Gu Yun's heart sank, and after a moment he suddenly realized something. He looked down at the blurry medicine bowl in front of him with a bit of confusion.

He did not panic, because he had known that this day would come, but he still found it difficult to fully accept it at once - everyone knows that they will die sooner or later, and when the time comes to close their eyes, most people still will not be so willing.

In front of the chaotic Liangjiang garrison, the aggressive enemy had already retreated, but the enemy attack alarm had not been lifted, and the sharp whistle was still echoing everywhere, but to Gu Yun's ears, the sound was like a distant sigh.

His world was blurry and quiet. In his eyes, the black ink and white paper on the table were just two blocks of color with blurred boundaries.

Gu Yun sat motionless at the table for a full moment, then subconsciously held the string of beads left to him by the late emperor. It was strange to say, Gu Yun had been in the frontier for a long time, and was often on the move, so he was bound to encounter bumps and bruises in his daily life. The string that strung the beads had broken several times, but he always found them again without exception. Up to now, the string had been changed three times, but not a single bead was lost, and a layer of moisture was still condensed on his slightly protruding wrist bone.

...It was as if the person who loved him and hurt him was really watching him.

Gu Yun was hit by the wooden bead and finally came back to his senses.

Without saying a word, he took out an emergency glass mirror from his bosom and put it on. Then he tapped the medicine bowl lightly with his fingers, breaking it into pieces. Gu Yun gathered the fragments together and swept them into the corner, turned around and sat down, calmly writing a memorial and a transfer order, and then asked someone to deliver the letter.

Yao Zhen just happened to follow the messenger in. When he looked up, he saw the glasses on Gu Yun's face and asked in confusion: "Why, haven't you had time to drink the Marshal's medicine yet?"

Gu Yun was now very good at reading lips, and replied nonchalantly: "I accidentally dropped the bowl - never mind, no need to boil it again, it's not a big deal, even if I'm completely blind, I can still handle these foreigners."

Yao Zhen tilted his head to glance at the broken porcelain pieces in the corner. He felt that something might happen, but he couldn't figure it out after thinking for a long time. He could only say to Gu Yun: "If something happens here, I'm afraid the situation in the capital will change again."

Gu Yun hummed, "Brother Zhongze, please send an urgent summons to the Northern Frontier and ask Shen Jiping to come over. I need to adjust the deployment of the four borders, and Chen..."

He suddenly stopped after saying the word "Chen". Yao Zhen asked in confusion: "Who?"

"No one." Gu Yun shook his head, "Go ahead."

Chang Geng's ur bone was still tied to Chen Qingxu, and he didn't want to distract her.

In the evening of that day, an urgent war report was delivered to the capital. Li Feng immediately sent people to the Huguo Temple to bring Chang Geng back. The entire West Warm Pavilion was once again filled with important officials of the court.

Chang Geng's eyelids were twitching wildly. On the way back to the palace, he felt that something had happened and his heart was in turmoil. When someone handed him the battle report from the front line, Chang Geng held his breath and read the short report over and over again seven or eight times - he was sure that it was written by Gu Yun himself, concise and clear, with each word neat and powerful. At least when he wrote this letter, the man was still fine.

Chang Geng finally let out the breath stuck in his throat. He calmed himself down, closed his eyes slightly, and thought to himself, "I'm almost scared to death by myself."

He came to his senses and began to feel more confident - this war in the Liangjiang region, which was led by the enemy, was definitely a good thing for him.

Once the war becomes tense, if Fang Qin and his men dare to clamor for the abolition of the Grand Council again, not only Li Feng but also the troops stationed in the four borders of Daliang will not agree. At that time, they will have more room for maneuver.

In the end, it was his enemies who helped him succeed.

Fang Qin was extremely upset. He had been restless day and night for the past six months and had worked hard to connect the noble families who were completely scattered. He had finally achieved some temporary victory after all his efforts. The calls for abolishing the Grand Council were getting louder and louder. Seeing that Prince Yan was beginning to be unable to take care of himself and his left and right arms were both busy with affairs, he was just one step away from giving the fallen dog a beating - but the Westerners suddenly kicked up a fuss at this moment!

If it was Daliang who took the initiative to attack, they could still blame Marquis Anding for his "warmongering", but this time the night attack was initiated by the enemy.

"Abolish the Military Affairs Council," Li Feng received a dozen memorials from the eunuch, "reduce military spending, and strictly investigate the unscrupulous merchants who occupy land..."

There was complete silence in the West Warm Pavilion.

Li Feng suddenly threw a dozen notes to the ground and said, "The Westerners haven't left yet, and you guys are here to help them!"

Fang Qin gritted his teeth and swallowed back all the words in his heart. He wanted to take the initiative, but was blocked by Li Feng.

If anyone speaks without thinking at this time, he might be accused of treason and collaborating with the enemy.

Li Feng's eyes fell on Chang Geng. "And you, you feel wronged, right? You ignored your work when someone said a few words to you, and you came back home in anger. You are a big boss, do you have any other tricks? There is no one in the Grand Military Affairs Office all day long, and there are only two sweepers at the door. Li Min, I tell you, get back to the Grand Military Affairs Office tomorrow! Otherwise, you don't have to come back!"

A group of important officials from the Grand Council knelt down with Prince Yan to plead guilty.

Li Feng ignored them and made them kneel. He turned to the Dali Temple and said, "Jiang Hanshi was born in the Dali Temple. He is your former superior. Why can't you do it when I asked you to investigate his old case? Do you plan to delay it until the New Year?"

In the face of this sudden disaster, the Dali Temple Chief did not dare to say a word and knelt down together with the Military Affairs Office next door.

Li Feng singled out a number of important officials and scolded them severely. Fang Qin was one of the few who had nothing to do with the matter and was let off by the emperor with a few words. Compared with Prince Yan who knelt down and was not allowed to stand up again, Li Feng's attitude towards him could almost be described as being pleasant. He only said to him, "Lord Fang, the Western army is not here with good intentions. We cannot fall behind because of logistics. You are in charge of the Ministry of Revenue, so you should pay more attention."

Fang Qin had no choice but to lower his head and say "yes", as if someone had poured a bucket of cold water over him from head to toe - he realized that after this night, his business of so long would be ruined.

The deserted Grand Council became busy again and began to work day and night.

The first thing Prince Yan did when he returned to the Military Affairs Office was to tell everyone, "The situation on the border has been tense recently. Please put state affairs first. Sometimes you have to endure the grievances you deserve. You will be rewarded for your grievances. Remember what I said. Don't worry about Brother Hanshi. Since the emperor has spoken today, he will be safe in a few days."

Everyone looked at him in silence.

Chang Geng continued, "We can't play the beacon ticket trick anymore. Think about how to make a move on Long'an Silver Shop. I said before that we need to get three things from those people - the cash in their hands, the land under their feet, and the people who can see the world. The first thing is almost certain. The second thing will shake their foundation and they will definitely counterattack. If you can hold on, the third thing... and everything else will come naturally."

At this time, someone asked, "Your Majesty, are you still going to investigate the corruption of the imperial merchants, big and small, and the collusion between officials and businessmen in various places?"

"Focus on the war and the people's livelihood. If there are villains who insist on blocking your way, you don't have to swallow your anger. Just do what you should do. As for the rest... I will take care of it for you." Chang Geng tossed his sleeves, "Go and get busy. Give me a plan tomorrow."

As soon as he finished speaking, it seemed like a final guarantee. The entire Grand Council, Lingshuyuan, Canal Office... the wealthy businessmen with huge financial resources and the upstarts in the court who occupied half of the country, all revolved around this backbone and performed their duties in an orderly manner.

Five days later, Jiang Chong's case was settled and he was reinstated. The troops stationed in Liangjiang issued a manifesto to "fight against the foreign invaders and recover the homeland". Within five days, they exchanged fire with the Western army three times and refused to give an inch.

At the same time, Gu Yun ordered the adjustment of the garrison structure throughout the territory, and issued seven orders in one day, all of which had to be filed with the Military Affairs Office. This made walking in the Military Affairs Office really like "walking", and even bringing up a gust of wind when passing by.

At four o'clock in the morning, Chang Geng lay on the table in a daze and took a nap for a while, but his sleep was not sound - because of Wuergu, even if he wanted to have a clear nightmare, he had to get "the right time, the right place and the right people", otherwise it would be basically a mess of dreams, and the loud noise of someone flipping through a book next door would wake him up.

Wuergu was the name of the evil god. Most of the time, when he just woke up, his heart was full of restlessness and anger. However, on this day, the footsteps outside the door woke Chang Geng up. He suddenly sat up from his arms, but his heart was beating wildly. He was not as irritable as usual, but panicked and sad. There were even some tear marks on his sleeves.

Just then, someone at the door said, "Prince, there is a letter from Jiangnan."

Chang Geng took a deep breath calmly and said, "Bring it here."

It was still Gu Yun's big move - he planned to increase troops in the southwest, without saying why, but he explained in detail the garrison positions, commanders, military coordination, food and grass transportation routes, etc. Chang Geng read it hastily, and didn't quite understand the strategic layout. He didn't see the reason, so he dealt with it routinely and put it aside.

Then he discovered that there was a private letter from Gu Yun underneath.

It was called a private message, but it was actually just a piece of paper with the following words written on it: "It's been a long time since we last met. I miss you so much."

Gu Yun's letters were either romantic or obscene, either overtly flirtatious or repressed. He rarely said "I miss you" in a serious tone. Chang Geng was startled at that moment, and all his sleepiness disappeared. He felt as if the words on the paper had turned into an arrow that pierced through his chest, piercing him through without any buffer.

He wished he could take back all the bold words he had said before, throw all the military secrets aside, and rush to see Gu Yun regardless of everything.

But that's impossible.

Chang Geng suddenly pinched the note in his palm, then rolled it up carefully after a moment and put it into his purse. He tried to calm down and read through the many regulations of Long'an Silver House drafted by the Military Affairs Office. However, those neat handwritings lay out in front of him, but none of them caught his eye. After an incense stick of time, he almost became restless.

Chang Geng no longer hesitated, grabbed his cloak, and ordered: "Come on, prepare the horses!"

Seeing that he was in a hurry, everyone thought he had something urgent to do, so they quickly prepared their horses and made way for him, allowing him to ride away in a cloud of dust.

He went to the Zen temple of Huguo Temple. The mountain temple was quiet, the doors were closed, and the leaves swept by the autumn wind were fluttering everywhere. Only a wind lantern stood solemnly at the door, the fire was a little messy, and there was a lingering scent of sandalwood everywhere.

Monk Liaoran had already fallen asleep, and when Chang Geng rushed in, the wind blew the scriptures on the table everywhere. Master Liaoran was startled and stared at the King of Goose who was wrapped in the cold wind.

Chang Geng's eyes were slightly red, and he sat down and asked, "Is there any tea?"

Liaoran put on his monk's robes, took out a handful of bitter gourd wrapped in paper from the shabby wooden cabinet, and boiled water.

Although the broken house was leaking and the cups and bowls were chipped, the monk boiled water and made tea slowly and silently, without making any eye contact with him. White mist rose up, which reminded people of those roaring lighters and steel armors. It soon condensed into water droplets on the low roof, slowly slid down the special beams on the roof to the tail, and fell into the hanging small bowl with a clear "tick-tock" sound.

Chang Geng's eyes followed the process of water vapor to water droplets, starting from the old pottery jar and finally landing on a circle of small bowls with peeling paint hanging in the corner of the monk's house. Chang Geng exhaled lightly, and his anxious heart, like boiling water, slowly calmed down.

Monk Liaoran made a cup of bitter gourd with boiling water and placed it in front of Chang Geng.

Just smelling it tastes bitter.

"Thank you." Chang Geng took it. His fingers, which had been frozen by the night wind while riding, regained some feeling. He took a sip. It was bitter and hot, and made the tip of his tongue numb. He smiled bitterly and said to Ran Ran, "I've been too busy these past few days. I've been a little restless and I haven't been able to control my urgu. I'm sorry, Master."

Le Ran glanced at him and gestured, "Westerners are good at taking advantage of opportunities, but this time they chose a bad time, which means that they seem to be coming with great momentum, but in fact they are at the end of their strength. General Gu can command the four territories with ease, let alone the two rivers battlefield now? Once the railway is built, a large number of people and goods can travel to Beijing City in one day. With our current purple gold reserves, if we are lucky, we may be able to completely recover the lost territory within a year or two. Your Highness, why do you need to worry?"

The logic sounded right, and Chang Geng knew it himself, but he just felt uncomfortable for some reason.

"Is Xiao Cao at Lord Du's place?" Chang Geng whispered, "It shouldn't be far from Liangjiang. Go check on him for me... Or I'll write a letter to Xiao Cao and ask him to take a position in the army. His mysterious disguise skills are useless beside Lord Du except running errands. It's better for him to go to the front line."

Le Ran nodded and gestured: "Your Highness doesn't want General Gu to return to Beijing, isn't this a good opportunity?"

Gu Yun was King Yan's weak spot, and this weak spot had never been attacked because in the midst of war, no one could touch Gu Yun. Although Li Feng was mediocre, he was not foolish enough to destroy the Great Wall for the second time and invite the enemy to the city. The battlefield that seemed bloody and thrilling was actually a kind of protection for Gu Yun.

Chang Geng frowned and drank a cup of bitter gourd tea, muttering: "Everyone relies on him, who would feel sorry for his injuries? Sometimes when I think about it, it's really..."

When he said this, he accidentally met the mute monk's compassionate eyes, and immediately lowered his head in restraint, and smiled: "You talked too much again, I should prescribe more tranquilizer powder."

Monk Liangran saw that he just wanted to be quiet, so he said no more, took out the wooden fish from under the table, closed his eyes slightly, and knocked it from time to time. In the small monk's room, there were only the sounds of the wooden fish and the dripping water. Chang Geng sat on a small couch beside him and rested his eyes, following the sounds, and did not leave until dawn.

Before leaving, Liang Ran suddenly knocked on the wooden table, attracted Chang Geng's attention, and gestured to him, "Your Highness, when you met with Lord Du, I was fortunate enough to be present, and there is something I am confused about."

Chang Geng's dark eyes trembled slightly, and he raised one eyebrow.

Liaoran said, "Your Highness said that all the benefits in the world are as big as a pie, and everyone wants to take a little more. There is no distinction between good and evil, but some people want to take more by going with the flow. They can push the pie to grow bigger while expanding their own power. Such people can lay the foundation for a peaceful country. Some people go against the flow. The place they occupy is already moldy, but they want more places to mold together. Such people can only bring disaster. Now most of the pie falls into the hands of the old aristocratic families. What we want is to break this situation and scrape off the mold on the country bit by bit—"

Chang Geng asked: "Master, what's wrong?"

"No," Le Ran shook his head, his wide robe sleeves rustling as he gestured, "I was just thinking, this whole world belongs to the king, the decree of beating drums to melt gold is still fresh in my mind, your Majesty has worked hard to build all this, maybe one decree will change everything, everything you have done may just be a mirage."

Chang Geng tapped his fingers lightly on the small table a few times, his expression unchanged. It was obvious that he had already considered what Lan Ran would say.

"Master is right." He lowered his handsome eyebrows and smiled gently.

That profile actually looks like a menacing evil god in a totem.

Liaoran's heart skipped a beat and his mouth became dry for a moment. He suddenly understood - Prince Yan seemed to be competing with the old family forces for the Holy Heart, but was the real intention behind this really like this?