No matter whether she was laughing or picking up food for Fang Jie, Chu seemed a little blunt. From this, Fang Jie could tell that she hadn't gotten along with anyone like this for a long time, including her son Luo Wen. If she gets along with her family like an ordinary mother, it will definitely not be the way she is now.
Fang Jie originally thought that Chu's invitation to dinner was just a matter of etiquette. After all, she is Luo Yao's official wife, and she is the first-rank imperial wife, so it is necessary to invite the Imperial Envoy to have a meal. But after entering this small courtyard, Fang Xie realized that it was completely different from what he had expected. How could the nature of Chu's family banquet have any official meaning
The Chu family seemed a little cramped, and so did Fang Jie.
"It's my birthday in a few days, you... Mr. Xiaofang, if you have time, come and have fun."
After a moment of silence, Chu said in a soft voice.
Fang Jie quickly put down the bowl and chopsticks: "Of course I'm going to come for Madam's birthday, it's really rude, I just found out about it today."
"No problem."
Chu got up and poured a cup of tea for Fang Jie: "I heard from the General that Mr. Fang had many ups and downs when he was young. If Mr. Fang has nothing else to deal with urgently today, can you tell me about it?"
Fang Jie was stunned for a moment, but it was hard to refuse. He said a few things about his escape life in the past ten years that were not of any importance. When Chu asked him if he knew his background, Fang Jie just shook his head and said that he didn't know and didn't talk about it in depth. By the time Fang explained these things, the food on the table was already cold. Mrs. Chu listened intently, but she didn't realize that it was very rude to ask the other party to talk about this before the guest had finished eating.
As the Duke's wife, even if she doesn't see guests often, such a faux pas should not happen.
"Did you go out to kill thieves every day during the three years you were in the frontier army in Fan Gu?"
If a young girl asked this question, Fang Jie would be very interested and even exaggerated. After all, this kind of experience is one of the assets that men can show off, and what those girls like most is the legend of heroes. With Fang Jie's eloquence, he can completely shape himself into an unparalleled hero.
But he is really not interested in the Chu family.
So Fang Jie just shook his head slightly: "No, there were many bandits and horse thieves near the border city in the first year, most of them were wandering herdsmen who violated the rules and were expelled from the tribe in Mengyuan, and some of us The scum of the Sui Dynasty. Most of them were killed by us in the first year, but very few in the second year. In the third year, those horse thieves basically did not dare to approach Fan Gu."
"Oh... have you been hurt?"
Chu asked.
Fang Jie nodded: "There is no one from the frontier army who has not been injured. If there are not many scars on his body, he will be looked down upon by his colleagues. Just like wolves on the grassland, those male wolves without gaps in the ears will be looked down upon by the wolves." The other wolves look down on them. Because it proves they've never bitten other wolves and are cowards."
When Fang Jie said this, he felt a little disappointed, because although he was not a coward in Fan Gu, he did seldom fight horse thieves head-on. Most of the time, he hides in the dark and hurts people with a bow and arrow. At that time, he was not even willing to kill people with his own hands. It has only been two short years, and now he has undergone tremendous changes.
"Can I see your scars?"
Fang Jie's face changed obviously when he heard Chu's question.
If it was said that it was impolite for Mrs. Chu to serve tea without waiting for the guests to finish eating just now, then this sentence is simply impolite to the extreme. Although Da Sui is not the kind of country that promotes the incompatibility between men and women, it is obviously inappropriate to ask guests to take off their clothes to see the scars on his body.
Fang Jie was stunned for a moment, then subconsciously glanced at Chu.
Only then did Chu suddenly understand, and quickly explained: "It's just that I happen to have some good wound medicine in my hand, and the scar will fade after a month or two of use."
Fang Jie groaned and said, "Thank you Madam, but the scars on the man's body are not ugly to me."
"yes… "
Chu muttered: "The general also said the same thing. He said that the scars on soldiers are a symbol of glory."
Fang Jie hummed, but did not continue to say anything. His mind was full of doubts, although he didn't know what kind of person Chu was usually, but based on the information he inquired about, she definitely shouldn't be acting like this. Seeing him drinking tea with his head bowed, Mrs. Chu knew that what she said just now was not appropriate, so she couldn't say anything more.
After sitting there for a while, Fang Jie bowed his body and said goodbye.
The Chu family didn't stay any longer, and personally sent Fang Jie out of the yard. When passing the big locust tree, Fang Xie still couldn't get used to the existence of those dolls.
After coming out of the small courtyard, Fang Jie walked out under the guidance of the servants of the General's Mansion. It was already dark at this time, when Fang Jie passed by the small lake, he found that the three-story high-rise building on the opposite bank was already lit, it seemed that Luo Yao had already returned. But since he didn't come out to meet him, Fang Jie didn't plan to meet him either.
When he left the General's Mansion, Fang Jie saw that the carriage driven by Nie Xiaoju was already waiting outside.
…
…
Back at his residence, Fang Jie asked Nie Xiaoju to invite Zhuo Buyi to take a shower and change his clothes. When they came out, Zhuo Buyi, Shen Qing, Shan Mu Xiaoyao and the others were already waiting in the living room, Fang Xie asked Nie Xiaoju, Yan Kuang and Chen Xiaoru to guard outside, even manning the roof.
"Sir, there are a few things that need to be checked by your subordinates. Now the people in my hands are in the clear, and every move is watched by Luo Yao's people. I have arranged for the big dog and Qilin to do it." For other things, they won't come back for a while."
Zhuo Buyi didn't know that there were ten other elites under him, so Fang Xie naturally wouldn't speak out.
"Now your people are the only ones we can use secretly."
"What's up?"
Zhuo Buyi saw that he spoke solemnly, sat up straight and asked.
"The most important thing is naturally to find out where the monk named Shi Yuan is. He must be in Yongzhou City. Judging from the fact that he found two women to have sex with him in a short period of time on the way, it is impossible for this person to It can be hidden in one place. The brothel in Yongzhou City is the first target. He is a bald man. Even if he goes to the brothel, he will not take off his hat easily. As long as he goes to the brothel, it is not difficult to find out. Then We also need to find out whether there are any women missing in the city recently, and if so, we must find out who is missing and where."
"Well, I have arranged for someone to watch."
Zhuo Buyi nodded.
"Second thing..."
Fang Jie looked outside, and said in a low voice, "Send someone to check carefully how many children have disappeared every year in the past 20 years, that is, since Luo Yao was stationed in the southwest and moved into Yongzhou. It shouldn’t be difficult for a boy as young as 12 years old to find out these things. In addition, go to a place called Su Ji Mingwu Shop, which specializes in the business of dead people. This shop should have some connection with Luo Yao’s mansion. What the mansion heard unexpectedly was a direction."
Zhuo Buyi nodded: "I will continue to give instructions on this matter. There are far more people in Yongzhou than the ones I brought with you from the Ouchi Guard Office. The second thing is that the two things to be checked are not too difficult to find. They are missing. You can find out about children by talking to someone at any food stand on the street. As for the shop, you can find it as long as it exists.”
"but… "
Zhuo Buyi asked, "What do these two things have to do with Luo Yao?"
"I'll explain later, let's talk about the third one first."
Fang Jie looked at Zhuo Buyi and asked, "What level of cultivation is Luo Wen?"
Zhuo Buyi said: "The record in the Ouchi Guard's Office is Qipin, what's wrong?"
Fang Jie asked again: "Judging from your current recovery, can you use mind reading skills to dig out something from the mind of a seventh-rank practitioner?"
"You want to attack Luo Wen, it's too difficult, this is Yongzhou!"
Zhuo Buyi frowned and said, "Based on my restored cultivation, it's not difficult to spy on the mind of a seventh-rank martial artist. But in Yongzhou City, you won't find a chance at all."
"Luo Wen is not in the city, he went to Cangman Mountain."
Fang Jie said: "In a few days it will be Luo Yao's wife Chu's birthday. Luo Wen is a dutiful son. He went to a place called Luhou Cave in Cangman Mountain to find rare things as birthday gifts for his mother. Although Luo Wen was around With a team of soldiers and the old man carrying the steel sword box, but relatively speaking, this is an opportunity."
"If you can do it now, it is necessary for us to take a trip to Cangman Mountain."
Zhuo Buyi shook his head: "Now our every move in Yongzhou City is being watched to death, as long as you go out of the city, no matter where you go, you can hide it from people? Maybe before you have time to do it, Luo Yao has already brought people here. "
"Fake it."
Fang Jie smiled: "Ever since I discovered that Wu Yidao had a lot of masks when I was in the imperial capital, I always thought it was a good thing, so I asked Wu Yidao to find someone to make a few for me, and now I can use it. If we do it, find someone who is about the same size as me, and take guards to wander around the beautiful mountains and rivers outside the city every day. You, me, and Chen Heng and Chen Ha can't deal with a team of soldiers with a sword box on their backs guard?"
"That being said, it's still a little risky."
Zhuo Buyi hesitated for a moment and said: "But it is indeed a rare opportunity. Since you have already made up your mind, I will follow you. Anyway, if you are going to die, you will not die later than me."
Fang explained: "Anyway, you are also a martial arts senior, so can't you speak with a little grace?"
"With you, any air is worthless."
Zhuo Buyi glared at him: "Just now you asked me to send someone to investigate the missing children in the past 20 years, and why is there such a Su Ji shop?"
Fang Jie was silent for a moment, and then let out a long sigh of relief: "You have seen a lot, do you know that there are people in this world who can make dolls look like real people? Even the black and white eyeballs, eyelashes, teeth, and even Pores on the skin can be made?"
"Difficult, there is still a difference in making a human skin mask. A mask is just a face, and it is not easy to make it look like a real person. What's more, it is absolutely impossible to make eyelashes and eyebrows on the mask. The corresponding There are holes everywhere, and the eyebrows, eyelashes and eyes that are exposed when glued on are all of the person itself, not the mask."
"so… "
Fang Jie shook his head: "I'm still afraid now, I think I'm going to have a nightmare tonight... Although I was scared, sick and pretending, I still took a closer look. It's because I don't believe in this world Now that there is technology that can make dolls so realistic, that's why I was frightened. Because she is a first-class imperial lady, no one will doubt what she said, but I just met someone like me who doesn't believe her."
"If nothing else happens, the dolls hanging on the big locust tree in her yard are all real children. It just so happened that I learned something from her maid today... The He people have a secret method that can It is not difficult for a person's head to keep a person's head from decaying for many years, and it is not difficult for a wizard with clever means to ensure that a corpse will not rot for decades. They can turn a living person into an invulnerable zombie with poisonous poison, and preserving the corpse is very important to them. It's too simple to say, not to mention... there is no shortage of such brilliant wizards in Luo Yaofu."