Chapter 13: The Mysterious Event in the Luo Lin Family Ancestral Home!

  The ancestral home of the Rohirrim is located in the southwestern part of the Rohirrim Plain, where a tributary of the Rohirrim River flows through, and the land on the riverbank is fertile, with several farms scattered around, and there are also towns nearby. Following this tributary downstream will take you through a picturesque valley.

  Here, is the place where the great Roline family originated. Hundreds of years ago, when the ancestors of the Roline family were still low-ranking nobles with only a small village as their territory, the bloodline of the Roline family began to flow through this land.

  The carriage passed through a black forest, with lush green trees on both sides and fresh air. Along a flat small road, sitting in the carriage can see the small valley on the left, and looking to the right, far away can see a high tower, which is the ancestral home of the Roline family.

  After the family's glory for hundreds of years, the small village that existed several hundred years ago no longer exists, and the original ancestral home has undergone countless repairs and reconstructions over the centuries, and now has a considerable scale.

  A moat of crimson-colored stone surrounded a castle built from the white boulders quarried from the mountain valley beside it - which was said to have originally been a small hill, but after centuries of quarrying had become a valley.

  The eldest son of the family head has arrived, naturally causing extra attention. The three hundred private soldiers who stayed in the castle, wore their brightest equipment very early and lined up under the red wall outside the castle. The arched gate made Du Wei feel very majestic, and with his eyesight, this thick stone wall could be used as a solid defense circle if necessary!

  It's no wonder that the imperial martial family, the 300 private soldiers left in the castle are obviously well-trained. They ride straight on horseback and their horse-riding skills are quite skilled. Their equipment is also good. Later, Du Wei only knew that the three hundred soldiers who stayed in the Roland family's ancestral castle were all selected from the private soldiers of various places in the entire Roland Plain territory. Their training was quite good, even comparable to the local army of the empire.

  And the black forest outside the castle is also a natural hunting ground, where some hunting activities are held every year, which is also a kind of disguised training for these soldiers.

  The main building of the castle has two towers, one of which is particularly tall and even higher than the small mountain in the distance. Du Wei, who had studied family history, knew that this was because a previous generation of the Rolin family had produced a strange head of household. Although he was a military general, he was very interested in astrology and even married an astrologer as his wife. The tall tower was built to allow his wife to better observe the stars at night.

  The red carpet had been laid out from the castle gate all the way to where Duvie's carriage stopped. As soon as Duvie stepped down from the carriage, an elderly man with silver hair who had been waiting for a long time walked up to him. The old man was tall and slender, wearing a neat gray suit, with a stern and serious demeanor, and his conservative and respectful mannerisms were also very measured.

  As soon as Duvig came down from the horse, his foot had just stepped on the ground. The old man had already bent down and made a deep bow. Then he said in a low and slow voice: "Young master, I am Hill & Roland, the steward of this place. I have known about your arrival three days ago. Now everyone in the castle is ready to welcome you. Please follow me."

  Having said that, the old butler carefully led Du Wei up the steps. He was impeccable in his manners, dignified and courteous, humble without being obsequious, leading Du Wei onto the red carpet on the steps while he himself walked very carefully outside the carpet, allowing Du Wei to enjoy this honor alone.

  Didn't have time to carefully observe the interior decoration of this castle, the only deep impression was that after entering the castle gate, the wall facing me had a huge flag like flames!

  This banner is about seven or eight meters high and six meters wide, occupying the entire wall in front! This is the family crest flag, with two sharp swords crossed on it, the sword blades wrapped around the swallowtail flowers, red flames burning, and a crown on top!

  As soon as you enter the first floor hall of the castle, you are greeted by such a magnificent flag, which immediately adds a layer of solemn and majestic atmosphere to this place!

  All the servants in the castle, dressed in neat uniforms, stood on both sides of the hall to welcome Duwei's arrival. Duwei was not very interested in this strange "inspection", he nodded casually and then said in a low voice: "My steward, please take me to the study now... As for everyone else, please disperse and return to your work."

  Old steward Hill executed Du Wei's order meticulously and soon brought him to a study...

  Yes, if possible, Du Wei would rather call this place a "library"!

  It's really too big here!

  In the round room, the top is also a high round arch, still adorned with some ancient stone gypsum patterns, and there are also some stone gypsum carvings on both sides - among which many are outstanding figures that have emerged in the family's history.

  The room was surrounded by tall bookshelves... damn! These bookshelves were as high as a two-story building! The top was packed with all sorts of dense books, and Du Wei roughly calculated that there were at least tens of thousands of books here! And there were many iron cabinets, which stored some important things, such as the family tree, or some ancient and important documents.

  Of course, as a family of martial arts, even in the study, there is still a hint of militarism! On the wall directly opposite the entrance to the study, a giant two-handed sword and a large battle-axe are hung, with the two weapons crossed on the wall. From the gleaming cold light on the blades, it's clear that servants carefully wipe and maintain them from time to time.

  On the other side of the wall, a bookshelf had been deliberately moved out to reveal several large cabinets. The cabinets were filled with various types of weapons, but judging from their style, they were all antiques.

  Here is a hundred years ago imperial military standard short bow, and the old-fashioned knight saber, and long cavalry sword, with black iron wood bow...

  Du Wei was drawn to these weapons, and he saw that these antiques were also well-maintained, although they had been through the test of time, but a few of them still emitted a hint of sharp cold light!

  "These were all used by the outstanding ancestors of our family for generations." The old butler Hill behind him said in a monotonous voice, "These have recorded the glory that our Rowling family's great ancestors once had."

  Due to the shape of the room, speaking here causes sound waves to reverberate and produce a humming vibration and echo, adding an extra layer of solemnity.

  Gently stroking the black rosewood surface of the old-fashioned desk, Du Wei quietly looked around.

  It can be seen that every object here, although it has been carefully preserved and meticulously cleaned, still bears the obvious marks of age. Many places on the bookshelves have been polished to a smooth shine, and this massive desk in front of him makes Du Wei suspect that its age is probably older than the old butler in front of him.

  "This was once the power center of the Rorin family, where the heads of the family would think and make all sorts of decisions. Everything here still bears the marks of those glorious days." The old butler said in a low voice: "Although the decision-making center of the family later moved to the Imperial Capital, according to family tradition, every head of the family who returns to the castle for a visit or a short stay must spend the first night in this study and not return to their bedroom to rest. This is to whip themselves into remembering the glorious history of the family and the weight of responsibility on their shoulders."

  The old butler paused, looked at Du Wei for a moment, and lowered his head: "You are the eldest son of the current clan leader, Earl, and you have come to the castle in his place to inspect. May I ask what you plan to do tonight..."

  Du Wei nodded in agreement and smiled, "Tradition is tradition, it must be followed. I am no exception. Although I am not the head of the clan, I am my father's eldest son and have come here as his representative. Tonight, I will follow tradition and spend the night in the study."

  The old steward's face softened a lot, and his tone became warmer as he slowly said: "Yes, I will have everything prepared. Also...I know you are here representing the Earl to inspect the territory's industries. May I ask where your work will begin? After receiving news of your return, I had people organize this year's family industry income and expenses accounts and ledgers. When do you plan on starting to review these things? Or should we wait..."

  Du Wei smiled and interrupted him. He naturally walked around the table, sat behind this large desk, the sofa was a bit hard, but it was still very comfortable to sit on. Du Wei thought for a moment, laughed and said: "My steward, I have come from a long journey, now I feel a little hungry. Please prepare some food for me first, then I think I can start looking at those things you've prepared."

  It seems that the efficiency of handling affairs here is still pretty good.

  Soon, Duvall was enjoying a quintessential Southern aristocratic afternoon tea in the study. After devouring a sweet pumpkin pie and wiping his mouth clean, old butler Hill had already directed two sturdy footmen to enter the study.

  Two servants were pushing a cart, on which was loaded a huge pile of thick books that looked like a small mountain! The total height of the books was probably half a head taller than Du Wei himself.

  "Are these all this year's accounts?" Du Wei furrowed his brow, starting to suspect that the old steward was trying to play a trick on him.

  "Young master, all of these are." Old Hill replied very seriously: "The data here includes the entire southern province of Cot, the land area of the family's territory, the cultivated area, as well as the financial income and expenditure of six towns within the territory. The logistical expenditures of the private army scattered in three places within the territory, military pay, supplies, and weapon consumption, etc. In addition, there is also the grain harvest, as well as some new construction budget for this year. I have also made some budget for next year, but due to the urgency of time, I haven't finished it yet. However, I think you won't be leaving here soon, so we still have plenty of time."

  Du Wei couldn't help but touch his nose and looked at the small mountain-like account in front of him: "...... Is everything here?"

  "This is just a part. As for the rest..." The old butler, who rarely spoke in a less serious tone, said: "The rest, I think you may need to look at it from last week."

  Du Wei furrowed his brow and quietly scrutinized the steward in front of him.

  This old steward doesn't seem to be joking. But... he can't seriously think that a thirteen-year-old kid like me can understand these accounts, right? And even more unlikely, he can't seriously think that a thirteen-year-old kid like me can really take on the responsibility of managing the entire family's estate!

  So, he should know that being sent back home by the master of the house is a disguised form of banishment. In that case, this guy brought over such a pile of accounts and solemnly asked himself to check... what's his real intention?

  Could it be that the old steward who stayed behind is dissatisfied with this young master who has been sent back, worried that his return will divert the power that was originally in his hands, so he is showing off to himself first?

  How dare you deceive your master?

  Or perhaps he has some tricks up his sleeve in the family business and is using this little kid to cover his tracks?

  Everything seems possible!

  But Du Wei didn't say anything, he didn't even raise a single question, and instead picked up the top ledger, blew off the dust on it, sat down calmly, opened to the first page, and began reading quietly.

  After a while, Du Wei finally lifted his head up, and the old steward was still standing beside him.

  "Oh, is there anything else you'd like to say to me, Housekeeper?" Du Wei seemed nonchalant, but his tone turned cold: "I don't like having people around me."

  "Yes, sir." The old butler Hill's eyes flashed a hint of surprise, then he seemed to open his mouth, wanting to say something, but the words reached the tip of his tongue and were swallowed back, before turning around and leading the servants out.

  After the heavy door of the study was closed, Du Wei gently put down the account in his hand, stood up, walked back and forth in this large study for a few steps, exercised his body, and smiled to himself: "It seems that there may be something worth expecting after all."

  Later, until nightfall, the old butler came to the study twice again, once to pour tea for Du Wei, and once after dark, personally brought people to light candles for Du Wei.

  What surprised old butler Hill was that this young master was actually going through those accounts!

  Moreover, he was not pretending, but really concentrating! There were several account books on the desk, all of which had been opened. Du Wei seemed to be calculating some numbers. Just after the old steward brought people to light up all twenty large candle holders in the study, Du Wei casually asked the old steward a few questions about the accounts.

  He isn't one to ask careless questions, every question hits the nail on the head! These are enough to prove that this young master seems to be serious! He really read those dull accounts carefully!

  This... This is what the message said, the young master of the imperial capital who was considered an "idiot" by his own family?

  Although he tried his best to cover it up, Du Wei still caught the look of surprise on Old Guan's face. Du Wei continued to speak as if nothing had happened, but only after Old Guan walked out of the room again did he slowly close the account book that was open to the last page in his hand.

  Actually... these accounts are really interesting!

  Du Wei spent an evening, and didn't really go to see those dull numbers, nor did he have the mind to check if the account had been falsified. After all, he wasn't a genius, and whether the account was true or false, it was impossible for him to figure out anything as someone who knew nothing about the industry.

  I'm afraid no one will know that Du Wei is in a different way that others can't guess!

  Who says account books can only be used for keeping accounts?

  At least, Du Wei learned a lot from these things! And these things are not recorded in those history books and family history records!

  From the names and contents of various items in these accounts, Du Wei would immediately have a thorough understanding of the extent to which the Luo Lin family grasped the territory.

  In the territory, the Roline family is almost a system in itself, with considerable autonomy. The financial and tax powers here all belong to the family, and even the appointment of local officials is basically decided by the family. The tax rate collected, although carried out according to imperial law, can be modified, reduced or increased by the family under some special names.

  As long as a portion of the taxes collected each year is submitted to the imperial central treasury in accordance with a certain proportion.

  There is also military power. Basically, from some of the details used for military purposes in these accounts, the imperial official garrison here is very small, and only symbolically stationed two small local second-line reserve infantry regiments on the periphery of the territory. Moreover, it is worth noting that the supplies and logistics of these two reserve infantry regiments are provided by the Roline family every year! The Imperial military does not care!

  In most parts of the territory, maintaining local security and order were private armies of families in their territories.

  Almost through these accounts, Du Wei easily grasped the current situation of the entire Romaine family in terms of economy, politics, and military affairs.

  Perhaps if that old steward knew he was being watched like this, his eyes would pop out!

  From these accounts, Du Wei has at least confirmed two points: First, in terms of taxation rights, the family can completely control this place! And even more so in military terms!

  Du Wei, who came from another world, had an important common sense in the knowledge he learned in that world: two very important points for a country to demonstrate its territorial sovereignty are: taxation! And garrisoning troops!

  And now, these two points are almost entirely controlled by the Luo Lin family! What does this mean?

  This means that the central authority of the Empire has almost lost control over the territories of the House of Rohan: half of the province of Kotor, where the central authority of the Empire has already lost its sovereignty! This is almost a small independent kingdom.

  Du Wei leaned on the sofa, lost in thought. The current situation made him feel a little surprised! Because when a country's central authority gradually loses its authority, it is often a sign that the prelude to chaos is about to be opened.

  Du Wei sat for a while, and the room was very quiet, with only occasional crackling sounds of candle flames bursting.

  At this moment, Du Wei suddenly stood up abruptly and turned around, staring at the wall behind him!

  On the wall was a large floor-to-ceiling bookshelf, filled with books that seemed perfectly ordinary.

  But Du Wei's heart had secretly given birth to a few points of doubt... Hmm, the feeling from that instant just now seemed not wrong!

  Because his spiritual power was much stronger than that of ordinary people, Du Wei's perception of some movements around him was also more sensitive than usual. Just now, he suddenly felt a feeling in his heart that he was being stealthily observed by someone!

  It's as if just behind me, a thread of gaze shoots from some unknown secret corner, quietly watching myself!

  There was nothing unusual on the bookshelf, and Du Wei's gaze moved upwards again.

  On the bookshelf, a row of portraits hangs on the wall.

  These oil painting style portraits lined up in a row, from far to near. These are the portraits of the generations of masters of the Luo Lin family!

  And placed on the left side of the first position, that looks like the oldest, the most distant era, and the portrait painting is also inevitable with some sense of loss, the canvas is a middle-aged man wearing an imperial military uniform. The man on the canvas is the imperial marshal of that year! Also won the war for the empire and made great contributions to the empire, and won this Rolin Plain from the hands of the emperor, one of the ancestors of the Rolin family!

  This person looks very spirited, with a cold and tough gaze between his eyebrows that is similar to that of Raymond, Count of Duvey's father! And that gaze seems to be staring directly at Duvey!

  Du Wei's heart skipped a beat, he tried to take a few steps back, then walked two steps to the side, his eyes still fixed on the oil painting. Then he smiled, let out a soft sigh, and said in a low voice: "Alas, maybe I'm too sensitive... it's just an oil painting."

  He turned around and picked up an account book again...

  Just behind him, the marshal's portrait on the wall blinked its eyes suddenly!

  No, it was the figure in the oil painting that suddenly came to life. He stared at Du Wei's back with his eyes, which suddenly blinked!

  The eyes of the figures in this originally stiff painting suddenly seemed to have been injected with a lively spirit! The gaze fell on Du Wei, and a hint of curiosity seemed to emerge in his eyes...

  At this moment, Du Wei, who was holding the account book as if he were in a trance, suddenly turned around without warning and stared at the oil painting on the wall!

  One person, one painting, and the eyes of both parties suddenly intersected and collided!

  "No need to pretend anymore. I know you're watching me." Du Wei slowly raised his hand, and in it was a silver spoon that had been used when they were eating pumpkin pie here before. The silver spoon shone brightly, like a mirror!

  "You're looking at me, and just now I was using this thing to look at you." Du Wei smiled, staring at the mural on the wall: "You don't have to pretend anymore... But didn't you know that sneaking a peek at someone from behind is very impolite?"

  “…………”