The Blood Crown - Chapter 95

That day, Yan Sikong fulfilled his promise to Feng Ye in the camp of the two lakes. They sat facing each other, sharing a good wine, and Yan Sikong confessed his wandering ten years to Feng Ye.

He almost told everything, including what he had done over the years, where he had been, what he had experienced, and how he planned to seek revenge on Ge Zhong, Han Zhaoxing, and Xie Zhongren. But there were two points he still concealed. One was his collaboration with She Zhun to instigate Prince Liang’s rebellion, and the other was Yuan Nanyu.

Back then, he didn’t want Feng Ye to know about Yuan Nanyu’s existence out of his selfish desire to keep Feng Ye to himself. Now that so many years had passed, explaining it would undoubtedly take a lot of effort, and moreover, it was completely unnecessary.

More importantly, when one is pushed to the edge, they tend to want to let go. If he told Feng Ye everything, he would definitely not be able to resist mentioning Princess Wanyang’s matter. Today, both he and Feng Ye have borne too much. Feng Ye needs a lot of effort to re-recognize and accept him. Just when their relationship was beginning to ease, he couldn’t say it. He knew he should say it, but he couldn’t.

Feng Ye looked at Yan Sikong with a gaze of astonishment and compassion. The Yan Sikong he imagined was not like this. After all, the Yan Sikong he reunited with was indeed not like this. But now he finally saw the real Yan Sikong. Through those profound eyes, he saw his deep-seated ambition and profound hatred.

And he knew clearly that this kind of Yan Sikong had seeped into his bones like poison, deadly yet difficult to extricate himself from.

After a few cups of wine, tears unknowingly filled Yan Sikong’s eyes. Feng Ye lightly wiped his tears with the calloused fingertips, but didn’t know what to say. The suffering he endured was not something that could be comforted in a few words.

Yan Sikong raised his head and drank the wine in his cup, enduring the sharpness, and said with a wrinkled face, “I’ve finished. It’s your turn.”

“You want to know how my eldest brother died.”

Yan Sikong touched Feng Ye’s face and softly responded with a “mm.”

Feng Ye fell silent for a moment and said in a low voice, “My eldest brother was a commander with both intelligence and bravery. He could have become a famous general like our father, but he had a flaw, or perhaps it shouldn’t be called a flaw, but it is a major taboo for a commander. He placed too much emphasis on benevolence and righteousness.”

Yan Sikong looked at him quietly.

“He was a true gentleman, strict in military discipline, fair in rewards and punishments, and compassionate towards his soldiers. He was well-versed in Confucian classics and placed great importance on integrity.” Feng Ye sighed, “Believing that ‘a gentleman values trustworthiness, without trust, one cannot stand,’ and ‘a man without trust is unreliable,’ a great man should ‘speak with sincerity and act with integrity.’ He applied these principles to military strategy, forming his own unique way of warfare. Besides our father, he was the person I respected the most.”

Yan Sikong remained silent, already guessing why Feng Lie had perished.

“The soldiers under his command were loyal to him, willing to sacrifice their lives for him. Most of them were men of great loyalty and righteousness. However, our father had also repeatedly reminded him that while using benevolence to win people over is effective, using profit can also achieve the same result. One should adapt to circumstances. Bees have poison; not to mention people?” Feng Ye’s breathing began to grow heavier, and he gripped the wine cup tightly, taking a deep gulp, his sharp fangs bared as he spoke with a deep voice, “His subordinates betrayed him for the sake of gain. The Waer deceived him, and many of his officers warned him that it might be a trick, but he believed in that traitor and in the Waer commander who pretended to surrender. As a result… he fell into an ambush.”

Yan Sikong held Feng Ye’s hand.

Feng Ye also tightly held his hand in return. He gritted his teeth, his eyes flashing with fierce fierceness, “The Waer used my eldest brother to threaten our father. My eldest brother fought bravely, attempting to break through several times, but he chose to commit suicide rather than let our father submit to the barbarians. He would rather die than let our father submit to the barbarians.” His eye sockets gradually turned red, blood-red like blood, and his body began to tremble, “Those damn thieves dragged my eldest brother’s body to provoke…”

Yan Sikong looked at Feng Ye’s pale, distorted face, feeling heartbroken for a moment. He even regretted letting Feng Ye reveal this scar, because he knew how painful it was to lose a loved one. Once experienced, it would never be forgotten, a tearing pain that would last a lifetime.

“Father knew there must be an ambush, endured the intense pain, and didn’t allow anyone to leave the camp to pursue. That was… his, his son.” Feng Ye’s teeth clattered, “That year, I was fourteen. Father hadn’t let me lead troops alone yet. I stole his token, gathered a few hundred loyal warriors to my eldest brother, risked my life to pursue, shot the enemy commander with an arrow, took advantage of their confusion, broke through the encirclement covered in blood, and retrieved my eldest brother’s body.”

Yan Sikong whispered, “In that battle, the name ‘Little Wolf King’ resounded throughout the world. That’s when I kept hearing news about you.”

Feng Ye forcefully wiped away the tears about to fall, staring straight at the hands they tightly held, choking, “Father beat me with fifty military sticks, and I lay on the bed for two months… But if I could exchange it for my brother’s life, I would willingly die without regret.”

Yan Sikong tidied Feng Ye’s falling hair and softly said, “Feng Ye, you’re admirable. Every man of the Feng family is admirable. Your elder brother was loyal and courageous, a source of pride even in death.”

Feng Ye nodded vigorously. “I often think, father sent me back to the capital to keep me away from the battlefield. He feared I would repeat my brother’s mistakes due to my youthful fervor.”

“You understand King Jingyuan’s concerns. He only has you as his son now,” Yan Sikong sighed. “Moreover, you’re impulsive and always take risks. I’ve advised you countless times, and I worry about you too.”

Feng Ye pursed his lips. “Sometimes I reflect on myself, but I’m more afraid of missing opportunities. I’d rather take risks and try.”

“Your elder brother had his gains and losses leading troops, and so do you. You may not have his calmness and steadiness,” Yan Sikong lifted Feng Ye’s chin. “Feng Ye, we both have a long way to go. Let’s live together and survive till the end, alright?”

Feng Ye grasped his hand. “You say that to me, but aren’t you also walking on the edge of a knife? You’re just a bit better than me, not seeing the bloodshed, that’s all.”

Yan Sikong was momentarily surprised, then smiled wryly. “You have a point.”

Feng Ye refilled their cups and solemnly said, “Sikong, I’ve said it before. If you seek revenge, I’ll help you. Xie Zhongren has caused harm for too long, and everyone agrees he must be eliminated. I’ll step up, but you must never deceive me again.”

“I…” Yan Sikong looked into Feng Ye’s resolute eyes, and even though he was skilled in acting, the thought of Princess Wanyang made him feel guilty, and his gaze started to flicker. But he couldn’t speak now, at least not today.

“Sikong?” Feng Ye frowned at him.

Yan Sikong smiled bitterly. “I’m used to deception. I’ve survived this long because I never trust anyone. I’m afraid of disappointing you.”

“Don’t you trust me?” Feng Ye stared into Yan Sikong’s eyes.

“You’re the person I trust most in this world,” Yan Sikong said earnestly and sincerely. “But… but I dare not burden you with my hatred. It’s too heavy.”

“I can bear it,” Feng Ye patted Yan Sikong’s face and stared into his eyes. “It’s heavier than a thousand catties, but I’ll bear it with you. I won’t let you bear it alone anymore.”

Yan Sikong trembled slightly. “Feng Ye, you’re so good to me. How can I repay you?”

Feng Ye chuckled and pinched Yan Sikong’s nose. “Repay me with a lifetime.”

Yan Sikong hugged Feng Ye’s neck, and Feng Ye embraced his waist tightly. They held each other tightly throughout the night.

They didn’t sleep all night. Yan Sikong told Feng Ye about his plan. Xie Zhongren, an eunuch, had been in power for too long, solely due to the favor of Emperor Zhaowu. To dismantle Xie Zhongren and his eunuch faction, it ultimately depended on the Emperor.

To achieve this, there were two ways: either replace the Emperor, like enthroning Chen Bi, or gradually weaken Emperor Zhaowu’s affection for Xie Zhongren. Emperor Zhaowu was indecisive and easily influenced, making him a prime candidate for sowing discord. Yan Sikong had quietly dealt blows to Xie Zhongren’s two key generals – one was a cabinet assistant, the other a governor of the Two Lakes, without Xie Zhongren even noticing his existence.

Of course, Yan Sikong couldn’t afford to be careless. Xie Zhongren was deeply entrenched, and destabilizing him wouldn’t be easy. Without the pressure and impeachment from the honest aristocrats like Yan Zilian, he alone wouldn’t achieve this goal. He was still too weak.

After listening to Yan Sikong’s plan, Feng Ye felt his hair stand on end. On one hand, he couldn’t believe such a person slept beside him, but on the other hand, he was grateful he wasn’t Yan Sikong’s enemy. He used to think Yan Sikong was clever, but now he realized he was almost supernatural in intelligence. At this moment, he also began to feel his blood boil, wishing to immediately slay the treacherous eunuchs beneath his horse’s hooves. “What’s your next step?”

“I need you to help me with something.”

“Go on.”

“Empress Xianfei is respected by the Emperor. Although she’s not as favored as Empress Wen, she has never been neglected.”

Feng Ye nodded. “I understand.”

Yan Sikong asked Feng Ye to persuade his aunt, blowing winds of discord in Emperor Zhaowu’s ears, to both support the Crown Prince and gradually undermine Emperor Zhaowu’s favor for Xie Zhongren. Emperor Zhaowu was weak-minded and easily swayed, making him the perfect target for such a scheme. Holding Feng Ye’s hand, Yan Sikong said solemnly, “Feng Ye, thank you.”

Feng Ye smirked. “I’m not doing this just for you. I’ve always had the ambition to contribute to the country and save the people. Since I can’t be on the battlefield now, let’s start by eliminating the traitors.”

They smiled at each other, seeing in each other’s eyes the oath they made eleven years ago on the Guangning Racecourse, the oath to bring peace and prosperity to the country and to be remembered for eternity.

AN – I’m back with updates! Did you miss me? Did you miss Sikong and Feng Ye?

Wishing you a prosperous new year! (End of Chapter)