In the Battle of Taiyuan, Feng Ye lost 50,000 soldiers and horses at the towering South Gate, and suffered countless casualties. The losses in this battle were so heavy that they were almost equal to the sum of all the battles, big and small, he had fought since he started his army. However, the gains from this battle were also unprecedentedly huge.

From Qingyang to Yanzhou and then to Taiyuan, this is a complete thoroughfare connecting the northwest and the southeast. They occupied the military fortress in the heart of the Central Plains. From a strategic point of view, they could block the food supply of the imperial army, not to mention how much wealth and manpower they could gather here. No matter how many people were lost in this battle, they would recruit more.

With Taiyuan as a base, we will have a way to retreat if we encounter any obstacles on the way to the capital.

After entering Taiyuan, the high walls and deep moats gave them a great sense of security. The soldiers were all in high spirits, and the city, which had just changed hands, had regained its vitality.

The people do not care who is in power. As long as they can live and work in peace and have enough food to eat, they are willing to work diligently in the fields and support their fellow citizens peacefully.

Most of the former Taiyuan defenders died or surrendered. Luo Ruoxin hanged himself without waiting for Feng Ye to catch him and behead him. Feng Ye spared the Luo family because of their outstanding military achievements and the fact that they had served as generals with his grandfather and protected the country together. However, he looted a large amount of gold, silver, treasures, rare calligraphy and paintings from the Luo family, with a value of one million taels, and used all of them as military supplies.

Feng Ye greatly rewarded those who had made contributions in this battle and ordered a three-day celebration. Taiyuan suddenly became a city that never sleeps.

After a banquet, the generals dispersed one after another. Feng Ye's alcohol tolerance was just so-so. Because he was happy, he drank with his heart and courage, and was taken to his bedroom early.

Yan Sikong embraced the limp Yuan Nanyu, and said in a tone that he himself did not realize was lightly reprimanding: "I should have advised you to find a place to hide earlier, why did you have to drink so much?"

Yuan Nanyu smiled and said, "I'm happy, I'm happy."

"They were drunk just now and said they wanted to take off your mask to see your true face. What do you think?"

“Pick… pick them, hahahaha.” Yuan Nanyu said with his tongue sticking out, “My face may not be… unsightly… hahahaha…”

Yan Sikong sighed and thought to himself that he was really drunk. He said helplessly, "If I hadn't stopped, something would have happened today." He asked the guards to help him support Yuan Nanyu and send him to the inner courtyard to rest.

After sending him to the room, Yan Sikong sent the guards away and personally took off Yuan Nanyu's shoes and clothes. After laying him on the bed, he took off the mask that he kept with him all the time.

There was a hint of drunkenness on that handsome face, and his half-closed eyes were wet. He was obviously a great general who had conquered all quarters, but now he looked somewhat fragile and pitiful. The already faint ink tattoo on his forehead still hurt Yan Sikong's eyes no matter how many times he looked at it.

Yan Sikong gently stretched out his hand and touched the tattoo that represented a lifetime of humiliation, and his fingertips were burned by the uneven touch.

Yuan Nanyu smiled dazedly: "It doesn't matter... anymore."

"This word is already very faint, and it can be covered with a disguise ointment." Yan Sikong said softly, "Have you ever thought about taking off the mask?"

Yuan Nanyu shook his head: "If you wear a mask for a long time, it will be difficult to take it off."

"Is it because of me?" Yan Sikong said sadly, "If outsiders knew that we were brothers...it wouldn't really matter. I'm just afraid that someone would follow the clues and investigate our past. But even if that's the case, I don't care too much."

"This mask..." Yuan Nanyu thought for a moment before saying, "I will take it off only when we have avenged my father and I have the dignity to visit him at his grave."

Yan Sikong nodded, gently stroked his hair, and said with emotion: "You have grown so big."

Yuan Nanyu looked at Yan Sikong in confusion, and was momentarily absent-minded. Some familiar yet unfamiliar images flashed in his mind. He seemed to see them when they were young, but he was too sleepy and his vision was blurry, so he was unable to distinguish them for a moment. His eyelids became heavier and he closed them slowly, but at the moment before his consciousness finally fell into darkness, he unconsciously called out, "Second Brother..."

Yan Sikong was also a little tipsy. When he heard these two words, he suddenly sobered up as if struck by lightning. He pressed Yuan Nanyu's shoulders and said, "What did you call me? What did you call me?"

Unfortunately, Yuan Nanyu has fallen asleep.

Yan Sikong stared at Yuan Nanyu's defenseless sleeping face for a long time, as if he saw the boy who used to eat and sleep with him day and night and was very close to him. He could not hide his sadness and loss, and he took a long breath: "Yu'er, can you still remember?"

After leaving Yuan Nanyu's room, Yan Sikong wanted to rest, but Wu Liuqi said that the Wolf King was looking for him everywhere and asked him to hurry over.

When I hurried to Feng Ye's bedroom, I saw Feng Ye getting angry at the guards: "Where is the person? You don't even know where he went. Don't you have eyes?"

"Wolf King." Yan Sikong called softly.

Feng Ye turned around and seemed to be relieved when he saw Yan Sikong, but then he frowned and asked, "Where are you going?"

"I sent General Que back to his room to rest. He was drunk and unconscious." Yan Sikong looked a little tired. "Aren't you drunk too? Why did you look for me?" Perhaps it was because Feng Ye was very skilled in martial arts. He found that although Feng Ye got drunk easily, he also sobered up quickly.

"I got drunk quickly and I got drunk quickly. Since you are nowhere to be found, I will naturally look for you." Feng Ye said to the guards, "In the future, when I ask where Lord Yan is, you are not allowed to answer that I don't know. Go down."

The guards replied in panic, "Yes."

After everyone left, Yan Sikong asked in confusion, "What is this for? I am a living person, how can I be lost?"

Feng Ye lay on the bed and stretched out his hand to him: "Come."

Yan Sikong walked over, Feng Ye grabbed his hand, pulled him into his arms, and secretly tightened his arms.

Yan Sikong said helplessly: "What's wrong with you?" At this time, Feng Ye was actually a bit childishly stubborn.

“I had a dream that day.”

"What dream?"

"I dreamed that you were gone." Feng Ye whispered in Yan Sikong's ear, "I always feel that you will disappear. It seems that you don't belong to anywhere, and you don't want to belong to anyone. I don't know how to feel at ease."

Yan Sikong knew that if Feng Ye hadn't drunk too much, he would never have said these words that seemed to show weakness. His heart was filled with deep affection. He hugged Feng Ye's waist and whispered, "This world is so big, but only with you can I say 'go back'."

"Will you leave then?"

"will not."

"What if I leave?"

"Then 'go back'."