The Blood Crown - Chapter 137

Yan Sikong appeared slightly flustered, avoiding Xie Zhongren’s gaze that seemed to pierce through him.

Xie Zhongren chuckled softly. “That young prince is constantly embarrassing you now. After you marry the princess in the future and become his in-law, he won’t know how to handle you.”

“… What exactly does Gonggong want to say?” Yan Sikong asked cautiously.

“Actually, I came to you today on the Emperor’s orders.” Yan Sikong cursed inwardly. This eunuch’s demeanor was calm as usual; he must have falsified imperial orders countless times before. Was there anything he wouldn’t dare to do?

Yan Sikong feigned surprise. “The Emperor?”

“You, as the future son-in-law of the Emperor, are favored by him. Upon hearing how overbearing and arrogant Feng Ye has been, the Emperor is also very angry. But he can’t directly reprimand Feng Ye, so he sent me to comfort you.”

“The Emperor knows about this matter too?” Yan Sikong felt uneasy. “Then… does the princess know?”

“Why would the princess care about such trivial matters? Besides, even if she knew, Feng Ye is the princess’s cousin, and you are her husband-to-be. How could she possibly intervene?” Xie Zhongren replied.

Yan Sikong nodded awkwardly. “If His Majesty can understand my grievances, I am already grateful.”

“Tsk tsk, Lord Yan, with your temperament… so tolerant, no wonder Feng Ye finds you easy to bully.” Xie Zhongren’s tone turned mocking.

Yan Sikong’s face twitched slightly.

“Do you want to spend your whole life at the mercy of Feng Ye, and have even the princess look down on you?” Xie Zhongren continued.

Yan Sikong pursed his lips, saying nothing.

“Don’t you want to avenge yourself?” Xie Zhongren asked suddenly.

Yan Sikong looked up, his voice low. “Gonggong, what exactly do you want me to do? Please be direct.”

“I only want you to do one small thing. Not only will it allow you to avenge yourself, but it will also prevent Feng Ye from humiliating you in the future.” Xie Zhongren’s eyes narrowed, his gaze cold. “You have prepared the most comprehensive proposals for the imperial examinations. Due to your relationship with Elder Yan, you also have a deeper understanding of Datong’s situation. Only you can come up with the most provocative proposal that will unsettle Feng Jianping.”

Yan Sikong froze, his eyes shifting uneasily.

“What, are you afraid?” Xie Zhongren sneered coldly. “Feng Ye treated you like a… then like a carter. Who knows how he’ll treat you next? He’s the Crown Prince of Jingyuan. Whatever he wants to do to you, he’ll do.”

“Gonggong… please stop…” Yan Sikong staggered back two steps. “I can’t do something like this behind my teacher’s back.”

“Elder Yan won’t know,” Xie Zhongren stepped closer, his voice low and ominous. “No one will know. Just hand over the proposal to me, and no one will suspect a thing.”

Yan Sikong pleaded urgently, “But the proposal has already been submitted to Minister Liu. Minister Liu has already submitted it to the Cabinet and the Emperor for review. It can’t be changed.”

“In this, you don’t need to worry,” Xie Zhongren smirked. “I won’t tell anyone, so no one will know the proposals came from you. Liu An and Yan Zilian won’t know, neither will the Feng family. Even if they suspect something, there won’t be any evidence. But soon enough, we will ensure your revenge is taken.”

Yan Sikong pondered silently, hesitating to speak.

“Master Yan, this is your chance. Think about it, even if you endure today, what about tomorrow, or the days after? One day, when the Crown Prince ascends the throne, the power of the Feng family will be immense. They will pose a threat to the royal family. Both for the public good and your own sake, you should assist the court in reducing the military power of Datong.”

“Is His Majesty really of this mind?” Yan Sikong looked confused and hesitant.

“His Majesty already sees you as family, which is why I’m speaking frankly to you,” Xie Zhongren cleared his throat. “Master Yan, let me remind you again: your greatest reliance and your only true master isn’t Yan Zilian but His Majesty. He will remember your loyalty.”

Yan Sikong bowed respectfully. “It is my duty to share His Majesty’s concerns.”

Xie Zhongren nodded in satisfaction. “Good, you understand.”

Yan Sikong tightened his fists. “I can… provide three proposed questions, mix them in with the existing ones. I’ll dictate, and you’ll write them down. Once I leave this place, I know nothing about this matter, and whatever happens afterward is not my concern.”

Xie Zhongren burst into laughter. “Very cautious, I see!”

Yan Sikong took a deep breath and began to describe the carefully prepared questions. For the assessment of officials above the second rank, the proposed questions were supposed to be based on their actual political achievements. If the proposer intended to make things difficult, they would deliberately find flaws and set traps to embarrass the exam takers in front of the Emperor. And this was exactly what Xie Zhongren wanted.

Of course, Yan Sikong also had a contingency plan. If Yan Zilian’s impeachment of Liu An failed and Emperor Zhaowu insisted on using these questions for Feng Jianping’s assessment, some details would be slightly off from reality, making it easy to expose upon closer scrutiny.

Watching Xie Zhongren take the bait successfully, Yan Sikong felt no joy. Yan Zilian’s plan was akin to sacrificing a thousand enemies to lose eight hundred of their own. No one could predict what they would have to pay, but currently, there seemed to be no better alternative.

As the fear of being gradually overwhelmed by darkness grew stronger, Yan Sikong even felt the urge to kill Xie Zhongren directly fading away. He was no longer fixated on bringing Xie Zhongren to justice or publicly questioning him because the closer he got to Xie Zhongren, the more he felt the man’s power. Just trying to survive this storm was already exhausting all their resources.

Leaving the harem, Yan Sikong felt a chilling sensation on his back. It was the sweat he had broken out in, now turned into a thin layer of frost against his skin, chilled by the cold wind. The shiver made his scalp tingle.

Yan Sikong pondered all the way. Even if Yan Zilian successfully impeached Liu An, then what? It would only alleviate the immediate crisis, but Emperor Zhaowu wouldn’t give up on reducing the military power of Datong. Xie Zhongren wouldn’t stop his gradual encroachment on power; he would seek other means, catching them off guard.

Resolving Liu An would only temporarily postpone the crisis, not resolve it. If they relaxed now, they would be finished. To completely survive this ordeal, they needed to trace it back to the eunuch party, to Xie Zhongren.

Narrowing his eyes, Yan Sikong’s gaze turned cold and grim. He understood Feng Jianping’s indecision and Yan Zilian’s worries, but any discerning person should be very clear: supporting the Crown Prince’s accession was their only chance at survival.