The Blood Crown - Chapter 6

Flogging was a commonly used punishment within the court’s military forces, primarily meant for warning and discipline, but it often resulted in deaths or permanent injuries.

If the flogging was administered sincerely, twenty lashes were enough to be fatal, but if it was deliberately lenient, even a hundred lashes would be nothing more than surface wounds. This depended on whether the executioner understood the intention of the one giving the punishment and if the silver from the punished party could tip the scales.

Keen observers could tell that Feng Jianping wasn’t truly intending to harm Yuan Mao severely, so he administered a rather casual twenty lashes.

Yuan Mao’s rear end was in terrible shape, though it was a minor injury, the location made it difficult for him to move for a while.

Yuan Sikong kneeled at the bedside and refused to get up, his eyes red and swollen.

Yuan Shaoxiang paced around the room in frustration, repeatedly asking, “Who gave you the audacity? Huh? Who gave you the audacity! You’ve caused such a huge disaster. If it weren’t for King Jingyuan’s leniency, not only would your life be in danger, but I would also be implicated!”

Yuan Sikong hung his head in silence.

Yuan Mao waved his hand, saying, “Shaoxiang, that’s enough. Leave us.” He glanced at Yue Qingshuang and Yuan Weiling, “Both of you, leave too.”

“Dad…”

Yuan Shaoxiang was about to say more, but Yuan Mao’s tone grew firmer, “Get out.”

Fuming, Yuan Shaoxiang brushed his sleeves and left.

Yuan Sikong knew, in reality, that Yuan Shaoxiang had never been particularly fond of him. Even though Yuan Mao held the official rank of a Fifth-Rank Captain with an annual salary of only one hundred and ninety stones, he maintained his integrity and didn’t engage in any additional “income-generating” activities. Supporting his family, including several servants, was a financial challenge with tight daily expenses. Adding another mouth to feed was a significant burden.

Now that he had caused trouble, not only had Yuan Mao been beaten, but he was also docked three months’ salary. This meant that with winter approaching, they might not even be able to afford charcoal for warmth.

So, Yuan Shaoxiang’s scolding was not entirely unfounded; it was his fault after all.

Yuan Mao looked at Yuan Sikong and sighed, “Alright, get up.”

Yuan Sikong shook his head, choking up as he said, “Dad, punish me instead, you can punish me however you want.”

“The purpose of your punishment is for you to realize your mistake, haven’t you already done that?” Yuan Mao said. “Get up.”

Yuan Sikong continued to shake his head.

Yuan Mao simply extended his arm, lifted him by the shoulder, and sat him on the edge of the bed.

Yuan Sikong wiped away tears.

“Son, do you still remember when I investigated your background? You were nine years old when you passed the junior examination, and that happened to be the year we met, right?”

“Yes.”

“You even said that I forbade you from taking the civil service examination for ten years.”

Yuan Sikong nodded again.

“Do you know why?” Yuan Mao asked.

Yuan Sikong composed himself and replied, “Even if my father hadn’t said anything, I wouldn’t have gone. My father didn’t pass the civil service examination, and I couldn’t overstep my bounds.”

Yuan Mao shook his head, “Do you think your father forbade you from taking the examination just to save face?”

Yuan Sikong blinked, uncertain of how to answer. He had indeed always believed this.

His father was diligent and intelligent, but perhaps not diligent or intelligent enough. Among the countless scholars in the world, they all dreamed of excelling in both civil and martial arts and contributing to the imperial court. Those who failed the examinations were abundant. But from a young age, he had firmly believed that one day he would stand in the Baohe Hall, facing the emperor’s questions, quoting from books, and answering with ease.

Yuan Mao ruffled Yuan Sikong’s hair and gazed into his eyes. “Sikong, you’re exceptionally intelligent, but your mind is still young, and you can’t fully control such a gift from heaven. Too much praise can destroy you. Your father fears your arrogance, fears that you’ll blur the lines between right and wrong, fears that you’ll achieve early success but fail to understand the suffering of the common people, fears that you’ll think you know people’s hearts when you’re actually blind to the truth. Because you’re still young, even if you read ten thousand books, without truly living, you won’t understand the world. If you were to pass the civil service examination at a young age, you’d certainly shine brightly, but the whirlwind of the imperial court could tear you apart. Your father is protecting you.”

Yuan Sikong nodded dazedly, remembering his father’s gentle and refined demeanor, which had remained clear even after four years.

“For this incident, we owe it all to the generosity of King Jingyuan; otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable. Cutting open a dead horse is one thing, but you beat his son. His son is the child of King Jingyuan, who commands two hundred thousand troops. Do you understand?”

Yuan Sikong nodded again, saying, “Dad, I’ll never act recklessly again.”

Yuan Mao sighed, “But the young prince is no ordinary person either. Let’s hope he’s not one to hold grudges.”

Yuan Sikong pursed his lips, deeply resenting that young rascal. If he hadn’t wandered into the horse yard and stumbled upon his dissected horse carcass, none of these troublesome events would have occurred. He muttered under his breath, “Why did King Jingyuan take him to battle?”

“We found it odd too. After inquiring, we heard that the young prince was raised by wolves and can understand their language. King Jingyuan took him along to prevent getting lost.”

Yuan Sikong was surprised, “Is that true?”

“It should be. War is no child’s play. Otherwise, why would King Jingyuan bring a little boy to pursue the enemy?”

No wonder King Jingyuan called him “Wolf Child”…

“Alright, go keep Yuer company; he must be feeling cooped up,” Yuan Mao said, turning to lie back on his pillow.

“I want to stay with Dad,” Yuan Sikong moved closer to Yuan Mao and whispered, “Is Dad still in pain?”

“It’s just a flesh wound; it’s nothing serious. A few days of rest, and it’ll be fine.”

Yuan Sikong gently nestled onto Yuan Mao’s broad back, saying, “I want to stay with Dad.” Although he never showed it, he was actually very dependent on Yuan Mao. The man who had carried him in his arms four years ago, leading him away from hunger, cold, and death, had become his pillar of support. When he stayed by Yuan Mao’s side, he felt warmth and security, as if the chaos of the world could not harm him in the slightest.

Yuan Mao chuckled softly, “You always act like a little adult, but now you seem like a child.”

Yuan Sikong whispered, “Dad, please don’t be angry with Sikong. Sikong won’t make mistakes anymore.”

“As long as you know your mistake, Dad won’t be angry with you.”

“When Sikong grows up, he will definitely become a high-ranking official, and we’ll all have the best days,” Yuan Mao said.

Yuan Mao replied with a “yes,” but there was a hint of worry in his eyes.

“Dad.”

“Yes?”

“Winter is approaching, and you’ve been docked three months’ salary…”

“You don’t need to worry about that. Go help Xu Hu finish the work, and take care when selecting each horse; don’t be careless.”

“I understand.” Yuan Mao blinked, his eyes unusually bright in the dim light.

—

When Yuan Sikong returned to the horse yard, both Xu Hu and Zhao Dayou had changed their attitudes towards him. They treated him with a certain deference, considering he was the prince’s person and had even been granted the privilege of dissecting horse corpses by the prince himself.

Zhao Dayou had narrowly escaped a dire situation and was now both relieved and scared. He had always believed that Yuan Sikong was destined for greatness, and now he was even more convinced. He approached Yuan Sikong with friendly intentions, saying, “Sikong, your uncle Shi was really worried about you. It’s a good thing you turned misfortune into luck. From now on, if any horses die in the yard, I’ll leave it all to you for disposal.”

“Thank you, Uncle Shi,” Yuan Sikong replied calmly. “Uncle Shi, there’s one more thing I’d like to discuss, which is rather delicate.”

“Go ahead, feel free to speak.”

“As you know, my father has been docked three months’ salary…”

“No problem, it’s a small matter. Leave it to Uncle Shi,” Zhao Dayou hurriedly offered.

“Uncle Shi, you must be aware of my father’s temperament. Over these years, has he ever taken a single coin from you?”

“So, what are you suggesting…?”

“I work with Master Xu in horse raising, and Uncle Shi also pays me a monthly wage. I’d like to ask Uncle Shi for an advance on that wage to help us get through this winter. In the future, for taking care of the horses and their medical needs, I won’t take a single coin.”

“Sikong, you’re being too formal. Uncle Shi will give you an advance of one hundred taels first. Later on, for your wages and veterinary fees, Uncle Shi will cover them… uh, no, I’ll only pay half each time. Given some time, you’ll be able to repay it. This way, even if your father finds out, it’ll be reasonable, right?”

“Thank you, Uncle Shi. Sikong will only take twenty taels to make it easier to explain to my father.”

“Alright, I’ll go along with your plan.”

Yuan Sikong bowed again, and Zhao Dayou hurriedly returned the courtesy, feeling that this young man had extraordinary wisdom and demeanor. He believed that sooner or later, he would soar to great heights.

—

Yuan Sikong naturally didn’t give the money directly to Yuan Mao. Instead, he gave it to Yue Qingshuang. Even if Yuan Mao found out later, he wouldn’t blame Yue Qingshuang, and these twenty taels would help ease their hardships in the harsh winter.

Although some time had passed since the incident, Yuan Sikong didn’t dare to relax for a moment. King Jingyuan had yet to leave, and it was evident that Prince Fengye’s son, Fengye, still held a grudge against him. They wouldn’t let him off easily as long as they were still around.

As expected, three days later, while Yuan Sikong was selecting horses in the stable, he heard a distinctive sound of hooves behind him.

His heart tightened.

Those weren’t the hoofbeats of Liaodong horses. Their horses had ordinary iron horseshoes, making crisp sounds when they struck the ground. However, the hoofbeats behind him were muffled and heavy, the sound of sand-iron. Xu Hu had mentioned that only one military force could afford to use sand-iron for their horseshoes, and that was the Fengye Army.

Yuan Sikong turned around and prostrated himself on the ground, sensing an ominous premonition.

“Lift your head up.” A childish yet arrogant voice came from above, sounding far from friendly.

Yuan Sikong muttered a sentence under his breath and thought that what was bound to happen had finally occurred. Slowly, he raised his head and greeted, “This humble one pays his respects to the Young General.”

Fengye sat atop a tall and robust horse. Although there were still bruises on his face, his delicate features and noble demeanor were evident. However, the horse was too tall for him, giving him a comical appearance as if a child were wearing adult clothes. Yuan Sikong couldn’t help but wonder how he managed to ride it and whether he could dismount.

Fengye furrowed his brow. “What’s the meaning behind calling me ‘Young General’? Are you mocking me?”

“Humble one dare not.” Yuan Sikong had simply intended to flatter him. He could tell that Fengye held great admiration for his father.

“Don’t call me ‘Young General.’ I’ll earn the title of ‘General’ myself. It’s not your place to flatter me.”

“Humble one understands.” Yuan Sikong lowered his head. “Humble one didn’t know that the Young Prince had graced us with his presence. My apologies for not welcoming you properly.”

Fengye snorted coldly, looking down at Yuan Sikong from his elevated position. “Enough with the formalities. Didn’t you say you dissected the horse for medical reasons?”

“Yes.”

“My horse showed slight discomfort today, with a reduced appetite. Were you able to treat it?”

“Humble one… dared to attempt.”

There was a malicious gleam in Fengye’s eyes. “Very well. If you treat it successfully, you’ll be rewarded. If not, I’ll punish you severely!”