After bidding farewell to Zhao Fuyi, Yan Sikong rushed to Lingwu Villa again. He did not go up the mountain, but went straight to the stable at the foot of the mountain.

All the people in the stable had benefited from him, so they were naturally respectful when they saw him.

Yan Sikong threw him a bag of silver as usual, and then walked to the deepest stable. The stable was large and clean, built with the best wood, and the newly painted red lacquer was still very bright in the dark night.

Yan Sikong walked into the stable and saw a tall, fiery red horse drinking water with its back to him.

"Zuihong." Yan Sikong called softly.

That was none other than Zuihong, the peerless divine horse that Feng Ye had won from Emperor Zhaowu in the spring hunt that year.

When Feng Ye was serving in Jingshan Camp, he was afraid that Zuihong would affect the warhorse's mood, so he kept it in Lingwu Villa. It was naturally impossible for him to ride this eye-catching Tianshan horse king when he escaped from prison. For the past three years, Yan Sikong has been taking care of it.

Yan Sikong once went to the mountain to look for Feng Hun, but he could not find the giant wolf anywhere on the mountain. He was afraid that it had left with Feng Ye. So Zui Hong became the only thing Feng Ye left for him.

Zuihong's ears twitched, obviously he heard the sound, but he ignored it.

Yan Sikong walked over and stroked its strong back. The slender, undulating muscles were like towering mountains, full of awe-inspiring power.

He snorted impatiently from his drunken red nose and kicked the ground with his front hooves in annoyance.

Yan Sikong ran his fingers along its thick, coarse hair: "Are you angry?"

Zuihong would not let anyone else ride it except Fengye and him. He had been too busy these days and had not visited it for more than a month. It had not run for a long time and was bored.

Who does this little temper resemble?

The wolves raised by Feng Ye look like him, and the horses raised by Feng Ye also look like him. Yan Sikong couldn't help but feel a little funny, but when he recalled the things he had done when he named Zuihong, the smile on his face slowly disappeared.

At that time, Feng Ye was still young and full of vigor and vitality. His heart was filled with lofty ambitions and his eyes were filled with the vast mountains and rivers. It seemed that he had endless time to pursue his ideals, as if he could pluck the stars and the moon, and cut through all the thorns and brambles, and do anything.

Seven years later, everything has changed beyond recognition.

Who doesn't want to be young all his life?

Yan Sikong gently rested his forehead on Zuihong's body and closed his eyes. The strong heartbeat made his skin tremble slightly, it seemed so alive.

He untied the reins, jumped on the horse, drove Zuihong out of the stable, and galloped towards the vast grassland.

He could not forget the first time he rode Zuihong. The speed scared him so much that his face turned pale, but as soon as he felt the warm and broad chest against his back, he felt at ease.

Now the howling wind cut into his body like a knife, and he had nothing behind him.

He always gains and loses tragically, and in the end, he has nothing.

——

After returning home, Yan Sikong felt a little unsteady in his steps. Zuihong was not something that ordinary people could drive. Every time he took it for a run, he felt like he had lost half his life.

It was late at night, and although he was exhausted, he still had work to do. He walked towards the courtyard he had not set foot in for three years and knocked on the door he had never touched.

Wan Yang's vague voice sounded: "Who?"

"I."

The room fell silent for a moment. After a while, the candles were lit and Wan Yang opened the door. She was wearing a coat, with her hair hanging down her shoulders. She had no makeup on her face but was very pretty. Her eyes flickered, and she was obviously nervous. "What do you want to do?"

Yan Sikong cupped his hands and said, "I have something to ask of you, Your Highness."

Wan Yang hesitated for a moment: "Come in."

After entering the room, Yan Sikong closed the door. Wan Yang took a few steps back. She grabbed the edge of the table with both hands and stared at Yan Sikong warily: "What do you want to do?"

"Don't worry, Your Highness. I dare not be disrespectful." Yan Sikong said directly, "Does Your Highness want to save Feng Ye?"

Wan Yang was shocked: "What did you say?"

"If Your Highness wants to save Feng Ye, please do me a favor."

"Explain clearly."

"Your Majesty is concerned about the frontier, but Zhuoletai makes His Majesty even more uneasy, so most of the troops have been invested in Liaoning and Huguang regions. General Liu Anping has mobilized a large army to suppress the rebellion."

Wan Yang looked at Yan Sikong quietly, waiting for him to continue.

"Although General Liu Anping's military strength is far less than that of Liaoning, he has strong cities, dangerous waters, and abundant food. The reason why Feng Ye won consecutive victories before was because he did not fight naval battles. He does not even have decent warships, so he cannot defeat General Liu's navy. So I expect that he will move to Hetao." Yan Sikong told Wan Yang his guess.

Wan Yang thought for a moment: "What you said makes sense, but this will only make my father more jealous of him. How are you going to...save him?"

"I intend to ask His Majesty for permission to personally lead the troops to quell the rebellion."

Wan Yang's eyes widened. "You? Are you crazy? My cousin led troops at the age of fourteen and was known as a natural born general. You are just a scholar, what can you do?"

"A good warrior can defeat the enemy without fighting. I am not going to fight him, I am going to persuade him to surrender."

Wan Yang frowned and said, "Persuade them to surrender... You and your cousin are at odds, and you're going to persuade them to surrender?"

"I used to be good friends with him. No one in the government knows him better than me. I have his favorite horse and... you."

"...Me? What do you want to ask of me?"

"I want to ask Your Highness..." Yan Sikong paused, "to pretend to be pregnant."

Wan Yang's expression suddenly changed. He pointed at Yan Sikong and said in a trembling voice, "You..."

"First, His Majesty will trust me more. Second, Feng Ye will at least not kill me the first time he sees me because of this. Third, Your Highness will no longer have to be criticized by His Majesty and Concubine Xian."

Wan Yang gritted his teeth and said, "You are so brave! You dare to pretend to be a member of the royal family. If this is discovered, you will be in big trouble!"

"This child's surname is Yan, not Chen, and he has no share of the Chen family's land. Moreover, as long as Your Majesty cooperates, it will be seamless." Yan Sikong's real purpose was to worry that the eunuchs' party would be exposed. He was guilty and it would be difficult to convince the public even if Emperor Zhaowu wanted to let him go. However, if Wanyang was "pregnant", it would be an extra safeguard. However, he could not tell Wanyang now, otherwise Wanyang might ruin his plans.

"Perfect? ​​Where are you going to get a child?"

"Your Highness, don't worry about this. When the time comes, I will have someone bring a baby over. If Your Highness likes it, you can raise it by your side. If you don't like it, the Yan family won't let him down."

Wan Yang lowered his head, biting his lower lip tightly, and was very conflicted.

"Your Highness, this may be the only chance to save Feng Ye."

"Although you speak very logically, you are too cunning. I don't know what you are up to. I always feel that..." Wan Yang narrowed his eyes slightly, "What else are you hiding from me? You go out early and come back late these days. What are you busy with?"

Yan Sikong smiled bitterly: "I have to go to court before dawn every day and handle official business late at night. It would be strange if I didn't leave early and return late."

"If you...really can go find your cousin, how confident are you that you can surrender?"

"Only three points."

"Only three points?"

Yan Sikong sighed, "Feng Ye is such a strong man. He has a deep hatred for his crimes, how can he let it go? But now Xie Zhongren has been imprisoned. As long as we can put the blame on the eunuchs and let Feng Ye get his revenge, there may be a chance for a turnaround."

Wan Yang sneered: "I see clearly, Xie Zhongren has just been imprisoned, and you are going to change your mind. Yan Sikong, you are really a..." The insulting words were circling on her lips, but she hesitated whether to spit them out.

Yan Sikong said in a neither humble nor arrogant manner: "Your Highness is right. In this case, I must work even harder to quell the Wolf King's rebellion, so that when the eunuchs' party falls one day, I will not be buried with them."

Wan Yang said angrily: "It's up to you! But if this matter is exposed, I will not plead for you."

Yan Sikong bowed deeply: "Thank you, Your Highness."

——

On the third day after Xie Zhongren was imprisoned, Zhao Fuyi, together with Meng Duo and other important officials, impeached him at the morning court, listing many charges and pointing out that the current devastation in Liaoning was caused by him and Han Zhaoxing. They also mentioned that Han Zhaoxing's predecessor was forced out by the two and that they framed Guangning garrison commander Yuan Mao to steal military merits. However, these two events happened too many years ago and are difficult to verify. Moreover, they are not noticeable among the countless evidences of crimes presented by the two.

This impeachment was powerful and aggressive, but the eunuch party was prepared. At this time, Xie Zhongren had already been imprisoned, and the eunuch party was truly at a critical moment of life and death. In order to protect themselves, they would definitely fight desperately, but Meng Duo and others would not let go.

The fact that Princess Wanyang was already three months pregnant was like a stone thrown into a stormy sea; it didn't even create any waves. However, Yan Sikong had already quietly made this important move.

As the two factions were fighting fiercely, Zhao Fuyi officially set off to serve as the Governor of Liaodong to defend the turbulent Dasheng Dynasty against the barbarians in the north. Soon, news came that Feng Ye had indeed done what he expected. After shocking the world with his seven victories in seven battles, he gave up the prosperous Jiangnan and led his troops to the northwest.

The troubled Emperor Zhaowu became more and more dependent on Yan Sikong. He consulted Yan Sikong several times about Xie Zhongren's treatment. Yan Sikong first asked Xie Zhongren to write a letter in prison, persuading Han Zhaoxing to be an insider for Zhao Fuyi and make meritorious deeds to atone for his crime.

The possibility of this letter being effective was very slim, but Emperor Zhaowu took into consideration that Xie Zhongren had served him for many years and was already so old, so he could not bear to kill him and wanted to take the opportunity to spare his life.

Yan Sikong knew what would happen if the letter reached Zhao Fuyi, and he also knew that Emperor Zhaowu was already afraid of facing the anger of his ministers every day, and he could not hold on for much longer. So every time he discussed with Emperor Zhaowu, he quietly took a step closer, waiting, waiting for Emperor Zhaowu to become exhausted and his sympathy for Xie Zhongren to be worn out.

Until one day, Emperor Zhaowu said: "I am tired. The court is so gloomy, but is it still my court? If it goes on like this, I won't have to wait for those barbarians and rebels to come and plot against my kingdom..."

Yan Sikong knew the time had come, so he knelt on the ground and said sincerely, "I am willing to share your worries."

"How do you share your worries?" Emperor Zhaowu said weakly.

Yan Sikong didn't say anything. Where Emperor Zhaowu couldn't see, his face was filled with a gloomy look.

All the planning and use of any means are for this day.