The hint of murderous intent flashed by, and before Jiang Chong could see clearly, Chang Geng praised nonchalantly: "Minister Fang is indeed talented, and he is truly a capable minister in governing the country."

Prince Yan spoke briskly, and his praise seemed sincere, as if the unspeakable murderous intent just now was entirely Lord Jiang's own imagination. Only the word "governing the world" was used very subtly.

Fang Qin's memorial went straight to the heart of Emperor Long'an. He did not comment on whether it was good or bad to integrate the refugees into the factory. He only focused on the safety issues of Zi Liujin's supervision, and even dragged Gu Yun out to make a fuss - "If the gains made by tens of thousands of Black Iron Camp soldiers who fought bloody battles on the front line are not put to good use, wouldn't it discourage loyal ministers and good generals?"

Gu Yun probably wouldn't care too much, but Li Feng's weak spot was definitely touched. When Chang Geng persuaded Lord Feng Han to give in on the issue of Purple Gold, he said that since the wise and powerful Emperor Wu, Purple Gold has been like another imperial seal to the imperial family. What's more, the royal private treasury accumulated by Jinghua Garden for generations was burned down in one day. Since then, Li Feng will only feel more insecure.

Later, Fang Qin also listed in detail a long list of possible consequences of selling Purple Gold to private merchants: for example, if this loophole is opened, how can we identify whether the Purple Gold in the hands of private merchants is purchased from the court or smuggled?

If the price of smuggled purple gold from outside is lower, then profit-seeking businessmen will naturally smuggle it under the guise of a license. The private hoarding, sale and smuggling of purple gold by the public has been rampant despite repeated bans, so won't it be even more difficult to control in the future?

For another example, if nothing unexpected happens, the factory industry will always last longer than an ordinary person's lifetime. Even if the court only grants the franchise to these thirteen private merchants, what will happen to their descendants?

The number of places burning purple gold will only increase in the future, otherwise it will be difficult to continue. So does the court want to give the franchise to their descendants? What if the descendants split up? What if the factory is bought by someone else? If the franchise of purple gold can also be bought and sold, then wouldn’t it be too convenient for bad guys to privately hoard steel armor lighters and rebel in the future?

But if this franchise is just a one-time deal, for individuals rather than the factory, then when these thirteen people holding the franchise die and the factory is disbanded, won't there still be refugees running rampant?

The current generation of refugees knew that it was the foreign enemies that caused their displacement, and that it was the imperial court that provided them with food and arranged for them to live, but what would the refugees think when they were displaced again decades later? They would only think that it was the imperial court that forcibly revoked the franchise that destroyed their jobs. Wouldn't this solve the crisis temporarily but sow endless troubles?

In addition, there are various concerns, too numerous to mention. Fang Qin finally summarized them in elegant terms: In summary, those who encourage the sale of purple gold to private traders are either simple-minded and only care about the present without thinking about how the future will end, or they are simply troublemakers who are trying to fish in troubled waters and have no idea what their intentions are.

Minister Fang was a man of great talent. Every word in his long memorial touched Emperor Long'an's heart.

"If this memorial had been sent to the Military Affairs Office through conventional channels, we would still be able to stop it," Jiang Chong sighed, "but...ah, Your Majesty, the Fang family has a deep foundation in the court after all."

Chang Geng suddenly laughed silently.

Jiang Chong was puzzled by his laughter.

Prince Yan took a sip of the tea on the table and said, "Master Fang is talking about the most urgent current affairs, not nonsense praising merits. His words are reasonable and there is nothing wrong with them. Even if they are sent to the Military Affairs Office, what reason do we have to stop them? Han Shi, is what you said appropriate? What kind of place is the Military Affairs Office? Is it a place dedicated to bullying the superiors and the subordinates, abusing power and committing fraud?"

Although his tone was gentle, his words were already very serious. Jiang Chong was shocked: "Your Majesty..."

Chang Geng restrained his expression and interrupted him calmly, "You said this today and it only reached my ears. It won't be passed on to a third person, so let it go for now. But I don't want to hear similar words in the Military Affairs Office again."

Jiang Chong quickly responded in all seriousness: "Yes, I made a mistake."

Chang Geng's expression softened, and he lied with his eyes open, "I have limited experience, and I don't have enough sophistication and self-control when it comes to things. I treat you as my own, and I don't know how to control my words. I may say something light or heavy, so don't take it too seriously, Brother Hanshi."

Jiang Chong kept saying "I dare not". He was promoted by the King of Yan, and others thought he was the King of Yan's confidant, but he felt more and more that he could not see through this boss who had been so kind to him.

The forces headed by the Fang family will not sit idly by and watch the new nobles in the court take advantage of the country's lack of money to rise to power. They will definitely suppress them with all their might. This is certain.

Others may not be clear about this, but Jiang Chong knows very well that these so-called "new nobles" were precisely fostered by Prince Yan - this matter had been paved since the reform of civil service administration... or even earlier, when the beacon tickets were issued.

If his lengthy preparation was intended to set up a scheme, then where would it lead to in the end?

Is His Royal Highness Prince Yan really selfless and does everything to ease the country's temporary crisis? Is he really as selfless as he has always shown, and will he immediately resign and return home to be an idle prince who eats the emperor's food as soon as the foreign enemies retreat?

If that were the case, why would he go to so much trouble to set up such a big stall?

But if King Yan was just using this huge lie to deceive the world and had other intentions in mind...what could he be planning?

He is the only living brother of the current emperor, and also the only prince of Daliang. If he wants to go further, there is only... that position.

But this doesn't make sense at all. If Prince Yan really wanted the throne, why did he disobey the Emperor Long'an's order when he asked him to succeed to the throne?

To put it another way, even if he refused at the time and changed his mind later, why would he offend a group of important officials in the court with his status as a prince? Isn't it normal to try to win them over?

Jiang Chong was confused and asked carefully, "But Your Highness, even I am full of doubts about private merchants setting up factories after reading this memorial, let alone the emperor? But if this matter really fails, then let's not talk about how the court will appease people like Du Gong who have made contributions to the country, how will the many refugees be settled?"

"You've got it wrong," Chang Geng said with a meaningful smile, "After reading this, the Emperor will only be full of doubts about the private trading of purple gold. Since Lord Fang has made it so clear that private trading of purple gold is not feasible, why don't we think about how to solve this problem? Isn't that the best of both worlds?"

Jiang Chong was stunned.

Chang Geng: "Go back and prepare. Everyone should arrive a little earlier tomorrow. The Military Affairs Council will discuss this matter before the court meeting. Don't let my brother down."

Jiang Chong responded and stood up to say goodbye. For a moment, he heard an unspeakable certainty between the lines of Prince Yan's calm words. It was as if he had already anticipated Fang Qin's letter and had already thought about how to deal with it next.

But...if there is a solution, why not bring it up at the beginning instead of taking this detour?

What other purpose does this serve other than to intensify the conflict between the new elites of Fenghuo Tickets and the aristocratic families in advance?

"Oh, by the way, Han Shi." Chang Geng called him.

Jiang Chong, who was worried, came to his senses and thought he had something important to say, so he listened attentively.

Chang Geng: "By the way, ask them to fry two pounds of fried yellow croaker for me and pack them up. I'll take them back later. Thank you!"

Lord Jiang slipped and almost rolled down the stairs.

At this time, Gu Yun, who was left behind by Emperor Long An, just managed to leave before the palace gates were locked.

The deployment of war preparedness in all four directions had to be reviewed by Marquis Anding before being reported to the Grand Council for submission to the emperor for approval. Originally, the latest purple gold deployment plan was to be handed over to Gu Yun after the grand court meeting, but the emperor kept him until this hour. Shen Yi had no choice but to wait until nightfall. Just as he was yawning out of boredom, he saw Gu Yun walking out slowly.

"What took you so long?" Shen Yi went up to him, "I thought you were arguing with the Emperor again."

Gu Yun took the memorial from him and flipped through it: "Wait for me to take it back and read it - what's there to argue about? You are already this old."

Shen Yi: “…”

He looked at Gu Yun in shock, his tongue tied as he said, "At this age? Marshal, are you okay? What did the emperor say to you?"

He actually referred to the "beautiful girl in the Northwest" who is vain all the time as "this age"!

Gu Yun glanced at his shoulder dejectedly. The drool from the little prince lying on his shoulder had not yet dried.

If a person has been single for a long time, he will always tend to feel that he is still young, but before he knows it, he has become an "uncle". Then he suddenly realizes that at his age, if he had a shorter lifespan, half of his life would have passed.

"Nothing." Gu Yun said absentmindedly as he walked, "Maybe he was annoyed by the noise of the grand court meeting, and said a few discouraging words to me... The emperor has always loved to compete since he was a child, and he has to be better than others in everything he does. When he first ascended the throne, he also thought about the Taishan Fengshan event. It has been like this for all these years, and he... Alas, it is not easy."

Shen Yi put his hands behind his back and listened silently. Every time he was involved in these royal messes, he felt very tired. Led by the late Emperor Yuanhe who had already been buried in the imperial mausoleum, each one was more fickle than the other. If they were nice for three days, they would let you be honored and favored unparalleled and wish you had the power over the world. If they were angry for two days, they would turn you into a prisoner in the blink of an eye, and you might even lose your life on someone's knife.

Take Emperor Yuanhe for example. If he had cut the Gordian knot earlier, Gu Yun would have been able to get married in his next life. But he wanted to get rid of the Gu family, but he couldn't bear to do it again and again. He was like a ruthless hunter who had destroyed a tiger's den. He had done everything he could but couldn't bear to kill the young tiger. He had to take it home and raise it as a cat. He killed it with true love and spoiled it with true love. As a result, he raised Gu Yun, a "root of trouble" with deep feelings. I really don't know whether he will succeed or fail.

Shen Yi sighed, "We who were fighting outside didn't know the difficulties in the court. Only after returning did we realize that it was really not easy for His Royal Highness Prince Yan over the past year. Guess what, my father was still talking to me yesterday, saying that I was 'a blessing in disguise' - although my family is not a famous family, it has been a family of imperial examinations for generations, and we all eat the emperor's salary. When I insisted on entering the Lingshu Courtyard, my old man didn't do anything, but the aunts and uncles went crazy. Later, I ran away from the Lingshu Courtyard to join the army with you, which was even more outrageous... Oh, don't mention it. In the eyes of my aunts and uncles, I am simply an incurable prodigal."

Gu Yun said dissatisfiedly: "How can you be considered a loser when you have made real military achievements?"

"That's right, but now my old man is a little relieved," Shen Yi said, "He said that there are undercurrents everywhere in the court, and the situation is becoming more and more complicated. It would be more reassuring to follow you to fight outside. At least the muzzles of the guns and the tips of the knives are pointed at the enemy."

Gu Yun's heart did not feel at ease, but became more filled with anxiety. He did not know what role Chang Geng played in the chaotic court. So far, the Grand Council seemed to be just a temporary agency set up during a special period to coordinate the national strength and the ministers in order to "put war first" throughout the country. Although the power imitated the previous system and was the center of state affairs, reporting directly to the emperor and commanding the six ministries, everyone in it still retained their original positions, as if the Grand Council could be abolished at any time once the war subsided.

Headed by Prince Yan, the Grand Council has always been centered around the needs of the Emperor and the major military regions, and the positions of everyone involved seem to be shrouded in mystery.

"Let's not talk about these bad things," Shen Yi interrupted his thoughts, "By the way, is His Royal Highness Prince Yan still living in the Marquis' Mansion? What's going on between you and him?"

Gu Yun: “…”

Shen Yi could not see the "indescribable" expression on his face at all, and kept chattering: "I heard that His Royal Highness Prince Yan used to stay in the Military Affairs Office for ten days and half a month, and recently he started to come and go on schedule. It seems that it started from your return to Beijing... Well, if he didn't take it seriously, he probably wouldn't dare to make fun of you."

He rambled on about his feelings, and it was unclear whether he was expressing his feelings for the difficulty of Prince Yan and asking the man surnamed Gu to obey him immediately, or warning Gu Yun that this relationship was shocking and he should make a decisive decision. Anyway, Gu Yun did not understand his meaning and frowned, saying, "I don't understand. What do you mean?"

"I mean, I don't know what to do about this either," Shen Yi scratched his head and said, "I'm just worried about you."

Gu Yun: “…”

He felt that Shen Yi was not worried about him, but was just making things difficult for him.

But since they had already fallen asleep, it was too late for Shen Yi to say these words and sigh. However, no matter how thick-skinned Gu Shuai was, it was really not convenient for him to announce the "truth" to the world.

He saw Shen Yi still following him closely, and didn't seem to have any intention of going back to their own homes, so he raised his eyebrows unhappily and said, "Why are you still following me? Are you going to go to the Marquis' Mansion to watch me worry?"

Shen Yi laughed awkwardly and said hesitantly, "Zi Xi, we have known each other for so many years, can you let me have a meal?"

Gu Yun asked curiously, "Is your family so poor that they can't even afford to eat?"

Shen Yi, contrary to his usual chatterbox style, hesitated for a long time before saying, "My father...recently wanted to arrange a marriage for me, but...he was a little too enthusiastic. I couldn't afford to offend him, so I had to hide around - hey, that's enough, don't laugh so hard that you hurt your back, is there anyone who repays kindness with enmity like that? Oh, if you have worries, I'll take your place, but if I have worries, you'll gloat over my misfortune..."

When he was halfway through his words, Gu Yun laughed so hard that he couldn't breathe: "I... I really broadened my horizons. This is the first time I've seen a general who was forced to marry and eat at other people's houses."

Shen Yi: "...Gu Zixi, are we still friends? If we are, shut up. If you treat me to a good meal, I will forgive you."

He really regretted not taking advantage of the time when Gu Yun couldn't get out of bed to take revenge. It turned out that honest people are always bullied.

Gu Yun was tired of laughing, so he comforted her perfunctorily: "Be content, someone is urging you because your father is still alive. I want people to urge me but no one is urging me."

Shen Yi looked a little lonely after hearing this and said, "My father might be afraid that I would die on the battlefield, so he is anxious to leave a descendant for the Shen family. For so many years, I have indeed never made him worry, but... I know myself that I am a very trivial person by nature. If I had a wife and children, I would probably find it difficult to stay in the frontier. You are already lonely enough, if I leave again..."

Gu Yun stopped smiling and turned around to look at him from two steps away.

Shen Yi: "Recently, I have noticed that you want to retire after achieving success. If you really beat the foreigners back, the emperor will never bother you again. Besides, there is His Royal Highness Prince Yan. His Royal Highness has been kind and righteous since he was a child, and he will definitely take care of you. I have been lazy for so many years, and it is indeed time for me to focus on my career and start a family."

"Ji Ping," Gu Yun said, "Could it be..."

Shen Yi waited for him to speak.

Gu Yun: "...You also have a crush on me?"

Shen Yi was tripped by a stone that was sticking up from the ground.

Gu Yun shook his head and sighed, "It's hard to give up natural beauty. Alas, being too handsome is also a problem."

Shen Yi finally couldn't stand it anymore and roared, "Do you still have any shame?"

All of General Shen's worries turned into a rage, and he quarreled with Gu Yun all the way back to the Marquis' Mansion. Unexpectedly, he ran into Prince Yan who had just returned from Wangnan Tower at the gate.

In front of General Shen, Chang Geng greeted him politely and handed the small yellow croaker to Gu Yun: "It just came out of the pot. My godfather said it was delicious last time, so I bought it on the way."

Shen Yi laughed dryly.

Gu Yun coughed dryly.

Chang Geng's eyes, that expression - Shen Yi felt that coming to the Marquis's Mansion for a free meal was a complete mistake, and he was blind. Gu Yun's waist ached when he heard the word "adoptive father" and he fell silent.

As soon as His Royal Highness Prince Yan showed up, he subdued the two lively generals and led them into the house with a smile.