Chapter Thirteen [Supernatural events in the ancestral home of the Luo Lin family! 】
Chapter Thirteen [Supernatural events in the Luo Lin family’s ancestral house!]
(long chapter)
The ancestral home of the Luolin family is located in the southwest of Luolin Plain, where a tributary of the Luolin River passes. The land on the river bank is fertile, with several farms and towns around it. Following this tributary, you will pass through a
Scenic valley.
This is where the great Luo Lin family first originated. Hundreds of years ago, when the ancestor of the Luo Lin family was just a low-level nobleman who owned a small village territory, the blood of the Luo Lin family began to spread in this land.
spread.
The carriage passed through a dark forest, with lush green trees on both sides and fresh air. Following a flat path, you can see the small valley on the left while sitting in the carriage, and looking to the right, you can see a tall mountain in the distance.
The tower is the ancestral home of the Luo Lin family.
After hundreds of years of family glory, the small village of hundreds of years ago no longer exists, and the original ancestral home has been renovated and rebuilt countless times over hundreds of years, and has now reached a considerable scale!
A crimson stone wall surrounds a castle. The castle was built with white boulders quarried from the nearby valley - it is said that it was originally a hill, but after hundreds of years of quarrying the stones, it became
It turned the hills into valleys.
The arrival of the eldest son of the family patriarch naturally attracted special attention. The three hundred territorial private soldiers who stayed at the castle put on the brightest equipment very early and lined up to wait under the red wall outside the castle. The round arch
The shape of the gate made Du Wei feel very imposing while sitting in the carriage, and from his perspective, this thick stone wall could be used as a solid defense circle if necessary!
As expected of the empire's martial arts family, the three hundred territorial private soldiers who stayed in the castle were obviously well-trained. Their bodies were upright when riding horses, and their horse control skills were quite skilled, and their equipment was pretty good. Later,
Only then did Du Wei find out that the three hundred soldiers left behind in the castle of the Luo Lin family's ancestral home were the best ones selected from the private armies throughout the Luo Lin Plain territory. Their training was quite good, even as good as that of the empire.
The local army.
The black forest outside the castle is also a natural hunting ground. Some hunting activities are held here every year, which is also a disguised form of exercise for these soldiers.
The main building of this castle has two towers, one of which is particularly tall, even a little higher than the hill in the distance. Du Wei, who has studied family history, knows that this is because the Luo Lin family had
There once was a strange family head in a certain generation. Although the family head was a military commander, he was particularly interested in astrology. He even married a female astrologer as his wife. That high tower was built for his own convenience.
It was built so that my wife could better observe the stars in the sky at night.
The red carpet had been laid from the gate of the castle to the place where Du Wei's carriage stopped. As soon as Du Wei bent down and got out of the car, a silver-haired old man who had been waiting for a long time walked up next to him. This old man was tall and thin, with meticulous gray hair.
Dress, old-fashioned and serious behavior, conservative and respectful behavior are also very measured.
As soon as Du Wei got off the carriage and his feet hit the ground, the old man had already bent down, bowed deeply, and then said in a low and slow voice: "Master, I am Hill, Luo Lin, the left-behind housekeeper here.
I have learned about your coming three days ago. Now everyone in the castle is ready to welcome your parallax. Please come with me."
After saying that, the old butler turned around and carefully led Du Wei up the steps. There was nothing faulty about his etiquette. His behavior was respectful and polite, humble but not flattering, and he led Du Wei up the steps.
On the red carpet, he walked carefully outside the carpet, leaving Du Wei to enjoy this honor alone.
I didn't have time to carefully observe the interior decoration of the castle. The only thing that impressed me was that after walking into the castle gate, there was a huge flag like a flame on the wall in front of me!
This flag is seven or eight meters high and six meters wide, occupying the entire wall in front of it! This is the family's emblem flag, with two sharp swords crossed on it, with iris flowers wrapped around the blades, and red flames burning
, and there is a crown on it!
When you walk into the hall on the first floor of the castle, you are greeted by such a majestic flag, which immediately gives the place a solemn and solemn atmosphere!
Then all the servants in the castle stood on both sides of the hall in neat uniforms to welcome Du Wei's arrival. Du Wei was not very interested in this weird "inspection". He nodded casually and then lowered his head.
He said in a voice: "My butler, please take me to the study now... As for everyone, please go your separate ways and go back to your work."
The old housekeeper Hill carried out Du Wei's orders meticulously, and soon Du Wei was taken to a study room...
Well, if possible, Du Wei would rather call this place "library"!
Because it’s so big here!
In the round room, there is also a high round vault above the head, dotted with some simple plaster patterns, and there are some plaster statues on both sides - many of them are outstanding figures who have emerged in the family's history.
figure.
This room is surrounded by tall bookshelves... Damn it! These bookshelves are as high as two stories! They are filled with all kinds of densely packed books. Du Wei did a rough calculation and found that there are at least several books hidden here.
Thousands of books! There are also many iron cabinets that store important things, such as family maps, or some ancient and important documents, etc.
Of course, as a martial arts family, even in the study room, there is a hint of martial arts! On the wall directly opposite the door into the study room, there is a giant two-handed sword hanging on the wall.
There is a huge chopping ax! The two weapons are hung crosswise on the wall! Judging from the cold light flashing on the blades, it is obvious that servants often clean and maintain them very carefully.
There are also several huge cabinets on the bookshelf on one wall. There are various weapons in the cabinets, but judging from the style, these are all antiques.
There are short bows issued by the imperial military a hundred years ago, as well as old-fashioned knight swords, long sabers, and black ironwood bows...
Du Wei was attracted by these weapons. He could see that these antiques were all well maintained. Although they had been baptized by the years, some of them still gave off a sharp cold light!
"These have been used by outstanding ancestors in the past generations of the family." Hill, the old butler behind him, said in an unchanging voice: "These all record the past glory of these great ancestors of our Luo Lin family."
Because of the shape of the room, when you speak here, the sound waves will circulate and produce buzzing vibrations and echoes, which adds a sense of solemnity.
Gently touching the old-fashioned desk made of black rosewood, Du Wei looked around quietly.
It can be seen that although everything here has been strictly preserved and carefully cleaned, the traces of aging are also very obvious. Many places on the bookshelf have been polished to be smooth and shiny.
With this huge desk under his command, Du Wei suspected that it might be older than the old housekeeper in front of him.
"This used to be the center of power of the Luo Lin family. It used to be the place where the family patriarchs thought and made various decisions. Everything here retains traces of the glory of the past." The old housekeeper whispered: "Although,
Later, the family's decision-making center was moved to the imperial capital, but according to family tradition, every patriarch who came back to the castle for parallax or a short stay was not allowed to return to the bedroom to rest on the first night of arrival, and had to spend the night in this study.
This is to encourage myself not to forget the glorious history of our family and the important responsibilities on our shoulders."
After a pause, the old butler glanced at Du Wei and lowered his head: "You are the eldest son of the current patriarch, the Earl, and you came to the castle to inspect on his behalf. May I ask you tonight..."
Du Wei immediately nodded cooperatively and smiled: "Tradition is tradition and must be followed. Of course I am no exception. Although I am not the patriarch, I am my father's eldest son and I am here as his representative.
I will stay in the study tonight as tradition dictates."
The old butler's face softened a lot, and there was a hint of warmth in his tone, and he said slowly: "Yes, I will have someone prepare it. And... I know that you are here to inspect the property of the territory on behalf of the Earl.
, where will your work start? After getting the news of your return, I have asked people to prepare the accounts and books of the income and expenditure of the family industry this year. When are you going to start looking at these things?
?Or wait..."
Du Wei interrupted him with a smile. He naturally and calmly walked around the table and sat behind the large desk. The sofa was a little hard, but it was still very comfortable to sit on. Du Wei thought for a while and said with a smile: "
My butler, I have come here after a long journey, and now I feel a little hungry. Please prepare some food for me first, and then I think I can start to look at the things you have prepared."
It seems that the work efficiency here is quite good.
Soon, Du Wei was enjoying a very typical southern aristocratic afternoon tea in the study. After eating a sweet pumpkin pie, he just wiped his mouth when the old butler Hill was already directing two sturdy men.
The valet came to the study.
Two servants were pushing a cart, which was loaded with a mountain-like pile of thick books! Together, these books were probably half a head taller than Du Wei's man!
"Are these all this year's accounts and expenditures?" Du Wei frowned, and he began to wonder if the old housekeeper wanted to harm him.
"Master, these are all." Old Hill replied seriously: "The information here includes the entire southern Cote province, the land measurement area and cultivated land area in the family territory, as well as the financial information of six towns.
Revenue expenditures, logistical supply expenditures for the family's private army scattered in three places in the territory, military salaries, supplies, weapon consumption, etc. In addition, there are grain harvests and the budget for some new buildings built this year. In addition
I have also made some budgets for next year, but I haven’t finished them yet because time is too tight, but I think you won’t be leaving here soon, so we still have plenty of time.”
Du Wei couldn't help but touch his nose and looked at the small mountain of accounts in front of him: "...are they all here?"
"This is just a part. As for the rest..." The old butler rarely said something less serious: "I think you may need to watch the rest for a week."
Du Wei began to frown, and he quietly examined the butler in front of him.
The old butler didn't look like he was joking. But...he wouldn't be naive enough to think that a thirteen-year-old child of his could understand these accounts, would he? Nor would he be naive enough to think that a thirteen-year-old like himself would be able to understand these accounts?
A three-year-old child can really take on the entire family territory and industry on his shoulders!
Then, he should know that being sent back to his hometown by the head of the family must be a disguised dispatch. In this case, this guy brought such a pile of accounts and asked him to check them seriously... What is his motive?
Could it be that the left-behind old housekeeper was dissatisfied with himself as the young master who was sent back, and was worried that his original authority would be dispersed when he came back, so he first demonstrated to himself?
Is the slave bullying his master?
Or, maybe he has some tricks in the family business to make personal profits from it, and now he is using himself as a child to get through?
Everything seems possible!
But Du Wei didn't say anything. He didn't even raise a question. He picked up the top account, blew the dust on it, sat down calmly, opened the first page, and quietly
Looked up.
After a while, Du Wei raised his head, and the old housekeeper was still standing aside.
"Oh, Mr. Butler, is there anything else you want to tell me?" Du Wei seemed to be casual, and his tone became colder: "I don't like people around me when I'm reading."
"As you command, Master." There was a gleam of surprise in the eyes of the old butler Hill, and then he seemed to open his mouth and wanted to say something, but he swallowed the words when he reached his lips, turned around and led the servants out.
After the heavy study door was closed, Du Wei gently put down the account in his hand. He stood up, walked back and forth a few steps in the huge study, moved his body, and then smiled and said to himself: "
It seems that there may be something worth looking forward to happening."
From then on, until nightfall, the old housekeeper came to the study twice more, once to pour tea for Du Wei, and once after it got dark, he personally brought someone to light a candle for Du Wei.
What surprised the old butler Hill was that the young master was actually looking through those accounts!
Moreover, he was not pretending, but he was really reading attentively! There were several account books on the desk, all opened, and Du Wei seemed to be calculating some numbers.
After all the twenty huge candlesticks inside were lit, Du Wei casually asked the old housekeeper a few questions about the accounts.
He didn't just ask random questions, every question got to the point! These are enough to prove that this young master seems to be serious! He really read those boring accounts!
This...is this what the news came back saying about the eldest young master who was considered an "idiot" within the family in the imperial capital?
Although he tried his best to conceal it, Du Wei still caught the surprised expression of the old housekeeper. Du Wei still said something, but when the old housekeeper walked out of the room again, he slowly closed the book in his hand that had been turned to the last page.
accounts.
Actually...these accounts are really interesting!
Du Wei spent an entire evening and did not really look at the boring figures, nor did he bother to check whether the accounts had been falsified. After all, he was not a genius. The authenticity of the accounts was very important to him.
If you don’t know anything about the industry, it’s impossible to tell.
I'm afraid no one will know that Du Wei is reading in a different way that others can't guess!
Who says that a ledger must only be used for accounting?
At least, Du Wei learned a lot from these things! And these things are not recorded in those history books and files recording family history!
Judging from the names and contents of the various items in these accounts, Du Wei will immediately have a full understanding of the Luo Lin family's control over the territory.
In the territory, the Luo Lin family is almost a system of its own, and even has considerable autonomy. The fiscal and taxation powers here belong to the family, and even the appointment of local officials is basically the family's final decision.
Although the tax rate is levied in accordance with the laws of the empire, the family can modify, reduce or increase it under some special names.
As long as a certain proportion of the tax collected is submitted to the central finance of the empire every year.
There is also military power. Basically, judging from the details of military purposes in these accounts, the empire officially has very few troops stationed here, and only symbolically stationed two small local second lines on the periphery of the territory.
Reserve Infantry Regiment. And it is worth noting that the supplies and baggage of these two reserve infantry regiments are provided by the Luo Lin family every year! The imperial military does not care!
In most places in the territory, local security and order are maintained by the family's private army in the territory.
Almost through these accounts, Du Wei easily grasped the current status of the entire Luo Lin family in economic, political, military and other fields!
Perhaps, if the old housekeeper knew that he actually "read" the account books like this, his eyes would pop out!
Judging from these accounts, Du Wei has confirmed at least two points: First, in terms of the right to tax, the family has complete control over this place! And in terms of military, this is even more true!
Du Wei, who came from another world, had an important common sense among the knowledge he had learned in that world: for a country to reflect its territorial sovereignty, two very important points are: taxation and garrisoning!
And now, these two points are almost controlled by the Luo Lin family! What does this mean?
This means that the central power of the empire has almost lost the territory of the Luo Lin family: half of the territory of the province of Cote. Here, the central power of the empire has lost its sovereign control over this place! It is almost an independent small kingdom.
Already.
Du Wei leaned on the sofa and pondered. He was a little surprised by this situation! Because when the central power of a country gradually loses its authority, it is often a sign that the prelude to turmoil is about to begin.
Du Wei sat for a while. The room was very quiet, except for the occasional beeping and popping sounds of candles' sparks exploding.
At this moment, Du Wei suddenly stood up, turned around and looked at the wall behind him!
On the wall are huge floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, filled with densely packed books, which seem to be nothing out of the ordinary.
But Du Wei felt a little strange in his heart... Well, what he felt at that moment seemed right!
Because his mental power is much stronger than that of ordinary people, Du Wei is also more sensitive to the movements around him than ordinary people. Just now, he suddenly felt like he was being peeped at!
As if right behind him, a gaze came from an unknown secret corner, watching him quietly!
There was nothing unusual on the bookshelf, and Du Wei looked up again.
Above the bookshelf, hanging on the wall is a row of portraits.
These oil painting-style portraits are arranged in a row, ranging from distant to recent. These are portraits of the successive heads of the Luo Lin family!
The one that is placed first on the left, the one that looks the oldest, the one with the longest history, and the characters are painted with a sense of distortion, is a middle-aged man wearing an imperial military uniform. On the canvas
The man in question was the Imperial Marshal back then! He was also an ancestor of the Luolin family who won the war and made great contributions to the empire, and at the same time won the Luolin Plain from the emperor!
This man looked very energetic, with a cold and tough look between his brows that was very similar to that of Du Wei's father, Count Raymond! And those eyes seemed to be staring at Du Wei!
Du Wei's heart moved. He tried to take a few steps back, then took two steps left and right, while staring at the oil painting. Then he smiled, sighed softly, and whispered: "Oh, maybe
I'm too sensitive...it's just an oil painting."
He turned around and picked up another account...
Just behind him, the eyes of the marshal's portrait on the wall suddenly blinked!
That's right, the character in the oil painting suddenly came alive. His eyes staring at Du Wei's back suddenly blinked!
The eyes of the characters in the painting, which were supposed to be stiff, suddenly became alive as if they were injected with life! The eyes fell on Du Wei, and there seemed to be a trace of curiosity in his eyes...
And at this moment, Du Wei, who was holding the account and seemed to be reading, suddenly turned around without warning and stared at the oil painting on the wall!
One person, one painting, the eyes of both parties suddenly crossed and collided!!
"No need to pretend. I know you are looking at me." Du Wei slowly raised his hand, holding a silver spoon in his hand, which was used when eating pumpkin pie here. It was made of silver.
The spoon is as bright as a mirror!
"You are looking at me, and I was using this thing to look at you just now." Du Wei was smiling, staring at the mural on the wall: "You don't have to pretend anymore... But, don't you know that peeking at others from behind, like this,