Chapter 30
"Sect Leader Zhou, I can't have this." Xiao Luolan retracted her hand hard, and quickly took off the golden silk rope from her wrist and placed it on the desk. The golden rope made a crisp sound, breaking the atmosphere in the study. Quiet.
Xiao Luolan stood up and took a few steps back in panic. The inkstone on the desk was accidentally knocked over by her scarf, and the black ink soaked all the papers she had written. , blurred into balls, and the ink flowed along the edge of the table and dripped on the green mat.
Zhou Xu still had a smile on his face. A few wisps of frost on his temples gave his tough and upright face a bit more elegance, diluting the aura around him. He sat at the table and heard Mrs. Xiao's panicked and anxious refusal. First, he put the golden silk rope in a clean corner of the desk, then straightened the overturned inkstone, and then sorted the books on the desk and put them on the floor. The whole process was done calmly and unhurriedly.
Xiao Luolan looked at the dirt on the desk floor in annoyance, but refused to take a step closer.
After coming back from the cave that day, she would dream almost every night of the way Master Zhou looked at her at the entrance of the rockery cave. In the dim shadow, it was like a ferocious wolf staring at her closely, as if he could see through everything about her. , her eyes were piercing and sinister, which made her sweat, and she couldn't sleep well. She was afraid that her daughter would find something strange about her, so she specially let her sleep in the Xinghua Residence next door.
This kind of Clan Master Zhou was completely different from what she usually encountered. It was as if he was wearing a skin. The more Xiao Luolan thought about it, the more frightened she became. Why would she take the initiative to find Clan Master Zhou? After such a long time, she She thought that Sect Leader Zhou must have ignored them, but unexpectedly, he actually came over by himself.
Xiao Luolan was so confused that she never imagined that Sect Master Zhou had this kind of thoughts towards her?
Xiao Luolan looked at the wide open window. Her daughter was reading a book in a small pavilion in the middle of the lake. Fang Yun sat on one side and fanned her.
Under the wide sleeves, Xiao Luolan twisted his hands together, his palms were sweaty, and he struggled and hesitated. In the end, he did not pierce the last layer of paper, and said to Zhou Zongzhu as if he was deceiving himself: "Zhou Zongzhu, thank you. I have good intentions, but this Dragon Boat Festival gift is too expensive, I can’t take it.”
Zhou Xu listened to the rejection that was obviously much more tactful than the last time. He stood up, straightened his robes, and was about to walk towards Mrs. Xiao, when he heard her suddenly say: "Goodbye."
Xiao Luolan stood in front of the Bogu rack. Seeing Zong Zong coming over, he hurriedly said: "Zong Zong, please don't come over."
Zhou Xu looked out the window and knew what Mrs. Xiao was thinking.
She didn't want her daughter to see him, nor did she want to get close to him. There was a clear distinction between the two of them.
Zhou Xu smiled and walked away. Xiao Luolan saw that he was about to come to her side. Her cheeks were red with anxiety and she had no choice but to leave the position of the ancient bookshelf by the rear window. The green curtain was fluttering and Xiao Luolan stood there. Outside the study, he lowered his head.
Zhou Xu leaned against the corridor pillar, looking at the uneasy Mrs. Xiao, and suddenly sighed: "Mrs. Xiao, your behavior of avoiding me like a snake and a scorpion really makes me sad."
Xiao Luolan couldn't tell whether he was joking or serious for a moment, because she found that even Sect Master Zhou was smiling at this moment.
Zhou Xu walked to Mrs. Xiao and found that her body immediately tensed up. He held up Mrs. Xiao's hand and put the thread of longevity on Mrs. Xiao's wrist again. After looking at it quietly for a moment, he said: "If you If you don't like it, just throw it into the lake. Anyway, there is no reason to take back what I, Zhou Xu, sent out."
Xiao Luolan looked at the tall figure of Sect Master Zhou leaving and took down the golden thread he gave him again.
In the evening, Xiao Luolan slept on the bed in the East Pavilion. In the afternoon, she sorted out her clothes and put all her jewelry in a small wooden box. She also packed the belongings of Sect Leader Zhou in their original packaging. She looked at the dark night and occasionally I heard the sound of the watchman on the street outside, and I kept thinking about what I had to do tomorrow and couldn't sleep.
In addition to practicing calligraphy every day, she read almost all the books in the bamboo house, and often chatted with Fang Yun and the slaves in Dou Mansion. She vaguely figured out how to integrate into ancient times. The first and most important thing is household registration. Because Yangjun City was a rare place that was not affected by the war, coupled with the circulation of water transportation, merchants, servants, refugees, and barbarians flocked here one after another. There were many wandering households. Due to the war, the household registration system was simpler than it was during the heyday of the dynasty. It is much more relaxed. Many floating households can obtain local household registration after living for one year. She and her daughter have no relatives, no family, and no land here. If they pay some money to bribe the head of household registration, they should be able to get a Guofang household.
Xiao Luolan originally planned to do it when she got to Langge, but now she had to change her mind. She wanted to find an opportunity to do it quietly to see if she could succeed. She had to give it a try.
Xiao Luolan touched the silver in her purse, her mind wandering. She was very grateful to Sect Master Zhou. She was really grateful. She was grateful that he helped her when she was most helpless. If there was a chance in the future, she would definitely repay the favor. Sect Master Zhou’s.
Sometimes Xiao Luolan would rather just be sentimental. After thinking about it in a mess, Xiao Luolan fell asleep in a daze.
The next day, when Xiao Qingxue heard what her mother said, she put down the steamed cake in her hand, thought for a while and asked, "Mom, are we not going to Langge?"
"I think Taiyang is pretty good. In a few days, we'll go see if we can apply for household registration and settle here. If possible, we'll settle here. Langge is a big city, and the cost will definitely be much higher than here. "Xiao Luolan took her daughter's hand: "What do you think?"
"Mom, I will be wherever you are." Xiao Qingxue thought carefully and said: "But the Taiyang County Governor and Zhou Clan Master are not on the same side. If Zhou Clan Master and the others leave, what if Taiyang County Governor targets us? What should I do?" Xiao Qingxue thought of this again.
Xiao Luolan thought of the scene where Taishou Li scolded Clan Master Zhou, and the bubbles rising in her heart were suddenly extinguished. It shouldn't be possible, but what if Taishou Li is an angry person?
Xiao Luolan felt that she was in a dilemma. It would be better to continue to follow Sect Leader Zhou and the others to Xunjiang County or Nanning County.
"Let's go take a look in the afternoon." Xiao Luolan said to her daughter. First, she should familiarize herself with the household registration process and be prepared. She cannot rely on Sect Leader Zhou for everything.
Of course Xiao Qingxue had no objection: "Okay."
In the afternoon, when she heard that Mrs. Xiao and her beloved daughter were going out, Mrs. Dou prepared a carriage for them.
Xiao Luolan stood at the door, wearing a curtain hat on her head, not wanting to attract too much attention. Xiao Qingxue also wore a white curtain hat on her head. She lifted the corner of the curtain hat and saw the eldest son of the Dou Mansion dismounting and the servant Move the horse to the stable.
Dou Dalang and his younger brother looked really different. Magistrate Dou had a very round figure, but Dou Dalang was so thin that he seemed to fall over in the wind. It was hard to imagine that they were actually brothers.
"My son has met his mother." Dou Shengming saluted.
"Well, Da Lang is back. Isn't it hard at Mr. Xu's place?" Mrs. Dou asked with concern for her eldest son who was coming home for the rare time.
Dou Dalang's face was serious: "It's not hard for me."
Mrs. Dou exchanged greetings with her son and then looked at Mrs. Xiao: "Mrs. Xiao, I wonder where you want to go?"
"I just want to take a stroll on the street. Thank you for lending us the carriage." Xiao Luolan said a blessing to Mrs. Dou.
Mrs. Dou remembered the importance Jiedushi paid to Mrs. Xiao, so she sent four more Jian slaves to drive specifically for Mrs. Xiao.
After they left, Dou Shengming took the horse out of the stable and followed Mrs. Xiao's carriage. After following for a while, he was keenly aware that he was not the only one following Mrs. Xiao's carriage. The back of Mrs. Xiao's carriage was decorated with There were several Lei clan servants, one of whom he still had some impression of. He seemed to be an elite member of the Lei clan, and he often guarded the Lord Jiedushi.
Dou Shengming was thinking as he quietly followed the carriage. The Lei's cavalryman also noticed him, and his figure became even more hidden.
But both of them discovered that Mrs. Xiao had gone around in circles to her residence in Beishi City.
The household office is located in the northwest corner of the Beishi County Government Office. It consists of five Dalian rooms. The wide door is opened, people queue up, and a household worker is working in front of the long desk.
Xiao Luolan asked the driver to stop the carriage not far away. Looking at the people applying for household registration, Fang Yun knelt down on the carriage and said, "Master, do you want to apply for household registration?"
"Fang Yun, my previous household registration was in a far away place. Now I want to apply for a new one. Can I do it?" Xiao Luolan asked anxiously.
Fang Yun didn't have much experience. He was confused when he heard his master's question. He only told what he knew: "I don't know, but when I was young, I remember that a man who evaded taxes came to my hometown. He and the widow in the village He was stunned, but when the imperial court granted him amnesty, the man wrote a report and sent it to the village. After being verified by Li Zheng, he had a household registration."
It turned out that it could still be like this. Xiao Luolan saw that the queue was long, and the queue was full of ordinary people with yellow faces and thin skin, wearing coarse clothes and linen. Many people looked curiously towards this side when they saw an imposing tung oil carriage parked next to them.
The servants of Dou Mansion drove the carriage far away. They didn't understand why the nobles in the family came to this house.
Xiao Luolan thought about it carefully for a long time and felt that her method was feasible. It could be inferred from what she knew from Fang Yun, plus what she learned from books and the historical knowledge her daughter had told her before.
The household registration system of this imperial court is collapsing. Taxes are too heavy. People at the bottom evade taxes and become refugees. The situation mentioned by Fang Yun will occur. Moreover, because of the expansion of the rights of Jieduzhi, the imperial court cannot effectively manage household registration. Therefore, Some large numbers of refugees have poured into the territory of Youzhou where they can survive. Taiyang County will adopt this policy for those people...
"Mom, it's the place where you are registered." Xiao Qingxue looked at her mother and thought about it in distress, and reminded her with a smile. Like her mother, she thought that it was easier to obtain household registration in chaotic times. Only with household registration can one be able to survive in this era. Survive is the first step to survival.
"Let's come early tomorrow." Xiao Qingxue said when she saw that the queue was almost out of sight.
Xiao Luolan looked at it for a while and then sent the carriage back. Since the county government office was in Beishi, Xiao Luolan saw the Taiyang County Prefect's mansion at a glance on the way back. However, the door was closed now. On the bluestone road ahead Suddenly there was the sound of horse hooves, and then Lei Hu Lei Bao and several Lei's horsemen rode quickly from the Daningfang Street entrance. The sound of horse hooves was like thunder, and behind them were the soldiers led by Captain Yang. It has alarmed many wealthy families in Daningfang, who are secretly observing.
Xiao Luolan and Xiao Qingxue looked at Leihu Leibao, whom they had not seen for a long time, and saw a man on Leihu's horse with his hands tied behind his back. The young man's appearance was unclear, his clothes were dirty, he was full of alcohol, and his mouth was stuffed. He picked up a piece of coarse cloth and was looking at the gate of Li Mansion whining.
Behind Lei Bao was dragging a large group of tied up servants of the Li family.
Xiao Luolan originally wanted the carriage to avoid him, but unexpectedly, Sect Leader Zhou slowly walked out from the end on horseback holding a black whip.
Xiao Luolan put down the bamboo curtain and his heart skipped a beat. He probably wouldn't have noticed the Dou Mansion carriage.
Lei Hu dismounted and pulled the man off the horse.
Not long after, the door of Li Mansion opened.
Li Bozhi led everyone out, with his hands behind his back. When he saw his eldest son, he clenched his hands suddenly and his face was extremely pale.
Zhou Xu sat on the horse and said with a smile: "I heard that Governor Li was looking for his son. Unfortunately, I found a man who looked exactly like the husband of your house among the beggars and refugees. Take a look, what is this man like?" Yes or no?"
Zhou Xu pulled out the long sword from his waist, and the sharp sword light reflected a dazzling light. Zhang Wei and his daughter-in-law, who were next to Li Bozhi, both breathed a sigh of relief. The woman shouted loudly: "Zhou Youzhou!"
Zhou Xu used the tip of his sword to lift the young man's chin, revealing his face: "Prefect Li, you need to identify him carefully."
The young man's eyes were full of anger, and his body was struggling on the ground. Unfortunately, his hands and feet were tied with leather bands and he could not move.
Li Bozhi's cheeks twitched hard twice, Li Hanzhang's face was as dark as water, and neither of them spoke. Zhang Wei and her daughter-in-law couldn't bear it anymore, and they ran to the bottom of the steps. The daughter-in-law hugged the dirty young man and secretly cried. Zhang Wei was really afraid of Zhou Youzhou. Even though she was full of resentment, she didn't dare to make a loud noise. She could only say nicely: "Zhou Youzhou, he is my eldest son. Please let him go."
Zhou Xu moved the tip of the sword and put the sword back into the scabbard: "I guess so. After all, I found the Zhang family emblem from this gentleman. Madam Li, I remember that you are Captain Zhang Fengche." My dear daughter, do you recognize this bronze emblem?"
Zhou Xu took out a copper badge. The badge was engraved with the word "Zhang" in a simple form, and a gun pattern was printed on the reverse side of the badge.
When the woman saw the badge her father gave her, and then looked at her son's evasive eyes, her vision went dark and she almost fainted. Because of Youzhou's special status, her father specially gave her a troop of soldiers when she got married, about one hundred. People are born in families, trained by veterans, and let them protect themselves.
The woman vaguely remembered that a month ago, Da Lang pestered her for his badge, saying that he wanted several young men to go hunting in the suburbs. She gave it to him without thinking much at the time.
Zhang Wei looked at Zhou Youzhou's cold and captivating eyes on the horse, her face pale, and she knew that Da Lang had really committed something serious this time!
Li Bozhi walked down and stopped his wife from continuing: "Zhou Youzhou, thank you for sending the mansion back."
Zhou Xu threw the badge into the saddle bag, holding the reins with his hand, and said: "Prefect Li, I came here just to confirm whether this person is the prince of your house. Your prince is related to the assassination of me." , I will never let him go back."
After saying that, he lowered his waist and reached out his arms, grabbed Li Fu Dalang's belt, picked him up, and threw him face down on Lei Hu's horse like a sack.
Zhou Xu laughed and walked away. A group of light-armored cavalry followed him. Captain Yang bowed his hands and said goodbye. After a while, he heard the crying of the female family members of the Li family.
Xiao Luolan witnessed all this and watched as Governor Li sent his servants to help his wife and daughter-in-law in.
The carriage of the Dou Mansion passed through Beishi quietly. Xiao Qingxue sat next to her mother and whispered: "Auntie, Master Zhou has taken action against Prefect Li and the others."
It was the wanton and arrogant laughter of Sect Leader Zhou that always made Xiao Qingxue think of him as a big villain, especially since everyone in the Li family was good-looking, including Li Hanzhang, who was handsome and gentle, and Prefect Li who was also an elegant middle-aged man, and the Lei family's gang of rough guys. Standing together, if you don't know the details, it looks like a villain oppressing good officials.
Xiao Qingxue wanted to continue talking, but the bamboo curtain on the window was suddenly lifted up by the black whip.
Zhou Xu greeted: "Mrs. Xiao, what a coincidence, are you and Mrs. Xiao going shopping?"
Xiao Qingxue was startled, secretly glad that she didn't say what was in her heart just now.
Xiao Luolan was also startled, and then nodded: "Yes."
Zhou Xu noticed that Mrs. Xiao only had a jade bracelet on her wrist. He rubbed the black whip and said with a smile, "Since we are shopping, I won't disturb Mrs. Xiao and Mrs. Xiao."
Xiao Luolan breathed a sigh of relief, not daring to look up at Sect Leader Zhou.
After the carriage had gone far away, Zhou Xu took the riders back to the government office and handed the Li family's elder brother to Judge Xu. About evening, when the criminal trial was almost over, Zhou Xu returned to Dou Mansion. An ordinary-looking Lei family Qingqi He reported Mrs. Xiao's every move when she went out, down to the smallest detail, and then left softly after the report.
Xiao Luolan was about to take a bath, so she pulled out the hairpin, and when she was about to take down the peony flowers, the sound of Snowball suddenly came from the window, meowing a little loudly, so she walked to the window, Opening the window, I caught sight of Sect Master Zhou.
Zhou Xu let go of the cat in his arms and let it go. He was still wearing his daytime clothes, a dark robe, a leather belt around his waist, and black boots. He didn't even take off the black whip from his waist.
When Xiao Luolan saw Sect Master Zhou, he was startled for a moment, and then looked away: "Sect Master Zhou, it's so late, what can I do?"
Zhou Xu was in front of the window sill, looking at Mrs. Xiao, and said ruthlessly: "Can't you come to Mrs. Xiao if you have nothing to do? I wanted to come to see you, so I came naturally." In order to catch the little mouse in the Li Mansion today, he Meng Mengliang set off with his men so that he could find a meal easily, which wasted a lot of his time. When he returned home and heard what his servant said, Zhou Xu felt like a fire was burning in his heart.
"Mrs. Xiao promised me to call me Zhou Langjun before, but now it doesn't matter anymore?"
"Mrs. Xiao and I used to talk about poetry every night..."
Xiao Luolan bit her lip and couldn't help but interrupt Zhou Zongzhu: "Zhou Zongzhu, I am a married woman. It is difficult for me to see you often. Please don't say that."
Xiao Luolan is now only glad that one thing about her identity is true, that is, in the eyes of others, she is a married woman. With this identity, Sect Master Zhou should be a little scrupulous. She can be friends with Sect Master Zhou, but Apart from friends, Xiao Luolan doesn't want to get involved with the ancients of this era.
The smile on Zhou Xu's face suddenly faded.
Xiao Luolan was startled by such Clan Master Zhou, but she still gritted her teeth and looked at Clan Master Zhou resolutely.
Under the faint moonlight, Mrs. Xiao's raven hair hung loosely behind her. There was only a blooming peony flower in her bun, which was similar to what Zhou Xu saw yesterday. There was still nothing on Bai Shengsheng's wrist, and her starry eyes Looking at her stubbornly, her red lips were bitten and made a little mark, making her plump and attractive.
Zhou Xu smiled, yes, Mrs. Xiao was a married woman, he knew that from the beginning.
