As the new year is approaching, Yan Sikong is also preparing to move to a new house. Although he doesn't want to move, this house was bestowed by the Holy Spirit.
However, after moving there, it will be even more difficult to meet Feng Ye in the future. There are twenty or thirty servants in the house, there are so many people, Feng Ye can no longer suddenly appear at his house in the middle of the night, although the two of them have a lot of business conversations, but only by being able to take a look and say a word can comfort the lovesickness Affection.
After much deliberation, Yan Sikong told Feng Ye the place where he specially placed the spirit tablets of his parents, and agreed that the water would turn into ice on the gate of the old house of Yan's mansion as a letter, and that late at night would be the time for their secret meeting.
After moving to a new house, it is natural to celebrate the housewarming, not to mention that Yan Sikong will marry the imperial daughter next year, which can be said to be in the spotlight for a while, as many as a hundred people are invited to the housewarming dinner, and the gift givers have to step through the threshold.
Xie Zhongren was still very courteous, and brought back the congratulatory gift that Yan Sikong sent back last time, untouched. If he does not accept it, no one else deserves it either. What's more, the situation this time is different from the last time, firstly, he is really happy to congratulate, and secondly, he wants to make Xie Zhongren think that the soft whip last time has more or less worked.
Yan Sikong rushed in and out to meet the guests, after a while, the porter announced that Yan Zilian had arrived, and he hurried to the door to greet him. Naturally, he sent invitations to Yan's residence, but with Yan Zilian's status, he usually would not come in person, sending a small gift is enough to save face, and going to the banquet in person is nothing more than taking the opportunity to discuss matters with him.
Yan Sikong greeted his mentor respectfully, Yan Zilian exchanged some pleasantries with the guests, and then he and Yan Sikong avoided the crowd with an excuse and went to the inner study.
Closing the door, Yan Sikong whispered: "Teacher, Xie Zhongren's eyeliner is everywhere in the house. I have asked Ali to guard outside, but we can't stay longer."
Yan Zilian said anxiously: "We haven't seen each other for half a month, why is there no news from you? Does General Feng have any plans? What did Xie Zhongren talk to you about?"
Yan Sikong didn't dare to hide anything, so he said everything.
After speaking, Yan Zilian's face became even more ugly: "You suggested to me that day, and I was worried that General Feng would not agree."
"I have discussed with the son, as long as the two thousand elite soldiers of the Feng family can be mobilized to sneak into the mountain and sea hunting grounds..."
"No." Yan Zilian said sternly, "Without the joint efforts of General Feng and Zhao Fuyi, everything would be in vain. Yan Sikong, are you newborn calves who are not afraid of tigers, or are you rushing to the doctor in a hurry? How dare you hide from General Feng? What, you still want to bring the prince into it? You didn't weigh yourself?!"
These were the meanest words Yan Zilian had ever said to him, but they were all reasonable. He had calmed down a little these days and knew that this matter was extremely dangerous. If he lacked help, he might really be digging his own grave.
However, once Emperor Zhaowu issued an imperial decree to reduce Datong's armaments, everything might be irreparable. They either passively waited to be weakened, trampled, and finally wiped out, or they fought to the death.
Yan Sikong said in a low voice: "The teacher taught us well, but what should we do now."
"...I will choose a day to personally visit General Feng." Yan Zilian said solemnly, "Sikong, if I am not completely sure, I will not act rashly. Even if we are disarmed and transferred, we still have a chance of survival, but once the 'that thing' fails, It’s just beyond redemption.”
"Students understand."
Yan Zilian took a deep breath: "As for Xie Zhongren, I have already guessed his purpose of looking for you, and what he said is not alarmist. His Majesty's attitude towards me is becoming more and more indifferent, I know better than anyone else, but if the chief minister of the cabinet becomes Is there any way for the imperial court to save the sycophants who only know how to flatter and flirt with flattery and flirtatious words?"
"The teacher doesn't have to please His Majesty, but he also has to prevent His Majesty from being unfavorable to the teacher."
Yan Zilian smiled calmly: "I have already put life and death aside, but you are right, this matter has to be guarded against. Since Xie Zhongren wants to use the grievances between you and Fengye to drive us apart, why don't we use our tricks and put on a good show."
"What is the teacher's plan?"
"If Xie Zhongren thinks that you and Feng Ye are incompatible, guess what he will do?"
Yan Sikong thought about it: "Maybe he will take advantage of this and encourage me to make a fuss about the list of topics, and then bribe Liu An during the introduction, so that he can bypass the cabinet and let His Majesty decide the results of the assessment. If you attack King Jingyuan on the grounds of being qualified, you can justifiably reduce Datong's armaments."
"That's right, Your Majesty has been slow to issue an imperial decree, and has been slow to introduce General Feng to Jingcha. One is worried that General Feng will not accept it, and the other is worried that the people of the world will not accept it. But if you use Jingcha as a basis, it will be justified. , as long as there is an excuse."
"Then how should we come up with this plan?" Seeing Yan Zilian's determined look, Yan Sikong knew that he must have a plan in his pocket, but he still couldn't figure out what Yan Zilian wanted to do.
"You play a scene with the prince first, and this scene must be fake and real. Afterwards, if Xie Zhongren comes to you, you will pretend to submit, but you have to let him know that you just want to take revenge on the Feng family and never dare Betray me, or he will definitely become suspicious."
"Students understand." In the officialdom, the relationship between teachers and students is a closer and more reliable bond than in-laws and fellow villagers. Because literati have a tradition of respecting teachers and respecting teachers, respecting teachers is like respecting fathers. They are all counted as the students of the chief examiner of that year. After entering the official position, most of them are inclined to the teacher's faction. There are few exceptions. Therefore, if Yan Sikong is sentenced to be his teacher because of personal grievances, it is a big treason, and no one will trust it .
"Then, Liu An still holds the title that has been reviewed by the cabinet. Xie Zhongren will definitely persuade Liu An to tamper with you. You only change the title on the grounds that you are afraid of being discovered by me, and they are not allowed. Letting go of the rumors, after the corrections are completed, Xie Zhongren will secretly submit this list of questions to His Majesty, and after His Majesty approves it, he will directly give it to General Feng."
"In this case, wouldn't General Feng have to use that deliberately difficult list of questions for the assessment?"
Yan Zilian said coldly: "Before then, I will impeach Liu An and change the title privately without the cabinet vote."
Yan Sikong's heart sank, he never expected Yan Zilian to be so bold.
Yan Zilian's move is a naked exchange of swords and swords, a head-on confrontation, and a countermeasure when there is no countermeasure. Because if it really came to that point, Yan Zilian would not impeach Liu An, but the emperor.
Looking at the world, who has the right to issue orders without going through the cabinet? Undoubtedly only the emperor, without the emperor's promise, even if Liu An was given a hundred courage, he would not dare to openly exceed his authority. But the emperor's actions violated the laws of Dasheng and the ancestral system, and the legal principles were hard to convince the public. Xie Zhongren and Liu An probably would not have imagined that Yan Zilian was so crazy that he dared to challenge the emperor, even the emperor himself would not think.
Once Yan Zilian did this, Emperor Zhaowu would most likely throw away his car to protect the commander and punish Liu An for his crime. Incompatible.
Yan Sikong said solemnly: "Teacher, I'm afraid the loss outweighs the gain."
"If General Feng can pass the Jingcha, there may be room for change in the matter of disarmament. At least without the excuse of Jingcha, His Majesty will not be able to punish him." Yan Zilian said in a deep voice, "The current situation is difficult, and I don't care about it at all. What 'gain' is just trying to reduce our 'loss'."
"But if the teacher really accuses His Majesty publicly, even if His Majesty swallows his anger this time, he will definitely find a way to make things difficult for him in the future." Although Emperor Zhaowu was an indecisive, incompetent person, but this person had a very good face, he was the one who caught this in the past. At one point, he took advantage of the new history case to kill Wang Shengsheng, the second assistant of the cabinet. Yan Zilian's impeachment of Liu An was like slapping Emperor Zhaowu in front of the ministers and the people of the world. It is the ninety-five supreme.
Yan Zilian said awe-inspiringly: "So what, you and I both know that we can't sit still, His Majesty has been completely bewitched by Xie Zhongren, and we have been forced to retreat by the eunuchs, I said, I don't care about life and death, honor or disgrace, as long as there is a glimmer of hope , might as well give it a try."
Yan Sikong heaved a sigh of relief: "The teacher's plan is really worth a try. The students are just worried about the teacher... Since the teacher has made up his mind, the students should cooperate with all their strength." Although this plan is dangerous, the knives and guns behind them are even sharper. If you retreat any further, you will have your guts broken, and you will die without a place to bury yourself.
Yan Zilian nodded: "In order to succeed, every step needs to be perfect, so that it is possible to deceive Xie Zhongren. You said before that Yeli, the oiran of Tinglange, was Xie Zhongren's eyeliner in Yanliu Street. You and her have always had a good relationship. Contacts, this person may be available."
"The student has exactly this intention." Yan Sikong said, "This woman is the confidante of Zhou Mixing, the eldest son of the governor of Shuntian Prefecture. Don't worry about how to perform this play, teacher." This may be their last chance to fight, and he must do it!
Yan Zilian breathed a sigh of relief, but he thought for a moment, and then said: "I don't want to intervene between you and your son, but personal relationships are the easiest to go wrong, and there are many rumors about the relationship between you two in the city. Although most people don't believe it, it's not a good thing, you have to be measured in this regard."
"...students get it."