as the Crown Prince by Emperor Gaozong of the Great Qian Dynasty. Even as an infant, he was granted the special privilege of being granted a princely title and establishing his own mansion.
However, it eventually expired along with Li Xian's three-month Emperor Experience Card.
Although Li Xian had other sons
Some were born to concubines during their time as commoners, while others were born to imperial concubines before they were demoted.
However, after being demoted, most of the concubines returned to their prominent maternal families, and their children went with them, no longer by their side.
Over the years, the only people who have stayed by his side are his legal wife, Wei Mei, and his two children, Li Dalang and Li Guo'er.
These two children hold the highest status among the children in the family.
Besides the bond forged through shared hardships, it is also related to the fact that Li Dalang and Li Guo'er are both the biological children of Wei Mei, the legal wife.
After all, he was henpecked, just like his father, Emperor Gaozong.
Wei Mei's only son, Li Fusu, was her heart and soul.
She didn't particularly like the other illegitimate sons, given her strong and headstrong personality; of course, they posed no threat whatsoever to her eldest son's right to inherit the family business...
This time, His Majesty took a different approach, appointing Li Dalang, who had always been low-key and unassuming, as the Prefect of Jiangzhou. This was a subtle push for the Xunyang Prince's Mansion, and in the eyes of the court and the public, the Xunyang Prince's lineage had taken another step forward.
Ouyang Rong turned his head, glanced at Li Fusu who looked somewhat nervous, and gently patted his shoulder.
Li Fusu took a deep breath and nodded emphatically at him.
With the help of Wei Mei and the other women, Ouyang Rong and Li Fusu were ready and got up to go out.
Xie Lingjiang stood up, picked up the violin case she always kept close at hand, and followed.
She went too.
Wei Mei and her daughter Li Guo'er glanced at the zither case, and at the young, composed Chief Secretary who was preparing for a long journey.
They tacitly withdrew their gazes.
The autumn wind was bleak on the main street in front of the Prince's Mansion.
The somewhat worried princess and the little princess with plum blossom makeup, who was holding a cat, watched Ouyang Rong and the others leave...
With Jiangzhou Governor Wang Lengran keeping a low profile and not appearing in public for some reason.
As the Prefect of Jiangzhou, Ouyang Rong and Li Fusu, along with the Prefect of Jiangzhou, went out of the city to inspect the counties. At the same time, they were ordered by Li Xian, the Pacification Ambassador of Jiangnan Circuit and Prince of Xunyang, to appease the newly returned officials and people of the counties.
Along the way, they received a warm welcome from local officials and gentry.
Thanks to the quick surrender on the previous two occasions, and the flexible approach taken, the people of the counties under Jiangzhou's jurisdiction were not greatly affected by the chaos of the restoration army's rebellion, and the autumn harvest was not affected.
For the rural people busy planting rice and harvesting wheat, the tug-of-war between the Jiangzhou royal army and the Hongzhou restoration army was largely irrelevant to them.
The so-called righteous cause of restoring the lost state was far removed from them.
On the contrary, the ongoing family drama between the several emperors of the Li Gan royal family and the Empress Wei has kept everyone entertained for years and is even more of a topic of conversation.
After all, compared to any legal or moral principles, these chaotic and messy family matters are more likely to be understood and even sympathized with by the villagers, whose literacy rate is less than 50%.
But these issues are not as pressing as how they will comfortably get through the autumn and winter.
Therefore, for the people of the Jiangnan prefectures who have enjoyed peace for many years, as long as they are not subject to exorbitant taxes or forced conscription,
These struggles for restoration seemed far removed from their lives. At most, news of another great victory by a certain northern border army in its expansion campaign would slightly inspire people and stir up the pride in the hearts of the Han people.
This is actually thanks to the system of the Daqian and Dazhou Weifu soldiers.
These battles were all handled by a large number of professional soldiers from good families, namely the soldiers of each military garrison.
This enabled most people to live and work in peace and contentment.
Because the path to promotion through military merit still existed, many soldiers were happy to hear of war when faced with the prospect of territorial expansion.
After all, this new path of studying through the imperial examinations was newly opened. For hundreds of years before the Qianlong and Zhou dynasties, it had been monopolized by powerful aristocratic families, making it extremely difficult. Not everyone could come from a scholarly family like Ouyang Lianghan, allowing them to focus on their studies and compete for the few dozen spots available each year.
In ordinary society, most people didn't even qualify as poor or commoner families; ambitious young men from the lower classes mostly had no choice but to pursue military merit.
Or, like Yan Liulang before he met Ouyang Rong, he was born into a decent family, with a father who was a minor official, so he could follow in his father's footsteps and reluctantly take the path of a stable, secure official position.
However, this peaceful era, where one could likely eat as long as they worked, was far better than the century of war and chaos during the Northern and Southern Dynasties, when the Han and non-Han peoples were reshuffling and merging, and nine out of ten houses were empty.
A great victory in expanding territory, attracting tribute from all nations, and opening trade routes can at least reduce some internal competition and allow the people of the ten provinces to share in the benefits.
It deserves a place in history books for a few strokes of the pen on a blank page, signifying a prosperous era.
This is the reality for most ordinary people in the Great Zhou Dynasty: struggling to make ends meet and desperately trying to move forward.
Very few people can truly represent and defend their interests.
Although in the imperial court, there were people "pleading for the people" almost every moment, and even using this to denounce the emperor.
Ouyang Rong took Dalang on this trip to inspect the area. Besides letting him, the heir of the Prince of Xunyang, make an appearance and for another reason, the main reason was to let Dalang, who was engrossed in his studies and had no shortage of food and clothing, see the true state of affairs.
Instead of spending all his time holed up in the Xunyang Prince's Mansion, surrounded by strategists, advisors, and ambitious men, with his mind only occupied with the conflict between Li and Wei, the glory of his ancestors, and the classics of Confucianism.
Ouyang Rong only used this method to subtly guide his close friend Li Fusu.
For a certain princess with plum blossom makeup, Ouyang Rong wouldn't bother with such effort at all.
Unlike her brother, she wasn't unaware; she knew too much. Even if she didn't know, she would understand immediately, but would only say "Oh."
Because she is a smart person.
What makes a smart person?
They only care about their own interests, those of their family, and their allies. The more they know, the smarter they seem, but the more likely they are to contribute to the former.
Li Guo'er is willing to share hardships and prosperity, and even sacrifice herself for her family, just like when she was being chased by Wei Shaoxuan and turned around to buy time for her father and brothers to escape.
But these are only people and allies she approves of.
However, to be fair, there have been changes in Li Guo'er.
Having personally witnessed Ouyang Rong's efforts in uniting the people to control the floods and outwitting local bullies in Longcheng County, and having seen the tragic deaths of the three Liu brothers, who were also considered intelligent, and their subsequent destruction by Ouyang Rong and the local populace after their homes were ransacked, I can attest to their success.
Li Guo'er silently agreed with her junior sister's earlier statement that water can both capsize and carry a boat, and felt a sense of awe towards even a small spoonful of "water".
From now on, at least when their own interests stand in opposition to the interests of the majority of the people, they will hesitate and dare not underestimate the situation.
This change made Ouyang Rong look at him in a different light.
At least we're not so "different on the same path" anymore.
They patrolled together.
Ouyang Rong casually dealt with more than a dozen corrupt officials who tried to get away with it.
Apart from that, the journey was generally smooth.
In addition, whether intentionally or not, the final destination of this trip was Longcheng County.
Over the next two days, the group traveled through counties including Jishui and Hukou.
The convoy was preparing to head to the penultimate stop of this trip, a remote county called Wannian, which was located in a similar area to Longcheng County, a place of poverty and hardship.
As evening approached, nearing the ten thousandth anniversary, the sky was ablaze with fiery clouds. The caravan slowly came to a stop to rest. Li Dalang dismissed his guards and boarded a familiar carriage in the caravan, where he found only Xie Lingjiang inside.
I saw Ouyang Rong here when I passed by the post station for lunch just now, but he has now disappeared.
Also disappearing was the zither-shaped wooden box that Xie Lingjiang had been holding the whole time.
Li Dalang asked calmly:
"They've left?"
"Yes. The people in Longcheng are all here, earlier than expected, so he needs to get there sooner."
"Is it alright for him to go alone? There's no danger here. Why don't you go with him, Miss Xie?"
"No need, I'm taking my sword." Xie Lingjiang leaned forward, elbows on her knees, and secretly bit her nail. She muttered to herself, "He said last time that he can take down a junior sister with one sword strike."
"..."
Li Fusu couldn't help but ask, "So, what do we do now...?"
"Continue the patrol for the next two days as usual. When we pass through Longcheng, we will pick him up again."
"good."
(End of this chapter)
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