The intricate and complex relationship involved here must start with the late emperor.

The former emperor had been busy with military affairs all his life, and he was a legendary figure who had made great achievements in both civil and military affairs. He single-handedly pushed Daliang to its peak, making it so that no one dared to offend him. The Black Iron Camp and the Lingshu Court were both founded by him.

Unfortunately, this wise and brave late emperor was destined to be a widower and a lonely man. During his reign, he married four empresses, but none of them lived long. He had three sons and two daughters, four of whom he lost when he was old. When the late emperor passed away, he was left with only one eldest princess who had married early.

Legend has it that when the eldest princess was sixteen or seventeen years old, she fell seriously ill and almost died. Fortunately, she was already engaged to Marquis Anding. The chief monk of the Huguo Temple lit a perpetual lamp for the princess and advised her to get married as soon as possible to bring good luck. Surprisingly, after she got married, the princess' illness gradually healed.

From this point of view, the young deaths of the princes and princesses seemed to be caused by the late emperor.

When the late emperor, whose wife and children had all died throughout his life, was dying, he left the Black Iron Camp and the crucial military power to his most beloved princess and her husband. However, the Daliang dynasty could not change its surname, so the next emperor had to be adopted from a side branch.

The eldest princess also played a significant role in the current emperor's successful ascension to the throne.

Emperor Yuanhe had deep feelings for the eldest princess. Until her death, he always respected her as "Aunt". He also brought her only son Gu Yun to the palace to take care of him, and personally gave him the name "Zi Xi". He told civil and military officials many times that "Zi Xi is like my own brother", and asked the crown prince to respect him as "Imperial Uncle" when he met him in private.

Uncle or aunt are just empty titles and not very important. What is important is the military power of the Anding Marquis behind the little boy Gu Yun.

The old marquis's old subordinates are still there. If Gu Yun does something wrong with Emperor Yuanhe, it is still unclear whether the emperor can keep his throne.

Emperor Yuanhe took advantage of Gu Yun's youth and spent ten years weakening the old subordinates of Marquis Anding. The Black Iron Camp almost ceased to exist under this soft knife. Unfortunately, man's plans are not as good as God's plans. The border defense of the Western Region was tight, and foreign enemies invaded. Three commanders were sent in succession, but they were either old or incompetent. The Daliang Dynasty, which was accustomed to singing and dancing, showed a tendency to emphasize civil affairs over military affairs. There was no man who could wield a sword.

The Lingshu Academy, which had been silent for many years, suddenly submitted a collective petition, requesting the restart of the Xuantie Camp.

The scrap metal that had been sharpened by the emperor for ten years was just one breath away from death, but finally it survived and came back to life in Gu Yun's hands.

Gu Yun has complicated feelings towards the emperor.

On the one hand, after the old marquis and the princess passed away, it was the emperor who raised him, and Emperor Yuanhe gave him the warmth that his parents had never given him.

The princess was not a woman who lived in a deep house. She was a brave woman who could fight bravely. The fact that she lived to get married and was not killed by her father who was born with bad luck showed that she was a real hero. Gu Yun was born with two fathers and didn't know what his loving mother looked like. When he was still unsteady on his feet, he was taken to the battlefield in the northern border by the unreliable couple. He grew up eating wind, dew and sand. All the pampering, tenderness, elegance and civility he encountered in his life came from Emperor Yuanhe.

On the other hand, Emperor Yuanhe had a weak temperament. When he was young, his weakness could barely be described as "passionate and kind", but when he got older, he was completely "stupid and incompetent".

All day long, the old man didn't think about how to strengthen the country and expand the territory. He only cared about the imperial power on his own little piece of land. He either played power and balancing tricks among his ministers, or made things difficult for Gu Yun and chilled the hearts of the soldiers in various ways.

On one side is meticulous care, and on the other side is meticulous constraints. Gu Yun is stuck in the middle of these two "meticulous" things, and would rather eat sand at the border.

Shen Yi said meaningfully: "When the moon is full, it will wane. Too much is as bad as too little. Marshal, the ancients taught that one should not shock the ruler even if one is too successful. You have beaten up all the neighbors in the four regions. Will you rebel next? Of course, you don't think so, but it's hard to say what the emperor thinks."

Gu Yun said indifferently: "I was given the title of Marquis 'Anding' to fight for Daliang. Other matters are not my business."

Shen Yi opened his mouth.

Gu Yun interrupted, "I know what you want to say, no need to say it."

The two have been partners for many years, and a glance is enough to communicate. This conversation is confusing at first glance - Shen Yi certainly does not want to discuss the current emperor with Gu Yun. The old emperor is sick and old, and this time he urgently summons Gu Yun back to the palace, he will probably die soon.

Of course he was talking about the future new emperor.

Excluding Chang Geng who is living outside, the current emperor has two sons. The crown prince has been well-versed in classics and history since childhood. He is a prudent person, but like the current emperor, he also values ​​culture over military affairs. He does not approve of large-scale expansion of the army and believes that it is detrimental to the people's livelihood.

On the contrary, the second prince is ambitious, has served in the army, and is eager to expand the territory.

For these military generals, there is no need to discuss who is better or worse.

Gu Yun's face darkened slightly.

Shen Yi knew that if he was sensible, he should shut up immediately, but he still couldn't help but said: "Marshal, as long as you show an attitude, even if it's just tacit approval..."

Gu Yun glanced at him, his eyes were like two blades cutting through the wind with murderous intent. Shen Yi's heart stagnated and he could not continue talking.

Gu Yun spoke grimly, word by word, "After arriving in Beijing, the three divisions will be on standby outside the Nine Gates. Anyone who wants to take advantage of the emperor's discomfort and fish in troubled waters will be executed on the spot, no matter who they are. Do you understand?"

Shen Yi's face turned slightly pale, and after a long while, he whispered, "...Yes."

The two of them were silent for a moment, and Gu Yun's expression gradually eased, and he suddenly said: "I'm not attacking you."

Shen Yi forced a smile.

"The thirteenth year of Yuanhe was the most painful year for me. The princess and the old marquis were not there, and you were taken back to the Shen family. I was almost blind and could not hear clearly at that time," Gu Yun whispered, "It was snowing heavily outside that day, and it was freezing cold. I hid behind the door holding the old marquis's sword and refused to let anyone get close. It was the emperor who led the third prince to my yard quietly. He stood in the snow for half an hour before coaxing me out. He wrote on my palm and ordered the eunuchs to build a snowman for the two of us. The third prince... Ayan, is one year younger than me, shy like a little girl, always smiling, and he never gets angry no matter how bad I am..."

Gu Yun paused when he said this.

The third prince died at the age of nine.

Shen Yi: "The Emperor is a rare amorous man."

It's a pity that a sentimental person can't be a good emperor.

Gu Yun did not respond to this, but looked up at a distance. Chang Geng was riding on a horse, and he turned his head to say something to Ge Pangxiao who was sitting in the car. Ge Pangxiao showed his cute little fat head and responded with a giggle. Chang Geng seemed to have sensed something, and suddenly looked back, and met Gu Yun's gaze. The young man suddenly looked uncomfortable and turned his head back angrily.

Gu Yun said: "This kid looks exactly like his barbarian mother, but his temperament is like the emperor. Sometimes I always feel vaguely that if A Yan can grow up safely, he should be like this."

Shen Yi shut up, realizing that no matter what he said, it would be useless.

Chang Geng couldn't hear what Gu Yun and Shen Yi said, but he always felt that his half-smile was teasing him, which made him feel like a thorn in the back. After a while, he couldn't help but secretly glance at Gu Yun and found that he was actually riding a horse towards him.

Is this not over yet?

Chang Geng didn't want to talk to him at all, so he kicked his horse's belly and ran forward. Unexpectedly, he ran too far and arrived near the prison car escorting the barbarian prince.

The gaze of the Tianlang prince was like a thorn in the flesh, full of hatred. Chang Geng felt uncomfortable when he saw him, so he pulled the reins and planned to stay away from him.

Unexpectedly, at this moment, the barbarian's cannibalistic gaze passed Chang Geng and fell behind him. He suddenly grinned: "Gu Yun, billions of dead souls are watching you."

His voice was like a rusty piece of iron scraping across a porcelain plate, eerie and terrifying, making the hairs on the neck stand on end. Chang Geng's horse neighed uneasily and paced away in panic.

“The lingering ghosts of my clan are watching you. The remains of the armor buried underground are watching you. Hahahaha… I, Changshengtian, will bestow you with infinite divine power. You will be torn into pieces by my clan’s knives. After death, you will be torn into pieces by hundreds of ghosts for thousands of years without relief…”

The twisted face of the Barbarian Prince overlapped subtly with the bloody corner of Xiuniang's mouth. Chang Geng felt a chill from the tips of his hair to the insteps of his feet, as if he had fallen into an icy cave. He suddenly shouted angrily, raised his hand and drew the sword at his waist, intending to chop the Barbarian Prince's head into a rotten winter melon.

But before the sword was completely drawn out, it was carelessly pushed back by a hand.

Gu Yun had strolled up to him without knowing when, and glanced at the mysterious barbarian prince impatiently: "Why don't you use your infinite power sparingly to bless your tribe to dominate the world and live forever?"

As he said that, he casually pulled Chang Geng's reins, glanced sideways at the pale-faced boy, and said with a smile, "Do you really believe it? Alas, they are quite good at scaring children. In this respect, they are at least ten years ahead of Daliang. What's so good about being a prisoner? Let's go over there and play."

Chang Geng: "But he dared to say that you..."

Gu Yun didn't care at all and laughed heartily, with a wild and carefree laugh that showed off his indifference and fearlessness.

Chang Geng frowned, and at first he was a little confused and annoyed, but gradually, the cold air that lingered around him seemed to melt away in Gu Yun's nonchalant laughter, and it really became ridiculous.

For the first time, a small thought came to Chang Geng's mind. He thought seriously, "Why should I be afraid? If Wuergu makes me crazy, will I definitely go crazy?"

During this long march, Chang Geng's heart, filled with fear and confusion, gradually settled down in the armor. He was like a fallen seedling, and just a little light would allow him to stand up again.

In the blink of an eye, we arrived at the imperial capital.

When the nine-story palace gates opened to both sides, even the high and mighty Black Eagle would land on the ground and pay homage.

Gu Yun held Chang Geng's head and said, "Don't think too much. Go meet your father."

When Chang Geng was pushed by him in a daze and really saw the old man on the hospital bed, he found it difficult to associate the emaciated man with the "emperor".

He was so old, his hair and beard were like a bunch of dried silver threads, his face was thin and haggard, his thin lips were trembling slightly, and he looked at Gu Yun with difficulty.

Gu Yun's footsteps paused imperceptibly, and Chang Geng keenly heard him take a breath. When he turned around, he saw Gu Yun's face that showed no joy or anger.

"Your Majesty, I have fulfilled my mission," Gu Yun said, "and found the Fourth Prince for you."

Emperor Yuanhe's gaze slowly turned to Chang Geng. Chang Geng was shocked and wanted to retreat for a moment. He felt that there was a long hook in the eyes of the old man on the dragon bed that could trace back time. He did not see him, but saw someone through him.

However, Gu Yun pushed him from behind, and he involuntarily took two steps forward.

Gu Yun whispered in his ear: "Kneel down."

Chang Geng knelt down properly and saw two lines of old tears flowing from Emperor Yuanhe's dry and turbid eyes, flowing down along the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, like pus flowing out of his eyes.

Chang Geng heard Gu Yun whisper, "Call you father."