After Chen Yu left, Yan Sikong sat stiffly in the study for a long time, pondering the pros and cons. Often at such times, he considered himself the least.

He was indeed like Feng Ye said, he would use any means to achieve his goal, but there were exceptions. The exception was given to a person who once put Feng Ye's life above everything else he had.

If Feng Ye had not existed, he would probably have followed Chen Yi. In this way, he would have been able to firmly control the future emperor with full legitimacy. He was not afraid of bloodshed and beheading, nor did he care about being branded with a bad reputation. So why would he care whether the person lying on his bed was a human or a ghost?

But he just couldn't do it. He couldn't convince himself to "betray" Feng Ye, even though he no longer owed Feng Ye anything.

He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he was at a loss even when someone approached him. It was not until the candlelight cast a shadow on the ground that he suddenly raised his head and faced Yuan Nan Yuqiao's disguised face.

"…When did you come in?"

Yuan Nanyu didn't say anything, but stared at Yan Sikong for a long while before he slowly spoke: "I just kept silent and hid outside."

Yan Sikong's heart skipped a beat and his face darkened: "Did you hear everything?"

"I just had suspicions before, especially after seeing Madam Qi, so I have been looking for an opportunity to confirm it." Yuan Nanyu whispered, "If I am not outside, are you going to keep it a secret from me?"

"What do you want me to tell you?" Yan Sikong asked sarcastically, "Tell you that Chen Yu wants to take me as his male concubine? Isn't that ridiculous?"

Yuan Nanyu pursed his lips: "If Feng Ye knew..."

"Will you tell him?" Yan Sikong stared at Yuan Nanyu.

"He ordered me to report everything concerning you in detail."

Yan Sikong narrowed his eyes: "Even if it might ruin the whole thing?"

Yuan Nanyu paused, his chest rising and falling, and he raised his voice unconsciously: "You said you could control Chen Yu to applaud, but now it seems that he has such unreasonable thoughts about you. What should you do? Do you give in to him?"

Yan Sikong stood up proudly and took a step closer to Yuan Nanyu: "Do you also think that I would serve Chen Yi without hesitation for the sake of power? Just like I did with Feng Ye?"

"...No." Yuan Nanyu explained quickly, but the stiff tone of his voice might have betrayed what he was thinking.

"No?" Yan Sikong smiled coldly, "You just care about my face and don't say it clearly."

"I……"

"Yu'er." Yan Sikong looked at him. "The relationship between Feng Ye and I is irreversible. But even so, he is different from Chen Yu. If I had only known how to please others with my beauty for half my life, I would not be alive today. You underestimate me."

Yuan Nanyu's eyes wandered, and he whispered, "I don't think so. I'm just... worried about you."

"Are you worried about me or are you worried that I will betray Feng Ye? I don't want to delve into it. I just want you to put the overall situation first. Don't let Feng Ye know about this trivial matter and cause him trouble."

"But Chen Yu is so jealous of Feng Ye, how can the two of them work together?"

"As long as he wants to be the emperor, he has to submit." Yan Sikong said coldly, "He finally submitted to me. After all, he was not blinded by lust and his mind was still clear."

Yuan Nanyu's brows were still furrowed, unable to hide his worry.

——

Knowing that he could not keep Yan Sikong, Chen Yi had no choice but to let Yan Sikong go back, prepared soft luggage for him, and sent 3,000 elite soldiers to escort him out of Yunnan.

On the day of departure, the two met alone for the last time in the study. In order to avoid suspicion, Chen Yi would not see him off.

"When will sir come back?" Chen Yu looked at Yan Sikong earnestly, with undisguised attachment and sadness in his eyes.

Yan Sikong replied: "When the time is right, I will return to your Highness."

Chen Yu smiled bitterly: "Do you know how much I don't want you to leave? I even..."

Yan Sikong stared at him until he swallowed the rest of his words.

Yan Sikong took a step back and knelt down to kowtow: "Your Highness, take care."

Chen Yu helped Yan Sikong up. His eyes refused to move away from Yan Sikong's face, and the hand that was holding Yan Sikong's wrist also tightened secretly.

Yan Sikong calmly withdrew his arm, bowed deeply again, turned around and left.

"Sir," Chen Yu called from behind.

Yan Sikong stopped.

Chen Yu took a deep breath, straightened his chest, and said loudly: "One day when I am appointed by heaven and inherit the throne, I will make sure you never leave my side!"

Yan Sikong didn't look back and just left.

He had heard countless lofty words in his life, but he only took the words of an eight-year-old child to heart.

——

Most of the bandits had been wiped out, and with the protection of a large army, they successfully left Yunnan and rushed to Datong day and night.

On the way, they heard that the court had sent another envoy to meet Nada Khan and brought rich gifts.

It was already a month later when they returned to Datong. The group was covered in dust and exhausted, but as soon as they entered the city, they were summoned by the Wolf King.

The group was taken to the Jingyuan Palace. The last time he came to Datong to see Xue Ronggui, he had visited this old palace. Of course, since the incident with the Feng family, the palace had been abandoned, and he just stood there and stared at it from a distance, feeling only sadness in his heart.

Looking at the mansion again after a year, it has been renovated and looks brand new. It is even more magnificent and majestic than the royal palace in the capital. It is worthy of being the Feng family's Datong.

The servant let Yuan Nanyu and the others settle down to rest for a while, and then took Yan Sikong to see Feng Ye first.

He walked all the way to the inner courtyard, where he saw Feng Hun taking a nap under a tree and Feng Ye standing beside him.

Suddenly, Yan Sikong seemed to see the afternoon when he met Feng Ye again. It was also the Jingyuan Palace, there was also a towering tree, and there was also a man and a wolf. It was just that one was far away in the capital, but they appreciated each other, and the other was right in front of him, but they were so close yet so far away.

Yan Sikong felt his breathing stop instantly, and his heart seemed to be dragged down by something. Since the day they separated, he forced himself not to think about his affair with Feng Ye, but the more he suppressed it, the more it swelled. He clearly didn't want to see Feng Ye again, and he clearly didn't want to see, hear, or feel the malice from Feng Ye again, but until he saw this person again, he realized that he still wanted to see him. It would be better if they just met from a distance and didn't socialize...

Feng Ye also turned around and saw Yan Sikong. He couldn't hide his emotions for a moment. His eyes changed, becoming focused and sharp, as if he wanted to capture the person in front of him with his gaze.

The servant retreated discreetly, and Feng Hun opened his one eye and looked at Yan Sikong without blinking.

I haven't seen you for more than half a year. Feng Ye has already taken control of Qianzhou and Datong prefectures, and proclaimed himself the king of the northwest. He has 120,000 troops at his command, and his imposing manner is even more overwhelming than before. With every breath he takes, he exudes the majestic aura of a king looking down on others.

Yan Sikong was covered in dust, his clothes were dirty and worn, and he looked haggard. Compared with Feng Ye, who was dressed in gorgeous clothes, he looked like a beggar.

Feng Ye took a big step towards Yan Sikong, but then restrained himself and stopped, stretched out his hand and ordered, "Come here."

Yan Sikong walked over, step by step, but it was as if he was walking on a swamp, sinking deeper and deeper, and it was difficult to take a step.

When he was only an arm's length away from Feng Ye, his eyes flickered and his body was pulled over by that domineering force and fiercely held in his arms.

Yan Sikong closed his eyes. The sky and the earth seemed so big, but they were not as broad and powerful as this embrace. He was probably too tired, so he allowed himself to indulge in this moment.

Feng Ye tried his best to suppress his surging thoughts and whispered, "You've lost weight."

Yan Sikong took a deep breath and only uttered a soft "hmm". His nose was sour and he felt like crying. He even had a huge desire that urged him to reach out and hug Feng Ye back.

His hands were trembling as he carefully raised them. However, a sudden fear overtook his heart. He froze for a moment, then dropped them again.