The Blood Crown - Chapter 3
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The news of the Sealed Family Army’s arrival in Guangning quickly spread throughout Liaodong, prompting many neighbors not far from Guangning to flock to the city, eager to witness the grandeur of the world’s number one army.
Liaodong’s Governor-General, Li Boyun, Commander-in-Chief Han Zhaoxing, and Guangning’s Prefect Qian Anrong, along with other important officials from the Liaodong region, led civil and military officers to the southern city gate at dawn to welcome the Sealed Family Army. Yuan Mao and Yuan Shaoxu were also among them.
Although the Governor-General of Liaodong held a higher rank than General Feng Jianping, Feng Jianping had been granted the title of a king and was the most distinguished and accomplished military leader of Da Sheng. Therefore, despite being accustomed to the luxury of horse-drawn carriages, these officials endured the chilly morning without complaint.
As noon approached, they finally saw banners and flags rising on the flat ground as a column of cavalry led the way, followed by infantry, marching in an orderly fashion towards Guangning Prefecture.
“They’re here, they’re here!” Yuan Nanyu exclaimed with excitement.
Early in the morning, the two of them had climbed up the city wall to watch. Normally, Yuan Mao wouldn’t allow them to do so, but today, with all the senior military officers waiting at the city gate, the temporary guards of the city weren’t strict with the rules. When they saw that it was the son of the Thousand-Household Officer, they didn’t stop them.
Yuan Sikong pressed down on Yuan Nanyu’s head and whispered, “Shh, keep your voice down. If Dad finds out, you’ll get scolded again.”
Yuan Nanyu, excited, peeked his head out and said, “Second brother, look, those are the Sealed Family Army’s wolf flags!”
Yuan Sikong looked into the distance, and at the forefront was a black flag bearing a blood-red wolf’s head. The wolf’s head appeared to be roaring, with its fangs bared, undoubtedly the banner of General Feng Jianping. Behind it, a multitude of banners of various sizes were arranged in perfect symmetry, with shapes, colors, and numbers all meticulously organized, clearly the mark of a well-disciplined army.
It was said that General Feng Jianping took inspiration from wolves, aiming to instill a wolf-like spirit in his soldiers and teach them how wolves cooperate and wage war. Over the years, his army had few defeats, and the Sealed Family’s wolf flag had gained legendary status among the people of Da Sheng, striking fear into the hearts of their enemies.
As Yuan Sikong gazed at the fluttering wolf flag, a surge of heroic spirit filled his chest. What man wouldn’t dream of a glorious image of himself on horseback, leading troops into battle? Although he had already decided on a bureaucratic career, witnessing this formidable army still stirred the hot blood in his heart.
He couldn’t help but wonder, if Liaodong had such a force, how could they have lost Qingzhou? If they hadn’t lost Qingzhou, how could the court have abandoned the northern territories, and how could he have been forced to leave his homeland and suffer such personal losses? In truth, Liaodong was far from being a weak land in the past, and the Liaodong cavalry had once been renowned throughout the realm. However, the previous General of Liaodong had embezzled military funds and abused his authority, and although Han Zhaoxing had taken his place, the region had fallen within just two years. Yuan Sikong couldn’t help but resent Han Zhaoxing’s incompetence and wished he could grow up faster.
Yuan Nanyu, equally filled with fervor, shook Yuan Sikong’s arm and exclaimed, “Brother, when I grow up, I want to become a great general too. The Sealed Family Army uses wolves, so I’ll use… use leopards to terrify the barbarians!”
“Then you better focus on your martial arts training and study military strategy. Don’t spend all your time playing.”
Yuan Nanyu grumbled, “Brother, why do you always lecture me whenever you get the chance? You’re becoming more and more like Dad.”
“Because we have high expectations for you,” Yuan Sikong understood Yuan Nanyu very well. He was intelligent and showed promise in martial arts, but he had a dislike for books. Knowing how to wield a big sword was only part of the equation; leading troops in battle required a sharp mind.
Yuan Nanyu replied nonchalantly, “I know, I’ll study.” His eyes sparkled as he watched the Sealed Family Army approaching closer. “I can see King Jingyuan over there. Wow, he looks so majestic.”
Yuan Sikong focused his gaze as well. Beneath the commanding banner, there stood a man with a red tassel on his helmet, clad in golden armor, and draped in a battle robe. He wore a helmet, and although his face was not clear from their distance, the overwhelming aura of authority and dominance radiating from him still managed to captivate everyone’s attention. Without a doubt, he was the renowned General Feng Jianping, the foremost military leader in all of Da Sheng.
From a distance, the Sealed Family Army began to deploy systematically. Except for a detachment of a hundred light cavalry that continued to advance toward Guangning City with Feng Jianping, the rest of the troops set up camp outside the city.
Feng Jianping reached the southern city gate, where Li Boyun led the local officials forward to greet him. It wasn’t until Li Boyun had approached Feng Jianping’s horse that the general finally dismounted, followed by his subordinates, and they exchanged greetings with the officials from Liaodong.
They couldn’t hear what the leaders were saying, but they assumed it was the usual pleasantries and formalities. Yuan Sikong’s attention remained fixed on the horses of the Sealed Family Army.
Xu Hu, the stablemaster of Guangning Prefecture, had once told him that the best horses in the world were undoubtedly the Northwest horses. Unfortunately, since the loss of the Hetao region by the Shengning Clan fifty years ago, Northwest horses had become nearly extinct in the Central Plains. They were eventually repurchased at great cost through trade, but their numbers were perennially insufficient for military use. These horses thrived in high-altitude regions with vast territories and abundant grasslands, and without such natural conditions, they became a source of frustration for settled regions like the Central Plains, who struggled to breed them. Liaodong horses were among the best in the Central Plains, but they still couldn’t fully meet the demand.
Currently, the best horses in the Central Plains were the expensive Northwest horses, the Qin horses from the west, and the improved Qin horses raised in the Huai West region. The vast majority of these horses were supplied to the Sealed Family Army. Therefore, the group of horses standing before Yuan Sikong was the finest he could see.
These horses were visibly more robust than the Liaodong horses, with well-defined muscles and shining coats. Feng Jianping’s steed, in particular, had a lustrous black coat, a sleek and graceful build, clearly a rare and exceptional mount.
Yuan Sikong was so captivated that it took Yuan Nanyu calling him for quite a while before he snapped out of it. “Huh?”
“Why are you staring like that? Look, there’s a little obedient child over there, drooling in his sleep,” Yuan Nanyu chuckled.
Following Yuan Nanyu’s gesture, Yuan Sikong noticed a boy who couldn’t have been more than seven or eight years old. All the soldiers had dismounted, but this child was perched on the horseback, fast asleep, his chubby face smushed against the saddle, with some suspicious dribble marks glistening on it.
Although the distance made it hard to discern the child’s features, his custom-made soft armor and expensive attire indicated his high status. To chase the enemy for hundreds of miles and bring such a young child along—wasn’t that too much of a childish move? The only one who would dare to do so, apart from King Jingyuan himself, would likely be the child’s father, signifying the child’s noble identity.
“Brother, could he be King Jingyuan’s son?”
“Most likely.”
“To bring a child to battle like this, it seems King Jingyuan doesn’t take the Tartars seriously.”
“A battle-hardened general like King Jingyuan wouldn’t underestimate the enemy, but bringing a child… does seem lacking in seriousness.”
Over the centuries, the Wala (Tartar) tribes had transformed from a distant barbarian people who paid tribute to the Central Plains into a serious threat to the Da Sheng dynasty. Their formidable and fierce cavalry had struck fear into the hearts of many. Without a doubt, they were Da Sheng’s top enemy. King Jingyuan had been engaged in warfare against them for over twenty years, and any hint of underestimating the enemy could lead to disaster. It was precisely because of this that both men found King Jingyuan’s decision to bring his young son deep into enemy territory quite perplexing.
After the officials had finished exchanging pleasantries, they turned to head back into the city. Yuan Mao happened to glance back and, out of habit, looked up at the city wall. There, he spotted two young boys acting suspiciously, peeking over the wall. And who else could they be but his own sons?
Yuan Mao’s eyes widened, and Yuan Nanyu was so scared he felt his legs go weak. “Oh no, Dad saw us. Brother, run!” He crouched down and bolted.
Yuan Sikong was also startled and followed Yuan Nanyu in a hurry.
As Yuan Nanyu reached the stairs, fear caused him to slip, and he tumbled down.
Yuan Sikong cried out, “Nanyu—”
—
“The city wall is a place of defense, not for playing around. With King Jingyuan’s visit and the Governor’s personal welcome, this is a matter of utmost importance. Yet, you dare to behave so recklessly. What kind of decorum is this?” Yuan Mao slammed his hand on the table, not raising his voice, but his intimidation was palpable. Yuan Sikong knelt nearby, afraid to even breathe heavily.
Yue Qingshuang, on the side, whispered, “My lord, let it go. Look at what happened to Nanyu…” She tenderly touched Yuan Nanyu’s bruised face, unable to recognize his original features.
“He got what he deserved for falling like that!” Yuan Mao glared harshly at Yuan Nanyu.
Yuan Nanyu hunched his shoulders and said with a hint of grievance, “Dad, I was wrong.”
“And you,” Yuan Mao turned his stern gaze toward Yuan Sikong, saying firmly, “You’ve always been level-headed. Nanyu is mischievous, but you didn’t try to stop him and joined in the nonsense.”
Yuan Sikong lowered his head. “I know I was wrong.” He had been tempted to see the Sealed Family Army and let his guard down for a moment.
Yuan Shaoxu chimed in with his reprimand, “You’re the older brother, and Nanyu has always followed your lead. You should be setting a better example. Now, Nanyu has broken his leg and won’t be able to walk for two or three months. He’s a martial artist, and if he ends up with any permanent injuries, he’ll regret it for the rest of his life. What will you do?”
Yuan Sikong clenched his lips, filled with self-blame.
Yuan Weiling rushed forward to mediate, “Shaoxu, please, say a little less. Dr. Liang said that as long as Nanyu rests and recuperates, he should recover within a hundred days. Besides, he’s always been bouncing around like a monkey. We can’t blame everything on Sikong.” She gently touched Yuan Nanyu’s head, her eyes filled with tenderness, but she didn’t let him off easily. “See that you don’t act so recklessly in the future.”
Yuan Nanyu added, “Dad, don’t blame my older brother either. Going up to the city wall was my idea.”
Yuan Mao glanced at Yuan Nanyu and said, “Breaking your leg was your own doing, but both of you were at fault for going up the city wall. There are military laws and family rules, and you’ve both violated them. You’ve already received your punishment, Nanyu. Sikong, go to the ancestral shrine and reflect on your actions for the night.”
“Yes,” Yuan Sikong bowed and then headed toward the shrine. When he reached the doorway, he turned back and saw Yuan Mao examining Yuan Nanyu’s leg injury with a furrowed brow. Yuan Nanyu, on the other hand, was making silly faces, contorting his swollen and bruised face in all sorts of strange expressions. Yuan Sikong couldn’t help but stifle a laugh, holding back his amusement. He turned and left.
Entering the shrine, he closed the door behind him, lit a stick of incense, and then kneeled on the cushion, bowing before the ancestral spirits.
The ancestral tablets of the Yuan family were arranged in front of him, and Yuan Sikong’s gaze moved over each one. Finally, it settled on the tablets of two individuals from a different surname placed at the far corner.
They were his biological parents.
In this world, he had no blood relatives left, so Yuan Mao had moved his parents’ memorial tablets into the Yuan family shrine for him to pay his respects.
Although the Tai’ning Yan family was not a prominent noble clan, they had a scholarly background and lived a comfortable life. An ancestor of theirs had even passed the imperial examination and became the Right Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Rites.
Yuan Sikong’s father had achieved a commendation in the ninth year of the Zhaowu era, but subsequently failed three times in the provincial examinations. While becoming an accomplished scholar was a respectable path, it limited one to minor positions like county magistrates or county officials, making career advancement difficult. Attaining the position of a Jinshi (Imperial Scholar) and entering the Hanlin Academy, serving as a counselor to the emperor and contributing to the governance of the nation, was the ultimate ambition of scholars in the realm.
Their family never worried about food and drink. While his father immersed himself in books and teaching, he also invested a great deal of time in cultivating Yuan Sikong. Like his father, he inherited the wisdom of the sages, studying Confucius and Mencius, and holding the ideal of serving the emperor loyally and benefiting the nation as the highest aspiration. He diligently studied, day and night without ceasing.
Now, his father’s ideals had turned into a handful of yellow soil. He was the last bloodline of the Yan family, and one day, he was determined to enter the imperial cabinet, serve as a prime minister, benefit the country and its people, bring honor to his family, fulfill his father’s grand aspirations, and repay the great kindness shown to him by the Yuan family.
Yuan Sikong kowtowed to his parents’ memorial tablets and to the ancestors of the Yuan family, reflecting on his own mistakes.
Yuan Mao regarded him as his own, but Yuan Sikong never forgot that he was not a blood relative. He was always cautious, filial to his parents, respectful to his elders, and considerate to his brothers. He never wanted to bring any trouble to the Yuan family. In the past four years, he had never made a mistake. Now, due to a momentary lapse, he had caused Nanyu to break his leg. He felt deeply ashamed and silently swore to double his self-discipline in the future.
—
Kneeling into the late night, Yuan Sikong’s knees were numb, and the coldness around him seeped into his bones. He was overcome with exhaustion, and his eyelids were heavy, but he showed no signs of slackening. Even though there was no one around, he believed that his parents’ spirits in heaven were watching over him.
The long night seemed endless, and he didn’t know when it would come to an end. Just as he was about to collapse from fatigue, the door to the shrine was gently pushed open.
Yuan Sikong snapped back to alertness and turned to see Yue Qingshuang entering, carrying a cloak and a bowl of noodles.
“Mother…”
“Ah, you’ve been kneeling like this the whole time,” Yue Qingshuang wrapped the cloak around him, placed the bowl of noodles in front of him, and gently touched his cold cheeks with a heart full of tenderness. “You must be freezing and hungry. Have something to eat.”
Yuan Sikong shook his head. “Dad punished me to kneel before the ancestral spirits for the night. I can’t show disrespect to our ancestors, and if he finds out, he’ll be even angrier.”
“Silly child, your father is the kind of person who can wake up at the slightest sound of a mosquito flying by. Do you think he wouldn’t know I came here?” She sighed. “Rest for a while and have some noodles.”
Once again, Yuan Sikong shook his head, resolute in his attitude. “Mother, I’m reflecting on myself. I’m not cold or hungry. Please go back and rest.”
Yue Qingshuang said helplessly, “You have your father’s stubbornness, that’s for sure.”
Yuan Sikong felt a bit ashamed. “Mother, aren’t you mad at me?”
“Child, who doesn’t make mistakes? Besides, Nanyu is not seriously hurt.” Yue Qingshuang looked at Yuan Sikong’s handsome and lively face, her eyes becoming even more tender. “My dear boy, my Yinge passed away when he was four, leaving a wound in my heart. It didn’t start healing until you came into our family. You are my son, never treat yourself as an outsider. You can make mistakes, understand?”
Yuan Sikong’s nose tingled, and he choked out a “Yes.”
Yue Qingshuang gently stroked his face. “You’re as stubborn as your father. I won’t force you any longer. Come for a meal as soon as it’s daylight tomorrow.”
“Yes.”
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