The Blood Crown - Chapter 235

In the battle for Taiyuan, Feng Ye lost fifty thousand soldiers beneath the towering south city gate, with countless others injured. The losses in this battle were so heavy that they nearly equaled the total losses from all the battles he had fought since raising his army, but the gains from this battle were also unprecedentedly large.

From Qingyang to Yanzhou, and then to Taiyuan, this was a complete and crucial thoroughfare, linking the northwest to the southeast. They had seized a key military stronghold in the heart of the Central Plains. Strategically, they could now cut off the imperial army’s grain supply, not to mention the wealth and manpower they could gather here. Regardless of how many people they lost in this battle, they could recruit even more.

With Taiyuan as their base, they now had a retreat if they encountered any obstacles on the road to the capital.

After occupying Taiyuan, the high walls and deep moats gave them a great sense of security. The soldiers were invigorated, and the city, which had just changed hands, had already regained its vitality.

The common people didn’t care who was in power, as long as they could live in peace and have enough food, they were willing to work diligently in the fields and live in an orderly manner.

Most of the former defenders of Taiyuan were either dead or had surrendered. Luo Ruoxin, not waiting for Feng Ye to capture him and behead him, hanged himself. Feng Ye, remembering the great achievements of the former general of the Wei Kingdom, Luo Lao, and the fact that he had served alongside his grandfather in the same generation of generals to protect the country, spared the Luo family’s remaining members. However, they seized a large amount of gold, silver, treasures, and rare paintings from the Luo family, worth up to one million taels, which were all used for military supplies.

Feng Ye generously rewarded the soldiers who had contributed to the victory in this battle and declared a three-day celebration. Taiyuan immediately became a city that never slept.

After a banquet, the generals gradually dispersed. Feng Ye had a poor tolerance for alcohol, but because he was happy, he drank freely and boldly, soon being helped to his bedroom.

Yan Sikong, on the other hand, supported the weak-legged Yuan Nanyu, with a hint of unintentional reproach in his tone, “I advised you to find a place to hide earlier, but you insisted on drinking so much.”

Yuan Nanyu smiled and said, “I’m happy, happy.”

“Earlier, they drank too much and said they wanted to take off your mask to see your true face. What would you do if that happened?”

“Take it off… take it off, hahaha,” Yuan Nanyu slurred, “My face… is still… fine to show… hahaha…”

Yan Sikong sighed, thinking to himself that he was truly drunk, and helplessly said, “If I hadn’t stopped them, something bad would have happened today.” He called the attendants to help him support Yuan Nanyu and sent him to rest in the inner courtyard.

After arriving at the room, Yan Sikong dismissed the attendants and personally helped Yuan Nanyu remove his shoes and clothes. Once he placed him carefully on the bed, he took off the ever-present mask.

The handsome face was tinged with a faint drunken flush, and his half-closed eyes were moist. Despite being a general who had fought ruthlessly in many battles, he now appeared somewhat fragile and pitiable. The faded tattoo of the “ink punishment” on his forehead still stung Yan Sikong’s eyes no matter how many times he looked at it.

Yan Sikong gently reached out, stroking the tattoo that represented a lifetime of humiliation. The uneven texture of the skin burned his fingertips.

Yuan Nanyu smiled drunkenly, “It’s fine… now.”

“This mark has faded quite a bit. With some makeup ointment, it can be covered.” Yan Sikong said softly, “Have you ever thought about taking off the mask?”

Yuan Nanyu shook his head, “Once you’ve worn the mask for so long, it’s hard to take it off.”

“Is it because of me?” Yan Sikong said with a hint of melancholy, “If others knew we were brothers… it wouldn’t matter much. I’m just worried that someone with ill intentions might trace our past. But even so, I’m not too concerned anymore.”

“This mask…” Yuan Nanyu pondered for a moment before speaking, “Once we’ve avenged our father, and I have the face to visit his grave, then I’ll take it off.”

Yan Sikong nodded, gently stroking his hair, and sighed, “You’ve grown up so much.”

Yuan Nanyu gazed at Yan Sikong in confusion, momentarily lost in thought, as familiar yet strange images flashed in his mind. It seemed like he saw their younger selves, but he was too tired, his vision blurred and hard to focus. His eyelids grew heavier, and he couldn’t resist as they slowly closed. Just before his consciousness fell into the darkness, he unintentionally muttered, “Second Brother…”

Yan Sikong, who had also drunk a little, was struck as if by lightning when he heard those two words. The alcohol instantly faded from his system. He pressed down on Yuan Nanyu’s shoulder, asking, “What did you call me? What did you call me?”

But sadly, Yuan Nanyu had already fallen asleep.

Yan Sikong stared blankly at Yuan Nanyu’s defenseless sleeping face for a long time, as if seeing the boy who had shared every meal and bed with him, the one who had been close to him in every way. His heart ached with sadness and loss, and he sighed deeply, “Yù’er, can you still remember?”

After leaving Yuan Nanyu’s room, Yan Sikong planned to rest, but Wu Liuqi said that the Wolf King was looking for him everywhere and urged him to hurry over.

In a rush, he arrived at Feng Ye’s bedroom, only to find Feng Ye angrily yelling at the attendants, “Where is he? You don’t know where he went? Didn’t any of you open your eyes?”

“Wolf King,” Yan Sikong softly called out.

Feng Ye turned around, and upon seeing Yan Sikong, it seemed as though he breathed a sigh of relief, but then furrowed his brow and said, “Where have you been?”

“I sent General Que back to his room to rest. He was so drunk he lost all sense of himself.” Yan Sikong’s face showed some fatigue. “You’ve drunk too, why are you looking for me?”

Feng Ye, with his martial prowess, had a quick recovery from his drunkenness. He said, “I get drunk fast, but I sober up just as quickly. You disappeared without a trace, so naturally, I had to find you.” He turned to the attendants and said, “Next time I ask where Lord Yan is, you’re not allowed to say you don’t know. Go.”

The attendants hastily responded, “Yes.”

Once they had left, Yan Sikong couldn’t help but ask, “What was that about? I’m still alive; am I going to disappear?”

Feng Ye lay on the bed and stretched out his hand toward him, “Come here.”

Yan Sikong walked over, and Feng Ye suddenly grabbed his hand, pulling him into his embrace and tightening his arms around him.

Yan Sikong, helpless, said, “What’s going on with you?” At this moment, Feng Ye seemed to have the stubbornness of a child.

“I had a dream the other day.”

“What dream?”

“I dreamt that you were gone.” Feng Ye whispered in his ear, “I always feel like you might disappear. You don’t seem to belong anywhere, and you don’t care to belong to anyone. I don’t know how to feel at ease.”

Yan Sikong knew that such vulnerable words would never be spoken by Feng Ye if he wasn’t drunk. A wave of deep affection surged in his heart. He hugged Feng Ye’s waist and softly said, “In this vast world, only by your side can I use the words ‘go back.’”

“Will you leave?”

“No.”

“What if you do?”

“Then I’ll ‘go back.’”