Horse Bandit Officer (3)
"Miss Xiao, what do you want to see me about?" Tong Huan smiled, but grabbed the door with both hands and blocked the entrance.
Xiao Lin said, "Sir, I want to ask you something."
Tong Huan wanted to continue to refuse, but when he saw Xiao Lin's determined eyes, he finally sighed and led her into the room.
After he brewed a cup of tea and placed it next to Xiao Lin, Tong Huan asked, "What do you want, young lady?"
"I want to ask about Boss Chu and you." Xiao Lin pushed the teacup a few inches away with his pinky finger.
Tong Huan glanced at her, then his eyes flickered and moved down a little.
He kept his lips and teeth tightly closed, as if he didn't want to talk about it.
But Xiao Lin did not give up.
What is the hidden story behind everything that happened here?
Therefore, although Tong Huan was reluctant to speak, Xiao Lin spoke first: "Boss Chu said that you are his savior?"
Unexpectedly, Tong Huan's expression changed. He shook his head slightly and replied, "He is my benefactor..."
Having said this, Tong Huan had no intention of continuing.
The two of them remained in a stalemate for a long time, but Tong Huan never spoke.
But he still couldn't stand Xiao Lin's determination. When she looked at him again, he relaxed and told her about his past with Chu Mo:
He was the son of a horse bandit, this was what Chu Mo had told them.
But they didn't know that after rescuing Chu Mo, he was discovered by his father, beaten and whipped, which was also the origin of the scar at the end of his eyebrow.
He was the son his father hated the most. When he was young, he was thin and unwilling to go down the mountain. He was looked down upon by everyone in the village.
But who knew his ambition lay elsewhere? He didn't want to bring disaster to the world; he wanted to uphold justice! So, he sneaked down the mountain to eavesdrop. He wanted to study! He wanted to take part in the imperial examinations those people were talking about!
But the fact is not so. He had no money and could not afford to buy any ancient books. His understanding of the imperial examinations was limited to the most basic aspects.
And just when he was at his lowest point, he met Chu Mo who was abducted to the mountain. He was the beginning of the change in his fate.
After he let Chu Mo go, he talked with him for a long time and learned that Chu Mo's grandfather was the famous historian Kui Xi.
But what puzzled him was that he was just a historian, so why did the emperor of the time respect him?
His grandfather was famous, but his father was unknown.
Chu Mo has great ambitions and vows to be a good official to benefit the people, so he is very concerned about the imperial examinations.
After he got to know Tong Huan, he realized that Tong Huan also had great ambitions, so he provided him with a lot of help.
On weekdays, the two communicated through letters. Chu Mo would write down the opinions of the people he heard in Tianling City, and then tell Tong Huan in a letter and ask for his opinion.
After a few interactions, Tong Huan and Chu Mo became good friends.
From poetry and songs to ethics and philosophy, from the pros and cons of policies to the future of the country, he could feel Chu Mo's high spirits and lofty ambitions from the letters he sent. He thought that Chu Mo would become a pillar of the country.
"Did he succeed later?" Xiao Lin was so fascinated by what he heard that he asked unconsciously.
Tong Huan smiled and nodded.
Xiao Lin jokingly said, "So that's all you talk about in your letters? Wouldn't it be boring if you talked too much? Is there any... gossip?"
She didn't expect a response from Tong Huan and just said it casually, but Tong Huan smiled softly and continued talking.
His correspondence with Chu Mo was always so regular, but from one day on, a woman appeared in the letters he sent.
Chu Mo was afraid that he would not like to hear this, so he did not say much, but he could see from the words Chu Mo wrote that he was very happy for her.
"Even though he never told me this in person, I can tell from his writing that he loves her deeply. Therefore, every inch of his joy is related to her." Tong Huan said softly.
Xiao Lin was shocked. This was completely different from the Chu Mo he knew.
In her eyes, Chu Mo was a wanderer who only loved to listen to operas, a Taoist priest who knew some magic, and an ordinary person who didn't care about worldly affairs.
How could he fall in love with a woman and be devoted to her?
"The last letter he sent me was an encouragement to me after he was appointed to office. In the letter, he said that he would immediately ride off on horseback to marry his sweetheart after putting on his official robes, and he believed that his future would be bright." Tong Huan said as he fiddled with a strand of hemp thread sticking out of his sleeve.
"Then..." Xiao Lin bit his lower lip and asked, "Do you know his wife's name?"
Tong Huan rolled his eyes, a little unsure: "I think her last name is Jiang, and she's the second daughter of the Jiang family... I forgot her exact name. If you want to know, just ask her."
Jiang? Could she be the daughter of Lord Jiang whom Lord Sun mentioned at his housewarming party?
It turns out that Lord Jiang is Chu Mo's father-in-law! So what happened after that made Lord Jiang hate him so much?
Before Xiao Lin could even ask, Tong Huan changed the subject: "But, after that, I wrote to him, but he never replied."
"Maybe he is too busy?" Xiao Lin continued.
Tong Huan replied, "At first I thought so too, so I didn't take it seriously. But then there was no news for three years. During those three years, I didn't receive a single letter from him. I couldn't stand it any longer, so I left my hometown secretly and went to Tianling to look for him..."
"And then? Did you find him?"
"I can't find him." Tong Huan's voice gradually became weaker for some reason. "He is not an official in Tianling, but I heard rumors about him there."
"What's that rumor?"
Tong Huan paused for a moment and swallowed hard. "When I arrived at Tianling, news about him was all over the place. They said Chu Mo had taken in an ungrateful person out of kindness, and that person had taken advantage of a family dinner to slaughter his entire family! Rivers of blood flowed, and the deaths were horrific..."
“…”
"At that time, I was terrified. I rushed to find out Chu Mo's whereabouts. I was afraid he had also died in that massacre! Fortunately, he escaped, but after killing that ungrateful wolf, he lost his mind and eventually went to the Immortal Mountain to learn immortal arts. After that, no one could find him for a long time. However, in the past two years, I finally got news of him. I was so happy that I invited him here for a chat..."
Xiao Lin said nothing. She had never truly understood Chu Mo's past, and everything Tong Huan told her was too much for her to bear.
She had never imagined that in Chu Mo's past decades, in addition to the stories they had experienced together, he alone actually hid the pain of his family being wiped out.
"What about you?" Xiao Lin turned and asked, "Now that we've talked about Boss Chu, what's your relationship with the people of this county?"
Tong Huan scoffed and said self-deprecatingly, "As for me, they simply looked down on me because I was born a bandit. They were unwilling to force a confession, fearing that if they resorted to violence, they would report me to the imperial court. Therefore, I ended up in the embarrassing situation you witnessed today, young lady."
"As an upright official, why should I fear the gossip of others?"
Xiao Lin imitated Mu You's words and thought that these words could bring some comfort to Tong Huan, but he never expected that it would make him lower his head even more and remain silent.
Seeing that Tong Huan had no intention of saying anything more, Xiao Lin tactfully waved goodbye to him.
She had already known enough news tonight, so she couldn't wait to run to Mu You to share it with him.
But as Xiao Lin's walking figure turned into running and finally stopped abruptly, another pair of footsteps followed and crossed the threshold of Tong Huan's bedroom.
Tong Huan was about to get up and sort out the documents, but the candlelight in front of him was blocked by something. He raised his eyes and met Chu Mo's cold eyes.
He bit his lower lip, forced a smile, and asked, "Brother Chu, what do you want to see me about?"
"What did you say to Xiao Lin just now?"
Chu Mo's eyes were determined, and he was trying to catch the slightest change in Tong Huan's expression. But Tong Huan chuckled and said, "Brother Chu, aren't you proficient in immortal arts? Why don't you count with your fingers?"
Tong Huan's words made Chu Mo sneer. He walked one step closer to him, and a feeling of oppression suddenly hit Tong Huan's whole body.
"If I could really calculate it, why would I come to ask you? Ah Huan, my magic..."
Tong Huan felt uneasy.
"My magic is fading..."
He said nothing, staring blankly at Chu Mo. Then, Chu Mo said, "Not only can I not predict what you and Mu You talked about, I can't predict your past or future either. I came here to ask you how you got this official position."
But Chu Mo did not get an immediate answer from Tong Huan. He hesitated and seemed to want to hide something.
The summer night breeze was much fresher. It quietly sneaked into the room through the gaps in the window lattice, bringing a hint of coolness to the two of them.
Seeing that Tong Huan remained silent, Chu Mo showed no intention of giving up. He stood in front of Tong Huan, motionless.
Then, after much hesitation, Tong Huan finally opened his tightly closed lips and said, "Brother Chu, you taught me that when I serve as an official, I should benefit the people around me..."
“…”
"But this world won't tolerate me, but I don't want to accept my fate. I also want to rebuild the world with my own hands, just like you, so I... so I can only do this..."
Chu Mo stared into Tong Huan's eyes, observing every flicker in them, and asked, "So, what did you do?"
Tong Huan bit his lower lip even tighter, barely uttering a few words through his teeth: "I have no other choice but to help Lord Wang Xuhan. After the task is completed, he will reward me with the title of Hanlu County Magistrate..."
When these words came out, it was like a bolt from the blue for Yu Chumo. He immediately became furious, his eyes bloodshot: "Do you know..."
Before he could finish his words, Tong Huan immediately interrupted: "I know! Of course I know!"
In this quiet night, Chu Mo's rapid breathing was particularly clear.
Tong Huan continued, "I know you'll absolutely refuse to help Wang Xuhan, but Brother Chu! What else can I do? The people here insult me because I'm the son of a bandit! Won't the imperial examination examiner abandon me because of my background?"
"Brother Chu, I'm not as lucky as you, born into an official family, surrounded by stars, and knowledgeable and talented... Tell me! What's wrong with my desire to pacify the world? What's wrong with my desire to bring peace to the people? What's wrong with the actions I have to take to achieve my wish?"
Tong Huan's fists landed on his leg bones, candlelight flickered in the corners of his eyes, and his face was full of helplessness.
The world only knew how to gossip about his humble background, but he was willing to abandon his pride for the sake of the world. He took office despite the criticism and seemed unconcerned on the outside, but the words of the world were like sharp swords, piercing his heart.
He hoped to gain Chu Mo's forgiveness, which was his last hope, but Chu Mo's expression at that moment made his heart tremble and poured a chilling cold water on him.
He suppressed his sobs and asked, "Brother Chu, do you also look down on me..."
"When have I ever said no to what you did?"
"you……"
"Ah Huan, I know how difficult it is for you. I have no objection to you working for Wang Xuhan. This is your only way out. Now I am just afraid. I am afraid that you will fall into his hands and become a pawn for him to manipulate the political situation. I am just afraid that you will repeat my mistakes!"
"I won't. If he wants to use me to do something immoral, I would rather kill myself than obey him!"
Chu Mo's eyes were filled with sadness. He looked straight at the excited Tong Huan, but closed his eyes again.
Before Tong Huan could say anything more, he walked towards the door, opened it with his own hands, and immersed himself in the inky night. "If you are tired, go back to your hometown and be a farmer. Farm in the sun and study in the rain, and live a simple life."
"No." Tong Huan suddenly stood up and told the truth, "The reason I came here is for someone."
Chu Mo paused, turned around suddenly, and a fierce look flashed in the corners of his eyes.
Yes, he finally revealed his purpose.
"Who?" Chu Mo's gaze inexplicably glanced towards a bush outside the door, and then quickly retracted it.
Tong Huan replied, "I want to find mugwort."
"Who is Ai Ye?"
"My playmate who grew up with me was kidnapped when she was just 15 years old. Over the years, I've been trying to find out about her every day, and finally, I found Hanlu..."
Tong Huan said this and sat down solemnly.
Seeing him speak frankly, Chu Mo turned around and called out to the bushes he had just glimpsed, "Come out! I saw you here."
Tong Huan was surprised, Chu Mo was indifferent.
Then, there was a rustling sound among the bushes. After a while, Xiao Lin emerged from among them while shaking off the leaves on his body.
"You... didn't leave?" Tong Huan immediately stood up and asked.
Xiao Lin was sullen and pursed his lips.
The atmosphere was a little tense, so Chu Mo took the lead in breaking the ice. He gave Xiao Lin a push and then explained to Tong Huan, "She's not an outsider. Besides, I think she might be able to help you with what you came here for."
Even though Chu Mo intended to calm Tong Huan's suspicions, Xiao Lin still didn't dare to look him in the eye.
The three of them were silent for a long time before Tong Huan began to speak with a sigh.
He said, "For the past ten years, I have been searching all the way, just to find Ai Ye's whereabouts. Since that day she was kidnapped, there has been no one around me that I can trust."
"You...what about your mother? Can't she be trusted either?"
"She died of illness when I was ten years old."
Xiao Lin shut his mouth and remained silent.
Tong Huan then continued, "Then I inquired along the way and found out that she wasn't just abducted that day, but was kidnapped and sold to Hanlu. Therefore, if I want to see her, I must keep this black gauze."
At this moment, Xiao Lin was stunned again.
What? She was sold here?
Wait, Chu Mo said before that Tong Huan’s ending was because he was involved in human trafficking and was poisoned to death by the people, right?
It seems that the strange things in Hanlu County are probably much more complicated than those in Wuhu County.
Fortunately, the one they were with this time was the head of a county, who had power; the bad thing was that their current enemies were just the common people within their sight, who were powerless.
Just thinking about it, Xiao Lin couldn't help but shudder.
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