The Blood Crown - Chapter 96

Because he felt neglected at the Ministry of Personnel and had too much free time, Yan Sikong had plenty of spare time. Feng Ye tried to stay in the capital as much as possible, so the two of them met almost every day and spent almost every night together.

After revealing himself to Feng Ye, Yan Sikong no longer needed to pretend everywhere he went. For many years, pretending had become like a second skin, a suit of armor for him to protect himself. Stripping it away would undoubtedly leave him vulnerable, but it also allowed him to almost forget his true self. Finally, in front of Feng Ye, he could peel back some of that disguise, allowing himself to breathe in the real air. The relief was indescribable.

And Feng Ye no longer harbored any suspicions. He could let go of grievances and accept the real Yan Sikong. They conspired together, with even more tacit understanding than before.

Although Yan Sikong was temporarily frustrated at the Ministry of Personnel, he wasn’t in a hurry. When he went to the office, he diligently perused past official documents and records. His memory was astonishing. He could remember at least seventy to eighty percent of what he read. He initially skimmed through all the annual records of the Ministry from the founding emperor of the Sheng dynasty to the present day. He then focused on studying the records from the reigns of Emperor Zhaowu and the late emperor. Combining this with the official documents and memorials he had seen during his time at the Hanlin Academy, he had a good understanding of the major and minor events involving officials from both dynasties. He knew which officials belonged to which faction, who owed favors to whom, who might have taken bribes, who might have settled personal vendettas, who was truly fair and just, and who had covered up atrocities. He could find clues in this pile of papers. With further investigation, he could likely catch some big fish. He also quietly gathered some leverage on certain individuals.

Yan Sikong was waiting for an opportunity. The quickest opportunity might be his marriage, while a slower one would be the imperial examination next spring. With this opportunity, he might be able to take down some of the eunuch faction at the Ministry of Personnel and truly gain access to the powers of the Ministry of Civil Service.

The imperial examination was the political event Yan Sikong looked forward to the most. However, whenever he thought about his impending marriage, he hoped time would slow down. He felt like a prisoner awaiting his execution in the autumn, fearing Feng Ye’s reaction once he found out about the marriage, yet finding it difficult to speak up. After all, each additional day alive was a gift.

Thinking of this, Yan Sikong sighed softly. Suddenly, he felt a sharp poke in his back. Startled, he turned around to see Feng Ye smiling at him. “What are you thinking about? I got close to you without you noticing.”

Yan Sikong raised an eyebrow. “With your martial skills, how could I notice if you intended not to be found?”

Feng Ye leaned in. “Calling me ‘世子 (crown prince)’ again, are you trying to get me to kiss you?”

Yan Sikong chuckled. “Yes.”

Feng Ye wrapped his arms around Yan Sikong’s waist and pressed his lips against his soft ones, gently kissing him.

Yan Sikong leaned back into his broad embrace, laughing softly. “You just returned from the Jing Shan camp a few days ago, why are you back already?”

“It’s cold, I wanted to hold you and keep warm,” Feng Ye tightened his arms around him. “Besides, I haven’t heard any news from my father. I couldn’t sleep well in the camp, so General Zhao asked me to come back and rest.”

Yan Sikong gently held Feng Ye’s hand. “Don’t worry, King Jingyuan will surely prevail.”

Feng Ye nodded, resting his chin on Yan Sikong’s shoulder. “What about you? Why did you come back so early today?”

“No one cares whether I come or go,” Yan Sikong chuckled helplessly. “They’d rather I didn’t show up at all.”

“Be patient.”

Yan Sikong smiled. “Don’t worry, I’ve waited for so many years, how can I be impatient for a moment?”

“Tomorrow is the imperial examination.”

Yan Sikong nodded. “That’s a good opportunity. My mentor is eager to place me in the Ministry of Personnel, undoubtedly for next year’s imperial examination. By the way, about the Empress Xianfei…”

“Don’t worry, I’ve already spoken to her. But as an outsider, it’s not appropriate for me to enter the palace frequently. I’ll have to wait until the Spring Festival to see her again.”

“Alright, perhaps…”

“What?”

“I teach the crown prince, so I can often enter the harem. If the Consort Hui has any dealings with the Consort Xian, it will be even more convenient for you to convey messages to the Consort Xian.”

“I will write a letter for Consort Hui to pass on to my aunt. My aunt only has a princess, so if she can win over the crown prince, it will also benefit her in the future.”

“That’s true.”

Feng Ye rubbed his cheek against Yan Sikong’s. “I heard that the crown prince relies heavily on you.”

Yan Sikong smiled. “I have gained the trust and reliance of the crown prince. I will assist him in ascending the throne and restore the peaceful and prosperous era of our Great Sheng.”

“Oh, by then, you and he will be portrayed as the epitome of virtuous ruler and loyal subject, forming a story that will be passed down through the ages,” Feng Ye’s tone was sour.

Yan Sikong chuckled. “What’s wrong, are you jealous of that too?”

Feng Ye snorted. “Why would I be jealous of a fledgling?”

Yan Sikong pinched his hand lightly and scolded, “That’s the current crown prince, don’t be disrespectful.”

“Hmph, I’m already so protective of him,” Feng Ye pouted. “I just can’t help thinking, even though we’re the closest people alive right now, our names may not be mentioned together in history thousands of years from now.”

“Why wouldn’t they be? During the suppression of the rebellion, our names will be mentioned together.”

“That’s just for that period,” Feng Ye said disappointedly.

“Why do you care about that?” Yan Sikong turned around, cupping Feng Ye’s face and smiling gently. “It’s just a matter of what’s behind us.”

Feng Ye smiled along. “As palace officials, responsible for maintaining peace and order, who wouldn’t care about what’s behind us?”

“I mean, our achievements that will be passed down in history are enough. Do we really need historians to publicize our intimate affairs for future generations?” Yan Sikong teased.

Feng Ye grinned mischievously. “I think it’s not bad. You’re extremely talented in writing. Why don’t you write about our joys together?”

“Nonsense,” Yan Sikong laughed and scolded.

“I’ve even thought of a name for it, how about ‘Spring Palace Ode’?”

Yan Sikong threw a punch at Feng Ye’s face, and Feng Ye blocked it with his palm, while his other hand chopped at Yan Sikong’s waist. They exchanged a few moves before bursting into laughter.

“Sikong, I’m serious.”

Yan Sikong couldn’t help but chuckle. “Do you have no shame?”

“Nope, hahaha—”

—

In what seemed like peaceful days, they welcomed the first snowfall in the capital. The snow came much later than usual but fell heavily and wildly, as if it had been accumulating in the sky for a long time, and finally the heavens could no longer bear the weight, causing it to come crashing down, lasting for two days and two nights.

As the temperature plummeted in the capital, there were few pedestrians on the streets, only a fast horse, braving the cold wind and trudging through the thick snow into the city, heading straight for the palace. There was only one possibility for such an urgent entry into the city from the outskirts—a war report.

It was the last few days of the thirty-sixth year of Emperor Zhaowu’s reign, but there came a major piece of news—Prince Jingyuan, Feng Jianping, had annihilated a hundred thousand enemy troops from the Wala, achieving a resounding victory. This was Feng Jianping’s greatest victory against the Wala in over thirty years of confrontation, and it was a victory that overturned the balance of power in the world. After this battle, the Wala did not dare to invade the Central Plains for ten years.

This battle was later known as the Battle of Beiyuan Pass. (End of this chapter)