The new house given by Emperor Zhaowu is located in a very good location in the city. Although it is not very luxurious, it is rich enough. It is impossible for the princess to live in his shabby little house when she is married.
Yan Sikong was not in a hurry to move there, because among the servants, there must be Xie Zhongren's eyeliner. However, he still took Ali to inspect it first, and explained some things to the housekeeper, such as his habits, such as making a dark room in his study, and besides, this place is quite close to Shen Hexuan's home, so he won't need it in the future Ali went to deliver food and clothing to Mrs. Shen, and the housekeeper could do it for her.
On the way back, Yan Sikong smiled and said, "Ali, do you like that grand mansion?"
Ali shook his head.
"why?"
Alibi said: There are so many people, I don't know which one is good and which one is bad.
"Everyone is a bad guy." Yan Sikong said calmly.
Ali looked at him blankly.
"It's not easy to delay this matter. Before the Chinese New Year, we have to move there anyway. Remember, don't trust anyone there. Everyone should be careful. If there is any disturbance, report to me immediately."
Ali nodded.
"I need you to do one more thing."
Ali looked at him.
"I moved to a new house, where there is a housekeeper and many servants. You will not be the only one by my side, but I only trust you, so you will still serve me personally. I want you to start acting stupid."
Ali stared blankly at Yan Sikong.
"I know you are not stupid. Although you can't speak, you understand everything in your heart." Yan Sikong patted Ali on the shoulder, "But you have to pretend to be stupid. You don't have to be too stupid. Just pretend to be mentally incomplete. Okay, those people will relax their vigilance against you, firstly, it won’t make things difficult for you, secondly, it’s also convenient for us to investigate the situation, can you?”
Ali nodded vigorously.
Yan Sikong stared at the empty front with deep and far-sighted eyes: "I have a hunch that this year will not pass smoothly. I asked you to exchange gold and silver treasures for silver tickets just to prepare for emergencies. You sneak out of town sometime and hide them in a safe place."
—
Yan Sikong heard the news that Emperor Zhaowu had ordered the Ministry of War to issue a list of reductions in Datong's armaments, and at the same time Feng Jianping's assessment came as scheduled. These two seemingly unrelated things collided, but in fact they were inextricably linked. There is a continuous connection, as if if the former cannot satisfy the emperor, the latter will not satisfy the Feng family either. However, reducing armaments means reducing military expenditures, and reducing military expenditures means reducing troops. This will inevitably touch the lifeblood of the Feng family. No one can predict that Feng Jianping will back down a bit.
Yan Sikong always believed that Feng Jianping should not return to the imperial court. From the moment he stepped into the capital, he was passive in everything, but it was too late to say anything now, so he could only wait and see.
After discussing with Yan Zilian and Feng Jianping, Yan Sikong handed over a well-regulated list of questions to Liu An, but Liu An suppressed it and did not hand it over to Feng Jianping for a long time. Wait for the reduction of armaments to take shape before making plans.
Although Yan Sikong had temporarily completed the task, he did not dare to relax at all. However, there is someone who is more anxious than him now, and that is Feng Chuang, the right servant of the Ministry of War on behalf of the Minister of the Ministry of War. He was entrusted with such a bloody task without any warning, and the throne of Shangshu has not been warmed up for a few days, but now he is already sitting on pins and needles.
When Wen Youchi was in Beijing, he did discuss the issue of Datong's armaments with the left and right ministers, but he returned to his hometown Ding You before he could come to a conclusion. After conjecture, an approximate figure for reducing armaments by 100,000 was obtained, which was used to discuss with Yan Zilian.
Yan Zilian immediately discussed with Feng Jianping.
Feng Jianping categorically refused: "One hundred thousand? To cut one hundred thousand armaments, one million taels of military expenditure will be reduced a year. How should 70,000 people be resettled?"
Yan Zilian reassured: "Don't worry, general. At that time, Datong raised 300,000 troops to resist Oirats. Now that Oirats have been defeated, it's time to stop the war and calm the people. The soldiers of Datong mounted their horses to kill the enemy, and dismounted to plow pears and grain. This area has been self-produced for many years, and it is actually not worrying about food and drink. Reducing one hundred thousand armaments does not mean disarmament. It can reduce armor, firearms, and luggage. .”
"Ge Lao, are you pretending to be confused?" Feng Jianping said in a deep voice, "Just feeding people enough can work hard for you? It would be better to raise 300,000 dogs."
Yan Zilian's face changed slightly.
Feng Jianping was so aggressive that Yan Sikong who was sitting beside him felt his heart was being oppressed.
Feng Jianping said again: "Even if it is a dog, there must be rewards and punishments. Is it easier to spend people than dogs? What about salary? What about rewards? It's hot to reduce the summer heat to repel mosquitoes, and it's cold to burn charcoal to add clothes. Sick If you want a doctor, or if you die, you don’t need money? If you want to reduce one hundred thousand armaments, the only way is to disarm the army. The so-called raising soldiers for a thousand days, and using them for a while, will the border gates fight again in the future, can the soldiers come as soon as they are called?"
"General." Yan Zilian said in a low voice, "Don't worry, it's not that you really want to cut it so much. Feng Shilang just wants me to discuss it with you. He reckons that reporting this will satisfy His Majesty, especially thank you. Zhongren, probably can't pick a thorn, but he also knows that you must not agree, so why don't you take a step back..."
"Ge Lao." Feng Jianping squinted his eyes, "If the armaments are really reduced, wouldn't it make the eunuchs happy? You want me to fight against the eunuchs and support the crown prince, and you want me to disarm the eunuchs and fill the treasury? intention?"
At the end, Feng Jianping's tone became sharp, Yan Sikong and Feng Ye stood aside without saying a word, Yan Sikong didn't even look at Feng Ye, he knew that the Feng family father and son were dissatisfied with Yan Zilian, so he could only Avoid that scorching gaze.
Yan Zilian said solemnly: "Why did you say that, General? The reduction of armaments is His Majesty's decision. We can only mediate as much as possible. Now that the old man is tied up with the General, why not consider it for you and the Feng family? Without you, how would the crown prince's position as the heir apparent be secure? But if the cut is made without pain, Xie Zhongren will definitely bite him to death. I'm afraid your Majesty will be sad at that point. I advise you this way for your own good. .”
Feng Jianping said expressionlessly: "The old man thinks, what should happen to this matter?"
"Take a step back." Yan Zilian said in a low voice, "But I advise the general to have confidence in his heart. Since you choose to return to the court, you will not be able to retreat completely. Don't be that thorn in His Majesty's heart."
Yan Sikong felt cold all over, as if there was an invisible object climbing on his back, which made him flustered for a while.
Feng Jianping pondered for a moment, then glanced at Feng Ye, Feng Ye opened his mouth, but finally didn't speak, after a long while, Feng Jianping said: "50,000. If you reduce the armament by 50,000, you don't need to disarm."
Yan Zilian shook his head: "General, I don't want to bargain with you, but I can assure you that this will definitely cause His Majesty's dissatisfaction."
Feng Jianping clenched his fists and said nothing.
"The general hasn't returned to Beijing for nearly 30 years. He has been with swords and swords all day long. He thinks he can survive in the most cruel and dangerous places in the world, but he forgets that above the temples, swords and swords are invisible, hard to defend, and just as deadly." Yan Zilian sighed heavily. He said, "The old man's words today are really heartfelt. The general doesn't understand His Majesty, nor does he understand the eunuch party, but I understand. Think twice about the general."
Feng Jianping let out a long breath, full of vicissitudes: "Master Ge, most of those soldiers left their homes and followed me outside the customs to eat in the wind and sand and drink in the snowstorm. , They are loyal to the country, and they are heartbroken, how can we kill the donkey?"
"The general is right, but there is no room for maneuver in this matter." Yan Zilian persuaded, "The general still needs to make plans for himself and the son, and make a decision early."
Feng Jianping held his forehead wearily, and said in a hoarse voice, "Eighty thousand."
Yan Zilian nodded: "The general is willing to make this sacrifice, the old man is pleased, and the old man will go to persuade His Majesty."
"If the armament is reduced, I must be weak. Isn't Mr. Ge worried that the eunuchs will take the opportunity to attack?"
"I am always worried, but if something happens to the general, we will have no hope, and the crown prince will also be in danger. The current plan is to help the general through this calamity first."
Feng Jianping waved his hand: "Forget it, everything depends on the old man." He said softly, "I have been stationed in Datong for Your Majesty for more than 30 years, and in my dreams I also hope to beat Oala and clear the border. Now I have the opportunity to realize it." Yes, but..."
Yan Zilian also sighed heavily: "General, I have been an official for more than 40 years. I have wanted to do a great cause that will be recorded in the annals of history since I was a child in the Imperial Academy. , I try my best, but I can't resist the torrent, you and I are just a drop in the ocean, just try our best."
Feng Jianping smiled bitterly and said, "Just try my best."
Yan Zilian stood up: "The old man is one step ahead."
"I'll see off the teacher." Yan Sikong stood up after him, he glanced at Feng Ye hastily, and signaled Feng Ye to come to him, but his gaze stayed for a long time.
Sending Yan Zilian to the courtyard, Yan Sikong said in a low voice: "Teacher, is the reduction of armaments really so serious?"
"This is Feng Shilang's estimate. No one can tell how far the reality is from what His Majesty and Xie Zhongren expected. His Majesty was not so aggressive in his actions before. It should be said that he didn't care much about most things, but only Datong's military equipment For one thing, he was very firm, and you know what that means."
Yan Sikong nodded: "Your Majesty feels threatened."
"Yeah, it can make His Majesty feel threatened. You should know how outsiders view the Feng family. The teacher did all this to protect the Feng family. In extreme times, cutting off limbs is also a last resort. If the Feng family collapses, sooner or later we will be swallowed up by eunuchs."
"Students understand." Yan Sikong couldn't judge whether the situation was really as serious as Yan Zilian said. After all, Emperor Zhaowu still admired and cared for Feng Jianping. For myself, to guess a person's intentions, you should not look at what he says, but how he does it. As far as armaments and assessments are concerned, maybe Yan Zilian is not a filter, but more than forty years of ups and downs in his official career have made him particularly sensitive.
If this is the case, the situation of the Feng family...
Yan Sikong didn't dare to think about it.