The former site of the Ministry of Rites Yamen is now in ruins. The only thing that can be identified is a short wall that still exists on the roadside. People have built huts to live in along one side of the wall. Looking through the gap in the wall, the yard is overgrown with weeds.
The original Yamen lobby was also crooked and dilapidated, and there was a sense that things were right and people were different.
Opposite the dilapidated Yamen, the former residence of the Minister of Rites, Lu Feiming, has long since disappeared. It was replaced by a cluster of short mud houses and shacks scattered in a haphazard manner. As Ma Bin said, the residence of the Minister of Rites collapsed after being burned down. Over the years, this place has become
It has been occupied by the surrounding people and has built houses to live in. Only some scattered tall flowers and trees between the houses still stand, which seems to indicate that this place was once a luxurious residence. Other than that, there is no
There is no evidence to prove that this was once Lu Shilang's house.
Lu Wu got off her horse and walked slowly to the street between the Rites Yamen and the Lu Family Residence. She slowly turned around and looked around. Her brows were furrowed, her eyes were confused and hazy, and her mind was desperately searching.
She desperately tried to compare the remaining memories of her childhood with the scenery in front of her. However, the pitiful fragments in her memory were completely inconsistent with the scenery in front of her. Observing from all directions and angles, she could not recall even a single memory.
There's not the slightest resemblance.
Lin Jue and Ma Bin and Chen Tan tied their horses to a tree by the roadside and walked slowly to Lu Wu together. Lin Jue asked softly: "Lv Wu, what did you remember?"
Lu Wu held her head in both hands, shook her head and shouted: "I can't remember it at all. I don't feel any familiar feeling at all. This place... this place is very strange. I remember that there was a big archway in front of my house.
There are stone lions, stone horses and so on. But there is nothing here. Nothing..."
Lin Jue caressed her shoulders and back, and comforted her softly: "Don't be anxious, just go and take a look. I said, just come and have a look, you may not be born here. It's not here, we can just look for it again."
Searching slowly is like looking for a needle in a haystack. I will also help you find your family and origin, and will not let you become a rootless duck."
Lu Wu nodded lightly, walked around quickly without giving up, and kept looking around. She frowned and stopped to think about it. After struggling for a while, she finally came over disappointedly and said to Lin Jue and the others.
The man sighed: "Let's go. I don't remember anything about my childhood. This place is completely unfamiliar. I'm afraid... it's not here anymore."
Lin Jue breathed a sigh of relief and thought to himself: Lu Wu was not born here, so it saves her worries. If she is really the daughter of Minister Lu, then all the shocking speculations that follow will be invalid. Otherwise, things are a bit complicated.
Complex. Sure enough, things in the world are not so coincidental, and there are not so many bizarre possibilities.
"In that case, let's go. Brothers and sisters, don't be sad, we will help you continue to search." Ma Bin said in a deep voice.
Lu Wu nodded and said, "Thank you, Brother Ma, and Brother Shen for taking the trouble. Young Master, let's go."
Lin Jue sighed and nodded. He turned around and walked towards the horse. Lu Wu followed him step by step, turning back and looking at himself. He felt deeply regretful about today's trip and seemed unwilling to do so.
Several people untied their horses and were about to get on their horses. Suddenly, a melodious and rich sound of bells came from nowhere.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!" The sound of the bell was soothing and melodious, floating slowly in the air, echoing in my mind endlessly.
Lu Wu was stepping on the stirrups to get on the horse. When she heard the bell ringing, her whole body suddenly froze in place, and her eyes glowed.
"Young Master!" Lu Wu called softly.
Lin Jue turned to look at her, and suddenly he saw tears flashing in Lu Wu's eyes.
"Lv Wu, what's wrong with you?" Lin Jue asked quickly.
"Master... this bell... is so familiar... this is exactly the bell I often heard when I was a child. As I told you, when I was a child, I could often hear the bell at home and in the back garden.
It's this bell that is so familiar." Lu Wu shed tears and looked blankly towards the place where the bell rang. Surrounded by dilapidated houses and dwellings, there was nothing visible except the bare branches.
Go wherever the bells come from.
"Are you serious? Lu Wu, do you really remember this bell? Is it the same as the one you heard when you were a child?" Lin Jue became excited and asked.
Lu Wu said with tears in her eyes: "I remember, I really remember. It's not wrong. Listen, there is a harsh sound in the bell. I remember my mother said that this is because the clock has cracks, so there is such a harsh sound.
The voice. Really, you listen."
"Bang, bang, bang." The bell was still sounding slowly, Lin Jue and Ma Bin and Chen Tan listened with bated breath. Sure enough, there seemed to be a tingling sound in the bell. If you didn't listen carefully, you really couldn't tell.
"That is to say...we have found the right place?" Shen Tan said in surprise.
Lin Jue said loudly: "It must be right. Lu Wu remembers the sound of the bell. How can it be wrong? This should be the bell of the noon class in the temple not far away. Is there any temple nearby?"
Ma Bin said in a deep voice: "There is a Changuang Temple in the southwest, and the bell must be from that temple."
Lin Jue said: "The temple has been built for more than ten years?"
Ma Bin said: "More than ten years ago, Changuang Temple is a century-old temple. Although it is not as famous as Xingguo Temple and Daxiangguo Temple in the capital, it is also a sacred place."
Lin Jue nodded and said: "That's it. The bell that Lu Wu heard more than ten years ago has not changed, so that's right."
Lu Wu's heart beat like a drum, and he said in a hoarse voice: "But why can't I remember the scenery here? What about the stone lions, horses, archways and so on?"
Lin Jue muttered: "Ten years have passed. The former site of the Rites Yamen and the residence of Minister Lu have become like this. This street has become so decadent. I am afraid that many things have disappeared. How can I still recognize them?"
?I was also very stupid just now, and I just remembered this now. These things may be gone, but the memory is still there, why don’t we ask someone. Ten years is not a long time, and you will know as soon as you ask."
"Oh, yes, look how stupid we are, why don't we know how to ask someone?" Ma Bin said, slapping his forehead.
At that moment, everyone returned to the former site of Lu Shilang's mansion. In a small courtyard facing the sun, they saw four or five people sitting under the wall basking in the sun. The four people walked quickly into the courtyard, and those few people saw
When he saw Ma Bin wearing armor and carrying a sword on his shoulder, he was so frightened that he stood up in a hurry and looked at the people in panic like a frightened rabbit.
"Fellow folks, don't panic, we're here to ask you a few questions." Lin Jue cupped his hands and shouted.
Several civilians rolled up their sleeves and said in awe, "Jun...jun ye, what do you want to ask? We don't know who did the killing of Wang Er on South Street. We will report it to the official in the morning."
Lin Jue was stunned for a moment, not understanding what they were talking about. It took him a moment to realize that there must have been a murder case nearby, and they thought they were investigating the case.
"It has nothing to do with Wang Er's matter. I would like to ask, are all of you old residents here? How many years have you lived here?" Lin Jue asked.
"Us? Who remembers? It's been at least five years." A commoner said hurriedly.
Lin Jue said disappointedly: "It's only been five years? It seems like you don't know what I want to ask about. What I want to ask about is what happened here ten years ago."
"Ten years ago? Then you have to ask my second uncle, he has lived here for thirty years." A young man shouted.
"Oh? Where is your second uncle?" Lin Juexi asked.
"I'm lying on the bed in the house. My legs have been paralyzed for three years and I haven't gotten out of bed." The young man said, picking his nose.
Lin Jue rolled his eyes and said, "Please introduce him, and I'll ask him something."
The young man said: "Okay, but I'm afraid it will be difficult to talk to him. Military men, don't get angry in a hurry. Speak slowly."
Lin Jue smiled and said: "Don't worry, we are asking him for advice, why are we in a hurry?"
The young man nodded, moved to the nearby house, pushed open the crooked door and went in, shouting loudly: "Second uncle, second uncle, someone is looking for you."
Lin Jue followed him into the house. The house was dark and cold, filled with the pungent smell of feces and urine. After his eyes adjusted to the dimness, he saw the young man helping an old man with messy hair to sit up in the tattered bedding.
"Hello, father-in-law." Lin Jue stepped forward and saluted.
The old man blinked his chaotic eyes and shouted tremblingly: "What? Eat dates? Old man, I have lost all my teeth, so I can't eat dates anymore. I can't even swallow them whole. I can't poop out, so I have to dig them with my hands..."
Lin Jue almost vomited out. The young man leaned into the old man's ear and shouted loudly: "Second uncle, what are you talking about? I'm asking you how I am."
"Oh, okay, okay, it would be better to die as soon as possible. Either dead or alive, you will suffer a lot." The old man finally heard clearly.
Lin Jue came closer and asked loudly: "May I ask my husband, have you lived here for forty years?"
"Money? No money, not a penny. It would be great if I had money. If I had money, these nephews wouldn't leave me here. If the money is gone, no one will care about me." The old man waved his hand.
The young man next to him quit, frowned and shouted: "Second uncle, you just nag on weekdays, but you say that in front of outsiders? You have been paralyzed for three years, how can we juniors not forgive you? I always
I go to the dock to move goods every day, and I earn money to buy food, but you are missing a bite? You insist on eating chicken, duck, and fish, where do you get the money? You just say these irritating words."
Lin Jue smiled bitterly and was speechless, and said to the young man: "Brother, what are you arguing with the old man? You just pass the message for me, and I will give you money as reward later. He can't hear what I said clearly."
As soon as he heard that he was being paid, the young man's eyes suddenly lit up and he nodded repeatedly. Lin Jue stopped shouting loudly and only used the young man as an interpreter, making communication much smoother.
"My father-in-law, you have lived here for forty years, but did you know that there was Lu Shilang's Mansion here ten years ago?" Lin Jue asked.
"Then why don't you know? Mr. Lu is a good man. I have fed the horses in his house for eight years. Mr. Lu is very generous and kind to servants like us. Alas! It's a pity that good people don't live long.
The family was destroyed and everyone was killed, it was very, very tragic." The second uncle's mind was not confused, and his words were quite coherent.
Lin Jue wanted to ask a few more questions about the cause of Lu Shilang's death, but after asking a few questions, he found that the old man didn't know anything. He only knew that the house caught fire, and Lu Shilang was burned to death, and his family members also died. He didn't know much.
Lin Jue also understood that this second uncle was just an ordinary servant who fed horses, and naturally he would not know any more inside information.
"Dad, let me ask. I heard that there used to be a big wooden archway in the market in front. Why is it gone now?"
"The archway fell down a long time ago. The fire scorched the archway, and then it fell down and almost hit someone. It was lying across the road and it was in the way, so everyone chopped it up with an ax and used it as firewood." The second uncle was fair.
Lin Jue suddenly realized that there really was an archway here, which meant that Lu Wu's memory was correct and he was getting closer to the truth.
"If you dare ask me again, are there stone lions and horses in front of the street?"
"Stone lions and horses? Where can we find these things?" the second uncle asked.
Lin Jue was greatly disappointed. There was a deviation in Lu Wu's memory? If he remembered all these things wrong, then he might have also remembered this archway wrongly. Archways are everywhere, and it would not be unusual even if they existed here. The overall memory deviation is
It means that Lu Wu's memory is actually confused, so it cannot be determined that Lu Wu was born here.
"Wait, there seems to be stone lions and horses, but they are not on the street. It turns out that there are two stone lions at the gate of the Ministry of Rites. There is also a dismounting stone that looks like a horse. Is that the one you are talking about?" The second uncle rolled his eyes.
Remembering.
Lin Jue was overjoyed and said repeatedly: "Is it true? Then why is it missing now?"
As soon as the words came out of his mouth, Lin Jue scolded himself for being stupid. The Ministry of Rites and Yamen had moved away, so how could these things be kept? There was no telling if they might be moved home by the common people.
"Yes, it's in the courtyard of the Ministry of Rites. A few years ago, a cart puller hit a rock and suffered a bloody head injury. Later, everyone felt that these things were too much trouble on the roadside, so they worked together to move them to the courtyard wall.
It's gone inside. I don't know if it's there now," the father-in-law said.
Lin Jue was very excited. He turned around and saw Lu Wu standing at the door looking at him excitedly. Lin Jue turned around and continued: "Please, please take us to have a look."
Lin Jue took out the money, and several people immediately became energetic and carried the second uncle out of the house with a bed. The second uncle had not seen the sun for several years, and laughed happily when he came outside. Amidst the laughter and laughter, several people
The common people carried the second uncle to the street. Under the guidance of the second uncle, everyone saw two stone lions leaning on the ground in the corner of the courtyard of the Ministry of Rites. There was also a large bluestone shaped like a horse's body.
Lu Wu stepped forward eagerly, pulled away the withered grass, took a closer look at the leader of the stone horse, and immediately fell on the blue stone and burst into tears.
"What's wrong with this girl?" the second uncle asked with concern.
Lin Jue took out ten taels of silver and handed it to the young man and said, "Take your second uncle home. With the money, you can buy him some cotton clothes, new bedding, and some delicious food. Take good care of him. He
He is your elder, so you have to treat him well, and he may not have many years to live. If you respect him, your children will also respect you in the future. Everyone gets old, do you understand?"
The young man didn't expect to receive such a large sum of money as a reward, and he was so happy that he couldn't help but smile. He thanked him profusely, and together with several other people, he carried his second uncle away who was muttering to himself.
Lin Jue turned around and saw Lu Wu hugging the blue stone horse and crying sadly, so he slowly stepped forward, caressed Lu Wu's shoulder and said, "Lv Wu, do you recognize it?"
Lu Wu raised her head, her face full of tears. She pointed at the side of the blue stone horse and cried: "Yes, it is this stone horse. I remember the eye on the right side. When I was a child, I was naughty with my playmates and broke one with a stone. Look.
It looked like the horse was blind. I was very scared. I went home and told my mother, and she even blamed me. She said that even though they were stone horses, they were very painful and told me to take good care of them in the future. Look here, this is where I was when I was a child.
Smashed."
Lin Jue looked closely, and sure enough, the eye on one side of the stone horse was sunken, as if a piece of it had collapsed. It was consistent with what Lu Wu said. It was this incident that happened to the stone horse when he was a child that had a profound impact on Lu Wu.
So it can be concluded without a doubt. In fact, this stone horse is just a bluestone shaped like a horse. It is used as a horse stone when placed in front of the Yamen. This is not a carved stone horse in the true sense, but a craftsman carved a few horse heads and eyes according to the shape.
Mouth. But this stone horse must have brought a lot of happiness to Lu Wu's childhood. Lin Jue could even imagine Lu Wu climbing up and down and playing on the stone horse when she was a little girl.
By this time, Lu Wu's identity has been basically determined. According to today's on-site visit, it is almost certain that Lu Wu is Lu Shilang's daughter. Lin Jue was both happy for Lu Wu, but also a little worried. I know
Lu Wu's life experience is naturally a good thing, but this matter seems to involve a bigger secret and an even more incredible speculation. Lin Jue doesn't know what to do. If he continues to investigate, something terrible may be involved.
.If we don’t investigate, it will be unknown what misfortune happened to Lu Wu’s father, Shilang Lu, and the entire Lu family. There will be no way to take revenge on Zhaoxue.
"Lu Wu, congratulations, you have finally found where you came from. You should be Mr. Lu's daughter without a doubt. Brother Ma found out that Mr. Lu's eldest daughter's surname is Lu Qingping, which seems to be your real name. Do you believe Lu
, you are the eldest daughter of Lu, and your father, Lu Feiming, used to be the Minister of Rites. This is the truth." Lin Jue said softly.
Lu Wu threw herself into Lin Jue's arms and cried bitterly. Lin Jue silently patted her back and comforted her softly. The bell of Zenguang Temple rang again in the distance, which was the time for the end of the afternoon class. The melodious bell echoed in the air.
, startled jackdaws flew across the sky. The surrounding trees were desolate and the houses were dilapidated. At this moment, people felt that fate was unpredictable and things were right and people were different.
Lu Wu cried for a long time before he stopped crying. He raised his head from Lin Jue's arms and said with sobs: "Thank you, Master, for letting Lu Wu know where he came from, and letting Lu Wu know that he is not a rootless person. Lu Wu also let go of his thoughts.
Green Dance is still Green Dance, not Lu Qingping. She is still the little maid beside the young master. Let this matter end here."
Lin Jue frowned and said, "Don't you want to ask about the cause of your father's death? Don't you want me to help you find out why your Lu family suffered such disaster?"
Lu Wu was stunned, then slowly shook his head and said: "It's not that I don't want to know, but what's the use of knowing it? It only makes me sad. Even if I have enemies, I can't take revenge. I can't cause trouble to the young master. The young master has enough trouble."
Too much, I can't be so selfish. I don't want to go into it any further."
Lin Jue frowned and said, "You don't want me to check for you? Or even check the whereabouts of your mother and siblings?"
Lu Wu shook his head and said, "No more checking. My mother, siblings and others... have been separated for so many years, and we don't know whether they are alive or dead. Maybe they are all gone. Even if they are alive, where can they be found in the vast sea of people? I thought my mother and the others would be found.
Those who would live in this area must not be here now. This place is gone. Besides, it is a sad place. How can they live here again? If they are alive, they will be reunited by fate. You don’t need to bother looking for them.
"
Lin Jue thought for a while and said: "Lv Wu, please be quiet for a while and think about this matter before making a decision. It is only natural for me to investigate this matter. Your parents are also my parents-in-law, and your younger siblings are also mine.
Brothers and sisters, how can I sit back and watch. There are some things that cannot be pretended to be nothing. As long as you agree, I will continue to investigate."
Lu Wu looked at Lin Jue with red and swollen eyes, and said softly: "Then... let me think about it and make a decision later."
