The Blood Crown - Chapter 239

Yan Sikong returned to his residence, his mind still in turmoil.

The letter was unsigned, but he knew it was from Chen Mu. It addressed him directly as “Sir” and mentioned that if he wished to leave Taiyuan, he should go to the Quefeng Teahouse to find “Iron Staff.”

What did Chen Mu mean by this? Was he truly planning to sever ties and join forces with the imperial court to deal with Feng Ye? Or did he think that, simply because Feng Ye married, they would turn against each other?

The letter was brief, with little more content, yet it plunged Yan Sikong into deep worry. He was far from Taiyuan and could not keep up with the developments in the imperial court and Yongzhou. Moreover, with Shen Hexuan obstructing things, it seemed that Chen Mu was truly losing control.

Chen Mu secretly sent this confidential letter, hoping Yan Sikong would abandon Feng Ye and help him?

Even if he wanted Chen Mu to become emperor, the premise was that Feng Ye should receive what he deserved. If Chen Mu could not be trusted and could not be used, it would be better to choose a younger, more inexperienced prince and train him from scratch.

His bond with Chen Mu, built on the teacher-student relationship, was now negligible.

Yan Sikong summoned A Li and instructed him to inform She Zhun’s people to investigate this “Iron Staff” at Quefeng Teahouse. If this person was an agent planted by Chen Mu in Taiyuan, there might be something useful to exploit.

Afterwards, he wrote a letter full of secret codes to Jin Yongye, a strategist he had promoted during his time in Yunnan, using someone else’s handwriting. The letter was to inquire about Chen Mu and Shen Hexuan’s movements. Jin Yongye was actually recommended by She Zhun. Having lost his family at a young age, he harbored a deep resentment against the imperial family, a feeling Yan Sikong could sympathize with. He was a hidden pawn beside Chen Mu. He had refrained from taking action because he was waiting for Chen Mu’s reply, but now, Chen Mu was unlikely to respond, or even if he did, there would be little truth in his words. Yan Sikong had to find another way.

What were Chen Mu and Shen Hexuan planning?

—

Soon enough, Yan Sikong found out what they were up to.

Chen Mu, in the guise of Prince Chu, sent Feng Ye a letter from a high and mighty position, demanding two things—land and a person. The land was Taiyuan, and the person, without a doubt, was Yan Sikong.

Along with the letter came rumors that spread like wildfire, originating from Yongzhou and soon reaching all corners of the land. These rumors claimed that Feng Ye was about to hand over Taiyuan to Chen Mu, and this would dispel the gossip about his ambitions to usurp the throne.

Upon receiving the letter, Feng Ye was furious. He immediately ordered the execution of Chen Mu’s messenger, but was dissuaded from doing so by Yuan Nanyu and Wang Shen.

If it had been just a simple letter, Feng Ye would not have been so enraged. What angered him was the strategy behind it, or rather, the strategy of Shen Hexuan. It forced him into a corner. Chen Mu was testing him. If Feng Ye truly handed over the hard-won Taiyuan to Chen Mu, then Chen Mu would no longer need to return to the capital to become the crown prince. With their combined forces, they could march into the capital and claim the throne. But if Feng Ye refused, then the rumors of his disloyalty would be confirmed, and Chen Mu would join forces with the imperial court to oppose him. The various vassal kings would also realize that Feng Ye sought to change the imperial family’s name, and they would never tolerate him.

Yan Sikong heard the news and hurried to the government office. From a distance, he could already hear noises coming from inside. The guards outside were kneeling on the ground.

Yan Sikong entered and saw a golden nanmu chair thrown in the doorway, its legs broken. Inside, flowerpots and tea sets were shattered on the floor, a clear sign of the master’s anger. The room was in disarray.

Yuan Nanyu, Wang Shen, and other trusted generals stood silently on either side.

“Wolf King.” Yan Sikong called softly.

Feng Ye suddenly turned his head. His eyes were sharp and dangerous, like a wild beast, and the moment he glared at Yan Sikong, it sent a chill down his spine.

Yan Sikong felt a surge of fear, but he steadied himself, gave a subtle signal to Yuan Nanyu and the others, indicating they should leave.

The generals, visibly relieved, all exited the room.

Only the two of them remained. Yan Sikong closed the door and gestured to an intact chair. “Feng Ye, sit down and calm down.”

Feng Ye realized he had been too impulsive earlier in front of his soldiers. He darkened his face and sat in the chair, his large fists clenched tightly, making a creaking sound.

Yan Sikong picked up Chen Mu’s letter from the scattered debris, glanced at it, and his face grew increasingly grim.

“Chen Mu, that vile man. Now he’s spreading rumors that I’m going to hand over Taiyuan to him. And he even dares to ask for you!” Feng Ye gritted his teeth.

“This is Chen Mu testing you.” Yan Sikong said softly. “It seems the imperial court’s stance is not firm, and neither is his. The dog emperor must be afraid that once he abdicates, both Wen Guifei and Chen Chun’s lives will be in danger. Chen Mu is considering this too, fearing that if he trusts the court and turns against you, it will all come to nothing. In their game, Chen Mu thought to first test your bottom line before making further plans.”

Feng Ye sneered. “How could I not see through this? That bastard Chen Mu, does he think I’ve forgotten that he’s just the son of a lowly maid, who was once discarded and driven out of the capital? He owes everything to you and me!”

“It’s because he remembers that he behaves like this,” Yan Sikong narrowed his eyes. “He’s afraid of returning to his previous state, so he’s trying to secure a foolproof path. If you truly submit and hand over Taiyuan, he will no longer need to guess the court’s intentions.”

Feng Ye looked sideways at Yan Sikong. “What do you think I should do?”

“There’s a way, which might solve all the problems.”

“If you mean sending someone to Yongzhou, don’t bother.”

“Feng Ye…”

“Shut up!” Feng Ye pointed at Yan Sikong. “Are you trying to tell me that you can go to Yongzhou to persuade Chen Mu, and make me hand you over to him?! Don’t even think about it. If you really had control over Chen Mu, we wouldn’t be in this situation. Why are you still deceiving yourself, refusing to believe that the young man you once manipulated has already grown up?”

Yan Sikong took a deep breath, his voice trembling slightly. “You’re right. Deep down, he never truly grew up in my eyes, but now I’m awake. Feng Ye, if we want to solve this with the least cost, to deal with Shen Hexuan, it can only be me who does it. I believe that once I meet Chen Mu, he will listen to me, not to Shen Hexuan.”

To his surprise, Feng Ye didn’t continue to get angry. Instead, he looked at Yan Sikong coldly, his pupils dark and bottomless. “I have a plan that’s more suitable than yours.”

“What is it?”

“I am willing to give Taiyuan to Chen Mu.”

Yan Sikong was shocked.

Feng Ye smiled coldly. “He uses rumors to harm me, I can do the same. As long as he comes here personally, I will open the gates wide to welcome him. If he doesn’t come, then I can’t be blamed for not being loyal. But if he does come, I will capture him on the spot and control him completely.”

Yan Sikong pondered for a while. “Feng Ye, Chen Mu isn’t stupid. Right now, there are four cities separating you and him. But if you use this plan to lure him into the central plains, and he brings tens of thousands of soldiers, he won’t be easily trapped. It could even lead to a battle.”

“If he dares come, I will control five cities in the central plains. Why would I fear capturing him?”

“Even if it’s by military strength, you have more soldiers than him, but this battle will surely come at a heavy cost. And once you start a war with him, our plans are over.”

“That’s why I’m giving him a choice,” Feng Ye said with cold eyes. “He doesn’t have to come.”

“If he doesn’t come, he may ally with the imperial court. Whether he comes or not, it’s bad for us. The best option is for me to go persuade him…”

“You really want to go find him!” Feng Ye slammed the table, his deep and authoritative voice shaking the room.

“Yan Sikong…”

“He’s clearly asking for you,” Feng Ye stood up, his face twisted with fury. “He dares to ask for you! How dare he ask for someone from my side!”

Yan Sikong sighed. “You can’t act on impulse.”

“Act on impulse?” Feng Ye gritted his teeth. “Why don’t you mention that he has ulterior motives? Or do you also think about him constantly, and find it hard to stay away from him, as if being around me is ‘always at fault,’ that you can’t wait to be by his side?”

Yan Sikong shouted angrily. “You’re talking nonsense!”

Feng Ye pointed at him and shouted, “I don’t care what you’re thinking, if you leave me for even half a step, I will never forgive you.” His voice turned cold. “Maybe killing Chen Mu is the only way to end all your thoughts.”

Yan Sikong suddenly stood up. “What thoughts do I have for him? I only want to help you elevate him…”

“That’s a thought!” Feng Ye roared. “He deserves to die!”

Yan Sikong froze. He looked at Feng Ye, his lips trembling, and softly murmured, “You want to kill him?”

The question wasn’t phrased correctly. Yan Sikong had known for a long time that Feng Ye wanted to kill Chen Mu. Feng Ye, with his intense possessiveness, viewed Chen Mu’s interest in him as though he were trying to take something from his grasp. Feng Ye would never allow that. But it was one thing to want something, and another to act on it. Anyone with a sense of the bigger picture knew that Chen Mu could not be killed. However, in that moment, when Feng Ye said “he deserves to die,” Yan Sikong felt like a sharp realization had struck him. He understood that Feng Ye truly wanted to kill Chen Mu—not just fantasize about it, but if Chen Mu really came to Taiyuan, Feng Ye would actually act on it!

Feng Ye’s facial muscles twitched, his veins bulging, a hostile energy radiating from him, making anyone nearby afraid to approach. He looked down at Yan Sikong, his voice calming. “Did you just realize I want to kill him? I told you this long ago, when I found out he took a concubine who resembled you.”

“Wanting and doing are different,” Yan Sikong clenched his fists. “If Chen Mu stands in front of you, will you kill him?”

Feng Ye swallowed hard but remained silent.

“Yan Sikong,” Feng Ye’s voice was cold, “You must not entertain such thoughts. You’re using the excuse of helping Chen Mu ascend to power to rebel. If you kill him, you’ll be the enemy of all. Do you understand?”

Feng Ye turned his gaze away. “I only want to… I won’t kill him, even though he deserves to die.” The words “deserves to die” were spat out through gritted teeth, as if he wanted to chew them up between his teeth.

Yan Sikong’s heart raced, his entire being disoriented. For some reason, his sense of unease and worry grew even stronger.

Feng Ye turned his back. “I’ve made up my mind. Tomorrow, I will send a reply, proclaiming to the world that I will welcome Prince Chu into the central plains.” He said with a playful yet chilling tone, “I will use all my intelligence and loyalty, even my life, to assist Prince Chu in ascending the throne.”