Chapter 76
Before dawn, Xiao Luochen woke up from his dream. For some reason, he kept dreaming of the execution of his family members on the way back from Yongjing.
It was impossible to fall asleep again, so Xiao Luochen simply got up from the bed. Although his movements were gentle enough, they still startled the person next to him.
Su Musong sat up and asked sleepily
"Luo Chen, are you having a nightmare again?"
"It's still early, you should sleep a little longer. I can't sleep, so I'm going out for a walk."
Seeing that Xiao Luochen was dressed and ironed, Su Musong lifted the quilt and hurriedly took the clothes and put them on.
"I'll go with you."
"I'll wait for you. It's cold outside, so put on your clothes quickly."
Xiao Luochen helped Su Musong to straighten his clothes and belt. After they washed up, they went out.
Since Su Musong came to Qingzhu Village, Xiao Luochen hasn't gotten up so early for a long time.
The sun was rising, a brilliant crimson, but its rays offered no warmth. A northerly wind blew, cutting my face like a knife. Smoke rose from the village, and farmers were already herding ducks in search of food in the fields.
Xiao Luochen and Su Musong walked leisurely and unknowingly arrived at the school.
This school was established by Xiao Luochen after he came to Qingzhu Village. Although it is impossible for people in the village to take the imperial examinations, it is still necessary for them to read and write and gain knowledge.
The two of them stopped and watched the children coming from all directions, bowing to the teacher politely and reading together in the morning.
"Luo Chen, your Qingzhu Village really looks more like a village than the villages outside. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, who would have believed that the place where you, the leader of the Western Territory Alliance, resides, is such a place full of human life."
Because of his business, Su Musong made friends with many people from the green forest and visited many strongholds. However, there was indeed only one stronghold like Qingzhu Stronghold.
Xiao Luochen smiled but did not answer, and just continued walking into the farm.
A Yuchuan Creek divides Qingzhu Village into two parts. Xiao Luochen rarely came here in the past, but he didn't expect to meet an old acquaintance.
"Please stay, both of you!"
Su Musong saw that the man had a scar running from his right eyebrow across his nose to his left jaw, and he did not look like a good citizen, so he subconsciously hid Xiao Luochen behind him.
"Master, how are you these days?"
Xiao Luochen's eyesight has deteriorated recently, and he barely recognized the person as his third brother Zhao, who used to help at the school, when he walked up to him.
"Thank you for your concern, Third Brother Zhao. Everything is fine."
When Xiao Luochen first established the school, since there were few literate people in the entire village, he took it upon himself to teach for a few years. After he had finally taught a few students, he stopped teaching. Although the people in the village did not recognize him as the leader, they recognized him as the teacher of the school.
Third Brother Zhao was a warm-hearted man and insisted on taking Xiao Luochen and Su Musong to his house for breakfast. To Su Musong's surprise, Xiao Luochen did not refuse, and the two of them had a free meal. Before leaving, Third Brother Zhao even forced a bag of red dates on Xiao Luochen.
Su Musong ate the red dates and praised
"This Third Brother Zhao looks like a living devil, but I didn't expect the dates he grows to be so sweet. Is this skill of his inherited from his ancestors?"
"He's from Hanyun, and used to be a bodyguard. He doesn't know how to grow dates."
"Since you are an escort, how did you end up here?"
"The county magistrate took the money and sentenced him to three years of unjust imprisonment. He then killed the magistrate and later became a pirate for a year. He was constantly wanted, so he finally escaped here. When you met his wife, did you find her gentle and virtuous?"
"Indeed, he speaks softly, keeps his brows down and is pleasant to the touch. He is diligent and efficient."
"Her previous husband gambled away all his family fortune and sold her to a brothel. Her parents-in-law also abused her at every turn, so she poisoned her husband and parents-in-law and escaped."
"Luo Chen, why do you know so much?"
"I will investigate the background of every person who seeks refuge in Qingzhu Village. Who would be willing to become a bandit unless they have nowhere else to go?"
Following Xiao Luochen's words, Su Musong added
"If one can live a peaceful life, I think no one would want to live on the edge of a knife."
Suddenly, Su Musong seemed to understand something
"Luo Chen, I think I know why this place doesn't look like a mountain stronghold but more like an ordinary village."
If possible, let this place become the final shelter for these abandoned children in the world. This was what Xiao Luochen thought when he reorganized Qingzhu Village.
Su Musong and Xiao Luochen strolled around for half a day and didn't notice anything unusual. Although Xiao Luochen had been gone for over two months, and Tieshan and Ning Zhen had also been away from the village for a long time, everyone was able to perform their duties and everything was in perfect order.
After returning home, Xiao Luochen looked at the silver mask he usually wore, and suddenly it became clear to him that the people in the village would live their own lives. As long as the mask was there, the leader was there. As for who was behind the mask, it was not so important to them.
After figuring this out, Xiao Luochen no longer worried about who to entrust the stronghold to. He called Tieshan and confessed the truth that he had been poisoned and that he didn't have much time left.
After hearing this, Tieshan was speechless for a long time. He could not imagine what Qingzhu Village would be like without Xiao Luochen.
"Tie Bo, after I leave, you will still have to take care of the daily affairs of the village. Find a suitable person in the future and give him the position of village chief. I have made an alliance with Xiangping. For a hundred years, Xiangping will not attack Chixia Mountain. But if the villagers want to live a peaceful life in the future, then go to Jingxi Hou and join Xiangping."
Tieshan wanted to refuse, but when he saw Xiao Luochen's haggard and thin face, he knew that he was making arrangements for his funeral, so he couldn't say it and had no choice but to agree.
"And this Black Iron Order. When the brothers in the alliance elect a new leader at the next meeting, give it to him."
"The Black Iron Token is the leader's token of loyalty. As long as the leader lives, the Black Iron Token will remain in his hands."
Tieshan was determined, and Xiao Luochen didn't want to force him. He thought that three months later, when he died, the Xuantie Order would eventually find a new owner, and Tieshan would be able to accept it then.
After figuring out the issue of the successor to Qingzhu Village, Xiao Luochen should return to Yongjing. After all, he doesn't have much time left.
Just at this time, the pigeon house in Xizhou City received a carrier pigeon letter from Xun Molin from Yongjing.
When Su Musong heard that the letter was from Xun Molin, he had a bad feeling.
What happened that caused Mu Feng and Mu Bai to be so tied up that even the housekeeper in the mansion was unable to get away, so Xun Molin had to be asked to deliver the message.
Seeing Su Musong's solemn expression, Xiao Luochen's heart was also hanging.
"What did Mo Lin say in the letter?"
"Something happened to Mu Feng."
Xiao Luochen was so smart that he immediately guessed that Su Mufeng's substitutionary marriage had been exposed.
"Could it be his identity... What is the current situation?"
"The Grand Empress Dowager exposed Mu Feng's substitutionary marriage at a banquet hosted by the Emperor for Princess Yuelong. Mu Feng and Mu Bai were arrested on the spot and thrown into the Sky Prison, while Prince Ding was placed under house arrest in the palace. The Grand Empress Dowager has already ordered the closure of the Duke of Anguo's Mansion and all of the Su family's assets, and has issued arrest warrants for my parents, Mu Liu, and me."
For a long time, Su Mufeng's substitutionary marriage was like a knife hanging over the heads of the Su family, and now the knife has finally been cut down.
"You pack your luggage and I'll go get the carriage."
Xiao Luochen knew without asking that Su Musong must set off immediately to return to Yongjing City.
Going to Kyoto, life or death is uncertain, but it doesn't matter to Xiao Luochen at this moment. He has less than three months to live. In this last time, he can be with the one who holds the key in his heart.
If the dead person can get through it, there will be no regrets.
But this time, God finally showed mercy to this former proud son...
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