Yan Sikong came to the cell alone and met Yuan Shaoxu who was imprisoned there.

Yuan Shaoxu was curled up in a corner, bloodstained, dishevelled. When he saw the newcomer, he was startled and turned his head away subconsciously, feeling guilty and trying to hide his ruthlessness, but he soon realized that it was futile, so he turned around, but his eyes wandered to the ground and he didn't look up.

Yan Sikong looked down at Yuan Shaoxu, feeling both disgust and anger in his heart. Disgust was towards Yuan Shaoxu as a person, and anger was towards the face that looked like Yuan Mao. In his mind, Yuan Mao was an upright and upright hero who would not show any meanness or deceit, nor would he lower his head and eyes because of being imprisoned. What he hated most was that Yuan Shaoxu, with this face, did something shameful to him and tarnished the memory that Yuan Mao left for him.

After a long silence, Yuan Shaoxu whispered, "Are you very proud?"

"You caused the soldiers to die tragically and Yu'er to be captured. Why should I be proud of that?"

Yuan Shaoxu pursed his lips guiltily: "Are you going to help Feng Ye or Chen Yu? Who would dare to trust you if you change your mind like this?"

"It is better for me to act according to the situation than for you to act on your own and bring trouble to the soldiers of the three armies. You are not worthy of being a general."

Yuan Shaoxu turned around excitedly and said bitterly: "Victory and defeat are common in the military. When did I neglect the tasks assigned to me by the Wolf King? It was you...it was all you who slandered me in front of the Wolf King and prevented me from being promoted!"

"So you colluded with the enemy to frame me. If the Wolf King knew that you were colluding with the enemy, you would not be able to die even if you had a hundred lives."

"I didn't collude with the enemy," Yuan Shaoxu shouted. "I didn't leak military information, and I didn't accept bribes from them."

"Really?" Yan Sikong sneered, "Yuan Shaoxu, if you tell me this, will I believe it? Maybe this time you faked the military order and led the troops into an ambush, which was also a conspiracy between you and Chen Yi."

"No!" Yuan Shaoxu growled, "Yan Sikong, stop spitting blood. I have never betrayed the Wolf King."

Yan Sikong said coldly: "You have betrayed the Wolf King by alienating us."

"When you are with the Wolf King, you only deceive him with lies and deliberately suppress me. Yu'er is my biological brother, but he keeps distancing himself from me because of you. You, you shouldn't show up again!" Yuan Shaoxu looked at Yan Sikong with eyes full of jealousy.

Yan Sikong leaned closer to Yuan Shaoxu and said, "If it were anyone else, I would have made him wish he could neither live nor die. But you are my father's eldest son. I really want to spare your life and let you live the rest of your life in luxury. Why do you keep pushing your luck?"

Yan Sikong's eyes, as lonely and deep as the night sky, made Yuan Shaoxu tremble. "Why, do you want to kill me?"

Yan Sikong stared at Yuan Shaoxu without saying a word.

Yuan Shaoxu began to panic: "Sikong, you are not really going to kill me, right? I, I am your elder brother after all."

"Now you remember that you are my elder brother?"

"There are indeed some misunderstandings between you and me, but you shouldn't just stand here..."

"That's because I'm lucky, but if you had the chance to kill me, you wouldn't hesitate, right?" Yan Sikong smiled coldly.

"I, I won't kill you. I care about our brotherhood after all." Yuan Shaoxu's eyes were a little flustered. "Sikong, for my father's sake, please let me go."

"Let you go?" Yan Sikong said coldly, "I can not kill you, but I will only feel at ease if you stay in prison."

"I can't stay here." Yuan Shaoxu rushed over and grabbed the iron railing, "Let me go, Sikong, let Brother go! I promise not to go against you again, I swear!"

"You are not my opponent, so why are you talking about opposing me?" Yan Sikong slowly backed away and said coldly, "Yuan Shaoxu, I will spare your life as the last time I will be merciful to you. You shut your mouth tightly in prison. If you keep biting, I will send you to serve your father as soon as possible."

Having said that, Yan Sikong turned and left.

"Sikong, Yan Sikong!" Yuan Shaoxu yelled, "Let me go, come back to me, let me go——"

Yan Sikong had a sinister smile on his lips, leaving Yuan Shaoxu's voice far behind.

Yan Sikong was indeed reluctant to kill Yuan Shaoxu because of Yuan Mao's kindness. However, imprisoning him might be more satisfying than killing him.

——

Just two days after Yuan Nanyu was captured, Feng Ye sent an envoy to negotiate peace with Chen Yi. This time, Feng Ye's conditions seemed quite sincere. Not only was he willing to give up Fengxiang, Qingyang, and Taiyuan, he was also willing to help Chen Yi return to Beijing to ascend the throne. In the future, he only asked for Xuanhua, Datong, and Qianzhou as fiefdoms, and never to enter Beijing again.

Datong and Qianzhou were already in Fengye's hands at this time. If the addition of Xuanhua could be exchanged for Fengye's protection and peace in the Central Plains, it would be a well-calculated deal - if Fengye could really do what he said.

The envoy expressed Feng Ye's admiration and loyalty to Chen Yi in the most flattering way, saying that Feng Ye had been waiting for a wise master in Taiyuan, and that Chen Yi's attack on Pingliang and capture of Que Wang made him feel disappointed and sad. He begged Chen Yi not to listen to Yan Sikong's words. At the same time, in order to show his sincerity to Chen Yi, Feng Ye was willing to offer Feng Xiang's hands, but Chen Yi wanted to let Que Wang go back.

Chen Yi received the envoy calmly and arranged for him to rest.

As soon as the envoy left, Chen Yu sneered, "Feng Ye actually wants to exchange Feng Xiang for Que Wang. The world-famous Wolf King can only compromise in front of me now."

Yan Sikong was still thinking back to the way the envoy looked at him. That look of anger but not words was really interesting.

Shen Hexuan said bluntly: "Your Highness is too young. He gets a little too proud of himself after gaining a little advantage. It is not good to underestimate the enemy."

Shen Hexuan's words were not as pleasant as Yan Sikong's, which made Chen Yi's face darken, but he didn't know how to refute him.

Yan Sikong also continued: "An army is not afraid of deception. Your Highness should not trust Feng Ye easily. However, Feng Ye has indeed shown weakness at this time. This is a good sign."

"What do you think, sir? In my opinion, if he wants to redeem Quewang, he should exchange him for Qingyang. Fengxiang is a bargain for him."

"Trading a city for a person could be a trap. Even if he really sends Qingyang, would Your Highness dare to enter the city? What if the city is full of ambushes? You'll fall into the trap." Shen Hexuan said, "In my opinion, if he really wants to establish Your Highness as he said, he should immediately withdraw his troops back to Datong. Once he withdraws from the Central Plains, we will immediately release Quewang. This move can also help us find out the truth about Fengye."

"good."

Yan Sikong shook his head: "Your Highness, are you not tired of testing us back and forth like this? We have already fought Pingliang, so we should make a concerted effort to capture Taiyuan. Only when we force him into a desperate situation will he really retreat."

"But now with my military strength..." Chen Yu frowned.

"When will the imperial court send out troops?"

"The court is trying to persuade the princes to serve the emperor." Shen Hexuan frowned, "It's just that the reduction of the feudal system a few years ago hurt the princes greatly, and now no one is willing to be the first to respond."

"Your Highness married the daughter of King Ning. King Ning and King Han are brothers from the same mother, so they should be the easiest to persuade." Yan Sikong looked at Chen Yi, "Your Highness, can you send someone to go?"

"Naturally." Chen Yu sighed and said angrily, "This King Han has a bad temper and a very strange personality. I heard that he has been obsessed with evil sects in recent years and will not listen to ordinary people."

Yan Sikong stroked his chin and hesitated for a while before saying, "This King of Han is so difficult to deal with. We must find someone who is smart and pleasing. I have thought about it... I can't think of a better candidate for the envoy except myself."

"Sir, are you willing to go?" Chen Yu's eyes lit up, but he immediately rejected it, "No, the King of Han has an unpredictable temper, and you might be in danger..."

Yan Sikong smiled and said, "Your Highness, do you think that I have a bad reputation and are afraid that he will harm me?"

Chen Yu frowned and said, "I can't let my husband take any risks."

"All the nobles are standing by and watching. No one wants to wade into this muddy water first. If no one responds, we can only watch Feng Ye continue to grow stronger. Now that Pingliang City has been captured and Que Wang has been captured, Feng Ye has suffered a series of defeats and the morale of the army has been shaken. This is the best opportunity to defeat him. We must not miss it."

Chen Yu sighed and remained silent.

Shen Hexuan glanced at Yan Sikong with suspicion in his eyes, but he couldn't figure out Yan Sikong's true intentions for a moment.

What Yan Sikong was thinking of, of course, was to use a trick to replace Yuan Nanyu with his own identity. As long as he left the city, with Yuan Nanyu's ability, he could easily escape. As for him, even if he was discovered by Chen Yi, he probably wouldn't kill him.

In short, he couldn't take care of himself now. The longer Yuan Nanyu stayed, the more likely their identities would be discovered. Even if they could keep it a secret for the time being, with Shen Hexuan fanning the flames, Chen Yi might take Yuan Nanyu's life at any time for the sake of Xia Fengye's prestige.

Yan Sikong persuaded Chen Yi a few more times. He knew that Chen Yi was not only worried about his safety, but also worried that he would go back to find Feng Ye. So he spent a lot of time persuading him. Finally, he agreed to send Qujiao troops to escort him. Only then did Chen Yi finally agree to let him go on a mission to the King of Han.

Shen Hexuan remained silent, but his gaze became increasingly deep.

"I have something else to ask for your permission, Your Highness."

"Sir, please speak."

"I want to interrogate Quewang." Yan Sikong glanced at Shen Hexuan, "I'm afraid Lord Shen didn't get anything out of him."

Shen Hexuan said coldly: "I plan to use courtesy first and force later. Looking at his behavior, I'm afraid he is planning to drink wine as punishment."

"Why don't you let me give it a try? After all, I have a past relationship with him."

Chen Yu nodded: "Alright. The prison is heavily guarded. Sir, take my token."

——

After nightfall, Yan Sikong brought some fine wine and food to visit Yuan Nanyu. Yuan Nanyu and Yuan Shaoxu were imprisoned in the same dungeon, but they were far apart from each other.

Pingliang had just changed hands, and there were many loyal soldiers in the city, such as Fengye and Quewang. In order to prevent prisoners from being robbed, Chen Yi sent soldiers to surround the originally simple dungeon from inside and outside. The security was so strict that not even a mouse could get in or out.

But Yan Sikong, who held Chen Yi's token, naturally had no obstacles.

Entering the dungeon, Yan Sikong saw that although Yuan Nanyu's clothes were dirty and his hair was disheveled, he had not been tortured. He felt relieved and ordered the jailer, "Open the cell door, and all of you leave."

"This..." Several prison guards looked at each other in bewilderment.

Yan Sikong raised the token and said, "I am here on the orders of the King of Chu. You can just retreat outside. Can he still fly out?"

"...Yes." The jailer opened the cell door helplessly and both of them retreated.

After everyone had left, Yan Sikong hurried into the prison, "Yu'er, are you okay?"

Yuan Nanyu smiled bitterly and said, "I have not been tortured physically, but my heart is tortured by guilt and I cannot rest day or night."

"A real man should not be bound by a single victory or defeat." Yan Sikong took the wine and food out of the basket, "Come on, let's have a good drink together, brothers."

Yuan Nanyu asked hesitantly, "Brother...what's wrong?"

Yan Sikong's face darkened: "You are still thinking about him. You and the soldiers are in this situation today because of him."

"I know, but..." Yuan Nanyu sighed, "I can never be so cold-hearted."

"He's still alive." Yan Sikong said coldly, "I've spared his life. I think that's the most I can do."

Yuan Nanyu nodded: "The army has its own rules. He committed a serious crime. If the Wolf King punishes him, beheading him would not be excessive. It is already a mercy to spare his life."

"This is because of you and Dad. Otherwise, I would never let him off easily."

Yuan Nanyu stared at Yan Sikong and said softly, "Now, I believe you."

"What do you believe in me?"

"I believe you are really Yan Sikong."

Yan Sikong was startled: "Could it be that you..."

"No." Yuan Nanyu shook his head. "I don't remember it, but I can see that there is really no brotherhood between you, Big Brother and you, Big Brother. And your collusion with the enemy, now thinking back, is full of doubts. I have hinted at Big Brother before, and judging from his reaction, I'm afraid there is something fishy going on. If the Wolf King hadn't sent me to guard Qingyang, I would have definitely found the iron staff to confront him."

Yan Sikong poured two glasses of wine and whispered, "I've said it before, Big Brother has been lying from beginning to end, whether it's about our identities or the fact that we're colluding with the enemy. If he and I were really brothers, would he treat me like this?"

Yuan Nanyu sighed sadly: "In this case, he and I are brothers who were born from the same mother."

Yan Sikong smiled bitterly: "That's right."

Yuan Nanyu raised his glass and said, "I'll drink this to apologize to you on behalf of my elder brother. I won't defend him, nor will I ask you to forgive him, but I'm grateful that you spared his life."

"I do this not only for you, but also to repay my father and mother's kindness." Yan Sikong clinked his cup with his, "Yu'er, remember, the relationship between you and me is even stronger than that between brothers. Back then, you were exiled for my crime, and I am willing to repay you with the rest of my life. I will definitely save you."

Yuan Nanyu said excitedly: "Thank you..." He hesitated for a moment and called out, "Second brother."

The call of "Second Brother" made Yan Sikong's eyes red, and his hands holding the wine glass were shaking.

"Second brother"! His Yu'er finally called him "Second brother" again. This "Second brother" spanned a full twenty years! Just for this moment, no matter how cruel and cruel God was to him, he could let it go. After all, they were reunited.

"Second brother." Yuan Nanyu grabbed Yan Sikong's hand, "If I can escape, I will definitely tell Feng Ye the truth. In fact, it doesn't matter whether Sikong was you or me back then. In his heart, it's you as a person, not your name."

Yan Sikong shook his head: "Don't mention him to me again, never. What my second brother did for you has nothing to do with him."

Yuan Nanyu wanted to say something but stopped.

Yan Sikong bumped his cup heavily: "Come on, fuck!"

The two of them drank together in high spirits and finished their glasses.

While Yan Sikong was adding wine and food to Yuan Nanyu's meal, he was also telling him how to help him escape.

"I'm pretending to be you?" Yuan Nanyu was surprised.

"Yes." Yan Sikong said firmly, "Only if we switch identities can you escape."