The Blood Crown - Chapter 71

Both of them returned safely, which really relieved Zhao Fuyi. If Feng Ye had failed under his command, he truly didn’t know how to face King Jingyuan.

They recounted everything that happened in Kuizhou. Zhao Fuyi was pleased to hear it. Although this trip did not completely achieve its purpose, it had planted three seeds of trouble for Kuizhou: first, the mutual suspicion between Bao Yunyong and the Prince Liang; second, the betrayal and pursuit of glory by Yang Weiqi; and third, the unrest among the former Kuizhou troops. Any one of these three issues erupting would be enough for them to retake Kuizhou.

The current situation was favorable to them. Being able to make a breakthrough in such a predicament was not easy.

Zhao Fuyi said happily, “You two have merit in this trip and should be rewarded!”

Yan Sikong humbly replied, “Thank you, General, but the military situation is urgent now. The value of time is immeasurable. I hope to receive the reward on the day of our army’s great victory.”

Zhao Fuyi appreciated Yan Sikong even more and praised him. Liang Guang, on the side, felt somewhat uncomfortable. After all, not only did he return without any merit, he was also imprisoned, and all three of his followers were beheaded. Compared to Yan Sikong, it was indeed humiliating.

However, Liang Guang didn’t show it. He still prioritized the overall situation and discussed the siege of the city.

Zhao Fuyi said, “I wonder how much grain and fodder Kuizhou still has. Our army’s supplies are still on the way, and for now, we can only sustain ourselves for about a month at most.”

“Kuizhou has only three months of grain and fodder,” Yan Sikong asserted confidently.

“Oh, how do you know?” Zhao Fuyi asked.

Yan Sikong smiled, “At that time, I used the grain and fodder to provoke them to surrender, saying, ‘How long can the grain and fodder in Kuizhou last? One year, half a year, or three months?’ When I mentioned one year or half a year, Bao Yunyong and Yang Weiqi didn’t react much. But when I mentioned three months, both of them frowned at the same time.”

Liang Guang said solemnly, “This matter is of great importance. Can Master Yan guarantee it?”

“It’s almost certain,” Yan Sikong said, “I also made a rough calculation. Kuizhou has a population of no more than forty thousand, and there are only three thousand defenders in the city. According to the court’s regulations, the grain in the granary should not exceed two hundred thousand stones. Just surviving the cold winter, I’m afraid there is not enough surplus grain to reach one hundred thousand stones. Bao Yunyong’s rebel army, including their families, exceeds fifty thousand people. Nearly one hundred thousand people are crowded in Kuizhou City, and the grain and fodder won’t last long.”

“That makes sense. Master Yan is indeed meticulous in his thinking, even figuring out the grain and fodder situation,” Zhao Fuyi said with certainty, “Good, time is of the essence. I will inform the Di Jiang army. We will besiege the city tomorrow.”

At this time, Feng Ye stepped forward and volunteered to take two thousand cavalry to set up an ambush on the road from Jingzhou to Kuizhou to prevent the Prince Liang from sending reinforcements. They were not worried about the water route; they were upstream, and Jingzhou was downstream. The Prince Liang wouldn’t be foolish enough to send a navy to save Kuizhou.

Zhao Fuyi approved Feng Ye’s proposal and immediately sent a messenger to deliver the intelligence to Di Rong, the leader of the rebellion suppression army in Luoyang. Seizing the opportunity, they would march tomorrow and besiege Kuizhou together!

During the night, Feng Ye was ready to leave with the ambush troops. Yan Sikong poured wine for him and saw him off.

With a wine cup in one hand, Feng Ye pinched Yan Sikong’s cheek with the other hand, joking, “I’ve never seen Master Yan so nervous. What’s wrong? Worried about me?”

Yan Sikong whispered, “Feng Ye, you’re going to battle, and you might be the only one who will truly engage the enemy in this battle. How can I not worry?”

Feng Ye pretended to be relaxed, “In that case, you should be happy. If I ambush and defeat the Prince Liang, and Bao Yunyong surrenders under pressure, won’t everyone be happy?”

Yan Sikong sighed, “You know what I’m worried about. I’m not in the mood for jokes right now.”

Feng Ye smoothed his hair and said softly, “Sikong, don’t worry about me. I followed my father to battle at the age of eleven. I’ve long been accustomed to the battlefield. I’m tough and even the heavens can’t take my life. I will definitely come back safely.”

“Even if there are only two thousand troops?”

“Even if there are only two thousand troops.” Feng Ye finished the wine in one gulp, then hugged Yan Sikong tightly, “Wait for me to come back.”

Yan Sikong grabbed Feng Ye’s clothes and closed his eyes, “Don’t be reckless. Nothing is more important than your life, you know.”

“Mm.”

Yan Sikong suppressed his worries and reluctance, and said softly, “I’ll wait for you to come back.”

Apart from the ten thousand troops brought by Jing Shan, there were another ten thousand troops mainly consisting of navy from the two lakes region in Zhao Fuyi’s camp. Meanwhile, Di Rong brought twenty thousand troops from Luoyang, all of which were infantry.

The next day, the forty thousand troops split into two groups, advancing toward Kuizhou with vigor and determination.

Chariots and horses filled the fields, and sails dotted the river.

Before nightfall, the forty thousand troops arrived at Kuizhou and chose a sunny high ground to camp, blocking all the land and water passages of Kuizhou, turning it into a completely isolated city.

Yan Sikong stood on the high ground of the camp, looking at Kuizhou in the distance, feeling emotional.

Ten years ago, he was on the city wall, and the Jin army was outside the city. With a hundred thousand troops pressing in, the banners covered the sun, and spears were as dense as forests. He was so scared that he trembled. If it weren’t for Yuan Mao, the resolute and courageous backbone, supporting the beliefs and fighting spirit of the Guangning soldiers and the people, they would have faced the fate of the city being breached and everyone being killed.

Ten years later, he was outside the city, becoming the attacker. Half of the Kuizhou generals were a ragtag mob of rebels, and the other half were former troops with ulterior motives. There were probably very few with fighting spirit, and the Kuizhou people were just a group of ignorant sheep, following whichever shepherd they were led by, without making their own choices. Kuizhou did not have the determination to resist to the death, and their morale had already collapsed. The

Even if there were no internal changes in Kuizhou, and their food ran out, they would eventually surrender. If Bao Yunyong and Yang Weiqi had any brains, they shouldn’t have pushed themselves into such a dead end. After all, Kuizhou was not originally theirs, and besieging the city was inevitable for the legitimate Sheng regular army, which would not harm the civilians.

However, if Kuizhou dragged on for another day, it would be extremely unfavorable for them. Because their provisions were even tighter than Kuizhou’s at the moment, and Prince Liang’s intentions were difficult to determine. If they couldn’t force Kuizhou to surrender quickly, the outcome was still uncertain.

This game had not yet seen bloodshed, but it had already wagered the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers.

A few days later, there was a report from the front line. Feng Ye caught a scout sent by Bao Yunyong to secretly seek reinforcements. After revealing to the scout that the Sheng army had sufficient provisions and was prepared for a long-term siege, he deliberately let the scout escape.

Zhao Fuyi immediately dispatched another two thousand elite soldiers to Feng Ye. They had been besieging the city for several days, and Prince Liang had not made any moves, indicating that Prince Liang would not send troops before they attacked the city. By letting the scout seek reinforcements, if Prince Liang did send troops, Feng Ye would intercept them on the way. If Prince Liang didn’t send troops, Bao Yunyong would inevitably fall into despair. Zhao Fuyi sent reinforcements to Feng Ye, hoping that if Prince Liang did send troops, they could deal a heavy blow to him in one go.

Zhao Fuyi still sent people to challenge the city every day, but Bao Yunyong remained indifferent, perhaps still hoping for Prince Liang’s support, stubbornly resisting.

After letting the scout escape for several days, Prince Liang actually sent troops. Before this, they mostly believed that Prince Liang would not send troops but abandon Kuizhou and head straight for Jinling.

When they heard the news of Prince Liang’s troops, Yan Sikong felt both happy and worried. He was glad that Prince Liang lacked determination and made a wrong move, but worried that if Prince Liang lost too quickly, his plan to involve Ge Zhong, and even Xie Zhongren, in the rebellion case might fail.

However, what he cared about most at the moment was Feng Ye’s safety. Feng Ye was an important aid for him to enter the center of power in the future, and he couldn’t afford any mishaps here.

Fortunately, Feng Ye didn’t disappoint everyone. With four thousand elite soldiers, he ambushed and intercepted Prince Liang’s twenty thousand troops on the Yuanhua Road, killing six thousand enemies. Of course, Feng Ye also suffered half casualties because there were few natural ambush conditions on the road from Jingzhou to Kuizhou, with few mountains and little water. Feng Ye’s battle was more of a head-on collision, gaining only the advantage of surprise, but ultimately forcing Prince Liang’s troops back to Jingzhou.

The news of Feng Ye’s victory reached the main camp, but he did not return with his troops. To prevent Prince Liang from retaliating, he continued to station in place.

Zhao Fuyi was overjoyed and ordered everyone to keep this matter secret. There were many people in the army, and it was inevitable that there were spies among them. Although the initial victory was a great morale boost, he now needed to ensure that Kuizhou did not receive news of Prince Liang’s troops, gradually pushing them into the abyss step by step.

After a month of besieging, due to the delayed arrival of provisions, the Sheng army was in urgent need of provisions, while Bao Yunyong still pretended to be deadlocked in the city, resulting in a stalemate between the two sides.

Zhao Fuyi was anxious in his heart but maintained a calm demeanor on the surface. He sent a team of riders to the city to train and began shouting that Prince Liang had already raised his troops and abandoned Kuizhou.

By this time, Bao Yunyong had waited for Prince Liang for a month. The scout had clearly brought back news that Prince Liang was going to send troops to rescue them, yet they hadn’t seen a single soldier or even heard a shout. Rumors spread like wildfire in the army, speculating that Prince Liang had deceived them. These voices grew louder as time passed, until Zhao Fuyi shouted out the news that Prince Liang had marched south at the right moment, confirming many people’s suspicions and instantly putting Bao Yunyong in a desperate situation.

At this point, not only were the former Kuizhou troops dissatisfied, but even the rebel army that had followed Bao Yunyong from Shu was beginning to resent him. With the enemy besieging the city and no reinforcements, who would want to be a turtle in this dead-end situation?

Finally, on the forty-second night of the siege, the lights on Kuizhou city suddenly lit up, and the streets were bustling. Zhao Fuyi was awakened late at night, armed and leading troops out of the camp, heading straight for the city. Yan Sikong, who was awakened, also saw the abnormality of Kuizhou city from afar and knew that the big event had been accomplished.

The night was dark and it was difficult to see clearly, but after a short time, a cavalryman returned to the camp and excitedly shouted from afar, “Yang Weiqi is carrying Bao Yunyong’s head and opening the city to surrender!”

Yan Sikong took a deep breath, a cold smile appearing on his face.

The overall situation of Kuizhou had been determined. Next, it was Jingzhou’s turn.

At dawn, Zhao Fuyi entered the city with his troops in high spirits. The people of Kuizhou greeted them along the way, showing their long-standing resentment towards Bao Yunyong and the rebel army he brought.

Zhao Fuyi had promised not to blame the past as long as they surrendered. After entering the city, he did not arrest any rebel generals or former Kuizhou troops who had defected, relieving them of their burden.

With Bao Yunyong dead and Kuizhou city surrendered, nearly three months had passed since the expedition began. Di Rong and Zhao Fuyi finally fulfilled the imperial order and exterminated the rebellion in Shu that had troubled the court for nearly half a year.

However, everything was not over yet. A more difficult enemy was guarding the fortress of Jingzhou, intending to covet Jiangnan.

Therefore, they didn’t have time to celebrate. After Feng Ye returned, without even taking a sip of water, he was summoned by Zhao Fuyi for discussion.

As soon as he entered the room, Feng Ye’s eyes anxiously searched around, and when he saw Yan Sikong, whose face was as calm as a lake and as elegant as a pine tree, the restless emotions seemed to be smoothed out in an instant.

Yan Sikong also looked at him, a fleeting joy flashing in his eyes, although it was short-lived, it was fully captured by Feng Ye. At the moment they looked at each other, it seemed that countless emotions

Liang Guang stroked his beard and said, “Kill them in secret?”

Feng Ye shook his head, “If we cannot make them publicly confess and accept punishment, it won’t serve the purpose of deterrence.”

Zhao Fuyi thought for a moment and looked at Yan Sikong, “Lord Yan, do you have a good idea?”

Yan Sikong cupped his hands, “I do have a plan.”

“Please share.”

“Just as the Crown Prince said, without punishment, how can we win over the people? I believe their crimes should be thoroughly investigated and made public.”

“Wouldn’t that go against my promise?” Zhao Fuyi said, “Back then, when the provisions were urgent, I had to resort to this strategy to make them surrender sooner.”

“General, don’t worry. We’ll keep our promise. Instead of punishing them, we’ll require them to redeem themselves by leading troops to fight against Prince Liang.”

Zhao Fuyi clapped his hands, “Use Prince Liang’s hand to kill them.”

Yan Sikong nodded, “Among these people, there are several who must be eliminated, such as Yang Weiqi, the main leaders of the rebel army, and the Kuizhou generals who participated in the assassination of the Kuizhou garrison commander. None of them can be spared. In this way, their crimes will be made public, and the general won’t be seen as untrustworthy.”

“Good, let’s do it this way. Actually, this matter is not the most urgent…” Zhao Fuyi pondered, “I just discussed with Di Jiangjun, and I still don’t know how to take down Jingzhou.”

“Indeed, Yang Weiqi still has value to exploit. When the time is ripe, there will be plenty of excuses to send them to their deaths. The most important thing now is Prince Liang.”

“How is the situation in Jingzhou now?” Feng Ye asked.

Yan Sikong said in a deep voice, “Jingzhou is well-fortified, well-stocked with provisions, and with our current strength, even if we have sufficient provisions, it’s unlikely we can capture it. If we want to be cautious, we can only continue to besiege.”

“Prince Liang is expanding his forces wildly. When he has a large army in his hands, he will definitely march south. At that time, with Jingzhou blocking our way, we can only watch helplessly as he advances south. We may be powerless to turn the tide by then,” Liang Guang sighed, “So, we can’t afford to delay. If we can’t stop Prince Liang from marching south, we will bear the blame of the holy emperor.”

Zhao Fuyi also said, “We must take down Jingzhou before Prince Liang strengthens.”

The room fell into silence. It seemed that they had no strength to resist Prince Liang at the moment. Although their forces outnumbered Prince Liang’s, their lack of provisions forced them to rely on Kuizhou’s supplies to survive. Continuing like this, their only option would be to retreat.

“When will the provisions arrive?” Yan Sikong asked.

“It should have arrived at the beginning of the month,” Liang Guang said solemnly, “I’ve already sent three urgent memorials, but Datong Prefecture also needs provisions, and Minister Cai is scrambling to gather supplies. The situation is not good.”

In ancient wars, it was all about provisions. The strength of a country could be verified by how well they could supply their army. Eight out of ten provisions would be consumed in transportation, meaning that out of ten provisions transported, four would be used by the transportation army, and another four would be consumed on the return journey. Only two provisions would actually reach the frontline troops. Every day of marching and fighting was a huge consumption. With the current national strength of Da Sheng, it was almost impossible to sustain such consumption.

The discussion did not yield a strategy to deal with Jingzhou. Zhao Fuyi let Feng Ye go back to rest.

Since they had settled in Kuizhou, they naturally didn’t need to stay in tents anymore.

Back in the inn room, before Feng Ye could react, Yan Sikong had already tightly embraced him, vigorously sniffing the bloody and dusty scent on Feng Ye’s body. It didn’t smell good at all, but it made him feel unprecedentedly relieved.

Feng Ye also hugged him back, his voice trembling slightly, “Sikong, did you miss me?”

“I was worried about you,” Yan Sikong whispered, “I’ve been worried about you every day for the past month.”

“I’m back,” Feng Ye smiled, “Without a scratch.”

Yan Sikong closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, his gaze had returned to calmness. He let go of Feng Ye, “Are you tired? Xuebo has gone to fetch water. Take a good bath, then eat something, and have a good rest.”

Feng Ye smiled, “I just want to look at you now.”

“I’ll be here with you.”

“Really? Will you stay with me tonight?”

“This is not a military camp. Of course, I can stay with you,” Yan Sikong grinned, “I’ll stay with you and chat by candlelight.”

Feng Ye smirked, “Good, then let’s ‘chat by candlelight’.”

Xuebo served Feng Ye as he bathed, washing away the dirt and dust of more than a month, and changed into clean clothes. Then he brought hot food.

Having eaten dry rations for nearly forty days, seeing such delicacies now, Feng Ye dug in eagerly.

Yan Sikong watched Feng Ye quietly, this dazzling and outstanding youth. Every expression, every scene, he wanted to engrave it into his mind.

After eating for a while, Feng Ye suddenly raised his head and urged, “Aren’t you eating?”

“I have enough to eat in the camp. You eat more.”

“We still have food now, so we should eat more. We never know when we might run out of provisions,” Feng Ye picked up a big piece of meat and put it in Yan Sikong’s bowl, “Eat, I don’t want you to be hungry.”

The two of them finished all the food, and Yan Sikong poured two cups of wine, raising his glass, “That day I drank ‘Practicing Wine’ with you, and now I want to drink ‘Celebration Wine’ with you. Come, Feng Ye, congratulations on your triumphant return.”

Feng Ye laughed and clinked glasses with Yan Sikong, then drank it down boldly.

Yan Sikong asked Feng Ye how he had repelled Prince Liang’s reinforcements, and Feng Ye, unable to contain himself, vividly described his bravery to Yan Sikong.

The two talked into the late night, intoxicated with alcohol, unknowingly, love blossomed between them. Feng Ye pushed Yan Sikong onto the bed, passionately kissing his warm lips, wishing to pour all his longing and joy of reunion into this lingering kiss.