Chapter 352: Be Prepared (please vote for me at the beginning of the month or 2)
Du Shuqing was still missing.
Two days later, letters from Magistrate Diao and the news brought back by Yan Liulang from Longcheng were sent back one after another.
Ouyang Rong was a little silent.
"Ming Mansion, I went to Meiluyuan to take a look. Du Shuqing must have lived there. It was very clean, including fallen leaves, dust, etc., but... I didn't see his luggage.
"In addition, the door is locked from the outside, but I saw this bunch of keys on the table in the side gate room."
Ouyang Rong reached out, took the key handed over by Yan Liulang, and looked down.
It was on that day when he was seeing off Li Zhengyan and others at Xunyang Ferry, he smiled and handed Du Shuqing the key to the gate of Meiluyuan.
Ouyang Rong sent Yan Liulang away.
He held the key in his hand and sat quietly on the seat in the main hall for a while.
The morning sunlight that slanted in gradually retreated from the feet of the table to the wooden threshold of the door.
Ouyang Rong came to his senses.
Silently put away the key.
I got up and went out, stood still in the courtyard, and basked in the warm sun that was approaching noon for a while.
Ouyang Rong went to hold Dongmei in his arms and left the Jiangzhou lobby.
I went out this morning and promised my aunt that I would go back for lunch at noon.
Junior sister is here and she will cook lunch.
Weak Guan Changshi rode a maroon rouge horse and passed by Xunyang Ferry and the lively West Market next to it. He bought some snacks that junior sister Ye Weilai liked along the way.
He had taken off his official uniform and was only wearing a green soap suit. No one recognized him, just like an ordinary member in this bustling crowd of people.
During this period, Ouyang Rong's eyes fell on the busy streets, on the traffickers, tourists and residents.
He actually likes the bustling and popular atmosphere of Xunyangdu.
When I came to Xunyang City for the first time and saw this classic, old and popular ferry, I became very motivated.
Think of it as the second Dragon City.
It's a pity that there are still many dragon cities in the world.
Right now, he can change this ferry and the people's livelihood in Jiangzhou, but he can't change the rest of the world.
It cannot influence the imperial policy under the influence of the various forces or factors such as the empress, the Wei clan, and the Baoli faction.
Even Wang Lengran was using his Shangguan status and rules to squeeze him out.
Returning to the Huaiye Lane mansion, I had a peaceful meal with my junior sister, Zhen Shuyuan, Ye Weila and other female family members.
That afternoon, Ouyang Rong wore a crimson official uniform and solemnly rushed to Prince Xunyang's Mansion.
Discussed all afternoon.
In the evening, he left Prince Xunyang's Mansion under the eyes of a pair of people, either bright or dark.
The next day, Jiangzhou Hall issued a document, following the order of King Xunyang, the governor of Jiangnan, in order to prevent floods during the rainy season,
The excavation of the twin peaks and the construction of the Donglin Giant Buddha have been temporarily stopped, and the recruitment of Xunyang Ferry has been suspended.
In the afternoon of that day, Jiang Governor Ouyang Rong went to inspect important grain depots such as Jimincang.
Subsequently, Jiangzhou Hall, which already had sufficient grain and grass, purchased grain and grass on the pretext of preventing floods and expanding the granary.
The tax season has not yet come, and Jiangzhou's finances are stretched thin, so they use an accounting method to let people who sell grain draw deposits.
Thanks to the good reputation of Jiangzhou Hall under the leadership of the new Chang Shi, people in Xunyang responded in an endless stream.
As for the wealthy merchants in Xunyang and the Jiangnan businessmen who were passing by, they heard about this and came to transport grain... Jiangzhou Hall purchased and stored it at a suitable price.
In the next few days, the weak-headed official inspected the wells in each village one by one on the pretext of inspecting the people's livelihood in Xunyang.
Later, the government hired people to add another forty or fifty wells in the vacant areas of the temples or where there were springs of sweet water...
Xunyang City is not short of food and water, but this series of practical actions of hoarding water and preparing food has attracted the attention of many people.
Jiangzhou lobby also welcomed a long-lost "guest".
When Wang Lengran, the governor of Jiangzhou, walked into the main hall, Ouyang Rong was chatting with Yuan Huaimin.
The former seems to be asking the latter about the long-abandoned Suojiang Ancient Pagoda built by a certain predecessor on the banks of the Xunyang River.
With his hands behind his back and a cold face, Wang Lengran walked from the gate to the governor's table at the top of the hall and sat down.
"snort."
A cold snort.
Ouyang Rong ignored it and continued to ask Yuan Huaimin about the past history of the Suojiang Tower.
The people of Yuan Huai returned home, but they were very familiar with local chronicles and historical materials such as mountains, rivers, scenery, humanities and biographies.
So Ouyang Rong raised his eyebrows, a little approving of his "poetry and painting excellence" that he talked about every day.
"Hmph, Ouyang Changshi didn't see me coming?"
Wang Lengran snorted again and interrupted.
Ouyang Rong lowered his head and carefully wrote down what he had just learned with his brush. Then he put down his pen and said calmly:
"Your Majesty Wang is a rare guest. If you need me, please sweep your couch to wait for me. I'll walk over to welcome you and wash away the dust for you."
The main hall, which had been silent for a long time, had a strong smell of gunpowder. When he heard the two officers pointing their fingers at each other, Yuan Huaimin immediately stopped talking and began to look at his eyes, nose and heart.
"It's not Ouyang Changshi who did something good because he was smart."
Wang Lengran looked dissatisfied and asked:
"I heard that Ouyang Changshi suddenly ordered to stop the construction of His Majesty's Donglin Giant Buddha, and instead used the money to store water and food, strengthen the city walls, and build some strange things.
"It's ridiculous. Xunyang City is short of water and food. Why are you hoarding these things? Are you going to rebel? I don't know, I thought you were going to defend the city and be self-reliant!"
Ouyang Rong's business-like expression:
"The suspension of the construction of the Donglin Giant Buddha is an order from the prince to prevent possible floods in the future. The Yangtze River is in flood season, so take precautions.
"Furthermore, I have already reported this matter to the imperial court. The Donglin Buddha will be built within the time limit, and it will not be less than this time and a half. What is the hurry, Mr. Wang?"
"Ah, rebellion." Ouyang Rong chuckled:
"I don't have the slightest power in the military affairs. If there is a rebellion in Xunyang City, the person with the greatest possibility and opportunity is probably you, Mr. Wang."
"You..." Wang Lengran stood up abruptly, slapped the case and angrily shouted: "That's a bunch of nonsense."
Ouyang Rong nodded: "Look, it's urgent."
"..."
Wang Lengran's blood pressure suddenly surged to his head, and his old face became congested and red.
But there was nothing he could do about Ouyang Rong, otherwise he wouldn't have rushed here in anger today.
Ouyang Rong came out in the name of preventing floods in the Yangtze River, and he had previously made great achievements in flood control in Longcheng and was widely praised for his political achievements.
Her Royal Highness the Queen, in the eyes of the princes of the imperial court, he is an authority on water conservancy, and he may even be included in the history books of this dynasty a hundred years from now.
After all, there is the Broken Wing Canal. Such masterpieces are left in the south of the Yangtze River where floods are the most serious. With such a famous achievement, it can be regarded as one of the top water conservancy projects in the current dynasty or in the world.
Wang Lengran knew that even if he submitted a letter as the governor, he would probably not be able to compete with him.
"Ouyang Changshi, don't try to use this to do any mischief, build a plank road openly or secretly visit the warehouse. I will keep an eye on you."
Wang Lengran warned word for word.
Of course Ouyang Rong knew the meaning of Wang Lengran's words and some of his concerns.
He was afraid that Ouyang Rong and the Xunyang Palace would lose control and use this opportunity to do something unexpected and completely break the situation.
In fact, the entire Xunyang City has always been in a state of looseness on the outside and tightness on the inside. Wang Lengran is always keeping an eye on the Xunyang Palace and firmly controls the prosecutorial and military power.
Ouyang Rong looked at him and said calmly:
"What a coincidence, I also like to stare at people."
Wang Lengran was silent for a while and suddenly asked:
"I heard that in the name of Jiangzhou Hall, you sent someone to deliver a letter to the Hongzhou Governor's Mansion."
"Master Wang is quite well informed."
"I am the chief official of Jiangzhou, so I naturally have the right to know this. Ouyang Changshi, you used the name of Jiangzhou without authorization to warn Hongzhou and point fingers. What do you mean?"
"Of course it means literally."
"If you go beyond the superior official and send official documents privately, you will bring shame on me! The people in Hongzhou think that I am incapable of governing."
Ouyang Rong looked at him with strange eyes, as if asking, isn't it?
Wang Lengran suddenly scolded:
"I work hard every day on military and political matters, so I don't come here often. What do you know? I just deal with some civil affairs in Tsoer, just trivial matters. Do you really think that you are an unparalleled national scholar? Do you think you can interfere in anything?"
Ouyang Rong's expression did not change and he suddenly said:
"I don't know why Mr. Wang is thinking so hard. I have something to say and I don't know whether to say it or not."
Without waiting for Wang Lengran to say "I shouldn't say it" angrily, he immediately said:
"Sir Wang, stop guarding this three-quarter acre of land in Jiangzhou. Find an excuse to temporarily transfer the soldiers from the 3rd Zhechong Mansion in Jiangzhou to the 4th and 5th Zhechong Mansion in Hongzhou.
“Immediately reinforce Hongzhou as a precaution.
"Otherwise, if something goes wrong in Hongzhou, there will only be one Zhechong Mansion in Jiangzhou, which will be of little use. The two nearest Zhechong Mansion are both in Hongzhou."
Ouyang Rong sighed.
Wang Lengran, who was angry just a second ago, suddenly became quiet, squinted, stared at him and asked:
"Ouyang Changshi, what did you hear?"
"Hu Zhongshi is not like Mr. Wang. He keeps everything under wraps and does not discuss it with others."
"Did Ambassador Hu also send a message to Ouyang Changshi?"
Ouyang Rong smiled, naturally he would not mention Qin Heng and expose his allies.
Wang Lengran also sneered: "The relationship between Hu Zhongshi and Ouyang Changshi seems to be good."
Ouyang Rong lowered his eyes and advised again:
"If the worst happens, Hongzhou is lost, there is no foreign aid, and Jiangzhou is left with only one soldier, it is difficult to protect it unless the whole state is mobilized...
"As the military and political chief of a state, Mr. Wang, please consider the overall situation."
Wang Lengran laughed, twitched the corner of his mouth, and said sarcastically:
"Do you know what Governor Zhu Da was doing before? He was just to deal with some disobedient soldiers who made arrogant demands and provoked the imperial court. You, a junior like you, still need to point your fingers."
Standing up, Wang Lengran rolled his sleeves,
He said "someone please be honest" and left the Jiangzhou lobby without looking back.
Ouyang Rong pursed his lips, he knew what Wang Lengran was thinking.
He and Jiangzhou Zhechong Mansion, in fact, what really cared about was never the northern garrison soldiers, but the Xunyang Prince's Mansion.
As long as the Xunyang Prince's Mansion is well guarded and no mistakes are made, there will never be any mistakes.
And once something unexpected happens in Prince Xunyang's Mansion, even if he makes great achievements, it will be of no avail. At least Wang Lengran himself will be safe.
…
"Brother Lianghan, why are you suddenly interested in this Suojiang Tower?"
The morning after the unhappy separation from Wang Lengran, Ouyang Rong and Yuan Huaimin went to a historic site on the riverside not far outside the city.
Regardless of his image, Ouyang Rong squatted on the pier of the tower on the side of the river, stretched out his hand to touch the rusty iron chain underneath, and then rubbed the rust chips between his fingers.
He stared at the rust chips and said nothing.
"It is said that when Dayu was controlling the floods, he used iron oxen to control the water. Therefore, there were four iron oxen guards cast in this building in ancient times. However, they fell into disrepair and two were lost, leaving only half of them.
"Later in the Wei and Jin Dynasties, when the literary style was advocated, when it was still Xunyang County, the prefect Wu Xiu built this building, which took eighteen years to complete.
"This building was called Jiangtian Suoyue Tower at that time. Because it towers over the blue sky, is elegant and simple, and the tower's shadow locks on the river, it is elegant and subtle. Therefore, it has become one of the ten scenic spots in the south of the Yangtze River. There is an endless stream of literati and poets, looking at the river view, splashing ink like rain.
"There is a saying that if you look at Wu and Chu, they are thousands of miles away, and the waves below are gathering in Xunyang.
"It's a pity that after experiencing the Wei, Jin, north and south, the winds and clouds above us were changing, and the waves were rolling under our feet. During this period, we were also affected by wars. After four hundred years of changes, river banks collapsed, buildings were destroyed, cows sank, and pavilions collapsed..."
Yuan Huaimin remembered his extensive knowledge and sighed:
"Brother Lianghan, in fact, whether it is called Suojiang Tower or Jiangtian Suoyue Tower, as the name suggests, it is naturally to lock the untamable river water.
"Floods are like evil dragons breeding, and this tower means to restrain the dragons, eliminate disasters, and maintain peace forever."
"It's just that this kind of water control strategy has the nature of praying for blessings. Brother Lianghan, who is really proficient in water conservancy, should not be able to see it."
"It seems that this building has also been used for other purposes."
Ouyang Rong chuckled, pointed at the rusty iron rope under his feet, and said in a calm tone:
"I've heard people say that during the ancient wars, an unknown general came up with a clever plan, made iron chains, laid them down in this dangerous place, crossed the Yangtze River, made a big iron cone, and placed it in the river...
"The location of Suojiang Tower is really good. It's right at the narrowest point of this section of the river."
He was a little moved by the scene and sighed:
"It can be imagined that throughout the ages there has been no shortage of capable people with lofty ideals. They all know that the location of Xunyang City in Jiangzhou is critical. It can monopolize the Yangtze River and guard the southeast gateway."
Yuan Huaimin was stunned:
"Liang Han still knows whether this old story of crossing the Yangtze River was a Dongwu garrison, but I remember that he did not meet the Ming Dynasty, and the strategy of locking the river ended in failure, and the country was ruined and the family was forgotten.
"The right way is to serve the country with a clever plan, but it is pitiful and useless, and the dust is dim and white feathers... The iron chain crosses the river, the brocade sails surf, Sun Lang is good at it... But I am worried about knocking on the osmanthus, lamenting about Liang's father, and the tears flow like rain."
Ouyang Rong twitched the corners of his mouth.
Okay, okay, it’s so disappointing, isn’t it?
"Okay, don't show off your calligraphy and painting skills anymore. Your book bag fell off my face... Let's go and have a look at the other side."
He stood up and patted the rusty dust with both hands:
"If the local chronicles are correct, there is a place called Huilongji across the river. There is a small abandoned tower, which is the place where the other end of the iron chain is connected."
He took Yuan Huaimin on a boat to the other side of the river.
The next afternoon was spent on field trips.
On the second day, Ouyang Rong personally went to Si Shicao, one of the six Cao Cao in Jiangzhou, and found Si Shicao to join the army.
This company is mainly responsible for the construction of houses, cars and ships, etc., as well as the management of craftsmen in the state.
Ouyang Rong asked about the difficulty of casting some iron chains, and then ordered Si Shicao to summon the best blacksmiths in the city.
At the same time, he began to walk around and collect iron materials on the market.
Ouyang Rong is planning to renovate the Jiangtian Suoyue Building. To be precise, he is renovating the Hengjiang Iron Chain.
Let's continue to demolish buildings and other things.
While he was running around and busy with this matter,
That morning, Yan Liulang suddenly ran into Si Shicao's blacksmith shop and said urgently to Ouyang Rong, who was supervising the iron chain casting:
"Ming Mansion, Ambassador Hu is back!"
Ouyang Rong paused.
Good brothers, Xiaorong should adjust his schedule. There should be no update at 12pm, and the update should be tomorrow. This is considered to be a half-day holiday for Xiaorong, woo woo woo.