Yongzhou
Left avant-garde general''s Mansion
Even in the absence of general Luo Yao, no one is allowed to approach the three storey wooden building. This rule is so strict that even his only son Rowan is not allowed to go in easily. There are thirty-six silver Armored Warriors guarding around the wooden building. They will not listen to anyone except Luo Yao''s orders.
These thirty-six people, even if Luo Yao is absent, are still loyal to their duties.
When Luo Wen was walking along the lake, he glanced at the tall building from a distance and shook his head.
I don''t know why, he always felt that he was an outsider in this house.
My father never showed even a little concern for him, let alone say warm words. From small to large, Luo Yao was always cold in his impression. When he was a child, he would act like other children, but Luo Yao would push him away every time and tell him that men shouldn''t do this and should be independent.
He once asked his mother. She just said that his father was too busy in military affairs.
All along, Luo Yao never had the warmth of the word father.
His mother told him that it was because his father doted on his son that his eldest brother Luo Wu made a big mistake, because the Luo family almost collapsed.
But what does Luo Wu''s mistake have to do with me?
Luo Wen always wanted to ask Luo Yao, but he didn''t have the courage.
"Zhong bo..."
Luo Wen sat down on the stone bench by the lake and looked at the tall building on the other side and smiled at himself: "You said that in this courtyard, even the whole Yongzhou City and even the whole Pingshang Road, who can go in and out of that building freely except my father? I remember once when I was a child, I ran in to show off my father''s painting of hunting animals in autumn. I just wanted to get a compliment from him... But my father tore up my painting and slapped me in the face."
Standing behind him was a thin old man with a straight waist. He looked at least 60 or 70 years old. His hair was gray and his face was full of wrinkles like knives and axes. It was very deep, just like the saline alkali land in the southwest frontier that had been blown by the wind for decades.
"In that building, you''d better not go. You''d better not disobey the words of the general."
The old man answered without expression, and his tone was as cold as the pure steel sword box bound behind him.
"Uncle Zhong, can''t you say a warm word?"
"Warm words are mostly lies."
Zhong Bo said, "the old slave can''t say beautiful things, he can only tell the truth."
"Then tell me... For a Ranger general from the fifth grade, it''s worth working. My father personally welcomed me out for 500 miles? My father didn''t know what festival I had with Fang Xie in Chang''an city. Why rush to stick a younger generation''s cold ass with the respect of the Duke?"
"No one can guess the purpose of the general''s work. But over the years, the general hasn''t done anything."
"Yes..."
Luo Wen sneered: "even if he killed his own son, no one would say that he did wrong... In such a family, I don''t know when I will be killed for violating what he stipulated."
"Young master, from small to large, made no fewer mistakes."
Zhong Bo replied coldly.
"I did it on purpose."
Luo Wen looked back at Zhong Bo and said in silence for a moment: "I''ve been scared since I knew that he killed my eldest brother... Who isn''t afraid of such a father? If my eldest brother did something wrong, even if he died, does he have to do it by himself? Can''t he send my eldest brother to the punishment department if he wants to show his loyalty to the Yang family?"
"The general saved hundreds of lives in the Luo family."
Zhong Bo glanced at him, but his tone was still calm and plain: "if not, there would be no young master."
"Hum..."
Luo Wen snorted, picked up a piece of gravel and threw it into the lake: "Uncle Zhong, you have been taking care of me since I was young. He knows that I am closest to you. But why did he not allow you to follow me for three years when I went to Chang''an? I knelt down and begged. He turned and left without even looking."
"You are the son of a general. No one dares to treat you in Chang''an."
"Don''t think I don''t know!"
Rowan growled in a low voice: "He didn''t care about me from the beginning to the end! Sending me to the martial arts academy was the most fierce time when the Imperial Staff jointly impeached him. Instead of pleading, he sent me to Chang''an to temper me? I''m not stupid... Sending me to Chang''an martial arts academy is actually the same as killing brother. He just wants to keep his official position and title. He was born in Luo''s family The misfortune is that blood relatives are not as good as the Duke''s Kirin robe. "
Zhongbo doesn''t speak.
Luo Wen sneered: "why don''t you argue for him?"
Zhong Bo touched the cold sword box behind him and said, "I''ve been with you all the time."
Luo Wen''s face changed slightly, and then smiled: "so you can say warm words."
"The young master''s heart is bitter, but the general''s heart is even more bitter."
Zhong Bo looked at the three storey high-rise building on the other side. After a moment of silence, he said wistfully, "when you really grow up, young master, you will understand the difficulties of the general."
"No need."
Luo Wen waved his hand: "I''m Luo Wen, not just Luo Yao''s son."
"The young master has hostility in his heart."
Zhong Bo said, "it needs to be eliminated."
"How?"
Rowan asked.
Zhong Bo said, "just tell me, young master."
"I want to kill."
Luo Wendao.
Zhong Bo paused and replied, "as long as it''s not Fang Xie, he is now an imperial envoy and can''t be killed."
Luo Wen got up and sneered: "forget it... Although you have been with me for nearly 20 years, you are my father''s man after all."
At this time, suddenly the housekeeper of the general''s house panted and ran over: "young master... There are guests at the back door..."
Luo Wen''s face suddenly changed, and a trace of surprise flashed in his eyes.
The small gate in the backyard of the general''s house has not been opened for several times. Only those special guests will go there. Luo Wen doesn''t dare to participate in Luo Yao, but it doesn''t mean he knows nothing.
"How many?"
"One!"
"Let him go and say the general is not here!"
"Yes"
"Wait!"
Luo Wen''s face changed constantly. He was silent for a long time. After all, he was defeated by his curiosity: "open the door and welcome to my study!"
……
……
Luo Yao''s wife Chu never asked about Luo Yao''s military affairs. She didn''t even ask about the daily chores of the palace. She lives alone in a small courtyard all the year round and seldom walks around. Even when guests come to the general''s house, she usually won''t go out. In her small courtyard, few people go in except confidants. Luo Yao sometimes can''t see her once a month.
The servants said that Chu''s temper was very strange. He couldn''t hear the children cry. Once he heard it, he would go crazy. He was so crazy that he didn''t even know Luo Yao.
It is said that Rowan has not had this problem since he was born, and he doesn''t know how he suddenly contracted this strange disease. Since then, she seldom went out, and the small courtyard was almost her whole world. When Luo Yao was not in the house, everything in the house was up to the Butler has the final say. Since Luo Wen came back from the capital, the housekeeper went to ask for instructions on some indecisive matters, and he didn''t want to go into Chu''s house.
The courtyard looked gloomy and terrible to outsiders.
There is a big locust tree in the yard, which is rare in the south. And because there is a ghost word in the name, it is unlucky, so even people in the north will not plant this kind of thing in their yard. The locust tree itself in Chu''s yard is not terrible. What''s terrible is the doll of that tree.
Chu''s people hung all kinds of cloth dolls on the branches, which was particularly realistic. The eyes, nose and mouth are complete, and the shape is the same as that of a baby the size of a full moon. Whenever the weather is windy, the doll of the tree will swing back and forth. It seems particularly terrible at night, as if it is full of demons and ghosts.
More than that, the paintings hanging on the walls of Chu''s house are also dolls, which are exquisite and vivid.
The steward grandson is 55 years old and used to be one of Luo Yao''s generals. He lost his right arm and became a disabled man when calming the Shang state. When attacking Yongzhou, I crossed the swamp. I don''t know what insect bit my leg. When I came out, the meat on one foot was almost eaten away. Although it was cured later, it hurts unbearably every cloudy day.
After Luo Yao garrisoned the southwest, he became the housekeeper of the general''s house. Over the years, the government has been in good order.
He has killed countless people in his life, but he has never had nightmares. He did not believe in ghosts and gods and was not afraid of demons, but he was only afraid to enter Chu''s gloomy courtyard. If it weren''t for today''s difficult decision, he really didn''t want to come in.
The people in this yard are very strange, not only the madam, but also her four close servant girls. These four people are her dowry servant girls. They have been in Luo''s house for decades. The youngest is already 50 years old, and the oldest is six years older than Chu. The names of the four of them are plum, orchid, bamboo, chrysanthemum and four gentlemen. They are originally beautiful and refined names, but each one is more gloomy than ghosts.
Whenever the sun hung high, the four of them would put on small stools and sit in line in the yard to bask in the sun. Everyone holds a doll in their arms, just like holding a kitten and dog.
Touching the doll is very gentle, like combing the hair of cats and dogs.
Spring orchids, autumn chrysanthemums, summer bamboos and winter plums. When the four women sat together, they didn''t talk. In the yard, they could hear a needle falling to the ground. They were like bodies without souls. They sat there mechanically touching the doll in their arms. Look dull, eyes godless.
"I have something important to see my wife."
The grandson leaned over and whispered outside the door, as if afraid of startling the ghost.
"Madam is asleep. You can''t disturb her."
The oldest Chunlan answered coldly.
"Please tell me. If it''s not really important, I don''t dare to disturb my wife''s rest."
"What''s up?"
Qiuju asked.
Sun zhe hesitated and replied, "just tell madam that the small door in the backyard is open again. But the general is not at home. It is the young master who opens the door."
The door of the house creaked and was opened from inside.
Standing at the door, Chu wore a home uniform with his hair scattered behind his head. She is several years older than Luo Yao, but she can''t see any wrinkles on her face. Her face was like Jing Moxuan''s white paper. Her eyebrows and eyes were painted, so she couldn''t see any expression. It seems that she has not been eroded by years. People who see her for the first time will feel that this woman will not be over thirty.
The figure is still there, the appearance is still there.
The doll in my arms is here all year round.
"Where is the young master?"
"Meet a guest in his study."
"Invite the guests to me."
Chu said faintly, "then tell the young master to get the military law of 20 lashes by himself. No matter who breaks the rules, no matter what the general has told him. And... Are there new servants in the house?"
"There are several."
"Have you seen any guests?"
"Two"
"Take it to the backyard..."
Chu gave an expressionless command, and then turned back to the room.
"Backyard..."
Sun zhe murmured again, and his heart was cold when he thought of the means of those wizards in the backyard. Over the years, at least more than 100 servants have been sent to the backyard, and no one has come out alive.