The Blood Crown - Chapter 230

After burning the letter, Yan Sikong regretted it, blaming himself for his moment of panic. He had forgotten that Feng Ye’s spies were constantly watching A Li. Earlier, his secret correspondence with Chen Mu had already been discovered by Feng Ye, so this one would not have escaped notice either. Burning it like that only made it seem more suspicious.

But it was done, and it was still easier to explain than letting Feng Ye see it.

Yan Sikong’s heart sank, feeling an inexplicable chill as if the wind was blowing from all directions.

Calming himself down, he realized there were still two points of doubt. First, did Shen Hexuan truly write a letter of loyalty to Chen Mu? Second, if it was true, would Shen Hexuan really open the city gates wide to welcome Prince Chu into the Central Plains?

If Shen Hexuan had not written this letter to Chen Mu, then the one Chen Mu gave him was merely a forged letter under Shen Hexuan’s name, an attempt to demoralize him from afar. It was certain that Chen Mu feared Feng Ye, but if he had become so blatantly obvious about it, he might have to reassess his plans.

However, if Shen Hexuan’s letter was genuine, Yan Sikong did not believe he would betray his master. For someone like Shen Hexuan, reputation was more important than anything, even life itself. As he had just thought, this was most likely Shen Hexuan’s strategy to sow discord.

While they were contemplating how to bring down their enemies with the least cost, Shen Hexuan was not idle either.

After a long silence, Yan Sikong ground ink and wrote a reply to Chen Mu, warning him sternly not to fall for Shen Hexuan’s schemes. They were currently besieging Taiyuan and caught in a dilemma; if they allowed themselves to be provoked at this moment, they would certainly lose everything. He also instructed Chen Mu to hand over the letter from Shen Hexuan, as he needed to find a way to present it to the court.

He was curious to see if Chen Mu could produce the letter or was willing to give it to him. Feng Ye had once suspected that Chen Mu and Shen Hexuan were secretly colluding, but Yan Sikong remained unconvinced. The most murky and difficult thing to discern in this world was the human heart. He had to carefully examine it several more times. Whether it was Chen Mu or Shen Hexuan, if they stood in his way, he would remove them one by one.

After entrusting A Li with the letter, Yan Sikong sat alone at his desk for a long time. What he thought about the most was not Chen Mu or Shen Hexuan, but Feng Ye.

Regardless of whether Shen Hexuan and Chen Mu were in contact, the letter he received proved that Chen Mu or Shen Hexuan had already recognized Feng Ye’s formidable and unstoppable power. After all, once they captured Taiyuan, the capital would be in imminent danger. Once Feng Ye entered the capital, would he support a Chen family prince or change the dynasty entirely? Who could say for sure?

The reason he hadn’t thought in this direction was not because he couldn’t, but because he was unwilling to doubt Feng Ye. In all these years of entanglement with Feng Ye, Feng Ye had never lied to him. On the contrary, he had deceived Feng Ye many times. He lacked the confidence to second-guess. He had abandoned everything he painstakingly built to come to Feng Ye’s side. From the beginning, they had made a clear agreement to overthrow the old and establish the new, to place Chen Mu on the throne and bring peace to the world, stability to the people. He could not believe that Feng Ye would start a war among the feudal lords for his own selfish gain. That would completely betray his original intentions and ruin not only the Da Sheng dynasty but also the people’s future.

No, he didn’t believe Feng Ye would do such a thing.

At this moment, a guard suddenly came to report that Feng Ye had invited him to Rongyuan Mountain for a terrain survey.

Yan Sikong silently changed his clothes, mounted his horse, and set off with his guards.

Feng Ye had already been on the mountain for a while, surveying. From Rongyuan Mountain, one could see Taiyuan City in the distance, with all the main routes leading to and from the city within view. Since they captured the Rongyuan Mountain grain depot, this place had become one of their best lookout points.

Yan Sikong arrived at the old site of the grain depot. Feng Ye was discussing military strategy with several generals, using his sword to draw in the dirt. It reminded Yan Sikong of many years ago, when he and Feng Ye had first gone to Lingwu Manor. They had strolled through the mountains, gazing at the distant Jing Mountain camp and contemplating attack strategies. Back then, Feng Ye was still a young, brash youth, but now he had become a true general commanding thousands.

Seeing Yan Sikong arrive, Feng Ye gave him a meaningful look. Just as Yan Sikong was about to dismount and salute, Feng Ye stopped him, saying, “No need for that, I was just about to show you something.”

With that, Feng Ye mounted Zuihong, leading Yan Sikong further into the mountain.

The two rode side by side at the front, while the generals and guards followed at a distance.

Yan Sikong asked, “What do you want to show me?”

Feng Ye smiled faintly. “My men saw A Li leave the camp again. So, what was it, another letter to Chen Mu?”

Yan Sikong paused, then said bluntly, “Yes.”

“What did Chen Mu write in today’s letter?” Feng Ye glanced at him sideways. “If I keep doubting you, we’ll end up arguing again, and I’m tired of it. So why not just tell me directly?”

“It was just an exchange of military information.”

“The letter?”

“… Burned.”

“Burned?” Feng Ye raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll be more suspicious if you burn it like that?”

Yan Sikong fell silent. He suddenly changed his mind. Rather than repeatedly guessing on his own or taking the risk of secretly probing Feng Ye and being discovered, he might as well directly verify with Feng Ye. Feng Ye was unguarded. If he truly harbored disloyal intentions, his words and expressions would likely reveal a flaw. So, he turned to Feng Ye and said, “Actually, Chen Mu expressed some concerns in his letter. The stronger we become, the more he fears us.”

“Oh? What’s he afraid of?” Feng Ye sneered, “That I’ll seize the throne and not give it to him?”

“Would you?” Yan Sikong pressed the question, his gaze unblinking as he fixed it on Feng Ye.

Sure enough, Feng Ye was taken aback. He hadn’t expected Yan Sikong to ask so bluntly. He narrowed his eyes, “What, do you doubt me too?”

“Feng Ye, I’ve never wanted to doubt you in the slightest, but you’ve never taken Chen Mu seriously, which makes me…”

“Why should I take a useless pawn seriously?” Feng Ye said arrogantly. “He’s just a piece on our chessboard, isn’t he?”

“That may be true, but he’s still meant to become the emperor…” Yan Sikong retorted. “Isn’t that right?”

Feng Ye narrowed his eyes slightly, “Yan Sikong, why are you being so roundabout? Do you dare to ask me directly what’s in your heart?”

Yan Sikong took a deep breath. The words stuck in his throat, but he couldn’t bring himself to say them.

He couldn’t ask. Whether it was due to fear or reluctance, he felt that if he voiced the question, some things would become irreparable.

Feng Ye stared at him intently for a long moment. “You’re not asking? No matter, even if you don’t, I can answer you. When the day comes that we enter the capital, I will, as we agreed, make Chen Mu the emperor, bowing to him with the three kneels and nine kowtows in front of the civil and military officials, honoring him as the sovereign, and securing the Chen family’s reign for generations. Is that enough for you?”

Yan Sikong tightened his grip on the reins. “You are not content.”

“Not content?” Feng Ye seemed to hear something absurd and let out a cold laugh. “Am I not allowed to be discontent? My Feng family has served his Chen family for three generations. My father guarded the bitterly cold border for decades, shielding them from the most savage Mongol invaders. Yet the dog emperor repaid us with ingratitude, forcing my father to his death and slaughtering over two hundred of my family members. And you want me to be content?!”

“Feng Ye…” Yan Sikong said in a grave tone, “I’ve never stopped you from seeking revenge, but you have to understand that the one who wronged your family wasn’t Chen Mu. More importantly, Chen Mu is our stabilizing force to keep the various princes of the Chen family in line. You don’t want chaos across the land, do you?”

“If Chen Mu got the chance, he would want to get rid of me too, but I won’t give him that chance,” Feng Ye said coldly. “I’ve already said, I understand the stakes. But don’t take those pampered sons of the Chen family too seriously. The purge of the feudal lords back then already weakened them greatly. Now, most of them care only for their lavish lifestyles. Do you really think the dog emperor could summon the feudal lords to raise troops and come to his aid? If he could, I wouldn’t have gathered an army of over 200,000 in just two years.”

“You know exactly why the feudal lords refuse to act recklessly. It’s because of Chen Mu, because whether it’s Chen Chun or Chen Mu on the throne, it’s still the Chen family’s internal affair. Your surname is Feng, you…”

“Enough!” Feng Ye glared fiercely at Yan Sikong. “How many times do you have to repeat this nonsense? My ears are getting calloused! I’ve been following the plan all along, purging those around the throne, supporting Prince Chu. What more do you want from me? Just because I don’t regard Chen Mu highly, you suspect I have ambitions to seize the realm? So, what, should I be prostrating myself toward the southwest morning and night, eagerly welcoming Prince Chu to ascend the throne and rule the world before you’ll be satisfied?!”

Yan Sikong’s heart trembled. He pulled on the reins and said softly, “That’s not what I meant.”

“I ask you,” Feng Ye pointed his whip at Yan Sikong. “No matter what Chen Mu said to you, do you trust him or do you trust me?”

Yan Sikong tightened his grip on the reins, looking steadily at Feng Ye. “Feng Ye, it’s not that I don’t trust you. I’m just worried about you. I fear that hatred will consume you, making you reckless.”

“Like you?” Feng Ye mocked.

Yan Sikong replied quietly, “Yes, like me.”

“I am not you,” Feng Ye said with a hint of deeper meaning. “Even though, you taught me a lot.”

Yan Sikong lowered his head, his emotions in turmoil.

Feng Ye lifted his chin, speaking with the tone of a wolf king, “Answer my earlier question. Do you trust Chen Mu or do you trust me?”

“I trust you.” This time, Yan Sikong didn’t hesitate. He took a deep breath, staring directly at Feng Ye. “You are the one person in my life I am most unwilling to doubt, and the only one I trust. I believe what you’ve said today, and I won’t have any more doubts in the future.”

Feng Ye’s icy expression finally softened. “I’m somewhat satisfied with that answer. You’d better remember it. You’ve lied to me countless times, but I’ve never deceived you. You are the least qualified person in this world to doubt me.”

Yan Sikong: “… Yes.”

Feng Ye’s gaze flickered, the emotions within unfathomable.

Yan Sikong exhaled. “I was overly suspicious today. Just pretend I never asked. What is it you wanted to show me?”

Feng Ye averted his gaze, gesturing to his subordinates behind them to wait again. Then he dismounted, tying Zuihong to a tree.

Yan Sikong also dismounted, securing his horse before following Feng Ye deeper into the forest.

As he watched Feng Ye’s back, he felt that the burden on those broad shoulders might be even heavier than he had imagined.

He couldn’t help but feel a bit ashamed for having doubted Feng Ye.

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This is probably the hardest piece I’ve written in years. Readers familiar with my work know that I mostly wrote modern stories before. I initially tried writing ancient ones, but my writing style back then was so terrible that I can hardly bear to look back at it now. After so many years, tackling both the ancient style and political intrigue—two genres I had no confidence in—I expected it to be challenging, but I didn’t expect it to be this difficult. Every day, I struggle with the plot, and it’s truly exhausting. However, all of this is worth it. I believe that once I finish this story properly, according to my own standards, I’ll feel a greater sense of accomplishment than I have with any previous work. So, I apologize for the occasional hiatus, for the late updates, and for the times when the word count is too low. Although you haven’t been that strict with me, my expectations of myself make it hard to tolerate such speed and length. I will keep pushing myself to write this story well while ensuring consistent updates.

Love you all~