The Blood Crown - Chapter 228

After Sa Ren left, Yan Sikong summoned the gate guard and questioned him about who allowed Sa Ren to enter and exit the camp so casually.

The guard, a subordinate of Wang Shen, replied dismissively, “Madam Sa Ren is the Wolf King’s concubine, different from ordinary women.”

Yan Sikong’s voice turned cold, “Did the Wolf King tell you this, or did you modify the military regulations yourself?”

The guard’s face changed slightly, “I would never dare, but Madam Sa Ren…”

“The Wolf King forbids women from entering the camp to prevent soldiers from becoming unsettled and to maintain military discipline. The Wolf King always leads by example, and military orders bind everyone. Who gave you the audacity to ignore the Wolf King’s orders?”

The guard knelt in fear, “I did not dare to, please forgive me, Lord Yan.”

“Do you not dare? Yet it was your actions?” Yan Sikong raised his voice, exuding an imposing presence.

“This…” The guard’s face turned pale, “I… consulted with General Wang…”

Yan Sikong narrowed his eyes, “As the gate guard, you are responsible for examining everyone entering and leaving the camp. If you do not strictly follow military orders, how can you shift the blame to General Wang?”

“I dare not. I acknowledge my fault, please, Lord Yan…”

Yan Sikong raised his hand to stop the plea,”Go to the Department of Punishments and receive twenty military strikes. Is that acceptable?”

“Thank you, Lord Yan. I will go right away, right away!”

“Wait.”

The guard trembled, “Lord Yan, is there anything else…”

“Have him beaten on the execution platform so the entire army can see.”

“…Yes.”

Yan Sikong set aside the documents he was reading and went outside to watch the punishment from a distance. Wang Shen, standing nearby, had a rather grim expression.

Although Yan Sikong was punishing a mere gate guard, the real aim was to make an example of Wang Shen. He did not want to offend Wang Shen, but Sa Ren had crossed him. If he did not respond, it would be difficult to establish his authority. Today was a perfect opportunity to set an example.

Soon after, Feng Ye hurried back, “Why is it that just when I went to see Zhou Ke, something went wrong? Did Sa Ren come?”

“How is Zhou Ke’s injury? Is he respectful towards you?”

“What did Sa Ren say? Did she make things difficult for you?”

“Zhou Ke is a brute. He may have been offensive with his words, but bear with him. He will be useful.”

Feng Ye’s expression darkened as he stared at Yan Sikong.

Yan Sikong smiled faintly, “A young and inexperienced girl can hardly cause me trouble. To me, she’s just like a clawing, growling cat.”

Feng Ye said, “I didn’t realize you were so broad-minded.”

“I can be both humble and meticulous, depending on what I want to do.”

“Indeed, you are very adaptable.” Feng Ye’s lips curled into a smile, “You drove Sa Ren away and punished the gate guard. Aren’t you afraid people will say you are jealous?”

Yan Sikong chuckled softly, “I am enforcing the Wolf King’s orders. I care not for idle gossip. If you knew that the gate guard let a woman into the camp without permission, wouldn’t you punish him?”

Feng Ye walked over and embraced Yan Sikong, pressing his nose against his hair and gently inhaling, “Naturally, he should be punished.”

“I’ve done it for you.”

“Well done.” Feng Ye lowered his head, rubbing his cheek against Yan Sikong’s, “I know General Wang must have been secretly scheming. I hope he will be more disciplined in the future.”

Yan Sikong leaned into Feng Ye’s embrace, resting all his weight on him, and whispered, “Do you think I’m being jealous?”

Feng Ye couldn’t hide his smile, “Are you?”

Yan Sikong only smiled without replying.

“Is it true or not?”

“The Wolf King is wise. You should decide for yourself,” Yan Sikong said, trying to push Feng Ye away. “How is Zhou Ke now?”

Feng Ye turned around and pressed Yan Sikong onto the wide desk, laughing softly, “Trying to change the subject again? Are you playing games with me?”

“I wouldn’t dare play games with the Wolf King.” Yan Sikong wrapped his arms around Feng Ye’s neck, “If the Wolf King thinks so, then it must be.”

Feng Ye lowered his head and gave him a gentle kiss, “I should call back Feng Hun. Next time, if someone else intrudes into the camp, I’ll have Feng Hun drive them out.”

Yan Sikong felt a sweet sensation inside, “Let Feng Hun enjoy himself for now. I’ve punished the gate guard today. He probably won’t dare to do it again.”

Feng Ye’s eyes were filled with smiles, and he took another sip from Yan Sikong, clearly in the mood for more intimacy.

Yan Sikong felt increasingly uncomfortable with the atmosphere and quickly pressed his hand against Feng Ye’s chest, careful not to touch his wound: “What are you doing? Your injury isn’t healed yet.”

“It’s fine now.”

“It’s not healed. The wound has just closed up, and you’ve lost so much blood. You need to take proper care of yourself.”

Feng Ye grumbled, “I’m not made of paper. You’re in front of me all the time. How long do you expect me to endure?”

Yan Sikong smiled wryly, “Your body isn’t fully recovered; you can’t act recklessly. You’re the commander of the three armies; you mustn’t be so willful.”

Feng Ye pouted, not letting go of Yan Sikong, and they shared light kisses and whispered words, their faces brushing together, making the situation even more tantalizing.

Fortunately, someone outside the tent reported in, and Feng Ye reluctantly released Yan Sikong.

A guard brought some intelligence about Chen Mu. Feng Ye read it and handed it to Yan Sikong: “Chen Mu has married Princess Mei Xuan.”

Princess Mei Xuan is the daughter of the late Ning Wang. Although Ning Wang has passed away, his heir continues to follow Chen Mu in his conquests. Knowing the stakes, he did not dare leave important relatives behind, so the princess traveled with the army and married Chen Mu in Yongzhou.

This rebellion is a huge gamble. If Ning Wang’s heir loses, it means the destruction of his clan. If he wins, his sister will be the Empress of Dachen, and he himself will become a distinguished prince, securing wealth and glory for generations.

Feng Ye frowned, “Others among the feudal lords will surely support Chen Mu. Some provinces might even defect to him. If one day his forces surpass mine, what then?”

“He faces both support and significant losses. It will likely be years before his forces surpass yours. More importantly,” Yan Sikong said confidently, “we will reach the capital before he does.”

“Is that so? But General Zhu Lan Ting, who supports you, is doing so because he wants Chen Mu on the throne. If I enter the capital first, he will surely become suspicious.”

“I will find a way to handle it when the time comes.”

Feng Ye looked at Yan Sikong seriously: “We can control Chen Mu, can’t we?”

“With your 200,000 troops, we can,” Yan Sikong replied.

Feng Ye stroked Yan Sikong’s cheek, a gleam of light in his eyes: “It’s good to have you.”

Yan Sikong took Feng Ye’s hand: “So, what about Zhou Ke?”

“He’s ungrateful.” Feng Ye snorted, “He cursed me as a traitor and demanded that I kill him quickly.”

“He is indeed a tough character. We can only handle someone like him gently.”

“Don’t worry. I said I admire his character. Once his injuries are healed, I’ll send him back to Taiyuan.”

Yan Sikong chuckled: “The Wolf King is indeed both brave and wise. So, how is he now?”

“Oh, him.” Feng Ye smiled with satisfaction, “He was initially skeptical but has since come around, and his attitude has become much more restrained.”

“Have General Cao make friends with him. Such people only respect those stronger than themselves. They should get to know each other.”

“I’ve already instructed him.”

“This man might be our hope for breaking Taiyuan, but we must deceive Shen Hexuan. It won’t be easy.”

“As long as Shen Hexuan is here, no matter what schemes we use, they may not succeed. We must find a way to get him out of Taiyuan.”

Yan Sikong’s eyes were full of thought: “Although Luo Ruo Xin is impressed with Shen Hexuan’s strategies after the Taiyuan battle, he is still the general in Taiyuan. Firstly, he must be wary of Shen Hexuan taking his position. Secondly, Shen Hexuan is rigid and unapproachable, which does not endear him to others. Luo Ruo Xin, being a pampered noble, will definitely find it difficult to get along with Shen Hexuan. We must sow discord between them. Only by removing Shen Hexuan can we take Taiyuan as soon as possible.”

Feng Ye seemed to remember something suddenly: “By the way, Luo Ruo Xin’s son is rumored to be a notorious young rake, very arrogant despite being only in his teens. There might be something to use against him.”

Yan Sikong was pleased: “Shen Hexuan cannot tolerate any faults. Although local affairs are not his concern, as a military inspector, if this young master violates the military rules, Shen Hexuan will not spare Luo Ruo Xin’s face.”

Feng Ye sneered: “We can use Luo Ruo Xin to remove this obstacle. I’ll send someone to investigate further.”

Yan Sikong expressed his concern: “Autumn is passing quickly, and our supplies are dwindling. I know you’re anxious.”

Feng Ye clenched his fists: “If we cannot capture Taiyuan this year and are forced to retreat to Datong, we might lose the territories we’ve captured—Qingyang, Yongzhou, Pingliang, and Fengxiang. It may take years to rebuild our forces. We can’t afford to wait. That eunuch is nearing his end; what if he dies before I get to the capital? It would benefit him.”

Mentioning Xie Zhong Ren, Yan Sikong felt a surge of bitterness. Even though he had avenged Yuan Mao, he could not erase his deep hatred. Since Xie Zhong Ren was imprisoned, he had thought less about it. He said, “Though the eunuch has been in prison, I hear the Dog Emperor has been particularly lenient, so his conditions are not too harsh. Moreover, he is a bargaining chip for the Dog Emperor. If you enter the capital one day, the Dog Emperor will use him to ensure your safety, so he won’t let him die.”

Feng Ye said coldly: “He’d better live a few more years, until I’m standing right in front of him.”

Yan Sikong gave a cold smile, having imagined countless times how to make Xie Zhong Ren suffer the most. After much thought, being flayed alive seemed to be the most fitting punishment.

Feng Ye was right; they needed to act quickly. They could not allow the eunuch to live out his days in peace.