No, gentlemen also guard against

Chapter 832: Master of Taking Over
Ouyang Rong stood up from behind the table and prepared to leave.

After finishing his report, Yan Liulang suddenly remembered something and said:
"By the way, Mr. Ming, there is one more thing."

"what?"

"Master Shandao, the abbot of Donglin Temple, came to Xunyang with his disciples."

Ouyang Rong was slightly surprised:
"Where is the man?"

Yan Liulang scratched his head:
"The boat under Shuangfeng Peak is at Xunyang Grottoes and has not yet entered the city."

Ouyang Rong looked outside the lobby.

……

"Please come and keep me company when you are free, Mr. Ming."

"Master, you're welcome."

Shuangfengjian, on the left bank of Xunyang Grottoes.

Master Shandao, who had not been seen for a long time, was still the same as before, wearing the cassock awarded by the saint when he came to Beijing as a great monk who protected the country. He walked on the road with a solemn and immortal look.

Ouyang Rong was not wearing official uniform, but a casual Confucian robe, walking in front.

Xunyang Grottoes is somewhat lonely. The bloody smell of that day has long been blown away by the river breeze, just like the fish that have tasted the flesh and blood and have forgotten the memory.

The main grotto was empty.

There is a missing big Buddha statue that should be there.

Master Shandao found that the young governor was a little absent-minded, walking quickly and in front.

Master Shandao quickened his pace to catch up with the young man:
"Don't worry, sir. The Buddha's matter is not your fault. Before I came here, I went to the county government office and discussed it with Magistrate Diao. I have already submitted a letter through the channel of the monks of the Ministry of Rites to speak frankly for you, sir."

Ouyang Rong shook his head and said nothing.

After walking for a while, he suddenly asked:

"Besides this, what else did you come here for, Master?" After a pause, he continued, "Master, the budget you and Donglin Temple have invested will be returned by the government when the autumn tax is collected, or it will be offset by the temple tax collected by Longcheng County Government. Master, don't worry."

Master Shandao smiled and said:

"I am not here to settle accounts."

"What is that for?"

Master Shandao looked around the empty Xunyang Grottoes and said with a kind smile:

"Mingfu, the government does not need to pay back the expenses our temple has previously invested. Can you donate this main cave to our temple and let us build some Buddha statues?"

Ouyang Rong frowned slightly and asked:

"This is where the Donglin Buddha was built. Although the land belongs to the government, some merchants who participated in the construction of the grottoes have the right to use it. But if you want it, I can give it to you. Just do the math."

"That's good. How about this, Mr. Ming?"

Ouyang Rong couldn't help but ask:
"Master Shandao, what are you going to do? I want to ask you, the location of the main grotto is good, right at the fork of Xunshui River, and passing merchant ships can see it, but are you going to build the Buddha yourself at Donglin Temple?"

"uncertain."

Master Shandao replied truthfully:

"If the temple becomes wealthy in the future, we can consider rebuilding it, but in the short term, the temple will only offer some incense here and carve some murals. You should know that our Lotus Sect's murals are very skilled, and it is not impossible to carve this place into a second Pure Land Palace."

Ouyang Rong pursed his lips.

Master Shandao asked again:

"Mingfu, how is it?"

Ouyang Rong looked at the novice monks who were looking around.

Their eyes seemed to be full of curiosity and interest about the brand new main cave without Buddha.

Ouyang Rong turned around and looked at Master Shandao.

The old monk looked at each other with a smile.

Ouyang Rong suddenly nodded:
"Yes, but the Xunyang Grottoes have some Jiangnan grain merchants and Yangzhou salt merchants as shareholders, and the master knows some of them. The sale of the main grottoes must go through a procedure. If the government sells it, I can agree, but you have to talk to them and maybe pay some money. But don't worry, they won't overcharge you."

Master Shandao waved his hand and said, "It's okay, we can talk about it."

Ouyang Rong twitched the corner of his mouth.

He looked at Master Shandao, whose robes were luxurious, and shook his head.

As expected of a great monk who protects the country, he is rich and domineering.

Ouyang Rong slightly suppressed the thought of taking advantage of the situation. Under his management in the past two years, the finances of Jiangzhou Hall were healthy. The excavation of Shuangfengjian and the construction of Xunyang Grottoes and Donglin Buddha did not affect the people's livelihood in Xunyang.

It's not as tight as when he took over the mess in Longcheng County.

Otherwise, the high monks who protect the country will have to pay a lot and take over for the country.

"I have something to ask of you, Master."

"Mingfu..." Master Shandao changed his words and said in a private capacity, "Please speak, benefactor."

Ouyang Rong pointed to the lotus stone carving on the dome of the main cave and asked seriously:

"Can you please leave this inscription and not erase it?"

Master Shandao took a look, nodded and read out:

"The governor... the lady historian... respectfully built a niche for the statue... this is a true statement, it should be kept, it's fine."

Ouyang Rong pursed his lips.

After a while, the group turned around and left, ready to say goodbye.

At the ferry, Xiufa and other novice monks could not help but look at the Buddha's head and fleshy temples exposed in the river.

A soft-hearted novice monk put his hands together and silently chanted "Amitabha".

Arriving at the south bank, before parting, Ouyang Rong suddenly turned back:
"Master, I have one thing I don't understand. When the Donglin Buddha was being built, why didn't you come? You kept postponing the construction. Now that the Buddha has been destroyed, you are here instead, and you want to take over the empty main cave? Isn't that putting the cart before the horse?"

Upon hearing this, Master Shandao paused.

The setting sun was falling behind him, leaving behind a gleam of afterglow on his forehead.

It's both hilarious and divine.

"Amitabha."

Master Shandao turned around, sang a number, and said with a smile:
"Sir Governor, at that time, there was no Buddha in the cave, but now there is Buddha in the cave, so I came here naturally."

He looked around at his disciples and said something to them:
"We monks, when there is a Buddha, we will come; when there is no Buddha, we will go."

Ouyang Rong immediately asked back:
"You are leaving by yourself, but you are not saving others?"

Master Shandao smiled even more broadly.

He turned around, bowed solemnly, and replied:
"Saving oneself is saving others, saving others is saving oneself, how can you say that saving oneself does not save others?"

Ouyang Rong asked: "To save oneself is to save all living beings?"

Master Shandao nodded:

"You can save yourself by your own nature. To save yourself is to save all living beings!"

Ouyang Rong remained silent and did not look back.

The main cave on the opposite bank behind him was empty, and the severed head sank into the river, becoming dull and rusty.

But the master said there is Buddha.

……

Day two.

A shopkeeper named Shi who was left in Xunyang by Wang Caozhi came to find him.

Shopkeeper Shi reported what happened to Master Shandao.

The main grotto had been negotiated, and Donglin Temple was quite generous, with an offer that made Manager Shi quite satisfied, or rather, relieved.

What is the greatest respect between people and between money in this world?
It’s not about trust, it’s not about face, and it’s certainly not about “annihilation”.

It's the price.

A master is a master, there is no bargaining.

Now that the Donglin Buddha has been destroyed, the future of the Xunyang Grottoes is temporarily bleak. It cannot please the saint, and the 20,000 strings of rouge money invested by the saint have also gone down the drain. The subsequent support from the court is unclear. No one knows where the Xunyang Grottoes will go.

Moreover, without the benchmark of the Donglin Buddha in the main grotto, it is also difficult to sell other secondary locations in the Xunyang Grottoes.

It is already a blessing that someone is willing to take over now. The manager would not desire a high price.

This is just like the goods that were originally expected to be sold at a high price and are temporarily piled up in the warehouse. Although it is not too difficult to recover slowly, the original broad expectations are gone and it is difficult to sell them during the off-season. Now that someone can come and buy them at a price that they might have rejected before, why not sell them in a hurry?
What's more, the price given by Master Shandao fully reflects his respect for a young governor: the steward finished his report respectfully.

After listening to this, Ouyang Rong nodded slightly.

It's fine as long as Wang Caozhi and Pei Shisan Niang don't lose money on their investment, but the scale of their investment is huge and the payback is slow, and the returns are far from as great as the lucrative project that Pei Shisan Niang originally used to speculate on the land in Xingzifang.

However, this is a real physical property that can always make money, but the cycle is long. The most savvy businessmen love to pursue profits. If they don’t have a noble person like Ouyang Rong to control them, they would not like to do this kind of business with slow returns.

It is somewhat similar to the construction of low-rent housing in Xingzifang that Ouyang Rong promoted after he "influenced" Pei Shisan Niang.

Thinking of this, Ouyang Rong coughed.

It was said that Wang Caozhi and Pei Shisanniang seemed to have been doing charity since they followed him. Although it was natural in Ouyang Rong's eyes, it was a great charity in the eyes of fellow merchants. Apart from the blessing of their connections, they did not seem to have made any huge profits from him, their good brother-in-law and good son.

Wait, Wang Caozhi's group of grain merchants did make a lot of money from the Zheyi Canal, but that was an exception. At that time, Ouyang Rong was still the magistrate of Longcheng County, and he was a bit "lenient" in this regard.

While Ouyang Rong was lost in thought, the steward stayed where he was, looking hesitant.

The young governor saw this and asked directly:

"Anything else?"

The steward asked in a low voice:
"Mingfu, in addition to the main cave, we have also built a number of small caves, some of which are not much smaller than the main cave. What do you plan to do with these caves?"

Ouyang Rong thought for a while:

"It can be handled the same way as the sale of Donglin Temple this time. If there are Buddhist temples willing to take over, we can talk to them. The government can also make it easy. But there is one requirement, that is, apart from works of art such as stone carvings and murals, other businesses are not allowed, such as business and opening shops. Only Taoist temples and Buddhist temples are allowed to move in.

"After all, this is a place chosen by the saints and the imperial court to build statues. We need to remain true to our original intentions. It can also be regarded as the support of Xunyang culture by the Jiangzhou government."

"Yes, Mingfu."

The steward left, but Ouyang Rong noticed that he looked a little worried.

I guess he is also worried about who will take over with so many caves.

Ouyang Rong raised his eyebrows.

If Wang Caozhi were here, he would pat his cheap brother-in-law on the shoulder and say something earnestly: Life is hard to be perfect, and everyone is here to take over. If you don't take over, who will? Besides, if you don't take over this time, there will always be a plate suitable for you, either big or small, so be cheerful...

After Master Shandao and his group left, Ouyang Rong returned to his previous life of going to and from work.

Except for the daily shifts, when he was off duty and had free time, he would live in those three courtyards.

More than half a month has passed.

Almost two months had passed since the memorial was submitted.

There is still no movement from Luoyang. Luoyang and Xunyang are thousands of miles apart. Even if news of the aftermath from Luoyang arrives, it will take a month or two.

During this period, Ouyang Rong was waiting for news from Zhang Shixiu.

As for Yan Liulang, he had already mobilized all the connections of the Jiangzhou government, but still got nothing.

No one knows the exact location of Yunmeng Sword Lake, and those who were sent to search for it have all come up empty-handed, with some even getting lost in the vast Yunmeng Lake...

The Tianshi Mansion in Longhu Mountain can be considered a hidden sect and the most low-key of the Three Pure Ones.

Perhaps they know the location of Yunmeng Jianze.

Ouyang Rong pursed his lips.

That evening, he pushed the door open and walked into the quiet courtyard.

This is where the embroiderers lived.

The yard is as clean as ever.

A swing is swaying in the wind.

Ouyang Rong walked silently to the front of the lobby and sat directly on the doorstep.

When he came back from duty, he forgot to change his crimson official uniform and his posture was a little inconsiderate of his image.

Ouyang Rong was quiet for a while, took out a pipa, and lowered his head to pluck the strings.

The sound of the pipa was mournful, and seemed a little lonely in the empty courtyard.

This is the pipa left to him by the old musician.

At that time, the old musician also gave Rong Zhen a xylophone.

Ouyang Rong lowered his head, studying the pipa with little interest.

This is something he has learned recently.

Ouyang Rong's talent is acceptable.

The pipa music he played was also adapted by him.

It was adapted from the piano music taught to him by Rong Zhen.

Ouyang Rong has not been idle after returning. He has been working hard to comprehend the "Emperor Wen" sword tactics. He has also been studying the piano music over and over again and adapting it into a pipa music, which is also his recent idea.

I thought of it and did it.

However, there has been no progress in understanding the true meaning of Emperor Wen.

It seemed that he had fallen into the state of "being obsessed with appearances" as the old musician once said to Rong Zhen.

Ouyang Rong remembered the message the old musician left before he left.

For some reason, he always felt that the hint left by the old musician was not that simple, and it was not just a simple "harmony of music".

Since the zither he left behind can represent the sword tactics and piano music, then is the pipa he left behind another kind of hint?

According to Ouyang Rong's understanding, the old musician was the type of person who appeared serious on the outside but acted in a frivolous way occasionally, but was actually very serious inside and it turned out that he was indeed a very serious person afterward.

Is the same true if we leave behind a pipa and a xylophone?
Ouyang Rong frowned slightly.

Just as Ouyang Rong was lost in thought, there was a sound of hurried footsteps outside.

"Mingfu!"

Yan Liulang rushed in.

Ouyang Rong did not panic, and slowly stood up:

"What's the matter."

I thought there was news from Zhang Shixiu, but Yan Liulang came running over and said to him excitedly:

"Mingfu, someone is coming from Luoyang!"

……

Cicadas chirp.

Where the red corridor winds around, a patchwork of pomegranate red spreads out.

The palace maids in Shangyang Palace have already changed into gauze.

He hurried past under the glazed eaves.

The afternoon sun turned a honey-colored stream on the nine-fold yellow bricks. Female officials, dragging lilac-colored gauze, walked between the zigzag railings, their skirts brushing against the newly-bloomed lily of the valley flowers in front of the steps.

The red brick and yellow tile walls of Shangyang Palace look particularly bright and colorful today.

Freshly painted by a craftsman.

The entire Shangyang Palace has been gradually replaced with new walls in the past few days.

The pigment is a mixture of pig blood and cinnabar. In addition to being bright and beautiful, it also has the meaning of warding off evil spirits.

This was because the saint who came here to rest and take a walk suddenly woke up late at night the day before, as if frightened by a dream.

The female officials and palace maids in the entire Shangyang Palace became busy.

On the second day, the walls of the entire palace were replaced.

There are fragrant mugwort placed on door plaques everywhere.

Ever since the inexplicable loud noise that echoed throughout the city of Luoyang, the saint moved to the Shangyang Palace on the outskirts of Luojing and has not returned to the imperial city for a long time. The court meetings and imperial conferences every ten days are held in the Shangyang Palace.

Some people rumored that it was Tianshu that collapsed and suffered a heavenly calamity on the day when the two kings of the Wei family built it.

The emperor was furious, and the two kings of the Wei family were temporarily confined to the palace, and the officials involved were also imprisoned.

These days, there is silence in the government and the country. There are many people who are gloating and happy about the misfortune, and many people are secretly speculating about what will happen next.

The entire Luoyang city was in turmoil during this spring.

The saint even moved directly to Shangyang Palace, probably because he thought, out of sight, out of mind.

(End of this chapter)