I was Idle and Cool

The day began to dawn.

The Janissaries who had been under martial law all night disappeared quietly at the end of the street, as if they had never been seen before, but the unusual Hong bell and drums last night, as well as the inexplicable phrase "the general is still facing the court", has always lingered in people's hearts.

Not many people get up early, and the streets are deserted.

It snowed heavily overnight, and the capital was covered in silver.

A man led a horse and walked slowly along the straightest street in the capital, his boots stepping on the snow, and the sound of the horse's hooves became softer.

The capital city, which has been away for ten years, still looks like it used to be.

There is coldness in the wind.

But compared to the border, compared to outside the Great Wall, no matter how cold the wind in the capital is, there is no chill that hides the sword. If there is—

It's just because of him.

The General's Mansion is located in the east of the imperial city, facing the gate of the street. There are two mighty stone lions squatting on both sides. In the weather that has just snowed, someone is shoveling the snow outside.

Surprisingly, the two red-painted doors opened wide.

It seems that he has already received the letter and wants to welcome the return of a certain person today.

The person standing beside the door was none other than a scribe in a green shirt. If Lu Jinxi was here, she would have recognized him at a glance. This was the person she once caught a glimpse of in Baoding City.

However, the entire General's House knew that—

This scribe is named "Cai Xiu"!

The heavy armor originally worn by the man has been removed, and in such a cold weather, he is only wearing an ordinary black robe, his waist and cuffs are tightened, showing a vigorous and heroic attitude.

There are scars on his hands and even his neck.

When people led their horses and walked slowly from a distance, it seemed that they also brought back the wind and sand that had been fought for many years outside the Great Wall.

The moment he saw him, Cai Xiu's eyes were filled with heat, tears, and blood, and even more ambitions that were inflated like the snow that covered the whole world under the sky!

"Cai Xiu sees the General!"

When the man walked to the gate of the mansion and let go of the reins that held the horse, Cai Xiu lifted the hem of his robe and bowed down on one knee.

"stand up."

Xue Kuang glanced at him, but didn't stop at the door. He just said this lightly and strode into the door.

In the main hall, the family has been waiting for a long time.

Mrs. Sun, the eldest mistress He, the third master Xue Rin, the third mistress Wei, the fourth master Xue Zhun, and the younger generation in the family, Xue Mingzhu, Xue Mingli, Xue Minglang, Xue Chi...

Everyone stared at the door, at the figure approaching them.

At the moment he stepped into the middle hall, Mrs Sun, who had always been calm and composed, couldn't hold back the wailing, and jumped up at once: "Son—"

Xue Kuang knelt down, bowed down in front of Mrs. Sun, and kowtowed three times: "Unfilial son Xue Kuang, pay a visit to my mother, which has made my mother sad all these years."

"Just come back, just come back..."

Sun also knew the news last night. At that time, she only suspected that she was in a dream. Even if Cai Xiu told her over and over that it was true, she couldn't believe it.

Until this moment, I have heard it with my own ears and seen it with my own eyes!

came back!

Her son is back alive!

He did not die in the battle of Hanshan Pass. He endured humiliation and humiliation in the Xiongnu, and came back again as a general and hero who made great contributions to the Xia Dynasty!

Sun shi couldn't help shedding tears, almost hugging Xue Kuang, sobbing. After a long while, the old maid next to me persuaded and comforted, and then gradually stopped.

During the whole process, no one in the hall spoke.

He Shi, who had lost her husband, looked at her with red eyes. She was sad and hated. She always felt that Xue Leng's death had nothing to do with Xue Kuang. Wei Xian felt a little dazed. He was about to jump out, but now he found out that he didn't even look at him at all; Xue Rin on the other side saw her like this, and turned his eyes back to Xue Kuang, and the brilliance in his eyes slowly dimmed; the fourth master, Xue Zhun It's a concubine, and he has never had any ideas, and now he is just staring timidly.

Xue Mingzhu was timid and cowardly, and only opened her eyes curiously.

But Xue Mingli, Xue Minglang, and Xue Chi, who had been sensible over the years, who were standing not far from her, could not remain indifferent no matter what.

They all stared blankly, a look of helplessness.

"Madam, madam, the general came back from a long way and went to the palace to see the emperor overnight. I'm afraid I haven't slept all night. Look..."

Feng's mother supported the shaky Sun family and persuaded her with consideration.

Only then did Mrs Sun wake up. She was busy wiping away her tears, and then helped Xue Kuang up with her own hands, choked up and said, "Yes, yes, in short, it's good to be back. In the days when you're not here, everything in the house will be fine, child. We're all fine too. Well, you go back to rest first, go back to rest first..."

"Yes."

Xue Kuang's eyes were also slightly red, and he responded with a hoarse voice.

Only then did he have time to turn his gaze, swept across the faces of the others in the atrium, and finally stopped on the three children.

Seeing this, Mrs Sun hurriedly pushed the three of them up, and said with tears in her smile: "These are your three children, Sister Li, Sister Lang, and Brother Chi, haven't you seen your father soon?"

"Father."

When it was rumored that Xue Kuang died in the battle of Hanshan Pass, Xue Mingli was already quite young, and she had a relatively clear memory of this father. In addition, her temperament was well-behaved and demure, so when her grandmother said it, she called out first.

But when it was Xue Minglang's turn, her little face was already pale, and she didn't know what she was thinking. Under the gaze of this strange and tall man in front of her, she felt a kind of fear in her heart.

She stumbled and shouted: "Father, father..."

Others may not understand why Xue Minglang is like this, but Xue Chi understands. Even the panic in his heart was shocked, only a lot more than his sister Lang.

Father did not die, he came back.

Well, what about mother?

Mother has remarried.

And they are supported by their children...

Now that the father is still in the court, the wife of the family has already become someone else's wife!

Even if Xue Chi was young, it was impossible to understand the embarrassing stakes involved.

Under the gaze of this strange man he had never met before, he only felt an oppressive scrutiny and scrutiny.

Xue Chi opened his mouth, wanting to call him like two sisters, to welcome this father who was a general and a hero who he had longed for and admired in his childhood.

But he couldn't say a word.

Although he has two eyebrows similar to his, his eyes are full of confusion and confusion.

Sun Shi only thought that the child was too young, or he didn't know what was going on at the moment, so he only came up and said, "I'm so happy, Brother Chi is only ten years old this year, and I haven't seen you since I was born. You go to rest first. , I will tell them well, there will be more time and more time for your father and son to meet in the future."

Xue Kuang looked at Xue Chi and said nothing.

But in the end, he didn't disobey Sun's words, just nodded, and walked out of the middle hall without talking to these children who were still unfamiliar to him.

Cai Xiumo silently followed behind him.

The structure of the General's Mansion hasn't changed over the years, and after a brief recollection, he still recognizes the way.

Walking all the way from the middle hall to the back house, and detouring for a long distance, I passed the already somewhat dilapidated Yanwu Hall. All the servants and servants I met in the road looked at him with curiosity and reverence.

Xue Kuang also felt a trance.

It's just that he didn't stop at all, he just walked slowly, maintaining a consistent speed, passing the garden, the east courtyard, and the veranda that was cold in winter...

Finally stopped in front of the ancestral hall.

A small courtyard, covered with fine snow, can see the dim candles inside as soon as the door is opened.

This is the ancestral hall of the Xue family.

Xue Kuang put his hands behind his back and walked in from the door. Step by step, the tablets that were originally hidden in the shadows became clear.

Father Xue Yuan, second uncle Xue Huan.

And his big brother, Xue Leng, who used to be high-spirited and fought on the battlefield.

Incense candles were lit on the incense case, and it was thought that someone had worshipped on New Year's Eve.

He just stepped forward, took three sticks of incense from the incense stick beside him and formed a stick, put them on the fire and lit them, then bowed down and put them into the ashes sprinkled with ashes.

The whole house was filled with the smell of death and coldness.

Xue Kuang looked at the slowly burning incense for a long time, and also looked at the silent tablet in the room for a long time, and then slowly gave an order to the outside: "Send someone to invite the eldest son to come back, I want to see him."