The Blood Crown - Chapter 263

When Yuan Nanyu announced that he would follow Yan Sikong to Pingliang, the soldiers were furious and knelt down to beg Yuan Nanyu, unwilling to leave.

Standing to the side, Yan Sikong could feel the sharp glares cutting him to pieces.

The soldiers were loyal to Yuan Nanyu, willing to live and die together with him. Yuan Nanyu was deeply moved and even more remorseful. He had no choice but to take out the military talisman, ordering the generals to lead the soldiers down the mountain.

After the soldiers left, Yuan Nanyu finally allowed Shen Hexuan’s guards to tie him up.

On the way down the mountain, Yuan Nanyu asked in a low voice, “What happened to Big Brother?”

At the mention of this person, Yan Sikong couldn’t hide his disgust. “Do you still care if he’s dead or alive?”

Yuan Nanyu gave a bitter smile. “I heard he was captured. What happened to him?”

“He’s in the prison in Pingliang.”

“He…” Yuan Nanyu hesitated for a long time, but in the end, he didn’t finish his sentence.

Yan Sikong glanced at him. “He gave a false military order, leading the soldiers into a disastrous ambush and dragging you down with him. He should be dealt with according to military law.”

Yuan Nanyu remained silent.

“If neither of you had been captured, how would you have dealt with him?” Yan Sikong stared at Yuan Nanyu.

Yuan Nanyu said softly, “According to military law, he should be executed.”

“Since you know that, you should consider him dead.”

“Sikong,” Yuan Nanyu gritted his teeth, “but he’s still my elder brother. If you can save me, could you…”

“No,” Yan Sikong interrupted coldly. “Besides, it’s not up to me whether he lives or dies.”

Yuan Nanyu looked at himself, already struggling to save his own life, and knew that saying more would be pointless. He let out a deep sigh and fell silent.

After descending the mountain, Qu Jiao was waiting with the soldiers in charge of escorting them.

Upon seeing Yuan Nanyu, Qu Jiao dismounted and politely said, “General Qu, I’ve long admired your name. Now that I’ve seen you, you are indeed as impressive as they say.”

“A defeated general, where is the dignity in that? You flatter me, General Qu,” Yuan Nanyu said expressionlessly.

“I’m sorry to trouble you, General. Prince Chu is still waiting for you. Please, let’s proceed.”

Qu Jiao locked Yuan Nanyu in a prison cart, while Yan Sikong mounted his horse. The two exchanged a glance, and Yan Sikong gave him a reassuring nod.

All the way, Yan Sikong was contemplating how to handle Chen Mu and Shen Hexuan. Now that they had captured Yuan Nanyu, they would most likely want to see the true face behind the mask. If they were exposed, the two brothers might not escape. Thus, as long as they kept their identities hidden, there was a chance for Yan Sikong to help Yuan Nanyu escape.

So, no matter what, they couldn’t let them remove Yuan Nanyu’s mask.

In less than half a day, they returned to Pingliang. In front of the eyes of the city’s military and civilians, Yuan Nanyu was locked in a prison cart, passing through the city gates and streets. Crowds gathered on both sides, bustling and loudly discussing the mysterious mask. It was foreseeable that in a few days, the news that Feng Ye’s most important general, the masked General Qu Wang, had been captured by Prince Chu would spread throughout the land. This would deal a heavier blow to Feng Ye than losing Pingliang itself.

Qu Jiao personally escorted Yuan Nanyu to Chen Mu. It was already late, but Chen Mu, Shen Hexuan, and several officials and generals were all waiting to catch a glimpse of his true face.

Seeing Yuan Nanyu, Chen Mu looked elated. He was now seated in Pingliang, which had once belonged to Feng Ye, and before him was Feng Ye’s most important general, captured and bound. This severely undermined Feng Ye’s morale and bolstered his own. It was his first confrontation with Feng Ye, and he had won decisively. How could he not feel proud and excited?

Yan Sikong cupped his hands. “Your Highness, I have brought General Qu. General Qu, do pay your respects to Prince Chu.”

Yuan Nanyu, neither humble nor arrogant, said, “I, Qu, pay my respects to Prince Chu.”

“You’ve worked hard, sir. Please, have a seat,” Chen Mu said to Yan Sikong, then turned to Yuan Nanyu, a smile forming on his lips. “Even though the General is in a sorry state, he still stands tall and dignified. At first, I was worried that with the mask on, I wouldn’t be able to confirm whether you were really General Qu. But now that I see you, I’m reassured.”

Yuan Nanyu stiffened his neck and said nothing.

Chen Mu, unconcerned, waved his hand. “Untie the General.”

The guards untied Yuan Nanyu’s ropes, and he shook his aching shoulders.

“However, the rumor is that apart from Feng Ye, no one has seen the General’s true face. If General were to perform a trick to swap the beams, we wouldn’t be able to tell. So, please take off your mask, let us take a look.”

Yuan Nanyu coldly replied, “If I’m not Qu Wang, even if Your Highness sees my face, you won’t be able to recognize it.”

“Indeed,” Chen Mu smiled and glanced at Yan Sikong. “The General’s mask is as famous as his strategy. I want to see it, and surely the General wouldn’t refuse, right?”

The room full of people stared at Yuan Nanyu, their gazes filled with curiosity.

Yuan Nanyu stood tall, motionless.

Yan Sikong remained silent as well.

Chen Mu narrowed his eyes. “If the General is unwilling, I won’t hold back. Come here.”

Two guards approached, one attempting to hold Yuan Nanyu, the other reaching for his mask.

Yuan Nanyu suddenly struck, kicking one guard away, grabbing the other’s neck with one hand, and drawing his sword in the other. His movements were lightning-fast, demonstrating impressive skill, and no one doubted that he was Qu Wang.

The guards in the room immediately drew their swords, and those outside rushed in, as if facing a great enemy.

Yuan Nanyu shoved the guard aside and pressed the sharp blade against his own neck.

Chen Mu waved his hand, signaling the guards to retreat, and with a smile, he looked at Qu Wang as though playing with a beast in a cage. No matter how fierce the beast was, it could do nothing now.

Shen Hexuan slowly spoke, “Has the General forgotten that you still have three thousand prisoners in Pingliang?”

Yuan Nanyu loudly said, “When I was young, I was disfigured by an accident. My face is ugly and terrifying, and I’ve been ashamed of it all my life. If Your Highness insists on seeing it, as a prisoner, I cannot resist. But if subjected to such humiliation, I would rather end my life. If Your Highness desires, you can hang my head on the city gate for all the world to see.”

Chen Mu chuckled coldly, his eyes turning cold. “Very well, then end it.”

Yuan Nanyu sneered and tightened his grip on the sword hilt.

Chen Mu looked deeply at Yuan Nanyu. “The General’s suggestion is good. I’ll take off your mask and hang your ‘ugly and terrifying’ face on the city gate to announce it to the world. Feng Ye’s rebels will surely be furious when they hear of it.”

“Thank you, Your Highness, for your kindness.” Yuan Nanyu gripped his sword and was about to act.

“Wait.” Yan Sikong spoke, “If he dies like this, wouldn’t we be releasing those seven thousand soldiers for nothing?”

Shen Hexuan cast a sidelong glance at Yan Sikong.

Chen Mu raised an eyebrow. “As long as we capture this person, letting him go is no problem. After all, no matter how many soldiers we have, they can never compare to someone who makes Feng Ye’s heart ache.” He smiled at Yan Sikong. “Of course, the gentleman here is an even greater pain to him.” He laughed, “The person Feng Ye cares about most is now in my hands. We haven’t even faced off yet, and he’s already lost most of the battle.”

“Your Highness is right, so…” Yan Sikong glanced at Yuan Nanyu, “Why make things difficult for him? Let him live, he still has great value. After all, Fengxiang, Qingyang, and Taiyuan are still in Feng Ye’s hands. If he dies now, it would be a waste.”

Chen Mu smiled lightly and nodded. “I’ve heard General Qu is known for his loyalty. It seems wealth and power can’t tempt him easily, but General is so important to Feng Ye. If Feng Ye is willing to trade Pingliang for the gentleman, would he be willing to trade Fengxiang or Qingyang for you?”

“The Wolf King is no fool, and I am not worth a city, Your Highness overestimates me.” Yuan Nanyu said calmly, “Since I’ve come to Pingliang, I’ve already put life and death behind me. There’s no need for Your Highness to waste time on me.”

“Whether it’s wasting time or not, that’s not for you to decide,” Chen Mu pointed at Yuan Nanyu. “Your mask is your face. I’ll leave you with this face for now.” He called out, “Take this rebel away and await further orders.”

After Yuan Nanyu was escorted away, Chen Mu waved off the others, leaving only Yan Sikong and Shen Hexuan.

Chen Mu was in a good mood, leisurely sipping tea, and asked slowly, “What do the two gentlemen think is the best way to use this Qu Wang?”

Shen Hexuan replied, “Does Your Highness really intend to trade him for a city?”

“That’s not impossible.”

“I don’t think it’s appropriate,” Yan Sikong said.

“Oh?”

“If you trade him for Fengxiang, it would be a pity. We could take Fengxiang ourselves, and with Pingliang in hand, Fengxiang is just a chicken bone. If you trade him for Qingyang, it’s too important. Losing Qingyang would cut off the entire southeastern food supply. Feng Ye would never give it up. Therefore, this man should not be used this way, it’s not a good way to use him.”

Chen Mu nodded. “The gentleman’s words make sense, so what do you suggest? This man seems to be resistant to both soft and hard methods, and we can’t even get any military intelligence from him.”

Shen Hexuan said, “Your Highness, why not let me have a word with him? As long as he is in our hands, Feng Ye will be restless. There must be something useful in him.”

“Good.”

Yan Sikong glanced at Shen Hexuan, a faint worry in his heart. Shen Hexuan was a civil minister and rarely resorted to using torture or threats. He only hoped Yuan Nanyu wouldn’t provoke him too easily, at least not lose out in the short term.

“By the way,” Chen Mu smiled. “What do you plan to do with Yuan Shaoxu?”

Yan Sikong thought for a moment. “I will personally interrogate him.”

—

I am working hard to bring Feng Ye on stage quickly. I won’t make you all wait too long~~ Mwah.