Chapter 296 Gold Generates Water
"Is Tanlang going to a banquet?"
"More or less."
"A private dinner party, or a public banquet?"
"Just grab a bite at Xunyang Tower, a small dinner party. Auntie, I won't take you with me."
"Okay, Tanlang, be careful."
"Um."
In the evening, at the Huaiye Lane residence, Ouyang Rong spread his arms and, with the busy help of Zhen Shuyuan and Ye Weilai, finished dressing.
He was actually dressed in ordinary black clothes and a turban this time, without the trouble of wearing official robes when he went on duty. However, the women in the family, such as Zhen Shuyuan and Ye Weilai, paid special attention to the master's attire.
They circled around him, checking his appearance and tidying him up before letting him leave.
As Ouyang Rong stepped out the door, the elegant woman in a flowing dress who was seeing him off suddenly said, "Oh, right, my lord, there's something I forgot to mention."
"What's up."
"When I first arrived at Xunyang Ferry, didn't I receive a visiting card? That woman, Madam Pei, personally visited me yesterday and invited me to a gathering of women in the city."
Ouyang Rong turned around and asked directly, "Does Auntie want to go?"
"I don't really want to go anywhere." Zhen Shuyuan shook her head, then suddenly smiled and said, "Actually, I feel that woman is being a bit too solicitous. As a woman myself, my nose is very sensitive, so I can't go. I can't cause trouble for my husband."
Ouyang Rong glanced at Zhen Shuyuan, somewhat surprised, then lowered his eyes and nodded, saying:
"Auntie is so thoughtful. Well, then don't go. Politely decline any invitations from there in the future. If they try to find me indirectly, just say I'm not home."
"Alright." Zhen Shuyuan nodded: "I will refuse all gifts."
"Thank you for your hard work, Auntie."
Ouyang Rong dusted off his sleeves and left the Huaiye Lane residence with nothing in his pocket.
Zhen Shuyuan watched her nephew's dashing figure with mixed feelings of joy and worry, muttering to herself:
"Hmm, I wonder who Tanlang went to have dinner with. Why is he so happy? Is he in such a good mood after coming back from work today...?"
"Could it be that he had dinner with Wanwan? Hmm, it doesn't seem like it... I was so busy the past few days. Wanwan came, but Tanlang wasn't there. He left his beauty out in the cold for so long. Sigh."
Zhen Shuyuan turned her head and met Ye Weilai's gaze, which was fixed on her beloved with eyes full of affection and looking on obediently as she left.
The two women turned around and went back together.
Before entering the room, Zhen Shuyuan suddenly remembered something and looked down at her own dress. In particular, she noticed the pure pale yellow shawl hanging from the elbows of her arms.
"That woman surnamed Pei has a good sense of style. She seems to like wearing shawls. The shawl she wore when I visited her yesterday was really beautiful. She certainly had the air of a noblewoman."
"Hmm, I'll have Banxi go to the tailor shops in town another day and buy one too..."
The elegant woman in the flowing skirt nodded and murmured as she stepped through the door.
...
Tonight, Ouyang Rong was not going to meet his junior sister in secret, as Zhen Shuyuan had expected.
Now that we're in Xunyang City, Junior Sister can't always disguise herself as a man to follow us. After all, she's a noblewoman from one of the five noble families, and she still has to consider the prestige of the Xie family of Chenjun.
So these days, Junior Sister has been spending time with Wei Mei and Li Guo'er at the Xunyang Prince's Mansion, and doesn't see Ouyang Rong much during the day.
Ouyang Rong didn't invite her to the banquet hosted by Wang Caozhi and others at Xunyang Tower tonight.
He was dressed casually in simple clothes, with a skirt knife, and went to the meeting alone.
Upon arriving at Xunyang Tower, we proceeded to our reserved private room.
Almost no one recognized Ouyang Rong along the way.
After all, he was a very low-key person as the Prefect of Jiangzhou. Apart from the banquet on the day he took office, he did not appear at any other banquets.
No one recognized or bothered him, and Ouyang Rong felt quite good.
A short while later, led by a pretty maid, Ouyang Rong arrived at a luxurious private room on the third floor that overlooked the Xunyang River.
"Brother-in-law!"
As soon as Ouyang Rong stepped inside, he heard a shout that echoed throughout the private room.
A whirlwind suddenly swept towards us.
A short young man rushed to the door to greet him.
Ouyang Rong stretched out one hand and pressed it against the short youth's chest.
Wang Caozhi found himself unable to make any progress, but this did not dampen his enthusiasm in the slightest.
The short young man, whose head was blocked by a hand, desperately craned his neck to look behind the young master, craning his neck to peer outside the door: "Brother-in-law, where is our sister?"
"..."
Ouyang Rong and the grain merchants in the private room behind him were speechless.
However, when they thought about Ouyang Rong's current official position and career prospects, as well as the huge profits from the construction of the Zheyi Canal in Longcheng County, Manager Ma and the other grain merchants immediately understood. They even looked at the low-key, casually dressed Chief Secretary at the door with increasing enthusiasm.
Wang Caozhi rubbed his hands together like a fly and asked enthusiastically, "Brother-in-law, why didn't our sister come?"
He winked and said, "Hey brother-in-law, there's no second half tonight, and this meal is vegetarian, not a single meat dish. It's alright that you brought my sister here. Sister Xie is in Xunyang City, how could I be so inconsiderate?"
Ouyang Rong gently pushed Wang Caozhi aside and walked into the private room. "Don't shout, or your junior sister will beat you up."
"Brother-in-law, you don't understand women at all. She's too busy praising me."
Ouyang Rong ignored this guy whose skin was thicker than a city wall.
"Manager Ma, Manager Li, Manager Sun..." Ouyang Rong walked to the table, picked up his wine glass, glanced around, and accurately called out each name without missing one, raising his glass in a gesture of respect.
"How have you all been?"
Manager Ma and the other grain merchants were flattered and quickly raised their glasses in return, drinking them down in one gulp.
"It was our ignorance that we hadn't yet celebrated Lord Ouyang's promotion! Here's a small gift; we hope you'll accept it."
Ouyang Rong politely declined, but the others pushed and pulled him away. After exchanging pleasantries, they all sat down.
Wang Caozhi stood up, bent down and poured wine into the cup in front of Ouyang Rong: "Brother-in-law, please accept it. If you don't, everyone will be uneasy."
Ouyang Rong shook his head, "Same as always, let's skip this and get down to business."
Wang Caozhi, Manager Ma, and other grain merchants looked at the young, unchanging-faced Chief Secretary with rather complicated expressions.
They had imagined that the young magistrate would have a smooth and successful career thanks to his outstanding political achievements.
But no one expected him to rise so quickly. The Zheyi Canal had just been completed when he was promoted to the fifth rank of Chief Secretary, a high-ranking official in a prefecture.
Even Wang Caozhi's eyelids twitched when he first heard about this speed.
Unlike the shrewd and calculating grain merchants, he possessed a broader perspective due to his family background.
It's immediately obvious that this rapid promotion is due to the favor of a powerful figure, who might even be Empress Wei herself.
This is the true value behind the youngest fifth-rank official in this dynasty.
"Brother-in-law," Wang Caozhi offered a toast, cutting to the chase and asking directly, "What's the purpose of summoning us here today? Is it to be discussed in person?"
Manager Ma glanced at the night view of Xunyang outside the window and asked calmly, "Lord Ouyang, could it be... well, there's been a slight mishap in the Jiangzhou main hall, and you need our modest assistance?"
Ouyang Rong turned to look at Manager Ma, his voice nasal: "Hmm, Manager Ma, have you heard something? Why do you ask such a question?"
Manager Ma chuckled awkwardly: "My master seems to know a lot about the officialdom in Jiangnan. I've heard a bit of gossip, but I don't know if it's true or not..."
"I heard that the official who sits in the highest seat in the main hall of Jiangzhou got his position by relying on the Wei family."
"And Lord Ouyang, you... well, of course you are a righteous gentleman. Now that you are temporarily in the second-in-command position in the Jiangzhou government, have you been subjected to any minor difficulties?"
Ouyang Rong raised an eyebrow slightly.
I was somewhat surprised by how well-informed these merchants were.
But thinking about it, it makes sense. Merchants in this era were either front men for the imperial court or local officials, or money bags for powerful families. At the very least, they had to be people with a keen sense of smell who knew how to seek profit and avoid harm.
They're all incredibly shrewd people; otherwise, they'd be walking sheep and wouldn't be sitting at this table tonight.
Just then, a series of pipa sounds, gradually increasing in intensity, drifted from downstairs outside the private room.
Ouyang Rong came to his senses and said softly to the crowd:
"When I came here, someone told me that this Jiangzhou Hall has stood for more than 600 years since the establishment of Xunyang County in the early Han Dynasty."
“The prefects and assistant prefects of the Qin and Han dynasties, and the governors and chief clerks of the Sui dynasty, came and went in waves, like a carp crossing a river.”
"Sometimes, when I sit alone in this hall, looking up and around, I am always curious and puzzled: what can last forever?"
Ouyang Rong turned around, raised his cup in invitation:
"Xunyang City is still the same Xunyang City, just like the sound of the pipa in Xunyang Tower. The old strings are broken, but new sounds come, and the pipa music never ends."
"Tonight, we invite you all here. We will not discuss the honor or disgrace of any individual or official, but only the cause of mutual benefit for the people and businesses and the well-being of future generations."
A moment of silence followed at the dinner table.
All eyes turned to the young clerk in the main seat.
Wang Caozhi suddenly stood up, and everyone followed suit, raising their cups and drinking together.
"Brother-in-law, just tell me your plans this time, and I'll definitely follow them!"
The short young man readily agreed.
Ouyang Rong chuckled and asked, "Why don't you listen first to see what they're up to? What if it's a losing proposition, or a thankless task?"
Wang Caozhi shook his head: "Working with my brother-in-law is definitely a good deal. Even if we do lose money, I'll accept it!"
Manager Ma and Manager Li also stood up, raised their glasses, and nodded vigorously:
"Lord Ouyang is by no means a short-sighted person. Like Manager Wang, I will follow you!"
Other grain merchants and wealthy businessmen with whom they had less close ties hesitated for a moment, then their expressions turned decisive, and they stood up to express their opinions:
"We will follow Lord Ouyang's lead without question."
Ouyang Rong waved his hand helplessly and pulled them to sit down.
He did not explicitly state his plans in the letter, but everyone still traveled a long distance to arrive.
Even those who were far away and not currently in Jiangnan Road rushed back after receiving Ouyang Rong's letter, and according to Wang Caozhi, they would arrive at Xunyang Ferry in a few days.
Such trust might stem from individuals who are simply unconcerned about business losses and are only investing in Ouyang Rong's personal career prospects.
However, a gentleman judges by actions, not intentions.
It would be a lie to say that Ouyang Rong wasn't moved at all by this scene.
However, he was not blindly arrogant.
Ouyang Rong nodded calmly: "Please sit down, everyone, and listen to what I have to say."
After everyone was seated, Ouyang Rong took out a scroll from his sleeve and handed it to Wang Caozhi next to him. The group of wealthy merchants then passed it around for them to read.
The short young man opened it and found a scroll-like drawing inside, along with a stack of densely packed planning documents.
Wang Caozhi looked up at the smiling Ouyang Rong and asked curiously:
"Brother-in-law, this is..."
Ouyang Rong whispered to them:
"Two options, or rather, one option."
"The excavation of the canal at Shuangfengjian and the construction of Xunyang Grottoes."
"One comes first, the other comes later."
Everyone was stunned, exchanging bewildered glances. "Digging a canal and building grottoes?"
Manager Ma put down the blueprints and asked curiously:
"I can understand digging a canal, perhaps something like the Broken Wing Canal, which Lord Ouyang needs to use to dredge the Xunyang River and control the water for the people. But... why build a grotto out of the blue?"
Ouyang Rong squinted and said, "I'm sure everyone knows about the auspicious omens presented by the Prince of Xunyang, His Majesty's joyful welcome of the divine jade, and the change of the reign title to Tianyou, right?"
"Of course," Manager Ma and the others nodded. "Of course we know about such an important matter."
Wang Caozhi remained calm: "I heard it was Magistrate Diao... Magistrate Diao was the first to present the auspicious omen. I was wondering why it wasn't my brother-in-law. Now it seems my brother-in-law is too modest. Magistrate Diao is truly blessed to have a superior like my brother-in-law."
Ouyang Rong smiled but remained silent, then asked again, "Does everyone know that, to commemorate the auspicious Buddha's return to the divine jade, His Majesty plans to build a Donglin Buddha in Jiangzhou to promote the Pure Land Buddhism of the Lotus School, and to bless the Great Zhou?"
The room fell silent.
Everyone was surprised, except for Wang Caozhi, who came from the Langya Wang clan. His expression showed little surprise, and when Ouyang Rong looked at him, he coughed and explained:
“Brother-in-law, I’ve heard a little about this. An uncle of mine also works in the Ministry of Rites in the capital. I heard that His Majesty is planning to donate some money for cosmetics to this Buddha statue project.”
Ouyang Rong nodded. Apart from the Donglin monks involved, such as Master Shandao and Xiufa, the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Works were the first to learn about this matter of creating a Buddha statue. That's right, there was no Zhengshitang (the government affairs hall), because Empress Wei probably bypassed the prime ministers such as Di Fuzi and issued the edict directly.
After all, it was another unnecessary waste of money. The people of the Great Zhou knew that His Majesty, who valued his reputation, would find it difficult to speak in front of the elders of the state.
"Heh, money for cosmetics." Ouyang Rong smirked, saying nothing more.
Wang Caozhi and the others detected a hint of mockery in the air, but they all kept their eyes straight ahead and pretended not to hear it.
Wang Caozhi, with his sleeves tucked in, pondered and reflected:
"I originally thought that this Donglin Buddha statue was built near the Donglin Temple in Longcheng, where the Zheyi Canal would make it convenient to transport materials. Of course, Xunyang City has a more developed water transport system, but there is almost no vacant flat land outside the city. We can't just demolish houses in the city to build it."
The short young man shook his head and sighed, "I never thought I'd end up settling in Xunyang City, the most crowded and inconvenient place. Sigh, what a hassle."
Ouyang Rong's voice was indifferent:
"The Sui dynasty belongs to the Fire element, the Daqian dynasty belongs to the Earth element, Earth generates Metal, the Zhou dynasty inherited the Qian dynasty, the Zhou dynasty belongs to the Metal element, and Metal generates Water."
He lowered his eyes:
“A court geomancer suggested that the Donglin Buddha should be cast in gold and built in a place with famous mountains and great rivers, to symbolize the eternal prosperity of the Great Zhou Dynasty.”
Wang Caozhi scratched his head: "With famous mountains and great rivers, there are indeed very few places to choose from, such a geomantically auspicious location. Fortunately, Xunyang City in Jiangzhou is a place of great importance, and Donglin Temple is also located in this prefecture..."
Ouyang Rong suddenly said, "Perhaps it's also because the Prince of Xunyang is here. The mother is kind and the son is filial. The Prince of Xunyang prayed for blessings before the Buddha and auspicious omens were born. Now that the Donglin Buddha has been cast, it will be even more convenient to pray for blessings, won't it?"
The young clerk chuckled lightly.
(End of this chapter)
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