When Yan Sikong was returning home from the palace, he deliberately asked the coachman to take a long route and pass by Prince Jingyuan's Mansion - he bought a carriage after he was promoted.

He drew aside the curtain and quietly looked at the grand door decorated with gold and red. In the past, he could come and go freely here, but now it was as quiet as before. The only thing that was in turmoil was the human heart.

The carriage went away, and only when it turned the corner and the palace was no longer in sight did Yan Sikong let down the curtains. He looked back and forth in the narrow, dim carriage, and he felt a suffocating loneliness.

Is this the end of him and Feng Ye?

He knew that he had disappointed Feng Ye. The young man in Feng Ye's memory was Yuan Sikong, who was kind and upright and had the ambition to "drive out the barbarians and save the people", not Yan Sikong, who was scheming and full of hatred, and even did not hesitate to deceive and take advantage of the person next to him.

He and Feng Ye actually had a complicated relationship, no one knew where it came from and where it would end. Maybe Feng Ye was bewitched by the false glow in him, or maybe it was just the beginning of his young love. The most sincere love in his life could not come at this moment. No matter what, Feng Ye would grow up and had discovered his true face. Stopping here was probably the best ending.

This way, he won't be confused anymore and he won't be causing any trouble in the future.

Best.

However, Feng Ye now knows his purpose. Will he turn love into hatred and try to stop him?

On second thought, Feng Ye was definitely not the type to play dirty tricks. He was always arrogant, open-minded, uninhibited and fearless. There would never be another young man like him who was full of vigor and loved him unconditionally.

Yan Sikong closed his eyes and whispered the name quietly, but all he got in response was emptiness.

——

Since leaving Jingshan that day, Yan Sikong has not seen Fengye for more than a month. The weather is getting colder and winter has arrived in the blink of an eye.

Yan Sikong was not satisfied with everything in the Ministry of Personnel. Most of the people here were Xie Zhongren's people. They were very wary of him. They were polite on the surface, but they did not let him handle many official matters. He had been sitting on the bench since he took office. The more this happened, the more he had to be content with idleness to paralyze Xie Zhongren's eyes and ears. Otherwise, once he was found to have ambitions, he might suffer soon.

He was just like when he first entered the Imperial Academy. Because he was too weak, he had to hide his edge and keep a low profile.

On this day, he had nothing to do, so he simply returned to Wenyuan Pavilion to visit his former colleagues and teachers. Although he had left the Hanlin Academy, he did not miss any of the major and minor events in the court, because he had close private contacts with Yan Zilian, Liang Sui and others.

He originally had a wide circle of friends in the Hanlin Academy, and now he was in the Ministry of Personnel's Selection Office. When the Hanlins saw him, they were more willing to get close to him. They gathered in the classroom in groups of three or five and talked loudly. Only one person ignored Yan Sikong and concentrated on his official duties.

That is Shen Hexuan.

Yan Sikong chatted for a while, then left the table and walked towards Shen Hexuan's desk in the pavilion.

Shen Hexuan heard the noise and raised his head. Seeing that it was Yan Sikong, he stood up calmly and bowed slightly: "Lord Yan."

"Brother Shen, you don't have to be so polite." Yan Sikong returned the greeting, "I haven't seen you for a long time. Brother Shen, are you doing well?"

"Everything is fine."

"I heard that Brother Shen had a son. I was away with the army and was unable to come to celebrate. Please don't forget to invite me to the little boy's first birthday celebration."

Shen Hexuan smiled and said, "It doesn't matter whether we celebrate or not for a baby in swaddling clothes. It's nothing more than a superficial ceremony between adults. If we don't celebrate, then forget it. I won't bother you any more."

Yan Sikong thought that after knowing each other for so many years, he had already gotten used to Shen Hexuan's unintelligent manners and unwillingness to eat oil and salt, but perhaps it was because they had not met for too long, and he still felt embarrassed at this moment.

Yan Sikong knew what Shen Hexuan was thinking. First, he was jealous of his own promotion. After all, he was a genius who won the top three places in the imperial examinations, while he was just better at flattery than him. Second, he disdained to curry favor with him like others did, so he deliberately kept his distance from him.

In Yan Sikong's eyes, Shen Hexuan is a very interesting person. He is upright, noble, loyal, and diligent. He uses the most stringent moral standards to discipline himself, and is not lenient towards others. No matter how many unbearable faults he has, no one can question it. He is the model of a loyal and wise minister, and a minister should be like this. However, because very few people can do this, he seems out of place.

A dynasty needs such ministers. Yan Sikong even imagined that Shen Hexuan might become Chen Yi's prime minister in the future. After all, it is natural for the imperial teacher to enter the cabinet and become prime minister. Only by allowing people like Shen Hexuan to exercise power impartially can they check and balance ambitious people like himself.

Yan Sikong looked at the upright face in front of him. He both admired his talent and hoped that he would disappear. He smiled bitterly in his heart.

But at the moment, he, Chen Yu, and even Yan Zilian, all need Shen Hexuan, an excellent imperial teacher and a capable assistant.

Therefore, Yan Sikong didn't care about Shen Hexuan's estrangement at all, and said with a smile: "I have been away from Beijing for half a year and neglected to teach the prince. It is all thanks to Brother Shen's diligence. Can I talk to Brother Shen about this matter?"

Shen Hexuan never neglects his duties: "Okay."

The two of them sat facing each other. Yan Sikong first talked about some unimportant things, such as the Empress Dowager asking Zhu Lanting to teach the prince martial arts, and how gratifying it was that the prince was proficient in both civil and military affairs. Then he changed the subject and mentioned that Concubine Wen had been frequently entering and leaving the East Palace recently, and she might have done something wrong.

After listening to this, Shen Hexuan fell into silence.

Yan Sikong knew that Shen Hexuan never liked to take part in party struggles. As the prince's lecturer, he was single-minded in teaching and answering questions, and had never thought of involving himself in the fight for the throne. Yan Sikong's sudden words were obviously a test of his attitude.

Yan Sikong added, "Brother Shen, the Empress Dowager is not feeling well, so she sent Commander Zhu to assist Your Highness because she is worried that Your Highness's position as Crown Prince will be shaken in the future. The Second Prince's relatives are very powerful. Brother Shen, you don't think that Your Highness has already secured the position of Crown Prince."

Shen Hexuan frowned: "The succession should be decided by His Majesty, we shouldn't even discuss it."

"This is wrong. 'If there is a legitimate heir, the heir shall be appointed, if there is no legitimate heir, the eldest son shall be appointed' is a principle that has been passed down through the ages. First, Your Highness is intelligent and studious, magnanimous and benevolent. You will surely become a wise ruler in the future. The revival of our Great Sheng Dynasty is just around the corner. Second, Brother Shen is the prince's tutor, and he has high hopes for Your Highness. Third, whether it is for public or private reasons, for ethics, for the country, for the people, or for yourself, Brother Shen should do his best to protect Your Highness and help him ascend the throne."

Shen Hexuan said coldly: "Master Yan, are you exaggerating? You said that Concubine Wen was unfaithful, but that was just your own guess. Your Highness is already the Crown Prince, and it is only a matter of time before he ascends the throne."

Yan Sikong smiled and said, "Brother Shen is so smart. I don't believe you can't see the current situation. Indeed, as you said, I was just guessing, but if in the future, my words unfortunately come true..." Yan Sikong said seriously, "I hope Brother Shen can join me and work hard for His Highness."

Shen Hexuan still didn't say anything, but Yan Sikong knew that his words had worked. If Shen Hexuan refused, he would say it directly without beating around the bush.

Ever since Yan Sikong ran into Concubine Wen in the East Palace that day, he had already anticipated a storm against Chen Yi. At that time, they would definitely need someone like Shen Hexuan, who could use his vast knowledge and talent for critical thinking to help Chen Yi overcome the crisis.