After explaining the various matters during his trip south to Jiang Chong and others, Chang Geng finally rushed back to the Marquis' Mansion before the sun set. He saw Gu Yun beginning to instruct his family to pack their luggage - he himself was sitting leisurely by the railing in the courtyard, playing with the white jade flute that Chang Geng had given him, and occasionally putting it to his lips to play a few enchanting notes.

...If there was anything Chang Geng regretted at this moment, it was that he regretted giving Gu Yun a flute with eyes. It would have been much better if he had made a solid mallet for him to play with.

Seeing Chang Geng coming back from afar, Gu Yun waved at him and said, "Chang Geng, come here. I'll play a little tune for you."

Chang Geng was afraid that he would do something serious, so he hurried over, grabbed Gu Yun on the railing, pulled him down, and whispered in his ear: "Save your mouth and do something else."

Gu Yun: “…”

He found that bad company was the real trait, and Chang Geng was becoming more and more unique.

The two walked towards the inner courtyard together. Chang Geng asked, "Why did you suddenly say you were going to the Jiangbei front at the grand court meeting today? I was shocked."

Gu Yun put his hands behind his back, rubbing the white jade flute back and forth between his fingertips, with a slight smile on his lips: "I don't want to stay in the capital anymore. It's better to be at the front line than to be immersed in this kind of smog every day."

Chang Geng laughed and said, "Are you going there to relax?"

"Well, I'm relaxing," Gu Yun said, "I'm worried about you."

Chang Geng was stunned, and the smile on his lips gradually froze. For a moment, he knew that when Gu Yun casually said "I'm worried about you", he was just worried about him taking a few scholars to the refugee settlement near the front line, but a strange thought still emerged uncontrollably from the bottom of his heart.

A voice said in Chang Geng's heart: "Why is he worried about me? Is he afraid that I will do something, or is he afraid that I will join forces with Zhong Lao's Jiangbei garrison to force someone's palace?"

Gu Yun saw that he suddenly stopped walking, and looked back at him inexplicably: "What's wrong?"

Chang Geng met his frank gaze, took a deep breath, rubbed his brows with his hand, and thought to himself: "What am I thinking, am I crazy?"

Gu Yun used to be his comfort... Now thinking about it, this comfort ended at the moment when his emotions overflowed. From the moment Gu Yun turned around and looked at him straight in the eye, it was no longer a comfort.

Ruthlessness can be a comfort, but affection is a hindrance.

There are emotions, desires, sights, smells, sounds, and tastes, there is greed day after day, there is fear and anxiety, there is jealousy and separation, there is worry about gain and loss...

The seven emotions and the soul are upside down, and the six senses are covered by the red dust.

Chang Geng rushed over and grabbed Gu Yun's hand with a bit of panic, as if only by holding it in his hand would his heart be at peace. Gu Yun raised his eyebrows, not caring, and spread out his palm on the spot, letting Chang Geng put his hand into his palm.

In the hot summer, the general's hands were not very warm. There was only a little fire in the palm of his hand, which was all given to Chang Geng.

At this moment, Wang Bo came quickly and saw the two people arguing in the courtyard. He immediately lowered his head with a strange expression and reported: "My Lord, the Crown Prince is here."

"Ah?" Gu Yun was surprised. "Please come in."

Chang Geng let go of Gu Yun and frowned secretly.

A moment later, the eight-year-old prince ran to Gu Yun on his short legs. The mansion was too big, so the little prince refused to be carried in order to maintain his dignity. When he came to Gu Yun, sweat was already coming out of his nose. As soon as he entered the courtyard, he saw Chang Geng was there too. He immediately stopped jogging and walked in with a formal square step. He wanted to call him "Uncle", but remembered that Gu Yun didn't like it, so he bowed like a little adult and said, "General Gu, Fourth Uncle."

Gu Yun half squatted down and spoke to him: "Why is the prince out of the palace so late?"

"I heard from my father that General Gu was going to go south with the Fourth Uncle, so I came here to see him off," the little prince said in a serious tone. He forgot the words halfway through and thought for a long time, his ears reddened but he pretended to be calm and composed as he continued, "I wish you a safe journey to Jiangbei and a speedy return!"

Gu Yun was amused by him and laughed as he listened. The little prince glanced at him secretly, but was not angry at being laughed at. He clumsily took out two amulets and gave one to Gu Yun and Chang Geng respectively.

Gu Yun teased him, "Now that your Highness has finished his practice, do you have any other instructions?"

The little prince was embarrassed to say it at first, and after a long while, he couldn't hold it back, so he carefully pulled the corner of Gu Yun's clothes: "I also want to ask for General Gu's calligraphy. Father said that he also had General Gu's calligraphy in the past."

Gu Yun was so pleased that without saying anything, he leaned over and picked up the little prince, and wrote a copy for him directly in the study. The little prince asked the eunuch to put it in a brocade box and hurried back to the palace happily.

After escorting the prince out of the palace with great courtesy, Chang Geng said, "Back then, the late emperor used me as a pawn to tie you down. Is Li Feng using the same old trick again to use the prince to repair his relationship with you?"

Gu Yun laughed and said, "What are you talking about? Are you jealous of a child?"

Chang Geng looked at him with a half-smile, and suddenly said, "Foster father is partial. He never held my hand and taught me how to write stroke by stroke."

Gu Yun: “…”

Who imitated his handwriting so perfectly that it even fooled He Ronghui from Xuantie Camp?

Gu Yun: "Are you eight years old too?"

Chang Geng calmly poked his heart with his words: "When I was eight years old, no one taught me. Huger only knew how to use the fire stick that was just taken out of the stove..."

"Okay, okay," Gu Yun said hurriedly, "I'll make it up to you, okay?"

Gu Yun said, taking the pen from Chang Geng, and holding his hand from behind. He placed his other hand on the table, lowered his eyes slightly, thought for a moment, and wrote the word "Min" in regular script on the paper with Chang Geng.

Chang Geng was filled with the faint scent of medicine from him. He took a deep breath calmly and said, "It's not enough to write one word. When I was in the Huguo Temple, I copied scriptures."

"..." Gu Yun threw his hand away, "Go to hell, do you want to tire me to death?"

Chang Geng did not say anything, just stared at him motionlessly. After a moment, Gu Yun gave in and resigned himself to his fate. He put his chin on Chang Geng's shoulder, put his left hand around his waist, half-lying on him, copying his cursed Wheel Sutra stroke by stroke. He felt that this man had become more and more arrogant in recent days and it was simply impossible to control him.

Three days later, the Chief and Deputy Imperial Envoys - Prince Yan and Right Deputy Inspector Xu Ling left the capital under the escort of Gu Yun and twenty personal guards, accompanied by Ge Chen from the Lingshu Court.

Xu Ling was the third place in the imperial examination selected by Li Feng in the first year of Long'an. He lived up to his name, with delicate features and a fair complexion. If it weren't for the murderous guards of Marquis Anding who ruined the atmosphere, this deputy inspector and Prince Yan standing together would have looked like two young men on a trip together.

After leaving the Nine Gates, Gu Yun brought the group directly to the North Camp. Xu Ling, a scholar, was not afraid of Gu Yun's legendary black iron weapon. He asked directly, "My Lord, what is the purpose of our coming to the North Camp?"

Gu Yun smiled and said, "Change horses."

This trip was full of twists and turns. Inspector Xu was prepared to encounter devastated surroundings and to be exhausted from dealing with local corrupt officials. Even with Marquis Anding accompanying him, he did not feel much safer - especially when he discovered that Marquis Anding was in a very happy mood, as if he was not going to venture into a dangerous place, but rather to have an outing.

Xu Lingzheng was completely confused, but Ge Chen had already entered Beidaying with ease. After Ge Chen became Feng Hangong's disciple, he gradually took over the military industry and combat readiness from Feng Hangong, and often came to Beidaying to run errands, and he became a familiar face.

Ge Chen led the group into the lighter and armored warehouse of Beidaying with ease: "Your Majesty, Lord Xu, please come this way."

Then Xu Ling was shocked.

I saw a "kite" on the flat ground, which was about the same size as the red-headed kite back then, but its exterior was much simpler and more low-key than the red-headed kite. It did not have the carved railings and jade pillars like those of a pleasure boat, but only a grayish black iron shell.

The "kite" stayed in place quietly and eerily, with no flaming wings to be found on its sides. Instead, its four bases were equipped with rows of holes as thick as cannon muzzles, with lines flowing to the point of being extremely elegant, like an eagle armor that had been magnified countless times.

Xu Ling was amazed and asked, "What is this?"

Ge Chen introduced proudly, "It hasn't been named yet. There is only one like this in the whole Daliang. We tried to install the power of the eagle on the small kite. It took many attempts before we succeeded. This thing can not only transport people, but also move much faster than the giant kite. But it is not mature yet. There is only one like this in the whole court. It consumes a lot of fuel and can't carry much stuff. This is the first time it is used except for test flights. When the fuel consumption problem can be solved, this aerial chariot will be able to blast those foreigners back home in a moment. My master said that if it can be put into the army, it might as well be called 'Big Eagle'."

Xu Ling looked at Chang Geng in disbelief, who was not surprised. Did His Royal Highness Prince Yan have a plan to clean up the Jiangbei pests? He even prepared a means of transportation that would allow him to travel a thousand miles a day!

"We will go directly to the Jiangbei front," Chang Geng said. "The Marquis has already made arrangements with Elder Zhong. Leave this item at the front garrison and find a way to disguise yourself and travel from south to north. The post stations traveling from south to north must have been on high alert. Why bother falling into their trap? What do you think, does Lord Xu dare to ride this 'air chariot' that no one has touched before?"

Xu Ling was from a poor family. He disdained to kneel down to the rich and powerful, nor did he associate with merchants. Although he was known as a child prodigy since he was young and had outstanding talent, he was clearly a man of great ability. However, along the way, he had to give way to those who traded power for money many times. As a result, the talented man who was once famous in the capital wasted countless years in the court. How could he not have any resentment in his heart?

Prior to this, there had always been rumors in the court that the last time Prince Yan rectified the canal banks, it seemed to be swift and resolute, but in fact it just gave the major families an opportunity to place their own people. Xu Ling came out with Prince Yan this time, and he knew that the local officials in Jiangbei had a deep foundation and their power was intertwined. He was worried that in the end, he would find out who he had done the wedding dress for.

It was only then that he felt that the King of Yan might really want to do something. With his heart surging, he responded loudly: "How dare I retreat when I am receiving your salary? Please, Your Majesty!"

Back then, it took Gu Yun only two or three days to fly from the northwest to the south of the Yangtze River using the Eagle Armor. This aerial chariot was larger in size and slower than the Black Eagle, but not much slower. It only took two and a half days to get from the capital to the Jiangbei front. At this time, the news of Prince Yan's departure from the capital had not yet reached the hands of those who were interested.

As soon as they left, some people in the capital began to get restless.

Emperor Long'an was a man of great frugality. Ever since the war became urgent, the atmosphere in the capital had become extremely tense, even more desolate than a national mourning. All singing, dancing and entertainment had stopped. No one wanted to offend Emperor Long'an at this time. A dozen or so brothels were closed, and it was difficult to find a place to have fun.

After Gu Yun left, Shen Yi had one less place to drink and chat every day. He really had nowhere to go and wished he could stay in the military camp forever.

There was really nothing wrong at the beginning, but after just two days of hiding, someone from the Shen family came to capture him.

Shen Yi had no choice but to go back with his servant as if he was going to the execution ground. But before he even entered the house, the myna bird hanging at the door of Mr. Shen started to yell at him: "The two-legged little beast is back, the two-legged little beast is back!"

Shen Yi picked up a husk and flicked it at the bird's head: "Shut up, you flat-haired beast."

The bird was very angry after being beaten, and screamed: "You little beast, you have no hair! You are such a jinx, you little beast, you have no hair!"

Shen Yi was stunned for a moment, and handed the reins to the servant at home. He hadn't heard the term "death star" for a long time, and couldn't help but tilt his head and ask, "Who's here?"

The servant replied, "General, the Third Madam has brought Young Master Hui here and is talking to the old master inside."

Shen Yi suddenly had a bad feeling in his heart - the third lady was the widow of his third uncle. His third uncle died young because of him, leaving behind an orphan and a widow. His cousin Shen Hui had been weak and sickly since childhood, and when he grew up, he developed a dissolute habit. He had nothing else to do all day long but hang out with women, and his face looked like he had kidney deficiency due to excessive indulgence.

Although Mr. Shen has always felt guilty towards his sister-in-law, his aunt has always blamed Shen Yi for his uncle's early death. The two families haven't had any contact for a long time. Shen Yi still remembers the way the woman in mourning pointed at him and cursed him as a jinx. He couldn't help but wonder, "What's the matter, aunt?"

The servant said, "This... I'm not sure, but I saw that the Third Madam brought a lot of gifts and was very polite when she came in, so I thought it wouldn't be bad for relatives to visit each other."

Shen Yi groaned, and walked in with a heavy heart. Sure enough, he saw his third aunt and cousin were there. The pretty widow back then was now old and ugly. The third wife had prominent cheekbones and a sharp jaw that could stab a knife. Shen Hui was in even worse condition, with dark circles under his eyes that almost hit his instep. He was just a hollow shell with a pointed face and monkey cheeks. When he saw Shen Yi, he smiled flatteringly, making people feel uncomfortable.

Before Shen Yi finished his greetings, the Third Madam had already stood up, with the handkerchief rolled up in her hand, and said with a smile: "I haven't seen you for many years, Ji Ping has become so successful. He is now the Admiral of the Southwest, a high-ranking official with a promising future. Alas, as your mother, I am not as ruthless as your father. If I had known earlier, I would have kicked your useless brother out of the house and let him go out to explore the world. He wouldn't have grown up to be such a mess now."

Shen Yi didn't know what she meant, but he kept quiet to be polite.

Third Aunt seemed to be a little afraid of him. She greeted him with forced enthusiasm and then sat aside, not daring to look at him. In a few words, Shen Yi understood what Third Aunt meant - all this fuss was caused by his cousin Shen Hui. Shen Hui was neither good at literature nor martial arts, and he was a low-ranking official who was not very active. A while ago, Emperor Long'an issued an order to prohibit officials from entering places of brothels, but some of them were short-sighted and did not take it to heart. They did not dare to go to the open brothels and instead gathered a group of friends to visit prostitutes.

It would have been fine if he had just cheated on her, but after consuming a few bowls of dirty talk, he even got into a fight with someone out of jealousy, and the matter was even reported to the Jingzhao Yin.

The whole country was in a gloomy mood, but these people were still in the mood to do such a thing. The Jingzhao Yin immediately sent all the prodigal sons who participated in the fight to jail. They were all well-known people, and they got out by using their connections. However, they happened to happen when Emperor Long'an was rectifying the social atmosphere, and they ran into trouble.

After Shen Yi heard this, the corners of his mouth twitched, and he thought to himself: "If Shen Hui was my son, I would have beaten him to death long ago. Why would I let him go out and embarrass such a person?"

The Third Madam wiped her tears and said, "For this evil creature, I begged and pleaded with everyone, and I used all the connections I could. Later, it was a close friend of mine who married Lord Lu from the Ministry of Justice in his early years who came forward to speak a few good words for this evil creature, and I was able to redeem him."

Shen Hui was eating melon seeds indifferently, as if the trouble was not caused by him.

Shen Yi didn't say anything for a while. Although he came from a noble family, he seldom mixed with this group of people. He couldn't react for a while who was whose wife and who was whose in-law.

Mr. Shen said, "In that case, we should go to your house and express our gratitude."

"That's right," the Third Madam said, getting excited. "The next day I personally prepared a generous gift and went to Lord Lu's house to express my gratitude. But he not only refused to accept the gift, but was also very polite, saying it was a small matter and was just to establish a good relationship with our Shen family. We might become relatives in the future. I then realized that it was because of our General Shen."

Shen Yi glanced at her, then looked at his father, and found it difficult to laugh.

Shen Yi said stiffly: "I don't know where Auntie got this from?"

He had been in and out of battlefields, and no matter how much of a scholar he was, he could not help but be tainted with a bit of solemnity. He raised his eyes with a cold face, and the third wife's face twitched. As if she couldn't bear to look at him, she looked away in embarrassment, and said evasively: "Didn't my second brother propose marriage to the general recently? The general doesn't know that the sister of my handkerchief friend is the second wife of Lord Lu from the Ministry of Revenue. Lord Lu's daughter is waiting to be married. She is talented and beautiful, and has a good reputation in the capital. When our general helped the capital out of its difficulties, the girl was very fond of the general - who doesn't love a hero? But our general is busy with all kinds of affairs, and he has never had much contact with civil officials. Girls are also shy, so it's not good to ask rashly, so I came to test the waters."