Before Yan Sikong returned to Qianzhou, Yuan Nanyu suddenly came to see him - bringing a bunch of things.

"Why did the Wolf King suddenly allow you to come and see me?" Yan Sikong looked tired, but seeing Yuan Nanyu was probably the only time he was happy in these days.

"I said you were leaving soon and we couldn't spend the New Year together, but at least let me see you, and he agreed." Yuan Nanyu asked while ordering people to move the things into the house, "When are you leaving?"

"Let the sun set. I don't want too many people to see me entering the city." Yan Sikong's mood, which had been depressed for several days, finally improved and his face regained some color.

Yuan Nanyu walked over and looked at him: "You look a little haggard, are you feeling unwell?"

"Not bad." In addition to being depressed, Yan Sikong also deliberately slept less and ate less, so that when he returned to Qianzhou, he would look like a tortured prisoner. Moreover, he was indeed tortured in his heart every moment he was by Feng Ye's side.

Yuan Nanyu felt his pulse and said, "Your Qi and blood are a little weak, and you've lost a lot of weight. Is it because the food in the northwest doesn't suit your taste?"

"No, I'm eating well." Yan Sikong smiled, "Maybe I've been cooped up in the house for too long, it's nothing serious."

"The Wolf King didn't let you go out because he was afraid that people would know..." Yuan Nanyu coughed lightly, "It wasn't his intention to lock you up."

Yan Sikong smiled faintly and said nothing.

"By the way, I heard that Princess Wanyang gave birth to a little princess for you." Yuan Nanyu's eyes sparkled, "Have you chosen a name?"

"Not yet. I'll write back to my family when I get to Qianzhou. My nickname is Duo'er."

"Duo'er." Yuan Nanyu murmured the name and slowly took off the mask. "It is said that a daughter takes after her father. She must look like you, so... then she must also look like me, right?"

Yan Sikong nodded: "It must be very similar." He stared at Yuan Nanyu's handsome face, but his eyes would drift towards the glaring tattoo from time to time.

"You must want to see her. I want to see her too."

"You like children so much, why haven't you gotten married yet?"

Yuan Nanyu smiled: "I used to be a poor wanderer, with no fixed place to live, and I didn't dare to drag down other people's girls."

"You are a general now, many girls are willing to bear children for you." Yan Sikong said softly, "Why not get married?"

Yuan Nanyu shook his head: "He sounds like a general, but in reality he is just a rebel. I might lose my head someday, let alone get married."

Yan Sikong smiled and said, "When we achieve great success, I will definitely find a good marriage for you."

Yuan Nanyu smiled awkwardly: "We'll talk about it then. Hey, I brought you a lot of things. The New Year is coming soon. Some are for your own use, some are for the soldiers who came with you from the capital, and the rest can be used to bribe the officials in Qianzhou."

"OK."

Yuan Nanyu stood up, opened a box, and took out a thick fur cloak from it. The cloak alone filled the entire box, which showed how heavy it was.

"This is a good thing. You must keep it for yourself. It is a bear skin cloak. It is very warm. When you stand outside wearing it, you will not feel the slightest bit of cold." He put it on Yan Sikong and said, "Well, it really fits me perfectly."

"Where did you get such a beautiful and precious bear skin?" Yan Sikong reached out and touched it. The cloak had delicate patterns and smooth fur. It must have been taken from the bear's belly rather than the back. However, the cloak was made of a huge amount of material. Even for someone as tall as him, it could still cover his knees. What a big bear that must have been.

Those who can afford fur coats must be rich or noble. The worst materials for fur coats are fox, mink, and wolf. These animals are small and need to be stitched together. The next best materials are leopard and tiger skins, but these leather materials are too fancy and men in the Central Plains do not like to wear them. The best leather is bear skin. First, bear skin is thick and wide, so it does not need to be stitched together and can be made into a piece of clothing. Second, bears are the most difficult to hunt, and things are valuable because they are rare. Among bear skins, the bear belly is the most valuable. The fur on the chest and back is thick but rough, and it looks a bit bloated when worn. The bear belly not only has noble and elegant patterns, but is also smooth and light. Such a large piece of bear belly material is hard to come by.

Yuan Nanyu said casually: "I bought it."

Yan Sikong frowned: "Bought it? How much did you spend on it?"

"Uh, one hundred taels."

Yan Sikong took off the cloak and examined it carefully. The cloak had fine stitching and was tailored to fit his body. It must have been made by a very skilled craftsman. And the way it fit his body was obvious that it was tailor-made. He said, "Such a cloak can really be sold for over a hundred taels in the capital."

Yuan Nanyu nodded.

"Gold."

Yuan Nanyu froze.

"I think you don't understand at all. One hundred taels of silver can't even buy bear leather." Yan Sikong stared at Yuan Nanyu, "Where did you get it from?"

Facing Yan Sikong's scrutinizing eyes, Yuan Nanyu felt nervous for no apparent reason. He said hesitantly, "...I stole it."

"You're lying. This cloak fits me so well. You started the rebellion in Shu, but you didn't even get as far south as Jingzhou. Who among the local nobles, the princes, and the relatives would wear bear skins? Wouldn't they die of heat? After you got to Qianzhou, you were completely harmless. Where did you steal it from?"

Yuan Nanyu touched his nose and stopped talking.

"You gave me the fur coat out of kindness. How could you lie to me?" Yan Sikong was puzzled.

"...Feng Ye prepared it for you, and he didn't let me tell you." Yuan Nanyu said in a low voice.

Yan Sikong was stunned.

"When you were in the tent, you always kept the stove close at hand. He saw that you were afraid of the cold, so he went up the mountain to hunt a bear himself. He waited on the mountain for four days before finding such a big bear." Yuan Nanyu said while stealing a glance at Yan Sikong, "Then he asked a craftsman to rush over overnight."

Yan Sikong grabbed the soft leather tightly, feeling confused for a moment.

What is this? Using both kindness and force? It's simply ridiculous.

"He ordered his men to prepare all these." Yuan Nanyu said, "You probably don't know about this."

Yan Sikong didn't want to continue this conversation, so he said, "After I leave, don't forget to burn paper for Dad during festivals. Since you are still alive, don't forget it once."

"I remember."

Yan Sikong looked at the tattoo on Yuan Nanyu's forehead and said, "It seems to have faded a little."

"Maybe." Yuan Nan shrugged. "Actually, I don't care anymore, but I don't want to be criticized. Besides, you and I look so similar, it's even more embarrassing to show it to others now."

Yan Sikong couldn't help but reach out his hand and touch the tattoo: "One day I will let you show your true face to others, and no one will dare to criticize you."

Yuan Nanyu smiled and nodded.

——

Yan Sikong set off at sunset and returned to Qianzhou, bringing Yuan Nanyu with him. No, it should be several large boxes of things that Feng Ye had prepared for him. His safe return and these gifts would serve as the basis for Feng Ye to take the initiative to show goodwill to Qianzhou, and he would arrange them as New Year gifts.

This time when he came back, he was not greeted by a narrow pass like last time. Firstly, it was already late at night and Yan Sikong came back suddenly. Secondly, the situation was so serious that even Xu Yong, who was keen on currying favor, didn't have the heart to do so.

But after they got the news, they still couldn't wait to meet Yan Sikong.

Yan Sikong began to pretend to be sick. He deliberately did not rest or eat well for several days, making his pulse weak, so that they could see how haggard he became under Feng Ye's hands.

As soon as he got off the horse, Yan Sikong acted as if he was walking unsteadily and was helped into the inn by someone.

Xu Yong asked worriedly, "Master Yan, what happened? Did the Wolf King...torture you?"

Yan Sikong waved his hands and said sadly: "The Wolf King was quite polite to me, but I failed to stop him from attacking Maoren. I have failed the emperor and the people. I am in agony and even ashamed to see you all."

Everyone sighed. Xu Yong said, "Lord Yan, don't blame yourself too much. Feng Ye's actions are cunning and hard to predict. When he saw that the court was trying to trap Chahar, he must have figured out that we were stalling for time, so... But, I didn't expect that Mao Ren, who had resisted the Wolf King's army, would be so vulnerable this time."

Wu Mang said: "The fall of Maoren City was also expected. First, Feng Ye attacked at night and caught us off guard. Second, Maoren suffered heavy casualties in the previous battle, and the city walls were not well secured, so it was indeed difficult to resist."

"How are Lord Shen and General Wang?"

"They are all imprisoned. General Wang was injured and his life is not in danger for the time being." Yan Sikong asked, "What is the current situation in Qianzhou?"

"The food and grass can barely provide for a year's needs." Wu Mang sighed, "However, the Feng family army has a very high prestige among the people because of King Jingyuan. Since Feng Ye started the uprising, they have destroyed cities without hurting the people, and have seized wealth without taking civilians. In addition, they are brave and good at fighting, which has won the hearts of the people. There is an endless stream of people coming to join them. As soon as Mao Ren was captured, they recruited 20,000 new Yao people. Their prestige is getting stronger and stronger. I am afraid that before the spring comes, they will have the troops to launch a strong attack."

"But he doesn't want to attack by force." Yan Sikong said, "Otherwise he wouldn't let me come back."

"Yes, why was Lord Yan released by him? But Zhao'an still has something to discuss?"

Yan Sikong smiled bitterly: "I have worn out my lips in order to persuade him. He has tentatively agreed to your majesty's conditions to clear the name of the Feng family and hand over Xie Zhongren to him for disposal. However, he wants the Hetao."

The room was silent.

"Rampant." Xu Yong said hatefully.

"Once the horse market opens, Hetao will regain its former prosperity in three to five years. By then, even gold will grow in the fields. He has a big appetite."

"But..." Xu Yong analyzed, "If I give him the Hetao area, I can keep him out of the Central Plains, and I can also defend against the invasion of the scattered Mongolian tribes. It may not be a bad thing."

"Master Xu is wrong," Wu Mang said sternly, "If we give Hetao to him, it would be like raising a tiger to cause trouble. Feng Ye is so warlike. When he becomes the richest man in the world and has a strong army, how could his ambitions stop at the border?"

Everyone fell silent again and looked at Yan Sikong.

Yan Sikong said: "General Wu is right. Territory is the foundation of a country's prosperity. We cannot give up even an inch of it. Losing the Hetao region enriched the Oirat Mongols, and giving up Liaodong strengthened the Jin Dynasty. We have learned enough lessons. We must not allow Feng Ye to be crowned king on Dasheng's land, otherwise he will swallow up the Central Plains one day."

"So what should we do now?"

"I will first write a letter to Your Majesty to apologize and explain the situation. If there is still a glimmer of hope for negotiation with Feng Ye, we must also get the court to make a statement so that we can have peace of mind."

"Master Yan is right."

"Feng Ye has people prepare New Year gifts for all the lords. I see that he doesn't want to fight. I also know that if he wants to capture Qianzhou, there will be heavy losses. As long as he doesn't want to fight." Yan Sikong narrowed his eyes, "there is a way not to fight."