A dark cloud came up, once again blocking the newly emerged moon. The oxcart walked slowly back to the front of Luo Mansion in the south of the city. The servant got off first and called out: "Master!"
Luo Pei, who was deep in thought in the car, woke up, opened the curtain, and got out of the bullock cart.
The door of Luo Mansion was closed tightly, and the servants came forward to call the door. After a moment, the door opened, and Mrs. Luo Pei, Mrs. Mo, and her eldest son Luo Zhengqi came out to greet her.
Apart from these owners of the Luo family, there are only two maids, a few servants, and a few servants. These are all people who did not leave after Luo Pei was imprisoned.
Luo Pei has only been in prison for half a year. All the housekeepers and stewards with some status and wealth have left, leaving only some people with low status and nowhere to go.
After Luo Pei was released from prison, it was not that there were no housekeepers who cried bitterly and wanted to come back, but they left ruthlessly at that time. Luo Pei just didn't pursue the matter. It was impossible to come back!
Because of this, the huge Luo Mansion now seems too deserted.
"Madam, I'm fine."
Accompanied by his wife and children, he entered the house and closed the door again. Luo Pei held his wife's hand and comforted her gently: "It's just a farewell party, what can happen? You said you are still waiting for me."
She didn't go to bed so late, she was obviously worried and waiting for him.
Mr. Mo sighed after hearing this: "How can I feel at ease if you don't come back?"
There are crises everywhere in the capital. If you make a wrong step, how can you know that you won't make the same mistake again?
Since Luo Pei was imprisoned for more than half a year, Mrs. Mo has experienced a lot of sadness and fear. She has already become a bit worried. Maybe as time goes by, she will slowly let go of her worries. I am afraid it will be difficult to change in a short time.
Luo Pei also knew what his wife was worried about, so he patted her hand gently and smiled: "Am I back now? Don't worry, we will be able to leave Beijing soon. In the southwest, the sky is high and the emperor is far away, so you can sleep peacefully.
Just got some sleep."
Thinking of the secret palace news he just heard, he even felt that leaving the capital within a few years might not be a bad thing for his old wife and second son.
He can endure the ups and downs of his career, but his wife is over fifty years old, and she has not enjoyed much good life with him these years. As she gets older, he must always think about his wife.
This was also the reason why he had been a little shaken in the past few days, but after what happened just now, his heart became firm again.
After coaxing his old wife to go to bed first, Luo Pei did not go to bed immediately. Instead, he went to the study room and looked at the flickering candlelight. He didn't know what he was thinking, but his face was expressionless.
The eldest son, Luo Zhengqi, followed him to the study. A maid came in to serve tea. Luo Zhengqi asked her to step aside and placed the tea bowl in front of his father.
"Father, please drink tea."
Luo Pei took a slow sip to moisten his throat and soothe his complicated and anxious mood along the way.
"Qi'er." After taking another sip, Luo Pei put down the tea bowl and looked at his eldest son: "Do you have something to say to your father?"
"Yes." Luo Zhengqi is a seventh-grade official who was born as a Jinshi. His current official position is still too low. In fact, he cannot go to court or squeeze into the upper class circle. But his father is Luo Pei. Getting information from his father is enough to make up for his lack of experience elsewhere.
Therefore, Luo Zhengqi also knew that the emperor ordered him to deal with the shrine on his behalf.
At this time, he was urged by his father and asked: "Father, my son is curious about handling the temple affairs on behalf of the king."
"The emperor ordered the king to deal with the shrine. This has been a few days. There is still no movement from the king. Does the king intend to continue to delay it? Or is there no way to start?"
"Father, you went to Shuntian Mansion for a banquet today and met with the King. What do you have to say?"
In the officialdom, there is a destiny. No matter whether the matter can be solved or not, the first thing is to make a gesture, even if it is superficial, it is really strange that the king does nothing.
After hearing this, Luo Pei's expression was very strange, and he fell silent for a moment.
Luo Zhengqi became even more puzzled when he saw it.
But he is no longer a teenage boy, he is a father in his twenties. His father did not speak and looked like he was deep in thought. He just stood in front of him without saying a word.
After a long time, Luo Pei slowly opened his mouth: "Qi'er, you don't have to ask about this anymore, just watch."
"In the future, when I go to the southwest, you should not neglect the king in Beijing. You must know that once you accept the truth, you cannot change it."
After Luo Pei finished speaking, he sighed: "It's destiny!"
With Luo Pei's status and acumen, he could feel that after several consecutive waves, both the King of Qi and the King of Shu suffered a lot, and the emperor seemed to be turning his attention to King Lu.
However, before the wind started blowing, a large vat of cold water was poured on it today.
"Is this human strategy or God's will?"
"This is pulling the fire under the cauldron."
King Lu was able to be crowned king and even have the possibility of inheriting the throne, not because of his talent or virtue, but simply because of his bloodline. If there was something wrong with his bloodline, everything about him would be lost.
If nothing else, if the emperor becomes suspicious, the possibility of a fight for the right to the throne will disappear.
"Even if the royal family has a secret method to identify bloodlines, if there is a conflict, there will be a rift between father and son. How can he inherit the throne if he has a thorn in his heart?"
It's a pity that in this case, he can't tell his son that the news of the royal bloodline can be revealed in anyone's mouth, but definitely not in his own mouth. Therefore, Luo Pei sighed, but said nothing.
"..."
The eldest son Luo Zhengqi originally wanted to inquire about the situation of the king from his father, but he heard what his father said.
Because he didn't know what exactly happened, and what his father said was unclear, he was a little confused.
But after all, it was his father's advice. Luo Zhengqi did not dare to refute, so he could only say: "Yes, father, my son has remembered it."
"Just remember it." Luo Pei nodded and added: "This time to the southwest, your mother, I, and your brother will go. You need to be more careful when you are an official in Beijing."
"If anything happens, you can ask Dai Wangfu for help."
The eldest son of Luo Pei was already married and had children. He was a Jinshi in the middle school and an official in the capital. It was impossible to follow him to the southwest.
But the second son was only sixteen years old and was originally going to get engaged. However, because he was suddenly imprisoned more than half a year ago, the engagement discussion was dropped.
The second son has a more impulsive temperament, but after this family accident, he has a somewhat gloomy temperament. Luo Pei plans to take his old wife and second son to the southwest this time.
After all, I don’t know how long I will stay in the southwest this time. If the second son stays in the capital, even if his brother and sister-in-law can take care of him, they will not be as good as his parents.
Luo Zhengqi hesitated: "My younger brother is already sixteen years old. If he goes to the southwest, the marriage..."
"It doesn't matter if a man gets married later."
Luo Pei has now looked away from this matter: "Your brother is not good at studying. I am here to supervise him this time when he goes to the southwest. Besides, with him by his side, your mother will be in a better mood."
.”
His father had said so, and Luo Zhengqi no longer insisted.
Thinking of the fact that the in-laws' family has been showing good intentions recently, and even intends to bring the younger brother into marriage with a woman who is a relative of the in-law's family, I am afraid that such things will happen in the future. It is better to let the younger brother follow his parents to the southwest, so that each of them can get some peace, in case they stay.
In the capital, it would be a disaster to get involved in any disputes if someone else gets the wrong advice in a place he can't see.
Luo Zhengqi knew his father, and since he had this hint but did not say it clearly, he smelled something bad - it seemed that trouble was about to break out again in the capital.