Gu Yun hurriedly got up and put on his clothes. When he came out of the inner room, he was surprised to find Chang Geng in the outer room. He was not asleep yet. It seemed that he had just put on his coat. There was a bean-sized pocket gas lamp lit by his hand and a half-read book on his knees.

The outer room was usually where the servants who served at night lived. Gu Yun was used to a simple life and did not leave anyone to watch at night. Only the old housekeeper would occasionally come over in the first half of the night to add some charcoal to the fire in the room.

"Chang Geng?" Gu Yun asked in astonishment, "Why are you here? I thought it was Uncle Wang..."

Chang Geng: "I'll wait until you fall asleep before I leave."

"You are a prince who has been honored on the Jade Plate," Gu Yun frowned and said meaningfully, "How can you be so unworthy as to stay in a place where servants stay?"

"It's just an empty title. You might as well be a servant to your adoptive father." Chang Geng said calmly. He got up and took down the small pot on the stove. He poured a bowl of medicinal tea and handed it to Gu Yun. "Are you going to the palace? If you don't want to wear fur, at least drink something hot first."

Gu Yun: “…”

He felt very upset. He thought that marrying a wife would probably not be as considerate as Chang Geng. As soon as this thought came to his mind, he slapped himself in the face and thought, "Asshole, have you gone crazy?"

Gu Yun took the cup of medicinal tea and drank it all. When returning the cup, their fingers accidentally touched each other. Chang Geng shrank back quickly as if he was pricked by a needle, then turned around and put the pot back in place as if nothing had happened.

Gu Yun looked at his back, his eyes dimmed slightly, and he thought, "I can't go on like this. When I come back from the palace, I have to have a good talk with him no matter what."

The palace servants outside were urging him, so Gu Yun couldn't delay any longer and had to leave in a hurry.

It was cold and dewy in the first month of the year. Gu Yun's already dizzy head was pierced by the cold wind and he woke up like a needle.

The eunuch leading the way did not dare to raise his head as he walked under the palace wall. On both sides, there was a guard post every three steps and a sentry every five steps, with Kirin crossbows everywhere. They all had neatly arranged animal heads with ferocious faces. White steam was faintly coming out of their fangs. The gears in their necks turned slowly, making a friction sound like a roar, making the red walls and glazed tiles look even more solemn and impossible to look at.

The huge palace lantern floated in the air, dimly shrouded in a layer of mist. It didn't look like a fairy, but rather eerie and spooky, as if there was a ghostly aura.

Emperor Long'an's personal eunuch Zhu Xiaojiao led a few people out of the West Warm Pavilion and happened to meet Gu Yun. They were a few Westerners, led by a man with a head full of white hair, tall and thin, with facial features like a falcon, with compelling eyes, a high and hooked nose, and almost invisible lips, with only a narrow slit like a knife mark.

Zhu Xiaojiao hurriedly stepped forward and saluted Gu Yun, saying, "My Lord - these are the envoys sent by the Pope in the west."

The white-haired man looked at Gu Yun carefully and asked, "Is this the Lord Anding Marquis?"

There was a light layer of snow on Gu Yun's eyelashes, and his whole body was wrapped in a layer of coldness. He bowed coldly.

The white-haired man placed his hand on his chest very solemnly, bowed to him and said, "I didn't expect that Marquis Anding is such a young and handsome man. Nice to meet you."

Gu Yun: "You're too kind."

The two groups of people passed each other, and after the foreigners walked away, Gu Yun took a look at Zhu Xiaojiao.

Zhu Xiaojiao winked at him and said, "I don't know what those foreign guys talked about with His Majesty just now. His Majesty is in a very good mood now. He kept asking them to invite the Marquis. Don't worry, it's not a bad thing."

This old eunuch was notorious throughout the world and was a veritable jester and flatterer, but he had a pretty good relationship with Gu Yun, as he had watched Gu Yun grow up. One time, he somehow angered the late emperor, and Gu Yun happened to meet him and said a few good words to the late emperor, which saved his life.

Although Zhu Xiaojiao had a bad character, he was unexpectedly grateful and always remembered the favor. The matter of saving Zhang Fenghan a few days ago was also thanks to his help in facilitating the process.

However, after he said this, Gu Yun didn't dare to feel at ease.

If the emperor was not too happy, he probably had some idea in his mind - most likely someone had secretly bought the purple gold from the black market.

It’s fine to report it, anyway Gu Yun has already asked someone to deal with it, there is no evidence, at most it’s just a verbal fight… But what about the emperor being “very excited”?

Gu Yun's eyelids twitched even more violently.

When he entered, Li Feng was looking down at a memorial. Under the lamp, Emperor Long An did not look very majestic. He looked even more haggard than Gu Yun who had just had a headache. Without waiting for him to greet him, Li Feng waved his hand and said in a pleasant manner, "There is no one else here, so you don't need to be polite to me, uncle."

Li Feng turned to Zhu Xiaojiao and said, "Go and ask if there is any ginseng soup left for the afternoon, and bring a bowl to the emperor's uncle to warm his hands."

"He's being so attentive for no reason," Gu Yun sighed inwardly, "He's either a traitor or a thief."

Li Feng didn't know what he was thinking, so he asked cheerfully, "I remember my uncle said last time that part of the purple gold obtained by the traitor Fu Zhicheng came from Southeast Asia?"

Gu Yun: "Yes, I'm sorry that I'm incompetent and couldn't find out the source of this batch of purple gold."

Li Feng was not offended at all: "It doesn't matter. Those rebels are very cunning. The emperor's uncle is unfamiliar with the place. He was able to break the thieves' secret passage in a hurry and capture them in one fell swoop. It's already a great achievement. If you claim to be incompetent, won't all my civil and military officials be thrown out at once?"

Gu Yun couldn't figure out what he was up to, so he quickly said he didn't dare.

"The purple gold black market in Daliang is really too rampant," Li Feng changed the subject and quickly got to the point. "I have been sending people to conduct a private investigation recently and found that a large part of the supply actually comes from outside the country."

Gu Yun understood immediately after hearing this. Those in the country who were leaking official oil had probably received the news through various channels and stopped taking any action. Jiang Chong and his team only found some small-time miners, so they did not respond.

Li Feng: "Uncle Huang often travels around the border areas, and has more experience than those of us who sit in the capital and watch the world from a narrow perspective. Do you know where these illegal miners usually appear?"

Gu Yun: "Your Majesty, they are usually on the northern barbarian grasslands."

"That's right," Li Feng laughed, "but I didn't tell you the whole story - Uncle, come and take a look at this."

Gu Yun hesitantly took the secret report that Li Feng threw to him, and scanned it quickly, and his mind suddenly made a buzzing sound.

The secret report listed in detail several routes for smuggling and reselling purple gold. Gu Yun knew most of them, except for the last one - there was "Loulan Kingdom" clearly written on it.

How could there be Loulan?

Gu Yun's Black Iron Camp at the entrance of the ancient Silk Road was stationed next to Loulan State. He had never heard that the idiots who only knew how to drink and sing had purple gold...

Where did this secret music come from?

What was the purpose of the secret envoy's report?

Li Feng: “What?”

Gu Yun's mind was filled with countless thoughts in an instant, and he was almost sweating. "Your Majesty, the Black Iron Camp has lived next to Loulan for many years, and I never knew that there was a purple gold mine in Loulan. Forgive me for being rude, but may I ask who submitted this memorial? What is the basis for this?"

"Alas, why are you so suspicious, uncle?" Li Feng said with a smile, "I didn't say that you had any connection with the smugglers, but it's not surprising that you don't know about this."

Gu Yun took a deep breath, barely holding it back, and pretended to listen attentively.

Li Feng: "It's a long story. Last September, my uncle led his men to the southern border. When you were away, Loulan asked the soldiers of the Black Iron Camp for help to encircle and suppress a group of sand bandits. At that time, Lieutenant General Qiu Wenshan sent troops to the area and won a great victory. He captured and killed more than a hundred sand bandits and rescued a group of Tianzhu merchants who were detained by the sand bandits. Because these merchants had the customs documents of Daliang, General Qiu escorted them to the West Gate Post Station according to the regulations. Unexpectedly, the post station found that the documents of these merchants were fake."

Li Feng was in an extremely good mood. He paused here deliberately, as if to whet people's appetite. Unexpectedly, when he turned around, he saw Gu Yun listening with an inexplicably solemn expression. He didn't have the slightest intention of asking further questions. The emperor couldn't help feeling a little annoyed.

He could only continue in a bored tone, "According to the law, those who forge customs documents should be handed over to the Protectorate for investigation and punishment. The Northwest Protectorate found out after an investigation that these Indians were not a caravan, but a group of 'golden money' on the purple gold black market!"

"Jin Douzi" is the desperado who smuggles purple gold.

"It just so happened that my secret envoy had just arrived in the Western Regions and had not even set foot there when he ran into this group of 'gold diggers'. According to the confession of this group of thieves, they were originally active in the private mines outside the North Great Pass, and they had just recently obtained a 'treasure map' that marked a large amount of purple gold mines underground in Loulan, so they came here to try their luck. Don't you think this is strange? I actually figured out what was underground before the Loulan people themselves."

Gu Yun suddenly thought of the gang of bandits he captured four years ago, and his hair stood on end.

That group of sand bandits had already been secretly killed by him and Shen Yi. After that, Gu Yun sent people to secretly visit Loulan Kingdom more than once, but they neither found the so-called "Purple Flow Gold Mine" nor encountered similar things again.

Unexpectedly, a few years later, just when he had gradually put the matter behind him, it was brought up in this situation!

And...why was it Qiu Wenshan who gave the order to send troops?

Qiu Wenshan was a lieutenant general in charge of defense in the Black Tie Camp and had little contact with trade routes. Otherwise, if an experienced person came, he would definitely not transfer the person directly to the Northwest Protectorate without verifying the authenticity of the document. The Northwest Protectorate was directly under the central government. Once the person was transferred, the Black Tie Camp would have no right to interfere in subsequent matters.

Gu Yun took Shen Yi away, but the cavalry commanders of the three camps were all there. Where did they go at that time?

Gu Yun: "I would like to ask Your Majesty, when did the bandits invade?"

Li Feng said: "At the end of last year, what happened?"

Gu Yun forced a smile and said, "Nothing, I'm just a little confused. The bandits in the Western Regions have been eliminated for a long time, why did they suddenly show up again?"

His head started to hurt even more, as if the effect of the medicine that Chang Geng had suppressed with acupuncture was coming back again - yes, at the end of the year there would be a grand fair of all nations at the entrance of the Ancient Silk Road, and the Black Iron Camp would have to send more people to guard it. The annual tribute from the Northern Frontier would be transported through the northwest to the imperial capital, and usually a number of Black Cavalry would be seconded... all the people were sent out.

Why did it happen at this time?

Why was it that just as the Northwest Protectorate had discovered the "Golden Douzi", the secret envoy of Emperor Long'an arrived right after, leaving no room for maneuver?

And with all the things going on, why didn't he receive any information before or after it happened?

Gu Yun's mind was in a mess for a moment, and he suddenly felt a little breathless in the warm room where it was spring all year round.

Li Feng said, "The Western Regions bandits usually roam outside Daliang's borders. You can't send troops unless you receive a request for help. It's really difficult to deal with them. I specially called the emperor's uncle here today, not to ask how many bandits there are, but to give him an important task."

Gu Yun looked up at him.

Li Feng's eyes were burning with anger. "My secret envoy has now entered Loulan in disguise. I'm afraid it's almost certain that there is indeed a rare purple gold mine under Loulan... Uncle, do you understand what I mean?"

Gu Yun's heart slowly sank, and he spoke word by word: "Forgive me for my stupidity, Your Majesty, please explain clearly."

Li Feng patted his shoulder. Gu Yun seemed to never be able to warm up. He was like a stone that had been frozen in ice for three days at any time.

"I have a heart-to-heart with my uncle. He knows about the internal and external troubles facing Daliang," Li Feng sighed and said, "I am very worried. I have no one to turn to in my dreams at midnight. It is not easy to bear the burden of such a great country."

Gu Yun carefully considered the wording and said tactfully: "Your Majesty is busy with all kinds of affairs every day, and he is the hope of all the people. Please take care of your health. I am not familiar with government affairs, but in the past few years, I have seen the ancient Silk Road being built bit by bit, and it has become more active every year. The big merchants in the northwest have begun to go abroad, and the people in the Central Plains have always been diligent. I think in no more than three to five years, this prosperity will spread to the whole of Daliang, and then..."

His words were tactful, but Li Feng was no fool and of course he could hear the rejection in his words.

Emperor Long An had originally been very excited to invite Gu Yun over, but he didn't expect that Gu Yun didn't even have a word to flatter him. As soon as he opened his mouth, he was poured a bucket of cold water.

"Gu Qing," Li Feng suddenly changed his address and interrupted him rudely, "You really don't understand government affairs. The trade routes have been open for business, and you have indeed made money in recent years, but can you guarantee that it will continue like this? Can you explain the business of merchants clearly? I didn't know that in addition to being able to fight in battle, Marquis Anding also understands the ways of business."

Gu Yun knew that when he heard the word "Gu Qing", he should immediately shut up and obey the order and do what he was supposed to do.

He fell silent for a moment. For some reason, the gas lamp behind the emperor suddenly jumped unsteadily with a slight "crackling" sound.

Gu Yun thought, he seemed to have sworn to Lord Jiang a while ago that he would "not dare to despise his body"...

Li Feng raised his hand and rubbed his brows, suppressed his anger, found a way out for the two people, and said stiffly: "Forget it, you go back and rest first. I have told you about this matter. Think about it carefully when you go back. It is not spring yet, and the northwest is freezing cold. You don't have to rush back..." "Your Majesty." Gu Yun closed his eyes slightly, suddenly lifted his clothes and knelt down - he said that he would not argue about temper and loyalty, but how could this be a matter of temper and loyalty?

"Your Majesty, please forgive me," Gu Yun said slowly, "Purple gold is indeed important, but please forgive me for being stupid and not understanding the deep meaning of your Majesty's move. The peace and prosperity of the ancient Silk Road today is hard-won. Your Majesty really wants to abandon it for a piece of purple gold that is not necessary?"

"Gu Qing has made great contributions to the development of the ancient Silk Road. I know you have put in so much effort over the years, but you are reluctant to give it up... Don't I feel bad for it?" Li Feng argued with him patiently, "But such a big country is like a broken house with leaks everywhere. If there is a little wind and rain, I will be busy robbing Peter to repair Paul. How can I not be stretched to the limit?"

Gu Yun sneered in his heart, but couldn't show it on his face, so he just looked indifferent.

"The ground is cold. I see that my uncle is not in good health. The smell of the drug has not yet dissipated. Don't keep kneeling." Li Feng's expression softened and he tried to reason with Gu Yun. "I remember when I was a child, Master Lin said that the strength of a country is nothing more than the two arms of 'God' and 'man'. Do you remember, uncle?"

Gu Yun: "Remember, he said, 'God's gift is the mountains and rivers, the plants and trees, the fish and livestock grown in the soil, and the gold flowing underground; man's gift is the words of the saints, the skills of construction, fire engines and steel armor.' These two are like beams and pillars, which can be relied on alone but cannot be broken together. As a king, you should keep this in mind.'"

"Uncle, you really have a photographic memory," Li Feng lowered his eyes and looked at him, "Now these two pillars are completely eaten away by insects, what should I do?"

Gu Yun actually wanted to say, "If you hadn't implemented that ridiculous Zhangling Law, there might not be so many bugs." However, it was useless to say it, because Lord Fenghan was confined to his son, reflecting on his mistakes.

This question and answer reminded Li Feng of the time when they were young and studying together. Gu Yun was in poor health when he was young. He was sick and had to take medicine every other day. He had a bad temper and didn't like to talk to people, but he was very conscious of being an "uncle" to his brothers. Although he was younger than the King of Wei, he would save any delicious food or fun things for them and never fight for them. He would also answer any questions and meet any requests. Li Feng had always liked him very much.

"Hurry up and get up," the last bit of anger on Li Feng's face also faded, "The emperor's uncle is the sharp sword of the country. I still need you to stabilize the four directions."

Hearing this, Gu Yun slowly leaned over and lightly touched his forehead to his fingertips that were supporting the ground.

Li Feng breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that this person had finally made sense - Gu Yun had become more tactful and sensible over the years, and was no longer as easily irritated as he was a few years ago. His mild retort just now was probably because he overreacted to the word "Loulan"...

As for Loulan, Gu Yun had been there for more than five years, so the feelings must be deep, so it is not difficult to understand.

Thinking of this, Li Feng's heart softened a lot, and he even planned to reach out and help Gu Yun himself.

Unexpectedly, before he stretched out his hand, Gu Yun had already stood up and said calmly: "Your Majesty, although Loulan is small, it has always been friendly with our dynasty. When many countries in the Western Regions rebelled, our army was besieged in the yellow sand dunes for more than 20 days. The only people who informed us of the situation and smuggled food and medicine were the people of Loulan. Later, many countries in the West, the Western Regions, India and other places signed new ancient Silk Road agreements with Daliang, and Loulan was among them-"

Li Feng's hand, stretched out in the air, froze. He was stunned for a moment, then became furious and shouted, "Enough!"

"To raise an army and invade another country because of coveting its things is unkind; to abandon old favors and break an agreement is unrighteous!" Gu Yun had no intention of letting go at all. Every word he spoke was like a knife, slamming into the floor of the warm room of the Golden Palace without any hesitation.

Li Feng was so angry that he trembled: "Shut up!"

He swept his hand across the four treasures of the study on the table, picked up an inkstone, and smashed it hard. Gu Yun did not dodge, and let the inkstone hit heavily on the light armor on his shoulder. With a crisp "clang" sound, the ink that had not yet dried flowed down the chest of the cloud brocade court robe of Marquis Anding.

Li Feng: "Gu Yun, what do you want to do?"

Gu Yun finished his words calmly: "An unkind and unjust army is a bad omen. Although the 50,000 soldiers of the Black Iron Camp are not afraid of death, they dare not obey this summons. Please ask the emperor to withdraw the order."