Liang Menglong thought for a moment, then asked, "Do you think Tumens will come here again?"
Li Chengliang said decisively, "They will! Their siege of Liaoyang was just a feint. Once the imperial guards are mobilized, Tumens will surely invade!"
"What about Xin Ai?"
Li Chengliang gazed at the desolate northern wilderness and suddenly said, "Sir Liang, since Xin Ai left in a huff, Anda must be displeased. We should report this to the Ministry of War and ask Elder Zhang to send someone to persuade him. If Anda can send troops to help, this siege will be lifted."
Liang Menglong immediately mounted his horse and said, "I'll go! It will be too late if we go to the Ministry of War again!"
With that, he flicked his whip and galloped towards Daqingshan.
Seeing his decisiveness, Li Chengliang murmured, "Alas, in this Great Ming Dynasty, who says there are no capable people? It's just a pity that corrupt officials are in power, causing everything to collapse..."
In the capital, the court was at a standstill, and the city had been under martial law for several days. A strange, restless atmosphere began to pervade the entire city.
The bizarre incident of the Yan family's old residence being broken into by thieves had been circulating for two days. Despite the Yan family's immense power, with two-thirds of minor officials being their cronies, they couldn't find the slightest clue. Publicly, Yan Shifan claimed only valuables were stolen, but privately, he flew into rages repeatedly. Countless scouts scurried throughout the city, and almost all connections were utilized, yet there was still no progress.
Old Yan Song doted on his grandson, and his mind was occupied for the past two days. Moreover, the Duke of England, Zhang Rong, had revealed that Prince Jing had returned to the capital, indicating that the situation had reached an irreconcilable stage. His three grandsons had been abducted, and their lives were uncertain. If Yan Shaoting hadn't been sent to Jizhou early, it was questionable whether they could weather this crisis.
That night, Yan Shifan, enduring his anxiety and pain, instead comforted his father in the study. The family retainers waited in the outer hall, not daring to make a sound. Everyone felt uneasy, knowing that this was the first time in twenty years that someone had dared to target the Yan family, and they had struck with a ruthless blow. This was truly a monumental shift...
"Shifan, you should go out more and don't worry about me."
Old Yan Song was about to pick up his brush to relax but suddenly felt a pang of heartache.
"Father, how can I find them right now? Good fortune favors the brave. Those few brats will have to fend for themselves."
After searching for a long time, Yan Shifan also felt disheartened, realizing that if the people behind this were so vicious, the outcome was likely not going to be good.
Sighing, Yan Song suppressed his emotions, gently put down his brush, clasped his hands behind his back, and gazed at the overcast sky on the high wall outside the window, murmuring, "Shifan, let them in."
Those in the outer hall heard him and quietly entered, lining up on both sides.
Yan Shifan thought that important matters had been delayed for two days, and news had already arrived. After all, it concerned everyone, and they couldn't always focus solely on his three sons.
"Let's discuss official matters first. Niu Xin has arrived in Jizhou and reported last night. Take a look."
He then handed the confidential report he was holding to Luo Longwen. After glancing at it, everyone suddenly felt invigorated, with a fervent expression on each face.
Yan Shifan sighed, "Things are still going smoothly. Niu Xin went to persuade Xin Ai. This kid has actually helped us turn things around this time. What do you all think? Speak freely! Don't dwell on those unpleasant matters! It's more important to attend to our own business!"
Mm-hmm, everyone couldn't help but feel admiration for the father and son. With their three sons and grandsons kidnapped, they could still prioritize the bigger picture, truly worthy of being figures who had controlled the Great Ming for twenty years. Moreover, Xin Ai's sudden rebellion played a crucial role. With this, Liaoyang would also be in danger, and even marching on the capital wouldn't be difficult. Regardless of who it was, they would surely be unable to sit still now. Yan Shifan continued, "Let me tell you, Xin Ai rebelled because he was dissatisfied with Anda's alliance with that Zhu Mo! He said that if this continued, his Tumet people would be no different from the Han people, haha, what a turn of mind! But it's good, these people, if you don't let them roam freely, they can't live!"
Everyone suddenly understood. This reason was very accurate. There had always been such matters on the grasslands; partly due to succession disputes, partly due to habit, internal strife would arise.
However, at this moment, everyone felt that discussing major affairs before the three young Yan family members were found was acceptable, but the father and son would certainly not be pleased. Thus, no one spoke.
Yan Shifan forced a smile, "This time it's much better. Liaoyang is now surrounded, with three armies. Liaoyang can hold out for at most a month! His Majesty can't hide this time, can he? We should continue to submit our proposals. We will discuss military and state affairs when they are handled..."
"Yes, yes!"
"That's right!"
Everyone nodded and applauded, but no one dared to respond.
Yan Maoqing couldn't help but remind them, "Young Grand Secretary, we've also thought about it these past two days. The people who took the three young masters are most likely sent by the Crown Prince. If we continue to pressure him, won't the three young masters...?"
"That's unavoidable."
Yan Shifan sighed mournfully, the pain on his face vanishing instantly, and said, "Discuss it, everyone! I don't believe the Crown Prince would kill those few brats!"
As his voice fell, everyone became even more hesitant to speak, knowing that this father and son had never suffered such a loss in their lives, and their anger was imaginable. As long as there was a glimmer of hope, they would not give up.
Luo Longwen had been thinking for two days. Although he had an idea, he dared not voice it. Seeing that they could no longer delay, he coughed and said, "Grand Secretary, Young Grand Secretary, your subordinate has an idea, but it's of great importance, and your subordinate doesn't know if it should be spoken?"
Yan Shifan said with a wry smile, "What is there to say or not to say? If you have to shit, just shit it out!"
Luo Longwen coughed again and said, "Your subordinate believes that since the Crown Prince now holds our vital point, there's no need to confront him directly. What if we yield to him a little? Young Grand Secretary, why don't we find someone from the Crown Prince's side to talk, and say that we support whoever succeeds to the throne, and originally there was no distinction..." He paused here. He looked at Yan Song's expression.
Yan Song was stunned for a moment and blurted out, "Hanzhang, continue speaking..."
Cough, cough, "Grand Secretary, your subordinate thinks that since Prince Jing was brought back by His Majesty, it means His Majesty has considered it. This matter doesn't require us to push it... The Crown Prince targets us possibly because he heard about the Young Grand Secretary's interactions with Prince Jing back then. He took the three young masters simply to make us retreat. Then let us retreat! A step back, a wider view. Let the Crown Prince tangle with His Majesty!"
Clap, clap, clap. As his words fell, there was a round of applause in the hall.
Yan Song let out a breath and said leisurely, "He who understands the general trend is Luo Longwen."
Yan Shifan was also quite impressed and said, "My mind has been muddled for the past two days. Some things I really can't think of. Old Luo, your mind is sharp, think more, and remind me more. This is good. We really shouldn't be at the forefront."
He thought for a moment and continued, "In that case, Old Luo, you go! Go find Zhang Er. Hmm, have Lu Bing arrange the meeting, find a secluded place, and tell him plainly that we won't interfere anymore!"
Mm-hmm, Yan Song also said at this time, "That's right. We don't support anyone, nor do we oppose anyone. Make it clear to Prince Yu. Who succeeds to the throne is for His Majesty to decide..."
Mm-hmm, everyone followed the train of thought, and the more they thought, the more stable they felt. This would be the best course of action. Let the royal family handle royal matters. The priority here was to restore the Grand Secretariat. In the end, His Majesty would likely personally appoint Prince Jing, and wouldn't that be the same? No matter how powerful the Crown Prince was, how could he be more powerful than His Majesty?
Yan Song's mood improved somewhat, and he returned to his desk, writing patiently. Everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief. This crisis had been halfway overcome. With the Yan family's declaration, the Crown Prince would likely not kill the three grandsons, and they could figure out how to rescue them later.
As the atmosphere eased, Yan Maoqing said, "Old Luo, I have a question. Since we're not pressuring the Crown Prince anymore, how will we proceed with matters? Are we just going to let the Crown Prince ascend the throne?"
Luo Longwen smiled gently and said, "We don't pressure the Crown Prince, but we can pressure Zhu Mo... Pressuring Zhu Mo is no different from pressuring the Crown Prince, right? Furthermore, we've spread the news of Prince Jing's return to the capital. What will the officials think? What will the common people think? The Crown Prince is so impatient now, and who knows if he won't do something out of line?"
At this moment, Zhao Wenhua, engrossed in listening, suddenly said, "Yes! Let's spread it all over the world that Prince Jing's illness has recovered! We don't need to say anything else; the world will naturally understand! At that time, Prince Yu will be anxious, and it's likely that internal strife will occur!"