Long Xiang screamed, “Do you really want our uncle and cousin to die?”
Long Xuan’s voice was harsh, “Shut up! What uncle? Does he deserve to be called our uncle after all his crimes?!”
“How heartless you are,” Behind them, Luo Wei sighed.
Long Xuan spun around, hard, but he was faced with Luo Wei’s expression of deep sorrow. Long Xuan was startled. Where did this sorrow come from? Heartless? How could this person who sheds blood without dirtying his own hands call him heartless?
Luo Wei bowed, “Your humble servant bids farewell to your imperial highnesses.”
The night fog was getting thicker. A dark cloud overtook the skies.
Luo Wei turned around and saw Wei Lan standing at the top of the stairs outside of the gate, quietly waiting for him. The corners of Luo Wei’s mouth curled upwards, revealing a smile, “Are you bullying me because I don’t know martial arts? I don’t even know when you got out here.”
Wei Lan smiled back, “Does the young master wish to learn?”
Luo Wei walked up the steps and surprisingly, made a funny face at Wei Lan, “If you’re so smart, why don’t you learn how to read someone else!”
Wei Lan turned to the side, the smile on his face even bigger.
“Let’s go,” Luo Wei called out to Wei Lan, “After I go and visit mother, my brother and sister-in-law, I can teach you some more.”
A soft coal fire burned in the study, making the room warm as is Springtime came early.
Luo Wei taught Wei Lan how to write stroke by stroke, expression serious, explaining the words as he wrote them.
“Big brother Luo,” From outside the door came the voices of two little kids.
“Come in,” Luo Wei knew it had to be Ning Fei’s little sister and brother from the voices alone, and invited them in with a smile.
Following Ning Yuan and Ning Ling was Madam Wang.
“Madam Wang is here too?” Luo Wei saw her enter, and with Wei Lan, the two of them rushed up to her to stop her from lowering herself in paying respects.
“Big brother,” Ning Yuan and Ning Ling circled Luo Wei’s legs, “When is our big brother coming home?”
“The young master is injured, don’t disturb his wounds!” Madam Wang saw that her kids were just about to climb onto Luo Wei, and quickly instructed them to stop.
Wei Lan was also afraid that the kids would accidentally hurt Luo Wei’s wounds again, so he came by and took one in each hand, carrying the two of them inside.
“Big brother Lan went to Yun Guan too,” The two kids didn’t give up as they held onto Wei Lan’s neck and asked, “Big brother Lan, when is our big brother coming back to visit us?”
Wei Lan looked at Luo Wei, but seeing as how his young master was only standing there smiling at them, he couldn’t do anything else but answer, “General Ning is coming back with young master Luo Qi, he’ll be back very quickly.”
“General Ning?” Ning Yuan, who was only a year older than Ning Ling, held onto this and asked, “Big brother Lan, is our big brother a general now?”
Wei Lan hadn’t even managed to open his mouth to answer when Ning Ling asked, “Big brother Lan, what does a general do?”
Luo Wei didn’t seem to care if Wei Lan could handle these two kids by himself. Instead, he invited Madam Wang to sit and told her the news, “Zi Zhou has accomplished great things this time, he hasn’t been injured either. When my big brother returns, he will request merits for him from the emperor. Madam Wang has no need to worry.”
Madam Wang had been praying to Buddha all this time, but she seemed to have calmed down. It was a mother’s right to worry when her child is traveling, not to mention that Ning Fei went to war.
“When Zi Zhou becomes a minister and acquire titles,” Luo Wei continued, “Madam Wang would be able to relax and properly enjoy life with him. Yuan Er’s future is bright, and when Ling Er comes of age, she will find a good home.”
Madam Wang smiled as she nodded, but suddenly remembered that everything good that’s happened is due to Luo Wei’s kindness. So once again, she tried to kneel to thank Luo Wei while speaking her gratitude so he could hear.
“Everything is due to Zi Zhou’s own merits,” Luo Wei used all his energy and barely stopped Madam Wang from getting on her knees, “I see Zi Zhou as my own brother, please, there’s no need to say things you would to an outsider.”
“Mom,” Ning Yuan shouted from across the room, “I’m going to have big brother Lan teach me martial arts in the future, that way I can go away with my big brother and be a general just like him.”
Luo Wei grinned, “Your big brother Lan is going to be in the capital, if you go away with your big brother to Yun Guan, how are you going to learn your martial arts with big brother Lan?”
Ning Yuan hadn’t thought this far, and scratched his head trying to find answer.
“You big dummy!” Ning Ling said from the other side, “Why not ask big brother to teach you?”
Even though Ning Yuan was still a little kid, he knew enough to know that he lost face. Staring at the three grown-ups in the room chuckling at him, there wasn’t anything else to do but chase after Ning Ling for her comment.
In a moment, Luo Wei’s study was filled with the sound of joyous laughter.