The two made up their minds, and immediately walked into the gate of Yan's mansion together, and followed Yan Nian to the cross-courtyard where Yan Song was.

In the courtyard, they saw a few house slaves set up bamboo poles, and seemed to be carefully hanging a pair of calligraphy and drawings and drafts, resolutely to dry.

Wan Cai was more curious about things, and couldn't help but take a second look, and then followed Cai Yuncheng into the study and greeted Yan Song lying on the bamboo chair in a proper manner.

"You've made a great trip!" Yan Song said politely.

The two of them hurriedly said that they didn't dare, and Wan Cai was also casual in dealing with people, but he asked: "Lord Yuanfu, this is not Huang Meitian, why did you take out the calligraphy, paintings and manuscripts to dry?" ”

"Those are the treasures that I can't give up, this is packed in a box after drying it, and I have been the first assistant for twenty years, and it is time to beg for bones!" Yan Song picked up the piece next to him and raised it, and said in that hoarse voice.

The two of them were still discussing and persuading Yan Song at the door just now, but they didn't expect Yan Song to have made up their minds, Wan Cai immediately glared at him and said in surprise: "Lord Yuanfu, do you want to resign?" ”

Cai Yuncheng, who has always been steady, was also secretly frightened, looking at Yan Song in confusion, not understanding why he would admit defeat so easily, and now he was already planning to resign.

It's just that he still looked at Yan Song silently, but he didn't know if this was Yan Song's strategy of retreating, or if he really made up his mind to quit this game of court battle.

Yan Song was old and not confused, he had already figured out the thoughts of the two of them, and immediately looked at them sincerely and said, "Don't hide it from the two of you, the emperor has already issued an edict today!" ”

As he spoke, he gave Yan Hong a look. Yan Hong had been waiting beside him, nodded immediately, and handed the edict to the two of them for the two of them to review.

Cai Yuncheng and Wan Cai seemed to carefully take the emperor's edict, and looked at the contents seriously, as if they had been splashed from the head by a basin of cold water.

If the emperor hadn't issued this edict, then they could still fight again to keep Yan Song's position as the first assistant. It's just that now that this edict has been issued, if they fight again, it will be against the emperor.

Competing with Xu Jie, they still have a great chance of winning, but I'm afraid that they will only have their heads broken and bleeding with the emperor.

"The emperor is now issuing this edict, and I will not be rejected again if I resign this time!" Yan Song saw the reaction of the two in his eyes, and said earnestly to the two of them.

Wan Cai was very unwilling to this result, and immediately played the sad card and said: "Lord Yuanfu, you are old, so what should we do with these people?" ”

The Yan Party was already a huge organization, and although the penetration of the Hanlin Yuan and the Metropolitan Procuratorate was relatively poor, most of the essentials of the six yamen belonged to them.

Once Xu Jie is appointed as the first assistant, even if they are not subject to Yan Song's joint sitting, they will also be subject to a great purge by Xu Jie, and he Dali Siqing will inevitably bear the brunt.

"As long as you don't do anything evil and don't give anyone a handle, Xu Zisheng can't do anything to you! As for the work of the outer city and the three major halls, you don't need to worry too much, this matter involves a wide range of things, Xu Zisheng is a smart person, he will not lift this lid! Yan Song said earnestly with relief.

Wan Cai's mouth was slightly bitter, although he really didn't have to worry about his life, but I am afraid that this official position will be difficult to keep. After all, once a son of heaven and a courtier, even if Xu Jie didn't kill him, he would also get him away.

But for such a result, he couldn't accept it for a while, and he still wanted to continue to sit in the position of Dali Temple, and even climbed to the position of the six Shangshu.

Cai Yuncheng didn't have such a strong desire for power, but he remembered Yan Shifan's kindness to him, and immediately asked seriously: "Lord Yuanfu, should we think about it in the long term and find a way to exonerate the little pavilion elder?" ”

When Wan Cai heard this proposal, he seemed to have caught a life-saving grass, and immediately echoed and said: "Xiao Ge has always been cautious in doing things, if he doesn't check the outer city of Beijing and the three major palaces, there will be no evidence of his corruption on Xu Jie's side!" Otherwise, if the emperor remembers the merits of the old little pavilion in the past, he may spare the old little pavilion this time. ”

But it is not how loyal he is to Yan Shifan, but that Yan Shifan is a restless person, and their Yan Party may go to a more brilliant situation under the leadership of Yan Shifan.

"Yan Shifan's crime is not in the evidence, but in the emperor's heart, he has been convicted!" Yan Song shook his head firmly.

Wan Cai looked puzzled and asked, "Lord Yuanfu, why do you say this!" ”

"You have all read the emperor's edict, indulging in rebellion and ugliness, this is not only to blame the old man, but also to condemn Yan Shifan! Don't say that you are pleading for mercy, even if the gods come, then they can't exonerate Yan Shifan, do you want to get along with the emperor? Yan Song analyzed wisely.

When Cai Yuncheng and Wan Cai heard this analysis, they found that this was really the case. These words accused Yan Song, and directly labeled Yan Shifan as "rebellious", "rebellious", and "ugly", which was already a verdict that Yan Shifan was a sinner.

"If there was a way to exonerate Yan Shifan, if I could exchange my resignation for Shifan's innocence, I, the father, would have used it a long time ago!" Yan Song sighed lightly and said helplessly.

Wan Cai also sighed lightly, he had already accepted this bad result, but Cai Yuncheng asked worriedly: "Lord Yuanfu, there will be no big incident in the little pavilion, right?" "The big thing here is already the crime of beheading.

Yan Song smiled with relief, waved his hand lightly and said: "The emperor will still remember my feelings, he will not really cut Yan Shifan, and I have already had contact with Xu Jie, and he will not put Shifan to death, you don't need to worry too much!" ”

When Cai Yuncheng heard this, he nodded slightly, knowing that he was overly worried, so he asked again: "Lord Yuanfu, what should we do here?" ”

Yan Song saw that the matter was to the point, and immediately admonished: "I can't confess to the crime of selling the official mantle, but I have to give the emperor an explanation for the corruption!" ”

"Lord Motosuke, how do you explain that?" Wan Cai asked, looking confused.

Yan Song closed his eyes slightly, and said with a light sigh: "Explain a little bit of the fact of greedy ink, but the amount should not be too large!" ”

In the Taizu period, greed for ink was undoubtedly a big sin, and those who were greedy for more than 60 taels of silver peeled off the skin and grass.

It's just that just like the Xiumu system, the officials who keep saying that they maintain the ancestral system have chosen to forget about it as a whole, and this ancestral system has already been quietly changed, and the current sentencing for greedy ink has been much lighter.

Wan Cai wanted to ask how much was appropriate, but Cai Yuncheng gave Wan Cai a look, and even stopped his voice.

Yan Song looked a little tired, and gave them a final advice: "The holy decree should be issued soon, don't mess around with Yan Shifan, things have come to this point, this is already the best result for everyone, and it can also protect you to the greatest extent!" ”

Cai Yuncheng wanted to stop talking, he originally wanted to repay Yan Shifan for his kindness, but when things came to this point, especially the saint condemned Yan Shifan, which was indeed the best result.

The most important thing is that the emperor has made up his mind to replace Yan Gelao. If Yan Shifan hadn't been convicted here, once the crime fell on Yan Ge Lao, then all of them would have to suffer.

Cai Yuncheng and Wan Cai did not achieve their original intention when they came in, and saluted Yan Song respectfully, but did not go to Yan Shifan to make a confession, but left the Yan Mansion directly.

When the two of them returned to their respective yamen, the holy decree of the three legal divisions to investigate and punish Yan Shifan had arrived.