(Two in One Chapter)
The 164th chapter "Gandorf's Promised Date"
"Left, left! Slow down a bit! Idiot, if you tie it up like this, the carriage will fall apart before it can even travel a hundred miles! "
Mard diligently commanded the servants to carry the luggage, piling the boxes one by one onto the carriage.
The entrance of the original Rollin family mansion in the imperial capital was bustling with activity. Six sturdy carriages loaded with goods were piled full of luggage.
After the coup d 'état, the Rowling family has completely fallen from power. Earl Raymond's participation in the coup d' état failed, and most of the family members with the surname Rowling lost their positions after the coup d 'état. Some were even imprisoned.
However, because of Du Wei's existence, none of the Rollin family members were executed.
The territory was recovered, and the private army was disbanded. And within three days, the Earl's mansion would belong to someone else.
Disheartened, Earl Raymond sold the mansion and decided to take his wife and son back to his hometown in the Rollin Plains. On one hand, it was to withdraw from the imperial capital's social circle. On the other hand, it was to publicly state his position: I only want to return to my hometown and become a rich man.
After so many years of being an official, it is impossible for Earl Raymond to not have any political enemies. The matter of adding insult to injury must be guarded against.
The mansion's original servants and bodyguards were mostly dismissed. After losing his title, Earl Raymond did not need to keep so many servants and attendants.
Now, only ten loyal servants and sixty elite Rollin family bodyguards remained in the mansion. Other than that, the old Earl did not seem to have much power left.
Ever since Du Wei exchanged his title with the Regent for her father's life, the coup ended. Most of the heads of the other leaders fell to the ground, but Earl Raymond came back with his life intact. This made the beautiful Countess very surprised and happy.
Looking at the mess in the courtyard, as well as the broken bottles and jars, as well as the busy servants and bodyguards, Earl Raymond's expression remained calm. The beautiful Countess had cried for a long time while hugging Du Wei, but under Du Wei's comforting smile, she finally got into the carriage.
As for Gabriel … Du Wei couldn't help but sigh when he thought of his little brother.
It seemed that her younger brother's attitude towards her was a little strange.
Last night, the young Gabri came to Du Wei and asked Du Wei, "Can I stay in the Imperial Capital with you?"
Looking at Gabriel's childish face, Du-Wei sighed: "… … I can't."
"Why?" Gabriel clenched his fists. His expression and tone were very excited: "I am a member of the Rollin family. I want to stay in the imperial capital. I want to make contributions here and restore the glory of my family in the future! I don't want to go back to the countryside. There's no hope there … "
Du Wei patted his younger brother: "Wait for two years. After two years, I will come and pick you up. Now is not the time. "
Hearing this, Gabriel's face showed deep disappointment. Looking at his brother with a complicated look, he then turned around and silently left.
When they set out this morning, Gabriel got into the carriage early and didn't even say a word to Du Wei.
A childish tantrum – Du Wei bitterly smiled.
Looking at the servants tidying up everything, he looked at the already empty Earl's Mansion. This was the place where Du Weisheng had lived for ten years. He had grown up here and studied magic and astrology in the small building at the back.
Behind him, Earl Raymond gently patted him on the back. Turning around, Du-Wei saw Earl Raymond's white robe was spotless and his face carried a bit of emotion.
"Ready … …" Du Wei looked at his father and smiled bitterly.
"Yes, ready." Earl Raymond casually pointed to the two broken boxes in the corner: "Sit down and talk with me for a while. Since I was released, we haven't had a good talk. "
Du Wei nodded. Father and son, a former Earl and a current Duke, sat down on the two broken boxes in the corner of the courtyard.
"You still didn't listen to me." Earl Raymond said: "It seems that in my memory, you have never listened to me – including this time. I clearly told you not to try to save my life, but you still did it. "
Du Wei looked into his father's eyes: "First, you are my father. Although objectively speaking, the relationship between us has never been good. But you are my father, you have raised me for more than ten years. Second … … If you die, mother and brother will be very sad. As for third … … I am me, I still can't be the kind of politician you want me to be. "
Earl Raymond nodded: "Then I should thank you. At least I can come back here and live with your mother and brother."
The father and son once again fell into silence. It seems that when the two were together, they rarely had anything in common. Even when Du Wei went to see Earl Raymond in prison, the two only talked about the coup, the situation, the family, and other such heavy topics.
Finally, it was Earl Raymond who broke the silence: "I heard that you want the Desa Province as your fief."
"Yes." Du Wei smiled bitterly: "I can't think of any place more suitable."
"Then, you must be very clear about the situation of that place." Earl Raymond sighed: "I am very familiar with that place. More than twenty years ago, during the expedition to the Northwest, the Desa Province was used as the rear strategic base of the expeditionary army. That place … … is very … … "
"What are you trying to say? Barren? Barren? Or poor? "Du Wei smiled bitterly.
"To be precise, it is both barren and barren. At the same time, it is also very poor." Earl Raymond suddenly made a rare joke: "In fact, at that time, we even prepared to lure the foreign army out of the desert. It would be best to lead them to the Desa Province. That place would be very good as a battlefield. In any case, even if it was a mess, the empire wouldn't feel any heartache."
"What you said, I know all about it." Du Wei also made a rare smile: "I have looked through a lot of information and maps. The Desa Province is barren, and there are no minerals. The only thing worth praising is its geographical location. It just happens to be close to the Northwest Corridor of Kilimanjaro. If the Northwest is in turmoil again, then that place will become a battlefield at any time, and it will also be the main route for the foreign army to attack from behind the desert. "
Earl Raymond nodded, he felt relieved. This son of his is very familiar with his territory.
"Then, what I want to remind you is … …" Earl Raymond took a deep breath: "According to my many years of experience in the military, according to my estimation, after the war 20 years ago, the foreign army in the Northwest should have gradually recovered. And the blood feud of that year, those barbarians will never forget. According to my estimation, at the most, within ten years, the Northwest will definitely be in chaos again. At that time, your territory will bear the brunt … … "
Du Wei frowned.
How could he not know what his father was talking about? It was just that at that time, in order to choose the worst territory in exchange for his father's life, he had no other choice.
Originally, Du Wei wanted to choose the Frozen Forest! But the Frozen Forest still has a lot of benefits, at least it is rich in resources!
What does the Desa Province have? Large tracts of deserted land! Saline soil! In that place, it is said that the grain yield is frighteningly low. The best plant that grows there is the cactus!
The only thing that can be considered good is the Northwest Kilimanjaro Mountains. Unfortunately, the Kilimanjaro Mountains are not rich in minerals, the only thing that can be found there are stones and trees.
In that place, there are a lot of caravans, but the problem is that there are also a lot of bandits in the desert!
"Since you understand all of this, I will save a lot of effort to explain it to you." Earl Raymond's face was solemn, slowly saying: "My advice to you is to prepare for war! According to my estimation, within ten years, the Northwest will definitely be in a war again. At that time, for you, it will be a test, or perhaps an opportunity. Every time there is a war, mediocre people can only be cannon fodder, but outstanding people can also take advantage of the situation! Now that the Northwest is yours, it can be said that you have a lot of potential. I have been in the military all my life, and although I have fallen, I can't help you much. Even my life was saved by you. But in the end, I still have a lot of old subordinates and colleagues, this kind of thing is still useful. "
Finished speaking, Earl Raymond took out a thin book from his bosom and handed it to Du Wei, sighing: "This is the situation of several of my old colleagues in the Northwest Sand Fox Corps. The Northwest has always been rebellious, and the local factions are very strong. People like us from the central army are very excluded there. A few of my former colleagues aren't doing very well either, but they can still do some small favors. In this book is their current official position, character, temperament, and so on. In addition, there are several local garrison generals who have received some benefits from me in the past. Although things are the same now, people have changed, and some of them may not recognize me anymore, but I hope that there are still one or two people with a conscience who will look at the benefits of those years and open the door for you. "
Du Wei accepted the book and looked at his father with gratitude.
"There's one more thing I want to remind you!" Earl Raymond said in a deep voice: "The Northwest is completely different from here! The people there are tough, and those guys in the Northwest Army are all trained to be local warlords, daring to pull out their swords and chop people at the slightest provocation! Those guys are all hoodlums that even the military doesn't respect. Remember my words, although you are now a Duke, but if you go to the Northwest, don't put on the airs of a Duke in front of those old warlords. Although most of them are far lower in rank than you, but ….. in the end, many of them are half soldiers and half bandits! They don't dare to deal with you in the open, but they will bite you in the dark. "Speaking up to here, Earl Raymond looked into Du Wei's eyes:" Did you know? It's not like that place hasn't been sealed off before! At least I know that in the past few decades, that place was given to two Earls. Those two Earls weren't weak, but when they went to the Northwest ….. hmph …. "
Du Wei took this to heart: "How was it?"
"The first one was a noble who relied on his family's business to make a name for himself. When he finally got his hands on that piece of land, he put on airs in front of the Northwest Army. In less than half a year, he was played to death by the Northwest Army. It's said that he offended two generals, and as a result, his family was massacred by a gang of 'horse bandits'. As for what happened, I'm very clear in my heart. It's just that the noble's background isn't that strong. The Northwest Army has a lot of troops under their control, so the big shots in the military didn't want to offend them too much. In the end, they only suppressed their pay for a few months as a small punishment. " Pausing for a moment, Earl Raymond continued: "The second one can be considered to have a bit of background. That guy is also a Earl, and his family is also from the Empire's military. His distant uncle is also the deputy commander of the Southern Army. Because of this, he was given a hereditary title, but his fief was a bit lacking since it was given to the Northwest. When that guy first arrived in the Northwest, he relied on his military background and didn't give face to the Northwest Army. As a result, he was almost played to death. But this time, the Northwest Army didn't dare to blatantly kill him, so they secretly ordered the horse bandits to steal several batches of his family's goods. Although his private army is also an elite from the South, they can only barely protect themselves in the Northwest. When something happened, those bastards from the Northwest Army didn't even send a single soldier. They just sat there and waited for him to come to beg for his life. That guy bitterly held on for two years until he knew he couldn't survive anymore. In the end, he voluntarily withdrew his fief and returned to the South. "
Du Wei sighed in relief.
After all, he only knows this from the maps and information. How can he compare to his father, who is a veteran in the military? From the looks of it, those guys from the Northwest Army are really a family of bandits, and especially xenophobic.
If he wants to take root in the Northwest, it won't be easy.
After explaining all of this, Earl Raymond stood up: "This is all I can help you with. Although that place is filled with tigers and wolves, Du Wei, I'm still very optimistic about you. With your intelligence and ability, taking root in the Northwest shouldn't be difficult. The difficult part is establishing your power. In this world, without your own power, it's absolutely impossible. Moreover, the war in the Northwest is just around the corner. These next few years are precious for you to develop. You need to sweep your territory, establish your authority, and take root in that land. This is the most important test … … And if you can't even do this well, then it can only mean that you don't deserve the power in your hands. It's better for you to go home and be a rich man. "
The father and son hugged each other as a farewell.
Du Wei sent his father off to the carriage before waving to his mother inside. Looking at his tearful mother, Du Wei smiled: "Mother, in a few days, I'll go to Rollin Plains to see you."
Taking another glance at the unhappy Gabriel sitting there, Du Wei's heart skipped a beat. Walking over, he smiled: "Little brother, I left behind a lot of fun things in my old castle. Just behind the castle, I built a manor. Last time during mother's birthday, I made the 'Goddess of Dawn's Forgiveness' and the flying hot air balloon. If you are interested, you can take a look at them after you go back."
After comforting a few more words, the young Gabriel's face finally loosened up. Looking at Du Wei, he firmly said: "Brother, when I grow up, I'll definitely come find you!"
On this day, the once glorious Rollin family completely left the capital. A long convoy of carriages, more than a hundred servants and bodyguards escorted Earl Raymond and the other two back to their hometown in Rollin Plains.
However, to Du Wei's surprise, the loyal bodyguard captain, Alpha, didn't leave with Earl Raymond.
"Sir Earl's order." Alpha looked at the young master in front of him: "From today onwards, I'm no longer a member of the Rollin family. I'll be loyal to you, Sir Duke Rudolph."
•
After sending off his parents and brother, Du Wei didn't have time to be sad.
He still had a lot of things to deal with. In the new territory, he had to immediately establish a team of people.
With the issuance of the decree, all the officials of the original Bendessa province had to leave. Du Wei had to organize a group of trusted people to take over the government affairs of the entire province!
No matter how barren or desolate it was, it was still a province! Local officials, officials, even if it was just a small clerk … … all of these needed a large number of people to fill in!
But what did Du Wei have in his hands?
He had a few top experts in the continent. But officials … …
Thinking about it again and again, he couldn't just let those pirates become the local officials of the Northwest, right?
Thinking about a group of pirates becoming local officials, Du Wei could feel cold sweat dripping down his back.
Shortage of people!
A serious shortage of people!
According to convention, the handover of government affairs for this kind of fief would normally take about three months. But in three months, where would Du Wei find a group of useful officials?
He really wanted to call in the Rollin Plain's original batch of Rollin family members, but he later found out that he couldn't! Because the Rollin family was a convicted family, the Rowling family's original government officials were all dismissed and demoted to the status of commoners – never to be employed again!
He could use some small tricks to protect his father's name, and he could use Prince Son's favor to make an issue out of it. But if he dared to call in the Rollin family's officials to the Northwest … … Wouldn't that be the same as blatantly creating a Rollin Plain in the Northwest? Even if Prince Son sees him in a different light, there's no way he would allow it.
After thinking for a while, Duwei suddenly saw the old housekeeper, the former groom, Mr. Marde, who was also in a daze.
"Uh … … Mard." Du Wei blinked his eyes and looked at the loyal old groom: "It seems you can't continue to be the president of the association. The Rollin Plain is no longer ours … … But, do you have any interest in being the governor of a province again?"
Governor?
Old Mard was so scared that he almost went limp on the spot. Hurrying up, he hugged Du Wei's leg and cried with deep affection: "Please don't, young master … … Look at me, where do I look like a governor!"
Du Wei rubbed his temples: "Ai, where do you want me to find people? Three months … … Three months! "
Casually helping Old Mard up, Du Wei looked at the sky and suddenly remembered something: "Mard, what day is it today?"
"June 15th." Seeing that the young master no longer brought up the matter of the governor, Mard breathed a sigh of relief.
Old Mard is an honest man. He has the simplicity of a farmer. Very self-aware, he knows that he is not destined to be the governor of a province!
If he doesn't have the fortune to sit in that position, he will suffer retribution!
June 15th?
Du Wei's eyes lit up as he remembered a big matter in his heart. Immediately calling out: "Mard, prepare a horse for me! I want to go out, alone! "
After a pause, he asked again: "Is there a Flying Horse Town northwest of the capital? Is there a place called Leaping Horse Stream? "
Before the sun set, Du Wei rode alone out of the capital's west gate and headed towards the Northwest Citadel.
Some of the guards at the city gate recognized this recently popular young Duke. Seeing the Duke's anxious expression, who would dare to stop him? They gave way to him from a distance.
He had the green magic tool left behind by Old Gandorf in his bosom. According to Gandorf's will, as long as he lit the magic flame at Leaping Horse Stream during the full moon tonight … … he would be able to meet the person Old Gandorf wanted him to find, the person who could be his magic teacher!
That Flying Horse Town wasn't hard to find, but that "Leaping Horse Stream" made Du Wei spend a lot of effort to find it. At first, he asked the locals, but they all said they had never heard of this name. Finally, Du Wei got the information from an old carriage driver:
"Leaping Horse Stream? You're talking about the hill outside the town, right? Back then, that place was called the Leaping Horse Stream. Legend had it that in ancient times, there was a group of divine horses that could jump between two mountain peaks. But now, very few people remembered that name. That place was in the northwest of the town. It was very easy to find. There were two hills with a ditch in the middle! However, very few people know about that legend now. Later, because of the appearance of the two hills, the people here gave them a new name. "
"Oh, what's that place called now?"
"Brokeback Mountain."
Du Wei: "… F * ck."
•
Riding all the way out of the town towards the northwest, Du-Wei finally arrived at the "Brokeback Mountain" at sunset.
Seeing that night had fallen, Du Wei urged his horse into a forest and then walked into a ravine between two hillsides. It was obvious that very few people came to this ravine on weekdays. There was a small path full of gravel in the ravine, and it was very difficult for the horse to walk.
Du Wei simply abandoned his horse and walked in.
After walking through the ravine, he finally found the open space under the Leaping Horse Stream that was mentioned in Gandorf's will.
But when Du Wei looked from afar, he saw that under the cover of night, there was a faint bonfire in the open space. A thin and weak figure was sitting next to the bonfire, hugging her knees. She looked very lonely.
The flame was very weak. That person's back was facing Du Wei. Her body was curled up into a ball, as if she was still shivering. Du Wei quietly walked closer and faintly heard a faint sigh.
"God … please, please, bless poor little, little Vivian … Little, little Vivian is very cold right now, but she is also very good, very hungry …"
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