Chapter 781 Are they all cannon fodder?
Li Xian's family, Xie Lingjiang, and Lu Ya;
Zhen Shuyuan, Ye Weilai, Pei Shisan Niang... they've all left.
The courtyard is empty now that everyone has left.
Only the young man in the scholar's robe and the constable in blue remained in the courtyard.
The red slip of paper in his hand had already been opened, and Ouyang Rong had his head down, so his expression was not visible.
Yan Liulang saw the magistrate silently fold the red slip of paper and put it into his sleeve.
The blue-clad constable took a few steps forward, sat down on the last step at the entrance of the courtyard, held his waist knife, sat upright, faced Ouyang Rong, and waited quietly.
Ouyang Rong suddenly asked:
"Don't you want a promotion anymore?"
Yan Liulang thought for a moment and answered truthfully:
"I want to, but I'm not happy. My lord, leaving Xunyang and going to the capital like this is not happy, not happy at all."
What's bothering you?
Yan Liulang mustered his courage and said, "I feel uncomfortable everywhere! It's like I'm running away in a sorry state. It's really unpleasant to walk, and I feel like I have a lot of anger stuck in my heart."
He reached down and touched his waist, but found no wine. He hadn't had time to slack off on drinking today, so he gave up. But he could no longer hold back his words, and they all spilled out:
“My lord, I am not like a person as steadfast as you. I have no lofty ambitions, but I am extremely concerned about my image and easily act impulsively. I insist on praising myself, which is a bit chivalrous. My father used to say that about me, and I am very unconvinced.”
He said that a kid like me, if I went out to make my way in the world, would probably just be cannon fodder. I would have to spend a few years in a small county government office, getting bruised and battered, before I could settle down, get married, have children, and live a quiet life in the government office, passing on the family's lucrative county government job.
"But everything changed after I met you, Magistrate, in Dragon City."
Yan Liulang pinched the fabric of the military officer's uniform between two fingers, grinned, and revealed a row of big white teeth:
"I've become the judicial officer of Jiangzhou. In that small neighborhood of Longcheng, that's a very high-ranking official. With the added benefits of being a prefect, I'm on par with the magistrate of Longcheng. A few days ago, when I went back in this official uniform, all the neighbors praised me for being successful. My older sisters also said that I was blessed with good fortune. My father took a few puffs of his pipe and squatted at the door watching me. After a long while, he finally said something: 'Keep close to your benefactor and do a good job in Jiangzhou.'"
"But when I hear praise from others, I might feel secretly pleased and smug, but when I hear my father's words and see the gray hair at his temples that he can't hide, even though I'm a much higher-ranking official than him, I don't actually feel any sense of satisfaction from being proven wrong. Instead, at that moment, I suddenly realized that what my father said back then was indeed right, damn right!"
"He's just a greenhorn, destined to be cannon fodder. It's just a matter of time, whether he's a big or small cannon fodder. Dad's right, but I don't plan to change it. I'm not too sad or frustrated."
"To hell with sadness and frustration!"
Yan Liulang patted the dust off his official robes and pointed outside the courtyard:
"Your Excellency, I, Yan Liulang, the Judicial Officer of Jiangzhou, have witnessed those sons of bitches, fake river pirates, seizing the ferry crossing, driving away the people, burning down government offices, and disregarding the law! They treated my brothers like lambs to be whipped and driven away! They ruined the bustling and lively streets, turning my territory into a mess and causing widespread panic!"
"I, Yan Liulang, am not well-educated. I do not possess the literary talent and knowledge of a scholar like you, nor do I have the forbearance and composure of a prince. I do not understand the overall situation of the court, the factional struggles between the guards and the imperial court, or the unpredictable nature of the emperor's heart!"
The head constable in blue fiercely wiped his face, then raised his head high and said:
"All I know is that a bunch of sons of bitches are running rampant in my territory, utterly lawless and utterly ruthless! All I know is that a group of people from the capital and a group of people who claim to be from the Jianghu of the South are treating our Jiangzhou Hall like a brothel, coming and going as they please, not caring about the people of the city at all! All I know is that they are all a bunch of sons of bitches, fighting like dogs, none of them are good people, they all deserve to be fucked!"
Ouyang Rong looked at him.
After a moment's pause, Yan Liulang asked seriously:
"Is this how you feel today, Your Excellency? I heard from Chen You that you came back from the Xunyang Grottoes... Are you utterly disappointed with that place?"
Ouyang Rong did not answer, but looked at the empty courtyard. In the southeast corner, there was a lonely swing swaying in the wind.
Yan Liulang's voice came:
“My lord, I wanted to say these things when I went to meet Pei Shisan Niang’s courtyard. I didn’t want to leave then, and I knew that you didn’t want to leave either. I know your character. The anger I’ve been holding in will only grow stronger in you. The matter of the embroiderer was just a trigger. Coming back to calmly arrange for the departure of the Xunyang Prince’s family was only out of my sense of responsibility. I’m just holding back.”
Ouyang Rong suddenly stood up and walked out of Yinbingzhai. As he passed Yan Liulang, he uttered a single sentence:
"Take the sword case and follow me."
Yan Liulang immediately perked up, slung his sword over his shoulder, picked up his sword case, and followed after him, his eyes fixed intently on Ouyang Rong's tall and slender back.
It was like a traveler adrift at sea in the dead of night seeing a lighthouse.
The two walked along a quiet corridor. Yan Liulang clutched his sword case tightly. He looked around and saw the deserted courtyard. He murmured a sigh:
"Mr. Ming, it's just the two of us left."
Ouyang Rong suddenly turned around:
"Aren't two people a lot?"
His tone was very serious.
Yan Liulang paused for a moment, then raised his hand to wipe his face, nodded emphatically, and smiled brightly:
"many!"
He paused, as if thinking of something, sniffed, and turned his face away:
"But I was reminded of the day in Longcheng when we wiped out the tyrannical Liu family. All the elders and villagers were there. It was such a passionate and inspiring time, with people all around us... Brother Ashan was there too, but... he rushed in too fast and left first."
The blue-clad constable muttered the same words he had repeated countless times: "If only Brother Ah Shan were still here."
The young man in the scholar's robe paused for a moment, then continued on his way.
Yan Liulang saw the magistrate reach into his sleeve, pull out a bronze mask, and slowly put it back. Looking straight ahead, he said softly:
"He's here."
The two arrived at the entrance of the mansion in Huaiye Lane, where a familiar chestnut horse was parked outside, pulling a carriage.
It was Dongmei's and Ouyang Rong's usual vehicle in Xunyang City over the past two years.
The coachman, Ali, was gone. He had left with Zhen Shuyuan, Ye Weilai, and other women, as instructed by Ouyang Rong, but thoughtfully left behind the carriage and Dongmei.
As he had done countless times before, Ouyang Rong quickly and skillfully boarded the carriage, sat down in his original seat, and placed the Mo family sword box he had taken from Liu Lang across his lap.
The difference is that this time Yan Liulang is acting as the coachman and driving the horses himself.
"Mr. Ming, where are we going?"
"Jiangzhou Main Hall".
The blue-clad constable cracked his whip, and with a "whoosh," the carriage moved forward, entering the desolate long street outside.
Yan Liulang cracked his whip, turned around, and said with a hearty laugh:
"Your Excellency, I really want to tell my father that being able to follow you, even if I continue to be cannon fodder, is truly damn satisfying and worth it!"
Ouyang Rong's calm voice came from behind the carriage curtain:
"Remember, you are not cannon fodder, and neither am I. Nobody is cannon fodder. The people who invented the term 'cannon fodder' to smear us are the same kind of people as those petty scoundrels who set up a scheme in Xunyang today."
"color!"
Yan Liulang paused for a moment, nodded emphatically, and whipped his horse away.
The carriage traveled along the main road of Xunyang City towards the Jiangzhou Grand Hall.
The main road is close to the river. Today the sky is clear and the river breeze is refreshing. On days like this, the long street must be bustling with activity and commerce.
Today, however, the place is desolate and deserted, with no sign of ordinary people. Occasionally, only the carriages of wealthy families fleeing their homes pass by, most of which come from Xiushui Workshop.
At this moment, those in Xunyang City who have the ability to leave the city are all powerful and wealthy families. They are also well-informed and know that the situation is not good today. Even the Xunyang Prince's Mansion has been burned down. Most of the powerful and influential people are smart and pragmatic. They will not bet all their resources on the court forces in Jiangzhou or Xunyang Grottoes. They will slip away if they can, and run out of the city first to observe the situation.
As for the city lockdown and martial law order from the young governor?
If it's going to rain, it's going to rain; if a mother wants to remarry, you can't stop her.
The lockdown and martial law were implemented for the purpose of maintaining stability, but at the same time, the area outside the city was indeed dangerous and unpredictable, which was in the collective interest.
However, some wealthy and powerful people are fundamentally indifferent to these things.
They have special methods to smuggle themselves out of the city, and they believe they can escape once they leave.
Jiangzhou's main hall was certainly aware of these people's commotion, and Yan Liulang gritted his teeth in anger, but he couldn't stop them, and now was not the time to deal with them.
Right now, we've already done our best to hold the city gates and Xunyang Ferry; we don't have time to deal with these "rats that are digging holes and trying to escape everywhere."
In any case, one must bear the consequences of one's own life and death, and also bear the consequences of being investigated by the young governor and the Jiangzhou court for violating martial law.
Most ordinary people in Xunyang City did not have such escape routes and could only stay at home silently, abide by martial law, and safeguard the collective interests of the entire city.
All we can do is pray that the local government is reliable, and that the imperial forces at Xunyang Grottoes can return and stabilize the situation as soon as possible... These are simple wishes.
From time to time, carriages carrying powerful and wealthy people would pass by the long street, heading in the opposite direction from Ouyang Rong's journey to the Jiangzhou Grand Hall, either towards Xunyang Ferry or Mount Lu.
Ouyang Rong's carriage was very conspicuous in the flow of carriages fleeing the city.
Going against the current.
In fact, quite a few observant people recognized Ouyang Rong's carriage.
They knew this was the carriage of the young governor of Jiangzhou.
The main reason was that Yan Liulang and a team of constables surrounded the carriage. Many people knew Yan Liulang, the judicial officer, and could naturally deduce the identity of the person in the carriage.
The young governor didn't leave; he's still in the city, and it seems he's heading towards... the Jiangzhou Grand Hall?
Someone saw it, but pretended not to know and continued to flee.
Some people watched silently.
For example, the pairs of eyes behind the doors of every household on both sides of the long street.
Everyone watched as the young governor's carriage traveled against the current...
Inside the carriage, Ouyang Rong's mind was entirely focused on the Pagoda of Merit, ignoring the gossip and "noise" around him.
In fact, from the moment the Wangfu and the women of the Huaiye Lane residences evacuated, he heard a series of crisp wooden fish sounds.
It means your merit points are increasing.
[Merit: 6,319]
Inside the Pagoda of Merit, Ouyang Rong stood in front of the small wooden fish, bowing his head to examine it.
If I remember correctly, before returning to Xunyang City, I had over 5,500 merits.
This arrangement to rescue the Prince's Mansion and the women from the city quickly earned him over 800 merits, which was quite substantial and directly helped him break through the 6,000 merit mark.
Ouyang Rong remained calm and composed as he left the Merit Pagoda, glancing back at the silent Blessing Bell.
The ancient bronze bell remained silent.
Ouyang Rong had no expectations to begin with, so he turned his head upside down without hesitation and left the Pagoda of Merit.
Inside the carriage, he opened his eyes and the first thing he saw was Miaosi's little face.
He couldn't help but frown.
What are you doing?
Little Mo Jing, unbeknownst to anyone, had slipped out of Ouyang Rong's sleeve and climbed onto his shoulder, tilting its head to curiously observe Ouyang Rong, who had just been "resting with his eyes closed."
"Little Rongzi, were you just asleep? What were you muttering to yourself?"
Ouyang Rong frowned and reached out his hand:
Where's the ink?
Miao Si remained calm and composed, crossing her arms and tilting her head to look at Ouyang Rong, asking:
"Little Rongzi, Xie and the others left? Why didn't they take this fairy with them? Are you doing this on purpose?"
Ouyang Rong retorted, "Immortal Lady, are you afraid and want to escape?"
"Afraid? This fairy is not afraid at all. Let me tell you, this fairy has seen many battles, some of which you have never even heard of."
He asked politely, "Did you see me in a dream?"
"?"
Ever since she recognized Ouyang Rong as her "new follower," Miao Si often felt an urge to bite him to death, because she felt his face was particularly irritating.
"Hmph, I'm too lazy to waste my breath on you."
Miao Si crossed her arms and huffed, "Anyway, this fairy isn't afraid. Stay if you want. I want to see what kind of show of force you can come up with today."
"Last time you used the Light Spirit Ink and told me you beat up those Yunmeng Lady Queens, I just don't believe you. Well then, show me what you've got later. Heh, don't be the one running away in a panic, I can't bear to lose face like that. I'll definitely sever all ties with you then, and you can embarrass yourself."
Ouyang Rong retorted, "Are you going to run away first?"
Miao Si's face darkened.
Ouyang Rong suddenly reached out and pulled out the spirit ink bamboo tube she had hidden behind her back.
"Just one tube?"
"One tube isn't enough. You're not a Confucian Qi cultivator, why are you asking for so much?"
Ouyang Rong stuffed the resentful little ink spirit back into his hand.
The talisman paper and pen were prepared in advance. Ouyang Rong used the sword box as a table, placed it underneath, and began to make talismans.
During the journey, perhaps due to the bumpy ride of the carriage, his hand holding the pen paused several times.
A small female Taoist priest's head immediately popped out of Ouyang Rong's sleeve, and the little ink spirit arrived at the scene to mock him:
"Little Rongzi, why are you so clumsy? Your hands are unsteady? Is your mind not calm? You're scared after all."
Ouyang Rong ignored him, closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and rested for a moment before opening his eyes again and continuing to concentrate on drawing talismans.
This time, he drew very quickly, and in a short while, a brand new and intact red and black talisman landed in his palm.
Miao Si glanced at the scholar-robed youth who could quickly adjust his emotions with some surprise.
She pursed her lips, didn't praise her, and shrank back.
The carriage arrived at the main hall of Jiangzhou.
Upon arriving at the main hall, Ouyang Rong summoned the remaining officials.
Yuan Huaimin was not present.
Some officials remained at their posts, not many, only about ten people, mainly united by the two military advisors, Yan Liulang and Chen You.
A few officials arrived one after another while Ouyang Rong was holding a meeting in the main hall, as if they had just received the news... Ouyang Rong pretended not to see them.
It's enough that we can come "after the fact".
Seeing that everyone who could come had arrived, Ouyang Rong began to ask questions one by one and listened to their reports.
"Your Excellency, the suspected rebels who were originally arrested in the Xinzhou prison have all been released inexplicably."
"The same goes for Chengtian Temple. That Zen Master Yizhi has also disappeared. All the people who were previously imprisoned have been released. The monks say that a barefoot woman in white has been seen around."
Upon hearing this news, Ouyang Rong remained calm, as if he had expected it.
"Where is Li Yu?" he asked.
"It's not in the temple; we're still looking for it."
Ouyang Rong looked around at everyone and asked:
"Is there any trace of this barefoot woman in white?"
Chen You reported solemnly, "Half an hour ago, someone in Xingzifang saw her, but her whereabouts are unknown."
"Your Excellency!"
Just then, Yan Liulang suddenly arrived, clasped his hands in a fist and reported;
"Our people have found traces of the Fang sisters at the courtyard near Xingzi Lake! It seems they are still in the courtyard."
Ouyang Rong tilted his head slightly.
(End of this chapter)
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