The Blood Crown - Chapter 90

Early the next morning, Feng Ye took Yan Sikong to the mountains to find Feng Hun.

Having not seen each other for half a year, Yan Sikong was somewhat worried that Feng Hun wouldn’t recognize him. He saw a giant wolf approaching, still as majestic with its lush fur, towering stature, and a single green-gray eye emitting a fierce and dangerous light, exuding the aura of dominating mountains and rivers. Even a fierce tiger descending from the mountains would not compare to it.

Feng Ye stood behind Yan Sikong, holding his shoulders to prevent him from stepping back, and chuckled, “Hmm? Are you scared again?”

Yan Sikong nervously swallowed his saliva, “Does it still remember me?”

“If a wolf recognizes someone, it will never forget them.” Feng Ye took Yan Sikong’s hand and walked towards Feng Hun.

Feng Hun trotted over, and when it reached them, it suddenly raised its front paws and stood up.

Yan Sikong looked at the gradually rising huge shadow in front of him, not daring to move.

But Feng Hun placed both paws on Feng Ye’s shoulders and rubbed its head against Feng Ye’s chest. Feng Ye laughed and hugged its big head, rubbing it vigorously, “Hun’er, have you gained weight again? It’s only been a few days, and you’ve eaten something delicious.”

After a while, Feng Hun released Feng Ye and turned its head slightly, seemingly rubbing against Yan Sikong as a formality. Then, it squatted down on the ground, arrogantly raising its head.

Yan Sikong breathed a sigh of relief, touched Feng Hun’s chin, and smiled, “Hun’er, you seem quite comfortable here in the mountains.”

“It has food and drink, of course it’s comfortable.”

“Do you think it misses its mate and offspring?”

“I wanted to leave it in Datong, but it insisted on following me.” Feng Ye smiled, “My father said, perhaps in its heart, I’m also its son, a son who doesn’t hunt or prey, so it wants to take care of me.”

Yan Sikong chuckled.

Feng Ye pinched his cheek, “What are you laughing at? You’re its daughter-in-law, you should kneel and bow to your father-in-law.”

Yan Sikong pretended to be serious, “But that would mess up the family hierarchy.”

They laughed at each other.

They strolled casually in the mountains. It was the autumn season, with the forest gradually turning colorful. The first time they came to Lingwu Villa was also at this time of year, but this year’s autumn came earlier and was more intense than last year’s, with the chill intensifying. Yet the mountain flowers were even more colorful and vibrant.

“I wonder where the rain has gone, and I already feel the chill here…” Yan Sikong picked up a fiery red fallen leaf, realizing that although this leaf grew so strikingly, it couldn’t escape its fate of falling to the ground.

Feng Ye looked towards the distant Jing Shan Camp, but his thoughts were on his family’s army campaigning outside, “I’m afraid Liaodong is already bitterly cold at this time.”

“We’ll need to wear cotton clothes soon.” Yan Sikong smiled faintly, “Every year at this time, my father leads the soldiers and civilians up the mountain to cut down miles of weeds and trees to create a firebreak. Otherwise, with the dry weather, a small mistake could cause a big fire. The first time I went, the sickle gave me blisters on my hands.”

He remembered when he first went up the mountain at the age of eleven, Yuan Nanyu wanted to compete with him to see who could cut more. After an hour of chopping, he was so tired that he couldn’t get up, and Yuan Nanyu took the opportunity to sneak his own cuttings over to his side, afraid that he would feel bad.

When he was young, he seemed smarter and more sensible, but in fact, Yuan Nanyu was more considerate of others, always thinking about others everywhere. He always hoped that his biological parents would give birth to a younger brother for him. He couldn’t imagine that a younger brother could be so, so good.

Feng Ye took his hand and looked at his palm, where there were only shallow scars from burns.

Yan Sikong subconsciously curled his palm, not wanting Feng Ye to see this “fabricated” scar. “How could blisters leave scars?”

“Yeah, only this burn scar.” Feng Ye seemed somewhat proud and suddenly had an idea, “By the way, since you mistook my dagger, let’s make this scar our token between us. Or, I’ll go burn one too, how about that?”

“Nonsense, why would you do something foolish like that?” Yan Sikong withdrew his hand.

“Why not? A token should be unique and have special meaning.”

“No, I don’t want this token.” Yan Sikong turned and walked down the mountain.

“Why? Are you afraid I can’t bear the pain of burning?” Feng Ye teased, “Or are you still angry about this scar?”

“Because it’s not unique!” Yan Sikong said loudly.

Feng Ye was taken aback.

Yan Sikong sighed in relief, “There are thousands of people with scars in the world. How could this be unique? Don’t do something foolish.”

Feng Ye shrugged, “Okay, but that dagger is truly unique.” He sounded somewhat disappointed.

“…I was desperate at the time.”

Feng Ye hurriedly said, “I didn’t mean to blame you.” He approached again, grabbed Yan Sikong’s hand, and gently rubbed his rough palm with his fingertips. “The fact that we can reunite is all that matters.”

Yan Sikong smiled gently, “Yes.”

“Let’s go down the mountain. General Zhao is waiting for us in the camp. After celebrating with him, when it’s just the two of us, we can talk about the past. Although I didn’t protect you by your side before, I will be from now on.” Feng Ye looked at Yan Sikong with deep affection.

Yan Sikong responded with a tender smile.

Zhao Fuyi was very enthusiastic when he saw Yan Sikong. The tent was already set up for a banquet, and the generals who had gone to suppress the rebellion were seated on both sides, waiting for them.

After exchanging greetings, they took their seats. Zhao Fuyi smiled, “Due to heavy losses in battle and the Empress Dowager falling ill, His Majesty does not allow grand celebrations, but we must still celebrate.”

The others smiled with joy. At this point, they were not too strict with formalities. Some rough generals directly laughed and grabbed the wine barrels.

“It’s a pity that Minister Liang has official duties and cannot come.” Zhao Fuyi raised his glass respectfully. “This first toast is to His Majesty. Without His Majesty’s wise and martial leadership, and the vast heavenly grace, we would not have achieved today’s great victory.”

“To His Majesty’s heavenly grace!” Everyone drank in unison, emptying their glasses.

Zhao Fuyi raised another full glass, “The second toast is to General Di and Minister Liang, what do you say?”

Sun Feng said, “General Di is brave and decisive, while Minister Liang is skilled in strategy. In this suppression of the rebellion, their contributions are indispensable. To General Di and Minister Liang!”

Everyone toasted again.

“For this third toast, we should honor my Jingshan…”

“Hey.” Yan Sikong interrupted Zhao Fuyi with a smile, “General, don’t blame me for being rude, but for this third toast, it should be dedicated to you, General. In this battle, you conquered Kuizhou, defeated Jingzhou, and decisively defeated the 30,000 navy troops of Prince Liang on Dongting Lake. Your fame spread throughout the world in just one battle, leaving a lasting mark in history. Your achievements are truly magnificent.”

“Hahaha—” Zhao Fuyi burst into laughter. “This victory was blessed by His Majesty, aided by the cooperation of General Di, Minister Liang, the Crown Prince, Mr. Yan, and all the other generals. The bravery of our soldiers of Great Sheng also played a crucial role. I, Zhao Fuyi, dare not take credit for it. We should toast to our soldiers.”

“To General!” Yan Sikong urged.

The other generals echoed, “To General!”

After several refusals, Zhao Fuyi reluctantly accepted. He laughed heartily, “There are no outsiders here in this tent, so I’ll accept this toast with pleasure.”

All the generals stood up and gathered in the center of the tent. Feng Ye held a cup high and exclaimed, “General, you have dedicated yourself fully, turned the tide of battle, and achieved victory in every fight. You have protected the land and the people of Great Sheng. Cheers to General!”

“To General—”

The sound of drinking, shouting, and laughter filled the room, making it seem like the tent was about to take off.

Zhao Fuyi specifically invited Feng Ye and Yan Sikong to sit at his table. With a hint of drunkenness, he held Yan Sikong’s hand and said, “Sikong, I want to thank you.”

“General, you’re too kind…”

“Sikong.” Zhao Fuyi said solemnly, “Your suggestions for the expedition to Kuizhou and the swift attack on Yueyang were crucial. Without you, the outcome of this battle would have been uncertain.” He whispered, “Personally, I think your contribution is even greater than Liang Guang’s.”

“I dare not accept such praise,” Yan Sikong said modestly. “I only did what was expected of me.”

“Well, I mean it sincerely.” Zhao Fuyi looked at Feng Ye next, “And you, Crown Prince. Ambushing the reinforcements of Prince Liang and leading the troops through Nan Yue Mountain for ten days—those were incredibly dangerous actions. As the Crown Prince, you didn’t have to take such risks, but you led by example. Without your bravery, our soldiers wouldn’t have been able to break through the heavily guarded Green Whiskers Valley.”

Feng Ye bowed, “A leader should always put the country first and disregard personal safety, regardless of rank or status.”

“Good, you are all outstanding sons of Great Sheng!” Zhao Fuyi poured himself a full glass of wine, swaying slightly. “Come, this glass is for you, my special toast to each of you.”

“General…”

“Come on.”

The three of them toasted each other.

Zhao Fuyi put down his cup and sighed, “I heard that Ge Zhong was questioned and executed a few days ago?”

Yan Sikong’s eyes darkened. “Executed.”

“I had already promised him to punish his son lightly, but I didn’t expect the Grand Historian to find so much evidence against him,” Zhao Fuyi shook his head, showing no regret on his face.

“Ge Yong was full of crimes, he got what he deserved.”

Zhao Fuyi nodded, then suddenly chuckled and trembled as he reached for the wine.

Feng Ye poured him a cup.

Without a word, Zhao Fuyi drank it all in one gulp, too fast for either of them to stop him.

With a long “sigh,” Zhao Fuyi laughed, “Refreshing, very refreshing.”

Yan Sikong advised, “General Zhao, excessive drinking harms the body, please drink moderately.”

“I’m happy today,” Zhao Fuyi said vaguely, “Actually, I’m celebrating not only for the victory over the rebellion but also because… because…” he laughed, “because of Ge Zhong… the law of karma, the retribution.”

Feng Ye frowned, “What do you mean?”

Yan Sikong supported Zhao Fuyi, “General, you’re drunk, you shouldn’t drink anymore. Let me take you back to your tent to rest.”

“No, I’m not drunk. If this little amount of alcohol can knock me down, how can I be a heroic figure lying drunk on the battlefield?” Zhao Fuyi slammed his cup towards Feng Ye, ordering, “Refill it for me!”

Feng Ye had no choice but to refill his cup.

Suddenly, Zhao Fuyi raised his cup to the sky, spilling half of the wine. A hint of sadness flashed in his murky eyes. “This cup, I toast to someone I once… once appreciated, someone who was… killed by Ge Zhong.”

Yan Sikong’s body trembled, her cheeks flushed from the wine suddenly lost their color.

Feng Ye asked suspiciously, “Who?”

“Guangning, General… Yuan,” Zhao Fuyi mumbled with half-closed eyes, already showing signs of tiredness, “You were still young at that time…”

Feng Ye’s eyes widened suddenly, looking at Yan Sikong.

Yan Sikong had calmed down. He looked at Feng Ye calmly, his gaze as calm as water.

This day has finally come.

Do you still remember the previous plot?

Zhao Fuyi was the general who led troops from the capital to aid Guangning.