"The moon is the brightness of my hometown. I understand what it feels like to be in a foreign land."
Ouyang Rong suddenly nodded and sighed:
"Sometimes when I think about it at night, I always feel that nothing is bigger than going home."
Qin Hengduo glanced at Ouyang Rong's expression:
"Perhaps Ouyang Changshi hasn't been home for a long time?"
Ouyang Rong nodded: "It's not bad, I just went back last night."
Qin Heng was stunned for a moment, then came to his senses, smiled and nodded: "The general also often dreams about it. Where is Ouyang Changshi's home? Is it far away?"
"It's not far, but it's not far."
Ouyang Rong put down his tea cup, thought for a moment, and looked up at the roof.
There seemed to be memories in his eyes. He raised his hand to measure and gesture at random, and murmured: "Come and go, it seems to be less than ten meters..."
Qin Heng was confused: "Rice? Isn't it grain? How long is this distance?"
"fine."
Ouyang Rong narrowed his eyes, smiled and said, "It's just a joke."
Qin Heng nodded, "What Ouyang Changshi said is quite interesting."
Ouyang Rong looked out the window, thought for a moment, and suddenly said:
"General Qin is reluctant to leave his soldiers and it is difficult for them to return. I also have a deep understanding of the matter. Guizhou Prefecture, Hongzhou Governor's Office, and Jiangzhou Governor's Office did not do it properly.
"I will go back and write a letter for them and do my best."
Qin Heng was surprised: "Thank you Ouyang Changshi!"
He stood up to bow, but Ouyang Rong held his shoulders:
"Wait a minute, listen to me first. Although I have submitted a letter, there is no guarantee that it will be useful.
"In terms of military affairs, I have not had any outstanding performance in the past. In the eyes of His Majesty and the princes, I may not have much say. If it involves water control or people's livelihood, the superiors may pay more attention to it.
"So General Qin is prepared that his letter will be useless."
Qin Heng nodded vigorously, his tone a little excited:
"This is natural, how can we force it? Changshi Ouyang wrote a letter on this matter, which has already somewhat offended Lan Changshi, Governor Zhu, and Governor Wang.
"It is a blessing for Lieutenant Su of the Third Regiment and others to be able to stand up and intercede. There is no reason for the general to blame them for their incompetence."
Ouyang Rong nodded with satisfaction, and immediately his face straightened: "However, I also have a small request."
"Please tell me the long history."
"Can you compile a list of the three hundred soldiers sent out by Jiangzhou Zhechong Prefecture and give it to me?"
"What does Changshi want from this list..."
Qin Heng looked at Ouyang Rong's calm expression, his words were stuck, he didn't ask any more questions, and his expression hesitated for a while.
"Can."
For a few moments, the two looked at each other in tacit understanding and toasted to each other...
It was on the afternoon of the third day after reminiscing at Yunshui Pavilion that Ouyang Rong received the list of soldiers of the Third Regiment of Jiangzhou's Third Zhechong Prefecture from Guoyi Captain Qin Heng.
Ouyang Rong put down his official duties and turned over the pages.
One regiment had a strength of 300 people, and the actual number of the third regiment was more than 290.
"The school captain Su Qian, the flag bearer Xie Li, the corps commander..."
Ouyang Rong lowered his eyes and muttered to himself, scanning them roughly.
It is true that most of them are local good family members in Jiangzhou.
Immediately, he took this list to the inner treasury of Jiangzhou Hall, followed the names and military households, and searched for the household registration files.
Ouyang Rong randomly selected a dozen copies and found the addresses of their family members in Jiangzhou one by one.
Put it in the book and leave.
The next day, Ouyang Rong called Yan Liulang, walked to a deserted place, turned around and gave instructions.
After a while, the latter took a certain booklet and went out...
A few days later, in the afternoon.
In Jiangzhou lobby, in the main hall, Ouyang Rong is working at his desk.
Yan Liulang walked in quickly. He didn't have time to change into the low-key uniform he was wearing. Ouyang Rong dismissed the others.
Yan Liulang reported the investigation of the past few days.
"Mingfu, the addresses of the military dependents you gave me, except for the military dependents who have moved away, all of them do have their own households.
"I have inquired one by one in the past two days, and it turns out that their son is indeed far away in Guizhou, hoarding land and guarding the border.
"And a batch of family letters have been sent back in the past ten days. They should be in Guizhou, safe and sound..."
Yan Liulang knows everything in detail.
"It seems to be true. It's not as complicated as I thought. It's probably not some weird operation by the Wei family."
Ouyang Rong nodded, poured a cup of tea for Yan Liulang, and handed it out:
"Thank you for your hard work, Rokuro."
Yan Liulang couldn't help but praise: "It's not hard work, but Mingfu is still cautious."
Ouyang Rong shook his head helplessly and muttered: "It's just persecution paranoia..."
After a while, Yan Liulang left.
Ouyang Rong took a long breath and looked at the list of soldiers of the Third Regiment stationed in Guizhou on the table.
He pursed his lower lip, straightened up, reached into the pen holder and picked out a handy wolf hair...
Ouyang Rong wrote a memorial as promised.
Accuse Guizhou Hall of breach of trust and delay, and oppose such childish actions.
It's a pity that after ten years, this memorial has just disappeared into the sea.
Ouyang Rong sighed slightly.
Unlike the last time when he submitted a memorial to the police but fell into disgrace, this time Ouyang Rong almost guessed the result.
The reason is very simple. In terms of military affairs, in the eyes of the court, he did not have much authority and did not have any brilliant achievements.
Therefore, the speeches of local military governors such as Governor Zhu of Hongzhou and Wang Lengran of Jiangzhou naturally did not carry as much weight.
A few days later, while Ouyang Rong was busy, he heard Chen Canjun trotting in and whispered:
"Lord Changshi, Lan Changshi is here again, the ship has just docked."
When Ouyang Rong heard this, he rubbed his eyebrows with his fingertips.
Because of the Liuzhou Massacre, Lan Changhao had a censor in the court to attend him, so according to the procedure, he had to go to Yangzhou, the seat of Jiangnan Province, to report his work to the chief of Jiangnan Province.
Not long ago, after colluding with the Hongzhou Governor's Office and the Jiangzhou Governor's Office to postpone the postponement, Lan Changhao went to Yangzhou to report on his duties.
We should be passing through Jiangzhou on our way back now.
Ouyang Rong thought for a while and went to receive him politely.
Soon, I saw the tall and thin Chang Shi with an arrogant face at the old place of the dock.
"Master Lan."
"Master Ouyang."
Lan Changhao cupped his hands, curled his lips, and spoke in a very polite tone.
Ouyang Rong entertained him and found that Lan Changhao seemed to be in a good mood, and his tone and attitude were much better when he spoke along the way.
It seems that it is not just as simple as reporting on work in Yangzhou...he thought to himself.
After a while, Lan Changhao said goodbye and left politely.
That day and night, Yan Liulang suddenly visited the Huaiye Lane residence.
As soon as they met, he immediately told Ouyang Rong the news:
Lan Changhao entertained Wang Lengran, General Yang and other officials and generals at a banquet in Xunyang Tower.
After Ouyang Rong listened, he was silent for a moment and shook his head.
"Ming Mansion, this Lan Changshi is so rude. Seeing that he is a guest from afar, Ming Mansion welcomes him seriously every time. But it's better for him. Every time he comes, he just walks to the Governor's Mansion.
"Now we are inviting local officials to a banquet in public, but only the Ming Dynasty is left out. Is this intentional or accidental?"
Yan Liulang held the knife and sneered:
"In other words, he shouldn't really think that he is the same level as the governor of a state. But as luck would have it, Guizhou lacks a governor, so he is just in charge of the military and political affairs of the state. Hehe, now he doesn't even look down on his governor.
Already?"
Ouyang Rong glanced at the aggrieved Yan Liulang and shook his head: "I don't know."
After a pause, he said calmly: "Maybe you know that I am going against the grain."
He turned and left.
The next afternoon, Qin Heng suddenly invited me.
Ouyang Rong went quietly.
On the third floor of Yunshui Pavilion, in a certain private room, the two met again.
Qin Heng had no expression on his face and said directly:
"The official document above has arrived, and the suggestion of Lan Changshi, the chief official of Guizhou, has been adopted, and the 1,500 soldiers stationed in Guizhou will be postponed for one year.
"At the same time, the recruitment of several other groups of soldiers stationed in the past has also been postponed for one period... to cooperate with Lan Changhao to stabilize the local order in the remote Guizhou Prefecture..."
His nose trembled slightly: "Ah, three years and three years, and now one more year, the chief officer's words are all joking."
Ouyang Rong nodded: "As expected."
"Has Changshi guessed it already?"
"Um."
Qin Heng fell silent, and Ouyang Rong leaned forward, poured him a cup of tea with his eyes lowered, and analyzed calmly:
"I also care about the interests of Chang Shi and Lan Changhao, and I have a rough guess.
"In addition to the high-sounding reason for requesting a one-year extension for this group of garrisoned officers to avoid the instability caused by the rotation, it is also a small idea to save Guizhou a sum of military expenses in the short term.
"As usual, soldiers who are transferred out after their term of service need to pay the deferred military pay in arrears in one lump sum, and also bear a certain amount of demobilization travel expenses.
"Not to mention that the new soldiers who come in rotation also need to be entertained and accommodated, which is another expense."
The more Qin Heng listened, the more he frowned.
He is a professional military attache with a straight mind, but the stakes involved have never been considered in detail before.
For a moment, I was a little stunned.
Qin Heng's eyes were full of admiration and he couldn't help but look at the young man in front of him with his head lowered and paused, sipping tea.
"In fact, this is the duty of garrison state capitals. After all, these border state capitals have much greater autonomy than ordinary state capitals like us, and they do not need to pay more withheld taxes.
"Guizhou is also a continent at the west corner of Lingnan Road. If it is just a small calculation, it may be difficult this year, but Guizhou Hall will not be unable to come up with this money...
"The reason for the one-year extension is that Lan Changshi is calculating another account in his mind, which is also more complicated and more important than the military pay for the garrison."
"What account?" Qin Heng couldn't help asking.
Ouyang Rong sipped the tea that gradually became sweeter in his mouth, lowered his eyes and continued:
"Buddha statue.
“Her Majesty the Queen’s Guizhou Giant Buddha.
"Lan Changhao ran around and postponed it for a year just to squeeze out time and money for the construction of the Giant Buddha.
"His Majesty's new imperial edict also extended the time limit. Now, one year is enough for him and Guizhou Hall to build an expensive golden Buddha for His Majesty.
"Well, as for the rotation of garrisoned officers and the money and food required, let's talk about it in a year."
Qin Heng's tone suddenly became louder: "Save military pay and build Buddha statues. How can he do this?"
Ouyang Rong nodded:
"Whether it is necessary to extend the garrison for another year to the soldiers who have been compromised and postponed, or to pay military salaries, and to rotate the statues of the soldiers who are in poverty and embarrassment, how to calculate this account is very simple for Lan Changhao.
"Besides, with the banner of building the Buddha statue, the postponement will naturally be smooth."
Qin Heng was silent for a moment and suddenly asked:
"What about one year from now? Who knows how much the Buddha statue will cost? What if there is no more money after the Buddha statue is built? Will Guizhou Hall be able to squeeze out military pay after one year?"
Ouyang Rong looked at Qin Heng with a silent and complex look.
The latter's voice stopped.
The two looked at each other quietly for a while.
The answer lies in their hearts.
Not long after, Qin Heng left angrily.
Ouyang Rong sat in front of the small coffee table, silently playing with the tea sets.
He seriously drank the pot of half-cold tea in front of him before getting up and leaving.
Not a drop was wasted.
The next day, morning.
Xunyang Ferry Wharf.
On an official ship belonging to Liuzhou Hall, the boatman untied the rope and prepared to set sail.
On the pier under the boat, there were two groups of figures approaching slowly.
The leaders of the two teams, all wearing crimson official uniforms, marched side by side.
"Thank you, Mr. Ouyang, for taking the time to see me."
"Master Lan is so polite. It's a pity that I didn't invite Master Lan to dinner. I failed to fulfill my duty as a landlord."
"It's okay. Let's eat it next time when we have a chance. There are a lot of unruly people in the mountains over in Guizhou and they are very restless. I have to go back early. Sir Ouyang, we are all your Majesty's ministers and our responsibilities are very important."
"Um."
Ouyang Rong's reaction was indifferent, he turned to look at Lan Changhao who raised his chin, and suddenly asked:
"Master Lan seems to be in a good mood."
"Okay."
Lan Changhao's eyes wandered, looking around at the bustling Xunyang Ferry where thousands of sails were moored, and he sighed:
"Speaking of which, I really envy Mr. Ouyang for being able to serve in such a good position."
Ouyang Rong replied: "Guizhou is also a good place, otherwise why would your Majesty let a giant Buddha fall?"
"But it's not as good as Mr. Ouyang's Jiangzhou."
Lan Changhao curled his lips: "It's not like Mr. Ouyang doesn't know that our Guizhou is the poorest among the four states of making statues, and it's also the most difficult."
Ouyang Rong said in a meaningful tone:
"No matter where you are, no matter how difficult it is, maintaining stability and stability and allowing people to live and work in peace and contentment are the most important. There are difficulties and fears everywhere. Otherwise, what will we, the scholars in official uniforms, do?"
Lan Changhao stopped, turned around, looked at Ouyang Rong for a while, and nodded:
"Well, that makes sense. Mr. Ouyang still has a big structure. In addition, I would like to thank Mr. Ouyang for writing a letter to postpone it and for transferring 20,000 yuan of powder money. On behalf of the people of Guizhou, I would like to thank Mr. Ouyang."
"Sir Lan, you're too polite." Ouyang Rong shook his head, paused, and asked, "I heard recently that the officers and soldiers stationed in Guizhou have been postponed for one year?"
Lan Changhao smiled: "Master Ouyang, did you really just hear about it 'recently'?"
Ouyang Rong was still angry and patiently warned:
"After Mr. Lan returns, it would be best to appease or reward the stationed soldiers and give some explanations. Guizhou is special and stability is the most important thing..."
"The rumors are true. Mr. Ouyang is indeed an admirable gentleman. He is not only concerned about the affairs of his state, but also the affairs of the world."
Lan Changhao praised him and asked in his usual tone:
"So Mr. Ouyang felt that his abilities were incompetent, so he wrote a letter against the extension, right?"
Ouyang Rong looked at him, without fear or flinching, and reminded: "Please, Mr. Lan, think about how long ago the Guizhou scholar tragedy happened."
Lan Changhao snorted coldly: "The green leaves of our Guizhou are more complementary to Lord Ouyang and the red flower of Jiangzhou."
Ouyang Rong asked: "Master Lan, if you want to say something, you might as well say it directly."
"Master Ouyang, don't pretend to be confused because you understand."
Lan Changhao tossed his sleeves and said with a somewhat dissatisfied tone:
"I don't have opportunities like Mr. Ouyang. I passed the imperial examination at a young age and became famous even though I was still young. I became a governor at a young age. I also have a great Confucian as my teacher. I have five surnames and seven views. I am favored by all the princes in the court.
Not to mention that Jane may still be in the emperor's heart.
"You have a bright future, but I don't have such good luck."
"I'm not as carefree as Mr. Lan said." Ouyang Rong said seriously without squinting:
"I have heard of Mr. Lan's deeds. He is also a young talent. He passed the exam early and is no worse than others."
"His deeds, young talent...are you kidding me for not overestimating my abilities back then?"
Ouyang Rong answered categorically: "No, I think Mr. Lan is quite good. How can he be so crazy without great talent?"
"But do you know that after contradicting the old prime minister, my career has been secretly hindered and I have been shunned?"
He shook his head: "I don't know."
Lan Changhao laughed to tears:
"Hahaha, so what if you are talented, there is no one above, no noble people to help you, no matter how talented you are, they are just grass and trees on the roadside, unnoticed."
Ouyang Rong remained silent.
Lan Changhao suddenly agreed: "Master Ouyang is right, we scholars in official uniforms really need to be cautious and cautious to maintain stability and peace for the people."
He changed the topic: "But if you can't even protect your official title, or you are a minor official, then it's useless to defend yourself."
After saying that, Lan Changhao held his head high and his back looked haughty, leaving only one sentence:
"Master Ouyang, look at it. Guizhou is poor, but the Buddha statues it can build are no worse than Jiangzhou."
Ouyang Rong turned to look at his back, and a thousand words in his mouth turned into one sentence: