Outside the window, the night is as cold as water.
The house was dimly lit.
A piece of moonlight shines in front of a couch.
The young county magistrate sometimes stood up to check his luggage for tomorrow's departure; sometimes he lay down and counted sheep with his eyes closed.
Tossing and turning, it was almost dawn before he fell asleep.
Very light sleep.
The rising sunlight shines through the paper window and shines on the slightly frowning sleeping face. Ouyang Rong wakes up suddenly with the warmth.
After only two hours of sleep, he stared at the empty room for a while, then silently got up, put on his clothes and shoes, and opened the door.
"Junior sister, Dalang, what are you doing here?"
In the courtyard, Xie Lingjiang, Li Fusu, and Li Guoer were quietly sunbathing.
"Tanlang, you're awake!" Li Fusu stood up happily.
Ouyang Rong looked at them and asked softly:
"Didn't you say that the afternoon boat to Xunyang City is ahead of schedule?"
Li Xian and his wife first went to Xunyang City to "recuperate", while Li Dalang and Li Guo'er stayed in Longcheng to sort out the relocation of the Su Mansion.
It happened that Ouyang Rong was about to take up the post of Jiangzhou Governor.
The two parties agreed to take a boat together this afternoon and set off to Xunyang City, the capital of Jiangzhou.
"The boat hasn't moved ahead, it's still afternoon."
Xie Lingjiang jumped off the swing, held his sword and shook his head, explaining:
"However, in order to celebrate the senior brother's promotion and the happy event of exempting the entire county from the mediocrity and adjusting the second tax, Diao Xiancheng and some squires took the lead, and the county's scholars, farmers, industrialists and merchants organized a promotion lunch for the senior brother at Yuanming Building. feast."
She laughed and said:
"In the morning, Senior Brother did not go to the county government office, so Diao Xiancheng asked me to convey that you, the protagonist of the lunch, must be present."
Ouyang Rong patted his forehead: "I'm confused." He walked over, fetched a bucket of well water, and washed his face.
Li Fusu looked at his friend's face and said with a smile: "Tan Lang, if you are tired and can't sleep, the jujube kernel soup will help."
"..."
Ouyang Rong's mouth twitched.
After washing up, he passed by the three of them and strode out:
"Let's go."
Xie Lingjiang and the others quickly followed.
On Luming Street, at the gate of Meiluyuan, a long-awaited carriage slowly started and drove towards one of the largest restaurants in the county.
"Congratulations to Tan Lang for being promoted to Jiang Governor!"
In the carriage, Li Fusu smiled broadly and looked happy.
"My father and mother are also very happy. They are waiting for Tan Lang to give him a promotion gift..."
Li Fusu, who was sitting upright, and Li Guo'er, who was wearing a veil and nodding lightly, talked about how to celebrate the gift after returning to Xunyang City.
Even if the Li clan's royal family and the Tianhuang nobles are down and out, they still have a lot of rules. This is the top lintel.
Ouyang Rong looked out the window, slightly distracted and didn't listen much.
He moved closer to Fusu and lowered his voice:
"Tan Lang, my father is over there in Xunyang City, pretending to be sick, and it's a bit hard. The female officials and doctors are guarding the area. The effect of the elixir is strong, but it is really powerful, and no one can see the clues.
"Now my father is looking forward to the stars and the moon every day, waiting for us to deliver the antidote..."
Ouyang Rong nodded: "Just bear with me a little longer, thank you for your hard work, uncle."
"It's not hard work." Li Fusu shook his head: "Without Tan Lang's clever plan, my father and we are still shrinking in Dragon City and trembling in fear. How could we dare to hope to restore the title of King Xunyang."
"Brother is right."
Li Guo'er looked at Ouyang Rong with a pair of wonderful eyes and said crisply:
"With the restoration of this royal title, and the attention from my grandmother, Wei Shaoxuan and his ilk will no longer dare to blatantly threaten us. At least we are safe in Xunyang City."
"Yes." Li Fusu and Ouyang Rong looked out of the car window with longing on their faces:
"My father's palace is in Xunyang City, and Liang Han happened to be promoted to a state official and went to Xunyang City. We can be together again and we won't be separated!"
"Oh, that sage will arrange official positions."
Ouyang Rong nodded lightly.
He looked at the lively street scene outside the window for a while, then suddenly turned back:
"After the luncheon, when will the boat scheduled to go to Jiangzhou in the afternoon leave?"
"The first moment of the unitary hour."
Ouyang Rong pursed his lips, it was about five o'clock.
After finishing the lunch, it was probably two or three o'clock, and I still had to leave the city to rush to Xindu Port to take the boat. My schedule was tight... I wanted to do anything else, but it seemed too late.
"Elder brother, why do you ask this?"
"fine."
Ouyang Rong rubbed his face.
…
The promotion luncheon at Yuanming Tower was grander than Ouyang Rong imagined.
There were so many visitors that the three-story building was packed to the brim.
Diao County Magistrate and other county government colleagues, more than a dozen local gentry and wealthy people, famous Longcheng scholars, and famous clan fellows and sages from various towns and villages in Longcheng.
Not to mention the people who spontaneously came from all over Dragon City to celebrate and have a feast.
The building was so crowded that there was no room for an extra bench.
Ouyang Rong didn't expect everyone to be so enthusiastic.
At the main table at the top of the first floor, he raised his glass to greet everyone, drank heavily, and toasted guests from all over the world...
After nearly a corner of the wine was drunk, Ouyang Rong sat down on the chair.
Diao Xiancheng put his head together and smiled:
"Master Mingfu has so many people... No, I have to change my title. Now I am Master Changshi. I have admired you for a long time."
"I have to change my title too." He took a package from his junior sister and handed it to the old county magistrate.
The latter opened it and saw that there were light green official uniforms, official seals, ribbons and other items inside.
Ouyang Rong was slightly drunk and said with a smile: "I will have to call you County Magistrate Diao from now on. I will add another piece of uniform for the four seasons. Magistrate Diao is disrespectful and disrespectful."
Diao Xian Cheng waved his hand quickly: "Hey, where are you? Master Chang Shi, please don't laugh at me."
With a humble mouth, the old county magistrate couldn't suppress the grin on his lips, and his face was full of joy.
Ouyang Rong was promoted to the governor of Jiangzhou, and because of his meritorious service in assisting in flood control, plus the good fortune of being the first to submit a memorial and offering auspiciousness, he was promoted from the eighth-rank county magistrate to the seventh-rank county magistrate.
The only pity is that he is too old, otherwise he would have great potential in the future due to his political achievements... But Diao Xiancheng is already satisfied.
Diao Xiancheng sighed with emotion: "Sir Chang Shi...forget it, let's call him Mingfu for now, it's easy to pronounce. Well, if I can follow your footsteps, it would be great to be a subordinate of Mingfu."
The old county magistrate's tone was joking and somewhat self-deprecating.
After all, there is no doubt that Ouyang Rong will be promoted faster than him in the future. If this sentence is really effective, wouldn't he also be promoted quickly?
But for now, this statement is quite correct.
Jiangzhou has jurisdiction over a dozen counties. The governor of Jiangzhou manages state affairs and is naturally the immediate boss of each county...
Previously, due to the Jiangzhou Jimincang corruption case, the previous Jiangzhou governor and chief history officer, two important positions, had been suspended.
Later, Wang Lengran parachuted into Jiangzhou as the governor, but the position of chief governor was still vacant. The governor took over the power on his behalf, making him have no sense of existence.
At present, Ouyang Rong was promoted in due course to fill this position.
At the subsequent luncheon, Ouyang Rong found that the people who came to toast looked at him differently.
It is awe and admiration.
In the officialdom, in addition to the big threshold from local official to capital official, the sixth grade to the fifth grade is also an important threshold. I don't know how many scholars have turned their heads.
Ouyang Rong crossed over easily.
To be honest, the speed is a bit fierce...
After serving as the Dragon City Order for a year, Ouyang Rong was deeply impressed by the large power limits of such local officials.
And among the ten roads in the world, in terms of wealth, Jiangnan Road is located in the middle and upper reaches, which is the hinterland of the southern country.
There are only a few Shangzhous on Jiangnan Road, and Jiangzhou is one of them. There are a lot of floods, but it is also accompanied by developed water transport trade routes, which control the lifeline of Jiangnan transportation.
Jiang Governor Shi, who is about to take office... doesn't know how many resources he can mobilize and how much profit distribution he can control.
I remember a long time ago, during the Dragon Boat Festival grain price war, a certain big and domineering grain merchant was said to have a long history in Hongzhou next door. As you can imagine, he was very proud of his reputation.
After a good meal, the luncheon was over.
After bidding farewell to the enthusiastic crowd, Ouyang Rong temporarily returned to Meilu Garden to pick up his luggage.
The Li brothers and sisters have vacated the Su Mansion. On Luming Street, there are ten carriages carrying luggage and dozens of maids and slaves waiting.
Ouyang Rong said goodbye to the concierge, carried his backpack and went out lightly.
The two parties met, drove away from the county seat, and rushed to Zheyi Canal on the outskirts of the city.
There was too much luggage and Penglang Ferry was too small, so everyone chose to take a boat at the spacious Xin Ferry.
But he had just left the city not long ago.
"This is……"
Ouyang Rong opened the car curtain and looked at the crowded crowd on the official road ahead, his face slightly stunned.
There is a pavilion one mile away from the official road on the outskirts of the city.
And in front of me, ten miles outside the city, there were long pavilions where people gathered spontaneously, eating pots of juice and seeing someone off.
Previously, Ouyang Rong specifically did not say that he was leaving today and was preparing to leave quietly.
It was only at the luncheon that he had a temporary conversation with Diao Xiancheng and others.
Ouyang Rong saw the figures of Diao County Cheng and others in front of the pavilion, as well as many lunch guests, seeing them off together.
He looked helpless: "Master Diao, you guys..."
"In the Ming Dynasty, it was not all summoned by the lower officials. The villagers came spontaneously. The people in the whole county are paying attention to your movements in Meiluyuan."
Ouyang Rong was silent for a moment.
Xie Lingjiang, who was sitting next to him, took away his luggage and said with a smile:
"Elder brother, you'd better go and say goodbye to the people of Dragon City."
"Tan Lang, go ahead." Li Fusu couldn't help laughing.
"What about you?"
Li Guo'er withdrew her eyes from the expectant faces of the people outside the window and made arrangements softly:
"Let's take our luggage to the pier first and wait for you by the boat. Go ahead, Ouyang Lianghan, and say goodbye well."
Ouyang Rong was silent for a moment, then nodded, "That's okay."
On the official road, the carriage team continued to set off.
Ouyang Rong took the reins handed over by his junior sister, carried only the sword box on his back, turned on his horse, and never looked back:
"Wait for me at the dock."
"Um."
Ouyang Rong rode behind the convoy and rode alone to meet the people of Longcheng who were enthusiastically approaching from the front.
The strong wind blew his long hair like colorful prayer flags fluttering in the wind.
Ouyang Rong suddenly remembered that he was like this when he first went to Longcheng.
One person and one horse came alone, with empty hands and nothing but their official bodies.
Parting now, he is also empty-handed.
But not all is lost.
After serving as an official, what did you leave behind?
Disaster relief, flood control, justice.
What else did you take away?
A sword that is hard to distinguish between right and wrong, but swears to cut off all right and wrong in the world.
Ouyang Rong suddenly smiled and rode forward.
In the ten-mile long pavilion, the people of Longcheng ate pots of pulp, called Magistrate Luobo cordially, led their horses and grabbed their sleeves, and young men with boxes on their backs drank wine step by step, refusing to refuse anyone who came.
Ten miles outside the city, all the willow branches are broken, and there is a scene of reluctant farewell...
While he was still drunk, Ouyang Rong faintly heard the melody of a certain ballad:
Outside the pavilion,
Beside the ancient road,
The grass is green and the sky is green.
The evening wind blows the willow flute,
The mountains outside Sunset Mountain...
evening.
Zheyi Canal, Tanlang Ferry.
The name of the new ferry has not yet been decided, but the people of Longcheng have privately called it Tanlangdu, and the county officials did not stop it, and it has gradually become a custom.
Tanlangdu is now a prosperous scene, faintly exceeding the lively scale of Penglangdu.
On the official road, there was a skinny horse, carrying a drunken and sleeping young man, and slowly drove into the ferry, getting closer and closer to the dock.
The golden sunset covered the slender body of the drunken young man like a cloth.
The thin horse was walking through the busy city, and suddenly there was a voice:
"They are selling cakes~hot sesame cakes baked right out of the oven~don't miss it if you pass by..."
Ouyang Rong opened his eyes drunkenly, got off his horse, staggered closer, and looked down at the steaming sesame cakes in the pot.
The man selling sesame cakes warmly welcomed him: "The cakes are still warm, would you like to eat?"
Ouyang Rong stared at the sesame cake with drunken eyes, his face was red from drunkenness, and he was a little dazed.
He stretched out his fingers and touched the body of the cake, which made him shrink back.
Wake up slightly.
"Ahem, don't touch it with your hands!"
Ouyang Rong stopped his hand and looked around. The hustle and bustle of the busy city made the drunken look in his eyes disappear a lot.
"Where have I been..." he said to himself.
"This is Tanlangdu. Are you drunk?"
"Tan Lang crossing?" The young man with a box-carrying nickname, Tan Lang, took a deep breath and said in a daze:
"Tan Lang knows that the boat is waiting in front, and there are people waiting in front. Tan Lang has to move forward and look forward. Isn't that how I taught Ah Qing before..."
After looking at the young man with a box on his back who was mumbling nonsense in his sleep, the cake seller was curious:
"You are dressed like this, are you going to travel far?"
"Um……"
The vendor was curious: "Look at you, do you know my stall? Are you a regular customer before?"
Ouyang Rong nodded and shook his head.
"Well, this stall belongs to my old man. I took over last month. It's normal that you don't know me.
"Then you should know that our oil and sesame cake is a time-honored brand in Longcheng. It is not comparable to the new merchants from other places like Tanlangdu. It was already well-known in Penglangdu."
The cake seller boasted and suddenly asked:
"Does the guest know that Liu Ashan, the flood control hero in our county who bravely fought against bullies? He was the hero specially enshrined by the Luobo County Magistrate."
Ouyang Rong raised his eyelids and nodded towards him.
The pancake seller's chest thumped loudly: "I heard from the old man that this good man bought pancakes from us... Our pancakes are also loved by heroes and heroines. Do you want a piece of this distinguished guest? Don't try it before you leave." Once I tasted it, it was such a shame.”
Ouyang Rong slowly raised his head, stared at the cake seller, and asked, "Is it really a pity?"
"Of course, don't leave with regrets!"
The young man who had just woken up from drunkenness took a deep breath and suddenly nodded vigorously:
"OK."
…
Several city officials on duty in Tanlangdu received the news and hurried out.
But after waiting outside the pier for half an hour, a certain young county magistrate was nowhere to be seen.
"It's strange, where has your Excellency gone? Didn't there just be news that Your Excellency has arrived? Where is the person?"
"It seems like someone saw Mingfu coming just now."
A city official came from the rear dock and wiped his sweat and told:
"Master Xie has no sign of the Ming Dynasty on his side. Master Xie has ordered the ship to postpone its departure, and now we have to wait for the Ming Dynasty."
Several city officials looked at each other and turned around to search around the busy streets of Tanlangdu.
At a cake stall that a city official passed by, a vendor touched three pieces of silver in his arms and smiled.
In three words, let the customers buy up all the cakes... The vendor suddenly felt bright about the future of selling cakes in Xindukou. He was very motivated and thought about changing the Hitachi brand and carving a signboard of "Haohan Cake" on it.
The peddler looked in the distance toward the county seat and couldn't help but mutter:
"Hey, it's strange. Isn't this distinguished guest on a boat for a long journey? Why is he munching on cakes and rushing back?"
(End of chapter)
