When Gu Yun was still in the Northwest Frontier at the beginning of the year, the whole country of Great Liang was engulfed in gloomy clouds, on the verge of losing at any moment.

      But this year, the whole country was reborn with incredible vitality. Even though grand banquets and dancing of the past could no longer be seen, the children queuing on the streets to buy candy have put on their new clothes one after another. During the day, the sound of firecrackers could sometimes be heard, each and every family were also busy preparing the New Year's goods.

      The collapsed city wall was rebuilt again, and the anti air net on Qi Ming Altar broadened its stern sight. The Baihong bows and silent iron puppets on the wall watched the unexpected visitors enter the city. The Northern Camp accompanied them stopped outside the Nine Gates in a clean and orderly manner. The absolute silence seemed to be the essence, vitality, and spirit that had been honed through blood and fire.

      With this year's many ups and downs, only counting the merit of bringing the country back to life alone, in the future, history books would not lack Yan Wang's name.

      The Third Barbarian Prince’s carriage drove slowly through the long street. The cold wind raised the corner of the curtain, revealing a thin and pale face, but a hand immediately pulled the curtain down and blocked both sides from peeping.

      At this time, Gu Yun was sitting in casual clothing on the Wangnan Tower, with a liuli glass on his nose — it was not the one he usually used for emergency when blinded, but a kind of Qian Li Yan for long-distance targeting on the battlefield.

      Chang Geng and Shen Yi were all present. A moment later, the door was pushed open and a figure flashed in. It was Cao Chun Hua who had disappeared into mystery since Jiangbei.

      Cao Chun Hua entered the room and paid simple courtesy then sat down. "I'm thirsty to death."

      Chang Geng was accustomed to it, carrying a large bowl and filling it with wine. Cao Chun Hua took it without blushing or panting and drank it dry. If someone did not know, they would have thought he was drinking cold water. Gu Yun, a drunkard, stared with wide eyes and felt like he had met a wine bottle in a human shape.

      "Another bowl," Cao Chun Hua sighed comfortably. "I have been traveling back to the North since I separated from Marshal at the capital city... there were wind, snow, and rain on the journey, I have endured plenty."

      Cao Chun Hua had possessed great talent in disguise since he was a child, learning foreign languages by ears, taking only half a month to be fluent. He was sent by Chang Geng to the border of Northern Frontier for a long time to keep watch, only when he needed a perfect double to travel to Jiangbei for investigation did he call him back.

      Cao Chun Hua took the second bowl of wine and threw a flirtatious eye at Gu Yun who looked as if he was craving for wine, and successfully evoked Gu Yun's unforgettable memory of ‘this man who was twisting his waist and hip while wearing Chang Geng's face’.

      Gu Yun silently patted off the goosebumps on his body and turned his eyes away with an ashen face.

      Chang Geng: "How did you become this worn down?"

"Don't mention it anymore, counting all the male and female slaves, they are a team of elite. I can't get close to them within a mile, I have to follow after them by groveling on the ground again and again."

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      Cao Chun Hua said softly and delicately with a flowery voice, "To tell the gentlemen the truth, when I was in Northern Frontier, I once sneaked into the rank of Jia Lai Ying Huo’s guards, even pretended to be the female slave the Second Prince favored the most, swayed around in front of him for a day and a night without being discovered, but for more than a year, I could never approach the Third Prince, even his appearance could not be seen."

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      Chang Geng asked, "Can't even take a look from the distance when he travels?"

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      "He never goes out at all. The Eighteen Tribes said that the Third Prince is gravely ill and could not go out to the wind," Cao Chun Hua sighed. "Aside from Jia Lai Ying Huo himself, others could not even see a hair of him. The Third Prince is a taboo topic of the Eighteen Tribes. He lived inside three layers of guards. I tried to mix into the outer layer, it was successful, but the second layer is already no good, the people inside resembled iron puppets, they do not communicate, but they are all top tier masters and even suicide soldiers to boost. I tried several ways, but it was all for naught, even almost alerting them. I had to retreat first. Did Your Highness see the envoy accompanying them?"

1

      Everyone looked towards the direction where Cao Chun Hua's chopsticks were pointed, just to see a middle-aged man turn around and speak to a guard. He was ordinary in appearance, but there was a vague unspeakable aura on his body, as robust and sturdy as a mountain.

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      Cao Chun Hua: "That man is the guard captain of Jia Lai and one of his most important confidants, very powerful. I will not recognize the wrong person."

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      Several of the people present were surprised.

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      Shen Yi frowned and said, "If that's the case, General Cai’s news is not necessarily accurate. The usurper of the throne may be only the barbarians putting on a play of disorder to show us. Perhaps the hostage they sent this time was intending to use a vile trick."

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      Gu Yun did not say a word. Suddenly, he felt very uneasy.

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      In the ongoing war between the two countries, it was conceivable that the arrival of this group of hostage and envoys would not receive any courtesy. The Third Prince and his party did not even have one decent person to welcome them. Li Feng's instructions to Hongqi Temple were ‘act depending on the situation’. The officer of Hongqi Temple really understood the meaning of the ruler and placed the barbarian hostage in an envoy's post and left them be. On the day of residence, the city's internal defense was renewed. The newly formed Imperial Army surrounded the post station by three layers inside and outside, changing shifts half an hour and patrolling twelve times a day, regardless of day or night.

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      Everything seemed unusual in those two days. First came a strange and mysterious hostage of the barbarians, then Chang Geng became seriously ill at an unusual time, contracting a high fever with just a bit of cold wind from sitting on Wangnan tower.

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      Chang Geng practiced martial arts all year round and was very good at maintaining good health. He was in his twenties, logically, even if the wind was any stronger, it would not be able to affect him. But no one knew what was going on that day, his fever was fierce. When Gu Yun rushed back from the Northern Camp in the middle of the night, Chang Geng had already taken the medicine and went to rest, his cheeks were burning red from the fever.

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      Gu Yun checked his forehead and laid down on one side still in his full clothes. Whether he returned home or not, Chang Geng always occupied only half of the bed, and even with the disturbing nightmares, his sleeping posture was very orderly and he never rolled around.