The Blood Crown - Chapter 66

Zhao Fuyi looked at Yan Sikong in a daze, waved his hand, signaling him to come forward.

Yan Sikong walked over.

Zhao Fuyi spread out the letter, quickly glanced at it, nodded, said a hearty “good,” and couldn’t help but look at Yan Sikong again.

Zhao Fuyi had long heard of the friendship between Fengye and Yan Sikong. He thought Fengye brought Lin as a hostage this time just to do a favor and provide him with an opportunity to merit, making it easier for him to be promoted in the future. Today, seeing Lin’s agility and the impeccable letter he wrote, it seemed he had underestimated him. Zhao Fuyi praised, “Lord Yan has remarkable talent, thoughtful considerations. Truly admirable for a young talent.”

“General overpraises, this is just a trivial matter for a subordinate.”

Xu Yan’s face turned cold, remaining silent on the side.

Zhao Fuyi squinted his eyes, carefully scrutinizing Yan Sikong, “Have we… met somewhere before?”

Yan Sikong smiled, “Perhaps during the ceremony of worshipping the heavens?” Ten years ago, he and Zhao Fuyi had a chance encounter in Guangning City. He doubted that Zhao Fuyi still remembered.

“No…” Zhao Fuyi shook his head again, “Maybe I remembered it wrong. Lord Yan has such a striking appearance that ordinary people who’ve seen it would find it hard to forget.”

Yan Sikong smiled and bowed.

Leaving the central military tent, Xu Yan remarked blandly, “Lord Yan’s ability to foresee events is impressive. You guessed General Zhao’s thoughts accurately. I truly admire it.”

Yan Sikong smiled, “I dare not claim credit. I am just deeply troubled by the affairs of war day and night, expressing my thoughts with a heavy heart. I never expected it to come in handy. It was just a fortunate coincidence.”

Xu Yan snorted, “So it seems that Lord Yan has even more mystical abilities.”

“Lord Xu jests,” Yan Sikong casually responded, suppressing Xu Yan’s envious provocation and quickly walked a few steps, leaving him behind.

Having failed the imperial examination for many years, Xu Yan was still only a Jinshi and remained in the capital due to his connection with Lord Liang. With Lord Liang now imprisoned, he was more anxious than anyone else. If he only spoke a few reckless words, Yan Sikong couldn’t be bothered to argue with him.

After waiting for two days, Bao Yunyong replied. His letter was sincere, agreeing to send back Lord Liang. He explained that killing Lord Liang’s attendants was a misunderstanding. However, he didn’t mention surrender at all. This person, lacking in sophistication, couldn’t write decent official documents. As they suspected, Bao Yunyong had an advisor by his side.

The next day, Bao Yunyong indeed sent Lord Liang back. This move was both expected and unexpected, making people wonder what Bao Yunyong’s true intentions were.

Lord Liang had obviously received courteous treatment in Kui Prefecture. Not a strand of his hair was out of place, even though his three companions lost their heads. He had a gloomy expression and remained silent. Upon returning to the camp, Zhao Fuyi dismissed everyone and had a private conversation with him.

Yan Sikong pulled Fengye into a secluded place and whispered, “Did you just receive Lord Liang outside the camp?”

Fengye nodded, “What does Bao Yunyong really want? Did he truly release Lord Liang so easily?”

“He’s buying time,” Yan Sikong squinted, “He has no intention of appeasement at all. Still, he doesn’t want a direct confrontation with us. By dragging it out for a day, he consumes a day of our provisions.”

“Right, so how should we respond now?”

Yan Sikong contemplated for a moment, as if conversing with Fengye and murmuring to himself, “What does Bao Yunyong worry about the most? What does he want most?”

“Huh?” Fengye lowered his head, “What are you saying, Kong’er? Speak louder.”

Yan Sikong patted his shoulder, “Don’t shout outside.”

Fengye coughed lightly, suppressing a smile, and called out in a deliberately exaggerated tone, “Lord Yan.”

Yan Sikong raised his head, “What Bao Yunyong fears the most is still the former members of Kui Prefecture. His rebel army had no choice but to turn against him when they were on the brink of starvation. How many of the former members of Kui Prefecture would willingly engage in the risky business of rebellion? Not many. It’s only because their defense was slaughtered that they had no other choice. To defeat Bao Yunyong, we need to deal with those people.”

“Bao Yunyong foresaw this, which is why he killed Lord Liang’s attendants and imprisoned him. The spy General Zhao sent still hasn’t reported back. The military strength of Kui Prefecture is entirely under Bao Yunyong’s control. With Lord Liang’s support and backing from Prince Liang, this matter is complicated…”

“Prince Liang, Bao Yunyong, the former members of Kui Prefecture…” Yan Sikong suddenly revealed a smile, “I have a plan.”

“Oh?”

Yan Sikong looked around, lowered his voice, and said, “Let’s send a spy disguised as someone from Prince Liang to contact the former members of Kui Prefecture. Then intentionally let Bao Yunyong know about it. Bao Yunyong will surely be wary of Prince Liang, fearing that he might undermine him. We can even send an envoy to confuse the situation. After that…”

“And then what?”

“Besiege the city, gather the Luoyang army, completely surround Kui Prefecture. Disrupt the communication between Bao Yunyong and Prince Liang, spread the word that Prince Liang has already headed south to seize Jinling. Leave Bao Yunyong stranded here, serving as bait to restrain our army. At this point, with the threat of the former members of Kui Prefecture and a large army besieging the city, he’ll be in a dilemma whether to advance or retreat, both advantageous for us.”

“What about Prince Liang? How do we make him indifferent to Bao Yunyong’s life or death?”

“Simple, lay siege without attacking. If we don’t make a move for a day, Prince Liang won’t act recklessly.”

Fengye agreed, “Good plan. If Bao Yunyong believes that Prince Liang has abandoned him, our victory is assured.”

“That was our initial strategy—divide and conquer. But now, the situation is more complicated, requiring an extraordinary approach.”

“Right, without breaking the alliance between these two villains, our army must not mobilize under any circumstances, or we will surely be defeated.” Fengye looked at Yan Sikong with admiration, “Yan Sikong, you’re always so clever.”

Yan Sikong smiled, “General Zhao and Lord Liang will surely come up with ingenious plans as well. Let’s discuss it further during the council.”

“I heard that the official letter presented to Bao Yunyong was also written by you?”

“As a scribe, it’s my duty, isn’t it?”

Fengye pursed his lips, smiled, and in the absence of anyone else, quickly pecked Yan Sikong on the face, whispering with a chuckle, “Sometimes, I wish I’m the only one who knows how good you are, and not everyone in the world.”

Yan Sikong smiled, “I don’t have that much goodness. It’s only because of you that it seems that way, perhaps dazzled after seeing it for so long.”

Proudly, Fengye lifted his chin, “That’s enough. You, mine, from childhood to now, everything is good.”

Yan Sikong looked at Fengye’s domineering and spirited appearance, like the lake under the scorching sun, shimmering with ripples—like the stars in broad daylight, sparkling and dazzling. This was the visible goodness that everyone in the world could see. As for himself, everything was just a facade.

After the sunset, Yan Sikong was summoned by Zhao Fuyi to the central military tent, where Liang Guang, Xu Yan, Fengye, and three trusted generals of Zhao Fuyi were already present.

Zhao Fuyi said, “Lord Yan, please have a seat.”

“Thank you, General.” Yan Sikong sat beside Fengye.

“After discussing with Lord Liang for half a day and hearing about your plan from the Crown Prince, it surprisingly aligns with our thoughts. To avoid leaks, I’ve only gathered you all to discuss this matter.”

Yan Sikong bowed, “I am honored by General’s trust. I will never forget it.”

“We are officials of the same court, here to quell the rebellion. With your outstanding talents, you deserve recognition. Lord Yan, there’s no need to be polite.”

“Thank you, General.”

Liang Guang added, “Lord Yan, after discussing with General Zhao, we are also devising a strategy to sow discord between Bao Yunyong and Prince Liang.”

“I wonder, during the days in Kui Prefecture, did Lord Liang witness anything significant?”

“Bao Yunyong kept a close watch on me, making it impossible for me to contact any former members of Kui Prefecture. However, I managed to bribe one of his guards. According to this person, a considerable portion of the former members of Kui Prefecture does not wholeheartedly support Bao Yunyong. Many are merely complying reluctantly. They would rather join Prince Liang than be under Bao Yunyong’s command.”

“That aligns with our intentions.”

“Exactly. We need to exploit this and make Bao Yunyong and Prince Liang suspicious of each other,” Zhao Fuyi said. “However, sending a spy might not be the best option. I fear it could backfire, and Bao Yunyong might expose our scheme.”

“I share the same concern,” Liang Guang said. “Bao Yunyong may seem crude, but he’s shrewd, skilled in manipulating people’s minds. He uses the notion of ‘loyalty’ to convince his subordinates effectively. Most importantly, he has an advisor, a man who was reportedly banned from the civil service for cheating in the imperial exams. Without this person, Bao Yunyong wouldn’t have acted decisively, killing my attendants and imprisoning me.”

Zhao Fuyi pondered, “This brings us back to the initial problem. If we can’t make contact with the former members of Kui Prefecture, everything might be in vain. The agent I sent has yet to report back, and it’s becoming increasingly unlikely.”

“I don’t necessarily think we have to directly contact the former members of Kui Prefecture.”

“Do you have a solution?”

Yan Sikong pursed his lips, glanced at Fengye, and before Fengye could decipher the meaning of Yan Sikong’s gaze, Yan Sikong stood up and bowed to Zhao Fuyi, “I am willing to be the envoy, return to Kui Prefecture, and meet Bao Yunyong.”

Fengye stared wide-eyed.

Zhao Fuyi seemed to have been waiting for Yan Sikong to say this. His expression showed no surprise, only leaning forward, “You… want to go to Kui Prefecture? Do you know what Lord Liang has suffered? Aren’t you afraid of risking your life?”

“I know, but to alleviate the concerns of the Emperor and resolve the difficulties for the people, I cannot decline this duty.”