Yan Sikong took a deep breath and explained quickly: "Feng Ye, listen to me. Ali went to find Xiao Liu because he had a personal relationship with Xiao Liu. He felt guilty for knocking Xiao Liu off his horse, so he went to give him medicine. The military token was stolen because Xie Zhongren instructed Ye Li to seduce Xiao Liu!"
Feng Ye nodded lightly: "Go on."
"Xie Zhongren is already in jail. He will confess to the crime he framed your father for. You can't blame me for this!"
"I don't want to believe a word you said." Feng Ye sneered, "It was your loyal servant who went to find Xiao Liu before the incident. It was you who didn't show up at the banquet that night. It was Xiao Liu who knew that my father's military token was hidden in the jade belt. It was the route that Xiao Liu took to lead the Feng family army up the mountain that was exactly the same as what we had discussed. You tried your best to persuade me to start a rebellion, but I refused. You must be very unwilling to see that the Feng family army cannot be used by you."
Yan Sikong said in a stern voice: "I was injured that night and have been resting in the prince's tent! Do you have any brains? If I did it, how could there be so many mistakes? What good will it do for me? It is obvious that someone deliberately framed me. Even if you don't believe me in your heart, you can't frame me first!"
"Okay, I'll wait for that bastard to confess." Feng Ye curled his lips, his smile clearly carrying a hint of cruelty. "Then you knew that the dog emperor wanted to marry Xi'er to you, but you kept it a secret from me. Are you wronged?"
Yan Sikong was stunned.
"I recalled later that once when I went to pay my respects to my aunt, she hinted at me about your situation. I am sure she had heard the news at that time, but because of Xier's reputation, she couldn't mention the undecided engagement." Feng Ye said coldly, "If you had told me at that time, there would be no such marriage, but you said nothing, because you wanted to marry her, you wanted to be a prince consort, right?"
Yan Sikong's lips trembled, and he whispered: "...Yes, at that time I thought you were just in a momentary mood. Which man doesn't marry and have children? I thought..."
"You think that since you and I will marry sooner or later, you will marry a rich and beautiful woman." Feng Ye's face flashed with a hint of slyness, and he stretched out his hand to pinch Yan Sikong's chin, "You actually never really took me to heart. Looking back, I found that you approached me and accepted me, and you were obviously unwilling to enjoy the pleasure of a man, but because I was the prince of Jingyuan. If I didn't have this identity, you would have discarded me like a worn-out shoe."
Yan Sikong's chin was pinched so hard that it hurt, but it was not as painful as his heartache. He gritted his teeth and said, "Feng Ye, do you and I have feelings for each other? Are you really ignorant and insensitive?"
"Haha." Feng Ye chuckled twice. "That's a good question. I really thought you had feelings for me at first. It wasn't until I became a death row inmate and was no longer the prince of Jingyuan who commanded everyone's support that I came to my senses."
"If I'm really heartless, why would I risk saving you!" Yan Sikong felt his blood boiling. He felt like even if he had a thousand mouths, he couldn't convince Feng Ye to trust him. He could fool his enemies with countless lies, but the truth he told couldn't convince the person he cared about the most? !
"You saved me for..." Feng Ye released his chin and spread his hands, "These. Do you think I don't know why you brought Zui Hong here? My father is dead, and I am the only legitimate member of the Feng family army. Datong Prefecture is still loyal to the Feng family. You saved me so that I can lead the Datong army, return to the capital, and help you... steal power."
Yan Sikong stared at Feng Ye, speechless.
"Am I right?" Feng Ye's eyes were filled with coldness. "You wanted to do this back then, but unfortunately my father didn't want to. Your ambition is not only to avenge Yuan Mao, but also to overthrow the eunuch party. What you want is - the world."
Yan Sikong closed his eyes, his nose was sour, and he almost cried: "That's the reason why I came to see you, but what I want is not power or profit. What I, Yan Sikong, want in my life is peace and prosperity in the country."
Feng Ye looked at him expressionlessly.
Yan Sikong trembled and said, "I thought you had the same ambition in your heart. Didn't we agree on this when we were young..."
"You don't deserve to mention Girls' Era!" Feng Ye suddenly shouted.
Yan Sikong was shocked and looked at Feng Ye stiffly.
Feng Ye's broad chest rose and fell vigorously, as if he was suppressing his rage. "When we met in the capital, I was only eighteen years old, stupid and arrogant, and I was obsessed with you. I could only see how bright you were on the surface, but I didn't know how vicious and filthy you were inside. You relied on my deep love for you to deceive me and use me again and again. You used all means to achieve your goals. I exposed you several times, but as long as you gave in, I couldn't help but lean towards you." Feng Ye said to the end, the grief in his chest was about to explode, his breathing became heavier, and his eyes were as ferocious as a beast. "I still don't understand, what kind of spell did you cast on me that year to fool me around?"
Yan Sikong only felt a pain in his heart and his eyes were a little dazed. He would never have thought that their deep affection for several years would become complete exploitation and deception in Feng Ye's mouth, as if all the sweetness and joy, those fighting side by side and those advancing and retreating together were worthless.
Even though Yan Sikong was an eloquent speaker, he couldn't utter a word now.
Feng Ye took a step closer, staring down at him, and uttered the cruelest words from his thin lips: "It's a pity that your wishful thinking will fail this time. I, Feng Ye, will never trust you again in this life."
Yan Sikong's heart was pierced at that moment, his eyes were already red: "Feng Ye, you...it's true that I lied to you, but I never...never hurt you."
"Really? That's just because I'm still useful. If I get in your way one day, you'll kick me out without mercy." Feng Ye laughed. "Yan Zilian promoted you. He treated you like a teacher and a father. He was very kind to you. But before he died, you've already defected to the eunuch party. What else can't you do?"
"Am I going to die with the hopeless nobles? What's the point of leaving a good reputation after death?" Yan Sikong said with tears in his eyes, "Why did I defect to the eunuch party? You should know better than anyone else in this world!"
"Yes, for revenge." Feng Ye shook his head gently, "For revenge, you can do anything and sacrifice anyone. Unfortunately, I realized it too late."
"For revenge, I can give up everything I have, except you..." Yan Sikong choked up, "Your life is the only one I am willing to exchange for myself and my ten years of planning. I have deceived you, and I have saved you. Am I, Yan Sikong, really useless?!"
Feng Ye looked at Yan Sikong's tears, his internal organs had long been numb from the pain. His body trembled slightly, and he slowly narrowed his eyes: "If you don't save me, Xue Bo will come too. Do you really think my father and I are unprepared? You saved me for yourself, why pretend to be affectionate? This is nothing but a deliberate scam, from the beginning!"
Yan Sikong tried hard to hold back his tears, he could not describe the despair in his heart. He once thought that Feng Ye would blame him, but he never thought that the two of them would become so unbearable. In Feng Ye's mouth, everything about him was fake, and the love they had was also fake. Feng Ye denied everything at this very moment!
"A...trap..." Yan Sikong was in so much pain that he couldn't help laughing. "A trap? From the beginning? At the beginning, it was you who came to me, at the beginning, it was you who said you liked me, at the beginning I never thought of involving you, but it was you Feng Ye who said he would let me rely on you and protect me!" He couldn't help but yell.
Feng Ye's eyes were filled with a violent storm. He gritted his teeth and said word by word: "How long are you going to pretend? Is there anyone in this world who is more hypocritical and cunning than you?"
"What the hell are you talking about? What am I pretending to be?"
"From the beginning, you deliberately helped me tame Zuihong and led me to find you..." Feng Ye's breath was unstable. A man who could shoot two crossbows at the age of 18 seemed to have no strength to finish the following words, "You pretended to be my childhood playmate to gain my trust. After discovering that I had feelings for you, you did not hesitate to use your beauty to please me and control me in your hands, just to make the Feng family work for you!"
Yan Sikong was struck by lightning. Although he was extremely smart, he simply couldn't understand what Feng Ye said.
Pretending? Childhood playmates? What on earth is Feng Ye talking about?!
Feng Ye stared into Yan Sikong's eyes and said viciously, "You are not Yan Sikong at all."
Yan Sikong stared at Feng Ye in a daze. Such a simple sentence was becoming increasingly difficult for him to understand. He was not Yan Sikong? He was born as Yan Sikong, so what did he mean by not Yan Sikong? He opened his mouth and listened to his own voice escaping from his chest, but it was so hoarse that he said, "What are you talking about... Are you crazy? I am not Yan Sikong?"
Feng Ye's voice was trembling, his eyes were bloodshot: "You are not Yan Sikong, and you don't deserve this name. You are just a complete liar."
"You're crazy!" Yan Sikong yelled, "What nonsense are you talking about! I'm not Yan Sikong, then who am I!"
Feng Ye showed an extremely cruel smile, but there was only coldness in his eyes, without a trace of smile. He stepped back a few steps, opened the curtain of the military tent, and shouted: "Come here, call the general!"
Yan Sikong stared at Feng Ye blankly, not knowing what was going on. His mind was in a mess, perhaps the most chaotic in his life. Countless thoughts were tangled together, giving him a splitting headache. But in the chaos, a glimmer of inspiration was slowly becoming clearer. He was about to catch it, but he was afraid and didn't dare to move closer to take a look.
He was frightened by his own conjecture.
Impossible, impossible, impossible!
After just a moment, Que Wang opened the curtain, walked in, and looked at Yan Sikong silently. The mask covered his emotions, making him mysterious and strange.
Yan Sikong was attacked by the cold and was shaking badly.
"Are you scared?" Feng Ye laughed softly, unable to restrain his laughter, and his laughter was chilling. He drew a twisted sense of satisfaction from Yan Sikong's pale face, "You are scared, right? You didn't expect that he is still alive."
"No..." Yan Sikong's eyes wanted to stare holes into Que Wang's body. In his entire life, he had never experienced such a moment of extreme despair and hope. The intense emotions rushed into his bones and blood, as if to blow him to pieces.
Quewang's hand slowly moved to his face. When he touched the mask, he paused. Finally, he took off the mask tremblingly.
Yan Sikong stared at Que Wang, and for a moment he forgot words, forgot himself, and forgot everything in the world. He just stared at that face, a face that was 80% similar to his own, and the faint ink tattoo on his forehead.
Que Wang also stared at Yan Sikong with a very complicated expression.
Feng Ye also looked at Yan Sikong and delivered a fatal blow: "You are not Yan Sikong, you are Yuan Nanyu."
"Yu'er——" Yan Sikong's tears burst out and he roared hoarsely, as if he was trying madly to break free from the restraints of the rack.
Yuan Nanyu! Yuan Nanyu! The person in front of him was his younger brother Yuan Nanyu, whom he thought was dead long ago!
Que Wang, also known as Yuan Nanyu, was startled by Yan Sikong's sudden action. He looked at Yan Sikong's face twisted by tears and frowned deeply.
“Yu’er! Yu’er!” Yan Sikong’s voice had become so hoarse that it was no longer human. He cried desperately to Yuan Nanyu, “You are still alive, Yu’er, you are still alive… Yu’er…”
Yan Sikong was heartbroken. At this moment, he seemed to be in a dream. Yuan Nanyu was still alive. He was still alive! It had been seventeen years. He had been suffering for seventeen years. Because Yuan Nanyu died for him, he would risk his life to avenge the Yuan family. He grew up year by year, but rarely looked in the mirror, because whenever he looked at himself in the mirror, he would think of Yuan Nanyu. He was carrying Yuan Nanyu's life, living alone and painfully. He didn't dare to dream that one day he would see Yuan Nanyu again, standing in front of him alive!
Yuan Nanyu took a step back, his eyes slightly red and his chest aching. He clenched his fists and looked at Feng Ye helplessly.
Feng Ye hesitated for a moment, then his eyes became firm and cold again: "He is very good at pretending, and he cannot be trusted."
Feng Ye's words brought Yan Sikong back to his senses. He cried so hard that he could hardly breathe: "He is Yuan Nanyu, Yuan Mao's... youngest son, my younger brother, Yu'er, and I am... the second brother." Why did Yuan Nanyu look at him with such strange eyes? Could it be that... he regretted exiling him and felt resentment towards him?
When he heard the word "Second Brother", Yuan Nanyu's eyes suddenly became misty. He bit his lower lip and opened his mouth, but his lips trembled and he couldn't make a sound for a long time.
"Yu'er, please say something!" Yan Sikong sobbed, "Do you blame me? Do you resent me? You must have suffered a lot these years, Yu'er... Don't you remember your second brother?"
"I..." Yuan Nanyu took a deep breath, and after a long while, he calmed down and said, "I really... don't remember."