478-481
Chapter 478: The Fragrance Could Not Endure
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
"The Emperor likes to watch others plant flowers and look at the scenery."
"Oh? Isn't that very similar to uncle's hobbies?"
"He's very lazy. He only watches. Who would dare ask him to do it himself?"
"I heard…that Haitang girl likes initiate gardens?"
An awkward silence.
"The Emperor…is a very interesting person."
"The Emperor actually often does very amusing things. However, ever since his youth, his mother has held him by the ears to have him learn the ways of governance. We are rarely able to see him."
Inside the Flower Hall, the wangfei's voice, with a light smile, rang out from time to time. Fan Xian stood outside the door, listening quietly. He knew what this woman said was not false. A dozen years ago, unrest once appeared amongst the Northern Qi royal family, which implicated countless noble families. This included the father of Lady Shen, who was currently hiding in the Yan manor, Shen Zhong. Back then, it was because of this matter that he had stuck his head out.
The Northern Qi empress dowager only had the one son, the current Emperor. The other princesses were all born of the previous Emperor's other concubines. Although the Great Princess that married in the South Kingdom was very respected by the Northern Qi empress dowager and Emperor, she, after all, was not the empress dowager's trueborn daughter. Plus, there would be some distance between them. Furthermore, after experiencing the tragedy in the past of holding onto her son and seeking a means of surviving, the Northern Qi empress dowager was even more wary of the other children of the imperial family.
The people from the South Kingdom were all slightly curious about Northern Qi's little Emperor and asked endless questions. However, the wangfei could not speak of any details and could only emptily state he was very interesting and amusing.
Ye Ling'er saw him eavesdropping outside and glanced at him with curiosity.
Fan Xian smiled, pushed open the door and entered.
The Great wangfei, who was furrowing her brows and feeling awkward, saw the two of them walk in and let out a breath. "You should all stop asking me. I really don't understand the Emperor that well. Usually, it is rare to see him in the palace. When he was young, he was strictly controlled by the Empress Dowager. After he grew up, he was busy with state affairs. However, Fan Xian has traveled with the Emperor a number of times in Northern Qi. The Emperor has always liked him. If you want to ask about amusing things, it's better to ask him."
Fan Xian and Ye Ling'er had returned to their seats. Ye Ling'er moved to where Lin Wan'er was. With excitement on her face, she lowered her voice and spoke about how much she missed her after their farewells and didn't pay much attention to the other people's conversation. Fan Xian met the Second Prince's eyes and smiled helplessly. He didn't notice that someone had mentioned his name.
After hearing the Great wangfei's words, everyone remembered that other than the wangfei, the only other person present who had met the Emperor of Northern Qi was Fan Xian. Everyone knew the Emperor thought highly of Fan Xian' poetry and learning.
The heir, Li Hongcheng, burped and gazed at Fan Xian. "An Zhi, ah, just what kind of person is the Northern Qi Emperor?"
Fan Xian paused. Pulling back his attention, he said, "As the ruler of a nation, it is not for a foreign official such as me to discuss him."
It was only after he said this that everyone in the hall felt a bit awkward. It was indeed not very appropriate to arrogantly discuss the Northern Qi Emperor's gossip in front of the Great wangfei. However, it was always difficult to suppress humankind's curiosity. Including the Second Prince, they all urged Fan Xian to say something.
Fan Xian scratched his head and asked, "Why are you all so interested in the Northern Qi Emperor?"
The men in the Flower Hall suddenly fell silent with awkward expressions on their faces. Only the three women whispered privately, making a chittering noise like ants munching on a leaf.
The Great wangfei shook her head, lifted her dress slightly, and walked out of the Flower Hall with a quiet and contented look on her face, saying she had to see how the preparations for lunch were going.
Given her status as a wangfei, there was no need for her to be personally worried about these trivial matters. Without a doubt, it was to give these noble Qing Kingdom families a setting talk conveniently. As expected, after the wangfei was some distance from the Flower Hall, the Great Prince shook his head and opened his mouth. "There is no choice but to be concerned. That little Emperor of Northern Qi has always been very secretive. Regardless of whether it is the Overwatch Council or military, the intelligence reports are all not very detailed. His personality, hobbies, and likes and dislikes are all a mystery.
"So what? As an Emperor, he has to maintain a secrecy in front of his people," Fan Xian smiled and replied.
The Great Prince said, seriously, "But, he is the ruler of a foreign country. The more mysterious he is in front of us, the more terrifying he is."
Fan Xian furrowed his brows and said, "He is nothing more than a young man. How could he be terrifying?" When he first met the Northern Qi Emperor in Shangjing, he had thought the other party was a young man of similar age to himself. It was not until after he returned and carefully checked the intelligence reports did he discover that the little Emperor was actually two years younger than himself.
While he was in Jiangnan, every time he thought of the Northern Qi Emperor's deep plans, calm, and courage in moving palace treasury silver to participate in the inner politics of the South Kingdom, Fan Xian also felt some fear. However, this matter involved his deepest secret, so he did not speak it in the Flower Hall.
The Second Prince put down the fruit in his hand and sighed. "Being terrifying has nothing to do with age." He glanced at Fan Xian, meaning to say, When you first entered the capital, you were also no more than 16 or 17, yet you were extremely terrifying. Immediately after, he smiled slightly and said, "You should all know about the matter of Shen Zhong of the Northern Qi Brocade Guards. In the end, Wei Hua became the commanding official…Shen Zhong died wretchedly. However, with a clever wave of his hand, the Emperor rounded out the matter. He forced Shang Shanhu to be trapped in Shangjing and also successfully took over the power of a faction behind him. Now, Wei Hua barely even listens to the empress dowager's orders, and Imperial Advisor Ku He also maintained his silence. Where did this young ruler learn such subtlety? And, how could he convince so many people to stand on his side?"
The Second Prince's voice grew heavier. "If the battle for the position of Northern Qi's empress becomes more intense, then it is a blessing for the Qing Kingdom…we originally thought when the Emperor first began to rule personally, he wouldn't be as good as the Northern Qi empress dowager who has been running things for a long time and in the end, because of the young man's explosive temper, it would cause great unrest in the Northern Qi palace. Who knew that this little Emperor could silently pull the power back into his own hands? This kind of ability is truly…terrifying."
Fan Xian fell silent. He knew the inside story of Shen Zhong being killed very clearly. It was he who had suggested to the Northern Qi Emperor, through Haitang's mouth, to do it.
The atmosphere in the Flower Hall was somewhat tense. The three women knew their men were discussing state matters and tactfully kept their mouths closed.
Li Hongcheng's eyes no longer showed any drunkenness. He furrowed his brows. "The Northern Qi Emperor is the ruler of a country. He doesn't lust after women and does not have any harmful indulgences. His mind is clear and, he has self-restraint…this kind of person is the scariest. In the future, if we want to bring soldiers up North, what we should first consider isn't the strength of Northern Qi but the temperament of the master of Northern Qi. If the Northern Qi Emperor does not panic, there is not much we can do."
After hearing this, the Great Prince and Second Prince both nodded their heads.
Fan Xian was slightly surprised and felt some astonishment as he looked at this scene. He was shocked by the serious moods of the three royal sons. For a moment, he couldn't speak. It was not until now that he understood, for him, Northern Qi was only a friend while for the younger generation of nobles in Qing Kingdom, Northern Qi was the opposition that was destined to be swallowed up by Qing Kingdom.
Qing Kingdom loved combat. The people of the previous generation had already conquered a massive territory. What was left now to the new generation of people was the large but not rigid Northern Qi. This was a fanatical wish to expand their borders that were deeply planted in their blood. Regardless of whether it was the Great Prince or Li Hongcheng, neither could cast off this kind of fanaticism. Even the warm and solemn Second Prince kept the idea of attacking Northern Qi constantly in his mind.
Qing Kingdom was flourishing. For the past 30 years, it had maintained a momentum through attacking. For the people of Qing Kingdom, this was no longer something that needed to be considered. What needed to be considered was when to attack Northern Qi. Thus, it was a very important matter to the three royal sons in the hall to know the kind of person the Northern Qi Emperor was.
It was clear from looking at the Second Prince's expression, as he was deep in thought, that to be able to unite the world was every Qing Kingdom person's final goal. It could even temporarily suppress his worry over the dragon chair.
"Everyone says that the Northern Qi Emperor doesn't lust after women. However, last time, he especially wanted to exchange Si Lili back to Northern Qi. An Zhi, you were the diplomat last time. Did you not discover anything in Shangjing?" The Great Prince asked.
A moment later, Fan Xian slowly said, "It's true he doesn't care much for beauty. In the giant royal palace, there are only a few concubines. Furthermore, to prevent the imperial relatives growing in power, the little Emperor went forcefully against the pressure of the major families in Shangjing. All his concubines are chosen from among those of common birth. What is very strange is that the empress dowager seemed to not oppose such an arrangement."
The Second Prince furrowed his brows and said, "Even if it was to prevent the imperial relatives from growing too powerful, this kind of arrangement is not good for comforting officials. This action is inappropriate."
Fan Xian nodded. Pretending to be worried, he said, "It is just as the wangfei said earlier, this Emperor is impossible to understand. Clearly, he is right in front of your eyes, but one always feels that he has some kind of clever disguise."
Li Hongcheng laughed. "All right, that's enough. That Emperor has treated you with considerable sincerity. Earlier, you said you were a foreign official, but I think the Northern Qi people certainly don't see you that way. Otherwise, after the attack, why would they send a letter to Jingdou to protest?"
The Great Prince shook his head in anger and said, "Northern Qi has gone too far to forcibly do such a thing."
Fan Xian forced a smile and said, "Your Highness, this matter has nothing to do with me."
Speaking of the attack, the Second Prince was not awkward at all. He wore a selfless and open expression, yet he laughed at Fan Xian. "Of course, this matter has nothing to do with you. Not even considering that you are a Qing Kingdom person and Northern Qi only wants to incite trouble, even if the little Emperor likes you a great deal and pulls you to Northern Qi, could he also marry his own sister to you as well?"
At this moment, Ye Ling'er broke in and said, "I don't think it's impossible…Fan Xian was born with good looks, and the little Northern Qi Emperor is also his biggest fan."
Once these words were said, the serious discussion became a mischievous joke.
Fan Xian twitched his lips into a smile and quietly watched these men and women talk from the side. Fan Xian didn't quite understand when they spoke of some of the amusing things that had happened in the Palace in the past. Gradually, he developed a misperception of being rejected by the group. Before he entered Jingdou, the men and women in the Flower Hall had all watched each other grow up from a young age. The relationship between the younger generation of the Qing royal family had always been quite good.
He was originally an outsider.
However, Fan Xian did not dwell long in such feelings. He had sunk deep into thought because of the earlier discussion about the Northern Qi Emperor. He faintly felt that he seemed about to catch some mysterious thing.
In his mind, he closely re-examined the scenario when he met the Northern Qi Emperor in Shangjing. He also closely recalled their mutual understanding and cooperation during the year and a half of time. He complemented it with the Northern Qi Emperor's tastes, interests, and the details of his life. Gradually, a spot of light in his mind was about to burst forth.
However, it never did.
Amidst the faint fragrance, Fan Xian remained in a daze. Even when everyone around him quieted down to look at him, he still didn't notice it.
Fan Xian abruptly realized his loss of self-control. He smiled awkwardly and unconsciously said, "Smells nice."
…
…
Smells nice!
A faint fragrance pervaded the air in the Flower Hall. Fan Xian's focus wandered for a moment. There seemed to be some kind of magic on the tip of his nose that made his mind wander again. This fragrance was actually very light and elegant. For him, it was heavy and extremely disturbing.
He turned his head and saw that the Great wangfei had already left and come back, and changed an outfit. Fan Xian barely managed a smile and asked, "Where is the fragrance coming from?"
The Great wangfei was slightly shocked then immediately smiled, "I never knew that not only are you exceptionally intelligent, but your thoughts and nose are also very sensitive. I've worn this fragrance pouch for a year, but the Great Prince has never noticed it. Today, I've just put it on yet you've already noticed it."
Everyone looked curiously at Fan Xian. Ye Ling'er sniffed hard but still could not smell any special fragrance, only the scent of the incense that had been diluted by the cold breeze from the lack.
"Is it not the incense?" Ye Ling'er asked curiously.
The wangfei smiled. "Of course, it is not the incense." She took out a very exquisitely made fragrance pouch from by her waist and said, "I brought it from Shangjing."
Fan Xian had the powerful urge to hold the fragrance pouch in his hand and smell it closely. However, a fragrance pouch was something a woman wore close to her body and was very meaningful. It was impossible for him to raise his request.
Hearing the wangfei's words, his expression had already calmed. He smiled and said, "They've never been to Northern Qi, so they can't smell this light fragrance. I've been before, so no wonder I can smell it."
The wangfei laughed and shook her head. "I bet that you also haven't smelled it before…you've been to the royal palace in Shangjing, did you go up the mountain behind it?"
Fan Xian nodded.
The wangfei said, "This fragrance pouch is filled with gold osmanthus. The flower grows on the mountain. There is probably just that one plant in the entire world…the scent of the gold osmanthus is very light. If one is not concentrating, it is impossible to smell."
Fan Xian smiled. "When I went up the mountain, I only stopped for a short while in the pavilion by the creek and did not see the rare gold osmanthus."
"It grows at the summit of the mountain," The Great wangfei smiled and said. "It is a lone seed that the Imperial Advisor personally transplanted from the North many years ago. Adding to the fact that the scent is not very strong, no one had thought to gather its stamen to make into a fragrance pouch. I dare say, even if you've stayed in the palace, you've still have not smelled it's fragrance before."
Fan Xian asked with astonishment, "Then your fragrance pouch…"
Everyone was a bit confused. Why was Fan Xian not letting go of this fragrance pouch and constantly asking questions? Fan Xian was also afraid he would give the game away so he smiled and explained, "I like this scent, and I want to get one for Wan'er."
Lin Wan'er smiled slightly, knowing that her husband was certainly not thinking of this. However, the others did not understand. The Great Prince said with disapproval, "You are a man, so why is your attention to these womanly things?"
The Great wangfei glared at him and said, "Those who can ride a horse and embroider a flower are true men."
The Great Prince immediately shut his mouth.
The Great wangfei turned to Fan Xian and smiled. "I'm afraid it would not be easy for you to get one for Princess Chen…no, it may be difficult for everyone else in the world, but you have a chance…you can write a letter personally to ask the Emperor."
Naturally, this Emperor was the one in Northern Qi.
Fan Xian smiled warmly. "Is the one you're wearing also a gift from your Emperor?"
"Yes." A faint sense of homesickness appeared in the wangfei's eyes. "In the past, there was just the Emperor alone in Shangjing who wore a gold osmanthus fragrance pouch. He said he liked the light and clean scent. The night before I left, the Emperor gifted me the fragrance pouch he wore at his side so that I could remember the smell of home even when I'm in the South."
The atmosphere in the Flower Hall became sorrowful with the wangfei's faint words.
Fan Xian's gaze swept over the fragrance pouch. He smiled and didn't say anything more.
…
…
As they talked in the manor after having lunch, it was already dusk. During this, under the arrangement of the Great Prince, Fan Xian and the Second Prince carried a deep conversation in the study. However, the two of them had already talked in sufficient depth last time in Baoyue Brothel. The present Second Prince had the support of the Ye family and a Great Grandmaster behind him, so he would certainly be unwilling to take even half a step back. Fan Xian knew that although his position was as the Second Prince said. It appeared to be as powerful as a mountain but, in reality, it could shatter at any moment. He lived in this world and had no choice. Even if he did want to extricate himself and retreat, he didn't have that possibility.
At least, the Qing Emperor would not allow it.
In the end, the Second Prince glanced at him deeply and slowly said, "An Zhi, there is something I must remind you…without question, you are the biggest troublemaker these past two years in Qing Kingdom…and you are also aware of the matter in the past. Do you know why father let you live and grow up in Danzhou rather than decisively sweeping clean all of these troubles?"
Fan Xian lowered his head slightly, thinking that the Second Prince was indeed someone very capable of swaying others. If Uncle Wu Zhu's threat to the Emperor was not considered, the Qing Emperor secretly protecting his growth could only be explained by one thing. Although rulers were heartless, they always felt some pity toward their children.
"Father will not allow anything overly intense to happen between us brothers," the Second Prince looked at him quietly and said. "However, for you, if the situation cannot be intensified, you can only sit and watch as things flow away from you as your situation worsens day by day. This is where your problem lies."
Fan Xian smiled slightly. He thought that the situation was about to intensify. If he wanted to preserve what he had in the past, then he must have others pay a difficult-to-endure cost.
"Regardless of life and death," Fan Xian spoke very seriously and looked at the Second Prince.
"Regardless of life and death" had two layers of meaning. Life and death had to be decided while another only focused on the matter and did not involve their life and death.
The Second Prince raised his hand and gently clapped his palm with Fan Xian's.
…
…
In the afternoon, the Overwatch Council sent a message saying there were strange movements on Xi Lake. The military report had already been sent to the Bureau of Military Affairs, so the Palace was summoning Fan Xian to see the Emperor. As the Commander of the Imperial Army, the Great Prince had no choice but to also leave. However, the Second Prince and Li Hongcheng were still able to stay in the manor.
Fan Xian let his wife and Ye Ling'er talk a bit more and left the manor alone. He got into his carriage and, without waiting for the Great Prince, ordered the carriage to drive slowly alone along the snow-filled Jingdou streets.
The Xi Lake matter was not very urgent. It would take at least a month for messages to travel between the two places. At this point, there was no need to rush into the Palace. Fan Xian needed time to digest everything that had happened today.
The black carriage made a made a few rounds on the Jingdou streets and drove onto a relatively solitary street. Sitting in the coachman's position, Teng Zijing warily looked around in all directions. There were also a number of unremarkable secret agents in disguises all around the carriage to maintain Fan Xian's safety.
Fan Xian closed his eyes and leaned against the back of the chair in the carriage. His face was a bit pale, and the corners of his lips were a bit dry.
That faint scent of the gold osmanthus…so the smell from that night was that of the gold osmanthus. He suddenly dazedly remembered that night, that temple, that patch of land, and that belt he didn't have time to tie properly. However, it clearly was Si Lili…but, that scent after he woke up and the hands gently rubbing his temples…
His thin lips trembled a little. He cursed a few times, quickly and in a low voice. Unconsciously, he slapped the boards of the carriage beside him.
In his anger, Fa Xian struck hard with his palm. The extremely vigorous Tyrannical zhenqi in his body surged out. With a boom, everything that the palm wind touched could not stand against it. In an instant, the loud sound of wood shattering rang out in the silent street.
It was like the black carriage was made from paper. Half of it collapsed with this one strike. The carriage wheels shattered, the carriage flipped, and the horses were startled, pawing endlessly at the ground. Teng Zijing's face drained of all color. He barely managed to stand his ground.
The dust gradually settled. Fan Xian, in his black official robes, stood in a daze among the wood and gravel all over the ground.
At his side, Gao Da of the Tiger Guard had his long knife half unsheathed. A bright light danced chaotically in his eyes as he searched for a trace of the assassin. Seven or eight swordsmen of the Sixth Bureau surrounded him. They held tight to the metal drills at their waist, and the crossbows in their left hands were aimed at outwards.
Fan Xian lowered his head and thought for a long time, involuntarily he thought of the two words in the letter his mother had left in the chest. He couldn't stop the corners of his lips tilting up slightly and revealing a very self-mocking laughter. He sighed unhappily and said, "Karma…"
Chapter 479: I Know What You Did Last Summer
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
After Gao Da confirmed there were no enemies around him, he slid his long knife back into its sheath with some confusion. The surface of the blade and the opening of the sheath made a dry raspy sound.
The black-robed swordsmen of the Sixth Bureau and the secret agents disguised as pedestrians nearby reported, at almost the same time, that there was nothing strange. Fan Xian's subordinates looked at him with a strange expression not sure what happened in that split second in the carriage.
Teng Zijing cleared away the shattered wooden carriage wheel from in front of him and carefully prepared to help him up.
Fan Xian shook his head and waved his hand, indicating he was fine. He then realized how much trash his unconscious anger had brought to this quiet street and how much trouble he had brought his subordinates.
With that long knife on his back, Gao Da walked toward him and asked, in a quiet voice, "Sir, what happened?"
"Nothing." Fan Xian forced a laugh and raised his foot to walk forward.
The Overwatch Council worked very efficiently. Before long, another completely new black carriage drove around the corner and stopped in front of everyone. Teng Zijing rubbed legs that were feeling watery from the fright and prepared to take over the reins. Fan Xian scolded him, "Look how frightened you are. Go back and rest."
Teng Zijing smiled and made a sound of agreement. He handed the reins to Mu Feng'er.
Without needing orders, there were already people beginning to clean up the street to prevent startling the people of Jingdou. The carriage began to move again. Fan Xian sat in the carriage thinking and still did not say anything. Mu Feng'er drove the carriage on the quiet steps. The further they went, the more anxious he became. He couldn't resist turning his head to speak through the curtains, "Sir, the Palace is very anxious."
There was an edict summoning Fan Xian into the Palace to discuss matters, yet he was sitting in the carriage and wandering the streets. It was Mu Feng'er who had gone earlier to the manor to convey the edict. He knew that no matter how arrogant Sir Fan junior was, the Emperor in the Palace would probably be reluctant to scold him. But, what about himself? So, he screwed up his carriage and began to press further.
Fan Xian cared nothing for Xi Lake or the Palace. All he could think about was the lawsuit. He opened his mouth and cursed, "I'm thinking about something, so don't bother me!"
Around the carriage, the people met each other's eyes. They all felt that it was very strange. They didn't understand why the Commissioner's mood was so bad today.
In the eyes of the all the officials, the Commissioner of the Overwatch Council, Fan Xian, was someone who was warm on the outside but had sinister and ruthless methods. However, in the eyes of the members of the Overwatch Council, Sir Fan junior was a superior who was very lenient in front of the Emperor, very generous in his actions, and magnanimous with his words and in his personality.
Never mind cursing out loud, Fan Xian wouldn't even use harsh words with his trusted aides. Everyone was confused and unsure what matter had made Sir Fan junior lose his composure in such a way. However, no one dared ask.
The carriage didn't head straight for the Royal Palace, rather, under Fan Xian's insistence, it came to the Overwatch Council.
He stomped down the carriage in three steps and walked into the square black-grey building without even looking at it. Along the way, he occasionally ran into officials who were working in the Overwatch Council. They saw the Commissioner's extremely baleful expression and all jumped with fright, before quickly moving the side and greeting him.
Just as he was about to enter the Overwatch Council, Fan Xian suddenly stopped his steps.
He stopped too quickly. Behind him, Gao Da and Mu Feng'er both didn't react in time and almost crashed into each other.
Fan Xian didn't look at them. He only turned his neck and looked backward, searching desperately…as if he wanted to see if there was anything strange behind him.
For a person to twist their heads to look at their butt, it was truly a very difficult action. Even Fan Xian, who had the flexibility of a ninth-level ace, found it very difficult.
His neck began to ache. His body also reacted and began to spin in place as if his butt, covered by black official robes, was too shy to come into contact with his gaze and was desperately trying to escape.
He twisted his head to look at his butt and spun in place.
One round after another.
…
…
This action of Fan Xian's was truly too absurd and hilarious. This was the front gate of the Overwatch Council, and he was the lofty Commissioner. Yet, he was like a cat…endlessly spinning to try and see his own tail.
To the side, Gao Da and Mu Feng'er look at the scene with their mouths wide open. The corners of their eyes began to twitch. They were completely speechless. They wanted to laugh but didn't dare to. They didn't understand what Fan Xian was doing.
While the officials inside and outside the Overwatch Council doors also looked at this scene in a daze. they all became countless statues and stared open-mouthed at the Commissioner spinning in circles.
Everything was completely silent. The Overwatch Council officials' valiant nerves allowed them to maintain their silence. They didn't know whether or not the Commissioner, who had suddenly turned mad, was testing them.
With great difficulty, Gao Da closed his lips as he watched Fan Xian, thinking, Perhaps the young master had spent too much time with the Lin family's young master and had also gone crazy?
Fan Xian suddenly stopped his rotating dance and stood where he was.
Although he had only spun a few times, for the people watching this from the side, the few revolutions he had taken had felt like years to them.
Fan Xian stood where he was in a daze. Suddenly, he stretched out his hand to point behind him and asked Gao Da, "Has my walking posture ever changed?"
"No." Gao Da shook his head with some confusion.
Fan Xian felt a bit more at ease and let out a sigh. He scratched his head and then said, "I also felt like everything was normal."
Gao Da and Mu Feng'er both didn't understand. Fan Xian suddenly shivered and furrowed his head in disgust. He wiped his sweating hands in the front of his robes and walked into the Council.
It was only after this group of three people had disappeared into the main hall by the Overwatch Council's front doors that the Overwatch Council officials who had turned into statues came alive again. They were all at a complete loss. They met each other's eyes and saw the amusement. Then, discussion burst forth from them all.
Fan Xian didn't know that his loss of composure had given his bored subordinates endless fodder for discussion for these winter days. He also didn't have the time to bother about these things. He walked directly into the secret room, without even greeting the baffled Yan Bingyun. Straightaway he had him bring him all the Northern intelligence report files from the last one and a half years.
The Second Bureau acted quickly. In less than a quarter of an hour, a small mountain of Northern intelligence files had been piled on the table in the secret room. Fan Xian waved his hand and rudely asked Yan Bingyun to leave. Yan Bingyun furrowed his brows. He could see that Fan Xian's uneasy state of mind. After he left the room, he quietly asked Gao Da and Mu Feng'er a few questions but did not receive any clues.
File after file was opened and closed again. Fan Xian furrowed his brows and sank deep into thought. Most of the files were about stories and news related to the royal palace in Shangjing. In the past, Fan Xian had read most of the contents, particularly those that were related to the Northern Qi Emperor. They were at the center of his focus.
In the past, it was difficult to deduce the Northern Qi Emperor's personality from these chaotic and unmethodical intelligence reports. However, Fan Xian now had his own guesses and deductions about the Northern Qi Emperor, so it was now much easier to use them to find clues in these files.
It was always easier to make daring conjectures and carefully search for the evidence with a goal in front. In just a moment, Fan Xian had already, through his own guesses, connected countless details from old case files and gradually come close to an absurd truth.
It was a truth that was enough to shock the world and make countless people lose their heads. It even made Fan Xian feel gloomy and uneasy.
It was clearly written in these files. The Northern Qi Emperor had been raised by the empress dowager since his youth, even his nannies had never been changed. In the dozen or so years, it was still those two people. Given his status as an Emperor, he only had two nannies. There were also very few serving girls assigned to him. It was truly at odds with Northern Qi's extravagant style.
The Northern Qi Empress dowager's example was that, back then, the Wei Kingdom had been overthrown because of their grandiose. She wanted to teach the Emperor to live a plain and simple life from his youth. The Northern Qi Emperor in people's minds did not lust after women. The four common-born concubines were enough to explain a great many things in Fan Xian's eyes, at this moment.
Just as the Second Prince had said in Prince Heqing's manor, for the ruler of a nation, marriage was the ultimate weapon in balancing the court. Logically speaking, it was impossible to not take a few daughters of official as concubines.
This was a stupid action but, as Fan Xian only realized today, this was the only choice of the mother and son…no, the mother and daughter in the Northern Qi royal palace.
If the Northern Qi Emperor married the daughters of major officials yet never consummated the marriage, this message would reach the nobility and attract people's speculations. Furthermore, even if they didn't consummate the marriage, they would have to sit together and sleep together. There would eventually be an official's daughter who found something strange.
Only by marrying common-born girls could this be completely controlled.
Even with the pervasive intelligence methods of Qing Kingdom's Overwatch Council, they still did not, to this day, have a completely detailed description of the Northern Qi Emperor, much less any distinctive features on their body. This one point was enough to demonstrate the strict protection the Northern Qi royal palace had for the Emperor's body.
All of this, in Fan Xian's certainty, pointed toward a great secret that could never be announced to the world.
Not marrying daughters of major officials, being so careful while washing…other than proving that the Northern Qi Emperor had a hidden trouble, it also comforted Fan Xian a little.
The Northern Qi Emperor wasn't homosexual, he…she was a woman.
…
…
Fan Xian rubbed his slightly irritated eyes and raised his head. Leaning on the chair, he thought deeply about something. His right hand still held the intelligence report Si Lili had sent through the secret channel. However, there was no need to read it anymore. Since the Northern Qi Emperor was in such a situation, Si Lili must know everything about it. These endless reports from Shangjing must be filled with overstatement and padding.
Fan Xian's right hand tightened slightly and immediately relaxed. A sudden thought flashed across his mind as he suddenly remembered something Haitang had once said in Shangjing.
"My sisters and I think it is possible…"
Sisters? The corners of Fan Xian's lips revealed a glimmer of a bitter smile. Sisters? For the Northern Qi Emperor, Haitang Duoduo, and Si Lili to be sisters, isn't that a bit too overpowering? They had played him in the palm of their hands. It truly made one angry.
The person that was with him that night, was that really the Northern Qi's little Emperor? That faint scent of the gold osmanthus…if it really was the little Emperor, why would she risk such danger to spend one night with him?
Fan Xian's brows furrowed. He returned to the files, closely examining the reports from the Shangjing royal palace from a year and a half ago.
He was very self-aware of himself. Although he knew that he had the title of a so-called immortal poet in this world, that Zhuang Mohan had always shown him great approval, that he had been born with a good appearance, that he had written a few sappy lines, and had said a few cheeky words…he didn't think was a walking aphrodisiac able to attract every woman in the world to kneel down, regardless of life and death, at the foot of his black robes—particularly Northern Qi's little Emperor.
Judging from the cooperation between Jiangnan and the North, she was a very powerful and far-thinking person. It was impossible for her to drug and rape him just because she liked Fan Xian's beauty.
As for emotion? Although Fan Xian believed in love at first sight, he didn't think a woman who had spent many years dressed as a man and an Emperor who had lived in such wariness and danger would be so indulgent with their state of mind.
Then there was only one explanation.
…
…
After cleaning out the last year and a half's worth of reports, Fan Xian once again lifted his head, pleased. In this year and a half, the little Northern Qi Emperor still held court each day. There was never a day where the Emperor did not attend. The Emperor also did not travel or not leave the palace to hide from the heat or to hunt.
In any case, the little Northern Qi Emperor has never left the people's sight for more than two days. The medicine being supplied by the Imperial Academy of Medicine in Shangjing's royal palace were as usual. Given Fan Xian's acuity with medicine, in his opinion, there was not any trace of a fetus-protection medicine. Of course, if the other person had done it secretly, there was no way to know.
However, based on the present situation, it was impossible that the little Northern Qi Emperor was pregnant.
This deduction made Fan Xian relax a great deal. He unconsciously stood up and stretched. He was most afraid that after having a one night stand with the Northern Qi Emperor, the other person had become pregnant.
It was not because he wasn't ready to be a father. It was because he was not ready to be the father of an Emperor. He particularly didn't want to become the other person's method of impregnation under the circumstances of having been drugged and raped.
Borrowing seed, borrowing seed. Since nothing had come of it, then it didn't matter. Fan Xian's gloominess had long dissipated. Men were often like this. Physical relations with a woman really didn't mean much. Even if it was under these forced circumstances, he could still comfort himself into making it a pleasure.
Suddenly, he thought of Ye Qingmei.
"The cycle of karma and retribution does not feel good!"
Fan Xian smiled mirthlessly. He had a rather delusional thought that although he could not compare to his mother in many ways, at least there was one in which he had fought to a draw with her—both of them had slept with an Emperor.
He unconsciously did not think further that this incident was far more wretched compared to his mother's trick. He heavily patted his butt that had become numb from sitting. He felt some lingering fear and a helplessness as he left the secret room in the Overwatch Council.
Sitting on the carriage headed toward the Royal Palace, Fan Xian held a pencil specially made by the Overwatch Council. He thought carefully for a while and then wrote a line of characters on the white paper.
"I know what you did last summer."
He sealed the letter and handed it to Mu Feng'er to have him give it to Wang Qinian in the secret little courtyard in the west of the city.
Fan Xian's subordinates were long used to the Commissioner using the Overwatch Council's secret channels to send love letters to the girl in the North, so Mu Feng'er did not think this was strange.
Fan Xian watched his retreating figure and couldn't resist shaking his head. Wang Qinian knew who this letter was for. However, this was not a love letter. It wasn't just for Haitang herself, rather, it was for the three girls.
He had been tricked by the other party. Now that he had realized it, he had to use this for his own benefit, at least some kind of mental benefit. So, he sent a letter with a row of characters to scare them.
Given the intelligence of the little Northern Qi Emperor, they would understand what he meant.
Fan Xian played with the narrow pencil with two fingers and then placed it in a pocket in his robes as he shook his head. He had suddenly thought of something. Before the Great Princess had left, the little Northern Qi Emperor had personally gifted her that gold osmanthus fragrance bag…given the Emperor's intelligence and meticulous nature, would they not guess that he would be able to recognize the unique scent for what it was?
He furrowed his brow and thought that perhaps the female Emperor, after a one night stand, had some lingering feelings for him in the depths of his heart. Unable to hide it forever, she sought a way to remember him.
He felt that perhaps he was thinking too much into this. He sighed and stopped thinking about it, saying quietly in his heart, I should have guessed long ago. It is impossible for someone so obsessed with the Story of a Stone to be a man.
…
…
The royal study had filled with people long ago. Fan Xian stood with an awkward expression at the very back. The moment he entered the royal study, he had been thoroughly scolded by the Qing Emperor, so he did not have the special honor of sitting.
Perhaps of the officials in the room felt a sense of schadenfreude. However, they knew that the more viciously the Emperor scolded him, the more Fan Xian was favored. So, they didn't allow the feelings of joy to show on their faces.
Fan Xian knew he deserved to be scolded. The matter was one of national importance that involved the military, yet he had delayed so long before entering the Palace and had made the Palace send for him a number of times. To be so blind to priorities and the needs of the country, it was no wonder that the Emperor would be so angry.
However, in Fan Xian's perspective, although the matter he had investigated today was a domestic one, it was also a national one. But, this matter could certainly not be expressed, only kept in his heart. So, he didn't make a sound as he was scolded.
He didn't make a sound, but he forgot to ask for forgiveness. The Emperor's expression did not take a turn for the better. He huffed coldly a couple of times and then left him out in the cold.
The Emperor had summoned Fan Xian into the Palace today with the original intention of finding an opportunity for him to come into contact with the high-level decision-making setting that Qing Kingdom used to face sudden events. He had intended for this to be an educational opportunity. However, Fan Xian had come very late so, the Emperor was not very happy.
The discussion had started long ago. The initial decision was to have Ye Zhong lead troops 300 li west and put some pressure on the gradually stirring forces in the direction of Xi Lake. At the same time, Yan Xiaoyi, the northern Governor, would return North early to make a stand against Shang Shanhu's overwhelming attitude.
As for the rest of the matters, Fan Xian didn't hear a single word of it. He only knew that the Emperor had finally fulfilled his promise to him and was sending Yan Xiaoyi away. As for Ye Zhong…
Fan Xian unconsciously raised his head. He saw that a general, whose figure was not very tall and was rather rotund and sturdy, on the second seat to the right was glancing at him occasionally with droopy and listless eyes. His gaze seemed very distant.
This was Ye Ling'er's father, the previous Commander of the Jingdou garrison the current Governor of Dingzhou, Ye Zhong.
Fan Xian glanced at him and smiled warmly. Suddenly, he heard Eunuch Yao announcing the edict and heard the words, "In the seventh year of the Qing calendar…" His heart jumped. Only then did he remember that the New Year had already passed and the alluring incident that had happened in the little temple…should have happened in the summer of the year before last and not last year.
…
…
After the emergency meeting in the royal study ended, the Emperor kept Fan Xian behind. He didn't scold him again, he only stared at him. Fan Xian knew that he had been in the wrong today and didn't dare to be stubborn. He forced a smile and asked for forgiveness.
The Emperor furrowed his brows and said, "Were you not at Prince Heqing's manor earlier? Where did you go after?"
Fan Xian smiled and replied, "Something suddenly came up at the Council, so I had to rush over to handle it."
The Emperor said, unhappily, "What matter could be more urgent than unrest on the borders?"
Fan Xian's expression didn't change. "It was a message from the North. Shang Shanhu had received an edict to go South and is now 300 li from Yanjing…and he isn't leading troops."
The Emperor's expression cleared slightly and he said, "So, it is like this. It is already a rarity that the Northern Qi Emperor dares to use Shang Shanhu. However, he doesn't even give him a mere 300 soldiers. Looks like his mind is only so open."
Fan Xian thought to himself that there had been many Emperors in this world, but there were very few whose self-confidence had reached such a perverted state. Immediately after, the Emperor asked a few more casual questions about the gathering in Prince Heqing's manor. Through his speech and expressions, it seemed that he was very pleased with the Great Prince's action.
Fan Xian's heart shivered slightly and knew that the Second Prince was right. Although the Emperor incited his sons to fight, he would still not let them suffer unendurable losses.
They spoke a bit more, but Fan Xian's uneasy state of mind was noticed by the Emperor, who then dismissed him.
Fan Xian wiped at the cold sweat on his forehead. As he flashed out of the side corridor of the Taiji Palace, he abruptly came to a stop and looked at the tall and sturdy general in front of him. He quietly became more cautious.
Chapter 480: Eunuchs Can Also Change The World
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The general was not wearing any armor and did not carry that longbow behind him. Even so, Fan Xian still had to lower his head slightly and narrow his eyes in order to stand against the thick arrow intention emanating from his body.
An arrow was used to kill, but an arrow intent was not a killing intent. It was only an imposing manner that stripped one of their outer clothing and revealed the timidity and pale flesh within.
Despite Fan Xian's powerful strength and control over his state of mind, he was still oppressed by this imposing manner. This demonstrated that the general's cultivation was truly a level above his.
…
…
Yan Xiaoyi, the Northern Governor, was an extraordinary warrior of the superior ninth-level and the person most able to challenge a Great Grandmaster.
"Greetings, Governor."
Fan Xian pushed a smile onto his face and warmly greeted Yan Xiaoyi with a bow.
Yan Xiaoyi was standing right in the long corridor. His deep gaze washed over Fan Xian's face like spring water. He did not respond to Fan Xian's words but said in a raspy voice, "I must return North very soon. Every time I think of when the colored lanterns are hovering high and the martial conference has begun, I feel disappointed that I will not be able to test myself against you."
The so-called martial conference was a boxing match hosted by the court. Fan Xian knew that in a country such as this where martial merit and demonstrations of martial ability were honored, if Yan Xiaoyi really did go crazy and didn't care about the Emperor's face and challenged him in front of the Palace…
Would Yan Xiaoyi go crazy? Fan Xian knew that everyone in the Eldest Princess' faction were all a bit crazy. In particular, Yan Xiaoyi, since his only son, Yan Shengdu, was killed on Fan Xian's command by the lovely Thirteenth Wang.
Could he defeat Yan Xiaoyi? Fan Xian asked himself honestly. He could not spray poisoned fog in front of the Palace and couldn't use a crossbow. In a direct fight, there was still some distance between him and a warrior at the peak of the superior ninth-level. Although Yan Xiaoyi would not be able to use the longbow he was famous for, Fan Xian would not be so stupid as to assume that all of Yan Xiaoyi's extraordinary skill completely rested in that bow.
Thus, once the fight actually happened, even if Lao Hong could, in the end, save his life, he would certainly be heavily injured.
In the military meeting, the Emperor ordered Yan Xiaoyi to return to the North early. This was fulfilling Fan Xian's request. After all, he didn't want to get hurt. However, looking at the current situation, Yan Xiaoyi's disappointment and anger could no longer be suppressed.
Fan Xian couldn't help but smile warmly at this powerful military figure and said, "Governor, I think you've misunderstood something."
Yan Xiaoyi was silent for a moment and then said, "I just want to learn from your little tricks."
Fan Xian was also silent for a moment. He then raised his hands in a salute and said, "Right now, we are in a time of peace. It is better for there to be less fighting."
In the long corridor, there were only Fan Xian and Yan Xiaoyi facing each other. The scent of danger grew. Fan Xian knew that, within the Palace, there was no way Yan Xiaoyi would attack, so he was not very worried. He gazed calmly at the other party with his bright eyes.
"Ahem, ahem."
The sound of coughing rang out. It was not old Eunuch Yao, rather, it was a somewhat short man with an attitude as imposing as the East Mountain who suddenly appeared beside the two of them.
Ye Zhong.
Fan Xian smiled slightly and thought to himself that he had arrived at just the right time. He had no desire to carry out a battle of glares with Yan Xiaoyi.
"Governor Yan, Commissioner Fan, these are sacred Palace grounds. Please do not make such a clamor."
When Ye Zhong was commander of the Jingdou garrison. Fan Xian had not yet been born, and Yan Xiaoyi was still hunting in the mountains. With his experience and position, his words carried much more weight.
Yan Xiaoyi started slightly and turned to greet him.
Fan Xian smiled and asked, "Uncle Ye, long time no see. How is Dingzhou?"
With Ye Zhong interrupting, Yan Xiaoyi closed his mouth and did not speak. Ye Zhong had noticed the tension between Yan Xiaoyi and Fan Xian. He furrowed his brows and thought to himself that the death of Yan Xiaoyi's only son was still an unsolved case. Why was he so sure that it was Fan Xian who did it?
"I still have matters to handle. I will bid farewell first." Fan Xian took this opportunity to quickly extricate himself.
Ye Zhong nodded his head.
Yan Xiaoyi said slowly, "Sir Fan junior, you must look after yourself."
Fan Xian's heart trembled slightly. He knew what the other party meant by this. A lofty emotion surged up from the bottom of his heart. He raised his hands to the skies and laughed loudly. "With the protection of the heavens, there is no need for you to worry."
Yan Xiaoyi's smile suddenly turned icy and piercing. He stared into Fan Xian's eyes and bit each word off clearly. "The heavens cannot hide you from my eye. Fan Xian, you will die by my hand."
They were still in the Royal Palace and Ye Zhong was still beside them, yet Yan Xiaoyi had the arrogance to make such a threat. Ye Zhong couldn't help furrowing his brows, but he didn't say anything.
Fan Xian watched this scene and couldn't help but shake his head. Ye Zhong was the Second Prince's father-in-law and now belonged to that side. Yet, Yan Xiaoyi did not show any concern in front of him. He was indeed arrogant and crazy to the extreme to threaten the life of the Emperor's illegitimate child in the Royal Palace.
He gently shook his sleeves and raised his head with confidence. "Yan Xiaoyi, I dare to make a bet that you will first die by my hands and, furthermore, you will die feeling incomparably stupid."
Having said this, he raised his hands to Ye Zhong. Without giving Yan Xiaoyi another glance, he waltzed toward the Palace doors.
Yan Xiaoyi narrowed his eyes and coldly watched the gradually retreating figure.
Ye Zhong was also looking at Fan Xian's retreating figure and thought to himself, Just where did this young man get his self-confidence? He hoped there wouldn't be any changes to the arrangements he had been making for a number of years because of Fan Xian. Although he thought this, he turned to look at Yan Xiaoyi and let out a sigh. He patted his shoulder and said, "Restrain your grief and accept fate. While you're in the Palace, be careful of the walls that have ears. After all, he isn't a normal person. He is the Emperor's son.
Yan Xiaoyi's expression didn't change and he coldly said, "I also have a son."
…
…
Arriving at the Palace gate, Fan Xian's expression had long recovered its calm. Yan Xiaoyi and he had long reached the situation where only one of them could survive. There just needed to be a suitable time and place to realize it. Last time, the plan he had laid out was broken by Eunuch Hong. Would he sink into Yan Xiaoyi's trap next time?
There was also that Thirteenth Wang. After he killed Yan Shengdu, he had suddenly disappeared without a trace. Fan Xian had no idea where he had gone.
As Fan Xian calculated in his heart, he walked out of the Palace. He saw, without surprise, the Great Prince beside him—the only military general in the royal family.
"What did you and Yan Xiaoyi talk about?" the Great Prince asked in a low voice.
"His son died, so he's randomly accusing people," Fan Xian replied with a smile. "He said he was going to kill me."
The Great Prince furrowed his brows and said with slight anger, "What arrogance! Does he not know where he is?"
After Fan Xian thought for a long time, he said to the Great Prince, "Yan Xiaoyi's contrary ambition is set. I think the Emperor can see that, but you need to be careful."
The Great Prince started slightly, wondering where the word "contrary" came from.
Fan Xian climbed into his carriage and headed toward Fan manor. Along the way, he was thinking of this problem. The Emperor had to see the battle and murderous intent surging in Yan Xiaoyi. Why was he still releasing the tiger back into the mountain rather than keeping him trapped in the capital?
It was an interesting question.
He laughed self-mockingly to himself. When the day came, after who knew how long, that Yan Xiaoyi came to kill him or when he killed Yan Xiaoyi, the world would certainly become very interesting. And, the Emperor's set up would presumably be in its final phase before completion.
…
…
On Jan. 15, there was no snow or wind in Jingdou. After night fell, colored lights hovered over the entire city, and people crowded on the dry streets. Women and men searched, by the reflection of the beautiful lights, for an appearance that appealed to them and avoided the commotions that annoyed them. The ladies with their blush and serving girls strolled around while courteous young men maintained a slight distance, quietly watching them.
Thoughts of love arrived early. Countless pairs of shoes were taken off in the streets. Hands stroked across an indeterminable amount of soft skin. The young men followed behind and sought the women's names. Their eyes roved around probingly. The night progressed like this joyfully. The people being controlled by hormones collectively sank into a matchmaking activity without matchmakers.
For Qing court, the people's happiness could not affect its austereness. Large palace lanterns were hung from the corners of the Royal Palace and activities such as riddles were provided in the Palace for the enjoyment of the empress dowager and other nobility. Under Fan Xian's orders, even the square, grey, and strict Overwatch Council building had hung out some brilliantly red lanterns.
However, it was still very austere.
Because the movement of the military had begun long before the 15th, the Northern Governor had to lead the soldiers North to the Cangzhou and Yanjing regions to stand against the sharp gaze of the world-famous general. Ye Zhong had already returned to Dingzhou. The court once again sent soldiers to the West, choosing elite from the remaining military in the Five Roads to supplement the Dingzhou area. He then became the leader of an invincible 100,000-person army.
When spring arrived, these 100,000 soldiers would push West another 200 li in the name of applying pressure. If the Northern savages near Xi Lake made any unusual movements, these invincible Qing Kingdom soldiers would find an opportunity to launch a surprise attack and forcefully strip the Hu people off large parts of their land.
Soldiers were an important matter. Although it was only transfers and the battle had yet to start, the Six Ministries had long jumped into action to prepare for the handling of the aftermath. Fortunately, Qing Kingdom had risen to prosperity through war, so everything already had a set procedure. The cooperation between the departments appeared to be regular and methodical, with a high level of efficiency.
When they faced outsiders, Qing Kingdom was always this united. At this moment, no one remembered the conflict between the princes or how terrifying Fan Xian was.
Fan Xian was also busy for a number of days because the Overwatch Council provided intelligence to the military. They were also responsible for auditing the machinery and weapons each department set up. All kinds of matters suddenly piled up.
Fortunately, he had Yan Bingyun helping. Thus, on the night of the 15th, Fan Xian was able to enter the Palace to have a look at the legendary martial conference. The fights in front of the palace were indeed exciting. Qing Kingdom had a number of aces. However, without Yan Xiaoyi and Fan Xian's battle to the death, the officials seemed unable to raise their interests.
No one was stupid enough to actively challenge Fan Xian to a fight because they were not Yan Xiaoyi. They didn't want to die.
…
…
By the 22nd, the court and palace had already grown used to the anxiety due to the unusual movements at the border and gradually relaxed. Life carried on as usual. Food still had to be eaten, and clothing still had to be worn. Naturally, the nobles in the palace had to have new clothing for the New Year.
The Embroidery Office in the Palace sent out teams to various stalls to take over any embroidery cloths shipped in from across the ocean. The empress in the Eastern Palace did not like the colors Jiangnan offered last year and had asked for an edict earlier to order another batch.
Tasks that did not go through the palace treasury were often a great opportunity for managing eunuchs to earn a great deal of extra money. Commissions and gifts would probably be worth about 30 percent of the cost of the cloth. With one trip out of the palace, they could easily take a few thousand in banknotes into their sleeves.
In the past, because of the Second Prince's favor, this task had always been given to Eunuch Dai in Lady Shu's palace. However, it was clear that the Second Prince was not as in favor as in previous years. Since Eunuch Dai was involved in both a bribery incident and the assassination in Hanging Temple, he had been stripped of the majority of his power. Thus, the eyes of all the eunuchs in the palace began to glow. They all became active, wanting to take the position Eunuch Dai had in previous years.
After asking around a bit, all the eunuchs, including Eunuch Yao and Eunuch Hou, all stopped what they were doing because they heard that this year it was Hong Zhu, the leading eunuch in the Eastern Palace, who was responsible.
Hong Zhu was deeply trusted by the empress. In addition, the Emperor also seemed to like this agile little eunuch a great deal. Thus, his status in the palace grew each day. Even someone such as Eunuch Yao did not want to smear a mark across Hong Zhu's glowing path, so he chose to retreat.
On this morning, an internal guard stood on duty outside a large shop. He couldn't stop yawning because he believed no one would come here to make trouble. There were no nobles inside the shop or a eunuch. He thought about how he and other capable soldiers could not follow the Dingzhou army on the Western expedition but instead had to protect a mere eunuch. The guard's mood could not help but be low, so his wariness was also greatly let down.
…
…
In a quiet room on the second floor, Hong Zhu was carefully scrutinizing the thread count and color of the cloths. Although it was a good opportunity to earn money, he was doing something for his mistress and had to take care. As for the shopkeeper and owner and of this Dongyi store, they had long been chased out by him.
The tips of Hong Zhu's fingers were slightly shaky. Clearly, he was feeling a bit uneasy. He didn't know when or how Sir Fan junior would be able to pull the wool over the guard's eyes and ears to meet with him.
Just as he was fretting over this, the light in the room suddenly bent and the shadows changed very slightly.
"Who's there?" Hong Zhu warily turned his body but did not call out his question.
Fan Xian, wearing the outfit of an ordinary customer, rubbed the corners of his eyebrows that were slightly sore after they were stuck down for disguise. He made a gesture toward Hong Zhu. He then took out a piece of jade from his clothing and handed it over.
This jade was the one he had obtained a few days ago from the Luochuan Gang with great difficulty.
Hong Zhu accepted the piece of jade with some confusion. He glanced at it and felt that it looked very unfamiliar. It seemed to be something from the Palace. Furthermore, the style and inscriptions gave him a sense of familiarity.
"This belongs to the Eastern Palace," Fan Xian said quietly.
Hong Zhu pressed his lips together and said, "What do I do with it?"
Fan Xian told him a date and furrowed his brows. "Every time the Crown Prince goes to Guangxin Palace, it should be this date. You have more information inside the palace, so check to see if it's accurate."
Hong Zhu thought back, calculated and then nodded.
Fan Xian relaxed. This date was the result of Wang Qinian crouching outside the imperial relative's manor every day for the past few days. That imperial relative was responsible for sending medicine into the Palace, and the date was fairly regular.
Fan Xian held Hong Zhu's gaze and said, "After the cloth enters the Palace, following precedent, the Eastern Palace will send them out to various Palaces. If the empress has serving girls deliver cloth to Guangxin Palace, you should know when it is."
"It's usually in the afternoon of the next day." Hong Zhu was a bit nervous. He didn't understand how this matter was connected with the cloth.
"Very good. You are responsible for purchasing, so delay the time this batch of cloth enters the Palace," Fan Xian said. "Calculate the time right so that when the Eastern Palace delivers the cloth to Guangxin Palace, the Crown Prince will also be there.'
Hong Zhu scratched the itchy spots on his face and asked hesitantly, "What good will this do?"
Fan Xian didn't reply. Hong Zhu looked thoughtfully at the piece of jade in his hands and suddenly said with astonishment, "I think…this was previously used by mistress."
"Correct," Fan Xian said. "It was secretly sold by those little eunuchs under your command."
"Those little bastards sure have the guts!" Hong Zhu spoke viciously. He abruptly forgot the current situation and unconsciously reverted back to his role as the leading Eunuch in the Eastern Palace. He was a major eunuch, so there were plenty of ways for him to make money. He did not need to resort to such tricks as thievery.
Suddenly, he came to himself again. He knew that Sir Fan junior did not intend for him to do anything so simple such as bringing order to the Eastern Palace. He looked at Fan Xian's not-quite-smiling face and asked in a trembling voice, "What do I do with…this piece of jade?"
Hong Zhu was a clever man and immediately understood. However, he had still not connected this entire thing to Guangxin Palace.
Fan Xian did not have more time to explain. He heard the footsteps downstairs and moved close to Hong Zhu's ear to remind him of a few things. He told him not to worry about anything as long as he completed these three things well and did not do anything else. Fan Xian reminded him to be careful of his safety and to not be implicated in it.
A knock rang out from outside. Fan Xian flashed and disappeared from the room.
The owner of this store entered respectfully and asked whether or not Eunuch Hong had any other orders.
Hong Zhu looked at the empty air beside him. His mind wandered. A moment later, he remembered Fan Xian's orders. He furrowed his brows and said in a reedy voice, "This cloth…does not seem the same as the one my mistress asked for initially."
The owner started and cried out bitterly in his heart, "What are you saying…I am just a small business owner. How could I dare lie to the nobles in the Palace?"
As they talked, a few banknotes were stuffed into Hong Zhu's sleeves.
Hong Zhu's gaze slanted and was very pleased with the amount. However, he still could not let it go and furrowed his brows. "Is there something wrong with the yellow in this flower? It looks slightly different…particularly the thread count in these ones. They just don't feel very thick."
"How could it be thick?" the owner asked with a pained expression. He was cursing up a storm in his heart. "This is proper foreign cloth. Three layers of blended fabric and 36 stitches. There is no better."
Hong Zhu chuckled and said, "Is that so? However, I'm not in a rush. Go back and check it carefully. I'll come back in a few days to collect it."
The owner panicked. "Sir, the empress wants this urgently. If it's delayed, not just me, but perhaps even you…"
Hong Zhu was not happy hearing these words. He glared and said darkly, "You listen to me carefully, the Palace will want this cloth when I am satisfied…what kind of status does the empress have? How could she bother with such trivial things?"
Having said this, Hong Zhu shook his sleeve and went downstairs. His expression was unpleasant.
The owner followed behind. He knew he had offended this powerful eunuch and was crying out bitterly in his heart. He wondered how many banknotes he would have to give to the eunuch during this delay. He had no idea that the unpleasant expression on Hong Zhu's face was because he was terrified and excited.
Hong Zhu knew what he was doing with Sir Fan junior and knew that he, a mere eunuch, would also be able to change the course of Qing Kingdom's history. His heart was not a eunuch, rather, it was a scholar. A scholar's greatest wish was to govern the world and bring peace. It was not until today that Hong Zhu finally felt that, as a eunuch, he was also able to change this world.
Chapter 481: The Origins Of Fan San Bao
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
In the month he had been back in the capital, he had smelled a particular scent and had understood some matters. The most important being, of course, the words the Second Prince had once said to him in secret. He admitted that the Second Prince's analysis was correct. If the situation continued like this, his position would become unusually awkward with an unclear path going forward.
Although the silent Qing Emperor, in whom the people had great expectations, had, with unusual mercilessness, incited conflict between his sons during the past few years, these conflicts had to be controlled to a certain extent. Although he was merciless and courageous, he was not abnormal. A normal father would not watch their sons kill each other.
The Second Prince in the past and Fan Xian now were actually whetstones with which the Emperor used to sharpen the Crown Prince. If the Crown Prince, this freshly forged sword, broke on these two whetstones, presumably the Emperor would not hesitate to switch him out. The competition between A and B had always been fierce.
At the moment, the Crown Prince was doing well. Although he didn't have many opportunities to showcase his brilliance and the sword tip remained within the sheath out of the light of day, he was clearly not a weakling. It was only because opportunities in the past to showcase himself were stolen by his brothers. If the knife remained in the sheath, this actually made the Emperor feel happier and more at ease because this choice of the Crown Prince's was sufficiently clever and showed wisdom through endurance.
The Emperor was always watching all of this. He wanted to see his sons' hearts clearly, so he had given the Crown Prince many opportunities and sufficient time. If the Crown Prince waited silently like this, the Emperor would not make any great changes.
However, no change was, for Fan Xian, completely unacceptable. Many years in the future, once the Crown Prince took the throne and the empress became the empress dowager, what would he do? Just as the Second Prince said, the person who should be anxious right now was Fan Xian.
However, the Emperor would not allow Fan Xian to do anything too out of line. Although Fan Xian never understood why the Emperor would stay silent the entire time, at a certain moment, he suddenly remembered something. He wasn't sure it was something Chen Pingping, his father, or his father-in-law had once said, but it was a very important thing.
The Emperor was suspicious and very sensitive, but the Emperor wanted too much. He wanted to unite the world and leave the most brilliant name in history.
If he wanted to remain brilliant, the Qing Emperor would have to care about the opinion history would have of him. If he changed the Crown Prince, this would call into question his virtue and ability in the history books. If his sons killed each other, it would also leave a black mark against him.
Fan Xian put down the teacup in his hand and sucked in a breath of cold air. He finally understood the reason for the Emperor's silence. The Emperor still hoped that the fight for the position of heir would be peacefully resolved and that the Qing Kingdom would be passed down in a gentle way.
As an Emperor, one had only two desires. One was a kingdom, and the other was a name that would never be forgotten. The Emperor was unwilling to give up either.
…
…
The glimmer of a cold smile flashed through the corners of Fan Xian's eyes. He said to himself, "He threw his own son into the wilds to grow up, but now he wants his son, who is a bloodthirsty creature, to change back into a human. The Emperor's desires are a bit too idealistic."
Under the Emperor's powerful suppression and secret demonstration of his attitude, the fight for imperial power had gradually eased up. Fan Xian could not allow the situation to continue unchecked. He had to force the Emperor to make up his mind early.
While he was in Jiangnan, Fan Xian had already guessed that the elder in Chen Garden was thinking the same as him and also using various ways to influence the Emperor's thoughts in an attempt to have the Emperor make up his mind early.
What he didn't know was that Chen Pingping had cleverly woven a giant net, including the true cause of Great Master San Shi's death and the connection between the Junshang Conference and Eldest Princess. All of these serious bombs were still not enough to make the Emperor truly make up his mind.
So, Chen Pingping chose the most vicious method. However, without Chen Pingping knowing, this method was being used by Fan Xian.
For the same goal, the old and the young planned silently and worked hard together. They wanted to manipulate the Qing Emperor's emotions and use the ruler's paranoia and envy, buried deep in his heart, to reach the goal the two of them wanted. There were not many people who understood the Qing Emperor's heart like Chen Pingping and Fan Xian. There were even less who dared use dark plots to provoke his emotions. When all was said and done, it could only be said that the leaders of the Overwatch Council were some fearless, shameless, and ruthless people.
However, Chen Pingping's goal was not just for the Crown Prince to step down. On this point, he had thought further than Fan Xian. What he wanted to do was wilder.
…
…
The end of the first month was about to end. Fan Xian's return to the capital was also almost over. His subordinates were preparing for the return to Jiangnan while he made the most of the rest of the time to keep his father and Chen Pingping company for a few days. The both of them were getting on in age. As he lived long-term in Jiangnan, he was unable to perform his filial duties and felt very apologetic.
Da Bao went from Danzhou to Hangzhou and then to Wuzhou. After spending the New Year with Prime Minister Lin, he had also returned to Jingdou. So, Fan Xian had to wander around Jingdou properly with his uncle. The big idiot and small idiot had lots of fun. However, the time was rather tight. It was inevitable that there were some feelings of panic.
During these days of meticulous planning, Fan Sizhe once again went North with the second-rank group that Deng Zi Yue had left behind. The chamber of commerce for the goods traveling North needed this young genius to organize it. It was never good to be away from Shangjing for long. Ever since Fan Xian had confirmed that matter, his feelings toward the North had sunk into a dilemma. Although he had more confidence in the safety of his brother and sister in the North… Unconsciously, he wanted to hide something, so he didn't have Fan Sizhe bring the Northern Qi Emperor a secret letter.
The other people in the Qinian Unit also became busy. Hong Changqing took Fan Xian's token and went ahead to Jiangnan. This was an important matter. Fan Xian ordered him to inform Su Wenmao to get ready. They had to create a perfect time difference between the thing in the Palace blowing up and the message reaching Jiangnan to completely bring down the Ming family.
Mu Tie and Mu Feng'er, the uncle and nephew of the First Bureau, were also busy with the state affairs inside Jingdou and could not accompany Fan Xian at all times. Sir Yan was in the Overwatch Council, busy with the general day-to-day upkeep and busily hiding from the matchmaking attempts of the Jingdou nobility. He was bitter beyond words. For a time, Fan Xian's only capable trusted aide next to him was Wang Qinian, that old man.
Fan Xian was eating in Wang Qinian's home with Da Bao when he suddenly thought of poor Yan Bingyun. He thought of the quiet words the Great wangfei had said to him that day in Prince Heqing's manor. He couldn't help but shake his head.
If Yan Bingyun really wanted to marry the young lady of the Shen family, it was truly a difficult matter. The Emperor had to give his permission, and Lady Shen needed a suitable identity. The Great wangfei was a good friend of Lady Shen when she was in Shangjing, so she had given this troublesome matter to Fan Xian to solve.
In his lifetime, Fan Xian was only good at breaking marriages. What did he know about being a matchmaker? He sighed tragically as he picked at the dishes on the plate.
Wang Qinian was crouched at the side smoking. Seeing that Fan Xian's expression was not very good, he coughed and asked, "Are the flavors not to your liking?"
Da Bao sat beside Fan Xian. He chewed endlessly, then said, "Delicious…"
Fan Xian used the tip of his chopsticks to point at the plate and said, "For stewed fish slices to be like this, it is comparable to the head chef in Baoyue Brothel. Of course, it tastes amazing." Having received praise from Fan Xian, Wang Qinian smiled. The lines on his face became deeper.
As they spoke, a young girl of about 12 or 13 came out with a plate and placed it properly on the table. She was too shy to bow and quickly ran out again.
Fan Xian looked at the girl's retreating figure and sighed, "Lao Wang, you look like an old elm tree. How could you have such a beautiful daughter?"
The girl was Wang Qinian's daughter and also the target Fan Xian had once used to scare him. Wang Qinian's heart jumped. He forced a smile. "She's still young, she's still young. It's impossible to see whether she'll be beautiful in the future."
Fan Xian laughed loudly. "What is there to be afraid of? Who would dare, right now, to forcefully take your daughter?"
These words were the truth. Although Wang Qinian had insisted on refusing the position as head of the eight bureaus, most of the people in Jingdou knew that he was Fan Xian's closest trusted aide. With this level of connection present, regardless of the Six Ministries and three departments, no one underestimated him or dared to offend him.
Da Bao suddenly smiled broadly and said, "That girl is pretty."
This time, it was Fan Xian's turn for his heart to jump. He quietly wondered, if his uncle's interest was suddenly piqued and he insisted in marrying Lao Wang'er's daughter, what would he do? Naturally, he would not agree, but how would he comfort his emotions?
Fortunately, Da Bao's mind was still that of a child of six or seven, so it was impossible for him to think of that. He just paused with his chopsticks and didn't notice the food falling from his mouth as he thought about something.
Fan Xian picked up the wet towel beside him and helped Da Bao wipe away the food stains at the corners of his lips. He asked, "What are you thinking about?"
Da Bao tilted his head slightly. The smile on his face gradually froze, showing a glimmer of sadness and hurt that was rarely seen on his face. Haltingly, he said, "Er Bao… like… pretty girl."
Fan Xian's mind dimmed, and the hand holding the towel froze. He didn't know what to comfort him. At the side, Wang Qinian heard it and felt very curious. He tapped his cigarette toward the stop beside his foot and asked, "Young master uncle, who is Er Bao?"
"Er Bao is my younger brother. Very clever." Da Bao's face shone with a proud smile. His smile immediately changed into a child's hurt. "But… he died."
…
…
Wang Qinian and Fan Xian stood in a corner of the yard each pulling on a pipe. Green smoke wrapped around them, and the scent was suffocating. Wang Qinian turned his head to glance at Lin Da Bao, who was currently playing with the little girl. He lowered his voice and said, "So, Er Bao is young master Lin Gong, who was killed over two years ago by people from Dongyi. I heard that the household always kept it from young master Da Bao, so how does he know this?"
Fan Xian spat out a mouthful of bitter saliva and said, after a moment of silence, "I told him. Although he has dementia, I've always treated him as a normal person. He and Lin Gong were very close. I didn't feel comfortable hiding it from him."
"It won't cause any problems, right?" Wang Qinian asked carefully.
"What problems could it cause? I told him two years ago." Fan Xian pressed his dry lips together. "Da Bao has not developed completely. He is like a child unable to grow up, but it doesn't mean he doesn't understand anything… Beside Nanzhao, there is an Amah rock [JW1]. I don't want there to be an extra 'Questioning Brother Treasure' next to me."
Having said this, he glanced toward where Da Bao was and saw that he was crouched on the ground beside Wang Qinian's daughter, digging for earthworms. His gaze immediately softened. A glimmer of tenderness and a faint regret appeared in his eyes.
Suddenly, a knock rang out from the Wang home's wooden door. The newcomer knocked with great force and urgency. It seemed like something had happened.
Fan Xian and Wang Qinian looked at each other and furrowed their brows. Wang Qinian went forward to open the door, and a man charged in. He stopped in front of Fan Xian and cried loudly, "Congratulations! Congratulations, sir!"
Fan Xian was surprised by this person. Looking at him steadily, he saw that it was Teng Zijing. He couldn't help but scold him thoroughly. "What are you screeching about? Didn't I tell you to go back to the country estate to study for the spring martial test? Why are you back in the capital?"
He wanted Teng Zijing to be able to step onto the path of an official position to compensate him for his careful service after bringing them out of Danzhou as well as for his crippled leg. However, Teng Zijing was similar to Wang Qinian in personality. Although he had love for the officialdom, he had more love for the life of staying beside Fan Xian. In addition, he couldn't understand the military books and strategies. After reading for three days at the country estate, he had run back again.
Shame burst forth on Teng Zijing's face, but he immediately remembered that important matter and said with great joy, "Young master, quickly go back home. The old master is already back. Everyone is waiting for you."
"What happened?" Fan Xian furrowed his brows and went over to take Da Bao's hand, preparing to leave and climb onto the carriage.
Teng Zijing followed behind him and smiled. "Lady Liu is with child."
Fan Xian paused and turned around on the spot. He touched his head and said, "What? Am I going to have another younger brother? Father… is indeed not of this realm."
Teng Zijing paused and only understood what he said a moment later. He quickly explained and said, "Not the mistress. It's the lady."
Fan Xian still did not understand just what this meant. He sat in the carriage and tied Da Bao's clothing properly. He then turned his head and angrily said, "Speak clearly. Even if the Duke's manor is having a child, there is no need to be so nervous."
Teng Zijing couldn't resist laughing and said, "It's not the Duke's manor. It's our manor… It's Lady Sisi who is with child."
Fan Xian paused. Only now did he understand. Although he had long brought Sisi into the manor, in the depths of his heart, he still thought of her as a younger sister and truly had not thought of her precisely as a concubine. Furthermore, it was very coincidental that Sisi had been raised from a young age in the Danzhou manor and had never had a family name. Later, when she came to the capital, Sizhe's mother took a shine to her because of their similar situations and had her take the family name Liu.
Lady Liu, Lady Liu. So… they were talking about Sisi. No wonder Fan Xian didn't realize right away."
"Sisi's actually with child?" Fan Xian laughed. "Then I must go back quickly to see. Women who are with child for the first time always have short tempers, particularly a fiery girl like her. If I get there late, I'll probably catch a load of resentment."
…
…
The carriage rumbled along the streets and left the west side of the city, heading toward the south side where Fan manor was.
Suddenly, a muffled bang came from inside the carriage, as if someone had jumped up and stupidly allowed their heads to come into intimate contact with the solid roof of the carriage.
A cry of terrifying volume came from the carriage. The voice was filled with shock and fear. Pedestrians across half the street all heard it very clearly.
"Sisi is with child! I'm going to be a father?"
Yes, reborn into this world, Fan Xian, whose mental age should have been 30, was finally about to be a father. The passing on of life had always been the second most powerful controllable need. Logically speaking, a sufficiently mature Fan Xian should be able to demonstrate a controllable joy in the face of this amazing news.
However, his behavior clearly had problems because he was very excited, to the point it couldn't be controlled. At the same time, other than joy, he was very scared.
Sitting beside Sisi's bed, Fan Xian looked at the girl two years older than him like an idiot. Sisi's face was a bit white. After knowing that a life had suddenly appeared in her stomach, she was beginning to feel nervous. Fan Xian looked at her dumbly and said, "How did it happen already?"
Wan'er sat at the head of the bed and was feeding Sisi. Her face was filled with joy. He had long wanted to give Fan Xian a child but had not succeeded. Now that Sisi was with child, knowing that Fan Xian had descendants, as the main wife, she was also happy. If they were a normal family, perhaps the childless wife would develop feelings of envy toward the concubine. However, she and Sisi's positions were too different. It was stupid to feel that way.
She heard Fan Xian's strange question and couldn't help but furrow her brows and scold, "What are you saying?"
Fan Xian smiled in a daze. A few days ago, he was worried whether or not the person in the North was pregnant with his flesh and blood. Now, he suddenly found that the girl beside him was with child. These major emotional ups and downs, these worries and joys, had truly turned him into Fan San Bao.
[JW1] In Chinese, the characters for Amah rock literally translate to Watching For Husband Rock. Fan Xian is making a joke of sorts here with Da Bao. He doesn't want Da Bao to constantly be asking him questions.