The Blood Crown - Chapter 233

Luo Wen’s matter was soon resolved. In consideration of the Luo family’s generations of loyalty and military merits, Emperor Zhao Wu spared Luo Wen from the death penalty but sentenced him to five years of hard labor, without a single day’s pardon. As for Luo Ruoxin’s failure to discipline his son and negligence in supervision, which led to the theft from the armory, this charge would be settled after the battle of Taiyuan concluded.

This hard labor was an extremely grueling task, and the pampered Young Master Luo was certain to be unable to endure it. However, Emperor Zhao Wu, likely aware that Shen Hexuan was not easy to deal with, played a clever trick here and did not specify where the labor would be served. If Luo Wen were sent to some desolate, cold region, he might never return, just like Yuan Nanyu who nearly died in a quarry in the northwest years ago. But since no location was mentioned, serving the hard labor in Taiyuan itself was possible. If so, when the turmoil subsided, Luo Wen could easily evade punishment under Luo Ruoxin’s protection.

Shen Hexuan was not satisfied with this outcome. He knew the emperor was trying to smooth things over. Though he couldn’t openly defy the imperial edict, he couldn’t accept the matter being brushed aside either. He was fully aware of what would happen if Luo Wen served hard labor under Luo Ruoxin’s watchful eye, so he proposed, as an overseer, to personally supervise Luo Wen, strictly following the decree with no leniency.

Luo Ruoxin could only watch as his son, weeping and wailing, was made to do the lowest of manual labor, shouted at by harsh overseers, and left utterly exhausted every day. He was both heartbroken and enraged, hating Shen Hexuan with a burning intensity.

The case seemed to gradually settle down, but Luo Ruoxin’s dissatisfaction with Shen Hexuan began to grow. He knew that as long as Shen Hexuan remained, he would be under constant restraint, every move scrutinized by others. Not only would he be unable to save his son, but he would also struggle to maintain control over Taiyuan’s troops. Thus, he began to oppose Shen Hexuan at every turn.

Though Shen Hexuan was the military overseer, he had no real power. If Luo Ruoxin followed his instructions, they would cooperate against their enemies. If not, Shen Hexuan could only report to the emperor. However, he was inflexible, filing complaints so frequently that the emperor grew weary. Besides, with Feng Ye still hesitant to attack and Taiyuan remaining temporarily peaceful, Chen Mu’s growing influence was becoming the court’s main concern. Thus, the rift between him and Luo Ruoxin was unlikely to find anyone willing to “mediate.”

These developments were great news for Yan Sikong and Feng Ye. With winter fast approaching and the weather turning colder, the coming battles would be even harder. Day and night, they longed for the opportunity to seize Taiyuan, knowing that such opportunities never fall from the sky—they had to be created. They secretly contacted Zhou Ke, instructing him to find a way to kill Luo Wen. Once the task was done, they would immediately escort his family out of the city.

This move would not only test Zhou Ke’s loyalty but also ensure a complete rift between Luo Ruoxin and Shen Hexuan.

At the time, Taiyuan was following Shen Hexuan’s orders to extend watchtowers outside the city walls, which would serve as both lookout posts and fortifications. The project required a large workforce, and Luo Wen had been assigned to labor there. Luo Ruoxin began to find excuses to criticize, arguing that Taiyuan was already one of the most formidable fortresses in the land, and building towers was an unnecessary extravagance that exhausted the people.

But the construction had already begun, and Luo Ruoxin had previously agreed to it. Now, calling for a halt naturally led to heated arguments with Shen Hexuan, with both sides trading harsh words, unable to reach a conclusion.

Then, on a pitch-black, windy night, the laborers were still working hard under the supervisors’ watch. A loose stone from the wall suddenly plummeted from above, striking Luo Wen squarely on the head and crushing the pampered young lord, who had only endured seven days of hard labor, to death on the spot.

By dawn, the news had spread throughout Taiyuan. It was said that Luo Ruoxin, upon hearing it, spat blood on the spot.

To uncover who had pushed the stone, Luo Ruoxin rounded up everyone present that night. The city was thrown into turmoil and chaos, as a cart carrying golden liquid silently smuggled Zhou Ke’s wife and daughter out of the city.

Though the tower construction halted, Luo Ruoxin’s only son was dead and could not be brought back. Consumed with grief and anger, he, still in his prime, looked like an old man, bedridden with illness.

Feng Ye knew the time had come. He wrote to Prince Yong, declaring that he would take Taiyuan before the year’s end, and that after the New Year, Prince Chu would be brought into the Central Plains. The Prince’s ascension was imminent, and if Prince Yong did not act now, there would be no second chance.

Meanwhile, Yan Sikong, in concert with spies inside Taiyuan and Zhou Ke, exploited the escalating conflict between Luo Ruoxin and Shen Hexuan, using the growing unrest to bribe Taiyuan’s soldiers heavily. This battle had to decide everything in one stroke. If Luo Ruoxin and Shen Hexuan managed to unite against them, they would return to square one.

The two plotted in secret, planning to coordinate with Zhou Ke for an internal and external attack on Taiyuan City. However, though Zhou Ke had been completely bought off and his wife and daughter were in their hands, he was still recovering from his wounds, barely able to get out of bed and demoted. He had no authority to command troops. But he offered an even better plan.

After the previous armory keeper was executed over Luo Wen’s case, the new keeper was a close friend of Zhou Ke’s. Both had climbed up from the ranks of soldiers, but unlike Zhou Ke’s bravery, the new keeper had yet to be trusted with significant duties. His biggest flaw was greed, which played right into their hands.

Zhou Ke, with Feng Ye’s money, bribed the man, planning to blow up the armory. If the city descended into chaos, they would seize the opportunity to attack. It would be their only chance to conquer Taiyuan.

Although the plan was thorough, no amount of scheming could avoid a siege. Their forces were twice that of Taiyuan’s, but even if they destroyed the armory, there was no guarantee of victory—unless Prince Yong sent reinforcements.

They set the date to blow up the armory, but Prince Yong’s response was delayed. In the end, Feng Ye sent him a final letter and ordered Yuan Nanyu to lead reinforcements.

Yan Sikong asked worriedly, “You mean we’re not waiting for Prince Yong?”

“No, if he comes, great. If he doesn’t, we can’t afford to wait any longer. As long as Que Wang arrives, our chances of victory will increase.”

Yan Sikong nodded. “The situation in Qingyang is stable now, and we’ve already taken Pingliang and Fengxiang. Que Wang can finally break free.” He sighed, “I haven’t seen him in almost a year.”

Feng Ye glanced at him. “Do you really want to see him?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Yan Sikong wondered if Feng Ye thought he’d have reservations about Que Wang because of his identity, and the thought filled his chest with irritation.

Feng Ye didn’t answer, merely saying, “It won’t be long. I’m waiting for him to make another great contribution for me.”

“Que Wang has indeed learned a lot from you,” Yan Sikong said softly. “He used to be just a wandering fighter. Without your guidance, how could he command troops? You’ve both benefited from each other.”

“Of course.” Mentioning Yuan Nanyu brought a proud look to Feng Ye’s face. “He aided me with all his might when I was down and out, vowing to follow me to the death. A man like that—you might not find even one in a lifetime. So whatever I have, I won’t deny him a share. Now he’s conquering cities for me; in the future, I’ll grant him the highest honors.”

Yan Sikong felt a twinge of bitterness. This was clearly a good thing—he wanted Yuan Nanyu to have the very best the world could offer. But hearing it from Feng Ye’s lips, he couldn’t help but feel sour. He, too, had supported Feng Ye with all his strength, vowing to follow him unto death. Yet because he had once deceived Feng Ye, nothing he did could ever match Yuan Nanyu’s pure loyalty. No matter how many feats he accomplished, he could never earn the praise Feng Ye gave to Yuan Nanyu.

When Yan Sikong realized he was actually jealous of Yuan Nanyu, cold sweat broke out all over him.

What was he thinking? Back then, it was his selfishness—his refusal to share Feng Ye with Yuan Nanyu—that led to the misunderstandings about their identities. He had already tasted the bitter consequences, and he owed Yuan Nanyu a debt he could never repay. How could he still harbor such thoughts, especially because of Feng Ye? It was utterly foolish!

Yan Sikong took a deep breath, forcing himself to rein in his thoughts. He said, “It’s for the best. With his help, whether Prince Yong comes or not, we can still take Taiyuan!”

Feng Ye, without concealing his ambition, said, “Exactly. When we conquer Taiyuan, let him regret it!”

“Then Chen Mu won’t have to risk attacking the old capital, Chang’an. He can move straight to Taiyuan,” Yan Sikong said, clenching his fist. “If the two of you join forces, no one in the land will be able to stop you!”

Feng Ye, who had just been filled with lofty ambitions, suddenly darkened at the mention of Chen Mu. “I haven’t even deployed my troops yet, and you’re already thinking about welcoming Chen Mu into the Central Plains?”

Yan Sikong knew Feng Ye disliked hearing about Chen Mu, especially during this time of anxiety before a major battle. Yet he had still brought it up. Deep down, he was startled to realize that he might have done it on purpose—to provoke Feng Ye, just like Feng Ye had been praising Yuan Nanyu without reservation…

Yan Sikong’s heart pounded wildly. He pinched his thigh hard, forcing himself to calm down. In a low voice, he said, “I was only envisioning our victory, nothing more.”

Feng Ye snorted coldly and stood up. “Focus on preparing for the battle in the coming days. I don’t want to hear about anything unrelated to this campaign right now. I have to win—do you understand? This battle, I must win.”

“I understand.” Yan Sikong took a deep breath, the weight of guilt and remorse for Yuan Nanyu heavy on his chest, and solemnly said, “I told you, I will take Taiyuan for you. I will not break my word.”

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There’s no hope. The more I write, the “earlier” it gets…