The big celebration for an old person’s birthday is called a longevity celebration. The lively celebration for a child’s birthday is a sign that they have grown another year older, and their parents are relieved.

Gu Yun was neither old nor young, and his grandmother and uncle did not love him. If he happened to be at home, the old housekeeper would remember to take care of things for him, but he was not at home most of the time, and she was so busy that she forgot about the sixteenth day of the first lunar month.

To be honest, there is nothing to celebrate. There is a saying in the folk that "a girl born on the first day of the month becomes a goddess, and a boy born on the fifteenth day of the month is better". It means that it is better for a girl to be born on the first day of the month and a boy to be born on the fifteenth day of the month. He could have been born on the night of the Lantern Festival, a time of great wealth and honor, but he had to stay in his mother's womb for a few more hours, which shows that he was born with a bad life.

Madam Cao not only dressed herself up, but also teamed up with Chang Geng and others to drag out the Sword Servant Puppet and ravage it.

They painted two simple red faces on the night-wandering god and got some old silk from somewhere to tie up its iron arms.

The Sword Servant Puppet was holding a bowl of noodles in its hands, staring blankly at Gu Yun, with an expression of unspeakable grievance on its dark face.

Gu Yun cursed in a low voice: "Asshole, is this how you play with the Sword Master Puppet?"

Fat Ge stepped forward to apportion the credit: "My Lord, the maid wiped your red cheeks, I lit the fire to cook the noodles, and my eldest brother beat the eggs in the noodles!"

Gu Yun actually felt a little reserved for a moment, and felt that the Marquis' Mansion, which had been deserted for many years, was suddenly so lively that he almost didn't recognize it.

Chang Geng: "Foster father, please finish your noodles before entering."

Gu Yun: "Okay."

He picked up the bowl, glanced at Chang Geng, and deliberately picked out the egg to eat first. The first bite he took hit a crunchy eggshell. He didn't say anything, but chewed the shell and the egg together and swallowed them, as if he hadn't eaten for eight lifetimes. He finished the whole bowl of noodles in a few mouthfuls and drank up the soup as well.

Since ancient times, the land of gentleness has been the tomb of heroes. Gu Yun had always left Kyoto without any worries, but this time he was filled with melancholy.

Maybe it’s because every time I go “back” to the frontier, only this time I’m going far away from home.

Unfortunately, let alone this gentle melancholy, even if you are heartbroken, don't think of stopping Marquis Anding.

The next day, Gu Yun dressed up and went out as if nothing had happened. He did not even say hello to Chang Geng. He went to Beidaying alone and looked back in the direction of the capital.

Unfortunately, from such a distance, he could only vaguely see the silhouette of a Qiyuan Tower.

Shen Yi walked up to him and asked, "Marshal, have you found your conscience?"

Gu Yun sighed: "Maybe he won't recognize me next time he comes back. Sigh, my title of foster father is always shaky... Let's go."

The Black Iron Battalion marched out with neat military formations, and they passed by mercilessly like a black whirlwind, causing everyone to retreat involuntarily.

They were to escort the prince of the Sirius clan northwards, then head straight west to kill the sand bandits in the Western Regions and ensure the safety and openness of the ancient Silk Road.

The next day after they left, Chang Geng got up early as usual. He remembered that Gu Yun was not at home, but he still couldn't help but lead the iron puppet to his empty yard. He practiced sword fighting with the iron puppet alone, and finished his breakfast alone.

Before leaving, he looked up and saw that the plum blossoms in the yard had bloomed.

It had snowed a few days ago, and there was a layer of crystal clear frost on the petals. The more Chang Geng looked at them, the more he liked them, so he couldn't help but reach out and break off two of them. His first reaction was always to keep them for Gu Yun. Even though he knew that his adoptive father might not be back within three to five days, he still carefully brushed off the frost and snow on the branches, and wanted to find a vase to put in Gu Yun's room.

Unfortunately, Gu Yun’s house was so big and cleaner than his face. He looked around but couldn’t even find a wine bottle that could be used for tea and flower arrangement.

Chang Geng pushed open the window and called to the old housekeeper, "Uncle Wang, do you have a vase?"

The old housekeeper responded and went to look for him. Chang Geng stayed in Gu Yun's room, holding two plum blossoms and looking around.

Suddenly, his eyes fell on the head of Gu Yun's bed, and he was stunned for a moment - the fox fur coat on the bedside that made the whole bedroom look valuable was gone.

At this time, Wang Bo came in with the celadon vase and smiled at Chang Geng, "Fourth Prince, do you think this is okay? Where should I put it?"

Chang Geng stared at the empty bedside with a somewhat confused look in his eyes and asked, "Uncle Wang, why did the Marquis put away his fox fur coat so early?"

Wang Bo's eyes twitched slightly, and he answered unnaturally: "Didn't the Marquis go out with the Emperor? I think he took him away."

Chang Geng's heart sank slowly.

On New Year's Eve, Xuan Ying, who was following Gu Yun, told him that the Marshal never wore winter clothes in the capital. He only took them out occasionally when he was out of the border and encountered a white-haired wind.

On New Year's Eve, he felt a little strange. Since Gu Yun didn't wear winter clothes, why did he hang a fox fur coat outside? What was he going to use it for? But at that time, there was chaos and he was haunted by nightmares. His mind was not clear, so he didn't think about it carefully.

Chang Geng suddenly turned his head, his voice as dry as a taut string: "Uncle Wang, where did he go? Don't lie to me that I don't like to go out. I also know that Xiangshan is not as far as Beidaying."

Uncle Wang stood there holding a vase, at a loss as to what to do.

Gu Yun, the hands-off boss, left without any care after he left. The old housekeeper had expected this to happen sooner or later, but he didn't expect it to be so soon.

Chang Geng took a deep breath and asked in a low voice: "Has he already left Beijing for the border? Where? North or west?"

The old butler smiled awkwardly: "Well, I don't know much about military affairs... Your Highness, I think the Marquis doesn't want you to worry..."

Chang Geng snapped the branch in his hand and said word by word, "He's not afraid that I'd worry, he's afraid that I'd insist on following him."

The old butler shut up.

Although Chang Geng was nominally Gu Yun's adopted son, no one liked him anymore. After all, he was also surnamed Li, and would be a prince in the future. The old housekeeper felt bitter, thinking that his unkind master was backing down at the last minute and throwing this hot potato to him, so he was ready to get mad.

But after waiting for a long time, Chang Geng didn't say a word.

Chang Geng's quarrels and shouting caused by depression were all in his heart.

It wasn't just that Gu Yun left suddenly without saying goodbye. Anyway, he had been cheated by Gu Yun more than once and had long been accustomed to it. He should treat him calmly.

But this time, the uneasiness and restlessness that had been accumulating in his heart since he came to Beijing could no longer be suppressed and burst out.

Chang Geng's mind was actually the same as Ming Jing's. He had always known that his existence was redundant to everyone. He had no intention of being dragged in and was destined to be an insignificant chess piece, just like being in the dark river in Yanhui Town, being swept away involuntarily.

However, he was blinded by the peace and happiness that had been disguised in recent days. He became greedy and wanted to grab something. He deceived himself and refused to think carefully about the future.

"What do you want?" Chang Geng asked himself, "You think too much."

But even though he was in turmoil, Chang Geng said nothing in front of the white-haired old butler.

The old butler asked tremblingly: "Your Highness..."

Chang Geng silently took the vase from him, carefully trimmed the branches he had broken, and placed them on Gu Yun's desk, saying in a low voice, "Thank you."

After saying that, he turned and walked out.

Chang Geng couldn't help but run away after leaving Gu Yun's room, leaving the sword servant puppet behind.

Fatty Ge was holding a purple gold box that he had taken from somewhere, and was walking out. He just passed by Chang Geng and asked in confusion, "Hey, big brother..."

Chang Geng pretended not to hear anything, and rushed over like a gust of wind, rushed into his room, and locked the door.

Just like what Gu Yun liked most about him, Chang Geng was a naturally kind and righteous person. No matter how angry he was, he could not vent it on irrelevant people. In this regard, Xiuniang played an indispensable role. Her daily abuse for more than ten years trained him to have amazing endurance.

At the same time, the Urgu that had been buried in the boy's body since childhood was like a plant that needed to be watered with poisonous water, and gradually it bloomed hideous flowers.

Chang Geng began to have difficulty breathing. His chest seemed to be pressed down by a huge rock. His muscles were stretched like a ball of rusty iron and his calves were shaking uncontrollably.

His ears were buzzing, and he was horrified to find that strange and violent emotions were surging out of his chest in all directions. He accidentally pinched his fingers and made a "crackling" sound. It was the first time he experienced the feeling of being possessed by a nightmare while awake.

Chang Geng clearly felt as if there was an invisible hand in his heart, wiping away all the warm feelings in his heart.

At first, Chang Geng was conscious and terrified, thinking: "Is this Wuergu? What happened to me?"

Soon, even his fear disappeared, and his consciousness became blurred. He began to lose track of where he was. Thousands of thoughts surged through his mind like a tide, and a vague murderous intent arose out of nowhere.

For a moment he thought that Gu Yun had left and didn't want him anymore, and for a moment he seemed to see Gu Yun standing in front of him, mocking his helplessness with an expressionless face.

All the negative emotions in Chang Geng's heart were magnified hundreds and thousands of times by the attack of Urgu.

At this moment, Gu Yun seemed to no longer be the little foster father that he held so carefully in his heart, but an enemy that he hated so much that he couldn't wait to catch him and humiliate him severely.

Chang Geng tightly grasped the broken knife hanging on his chest, and his fingers were cut by the sharpened knife, leaving bloody marks.

The unusually clear pain amidst the infinite numbness awakened Chang Geng. He instinctively found a way out and dug his ten fingers into the flesh, leaving a series of bloody wounds on his arm.

By the time the attack of Urgu had subsided, the sun had begun to set.

Chang Geng's clothes were soaked with cold sweat, and his arms and hands were covered in blood. He leaned against the door exhausted, finally experiencing the power of Wuer Gu. He realized how naive he was to think that Wuer Gu was the only thing that gave him nightmares.

This time Xiuniang showed no mercy to him.

The old housekeeper and others were very worried when they saw that he had not come out for a long time and there was no response when they knocked on the door. They kept wandering outside and called him every once in a while.

This bit of popularity made Chang Geng feel better. He blinked his eyelids slightly, and a drop of cold sweat rolled down his forehead and fell on his eyelashes, pressing him so hard that he could hardly open his eyes. "I'm fine, let me be alone for a while."

"You haven't eaten for a whole day," the old butler said. "If the Marquis were here, he would definitely not bear to see you ruining your body like this - even if it's just a bowl of porridge, how about I bring it in for you?"

Chang Geng was exhausted. When he heard him mention Gu Yun, he silently repeated that person in his mind twice, and said with all his strength: "It's okay, Uncle Wang. If I'm hungry, I'll find a midnight snack myself. Don't worry about me."

The old housekeeper heard that although his voice was weak, it was orderly, so he didn't want to persuade him anymore. He turned around and waved to the old servant who was serving Chang Geng, and Madam Cao and Fatty Ge who were peeking out of their heads. Then they all left, looking back every few steps.

Chang Geng sat by the door, and when he looked up he saw the shoulder armor that Gu Yun had hung at the head of his bed.

The thing was dark, cold, and looked inhuman, but it was left by the original owner to dispel his nightmares.

He sat there for an unknown amount of time before the brazier in the room gradually warmed his cold body. Chang Geng regained some strength and got up to clean up his mess. He changed his clothes, found the external injury medicine his master had given him when he was injured during sword practice one day, washed the wound and applied the medicine carefully, then took off Gu Yun's shoulder armor, held it in his arms, and lay on his back on the bed.

He didn't cry.

It could be because he had no strength left, or it could be because he had just bled.

If you choose the path of bleeding, you usually won't be able to shed tears, because a person's body is only so moist and it will always be biased towards one side.

Chang Geng had just fought with the enemy who was destined to tangle with him for the rest of his life. He was defeated miserably and also witnessed how powerful the other party was.

But strangely, he was not afraid, like when he faced the heavily armored barbarians alone in Xiuniang's room in Yanhui Town.

He has a gentle attitude, but nothing can make him give in.

Well...except Gu Yun.

Chang Geng thought weakly: "I hate Gu Yun so much."

Then he tried to put Gu Yun's shoulder armor on himself. He had never worn armor before, and didn't know if it would fit him. He just felt that it was heavier than he thought. He fell asleep with the armor on, and in his dream, there were still thousands of difficulties and obstacles waiting for him.

The next day, Chang Geng announced that he was going out.

The entire Marquis' Mansion was shocked - the scene of the Fourth Prince being carried out of the gate by Marshal Gu on New Year's Eve was still vivid in everyone's mind.

Gu Yun's original words were: "Drag it out for three to five days. By then we will have passed the seven major checkpoints and reached the Northern Frontier. He will have nowhere to chase after us, so he will just behave himself."

But it hadn't even been three or five days, and the old steward was afraid that Chang Geng was going to ask him to prepare a horse and catch up, so he hurriedly said cautiously: "Your Highness, the Black Iron Battalion is different from ordinary troops. They are very fast, and even a thousand-mile divine horse can't catch up. Besides, the army does not allow people without military status to stay. This is the rule passed down by the old marquis. You see..."

Chang Geng calmly replied: "Uncle Wang, I didn't mean to chase him and cause trouble. I'm not an ignorant child."

The old butler: "Then what are you doing..."

Chang Geng: "I want to go to Huguo Temple to visit Master Liaoran. I have already agreed with him."

The old butler's expression became indescribable again.

When the Marshal returns home in the future, if he finds that the young prince has betrayed his country and colluded with the enemy in the Buddhist temple when he is not at home...

The old housekeeper simply couldn't imagine Gu Yun's expression - wouldn't it be like he was cuckolded?

However, the most urgent task at the moment was to make the Marquis' adopted son happier. The old butler had no choice but to grit his teeth and agree. He ordered a row of family soldiers to escort Chang Geng to the Huguo Temple as if facing a great enemy.

It was as powerful as a crowd coming to challenge someone.

Monk Liaoran made tea and was not surprised to see Chang Geng, as if he had expected him to come. He invited him to sit down in a friendly manner, poured him a cup of tea, and asked the young monk to bring paper, pen and brazier for burning paper, as if he was going to have a long talk with him.

It had only been over half a month since they last met, but Monk Liangran discovered that the confusion and anxiety in the eyes of the young man in front of him were gone. Instead, he looked more calm and determined, like a butterfly that had just broken free from the first layer of cocoon.

Chang Geng thanked him, took the tea bowl and took a sip, nearly choking.

Last time the monk said he would serve him good tea, but it turned out to be just a polite remark. He made him a cup of something he didn't know, which was so bitter that it hurt his tongue, and had no tea aroma at all.

Chang Geng: "What is this?"

Monk Liaoran wrote with a smile: "Kuding can clear the eyes and invigorate the blood circulation, relieve restlessness and help sleep."

Chang Geng: "Isn't that Gua Lu? I've drunk it in the Marquis' Mansion, it seems..."

The taste is not so disgusting.

Li Ran: "That is the small leaf, and this is the large leaf Gua Lu."

The big leaf ones sounded quite impressive. Chang Geng was just about to praise them when he saw the monk write down honestly, "The big leaf ones are cheaper."

Chang Geng: “…”

He looked at the monk's tea bowls carefully. They were good bowls, and were brushed very clean. Unfortunately, they had been used for too long, so they were inevitably bumped and scratched, and several of them had been chipped.

Monk Liaoran: "The monastery is crude, Your Highness, please forgive me."

The entire capital city left him with an impression of decadence and extravagance, as if everyone was rich and the city was full of luxurious entertainment. Westerners said that the floor tiles in the Daliang imperial capital were covered with gold, which was actually not an exaggeration.

But for some reason, the few people Chang Geng knew were all poor. Needless to say, Shen Yi was born with a poor and bitter face that showed that he was a descendant of poor farmers for generations. And Marshal Gu, who owned a huge mansion, was just an empty shell. Chu Yi couldn't wait to take Chang Geng to the palace to ask the emperor for money. Now there was also a monk named Liangran who used a notched cup.

Chang Geng said: "The Huguo Temple is very popular, but the master is content with poverty. He is indeed a person who has left the world to practice."

Liao Ran smiled and wrote: "Monks have traveled far and wide, and are used to being down and out. They are not kind to noble people."

Chang Geng asked, "I heard that the master also traveled to foreign countries in the West on an iron dragon. Was it to spread Buddhism?"

Liao Ran: "I am not very knowledgeable and I dare not follow the example of the wandering monks of ancient times. I only go out to see the world and people."

Chang Geng took another mouthful of bitter gourd. The more he tasted it, the more bitter it became. There was no sweet aftertaste. He had no choice but to swallow it down in disappointment. "I grew up in a small border town. I have never left the town. After coming to the capital, I rarely leave the mansion. Am I too content with my own place? But I always feel that the joys, sorrows, anger and happiness in the world are roughly the same. After seeing other people's joys, I still have no place to put my own."

Le Ran: "If your heart is small, worries as big as a house can only squeeze into that small corner. If your heart is as vast as the universe, worries as big as a mountain are just a drop in the ocean."

When Chang Geng heard this, he was stunned for a long time, watching Monk Liaoran put the written papers into the brazier bit by bit to burn them clean.

"Master, you told me the other day, 'If you don't know the suffering, you don't believe in gods and Buddhas.' Now that I know the suffering, I come to ask gods and Buddhas for advice. Could you please give me some pointers?"