After briefing Jiang Chong and the others on various matters during his journey to the South, Changgeng finally rushed back to the Marquis's Estate before sunset. He saw Gu Yun beginning to instruct his family to pack their luggage. He himself was leisurely sitting by the railing in the courtyard, playing with the white jade flute that Changgeng gave him in his hands. Occasionally, he would bring it to his mouth and play a few ecstasy notes.
If there was anything that Changgeng regretted at this time, it was giving Gu Yun a flute with eyes. If he had known, he would have given him a solid wooden club to play with.
Seeing Changgeng return from afar, Gu Yun waved at him and said, "Changgeng, come over here. I will play a little song for you."
Changgeng was afraid that he would be serious. He hurriedly walked over and grabbed Gu Yun who was on the railing. He pulled him down and whispered in his ear, "Leave your mouth open and do something else."
Gu Yun, "…"
He realized that one who was close to ink would be stained black. Changgeng was becoming more and more elegant.
The two of them walked into the inner courtyard together. Changgeng asked, "Why did you suddenly say that you are going to the Jiangbei front line during the Imperial Court today? You gave me a fright. "
Gu Yun put his hands behind his back and rubbed the white jade flute back and forth between his fingertips. There was a slight smile on his lips, "I didn't want to stay in the capital for a long time. It is better to be at the front line every day in this foul atmosphere."
Changgeng laughed in spite of himself, "Don't tell me you are going there to relax?"
"En, relax," Gu Yun said, "I am also worried about you."
Chang Geng was stunned, and the smile on his lips gradually froze. For a moment, he knew that Gu Yun was just worried about him taking a few scholars to the refugees near the front line when he said that he was worried about him. However, a strange thought still uncontrollably rose from the bottom of his heart.
A voice said in Changgeng'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 Elder Zhong's Jiangbei garrison to force someone into the palace? "
Gu Yun saw him suddenly stop and looked back at him inexplicably. "What's wrong?"
Chang Geng met his calm gaze and immediately took a deep breath. He reached out and rubbed the space between his eyebrows, saying in his heart, "What am I thinking? Am I crazy?"
Gu Yun used to be his consolation … Now that he thought about it, this consolation stopped at the moment when his emotions overflowed. From the moment Gu Yun turned around to look at him, it was no longer his consolation.
Being emotionless could be a consolation, but being affectionate was a demonic barrier.
There were emotions, desires, colors, fragrances, sounds, day after day of greed, fear, jealousy, hatred, and sorrow of separation …
The seven emotions and the spirit were turned upside down, and the six roots were covered by the world of mortals.
Changgeng rushed up and grabbed Gu Yun's hand anxiously. It was as if his heart would only be at ease if he held it in his hand. Gu Yun raised his long eyebrows and did not mind. He opened his palm and let Changgeng stuff his hand into his palm.
In the scorching summer, the general's hand was not warm. There was only a little heat in his palm, and it was all given to Changgeng.
At this moment, Uncle Wang walked over quickly and happened to see the two of them pulling and pulling in the courtyard. He immediately lowered his head with a strange expression. Out of sight, out of mind, he reported, "Marquis, His Highness the Crown Prince is here."
"Ah?" Gu Yun was shocked. "Quickly invite him in."
Changgeng let go of Gu Yun and secretly frowned.
A moment later, the eight-year-old Little Crown Prince ran to Gu Yun on his short legs. The marquis's residence was too big. In order to maintain his dignity, the Little Crown Prince refused to be carried by others. When he came to Gu Yun, the tip of his nose was already sweating. As soon as he entered the courtyard, he caught a glimpse of Changgeng. He immediately stopped running and walked in with serious steps. He first wanted to greet "Imperial Granduncle", but he remembered that Gu Yun did not seem to like it, so he cupped his hands and greeted like an adult, "Marshal Gu, Fourth Imperial Uncle."
Gu Yun half-squatted and spoke to him, "Why did the Crown Prince come out of the palace so late?"
"I heard from Imperial Father that Marshal Gu is going south with Fourth Imperial Uncle, so I came to send Imperial Uncle and Marshal Gu off," the little crown prince said seriously. He forgot what he was going to say halfway through. He rolled his eyes and thought for a while. His ears were red, but his face pretended to be calm. He continued, "I hope you have a safe trip to Jiangbei and return soon!"
Gu Yun was amused by him and laughed as he listened. The Little Crown Prince secretly glanced at him. He was not angry even though he was laughed at. He clumsily took out two protective talismans and gave one to Gu Yun and Changgeng.
Gu Yun teased him, "Crown Prince, do you have any other instructions after your trip?"
The Little Crown Prince was embarrassed to say it at first, but he could not hold it in after a while. He carefully tugged at the corner of Gu Yun's clothes, "I still want to ask for Marshal Gu's calligraphy. Imperial Father said that he used to have Imperial … Marshal Gu's calligraphy."
Gu Yun liked it very much. Without saying a word, he bent down and picked up the Little Crown Prince. He directly wrote a copy for him in the study room. The Little Crown Prince ordered the palace servants to put it in a brocade box and happily rushed back to the palace.
After sending the Crown Prince out of the fu in a courteous manner, Changgeng said, "Back then, the late Emperor used me as a chess piece to tie you down. Now, is Li Feng using the same trick and using the Crown Prince to repair your relationship with you?"
Gu Yun did not know whether to laugh or cry, "What are you talking about? You're jealous of a child?"
Changgeng looked at him with a faint smile and suddenly said, "Adoptive Father is biased. He has never held my hand and taught me how to write stroke by stroke."
Gu Yun, "…"
Back then, who imitated his handwriting so seamlessly that He Ronghui of the Black Iron Battalion was fooled?
Gu Yun, "Are you also eight years old?"
Changgeng calmly used his words to poke at his heart, "When I was eight years old, no one taught me. Hu Ge'er only knew how to use a fire stick that had just been taken out from the stove …"
"Okay, okay, okay," Gu Yun hurriedly said, "I'll make it up to you, okay?"
As Gu Yun spoke, he took the brush from just now and gave it to Changgeng. He then held his hand from behind and propped his other hand on the table. He lowered his eyes slightly and thought for a while. Then, he brought Changgeng to write a block script, "Min", on the paper.
Changgeng's body was covered in the faint medicinal fragrance from his body. He calmly took a deep breath, "Writing one word is not enough. When I was in Huguo Temple, I had to copy scriptures."
"…" Gu Yun flung his hand away, "Go to hell, do you want to tire me to death?"
Changgeng did not say anything and just stared at him motionlessly. After a while, Gu Yun gave in. He accepted his fate and put his chin on Changgeng's shoulder. His left hand wrapped around his waist, and he half lay on his body. He copied his cursed scriptures stroke by stroke. He felt that this person was becoming more and more arrogant because of his favor. He simply could not control him.
Three days later, the imperial envoy and the deputy imperial envoy, Prince Yan, and Right Deputy Inspector Xu Ling, left the capital under the escort of Gu Yun and twenty personal guards. Lingshu Temple's Ge Chen also accompanied them.
Xu Ling was the Tanhua of the first year of the Long An, Li Feng. He was just like his name. He had delicate features and a powdered face. If it were not for the murderous Marquis of Stability's personal guards destroying the atmosphere, just by standing next to Yan Wang, this Deputy Inspector looked like two young masters traveling together.
After leaving the nine gates, Gu Yun directly brought the group to Beidaying. Xu Ling was a scholar, but he was not afraid of Gu Yun's legendary Xuan Tie. He bluntly asked, "Marquis, what is the purpose of us coming to Beidaying?"
Gu Yun smiled and said, "Change horses."
This trip was full of setbacks. Inspector Xu was prepared to be devastated and exhausted from dealing with corrupt local officials. Even with the Marquis of Stability accompanying them, it did not increase his sense of security. Especially when he found that the Marquis of Stability was in a very happy mood, as if he was not going to charge into a dragon's lair or a tiger's den, but rather to go on an outing.
While Xu Ling was scratching his head in confusion, Ge Chen had already familiarly entered Beidaying. After Ge Chen became Duke Feng Han's disciple, he gradually took over the military and war preparations from Duke Feng Han's hands. He often came to Beidaying to run errands, so he was familiar with the place.
Ge Chen led the group into Beidaying's steel armor warehouse with ease. "Wangye, Lord Xu, this way please."
Soon after, Xu Ling was shocked.
He saw a "kite" on the flat ground. It was about the same size as the red-headed kite in the past, but its outer appearance was much simpler and more low-key than the red-headed kite. It did not have the carved railings and jade pillars that looked like pleasure boats. There was only a gray Xuan Tie shell on it.
This "kite" was eerily and quietly parked in place. There was not a single fire wing on either side of it. Instead, there were several rows of holes that were as thick as iron cannon muzzles on each of the four bases. The lines were extremely smooth and elegant, just like an eagle armor that had been enlarged countless times.
Xu Ling gasped in amazement and said, "What is this?"
Ge Chen proudly introduced it, "It hasn't been named yet. There is only one of this in the whole of Daliang. We tried to install the eagle's power into this little kite, but we failed many times before we succeeded. This thing can not only transport people, but it is also much faster than the giant kite. It is just that it is not mature yet. There is only one of this in the whole imperial court. It consumes a lot of fuel and can't carry many things. This is the first time it is used outside of the test flight. When the fuel consumption problem can be solved, this air chariot will be able to send those foreigners back to their hometown in a short time. My master said that if it can be used in the army, it might as well be called 'Big Eagle'. "
Xu Ling looked at Changgeng in disbelief, who was not surprised at all. Did His Royal Highness Yan Wang premeditated to deal with those vermin in Jiangbei? He even prepared a vehicle that could travel thousands of miles in a day!
"We will go directly to the frontline in Jiangbei," Changgeng said. "Marquis has already talked to Mr. Zhong. We will leave this thing at the frontline garrison and find a way to disguise ourselves and go north from the south. The courier stations in the north and south must be waiting for us. Why bother to fall into their trap? What do you think? Does Lord Xu dare to sit in this' air chariot 'that no one has touched before? "
Xu Ling came from a poor family. He disdained to kneel to the powerful and disdained to be associated with the merchants. Although he was known as a child prodigy and was obviously a talented person, along the way, he had to make way for those who traded with power and money many times. He was even a great scholar who was famous in the capital and wasted countless years in the imperial court. How could he not feel resentment in his heart?
Before this, there was a rumor in the imperial court that Prince Yan regulated the banks of the canal last time. It seemed to be swift and decisive, but in fact, it was just a chance for the aristocratic families to plant their own people. This time, Xu Ling came with Yan Wang. He knew that the local officials in Jiangbei had a deep foundation and their power was intertwined. It was impossible for him not to feel nervous in his heart. He was afraid that in the end, he would not know who to work for.
It was not until now that he felt a little that Yan Wang might really want to do something. While his heart was surging, he said loudly, "How dare I shrink back when I have eaten the emperor's food? Prince, please! "
In the past, Gu Yun used the eagle armor to fly from the northwest to Jiangnan. It only took two or three days. This air chariot was large in size. It was slower than the Black Eagle, but it was not much slower. From the capital to the front line in Jiangbei, it only took two and a half days. At this time, the news of Yan Wang leaving the capital had not yet reached the ears of those who wanted to know.
And as soon as they left, some people in the capital began to become restless.
The Emperor Long An loved to be diligent and thrifty. Ever since the war became urgent, the atmosphere in the capital was very tense. It was even quieter than a national funeral. All singing, dancing, and entertainment stopped. No one wanted to get on the bad side of the Emperor Long An at this time. More than ten brothels closed. It was hard to even find a place to pass the time.
After Gu Yun left, Shen Yi had one less place to drink and chat every day. He really had nowhere to go. He hated that he could not live in the military camp.
In the beginning, nothing happened. Who knew that after hiding for two days, the Shen family would come to take him back.
Shen Yi had no choice but to go back with his manservant as if he were going to the execution ground. Who knew that before he even entered the door, the eighth brother that was hanging at the door opened its mouth and shouted at him, "The two-legged little bastard is back, the two-legged little bastard is back!"
Shen Yi picked up a chaff and flicked it at the bird's head, "Shut up, feathered little bastard."
The bird was hit and was very unsatisfied. It shrieked and cursed, "Little bastard has no feathers, you jinx little bastard has no feathers!"
Shen Yi was stunned. He handed the reins to his manservant. He had not heard the phrase "jinx" for a long time. He couldn't help but tilt his head and ask, "Who came?"
The servant replied, "Replying to General, Third Madam came with Young Master Hui. They are inside talking to Old Master."
Shen Yi suddenly had an ominous premonition in his heart. The Third Madam was his Third Uncle's widow. His Third Uncle had been burdened by him and died young, leaving behind only an orphan and a widow. His cousin, Shen Hui, had been frail and sickly since he was young. When he grew up, he had the bad habit of being unrestrained. All day long, he had nothing else to do. He only knew how to mingle with women, his face full of excessive indulgence.
Although Old Master Shen had always felt guilty towards Shen Yi, his aunt had always blamed his Third Uncle's early death on Shen Yi. The two families had not interacted for a long time. Shen Yi still remembered the mourning woman's appearance when she pointed at him and cursed him as a jinx. He couldn't help but ask curiously, "Why did Aunt come?"
The servant said, "This … this little one is not very clear. I just saw Third Madam bringing a lot of gifts. She was also very polite when she entered the door. I think it's not a bad thing to visit relatives."
Shen Yi made an "oh" sound and walked in with a heavy heart. Sure enough, he saw his Third Aunt and cousin were both there. The beautiful widow in the past was now old. Third Madam's cheekbones were protruding and her lower jaw was so sharp that it could stab a knife. Shen Hui's condition was even worse. The dark circles under his eyes almost fell on the backs of his feet. His whole person was like an empty shell with a pointy mouth and monkey cheeks. When he saw Shen Yi, he smiled flatteringly, which made people feel uncomfortable.
Without waiting for Shen Yi to finish greeting, Third Madam had already stood up. The handkerchief in her hand was rolled into a ball. She smiled and said, "I haven't seen you for many years. Jiping has actually become so promising. Southwest Admiral. That's a high ranking official. Your future is limitless. Alas, as a mother, I'm not as cruel as your father. If I had known earlier, I would have kicked your good-for-nothing brother out of the house and let him wander around.
Shen Yi didn't know what she meant, but he was polite and didn't say a word.
Third Aunt seemed to be a little afraid of him. She reluctantly greeted him warmly and then sat to the side, not daring to look at him. After a few words, Shen Yi understood the meaning of Third Aunt's words. After all, it was his cousin, Shen Hui, who caused all this trouble. Shen Hui wasn't proficient in martial arts, nor was he skilled. He was just a low-ranking official, so he didn't do much. A while ago, the Emperor Long An explicitly prohibited officials from going to brothels. However, there were some ignorant people who didn't take it to heart. They didn't dare to go to the open brothels, so they gathered a group of disreputable friends to visit the unlicensed prostitutes.
Not only did they have an affair, but after a few bowls of yellow soup, they also got into a fight because of jealousy. The matter was brought to the Capital Magistrate's court.
The whole country was gloomy and gloomy, yet this group of people still had the mood to do this kind of thing. The Capital Magistrate immediately sent the group of wastrels who participated in the fight to prison. Originally, they were all respectable people, so they would be released after a few rounds of networking. Who knew that the Emperor Long An was trying to rectify the situation, and they bumped into the muzzle of the gun.
After Shen Yi heard this, the corner of his mouth twitched. He said in his heart, "If this brat Shen Hui was my son, I would have killed him long ago. Why would I let him go out and embarrass himself?"
Third Madame wiped her tears and said, "For this evil creature, I begged my grandparents and used all the connections I could. Later, it was a close friend of mine, who was married to Minister Lu of the Ministry of Justice. She came forward and said a few good words for this evil creature. Only then was he redeemed."
Shen Hui indifferently ate melon seeds on the side, as if he wasn't the one who caused the trouble.
Shen Yi didn't say anything for a while. Although he was born in an aristocratic family, he rarely mingled with this group of people. He didn't know who was whose wife and whose in-laws were.
Old Master Shen said, "Since that's the case, we should also pay them a visit and thank them."
"That's right," Third Madame said energetically, "The next day, I personally prepared a generous gift and went to Minister Lu's house to thank them. Who knew that not only did they not accept the gift, they were also very polite. They said that it was a small matter and that they only wanted to establish good karma with our General Shen family. In the future, we might even become relatives. Only then did I know that they were basking in our General Shen's glory."
Shen Yi looked at her, and then looked at his father. He couldn't smile anymore.
Shen Yi said stiffly, "I don't know where Auntie's words came from?"
He went in and out of the battlefield. No matter how scholarly he was, it was inevitable that he would be tainted with a bit of a murderous aura. He looked up with a cold face. Third Madame's face twitched, as if she couldn't bear to look him in the eyes. She awkwardly looked away and said evasively, "Isn't Second Brother looking for a marriage partner for the General? The General may not know, but my close friend's twin sister is the second wife of Minister Lu of the Ministry of Revenue. Minister Lu's daughter is waiting to be betrothed to him. She is talented and beautiful. She is famous in the capital. It's just that our General is busy with state affairs every day and has never had much contact with civil officials. The girl's face is also thin. It's not good for her to rashly ask, so she asked me to find out. "
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