The Blood Crown - Chapter 146

The case of Prince Jingyuan’s rebellion stirred up massive waves in the court and the public, shaking the entire nation.

The controversy spread through temples and markets, with various opinions flying around. The truth of the matter, shrouded in dark fog, remained elusive, and no one dared to make rash judgments about the hidden horrors behind it.

The Emperor had ordered the three judicial offices to jointly investigate the case, and the sycophants under Xie Zhongren’s command began a frenzied assault. Within a few days, they had piled up accusations against Feng Jianping, including assassination, rebellion, embezzlement, extortion, despotism, abuse of power, misappropriation of military funds, false reporting of military supplies, land grabbing, and allowing soldiers to oppress civilians.

This was a standard method of framing an official, known to everyone in the court.

Previously, Inspector Zhang, who had been inspecting Datong, had firmly refuted these accusations, stating there was no evidence and that Feng Jianping was deeply loved by the people of Datong and had a good relationship with the military and civilians.

Yan Zilian personally took action, leading officials and noble families in a fierce verbal battle, and pleaded with the Emperor to carefully examine the case and clear the Feng family’s name.

However, the Emperor showed no patience and left the court early, leaving the officials in stunned silence.

Yan Sikong endured daily torment, anxiously seeking and waiting for news about the Feng family. The situation was extremely unfavorable; the mere appearance of the Feng family army at the Shanhai Hunting Grounds had left Feng Jianping with no way to defend himself.

Although Yan Zilian had advised him not to act rashly, Yan Sikong could not simply do nothing. He went to see She Zhun, hoping that if the Feng family father and son were indeed convicted, there might still be a way out.

When She Zhun saw him, his expression was equally grave. “How did things turn out like this? Did the Feng family really want to rebel?”

“They were framed,” Yan Sikong said darkly, “That treacherous Emperor has long harbored ill intentions against the Feng family, and with Xie Zhongren’s schemes, we’ve repeatedly defused crises, but this last one…”

She Zhun gritted his teeth. “The people don’t believe Prince Jingyuan would rebel. Now, fear and chaos spread, and both the inept Emperor and that eunuch deserve death.”

“I once planned with Feng Ye to force a palace coup and support the Crown Prince,” Yan Sikong clenched his fists and said with hatred, “But Prince Jingyuan was loyal to the core and refused to betray. If he knew that the Emperor he loyally served had already plotted against him, I wonder if he would regret his loyalty.”

She Zhun sighed heavily. “If we had carefully planned and acted during the spring hunt, the entire world might have been under the control of the Feng family by now.”

Yan Sikong was filled with an unspeakable regret and despair. The Feng family had missed the great opportunity to dominate the world and was now inevitably falling into the abyss.

Seeing Yan Sikong’s gaunt and pale face, She Zhun whispered, “I heard you were injured during the spring hunt. Your wound isn’t healed yet, is it?”

Yan Sikong suddenly remembered his injury. He grabbed She Zhun’s arm and said hoarsely, “She Zhun, you have to help me.”

“How can I help you?”

“With the rebellion case, we might already be powerless to turn things around. Now we can only hope to save their lives. But if… if that treacherous Emperor wants to eradicate them completely…” Yan Sikong trembled, “I cannot watch Feng Ye die.”

“You want to…”

“If it comes to it, I will break into the prison.”

She Zhun was shocked. “But that’s the Imperial Prison! It’s the most secure prison in the world!”

“I know, so I beg you, She Zhun, you’re the only one who can do it,” Yan Sikong clung tightly to She Zhun’s arm.

She Zhun pushed him away and said sternly, “The Imperial Prison is heavily fortified with guards who rotate day and night. Not even a bird could escape!”

Yan Sikong paused, then bent his knees and knelt on the ground.

She Zhun’s eyes widened. “You…”

Yan Sikong looked up at him and said calmly, “She Zhun, we’ve known each other for over ten years. I’ve never asked you for anything, but now I only ask this one thing. Help me rescue Feng Ye, and I will give you everything I have, even my life if necessary.”

“She Zhun, you’ve always seen me as a cold-hearted person, but even if you put everything on the line for Feng Ye, you should know that if it were me in danger, you wouldn’t do the same for me.”

“If that day comes, I would do everything I can to save you.”

“You wouldn’t.” She Zhun, usually so carefree, now looked deeply hurt. “I always thought you were born cold-hearted, that revenge meant everything to you, and no one could truly enter your heart. I should be content to be the only one you trust, but now I see you are capable of caring for someone else, of risking everything for them—only that person isn’t me!”

Yan Sikong stared at She Zhun in shock. Over a decade ago, they had relied on each other to survive, through humiliation, coercion, and dangerous moments. She Zhun was indeed one of the rare people he could trust, but he had never let him truly into his heart—not out of unwillingness, but out of fear.

He had never forgotten Yuan Shaoxu’s scornful comment, “murderous star.” It seemed that everyone he cared about ultimately faced misfortune.

She Zhun forced a bitter smile and, when he stopped trying to hide his emotions, he vented all his suppressed feelings and dissatisfaction. “Nanyu, I considered you my only brother. What do you consider me?”

“I also consider you a brother,” Yan Sikong’s voice choked, “But I… I don’t want any more brothers. I’m afraid I really am a murderous star. My family has been ruined twice, and those close to me have met tragic ends. Even Feng Ye, I thought his status as Prince Jingyuan’s heir would protect him, but… She Zhun, what’s the point of having a brother if this is the result?”

She Zhun looked at Yan Sikong, seeing the pain and vulnerability on his face—feelings he hadn’t shown in years. Time seemed to rewind to over a decade ago when they struggled together for a living, with no one else caring about their fate. The Yan Sikong of then had been lost as he grew stronger and encased himself in a thick shell.

This was the familiar person, the “Nanyu.”

She Zhun closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and grabbed Yan Sikong’s shoulders, lifting him up. “It’s not ideal, but it wasn’t something I could choose. After all, we slept on the same streets back then, like two stray dogs depending on each other.”

Yan Sikong looked at She Zhun with deep sorrow.

She Zhun sighed. “Breaking into the prison will require a huge price and isn’t something that can be done overnight. You need to give me enough time.”

Yan Sikong’s voice was hoarse. “She Zhun, thank you.”

She Zhun smiled wryly. “I must have owed you something in my past life to be risking my life to repay it now.”

“I’ll find the blueprints of the Imperial Prison and all the names of the guards.”

She Zhun nodded. “I will need to investigate many things. You should prepare a lot of money; there will be many people to bribe.”

“I understand.”

She Zhun gazed at Yan Sikong. “You should know that I don’t have complete confidence. After all, it’s the most heavily guarded prison in the world. Even if we manage to get someone out, we still have to get out of the city. Even if we escape the city, we must evade pursuers. Even if he manages to flee, you might still be exposed because of this.”

“I can’t worry about that now. I’ll write a secret letter to the Datong Prefecture. Currently, it’s guarded by Feng Jianping’s sworn brother. I’ll ask him to send troops to intercept any pursuers outside the city.”

She Zhun shook his head. “Nanyu, you’ve been plotting revenge for over ten years and worked hard to reach this point. This time, you might lose everything.”

“As long as Feng Ye is alive, I can start over.”

As long as Feng Ye is alive, he would exchange anything for it. He would never let Xie Zhongren take away his beloved again; otherwise, his life from the age of thirteen would have been in vain!

At this moment, his hatred and unwillingness were enough to burn down the entire Great Sheng Dynasty.

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