The Blood Crown - Chapter 202

After Chen Mu left, Yan Sikong sat motionless in the study for a long while, contemplating the pros and cons. During such times, he often thought the least about himself. 

As Feng Ye had said, he was unscrupulous in achieving his goals, but there were exceptions. The exception was given to one person, whose life he once valued above everything else. 

Without Feng Ye, he might have followed Chen Mu. This way, he would have been able to control the rightful future emperor firmly. He wasn’t afraid of bloodshed or a bad reputation, nor did he care whether the one lying on the bed was a human or a ghost.

Yet, he could not do it. He could not convince himself to “betray” Feng Ye, even though he owed him nothing anymore.

Lost in thought, he didn’t notice when someone entered until the candlelight cast a shadow on the floor. He suddenly looked up, meeting the face of Yuan Nanyu in disguise.

“…When did you come in?”

Yuan Nanyu didn’t speak immediately but looked at Yan Sikong for a long time before slowly speaking. “I was outside, hiding and holding my breath.”

Yan Sikong’s heart skipped a beat, and his expression darkened. “Did you hear everything?”

“I was only suspicious before, especially after seeing Madam Qi. I wanted to find a chance to confirm it.” Yuan Nanyu said quietly. “If I weren’t outside, would you have kept it from me?”

“What do you want me to tell you?” Yan Sikong mocked. “That Chen Mu wants to make me his male consort? Isn’t that laughable?”

Yuan Nanyu pressed his lips together. “If Feng Ye finds out…”

“Will you tell him?” Yan Sikong stared directly at Yuan Nanyu.

“Everything related to you, he ordered me to report in detail.”

Yan Sikong narrowed his eyes. “Even if it might ruin things?”

Yuan Nanyu paused, his chest heaving, his voice unconsciously rising. “You say you can control Chen Mu, but now it seems he has such unreasonable thoughts about you. What will you do? Will you submit to him?”

Yan Sikong stood up abruptly and took a step closer to Yuan Nanyu. “Do you think I would serve Chen Mu just for power, like I did with Feng Ye?”

“…No.” Yuan Nanyu quickly defended himself, but the stiffness in his tone betrayed his true feelings.

“No?” Yan Sikong laughed coldly. “You just don’t want to say it directly to protect my dignity.”

“I…”

“Yu’er.” Yan Sikong looked at him. “My relationship with Feng Ye is irreparable. Even so, he is different from Chen Mu. If my whole life was only about serving others for their favor, I wouldn’t have survived this long. You underestimate me.”

Yuan Nanyu’s gaze wavered. He whispered, “I didn’t think that. I’m just… worried about you.”

“Whether you’re worried about me or worried about my betrayal of Feng Ye, I don’t want to delve into it. I only need you to focus on the big picture. This minor issue is not worth troubling Feng Ye over. Don’t add to the trouble.”

“But Chen Mu is so envious of Feng Ye. How can they work together?”

“As long as he wants to be emperor, he has to yield.” Yan Sikong said coldly. “In the end, he will yield to me. He hasn’t let his desires cloud his judgment. His mind is still clear.”

Yuan Nanyu’s brows remained furrowed, unable to hide his worry.

Knowing he couldn’t change Yan Sikong’s mind, Chen Mu could only let him go, preparing him with valuables and arranging for three thousand elite soldiers to escort him out of Yunnan. 

On the day of departure, they had their last private meeting in the study. To avoid suspicion, Chen Mu would not be seeing him off.

“When will you return, sir?” Chen Mu looked at Yan Sikong with unmasked longing and sadness.

Yan Sikong replied, “When the time is right, I will return to Your Highness.”

Chen Mu forced a smile. “Do you know how much I don’t want you to leave? I even…”

Yan Sikong looked at him, making him swallow the rest of his words.

Yan Sikong took a step back and knelt, bowing deeply. “Your Highness, take care.”

Chen Mu helped Yan Sikong up, his eyes unwilling to leave Yan Sikong’s face, and the hand holding Yan Sikong’s wrist tightened imperceptibly.

Yan Sikong calmly withdrew his arm, bowed deeply once more, and turned to leave.

“Sir,” Chen Mu called out from behind.

Yan Sikong stopped in his tracks.

Chen Mu took a deep breath, straightened his chest, and said loudly, “One day, when I am commanded by heaven and inherit the great mandate, I will make sure you are always by my side!”

Yan Sikong did not turn around and walked straight away.

Throughout his life, he had heard countless grand declarations, but he only took the words of an eight-year-old child to heart.

Most of the mountain bandits had been eliminated, and with the protection of the army, they left Yunnan smoothly, traveling day and night toward Datong.

On the way, they heard that the court had dispatched envoys to meet with the Khan and brought generous gifts.

Returning to Datong, a month had passed. The group arrived covered in dust and exhausted. As soon as they entered the city, they were summoned by Feng Ye.

They were taken to the Jingyuan Wangfu. Yan Sikong had visited this old residence when he came to Datong to see Xue Ronggui. After the incident with the Feng family, the residence had been abandoned, and he had only gazed at it from a distance, feeling a deep sadness.

A year later, the residence had been renovated and was now more impressive than the royal residences in the capital. This was indeed the Feng family’s Datong.

The servants arranged for Yuan Nanyu and the others to rest and then led Yan Sikong alone to meet Feng Ye.

He walked toward the inner courtyard, where he saw Feng Hun napping under a tree and Feng Ye standing nearby.

In a moment of daze, Yan Sikong seemed to see the afternoon when he reunited with Feng Ye, in the same Jingyuan Wangfu, under a towering tree, with one person and one wolf. The only difference was that one was far away in the capital, and the other was close, yet they seemed worlds apart.

Yan Sikong felt his breath momentarily stop, his heart seemingly dragged downward by some force. Since the day they parted, he had forced himself not to think about his feelings for Feng Ye, but the more he suppressed them, the more they swelled. He clearly did not want to see Feng Ye again, did not want to see, hear, or feel any malice from him, but upon meeting him again, he realized that he still wanted to see him. If only it were from a distance, without any interaction, that would be best…

Feng Ye also turned around and, upon seeing Yan Sikong, could not hide his emotional turmoil. His gaze became intense and sharp, as if he wished to ensnare the person before him with his eyes.

The servants tactfully withdrew, and Feng Hun opened his single eye, staring fixedly at Yan Sikong.

In the months since their last meeting, Feng Ye had come to command both Qianzhou and Datong, ruling the northwest, holding 120,000 troops. His imposing aura was even more formidable than before, with every breath exuding a sense of commanding authority.

Yan Sikong, on the other hand, was travel-worn, his clothes dirty and tattered, and his appearance haggard. Compared to Feng Ye’s fine attire, he looked like a beggar.

Feng Ye took a large step toward Yan Sikong but then restrained himself, extending his hand and commanding, “Come here.”

Yan Sikong moved forward, step by step, as if walking through a swamp, finding it increasingly difficult.

When he was just an arm’s length away from Feng Ye, his vision blurred, and his body was abruptly pulled into an embrace.

Yan Sikong closed his eyes. The embrace seemed vast and powerful, more encompassing than the entire world. He was probably too tired and allowed himself to indulge in this moment.

Feng Ye struggled to suppress his overwhelming longing and said softly, “You’ve lost weight.”

Yan Sikong took a deep breath and only softly responded with a faint “Mm.” His nostrils were tinged with a sense of tearfulness, and he felt a strong urge to reach out and embrace Feng Ye in return.

His hands trembled as he cautiously raised them, but a sudden fear took hold of his heart. He froze for a moment and then dejectedly lowered his hands.

On the first night he resolved to go to bed early, he failed… (End of chapter)