The captain of the guard was only in his twenties, and not to mention the contempt in his old-fashioned tone of calling me "little boy", but now he looked at me, and the expression on his face became more and more sarcastic. "The first one to reveal the son, he said that he was only going to paint, let alone a hundred taels of silver, and he would not accept a penny."

Cui'er whispered behind me, "Are you a fool, you don't make money if you have money." “

I quickly reached out and grabbed the back of her hand and pressed it silently, ignoring the sudden frowning brows of the captain of the guard, he laughed twice, and said in a dry tone: "My scholar is rare to go out, he doesn't understand the world, please forgive me for saying the wrong thing." “

The captain of the guard waved his hand, looking too lazy to talk to me and send us away.

I took Cui'er's hand and turned and walked in the direction where our carriage had stopped.

Behind him was the whispers of the guards guarding the city. "That kid really looks like a, and he talks in a crepe." "Old Five, have you been at the gate of the city for a long time, you miss your family, and you see a boy as a girl."

Then there was a scolding, and for a moment there was silence, and I couldn't help but glance back, and saw the captain of the guard who had just spoken standing there with a straight face.

The hustle and bustle of people stopped instantly, and the guards rearranged in a neat line, standing tall one by one.

Cui'er tugged at my sleeve and muttered, "It's quite majestic, with a straight face, the minions under it are dumb." "Don't say a word," I replied with a warning look from Cui'er, "don't get into trouble." "There are several kinds of people in the world who can't be provoked, such as outlaws can't be provoked, and local snakes can't be provoked"

As soon as the words came out, I remembered that those people were subordinate to Snow Eagle, and it seemed a little bad to say that.

I changed the subject and said to Cui'er, "Go faster." “

She glanced at me suspiciously, and asked, "Where is the girl going?" "Go to the City Lord's Mansion." I replied.

Cui'er grabbed my arm: "Didn't the captain of the guard just say that?" The painter has already unveiled the notice, girl, go now. What is it to do? “

I glanced sideways at Cui'er: "He said he wouldn't let me go." Am I not going? When did your girl become such an obedient person? "Originally, I was going to unveil the notice, and use this painter's reason to visit my old man as a matter of course, so that I don't need this excuse at all, just go directly." "Can the City Lord's Mansion let us in?" Cui'er looked at me strangely. "Let's talk about it when we get there, go all the way, plan all the way."

While talking, Cui'er and I boarded the carriage when we came, and the steward who drove the carriage asked, "Miss Xiaoling." Which side are you going? “

I said in a calm tone: "Go to the north, go directly to the City Lord's Mansion." “

The horses ran fast. Head all the way north.

At this time, the rain that had been falling all morning finally stopped, and finally the clouds opened and the rain dispersed.

I sat in the car, thinking about what to do when I got to the castle lord's mansion.

As I ran, there was a sudden sound of horses' hooves outside the window, and I listened to the sound, and there was more than one horse. It was the Liema team who staggered past us.

I opened the curtain and looked out the window to see who was on the other side.

It's a pity that the other party's speed is too fast, and in the time I think about it, the horse team has already passed more than half.

The road we just passed was a fork in the road, and the remaining horses, as soon as I looked at the clothes of the people on the horses, I realized that they were the same as the guards guarding the city.

It's about going out on a routine, and I don't pay much attention to it.

Lowering the curtain, Cui'er leaned in and asked, "Is the girl from the City Lord's Mansion?" “

I nodded, "yes." It could be the guards who went to patrol, or it could be the group of people who went to take over the inspection at the city gates. "Cui'er, didn't you hear that just now? The men at the gate said they had been there for a long time. “

Cui'er stopped talking, lowered her head and straightened the hem of her clothes, and by the way, she also tidied up my hair and said, "Did the girl think about going to the City Lord's Mansion?" “

I glanced at Cui'er noncommittally and said, "Adapt to the situation." “

After a few moments, the carriage finally reached a wider avenue, and the city lord's mansion could be seen not far away.

I looked around the four fields and found that there was a large area of mountainous land around the city lord's mansion, which seemed to have been built in the middle of the mountain.

I don't know why Snow Eagle didn't expand a piece of land in the bustling city to build this mansion, and he wanted to run to such a remote place.

I asked the steward, and he replied, "I heard that it is to be closer to other cities." "The city lord said that this place is quiet, if a mansion is built in the middle of the city, a group of residents will have to be relocated, and with the reputation of the Snow City Lord in the southwest, he will never do such a thing."

Cui'er opened her eyes wide and said: "After the slave maid arrived in the southwest, she found that the residents here really loved their city lord, and when they talked about the city lord, they all gave a thumbs up, saying that he was honest and honest, and he was fair, and he had a lot of good words anyway. “

I looked at her with a slight smile and said, "Then do you say that they are exaggerating the rhetoric, or is he just such a person?" “

When Cui'er heard this, she thought about it and smiled: "You shouldn't ask the slave maid about this, the girl has to say it herself." “

My eyes fell on the wind-blown gap in the corner of the curtain.

I sighed and said, "It's been a long time since we separated, and people and things can change. "But the person in my memory is indeed a gentleman above board, and he deserves that evaluation."

The drive was very fast, and the mountain road was not too steep, and when he arrived at the gate of the city lord's mansion, the little man guarding the door came forward to interrogate.

I asked the steward to park the carriage at the edge of the woods not far away, and I jumped down from the carriage with Cui'er, walked a few steps to him, and said, "I'm tired of informing the Lord of Syracuse, and his friend is here, passing by the southwest, and has come to meet him." “

The little guy guarding the door looked at me from head to toe and replied, "The city lord is out." “

I looked at him with some disappointment, and paused: "I'm from a long way away, and it's not easy to get to the southwest, can you tell the city lord the approximate time when he will come back." “

The little guy guarding the door shook his head, meaning that he didn't know and didn't know.

I thought about it for a while, stepped forward and said in a sincere tone: "I can't hide it, I heard that there was a murder in the southwest a few days ago, and the city lord's mansion wants to hire a painter to paint.

This time, the gatekeeper. His eyes are different from those of Fang Cai. He stood there thinking for a while, and then replied that I was going to report to the steward of the City Lord's Mansion.

Cui'er and I waited at the door, and after a while, the steward came out with the little servant.

The steward looked like he was in his forties and had a few beards, and he saluted and said, "I heard that Gongzi is a friend of the city lord, and he was very neglectful just now. ”

"Please."

I followed the steward into the door, followed by Cui'er, and arrived at the side hall, where I thought it was Snow Eagle entertaining guests. The steward served me tea and talked to me a few words.

Between words. When he learned that I could draw, he looked at me with a hesitant look.

"It's not that I won't take you there, Childe, that place is not as good as the art gallery, and besides, the paintings are not ordinary people, if you insist on going to see it, it's not impossible. It's just"

The steward glanced at Cui'er behind me: "It's better for you to go alone." ”

I considered his words, and knew that the place was indeed not suitable for Cui'er to watch together, so I comforted her: "Cui'er, you stay, I'll take a look, and I'll be back soon." ”

Follow the steward out of the side hall, all the way to the direction of the backyard of the city lord's mansion, the place is overgrown with weeds, and it looks like it hasn't been repaired for a long time.

Listen to me. The steward was a little embarrassed, and he explained to me: "It is true that few people come to this backyard, but there is an underground darkroom in this backyard, and what you want to see is placed there, which is explained by the city lord." ”

I remembered the conversation I had with the captain of the guard at the gate of the city, and I happened to take this opportunity to ask the steward.

Since he is Snow Eagle's subordinate, he must know the person at the city gate.

When the steward heard me talk about it, he smiled and said: "That kid is not very old, but he is very reliable, and the city lord also trusts him, the key is that the people below obey his management." "Is he a native of the Southwest?" I gossiped and asked. "You said Luo Junman, that kid is not from here, but he has been here for a few years."

I was stunned and said, "Steward, what did you just say the name of the captain of the guard?" "Luo Junman, the Lord of Snow City often calls him Aman."

The steward turned his head and asked, "Childe knows him?" “

I shook my head again and again: "I don't know, I don't know, I just didn't hear clearly, ask more." “

The backyard was muddy and slippery after the rain, and the steward reminded me from time to time: "Childe, please watch your step." “

The man had a good eye, and I bowed my head and followed the steward, through a field of weeds, to a nondescript looking brick house.

Hearing the voice, one of the guards who was there walked over.

The steward asked, "Is the painter who came from earlier still watching from below?" “

The guard was only sixteen or seventeen years old, and the skin on his face was a little dark, which was the appearance of the southwest region.

He glanced at me, who was following the steward, and instead of answering his question, he said, "That painter doesn't know how to do it, maybe he is too tired from sitting in the car, or he is not used to seeing it for the first time, and he looks a little wrong when he first arrives below." "I accompanied him down, and when I saw his appearance, I hurriedly asked him to come up and rest, and he rested for a while and went down again, and is now watching there."

When the guards heard that I was also a painter, they pointed at me and said dissatisfiedly to the steward: "This painter looks weaker than the one just now, can you take him down?" "What if you're scared?" His tone was very sloppy, and I couldn't help but straighten up when I thought of the joking guards at the city gate, and invisibly strengthened myself. "Don't faint in there, it's a little scary after all."

The steward smiled and said, "This son is a friend of the Snow City Lord, you can take him down to see." “

After saying that, he looked at me with an inquiring gaze, as if waiting for me to answer.

There is another layer of meaning in his eyes, that is, we have all reminded you, you have to think clearly, and then insist on going, that is your business.

I looked at the guards and smiled slightly, "You lead the way." “