The new house given by Emperor Zhaowu was located in a very good location in the city. Although it was not very luxurious, it was grand enough. It was impossible for the princess to live in his shabby little house after marrying him.

Yan Sikong was not in a hurry to move in, because there must be Xie Zhongren's spies among the servants. However, he still took Ali to inspect the place and told the housekeeper some things, such as his habits, such as making a dark room in his study. In addition, this place was close to Shen Hexuan's home, so Ali would not need to deliver food and clothing to Mrs. Shen in the future, and the housekeeper could do it for him.

On the way back, Yan Sikong smiled and said, "Ali, do you like that magnificent mansion?"

Ali shook his head.

"Why?"

Alibi said: There are so many people, I don’t know who is good and who is bad.

"Every one of them is a bad person." Yan Sikong said indifferently.

Ali looked at him blankly.

"We can't put this off any longer. We have to move there before the Chinese New Year. Remember, don't trust anyone there. Everyone should be on guard and report any signs of trouble to me immediately."

Ali nodded.

"I need you to do one more thing."

Ali looked at him.

"We've moved to a new house, where there will be a housekeeper and many servants. You won't be the only one by my side, but I only trust you, so you will still serve me closely. I want you to start playing dumb."

Ali looked at Yan Sikong blankly.

"I know you're not stupid. Although you can't speak, you know everything in your heart." Yan Sikong patted Ali's shoulder. "But you have to pretend to be stupid. You don't have to be too stupid. Just act like you're mentally retarded. Then the gang will relax their vigilance against you. First, it won't be too difficult for you. Second, it will also make it easier for us to investigate the situation. Can you do that?"

Ali nodded vigorously.

Yan Sikong stared at the empty space ahead, his eyes deep and far-reaching: "I have a feeling that this year will not go smoothly. I asked you to exchange your gold and silver treasures for banknotes just in case of emergency. Find a time to sneak out of the city 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 cuts to Datong's military equipment, and at the same time Feng Jianping's assessment was coming as scheduled. These two seemingly unrelated things happened to collide with each other, but in fact they were inextricably linked, as if if the former could not satisfy the emperor, the latter would not satisfy the Feng family. But cutting military equipment means cutting military spending, and cutting military spending means cutting military strength, which will inevitably touch the lifeblood of the Feng family, and no one can predict how much Feng Jianping will give in.

Yan Sikong always believed that Feng Jianping should not return to the court. From the moment he stepped into the capital, everything was passive. But it was too late to say anything now. He could only wait and see.

After discussing with Yan Zilian and Feng Jianping, Yan Sikong handed a standard list of questions to Liu An, but Liu An held back and delayed handing it over to Feng Jianping. It was feared that he had been instructed to wait until there were signs of military reduction before making any plans.

Although Yan Sikong had completed the task temporarily, he did not dare to relax at all. However, there was someone who was more anxious than him, and that was Feng Che, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War who was acting as the Minister of War. He was given such a bloody task when he was sent to the battlefield without any warning. The Minister's throne had only been warm for a few days, but now he was sitting on pins and needles.

When Wen Youchi was in Beijing, he did discuss the issue of Datong's military equipment with the left and right assistant ministers, but before he could come to a conclusion, he returned to his hometown to worry. Therefore, Feng Ke could only speculate based on Zhang Yushi's report and Wen Youchi's attitude, and came up with a rough figure of reducing the military equipment by 100,000, which he discussed with Yan Zilian.

Yan Zilian discussed the matter with Feng Jianping immediately.

Feng Jianping flatly refused: "One hundred thousand? Cutting down the military by one hundred thousand means reducing military expenditure by one million taels a year. Even if I have to cut down on food and clothing, I will still cut down 60,000 to 70,000 troops. How should I place these 60,000 to 70,000 people?"

Yan Zilian comforted him, "Don't worry, General. Datong raised 300,000 troops to resist Wala. Now Wala has been defeated. It's time to stop the war, settle the people and rest. Datong soldiers ride horses to kill the enemy and plow the fields. They have been producing their own food for many years. They don't have to worry about food and drink. Reducing 100,000 troops does not mean cutting the army. We can reduce weapons, firearms and baggage. If Datong is in war again one day, we won't lose any money from the national treasury."

"Master, are you pretending to be ignorant when you know the truth?" Feng Jianping said in a deep voice, "Just by feeding people, will they fight for you? You might as well raise 300,000 dogs."

Yan Zilian's expression changed slightly.

Feng Jianping's momentum was overwhelming, and Yan Sikong, who was sitting next to him, felt that his heart was being oppressed. He was worthy of being the number one general of Da Sheng. Just that little bit of displeasure was enough to make people tremble with fear.

Feng Jianping added: "Even dogs should be rewarded and punished. Can people be treated better than dogs? What about salaries? What about rewards? When it's hot, we need to cool down and repel mosquitoes. When it's cold, we need to burn charcoal and add clothes. When we are sick, we need to get medical treatment. When we are dying, we need to comfort the dead. Which of these things doesn't require money? If we want to reduce the military strength by 100,000, the only way is to cut the army. As the saying goes, you can raise soldiers for a thousand days and use them for a moment. If there is another war at the border in the future, can the soldiers come as soon as they are called?"

"General," Yan Zilian said in a low voice, "Don't worry, we are not really going to cut so much. Minister Feng just wants me to discuss it with you. He thinks that reporting this to His Majesty will satisfy him, especially Xie Zhongren, who probably won't be able to find fault with him. But he also knows that you will definitely not agree, so why don't we both take a step back..."

"Master." Feng Jianping narrowed his eyes. "If we really cut down on the military, wouldn't that satisfy the eunuchs? You want me to fight against the eunuchs, support the crown prince, and cut down the military to fill the national treasury. What is your intention?"

By the end of his speech, Feng Jianping's tone had become harsh. Yan Sikong and Feng Ye stood aside without saying a word. Yan Sikong did not even look at Feng Ye. He knew that the father and son of the Feng family were already dissatisfied with Yan Zilian, so he could only avoid that burning gaze.

Yan Zilian said sternly, "General, why do you say that? It is His Majesty's decision to reduce the military, and we can only try to mediate. I am now tied to the general, so why should I not consider you and the Feng family? Without you, how can the crown prince's position as heir be secure? But if we reduce the military a little without any pain, Xie Zhongren will definitely insist on it, and His Majesty will probably have a hard time. I am advising you like this for your own good."

Feng Jianping said expressionlessly, "What do you think we should do about this?"

"Let's each take a step back." Yan Zilian whispered, "But I advise the general to be clear-headed. Since you have chosen to return to the court, you will not be able to escape unscathed. Don't be a thorn in the side of His Majesty."

Yan Sikong felt a chill all over his body, as if an invisible object was climbing on his back, making him panic.

Feng Jianping pondered for a moment and glanced at Feng Ye. Feng Ye opened his mouth but didn't say anything. After a long while, Feng Jianping said, "Fifty thousand. If we reduce the military strength by fifty thousand, we don't have to cut the army."

Yan Zilian shook his head and said, "General, I don't want to bargain with you, but I can assure you that this will surely cause dissatisfaction to His Majesty."

Feng Jianping clenched his fists and said nothing.

"General, you haven't been back to the capital for nearly thirty years. You have been with swords all day long. You think you can survive in the most brutal and dangerous places in the world, but you forget that swords are invisible and hard to defend against in the temple, and they are just as deadly." Yan Zilian sighed heavily, "What I said today is from the heart. General, you don't understand Your Majesty, nor do you understand the eunuchs, but I do. General, please think twice."

Feng Jianping took a deep breath, full of sorrow: "Master, most of those soldiers left their homes and followed me to the border areas to endure the wind and snow. Some of them have not been able to return home for years, some are disabled, and some died in a foreign land, their bodies are hard to find. They were loyal to their country and sacrificed their lives for the country. How can we just sit there and do nothing for them?"

"General, your words make sense, but there is no room for maneuver in this matter." Yan Zilian advised, "General, you still need to consider yourself and the prince, and make a decision early."

Feng Jianping held his forehead wearily and said in a hoarse voice, "Eighty thousand."

Yan Zilian nodded and said, "I am pleased that the general is willing to make such a sacrifice. I will go and advise Your Majesty."

"If we reduce our military, my power will certainly be weakened. Aren't you worried that the eunuchs will take advantage of the opportunity to cause trouble?"

"I am always worried, but if something happens to the general, we will have no hope, and the prince will also be in danger. The best thing to do now is to help the general survive this disaster."

Feng Jianping waved his hands and said, "Forget it. Everything depends on you, Master." He said softly, "I have been guarding Datong for Your Majesty for more than 30 years. I have always dreamed of defeating the Oirat and clearing the border. Now I have the opportunity to realize it, but..."

Yan Zilian also sighed heavily: "General, I have been an official for more than 40 years, from a small Hanlin to a prime minister. I also wanted to do something great that would be recorded in history. Now that I am old and frail, I understand that human power cannot overcome nature. Even if I try my best, I can't resist the torrent. You and I are just a drop in the ocean. We can only do our best."

Feng Jianping smiled bitterly and said, "I'm just trying my best."

Yan Zilian stood up and said, "I will go first."

"I'll see the teacher off." Yan Sikong also stood up. He glanced at Feng Ye quickly, motioning Feng Ye to come find him, but his gaze lingered for a while.

After sending Yan Zilian to the courtyard, Yan Sikong said in a low voice, "Teacher, is the reduction of military equipment really so severe?"

"This is what Minister Feng estimated. No one can say how much the actual result differs from the expectations of Your Majesty and Xie Zhongren. Your Majesty was not so aggressive in the past. It can be said that he did not care much about most things, but he was very determined on the issue of Datong's military preparations. Do you know what this means?"

Yan Sikong nodded: "Your Majesty feels threatened."

"Yes, since His Majesty feels threatened, you should know how outsiders view the Feng family. Teacher did all this to preserve the Feng family. In an emergency, cutting off one's hands and feet is a last resort. If the Feng family falls, we will be swallowed up by the eunuchs sooner or later."

"Student understands." Yan Sikong found it difficult to judge for a moment whether the situation was as serious as Yan Zilian said. After all, Emperor Zhaowu admired and cared for Feng Jianping, at least on the surface he did not show any suspicion. However, he also reminded himself from time to time that to guess a person's intentions, one should not look at what he says, but what he does. As for the military and assessment matters, perhaps Yan Zilian was not filtering, but his more than 40 years of ups and downs in the officialdom made him particularly sharp.

If this is true, the Feng family's situation...

Yan Sikong didn't dare to think further.