The Blood Crown - Chapter 122

In the winter of the thirty-first year of Zhaowu, the Governor of Datong, General of Zhenci, and Prince Jingyuan returned to the capital with his sword sheathed. The streets were empty as thousands of people lined the streets to greet him.

The Chief Minister Yan Zilian, Deputy Minister Huo Li, the Acting Right Assistant of the Ministry of War, Feng Chuang, and the General Zhao Fuyi, and other ministers all received the imperial order to go to Yongdingmen to welcome Prince Jingyuan. Of course, the Crown Prince Feng Ye was also among them.

Yan Sikong stood among many attending officials, watching as Prince Jingyuan arrived with a dozen guards. It reminded him of over a decade ago, when he and Yuan Nanyu hid on the walls of Guangning, secretly watching the Wolf Banner of the Feng family rise on the horizon. Even though they only rode slowly across the frozen soil of Liaodong, their unstoppable momentum remained unchanged.

Leading the way was the legendary General who wore a red-tasseled hat and a battle robe, exuding an imposing aura that was reminiscent of those days. Even from afar, it was difficult to resist his overwhelming dominance.

Yan Sikong’s heart trembled slightly, and his youthful ambition seemed to awaken instantly. Yuan Nanyu’s voice echoed slowly in his ears.

As they approached, Feng Jianping dismounted neatly, flipping off his horse with one hand holding his helmet and laughing loudly.

Yan Sikong looked over the crowd carefully. Over a decade had passed; his temples were graying, and wrinkles had appeared on his forehead, but he still had sharp eyebrows and starry eyes, exuding a heroic spirit. Time had not erased his heroic demeanor in the slightest.

Yan Sikong couldn’t help but imagine what Feng Ye would look like thirty years from now. Surely, he would be as heroic and extraordinary as his father.

The courtiers surrounded them, exchanging greetings and compliments.

Yan Sikong watched as Feng Ye knelt before Feng Jianping and tremulously called out, “Father.”

“My wolf cub.” Feng Jianping helped Feng Ye up, patting his strong arm with pride and admiration. Looking at his son, who was now taller than him, he was filled with joy and pride. “You’ve grown up.”

Everyone couldn’t help but praise Feng Ye, showering him with flattery.

Yan Sikong stood not too far away, only able to catch fragments of their conversation but could guess the gist of it.

They exchanged pleasantries for a long time until suddenly, Feng Jianping raised his voice, “Has the intended fiancé of Princess Wanyang come to greet us?”

Everyone turned their heads in unison to look at Yan Sikong.

Yan Sikong was caught off guard and froze momentarily, thinking to himself that this was not good. He hadn’t expected to suddenly face Feng Jianping. If Feng Jianping saw his face and heard his name, he would likely figure out his true identity. Sure enough, Feng Ye’s expression also turned strange.

Yan Zilian chuckled and said, “Sikong, why don’t you come forward and greet General Feng?”

Yan Sikong had no choice but to steel himself and walk over. He saw Feng Jianping’s gaze change as it became more probing and finally furrowed his brow.

Approaching closer, Yan Sikong bowed deeply, “This subordinate Yan Sikong pays respects to His Highness Prince Jingyuan.”

“…You’re very courteous.” Feng Jianping stared sharply at Yan Sikong.

Yan Sikong stood up straight, despite feeling uneasy, and had to face the situation.

Feng Jianping scrutinized Yan Sikong from head to toe. “…Where are you from?”

“I am from Panyang.”

“Panyang?” Feng Jianping was somewhat skeptical. Suddenly, something came to his mind, and he looked at Feng Ye with a questioning gaze.

Feng Ye pretended not to notice and remained composed.

Yan Zilian asked in confusion, “General Feng, is something wrong?”

Feng Jianping composed himself, suppressing his strange expression. “Nothing’s wrong. I’m just happy to see the future husband of Princess Wanyang so handsome and elegant. It’s a joy for the princess.”

“Haha, my student is a famous handsome young man in the capital. Without such qualities, how could he match the princess?”

“Exactly, haha.” Feng Jianping returned to his usual self and gestured, “Elder Yan, please.”

“General, please.”

The group entered the city in a line. Yan Sikong blended in among the courtiers, trying not to stand out too much. However, he could already anticipate that when Feng Jianping and his son were alone, Feng Jianping would question Feng Ye, and from Feng Jianping’s gaze, Yan Sikong could tell that Feng Jianping had already recognized him.

That day, Emperor Zhaowu received Feng Jianping with utmost courtesy in the Taihe Hall, praising his military achievements. Everything seemed harmonious and peaceful.

Prince Jingyuan was the last vassal king to arrive in the capital. According to the imperial decree, all vassal kings within a thousand miles had already gathered in the capital to mourn the Empress Dowager.

After the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs worked tirelessly to prepare, a new location was chosen and preparations were made for a more grand funeral. Learning from past mistakes, everyone knew that if there were any mistakes this time, heads would roll.

The funeral was scheduled for the seventh day of the next month, leaving half a month.

Emperor Zhaowu planned to hold a banquet for the vassal kings, making the capital lively. Yan Sikong looked at the peaceful scene in the hall and secretly hoped that he was just overthinking things.

—

The second day after Feng Jianping returned to the capital, a servant from Prince Jingyuan’s mansion came to invite Yan Sikong for a conversation.

Yan Sikong knew he couldn’t avoid it. Just returning home, he changed out of his court attire and into regular clothes, following the servant to the mansion.

It had been a long time since Yan Sikong entered the mansion openly. Now, with an invitation from Feng Jianping, it seemed reasonable, especially since Princess Wanyang was his niece.

Upon arriving at the mansion, the servant led him towards the rear courtyard. Yan Sikong was very familiar with this path; the first time he visited Prince Jingyuan’s mansion, he had shared drinks with Feng Ye under the large locust tree in the rear courtyard. Now, it was early winter, and the locust tree’s dried leaves had not yet fallen, giving it a somewhat desolate appearance.

Father and son from the Feng family stood under the tree, engaged in conversation. 

Feng Ye noticed Yan Sikong first and subtly blinked at him, showing no signs of nervousness. Yan Sikong felt a bit more at ease.

Turning around, Feng Jianping stared directly at Yan Sikong. 

Yan Sikong bowed, “Your Highness Prince Jingyuan, and Your Highness Crown Prince.”

Feng Jianping waved his hand, dismissing the servants, “No need for formalities.” His voice was calm but carried an inherent authority.

“Thank you, Your Highness.” Yan Sikong straightened up.

Feng Jianping walked over, eyeing Yan Sikong up and down before getting straight to the point, “You are Yuan Sikong.”

Yan Sikong bowed respectfully, “I dare not conceal it, indeed.”

Feng Jianping sighed, “I once sent people to the northwest to find you, only to be told that you had died of illness in a quarry. How did you escape and become a person of Panyang?”

Yan Sikong’s heart skipped a beat. No matter how many times, no matter how many years had passed, whenever he heard that Yuan Nanyu had died in the quarry, it pained him deeply. He had even saved up silver to inquire about him, but the information he received was even more vague than Feng Jianping’s. Taking a deep breath, he replied, “I… seized an opportunity to escape, then wandered around, falsified my identity in order to gain official position, but all this is a long story.”

“You falsified your identity and entered the court to… seek revenge?”

Yan Sikong gritted his teeth, “Indeed. My father was wrongly killed years ago, leading to the ruin of my family. Such a deep-seated grievance, how could I not seek justice?”

Feng Jianping looked deeply at Yan Sikong for a long time before saying, “During the Battle of Guangning, if General Yuan had not led the troops to defend, the Jin Dynasty might have broken through Liaodong and directly threatened the capital. Such great achievements, yet he was unjustly killed by petty men, it is truly an eternal regret.”

Yan Sikong nodded tremblingly.

“How do you plan to seek revenge?”

Yan Sikong glanced at Feng Ye, unable to guess how much Feng Ye had disclosed to Feng Jianping.

Feng Ye spoke up, “Father, he…”

“Shut up.” Feng Jianping looked at Yan Sikong, “I want to hear it from you.”

Yan Sikong could only say, “I intend to eliminate the eunuch party, to make Xie Zhongren and Han Zhaoxing face justice, to clear my father’s name. This is not just for revenge, but also to rid the country of harm.”

“Well said.” Feng Jianping praised, “The eunuch party manipulates the monarch and disturbs the court, causing chaos and oppressing the people. They must all be eradicated, especially now when they intend to usurp the heir. It must be done.”

“Your Highness means…”

“I was stationed in Datong by the late emperor’s decree for over thirty years without any suspicion. Now, the emperor insists on my return, likely misled by the eunuch party’s slander. Thus, I return to demonstrate loyalty to the emperor and to cleanse the court.”

Countless thoughts surged through Yan Sikong’s mind. Somewhat abruptly, he asked, “What about the two thousand troops you brought from Datong?”

Feng Jianping was startled, “Why do you ask?”

Yan Sikong didn’t directly answer, “Your return to the court, displaying loyalty and sincerity, is clear to all. However, if you involve yourself in factional strife, it will surely lead to bloodshed and chaos in the court, with everyone dancing on the edge of a knife, their lives hanging by a thread.”

Feng Jianping pondered for a moment, “Those two thousand troops are stationed thirty miles outside the city. They are all elite soldiers of the Feng family’s army, who only obey my orders.”

Yan Sikong bowed, “It seems Your Highness has made up his mind. With your assistance, Teacher Feng, we can surely purge the eunuch party and support the heir to restore peace and prosperity to our land.”

Feng Jianping spoke with a hint of sarcasm, “Your teacher, Jingcha, forced me to express loyalty to the Crown Prince. In fact, I was already in favor of supporting the Crown Prince. His recent actions have truly angered me. Now that the emperor has ordered me back to the court in the name of mourning the state, stepping to this point today has been somewhat inevitable, but it is also an unforgivable fate.”

“While Teacher’s methods were indeed inappropriate, he dedicated himself to the state and the people. I hope Your Highness will not hold him entirely accountable.”

“Don’t worry.” Feng Jianping looked up at the lingering yellow leaves on the tree, sighing, “Although Elder Yan is somewhat overbearing with his authority, he is still a worthy minister of his generation. If I can work with him to eradicate the eunuch party and support the heir, even on the frontier, I can rest assured.”

“Father.” Feng Ye glanced at Yan Sikong, “If we join forces, we can surely conquer all challenges and achieve victory.”

Feng Jianping smiled bitterly, “I have been on the battlefield for forty years, never daring to claim that I am invincible. My son, in every battle, large or small, whether in combat or in verbal disputes, we must never underestimate our enemies, proceed cautiously, and not relax until the enemy is truly defeated.”

Feng Ye’s voice was strong and powerful, “I understand, Father!”

—