Feng Ye was startled, and before he could think about it, he pulled him up: "Yan Sikong!"

Yan Sikong looked deeply into Feng Ye's eyes and said, "Feng Ye, I beg you to save the Crown Prince and Concubine Hui. If this matter doesn't end well, His Majesty will definitely take the opportunity to depose the Crown Prince."

"I said, I don't care." Feng Ye said fiercely, but unconsciously avoided Yan Sikong's gaze.

"The Crown Prince is the future Mingren emperor of Dasheng. For the sake of the people of the world..."

"Don't put the blame on me!" Feng Ye narrowed his eyes. "You are in such a hurry to save him only because if he fails to become the emperor, you will not be able to be the emperor's teacher, which will delay your revenge plan. Everything you do is for revenge. Since you can deceive me for revenge, how dare you come back to beg me? Do you have any shame?"

Yan Sikong stared at Feng Ye in a daze, as if a hand was strangling his throat, causing him to feel heartache and difficulty breathing. Shame was originally useless to him, but Feng Ye's contempt made him so uncomfortable that he was speechless for a moment.

Feng Ye watched as Yan Sikong's eyes slowly turned red, his Adam's apple rolled up and down, and his gaze began to wander again.

The two of them looked at each other in silence for a moment, and Yan Sikong suddenly hugged Feng Ye's waist.

Feng Ye widened his eyes. The first thing he felt was a chill. The person in his arms seemed even thinner. The arm around his waist was also cold. They must have been frozen outside for a long time... He realized what he was thinking and cursed himself inwardly. He wanted to push Yan Sikong away, but his strong arms that could draw two stone bows felt so heavy as if they were filled with lead that he couldn't lift them.

Yan Sikong buried his face in Feng Ye's chest and choked up, "Feng Ye, help me."

Countless struggles flashed across Feng Ye's eyes. This was the first time Yan Sikong showed weakness to him. He could also see that Yan Sikong's face was pale and his eyes were dark. He must have been exhausted. He didn't want to admit it, but he couldn't help feeling a little distressed.

Yan Sikong pressed his nose against Feng Ye's clothes and breathed hard, trying to absorb the scent of Feng Ye's skin. He missed this person so much.

The two of them were like people falling into the water, with each other being drifting wood. This embrace was filled with unspeakable desire, and no one was willing to be the first to destroy it.

The thorns on Feng Yehun's body were silently retracted. He said unwillingly in a low voice: "Yan Sikong, what do you think I should do with you?" His tone was full of sadness and helplessness.

Yan Sikong shook his head and said hoarsely: "Do you regret meeting me again? After all, I am no longer the Sikong in your mind."

Feng Ye paused for a moment and said, "I have never regretted it."

Yan Sikong's nose felt sore and tears welled up, and he hugged Feng Ye even tighter.

Feng Ye could no longer control himself, and took control of the situation, hugging Yan Sikong tightly in his arms, and said with gritted teeth: "Yan Sikong, you're a bastard, you... you can't really be Shui Mei." He suspected that he was poisoned or possessed, otherwise why would he be so soft-hearted to someone who deceived him time and time again.

Yan Sikong recalled what Feng Ye had said when they first went to Lingwu Villa, in that cave where they took shelter from the rain. He whispered, "So...are you still willing to go to hell with me?"

Feng Ye grabbed Yan Sikong's hair, forced him to look up at him, and said clearly word by word: "You are my Feng Ye's person in life, and my Feng Ye's ghost in death. In heaven or hell, don't even think about getting rid of me."

Yan Sikong smiled, a smile full of helplessness and pain.

He often wondered, if those things hadn't happened, he would have grown up peacefully, passed the imperial examination smoothly, and reunited with Feng Ye, what would have happened to them? They would have been able to treat each other sincerely, and then join hands to conquer the world.

Unfortunately, there are no ifs in this world.

He and Feng Ye have come to this point, and both of them are dead.

Feng Ye let go of Yan Sikong: "Tell me, what do you want me to do? I will not let my father go to plead for mercy to the prince. His Majesty is already jealous of my father."

"I understand, so I hope you can write a letter and have Commander Zhu secretly take it to Concubine Xian, so that Princess Wanyang can secretly tell the Queen Mother about this matter when she greets her in the morning."

Feng Ye snorted coldly: "Are you going to ask your future wife for help so soon?"

"Now only the Queen Mother can save the Prince." Yan Sikong avoided Feng Ye's angry gaze.

Feng Ye reached out his hand and gently straightened Yan Sikong's hair, which he had tangled. He said expressionlessly, "Remember this, you are mine. No matter who it is, even if she is my cousin, she is just a latecomer and an outsider between you and me. You can only have me in your heart."

Yan Sikong looked at Feng Ye steadily.

"Do you understand?" Feng Ye's hand slid down and pinched Yan Sikong's jaw, his eyes cold and evil, "Say that you are mine, and you belong to me, Feng Ye, for the rest of your life. If you want this letter, swear on it, swear on your father."

Yan Sikong paused and raised his hand: "I swear on my father's spirit in heaven that I, Yan Sikong, will belong to you, Feng Ye, all my life." He had never been attracted to anyone in the past, and he would not be attracted to anyone in the future. He knew clearly that only Feng Ye would treat him like this, and there would be no one else in his heart except Feng Ye.

Feng Ye's eyes wandered over Yan Sikong's face, as if he wanted to find out the truth from his expression and eyes. "You know, I can't tell which of your words are true and which are false, and I don't dare to believe you easily. You are too good at lying."

Yan Sikong said solemnly: "Since I swore by my father, not a single word of it is false."

Feng Ye finally put down his hand: "Let's go to the study."

——

When Yan Sikong came out of the palace, it was already late at night. Liu Cheng was guarding the carriage and had fallen asleep. Yan Sikong went up and patted him to wake him up.

Liu Cheng was startled and opened his eyes: "Sir..."

"'Tsk.'" Yan Sikong signaled him to stop yelling, "Go back home by yourself, I still have things to do."

"Where are you going? I'll take you there."

"There are guards patrolling the streets late at night. The carriage is too conspicuous, so you can just go back." Yan Sikong wrapped his cotton coat tightly and turned away.

He tried his best to hide his body, avoid the night watchman, and sneaked to Yan Zilian's house.

Although it is unlikely that anyone would see you at this late hour, it is still better to be cautious just in case. After all, visiting an official in his residence in the middle of the night will definitely arouse suspicion.

Yan Sikong knocked on the door quietly. The doorman knew him and saw that he was in a hurry and must have important business, so he quickly led him in.

He guessed that Yan Zilian was racking his brains for a solution and must not have fallen asleep yet. Sure enough, a light was still on in the east room.

When Yan Zilian saw him, he asked hurriedly, "Did you get the letter from the prince?"

Yan Sikong nodded: "That's right, I didn't dare to delay and delivered it immediately." He handed the letter to Yan Zilian.

Yan Zilian spread it out, glanced at it roughly, and said "OK" repeatedly. "I have already secretly visited Commander Zhu during the day. He was furious about being implicated in this matter for no reason. He agreed without saying a word. But he is in the palace now. I can only give it to him after entering the palace during the day. In this way, the Queen Mother will not get the news until tomorrow at the earliest."

"The teacher is afraid that something might happen on this day."

"I'm afraid. The prince and the queen are in prison. It's not good for them to stay there for one more hour."

"There is no other way now, we can only wait." Yan Sikong thought, "Teacher, what do you think, should the students go to visit the prince? I am the prince's lecturer, so it is reasonable."

Yan Zilian thought for a moment and said, "Not for now. Maybe the Queen Mother will be angry and Your Majesty will release them. Let's wait for two days."

"good."

Yan Zilian patted Yan Sikong on the shoulder, his tone loving and comforting: "Sikong, you must have been wronged when you went to ask the prince for help."

Yan Sikong smiled and said, "For the sake of the Crown Prince and the Queen, there is no reason for students to feel wronged."

"It seems that the prince still understands the greater good."

Yan Sikong smiled bitterly to himself. He knew Feng Ye would definitely help him. He saw through Feng Ye inside and out, but he could no longer see through himself.

——

During the morning court session, there was another disturbance. Emperor Zhaowu asked about the interrogation of the assassin, and Dali Temple Minister Meng Duo had to report truthfully that the case was still under investigation.

Yu Shi, who participated in the trial, said bluntly that the assassin was ordered by Concubine Hui. The Minister of Justice refuted that the assassin had no evidence and it was most likely a frame-up.

Emperor Zhaowu was so angry that he blew his beard and glared, saying that the Second Prince was frightened and fell ill. He had lost his patience and asked the three judges to interrogate Concubine Hui.

A group of ministers tried to persuade him, but Emperor Zhaowu was obviously deceived by Consort Wen and Xie Zhongren, and he also wanted to depose the crown prince. He was usually indecisive, but this time he was extremely stubborn.

Yan Sikong felt chilled when he heard the news that Concubine Hui was being interrogated. He had not expected that he could not have even a single day of peace. The prince's biological mother was being interrogated so mercilessly. In fact, the target was not Concubine Hui, but the prince. This move could make the prince lose his prestige. Emperor Zhaowu was probably determined to depose the prince.

Yan Sikong felt like he was sitting on pins and needles. If Chen Yu was really deposed, he, as the former prince's teacher and Yan Zilian's student, would probably never be reused in the court full of eunuchs. If he failed in this step, he might lose everything.

Yan Sikong closed his eyes tiredly, feeling only boundless worry and loneliness.