Chapter 832 The Master of Taking Over
Ouyang Rong stood up from behind the desk, preparing to leave.
After finishing his report, Yan Liulang suddenly remembered something and said:
"By the way, Magistrate, there's one more thing."
"What?"
"Master Shandao, the abbot of Donglin Temple, and his disciples came to Xunyang."
Ouyang Rong was slightly surprised:
Where is he?
Yan Liulang scratched his head:
"The boat is under Shuangfengjian, and the people are over at Xunyang Grottoes. They haven't entered the city yet."
Ouyang Rong glanced outside the main hall.
...
"I would be grateful if Your Excellency would have the time to visit me."
"You're too kind, Master."
Shuangfengjian, on the left bank of Xunyang Grottoes.
Master Shandao, whom we haven't seen for a long time, is still the same as before. He is wearing the robe of a high-ranking monk who was bestowed upon him by the emperor when he came to the capital. He looks dignified and otherworldly as he walks down the road.
Ouyang Rong was not wearing official robes, but rather a scholar's casual robe, and walked in front.
The Xunyang Grottoes are somewhat desolate. The stench of blood from that day has long been carried away by the river breeze, and like the fish that tasted the blood and flesh, they have forgotten the memory.
The main grotto was empty.
A large Buddha statue that should have been there is missing.
Master Shandao noticed that the young governor seemed somewhat distracted, walking quite quickly and leading the way.
Master Shandao, quicken your pace and keep up with the young people:
“Your Excellency need not worry. The matter of the Buddha statue is not your fault. Before I came here, I went to the county government office and discussed it with Magistrate Diao. I have already submitted a letter through the channels of the Buddhist officials of the Ministry of Rites, speaking frankly on behalf of Your Excellency.”
Ouyang Rong shook his head and remained silent.
After walking for a while, he suddenly asked:
"Besides this, what brings you here, Master?" After a pause, he continued, "The budget that you and Donglin Temple invested will be returned by the government after the autumn tax is collected, or it can be offset by the temple tax collected by Longcheng County. You don't need to worry, Master."
Master Shandao smiled and said:
"I have come not to settle accounts."
"What is that for?"
Master Shandao looked around the empty Xunyang Grottoes and smiled kindly:
"Your Excellency, the expenses previously incurred by this temple do not need to be reimbursed by the government. Could this main grotto be donated to this temple so that we can build some Buddha statues?"
Ouyang Rong frowned slightly and asked:
"This is the site where the Donglin Buddha was originally built. Although the land belongs to the government, some merchants who participated in the construction of the grottoes have the right to use it. But if you want it, we can give it to you. We'll just do the math."
"That's good. How about this, Your Excellency?"
Ouyang Rong couldn't help but ask:
"What does Master Shandao intend to do? This is my question. The location of the main grotto is good, right at the confluence of the Xun River, where passing merchant ships can see it. But does your Donglin Temple intend to build the Buddha statue itself?"
"uncertain."
Master Shandao replied truthfully:
"If the temple becomes wealthy in the future, we can consider building more. But for the time being, the temple will only set up some incense and carve some murals here. You should know that our Lotus Sect has excellent mural skills. It is not impossible that we can carve this place into a second Pure Land Palace."
Ouyang Rong pursed his lips.
Master Shandao asked again:
"My lord, how is it?"
Ouyang Rong glanced at the novice monks, including Xiu Fa, who were looking around curiously.
Their eyes seemed to be full of curiosity and interest as they looked at the brand-new, Buddha-less main grotto.
Ouyang Rong turned to look at Master Shandao.
The old monk smiled and looked at him.
Ouyang Rong suddenly nodded:
"Yes, but some grain merchants from Jiangnan and salt merchants from Yangzhou have invested in Xunyang Grottoes. The master knows some of them. The transfer of the main grotto will have to go through a procedure. If the government transfers it, I can give my approval, but you will have to talk to them and may have to pay some money. But don't worry, they won't rip you off."
Master Shandao waved his hand: "It's alright, it's alright, we can chat."
Ouyang Rong's lips twitched slightly.
Master Shandao, looking at his luxurious robes, shook his head.
As expected of a high-ranking monk who protects the country, he is indeed wealthy and extravagant.
Ouyang Rong slightly restrained his thoughts of taking advantage of the situation. Under his two years of governance, the Jiangzhou government was financially sound, and the excavation of Shuangfengjian and the construction of Xunyang Grottoes and Donglin Buddha did not delay the livelihood of the people of Xunyang.
Unlike when he took over the mess in Longcheng County, he was no longer struggling to make ends meet.
Otherwise, the high-ranking monks who protect the country would have to spend money to bail out the country.
"There is something I privately request of you, Master."
“Your Excellency…” Master Shandao changed his address, also speaking in a private capacity, “Please speak, benefactor.”
Ouyang Rong pointed to the lotus flower carving on the dome of the main grotto and asked earnestly:
"Could you leave this inscription intact and not erase it?"
Master Shandao glanced at it, nodded, and read aloud:
"The governor... the lady-in-waiting... respectfully commissioned a niche for the statue... This is a truthful account, and it should be kept. It is permissible."
Ouyang Rong pursed his lips.
A moment later, the group turned and left, preparing to say goodbye.
At the ferry crossing, the novice monks, including Xiufa, couldn't help but look at the Buddha's head and temples that were visible on the river.
A soft-hearted novice monk put his palms together and silently recited Amitabha Buddha.
Upon reaching the south bank, before parting ways, Ouyang Rong suddenly turned back:
“Master, I have a question. Why didn’t you come when the Donglin Buddha was being built? You kept postponing it. Now that the Buddha is destroyed, you’ve come and want to take over the empty main grotto. Isn’t that putting the cart before the horse?”
Upon hearing this, Master Shandao paused for a moment.
The setting sun cast a faint afterglow on his bald head as he disappeared behind it.
It is both comical and sacred.
"Amitabha."
Master Shandao turned around, chanted a phrase, and smiled, saying:
“Your Excellency, because there was no Buddha in the grotto back then, but now there is a Buddha, this old monk naturally came.”
He glanced around at his disciples, as if addressing them directly, and uttered a cryptic remark:
"We monks come when there is a Buddha, and leave when there is no Buddha."
Ouyang Rong immediately countered with a question:
"You come and go as you please, but you don't help others?"
Master Shandao's smile widened.
He turned around, bowed solemnly, and replied:
"To help oneself is to help others, and to help others is to help oneself. How can you, Your Excellency, say that you help yourself but not others?"
Ouyang Rong asked, "Is saving oneself the same as saving all living beings?"
Master Shandao nodded:
"One who saves himself is saving all sentient beings!"
Ouyang Rong remained silent and did not turn around.
The main grotto on the opposite bank behind him is empty, its severed head submerged in the river, dull and rusty.
The master, however, said that there was a Buddha.
...
The next day.
A shopkeeper surnamed Shi, whom Wang Caozhi had left in Xunyang, came looking for him.
Manager Shi reported on the matter concerning Master Shandao.
The main grotto has been agreed upon, and Donglin Temple was quite generous, offering a price that satisfied Manager Shi, or rather, relieved him.
In this world, what is the greatest respect between people and between money?
It's not about trust, it's not about saving face, and it's certainly not about "exterminating" anyone.
It's the price.
A master is a master; there's no room for bargaining.
Now that the Donglin Buddha has been destroyed, the future of the Xunyang Grottoes is bleak. It can no longer please the emperor, and the 20,000 strings of cash the emperor invested in it has gone down the drain. The extent of the court's support is unknown, and no one knows what the future holds for the Xunyang Grottoes.
Moreover, without the benchmark of the Donglin Buddha in the main grotto, it is difficult to sell other secondary locations in Xunyang Grottoes.
It's already a blessing that someone wants it and is willing to take it over; the manager wouldn't be hoping for a high price.
This is similar to goods that were originally expected to sell at a high price but are temporarily stored in the warehouse. Although it is not too difficult to recover the losses slowly, the original high expectations are gone, and it is difficult to sell in the off-season. Now that someone is coming to the door and offering a price that might have been rejected before, why not rush to sell?
Moreover, the price offered by Master Shandao clearly demonstrates his respect for the young prefect:
The steward finished his report respectfully.
After listening, Ouyang Rong nodded slightly.
As long as Wang Caozhi and Pei Shisan Niang's investments didn't result in losses, that would be fine. However, their investments were on a huge scale, so the return on investment was slower, and it was far less profitable than Pei Shisan Niang's original high-profit projects in Xingzifang.
However, this is a real, tangible asset that can always generate profits, though the cycle is long. The most astute merchants love to pursue profits, and if it weren't for a powerful figure like Ouyang Rong keeping them in check, they wouldn't be interested in doing business with such slow returns.
This is somewhat similar to the affordable housing project in Xingzifang that Ouyang Rong promoted after he "reformed" Pei Shisan Niang.
Thinking of this, Ouyang Rong coughed.
It is said that since Wang Caozhi and Pei Shisan Niang followed him, they seem to have spent all their time doing good deeds. Although this is taken for granted by Ouyang Rong, it is a great act of charity in the eyes of their fellow merchants. Apart from the support of their connections and backing, they do not seem to have made any huge profits from this good brother-in-law and good young master.
Wait a minute, Wang Caozhi's group of grain merchants did make a lot of money from the Zheyi Canal, but that was an exception. At that time, Ouyang Rong was still the magistrate of Longcheng County, and he was still somewhat "soft" in this regard.
While Ouyang Rong was lost in thought, the steward remained where he was, his expression seemingly hesitant.
The young governor, seeing this, asked directly:
"Is there anything else?"
The manager asked in a low voice:
"Your Excellency, besides the main grotto, we have also built many smaller grottoes, some of which are not much smaller than the main grotto. What are your plans for these grottoes?"
Ouyang Rong thought for a moment:
"It can be handled in the same way as the sale of Donglin Temple. We can talk to any Buddhist temple that is willing to take it over. We are also easy to talk to the government. However, there is one requirement: apart from stone carvings, murals and other works of art, no other business is allowed, such as opening a shop. Only Taoist temples and Buddhist temples are allowed to move in."
"After all, this is a place designated by the sage and the imperial court for the creation of statues, so we need to remain true to our original intentions. It can also be considered as the Xunyang culture supported by the Jiangzhou government."
"Yes, Your Excellency."
The steward withdrew, but Ouyang Rong noticed that he looked somewhat worried.
They're probably also worried about who will take over all these grottoes.
Ouyang Rong raised an eyebrow.
If Wang Caozhi were here, he would pat his brother-in-law on the shoulder and say earnestly, "Life is rarely perfect. Everyone's here to take over the burdens. If you don't, who will? Besides, even if you don't take over this time, there will always be a suitable one to fall on your head, whether it's a big one or a small one. Cheer up..."
After Master Shandao and his party left, Ouyang Rong returned to his previous routine of going back and forth between home and work.
Besides his daily shifts, he would stay in those three courtyards during his free time after his shifts.
More than half a month has passed.
Almost two months had passed since that memorial was submitted.
There's still no movement from Luoyang. Luoyang and Xunyang are thousands of miles apart, and even if news of the aftermath from Luoyang reaches us, it will take a month or two.
During this time, Ouyang Rong waited for news from Zhang Shixiu.
As for Yan Liulang, he has mobilized all the connections and resources of the Jiangzhou government, but still has not made any progress.
No one knows the exact location of Yunmeng Sword Marsh. Those sent to search for it have all failed, and some have even gotten lost in the vast Yunmeng Marsh...
The Celestial Master's Mansion of Longhu Mountain is considered a reclusive sect, the most low-key of the Three Pure Ones Taoist sects.
Perhaps they know the location of Yunmeng Sword Marsh.
Ouyang Rong pursed his lips.
That evening, he pushed open the door and walked into the quiet courtyard.
This was where the embroiderer used to live.
The courtyard was as clean and tidy as ever.
A swing is swaying in the wind.
Ouyang Rong walked silently to the front of the hall and sat directly on the threshold.
When he returned from his shift, he had forgotten to change out of his crimson official uniform, and his posture was somewhat unladylike.
Ouyang Rong was quiet for a while, then took out a pipa and bowed to play the strings.
The sound of the pipa was mournful, sounding somewhat lonely in the empty courtyard.
This is the pipa that the old musician left him.
At that time, the old musician also gave Rongzhen a wooden zither.
Ouyang Rong lowered his head, showing little interest, and studied the pipa.
This is something he recently learned.
Ouyang Rong's talent is decent.
The pipa piece he played was also an arrangement by him.
It was adapted from a zither piece taught to him by Rongzhen.
After returning, Ouyang Rong did not rest. He worked hard to comprehend the "Emperor Wen's" sword technique and studied the qin music repeatedly, adapting it into a pipa piece, which was also his latest idea.
I did it as soon as I thought of it.
However, there has been no progress in understanding the true meaning of Emperor Wen's words.
It seems that she has fallen into the trap of "attachment to appearances" that the old musician once told Rongzhen.
Ouyang Rong then recalled the old musician's last message.
For some reason, he always had a vague feeling that the hints left by the old musician were not so simple, and were not just a simple "harmonious union".
Since the zither he left behind can represent the sword technique and zither music, could the pipa he left behind be another kind of clue?
According to Ouyang Rong's understanding, the old musician was the kind of person who appeared serious on the surface, occasionally acting in a seemingly unserious manner, but was actually very serious inside, and in retrospect, he was indeed a very serious person.
Is it the same if we leave behind a pipa and a xylophone?
Ouyang Rong frowned slightly.
Just as Ouyang Rong was deep in thought, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside.
"Your Excellency!"
Yan Liulang barged in.
Ouyang Rong did not panic and slowly got up:
"What is it?"
He thought it was news from Zhang Shixiu, but Yan Liulang, who came running over, looked at him excitedly and said:
"My lord, someone from Luoyang has arrived!"
...
The cicadas chirped incessantly.
Where the vermilion corridor winds and turns, a patch of pomegranate red unfolds.
The palace maids of Shangyang Palace have already changed into thin veils.
I hurried past under the glazed eaves.
The afternoon sunlight streamed through the nine-tiered yellow bricks, turning them a honey color. Female officials, trailing light lotus-colored silk robes, strolled among the balustrades with their zigzag patterns, their skirts brushing against the newly blooming jade hairpin flowers in front of the steps.
The red brick and yellow tile walls of Shangyang Palace are exceptionally bright and vibrant today.
The craftsman has freshly applied paint to it.
The entire Shangyang Palace has been gradually covered with new walls in the past few days.
The pigment was made by mixing pig's blood and cinnabar. In addition to being bright and shiny, it was also believed to ward off evil spirits.
The reason is that the saint who came to rest and take a walk suddenly woke up late the night before, as if he had been startled by a dream.
The female officials and palace servants of Shangyang Palace were all busy.
The next day, the walls of the entire palace were replaced.
Everywhere, incense sticks were placed on the door plaques.
Since the mysterious loud noise that resounded throughout Luoyang, the emperor has moved to Shangyang Palace on the outskirts of Luoyang and has not returned to the capital for a long time. Every ten days, the court assembly and the imperial conference are held at Shangyang Palace.
Some say that the Heavenly Pivot collapsed and suffered a calamity on the day the Wei clan's two kings were established.
The emperor was furious. The two princes of the Wei clan were temporarily confined to their palaces, and the officials involved were also imprisoned.
These days, there is a general silence between the government and the public. Many people are gloating and enjoying the situation, while others are secretly speculating about what will happen next.
The entire city of Luoyang spent this spring day amidst undercurrents of tension.
The sage even moved directly to Shangyang Palace, probably to avoid seeing it and being bothered by it.
(End of this chapter)
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