The Blood Crown - Chapter 236

In the battle of Taiyuan, Yuan Nanyu was the first to break through the city gates. Although he did so after the main army had held off the enemy’s main forces and had broken the secondary gates, he was still the first to enter the city, and this was a great achievement. Under Feng Ye’s command, he became immensely popular, with even seasoned veterans like Wang Shen of the Feng family army showing him respect.

However, Yuan Nanyu was straightforward and upright, treating his fellow generals with great respect and caring for his subordinates. Almost no one spoke ill of him. He had won numerous battles, and the soldiers admired him. Of course, there were always some who flattered him, like Yuan Shaoxu, who was one of them.

Now that the situation in Qingyang was stable, Feng Ye decided not to send Yuan Nanyu back to guard the city but to keep him in Taiyuan to plan for the capital. This allowed Yuan Shaoxu to frequently approach his younger brother.

Yuan Nanyu was deeply loyal and righteous. Despite losing his memory, despite the fact that in his mind, Yuan Shaoxu wasn’t even his real older brother and he was merely an adopted child, he still regarded Yuan Shaoxu and Yan Sikong as his brothers and treated both of them with great care.

In order to gain Feng Ye’s favor, Yuan Shaoxu stayed close to Yuan Nanyu every day, while being somewhat sarcastic toward Yan Sikong.

Yan Sikong couldn’t be bothered to argue with him, but he still didn’t want to see him constantly bothering Yuan Nanyu. He knew that Yuan Nanyu was clearly uncomfortable but unwilling to refuse out of politeness, so he called Yuan Nanyu to talk about it.

The two of them sat in Yan Sikong’s room, sipping tea, and Yuan Nanyu said, “You’ve noticed that Elder Brother has been looking for me a lot lately?”

“Of course, you’ve earned great merit in battle. The Wolf King doesn’t even know what else to reward you with. If you ask to promote your brother now, it’s only natural.”

Yuan Nanyu looked at Yan Sikong. “So, what do you think about this?”

Yan Sikong smiled. “We three brothers follow the Wolf King together, so naturally, we share both honor and disgrace, helping each other.”

Yuan Nanyu raised an eyebrow. “Oh? But you and Elder Brother are real brothers. Why don’t you help him and let him ask me for a letter from Qingyang instead of going to such lengths?”

Yan Sikong chuckled. “When did you get so sharp-tongued?” He couldn’t help but recall that when they were young, Yuan Nanyu had never been able to best him in words.

Yuan Nanyu didn’t seem to find it funny. “If we’re talking about sharp tongues, who can compare to you?” He frowned slightly. “Sikong, you’re not… jealous of Elder Brother because of our identities, are you?”

Yan Sikong quickly denied, “Of course not. After all, he is Elder Brother. Besides, we agreed not to mention that matter anymore. Even I don’t bring it up with Feng Ye, so how could I still hold a grudge?”

Yuan Nanyu let out a sigh of relief. “That’s good. We brothers must stand together. Actually, if Elder Brother only wanted rewards, I would naturally help him, just as you said, with us three brothers supporting each other, wouldn’t that make everyone happy? But Elder Brother is always aiming too high and requesting excessive power. This issue of not matching the virtue to the position is a big problem. Even if the Wolf King grants him what I requested, not only will the soldiers be dissatisfied, but the Wolf King will also harbor misgivings, which will harm him.”

Yan Sikong sighed. “My concern is the same. Elder Brother sees that you and I, as his younger brothers, are favored by the Wolf King, while he, as the elder brother, joined the army when we were still just children. He feels that his talents are unappreciated, and his heart is unbalanced. He’s brought up those demands before, and I’ve been put in a difficult position.”

“So, what do you think we should do?”

“I’ve already asked the Wolf King to make him a city governor, but he’s still dissatisfied. He’s determined to replace General Zhang Rong and lead an army himself, but General Zhang’s prestige in the army is not something he can compare to. Besides, General Zhang died on the battlefield, and the soldiers he brought from Sichuan mostly speak dialects. They still need to be led by a Sichuan general. How could they possibly give this to him?”

Yuan Nanyu sighed. “It really isn’t appropriate.”

“You need to calm Elder Brother down. Tell him that I’ll ask the Wolf King about it. Let me discuss it with him.”

Yuan Nanyu nodded. “In fact, Elder Brother is not without talent. Don’t let the Wolf King develop any prejudice against him, give him a chance to achieve something.”

“Alright.” Yan Sikong sneered inwardly. He decided to protect Yuan Mao’s eldest son, letting him live his life in unrecognized talent. Otherwise, if such a person were to take on a heavy responsibility, who knows what consequences would arise.

After that, Yuan Shaoxu indeed stopped seeking out Yuan Nanyu every day. However, the look in his eyes when he glanced at him no longer concealed his anger.

—

Feng Ye received reports from the spies tracking Wang Wei and Shen Hexuan, who, instead of returning to the capital, had gone to Yongzhou—the very place where Chen Mu was located.

Upon hearing this news, both Feng Ye and Yan Sikong fell into a long silence. If the two had escaped back to the capital, it wouldn’t have been a serious threat. Even if they couldn’t kill Shen Hexuan and had lost Taiyuan, the court would not have spared them. But now, they had gone to join Chen Mu!

Since arriving in Taiyuan, Shen Hexuan’s every move had been completely different from before. From the Luo Wen case, traces of his former self could still be seen, but he had become much more cunning and unpredictable. Now, he was even going to join the rebels?

Shen Hexuan’s actions were unusual, and there were two likely reasons for it. One, he knew that returning to the court would result in punishment, and perhaps not only would his career be ruined, but he might even face criminal charges. So, he threw caution to the wind, betraying the court to assist Chen Mu. The second possibility was that Shen Hexuan wanted to redeem himself by doing something for the court, acting as an envoy to negotiate with Chen Mu, and together they would deal with Feng Ye.

Given Shen Hexuan’s regard for his reputation, the second possibility seemed more likely.

For a long time, Yan Sikong had been afraid of one thing. This fear had been lingering in his mind since the court sent the retired Huo Li and Chen Mu’s maternal grandfather to Yunnan for peace talks, like a shadow that would not go away. It was only when Chen Mu had been resolute that he felt reassured, but now he could no longer feel at ease.

To Emperor Zhaowu, Chen Mu was his own son. Even if Chen Mu returned to the capital, it would still be the Chen family’s world. If Chen Mu gave up his position for the sake of peace, he could preserve his wealth and status. At least, Chen Mu wouldn’t commit the great crime of patricide. But if Chen Mu and Feng Ye became allies, and Feng Ye grew even more powerful, how could Emperor Zhaowu not fear the throne being usurped?

If Shen Hexuan truly intended such a move and could convince Emperor Zhaowu to retreat in order to advance, they would face a huge crisis.

Yan Sikong and Feng Ye had clashed several times. Both had used clever tactics, each more ruthless than the last. But it had to be said that if Shen Hexuan succeeded with this strategy, it would instantly turn the tables. They wouldn’t even enjoy the fruits of their victory in Taiyuan for long before being surrounded on all sides.

Though it was terrifying to think that Emperor Zhaowu might first remove Chen Chuan and then himself, Feng Ye was entrenched in the Central Plains, and Chen Mu was watching closely. He was not a man of great strategy but someone who preferred pleasure. Even if such a thing were to bring shame from future generations, it wasn’t impossible. However, Emperor Zhaowu’s favoritism toward Consort Wen and Chen Chuan meant that if Chen Mu ascended the throne, mother and son would not survive. This was likely his greatest concern.

After discussing with Feng Ye, Yan Sikong wrote letters to She Zhun and Chen Mu.

If there were such rumors in the court, the capital should have already caught wind of them. He couldn’t let this plan succeed, or both he and Feng Ye would be in grave danger.

Soon after, She Zhun replied, saying he had put in considerable effort to investigate, and had discovered that Shen Hexuan had sent a secret letter to Emperor Zhaowu, though he couldn’t know the exact contents. It was likely that Shen Hexuan was using this letter to negotiate with Chen Mu.

By the time, Shen Hexuan should have already arrived in Yongzhou, and his letter would probably reach Chen Mu too late. Yan Sikong didn’t know if the letter would steady Chen Mu’s resolve, but knowing that Shen Hexuan was now face-to-face with Chen Mu, the letter would likely carry even less weight.

Yan Sikong was anxious, but there was nothing he could do for now. If he were Chen Mu, he too would hesitate. If he could secure the throne now, why waste so many resources?

Feng Ye was also worried. Originally, after capturing Taiyuan, Prince Yong had begun to approach Feng Ye, wanting to form an alliance. Feng Ye had planned to ignore him for a while to save face. But after hearing about Shen Hexuan’s move to Yongzhou, he immediately sent someone to meet with Prince Yong, making sure that he would be bound to his side before Prince Yong heard more.

After several days of anxiety, that evening, Feng Ye suddenly called Yan Sikong back from the yamen.

Yan Sikong had been handling some military affairs, and Feng Ye knew that. He didn’t understand why he was being called back so urgently. He had to leave his work behind and return to the residence Feng Ye had requisitioned in Taiyuan.

Feng Ye had prepared a table of food and wine, sitting upright in a chair, staring at him with deep eyes. “Come, sit.”

A strange feeling rose in Yan Sikong’s heart. He knew Feng Ye had something important to say, and it didn’t seem to be a discussion. The resolute, unquestionable look on his face meant that Feng Ye was about to give orders, not ask for advice, though the faint twitch of his lips revealed his inner turmoil.

Confused, Yan Sikong slowly sat down. “I was just checking winter supplies with General Wang Shen. You called me back. It can’t just be for a meal, can it?”

Feng Ye lowered his voice. “I have something to tell you.”

Yan Sikong couldn’t help but feel his heart race, his hands secretly gripping the fabric of his clothes. “Go on.”

“I’ve received word that Shen Hexuan really did urge Emperor Zhaowu to retreat and advance. Emperor Zhaowu is now discussing with the key ministers to remove Chen Chuan, in order to make peace with Chen Mu, and then Shen Hexuan will persuade Chen Mu to join forces against me.”

Yan Sikong took a deep breath. His worst fears had indeed come true. If Chen Chuan was really deposed, then Emperor Zhaowu’s position would be severely weakened, and Chen Mu would likely…

“I can’t just sit here and wait,” Feng Ye squinted. “I’ve come this far, I must see it through.”

“Do you have any good ideas?”

Feng Ye stared directly at Yan Sikong. “I’ve decided to marry Princess Yong.”