杀破狼 / Sha Po Lang by Priest

If the iron puppets can completely replace people, what else do people need to be used for? The land rented by the tenants also belonged to the local officials. In the first few years, these people may still agree to feed the idling farmers for old time's sake, but how many years can it last?"

The puppets undergoing test run were assigned to Nanjing by the Imperial Court. The squires could register their names and bring one back. They were also responsible for the subsequent maintenance of the puppets. If the tenants wish to continue doing the planting themselves, they were free to do so; if not, they could give up the land they rented to the puppets. When the harvesting season arrives in the coming year, the rent would be increased by 10% to compensate for the burning coals and the small amount of Ziliujin the puppets used.

Perhaps Gu Yun felt that apologizing in words was not enough, so he expressed it in action 一 he sent all the good stuff he was able to gather this year back to the manor, giving them all to Chang Geng: from jewelry, treasures to weapons, some with flaws and imperfections, so on and so forth.

"If one's heart is small, all their sufferings even as large as a house, can only be crammed into that small corner. But if one's heart were as vast as heaven and earth, then even if their troubles were as large as a mountain, they would become nothing more than a droplet of water in the endless sea."

But this time, the concern and anxiety that had been accumulating in his heart since moving to the capital could finally no longer be contained inside; they could not help but come bursting out like water out of the floodgate.
Chang Geng's heart was as clear as a mirror; he had always been aware that his existence was unnecessary. He did not intend to get involved. It was destined for him to be an insignificant chess piece, like in the dark river of Yanhui Town, dragged away involuntarily.
He was blindfolded by the false sense of peace and happiness these few days, and greed had risen inside him. He wanted to grab hold of something, deceived himself, and refused to think about the future.
What more do you wish for? Chang Geng placed a hand on his chest and asked himself. You want too much.

Gu Yun was also distressed. Since he had inadvertently revealed that he might have to return to the frontier, Chang Geng became completely different. Previously, he had always been diligent with martial arts practice, but now he started to risk his life for it. He had injured his wrist the other day, becoming swollen like a steam bun. In the afternoon, he insisted on going out for archery regardless of his wound, making his martial arts instructor so frightened that day by day, he had to find Gu Yun to apologize.
Gu Yun felt that Chang Geng was a bit too clingy to him. Were the father and son of other families also this nauseous?

Ling Shu Institute has gotten their hands on a new puppet design from the Western foreigners; it can be used to do planting work in place of people, quite amazing. This year, they plan to promote this product in Jiangnan first. Ziliujin also has a new place to be distributed to.

Emperor Long An wished to send him to represent Great Liang and sign a trade treaty with the Western Pope's messenger. The border of the Western Regions now opened a market, and if things went smoothly as planned, they would extend it to a larger scale.

Chang Geng was dumbfounded as he heard this. After a while, he asked with distress: "Is yifu not going to bring me along?"
"Ah?" Gu Yun did not understand. "What am I bringing you along for?"
Chang Geng's footsteps came to a halt.
Before this day, Chang Geng never considered this situation.
From Yanhui to the capital, they have always been together. Chang Geng did not realize that once his little yifu led his troops back to the northwest again, they would be separated from each other by half of Central Plains.
In the blink of an eye, Chang Geng's heart was plunged into a spiral of thoughts - in the eyes of his yifu, he was only just a child who wasn't well-versed in either literary or martial arts. The soldiers going to the frontier were equipped with armors and weapons; who would bring a family member as a burden along with them?

That is the head monk's younger martial brother, Master Liao Ran