When Chen Yi went to welcome Huo Li and the others in person, Yan Sikong also called Wu Liuqi and asked him to spread rumors in Zhongqing City, saying that the King of Chu attributed the death of his mother to the frame-up of Concubine Wen Gui and the Prince, and that once he returned to the capital, he would use their heads to sacrifice to the soul of his mother.

As soon as Wu Liuqi left, Qi Manbi arrived. This was not her first visit to Yan Sikong. She sent Yan Sikong food and clothing every now and then, and asked about Yan Sikong's well-being, fearing that she was not entertaining him well enough. She was indeed treating Yan Sikong, a guest, with courtesy as the mistress of the house.

However, Yan Sikong could see through her thoughts at a glance. She clearly knew that Chen Yi's feelings for her were more than just a relationship between a monarch and a minister, but at the same time, she also knew that a man could never shake her position, so she wanted to encircle her. In this way, no matter who Chen Yi married as a princess or even a queen in the future, she would have a place behind Chen Yi.

This woman is very sensible, but not smart enough. Chen Yi's great cause has just started, and it is far from the time for her to think about competing for favor in the harem. From this point of view, she is more anxious to enter the capital than Chen Yi.

However, as Chen Yi's concubine, Yan Sikong was generally satisfied with her. It would be better if she would stop trying to trick him in overt and covert ways and stop wasting his time dealing with her.

After exchanging pleasantries, Qi Manbi asked tentatively, "Sir, have you heard that Chen Chun had a son last year and a daughter this year? He is two years younger than you, Lord?"

"Yes, the royal family must have a large population to prevent outsiders from taking advantage of the situation. I have always advised Your Highness to expand the family as soon as possible."

Qi Manbi sighed and said aggrievedly: "Your Highness may despise my background. I...sigh."

"Madam, don't be depressed. His Highness was busy with important matters all day and neglected it for a while." Yan Sikong hinted to her, "If His Highness doesn't care, Madam should. Madam gave birth to His Highness's eldest son and daughter, how could His Highness not like them?"

Qi Manbi smiled and covered her lips: "Actually, I think so too. Your words make me feel more at ease. I don't ask for my child to be a prince or a princess. I just want to have a son and a daughter with Your Highness, like a normal couple, and I will be satisfied."

Yan Sikong just smiled and said nothing.

Qi Manbi was about to say something when Yuan Nanyu suddenly came to ask for a meeting.

Qi Manbi had not met Yuan Nanyu before, but she had heard that this man with a big beard covering half of his face and a black fringe on his head was Yan Sikong's bodyguard and the current coach of the Chu King's Army.

Yuan Nanyu saluted the two of them. Qi Manbi looked at Yuan Nanyu and said, "Eh!" "Coach Chen's eyes look really young. He seems... a bit like you, sir."

Yan Sikong was a little alarmed. He smiled faintly and said, "Oh, really? It is said that when two people are together for a long time, their appearance will become more and more alike."

Yuan Nanyu said in a rough voice: "I am just a humble man, how can I be compared with you, madam, you are joking."

Qi Manbi smiled and said, "It doesn't seem like that. Then I won't bother you and talk about business."

"Madam, take care." Yan Sikong escorted her out of the yard, then turned back and asked in a low voice, "Any new news?"

"I received a secret report from Zhu Lanting this morning. The imperial court has secretly issued an order for all prefectures to gather their troops. At the same time, they are also massively recruiting soldiers and collecting taxes. The people are complaining, but it is expected that a large number of troops will be mobilized soon. I just don't know whether they will be used to deal with the Wolf King or the King of Chu."

Yan Sikong pondered, "If it is for the purpose of dealing with Feng Ye, there is no need to issue an order in secret. Judging from the current situation, Feng Ye and Chen Yi have not gathered their troops, so this is the best time to defeat them one by one. The dog emperor is planning to use courtesy first and then force. If Huo Li cannot appease the King of Chu, he will take advantage of the King of Chu's unstable foundation to send troops to attack him."

"The imperial court has always been indecisive, but this time it was so drastic and powerful."

"The dog emperor has a knife on his neck. He is afraid of repeating the fate of Feng Ye. The negotiations have only delayed time and made the enemy stronger."

"What should I do now?"

"If you can delay, then delay. If you can't, then hold on. Yunnan is the territory of the King of Chu. It is rugged and easy to defend but difficult to attack." Yan Sikong paced in the house and sneered, "If he comes to attack the King of Chu and fails for a long time, he will be exhausted here. That would be a good time for Fengye to send troops."

"You mean, use the King of Chu to hold back the imperial army?"

"Yes, I know the military and financial resources of the imperial court best. The war in Liaoning is stuck, and the imperial court has absolutely no spare energy to attack Datong and Yunnan at the same time."

Yuan Nanyu pondered: "What if the imperial court is building a plank road in the open, but secretly attacking Chencang? It seems that they want to attack the King of Chu, but in fact they want to unite with Chahar to attack the Wolf King."

Yan Sikong nodded: "It is possible, so Feng Ye must take down Chahar as soon as possible. These rough and rude people have strange and unpredictable temperaments, so we have to use both soft and hard tactics."

Yuan Nanyu frowned and said, "I am worried about Feng Ye. He is arrogant and very competitive. Chahar killed his envoy, so he must be angry and embarrassed. I am afraid it will be difficult for him to take the initiative to ask for peace with Chahar again."

"He used to be more arrogant and impulsive, but now that he's the commander-in-chief, he's become much more restrained." Yan Sikong couldn't help but think of the first time they fought side by side. They disagreed on almost everything, and now it's hard to tell who was right and who was wrong. Fortunately, they won the battle, but he still didn't agree with Feng Ye's boldness and risk-taking. He said in a deep voice, "I can't help Feng Ye now. He has his own abilities to get to where he is today. Let's wait for his news."

Yuan Nanyu couldn't help but ask, "You... aren't you worried about him at all?"

Yan Sikong stared blankly ahead for a long moment before saying, "No."

"So you don't plan to go back to Datong?"

Yan Sikong looked at Yuan Nanyu and asked, "Do you really think I should go back?"

"If you don't go back, Feng Ye will definitely think you have ulterior motives. The relationship between him and the King of Chu is already delicate, and it all depends on you to be the link. Don't you think this move is too risky?"

Yan Sikong said calmly: "Feng Ye had long believed that I had ulterior motives, so he sent you to watch over me, so how did you respond to him?"

Yuan Nanyu's face changed and his tone became serious: "One is the person I swore allegiance to, and the other is my brother. How do you want me to respond to him?"

Yan Sikong knew Yuan Nanyu's loyal and upright character very well, so he never tried to win Yuan Nanyu over to his side. Otherwise, it would only confirm Feng Ye's evaluation of him as cunning, making Yuan Nanyu more defensive and distant from him. If it was someone else, he would have thought of getting rid of him long ago, but it was Yuan Nanyu. Feng Ye chose the most suitable person to monitor him, which also shows how much Feng Ye was wary of him.

Seeing that he was silent, Yuan Nanyu whispered, "I hope you can be honest with each other and fight side by side, but I really can't see through your mind."

Yan Sikong smiled bitterly: "Sometimes, I think you don't remember anything, which is great."

Although the words were incoherent, Yuan Nanyu felt that he understood them. At least, he could hear the deep helplessness in Yan Sikong's heart.

There was a suffocating silence in the room.

Yan Sikong said softly, "I will go back. The court has sent envoys to negotiate peace with the King of Chu. Feng Ye is already on pins and needles. If I don't go back, I don't know how much suspicion he will have." He took a deep breath, "But not now."

"When?"

"I have to stabilize the King of Chu first. Peace talks must not succeed, and..." Yan Sikong narrowed his eyes, "The King of Chu is not as easy to control as I thought. If I let him send troops now, there will be only two results. One is defeat, and the other is to summon more vassal kings to rebel. I don't want either of these two. I want to trap him in Yunnan temporarily, so that he can delay the imperial army and always be at a disadvantage, forcing him to rely on the troops in the vassal states." There was a sentence that Yan Sikong didn't say clearly. The most important thing for him was to make Chen Yi rely on him.

Yuan Nanyu nodded: "But what if the King of Chu can't stop the imperial army?"

"Given Yunnan's easy-to-defend and difficult-to-attack terrain, as long as we hold on, the imperial court will definitely not be able to attack it in a short time. At the critical moment, we can close the country and rescue Zhao, and send troops to the Central Plains to solve Yunnan's urgent needs."

——

Chen Yi received Huo Li and his grandfather as guests of honor. Yan Sikong could not show up, but he bribed the servants around Chen Yi and knew roughly what they talked about.

Although Huo Li is indifferent by nature, he is quite talented in thinking and highly respected, making him a very suitable lobbyist. As for Lord Xu, it goes without saying that he is Chen Yi's grandfather. As long as Concubine Hui is brought in, Chen Yi can be suppressed on both ends.

Yan Sikong was afraid that Chen Yi would waver, so he told Chen Yi the secret report he had received in a timely manner, saying that the court was gathering a large army to come to Yunnan to attack him, and he must not fall into their trap of delaying the attack.

Chen Yi's determination to become the emperor had indeed never wavered, but just as Yan Sikong had expected, what Huo Li brought was Emperor Zhaowu's expedient plan, that is, to depose Chen Chun and re-establish Chen Yi as the crown prince. This was a very tempting condition. Going to the capital would be like going through mountains of swords and seas of fire. Who would dare to say that he would only win and not lose? Moreover, they were still plotting a rebellion. If they could seize the throne without losing a single soldier, they could then plot to usurp the throne after returning to the capital. Although there were risks, it would be much easier than fighting from Yunnan.

Yan Sikong was afraid that Chen Yi would have this idea, and Chen Yi really raised it hesitantly. Yan Sikong was not in a hurry to refute him, but said: "I have already thought about these things, and I reminded Your Highness last time. Your Highness was still deceived by Mr. Huo. Your Highness, have you ever thought that once Your Highness goes back, it will be like a sheep walking into the tiger's mouth."

"Of course I have thought about it, but if my father announces it to the world first, he will not be able to regret it immediately. Besides, the eunuch party is in decline now, and most of the ministers in the court support me."

Yan Sikong said coldly: "If His Highness is lucky enough to return to the capital alive."

Chen Yu frowned and said, "Sir, you are right. I have been very hesitant these past few days."

"How about this? I will offer you a plan and test it for your Highness."

"What's the plan?"

"The case of Chen Chun's assassination was investigated by Lord Meng Duo. Now Xie Zhongren is also in his hands. Let Lord Meng interrogate the case and let Xie Zhongren personally admit that it was Concubine Wen who framed Your Highness and Concubine Hui. Then see how Your Majesty will deal with Concubine Wen."

Chen Yu said, "Okay! Let's do it!" He hesitated, "But, Chen Chun is now Xie Zhongren's only hope for survival. Xie Zhongren will never take the initiative to be honest, and why should Meng Ge Lao investigate the truth, especially since my father will definitely not want him to investigate."

"Your Highness asked Huo Li and Lord Xu to write a joint letter to investigate the case thoroughly as a condition for your peace talks. Huo Ge Lao is loyal to his country and will definitely agree. Lord Xu will naturally want to avenge Concubine Hui. If Your Majesty disagrees, Your Highness will know that Your Majesty will still protect Concubine Wen and Chen Chun. If Your Majesty agrees and finds out the truth about the collusion between Yan Gou and Concubine Wen, but does not punish them, the result will be the same."

Chen Yu said coldly: "Okay, let's do as you say!"