Since the start of the imperial examination, there has not been a single peaceful day in the morning court.

Today, Xie Zhongren instigated the censors to impeach officials from the aristocratic families. Tomorrow, Yan Zilian sent Yu Shi to accuse the Ministry of Personnel of abusing their power for personal gain. Xie Zhongren used the imperial examination to demote three of Yan Zilian's cronies. Yan Zilian instigated one of them to die for his advice, and thus dragged his superior into the water.

In just one month, the east wind either prevailed over the west wind or the west wind prevailed over the east wind. The two factions were in a close fight, and civil officials and military generals were defeated one after another. It can be said that both sides suffered losses. And this was just the beginning. A major imperial examination usually took half a year.

Feng Ye and Yan Sikong were repeatedly frustrated in their efforts to collect evidence against Wen Youchi and his son, so Yan Sikong asked She Jun to use his own methods to investigate. She Jun was best at turning a person's background upside down. Wen Youchi had been an official for decades, so he didn't believe that he couldn't be caught.

Feng Ye was quite unhappy when he learned that Yan Sikong still went to find She Jun: "You really rely on him."

"I never rely on anyone." Yan Sikong said calmly, "But She Jun is the most powerful intelligence dealer in the world. I have known him for many years and he has never let me down."

"Never let you down?" Feng Ye snorted coldly, "Why would he help you? It can't be because of our childhood 'friendship'."

"He loves money."

"Aren't you afraid that a greedy person will be used by others?"

"His parents were killed by the eunuch party, and he wants revenge." Yan Sikong said, "She Jun is a useful person, why do you look down on him so much?"

Feng Ye stared at Yan Sikong for a moment, and suddenly pinched his chin: "I don't like you always mentioning other men. If he can do something for you that I can't do, I will dislike it even more."

Yan Sikong smiled slightly: "No one can do what you do for me."

"for example?"

Yan Sikong looked deeply into Feng Ye's eyes: "No one is as good to me as you are."

Feng Ye curled his lips slightly and leaned close to his ear: "No one can do what I did to you."

Yan Sikong only felt his heart tremble wildly. Feng Ye's strong possession of him often made him feel dangerous.

Feng Ye seemed to remember something and chuckled twice: "Recently there have been rumors in Beijing that I flirted with you like a prostitute in front of everyone in Parkson Building, intending to humiliate you. Now in the eyes of those poor scholars and celebrities, I have become a person who is conservative and mean-spirited. Some people even wrote poems to scold me. Hahahaha——"

Yan Sikong's face darkened: "Feng Ye, you must not act rashly again."

Feng Ye glanced at him and licked his lips in a devilish way: "Of course, some people also say that you and I have always been in love, so I am against marrying Princess Wanyang to you because of love and hatred."

"Seal the wild!"

Feng Ye's long arm crossed Yan Sikong's waist and held him. "Right now, someone in a teahouse or wine shop is describing this incident in vivid detail, as if he were there in person. I went to listen to a segment last time when I had time. It was wonderful." He leaned down and traced his lips with his eyes. "But it's not even one ten-thousandth of what happened between you and me."

Yan Sikong narrowed his eyes: "If the emperor knew about this..."

"So what?" Feng Ye kissed him softly. "I wish everyone in the world knew that you belong to me, Feng Ye. On the one hand, I want to destroy everything, but on the other hand, I have to restrain myself. I struggle between these contradictions every day. It's you who made me like this."

Yan Sikong looked into Feng Ye's deep eyes and saw the suppressed clamor and madness in them. His heart suddenly ached. In the past, when this person looked at him, he only had undisguised love and affection, like the sun hanging high above the nine heavens, passionately, arrogantly, without a trace of haze, shining brightly on everything. Now, that innocence and frankness is hard to find. Feng Ye can no longer trust him without reservation, and even suspects and resents him all the time. Yes, he made Feng Ye like this.

But they are so deeply entangled that neither of them can let go easily.

Yan Sikong had no choice but to put his arms around Feng Ye's neck. He said nothing, just holding him like that, silently repeating in his heart, "I'm sorry."

The light in Feng Ye's eyes trembled violently. After a long time, he took a long breath, closed his eyes, and calmed down.

——

The scorching hot summer soon arrived. In the court, the two factions had already been exhausted physically and mentally from fighting for the imperial examination. Now the heat was so intense that even standing without talking made one sweat profusely. Emperor Zhaowu repeatedly dismissed court on the grounds of the heat, intending to avoid it. At this point, the two sides finally calmed down a little, especially the elderly, who were indeed unable to quarrel any more.

But at this moment, Yan Sikong discovered a turning point in Wen Youchi's matter.

Nearly two months after he asked She Zhun to investigate Wen Youchi, She Zhun brought him more detailed intelligence, but She Zhun couldn't help but say disappointedly: "I have dug deep, but this man really doesn't have any big handle. It's easy to depose his son, but it can't hurt the foundation of the Wen family."

Yan Sikong quickly flipped through the thick document, reading ten lines at a glance. She Zhun couldn't figure out the trick, but he might not be able to figure it out. But after quickly flipping through it, he closed the book and thought, his brows furrowed.

She Jun said, "What do you think? Why don't I just poison him to death?"

"No, the Shangshu Mansion is not a place where you can come and go freely. Moreover, if he is killed, the court will do everything in its power to track him down, and you will probably not be able to hide your identity."

"What should we do? With Wen Youchi around, your little prince will be deposed sooner or later."

Yan Sikong slowly clenched his fists. Suddenly, an idea flashed through his mind. He hurriedly opened the case file and searched for a long time before finally finding the ink words that had just passed by his eyes.

"Did you find anything?"

Yan Sikong was stunned for a moment, then slowly, slowly revealed a sinister smile: "Wen Youchi, your career is coming to an end."

"What did you find?" She Jun came over, looked at the page carefully, and suddenly realized.

Yan Sikong put away the book and said, "I'm going to find Feng Ye. Be careful when you go back."

"Wait." She Jun narrowed his eyes, with a hint of anger in his eyes, "The news that the young master humiliated you in Baisheng Building has spread throughout the capital. This person acted so recklessly and stupidly, and you dared to do something with him."

Yan Sikong took a deep breath and said, "I know what's appropriate between us." Then he was about to leave.

She Jun grabbed him and stared into his eyes: "What sense do you have? You like him, do you think I can't see it?"

Yan Sikong shook off his arm, his eyes firm: "In my heart, nothing is more important than revenge, so I know my limits."

She Jun suppressed his anger and asked provocatively, "If he knew what kind of person you are, would he still be obsessed with you?"

"He knows." Yan Sikong answered without hesitation.

She Jun's eyes widened: "What do you mean? Did you tell him everything?"

"He first found you in Jingzhou, and then learned from General Zhao Fuyi that Ge Zhong was the Yu Shi who wrongfully killed my father. He is not a fool." Yan Sikong said coldly, "She Zhun, are you meddling too much? As long as I give you enough money and I can kill Xie Zhongren, you don't need to worry about the rest."

She Jun said coldly: "Nanyu, you originally had no weaknesses, but now you have made many mistakes that you shouldn't have made because of this person. Don't blame me for not reminding you that he will ruin your plans sooner or later, and may even destroy you."

Yan Sikong said in a deep voice: "No one can destroy me." No one can destroy a person who is already broken.

——

Yan Sikong asked Ali to quietly inform Yan Zilian and Feng Ye to meet in the small teahouse. However, he asked Feng Ye to come half an hour earlier.

If it weren't for something important, they wouldn't have met here. As soon as Feng Ye arrived, he asked eagerly, "What did you find? Where is Master Yan Ge?"

"He hasn't come yet. I want to tell you about this first."

Feng Ye frowned: "Why?"

"I was afraid you might disagree, so I discussed this with you first. But whether you agree or not, this is the best solution."

Feng Ye asked in confusion: "About Wen Youchi? Tell me."

Yan Sikong flipped through the information She Jun gave him, found that page, and handed it to Feng Ye.

"Is this sent by She Jun?" Feng Ye took it reluctantly.

"Why are you so unconvinced? It's true that the Feng family is good at fighting, but She Jun is an expert in this area."

Feng Ye snorted coldly and looked at the page. After quickly scanning it, he slowly looked at Yan Sikong: "You want..."

"Yes." Yan Sikong said expressionlessly, "Wen Youchi is over sixty years old, and his old father is already in his eighties. He has been paralyzed and bedridden for a long time. Now he is unconscious and exhausted. If he dies, Wen Youchi will have to return to his hometown to serve three years according to the law. Three years is enough to change the world."

Feng Ye narrowed his eyes: "You are going to kill his father."

"Why, you can't bear it?" Yan Sikong said calmly, "A dying person who is suffering from illness and pain, just help him get relief."

Feng Ye closed the book, remained silent, and his face looked a little gloomy.

Yan Sikong looked at the moonlight outside the window and said calmly, "When I was young, I was studying and a sage said, 'If I could gain the world by doing one unjust thing or killing one innocent person, I would never do it.' I believed in this saying." He smiled and said, "Now it seems so ridiculous. One general's success is based on the sacrifice of thousands of soldiers. How did we get this rich and prosperous country? We got it by stepping on the corpses of others."

Feng Ye said in a deep voice: "What if the emperor seizes my love?"

"No, first report the matter of Wen Weixi to His Majesty. His Majesty may not hold him responsible, but he will be criticized and his reputation will be damaged. His father has passed away. According to the ancestral system and the law, he must return to his hometown to serve. If His Majesty wants him to stay, the ministers will not agree."

Feng Ye asked again: "Will Yan Zilian agree?"

Yan Sikong smiled: "If I think he won't agree, I won't discuss it with him. I'm afraid he will suspect that I'm doing something behind his back. As a teacher, I can't stand his students getting out of his control."

Feng Ye threw the information back to Yan Sikong: "Are you going to let She Zhun do it?"

"We can't let him know about She Jun's existence." Yan Sikong looked at Feng Ye, "You need to send someone to take care of this matter."

Feng Ye's face was cold and hard: "Okay."

At this time, Yan Zilian arrived as expected. He looked at the two of them, with a strange look flashing across his eyes, while Yan Sikong looked normal.

After some politeness, Yan Sikong told the story.

Yan Zilian frowned, thought for a long time, and said, "This plan is feasible."

Feng Ye and Yan Sikong looked at each other.

"This plan is feasible." Yan Zilian stood up and paced back and forth in the room, "We can definitely get rid of Wen Youchi without making any noise."

"The prince will send someone to handle this matter, but the matter of Wen Weixi will depend on the teacher."

Feng Ye lowered his eyes and acquiesced.

Yan Zilian took a deep breath and said, "Okay."

Yan Sikong could see that Yan Zilian also felt guilty, but that was all.

After Yan Zilian left, Yan Sikong approached Feng Ye and whispered, "I can also let She Zhun do it."

"No need." Feng Ye looked cold and arrogant, "Do you think I will consider a woman's kindness in your heart?"

"I don't think so."

Feng Ye turned to him and said, "If Wen Youchi is eliminated, Elder Yan will nominate a new Minister of War. Among the suitable candidates, there is someone who belongs to my father. Even if it is someone else, it will be easier to deal with than Wen Youchi. Only in this way can we keep the military funds for Datong."

"That's right." Yan Sikong stroked Feng Ye's face gently, "The Dasheng Kingdom cannot exist without the Datong Defense Line, and the Datong Defense Line cannot exist without the Feng Family Army."