The Blood Crown - Chapter 305

The servants lit the charcoal fire and made the bed, bringing a touch of warmth to a room that hadn’t been inhabited for twenty years.

Yuan Nanyu was the first to climb onto the bed. He glanced at the window curtains and touched the bedding, remarking, “I used to think this bed was so big. We would often wrestle on it, but now it barely allows us to stretch our legs.”

Yan Sikong walked over, dressed in simple white innerwear. His shoulders were thin, and the fabric around his chest hung loose. His black hair, like ink clouds, draped down, leaving only a narrow portion of his face visible.

Yuan Nanyu frowned. “Second Brother, why are you so thin?”

Winter clothing was bulky, so it wasn’t noticeable until now.

Yan Sikong sat at the edge of the bed and said indifferently, “I’ve never been fat.”

“No, you used to be much more robust.” Yuan Nanyu grabbed Yan Sikong’s shoulder, only to feel a handful of bones. “You’re too thin now. Have you been eating properly?”

Yan Sikong smiled. “Of course. You train all day, so you eat more. I can’t compare to you.”

Still skeptical, Yuan Nanyu grabbed Yan Sikong’s wrist to check his pulse. Yan Sikong tried to pull his hand back but couldn’t.

Yuan Nanyu’s brow furrowed deeply. “Your pulse is too weak. It wasn’t like this before…” His tone grew anxious. “Have you been injured?”

Yan Sikong replied nonchalantly, “These years of wandering and worrying have naturally taken their toll. My body isn’t as strong as it was in my prime.”

“No.” Yuan Nanyu firmly shook his head. “Second Brother, don’t forget that my master is from the Medicine Valley. Why are you hiding this from me?”

Yan Sikong looked at Yuan Nanyu’s stubborn expression and sighed in defeat. “How could I let go of those grudges without paying a price?”

Yuan Nanyu suddenly pulled open Yan Sikong’s loosely tied robe. Yan Sikong froze but didn’t stop him.

Seeing the large burn scars covering Yan Sikong’s back, Yuan Nanyu’s expression changed instantly. He opened his mouth, his voice trembling. “…Where else?”

Yan Sikong said softly, “On my legs, my hands—there are some scars.”

Yuan Nanyu’s hand trembled as he touched the hideous scars, his eyes red with tears.

Yan Sikong smiled faintly. “It’s fortunate they can all be hidden by clothing, so it’s not a problem. Your scars, after all, are on your face. Isn’t that even more—”

Yuan Nanyu pulled Yan Sikong into an embrace, his heart aching unbearably.

Yan Sikong felt a sourness in his heart but patted Yuan Nanyu’s hand. “It doesn’t hurt anymore.”

The pain of burns was one of the worst tortures. Yuan Nanyu had suffered a small burn on his forehead, and it had haunted his dreams for years. He couldn’t imagine the suffering Yan Sikong must have endured. Tears streamed down his face. “It’s my fault… for leaving you in the enemy camp.”

“It’s not your fault,” Yan Sikong said firmly. “I burned Chen Mu’s granary not to save you—because you were already safe by then. Ending the war a day sooner would mean fewer casualties. I didn’t want to see soldiers from the Great Sheng killing each other. That was my choice, and it has nothing to do with you.”

Yuan Nanyu shook his head, overwhelmed with guilt. “How have you been these days? Did you have a good doctor to treat you? Were there medicines to ease your pain?”

“I got through it,” Yan Sikong said gently. “She Zhun from Medicine Valley gave me the best burn ointment. It’s fine now.”

Yuan Nanyu wiped his tears. “Let me see the medicine.”

Yan Sikong retrieved a small bottle from his modest belongings. Yuan Nanyu opened it and sniffed. “This should be from my second master. It’s indeed excellent for burns. From now on, all your internal and external treatments will be handled by me. I’ll make sure you recover fully.”

Yan Sikong smiled. “Alright.” He reached out to brush Yuan Nanyu’s face. “You’re already a general now. How can you still cry like a child? If word gets out, people will laugh at you.”

Yuan Nanyu said hoarsely, “I only cry in front of Second Brother.” The world was vast, but only in front of his second brother could he let his guard down completely.

Yan Sikong said softly, “Don’t cry. I’m fine now.”

Yuan Nanyu couldn’t suppress his sorrow. “Second Brother, you’re fine in everything except your fate.”

Yan Sikong gave a bitter smile. “You’re right.”

“But we can’t accept fate,” Yuan Nanyu said, gripping Yan Sikong’s hand tightly. “Once we drive out the Jurchens and defeat Chen Mu, no one in this world will ever harm you again.”

Yan Sikong lowered his gaze. “…Alright.”

After a moment of hesitation, Yuan Nanyu asked, “Are you worried about Feng Ye?”

Yan Sikong gave a mocking smile but didn’t answer.

Yuan Nanyu sighed, “Elder Brother and he have both made too many mistakes. What they face now is deserved retribution. But seeing you two—lovers tormenting each other—makes my heart ache.”

Yan Sikong said coldly, “He and I have long exhausted both affection and obligation. How can there still be talk of lovers? Did he send you to plead on his behalf?”

“No,” Yuan Nanyu quickly explained, “I would fight for him, charge into battle, but I would never try to persuade you on his behalf and put you in a difficult position.” He lowered his voice. “He knows this himself, which is why he never mentioned it and only told me to accompany you well.”

Yan Sikong let out a breath of relief. Knowing Yuan Nanyu’s sentimental and soft-hearted nature, he realized his tone earlier might have been too harsh. Softening, he said, “Second Brother doesn’t blame you. I only wish to relive childhood memories with you tonight and discuss nothing else.”

Yuan Nanyu nodded and smiled warmly. “I have so much to talk about with you.”

The two lay side by side on the bed, reminiscing about the past. On this night, returning to their old home after twenty years, they drifted into sleep amidst laughter and tears.

—

Zhuo Letai’s actions became increasingly bold. Since the Huang River froze, he had extracted countless ice blocks from the river and transported them in batches to the outskirts of Guangning. Feng Ye sent elite soldiers to raid them once, killing a squad of their troops, but it was largely ineffective. What truly threatened them were the massive ice blocks, impervious to blades and swords, now poised to smash into their city walls.

Yan Sikong pondered for days before finally coming up with a plan, which he presented during a council meeting.

“Build walls?” Liang Huiyong was puzzled. “In this freezing weather, the walls we build won’t be sturdy, and there probably isn’t enough time.”

“Not real walls, but defensive parapets. They won’t take long to build.”

The others exchanged puzzled looks, not quite understanding what Yan Sikong meant.

Yan Sikong pulled out a scroll from his sleeve and spread it open. “I’ve already drawn up the plans. As long as we follow them, it can be completed in at most twenty days.”

The group gathered around to look and were immediately stunned.

According to Yan Sikong’s design, three parapets, each about two zhang long, would be built on the existing city wall. Once completed, the city wall would resemble the character “山” (mountain) in shape.

None of them had ever seen such a strange design for a city wall in their lives.

“This…” Liang Huiyong was baffled. “There’s such a thing as walls like this?”

“There wasn’t before,” Yan Sikong replied. “But there is now.”

Feng Ye, after a moment of thought, said, “These three parapets can partially shield the original city wall from bombardment, and they can also ensure that any enemy attacking within their range will face assaults from all sides. Brilliant.” He cast Yan Sikong a deep glance, his admiration and yearning unhidden in his gaze. “A masterstroke.”

Yan Sikong avoided Feng Ye’s gaze. He knew Feng Ye was always the first to grasp his intentions. Though they often disagreed on military strategies, they shared an understanding forged from countless battles fought side by side.

Yuan Nanyu suddenly realized, “So that’s it. And building these parapets is much easier than constructing city walls. Second Brother, this is a great plan!”

Yan Sikong nodded and looked at Liang Huiyong. “General Liang, what do you think?”

“Good,” Liang Huiyong said, eyes alight. “There’s no time to lose. We must start construction immediately and finish before the Jurchens attack.”

“It must be quick. If it’s truly impossible to finish in time, at least complete the structure and reinforce it with ice water. Its purpose is only for this one battle.”

Feng Ye said, “General Liang, my Feng family troops are also at your disposal for constructing the walls.”

Liang Huiyong cupped his hands. “Many thanks, Wolf King.” Taking the blueprint, he left in haste.

“For Second Brother to come up with such a wall design—truly unprecedented,” Yuan Nanyu said, sparing no praise. He had always felt pride in every one of Yan Sikong’s exceptional qualities, just as he had in their youth.

Yan Sikong smiled wryly. “Unprecedented? It’s merely a simplified version of an urn city. The design just looks a bit odd.”

“Building an urn city takes at least three months, maybe a year. But with your method, it won’t even take a month.”

Yan Sikong nodded. “Still, don’t rush to praise me. No one knows if it will truly work in battle.”

“It will,” Yuan Nanyu said confidently. “Even if it can’t stop their projectiles, as long as the Jurchens approach our walls, they’ll be vulnerable to our arrows and cannons from all sides.”

Feng Ye added, “I also believe these three ‘mountain’-shaped parapets will greatly enhance our defenses. They’re even more flexible than urn cities. This battle will test their effectiveness, and if proven successful, the world should adopt this design.”

Yan Sikong cupped his hands. “Thank you for your praise, Wolf King. May these walls protect Guangning.”

Yuan Nanyu said, “Second Brother, why not give these parapets a name?”

Yan Sikong replied, “Let’s call them ‘Mountain Walls.’”

Feng Ye said, “A mountain stands immovable. With these ‘Mountain Walls’ guarding Guangning, it will surely be unshakable and impregnable.”

Yan Sikong could feel Feng Ye’s penetrating, fervent, and unrestrained gaze on him. He never met it. Rising to his feet, he said, “Nanyu, I’ll return to the mansion first.”

“Alright, I’ll send someone to escort you.”

Feng Ye also stood. “I was once a guest of the Yuan family. Now that it has a new master, when might I be invited to visit?”

Yan Sikong lowered his eyes and said nothing.

Yuan Nanyu looked slightly embarrassed. One was his brother, the other his king. Gripping his sword hilt, he said awkwardly, “Wolf King, my humble abode is simple, and at present—”

“I don’t mind,” Feng Ye said, staring intently at Yan Sikong.

Yan Sikong sighed almost inaudibly. “If the Wolf King is willing to lower himself to visit, my brother and I will naturally extend our hospitality.”

He knew Feng Ye’s insistence was deliberate. It wasn’t that he feared Feng Ye’s aggressiveness—he just didn’t want Yuan Nanyu to feel caught in the middle.