"Master Diao, Miss Ah Qing, what's going on in the Ming Mansion? It doesn't seem to be very happy..."
Yan Liulang, who was busy with his feet on the ground, stopped in place, looked at the silent figure returning not far away, turned around, and asked in a low voice.
It's just that no one answered him in the strange and solemn returning team he welcomed.
Diao Xiancheng, Ah Qing and others followed Ouyang Rong's footsteps in silence.
Yan Liulang and a group of blue-clothed detectives couldn't help but turn around and look.
I remember just now, when they were busy evacuating the people, they suddenly found Ouyang Rong returning to the foot of the mountain without saying a word.
The young magistrate passed by them indifferently and walked towards the square at the foot of the mountain without looking back.
At the foot of Dagushan Mountain, there is a square for guests to rest. During temple fairs and holidays in the past, temple supplies or Dragon City specialties could be sold. Near the center, there is a huge stone with the four words "Ming Xin Xing Xing" carved on it, which is regarded as the centerpiece of the square.
highest point.
I saw Ouyang Rong walking away with a sword in his hand. Without saying a word, he went straight to the top of the stone and looked down from a high position.
This strange behavior immediately attracted the attention of the people taking refuge in the square.
What shocked Yan Liulang and the other officers even more was his lowered eyes and command:
"Liu Lang, go and call all the fellow villagers you can. I have something to say."
"Ah...it's Mingfu."
Ouyang Rong lowered his head slightly, took a deep breath, and suddenly called Yan Liulang and asked:
"Wait a minute, where is the Jade Fairy?"
"The humble job brought her here from the official residence."
Yan Liulang answered, and when Ouyang Rong lowered his eyes and said nothing, he turned around and left with the order.
After a while, the refugees who had originally gathered from all over Longcheng County heard the county magistrate's order and gathered towards the square at the foot of the mountain.
Under the boulder, the crowd gathered more and more.
Ouyang Rong stood tall on the boulder. While waiting, he raised his head and glanced at the sun that was about to rise to the sky above his head.
The sun's rays fell on the bloodshot eyes, seeming to reflect a variety of colors.
Ouyang Rong was dazzled for a while, and his eyes were slightly squinted by the sunlight.
His face looked dazed.
It was obvious that countless people below were waiting for him to speak.
But Ouyang Rong, who was in a daze, suddenly recalled that when he took office, he also gave a speech by the waterside bridge in front of all the folks in the county.
The sun was so bright that day.
When he slipped and fell into the river and drowned, he was rescued by a dull man who was very unfamiliar at the time. He was hugged by the latter and surfaced. Water entered his mouth and nose, and while he was choking, coughing and suffocating, the hot sunlight above his head wetted his eyes.
Reflected in the water drops, it is also so colorful.
Now, Ouyang Rong once again stands in front of thousands of fellow villagers in Longcheng County, but where is Liu Ashan now? Now, it is his turn to save people.
In the square below, all the people who had taken refuge in Longcheng County gathered on three levels inside and three outside.
Everyone who came here was attracted by the strange figure of the young county magistrate standing on the boulder.
Ouyang Rong suddenly drew his sword.
Zheng——!
A crisp sword cry sounded.
The originally noisy crowd in the square suddenly became quiet.
Ouyang Rong held the sword in his right hand, with the blade pointed inward and the sword vertically between his eyes.
"Today, I have called my fellow villagers here to apologize in public."
He said.
Everyone was stunned.
A clan elder with white hair and beard walked out tremblingly: "Master Mingfu is impartial and selfless, with a breeze on his sleeves. What crime can you commit?"
Ouyang Rong stared at the sword in front of him without squinting, shaking his head:
"No, my officer, I have three sins to apologize for."
He took off his official hat,
Throw it at your feet.
"The first crime is the crime of neglect of duty.
"In the face of a great crisis, I was slack and indifferent. In my position, I was unable to concentrate on my own affairs. I left my job without authorization due to personal matters, which almost caused serious trouble.
"This is a crime of dereliction of duty!"
After saying that, Ouyang Rong pulled off his hair crown in public, lowered his head, grabbed his long black hair, and cut it with his sword.
The whole place was in an uproar.
The body, hair, and skin are received by the parents and should not be damaged. To do so would be unfilial.
This is a very serious and solemn matter for a scholar with a good reputation.
"Cut off the hair on behalf of the deceased as an apology for his sin."
A tuft of thick, long black hair slowly fell to her feet.
Ouyang Rong's short hair was messy, and his bangs covered his eyes, but he couldn't take his eyes away, staring at the sword in front of him, and continued to say word by word:
"The second crime is the crime of negligence.
"I am not very talented. I am deeply trusted by the people of Longcheng and supported by my colleagues in the county government. After serving as an official for one term, I should have completely managed the Liu family.
"But he was so arrogant and contemptuous that he allowed these rats to lurk and parasitize, hatching shocking conspiracies under his nose, threatening the safety of the people in the city.
"If the dirty Liu family's conspiracy succeeds today, I, as a county official, will be responsible for all deaths.
"This is a crime of negligence!"
This time, the whole place was silent.
Ouyang Rong pulled off his belt and pulled off the expensive and gorgeous aqua official uniform with one hand. He stabbed the official uniform with his long sword in a muffled voice, and finally chopped it into tatters and threw it on the ground.
"Forgive me for using my robe as a substitute! My life is temporarily reserved. I must use it today to do the last thing for me, for Liu Ashan's family, and for the fellow villagers of Longcheng."
His eyes were as calm as a flat lake and he nodded.
"This is also my last crime...the crime of abusing my power and using it for personal gain.
"As the Dragon City Commander, when the water gates are about to collapse and the flood is about to come, I should be here to maintain order and resettle the people.
"But today, my brother Paoze was kidnapped by the Liu family, and he couldn't help himself. The Liu brothers are planning a heinous conspiracy, and it's imminent.
"For personal reasons, for public reasons, for reasons of emotion and reason, I, Ouyang Lianghan, must go this way. Even if there are only a few people in the county government, there are many enemies, and I am outnumbered, and I am laughed at and said that I am not overestimating my capabilities, but I will go there even though there are thousands of enemies.
!
"This is a crime of dereliction of duty."
Ouyang Rong counted the three crimes in a loud voice, and then sheathed his sword directly.
He turned around and ordered Yan Liulang and others to gather the few remaining officers and soldiers. Before leaving, he clasped his fists in public for the last time with an apologetic look on his face:
"Having committed three crimes, Liang Han has nothing to repay. I sincerely ask my fellow villagers to forgive Liang Han for the time being and bear this unforgivable life for this trip to the Liu family."
He calmed down his expression and said with a serious face:
"Today the good man will be able to apologize! Either he will cure the evil thief, or... he will pay for it with his life. I will feel at ease."
The whole place fell into silence.
Ouyang Rong jumped off the boulder, told Prime Minister Diao to stay, and ordered Yan Liulang to summon the remaining officers and soldiers.
He led the remaining dozen police officers and soldiers and rushed out of the square.
Looking at the resolute figure in front of him, Yan Liulang hesitated to speak.
Diao Xian Cheng also had a face full of anxiety. He rubbed his waist and trotted over to stop him, thinking that all his previous words were in vain?
Just halfway, after Diao Xian Cheng was kicked away, Ouyang Rong was silent for a moment, and suddenly turned his horse back to Dagushan... At that time, the old Xian Cheng thought that he had been persuaded by him and followed the donkey downhill.
After he came back to apologize, the Mingfu lord was going to charge to his death again, but he didn't listen at all? Hey, didn't he get kicked in vain?
Diao County Prime Minister's face darkened.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the young county magistrate was about to go to his death alone. The crowd of people in the square spontaneously rushed forward, unwilling to stay.
And there were several ethnic fellows in the crowd who took the lead and tried to stop Ouyang Rong.
Xian, a fellow villager from an ethnic group, looked at the young county magistrate with a look of death on his face and asked carefully:
"Master Mingfu, why do you need to say this? Your achievements are obvious to all. Speaking of which, everyone is also confused. Hasn't the Liu family already been punished by dividing the family? What did you do and what crime did you do to make Master Mingfu behave like this?
Do you blame yourself, or even say that you are guilty of three sins?"
After a pause, the original clan elder with gray hair and beard also frowned and said with concern:
"Lord Mingfu, I heard from people who just returned from Zhiyi Canal that the Liu family brothers accused you in public, saying that you offended the Dragon King under the water, which caused the recent rising water in the upper reaches. They also said that you..."
The young county magistrate suddenly stopped, turned his head, and said seriously:
"Dear fellow citizens, not only has there never been a savior in this world, nor has there ever been a Dragon King or Immortal, if there was one, it would have been man-made and malicious.
"Haven't you seen that it has always been the Liu family's attempt to be the Dragon King of this Dragon City? They want to always be on top of the fellow villagers and dominate."
Most of the people in Longcheng, headed by fellow villager Xian, looked hesitant and looked at each other.
“It’s not difficult to knock down the mountains in reality, but it’s difficult to knock down the mountains in your heart.”
Ouyang Rong pursed his lips, remained silent for a moment, turned his head and ordered Yan Liulang:
"Go and bring up the Jade Fairy."
Yan Liulang was stunned for a moment before he realized what he was doing and glanced at Ming Fu's calm expression.
The captain in blue immediately took the people away and then returned, escorting a emaciated and weak chubby priestess.
It may be that Xie Lingjiang's meridians and acupoints were sealed on the Jade Lady Fairy, or it may be that the injury caused by the backlash and vomiting of blood last time has not healed.
Her face was pale and bloodless, her steps were sluggish, and her body was covered with clattering shackles.
But who would have thought that after this weak-breathing priestess was escorted up, when she saw Ouyang Rong with messy short hair and wearing only a white lining, her eyes suddenly widened and her pupils shrank:
"Demon! The resurrected demon! You are not the original sacrifice, you are the demon that was released! Ahhhh, save me, save me, the demon is going to eat people..."
The Jade Fairy seemed to have seen the most terrifying thing in the world, and turned around like crazy to run away.
"Humph, it's the same as pretending to sleep, pretending to be crazy and acting stupid?" Yan Liulang frowned.
He stepped forward with quick eyes and hands, and with a knee, the Jade Immortal held her belly like a shrimp bow, and Yan Liulang carried him to Ouyang Rong, where he knelt down obediently.
"Don't eat me, don't eat me..." The Jade Fairy held her head and kowtowed, not daring to look at Ouyang Rong, her hair was disheveled and she murmured.
Ouyang Rong frowned slightly, but he didn't pay much attention to these crazy words at the moment.
After hesitating for a moment, he closed his eyes and said:
"Liu Lang, while all the fellow villagers are here, I will explain everything about the ribbon-cutting ceremony ordered by the Liu family, as well as the reasons for the destruction of Di Gong Gate in the past, so that everyone who is still in the dark can listen.
, who is the 'Dragon King'."
"Mingfu, what does this mean..." The fellow villagers were stunned and wanted to speak out of curiosity.
Ouyang Rong nodded and motioned for them to listen.
Yan Liulang solemnly took a step forward and took out the files on the investigation of the case these days, as well as the evidence from Burning Sky Shark Oil, Jade Goddess Fairy and others...
Finally, under the sun, the truth that had been hidden all this time was revealed one by one and began to be put in front of everyone:
"Everyone, the collapse of Digong Gate every four years is actually the result of the Liu family in Longcheng secretly!"
The first sentence shocked the whole audience.
Yan Liulang continued:
“In the past decade or so, every major flood that has destroyed the lives of villagers has been not only a natural disaster, but also a man-made disaster.
"The Liu family takes advantage of the sword shop craftsmen's convenience in repairing the gate, and puts the strange oil that explodes every time into the main gate chamber... Please see, this is the oil, which is provided by the priestess on the scene...
"The Liu family will take the opportunity to detonate strange oil and blow up the sluice when the water rises.
"When the floods hit the lower reaches, the Liu family had already made preparations. They set up a porridge shed and a nursery, and acquired fertile land to take advantage of the opportunity to make a fortune in the disaster year!
"Then they once again pretended to cooperate with the county government to repair the gate, and once again laid mines to prepare for the next four years. The cycle goes on and on, and this is how the Liu family has grown!"
The crowd seemed to be shocked. In the silent arena, Yan Liulang became angrier as he spoke, gritting his teeth and sneering:
"What a Dragon King Liu family, what a good word "Liu", born with water, drawing water to grow, drawing on the blood and blood of the fathers and fellow villagers, and the hard work and sweat!
"Everyone sold their fields and their children, and ended up raising an evil willow tree that covers the sky. They want to become the Dragon King and dominate! Today, they dare to stage another drama of flooding the Dragon City!"
The Jade Fairy and others testified and evidence appeared one by one.
The truth is revealed to the world.
The whole place was in an uproar!
It turns out that the main culprit that caused the death of their family and the separation of their wives and children was not a natural disaster, but the former good Liu family!
Before, everyone knew that the three brothers of the Liu family were bullies and powerful, but they just thought that they were ancestors who had accumulated wealth over the years and had little resentment.
But he didn't expect that he would secretly engage in such an outrageous and resentful act of castration!
The fellow villagers and sages stomped their feet, threw their sticks, and cursed loudly; the common people and fellow villagers gnashed their teeth and were filled with righteous indignation.
In an instant, the sound of grief and curses on the field shook the sky and the earth.
The common people grabbed wooden sticks and poles and rushed forward to pull the young magistrate's clothes.
A commoner in Guizhou was filled with grief and anger: "Master Mingfu, go fight with them!"
All parties responded with great momentum.
Ouyang Rong was stunned and speechless.
I looked around.
The bloody and angry sounds came from all directions.
He closed his eyes slightly, raised his face and took a deep breath.
I felt as if something indescribable was gushing out of my chest.
This was the sound that made him linger and linger in the Pure Land Palace, deceiving himself and others.
This is what he has been looking for since taking office, but cannot find, something that can burn away all filth and sweep away all paper tigers:
It is the strong and bloody spirit in the blood of the children of Wu and Yue.
It is the anger of an ordinary man in the mouths of princes, generals and ministers.
It is the power of the people!
“Who says you have nothing, who says you are empty-handed, and who says you don’t overestimate your capabilities?”
Ouyang Rong suddenly opened his eyes, turned towards Diao Xiancheng who was looking around in shock, and said softly:
“People’s support is available!
"So what if we are outnumbered and outnumbered? We are all in a rabble.
"So what about the power of myth? The anger gathered by the mortal world is the real myth in this world!"
Ouyang Rong, with his short hair flying and plain clothes climbing high, raised his arms and shouted:
"Everyone, please don't be impatient. Leave the women, children, old and young, and the men over six feet tall to follow me. Today, you all, unite as one, and the Liu family will perish!"
The angry people quickly gathered under the guidance and organization of Ouyang Rong and others.
Ten people, hundreds, thousands.
Immediately, Ouyang Rong quickly made arrangements and turned around to order:
"Yan Liulang, organize the young men who have come forward and divide them into teams... When everything is ready, we will head to Songlin Ferry immediately!"
"Diao County Cheng, I want you to go to Songlindu quickly. First, mobilize the official ships and wait for the large troops to arrive. And...
"Take out all the Burning Sky Shark Oil that was previously stored in the cabin, put it into bamboo tubes, and distribute them one by one when everyone gets on the boat..."
"Remember, the targets we want to destroy today are the Guyue Sword Shop on the west bank of Butterfly Creek, the Liu family mansion in Xiaogushan, and... a suspicious sword furnace.
"Let's go together to clean up the evil in Dragon City!"