The Blood Crown - Chapter 227

As the fake provisions from Datong arrived, Feng Ye began preparing to encircle Taiyuan with great fanfare. He dispatched tens of thousands of troops to blockade the key transportation routes of Taiyuan, setting up camps within five miles of the city and building several sentry posts around the city. Any sign of enemy activity would be quickly reported to the entire army through signal flags and beacons.

The purpose of the siege was threefold: firstly, to make Taiyuan believe that the delay in the siege was due to waiting for provisions from Datong, thus preparing for the eventual encirclement; secondly, to feign an attack elsewhere, making them underestimate the crisis at the Rongyuan Mountain granary; and thirdly, even if Rongyuan Mountain sought help, Taiyuan’s troops would be reluctant to venture out to rescue it.

However, Yan Sikong suspected that once they began the siege, Shen Hexuan would likely realize that the Rongyuan Mountain granary was isolated. Although this might pose some danger, Shen Hexuan would likely try to inform the granary’s defenders to prepare, so they needed to strike before the enemy could fully prepare.

It was just the beginning of autumn, and the rainy season had started. On the third day of the siege, a continuous, light rain began to fall from the sky. Although the rain was not heavy, it persisted throughout the day, making things quite irritating.

Five hundred soldiers, selected from the strongest and youngest troops by Feng Ye, were ready to scale the mountain. Feng Ye promised them substantial rewards, and these soldiers were all highly motivated. The battle was entrusted to Qian Cunxi and Yuan Shaoxu. Recently, Que Wang had achieved victories by capturing Pingliang and Fengxiang cities, and in his letter to Feng Ye, he did not ask for rewards but subtly requested the promotion of his elder brother. Yuan Shaoxu had apparently asked Que Wang for this, and although Que Wang had lost his memory and had no deep bond with this elder brother, he was naturally generous and interceded with Feng Ye.

Feng Ye could not refuse Que Wang and thus gave Yuan Shaoxu this opportunity. Qian Cunxi led the army and set off in the rainy night.

That night, both Feng Ye and Yan Sikong could not sleep, waiting for news from Rongyuan Mountain. Just before dawn, beacons signaling for help suddenly ignited on Rongyuan Mountain. The two were overjoyed and immediately ordered Wang Shen to prepare the troops to intercept any Taiyuan army that came out of the city to rescue.

The beacons burned until morning, but the gates of Taiyuan remained closed. Scouts reported that Qian Cunxi and Yuan Shaoxu had successfully captured the Rongyuan Mountain granary. During the ascent, over twenty soldiers had fallen off the cliffs, and after engaging in a fierce battle with the enemy, many were wounded or killed. Only after desperately lowering a rope ladder did the main force manage to climb the mountain.

However, upon reaching the top, they found that the granary at Rongyuan Mountain was not as well-stocked as they had hoped, and the defending troops numbered only a few thousand. Most of the food had already been moved.

Feng Ye’s expression shifted from joy to anger. “The supplies must have been moved before the siege began. Shen Hexuan is a treacherous villain.”

Yan Sikong comforted him, “Even if they moved most of the supplies, capturing Rongyuan Mountain is still very important. It is the food supply route between Shuntian Prefecture and the Central Plains, and Taiyuan’s last food supply route. With this, we have effectively isolated Taiyuan. Isn’t that good news?”

“It is good news,” Feng Ye sighed deeply, “but we didn’t get the large amount of supplies we hoped for.”

“I understand that you’re frustrated about Taiyuan’s defeat. We’ll get our revenge eventually; there’s no need to rush.”

Feng Ye frowned. “But our own supplies remain insufficient.”

“Autumn harvest is coming soon. The grain officials are working hard to gather supplies from various regions. We can make do for now. I believe Taiyuan is more anxious than we are.”

Feng Ye did not respond, his eyes filled with worry. In truth, even Yan Sikong was not entirely sure about his last statement. While Taiyuan was hesitant to attack or sortie, their supplies were likely more abundant than theirs. How long could they maintain the siege? Each day was a considerable expense, and Taiyuan could easily wear them down.

Soon, Yuan Shaoxu returned with a batch of enemy supplies seized from Rongyuan Mountain, which was a small consolation. Although the supplies were not much, it was better than nothing. Feng Ye rewarded him accordingly and repaid Que Wang’s favor.

After this battle, Feng Ye began a series of provocations, sending envoys to seek peace one day and sending generals to insult the next. Shen Hexuan remained calm, treating envoys with courtesy and ignoring the insults from the generals. Repeated attempts to negotiate were thwarted, as the envoys were unable to match Shen Hexuan’s rhetoric and ended up feeling humiliated.

Shen Hexuan even sent a message back with the envoys: if they wanted to talk about peace, Yan Sikong himself would have to come.

Yan Sikong was indeed bold, but not reckless. He ventured into Chahar because he had some confidence, but he was determined never to go to Taiyuan, knowing it would likely be fatal.

The stalemate continued. During this period, news came from Yunnan that Chen Mu, allied with the Crown Prince of Ning, had left Zhongqing and was advancing into the Central Plains. His momentum was strong, having already captured two cities and preparing to attack Yongzhou, rallying many supporters under the banner of the Crown Prince. His forces were expanding rapidly.

Feng Ye sent an envoy to meet Prince Xu Ning, hoping that if Prince Xu Ning could send troops to assist him, Taiyuan could be broken.

Yan Sikong gazed at the distant city of Taiyuan every day, his mind filled with countless schemes and strategies. If they could not capture Taiyuan within this year, they would likely have to withdraw next year due to insufficient supplies, rendering their efforts for the year futile. They certainly could not afford to wait passively for their defeat.

While waiting for news from Xu Ning, Yan Sikong came up with a plan. After the autumn harvest, a large amount of straw remained in the fields. To ensure the land could be used for the next year, it needed to be cleared, and the best way to do that was to burn it.

Yan Sikong instructed the farmers to transport all the straw from their fields to the camp. In just a few days, they had gathered a mountain of straw. The soldiers piled the straw outside Taiyuan city, soaked it with tar mixed with poison, and planned to ignite it as long as the wind blew towards Taiyuan.

The poison, turning into smoke and dispersing into the air, was not very toxic but enough to cause severe irritation, tears, and red eyes. After several days of this continuous burning, the soldiers in Taiyuan were suffering greatly and had to wrap their faces with layers of cloth each day.

Finally, one day, a general inside the city could no longer endure the humiliation. Filled with righteous indignation, he charged out of the city gates alone, eager to settle things with Cao Yu, who had been constantly taunting them.

Cao Yu was overjoyed. Having been ignored for days and nearly driven to illness, he immediately promised to engage in a one-on-one duel with the general, stipulating that if he lost, his subordinates would not intervene.

Thus, the two men—one wielding a spear, the other a sword—fought fiercely on horseback outside Taiyuan. Both were in their prime, skilled in combat, making the fight spectacular and evenly matched.

Feng Ye and Yan Sikong made a special trip to watch the battle.

In the end, Cao Yu gained a slight advantage and managed to knock the general off his horse, though he himself was wounded in the side by the long spear.

Seeing Cao Yu about to finish off the general, Yan Sikong called out, “General Cao, spare him!”

Cao Yu was displeased with Yan Sikong but refrained from openly defying him due to Feng Ye’s presence. Feng Ye ordered the general to be bound and taken back to the camp.

Yan Sikong laughed heartily, “Shen Hexuan must be furious.”

Feng Ye also found the situation amusing, “On a bright sunny day, they handed us a prisoner of war, and a general no less. Not bad.”

The general, whose name was Zhou Ke, was quite a tough character. He shouted that Feng Ye should kill him, preferring death to surrender. Feng Ye not only spared him but also sent a doctor to treat his wounds and provided him with a special tent, treating him with respect.

Yan Sikong learned that Zhou Ke was a deputy general in Taiyuan. Though courageous in battle, he was impulsive and had previously requested battles with Shen Hexuan twice during their provocations, only to be rejected. After days of being suffocated by the straw smoke, he finally erupted and defied orders by leaving the city to duel with Cao Yu.

Although Feng Ye had temporarily accommodated him in the camp, he was suspicious that Zhou Ke might be using the same tactic they had used with Cao Yu—a form of self-mutilation scheme. Yan Sikong had already considered this: “It doesn’t seem like a ruse. Shen Hexuan, being newly appointed to Taiyuan, is still below Luo Ruoxin in rank and influence. Luo Ruoxin still controls the military. Shen Hexuan is a strategist and needs to establish his authority. A defiance like Zhou Ke’s is exactly what he would want to avoid. Furthermore, Zhou Ke doesn’t seem very clever; if he were using a self-mutilation scheme, I’d be able to see through it. Shen Hexuan shouldn’t be that foolish.”

Feng Ye nodded, “I also think this doesn’t seem like a deception. If we can win Zhou Ke over, we might learn how much food Taiyuan really has.”

“Treat him well for now. Once his injuries are healed, we’ll find a way to deal with him.”

Feng Ye stroked his chin, “I might as well go see him now.”

“That works.”

As Feng Ye and Yan Sikong were discussing, an unannounced figure abruptly entered the tent without notice. To their surprise, it was Feng Ye’s concubine, Sa Ren, followed by a helpless-looking guard.

“Madam,” Yan Sikong stood up and bowed to Sa Ren.

Sa Ren looked around the tent, “Where is my husband?”

Yan Sikong replied expressionlessly, “Madam, the Wolf King has decreed that no women are allowed in the military camp. I will have someone escort you back immediately.” His tone turned cold, “And I will strictly punish the officers who allowed you into the camp.”

“Oh? And what will you do to General Wang?” Sa Ren challenged, raising her chin. “Moreover, I am not just any woman; I am the concubine of the Wolf King. His military orders are for the army, not for me.”

“Leadership should set an example. As the commander, military orders must be upheld. I will speak with General Wang Shen about this matter.” Yan Sikong suspected that Sa Ren had been admitted to the camp by General Wang Shen, who was a former member of Feng Ye’s army and had been greatly favored by Feng Jianping. Wang Shen had apparently been given new responsibilities, including ensuring Sa Ren bore Feng Ye an heir.

This indeed troubled Yan Sikong. Wang Shen was someone who couldn’t be easily offended. Without Wang Shen’s assistance during Feng Ye’s injury, many of their policies would have been difficult to implement.

Sa Ren waved her hand dismissively, her face showing arrogance, “I don’t care about these rules. I grew up in my Khan’s camp. What’s so special about a military camp? Why can’t women enter? I can wield a blade, ride a horse, and fight just as well as any man.” She glanced at Yan Sikong, “Maybe I’m even more manly than you.”

Yan Sikong responded calmly, “Madam is indeed a remarkable woman, and I am humbled. But military orders must be respected. Please leave immediately, or I will have to forcibly escort you back to Yanzhou.”

Sa Ren’s face turned dark with anger. She stepped up to Yan Sikong and said coldly, “Yan Sikong, you have taken my place. Can you even have children?”

Yan Sikong clasped his hands together, “Naturally, I cannot.”

“You…” Sa Ren shoved Yan Sikong, her bold and unrestrained nature evident. “Men from the Central Plains are worse than women, serving people with their looks like courtesans. Ugh!”

Sa Ren’s loud voice was heard both inside and outside the tent, and several guards looked pale, realizing they had caused trouble.

Yan Sikong remained calm, “Madam, please leave.” He coldly looked at the guards, “Escort the Madam back to Yanzhou.”

“Yes.”

Sa Ren, arrogantly lifting her chin, declared, “Yan Sikong, you are my enemy. My Khan said I must defeat my enemies.”

Yan Sikong smiled faintly, “Madam, you are not my enemy, and I will not consider you one. Please leave.” He made a gesture indicating she should go.

Sa Ren left in a huff. (End of chapter)