The moment he finished greeting, Xu Jie was keenly aware of what was wrong, because Yan Song's reaction was too slow, as if he didn't recognize himself.

At this time, Yan Song, not only did not have the momentum of the first assistant of the cabinet, but was like an old man who was about to die, and his body was full of twilight.

"Okay, okay, it seems that the news is right, Yan Song's condition is really not optimistic, and now he is just holding on!"

Thinking of this, Xu Jie's face couldn't help but flash a hint of joy.

In his opinion, the more Yan Song wanted to behave like usual, the easier it was to show his flaws.

Despite this, Xu Jie still did not relax his vigilance, but withdrew his gaze from a distance and took the lead in provoking the topic: "I wonder if Elder Yan Ge has heard of the rumors that have been widely circulated in the capital recently?" ”

When Yan Song heard Xu Jie's words, his face was full of interest, and he asked, "Oh, I would like to hear about it." ”

Facing Yan Song's curious gaze, Xu Jie lowered his voice after considering his words.

"I heard that after the release of the test list, there were rumors in the capital, saying that Zhang Juzheng, who was in charge of evaluating the examination papers this time, and Xu Shangzhen, the prefect of Suzhou, were friends with each other."

"It's ridiculous, how can there be such rumors, in my opinion, it must be those candidates who are jealous and spread rumors!"

As soon as Xu Jie's words fell, Yan Song responded without thinking.

Xu Jie seemed to agree with Yan Song's words, but he saw that his face showed emotion, nodded, and said in response: "Yes, Yan Ge Lao, you are right, Your Majesty attached great importance to this matter after learning about it, and immediately dispatched Jinyi Wei to investigate the source of the rumors." ”

"It turned out that it was several candidates who participated in the examination, because they were jealous of Xu Shixing's Zhonghuiyuan, so they deliberately spread rumors and wanted to ruin his reputation, and as a result, these people were all removed from their reputations and were not allowed to participate in the imperial examination for ten years."

Seeing that Yan Song had not responded for a long time, Xu Jie did not hesitate at all, and immediately looked in the direction where Yan Song was.

At this time, Yan Song's eyelids were pulled, and he looked like he was asleep, if he hadn't had Yan Shifan on his side, he would have to fall to the ground immediately.

Seeing this, Xu Jie's face showed worry at the right time, and he called softly: "Elder Yan Ge, Elder Yan Ge? ”

Hearing Xu Jie's words, Yan Song opened his eyes suddenly as if he was frightened.

After being stunned for a moment, Yan Song seemed to suddenly realize something, and hurriedly looked in the direction where Xu Jie was, his face full of apologies: "People are old, useless, and almost fell asleep." ”

"It's okay, Yan Ge is busy with state affairs, but you have to take care of your body and pay more attention to rest!"

When Xu Jie heard this, he hurriedly waved his hand, indicating that he didn't care.

After that, the two sides did not bring up new topics, but entered the cabinet in silence all the way.

After Gao Gong and Hu Zongxian came to the cabinet one after another, some officials entered the cabinet and sent the pieces that needed to be dealt with urgently in front of everyone.

Then, everyone began to deal with the notes that were sent in an orderly manner.

After Xu Jie finished processing the last letter in his hand, he picked up the teacup soaked in wolfberry water on the table, took a sip, got up from the seat, and moved his limbs along the way.

Taking advantage of this gap, Xu Jie observed Yan Song without attracting anyone's attention.

Today's Yan Song, when dealing with these notes in front of him, is not as comfortable as before, but seems to be quite difficult, and every time he deals with a note, he has to think for a while.

At this time, looking at Yan Song, who was slow, such a thought flashed coldly in Xu Jie's heart.

Yan Song is like this, not like a recurrence of an old disease, but more like suffering from a "dementia". ”

The moment this idea was generated, Xu Jie shook his head and ruled this thought out of his mind: "No, it shouldn't be, the last time I attended the banquet, Yan Song was fine, if Yan Song suffered from dementia at that time, there should be some signs!" ”

"Xu Jie, you must not take it lightly, what if this is a bureau set up by Yan Song?"

After admonishing himself like this, Xu Jie became cautious again and withdrew his gaze from Yan Song's body.

……

In the blink of an eye, it's time to get off duty.

After all the notes were dealt with, everyone left the cabinet one after another.

I saw Yan Shifan carefully supporting Yan Song, walking on the neat stone paved road in the Forbidden City.

At this time, Yan Shifan's heart was far from being as calm as it seemed on the surface, because he also noticed Yan Song's strangeness.

Today's Yan Song gives people an unusually dull feeling, as if he has not rested well, not only that, but Yan Song's face often flashes with a blank look when dealing with the music.

Yan Shifan clearly remembered that last night, after Yan Song drank the decoction, he fell asleep early in the morning, and there was no problem of lack of sleep at all.

Recalling all the previous events, Yan Shifan's heart sank suddenly.

"Could it be, my father is suffering from "dementia", right? ”

The more Yan Shifan thought about it, the more he felt that it was possible, and after coming to the place where the sedan chair was parked, he saw Yan Shifan muster up his courage, looked in the direction where Yan Song was, and asked, "Father...... Father, do you feel any discomfort? ”

When Yan Song heard Yan Shifan's words, he paused suddenly, a look of doubt appeared on his face at the right time, and after thinking for a while, he shook his head and said categorically: "No, why are you asking this?" ”

After this, Yan Shifan seemed to suddenly remember something, and continued: "By the way, father, the child recently received a reply from Gao Hanwen, and he mentioned ...... in the letter."

Before Yan Shifan's words were finished, he saw Yan Song's face showing a look of confusion, and he subconsciously asked, "Gao Hanwen, which Gao Hanwen?" ”

When Yan Song's words fell, the expression on Yan Shifan's face suddenly became extremely ugly, because his conjecture came true, Yan Song really suffered from dementia!

Otherwise, there is no reason why he can't remember his student Gao Hanwen.

Immediately, I saw Yan Shifan holding the last trace of luck, forced out a stiff smile, and explained: "Father, have you forgotten, Gao Hanwen is a student of the child!" ”

"Oh, hearing you say this, I remember, Gao Hanwen seems to be your student, isn't he in charge of measuring the fields in Zhejiang, why did he suddenly write to you?"

When Yan Song heard this, after recalling it for a long time, his face showed a look of sudden realization, and he asked.

When Yan Song's words fell, Yan Shifan's heart couldn't help but 'chuckle', the last thing he wanted to see happened.

Yan Song really suffered from "dementia", and he didn't even remember Gao Hanwen going to Banzhou to take up his post.

After this conjecture was confirmed, Yan Shifan first felt at a loss, and he didn't dare to imagine what kind of waves it would set off in the government and the opposition if this news spread.

When the time comes, Xu Jie, who is eyeing him from the sidelines, will definitely make a move.

If Xu Jie is allowed to sit in the position of the first assistant of the cabinet, there is only a dead end waiting for him at that time!

At this time, Yan Shifan's brain was running rapidly, and he was thinking about what should be done to hide the news.

"No, let's go back first!"

After making up his mind, he saw Yan Shifan carefully help Yan Song onto the sedan chair, and then returned straight to Yan's mansion.

……

After returning to Yan's Mansion, Yan Shifan locked himself in his room alone and began to think about the next countermeasures.

When did my father suffer from "dementia", and why was there no sign before this! ”

Yan Shifan muttered, propped his chin with one hand, and began to search for the scattered memories in his mind.

After a long time, I saw Yan Shifan come back to his senses suddenly, his face was full of sudden realization, and he said to himself silently: "By the way, I remember the last time my father talked to me, he said that he would step down from the position of the first assistant to the cabinet and retain the last trace of dignity. ”

Could it be that my father had already realized that he was suffering from "dementia" at that time? ”

"Damn, I didn't notice it at all!"

Yan Shifan thought of this, and his face was full of remorse that he couldn't hide.

The fact that my father suffers from "dementia" may be able to hide the past for a short time, but after a long time, it will inevitably be noticed by Xu Jie. ”

"Once Xu Jie senses that something is wrong, he will immediately take action, and when the time comes, I will definitely not be able to fight Xu Jie."

"The most important thing at the moment is to cure my father's "stupidity" as soon as possible, and at the same time delay as much as possible, so as not to let Xu Jie notice that something is wrong, in addition, Luo Longwen and Zhang Runde also have to hide it. ”

Otherwise, before my father's "stupidity" was cured, I am afraid that some people would already be eager to move closer to Xu Jie. ”

At this time, Yan Shifan began to rack his brains to search for available candidates in his mind, and one idea after another flashed in his mind, but he vetoed them one by one.

After thinking about it for a long time, I saw Yan Shifan come back to his senses, his fingers tapped the bookcase in front of him very rhythmically, and said to himself silently: "Do you want to tell Hu Zongxian about this matter, maybe he has a way?" ”

Yan Shifan's feelings for Hu Zongxian are very complicated, on the one hand, he is obviously Yan Song's son, but compared to himself, Yan Song still values Hu Zongxian more.

On the other hand, in Yan Shifan's heart, he actually admires Hu Zongxian's achievements very much.

Hu Zongxian is not only proficient in military affairs, but also very good at civil affairs, during his tenure as governor of Zhejiang and governor of Zhejiang, the entire Zhejiang governance is in good order, the people live and work in peace and contentment, and the warehouse is abundant, so that when he left office, he was spontaneously sent by the people, and he also received the umbrella of the people.

These two emotions are intertwined, and a relationship called jealousy is born.

"Alas, no matter what, Hu Zongxian is also his father's student, there is no need to hide something like this!"

Yan Shifan shook his head, suppressed all the chaotic thoughts in his heart, and said.

After making up his mind, I saw Yan Shifan spread out the pen and paper and write the letter.

At this time, Yan Shifan's heart was in turmoil, he didn't dwell on those red tapes, he just picked up a pen and wrote a sentence on the paper, come to the house quickly, there are important things to discuss!

After putting it into the envelope, Yan Shifan called the housekeeper and instructed: "Send this letter to Hu Zongxian's house immediately!" ”

"Yes, Little Pavilion Elder!"

Although the housekeeper was very curious about Yan Shifan's personal letter to Hu Zongxian, he was very insightful and did not ask anything, and after receiving the letter, he left the room.

After the housekeeper left, Yan Shifan withdrew his gaze, picked up the teacup on the table, took a sip, and muttered to himself: "Then again, what should I do with my father's "stupidity" next?" ”

"Why don't you go to the doctor at the Tai Hospital?"

The moment this idea just popped up, Yan Shifan shook his head and vetoed it.

Yan Shifan clearly knew that if he went to the doctor of Tai Hospital for diagnosis and treatment, then within half a day, Yan Song's "dementia" would be spread all over the court.

When the time comes, Xu Jie will definitely not let go of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"Those Lang Zhong of the people are even more unreliable, not to mention the issue of secrecy, their medical skills are also up for debate, what if the more they are treated, the more serious they are......

After thinking about it, in Yan Shifan's heart, the figure of Imperial Doctor Li gradually emerged.

"By the way, how did I forget that Imperial Physician Li was born in the Imperial Hospital, and he must have passed the test in terms of medical skills, and before that, Imperial Physician Li had helped his father diagnose and treat him several times, and he was quite trustworthy."

After finalizing the candidate, Yan Shifan's face was full of cheers, in his opinion, as long as he delayed as much time as possible, then things would have a turnaround.

Even if Yan Song's "stupidity" can't be cured in the end, he can buy time and wipe his ass clean.

……

On the other side, Hu Zongxian's mansion in the capital.

At this time, Hu Zongxian's face was full of sadness, since Yan Song confessed to him his thoughts about Zhishi before, Hu Zongxian has been thinking about this matter.

"Why did the teacher say before, don't have anything to do with him recently, and don't visit the house."

"Moreover, the teacher's state today is also very wrong."

Recalling today's events, the worry on Hu Zongxian's face was even worse.

At this moment, there was a slight knock on the door from outside, and then, the butler's voice sounded outside: "Master, just now, the elder of Xiaoge sent someone to deliver a letter. ”

"Oh, Xiao Ge Lao, why is he writing to me?"

When Hu Zongxian heard this, his face was full of surprise, after all, he and Yan Shifan had never dealt with each other much.

After that, I saw Hu Zongxian suppress all the chaotic thoughts in his heart, nodded, and commanded: "Come in!" ”

As the words fell, the door to the room was pushed open, and the butler stepped in and handed out the letter.

"Sir!"

"Hmm."

After handing out the letter in his hand, the butler left with a quiet step, and when he left, the butler also took the door with him.

After the housekeeper left, Hu Zongxian opened the envelope in his hand and browsed the contents on it.

The content of the letter was very short, only a short sentence: "Come to the house quickly, there is something important to discuss!" ”

"Xiao Ge Lao suddenly wrote to me, and he also stated in the letter that he had important matters to discuss, what is going on?"

Combined with the current situation, Hu Zongxian's mind suddenly flashed such a thought: "Could it be that the matter that Xiaoge wants to discuss is related to the teacher?" ”

Just as Hu Zongxian was about to leave for Yan's mansion, he suddenly remembered Yan Song's previous instructions to him: "In the next period of time, don't come here for the teacher again, and don't have any intersection with the teacher, you know?" ”

When Hu Zongxian thought of this, a look of hesitation appeared on his face again, and he muttered to himself: "The teacher specially explained that I should not go to the Yan Mansion for the next period of time, and now the little pavilion elder invited me to come to the door, saying that there is something important to discuss......

"What is it that would make Xiao Ge write to me in person for the first time?"

After thinking about it for a long time, Hu Zongxian's heart became more and more firm in his initial idea, that is, the next thing that Yan Shifan discussed with him must be related to Yan Song.

"No, it's reasonable, I have to go and see the situation in person!"

After making up his mind, he saw Hu Zongxian summon the slave and ordered in a deep voice: "Come on, prepare a sedan chair!" ”

Subsequently, Hu Zongxian took the prepared sedan chair and went to Yanfu.

……

"This Hu Zongxian, why hasn't he come yet, shouldn't he want to clear up the relationship at this time!"

At this time, seeing that Hu Zongxian was late, Yan Shifan's face was full of restlessness, and he was pacing back and forth in the room.

At this moment, there was a rush of footsteps from outside the door, and then, I saw the little guy in charge of the door, panting and running in.

After entering the room, the little maid looked in the direction where Yan Shifan was, leaned down, and said respectfully: "Little ...... Xiao Ge Lao, Yan Ge Lao's student Hu Zongxian is here! ”

After learning the news from the little guy in charge of the gatekeeper, Yan Shifan couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Immediately, he looked in the direction where the little servant was, and commanded, "Let him wait in the hall for a while, and I will go over immediately." ”

"Yes, Little Pavilion Elder!"

After receiving Yan Shifan's specific instructions, the little servant did not hesitate at all, and immediately left.

After the little servant left, I saw Yan Shifan retract his gaze, and secretly sighed: "Hu Zongxian, it seems that my father is not wrong!" ”

After finishing his sigh, Yan Shifan walked to the hall where Yan Mansion was used to entertain guests.

In the hall, Hu Zongxian, who was originally waiting here, saw Yan Shifan's arrival, his face was full of eagerness that could not be concealed, and he immediately stepped forward and asked, "Little Pavilion Elder, what's wrong, so anxious?" ”

Yan Shifan heard Hu Zongxian's words, and after glancing at Hu Zongxian, he didn't mean to hide it, and told all the reasons for the matter.

"To tell the truth, my father suffers from "dementia"! ”

"What!"

After learning the news from Yan Shifan's mouth, Hu Zongxian's pupils contracted suddenly, and he got up from his seat suddenly, with a look of disbelief on his face.

After a long time, Hu Zongxian reacted from this shocking fact, looked in the direction where Yan Shifan was, and asked hesitantly: "Xiao ...... Xiaoge Lao, you ...... How did you find out? ”

Facing Hu Zongxian's curious gaze, Yan Shifan sighed before he responded: "You must have noticed that your father's state is wrong today, right?" ”

"Well, today's teacher, it seems that something is wrong."

When Yan Shifan's words fell, I saw Hu Zongxian nodding and saying a peaceful word.

Then, a look of memory appeared on Yan Shifan's face, and he said to himself: "When I inadvertently mentioned Gao Hanwen to my father, my father's answer was that he didn't remember this person at all. ”

"After I reminded him, my father barely remembered it, and said that Gao Hanwen wasn't measuring the fields in Zhejiang, how could he write to me?"

After listening to Yan Shifan's narration, Hu Zongxian couldn't help but fall into silence.

It wasn't until this moment that he was convinced that Yan Song was really suffering from "stupidity"!

Otherwise, there is no reason not to know that Gao Hanwen is a student of Yan Shifan, and that Gao Hanwen has been sent to Banzhou to take up a post.

Yan Shifan didn't pay attention to the expression on Hu Zongxian's face, but fell into a memory and said to himself.

"Not long ago, my father mentioned in front of me that he wanted to be a minister, and at that time, my father was already aware of the fact that he was suffering from "dementia" and wanted to step down from the position of head of the cabinet. ”

"It's just a pity that I didn't notice these signs, and things got out of hand."

When Yan Shifan said this, his face was full of gloom.

When Hu Zongxian, who was on the side, heard Yan Shifan's words, a trace of shock flashed on his face, and he immediately asked: "Little Pavilion Elder, do you mean that the teacher also mentioned the matter of wanting to be a scholar in front of you?" ”

When Yan Shifan heard Hu Zongxian's words, he frowned, looked in the direction where Hu Zongxian was, and confirmed to him: "Is it difficult to ......"

Facing Yan Shifan's eyes full of doubts, I saw Hu Zongxian nodding and said unhurriedly: "I remember that at the end of the banquet that day, you were drunk and unconscious, and after settling you down, the teacher called me to the study and talked about wanting to be a scholar......

After recounting all the circumstances of that day, Hu Zongxian picked up the teacup on the side, took a sip, and said with emotion: "Now it seems that the teacher should want to explain things clearly while he is still sober!" ”

Yan Shifan also agreed with Hu Zongxian's statement, and just when he was still thinking about whether to speak, he only heard Hu Zongxian's voice sound.

"Xiao Ge Lao, what are you going to do next?"

Facing Hu Zongxian's gaze, Yan Shifan shook his head after thinking for a moment, and said slowly: "The top priority at the moment is to cure my father's "stupidity" as soon as possible, and at the same time hide this news, otherwise it will ......."

Yan Shifan didn't finish the rest of the words, because he knew that Hu Zongxian understood what he meant.

"Elder Xiaoge, if there is anything you need my help with next, even if you say it."

"Hmm." (End of chapter)