At first, neither of them reacted.

Chang Geng wondered in confusion: "Why does he carry a broken flute with him?"

Gu Yun was still wondering: "What flew out?"

Then both of them looked at the weathered bamboo flute with cracks at the end.

After a while, Chang Geng suddenly felt that the flute looked vaguely familiar, and Gu Yun was struck by lightning, remembering that this thing was not of good origin!

They both started fighting almost at the same time. Gu Yun tried to grab it, but Chang Geng instinctively tightened his grip, and both hands holding the bamboo flute froze in mid-air.

Chang Geng asked innocently: "Can't I watch it?"

Gu Yun: "What's there to see?"

After saying that, Gu Yun pulled the small bamboo flute out of Chang Geng's hand with force, and hurriedly put it back into his sleeve in an attempt to cover up his mistake.

Chang Geng rarely saw him feeling guilty, and he couldn't help but think of the little girl crying her heart out in Master Yao's house in Jiangnan four years ago. He vaguely understood something, but was a little hesitant to believe it, so he asked indirectly, "Was it given by someone else?"

Gu Yun said nonsense without blushing or breathing heavily: "I peeled it myself."

"Oh," Chang Geng blinked, and after a while, he said, as if intentionally or unintentionally, "How come bamboo also grows in Loulan, the Western Region?"

Gu Yun: “…”

Chang Geng blinked lightly, which made his eyes seem to flicker, and then smiled and said, "Father's handicraft is too rough, why don't I carve a better one for you another day?"

Gu Yun was speechless and extremely embarrassed. He felt that the boy had seen through him and was deliberately bullying him, but because the stealing of the flute was so outrageous, he couldn't get angry. He had to put away his heroic spirit and run away.

Chang Geng did not chase after him. He stayed where he was, thinking about the incident for a long time. He could not help wanting to laugh, and recounted the incident of Gu Yun secretly running to the children's yard to steal the bamboo flute early in the morning from beginning to end. He was immediately overjoyed and was full of energy for most of the day, until the sun set in the west, when he slowly calmed down.

The lingering fragrance in his heart squeezed all the urgu into a small corner, and when the flowers fell and the water turned red, a seed-like idea was born below, and it sprouted into thousands of intricate branches.

Chang Geng thought: "Why did he keep that?"

Do you keep it and take it out to look at it occasionally?

Can my godfather remember himself when he watches it?

Does this mean that Gu Yun's feelings for him...are deeper than he had always imagined?

Could he get a little closer to his little godfather?

Miss Chen's tranquilizing powder drifted out of the sachet faintly. Chang Geng stared at Gu Yun's back, and was almost melted by the words "let it be" echoing back and forth in his mind. He didn't dare to be too delusional, but he was anxiously holding on to that little speculation, which made him feel anxious and heartbroken.

The journey to escort the imperial prisoner should have been long and boring, but unfortunately, whether it was because the Black Iron Camp was fast or Chang Geng was hesitant, they had already arrived in the capital before the midwinter.

At this time, the Southern Xinjiang treason case that shocked the court and the country exploded in the depths of the imperial capital.

Sun Jiao returned to the capital half dead. He was frightened again and again and soon fell ill. Emperor Long'an himself did not expect that he only used a small trick to implement the drum-beating order, but the Southwest Governor actually dared to rebel. He was shocked and angry and ordered a thorough investigation.

As this case involved so many people, the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of War, the Dali Temple... and even the Inspectorate, all became nervous. Even Gu Yun, who had finally returned to Beijing to rest for two days, had no peace and was summoned to the palace for questioning every few days.

It was established that Southwest Governor Fu Zhicheng colluded with mountain bandits, killed imperial officials, smuggled purple gold, and intended to rebel. The bandit leader and the leader of the rebel party were successively sentenced to death, and their families were also implicated.

However, the iron-blooded and cruel Emperor Long'an still refused to give up, and the situation soon got out of control. It also implicated the six central ministries - those who had close personal relationships with Fu Zhicheng, those who had accepted bribes and made things convenient for him, and even the old ministers who had recommended Fu Zhicheng to the position, none of them escaped and were all implicated.

Some were imprisoned, some were dismissed from office. The court was in a panic and the entire capital was suppressed in gloomy suspicion.

The sky remained cloudy until the end of the year, when a heavy snow fell.

This year, at the farewell of the old year and the welcome of the new year, Marquis Anding handed over the black iron tiger talisman, and the implementation of the drum-beating order was a foregone conclusion. The Ministry of War quickly sent special personnel to the four directions to supervise the army.

At this point, Emperor Long'an had concentrated military power to the extreme, which was beyond the reach of Emperor Wu.

The only thing that didn't bother Li Feng during the entire New Year was probably Gu Yun's ability to know what to do.

As Chang Geng had deduced, the emperor got the upper hand and really gave Gu Yun enough face. He really promoted Shen Yi twice, and issued an edict to promote him to the governor of the southwest. At the same time, he conferred the fourth prince Li Min as the King of Yanbei.

On the 16th day of the first lunar month, Mr. Shen, in the name of celebrating Marquis Anding's birthday, pulled two large carts of gifts to block the door.

Old Master Shen has been retired for many years, and he has only Shen Yi, a boy who has no ambition to make progress. Shen Yi has been a freak since he was young. He is good at studying and martial arts, but he is not obsessed with any of them. He just likes to stay in the yard playing with lighters. From the iron golem that guards the house to the large and small gas lamps hanging in the room, nothing in the Shen family has not been taken apart and ruined by him.

Although Mr. Shen is a devout believer in Laozi and Zhuangzi, and believes that everything should be done according to one's will, his Taoist practice is probably not enough, so he still has some expectations for his son in his heart.

Gu Yun was called into the palace for a meeting early in the morning and had already left. Although he was not in the capital for many years, he was in a high position and had received many gifts. The Marquis's Mansion did not have a hostess, and the list of gifts for the New Year and festivals was managed by the old housekeeper. Hearing that it was a gift from Mr. Shen, Chang Geng followed the old housekeeper out to greet it and took a curious look.

Old Master Shen himself was also a strange person. He loved to play when he was young, and continued to play when he was middle-aged. When he was tired of playing in his old age, he began to seek immortality and ask questions, and ignored the affairs of the world. He loved to make elixirs and brew wine. The gift he gave to Gu Yun did not contain any gold, silver, jewelry, silk, satin, antiques or treasures... He just gave two carts of wine in one go, all of which he brewed himself.

Chang Geng was just at a loss whether to laugh or cry. When he looked up, he saw the newly appointed Southwest Admiral riding his horse towards him in a mess.

Old Master Shen acted completely on his own initiative. When Shen Yi found out and chased him, it was too late. Shen Yi looked at the wine cart at the door of the mansion, buried his face in the horse's neck, and thought to himself, "This is too embarrassing!"

When Gu Yun came back in the evening, he saw his family unloading the wine truck. Shen Yi was standing aside with a pale face.

No one knew what the emperor had said to him, but Gu Yun's expression was indifferent - whenever he returned to the Marquis' Mansion, he was usually very happy. He didn't smile when he entered the door, nor did he joke with the guards at the door, which meant he was probably really unhappy.

Gu Yun: "Why are you here?"

Shen Yi raised his chin to signal him to look at the crazy wine cart: "My old man gave this to you as a bribe, thank you for helping me get promoted."

Gu Yun sniffed, walked forward and took out a jar, directly removed the mud seal, stood at the door and smelled it, then took a sip on the spot.

"Whatever you think, it will come true. Your old man must have brewed it himself. I can tell by the smell." Gu Yun sighed, "It's just right. Now that you are here, don't leave. Anyway, we will have to go our separate ways before the end of the first month. By then, we will be far apart and may not see each other again. Come drink with me today."

Shen Yi was thinking the same thing and agreed readily.

Gu Yun asked again: "Where is Chang Geng?"

"kitchen."

Gu Yun paused: "What?"

"He insisted on making you a bowl of noodles himself," Shen Yi said with a smile, "Wang Bo tried to stop him for a long time but failed. I think our prince is really amazing. He can hold the line in front of the enemy, do acupuncture, sew purses when he's free, and even the kitchen is easy to walk on... If it was a girl, even if the Black Iron Camp came, she would block your door and ask for marriage."

Gu Yun frowned: "A gentleman should stay away from the kitchen, it is full of nonsense."

Shen Yi noticed that his expression was not right and asked, "Why? What did the emperor say when he asked you to come to the palace?"

Gu Yun was silent for a moment, then lowered his voice and said, "The Emperor wants to deal with Lord Fenghan."

Shen Yi was surprised: "What!"

Mr. Fenghan's surname is Zhang, and his courtesy name is Fenghan. He has been the head of Lingshuyuan for eighteen years. When Shen Yi was still in Lingshuyuan, he worked under him. Now he is in his sixties and has been in Lingshuyuan all his life. He has never married and has no wives, concubines, children or grandchildren. He is not a man of similar sexual orientation.

I heard that the maids and servants serving tea in his house were all made of iron, and the only living thing besides himself was an old dog that was about to die. But I heard that, let alone others, even Shen Yi had never been there. Mr. Fenghan had a strange temperament and didn't want guests to come to his house. This old man spent his whole life on lighters and steel armor. Except for the one time when Gu Yun clearly stood up when he reorganized the Black Iron Camp, he didn't even bother to care about people, let alone governing. How could such a person who doesn't fight with the world offend the emperor?

Shen Yi: "Why?"

Gu Yun: "He submitted a memorial yesterday, opposing the "Law of the Imperial Order", and the Emperor was furious."

Shen Yi: "He has always been against it, ever since the day the Zhangling Law was introduced. I heard from his old peers that he submitted a memorial every three days, rain or shine, but the emperor never paid any attention to him. Why did he suddenly..."

The Zhangling Law is the law that restricts the long-arm masters in the society. When it first came out, it caused a lot of heated discussion, but it was later overshadowed by the uproar caused by the Jigu Order.

"Mr. Fenghan's temper... Sigh, didn't you see what he wrote the other day? He said that the law of the lord's order restricts not the long-armed division but the people's wisdom. If this continues, the country will no longer be a country. He is waiting for the foreigners to come knocking on the gate of our Daliang border. I think he is just about to point his finger at the emperor and call him a traitor. In fact, the emperor would not have been so angry with him. It was just that the incident in Southern Xinjiang made the emperor feel a knot in his heart, which he couldn't untie all winter. The old man ran into the muzzle of the gun."

Gu Yun paused and shook his head when he said this: "Before leaving today, the emperor stopped me and said, 'I have been working diligently and restlessly since I ascended the throne, why is there no peace in the country?' - what else can I say?"

Emperor Long'an had been on the throne for only a few years when first his brothers colluded with the Japanese to rebel, and then the local officials colluded with mountain bandits to rebel. Each event seemed like a great irony, and the rampant black market for purple gold had become a thorn in his side.

Shen Yi said nothing, and the two of them walked side by side towards the inner courtyard - they both knew in their hearts that although Lord Feng Han was courting death, what he said was not without reason.

In the future, civilian long-arm divisions will be restricted. From now on, relying solely on Lingshu Academy, how many new technologies can be produced in a year? Moreover, Lingshu Academy always prioritizes military steel armor, so what room is there for the development of civilian technology in the future?

Shen Yi: "Can you save him?"

Gu Yun looked up at the dusky sky at the end of the imperial capital and sighed, "I don't know. I'll try my best."

Shen Yi nodded, and after a while, he suddenly said: "Marshal, I grew up in the capital, but sometimes I really feel like I can't breathe."

Gu Yun handed over the jar of wine without saying a word.

Shen Yi took a sip of his homemade wine from the jar, and was choked by the strong liquor. He reached out and patted Gu Yun on the back: "We are preparing to celebrate your birthday. Don't look so stern when you go in later."

The two of them then stood in the corridor, drinking the whole jar of wine, one sip at a time.

Wine can relieve worries, increase passion, add beauty, and allow people to put aside the big things in the present and the future and relax for a short while.

However, as soon as he entered the inner courtyard, Gu Yun was still shocked.

Many scrapped iron puppets in the Marquis' Mansion had been dug out by Ge Chen. I don't know how long it took him to repair them. A group of black-faced puppets were moving as usual, moving back and forth quickly, and taking off their armor and weapons. They lined up in a row, each holding two silk fans in their hands, and dancing the yangge in the yard with their legs stretched out - Madam Cao, the only one with flesh and blood among them, was leading the dance in red and green.

Gu Yun: “…”

Shen Yi shook his head and sighed: "What a genius."

Gu Yun: "...What?"

Shen Yi put his hand on his shoulder and said, "Ge Chen is such a genius. When I think about the fact that the first lighter armor that this genius handled was handed over from me, I just... Tsk, I wish I could take him to Southern Xinjiang."

Gu Yun: “…”

I always feel that there is something strange about what General Shen said.

Chang Geng really made a bowl of longevity noodles for Gu Yun. Last time he just beat an egg and even beat the eggshell into it. Unexpectedly, after three days of absence, one should be treated with new eyes. When he came back to cook, his level was totally different.

It was cooked so well that Gu Yun never mentioned any spoiling words like "A gentleman should stay away from the kitchen" in front of him, and almost ate the bowl as well.

After three bowls of yellow soup, everyone in the yard became lawless.

Shen Yi sighed, "For so many years, from the capital to the Western Regions, to the Northern Frontier, and then to Loulan, you were everywhere. Now that you are suddenly gone, I feel bad."

Gu Yun: "Stop talking nonsense and drink."

Ge Chen ran over and said sincerely: "General Shen, I have some friends in the southwest. If you have any inconveniences in the future, you can ask them to do it!"

Shen Yi looked at him with tears in his eyes: "No need for friends in the martial arts world, can you give me one of your wooden birds?"

The two of them held hands and looked at each other with tears in their eyes, feeling that they had met too late. They ran to the side and chatted about "how to extend the life of lighters" with saliva flying everywhere. Gu Yun punished them with three bowls each.

Ge Chen almost rolled under the table after drinking three bowls. Cao Chunhua was so excited that she rolled into a ball with the iron puppets in the yard. Chang Geng had to take care of one and then another, struggling to cope with the situation.

Later, they all drank too much.

Shen Yi held Gu Yun and kept talking incessantly, his words becoming a repetitive pattern: "Zi Xi... Zi Xi, your Gu family is at the center of the storm, hiccup... has always been at the center of the storm, you have to be... careful..."

Gu Yun lay on the wine jar, not wanting to move or speak. He just laughed and couldn't stop. Tears came out. While laughing, he thought: "I am the only one left in the Gu family."

Shen Yi stood up shakily, took two steps sideways, and fell to the ground with a loud thud, still muttering, "The Emperor... The Emperor is afraid of you."

It was not certain who the emperor was afraid of, but Chang Geng was a little afraid of them anyway, so he hurriedly called on the family generals and guards to come forward and help Shen Yi up: "Hurry up and carry General Shen away."

Gu Yun leaned on the table, pressed his forehead and smiled in an unfathomable manner. If it weren't for his distracted eyes, he would have looked like a sober person.

Shen Yi was helped up by the guards, but he still refused to be obedient. He struggled and said incoherently, "You... Gu Zixi, you have let it go in your heart... but the emperor can't let it go. He is always afraid of you, just like the late emperor. How can he not be afraid? They tried to destroy you so much back then, but you didn't die, and the Black Iron Camp is still... still so powerful. Those people thought, if they were in their place, how would they retaliate? Judge others by yourself, Zixi... People in the world always judge others by themselves..."

Chang Geng's alcohol tolerance was average, and Gu Yun urged him to drink quite a bit. He was only able to maintain a clear mind, but after hearing these words, he suddenly became alert and was awakened by Shen Yi.

What does "they destroy you so much" mean?

He was not sure whether what Shen Yi said was the nonsense of a drunkard, and could not help but take a step forward to hear more clearly.

Who would have thought that after Shen Yi howled for a while, he turned around and vomited all over the place while holding onto a pillar, turning himself into a ball of mud. He fell down limply and passed out from drinking.

Chang Geng had no choice but to ask those who were still sober to carry away the drunks lying all over the yard one by one.

Finally, only a few iron golems were left, still dancing faithfully to their duties, with white steam rising from their heads.

The laughter and joy of the capital gradually faded away.

Gu Yun half-lay on the table, looking as if he had lost his way, muttering inaudibly: "Get some energy, it's all lifted up."

You still have the nerve to criticize others - Chang Geng sighed and coaxed in a low voice: "You are the most promising, let's walk back, I will support you, okay?"

Gu Yun looked up at him. His eyes were too dark and heavy. Chang Geng's drunkenness, which he had just suppressed, came back to his head.

"Ayan..." Gu Yun suddenly called out in a low voice.

Chang Geng frowned.

"Ayan," Gu Yun laughed, seeming a little helpless, with a bit of his usual cynical sarcasm, "I'm going to tell you a secret, don't tell anyone else...your father...is really a piece of shit."

Chang Geng: “…”

What a mess!

Gu Yun laughed softly, and hummed incoherently: "Who knows that the frost and snow are urging me, who will get drunk with me..."

Chang Geng didn't intend to stare at the drunkard any longer, so he reached out to help Gu Yun up and dragged him into the bedroom. Gu Yun was very clingy after drinking too much, scratching him like a pervert. Chang Geng was irritated by him and wanted to throw him directly on the bed, but when he looked down at the hard bed with a thin mattress on it, he couldn't bear to do it.

Unexpectedly, Gu Yun turned around and grabbed the tendon on his elbow. Chang Geng was suddenly hit by this and his arm lost strength. He almost knocked Gu Yun down. When he was about to reach out to catch him, he forgot that he was top-heavy and was knocked down by Gu Yun.

Gu Yun was hit so hard that he choked and gasped for a long time. He patted Chang Geng's back and said nonsense: "Oh, baby, you're hitting me to death."

Chang Geng lay on top of him, and the seed that he had tried so hard to hide in his heart sprouted silently in the depths of darkness.

He stared at Gu Yun's pale chin and suddenly asked in a low voice: "Who are you calling?"

Gu Yun remained silent.

Chang Geng felt that he was also drunk, otherwise how could he be so bold?

He suddenly leaned forward and pinched Gu Yun's chin: "Godfather, who are you calling?"

The word "foster father" seemed to remind Gu Yun of something, and he mumbled "Chang Geng".

The two words were like a dull piece of iron, lightly scraping past Chang Geng's ears. His mind buzzed, and the four words "let it be" pushed him on the back, making him bend over like a possessed person and kiss Gu Yun.

Gu Yun was stunned at first, and after a long while, he slowly reacted and grabbed Chang Geng's collar and suddenly pushed him off him.

Chang Geng: “…”

His back hit Gu Yun's stone-hard bed, and he suddenly woke up. The blood on his face faded away. He was extremely panicked and thought, "What am I doing?"

Gu Yun looked down at him. Chang Geng opened his mouth to call him "foster father", but no sound came out.

Unexpectedly, Gu Yun suddenly smiled. The drunkard didn't even recognize him. He reached out and touched his face, and said in a dazed and nasal voice, "Be good."

Chang Geng: “…”

The next moment, Gu Yun hugged the stiff Chang Geng, and solemnly kissed him from his forehead to his lips, licking the gap between his lips with great tenderness, giving him a long and lingering torture. At the same time, his hands were not idle, and he fumbled to unbutton Chang Geng's clothes.

Chang Geng felt like he was about to explode. He held onto Gu Yun's waist with one hand, his hand trembling like a ball, but he managed to hold back without adding any strength.

Gu Yun seemed to feel his trembling. He was quite graceful in bed like a young master from an aristocratic family. He touched Chang Geng's belt and smiled drunkenly. He coaxed him gently, "Don't be afraid. Follow me and I will treat you well in the future."

Chang Geng lowered his voice to a whisper and asked in a hoarse voice, "Who am I?"

Gu Yun was stunned when he heard the voice, and started thinking on the spot, but unfortunately his brain was not working at all. Not only did he not come up with any conclusion, but he was also entangled by Chang Geng's belt. Gu Yun struggled for a long time, but the more he tried to untie it, the tighter it got. In the end, he was exhausted and leaned to the side and fell asleep.

Chang Geng clenched his teeth tightly in the silence, and tried his best to count his long and trembling breaths. After counting for fifty or sixty times, he finally gathered enough strength to get up and push Gu Yun away.

He quickly pulled his belt out of Gu Yun's hand, laid him flat, and hastily pulled the quilt over him. Then, unable to stay even for a moment, he turned around and ran away.