The Blood Crown - Chapter 221

In the Battle of Yan State, the Feng family army suffered over 30,000 casualties but gained over 10,000 surrendered soldiers.

In a single night, the casualties exceeded their expectations. Now, in the height of summer, despite the swift burial of the bodies, the entire city was still filled with the stench of rot and blood that lingered, refusing to dissipate. However, with Yan State and Qingyang as strongholds, taking the surrounding weaker cities was as easy as reaching into a bag. From these prefectures, they would recruit more soldiers and gather more provisions, then move on to conquer larger cities and broader territories.

After stabilizing Yan State, Feng Ye immediately sent emissaries to Taiyuan. First, to demand surrender, and second, to find an opportunity to bribe the officials and generals of Taiyuan. The ferocity of the Battle of Yan State made both Feng Ye and Yan Sikong reluctant to fight another siege. With Taiyuan’s fortified walls, ample soldiers, and abundant supplies, taking such a city would be as difficult as climbing to the heavens.

They also received some intelligence that the court planned to deploy another 100,000 troops from the Two Lakes region. First, to reinforce Taiyuan, and second, likely to attack Qingyang. If so, the court would be unable to send more troops to Yunnan, giving Chen Mu a chance to breathe. Now, both sides were at a stalemate, and the next phase would likely hinge on provisions.

Chen Mu wrote again, saying that the court’s provisions might not last through the winter, but Zhongqing’s supplies were also running low. He expressed a desire to take the fight outside the city.

Yan Sikong quickly replied, urging him to hold his ground and not engage the enemy. He advised waiting until the court could no longer sustain its forces and withdrew, at which point victory would be easily within reach.

After finishing the letter, Yan Sikong called for Ah Li and instructed him to deliver it.

Ah Li took the letter and left the tent, but soon, he returned, retreating respectfully step by step.

Yan Sikong turned and saw Feng Ye striding towards him.

“Ah Li, you may leave,” Yan Sikong said.

“Stay where you are.” Feng Ye’s voice was not loud, but it carried authority.

Ah Li looked at Yan Sikong in distress.

“What’s wrong?” Yan Sikong asked, puzzled.

Feng Ye, with his hands behind his back, looked Ah Li up and down, his face expressionless, and said, “Hand it over.”

Yan Sikong was taken aback, narrowing his eyes slightly.

Ah Li looked at Yan Sikong but did not move.

“Hand over the letter,” Feng Ye repeated, his tone firm.

Yan Sikong spoke softly, “Ah Li, give it to him and then leave.”

Ah Li handed the letter to Feng Ye and exited the tent.

Feng Ye, in front of Yan Sikong, tore open the sealed secret letter and quickly glanced through it, only to find that it contained many coded messages, making it impossible to fully understand its meaning.

Feng Ye looked at Yan Sikong and questioned, “How long have you been secretly corresponding with Chen Mu?”

“We’ve always done so,” Yan Sikong calmly replied. “What, did the Wolf King just now realize that I’m aiding him?”

Feng Ye’s gaze turned cold. “If you’re going to correspond with him, why not use my couriers? Why must you secretly use She Zhun’s underworld channels and write in a code that only the two of you can understand? You said you wouldn’t deceive me again.”

“I’ve always communicated with the Prince Chu in this manner. If I suddenly changed the method, wouldn’t that arouse his suspicion? I told you before that I would handle the crisis in Yunnan, and you agreed. Where’s the deception in that?”

“You are my strategist, yet you secretly correspond with Chen Mu in such a way. Are you not afraid that I might suspect you?” Feng Ye angrily threw the letter to the ground.

“My correspondence with him is to help him hold Zhongqing and build strength, so that one day he can join forces with you to conquer the world,” Yan Sikong frowned. “What are you suspecting me of now?”

Feng Ye pressed his lips together, his fists clenched tightly behind his back. Although he understood that without Yan Sikong stabilizing Chen Mu, Chen Mu might not be able to hold Yunnan, when his scouts reported that Yan Sikong was secretly corresponding with Chen Mu and using coded messages, he couldn’t help but speculate about the meaning behind those codes, fearing they might contain something he didn’t want to see.

Yan Sikong picked up the letter, feeling a tightness in his chest. “This letter is to persuade Chen Mu to remain patient and not send out troops. He should wait until the enemy’s supplies run out and they naturally retreat. What do you think I would say to him?”

Feng Ye took a deep breath. Whenever it involved personal matters related to Yan Sikong, he always found it difficult to control his temper. So many years had passed, and he still couldn’t remain indifferent to this person. In a low voice, he said, “Whether in public or private matters, I don’t like you using codes I can’t understand to correspond with Chen Mu.”

Yan Sikong sighed. “I can tell you what the codes mean.”

“You could also just make something up.”

Yan Sikong said in a deep voice, “Then what exactly do you want from me? You want me to control Chen Mu, but you don’t want me to communicate with him? If you could manage him on your own, I wouldn’t have to…”

“I will be able to, sooner or later!” Feng Ye shouted.

Yan Sikong’s entire body stiffened, staring directly at Feng Ye.

Feng Ye coldly said, “One day, you’ll only need to please me alone.”

Yan Sikong felt a chill seep into his bones. The more control Feng Ye gained, the more he resembled the “Wolf King,” and the further away he drifted from the innocent and carefree youth of his memories. He was truly afraid that one day, he would no longer find any trace of the Feng Ye he once knew in this man.

Seeing Yan Sikong’s rigid expression, Feng Ye paused for a moment, then walked over and pulled him into his arms. “I’ve been busy with many things and can’t help but be irritable sometimes. You understand, don’t you?”

“…Mm.”

Feng Ye gently stroked Yan Sikong’s back. “I said I would be good to you, and I will keep my word. But you must not hide anything from me. From now on, if you have any communication with Chen Mu, you must tell me.”

With no expression on his face, Yan Sikong replied, “Alright.” Life by Feng Ye’s side still felt like walking on thin ice. Even though things were better than before, he couldn’t afford to let his guard down for a moment. He feared that any misstep would arouse Feng Ye’s suspicions, inevitably leading to another round of questioning and disputes.

“When I take Taiyuan, I’ll let you lead the troops. How about that?” Feng Ye whispered in Yan Sikong’s ear.

“Thank you, Wolf King.”

Yan Sikong’s indifferent tone made Feng Ye feel a tightness in his chest. He lifted Yan Sikong’s chin. “Don’t you want military power? I’ll give it to you. Whatever Chen Mu can give you, I’ll give you. Whatever Chen Mu can’t give you, I’ll still give you.”

Yan Sikong stared steadily into Feng Ye’s eyes. “What I have with Chen Mu is nothing more than the relationship between sovereign and minister, teacher and student. You don’t need to be so wary of him.”

“What I’m wary of are his improper intentions towards you.” Feng Ye lowered his head and planted a kiss on Yan Sikong’s lips. “Just thinking about what he wants to do to you is unbearable for me.”

“Then don’t think about it.”

Feng Ye let out a cold laugh and kissed those soft lips again. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t dare to think about it.”

When the emissary returned from Taiyuan, they had gathered some new intelligence. Luo Ruoxin was the commander-in-chief of Taiyuan, but there was friction between him and Wang Mei, the general leading the 30,000 reinforcements sent by the court to Taiyuan. This tension only grew after Luo Ruoxin fell into an ambush, making Wang Mei look down on him even more, believing him to be a fame-seeker.

Yan Sikong sent someone to investigate Wang Mei. He found that Wang Mei was a martial scholar, reportedly handsome and charming, with his own unique style of leading troops into battle—a great general. Like Luo Ruoxin, Wang Mei also wanted to make a name for himself in the battle for Taiyuan. Luo Ruoxin, afraid that Wang Mei would steal his glory, didn’t include him in his plans for a surprise attack, which only further complicated their relationship.

After discussing with Feng Ye, they decided to exploit the conflict between these two men and drive a wedge between them.

First, they spread rumors in the city that Wang Mei intended to surrender. Then, they bribed Luo Ruoxin’s servants with a large sum of money and had them place a portrait of Wang Mei in the boudoir of Luo Ruoxin’s concubine. It was said that wherever Wang Mei went, he captivated the local women. If Luo Ruoxin discovered that his concubine had hidden a portrait of Wang Mei, he would likely be furious.

Next, Yan Sikong wrote a letter to Zhu Lanting.

Since Yan Sikong had left the capital, his correspondence with Zhu Lanting had been minimal for safety reasons, but it had never completely ceased. She Zhun and Zhu Lanting were his main sources of information about the situation in the capital, and Zhu Lanting was also waiting for him to escort the Prince Chu into the capital to inherit the throne. He instructed Zhu Lanting to submit a memorial to Emperor Zhaowu, impeaching Luo Ruoxin for his incompetence—falling into an enemy trap and failing to rescue Yan State. He urged Emperor Zhaowu to hand over command of Taiyuan’s troops to Wang Mei.

Once Luo Ruoxin got wind of this, fueled by both public and private grievances, he would undoubtedly strike first to eliminate Wang Mei. And to get rid of Wang Mei, the best way would be to use someone else’s knife—naturally, the Feng family army’s knife. Wang Mei was no fool and would certainly be on guard. Then they could sit back and watch the two tigers fight, waiting to see what the outcome would be.

This strategy of sowing discord has always been the best trick in both the court and the battlefield. If successful, it could even topple a nation. A three-foot-high fortified pass that was nearly impossible to breach from the outside—they had to find a way to bring it down from within!

Not long after, they received news that Luo Ruoxin had been impeached. Early on, after the fall of Yan State, Luo Ruoxin had already submitted a memorial to admit his guilt and explain the circumstances. Given that his father was a meritorious general of the previous dynasty and the court was short of capable people at the time, he believed that although he had faults, they weren’t enough to have him removed. But now, with the impeachment, things were different.

The court had yet to make a decision, but the news had already reached Taiyuan. Yan Sikong predicted that Luo Ruoxin was now extremely anxious. After all, the capital was so close to Taiyuan that an imperial decree could arrive in just two or three days, and his position as commander was likely in jeopardy.

Soon enough, Luo Ruoxin instructed a fellow censor from his hometown in the court to submit a memorial claiming that there were rumors in the streets that Wang Mei had been bribed by Feng Ye and was suspected of treason.

Wang Mei, in turn, quickly sent his own memorial to the capital via a fast courier.

At this point, the two men were already at each other’s throats, with only a spark needed to set things off.

Feng Ye and Yan Sikong watched as the two men clashed for two months, believing the time had come to act and take advantage of the situation to eliminate one of them.