When Yan Sikong got the news, he immediately rushed to Yan's house. The mansion was filled with gloom and Yan Zilian's eldest son was instructing the servants to pack their luggage.

"Brother Yan." Yan Sikong walked over, "Brother Yan, what do you mean?"

Yan Weiming exchanged greetings with him and sighed, "My father is seriously ill. If... that thief will not let my Yan family go. I am dismissing some of the servants and sending my relatives back to my hometown in the countryside to prepare for any unexpected events."

Yan Zilian had only two sons. The elder son was kind but not very smart and held an idle position in the Ministry of Rites. The younger son was greedy for pleasure and had failed to pass the imperial examination. He also caused some trouble for Yan Zilian and was driven back to his hometown a long time ago.

Yan Weiming was also self-aware. The gentry and the eunuchs had been holding grudges for a long time. Once Yan Zilian fell, Xie Zhongren would definitely take the opportunity to take revenge.

Yan Sikong had no choice but to hold his hand and comfort him, "Brother Yan, please don't panic. The teacher is a veteran minister of three dynasties, and he is the prime minister. He has made great contributions to the country of Dasheng. If he is abandoned when he is old and sick, wouldn't it make all the civil and military officials feel disheartened? The teacher is highly respected, and his students and former officials are all over the world. He will never let anyone bully him."

Yan Weiming smiled bitterly and said, "That being said, your Majesty is treating my father like this..."

"Brother Yan, please relax and take good care of the teacher. Now that we have Lord Huo in the inner cabinet, it is not the turn of the eunuchs to stir up trouble." Yan Sikong looked at the luggage, "However, it is wise to send the relatives to the countryside to avoid the limelight."

Yan Weiming nodded and held Yan Sikong's hand tightly: "Sikong, my father appreciates you the most, you must help our Yan family."

"Brother Yan, don't worry." Yan Sikong said solemnly, "I will never forget the teacher's kindness in recognizing my talent."

After bidding farewell to Yan Weiming, Yan Sikong, led by his servant, walked towards Yan Zilian's main house.

Along the way, veins on his forehead were throbbing. Just now, he seemed to be confident in comforting Yan Weiming, but in his heart he was probably even more uncertain than Yan Weiming.

Yan Zilian fell ill, and Huo Li, the second assistant to the cabinet, temporarily took over the position of the first assistant. Huo Li was an old scholar who only knew how to study. Yan Zilian chose him to be the second assistant because he was not interested in worldly affairs, and thus he was able to hold the power of the cabinet alone. Without Yan Zilian, Huo Li would not have stayed in the cabinet for long.

From a distance, Yan Sikong could already smell the scent of herbs.

After pushing the door open, the strong medicine mixed with the dull air smelled extremely ominous. Looking at the old man with gray hair and pale face lying on the couch, Yan Sikong's breath was choked and his heart sank. If he still held a glimmer of hope that Yan Zilian would get better before coming here, now he was completely desperate.

"Teacher..." Yan Sikong called out sadly and walked over gently.

After just a few days of not seeing him, Yan Zilian had become so thin that he was almost skin and bones, his face was ashen, and his breathing was weak. The prime minister who once held great power and was powerful and influential was now just a frail old man.

Yan Sikong felt a sour feeling in his nose.

Yan Zilian slowly opened his eyes and saw Yan Sikong. He was stunned for a long while before nodding and saying in a hoarse voice, "You're here. I've been waiting for you."

Yan Sikong knelt in front of the bed and asked weakly, "Teacher, do you feel better?"

Yan Zilian shook his head slightly: "This time, it won't get better."

Yan Sikong lowered his head heavily.

Yan Zilian said, "All of you go down."

Several servants retreated one by one.

Yan Zilian tried to stand up, but he had no strength at all: "Help me... up."

Yan Sikong carefully helped Yan Zilian up, half of his body leaning on the cushion, and poured him a glass of warm water.

Yan Zilian took a sip of water and calmed down before turning his lifeless eyes to Yan Sikong. "Sikong, we both know that my time is up."

Yan Sikong shook his head: "Teacher will definitely get better."

"Don't say these useless words. I have something important to discuss with you."

"Students, listen."

Yan Zilian took a deep breath, and his voice began to tremble: "I... am six years older than that thief, so it is reasonable for me to die before him. However, I am unwilling to do so. I am unwilling to... I am unwilling to die before I can achieve my ambitions..."

Yan Sikong clutched the corner of the quilt tightly with both hands.

"I passed the imperial examination at the age of 22, and have been an official for more than 40 years. I have assisted three emperors. When I first entered the officialdom, it was the heyday of our Great Sheng. The wisdom and benevolence of the late emperor were admired by all the people, and the civil and military achievements of the late emperor made the four seas submit to him. The officialdom at that time was clean and there was little unhealthy atmosphere..." Yan Zilian's eyes suddenly glowed. He must have reappeared the glory and prosperity of those years before his eyes.

Yan Sikong had learned about the prosperous Kaiping era of Dasheng from historical books and literature. At that time, nearly a hundred foreign nations and tribes from home and abroad came to the Central Plains to pay homage every year. The national treasury was full, the army was millions, the people lived and worked in peace and contentment.

But perhaps it is the law of prosperity that must decline, or perhaps it is because of a long period of peace and the improvement of military preparations. Emperor Shengming was brave and heroic throughout his life, but he died young. After his death, Emperor Shengwen succeeded to the throne, and the country's fortunes took a sharp turn for the worse. The Hetao area was lost, and the Oirat Mongols became wealthy. When Emperor Zhaowu succeeded to the throne, he was even more arrogant and extravagant, and he favored eunuchs, and lost Liaoning again. For decades, there were constant wars in the Central Plains, the people suffered terribly, and the country's destiny was already in jeopardy.

The light in Yan Zilian's eyes quickly faded away like a last ray of light, and he returned to reality: "It's a pity that you don't have the chance to see Da Sheng like that with your own eyes."

Yan Sikong could clearly feel Yan Zilian's extreme grief. All his life, he hoped to revive the Sheng family and restore its glory, but he alone was powerless to change the situation.

"The late emperor made a mistake in losing the Hetao area. I was a lowly person with little influence and powerless to dissuade him. Your Majesty gave up Liaoning. I am not even a minister. Even if I risked my life to advise him, it would be useless." Yan Zilian was already crying as he spoke. "Now I am the head of all officials, but I can't stop the treacherous people from framing the loyal people. Time and again, I watched them destroy the Great Wall and usurp my great country. My lifelong ambitions have been completely wasted in regret and powerlessness. Tell me, tell me... How will future generations write about me?"

Yan Sikong said with tears in his eyes: "If it weren't for the teacher's hard work and support, this country would have been completely changed, and people would have praised or stigmatized it."

"Freedom is in the heart of the people..." Yan Zilian nodded with a wry smile, "Freedom is in the heart of the people."

"The teacher will surely be a meritorious official whose name will go down in history."

Yan Zilian waved his hands and said, "Forget it. I used to think I cared a lot about my reputation after death, but now I don't care much anymore. All I think about is my unfinished business and my great country. My personal merits and demerits are nothing."

"teacher……"

Yan Zilian looked at Yan Sikong and said in a weak voice: "Sikong, you must remember every word I said to you today."

Yan Sikong looked at him steadily.

"If I leave, and His Majesty no longer has any concerns, the Feng family may be doomed. You should make plans early."

Yan Sikong nodded heavily.

"The eunuchs will also take the opportunity to strike back, suppress our faction, and root out the weeds." Yan Zilian sighed, "You were still useful to Xie Zhongren in the past, but now that you are my student and the prince's tutor, you will definitely be the first one he wants to eliminate. Do you understand?"

"Students understand him and are not afraid of him."

"You must be afraid of him." Yan Zilian grabbed Yan Sikong's wrist, "You are young and promising, resourceful and resourceful. In my heart, only you can complete my unfinished ambitions. The Feng family and the prince now all rely on you. You must not get into trouble."

Yan Sikong had a complicated expression.

Rely on him? He no longer had the Feng family to rely on, and soon he would not have Yan Zilian to rely on either. He did not know what fate he would face once Yan Zilian left.

They were defeated in the battle with Xie Zhongren, and suffered heavy losses and serious damage.

Yan Zilian saw through his thoughts and said softly, "Sikong, you are still young. As long as you survive, there is hope."

Yan Sikong smiled bitterly: "The students will definitely work hard to make a living, inherit the teacher's legacy, and fulfill the teacher's will."

"How are you going to make a living?"

Yan Sikong was silent. He didn't even know how Xie Zhongren would kill him. He could only take it one step at a time.

Yan Zilian said: "There is only one way to save your life now."

"What?"

"Princess Wanyang."

Yan Sikong was stunned.

"If you can successfully become a consort, firstly, you can save your life and property. Secondly, once the wedding date is set, it must be after autumn. Before that, the Empress Dowager's annual sacrifice has not yet arrived, and the princess is about to get married, so it is not appropriate to execute the death penalty. It can be delayed for a few months so that you can make adequate preparations."

"Teacher... you are right." Yan Sikong frowned and said, "But, His Majesty may have wanted to regret the engagement."

"Not necessarily. Because of the Feng family incident, there has been a rift between your majesty and Consort Xian and the princess. If the arranged marriage is withdrawn, not to mention that the king is not joking, even if it is a father and daughter from an ordinary family, they cannot do this to ruin the reputation of their daughter's family, not to mention that your majesty truly loves the princess."

"What should students do? Go and ask His Majesty to set a date for the wedding?" Yan Sikong realized that although Yan Zilian was seriously ill, his mind was not confused at all. The path he pointed out was not only his way of survival, but also Feng Ye's way of survival.

"Your Majesty doesn't even want to listen to me, so how can he care about you?" Yan Zilian held Yan Sikong's hand and said slowly in his old and weak voice, "You, go and ask Xie Zhongren for help."

Yan Sikong froze.

"At that time, we were trying to lure Xie Zhongren into our trap, so you and Feng Ye put on a show. Now it seems that it was an unintentional success." Yan Zilian said seriously, "Sikong, if it were someone else, I would never have made such a request, because I know they can't do it, but you, maybe only you can do it."

There was a brief blank in Yan Sikong's mind. He was so smart that he immediately understood what Yan Zilian meant and murmured, "Teacher... asked me to ask Xie Zhongren for help." There were some things Yan Zilian did not explain clearly, but he already understood that Yan Zilian was asking him to "defect."

Yan Zilian said in a sad voice: "Sikong, you said that people are free to praise or criticize others. Are you willing to endure what ordinary people cannot endure and suffer what ordinary people cannot suffer for the sake of your ideals?"

Yan Sikong looked at Yan Zilian steadily. He really wanted to tell Yan Zilian that if it were someone else, he would be willing to serve someone else and become someone's grandson in order to achieve his goal. A person who once lived on the streets and begged on his knees would not care about the dignity that could not be satisfied. But that was Xie Zhongren, the Xie Zhongren who caused his family to be destroyed. Yan Zilian asked him to kowtow like the bastard whom he wanted to eat alive!

The teacher and student's eyes met unexpectedly in the air, and they stared at each other in silence for a long time.

Yan Zilian's eyes became blurry and he could no longer see Yan Sikong's face. Yan Sikong also became cold and his eyes were blurred.

Countless thoughts were entangled, like a mad beast rampaging in his mind, causing him to stare blankly in pain. If hatred had a physical form, it would have swallowed up everything around it. However, in this vortex of despair, a voice quietly reminded him that Yan Zilian was right.

He needs the identity of a royal consort to protect himself, he needs the wedding date with Princess Wanyang to buy time for Feng Ye, he needs to get close to the enemy and find the lifeline, hoping that one day in the future, when he has enough strength, he can draw the sword in anger, pierce through the filthy heart in one stroke, clear the name of the wronged soul, and bring peace to the country!

For that day, can he endure what ordinary people cannot endure, suffer what ordinary people cannot suffer, and endure the ridicule and contempt of the world, and beg for mercy from his mortal enemy? !

Yan Sikong, can you do it?