Sha Po Lang

The idiot abbot led his little white-faced junior brother over, saluted Gu Yun, and smiled with a bright and blooming dragon's claw chrysanthemum: "I haven't seen you for many years, Master Hou still has the same demeanor, it is really my great fortune."

Gu Yun's stomach ached from the old man's ugly face, and he said in his heart: "Isn't it, I haven't been cursed to death by you yet."

Of course, as the Marquis of Anding, it is not convenient for him to make troubles without reason, at least he has to face it, so he just nodded slightly at the moment: "Thanks to Master."

The white-faced monk with clear features followed clearly to salute, but he just smiled and said nothing, Gu Yun couldn't help but glance at him again.

Liao Chi explained: "Don't blame Hou Ye, although my junior brother has excellent understanding and intensive study of Buddhism, but unfortunately he was born to practice closed-mouth meditation."

Gu Yun was taken aback for a moment, this understanding is actually a mute.

Monk Zhiran took a step forward and stretched out his hands to Gu Yun. This monk was so white that it was almost blinding, and his eyebrows became blacker and blacker, like a piece of burnt wood lying on the snow. If he wasn't a monk, he would have long hair as black as ink. , with red lips and white teeth, it looks like a monster made of white porcelain.

Gu Yun frowned slightly, thinking: "What is this for, consecrate me?"

Monk Liao Chi said: "Master Hou is safe and secure in the frontier, and he will leave Beijing again in a few days. My junior wants to pray for Master Hou."

Gu Yun sneered: "Master, there's no need for this—I haven't read a single scripture or burnt a stick of incense, so I won't bother the Buddha and his old man."

Liaozhi: "Amitabha Buddha, the Dharma is boundless and can save all living beings. Master Hou's words are wrong."

When Gu Yun heard the word "Amitabha", he wanted to hit people very much. His patience had reached its limit, and he didn't want to talk to them anymore, so he said flatly, "The emperor is still waiting, so I won't delay any longer. I will visit again some other day." Master, please accompany me."

After finishing speaking, he dragged Chang Geng to follow Zhu Xiaojiao into the palace. Chang Geng glanced back inadvertently, and saw that the monk Lian Ran was not affected by Gu Yun's attitude at all. He kept chanting, as if he wanted to involuntarily add the luck he had prayed for to Gu Yun who was drifting away.

Believe it or not, it's up to me.

Chang Geng was in a trance, when someone pulled his hand suddenly, Gu Yun whispered angrily: "What's so interesting about the monk, it's too eye-catching."

Chang Geng withdrew his gaze obediently, and asked Gu Yun, "Father, that master said that you still have to leave Beijing, is it true?"

Gu Yun: "No."

Chang Geng asked: "When?"

"It's hard to say," Gu Yun said, "It depends on what the emperor means—if I leave, you will be the biggest in the Hou's mansion. You have the final say. If there is anything you don't understand, discuss it with Uncle Wang."

Gu Yun didn't ask him to study hard, concentrate on martial arts and other things, because Chang Geng really felt that he, an elder, would feel ashamed in this respect.

Hearing this, Chang Geng was stunned. After a long while, he asked with difficulty: "Isn't foster father going to take me there?"

"Ah?" Gu Yun asked inexplicably, "What are you taking me to do?"

Chang Geng suddenly stopped.

Before this day, Chang Geng never thought that there would be such a thing.

Ever since Yan returned to the capital, Gu Yun had always brought him by his side, Chang Geng didn't realize at all that once the little adoptive father led the troops to the northwest again, he would be separated by more than half of the Central Plains rivers and mountains.

In the blink of an eye, Chang Geng suddenly thought of a series of things in his mind—in the eyes of his adoptive father, he was probably just a child who could not write a pen or a weapon, and when soldiers went to the frontier, they would carry knives, guns, and armor. Will bring a dragging family?

In the future, Gu Yun will go to the Northwest Frontier. If there is no problem there, he may be able to return to Beijing to report on his work once a year. If there is a slight unrest, he may stay there until the year of the monkey. Now he is full of plans. 14 years old, how many years are left of the boyhood before the crowning?

At that time, he will leave the shelter of Marquis Anding and move out of Marquis Mansion by himself.With an inexplicable false name, he will live in the empty capital...

The adoptive father will always marry a wife and have children. At that time, will he still remember the little burden that was thrown away in the Hou's mansion?

They are called father and son, but it turns out that fate is like an inch-long broken lamp, which burns to the end as soon as it is ignited. Only he is still immersed in the everlasting dream.

Thinking about it this way, the entire imperial palace seemed to have turned into a big ice cellar, freezing him whole in it.

Seeing him stop suddenly, Gu Yun turned around and looked at him suspiciously.

Chang Geng was a little anxious for a moment and blurted out: "I want to go to the border with you too, I can join the army!"

Gu Yun said in his heart: "Stop making trouble, it's so difficult to dig you out and walk around, what army do you join?"

However, after half a year of running-in, he probably found a little trick of being an elder, and he didn't hit Chang Geng face to face, but just smiled with an over-pretending and exaggerated encouragement: "Okay, go and join the army for me in the future, my lord." .”

Chang Geng: "..."

Obviously, what Gu Yun found was the trick of how to be the elder of a four-year-old child, ten years too late.

Chang Geng's desperate nostalgia was swept back by the other party calmly, and he didn't take it seriously at all.

The young man then silently closed his mouth, stopped making unnecessary struggles, and stared closely at Gu Yun's slender back, as if he was staring at a narrow door that he had to pass through for the rest of his life.

Emperor Long'an Li Feng was Chang Geng's nominal elder brother, but from his appearance, it was impossible to tell that the two of them were related by blood. The emperor looked more like the late emperor.

It was the second time Chang Geng saw him, compared to the last time when he was in chaos, this time he saw it more clearly, the new emperor had just passed, he was the best age in a man's life, he had a good face , even if he is not the emperor, just looking at his face, his whole life will not be so miserable.

Chang Geng has a very careful heart, especially after arriving in the capital, You Shan observes his words and demeanor, Gu Yun seldom mentions it, but Mr. Shen doesn't have so many taboos, he complains to the emperor in private, it is easy to remind people of a vitriolic, mean, small-hearted image , but it is not.

Before Gu Yun entered the house, Emperor Long An had already ordered his servants to get the brazier, and said: "I told them earlier, the emperor must have come early, come in quickly to warm up, I think you will be cold."

Emperor Long'an called him "Emperor Uncle", which was not very polite, because after all, Gu Yun's surname was not Li. Back then, the first emperor loved pets in private, so it was fine to talk about it casually, but the emperor used this childhood intimacy habit Saved.

He didn't call me "I" in front of Gu Yun, and there was a bit of casual intimacy in his enthusiasm, he didn't treat his courtiers as if he was a family member.

"Little Chang Geng is here too," Li Feng looked at Chang Geng, and sighed, "This young man really changes every day, the last time I saw him he was not so tall—I have just succeeded to the throne, and I am always trembling. I was in a state of desperation for a month, and I didn't take care of you, so come here and let Brother Huang take a good look."

Chang Geng was already prepared not to be seen, but unexpectedly the emperor's "not to be seen" was so subtle that he didn't feel it at all.

In this imperial city and imperial capital, all grievances and enmities are hidden. At first glance, everyone and everyone are in harmony and joy.

Gu Yun and the emperor chatted casually back and forth, occasionally reminiscing about their childhood, and Emperor Long'an moved out the "lucky money" prepared for Chang Geng.

Chang Geng, a wild child who grew up in Yanhui Town, had little contact with the world, and had never seen anything in the world. He only knew that "you will not be rewarded for no merit." Hearing Zhu Xiaojiao report one by one, he almost felt a little uneasy. Suspected that Gu Yun picked him up early in the morning and brought him into the palace just to find the emperor to collect rent!

Emperor Long'an asked Chang Geng about the progress of his study and martial arts in a pleasant manner, and said: "You are a descendant of my Li family, you must be diligent and talented in the future, so that you can share your worries with the emperor——What does Chang Geng want to do in the future? ?”

Chang Geng glanced at Gu Yun, and said: "In the future, I would like to be the personal guard of the commander in chief, serve the front and back of the saddle, and expand the territory for the emperor."

Emperor Long An laughed out loud, looking very happy, and repeatedly praised Chang Geng for his ambition.

Gu Yun picked up the tea bowl and drank tea to moisten his throat, he didn't interrupt, just laughed, the corners of his eyes flew up, it was so warm.

"Who serves whom?" he thought helplessly.

While feeling helpless, he also felt pleasing to the ears, from the comfort of the ears to the heart, and even the bad luck of meeting the monk just now was swept away.

Emperor Long'an said jokingly again: "That's what you said, but the frontier soldiers are suffering very much, how could your adoptive father be willing to let you suffer that?"

Gu Yun knew that the emperor was beating him around the bend, and said with a wink: "If I dare to bring the little prince to the battlefield, the emperor will be the first elder brother to spare me."

Emperor Long'an was satisfied, and beckoned Zhu Xiaojiao over: "The envoy of the foreign pope sent a big clock back last time, which is bigger than the rockery in the imperial garden. The singing and dancing are very lively, you take Chang Geng to have a look at the freshness, and I will have a few more gossips with Uncle Huang."

Chang Geng knew that they had something serious to talk about, so he immediately followed Zhu Xiaojiao away tactfully.

Zhu Xiaojiao was very considerate to this Fourth Highness, who was well educated and reasonable, and had a complicated background, and led him all the way to the warm pavilion.

The "Nuange" is a semi-enclosed garden, covered with grotesque glazed bricks, and steam braziers are installed in the ventilated places, and the inside is like spring all the year round, and the flowers are blooming like brocade.

The big clock mentioned by Emperor Long'an is right in the middle, like a western scene intruding into the mountain scenery.

Chang Geng sighed for the exquisite workmanship of foreigners, but like most Central Plains people, he couldn't appreciate those rich and colorful pictures. After the novelty passed, he quickly lost interest, and his eyes fell on the corner of the warm pavilion - there is a person there, It was Monk Lian Ran that he met on the road just now.

Knowing that he couldn't speak, he gestured lightly a few times, and the little novice next to him immediately stepped forward to salute and said, "Fourth Highness, I wish you, Eunuch, my uncle and I have received the grace of the sage to stay and enjoy the imperial garden, and we met King Wei on the way. Master has gone to talk to King Wei, we are waiting for him here, I hope we have not spoiled His Majesty Fourth Highness's pleasure."

Chang Geng said politely: "I'm bothering Master."

Xiaoran made a few more gestures, no matter what he was doing, he had a kind of fairy air like flowing clouds and flowing water, making people not feel the awkwardness of this dumb monk at all.The little novice explained beside him: "Master Uncle said that he felt like a good match when he saw His Highness the Fourth Highness. If you have time in the future, you can go to Huguo Temple to sit for a while, and you will be served with good tea."

Chang Geng said politely: "Naturally."

Monk Liao Ran stretched out his hand to Chang Geng, but Chang Geng didn't know why, he hesitated for a moment, and passed his hand over.

Liao Ran wrote on the palm of his hand: "Does Your Highness believe in my Buddha?"

Chang Geng didn't hate monks like Gu Yun did, and the peaceful temperament of these monks made him fall in love with them the first time he saw them.

But he also has no faith, because he has no concept, and if he doesn't understand, he can't talk about believing or not believing.

Chang Geng didn't want to refute his face face to face, so he just laughed.

Knowing it and then understanding it, he didn't think it was disobedient, but showed a little smile, and wrote word by word in Chang Geng's palm: "I don't know the suffering, I don't believe in gods and Buddhas, fortunately, great kindness."

Chang Geng was taken aback, the young man was looking into the dumb monk's all-encompassing eyes, and suddenly felt that the deep illness in his heart was pierced by the other party at a glance. Everything slipped through his heart like flowing water, and was pierced by the eight words "unknown suffering, no belief in gods and Buddhas".

Qingran saluted him eleven and was about to leave.

But Chang Geng stopped him suddenly: "Master, I will pay homage to Huguo Temple in the future."

Qingran smiled, and led his little novice away.

Just at this time, when the big bell in the warm pavilion sounded the time, the brisk music sounded, Chang Geng turned his head suddenly, and saw twelve small doors of the clock opened, and twelve small wooden puppets came out, one playing the piano, Some danced, and some sang loudly. They happily sang a song, bowed, and turned back to the small door.

The excitement is all over.

After this day, Gu Yun lived a life of going out earlier and returning late than before—Emperor Long'an meant to send him to represent Daliang and sign a trade treaty with the envoys of the Pope in the West. , just open up the trade route a little more.

In this way, he had to prepare to leave immediately. Gu Yun had to run back and forth several times a day between the capital and Beidaying. Before leaving, he had to settle the household affairs. Very busy.

On the [-]th day of the first lunar month, Gu Yun and Shen Yi returned late as usual, and they had already booked to leave Beijing the next day. The two had something to discuss, so they went back to the Hou Mansion together.

Shen Yi: "Why did your majesty entrust Calais Yinghuo to us for escort, aren't you afraid that we will secretly kill that barbarian son on the way?"

Gu Yun smiled wryly and said: "The emperor rejected my memorial to increase the ration of purple gold this year, saying that the Lingshu Institute stole a new puppet machine from foreigners, which can farm for others. This year I plan to promote it in the south of the Yangtze River first - Ziliujin has another source, I can’t tell it apart, what can I say? Can Xuantieying compete with the people for profit? The emperor also said that Xuantieying is a sharp weapon of the country , no one can short us, so we allocated the [-]-year-old tribute added by the barbarian to us, do you think I dare to touch the barbarian son?"

Emperor Long'an's meaning was very clear - if Prince Calais loses a hair, the iron monsters in the Black Tie Camp won't have to burn Ziliujin, you, Gu Yun, push it away.

Shen Yi thought for a while, but was speechless, so he laughed angrily.

The two passed over the iron puppet guarding the gate of the Hou Mansion, and Shen Yi asked: "By the way, have you agreed with the Fourth Highness about your leaving Beijing tomorrow?"

Gu Yun touched his nose.

Shen Yi: "What?"

Gu Yun lowered his voice, and whispered in his ear: "I told him that I will accompany the emperor to Xiangshan, and I won't come back to live tomorrow night. If I see him later, remember not to deceive me."

Shen Yi was silent for a moment, and said with emotion: "...Marshal, you are really kind!"

Gu Yun was also troubled. Ever since he inadvertently revealed that he might want to go back to the frontier, Chang Geng has been wrong. He used to practice martial arts diligently, but now he is desperate. In the afternoon, he recklessly went to shoot arrows, so scared that the master who taught him martial arts went to Gu Yun to complain every day.

Gu Yun felt that Chang Geng was a little too clingy to him, are other people's fathers and sons also this nasty?

The padded jacket was too close to the body, and it was really a burden to iron him when he was sweating all over.

The two walked into Hou's mansion side by side. As soon as they entered, they found that it was one o'clock, and the Hou's mansion was brightly lit, and no one was asleep.

A little girl with red flowers and willow greens rushed out of it like a firecracker, and shouted back: "Big Brother, Big Brother, Master Hou is back!"

Gu Yun thought blankly: "When did the Hou Mansion have a girl? Could it be that the big willow tree at the gate has become a spirit?"

Taking a closer look, the "little girl" turned out to be Mrs. Cao. He dressed himself up as a little lady, and she was still a little lady who was going to celebrate the New Year happily.

Gu Yun wondered, "What are you doing?"

"Brother Chang Geng said that today is Lord Hou's birthday, and he specifically told everyone to wait for you to come back." Madam Cao said, "General Shen is also here, so we can have noodles together."

Shen Yi agreed immediately after hearing the words: "Okay, it's better to come early than coincidentally!"

After finishing speaking, he gave Gu Yun a meaningful look, and cleverly conveyed his meaning with his eyes - you liar, are you guilty?