The Blood Crown - Chapter 48
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Yan Zilian instructed them to keep quiet for now, especially ensuring that Wang Shengsheng’s faction remains unaware. The memorial they submitted wouldn’t receive a quick response from the Emperor, giving them some days to discuss their plan of action.
The two men nodded and Shen Hexuan hesitated, asking, “What about Liu Zhaolin?”
Yan Zilian replied coldly, “He’s to blame for this mistake. Whom else can we blame?”
With their heads bowed, the two men exited.
Shen Hexuan, usually as calm as water, showed a hint of hidden turmoil on his face. He was always meticulous and had been in court for over a year without any errors. Now, due to someone else’s mistake, he couldn’t help but feel unjust.
Yan Sikong said in a solemn tone, “Brother Shen, I’m sorry.”
Shen Hexuan sighed and looked very frustrated. “Why say that? We’re both implicated, but we’re not innocent. The one who wrote the error was Liu Zhaolin, but the two of us failed to catch it.”
Yan Sikong tried to console him, “Brother Shen, there’s no need to be overly pessimistic. Our teacher won’t abandon us, and the Emperor is a benevolent ruler. Perhaps he’ll be lenient in his judgment.”
This wasn’t just flattery for Emperor Zhaowu; he was known for his leniency and reluctance to execute people. It was precisely because of this that Yan Sikong dared to take this risk. He wouldn’t stake his life just to defeat Wang Shengsheng.
“We’ve been serving as officials for a year now, and our paths have been relatively smooth. Although our personalities are different, I believe you, like me, have the ambition to serve the country. If this incident ruins our prospects…” Shen Hexuan shook his head lightly, with a bitter smile. “We’ll have to leave it to fate. I’ll take my leave.”
Yan Sikong nodded, “Brother Shen, take care.”
From the time they met at the imperial examination to now, two years had passed. This was the first time Shen Hexuan had opened up to him like this. Despite his usual composure, encountering such a crisis had clearly rattled him, making him seem more human.
Yan Sikong stood in place for a while, contemplating the situation from all angles, until his feet went numb. Only then did he snap back to reality and leave.
Returning home in the evening, the mansion’s carriage was already waiting at the back gate. Xiao Liu jumped down as soon as he saw Yan Sikong and said with a smile, “Lord Yan, I’ve been waiting for you. Please rest for a moment, and we can…”
“Xiao Liu,” Yan Sikong said with a solemn expression, looking weary, “please inform your young master that I cannot go on the autumn outing.”
“Um, Lord Yan, what’s wrong with you?”
“In recent days, the Hanlin Academy has been busy with official duties, and I can’t free myself,” Yan Sikong evaded the question and said, “In any case, I cannot go on the autumn outing. We’ll have to postpone it to another day.”
“Lord Yan, are you feeling unwell? Your complexion looks quite…” Xiao Liu hesitated to speak.
Yan Sikong didn’t want to elaborate, “Just go back.” With that, he turned and entered the house.
Inside the mansion, Ali had already prepared a meal and was waiting for him.
Yan Sikong changed out of his court attire and into more casual clothing in his bedroom. He sat down at the table to eat and gestured towards the chair opposite him. “Ali, sit down, there are no outsiders here.”
Ali finally took a seat and silently began to eat.
“During your trip to Qingyang, did you encounter any obstacles?”
Ali shook his head.
“I don’t know what kind of punishment I will face this time. If I get banished from the capital, you won’t have to follow me anymore. Take the silver and buy some land in the countryside, find a wife, and live a peaceful life.”
Ali shook his head again.
Yan Sikong sighed and continued eating in silence.
After the meal, Ali took out a sealed letter from his pocket and handed it to Yan Sikong.
Some time ago, Yan Sikong had sent Ali to investigate a courtesan named Yeli from the Tinglan Pavilion. This letter contained information about her. She turned out to be more than meets the eye, an informant placed by Xie Zhongren in the Tinglan Pavilion, making the brothel an ideal place to gather intelligence.
The two hundred taels of silver spent on this information were well worth it.
Yan Sikong tore the letter into pieces and tossed it aside. “You’ve done well in both of these tasks. Take your reward.”
Ali expressed his gratitude with gestures. Then, he hesitated and asked, “Will the young master be in trouble?”
Yan Sikong replied calmly, “It’s hard to say.”
Worry appeared on Ali’s face.
“No need to worry about me,” Yan Sikong reassured him.
With earnestness, Ali said, “Please be cautious, and I hope to serve by your side for a lifetime.”
Yan Sikong smiled, “I appreciate your loyalty, but I don’t need you to be like this. I’ve said it many times before, if one day I get into trouble, you should just leave. There’s nothing you can do by staying.”
Ali’s face displayed sorrow, making his already ugly visage appear even more fearsome. However, Yan Sikong found it quite pleasing to look at because Ali was the only person he could trust now.
Yan Sikong spent a sleepless night and, the next day, he went to the palace as usual to teach Chen He.
A congratulatory poem for the Emperor’s birthday not only earned Chen He praise from the Emperor but also resulted in the long-delayed birthday gift for the Crown Prince being delivered to the Eastern Palace the very next day. In the world of politics, everyone was opportunistic, and this was something they had all become accustomed to.
Chen He’s admiration and gratitude toward Yan Sikong grew, and his trust in him deepened. He noticed Yan Sikong’s listlessness and worry, and naturally, he inquired multiple times, but Yan Sikong always brushed it off, claiming nothing was wrong.
Chen He didn’t need to know right now, and especially not from his own mouth. This child was shrewd; he knew Yan Sikong was valuable. When the time came, he wouldn’t just sit idly by.
Upon returning home from the palace, Yan Sikong found that Feng Ye was waiting for him as expected.
As soon as they saw each other, Feng Ye could tell that something was wrong with him. He frowned and asked, “Sikong, what’s the matter?”
“Aren’t you in Jing Shan? Why did you come back?” Yan Sikong deflected.
“You’re not going on the autumn outing as planned, and Xiao Liu said you seemed different,” Feng Ye pulled Yan Sikong into the house. “What’s wrong with you? Are you sick, or did something happen?”
Yan Sikong forced a smile. “It’s nothing, just too many official duties, and I can’t spare the time.”
“Don’t try to fool me,” Feng Ye pinched Yan Sikong’s chin, forcing him to look into his eyes. “Honestly, what’s going on? You look so distracted.”
The two furrows on Yan Sikong’s forehead deepened slightly, and he showed a troubled expression. He tried to turn away, whispering, “There’s really nothing wrong.”
Feng Ye, holding his chin firmly, left Yan Sikong with no place to hide. “You clearly have a problem, why are you being so stubborn? Can’t you trust me?”
Yan Sikong looked at Feng Ye with worry and said softly, “Do I have to tell you everything?”
“You!” Feng Ye became annoyed and narrowed his eyes. “Fine, if you won’t say, I’ll have to kiss you.”
Yan Sikong remained still.
Feng Ye raised his voice, “Do you think I’m joking?”
Yan Sikong remained calm.
Feng Ye’s eyes flashed with anger. He raised Yan Sikong’s chin with his finger and forcefully kissed those lightly powdered lips.
Yan Sikong’s heart couldn’t help but race, and his body trembled slightly. As Feng Ye’s lips passionately explored and sucked on his, it was rough and domineering, as if he wanted to devour him, yet the passionate heat transferred from their mouths to their bodies, making him feel flushed and hot all over.
Feng Ye embraced Yan Sikong’s waist, savoring the warmth and softness, and the exchange of saliva carried a faint sweet taste. The palpitations in their hearts were beyond description, a beautiful and intense sensation.
When the two of them parted with light breaths, Feng Ye’s face was flushed, and his lips were so red it seemed like they could drip blood. He appeared bashful, yet his eyes didn’t shy away; instead, they stared at Yan Sikong as if he were his prey.
Yan Sikong, on the other hand, dared not look into Feng Ye’s eyes. He whispered, “Can you let go of me, please?”
“If you don’t tell me, I won’t,” Feng Ye replied. With that, he buried his face in the crook of Yan Sikong’s neck and gently nibbled at his neck, saying, “Tell me.”
Yan Sikong forced down his turbulent emotions and said in a low voice, “I can’t tell you.”
“Why can’t you tell me?” Feng Ye bit into his collarbone and continued, “If it’s really just official business, I won’t press you, but you’ve made me worry.”
His lips traveled up Yan Sikong’s neck, his tongue lightly licking his earlobe.
Yan Sikong used force to push Feng Ye away. “That’s enough, let go of me.”
“Tell me!” Feng Ye ordered firmly.
“I made a mistake!” Yan Sikong reluctantly shouted, “Are you satisfied now?”
Only then did Feng Ye release him and gently ran his hand through Yan Sikong’s hair. He said gently, “What kind of mistake did you make? Don’t be afraid, tell me.”
Yan Sikong covered his eyes with one hand and said tremblingly, “Feng Ye, my teacher ordered me not to disclose anything to anyone.”
“Don’t worry.”
“I…” Yan Sikong lowered his hand and hesitated for a long time before saying, “The newly compiled history book has some issues, and I’m afraid… I won’t escape punishment.”
Under Feng Ye’s urging, Yan Sikong explained the situation in detail.
Feng Ye frowned and said, “The new history book is sixteen volumes thick, and having one or two mistakes is normal. But I don’t understand how Cai Zhongfan found out about it and why his eyes were so sharp.”
Yan Sikong shook his head. “He had a personal grudge against Lord Wang and may have been watching him closely for mistakes.”
“What did Elder Yan say?”
“He said he would discuss countermeasures with his colleagues.” Yan Sikong smiled bitterly. “My teacher has always wanted to get rid of Lord Wang, and this is indeed an opportunity. But I’m afraid…”
He gazed at Feng Ye. “Feng Ye, no matter what happens to me, you must take care of yourself.”
“Don’t say that. I won’t let anything happen to you,” Feng Ye reassured him. “Cai Zhongfan’s target isn’t you and your friends. I’ll find a way to lessen your punishment.”
Yan Sikong smiled faintly. “Feng Ye, I know that Prince Jingyuan wants to stay out of the political turmoil, and I don’t want you to take risks for me.”
“Do you want me to stand by and watch you be punished for a mistake you didn’t make?”
“I’m not completely innocent. I did review that volume,” Yan Sikong said, lowering his gaze. “You and I… we’re just childhood friends. You don’t have to do this for me.”
Feng Ye suddenly became angry. “In your eyes, are we really just childhood friends? What about these past few months? What about just now? I don’t believe you didn’t feel anything!”
“I…” Yan Sikong showed a troubled expression, struggling internally. However, in the end, he slowly raised his hand and cautiously placed it on Feng Ye’s back. He whispered softly, “I… can’t explain.”
Feng Ye was overjoyed. “You like me. You must like me.”
Yan Sikong’s brows furrowed, and while being tightly embraced like this, he still felt an icy chill. He didn’t say anything more.
Feng Ye, you fool.
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mephestophelesmuse
Awwwww don’t lie to your self and my baby Feng Ye 😭😭😭😭😭 I’m so afraid of them falling UT I know it probably has to happen for plot purposes but…. I’m going to cry so much.