The Blood Crown - Chapter 91

Yan Sikong called the guards and ordered, “The Grand Marshal is drunk. Help him back to his tent to rest.” With that, he got up and walked through the banquet of cups and exchanges, leaving the main tent.

Feng Ye was fully awake now, his expression as solid as the ice of December. In an instant, all the suspicions, all the doubts, all the dissonance, were strung together. He finally found the answer to the feeling that Yan Sikong had been hiding something from him. It turns out it wasn’t just his imagination!

Feng Ye clenched his fists tightly, and the joints made cracking sounds. He stood up and followed.

Yan Sikong walked all the way to the stable, led out his horse, Zui Hong, who was grazing nearby. No other horse dared to approach where it stood.

Yan Sikong quietly watched Zui Hong for a while, thinking of the day when he reunited with Feng Ye, witnessing the dazzling young man tame this wild horse. He would never forget the stunning scene.

He untied the reins, smoothly mounted the horse, and with a nudge of his heels, “Let’s go—”

The horse dashed out of the stable, brushing past Feng Ye who was following closely behind. The two men, one up and one down, briefly locked eyes in the air.

Feng Ye suddenly felt a sense of unfamiliarity, towards the person in front of him, even though just two hours ago they were pouring out their emotions to each other. It seemed he had never truly known his bedfellow.

A flash of ferocity crossed Feng Ye’s face. He rushed into the stable, simultaneously drawing his horse saber, and with a swift motion, cut the reins, then mounted Zui Hong. “Let’s go!”

Zui Hong shot out like a crimson lightning bolt.

Yan Sikong’s gaze fixed on the empty road ahead, finding nothing but determination. Until he heard the distant sound of horse hooves approaching, which wasn’t his horse. His horse was just an ordinary one, albeit a carefully chosen superior warhorse, but compared to Zui Hong, it was worlds apart.

The sound of the horse hooves grew closer, almost coinciding with the rhythm of his horse’s hooves. Before he could react, a dark shadow leaped from the ground, and then, he saw nothing but was violently knocked off his horse. He was about to hit the ground face first when someone grabbed him from behind, flipping him three times in the air before tossing him onto the grass.

Yan Sikong rolled several yards on the grass before stabilizing himself. He was unharmed but a bit disheveled. He stood up, adjusting his appearance. “You could have asked me to stop, there was no need for such brutality.”

Feng Ye’s voice was cold. “You have no idea what brutality is.”

Yan Sikong pursed his lips. “I was going to tell you…”

“You still think I’m a fool!” Feng Ye gritted his teeth, his voice low and menacing.

Yan Sikong fell silent.

Feng Ye stepped forward, towering over Yan Sikong. “What were you going to tell me? Huh? It’s definitely another half-truth, isn’t it? How long do you plan to deceive me?!”

“Feng Ye…”

“I am the Crown Prince of Jingyuan.” Feng Ye pinched Yan Sikong’s chin, his eyes filled with anger. “Do you know what it means to be the Crown Prince of Jingyuan?”

Yan Sikong quietly stared into Feng Ye’s bloodshot and fierce eyes, feeling a chill down his spine.

“It means that one day, I will inherit the greatest military power in the world.” Feng Ye tightened his grip on Yan Sikong’s jaw, causing him pain, yet he didn’t let go. He squeezed out his words as if they were being crushed by his ferocity. “It means that as long as I want to, I can change the fate of the country. You can ask for the stars above the Nine Heavens, but you, cannot, deceive, me!”

Yan Sikong felt like his jaw was being crushed alive. He pushed Feng Ye away forcefully, took a deep breath, and looked at the wolf-like and aggressive young man in front of him, feeling a chill in his heart.

Feng Ye looked at Yan Sikong with a complex expression. “How much have you deceived me, hidden from me, and used me? Speak.”

Yan Sikong said lightly, “Where do you want to start?”

“Let’s start with Ge Zhong. You knew all along that he was the one who framed your foster father.”

“Yes.”

“I didn’t pay attention to the interrogation, but I heard that Ge Zhong used acidic water to write invisible characters on the surrender letter he sent to Prince Liang. Once it dried up, it left no trace, but when exposed to fire, it became visible.” Feng Ye narrowed his eyes. “Only you, me, and Liang Guang knew about that letter, and only you and I had contact with it. Was that acidic water… vinegar?”

Yan Sikong moved his lips, and then, softly uttered a word, “Yes.”

“Yan Sikong!” Feng Ye roared, “Did you use me to frame Ge Zhong?!”

Yan Sikong stared blankly at the ground.

“You imitated Ge Zhong’s handwriting…” Feng Ye couldn’t control his pacing, his shoulders heaving with force, “All those letters, they were all forged by you. Ge Zhong, he never plotted treason, it was all your doing! You dared to use me to frame a first-rank governor, you have some nerve!”

Yan Sikong spoke in a deep voice, “It was me.”

Feng Ye grabbed Yan Sikong’s collar, his eyes wide with fury, practically devouring him with his gaze. “How long have you been planning this?” He seemed to remember something suddenly. “She Zhun, She Zhun was sent to Jingzhou by you. The forged letters were planted by him in the governor’s mansion. You’ve been planning all of this for months, deceiving me from start to finish…” He snarled, “You haven’t told me a single truth!”

Yan Sikong’s Adam’s apple moved up and down. “I… had to conceal some things…”

Feng Ye grabbed Yan Sikong’s throat, like an enraged beast, baring his sharp teeth. “Why, Yan Sikong, why?!”

“For revenge!” Yan Sikong’s face turned red from being choked, as he struggled to utter the words.

Feng Ye’s expression softened slightly as he pushed Yan Sikong away. Yan Sikong staggered back several steps before regaining his balance.

Yan Sikong covered his throat, coughing violently before straightening up, his voice trembling. “…For revenge.”

“If you wanted revenge, you could have told me. I would have helped you. Why deceive me? Why use me?!”

“Because you are the Crown Prince of Jingyuan.” Yan Sikong sneered, “Because one day you will inherit the greatest military power in the world. Everyone wants to curry favor with you, win you over. If I told you, you would only think I had ulterior motives, wouldn’t you?”

Feng Ye’s voice was cold. “That’s not an excuse for deceiving me, let alone using me to frame a loyal subject.”

“He was no loyal subject!” Yan Sikong’s features contorted as he shouted, “He forged a letter to curry favor with Xie Zhongren, falsely accusing my father of treason within three days! He unjustly killed a true loyalist who had just saved forty thousand people in Guangning with his life! He was a villain, a scoundrel, a beast! That’s why I learned to imitate handwriting, using the same method to tarnish his reputation beyond redemption!”

Feng Ye was momentarily stunned, staring at the person in front of him. The Yan Sikong he once knew was incredibly intelligent, knowledgeable in both ancient and modern affairs, brilliant in debates, and skilled in military strategy. He was dazzling in every aspect.

But this person before him, with bloodshot eyes and a hint of madness, was almost unrecognizable. What was even more unrecognizable was everything he had done behind Feng Ye’s back, overturning all his understanding, as if he had never truly known Yan Sikong.

Many things flashed through Feng Ye’s mind, from the moment he reunited with Yan Sikong until now, everything played out like a revolving lantern. He caught something in an instant and murmured, “You can imitate handwriting…”

Yan Sikong’s lips trembled. He couldn’t describe his emotions at this moment. It wasn’t the frustration or guilt of being exposed, but a kind of… fear that he had never experienced before. He feared the way Feng Ye looked at him.

Feng Ye locked eyes with Yan Sikong. “That colleague of yours, surnamed Liu, Liu… Liu Zhaolin.” He stared into Yan Sikong’s pupils, unwilling to miss any slightest change. “Because of two mistakes in his writing, Wang Shengsheng was implicated and both were demoted. You were the one who reviewed it.” He gritted his teeth. “Was the new history case also your doing?”

Yan Sikong’s eyes flickered, but he didn’t speak, which was an admission.

Feng Ye shook his head, filled with disbelief. “Framing Ge Zhong was for revenge, but what about Liu Zhaolin? He had no quarrel with you, yet you ruined his future.”

“He made the mistake in writing himself.” Yan Sikong couldn’t meet Feng Ye’s eyes. “Wang Shengsheng was Xie Zhongren’s man, always opposing my teacher in everything at the Ministry of Personnel…”

“So now you’re the head of the Ministry of Personnel’s Selection Department.” Feng Ye’s breath seemed to carry ice shards. “Yan Sikong, you’re quite cunning. I’ve known you since I was eight, but it’s only today that I realize, I never knew you at all.”

Yan Sikong suddenly raised his head, his expression fierce, yet his voice choked with sobs. “Feng Ye, don’t look at me like that.”

“How am I supposed to look at you?” Feng Ye clenched his teeth, feeling a dull ache in his heart. “How am I supposed to look at you?”

“I’ve had my home destroyed and lost loved ones twice, at nine and thirteen. I’ve been wandering, suffering hardships, haunted by death countless times!” Yan Sikong stared with bloodshot eyes, his voice trembling. “While my enemies enjoyed wealth and glory, my loved ones were buried in cold ground, devoured by worms. I couldn’t sleep at night, the only thing keeping me going was revenge. I entered the court to seek revenge. Do you understand, Your Highness?”

Feng Ye looked at the tears hanging on Yan Sikong’s eyelashes, his heart in turmoil. He took a step back, then another, shaking his head gently. “Are you really Yan Sikong?”

Yan Sikong’s chest throbbed with pain, his throat as if being strangled, unable to utter a word.

Without looking at Yan Sikong again, Feng Ye mounted his horse and rode off without a backward glance. (End of this chapter)