Volume 1 | North Bird Does Not Return
“This cousin … will be watching you”
Chang Geng couldn’t help saying that. On his way here, there were countless people sneaking up to glance at him, he felt as if he would sink under their gaze, but he still couldn’t see the resemblance between him and the man lying on the bed, not even a single hair.
He heard Gu Yun approaching his ear and said softly, “Just say one word, whether it’s real or fake, just once.”
Chang Geng turned and looked into the eyes of his little Yifu. His gaze was very clear and cold, and there were no signs of traces of tears 一 not even pretense. She looks beautiful and cruel at the same time.
This seemingly cruel person sighed and whispered, “I’m begging you.”
Even if there were more conflicts in Chang Geng’s heart, there were more questions he did not know, after hearing this sentence, he had no choice but to compromise. He thought, ‘Maybe just let this fake item comfort him.’
He lowered his eyes and said with not much heart put into it, “Royal Father.”
Emperor Yuan He’s eyes suddenly lit up, as though he was trying to gather all the life force he had left behind to create a beam of light, his gaze resembled fireworks that illuminated the entire room. As if, almost no matter how long he saw Chang Geng, it was still not enough, after a while, he quietly spoke,
“I give … give you the name ‘Min’, hope my son will grow up to be bright and fair, peaceful and free from worries …. hope you will be safe and healthy for a lifetime … for hundreds of years … Do you have a first name? “
• [旻 mín] 一 It means heaven, sky.
“Yes, I’m called Chang Geng.”
Emperor Yuan He’s lips slightly twitched, there was a voice coming out of his throat but for a while he could not say anything.
Gu Yun had to step forward and help the old Emperor, pat him on the back and let him spit. He trembled gasping for breath, panting as he lay, his thin and weak hand grabbed Gu Yun’s wrist.
Gu Yun, “Your subject is here.”
Emperor Yuan He’s voice sounded similar to a broken pipe, “His brothers are all grown up, only my Chang Geng, … I can’t see him grow up …”
Gu Yun seems to feel something. Making eye contact with the Emperor, one old one young one 一 one with tears still wet, one with complete calm, they only exchanged glances, but it seemed like a hidden agreement had been made between them.
Gu Yun, “Your subject understands.”
“I entrust this child to you, Zi Xi, I have no one else, I can only trust you, you have to take care of him for me …,” Emperor Yuan He’s voice grew louder and lower, his words became quite incomprehensible near the end . Gu Yun can quite understand what he means by difficulty.
“I want to give her royal status … Where did you find it?”
Gu Yun, “Yanhui City of the Northern Border.”
“Yanhui …,” Emperor Yuan He repeated this name to himself,
“I have never been to that area, how far away it will be … then … submit … submit my edict …. the fourth son of the Emperor, Li Min, will be given the title of Yan Bei Wang, but … but not now, we must wait until he reaches formal age … “
• Yan (bird) 一 taken from ‘Yanhui town’ (return bird),
Bei from ‘Northern,’ Yan Bei means ‘Northern Bird.’
Gu Yun listened calmly, usually for the status of the kingdom of Great Liang, a title consisting of one character called Qin Wang. For example, the Second Prince was given the title “Wei Wang”. A title consisting of two characters called Jun Wang 一 they were slightly lower in status compared to the previous one, usually separated from the royal family.
Emperor Yuan He, “I don’t want to be unfair to him, but I can no longer defend him, I must prevent his brothers from feeling dissatisfied in the future …… Zi Xi, do you understand why we have to wait until he reaches the age to inherit his title? “
Gu Yun nodded after a pause.
Chang Geng didn’t know what kind of puzzle they were playing, his heart involuntarily pounding like he was crazy, as if he could feel something entering.
Emperor Yuan He, “Because I want to make a decree, let Chang Geng be your adopted son. This is not a custom, but I don’t have anyone else to rely on, I have to stop the practice of the previous generation and let it depend on you for several years without a title and no status….
“Zi Xi, you have to be nice to her, even if you have your own children in the future, don’t ignore her, she’s already in her teenage years, she won’t trouble you much longer … When it’s time for her to be crowned, she going to his own manor as a prince … I’ve also chosen the right location for that …”
When he came to this part, Emperor Yuan He was suddenly hit with a hard cough, Gu Yun wanted to reach out and help him but the man waved his hand.
The old emperor saw Chang Geng’s pale skin, and the more he saw it, the more he became heartbroken.
He thought, why can’t a good kid like this stay by his side?
After all the troubles and hardships that went through to find him, why couldn’t he see it for long?
Emperor Yuan He averted his eyes from Chang Geng, like a weak and cowardly child, he said to Gu Yun instead, “He must have been hit by the weather and tired from a long journey, let the boy rest, I want to have a few words with you.”
Gu Yun sent Chang Geng to the door and handed it to a guard. He whispered in his ear, “Rest first, wait for me to come see you later.”
Chang Geng said nothing and quietly followed the guards’ directions. He could not describe how he felt in his heart.
This time, he officially and formally became Gu Yun’s adopted son. That should be a good thing, but he couldn’t make himself feel good.
After all, the authoritative words of the ruler had been given, there was no room for him to refuse. He was not permitted to refuse, and he was not permitted to say a word in this matter.
He could only bow his head and walk in small steps, away from the palace filled with the aura of medicine and death. But only after a few steps, Chang Geng unconsciously looked back at Gu Yun and saw that the man turned to the side and went inside. The young Marquis of Order has a side profile as beautiful as a painting.
Heavy formal clothing is wrapped around it, releasing a sense of self-calm that cannot be said in a few words, causing a bitter feeling to rise up in one’s chest.
What do you think? Chang Geng smiled mockingly and thought to himself, ‘A few days ago you were only the son of a mayor from a small town, with a mother who tortured you and gave you poison. Today you are the adopted son of the Marquis of Order, you can’t even dream of extraordinary things like this. ‘
He just laughed to himself, helpless with all the things that happened around him. The thirteen-year-old boy walked through the dim palace corridor, with a total of nine hundred and eighty-one steps 一 way for him to be remembered for a lifetime.
The gate was once again tightly closed, the incense burner with steam beside the bed emitting white smoke.
Emperor Yuan He spoke to Gu Yun who knelt beside him, “I remember in your childhood, you were very close to A Yan, you two have a close age, when standing together, you two are similar to a pair of jade dolls.”
At the mention of the third prince, Gu Yun’s expression finally changed, “Your subject is very stubborn, not at all comparable to the Third Prince, who has been refined and had an understanding of manners at a young age.”
“You are not stubborn,” Emperor Yuan He stopped, then repeated in a low voice. “Not stubborn … If only A Yan was similar to you, not even one bit, he would not die so young. Dragons give birth to dragons, phoenix-born phoenixes, any kind of seed will grow into the same tree as that , Zi Xi , the blood that flows in your body is the true iron blood line of the Emperors of the Emperors …”
Gu Yun, “Your subject is scared.”
Emperor Yuan He waved his hand, “There are no outsiders today, I want to say a few honest words to you. Zi Xi, you are naturally born to expand the territory. Even the wolf will tremble and prostrate before you, but I’ m always worried because You are too covered with a strong cruel and deadly aura, this will have a detrimental effect on your future.”
There were rumors coming from ordinary people that Gu Yun’s grandfather from his mother’s side 一 Emperor Wu 一 had committed too many murders in his life, causing him to fall into a grim fate, losing all of his children one by one.
“Wei Wang’s ambition may be great, but with you on guard, the country that will belong to the Crown Prince in the future is not too worrying, I only care about you … you must listen to my words, all the good things in This world can turn bad once there is too much, you must respect and build your blessings for the time to come … The old Abbot of Hu Guo Temple can be considered watching over you since you were young, Buddhist teachings are unlimited. break time, you have to go visit the place for a while. “
The old bald donkey from Hu Guo Temple has a crow’s beak; he once said that Gu Yun endured a calamity star, had a bad relationship with family relatives 一 parents, siblings, spouse, and children. Because of this, Gu Yun always refused to enter the temple.
At this moment when he heard the Emperor mention this problem, Gu Yun reminded himself, ‘Yes that’s right, I almost forgot the bald old man, I had to wait for an opportunity to appear and settle all loans with him at once, set fire to the fake temple and its rotten fool people. ‘
The reason for his deep hatred was not because he had a small heart. That year after the death of the Old Marquis, the Emperor also used the argument “a heavy killing intent would bring bad omens” to weaken the Black Iron Camp.
However, in recent years, there have been sightings of “dragons” belonging to foreign countries that often travel to the Great Liang Sea. From the Northern Border to the Western Region, and even the East Sea from thousands of miles away 一 not a single Great Liang region can be free from the greedy eyes of foreign enemies, like hungry tigers facing their prey.
• The dragon in this story is a type of ship that travels at sea. Kite in ‘Giant Kite’ and so on, it’s not a bird 一 what more a kite 一 but a ship that can fly, travel in the sky.
Too many killings can bring bad omen so does that mean that a fallen country, every place everywhere is engulfed in fire and war smoke, straying people, dead bodies floating for miles 一 can be seen as peace and prosperity ?
If Marshal Gu and the Black Iron Camp were as sentimental as the distant cousins here, then for the innocent civilians of this great country, who should they rely on to defend their territory?
Are we going to use the Imperial Palace scholars to ‘conquer people with morality’?
To tell the truth, not only did Gu Yun want to fight, he also wanted to give them a battle to remember once and for all. It would be better to completely eradicate the Western Region, marching through the threshold of Western strangers who spend their days craving the Central Plains, leaving them frightened and never daring to see another nation’s beautiful nation again.
When the Western uprising situation was over, Gu Yun once made a request for this. But maybe the Emperor thought that he had turned mad, he actually refused this request, but not only refused, he also used the strange task of “finding the Fourth Prince” to send him to the Northern Border.
Of course, the Emperor did not foresee; he held Gu Yun in the North Border, Gu Yun caught the Barbarian Prince back for him.
For some people, the star of the massacre shines directly in their heads, and if only they were not loyal generals who helped expand the territory, they would definitely return to bring disaster in their own country and people.
Sentimental emperors and cold-hearted young generals 一 one sat, one lay on the side of a narrow bed, digging deep into his heart one last time, but in the end, none of them could convince the other party.
Emperor Yuan He looked into his cold eyes and suddenly felt an enormous sadness.
The old emperor thought, if he was not greedy for imperial power, then wouldn’t he just be a prince who walked casually with dogs?
Then he will not meet the woman whose fate has been decided. Maybe he will give love for the rest of his life to others, and he does not need to spend years and years of his life separated from his wife and children.
Such a throne is full of thorns and shins, maybe only people who are determined to kill and are determined like the Marquis of Order are qualified to sit on it?
Emperor Yuan He whispered, “Zi Xi … Zi Xi ah ….”
Gu Yun’s expression which was thrown in iron suddenly trembled, his eyelids slightly slumped down, his straight shoulders became a little softer, no longer so stiff with inhumane.
Emperor Yuan He asked, “Do you hate me?”
Gu Yun, “Your subject is not brave.”
Emperor Yuan He asked again, “Then will you remember me in the future?”
Gu Yun closed his mouth.
The old emperor looked at him, he didn’t let go and kept pressing, “Why aren’t you talking?”
Gu Yun was silent for a moment, no one could show the slightest bit of sadness on his face,
“If His Majesty also leaves, Zi Xi will no longer have any family members left.”
Emperor Yuan He’s chest felt as if it had been gripped by an invisible hand for a moment. He had never heard this little rascal say such warm words before in his life. Just this one sentence can almost erase all the frustration and affection between two generations that have never been spoken out loud before, leaving a vague regret and alienation in the flow of time that continues to flow because they have to part from each other.
At this moment, a servant at the door cautiously reminded, “Your Majesty, it’s time for medicine.”
Gu Yun recovered quickly. When he looked up again, he had again become a deadly and incomparable weapon hidden in human form, “Your Majesty, please take care of yourself, I will leave now.”
Emperor Yuan He suddenly opened his mouth again and called out his nickname, “Xiao Shiliu!”
Gu Yun stopped in his tracks.
Emperor Yuan He struggled to reach under the pillow and found a bundle of old wooden bead bracelets, “Come here, give me your hand.”
Gu Yun looked at the old man who put a worthless Buddha bracelet on his wrist while panting, complicated emotions rising into his heart.
“This cousin … will be watching you,” Emperor Yuan He said quietly as he patted the back of his hand.
Gu Yun’s heart was too painful to hold him in and could no longer maintain his composure, he could only quickly ask to resign.
•••••
Three days later, the Emperor died.
Judges and military officers and thousands of civilians once again bid farewell to an era.
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Fragrant Incense 8 