The Blood Crown - Chapter 200

When Chen Mu went to personally welcome Elder Huo and Lord Xu, Yan Sikong summoned Wu Liuqi to spread rumors in Zhongqing City. He instructed Wu Liuqi to say that Prince Chu had blamed the death of the Empress Dowager on Concubine Wen Gui and the Crown Prince’s conspiracy. When he returned to the capital, he would demand their heads to appease the soul of his mother.

Just as Wu Liuqi left, Qi Manbi arrived. This was not her first visit to Yan Sikong; she frequently brought supplies and showed great concern for his well-being, treating him with the courtesy of a hostess. Her behavior was clearly aimed at winning Yan Sikong’s favor, knowing that Chen Mu’s feelings for him went beyond that of a ruler and minister. She hoped to secure a position for herself in Chen Mu’s life, regardless of whom he married in the future, even the empress.

This woman was perceptive but not very clever. Chen Mu’s grand ambitions had only just begun, and it was far from the time for her to consider competing for favor in the harem. It seemed she was more eager than Chen Mu to establish her position in the capital.

Despite this, as Chen Mu’s concubine, Yan Sikong was generally satisfied with her. If she could stop trying to entrap him and waste his time, it would be even better.

After some pleasantries, Qi Manbi tentatively asked, “Have you heard? Chen Chun had a son last year and now a daughter this year. He is two years younger than the prince.”

“Yes, the royal family needs to have many offspring to prevent outsiders from taking advantage. I have always advised His Highness to start expanding his family early,” Yan Sikong replied.

Qi Manbi sighed and said with a hint of grievance, “His Highness might be dissatisfied with my background. I…”

“Madam need not be disheartened. His Highness is busy with state affairs and may have overlooked this matter for a moment,” Yan Sikong suggested. “His Highness may not be attentive, but Madam should be. After all, the children you bear are His Highness’s eldest son and daughter. How could he not care for them?”

Qi Manbi smiled while covering her lips. “Actually, I think so too. Your words have reassured me further. I do not seek for my children to become the heir or a princess. I just want to have a son or daughter with His Highness, like an ordinary couple. I would be content.”

Yan Sikong smiled but said nothing.

Before Qi Manbi could say more, Yuan Nanyu arrived to request an audience.

Qi Manbi had not met Yuan Nanyu much before, but she had heard of this man with a bushy beard that covered half his face and a black headband. He was Yan Sikong’s bodyguard and currently the instructor of Prince Chu’s army.

Yuan Nanyu greeted them, and Qi Manbi looked at him with surprise. “Oh, Instructor Chen’s eyes look very young. They seem… somewhat like yours, sir.”

Yan Sikong became slightly alert and smiled faintly. “Oh, really? It is said that the longer people stay together, the more they start to resemble each other.”

Yuan Nanyu said in a rough voice, “I am just an ordinary person, not comparable to an esteemed person like you. Madam is joking.”

Qi Manbi laughed, “It seems like they don’t resemble each other after all. I won’t disturb you any further.”

“Madam, take care,” Yan Sikong escorted her out of the courtyard before returning and asked in a low voice, “Do you have any new information?”

“I received a secret report from Zhu Lanting this morning. The court has secretly issued orders for all provinces to assemble troops and is heavily recruiting and taxing, causing great dissatisfaction among the people. However, a large army will soon be assembled. It is unclear whether this force will be used to deal with the Wolf King or Prince Chu.”

Yan Sikong pondered, “If it is to deal with Feng Ye, there would be no need for secret orders. Given the current situation, Feng Ye and Chen Mu have not combined their forces. This is the best opportunity to deal with them one by one. The Dog Emperor is planning to first use diplomacy, and if Elder Huo cannot persuade Prince Chu, he intends to take advantage of the Prince’s unstable position to launch an attack.”

“The court is usually indecisive, yet this time they are acting so decisively.”

“The Dog Emperor is under great pressure, afraid of repeating the mistakes with Feng Ye. Repeated negotiations have only delayed time and made the enemy stronger,” Yan Sikong said coldly.

“What should we do now?”

“Delay as long as possible. If that fails, hold the fort. Yunnan is Prince Chu’s territory, with its rugged terrain and difficult to attack. If he comes to attack Prince Chu and is unable to make progress, it will be a good opportunity for Feng Ye to move his troops,” Yan Sikong said, pacing the room with a cold smile.

“So, you mean to use Prince Chu to hold back the court’s main forces?”

“Yes. I know the court’s military and financial capacity well. With the situation in Liaodong being stalemated, the court cannot afford to simultaneously advance against both Datong and Yunnan.”

Yuan Nanyu thought for a moment. “What if the court is pretending to attack Prince Chu while actually planning to ally with the Chahar to attack the Wolf King?”

Yan Sikong nodded. “That is possible. Therefore, Feng Ye must quickly deal with the Chahar. These rough and unpredictable barbarians require both soft and hard tactics.”

Yuan Nanyu frowned. “I am concerned about Feng Ye. He is arrogant and competitive. The Chahar killed his envoy, and he will be enraged and might find it difficult to seek peace with them.”

“He was more arrogant and impulsive in the past. Now that he is the commander, he has restrained himself significantly,” Yan Sikong said, recalling their first joint battle where they had almost always disagreed. Though they had won, he still did not agree with Feng Ye’s boldness and recklessness. He said in a deep voice, “I can’t help Feng Ye now. He has managed to reach this point through his own abilities. We’ll wait for his news.”

Yuan Nanyu couldn’t help but ask, “Aren’t you at all worried about him?”

Yan Sikong stared expressionlessly ahead. After a long while, he said, “No.”

“Then you don’t plan to return to Datong?” Yuan Nanyu asked.

Yan Sikong looked at Yuan Nanyu and replied with a question, “Do you really think I should go back?”

“If you don’t return, Feng Ye will certainly suspect you of harboring ulterior motives. The relationship between him and Prince Chu is already delicate, and you are the only link between them. Don’t you think this move is too risky?”

Yan Sikong calmly said, “Feng Ye has long suspected me of harboring ulterior motives, which is why he sent you to watch over me. So, how did you reply to him?”

Yuan Nanyu’s expression changed, and his tone became serious. “One is someone I have sworn loyalty to, and the other is my brother. What do you expect me to say to him?”

Yan Sikong understood Yuan Nanyu’s loyal and straightforward nature well, so he never tried to win him over. Otherwise, it would only confirm Feng Ye’s assessment of him as cunning and make Yuan Nanyu more wary and distant. If it had been someone else, he would have found a way to remove them by now. However, it was Yuan Nanyu, and Feng Ye had chosen the most suitable person to monitor him, which showed how much Feng Ye mistrusted him.

Seeing that Yan Sikong did not speak, Yuan Nanyu said softly, “I hope that you both can be honest with each other and fight side by side. But your thoughts… I really can’t see through them.”

Yan Sikong gave a wry smile. “Sometimes, I feel it’s good that you remember nothing at all.”

Although this remark seemed disconnected, Yuan Nanyu felt he understood, or at least sensed Yan Sikong’s deep helplessness.

The room fell into a suffocating silence.

Yan Sikong said softly, “I will go back. The court has sent envoys to negotiate with Prince Chu, and Feng Ye is already on edge. If I don’t return, he might become even more suspicious.” He took a deep breath. “But not now.”

“When then?” Yuan Nanyu asked.

“I need to stabilize Prince Chu first. The negotiation must fail, and…” Yan Sikong narrowed his eyes. “Prince Chu is not as easy to control as I imagined. If he is allowed to send troops now, there are only two possible outcomes: defeat or gathering more princes to rebel. Neither of these is what I want. I need to trap him in Yunnan for the time being. First, to keep him from holding up the court’s main army, and second, to keep him in a disadvantaged position, making him rely on Feng Ye’s troops.” One thing Yan Sikong did not mention was that the most important thing for him was to make Chen Mu rely on him.

Yuan Nanyu nodded. “But what if Prince Chu cannot hold off the court’s main forces?”

“With Yunnan’s defensible terrain, as long as we hold firm, the court’s army cannot capture it in a short time. At a critical moment, if Feng Ye moves his troops to the Central Plains, it could relieve the pressure on Yunnan.”

Chen Mu received Elder Huo and his grandfather with the courtesy of a guest, and Yan Sikong could not be present. However, he had bribed Chen Mu’s servants and learned roughly what was discussed.

Though Elder Huo was naturally aloof, he was quite perceptive and highly respected, making him a very suitable negotiator. Lord Xu, Chen Mu’s maternal grandfather, was naturally influential, and bringing up Concubine Hui would certainly pressure Chen Mu.

Yan Sikong feared that Chen Mu might waver, so he timely informed him of the secret report he received, stating that the court was assembling a large army to attack Yunnan, and warned him not to fall for their delaying tactics.

Chen Mu’s resolve to become emperor indeed did not waver, but as Yan Sikong had anticipated, Elder Huo brought a temporary solution from Emperor Zhao Wu, which was to depose Chen Chun and re-establish Chen Mu as the Crown Prince. This was an enticing offer. Going to the capital, facing numerous dangers, who could guarantee victory? Moreover, they were already in rebellion. If they could regain the position of the heir without shedding a single drop of blood, and then plot to seize the throne after returning to the capital, it was riskier but much easier than advancing from Yunnan.

Yan Sikong feared that Chen Mu might have this idea, and Chen Mu indeed hesitated and proposed it. Yan Sikong did not rush to refute him but said, “I had already considered this. I warned you last time that you might be lured by Elder Huo’s schemes. Have you thought about what will happen if you return? It will be like a lamb entering the tiger’s den.”

“I have certainly considered that. But if the Emperor publicly announces it, he cannot backtrack easily. Furthermore, the Eunuch Party is in decline, and most of the court officials support me.”

Yan Sikong coldly said, “If you have the chance to return to the capital alive.”

Chen Mu frowned. “You are right. I have been very hesitant these days.”

“Perhaps this way, I can offer a plan to test the situation.”

“What plan?”

“The case of Chen Chun’s assassination was handled by Lord Meng. Now that Xie Zhongren is in his hands, let Lord Meng interrogate this matter. Have Xie Zhongren personally admit that it was Concubine Wen Gui who designed to frame you and Concubine Hui. Let’s see how the Emperor will deal with Concubine Wen Gui.”

Chen Mu agreed, “Good! Let’s proceed with that!” He hesitated and said, “But Chen Chun is Xie Zhongren’s only hope of survival. Xie Zhongren will never willingly confess, and why would Elder Meng want to investigate this truth, especially since the Emperor would definitely not want him to?”

“Have you and Lord Xu jointly submit a memorial demanding a thorough investigation of the case as a condition for your negotiations. Elder Huo is loyal to the country and will certainly agree, and Lord Xu naturally wants to avenge Concubine Hui. If the Emperor refuses, you will know that he still wants to cover for Concubine Wen Gui and Chen Chun. If he agrees but does not punish them after uncovering the truth, the result will be the same.”

Chen Mu said coldly, “Good, we will do it your way!”

“Hmm, we will soon see the Wolf King!” (End of Chapter)