Over the years
Xiao Buyi obviously didn't want to waste time arguing with Su Musong on the issue of "going home". He used a fire stick to pick up the ashes and turned to Su Musong and said,
"Please help me watch the stove while I go get some medicine for Daddy's cold."
After saying that, without waiting for Su Musong's consent, he took the money and went out.
Su Musong was stunned for a moment, and felt that this Xiao Buyi seemed to be a different person from the little kid he met yesterday who would act coquettishly to his father.
Cooking porridge wasn't difficult for Su Musong. Although he didn't have many opportunities to cook, he was quite adept at it. He then made two light side dishes. For a moment, he even wondered if he had been a cook in his previous life. By the time the side dishes were ready, the porridge was almost warm enough to be eaten.
Xiao Luochen slept drowsily on the bed for a while, then woke up again. He opened his eyes with great effort and met Su Musong's dark eyes staring at him. He vaguely remembered the time when they met again at Zixue, and a smile unconsciously appeared on the corner of his mouth.
Su Musong helped Xiao Luochen sit up, then sat down on the edge of the bed, held him in his arms, and fed him porridge.
"Did you remember something happy?"
"It reminds me of when we met again eighteen years ago."
"Why did you suddenly think of this?"
"Your eyes were much more beautiful then than they are now."
"Alas, time flies by and spares no one."
"Well, I'm not the same as before."
"You look good all the time."
"If we talk about this, I'm naturally no match for you. Speaking of which, I'm actually curious. Given Young Master Su's family background, talent, and looks, the threshold of the Duke of Anguo's mansion would surely be thrashed by suitors. I wonder how Young Master Su has managed to avoid the endless stream of matchmakers over the past ten years?"
Su Musong shook his head and smiled
"You're wrong. No one has come to propose marriage in the past ten years."
"Why is that?"
Su Musong scooped a spoonful of porridge, blew it gently to cool it down, and did not answer.
Xiao Luochen knew clearly that although the Duke of Anguo was not deeply involved in the government, just relying on the wealth of the Su family and the relationship between the Duke of Anguo and the emperor, the palaces that wanted to marry into the Duke of Anguo's Mansion would probably flock to him. Even if Su Musong himself was unwilling, the various forces would certainly not give up easily. But seeing Su Musong's appearance, he knew that what he said must be the truth, and he knew in his heart that it was related to him. He just didn't know what method Su Musong used to withstand the pressure from all sides. But since he was unwilling to say, he didn't ask anymore.
"You don't remember your past life... Are you going to keep it a secret from him forever?"
Thinking of the conversation with Xiao Buyi this morning, Su Musong felt inexplicably uneasy.
"Maybe wait a few more years, he's still too young."
Xiao Luochen was also very conflicted about this matter. Of course, he wanted Xiao Buyi, the only remaining member of the Xiao family, to be able to pay homage to his deceased relatives openly and wanted to tell him about the family's past heritage. However, Xiao Luochen did not want Xiao Buyi to carry a blood feud for the rest of his life. It would be better for him to bear such torment alone.
Su Musong understood Xiao Luochen's thoughts and said no more. He made a decision in his heart and looked for an opportunity to test Xiao Buyi's opinion to see if he really knew something.
Xiao Luochen couldn't drink more of the porridge after only half a bowl. Su Musong put down the bowl, but still held Xiao Luochen in his arms, unwilling to let go. Even after last night, he still felt a sense of unreality, always afraid that this was just another dream, just like what he had experienced repeatedly in the past few years, a big dream that would end in nothing.
For ten years, Xiao Luochen alone faced the downfall of his family, endured a thousand-mile escape with his infant, and established himself among bandit dens. From a frail young nobleman, he rose to become a formidable leader of a mountain stronghold. His body and mind were already strong enough, never relying on anyone, nor needing to. But now, leaning in Su Musong's arms, Xiao Luochen felt a long-lost sense of stability. His life had previously been severed at the age of sixteen, split in two, unconnected. Even now, powerful as he was, he felt like a drifting duckweed. Su Musong's appearance reconnected him to the past he had been forced to sever. From now on, he was a tree with roots deeply buried in the earth, no longer a rootless duckweed.
The two of them snuggled up to each other quietly, and time seemed to slow down.
Xiao Buyi, who had gone out to buy medicine, hurried back only after the sun's shadow crept through two lattices of the window. However, the one who opened the door and saw the two of them earlier than him was Ning Zhen, who had come to visit them anxiously after hearing that the leader was ill.
"leader……"
Seeing the two people sitting on the bed hugging each other, Ning Zhen felt as if nails were planted under his feet and stood still at the door.
Seeing that it was the young man who had come yesterday, Su Musong guessed that he had something to report, so he stood up slowly, helped Xiao Luochen to lean on the pillow, helped him tidy up his scattered hair, tightened his loose collar to cover the marks he left last night, and then found a chair to sit down and motioned Ning Zhen to come forward.
"Brother Zhen...wait for me!"
Xiao Buyi's voice was getting closer and closer. He ran all the way, but still couldn't catch up with Ning Zhen. When he reached the door of the room, he didn't stop for a moment and bumped into Ning Zhen, pushing the dazed Ning Zhen to Xiao Luochen's bed.
"Chief, are you okay?"
Ning Zhen looked straight at Xiao Luochen, his eyes full of worry.
"It's okay, just a slight cold."
"You were fine yesterday, why did you suddenly get sick?"
"Don't worry, I just need to rest for a few days and I'll be fine."
Xiao Luochen didn't know how to answer this question, and his ears turned red unconsciously. Seeing that Ning Zhen looked really anxious, he couldn't help but reach out and pat his head gently to comfort him.
Ning Zhen tilted his head, as if he wanted to hide, but he didn't. He just said sullenly:
"I'm not a child anymore."
"Yes, our Xiaozhen has grown up."
Even though Ning Zhen has become Xiao Luochen's right-hand man and is experienced and sharp in his work, in Xiao Luochen's eyes, he is still the little brother he picked up from the Gobi Desert most of the time.
Ning Zhen took out the letter he received yesterday and handed it to Xiao Luochen. It turned out to be an invitation from the Ji'an League.
The Ji'an League controlled the Green Forest south of Xiangping, overlapping with the 18 mountains and 36 islands of the Western Border League, controlled by Chixia Mountain. Previously, they engaged in constant conflict, but later reconciled, agreeing to hold annual meetings to quell their conflict. Xiao Luochen, despite his status as leader, had never attended these meetings, and his deputy, Tieshan, always served in his place.
"Xiao Zhen, please go to the meeting on my behalf. The mountains are high and the journey is long. Tiebo is old after all, and he injured his leg before. He has worked hard for many years, and I really can't bear to let him suffer any more."
"Yes, Chief."
Ning Zhen calmly accepted the assignment, just as he always followed the leader's orders. He was only a young man, but he seemed confident in the important task of leading the gangs in the western border to participate in the alliance. With time, he would be no ordinary person.
Su Musong's emotions were in turmoil as he witnessed the whole process.
The Su family's goods were able to flow freely through Southern Xinjiang thanks to Su Musong's familiarity with Ji'an League leader Ji'ang. Su Musong had previously attended meetings between the two leagues, seizing the opportunity to befriend the leaders of the Western and Southern Xinjiang underworld, and even shared a few drinks with Tieshan. Little did he know that the mysterious and reclusive leader of Chixia Mountain, the leader of the Western Border Green Forest Alliance, whom Ji'ang had mentioned, was actually Xiao Luochen.
Xiao Buyi had never traveled far before. He had heard from others that southern Xinjiang was rich and prosperous, with countless delicious food and fun things to do, so he had always wanted to go there and see it.
"Dad, can I go with Brother Zhen?"
Before Xiao Luochen could answer, Ning Zhen dragged Xiao Buyi aside and said in a threatening tone:
"I told you to call me uncle."
"You're not ashamed. You're only a few years older than me, yet you call me brother. Brother Zhen... Brother Zhen... Brother Zhen..."
Xiao Buyi circled around Ning Zhen and kept calling out. Ning Zhen was helpless and had to leave. Before leaving, he did not forget to glare at Su Musong. Su Musong felt as if two cold lights were piercing him, and his heart shuddered. He didn't know how he had offended him that made him so hostile to him.
Ning Zhen left. Xiao Buyi looked at his old father lying on the bed, then looked at Su Musong who was pouring tea from the pot. He tactfully left the room and went to boil medicine in silence.
For a moment, they were alone again, but the atmosphere was different.
Upon learning that Xiao Luochen was the leader of the Western Territory Fellow Daoists Alliance, Su Musong vaguely guessed Xiao Luochen's thoughts.
Xiao Luochen never forgot the hatred of genocide. The family's stigma must be washed away, even if it takes a lifetime, even if it costs his life.
Over the years, he has spared no effort to strengthen Qingzhu Village, subdue various green forest forces in the western border, make peace with the Ji'an League, and interact with the Qingning tribe. All of this is to find out the ins and outs of the incident that year, send those who should go to hell, let the Xiao family's ancestral hall rekindle incense, and let the souls of the clan members rest in peace.
Xiao Luochen firmly believed in his father and brothers' loyalty to Xiangping. Even though he didn't know what happened back then, his belief had never wavered over the years.
"How much have you found out about what happened back then?"
Su Musong had never let go of the Xiao family case, and he guessed that although Xiao Luochen named his sixth brother's orphan Buyi, he himself would never forget the injustice of his family. Today, he learned that Xiao Luochen controlled the Tongdao League, which undoubtedly confirmed Su Musong's guess.
"The whole story is clear, but we lack the evidence to overturn the case. Every time we find a clue, someone else gets there first, preventing us from obtaining the crucial witnesses and physical evidence."
At this point, Xiao Luochen couldn't help feeling depressed. He didn't know if it was just a coincidence or if the group was alert and could always take the witnesses away before him.
Su Musong looked ashamed when he heard this, and he knew in his heart that the person who made Xiao Luochen return empty-handed was most likely himself. After all, apart from Luochen and himself, no one in the world would care about a treason case that happened ten years ago.
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