The Blood Crown - Chapter 33

Yan Sikong took a deep breath, a hint of confusion in his eyes. He spoke slowly, “I’ve been wandering around, doing odd jobs, taking care of horses, helping people with their writing, working as a companion reader, and even managing accounts.” These were all truths, but he concealed much more.

“How did you escape from the quarry?”

Yan Sikong gritted his teeth, passing over the pain in his heart and replied casually, “I ran away when the opportunity arose.” He then asked, “Your Highness, how did you find me?”

“After the spring hunt, I wanted to meet the person who helped me tame the wild horse. We searched for you for quite some time and even sent Xue Bo personally to identify you. The result we got was: Yan Sikong, twenty-three years old, ranked second in the 25th year of Shaowu, currently serving as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy. Your ancestral home is… Ji’an County in Panyang Prefecture?”

Yan Sikong remained silent.

“Although you changed your surname and are not really from Panyang, when I heard the name ‘Sikong,’ my instinct told me it was you. I just don’t understand, how did you become a person from Panyang?”

Yan Sikong still had his head down, contemplating how to respond.

Feng Ye reached out and grabbed Yan Sikong’s chin, forcing him to face him directly. His sharp gaze bore into him. “Speak. Don’t lie to me.”

Yan Sikong pulled away Feng Ye’s hand. “I’ve already severed ties with my past, so I concealed my background. I hope that you, the Crown Prince, will keep it a secret for me.”

Feng Ye snorted. “What if I don’t?”

Yan Sikong replied, “Your Highness won’t.”

“How can you be so sure?”

Yan Sikong shook his head and smiled, “Your Highness won’t.” Feng Ye was still the same, and he had no worries.

Feng Ye looked at Yan Sikong’s handsome face with a faint smile. He seemed to see right through him and felt a bit annoyed, yet also found him incredibly captivating, like an exquisite young gentleman. He pushed a wine cup in front of Yan Sikong. “If you finish this cup, I’ll help you keep the secret.”

Yan Sikong gave Feng Ye a sidelong glance. “Really?”

“When have I ever lied to you?”

Yan Sikong raised the wine cup, drank it heartily, and then slammed it back onto the table. He clasped his hands and said, “Thank you, Your Highness.”

Feng Ye pushed his hand away impatiently. “Enough. I don’t believe what you said.”

Yan Sikong was puzzled. “Don’t believe what?”

Feng Ye squinted his eyes. “Do you really want to sever all ties with your past?”

“Yes.”

“Why did you enter the court and become an official?”

Yan Sikong smiled and said, “What else can a scholar do if not become an official?”

“Don’t you want to seek revenge?”

Yan Sikong fell silent for a moment and then replied, “For people of lowly status, simply surviving is no easy task.” He turned to look at Feng Ye and asked, “Why are you pushing me so relentlessly, Your Highness?”

Feng Ye, displeased, said, “You… You don’t even resemble Yuan Sikong.”

A sense of desolation suddenly welled up in Yan Sikong’s heart, but he spoke sarcastically, “I’ve grown up, that’s all.” He poured a cup of wine for Feng Ye and said, “Come, since we’ve reunited after a long time, let’s get drunk.”

Feng Ye didn’t say anything more and started drinking.

After a couple of rounds of good wine, Yan Sikong realized that Feng Ye’s tolerance for alcohol was not as high as his own, but he was determined to drink. He insisted on dragging Yan Sikong to find Feng Hun.

Yan Sikong struggled in vain, but Feng Ye forcefully brought him under a tree and on top of Feng Hun.

Yan Sikong, in a disheveled state, tried to get up, but Feng Hun placed a claw on his shoulder and stared at him with his single eye, forcing him to sit back down.

Feng Ye rested on Feng Hun and laughed, “Why did I keep those people away? Because I didn’t know their motives, the forces behind them, and I didn’t want to bother with it. Besides…” He let out a heavy burp and sounded a bit disappointed, “Besides, I returned to be a hostage. It’s better to do nothing.”

Yan Sikong, perhaps emboldened by the alcohol, imitated Feng Ye’s manner and leaned against Feng Hun’s warm and thick fur. It gave him an oddly comforting feeling. He said, “Your Highness, even though you can’t fight on the battlefield, this action will still contribute significantly to Prince Jingyuan’s reputation.”

Feng Ye shook his head, scoffed, and said, “I’d rather be on the battlefield, facing danger and even risking my life, than wasting my time here.”

“Prince Jingyuan called you back to the capital for a significant reason. He’s far away in Datong, and there are many people at the court who gossip and spread rumors. If he has someone he can completely trust to assist him, he can freely use his exceptional talent on the frontier. If you insist on staying idle, it is indeed a waste of time.”

Feng Ye said, “I’m well aware of that, but I detest the flattery and sycophancy of the courtiers.” He sighed deeply and continued, “Let me enjoy some peace and quiet for a few days. You think that if I stay indoors and do nothing, it will be better?”

Yan Sikong fell silent for a moment, sipping his wine. His thoughts were complex.

Behind Feng Ye was Feng Jianping, who commanded a significant military force and was even feared by the emperor. With the assistance of someone more agile and sharp-witted, his son could help him. Yan Sikong, as an old acquaintance of Feng Ye, couldn’t afford to miss this opportunity.

But…

Feng Ye, who was getting drunk, suddenly muttered in his sleep, “Why didn’t you ask me about these past ten years?”

Yan Sikong’s heart tightened, and despite his eloquence and knowledge, he found himself at a loss for words. Perhaps he instinctively didn’t want to become too close to Feng Ye. It seemed that Feng Ye didn’t really need an answer, as he had already fallen asleep.

When Feng Ye was in deep slumber, Yan Sikong decided to get up and leave.

But as soon as he moved, Feng Hun emitted a threatening growl from his throat. It sounded full of menace.

Yan Sikong swallowed hard and said politely, “Your Highness Feng Hun, I’m in a hurry. I’ll be right back.”

Feng Hun’s lips twitched, revealing his sharp white fangs.

Yan Sikong closed his eyes and sat back down, accepting his fate. Without Feng Ye’s permission, he couldn’t leave this place.

Before long, Xue Bo arrived. Yan Sikong finally saw his savior and claimed that he had some official business to attend to and needed to leave. Xue Bo then arranged for a carriage and personally escorted him back to the mansion.

On the following day, Yan Sikong went to the Wenyuan Pavilion and personally apologized to Huo Li for his absence the previous day. Although Huo Li was appreciative of Yan Sikong, his favorite student, he did not make things difficult for him. However, Shen Hexuan was a strict and disciplined man and scolded Yan Sikong for impeding the progress of their scholarly work.

Liang Sui intervened, saying, “Hey, look at Yan Sikong’s pale face. He must have been feeling unwell yesterday. Brother Shen, don’t blame him.”

Seeing that Yan Sikong was already apologetic, Shen Hexuan didn’t press further. He said, “Today, I will lead you in reviewing the case files from the past ten years. The documents are already prepared. I implore my colleagues to work diligently. If there is any delay in this matter, we won’t be able to justify it to the Emperor.”

“Understood.”

After that, Feng Ye never came to visit Yan Sikong again, as if the day they shared a drink under the tree was just a dream. Yan Sikong wasn’t surprised; Feng Ye was proud and had reached out to him almost condescendingly. Now, it seemed he was distancing himself, and he was unlikely to take the initiative again.

Yan Sikong was not someone who wavered easily, but he found himself hesitating when it came to Feng Ye.

Currently, he was busy late into the night almost every day, leaving him with no time to dwell on these matters. He took each day as it came.

After who knows how many late nights he had spent working, Yan Sikong was now yawning and buried in his writing.

Suddenly, one of his fellow scholars, perhaps to dispel the weariness, began a conversation, “I’m currently working on the Guangning Defense Battle. Have you heard of this battle?”

Yan Sikong, who was fighting off drowsiness, instantly woke up.

“I was still young at the time, but I read about it later. It was indeed an incredible victory.”

“General Han was truly a renowned contemporary military commander. He defended a lone city with a small force and repelled a Jin army of a hundred thousand.”

A hint of a sinister grin crossed Yan Sikong’s face, and he said in a deep voice, “I’ve heard there were some mysteries surrounding that battle. Did you know that someone was actually captured in Qizhou?”

Shen Hexuan knocked on the table and said, “This is not the place for idle talk. Don’t bring up hearsay to discuss matters here.”

Yan Sikong suddenly felt a burst of anger, perhaps due to his exhaustion and the resulting mental weakness. He couldn’t restrain his temper and blurted out, “Hearsay isn’t necessarily false, and even the official histories may not be entirely true. History is written by the victors from ancient times. Who is to say that the records are accurate?”

The entire room fell into stunned silence.

Yan Sikong, usually diplomatic and eloquent, had never uttered a single wrong word in the time he had spent here. Today, for the sake of idle chatter, he dared to speak such a disrespectful statement. If someone with malicious intent were to hear this, it could lead to a major disaster.

Yan Sikong regretted his words as soon as he said them, and cold sweat broke out on his back.

Shen Hexuan gazed at Yan Sikong in silence, put down his brush, and walked out of the room.

Yan Sikong hurriedly followed, saying, “Brother Shen, Brother Shen.” He grabbed Shen Hexuan and calmed his emotions. He said, “I was disrespectful in my words. Can you please forgive me, Brother Shen?”

Shen Hexuan frowned and asked, “What do you think I should do? Should I go to our teacher and report you?”

Yan Sikong understood Shen Hexuan’s character. He was not a petty person, but Yan Sikong had made a mistake. If Shen Hexuan insisted on pursuing the matter, even a single word from him could lead to dire consequences. He let go of Shen Hexuan and bowed, saying, “Brother Shen, you are an upright person, and I have misjudged the nobleman with the heart of a commoner.”

“In truth, what you said is not without reason,” Shen Hexuan replied. He looked up at the bright full moon in the sky and continued, “For thousands of years, this radiant moon has hung high, but it hasn’t revealed much of the truth in the mortal world. The truth lies in the heavens and the earth, not in you and me. You have taken up an official position; you should be cautious with your words. I will consider today’s confusion, but if there is a next time, I won’t be as lenient.”

Yan Sikong said in a deep voice, “Thank you, Brother Shen.”

“I just came out to get some fresh air. You can go back now.”

Yan Sikong bowed again and then turned to leave.

He clenched his fists, and his eyes flashed with a strong desire for revenge. The heavens were blind, and the flawless moon had its flaws. It allowed evil people to distort the truth and let good people suffer injustice. Since the truth resided in the heavens and the earth, he would turn the heavens and the earth upside down to cleanse Yuan Mao’s tarnished name from the history books!