Chapter 125: The Death of a Grandfather

Suno City. ()

The Emperor heard from the mouth of one of his attendants about Huo. Arcadio's symptoms, and the squire concluded to the Emperor: "The gods and ghosts are incurable." ”

Soon after, the attendant disappeared from the wedding.

Wright didn't know what was waiting for him at the time, and he stayed at the wedding banquet until late at night. That night, when a drunken Wright returned to the bedroom he had prepared, he found Rose standing by the bed, two maids standing on the left and right. Rose had changed into a lighter gown: her hat hung down with white silk and delicately wrapped around her head, revealing her delicate white face.

After Wright came in, Rose bowed gently. Two maids stepped forward, unbuttoned his coat for Wright, and placed it on a shelf, and then the two maids said the words of prayer and bowed out of the room.

Wright and Rose heard the sound of the door being shut, and Wright suddenly noticed a hint of shyness slipping across Rose's face.

"Miss," Wright walked up to Rose, "hard work today. ”

Rose pondered for a moment and replied, "Husband, I will be your wife from now on, don't call me by that name." You can call me Madame. ”

The young Rose showed a pretended mature and indifferent look, and Wright, who had been a husband for a long time, couldn't help but look at it. Although in all kinds of legends, this Rose is the image of a tomboy, but when he really saw her appearance, Wright realized that there was really a difference between the legend and the real thing.

Wright touched his nose, a little embarrassed, "Uh, okay." I'm sorry, but I'm not used to thinking of you as my wife. ”

Rose smiled ambiguously, "Hehe, you can actually start to get used to it a few years ago. ”

Wright remembered that when he was at Dehrem, he did not hesitate to refuse Harlaus's matchmaking. This kind of thinking made Wright feel a little embarrassed, especially for the woman in front of him, Wright felt a little overwhelmed. Wright had heard that some aristocrats could be extremely numb to political marriages, as if they were a routine ritual. Compared with these people, Wright is not so sophisticated, at least marriage is such a thing, and it is by no means child's play for Wright.

But then again, Wright didn't accept the love of Emperor Harlaus back then, and it is impossible to say that there are no political considerations. For Wright, this concern is actually of no benefit, and serves no purpose other than to restrain his hands and feet to climb upwards.

Wright tried to clear the unhappiness in his heart, then pulled out a chair on the edge of the table, invited Rose to sit on it, and then sat down on another chair himself. Rose poured Wright a glass of water, and Wright, just as he was thirsty, nodded and took a drink.

As he drank the water, Wright's heart suddenly sank and he frowned.

"What's wrong?" Rose was keenly aware of Wright's expression.

"Uh'', nothing." Wright smiled in disguise. He was thinking about the rumor that had been spread at today's banquet, which made Wright feel a little uncomfortable.

Rose looked at Wright and said in a firm tone, "If you're going to get used to me being your wife, you'd better get used to it now." You know, from now on, I will think completely from your point of view and give you advice. Of course, if I can't help you, it's another matter, if I can help you, but you deliberately don't accept it, I will think that you don't think of me as your wife. ”

Wright let out a sigh, "And then?" ”

"Actually, it's nothing," Rose smiled faintly, "but in the presence of the emperor, his niece will not go to petition for her husband like a wife; In the presence of the world, General Wright's wife will not bring glory to her husband like a serious noblewoman; In front of that lovely little Dela, Mrs. Rose will not complete the duty of nurturing and protecting like a qualified mother. ”

Wright looked at Rose coldly, and Rose continued, "So how competent I am as a wife is mainly based on how competent you are as a husband. ”

Wright's newfound affection for Rose immediately diminished, Wright had become accustomed to the gentleness and thoughtfulness of his wife, and Wright had little patience for a woman who had been able to negotiate with him. When Wright was young, he might have tried to be as patient as possible with girls who liked to be picky, but later, with the gradual success of his career and the dull life after marriage, Wright had little interest in this kind of girl. At this time, Rose is being classified as an 'ignorant girl' by Wright in her heart.

"Oh, that's right. Well, since you said so, I'll tell you what happened today and see if you have any good advice? ”

With that, Wright told Rose what he had heard at the wedding banquet, and Rose listened carefully and asked questions from time to time.

In the end, Wright laughed at himself and said, "I really can't imagine that someone has already slandered me at the wedding banquet, and I don't know what will happen in the future." ”

"That man is your uncle?"

"Well, so to speak, my son and I were classmates, very good friends, and both were bewitched by the rebels, and they were confused in the camp of the rebels for a while. Now that I have returned to the Empire, his son is missing. However, the pioneers among his sons are very poisonous, and I don't think they will understand it. ”

Rose blushed, "Was that glass of wine given to you by the emperor himself?" ”

"What's wrong?" Wright was a little unhappy when he was stared at by Rose, "Yes, the emperor asked me to toast, and when I toasted, the emperor and many people watched, and His Majesty the Emperor didn't stop it." ”

"Have you ever seen that attendant standing beside the Emperor?"

"I didn't pay attention."

"Hmph, you can't be without paying attention. This kind of food-giving will always be interpreted as a political signal, so the emperor will not easily let people give food at the banquet, if he must give food, it will definitely be his attendants to do this kind of thing, and will try his best to make enough people notice, so that people will know who the emperor has a good impression of and intends to encircle. There was only one Norman kid by the emperor's side that day, and if this person hadn't given it to you, then the emperor probably hadn't given you any wine. ”

"Hey" Wright was a little irritated by Rose, because what Rose said made sense, but it sounded terrible, and the point was that Wright didn't want to believe it. "What do you mean by that? Am I an ignorant fool? ”

"No, husband. I have no ill will and will not insult my own husband. If everything is fine tomorrow, then I will not mention this matter for the time being, and I will pay attention to it when I am at the banquet in the future. If something does happen tomorrow, it's better to start preparing now than to have no clue then. ”

"What can happen? Why did the Emperor do this? ”

"Do you want me to imagine the worst-case scenario?"

"Please." Wright raised his hand and said with some provocation and playfulness looking at Rose's good-looking face.

"Husband, you have brought more than twenty officers to His Majesty the Emperor, and at the same time, there are many lords and generals who have defected to His Majesty with you, what if these people rebel? If the emperor had the chance, he would definitely do something to make these people unable to turn back. As you said, Arcadio and his son have a high reputation among the pioneers, and they are still related to Rhodok's Lelan Gasloe, if Lord Arcadio dies at your hands, even if you have a chance to return to Frost Castle, will they accept you? Even if the people who are with you have a chance to go to Rhodoc or Frost Castle again, what will the Rhodoc and Frost Castle people do to them? They will be detained or even executed without mercy. Think about it, my dear husband. ”

Wright listened and thought about rebuttal, he thought Rose's words sounded good to refute at first, but when Rose said the latter, Wright realized that what she said was indeed right. Wright's only consolation was that he judged that the emperor would not be so black-hearted, and he did not believe that the emperor could do it, because he was a loyal man who had come from afar, and the emperor should be more praised.

"Husband? Husband? Rose called out when she noticed that Wright was lost in thought.

"Huh? '''Ah'''," Wright sighed, "Rose, what a terrible sight you have described to me. ”

If Wright had made a sarcastic remark at this time, Rose would have replied without hesitation, but Wright's unconfident response made Rose feel a wave of loss in her heart, and she blamed herself a little.

Rose stood up, "Husband, tonight's events should be taken as my wild thoughts, so don't take them to heart." Rose reached out, "In case something terrible happens, you have to remember that I am always by your side." From now on, you have to get used to me being your wife. ”

Wright was stunned and took the small, smooth hand.

The lights above the window went out, and the soldiers at the door looked at each other with a somewhat obscene smile. A deacon in a floppy hat approached and sent the soldier down the hallway a little further from the room.

In the distance, there was a crowd of people cheering, and some people were chanting 'Moon, slow down'.

The moonlight is shining brightly, and it is cold to the world.

Before the moon has set, the morning sun has already risen. At this time, Sloin. General Wright was resting on his bed with his new wife in his arms, and the madness of the middle of the night made them sleep very deeply; At a morning market, the goblin and another man had just boarded a carriage and headed out of the city.

At a distance from Suno, there was a valley, and in the valley, there was a small stream.

An old man grabbed the horse's mane with both hands and tried to drive the horse forward.

Fortunately the horse was not lame, the old man laughed at himself in his heart, and he looked up at the clouds that had just been conceived from the darkness.

The dew sticks to the weeds on both sides of the trail and sticks to the hooves as they walk by, or they are shaken off by the hooves and soaked into the dirt.

The woods in the spring were filled with the smell of freshness, and my grandfather smelled the fragrance of the earth, the sweetness of the leaves, and every smell that belonged to the forest. He was glad that he was familiar with everything here, and everything here made him feel like he was on his way home.

My grandfather was in a trance, as if he saw the wheat grains falling in the soil beside him, and when a gust of wind blew, the wheat grains spit out green seedlings, and the green wheat fields swayed in the wind. The black worm shuttles through the field, holding the girl's hand and running on the wheat field. What a wonderful time it was to walk through the fields in a straw hat, between the mountains of Rhodok, in the countless summer dreams of the South.

Years ago, my grandfather's life suddenly changed from a green field to a light gray battlefield.

Rusty iron swords, dirty armor, rain-soaked helmets.

Grandfather stood on top of a field full of corpses after the war, surrounded by soldiers counting the dead, charred farmhouses, and roses that had been trampled into the dirt before they could bloom.

Grandfather saw a group of Swadia soldiers pinning a Rhodok to the ground and decapitating it; Grandfather saw the hungry soldiers snatch the oxen from the weeping peasant women, and one soldier smashed the oxen in the head with a sledgehammer; Grandfather saw stiff corpses strewn across the field, and heard the homesick songs of the soldiers.

His grandfather didn't want to see them again, and when he learned that he had been given a piece of territory, he decided not to come out again.

How many years ago was that? Grandfather can't remember anymore.

But my grandfather remembered the road, every tree on the road, every stone slab on the road, the stakes for rest and the pond for the cattle to drink at every corner of the road.

Grandfather fell into the whirlwind of the world, the stone bridge, how far is it, I'm afraid I can't go.

The horse's mane was no longer gripping, and the grandfather lowered his head and hugged the horse's neck, burying his face in the horse's mane.

The horse looked back at his master in amazement, and the action almost made his grandfather fall.

The horse stood for a moment, then continued on his way.

The horse sniffed the ground and tried to fill his belly with moss and weeds on the ground, but some of the grass was bitter and the horse did not like to eat it, so it gradually deviated from the avenue and walked deeper into the weeds.

"Stone Bridge," grandfather commanded.

The horse's eyes widened, chewing on grass in his mouth, and he looked at his grandfather with his left eye. The horse leaned his neck and swallowed the grass.

"Stone" "Bridge" ""

The horse was stunned for a moment, as if it understood, but as if it did not understand, and it looked at its grandfather blankly.

Grandfather's consciousness was about to disappear, the colors of the world were withering—he was no longer visible.

The forest is rejuvenating, and the horses are standing in the woods, and everything is about to be understood here. Suddenly, the horse raised his head, snorted, shook his neck, and kicked high up in the valley. The horse's hooves were steady and light, and whenever it felt like his grandfather was about to fall, it shook him upright. Grandfather gritted his horse's mane with his teeth and lay on his back on the horse's back for the final journey home.

Grandfather is out of sight, and the world is dark.

Grandmother appeared, right on the stone bridge, and grandfather saw it, she was the only light in the night, she was still as young as she had been, and her cheeks were smooth. The grandfather saw the grandmother in a beige dress with mud sticking to the hem and the grandmother sitting on the ground playing.

At this time, the grandfather turned into the same young man he was many years ago.

The grandfather asked the little girl, "Will you take me into the valley?" ”

The little girl smiled at him, the cleanest and most beautiful smile in the world.

Grandfather reached out to touch her grandmother's face. Grandfather's hands were loose, his teeth were no longer strong - he fell off his horse.

Consciousness faded away, and the grandmother's figure became smaller and smaller, and she ran while laughing, ran to the end of the woods, and disappeared, only laughter remained, but it was gradually inaudible.

"'I''m back''

Grandfather's pupils slowly dilated.

Rhodok's apprentice, the nobleman of Swadia, the founder of the White Dove family, the lord of the mountain, lay on his back on the dirt with his eyes open. Weeds and wildflowers fluttered gently in the wind around him, clouds swept above the sky, the woods sang in whispers, insects chirped in mourning, flocks of gray birds swept into the sky, and the fields of dawn were shrouded in desolation.

Suddenly. Arcadio, my grandfather, died in the Valley of the White Dove.