The eldest brother was practicing sword skills early in the morning. Fat Ge was ready to flatter him, but before he could even say anything, this happened. He was so scared on the spot that he became a ball of hairy quail and stood there stupidly, not daring to make a sound.

Chang Geng looked like he hadn't slept well early in the morning. His face was pale with a hint of blue, and the corners of his eyes twitched slightly. After taking a deep look at Gu Yun, he slowly lowered the tip of his sword and said in a restrained low voice: "I made a mistake and offended the Marquis."

Gu Yun rubbed his chin, and held his face tight, not daring to smile.

He tentatively raised his hand, wanting to put it on Chang Geng's back as usual, but as expected, Chang Geng dodged it.

Chang Geng said coldly, "Please come in, my Lord."

Gu Yun awkwardly withdrew his hand, put it to his lips and coughed: "Chang Geng, wait."

Chang Geng heard him calling his name and subconsciously paused. He saw Gu Yun turned around and waved behind him. The people carrying the box immediately came in, put the box in the yard, and retreated at the same time, kneeling on one knee.

"Marshal."

Gu Yun raised his hand and motioned for the soldiers to stand up, then he stepped forward and opened the lock on the box himself. He put his hand on the complicated lock, like someone trying to amuse a child with a broken rattle, and turned around and smiled at Chang Geng, "Come, let me show you something good."

The lid of the box popped open with a "click". Fatty Ge pulled Chang Geng, and seeing Chang Geng's indifferent expression, he couldn't help but be curious. He stepped forward to take a look and immediately screamed.

There was a piece of heavy silver armor lying quietly in the box. There was no trace of other colors on it, and the lines were so smooth that they were almost dazzling. It was so beautiful that it was frightening. Compared with it, the heavy armor that the barbarians got from somewhere looked like a bulky lump of iron.

Gu Yun said complacently, "I asked the master of Lingshuyuan to make this for me a while ago. The burning efficiency of purple gold is twice as high as that of heavy armor of the same level. The joints have reinforcement layers, so it won't get stuck by a sleeve silk like those barbarians' junk. It's a masterpiece, much better than the one I used when I was young, but it doesn't have a name yet... You should be old enough to have your own name, so you can give it your nickname."

Chang Geng's face showed no other expression except that he was dazzled by the light of the heavy armor at the beginning, especially when he heard Gu Yun suggest that he name the heavy armor "Chang Geng".

I don't know when the word "Chang Geng" became so popular. Xiuniang, Hu Ge'er, Gu Yun, they all have a special liking for his nickname.

The enemy whom he regarded as his own mother gave him a dose of crazy poison before she died, and named him "Chang Geng". Before his adoptive father, whom he wanted to take care of all his life, disappeared, he gave him a pair of unparalleled heavy armor and also suggested that he name himself "Chang Geng".

Is there a more ironic coincidence than this?

In short, the gifted Marshal Gu once again succeeded in "bringing up something that is not relevant" without even knowing it.

Chang Geng's long silence made everyone around him feel uneasy. Fatty Ge came over with small steps and pulled the corner of Chang Geng's clothes: "Brother, why don't you try it on? The first time I saw heavy armor was when I saw those barbarians that day."

Chang Geng suddenly lowered his head, turned back to the house without saying a word, and slammed the door.

The smile on Gu Yun's lips gradually turned bitter. Standing at the gate of the courtyard, he looked a little helpless, but he quickly came to his senses and found a way out for himself with self-mockery: "This is my first time being someone's foster father. I can't do it well. Please forgive me."

A soldier in black armor stepped forward and asked, "General, this armor..."

"Put it... uh, put it in the outer room. Leave the key to him later." Gu Yun paused, as if he was about to say something, but finally said in a disappointed tone, "Forget it."

He was wearing an indigo casual suit, which was thin and not very strong. He tried hard to please the emperor, but his flattery backfired. He could only worry about the closed door in front of him, looking a little pitiful.

Shen Yi witnessed this scene and couldn't help but complain in his heart: "Aren't you arrogant? You hit a wall this time, didn't you? You deserve it!"

Fatty Ge felt a little uncomfortable and scratched his head: "Uncle Sixteen..."

Gu Yun touched Fatty Ge's forehead and forced a smile: "It's okay, go and have fun by yourselves."

After saying that, he turned around and strode towards Shen Yi, forcibly dragged Shen Yi away, and whispered in his ear: "Wasn't he very happy when I gave him the iron wrist buckle last time? Why doesn't it work this time?"

Shen Yi looked to the side and saw that there was no one around, so he bluntly said sarcastically: "General, do you treat me as a club? You always use the same trick?"

Gu Yun was a little anxious: "Stop talking nonsense, what do you think we should do?"

Shen Yi rolled his eyes: "Look, you did such a big thing in the Northern Frontier and kept it secret from him for so long. He was so sincere to you, but what about you? He now thinks you were playing dumb and deaf to deceive him - and his own mother who raised him since he was a child was a Northern Barbarian spy, and now she's gone. Maybe she was forced to death by you..."

"Bullshit," Gu Yun interrupted him, "People like the grassland witch must know that they are willing to commit suicide only when they know that they have to succeed. If she knew that I was here earlier, she would definitely understand that they have no chance and would not die."

Shen Yi pondered over his words, but didn't understand the cause and effect relationship here. He only heard that Gu Shuai's "Who else but me can be the hero in the world" was the key point - what does "knowing that he is here, I know I have no chance" mean?

There's absolutely no hope.

Shen Yi didn't want to pay attention to him anymore, so he said perfunctorily: "Let him stay alone quietly for a few days, don't bother him with the tricks you use to coax a concubine, wait until he comes to his senses."

Gu Yun: "I don't have a concubine."

Shen Yi sneered: "Yeah, you don't even have a wife."

Gu Yun kicked him.

However, after walking two steps, Marshal Gu figured it out and felt that this was just what he wanted - he was just too lazy to go back to the capital.

But with a little prince in tow, he couldn't stay in Yanhui forever. He changed his mind and a bad idea came to his mind.

Gu Yun said to Shen Yi, "It just so happens that the memorial from last night hasn't been sent out yet. You can go back and revise it. Say that the Fourth Prince is pure and filial. Although it is difficult to be both loyal and filial, he sacrificed his own family for the sake of the country and the people. However, he was too sad afterwards and fell ill. We will rest in Yanhui for a while and return to the capital after the prince recovers. Make sure to write it in a reasonable way and try to make the emperor cry."

Shen Yi: “…”

If he could beat him, he would definitely beat the guy named Gu until he cried.

Unfortunately, man proposes, God disposes.

The next day, when Gu Yun was leaning on the wall watching Chang Geng practice swordplay, a black eagle suddenly delivered an expedited golden order. Gu Yun only took a look at it and his face changed.

The emperor is critically ill, and summons Marquis Anding to bring the fourth prince back quickly.

Gu Yun turned over and jumped down from the top of the wall. Chang Geng vaguely heard him instruct someone outside the courtyard wall: "Ask Ji Ping to see me. We will prepare to return to Beijing immediately."

Chang Geng was stunned for a moment, then stood still with the heavy sword in his hand, smelling a hint of an uncertain future.

Everyone in Daliang thought he was the Fourth Prince, except himself.

Chang Geng always felt that his fate was too bad. If he was really a prince, no matter if he was a purebred or a hybrid, he should have the protection of the bloodline of the true dragon emperor, right?

Why is it so?

But then again, whether he is a royal relative or a beggar, it is not up to him to decide.

Fatty Ge observed Chang Geng's expression and saw that he was in a bad mood. He immediately came up to him with a smile and said, "It's okay, big brother. I will follow you from now on. If you become a general, I will be your guard. If you become a high-ranking official, I will be your servant. If you become an emperor, I will be your consort... um!"

Chang Geng covered his mouth with his hands and glared at him, "Are you talking nonsense like this? Do you want to die?"

Fatty Ge's pair of green eyes rolled around.

Chang Geng's depressed mood suddenly improved a little. The fat boy from the butcher's family was fine. If he continued to be worried, wouldn't he seem useless?

Chang Geng thought, "I might as well just run away. I have nothing to worry about anyway. I can run away to the deep mountains and forests and become a hunter. No one will be able to find me."

However, if he decided to run away, he had to give up Sixteen first... Gu Yun. Chang Geng tried to operate on him with a knife, but it was so painful that he had to delay and put it aside for the time being. After this delay, he was taken by Gu Yun on the road back to Beijing.

Ge Pang's novel said, "Follow him, follow him." This boy who grew up in the countryside courageously chose a route far away from the capital, and even bought a car and a ride. When preparing to set off the next day, Chang Geng looked at Mrs. Cao in front of him, who looked like a woman dressed as a man even though she was dressed like a boy, and he really didn't have any ideas.

Madam Cao mustered up her courage and hummed in a pinched voice: "Brother Chang Geng, you saved my life by the dark river that day. My father said that a real man should not be ungrateful, and the grace of saving my life should be repaid with my own body..."

Chang Geng got goose bumps when he heard the words "real man", and felt a little sick when he heard the words "promise yourself to me". He replied dryly, "Promise yourself to me is not necessary."

Madam Cao's ears turned red, and she said shyly, "I... just want to go to the capital with you and serve you."

Chang Geng wanted to refuse outright, but when the words reached his lips, they inexplicably slipped back into his throat. In his impression, Fatty Ge and Madam Cao were just followers, and the other had never said a complete sentence to him. They had no relationship at all. But once he left Yanhui Town, these two people seemed to become his entire memory of this place - Shen Shiliu didn't count.

Chang Geng hesitated for a moment, then turned around and asked Gu Yun to call the guard he was using on the road, "Please ask this elder brother about Marquis Anding."

The guard came back soon: "The Marshal said that it is up to Your Highness to make the decision."

Chang Geng let out a breath and thought to himself, as expected, Gu Yun would not care about such a trivial matter.

Taking Fatty Ge and Madam Cao with him, Chang Geng climbed onto his horse and finally looked back at the small town of Yanhui behind him.

There used to be giant kites returning here, and noisy crowds on both sides of the river lined the streets to welcome them. Although the place was poor, it was still peaceful and happy. Now it has only been swept by the war, and the whole town seems to have fallen into a shadow, with only the sound of crows in the distance.

Chang Geng had an indescribable premonition in his heart - he felt that those happy and simple days in the past would probably never come back.

The elite troops of the Black Iron Camp marched all the way to the capital, and even though the young men were full of energy, they could not help but be exhausted after a few days.

While camping in a valley that day, Chang Geng had a unique nightmare in his daze. He dreamed that he was holding a steel knife in his hand and pierced Gu Yun's chest with one knife. Blood spurted out high. Gu Yun's face was as pale as paper, his eyes were dim, and there was a little bit of wandering confusion. A thin line of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth.

Chang Geng yelled "Godfather", and sat up in shock, sweat all over his head. He subconsciously touched his chest.

Chang Geng smoothed the broken silk sleeve and found that it was very unique. The traces left by the burning of purple gold looked like a pattern, like a auspicious cloud, so he pierced a hole in it and hung it around his neck.

The silk in his sleeve helped him kill a barbarian. Chang Geng thought that since he had seen blood, he was no longer a child and was qualified to be a real man, so he carried it with him all day long.

The black iron sheet felt cold to the touch, which gradually calmed Chang Geng's mood.

He slowly exhaled a breath and crawled out of his tent. When the guard on duty saw him, he immediately wanted to follow him, but he refused.

Chang Geng walked alone to the river, washed his face, and heard the faint chirping of insects in the grass. He reached out and caught the tiny cricket in his palm.

The scorching heat is the beginning of autumn, and the fate of this little creature is about to end. Chang Geng felt that it was very pitiful, so he let it go and walked aimlessly along the river bank, unknowingly arriving in front of Gu Yun's tent.

He came back to his senses, laughed at himself, and was about to turn around and leave when he suddenly saw Shen Yi rushing over with a porcelain bowl in his hand. A familiar smell of medicine filled the air.

Chang Geng's nose twitched and he could no longer walk.