In the early summer of the eighth year of Long'an, the countries in the Western Regions could no longer resist, so they gathered their remaining troops, opened their borders, and jointly submitted a letter of surrender and apology to the suzerain country.

At the entrance of the ancient Silk Road, the Western Regions countries sat together with the representatives of Daliang for the second time and were forced to negotiate peace.

Gu Yun was too lazy to show up to fight against his defeated opponent, so he only sent Shen Yi to act as his full agent.

Shen Yi came with Daliang's harsh demands - first, he wanted to extort a large sum of gold and silver, and second, Daliang garrisons would be built in various countries in the Western Regions to monitor the vassal states. From then on, except for Loulan, which was an ally, the other vassal states were not allowed to have a lighter steel armor, and all of them, including light furs, had to be destroyed. Finally, Daliang required that the vassal states pay more than 70% of the purple gold produced each year as tribute to Daliang.

Shen Yi felt a sharp pain in his teeth every time he read this clause. It was like scraping his bones. The representatives of various countries immediately cried out for help.

After the first negotiation broke down, Gu Yun led 300 heavily armored soldiers to launch a night attack on the surrendered remnant Western Region soldiers the next day, blowing up the entire world in red. He artificially completed the main content of the second clause of the contract for them, and openly declared that it didn't matter if they didn't agree to the other two clauses, he would immediately lead his men to massacre the city.

Massacre of a city is against the harmony of nature and is usually done by the northern barbarians. There is rarely such a trend in the Daliang army. However, the people of the Western Regions were worried that Gu Yun was jealous of the bombing and suspected that he could do anything. They were still tough at the beginning, but when Gu Yun ordered people to blast open the city gates, the coalition representatives at the negotiation table finally backed down.

After several rounds of unsuccessful bargaining, the "New Treaty of Loulan" was signed three days later. Under the threat of Gu Yun's heavy military force, each country first cleared up its domestic war preparations as quickly as possible, and then complained bitterly as they pieced together the purple gold that had been dug out a year ago but had not yet been used.

At the end of May, Gu Yun and Shen Yi secretly escorted Zi Liujin back to Beijing from the Western Regions.

A heavy rain washed the streets and alleys of the capital, and tiny locust flowers fell all over the streets.

The civil service reform was a lot of hype but little action, and the chaos that everyone had imagined would result miraculously did not occur.

First of all, the aristocratic families are not stupid. Even if they are dissatisfied with Prince Yan's various ways of taking money from their pockets, they know in their hearts that compared to themselves, those poor Hanlin scholars who came from the imperial examination system and could not find a few taels of silver on them are the ones who hate this policy the most. It is not necessary for them to be the first to speak out for others, so at the beginning, this group of people hid themselves and prepared to watch the joke.

Unexpectedly, this matter was really weird. Except for a few stubborn old Confucian scholars who stood up and said some nonsense about "propriety" and "not propriety", there was not even a splash in the court.

Chang Geng first wrote a letter to take down the emperor, and then presented his longer-term vision for beacon tickets to Li Feng. He wrote the whole story in detail, skillfully concealed and exaggerated, and finally painted a big pie for the emperor - given time, beacon tickets would be promoted from top to bottom, and all the gold and silver from the people in the world would be collected into the national treasury, and the people could buy and sell all the tickets, and the amount of the tickets would be decided by the court at its discretion. There would no longer be a situation where the gold and silver from the people were filled with dust and the national treasury had no money available when the country was in crisis.

Li Feng previously thought that some of King Yan's ideas were too unorthodox and indecent, but only then did he realize that this person was not indecent at all, but was simply trying to trample the word "decency" under his feet.

In the past, there was the First Emperor who collected all the weapons in the world to cast golden men. Today, there is a Prince Yan who is collecting all the wealth in the world.

But this idea was too tempting. After Li Feng had a rough understanding of the concept of "using a few pieces of paper instead of gold and silver for trading", he felt vaguely uneasy, but on the other hand he could not resist the temptation. He kept the memorial for three days, and after repeated deliberation, he finally took the chance without hesitation. He ordered Chang Geng to take charge of the matter, but repeatedly warned that the measures should not be extreme, especially for those rising talents from humble backgrounds in the court, and that they should "take it slow and steady."

What Emperor Li Feng didn't know was that long before Prince Yan wrote a petition requesting the reform of the civil service system, the richest man in Jiangnan brought thirteen tycoons from all over the country to Beijing and hosted a dinner in the small restaurant where they had chosen the host for the Linyuan wooden plaque.

The small restaurant was originally shabby and unknown. In the past few years, it was obscured by the light of the Qiyuan Tower and looked like a firefly under the moon. People with poor eyesight could not find it at all. This time, it was fortunately preserved from the devastated capital. It was renovated again at the beginning of the year and officially opened to welcome guests. Two more floors were added to the original two-story building. The broken bricks and tiles were tidied up and it was renamed "Wangnan Tower". When people saw it, they felt a sense of sadness as if half of the city had been ruined, which was very appropriate - few people knew that this originally half-dead restaurant was Du Wanquan's property.

The first negotiation between the two parties was not smooth. The scholars considered themselves noble and had been in officialdom for many years. They were really unwilling to deal with these money-grubbing people, and most of them came just to get by.

Who would have thought that after getting to know him, I would realize that Du Wanquan was no ordinary person.

Du Wanquan once sailed to the West and saw the real world. His manners, conversation and thoughts were very different from those of ordinary businessmen. He had a silver tongue and could bring the dead back to life. With Jiang Chong's silent mediation, many people soon began to worry.

Just as the decree of civil service reform was quietly seeping into every place, Du Wanquan and his party opened the largest private room in Wangnan Tower and hosted a second banquet for eight important officials of the court, headed by Jiang Chong.

All of them were helpless in the court, became officials through imperial examinations, and started from scratch.

This secret talk lasted for more than four hours. When the moon was high above the branches, the chief seatmate Jiang Chong raised his glass to end the conversation.

Jiang Chong stood up solemnly and looked around. Many people were drinking too much.

"We've had enough wine and food today, and everyone is tired. I won't spoil the fun. I'll raise a glass. Everyone will drink the remaining wine, and then we can go." Jiang Chong said, "As long as we have to fight this war, the promotion of beacon tickets is imperative. All of you should work hard for the country..."

Jiang Chong said this and stopped in the middle of nowhere, smiling and silently drinking the wine in the glass.

While devoting yourself to the country, please also consider your own future.

The wealthy businessmen who had been completely unable to say anything about current affairs and government affairs for many years and who were eager to have their own spokespersons met a group of powerless and incorruptible civil servants and formed a formal alliance.

After Du Wanquan sent away the civil servants and businessmen one by one, he returned to Wangnan Tower alone and went straight to the room next to the private room. There was no servant in that room, and the lights were not on. There was only a dim gas lamp hanging above the head. There were two taels of rice wine, a bowl of porridge and a plate of side dish on the table. Half a bowl of porridge was drunk, and three-tenths of the wine was left. The side dish was only taken a few bites, and the people at the table had already put down their chopsticks.

Du Wanquan no longer had the smooth manner he had just shown. He stepped forward respectfully and said, "Prince Yan."

Chang Geng nodded politely: "Mr. Du."

Du Wanquan glanced at the porridge and side dishes on the table and said hurriedly, "Your Highness is always frugal, which really makes us admire him. However, this Wangnan Tower is our own property, why don't we order some delicious food? As summer is approaching, I asked them to prepare some food to relax the mind and maintain health..."

"Don't bother, I just want to eat this." Chang Geng waved his hand and said, "Today's matter depends entirely on Du Gong, thank you for your hard work."

Du Wanquan hurriedly said that he didn't dare. Seeing him stand up to leave, he held up the umbrella at one side and said, "The car is ready in the backyard. Please come this way, Your Highness."

If we say that the most reluctant person when Monk Liangran summoned the Linyuan wooden signs in the beginning was undoubtedly Du Wanquan - he did rely a lot on the folk power of Linyuan Pavilion to make his fortune in his early years, but to earn this family fortune, Du Wanquan would never admit that Linyuan Pavilion had much help in it. Now, no one would be willing to devote all his life's efforts to it for someone he had never met before.

But after having contact with King Yan for more than half a year, Du Wanquan is the one who is most willing to serve King Yan.

Du Caishen has traveled far and wide for many years, and his knowledge and experience are far greater than that of ordinary people. He vaguely feels that Chang Geng is indeed saving the country from danger, but he is more likely to be laying the groundwork for something. Du Wanquan has an indescribable sense of excitement - Daliang's precarious road began with Emperor Wu, declined during Emperor Yuanhe, and reached its end during Emperor Long'an - now it is indeed time to enter a new era of turning point.

He boarded the big ship with just a wooden sign.

Chang Geng had just walked to the door when he accidentally touched his waist and paused.

Du Wanquan saw it with his sharp eyes and asked hurriedly, "What is the prince looking for?"

"Nothing," Chang Geng paused, and said absentmindedly, "I've run out of incense."

He had been so busy these days that he consumed the An Shen San so quickly that he hadn't had time to prepare it. Chang Geng sighed and smiled at Du Wanquan, "It's okay. Mr. Du, please stay. You don't have to see me off. Tell Mr. Feng Han that what he's been thinking about will come true one day."

He couldn't hold his liquor very well - as a prince, no one would dare to force him to drink regardless of the occasion. Although Chang Geng had never been completely drunk due to his self-restraint, judging from the fact that he would get a headache after just two or three glasses, his alcohol tolerance might not be good.

Chang Geng usually didn't drink alcohol, but he was really tired after listening to the wall corner for more than four hours, so he asked someone to bring him two taels of yellow wine for a little stimulation. Who knew that this little bit of tipsiness not only didn't help him sleep, but also made it difficult for him to fall asleep when he returned home that night.

Chang Geng tossed and turned in bed for a long time, until it was almost four o'clock in the morning, when he finally fell into a daze. Half asleep and half awake, he seemed to hear someone coming in. He turned over and woke up with a start. He raised his hand to turn on the small gas lamp hanging on the head of the bed, but he didn't know whether it was because of the heavy rain in the capital or because no one had lived in this room for several days, the gas lamp only flickered once and went out.

The man sat on the small couch beside him with a familiar look and asked with a smile, "What are you doing on my bed?"

Chang Geng was startled. His eyes had gotten used to the darkness, so he saw with a little light that it was Gu Yun who had returned. He asked hurriedly, "Didn't you say we'll arrive in the capital in two days? How come you're here so soon?"

Gu Yun stretched lazily and leaned to the side: "I missed you, I rushed back here by myself."

The last time we saw each other was at the end of the year. Winter turned to spring and now it is summer. I haven’t seen him for half a year. Although Gu Yun often contains "private goods" in his battle reports and sends letters every once in a while, how can it compare to being in person?

Chang Geng missed him so much that he wanted to rush over and hug him.

Gu Yun leaned back, lightly dodged his hand, and landed in front of the window like a piece of paper. The rain outside had stopped, and the moonlight quietly meandered into the room from the puddle. Gu Yun stood with his back to the light, and Chang Geng saw the light fur armor he had worn for thousands of years.

"Why do you want to make a move when we meet?" Gu Yun said, "I just came to see you."

Chang Geng was in a state of not knowing whether to laugh or cry when he heard the first half of the sentence, thinking that he was the first to complain, and he didn't know who was more fond of making trouble. When he heard the second half of the sentence, his smile suddenly faded, and he vaguely felt that something was wrong: "Zi Xi, what's wrong with you?"

Gu Yun said nothing, just looked at him.

The two of them sat and stood, facing each other in silence for a long while, as if they were saying goodbye.

Chang Geng's heart started beating wildly for no reason, shaking his chest so much that he could hardly hold anything else and couldn't breathe. He couldn't bear it any longer and got up and walked towards Gu Yun. It was only four or five steps from the bed to the small window, but he seemed to never reach the end.

If he moved forward a little, Gu Yun would have to move back a little.

Chang Geng turned around without caring and grabbed the gas lamp on the bedside, frantically turning the mechanism on it. The gas lamp made a few popping sounds and suddenly lit up, filling the room with a bright fire. Chang Geng turned to Gu Yun in panic, ignoring the glare of the light, but saw a man standing by the window with a face as pale as paper and a gray look that didn't look like a living person. Two lines of blood were flowing down the corners of his mouth and the cinnabar mole at the corners of his eyes.

The gas lamp went out again with a "click".

Gu Yun sighed softly: "I can't see the light, why did you light it... Chang Geng, I'm leaving now."

What does "cannot see the light" mean? Chang Geng almost went crazy on the spot. He rushed forward desperately and stretched out his hand to grab it, but he only grabbed a handful of icy black armor.

Chang Geng hissed, "Stop! Where are you going? Gu Zixi!"

"Go where you should go." Gu Yun's voice was cold. "You are now fully grown. You have taken Linyuan Pavilion by trickery and seized the Li family's kingdom. You have everything in your hands. What kind of tricks did you use? Didn't Li Feng die in your hands? There is no point in me staying any longer, so I came here to say goodbye."

Chang Geng said anxiously: "No, wait, I didn't..."

He instinctively wanted to refute that he didn't do it, but the words couldn't come out. He felt confused and felt that what Gu Yun said seemed to be what he did.

Gu Yun said coldly: "I was entrusted by the late emperor to bring you back from Yanhui Town and take care of you until you grow up. I hoped that even if you were not a pillar of talent, you would at least be a good person with upright character and a bright and clear mind. What did you do?"

On an early summer night, Chang Geng suddenly felt an unprecedented coldness.

"I followed the late emperor's order and took care of you until you grew up, but I didn't expect that I would raise a wolf from Zhongshan." Gu Yun sighed slightly, "It has been two hundred years since Taizu founded Daliang. I thought it would last for thousands of years, but who knew that the imperial seal would be destroyed in my hands..."

Chang Geng wanted to grab him fiercely, or cry and scream, but the whole person seemed to be fixed in place, and could only watch woodenly as Gu Yun turned around lightly and said, "Gu, I am going to the underworld to apologize, there is no need to see you again."

Then he passed through the wall and disappeared. The open window was empty. Chang Geng was so frightened that he woke up with a scream, his heart beating like thunder. It took him three full breaths to come back to his senses. He slowly exhaled the pent-up air in his chest and realized belatedly that it was just a realistic nightmare.

He didn’t know if it was because of the drinking or something else, but his head was throbbing and his limbs were sore. He felt more tired after a night’s sleep than without any sleep.

After calming down for a while, Chang Geng was about to get up to drink some water and close his eyes to rest for a while. However, just as he stood up, he suddenly saw a dark shadow on the wooden chair by the window. The person's breathing was very slow and slow, and he was obviously a master. Chang Geng was so shocked by the beating of his own heart that he didn't notice it for a while.

He instinctively shouted: "Who?"

The man laughed softly and said, "What are you doing on my bed?"

There could be no greater shock than this. Chang Geng had not yet woken up from the nightmare. His elbows went limp and he fell back onto the bed. Gu Yun's broken bed was hard from the bed board to the pillow. The impact was no small matter. The meticulous and calm Prince Yan was almost knocked unconscious by the pillow.

Gu Yun was startled and rushed to the bed to help him up.

He left Shen Yi and his personal soldiers behind and came back two days early. He planned to rest for a night and scare Chang Geng the next morning, but when he entered the room, he found that the bed was occupied by someone. He knew from Miss Chen that Chang Geng had a bad sleep, and it was difficult for him to fall asleep, and he was easily awakened when he fell asleep, so he didn't want to wake him up.

"Where did you hit? Hey, let me see," Gu Yun said in confusion, "Although your behavior of occupying the magpie's nest is very bad, I didn't say anything. Why are you acting like you saw a ghost... Tell me, what good things did you do behind my back?"

Chang Geng trembled as he grabbed his wrist. This time he was holding onto the warm body temperature, which just allowed him to breathe a sigh of relief.

Gu Yun noticed that Chang Geng was a little emotional, so he wanted to say a few words to ease the mood, so he said: "Why don't you ask me why I came back two days early?"

Chang Geng's expression changed immediately.

Gu Yun's crow mouth continued: "I miss you, I'm galloping alone..."

Chang Geng shouted sternly: "Don't say that!"

His shout was so tragic that Gu Yun paused, then asked cautiously: "Chang Geng, what's wrong?"

As he spoke, he reached for the gas lamp on the bedside.

But with just a slight twist, the gas lamp jumped twice in a disorderly manner, and then there was a "pop" and there was no sound. It was actually broken.

In an instant, reality and nightmare overlapped with an incredible coincidence. Chang Geng screamed hoarsely, and the vague pain in his limbs surged into his heart like a tide, transforming into a hundred and eight thousand kinds of solemn and terrifying illusions, opening their bloody mouths and swallowing him whole in one gulp.