After Chang Geng finished saying this, it was as if he had vomited out all the pain in his body. He felt empty all over and almost fainted. The moment he saw Gu Yun, his hard spine became soft and weak, and he couldn't muster up any strength.

However, despite this, he was still reluctant to close his eyes. He leaned on Gu Yun's shoulder and tried to calm himself down for a moment, grabbing the clothes on Gu Yun's shoulders intentionally or unintentionally.

Too much blood had been lost, and Chang Geng felt cold all over. Only the slight warmth from Gu Yun and the familiar bitter smell of medicine reminded him of the time when he was a child, wrapped in a cloak by Gu Yun and carried back to the interior of the country in the ice and snow. He was a little confused about what day it was, and murmured, "...Is there any more wine?"

Only then did Xu Ling hurriedly catch up and offered to lend a hand: "Marshal, let me help..."

...was grabbed by Master Liangran, who unfortunately heard the whole conversation.

The master was outside the threshold of the worldly world and could not help but be shocked for a moment.

Gu Yun said nothing, and carried Chang Geng to the car steadily. He frowned and ordered, "Please ask the military doctor to come."

After saying that, he took out a water bottle. During forced marches or expeditions, the soldiers' water bottles were not filled with pure water, but with a little salt mixed in. This was first learned from traveling merchants in the desert.

Gu Yun let Chang Geng lie on top of him, opened his eyes and lied, "The wine is here, open your mouth."

Chang Geng was just a little dazed, not completely confused. If it wasn't Gu Yun who came, he might have been able to kill another group of vicious rebels. He drank a few sips in cooperation and chuckled: "You lied to me."

Not only did Gu Yun lie to him, he also wanted to hang him up and beat him up, so that he would know the truth that "a son of a wealthy family should not sit in the hall." But when he saw the real person, his heart ached so much that his chest was numb. How could he still lose his temper?

No matter how much trouble the King of Yan had suffered outside, he had never been injured like this under his nose. Gu Yun sat there stiffly for a moment with an expressionless face, carefully lifted the collar of his shirt and took a look. A ferocious bloody aura immediately rushed to his face. Gu Yun's chest rose and fell violently. For the first time in his life, he knew what it felt like to have trembling hands.

Chang Geng seemed to be able to sense his fluctuating emotions. He tasted the sweetness of being a spoiled child and refused to give up. He added fuel to the fire by whispering in Gu Yun's ear: "I'm really afraid that I won't be able to see you again..."

Gu Yun closed his eyes slightly, his cheeks tense, his hands moved very gently, his anger was suppressed on the tip of his tongue, and he said coldly: "Forgive my poor eyesight, I didn't see that His Royal Highness the King of Yan was afraid."

Chang Geng seemed not to hear. With the help of the curtains, he gently rubbed his face against Gu Yun's neck and shoulders, and said in a vague voice: "If that's the case, the last words you say to me are 'get out', and I will die with my eyes open."

Gu Yun: “…”

He felt that the person in his arms was like a hateful vine, stretching out a deadly little branch, poking at his heart endlessly.

Outside, the sound of horse hooves came closer and closer, and a man shouted in a loud voice like a messenger, "Marshal, the military doctor is here!"

Chang Geng seemed to be in great pain, but he dared not make a sound. He maintained his original posture and took a very slow breath, revealing his pale neck muscles. Gu Yun was angry and distressed, so he lowered his head with a gloomy face, and kissed him furiously through the curtain of the car. His lips were as gentle as a dragonfly touching the water, but his expression looked like he was seeking revenge.

Chang Geng suddenly opened his eyes wide, and his eyes, which had been a little scattered due to trying to stay alert, suddenly regained focus, and he looked at Gu Yun eagerly.

Gu Yun whispered in his ear: "I'll settle this with you later."

After saying that, he suddenly lifted the curtain of the car and shouted to the military doctor who was jogging over: "Hurry up!"

The military doctor wanted to clear out the outsiders, but when he met Gu Yun's eyes, he was frightened and didn't dare to confront Marshal Gu. He had to bite the bullet and face Gu Yun's sweat-inducing gaze as he cautiously treated the two horrifying wounds on King Yan's body.

With outsiders around, Chang Geng refused to say a word. Only when the military doctor's clumsy hands pulled the wound while tearing the gauze did he endure a slight twitch. Gu Yun's face became more and more ugly. Suddenly, Chang Geng's cold hand rested on his palm through the scattered robe. Chang Geng seemed to know that he was in a bad mood and did not dare to hold his hand firmly. He only dared to stick to him vaguely and glance at him secretly.

Gu Yun lowered his head to glance at him and saw that his cold sweat had already rolled down his forehead into his eye sockets, sticking to his eyelashes, and rolled down in the blink of an eye. His eyes, which were revealed through the cold sweat, looked misty.

Gu Yun: “…”

Chang Geng was very good at acting like a spoiled child when he was young. Now he has more than one or two skills, almost reaching the level of becoming an immortal. Gu Yun has no way to deal with him. After being stared at by that little eye for an incense stick of time, he probably really wanted the stars but not the moon. He had no choice but to resign himself to holding Chang Geng's hand, pulling him into his arms, and whispered, "Close your eyes."

Chang Geng closed his eyes without saying a word. This time, he had cleaned up the chaos in Jiangbei like a quick knife, and it was like a big stone falling to the ground. At this moment, his heart was almost free of worries. Listening to Gu Yun's heartbeat, he felt that even if he died, he would have no regrets, so he fell asleep peacefully.

The internal strife of the Shahai Gang could no longer cause any major trouble. General Zhong followed the promise made by King Yan and did not move a single soldier. He wrote a sincere letter of amnesty and sent it over. The remnants of King Yan's men were dealt with by Chang Geng, and the rest were dealt with by the other three bandit leaders. A rebellion that should have resulted in a river of blood was thus eliminated invisibly.

Three days later, Yao Zhen rushed over from the Jiangbei camp and temporarily took over the post of Governor-General of Liangjiang, taking full charge of Jiangbei affairs. Yao Zhen first arrested Yang Ronggui's followers, and then led people to find the place where Yang Ronggui detained the refugees, released them one by one, comforted them, re-compiled documents for the refugees, and assigned someone to register the lost relatives and friends and send people to search for them. He personally came forward to provide relief to those who had unfortunately died.

A few days later, a large amount of medicine allocated by the court arrived. Li Feng issued an edict that part of the confiscated stolen money be taken back to the capital, and the rest be used as relief for the victims on the spot, and then returned to the Ministry of Revenue to complete the formalities the next day.

Xu Ling resumed his status as an imperial envoy and thoroughly investigated Yang and Lu's clique. He demonstrated his unconventional and upright character to the fullest and confiscated their property thoroughly.

However, as Yang Ronggui said, there was almost no gold or silver in cash at home, all of which had been exchanged for beacon bills. Xu Ling was at a loss and had to ask for advice from the bedridden King Yan.

Chang Geng explained, "I know how many beacon tickets were issued and who took them. The national treasury is not supported by that Yang. You can check which private businessmen he has close contacts with on a daily basis. Most of them are collusion between officials and businessmen. If you can't understand the account book or can't distinguish the real and fake accounts, don't worry. I will find someone to help you. It should be here in the next two days. He is the son of Du Caishen. He grew up holding an abacus. I have a good personal relationship with him and he is trustworthy."

Xu Ling nodded repeatedly.

"Also," Chang Geng leaned against the head of the bed and raised his eyes slightly. His eyelids seemed to be carved with a knife, and there was a hint of coldness that could not be erased even by serious injuries. "The court has clearly stipulated that beacon tickets are equivalent to gold and silver and can be circulated among the people. The exchange rate is also stipulated. It can be used as disaster relief funds. What's the problem?"

Xu Ling whispered, "Your Highness, the second batch of beacon tickets has just been issued, and not too many people have subscribed to them. Apart from you gentlemen, those who subscribe to them are generally wealthy families with some financial resources. They are not short of money, and usually keep them at home for worship. Few of them are circulated in the market. I really don't know if merchants will accept them. This..."

Chang Geng reached out and grabbed the edge of the bed, propping himself up a little. "Whether the holder wants to keep it at home or spend it, I can't control it, but it is a serious crime for merchants to refuse to accept beacon tickets. Starting tomorrow, all the beacon tickets in Yang Ronggui's house will be counted and recorded, and then these beacon tickets will be used to buy disaster relief grain from large grain merchants. I want to see who dares to treat the imperial decree as waste paper - borrow some people from the Jiangbei camp to go with you, do you understand?"

After understanding, they went to the door and acted like hooligans, starting from Jiangbei, to intimidate the entire territory and force people to admit that the "Fenghuo Tickets" were gold and silver.

Start with the big merchants. As the saying goes, those who wear shoes are afraid of those who are barefoot. None of these people who wear shoes want to offend the court, so they have to admit it even if they have to hold their noses. In the end, they either have to accept the loss in silence, or find ways to turn the beacon tickets into real gold and silver and promote it with all their might.

"Add more fuel to the fire," Chang Geng said in a low voice, as if he was running out of energy. "Let Brother Chongze write a decree in the name of the Governor-General of Liangjiang. No matter how big or small the merchants are, if they unreasonably refuse to accept the 'Beacon Tickets', everyone can report it to the Yangzhou government. If it is found to be true, they will be beaten with sticks. Those who refuse to change their ways will be sent to prison directly."

Xu Ling learned a lot from His Royal Highness Prince Yan's method of "being gentle when it is time to be gentle, and being tough when it is time to be tough". He quickly responded and ran back to do his work. Before he reached the door, Chang Geng suddenly called him again: "Ming Yu."

Xu Ling turned around.

The solemn expression on Chang Geng's face just now faded away completely, and in the blink of an eye, he was the gentle and elegant Prince Yan again: "This matter is entirely dependent on you."

Xu Ling was puzzled and asked, "What are you talking about, Your Majesty?"

Chang Geng said, "I'm afraid I'll be delayed for some time on the road, and I'm afraid I won't be able to accompany you back to the capital to report. When the time comes, I hope you can take a letter to the emperor for me."

You've been pressing forward step by step recently, but now it's time to step back a bit. You need to have a balanced pace. You can take advantage of the injury to delegate power.

Unfortunately, the upright Lord Xu obviously did not understand what he meant. He bowed his hands and said solemnly, "That's right. Your Highness is seriously injured, so you should take good care of yourself and rest well. I will leave the running errands to you. If there is anything you don't understand, I will ask you again."

Chang Geng smiled, and seeing that he didn't understand, he simply didn't explain, and waved his hand to let him leave.

When Xu Ling was walking out, he happened to meet Marquis Anding who came in from outside, and he quickly stopped to greet him.

Gu Yun nodded politely to him and passed by him. Xu Ling was suddenly stunned to see that Gu Yun was holding a handful of fresh osmanthus flowers in his hands behind his back. The flowers were golden and fragrant.

Xu Ling stared blankly at him as he took the bunch of flower vines to King Yan. He rubbed his nose which was filled with the fragrance of flowers and thought in his heart, "General Gu really cares too much about His Highness."

Gu Yun entered the room and hung the flower vine on Chang Geng's bed curtain: "The osmanthus flowers are blooming, I'm afraid you'll feel suffocated lying down - you don't hate the smell, do you?"

Chang Geng's eyes were glued to him and he refused to let go.

Gu Yun made eye contact with him: "What are you looking at?"

Chang Geng reached out to pull him.

Gu Yun was afraid that he would move the wound, so he quickly bent down and held his hand: "Didn't I tell you not to move?"

Chang Geng grabbed his clothes and pulled him closer, "Zi Xi, your wound hurts."

"..." Gu Yun said woodenly, "Go away. I won't fall for this."

Being injured, King Yan seemed to have completely lost his dignity in front of him. As long as there were no outsiders around, he would always say, "It hurts, kiss me."

...You will develop bad habits if you are spoiled by them. I will hit you wherever you are pointed and I will never go astray.

Gu Yun stretched out a finger and flicked his forehead, then turned around and went to change his clothes.

Chang Geng stared at him until he turned behind the screen, then he plucked a small osmanthus flower, put it in his mouth and chewed it carefully, then stood up by himself, leaning on a wooden stick. He couldn't quite straighten his back yet, so he walked to the edge of the table one step at a time, moistened the tip of his pen with a little residual ink, spread out the paper and began to write a fold.

This was indeed a physically demanding job. After a while, sweat started to seep out of his forehead. Suddenly, his pen was taken away from behind him. As soon as Chang Geng turned around, he was dragged up by a pair of hands and carried to the bed without any explanation.

Gu Yun frowned and said, "What is so important that you have to write it yourself now? Lie down and stop making trouble!"

Chang Geng explained calmly, "This time, the entire Lu family has been implicated, and the Fang family has not been able to gain any advantage. This is a good time to implement new policies. Although I am not on the stage, I have to prepare things in advance."

Gu Yun sat on the bedside: "Are you still thinking about the special approval of Zi Liujin? The emperor will not agree."

"I don't really want to realize it," Chang Geng said, "It's not time yet. The confiscated fields along the canal can be used to settle refugees, the best land for fish and rice can be kept for cultivation, and factories can be built in other places. The money will be given to Du Gong's Chamber of Commerce and the court in half. After the factory is built, it will not be owned by private merchants, but will be considered as run by the court. A special department will be established under the Military Affairs Office and outside the six ministries to provide purple gold allocation and strictly control the origin and development of purple gold. The daily affairs of the factory will be managed by the Chamber of Commerce. Six points of the profits will go directly into the national treasury, and four points will be earned by the righteous merchants who set up the factory. How about that? This way, the refugees can be settled, and the emperor will not worry about the outflow of purple gold. It can also fill the national treasury and benefit the righteous merchants."

After hearing this, Gu Yun remained silent for a long time.

He could tell that Chang Geng had probably made several drafts in his mind, probably even before he went to Jiangbei. However, if he had brought it up at that time, it would have been like creating a large number of lucrative positions out of thin air, and the major families would inevitably try their best to get a piece of the pie. People like Yang Ronggui would even dare to "pocket" the disaster relief funds. Not to mention such a thing, in the end this plan of killing two birds with one stone would inevitably end up with the consequence that "the national treasury would not benefit at all, the merchants would be constrained by the complicated officials of the court, the refugees would be treated like animals, and only the parasites of all sizes would enrich themselves."

Therefore, he deliberately intensified the conflict between the aristocratic families and the new nobles in the court, and used the opportunity of going to Jiangbei to stir up trouble and divide the aristocratic families who were closely related. He then waited and saw how lawless they could become, and then he retreated behind the scenes to avoid the spotlight after making a smooth transition.

There were several unexpected events that were beyond human control, but after all the twists and turns, he still managed to achieve all his goals.

Chang Geng blinked: "What?"

Gu Yun came back to his senses and laughed, then said without thinking: "If you don't know, you might think you are a monster sent from heaven."

His words were irrelevant, but Chang Geng somehow understood them. He lingered over to Gu Yun, grabbed Gu Yun's shoulders and said, "Daliang's destiny is behind me, do you believe it?"

As soon as Gu Yun turned around, Chang Geng seized the opportunity to pounce on him, just in time for Gu Yun's lips to brush against his cheek.

Chang Geng: "You kissed me."

Gu Yun: “…”

Isn't this about serious business?

Chang Geng hugged his neck and wrapped his arms around him without saying anything, forcing the scent of osmanthus to Gu Yun's lips and teeth. Gu Yun had no objection to "soft and gentle" throwing himself into his arms, but unfortunately every time at this time, His Royal Highness Prince Yan would not honestly pretend to be "soft and gentle".

In the romantic world, it is important that the lips and tongues of beauties are like honey, and the taste of the one you love is the finest delicacy in the world. "Sipping the fragrance" should be tasted from shallow to deep, but Chang Geng has not been very cooperative. Even though he was very well-behaved at the beginning, his ferocious nature was revealed after a while. It didn't seem like they were affectionate, but rather like they wanted to eat someone. This made Gu Yun always feel that this "delicious" taste was a bit "prickly". The two finally separated, and the tips of their tongues were numb, but Chang Geng was still not satisfied. He nibbled gently on his neck and chin with passion, as if he was looking for a place to bite, and it seemed more like he wanted to eat someone.

The throat was used as a teething stick, and Gu Yun instinctively tensed up. However, he was reluctant to push him away. He felt very itchy in the tension, and asked in a helpless tone: "Were you bitten by a dog when you were a child?"

Chang Geng stared at him with burning eyes: "The ban that Miss Chen placed on me is about to expire, right?"