The Blood Crown

Shen Hexuan is not in Chen Yu's residence.After the guards led Yan Sikong out of the mansion, they turned around a crooked alley, and finally stopped in front of an extremely simple and dilapidated thatched hut. This hut seemed to have been unoccupied for a long time. If the snow is thicker, it may be crushed.

Yan Sikong frowned: "What do you mean? Let me live here?"

The guard hurriedly cupped his hands and said, "Don't dare. Your Excellency is a distinguished guest of the King of Chu, and you have the honor to treat him as a guest. Here...is Lord Shen who wants to see you here."

Yan Sikong couldn't guess what kind of medicine was sold in Shen Hexuan's gourd for a while, but there were not many guards here, if he wanted to harm him, these people might not be his opponents, and, after all, this place was Chen Yu's territory, so he was a bit more determined. , he strolled in.

There was only a short tea table in the room with wine on it. Shen Hexuan knelt in front of the table and watched him quietly.

The light in the room was dim, and Shen Hexuan's silhouette melted into the shadows, mysterious and deep.

Just as Yan Sikong was about to open his mouth, Shen Hexuan suddenly chanted: "A room that is crumbling."

Yan Sikong thought for a while, and said: "Two people with a southern accent and a northern accent."

Shen Hexuan paused, then burst out laughing.

Yan Sikong realized that Shen Hexuan had changed, he was not quite the same person as before.He sat down and looked around: "Master Shen chose to meet in such a shabby room, maybe it's just for the sake of poetry with me."

"Of course not, it was just a whim, but Lord Yan's response is really wonderful." Shen Hexuan stared into Yan Sikong's eyes.

Yan Sikong curled his lips into a smile: "Lord Shen has changed a lot. In the past when you saw me, you either yelled at me or asked me for a crime. Is it because you are so calm today because you feel that you have won me?"

"Not exactly, but it's also one of the reasons." Shen Hexuan poured wine for the two of them slowly, "But you are right, I have indeed changed a lot. The changes I have encountered in the past two years are better than all I have experienced in the first half of my life. It’s all thanks to you.”

Putting down the jug, Shen Hexuan picked up the wine glass: "Please."

Yan Sikong twisted the wine glass with his hands, and cast a sidelong glance at Shen Hexuan.

"Why, are you afraid of being poisoned?" After saying that, Shen Hexuan drank the wine in his glass.

Yan Sikong drank it in peace.

"The reason why I chose to meet here is because you and I have too many rich and luxurious lives, and it is inevitable that we will forget who we are. Use this shabby room as a reminder, isn't it good?"

"I have never forgotten who I am, and I believe Mr. Shen is not a person who forgets his roots. This is unnecessary."

"Really? Then it's my introspection. After all, I'm not as good as Lord Yan. I can completely erase my previous background and forge a brand new identity." Shen Hexuan's eyes became sharp.

"I did it out of help." Yan Sikong laughed, "I wonder how Master Shen felt when he found out my true identity?"

Shen Hexuan blinked his eyes, remained silent for a moment, and said: "To be honest, I was surprised. I didn't expect that some of the things you told me before were true. You really did it for revenge and endured humiliation for many years just to overthrow the eunuch. Party. I used to think that those were just excuses you made for your own greed, so it turned out that everything you did back then was really not for glory and wealth."

Yan Sikong raised his eyebrows: "It's really not like Mr. Shen would say these words."

"Yeah, I didn't expect that one day I would feel admiration for you." Shen Hexuan laughed mockingly, "Although you have done a lot of despicable things, it is really true that you have gone so far in order to repay your kindness." What ordinary people can’t do, I’m really shocked.”

Yan Sikong smiled and said: "Master Shen can understand Yan's actions, I am really touched."

"I can understand, but most of them don't agree." Shen Hexuan poured a second glass of wine. I have been displaced, traveled to Yunnan, the capital, and Taiyuan, and accidents happened frequently. Many things I believed in are crumbling. What I have learned in the past two years may exceed what I have in the past." His eyes became empty and dazed, "For a moment, I realized that I used to read books thoroughly, but I couldn't read people."

There were also waves in Yan Sikong's heart. He knew that every word Shen Hexuan said came from the bottom of his heart. Due to the severe trauma, he doubted his beliefs and then changed his mind. What happened, you can never go back to the past.

He suddenly thought, did the little prince Feng Ye who lost everything overnight and fled in a hurry, also experience painful disintegration and rebirth?

Shen Hexuan seemed to be caught in his own thoughts and couldn't extricate himself, he said to himself: "So I often think of you, you are completely different from me, you have done so many sinful and perverse things, but you have also done a lot of things I think Do things that can’t be done. I repeatedly thought about why, why I am well versed in the way of sages, self-restraint and ritual, but I have been repeatedly frustrated and bumped into walls everywhere, why you can achieve what you want with clever words and unscrupulous means.”

Yan Sikong listened expressionlessly.

Shen Hexuan laughed lowly: "Later, I figured it out. The way of a gentleman is to respect a gentleman, but in this world, villains rule. The teacher always taught me to be flexible. Now that I am nearly forty years old, I finally Understand these two words."

"Master Shen can have such a great enlightenment, Yan is also happy for you, come, this cup, respect Master Shen's epiphany."

The two drank together again.

Yan Sikong laughed and said: "It seems that Master Shen has shown his strengths in strategy since he had an epiphany, and he is able to plot people."

Shen Hexuan smiled: "Scheming, I used to know it, but I just disdained it before, but I need to learn from Lord Yan, otherwise, why would I protect my family and the country and do my duty as a minister."

Yan Sikong shook his head disapprovingly: "It seems that Mr. Shen didn't realize it thoroughly, why is he still guarding this foolish loyalty?"

"I'm not stupid and loyal. As I said, I understand you, but I don't agree with you." Shen Hexuan's eyes became clear, "I ask you, you think you can restore the country by eliminating the faint king and helping the bright master, but the son of the faint king Must it be a faint king? Is the son of a wise lord necessarily a wise lord? All dynasties and dynasties have nothing but a cycle of chaos. No matter how holy a monarch is, once he dies, it is difficult to guarantee that he will not die. Governing a big country is like cooking a small fish. What he seeks is a "stability" 'The word makes the country last forever, you are so disruptive to the world, you will only ruin the ceremony, and the people will not live!"

Yan Sikong stared wide-eyed: "What is the difference between your rhetoric and those corrupt officials who eat vegetarian meals? When you and I first entered the official position, no, when all the scholars in the world entered the official position, which one was not passionate and ambitious, but In the end, all ambitions were wiped out by the sluggish officialdom? You explain that the master may not have a clear master, let me tell you, one generation after another, when the emperor is fatuous, he will replace him with a wise king If the Son of Heaven is fatuous, there will be a next generation who will act in his place, and if we all stand by and watch, we will just watch the rotten place continue to rot until it rots all over the body, and there is no cure for it!"

The two of them looked at each other across the air, their gazes were extremely sharp, and they refused to give in to each other. They knew in their hearts that no one could convince the other, because the persistence in their hearts was as unshakable as the five mountains.

They let out a breath at the same time.

Shen Hexuan said lightly: "I already knew that between you and me, there is indeed a 'southern accent'."

Yan Sikong smiled wryly: "Yes, but I am very pleased that Mr. Shen can understand me. Perhaps we are the ones who understand each other the most. But it is precisely because of this understanding that we are different from each other. 'If you can't do it, you are destined...to be an enemy."

Shen Hexuan poured a third glass of wine for them: "It's a pity, it's a pity. I used to introduce you as a confidant, and thought I was deceived by you and misjudged the wrong person. Now I went around a lot, and finally found that you and I are indeed confidantes. "

The two clinked glasses solemnly and drank all the wine in the glass.

Yan Sikong covered his sleeves and wiped the corner of his mouth lightly: "A word of 'confidant', Yan is very flattered."

"Actually, you and I don't necessarily have to be enemies." Shen Hexuan stared at Yan Sikong, "Isn't it also your wish to help the King of Chu become the throne, now you just need to let him recover the traitors, return to Beijing triumphantly, and become the prince, and then persuade His Majesty Let the virtuous as soon as possible, everything will be able to follow the etiquette, and it will be a matter of course."

Yan Sikong smiled: "Feng Ye is not benevolent, I may not be unrighteous, let alone you framed me."

"Soldiers never tire of cheating, you don't mean to hold grudges against me." Shen Hexuan said, "Besides, you have done a lot to me to frame aliens."

"The two armies are at war, you and I are in the same position, why talk about grudges, Mr. Shen is serious."

"Master Yan will take revenge, even if you don't hate me, you..." Shen Hexuan sneered, "Don't you hate Fengye?"

Yan Sikong leaned forward slightly, and said with a smile: "My childhood sweetheart and I used to be in love with him. It would be a lie to say that we don't hate him, but... if I want to help the King of Chu to deal with him, the King of Chu will have to deal with him." How much benefit do you have to give me?"

"The King of Chu thinks highly of you, he may give you whatever you want."

"Then what should I want?" Yan Sikong smiled sinisterly, "Master Shen is testing me like this, he just wants to know whether I want to stay or not. Master Shen wants to use me to get rid of Fengye, but he is also afraid that I will seek personal gain , threaten your status, there is no good thing in the world that has the best of both worlds, if I am here, Mr. Shen needs to be on guard against me all the time, if I are you..." Yan Sikong stretched out his hand and wiped it lightly on his neck, "Just Should kill me."

A trace of murderous intent flashed in Shen Hexuan's eyes: "Master Yan spared my life, I am deeply grateful, but actually did not want to kill you, if you just disappear and no one finds you, that would be great."

"I've decided to retire, but they won't let me go, why don't Lord Shen help me and send me away."

Shen Hexuan shook his head: "It's late, the King of Chu will definitely send someone to keep an eye on you."

Yan Sikong laughed mockingly, but did not speak.

"Therefore, I would like to persuade you to pay off your merits and return to Beijing in the future. The King of Chu and I will intercede for you in front of His Majesty. Reuniting you with your wife and daughter may be the best way out for you in this life."

Yan Sikong grabbed the jug and poured the wine into his mouth proudly, finishing half of the jug. He wiped the corners of his lips and grinned: "The way out of my life is all by myself." He stood Standing up, "Yan is not here to accompany Mr. Shen to suffer from the cold, please say goodbye."