The Blood Crown - Chapter 209

The court censors quickly knelt and shouted, “Khan, do not listen to this traitor’s slanders, do not!”

Khan Nadan looked at the severed head on the ground, Ren Zhuo’s unblinking eyes wide in shock. He glanced around the tent. Killing Yan Sikong and Feng Ye would be as easy as turning his hand, but…

Khan Nadan said in a deep voice, “Let me think about this matter. First, capture these two.”

“No need.” Yan Sikong pulled out a document from his bosom, “Khan, this is the document drafted by the Wolf King for the mutual market with Chahar. If the Khan is unwilling to sign it, you may just kill us.”

“Do you dare to threaten me?” Khan Nadan gritted his teeth.

“We do not dare to force the Khan. We merely hope that the Khan considers this carefully. The tribute document has already been rendered void. Even if the Khan insists on allying with the court, by the time the new document arrives at Chahar, it will be a month later.” Yan Sikong’s voice was not loud but carried a firm tone, “But Da Tong is only three days away. If war breaks out here, the court will not send troops to assist; instead, they will seize this opportunity to reclaim Qianzhou, indifferent to Chahar’s fate.”

Khan Nadan inhaled sharply.

Yan Sikong continued, “Khan, why not review the conditions of the mutual market before making a decision?”

Khan Nadan hesitated for a moment and then waved his hand.

The guards took the document from Yan Sikong and presented it to him.

Khan Nadan read the document’s contents and gradually calmed down. As Yan Sikong had said, it was not disadvantageous to him. Most importantly, even if he did not ally with the court, the court would not waste troops attacking him. But if he did not ally with Da Tong, the Wolf King, seeking to eliminate future threats, might very well send troops.

The death of Ren Zhuo and the destruction of the tribute document had cornered Khan Nadan.

Yan Sikong narrowed his eyes, coaxing, “Khan, there is no need to hesitate any longer.”

Turku, gathering his courage, whispered, “Khan, I think the Wolf King is better than the court. The tribute is only once a year and we have to wait several months. Once the mutual market opens…”

“Be quiet.” Khan Nadan glared sharply at Turku.

Turku immediately fell silent.

Khan Nadan shook the document and said gruffly, “This document is in Han characters only, without Mongolian, so it is invalid.”

“That was my oversight.” Yan Sikong smiled slightly, “I will send someone back to Da Tong immediately to prepare a Mongolian version of the document. It will not take more than two or three days.”

Khan Nadan stared fixedly at Yan Sikong for a long while and finally sighed deeply.

After Yan Sikong and Feng Ye returned to the tent and dismissed everyone, Yan Sikong, who had been tense, seemed to have something pulled from his body. His legs began to weaken.

Feng Ye quickly caught him and said softly, “What’s wrong? Are you scared?”

Yan Sikong looked at him, “Aren’t you afraid?” His back was soaked with sweat, his hair damp, and his face pale. He clung tightly to Feng Ye’s firm arm, transferring all his weight to him to find inner peace.

They had just danced with death. If they had failed to subdue Khan Nadan, they would likely have met the same fate as Ren Zhuo. Yan Sikong had long prepared for his own fate, but thinking that Feng Ye might die with him in the enemy’s camp, all his passion and ambition turned to dust. The thought made him shiver with fear.

Feng Ye helped him sit on a couch, removed his mask, and his face also showed a layer of weariness. He said, “I’m nervous too, but I understand the Mongols better than you. They secretly look down on the Han people, who constantly bow and perform rituals and talk about propriety and morality. They respect brave and fearless warriors. What we did today made them see that the Wolf King is different from other Han people. Since Chahar will be inferior no matter whom they ally with, allying with the Wolf King will be more acceptable to them.”

Yan Sikong gradually calmed down and smiled faintly, “You’re praising yourself.”

Feng Ye grinned proudly, “Aren’t I worthy of praise? If I had not boldly used this strategy, this trip would have been one of no return. Before we arrived, they had already signed the document. It was clearly a trap set up for us.”

Yan Sikong clasped his hands and said, “The Wolf King is truly resourceful; I admire him.” This was said sincerely. He did admire Feng Ye’s boldness, meticulousness, and decisiveness. Such wisdom, courage, and resolution were honed on the battlefield filled with changes. Though their strategies were often at odds—one conservative, the other radical—they managed to work together and complement each other. It must be said that this was perhaps destined by fate.

Feng Ye looked at Yan Sikong with bright, flickering eyes and said, “But it’s also thanks to your quick thinking and adaptability that you pressured Khan Nadan into signing the document.” Without Yan Sikong’s previous efforts and today’s timely actions, killing an envoy alone would have been futile.

Yan Sikong gazed back at Feng Ye with equal intensity.

Their hearts were filled with indescribable emotions, and they couldn’t help but recall why they had been so deeply in love with each other years ago. Beyond status and appearance, it was their remarkable intelligence and bravery that had captivated them.

Unable to restrain themselves, they slowly drew closer, their lips meeting in a tender kiss. Feng Ye held Yan Sikong tightly in his embrace, passionately kissing those warm, soft lips. For the first time since their reunion, Yan Sikong responded, embracing Feng Ye’s neck and cautiously accepting the deep kiss, even主动 extending his tongue to entwine with Feng Ye’s.

It wasn’t a kiss filled with desire or one of conquest or demand; it was simply a kiss—one that deeply ensnared them.

They kissed for a long time, as if silently expressing their long-buried longing and desire, their shared yearning for mutual understanding and affection.

Until footsteps were heard outside the tent, they only then separated as if waking from a dream.

Feng Ye’s momentary panic quickly faded, and Yan Sikong felt his face flush with heat.

They swiftly composed themselves, and Feng Ye put his mask back on.

Turku came to find them, more enthusiastic than he had been the night they had drunk together, even bringing more flattery. After all, Chahar had allied with the Wolf King, and the wealth from the Hexi market would depend on the Wolf King from now on.

Yan Sikong promptly drafted a Mongolian version of the document and sent it back to Da Tong by fast horse, having it stamped and then returned to Chahar. Although it was actually unnecessary, since he had used it to criticize Ren Zhuo, he had to follow through himself.

Khan Nadan complied with their demands, executing the censor and destroying the documents from that day, releasing the rest of the envoy back to the capital to avoid further angering the court. However, the others in the tent had to be dealt with because they had witnessed everything. Even though the truth had long been spread, they couldn’t let those who had seen and had evidence return to the court.

Once the court received the news of Khan Nadan’s alliance with the Wolf King, they would undoubtedly be furious and seek to punish those involved, or it would be hard to calm public outrage.

Yan Sikong knew his residence could no longer be protected, and Wan Yang and the little princess might be taken back to the palace. The household servants were either rewarded by the emperor or given with the princess, so there was no need to have them accompany him in death. Only Ah Li was somewhat in danger, but calculating the time, he supposed She Zhun must have secretly sent Ah Li away by now.

A few days later, the Mongolian version of the document arrived from Da Tong in Chahar. Since both sides had already allied, Khan Nadan changed his previous arrogance and became warm and friendly towards them. They celebrated almost every night with feasts, the same tent, the same fine wine and music, as if the “Hongmen Banquet” had never occurred, with no one mentioning it and only laughter and joy remaining.

However, there was one person who remained stern throughout, and that was Wulu, who had had half of his teeth kicked out by Feng Ye.

Yan Sikong knew why Feng Ye’s kick had accurately landed on Wulu’s mouth. When Feng Ye saw Wulu’s resentful face following Yan Sikong’s gaze, he whispered into his ear, “When the opportunity arises, I’ll cut out his tongue.”

Yan Sikong restrained his smile and said softly, “No need. He is insignificant to me.”

With the gifts from Khan Nadan, Feng Ye and Yan Sikong triumphantly returned to Da Tong. Shortly after their departure, Feng Changyue and Yuan Nanyu had also concealed things well, so no one noticed that the Wolf King was not actually in Da Tong.

Upon returning to the residence, Feng Ye gathered his trusted generals for a meeting. Though it was called a meeting, it started with a lavish celebration.

During the feast, a slightly drunk Yuan Nanyu hugged Yan Sikong and said with a slurred tongue, “You, you guys are amazing. I was sweating with anxiety just hearing about it.”

Yan Sikong laughed and said, “Sweating? I was sweating all over at the time.”

Yuan Nanyu laughed heartily.

Yan Sikong, feeling a sense of relief, drank freely. He had finally helped Feng Ye clear the last obstacle on the path to advancing into the Central Plains. What awaited them next was the real battle.

With blurred eyes, he glanced over at Feng Ye, who was drinking with others. The bold and carefree demeanor seemed to overlap with the spirited young lord from years ago. Perhaps it was even more dazzling than the sun hanging high in the sky. As the wine grew stronger, he grew more intoxicated…

AN – The book is now over two-thirds written~ Aiming to finish by September, feeling happy~ (End of Chapter)