Liao Ran was shocked. He never expected that Marquis Anding would come to Huguo Temple one day. He gestured to Chang Geng, "Doesn't Marquis Anding feel unlucky even if he steps on a little incense ash? Today he went deep into the tiger's den. Will he use moxa leaves to wash off a layer of skin when he returns?"

Chang Geng ignored him and an uncomfortable look flashed across his face.

He was not ready to face Gu Yun's questioning.

To be honest, by some strange coincidence, they both thought that they had acted immorally after drinking and had molested each other, and each of them felt guilty.

Liaoran looked at Chang Geng in surprise - because of the need to suppress Wuergu over the years, Chang Geng had practiced his skills in meditation and cultivating his energy to the extreme, and could sit facing the wall in meditation for two or three days without moving. Even Liaoran, the "senior monk", had to admit defeat.

Sometimes, when people who were full of anxiety saw his eyes, they would involuntarily calm down like him. The handsome young man in white was sitting on the old cushion of a poor monk, holding a cloud. He had a feeling of being in a state of tranquility and mystery, but the three words "Marquis of Anding" suddenly broke the ripples.

Chang Geng seemed to be fidgeting and moved a little. He raised his hand inexplicably, not knowing what he wanted to touch. Halfway through, he found Ran staring at him intently. He forced himself to suppress his emotions, put his hand on the teacup, and lowered his head to drink a sip of water to cover up his feelings.

Even Master Liangran, who was used to playing tricks, was puzzled and thought, "Why, is the Marquis here to collect a debt?"

Gu Yun came in quickly, with a look of disgust hanging from his eyes, and he wanted to tiptoe in. He looked at Monk Ran with a frown, and greeted him with a fake smile: "I haven't seen you for a few years. Master, you look much fairer."

Knowing the master's demeanor, he did not argue with him. He put his hands together, stood up and greeted him, and gestured: "Amitabha, the monk's heart is like a mirror, without any dust."

It turns out that you can quote classics even without taking a bath!

Gu Yun seemed to smell something bad again. He could not stay in this place of trouble any longer. He turned to Chang Geng and said, "You have been disturbing the master's meditation for several days. It's time to go home."

Chang Geng's mind, which had finally calmed down, was stirred again by the word "go home". He knew that he would not be able to recite "form is emptiness" even if he stayed under the Bodhi tree, so he had to suppress his anxiety and stood up obediently.

Gu Yun coughed twice due to the smoky sandalwood in the Huguo Temple, and quickly retreated to the outside of the meditation room to wait, watching Chang Geng and Le Ran say goodbye in boredom.

In fact, relatives and friends are sometimes so used to seeing each other that it is difficult for them to notice whether the other person is beautiful or ugly. Gu Yun has always known that Chang Geng is more like his northern barbarian mother, but now after taking a closer look, he finds that this is not entirely true. His facial features are handsome and regular when he grows up, and it is difficult to tell who he looks like at first. He just feels that he is like black jade, which is pleasing to the eye in a different way.

Gu Yun was stunned for a moment, remembering that there were all kinds of people in the martial arts world, especially since the opening of sea transportation, the customs of the people in Daliang were generally open, especially along the coast of the East China Sea, where it was said that homosexuality was also very popular. Chang Geng wore the White Dragon Fish Costume, so there wouldn't be any blind person who would provoke him, right?

So that's why he was so angry that day?

"Yes," Gu Yun's mind was cleared up, and he let his imagination run wild, "If I bite Shen Jiping, he definitely won't take it to heart. He looks so poor, he won't think about it at all. If I bite him, I will suffer the loss."

The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. The more he thought about it, the more embarrassed he felt. He pondered it quickly and decided to play dumb. He said to Chang Geng who was walking over as if nothing had happened, "What took you so long? The cabbage and tofu at Huguo Temple are so delicious?"

Chang Geng saw that he looked calm, and felt relieved. He replied, "Buddhist music and vegetarianism can calm the mind."

"You are so young and you should be dressed in fine clothes and riding a horse. You don't plan to become a monk, so why are you so anxious?" Gu Yun walked side by side with him. He habitually wanted to put his hand on his shoulder, but as soon as he raised his hand, he was afraid that Chang Geng would be suspicious, so he silently retracted it and put it behind his back.

Chang Geng said frankly: "I have considered it."

He once thought that if he cut off all worldly ties and entered the Buddhist monastery, perhaps all his delusions would be dispelled by the boundless Buddhist teachings.

"What?" Gu Yun paused. He didn't react at first. After a moment's pause, he said in disbelief, "...You said you wanted to become a monk?"

Chang Geng rarely saw surprise on his face, so he smiled and said, "I just thought about it, but I didn't dare to really go."

Gu Yun thought: "Nonsense, if you dare, I will break your legs."

But Chang Geng is no longer the helpless little adopted son who was sheltered by him in the Marquis's Mansion. After he was crowned, he was given the title of Prince of a County. Now he still calls him "adoptive father", which is out of affection, not status. Gu Yun can't treat him as his real son anymore, so he didn't say that just now.

His face darkened slightly and he asked, "Why?"

Chang Geng politely exchanged greetings with the young monk who was walking towards him, and replied calmly: "When I was young, I grew up looking at the words "I can't avoid the world" in my adoptive father's room. Later, I traveled all over the mountains and rivers with my master. I have only just tasted the difficulties and dangers of the world. How dare I retreat? I was born in this world. Although I am born with limited talents and may not be able to achieve immortal achievements like the sages, I should at least not let down the heavens and myself..."

……and you.

Chang Geng kept the last two words in his throat and didn't say them out loud.

Back then, Xiuniang dragged him behind the horse but failed to kill him, and the black bones entangled him but failed to drive him crazy until now. Chang Geng sometimes felt that only by swimming against the wind and waves and going to a place where he could respect himself, could he be worthy of his little godfather who would think of him a little in his dreams at midnight.

Gu Yun's expression calmed down a bit, but he still asked unhappily, "Then why do you always go among the monks?"

Chang Geng evaded the question casually, "I went to have tea with Master Ran. Sometimes I have a lot of internal heat and can't sleep well. Didn't Miss Chen prescribe me a tranquilizer? I put it in my pocket, but I suddenly couldn't find it these past two days."

Gu Yun was speechless.

Chang Geng: "I don't know where it fell."

Gu Yun looked pale——There was someone who was really talking about things that were not related to the topic.

Marshal Gu was silent for a while under the torment of his conscience, but he still took out the small cowhide sachet from his arms and handed it to Chang Geng without saying a word: "Here."

Chang Geng: “…”

This shock came unexpectedly, and Chang Geng, who had accidentally caught himself in a cocoon, almost bit his tongue. The Yanbei King, who had just "traveled all over the mountains and rivers" with the demeanor of a master, suddenly broke out in a layer of white sweat on his palms, and stammered, "Why, why are you at my foster father's place?"

Marshal Gu, with his tough-as-nails face, said calmly, "I don't know how it fell on my bed. I might have been drunk that day and accidentally pulled it off for you."

Chang Geng looked at him fearfully.

Gu Yun shamelessly pretended to be innocent and asked, "What's wrong?"

Chang Geng shook his head hurriedly, feeling relieved, knowing that the matter was over, and they could still be together as frankly and intimately as before. However, at the same time, he couldn't help but feel a little secretly lost.

Seeing that he looked different, Gu Yun thought that Chang Geng was still bothered, so he asked in a flattering tone, "I forgot to tell you a few days ago that the emperor wants you to attend court affairs. What kind of job does he want? I'll find a way for you."

Chang Geng quickly gathered his thoughts and said in a serious tone, "Each of the six ministries has its own sphere of influence. It is not convenient for me to go in and disrupt the situation. I have been neither good at literature nor martial arts over the years, and I am used to being idle. If the emperor really wants me to have a hearing, I will just listen - or let me follow Lord Jiang of the Dali Temple to investigate the case."

Gu Yun didn't know if this was the answer Chang Geng was thinking, but it was definitely what the emperor wanted to hear. He felt a little distressed for a moment and didn't want to send Chang Geng to Emperor Long'an to be humiliated.

But that is impossible. His surname is Li. Even if he becomes a leisurely prince who enjoys a romantic life in the future, it is impossible for him to hide in the Marquis of Anding's Mansion all his life.

"If you want to go to the Dali Temple, you can wait for a while, but don't go there recently," Gu Yun said, "The emperor is investigating the black market for purple gold recently, and Lord Jiang is in a mess. It's already chaotic enough, so don't get involved, and don't involve Linyuan Pavilion."

Chang Geng said "Oh", not surprised by the news: "So soon? The emperor really can't wait. A few days ago, I was wondering when the emperor would restart the Rongjin Order."

Gu Yun: "How do you know?"

"Guess." Light snow began to fall in the sky. Chang Geng picked up an oil-paper umbrella from the door of a monk's house. The umbrella was small, and Chang Geng kept pushing it towards Gu Yun. Soon, his shoulders exposed were covered with a layer of light snowflakes. He did not brush them off, but continued to walk slowly, as if he was enjoying it. "Actually, it can't be considered a guess. My foster father thought that the emperor, the late emperor, and even the martial emperor - although they all had their own wisdom and bravery, they were all the same in terms of purple gold. They regarded this thing as a major concern."

Gu Yun had always regarded him as a junior. The first time he walked side by side with him and listened to his ideas, he found them quite fresh, so he did not interrupt and just listened.

"When I was a kid in Yanhui Town, I saw with my own eyes how the imperial court wasted money and resources for the purple gold. Over the years, I have been wondering why it has to be strictly controlled. If everyone could buy and sell purple gold as freely as buying food or tearing cloth, wouldn't there be no black market?" Chang Geng shook his head. "Later, I realized that it was impossible. To be honest, no matter who is the emperor, whether he is wise or foolish, whether he is weak or militant, he must not allow the purple gold to be traded among the people. Otherwise, from now on, big merchants, foreigners, barbarians, even officials who control some resources, thieves who do evil... everyone will hold such a knife in their hands."

Gu Yun: "Like those bandits in southern Xinjiang."

"That's right," Chang Geng continued, "This is just the black market, just bandits, and just a few hilltops in southern Xinjiang. What if it expands to the entire territory of Daliang? What if everyone has a 'knife' in their hands? The court cannot take into account the interests of everyone. By then, it will inevitably suppress one thing and another, and will be constrained by the 'biggest knife'. In this way, everyone will want to hold this dragon-slaying sword. They will fight and annex each other lawlessly, just like raising a Gu. When the Gu King comes out, who will own the country?"

Gu Yun frowned: "Chang Geng, I'll just listen to these words, don't mention them to others - then according to what you mean, is it imperative to restart the Rongjin Order?"

"That's not the case. In fact, it's best to continue the previous emperor's moderate control over the purple gold. Once it's stabilized, we can solve the urgent silver problem first. Since the implementation of the farming puppets, a lot of grain produced each year has rotted in the granaries. The price of rice has become cheaper and cheaper. Those who hoarded grain have changed to storing gold and silver. The little gold and silver in total have all been stored in the granaries, so the treasury naturally can't be enriched. Silver can't be conjured out of thin air. Increasing the coinage now seems to be a drop in the ocean. We can only rely on foreigners. Once the ancient Silk Road is fully opened, my adoptive father will be an immortal hero, and even suppressing a hundred rebellions cannot make up for it."

"Having money is like having a beam in a house and a backbone in a person. Then we can simmer it over low heat and adjust the internal affairs bit by bit. Although there are still problems, the situation will not be intensified. A hundred years of peace and prosperity can be guaranteed. After a smooth transition of one or two generations, perhaps a way out can be found." Chang Geng said this and sighed slightly. "Unfortunately, two rebellions within a few years were related to the black market. It is not surprising that the emperor overreacted. So I have always suspected that the events in the East China Sea and South Xinjiang were not accidental. I am using the power of Linyuan Pavilion to investigate. I just vaguely touched a clue, but they are too cunning. Godfather, you must be careful."

Gu Yun didn't say anything for a long time after listening to him, and it was hard to tell whether he was happy or angry on his face. Chang Geng didn't bother him, and slowly accompanied him out of the Huguo Temple. The sound of evening drums rang out in the temple, lingering in the mountains. There was no sound of birds far and near, and the snow on the mountains rustled silently.

General Zhong Chan had the ability to stabilize the country, but he could not teach a minister to rule the country and bring peace to the world. For the first time, Gu Yun felt a deep regret in his heart and thought, "Why did he have the surname Li?"

If his surname was not Li, it would have been easy for him to pass the imperial examination and enter the officialdom. He might have risen to a high position and become a famous minister of the future, instead of speaking a few words to himself in this shabby temple, claiming that he only wanted to be a vase-like idle prince.

…It’s all fate.

Chang Geng: "The weather is bad, and my godfather is wearing thin clothes. Don't ride a horse when you go back. Take my car instead."

Gu Yun was distracted, and when he heard him speak, he suddenly turned his head, and unexpectedly met Chang Geng's gaze. Gu Yun's heart suddenly "skipped", he had never noticed that Chang Geng looked at him like this before, that gaze was extremely focused, and slightly reflected a light snow light, as if he wanted to take him in.

Chang Geng was stunned at first, then quickly looked away, lowered his head and shook his sleeves in an attempt to cover up his mistake. His sleeves were already wet and stuck to his hands. Gu Yun then realized that half of Chang Geng's shoulders were covered with a layer of cold water vapor from the snow, but he not only didn't say a word, but also accompanied him for a slow stroll.

Gu Yun reached out and touched it, and it felt cold: "You..."

When he raised his hand, Chang Geng tensed up slightly. Although it was only for a moment, it did not escape Gu Yun's eyes.

Gu Yun was a bit casual in private - that is, he was heartless and rarely paid attention to minor details, but the embarrassment from that day after drinking was still there, which made him involuntarily sensitive.

"Is it an illusion?" Gu Yun thought doubtfully and got on the carriage.

The waiter in the car had turned on the heater, so Gu Yun leaned aside and closed his eyes to rest. Half asleep and half awake, he suddenly felt someone approaching. He didn't open his eyes, and then he felt Chang Geng put a thin blanket on him, as light as a feather, as if afraid to wake him up - Shen Yi always threw things directly at him, even the most considerate personal soldiers did not have such gentle and caring actions.

Gu Yun's sleepiness disappeared in an instant, and he closed his eyes and continued to pretend. He didn't dare to move at all. His neck was stiff, and he always felt that a pair of eyes were staring at him.

There is probably no one in the world who can hide his thoughts perfectly, it's just that we lack a little bit of meticulous observation.

Gu Yun's heart tightened quietly, and he couldn't help but secretly observe Chang Geng. After a few days, instead of dispelling his inexplicable doubts, he became more and more frightened.

Besides this, he also had to worry about Rongjin Ling and the emperor's crackdown on the purple gold black market, while at the same time he had to find ways to rescue Fenghan Gong, the top official in Lingshu Academy. He was exhausted and miserable.

On the twenty-third day of the first lunar month, Gu Yun saw off Shen Yi in the suburbs of Beijing as he was leaving for his new post in the southwest.

On the twenty-fifth day of the first lunar month, the emperor went to the Imperial Garden. For some reason, the dragon chariot broke down on the way. A word from the eunuch reminded the emperor of the time when Fenghan knelt on the ground to help him adjust the steam dragon chariot. The emperor's anger was mostly gone. After a little inquiry, he heard that the old man was alone and helpless. During the days in prison, except for the students from Lingshu Academy who came to see him, there was not even a family member who brought him food. The emperor was in a good mood, and after hearing this, he felt a little pity for the old man, so he sighed and ordered people to release Zhang Fenghan and only fined him half a year as a punishment, and let the matter go.

After these two issues were resolved, Gu Yun felt that he could not stay in the capital for another day, so he immediately submitted a petition to return to Loulan.

It was indeed time for him to leave, and the emperor had no objection and approved it that same day.

On the first day when Gu Yun was packing to leave, it was already late at night. Gu Yun had just finished drinking the medicine and lay down. Although Chang Geng gave him an acupuncture, it only relieved the headache and could not cure it. Just when he was tossing and turning, someone suddenly came from the palace and summoned Marquis Anding to the palace to meet the emperor overnight.

Maybe it was the effect of the drug or something else, but Gu Yun's eyelids suddenly twitched.