After years of wandering and following Feng Ye in conquering cities, Yan Sikong had very few things he could carry with him for long. The letters he had exchanged with Zhu Lanting had long been burned. However, he had a photographic memory and remembered the contents of the letters word for word. Based on his memory and the copy of the reply letter from Zhu Lanting that he had just received, he copied Zhu Lanting's letter on the yellowed old paper that Feng Ye found for him.
If all these letters were delivered to the court, it would prove that Zhu Lanting had an affair with Yan Sikong and secretly helped the King of Chu to seize the throne, crimes that were serious enough to punish the nine clans. Even if Emperor Zhaowu was unwilling to believe in this plot because of their close relationship, he would be redundant now that the Zhu family had a prince. With his suspicious and prudent character, he would at least arrest and investigate Zhu Lanting, and the Zhu family would be in great trouble.
Yan Sikong could imagine how furious Zhu Lanting would be when he received this letter. He had already lost Chen Yi's trust. If he lost the trust of the court again, the entire Zhu family would be doomed. As the head of the family, he had to make a choice, even though it might go against his wishes.
Zhu Lanting was an upright man who had helped him many times. He felt guilty, but there was no better way at the moment. Moreover, if Zhu Lanting surrendered, tens of thousands of casualties could be avoided.
On the eleventh day of the siege, Chen Yi attempted to launch a surprise attack on the weakly guarded west gate, but Feng Ye promptly dispatched troops to stop him, preventing him from succeeding.
On the sixteenth day of the siege, Yan Sikong finally received a reply from Zhu Lanting. In the letter, Zhu Lanting said that he would rather die than surrender, but he agreed to persuade Emperor Zhaowu to surrender and asked Feng Ye to promise not to harm the royal family or usurp the throne.
Feng Ye's rebellion was originally under the banner of purging the emperor. Before the situation was stabilized, he would not risk the world's disapproval to proclaim himself emperor. He really intended to enthrone the Thirteenth Prince, who was still breastfeeding, first.
Zhu Lanting was determined to defend his reputation even at the cost of his life, so he would not surrender unless the emperor ordered him to do so. In order to help Zhu Lanting, Feng Ye began to transport siege equipment to the inner city gate, making it clear that he would attack soon.
Emperor Zhaowu was extremely anxious at this time. The arguments for surrender and those for war were almost equal. After receiving the news that the troops sent to defend the city were blocked at the outer city wall and Feng Ye was about to attack the city, even the commander of the garrison army showed discouragement, which completely crushed his will.
Spring of the 39th year of Zhaowu
Faced with the pressure from Fengye's army and the lack of external aid, the court officials asked for surrender. After being besieged in the Forbidden City for 27 days, Emperor Zhaowu surrendered.
The moment the city gate was opened, Feng Ye, wearing armor and a helmet, and a red battle robe, sat on Zuihong. His blood seemed to be boiling and surging in his body. His hands holding the reins turned blue and white because he was holding them too tightly. Even the horse under him could feel his master's throbbing, and its iron hooves kept stamping back and forth.
Yan Sikong stood aside and couldn't help but look at the man beside him.
The ribbon of the banner gently stroked the red thread on the top of his helmet. His heavy black armor reflected a cold and eerie light under the scorching sun. The blood-red battle robe on his back moved with the wind. It was obviously just a piece of silk cloth, but when it fluttered wildly behind the Wolf King, it seemed to have the power to embrace the world and the heart to swallow up all the mountains and rivers.
This man, this man, already has the aura of an emperor.
Feng Ye tilted his head slightly, and stared at Yan Sikong with his sharp wolf eyes without blinking. His handsome face was filled with calm arrogance and arrogance, a look that only those who were lifted to the pinnacle by tremendous power dared to have. That look made Yan Sikong tremble.
"Open your eyes and watch carefully." Feng Ye smiled coldly, "Watch carefully how I conquer the Chen family."
"Feng Ye, you finally got what you wished for." Yan Sikong felt mixed emotions.
"This is my destiny. I will get what I want." Feng Ye kicked the horse's belly and headed towards the city gate that he had coveted for many years and represented thousands of miles of territory. He walked without hesitation.
Yan Sikong stared blankly at Feng Ye's receding back. Suddenly, he felt that Feng Ye would disappear from his life. No, his Feng Ye had disappeared long ago.
The Wolf King entered the capital. It took him only six years to fight from Shu to Hetao, from Hetao to Datong, and from Datong to Taiyuan. Now, he has captured the outer city of the capital, besieged the inner city of the capital, and finally forced the emperor to surrender.
The world is shaken!
This may be the last breath of the Chen Sheng Dynasty. No one knows what the country will become if Feng Yemou seizes the imperial power.
After Feng Ye entered the capital, he quickly disarmed all the armed forces in the capital and replaced them with his own people.
Zhu Lanting was brought before Feng Ye. He looked haggard and his hair was streaked with grey. When they parted three years ago, he was in his prime and full of vigor and vitality, but now he seemed to have aged ten years.
Zhu Lanting glanced at Feng Ye and started looking for Yan Sikong in the house.
Wang Shen shouted, "General Zhu, you have seen the Wolf King, but you still don't kneel down."
Zhu Lanting ignored it.
"You..." Wang Shen came up and was about to kick Zhu Lanting, but Feng Ye waved his hand to stop him.
"No problem, let the general take his place."
The guards immediately brought a chair, and Zhu Lanting sat down without hesitation. He looked at Feng Ye without any fear: "Where is Yan Sikong?"
"You can't see him yet."
"Why?" Zhu Lanting narrowed his eyes, "Could it be... Could it be that Yan Sikong is still in the hands of the King of Chu?"
Feng Ye just smiled without saying anything. Yan Sikong stood aside wearing Yuan Nanyu's mask, also silent.
"You lied to me! Where did you get the letter? What's wrong with his handwriting?!" Zhu Lanting stood up excitedly, and the guards on both sides drew their swords.
Feng Ye comforted him, "None of this matters. General Zhu, I have always admired you. You helped our Feng family in the past. I am grateful to you and have never forgotten it. Therefore, I will keep my promise and not harm the royal family in the slightest. I will also support the thirteenth prince to inherit the throne."
Zhu Lanting looked at Feng Ye hesitantly: "...really?"
"I will never break my promise."
Zhu Lanting pursed his lips, with a complicated expression on his face.
"General Zhu may not have slept for many days, so why not go to bed early?" Feng Ye stood up and said, "Send the general back to the palace."
"Where is the Wolf King going?" Zhu Lanting looked at Feng Ye nervously.
Feng Ye sneered and said, "Go to the palace and pay your respects to His Majesty."
"I'll go with you." Zhu Lanting stared at Feng Ye with bloodshot eyes.
"Okay, then please let General Zhu lead the way." Feng Ye glanced at Yan Sikong and motioned him to follow.
Yan Sikong took a deep breath. Ever since he set foot on this familiar land, he couldn't calm down for a long time. After all, too many stories happened here. Here were his best memories and his worst memories. Here were the people he loved the most and the people he hated the most. It was only three years since they last met, but it seemed like... half a lifetime had passed.
The day he left, he couldn't imagine that he could come back. But when he really came back here, he suddenly felt that it was a dream.
He followed Feng Ye and rode into the palace.
He had walked this road to the palace for several years, and later changed to a horse-drawn carriage. He never imagined that one day he would ride a horse into the palace. Unless there was an emergency, no one was allowed to ride a horse in the city, otherwise it would be considered an offense to the imperial power. What they were doing now was not really an offense.
The palace wall is still the bright red wall, enclosing countless sinister, ugly and bloody fights with the joyful color. Everyone knows the danger, but still tries their best to squeeze in. How sad it is.
Feng Ye led his army into the palace recklessly. Inside the palace walls, there was silence and desolation. The guards reported back that Emperor Zhaowu was waiting for him in the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
When they arrived at the Hall of Supreme Harmony, Feng Ye dismounted from his horse, and the accompanying soldiers also dismounted one after another.
Feng Ye stood still, looking up at the majestic palace, thinking back to the times when he attended court. As long as he climbed the stairs and stepped into the palace, facing him would be the dragon throne that everyone coveted.
Feng Ye glanced at Yan Sikong, and the two looked at each other, as if they could see each other's state of mind at the moment. He said, "Quewang, follow me in, and the others stay here."
"Wait a minute." Zhu Lanting said, "Wolf King, you cannot wear a sword when you meet His Majesty."
Feng Ye grasped the hilt of his sword, smiled contemptuously, and strode towards the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
Zhu Lanting sighed deeply, with only grief and regret on his face.
The two of them walked to the front of the palace gate and both stopped.
Yan Sikong looked at the high threshold under his feet and said softly, "Every time I go to court, I think that after crossing this threshold, there will be a battlefield."
Feng Ye said: "Yes."
Yan Sikong stepped over, and Feng Ye followed closely behind.
Inside the hall, Emperor Zhaowu sat alone on the dragon throne, with only Yu Ji beside him. Yan Sikong's eyes flashed with the scene of him holding court in the past, when he commanded the support of hundreds of people. Those scenes were like a dream, illusory and real, and difficult to distinguish. But compared with the present, it seemed even more desolate.
He looked fatter and older than before. After not seeing him for three years, it seemed that he had completely ruined his body. His face was ashen and he had no energy left, let alone the majesty of an emperor.
Seeing Feng Ye, he shrank back in fear.
Feng Ye stood under the osmanthus tree, looked up at Emperor Zhaowu and called, "Your Majesty." His voice was full of cold sarcasm.
Emperor Zhaowu grasped the armrests of the dragon chair, trying to show off his power, but the sweat on his forehead had already betrayed him. He trembled and said, "Feng Ye, what do you want?"
"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I can afford whatever I want."
Emperor Zhaowu raised his hand to wipe the sweat off his face, and Yu Ji quickly wiped it with a white silk. The old eunuch who had served Emperor Zhaowu for most of his life had a look of sorrow on his face.
"You, you said you wouldn't kill me, and my concubines and descendants."
"Feng Ye should keep his promise." Feng Ye looked at Emperor Zhaowu, his eyes full of contempt and hatred.
Yan Sikong suddenly took a step forward: "Your Majesty, do you still remember me?"
Emperor Zhaowu was stunned and stared at the mask on Yan Sikong's face.
Yan Sikong slowly took off the mask.
"You!" Emperor Zhaowu pointed at Yan Sikong excitedly, "Yan, Yan Sikong, you..." He wanted to curse, but he was afraid of Feng Ye beside him, but his eyes were already filled with hatred.
Yan Sikong said calmly: "Your Majesty has learned about my life experience. Do you feel remorse for having favored the treacherous eunuchs for so many years?"
Emperor Zhaowu's lips were trembling, his face was ashen, but he could not utter a word.
"Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven. Every move you make affects the country. One wrong step will lead to the ruin of countless people, but you never cared." The more Yan Sikong spoke, the harder it was to suppress the hatred in his heart. "You are just like the last emperor. One abandoned Hetao and the other abandoned Liaoning, and you ruined the country left by our ancestors into this state."
"Shut up!" Emperor Zhaowu pointed at Yan Sikong and trembled, "You ungrateful traitor, you traitor..."
Yan Sikong smiled coldly: "I will become a traitor and a thief because you are a tyrant."
Emperor Zhaowu was so angry that his face turned red.
"Shut up!" A sharp female voice rang out, instantly echoing in the empty hall.
The voice startled Feng Ye and Yan Sikong. They turned around and saw a woman in gorgeous clothes appearing at the door of the hall, holding a little girl in her arms.
Yan Sikong shuddered violently, and suddenly felt her face getting hot, and she dared not look directly at the person who came.
That was the princess of the golden branch and jade leaf of Emperor Zhaowu, his first wife - Wanyang.
After not seeing each other for three years, Wan Yang was still as beautiful as ever, except that she had lost her youthful innocence. She had become more graceful and elegant, with a noble demeanor. Her face was cold, and she exuded the arrogance and aloofness of an imperial princess.
"Xi'er, what are you doing here as a woman?" Emperor Zhaowu shouted, "Go back quickly."
"Your son has seen the emperor." Wan Yang bowed.
Feng Yeyi looked at Wan Yang and the child in her arms, jealousy boiling in his heart, and he secretly clenched his fists.
Wan Yang stared at Yan Sikong, walked up to him step by step, and slapped him hard in the face.
Yan Sikong saw her actions but did not hide. He lowered his eyes silently.
He felt sorry for this woman, his first wife.
Wan Yang trembled and said, "Yan Sikong, what do you think of me? I am the Princess of Dasheng, and you have thrown me here like an abandoned woman. You are the consort of the emperor, but you betrayed my father..."
"...I'm sorry." Yan Sikong whispered, "I'm sorry for you."
"I'm sorry? You married me for power, and you wanted this child to save your life. We are just your pawns!" Wan Yang was filled with anger and resentment, and raised his hand to hit again.
This time, her hand did not fall, but was caught by Feng Ye.
Wan Yang looked at Feng Ye with tears in his eyes and a look of fear.
"Xi'er, I know you feel bad being caught in the middle, but..." Feng Ye said coldly, "From the moment more than 200 people in my Feng family were exterminated, you should have expected this day to come."
Wan Yang burst into tears: "Cousin, why do you have to do this, why..."
The little girl in her arms stretched out her little hand, touched her face, and said tenderly, "Mom, don't cry..."
Yan Sikong looked at the little girl who was so close to him. Although they had no blood relationship, the child was nominally his daughter. However, he didn't even have the courage to touch her.
Feng Ye whispered, "Xi'er, now that things have come to this, accept it. You are the Princess of Dasheng and the daughter of the Feng family. You are my only relative left in this world. I will not treat you badly."
Wan Yang knelt down with a thud, choking with sobs, "Cousin, please let father go, please let father go."
Emperor Zhaowu burst into tears immediately.
Feng Ye bent down, took the little girl from Wan Yang's hands, and helped Wan Yang up from the ground: "Don't cry, you just need to be filial to your aunt, don't worry about the rest."
"Cousin, please..."
"This child..." Feng Ye stretched out his hand and pinched the little girl's face, "She's quite brave. She didn't cry even when being hugged by a stranger." He stopped talking and glanced at Yan Sikong, "It's a pity that she doesn't look much like you."
Yan Sikong avoided everyone's gaze. He had never felt so ashamed before. His intrigues and schemes with outsiders were all his choices as a man, but these were his wife and daughter. Even if they were not husband and wife, even if they were not blood-related, they were still his wife and daughter, and they were innocent. However, he used and schemed against them. He was really ashamed.
Wan Yang's gaze moved back and forth between Emperor Zhaowu and Feng Ye, with even greater sadness in his eyes.
Feng Ye held the child in his arms and walked to Yan Sikong's side. He grabbed the child's hand, lifted Yan Sikong's chin, and said coldly, "This is your daughter. Don't you want to take a good look at her?"
Yan Sikong raised his eyes, but his gaze was evasive. The little girl stared at Yan Sikong with her clear and bright big eyes without blinking.
The girl had a pretty face, although she looked a little ordinary compared to him and Wan Yang, but she was still smart and cute. Her eyes were so innocent and pure, she had no idea that her existence was just a conspiracy.
Yan Sikong saw his dirty and despicable self in those pupils that were as clean as spring water, and he turned his face away subconsciously.
Wan Yang wiped away his tears and walked forward, as if trying to please Feng Ye: "Jin Yu, call me uncle."
Feng Ye was shocked and stared at Wan Yang: "What... is her name?"
Wan Yang was stunned: "Yan Jinyu."
"Let's call her Jinyu. Before my mother died, she named my and my eldest brother's children, 'Those who see Jinyu in their arms and holding orchids and osmanthus in their arms in this world will be ashamed of it.'"
"My daughter, why should I use your name?"
The conversation he had with Yan Sikong suddenly emerged in Feng Ye’s mind, and he looked at Yan Sikong deeply.