The Blood Crown - Chapter 161

**Three Years Later**

As the stars shift and the seasons change, spring arrives once again after the autumn harvest and winter storage.

For thousands of years, regardless of changes in dynasties or the world’s transformations, the cycles of cold and heat, the rising and setting of the sun and moon, have never altered. Flowers continue to bloom, rivers continue to flow, and the landscape remains the same, though who will rule it in the future remains unknown.

In the blink of an eye, three years have passed. After enjoying three years of peace, the Da Sheng Dynasty once again faces upheaval. After ten years of preparation, Zhuo Letai, who had risen from the Crown Prince to become the Emperor of Jin, has once more mobilized troops to attack Liaodong. Seventeen years ago, the young and ambitious Zhuo Letai, leading an army of a hundred thousand, attempted to conquer Liaodong and strike directly at the capital. However, his grand ambitions and wild ambitions were thwarted at the small Guangning Guard. This time, he swore to avenge the past and capture Liaodong.

In the Morning Court, officials were discussing the situation in northern Liaoning when a messenger suddenly burst into the Taihe Hall, exclaiming, “Your Majesty, Your Majesty! We’ve received a report from the front lines—”

Seeing the messenger’s panicked appearance, Emperor Zhao Wu’s heart skipped a beat. “Speak!”

“The Liaodong messenger has just arrived in the capital. Governor Han… Governor Han… has been defeated…”

Emperor Zhao Wu’s face turned ashen. “Yu Ji…”

Yu Ji, disregarding etiquette, hurried down the steps and snatched the letter from the messenger’s hand, then rushed back to the throne.

Despite his old age, Yu Ji moved with great effort, but his actions were slow. The officials around him watched anxiously, wishing they could help. Emperor Zhao Wu was also growing increasingly agitated, banging on the armrest and almost rising from his seat.

Yan Sikong stood among the officials, observing Emperor Zhao Wu’s distress with a cold gaze.

Han Zhao Xing’s defeat had been anticipated by him.

The military report finally reached Emperor Zhao Wu’s hands. Trembling, he unfolded it and let out a loud “Ah!” before throwing the report aside in anguish, exclaiming, “Tai Ning has fallen, and General Di has died in battle!”

Yan Sikong narrowed his eyes, his hands tightly clasped in his sleeves, the pain in his knuckles keeping him acutely aware.

Since the battle at Guangning, the Jin forces had been pushed back hundreds of miles. Han Zhao Xing, stepping over the corpse of Yuan Mao, enjoyed great achievements, and with the support of the court, gradually reclaimed the lost lands in northern Liaoning. Over the past seventeen years, four out of seven states in northern Liaoning had been recovered, including his hometown—Tai Ning.

After Zhuo Letai raised his troops, Han Zhao Xing seized the opportunity to request reinforcements from the court. He initially wanted troops from Datong, but the defense against the Wala remnants was crucial, leading to strong opposition from many ministers. In the end, 30,000 troops were dispatched from Henan Province, led by the veteran General Di. Now, however, Tai Ning had fallen again, and General Di had died far from home.

The news of this defeat caused an uproar in the court, and the solemn and austere Taihe Hall was filled with the clamor of a marketplace.

“Silence!” Yu Ji shouted loudly.

Emperor Zhao Wu, holding his forehead, appeared pained. “Ministers, what should we do now?”

Meng Duo stepped forward and bowed, saying, “Your Majesty, I believe that Governor Han has been fighting the Jin forces for over twenty years, with more defeats than victories. He may now be intimidated by the Jin forces. After this significant defeat and General Di’s death, morale is low, and the future battles are truly worrying.”

“That’s not helpful!” Emperor Zhao Wu retorted angrily. “Do you have any better ideas?”

“Your Majesty, forgive me,” Meng Duo said, “I believe we should appoint another capable general to defend Liaodong.”

Xie Zhongren’s faction naturally opposed this. Censor Ma Li stepped forward to refute, saying, “Governor Han had previously repelled Zhuo Letai’s army of a hundred thousand. If anyone is intimidated, it should be Zhuo Letai! Zhuo Letai launched a surprise attack, catching Governor Han off guard. Although Tai Ning has fallen, three states still lie before the Huang River. Victory and defeat are common in military affairs. To replace the general just because of one defeat is truly absurd!”

Since Yan Zi Lian’s passing, the scholarly faction had declined, but there were still upright and honest individuals who argued for the country and the people in significant matters. Meng Duo, the Chief Judge of the Supreme Court, was one of them.

“Indeed, is General Di not a capable general? Even such an experienced general as he was defeated by Zhuo Letai, demonstrating the strength of the Jin forces, which is stronger than before. Replacing the general at this time would only further demoralize the troops.”

“General Di’s defeat was not due to a lack of wisdom or bravery compared to those barbarians. He had been stationed in the Central Plains for many years. When he arrived in Liaodong, the cold weather and unsuitable terrain made things difficult. In my view, troops should never have been transferred from Yuzhou in the first place!”

“Humph! At that time, no one objected so strongly when the decision was made to transfer troops from Yuzhou.”

“Isn’t it because of your incompetence and poor judgment…”

The two factions argued loudly, with these learned officials showing the same red faces and fierce voices as any common quarrel, lacking the demeanor of Confucian scholars.

“Enough!” Emperor Zhao Wu slammed the table and shouted, “Yang Yuling!”

“I’m here.”

Yang Yuling, the current Minister of War, stepped forward.

The previous Minister of War, Wen Youchi, had been sent back to his hometown on leave due to Yan Sikong’s machinations. Now old and unable to return to court, the position of Minister was taken over by the Right Deputy Minister Feng Chuang, who had been reassigned to serve as governor of Jinan. Yang Yuling, who had just assumed the position last year, had previously been the Left Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Works, responsible for military equipment production. As a member of the eunuch faction, Xie Zhongren had ultimately regained control of the Ministry of War.

**Three Years Later**

Since becoming a son-in-law, Yan Sikong’s career has soared in the past three years. At just thirty, he has succeeded Feng Chuang as the Right Deputy Minister of the Ministry of War, holding the rank of Third Grade.

Of course, if he were only the son-in-law, he would not have risen so quickly. Over the past three years, he used extraordinary skills not only to become Xie Zhongren’s trusted advisor but also to utilize both his position and that of the son-in-law to become a close confidant of Emperor Zhao Wu. He spared no effort, abandoning all sense of honor and integrity to charm Emperor Zhao Wu, making him increasingly favored.

Now, although he holds the position of Right Deputy Minister, Yang Yuling still has to yield to him, and the power of the Ministry of War is gradually falling into his hands.

Emperor Zhao Wu pointed at Yang Yuling. “It was you who suggested transferring troops from Henan Province. What do you have to say for yourself?”

Yang Yuling knelt on the ground and said in a deep voice, “Your Majesty, when I made the suggestion, I had already outlined the advantages and disadvantages. Aside from Yuzhou, other places were even less suitable.”

“Yang Sima is clearly avoiding the main issue,” Meng Duo rebutted, “At that time, we were still debating whether to transfer troops. With 70,000 troops stationed in Liaodong, with adequate supplies, it should have been more than enough to repel Zhuo Letai. Why go to the trouble of transferring troops from such a distant place? I believe Governor Han seized the opportunity to consolidate military power, and General Di’s death is shrouded in mystery.”

“What does Lord Judge mean by this!” an official jumped up, “Are you implying that Governor Han sacrificed General Di to seize military power? Your intentions are too sinister!”

“I did not say that,” Meng Duo coldly snorted.

General Chen Shu stepped forward and said gruffly, “When Yang Sima proposed transferring troops from Yuzhou, we all opposed it. Now that General Di has died in battle and Tai Ning has fallen, the Ministry of War cannot escape responsibility.” He suddenly glared fiercely at Yan Sikong. “Yan Son-in-law was also very insistent on transferring troops from Yuzhou. Why is he silent now?”

All the officials turned their gazes toward Yan Sikong, with expressions ranging from disgust and disdain to contempt and anger. Yan Sikong’s reputation as a sycophant had spread far and wide over the past three years and was destined to be recorded in history.

Yan Sikong, calm and unperturbed, bowed to Emperor Zhao Wu and said, “As Minister Yang has stated, the decision to transfer troops from Yuzhou was not made on a whim. The advantages and disadvantages have been clearly explained. As Censor Ma said, it is not wise to judge a hero by one battle’s success or failure. Replacing the general during battle is a major military taboo. I believe His Majesty should continue to trust Governor Han.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the ministers began to argue again, directly accusing Yan Sikong of misleading the emperor.

Yan Sikong remained composed, his expression unchanged, while his mind was already calculating.

Emperor Zhao Wu’s favor toward him had been growing, while his favor toward Xie Zhongren had waned. This was partly because Xie Zhongren had become arrogant and complacent due to his years of favor and the overwhelming power of the eunuch faction, which had caused the emperor to doubt him. Secondly, Xie Zhongren, now older, was no longer as adept at pleasing Emperor Zhao Wu as he used to be. Yan Sikong intended to use Han Zhao Xing’s great defeat to become the final straw that broke Xie Zhongren’s back.

Han Zhao Xing’s 70,000 troops, though seemingly not many, posed a great threat due to their proximity to the capital. He and Xie Zhongren, greedy for more military power, sought to use the Jin forces’ southern advance to transfer troops from Henan Province for support.

Like many others, Yan Sikong had long foreseen the outcome. General Di’s death was likely a one-way trip, and without General Di, the 30,000 troops from Yuzhou would not submit to Han Zhao Xing. Yan Sikong knew better than most the true nature of Han Zhao Xing and understood that even with 700,000 troops, Han Zhao Xing would still be defeated by Zhuo Letai. He could not save his homeland but could use Han Zhao Xing’s great defeat to topple Xie Zhongren, thus potentially saving Liaodong and the Central Plains.

This verbal battle, like many before, ended inconclusively. Yan Sikong, exhausted, got into his carriage. As the curtain fell, he collapsed onto the soft cushions, staring blankly at the void.

Three years had passed.

Feng Ye had been out of touch.

Three years ago, over two hundred members of the Feng family were beheaded, Feng Jianping committed suicide “in disgrace,” and Feng Ye had escaped, disappearing without a trace. Feng Ye’s uncle, who had been stationed in Datong, was also implicated and sentenced to death. He fled with 3,000 of the Feng family’s soldiers, vanishing into the vast northwest.

The traces of the Feng family had gradually faded from the world. What had once been a grand and stirring tale was now a mere whisper, as if the Feng family’s legendary achievements had never existed. The surname had become a taboo, and no one dared to mention it.

In the past three years, Yan Sikong had turned himself into a calculating, lifeless being. He trusted no one, was cold and scheming, flattering the emperor and spreading slander. He assisted Xie Zhongren in eliminating enemies and amassed wealth through corruption, his reputation tarnished. Every step he took, every word he spoke, had a purpose.

He didn’t care about being despised, about the slander behind his back, or about life and death. It seemed he cared about nothing at all, willing to sacrifice everything to achieve his goals.

But there was one thing, only one thing, that he still cared about.

That was the safety of Feng Ye.

Feng Ye, are you still alive?

AN – **Volume Six begins now!! (End of Chapter 161)**