The Blood Crown - Chapter 207

In the largest and most luxurious Mongolian yurt, they met the leader of the Chahar tribe—Khan Nadan.

The Chahar tribe was once one of the thirteen tribes under the command of the Wala. When Wala unified the Mongols, it managed to suppress these barbarian tribes. After Wala’s defeat, the tribes became disbanded and started endless internal conflicts and border incursions. The Chahar is now the largest remaining tribe in the Mongolian region, but compared to the former strength of Wala, it is like a world apart.

Khan Nadan was nearing his sixties but had black hair and a strong physique. The wrinkles on his face were deep, marking his tumultuous life. He had killed his own father to inherit the title of khan, a ruthless character.

Yan Sikong and Feng Ye deeply bowed and presented ten boxes of various treasures and five beautiful women.

Khan Nadan tossed peanuts into his mouth while sizing them up, then fixed his gaze on Yan Sikong. “So, you are Yan Sikong.”

“Yes, Your Khan.”

“You’re quite the handsome man, more so than our women. No wonder the Han emperor made you a prince consort.”

Yan Sikong slightly bowed. “I am flattered.”

“What’s the big deal about being a prince consort?” Someone next to Khan Nadan sneered, “The Wolf King treats him like a woman.”

The room full of Mongols burst into laughter.

Feng Ye’s lips tightened.

Yan Sikong remained composed. “The Khan is the leader of the Chahar, the future Mongol king. It is inappropriate for subordinates to deceive the Khan with common gossip, which diminishes your dignity. Moreover, according to our Han customs, speaking without the king’s permission is a great disrespect.”

The man furrowed his brows and slammed the table in anger.

Khan Nadan’s voice turned stern. “Wu Lu.”

The man called Wu Lu immediately quieted down but still glared at Yan Sikong with anger.

Khan Nadan snorted. “As expected of a scholar, sharp-tongued. But this is not the Great Sheng, and we do not care for Han etiquette. It is not for you to lecture me.”

Yan Sikong smiled淡淡地说道: “The Khan has every right to discipline me.”

Khan Nadan then turned to Feng Ye and pointed at him. “You are the Wolf King’s masked general, Que Wang.”

Feng Ye cupped his hands in greeting. “Greetings, Your Khan.” He lowered his voice, sounding very steady.

“I have heard of you. You are the most formidable general in the Wolf King’s army.”

“You flatter me, Your Khan.”

“Why do you wear a mask?”

“My appearance was damaged in my youth and I cannot reveal it.”

“Why is that?”

“I don’t remember.”

Khan Nadan mocked, “What if I order you to take off the mask?”

Feng Ye replied calmly, “I swore never to reveal my disfigured face, except upon my death. Since I am in Your Khan’s camp, if you force me to remove the mask, I will comply. However, if this is done merely for amusement and to humiliate an envoy, it will be known outside, and Your Khan’s reputation might suffer.”

Khan Nadan’s expression changed slightly, and he grunted heavily.

Wu Lu, unable to hold back, said, “Your Khan, these Han people are very cunning. Don’t be fooled by them.”

“Be quiet,” Tukur frowned, “Wu Lu, it is not your place to speak in front of the Khan.”

Wu Lu’s face turned a shade of green with anger.

Khan Nadan waved his hand. “Alright, you Han people are here as guests. Please sit down.”

Feng Ye and Yan Sikong exchanged glances and then sat down.

“You are here for a reason, and we are clear about that. To speak frankly, the court has already agreed to the tribute,” Khan Nadan said, looking at them leisurely.

Yan Sikong smiled. “The court has agreed, but has the Khan agreed?”

Khan Nadan’s eyes widened. “We proposed it, how could we disagree?”

“If the Khan has agreed, then you should now bind me and send me to the court to show sincerity. Since the Khan has kept me here, I will surely live up to your expectations and carefully explain to you why you should abandon the court and support the Wolf King.”

Khan Nadan gave a cold smile. “Fine, I am listening.”

Yan Sikong cupped his hands and methodically analyzed all the pros and cons to Khan Nadan. He flattered Khan Nadan appropriately when showing sincerity but did not soften his stance when discussing the strength of Dazhou’s military. Khan Nadan was clearly uncomfortable, shifting in his seat.

Considering the current situation, the choice between the court and the Wolf King had its own advantages and disadvantages.

The court had allied with the Chahar and provided them with large amounts of gold, silver, and military equipment, helping them unify several scattered small tribes and growing stronger. Although betraying allies was not a big deal for Khan Nadan, who had killed his own father, he needed a compelling reason to make such a drastic decision.

The benefits of aligning with the Wolf King were also tangible. Once the Wolf King controlled Hetao, the mutual trade would be the greatest benefit for the Chahar, and with the Wolf King’s army eyeing Dazhou, Khan Nadan was not a fool. He knew that if he pushed the Wolf King too hard, a real battle could lead to his defeat.

Ultimately, Khan Nadan’s choice between the court and the Wolf King came down to a choice between tribute or trade. He would lean towards whichever option offered greater benefits. Yan Sikong understood this clearly and, in his capacity as a former assistant minister of the Ministry of War and a close advisor to the Emperor of Zhao Wu, presented a well-reasoned argument about the court’s financial power. Ultimately, no matter what the court promised Khan Nadan in terms of tribute, it would not be achievable.

With Yan Sikong’s eloquence, even if the court’s envoy were present, he would still be able to defeat them with his arguments. Given that only a group of barbarians was present, they were naturally left dumbfounded by his words.

It is impossible to say that Khan Nadan was completely persuaded by Yan Sikong, but he must have started to harbor doubts. In the end, he ordered Tukur to arrange accommodations for them.

Back in the tent, after dismissing the servants, Feng Ye took off his mask, revealing his handsome face. He frowned and complained, “Damn it, how does Que Wang manage to wear this thing all the time? It’s so stifling.”

Yan Sikong moistened a cloth and handed it to him, feeling a pang of sympathy for his words. “I wonder how long it took him to get used to it.” People say his looks are comparable to those of Pan An, and that his face, which resembles Yuan Nanyu’s, has been covered for years due to a tattoo punishment. It’s only natural for him to feel distressed.

Feng Ye didn’t take it, but raised an eyebrow at him.

Yan Sikong understood and used the cloth to wipe Feng Ye’s face.

Feng Ye wrapped his arms around Yan Sikong’s waist and squinted. “That barbarian dared to tease you. I’ll kill him sooner or later.”

“Don’t be impulsive. Wu Lu is a general of the Chahar. Though his character is rash, he is brave and skilled. He might be useful in the future.”

Feng Ye snorted.

Footsteps were heard outside the tent, and the two quickly separated. Feng Ye quickly put his mask back on.

It was Tukur, bringing their dinner and informing them that a banquet would be held to welcome them, and that the court’s envoys would also be present.

Yan Sikong held Tukur back, insisting that he join them for the meal.

Tukur knew well enough what Yan Sikong was up to and didn’t refuse. He sat down with them.

The three ate and made small talk. Feng Ye spoke little, while Yan Sikong was eloquent, flattering Tukur to the point where he nearly lost his bearings. After a few rounds of drinks, Yan Sikong revealed his true purpose. He asked Tukur to persuade Khan Nadan to ally with the Wolf King, promising to help Tukur succeed to the position of khan and become the future Mongol king.

Although Tukur was Khan Nadan’s eldest son, the Mongols had no tradition of establishing a main or eldest son as khan. The most capable prince became khan. Tukur was not the most favored or the best candidate. However, his mother was Khan Nadan’s Que Shi, rumored to be a fierce woman. Khan Nadan was cruel and fierce, having many concubines, but he was known to be somewhat afraid of his wife.

Tukur, flattered by Yan Sikong’s words, patted his chest and promised to persuade Khan Nadan. He left happily after receiving a generous gift from Yan Sikong.

“Khan Nadan himself has some skill, but his son is useless,” Feng Ye sneered.

Yan Sikong chuckled coldly. “Even the useless have their uses.”

“Will he really persuade Khan Nadan?”

“Even if he does, Khan Nadan may not listen to him. He has likely already received gifts from the court. I don’t expect him to be truly effective; I just hope he doesn’t undermine us.” Yan Sikong took a sip of soup, having talked so much today that his mouth was dry.

Feng Ye looked at Yan Sikong. “Do you think we have a good chance of winning?”

Yan Sikong put down his bowl and took a deep breath. “To be honest, it’s fifty-fifty. We need to give Khan Nadan a reason to ally with us that far outweighs the cost of betraying his ally. Right now, it seems insufficient.”

Feng Ye narrowed his eyes. “You were so confident when you were in Dazhou, it was to get me to let you come here, wasn’t it?”

Yan Sikong replied helplessly, “If I hadn’t come, there would have been no chance for negotiation. Now that I’m here, there is still a glimmer of hope.”

“If negotiations fail, we might all die, especially you.”

Yan Sikong was silent for a moment. “I can only gauge Khan Nadan’s stance when I see the court’s envoys.”

“I have a plan.”

“Oh? Let’s hear it.”

“With just your words, you could at most make Khan Nadan neutral toward us and the court, but it wouldn’t be enough to make him betray his allies. To force him into a corner, we need a drastic measure.”

“What drastic measure?” Yan Sikong frowned, feeling a bad premonition.

Feng Ye held Yan Sikong’s neck, bringing his ear close to his lips, and whispered a suggestion.

Yan Sikong was shocked. “You’re insane!”

Feng Ye remained calm. “I believe this plan could work.”

“If you do that, even you won’t be able to leave.”

“As you said, we’re here to take a risk. Without taking the tiger’s lair, how can we get the tiger’s cub? Since you’re willing to place yourself in front of the enemy, are you afraid to take this risk?”

“Feng Ye, I thought after all these years, you’d be much more mature and cautious.” Yan Sikong gritted his teeth. “How can you still be so reckless? As the commander of the army, you shouldn’t easily take risks. I have at least a seventy to eighty percent chance of persuading the court’s envoys…”

“You just said fifty percent,” Feng Ye pulled Yan Sikong into his embrace, gripping his chin. He said teasingly, “With you, I can never be too cautious.”

“I’m serious.”

“I’m serious too.” Feng Ye’s expression was defiant. “You are always cautious, acting too carefully. If you think about it, this plan has the greatest chance of success.”

Yan Sikong was about to retort, but Feng Ye bent down and sealed his lips with a rough and passionate kiss, claiming every breath from his mouth, leaving him gasping for air.

Feng Ye lightly caressed Yan Sikong’s smooth skin and whispered in his ear, “I am the Wolf King, listen to me.” His voice was low and hoarse, yet commanding.

Yan Sikong gently licked his swollen lips, deep in thought about Feng Ye’s “plan,” his eyes growing more somber.

Recently, there has been a bug where newly released chapters keep appearing on the rescue chapter list, making it seem like there haven’t been updates when people purchase them. Please check the chapter numbers carefully. I have already reported the issue to the editor and it is being addressed. (End of chapter)