Xunyang Tower, an inconspicuous private room.

Wang Caozhi, Shopkeeper Ma and other wealthy businessmen looked at each other after listening.

"I see."

They looked at the drawings being passed around and couldn't help but ask:

"So what Mr. Ouyang means is..."

Ouyang Rong nodded: "Isn't it just 'Gold Sheng Shui'? I can do it too."

He pointed to the twin peaks outside the city and said calmly:

"There was nowhere to place the Donglin Giant Buddha in Xunyang City, so I cut the two peaks on the west side of the city in half to divert the Xunyang River to flow through it.

"At that time, grottoes will be dug on the mountain walls on the east and west sides to create a grand scene where mountains and rivers are interdependent and metal and stone generate water.

"Please take a seat at the Donglin Giant Buddha!"

The whole audience could hear the needle drop.

Ouyang Rong's words were sonorous and powerful, and the lingering sounds of the last few words echoed in the box.

Wang Caozhi and other wealthy businessmen had some shock in their eyes.

They looked at each other, not knowing what to say for a moment.

Wang Caozhi couldn't help but smile bitterly and put down his chopsticks:

"My brother-in-law is a bit too ambitious. He made such a plan and prepared for a rainy day, especially..." He sighed: "He also understood the thoughts of the Holy Sage so well and followed the trend."

Ouyang Rong shook his head, his expression unchanged.

Wang Caozhi lowered his head, looked at the drawings and slips, and asked:

"Brother-in-law, what do you need us to do?"

"money."

Ouyang Rong's words are simple and shocking.

In the first half of the year, floods occurred in many counties in Jiangzhou, with half of the county submerged and the government warehouses empty.

Except for the Broken Wing Canal in Longcheng County, which turned a profit, the state and county finances were tight and they couldn't squeeze out much money.

The court couldn't help much either.

If nothing else goes wrong, after the Yuanzheng and Winter Solstice holidays, Empress Wei calmed down the opposition.

The decree to build the Donglin Buddha will arrive at the desk of the Jiangzhou lobby, and an envoy from Luoyang will be sent to supervise it.

The construction of the Donglin Giant Buddha was promoted by Empress Wei.

Master Di and the princes of the Zhengshi Hall will definitely not give much money for the construction.

She might donate some token money, but it's still far from enough.

And without the intervention of Ouyang Rong and others, based on past experience, Jiangzhou and several surrounding states would probably be required to increase taxes, or assign officials, transfer responsibilities, and recruit civilians.

Although the people of Longcheng County were saved from a lifetime of mediocrity by the empress.

But what about the people in other counties in Jiangzhou?

Ouyang Rong pursed his lips.

Therefore, he and Jiangzhou Hall need to make advance preparations before this happens.

Now that we have all the feasible plans, we just need the money.

This is also the reason why Ouyang Rong called everyone here tonight.

Wang Caozhi, Shopkeeper Ma, Shopkeeper Li and other wealthy businessmen had experienced cooperation with Zheyiqu, so they naturally knew what Ouyang Rong meant, and there was a tacit understanding between the two parties.

The box was quiet for a while.

Ouyang Rong suddenly raised his hand and dipped it in tea in front of everyone.

He wrote down a series of numbers on the table that he had already calculated and streamlined to the point where he knew them by heart.

This is the financial gap for Jiangzhou Hall to dig canals and build the Grotto Buddha.

Everyone glanced at it and pondered for a moment. Wang Caozhi kneaded the secrets with his fingers under his sleeves, calculated, and nodded slowly:

"Brother-in-law, this gap is a bit big. Compared with the Broken Wing Canal in Longcheng County, we alone may not be able to fill it this time."

Ouyang Rong smiled: "No, no, no, this is not a gap, it is a pastry."

He carefully corrected:

"Of course, no matter how big your appetite is and how much cake you want to eat, if you can't eat it, you can call some friends from the same hometown who have strong financial resources to come over.

"I actually don't like meeting new friends, but you are old friends who have been with Longcheng all the way. You left early in the middle of the trip, so I can naturally trust you."

The index finger points to the number written on the table with water stains:

"So you all have an opportunity to recommend someone to me to add a chair to the next dinner party in this box and share this big cake together."

Ouyang Rong smiled half-heartedly, brushing off the water-stained numbers with his palms.

Shopkeeper Ma, Shopkeeper Li and other wealthy businessmen opened their eyes slightly. They looked at each other in unison, and they all saw the light in each other's eyes.

Recommend someone to get a seat for the next dinner in this box?

Isn’t it the friendship of a governor of Jiangnan Province?

Moreover, he is a young man with a prosperous official career and a bright future.

This gift is not a big one.

However, some people are more interested in Ouyang Rong's pastry remarks.

Wang Caozhi looked over and asked curiously: "Brother-in-law, you said this is dividing cakes. What do you mean? Isn't it just a small loss and a big profit?"

A series of glances came quickly.

Ouyang Rong slowly poured a cup of tea and tasted:

"After reading the plan and calculating the accounts, do you think that if you invest money in shares this time, you can only make a small loss, or at most protect your capital?"

Wang Caozhi and others looked hesitant, nodded, and then shook their heads. The tall shopkeeper Ma couldn't help but say:

"Sir Ouyang, we are all familiar with each other, so I won't hide my words when I speak. Please forgive me if I am offended."

"Well, you tell me." Ouyang Rong said calmly.

"Sir Ouyang, if we only dig the canal with the two peaks, we can still make money. The successful experience of the Zheyi Canal is there, and we can just copy the gourd.

"After the canal is dug and the two sides are so wide, some ferries must be built there. After the Xunyang Grottoes are built, they will be able to attract some literati from afar...

"Master Ouyang must have a plan for this kind of business opportunity. If this is the case, if the business continues, we can slowly recover our capital, even though we will have to earn some hard-earned money.

"After all, this new canal is located far outside the city. It is definitely not as important as the Zheyi Canal. The new ferry built cannot prosper as quickly as Tanlang Ferry and divert the passenger flow of Xunyang Ferry."

Shopkeeper Ma shook his head and said in a regretful tone:

"Xunyang Ferry is already the golden ferry with the best location in this section of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. It is difficult to replace it."

Ouyang Rong praised: "Shopkeeper Ma's analysis is good."

Shopkeeper Ma nodded and smiled, then turned a bit bitter:

"It would be good if we just dig the canal to control water and benefit the people, but there is also the construction of the Xunyang Grottoes later, which is a real loss-making business."

This experienced shopkeeper who has traveled all over the world shakes his head:

"I can see that Mr. Ouyang has tried to reduce costs as much as possible.

“For example, the location of the selected twin peaks is very close to Xingzifang, where a large number of civilian workers gather.

“For example, we can only excavate grottoes and build giant Buddhas leaning against mountains and rivers to save costs.

“But this time, the Donglin Giant Buddha was built according to the highest standards of praying for the country and blessing the great Zhou Dynasty.

"Master Ouyang also said that we need to melt and cast copper and iron, grind gold powder, and cast a hundred-foot golden body.

"All of this will be spent for nothing, alas."

Shopkeeper Ma sighed, and Wang Caozhi and others also fell silent, looking a little embarrassed.

"The calculation is correct."

Ouyang Rong nodded, took a bite of the dish with chopsticks, and chewed it twice.

Without waiting for disappointment to show on everyone's faces, he suddenly spoke:

"But who said that we have to pay all the money to build the giant Buddha? And who said that only a few giant Buddhas were built at a huge cost."

"What does this mean?" Everyone was stunned.

Ouyang Rongzhi pointed to Kuanglu Mountain in the distance outside the window and asked with a smile:

"There is not only one Donglin Temple in Jiangzhou, nor is the Lotus Pure Land Sect the only one.

"There are so many noble and proud eminent monks and celebrities in Kuanglu Mountain, and there are many famous temples and ancient temples with huge private wealth.
To be continued...