572-575
Chapter 572: Blue And White Words
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Fan Xian's reaction was fast enough. Shooting out like a shadow, he pushed the Eldest Princess to the ground. Striking out like the wind, in an instant he had used zhenqi to seal the important meridians near the wound. However, he saw faint black lines were already slowly enveloping her bright face.
This black dagger had been in Li Yunrui's abdomen for a while. It had simply been hidden by the wide sleeves. What shocked him even more was that the Eldest Princess had pushed the dagger into herself but was able to talk to him freely, without revealing a glimmer of pain and successfully hiding it from him.
The poison had already flowed around her body with her blood. It had entered her heart and risen faintly into her face. Even if Fei Jie appeared in Jingdou right now, he still wouldn't be able to save her life.
Fan Xian lowered his head and stared bewilderedly at the dagger in her abdomen. Looking at the hilt of it, he couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart. It looked familiar. Now was not the time to think about it. With one hand, he held the Eldest Princess's shoulder. With the other, he pressed down on her soft abdomen. With Northern Qi's ultimate Heart of Tianyi Dao, he poured it without thought into her.
A moment later, the Eldest Princess, who had been silent the entire time and not shown a trace of pain, finally furrowed her brows and glanced at him with a strange expression. "I just want to properly savor the taste of pain and death. Why are you bothering me?"
All her life, she had lived a lofty life. As the little princess of the royal family, loved by her father, mother, and brother, who dared to make her hurt? Other than the four slaps the empress dowager had given her and the Emperor's rage that night in the thunderstorm, Li Yunrui had not known what bone-wrenching pain felt like.
These words were truly quite crazy, but Fan Xian did not have time to spar with her. Silently, he pushed the zhenqi into her and forcefully pushed the poison in her body into one place. Gradually, the faint black in Li Yunrui's face grew deeper, but it gathered near her temples. The skin on the rest of her face regained its usual brilliance.
Fan Xian gave a muffled groan and slapped his right palm against her soft abdomen. Li Yunrui's cinnabar red lips opened slightly. Immediately after, his left hand flashed into his clothes and took out a pill, forcing it into her mouth.
He was familiar with the poison on this dagger because he had made it himself. Thus, this medicine immediately began to have an effect. However, Li Yunrui had hidden it for too long. The poison had already entered her heart, so there was no way to force it out.
The sweat on Fan Xian's forehead surged out all at once. Involuntarily, he thought of the movies and novels from his previous life, those scenes that made one feel a chill in their bones. His left hand gripped her shoulder tightly, and he screamed, "Where is Wan'er? Da Bao?"
In those stories, often after the male protagonist was finally victorious. He realized, painfully, that the enemy would never tell him where they had hidden his family and whether or not they were dead as a way to torture him for a lifetime.
The separations and reunions in those gloomy and dark movies and screens made Fan Xian scared. With a trembling voice, he angrily and helplessly yelled at her, completely forgetting the reaction he should have.
Li Yunrui glanced at him with ridicule. The tip of her brows twitched again. It seemed like the poison on the dagger had already spread through her body. A sharp feeling of pain had begun to assail her nerves.
She lowered her head and looked at the black dagger sticking into her abdomen. She said in a quiet voice, "Don't always use your clever but petty tricks. Those are only used by people who are incompetent."
Fan Xian's body was covered in cold sweat. He knew what the Eldest Princess meant by these words. This black dagger was familiar to him because he had personally made it. The dagger was exactly the same as the one Sir Fei Jie had given him in his youth. Even the drugs spread on it were exactly the same.
There were three daggers like this. Fan Xian had one hidden in his boot. The Third Prince, Li Chengping, had one hidden his boot. The third one was hidden in Lin Da Bao's boot. Of all the people Fan Xian cared about, only the young Li Chengping and the simple-minded Da Bao didn't have the ability to protect themselves. He had carefully given these two daggers to them, waiting until the last moment to give their enemy the most unexpected strike.
In the Palace, Li Chengping had used this black dagger to protect his life. Da Bao's black dagger was in the Eldest Princess's hand and abdomen.
"You thought that I would use Da Bao to threaten you. When Da Bao was standing at my side, you thought you could suddenly give an order for him to pull out the dagger and stab me…" Li Yunrui coughed and coughed out a trace of blood. Looking at Fan Xian mockingly, she said, "Of course, no one would search a fat idiot seriously or guard against him."
The light in Li Yunrui's eyes gradually scattered. She slowly said, "These years, you've always been with Da Bao. Was it just for that one moment? You told him that I killed Lin Gong, so he hated the person called Li Yunrui. No one in the world dared to say my name in front of that idiot, except you…"
She looked at Fan Xian like she was looking at an idiot. "Too many petty tricks. Your thinking is too complicated and not impressive at all."
Fan Xian had not thought that his last pawn would be so ridiculous in the other person's eyes and be so easily seen through. He took a deep breath and forced down the fear in his heart. In an even voice, he begged, "Tell me where they are."
Li Yunrui didn't look at him. Her body gradually became cold. She unconsciously pulled up her shoulders. "I am going to die, why should I leave Wan'er alone in the world to be bullied by men?"
"She is my wife. I will protect her."
Li Yunrui's eyes were looking off to the side. She said in a trembling voice, "I had wanted to kill your concubine, but I didn't manage it. In the future, you will have many more women. Why should I allow Wan'er to continue suffering?"
She turned back and looked calmly into Fan Xian's eyes. "Don't worry, I won't use her life to threaten you into becoming an Ascetic Monk."
Fan Xian's heart trembled as he stared at the beautiful visage in front of him. The poison had now completely gathered at her temples. Following her blood vessels, there were a few traces of blue like two blue flowers at her temples. There was a strange charm to the beauty.
Li Yunrui looked at him mockingly and slowly raised her right hand to pull Fan Xian over. Weakly, she leaned against his shoulder and placed her face and body next to his, which appeared very intimate. Using this intimate posture, she moved closer to his ear and quietly said, "Why did the Qin family rebel? Go as Chen Pingping. I can only guess."
An exceptional beauty, even right before her death, her breath was still like a flower. The slightly warm air blew on Fan Xian's ear and felt strangely charming. He looked at the blue flower near her temple in front of his eyes and listened to the sound gradually entering his ears. His gaze became increasingly serious, shocked and pained.
Li Yunrui laughed gently by his ear. "Although I have died, I have left the Emperor a most powerful enemy. That way, in a Qing Kingdom without me, it won't be too boring."
Fan Xian's mouth was dry. He couldn't speak for a moment. He could only lower his head in disappointment. Although silent, he still expressed a powerful hesitation and confusion.
"This was once your mother's courtyard. I had thought to burn it, but I decided to leave it to you. This place is very beautiful. More importantly, I think you will need this place to understand some things."
"You won't disappoint me," Li Yunrui glanced one last time at her son-in-law and said slightly mockingly. "To use even Da Bao… In this world, there are only two people who are so shamelessly hypocritical. One is the Emperor, and one is you. That is why I have such a high opinion of you."
Fan Xian's body was frozen. He completely missed these last words. Immediately after, a strange sound came from behind him that shocked him greatly. Turning his head to see, he saw the shrubbery behind the broken guqin move and reveal a small pit.
Inside the pit were Wan'er and Da Bao. The two of them had been tightly bound. Their mouths were stuffed with strips of cloth, making them unable to speak. Wan'er's eyes were slightly red. She looked at Fan Xian with great worry. Seeing that Fan Xian was not harmed, two lines of tears flowed down. Da Bao's gaze was muddled. After he saw Fan Xian, it filled with a simple-minded joy.
Immediately after, Wan'er saw her mother in Fan Xian's arms and discovered her unusual condition. Her eyes became filled with terror.
Fa Xian pushed away the Eldest Princess in his arms and charged to the tree. Pulling Wan'er and Da Bao out, he flicked his fingers and sliced through the ropes that bound them.
Escaping a great calamity, Wan'er didn't have time to pull the strips of cloth from her mouth before she ran over from Fan Xian's side. Throwing herself to the Eldest Princess's side, she knelt there and cried.
Fan Xian sighed in his heart and began to head over. However, he found the corner of his clothing being pulled. Turning his head, he saw Da Bao smiling at him in a silly manner and pulling at him as if he never wanted to let go. Fan Xian felt a great sense of guilt and then a faint sorrow.
Li Yunrui was pushed to the ground by Fan Xian. The poison had long reached her heart. The two marks at her temples woven by the poison appeared even darker compared to her tender white skin. They were like the beautiful blue flowers on delicate pottery that had been broken.
However, these blue flowers were poison, just like the person. Even though she died, she would have more people die because of her words.
One of Wan'er's hand grasped her mother's. The other pulled out the strips of cloth in her mouth, crying out loud. Although this mother and daughter were not like other mothers and daughters in the world or particularly close, they were, after all, connected by blood. In her last moment, Li Yunrui chose not to use Wan'er's life to threaten Fan Xian. Wan'er looked at her dying mother as sorrow welled up involuntarily with an unstoppable pain.
Li Yunrui's icy right hand tightly gripped her daughter's hand. She smiled with difficulty and raised her hand for the last time to press down on her temple. It was as if she wanted to maintain her beautiful image when she left the world.
The tip of her fingers brushed past the grimly colorful blue flower, contrasted with the mocking smile on the corner of her lips.
No one knew who she was smiling at. Perhaps she was smiling at the fact that Fan Xian had been holding her in his arms, but once he saw Wan'er, he had pushed her onto the grass with unusual cold-bloodedness. Or, perhaps she was thinking of the night of the thunderstorm in the Royal Palace, that timid but emotional nephew, or stories from her childhood many years ago.
Then, she smiled disdainfully and said her last word.
"Men, ah…"
…
…
Looking at the Eldest Princess's gradually cooling body on the grass, Fan Xian's heart was also gradually growing cold. He knew that the most powerful and sinister enemy in his life until now had finally concluded her difficult-to-judge life. From formulating the Dong Mountain incident to the rebellion in Jingdou, and then to this dagger in Taiping Courtyard, Li Yunrui had died to her own hand. Her heart had died long ago.
This was a remarkable and powerful woman. If Fan Xian didn't have that black chest, he would have died long ago at Yan Xiaoyi's hand. Then, the entire situation in Jingdou would have fallen into the Eldest Princess's control.
In the end, she was still a woman. She was the most powerful person in the world. Compared to the unfathomable Emperor, who had somehow survived Dong Mountain, the Eldest Princess had a fatal flaw. Perhaps it was better to say that she had one more weakness than the Emperor, which was the love.
Perhaps this love was absurd and somewhat uncomfortable, but it was still love. What is love that it makes people live and die for it? When Yuan Haowen wrote these two lines, presumably, he had not thought there would be so many people putting this into practice to develop the meaning of these words.
Among them, there were sentimental people. Without question, the Eldest Princess was one of these sentimental people. But, had she truly lost? Covered in cold sweat, Fan Xan thought that might not be the case. Everything she had wanted to do in her life, she had basically accomplished it. Although the last words she had said by Fan Xian's ear did not clarify everything, it had planted a poisonous flower in Fan Xian's heart. It was just like the poisonous blue flower that had appeared at her temples in the last moments of her life.
Wan'er lay on the Eldest Princess's body crying endlessly. Lin Da Bao was behind Fan Xian pulling on his clothes, looking at the scene with nervousness and confusion. He thought to himself, Mother princess was sleeping, so why was sister crying?
The Eldest Princess's appearance was still beautiful. With long lashes and blue flowers at her temples, she was like a deeply asleep beauty waiting for someone to kiss her awake.
Fan Xian looked at this scene with a blank mind. Unconsciously, somewhat unfamiliar words came out from his mouth, "Je suis comme je suis…"
This was a poem by a fourteenth-century Frenchman. In his previous life, he had watched a movie and remembered fragments of it. At this moment, those words newly appeared in his mind with unusual clarity.
"I am what I am.
I am what I am.
I was born this way.
When I want to laugh, I erupt with laughter.
I love those who love me, this shouldn't be a fault.
Every time I love someone, I will love them every time.
I am what I am.
I am what I am.
I naturally make people happy, nothing can change that.
I try to please those who make me happy, what can you do about it?
I love someone, someone loves me.
Like children love each other."
…
…
Jingdou sank into chaos. Although the Ye family and imperial soldiers had already chased the Qin family's remaining soldiers out of Jingdou and gained control of the nine city gates, the situation in Jingdou was more chaotic than before. Earlier, when the two armies had confronted each other, the people of Jingdou had hidden in their homes and under their beds with fear, not daring to make a single noise. However, the situation at hand had calmed. The terrified people had finally screwed up their courage and were fearfully surging toward the city gates.
Often the people in Jingdou had poor relatives in the countryside. At such a dangerous time, they thought all off kinds of ways to escape there to avoid the calamity. Otherwise, after victory had been decided, no one knew if these soldiers would suddenly have the urge to loot Jingdou.
Their worries were not without reason. Some of the remaining soldiers and soldiers from squads with lax rules began to loot at the same time as they pursued each other. There was chaos in the streets and alleys. Periodically, a woman's high-pitched scream would ring out. Occasionally, a spark would shoot into the sky.
The Qing military had always been strictly disciplined. One of the reasons for the chaos was the inevitable negative consequences of war. Another reason was because the battle was an internal rebellion. Regardless of whether it was the Ye family, Qin family, or Garrison soldiers, there would always be some level of disillusionment in their hearts. The deepest and darkest parts of people's hearts were beginning to rise.
Gong Dian did not take his troops out of the city in pursuit. At the first opportunity, he began to bring order to Jingdou. However, Jingdou was too big. It was impossible to control it all at once. The people of Jingdou were unable to wait for the General Gong Dian's clean-up operation. They knew the danger remaining soldiers could cause after a major battle. Fighting for their lives, they surged toward the palace gates that Gong Dian held.
A silent Fan Xian entered Jingdou from a different city gate under the escort of a small troop of Dingzhou soldiers and Overwatch Council secret agents. He didn't rush to return to the Palace or see Ye Zhong. Instead, he went directly back to Fan manor. Without time to comfort Wan'er, he only quickly asked after his father and King Jing. He then pulled Teng Zijing to the side and gave him orders in a low, serious tone.
Ever since Fan manor was surrounded, Teng Zijing had picked up a wooden stick and organized the family servants and guards, welcoming round after round of summons and harassment. Fortunately, Fan Jian himself was not in the manor, so it did not experience any major attacks. However, the remaining soldiers were not a match at all for the Fan manor servants.
Fan Jian had always known how to train soldiers.
Teng Zijing listened to the young master's orders. His expression became cautious. Nodding heavily, and without asking the reason or bringing too many obtrusive manor servants, he headed urgently toward the direction of Twenty-eight-Li Hill.
Chapter 573: A Dignified Life And Death
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Seeing the carriage drive off into the distance and hearing the faint clamor coming from all around, Fan Xian felt slightly more at ease. Having Teng Zijing go to Qingyu Hall at Twenty-eight-Li Hill was a way to take advantage of the chaos in Jingdou. He wanted to bring the old shopkeepers of Qingyu Hall out of Jingdou and disperse them into society.
This was not an idea Fan Xian suddenly had. It had been a part of his plan from the beginning. These old shopkeepers were important to him. Their grasp of the crafts in the palace treasury and familiarity with those secrets were important to the Qing Kingdom. Although the Emperor had given consideration for past affections and left them their lives, he would not allow them to leave Jingdou to fall into the hands of other powers. From the fall of the Ye family to now, it had already been 20 years. It was practically impossible to take all those old shopkeepers out of Jingdou.
The Eldest Princess's and Crown Prince's rebellion, along with the chaos in Jingdou, gave Fan Xian, who had been carefully planning this matter, an opportunity. Everyone in Jingdou thought the Emperor had died. The Palace was in a mess. Jingdou was in chaos. A glimmer of light appeared in front of Fan Xian's eyes.
He really had no people he could use right now. In addition, he later faintly guessed that the Emperor might still be alive, so he temporarily stopped this plan. However, the last words the Eldest Princess had said by his ear in Taiping Courtyard were enough to have him make up his mind. Even without the Eldest Princess's words, he would still have done all he could to make use of the situation in front of him.
From the beginning, the battle between the Emperor and Eldest Princess had been carried out on a different level. Although Fan Xian had always stayed silent and seemed to be a pawn to be moved at will, in reality, he also had his own thoughts.
He was sure that Jingdou would fall into chaos, so he chose to fish in troubled waters and be used. The light in his eyes and strategies were all incisive.
…
…
Without even comforting the sad and sorrowful Wan'er, Fan Xian turned and walked out of the manor door. The Eldest Princess's remains were placed in a reclusive room in the back garden. He had to return to the Royal Palace to deal with more important problems. Since he knew of the news that the Emperor was fine, he had to make some forceful adjustments.
Unexpectedly, he had just walked out when a group of riders approached in a cloud of dust. Fan Xian looked with narrowed eyes, not sure who they belonged to. The situation in Jingdou had long been settled. The Dingzhou army was in control outside the Palace, while Ye Zhong and the officials handed the defense of the Royal Palace back to the Great Prince. There were no more rebel soldiers within the city.
The newcomers were indeed from the Dingzhou army. An officer covered in blood-stains pulled his horse to a stop. Tumbling off his horse, he crawled to Fan Xian and said with fear and urgency, "Duke, the Commander has urgent news to report."
There were countless fierce generals and talented people in the Qing Kingdom. The soldiers of various Roads all habitually referred to their main general as Commander. Since this officer was of the Dingzhou army, then the Commander he was referring to was Ye Zhong. Fan Xian wondered if something had changed in Jingdou. He had been in a rush to see Ye Zhong, so he didn't say anything more. He pulled on his reins and followed the small group toward Donghua Gate. Along the way, he listened silently and finally learned what had happened.
Listening to the officer's explanation, only now did Fan Xian learn that while he had been in Taiping Courtyard, Ye Zhong had been searching for him for a long time. Crown Prince Li Chengqian had been blocked by Ye Zhong at Donghua Gate. At this time, the two sides were in confrontation and carrying out a negotiation. For some reason, Li Chengqian requested to see him.
Although the Ye family had suddenly defected, the rebel soldiers were still powerful. The battle for power of the remaining soldiers could not be underestimated. Fan Xian had not thought that the Crown Prince would be trapped within Jingdou. No one would have thought there was such a dangerous confrontation hidden by some quiet city gate that seemed to have had its situation settled long ago.
He narrowed his eyes slightly and took in a cold breath. If the rebel soldiers had been kicked out of Jingdou, once the battlefield operations happened, it had nothing to do with him at all. Naturally, it would be taken over by the Ye family and soldiers of various roads loyal to the Emperor. But, being blocked at Donghua Gate? Why didn't the Crown Prince just charge out?
As he thought about this, the horses' hooves did not stop. Without taking much time, they forcefully broke up the Jingdou people surging toward Zhengyang Gate to leave the city. Fan Xian and his group arrived at Donghua Gate.
It was completely silent in front of Donghua Gate, a death-like silence. The Qin rebel soldiers, who were blockaded into a long street by the city gate guards and Dingzhou soldiers, gripped the weapons in their hands tightly, looking nervously and hopelessly at the soldiers around them.
In the center of the rebel soldiers, the faces of a few Qin family's generals were starting to get ugly. The two sides had been facing off in front of Donghua Gate for two hours. Under the Crown Prince's powerful constraints, the rebel soldiers had not begun an attack on Donghua Gate or launched a counter-attack against the Dingzhou soldiers. Ye Zhong, who had led the Dingzhou soldiers in surrounding them, also demonstrated unusually good patience as he waited for the arrival of Fan Xian, who the Crown Prince had requested must be present.
Ye Zhong had good patience, but the leading general of the rebel soldiers felt each second drag by. Sweat poured off his face. He didn't take action lightly because a failure would be a weighty matter. If they really fought, not many people would survive. However, they didn't know what the Crown Prince was thinking. In a matter involved rebellion, was there a way to survive?
Crown Prince Li Chengqian, surrounded by guards, wore a particularly calm expression. He only appeared a little sallow but not overly flustered. It was not until he saw Fan Xian approaching from a distance that he sighed and seemed to be slightly more at ease.
The Dingzhou riders parted the crowd like a wave. Fan Xian rode down the center of the street alone. Coming to Ye Zhong's side, he glanced at the Crown Prince and furrowed his brows, not sure what he should say. Turning his head, he moved closer to Ye Zhong's ear and said something quietly.
Ye Zhong's face lit up. His eyes brightened, but he immediately felt a wave of fear. He knew his earlier decision to protect the Crown Prince and give him time was the correct one. Since the Emperor had managed to evade a crisis and was still alive, the treasonous Crown Prince should be left for his sacred judgment.
Although he was a treasonous deposed Crown Prince, he was still the Emperor's son. As the father-in-law of the Second Prince, Ye Zhong did not want the Crown Prince to die in his hands.
Fan Xian raised his eyes to look at the Crown Prince, who looked back at him. His white lips trembled slightly as if he had finally made an important decision. Slowly, in a raspy voice, he said, "You've come?"
…
…
The rebel soldiers gave up their weapons and surrendered, becoming captives under the Dingzhou army's knives and spears. The Qin family generals were also brought to the ground with an expression of despair.
The battle in Jingdou came to a temporary end. Leading an army, Ye Zhong escorted a black carriage toward the Royal Palace.
The black carriage had been summoned by the Overwatch Council at the first instant. There were two people sitting in the carriage: Fan Xian and the former Crown Prince, Li Chengqian. The two brothers sat in the dim compartment. No one spoke for a long time.
"There may be problems with the three conditions I promised you." Fan Xian's eyelids were slightly lowered and he spoke with an apologetic tone. "If I can't do it, don't think I lied to you."
Li Chengqian didn't want countless rebel soldiers and innocent soldiers to lose their lives because of him. With great courage, he had surrendered. However, he requested for Fan Xian to come and personally agree to three of his conditions before he was willing to let go and be captured. Li Chengqian knew that in Jingdou, Fan Xian, who held his father's posthumous edict and had the support of the majority of the people, spoke with more authority than Ye Zhong, who had the army but was quietly cautious in his heart.
As long as Fan Xian was willing to agree, no one in court would give these common soldiers any more trouble. Hearing Fan Xian's words, Li Chengqian thought that Fan Xian was going back on his words. Staring into his eyes, he asked angrily, "Why?"
"I can try for the lives of the common soldiers, but I still cannot promise that they will be allowed to live. Although they were just cannon fodder, this was a rebellion. Although Qing law is not harsh, it still doesn't leave them any leeway."
Li Chengqian didn't understand what he meant by "cannon fodder" and could only guess at the meaning.
Fan Xian gazed at Li Chengqian's pale face and sighed. "As for those officials and generals who participated in the rebellion, I can do nothing at all."
"I know they can't live, but I hope you won't involve… They all have large families. Once the killing begins, tens of thousands of people will die."
Li Chengqian's face was somewhat dark. He hoped that Fan Xian would be able to promise again. After all, he had personally promised in front of two armies earlier.
"Whether it is wiping out the family or implicating nine branches, it is not something I can control." Fan Xian's brows were furrowed very tightly. "Just like I said earlier, I will do my best for the things I promised you, but I cannot promise exactly how many people I can save."
An image rose before Fan Xian's eyes of countless people being beheaded, countless infants being thrown to death, and countless high-ranking wives and young ladies being sent into governmental and military workshop, never to rise again. Even though he was a cold-blooded person, once he thought about the tragedy that would play out in Jingdou, he still felt a chill.
Men rebelled for their own power and status. In the end, those who suffered the tragic consequences were not just them. There were also their wives, unknowing children, distant relatives in their homeland, and old friends from many years ago.
Li Chengqian trembled all over. Grabbing the collar of Fan Xian's shirt in one hand, a rare glimpse of bravery appeared on his pale and scared face. In a low voice, he roared, "If you didn't promise me, why would I have surrendered? How could I be willing to be your prisoner?"
Fan Xian didn't struggle out of Li Chengqian's weak hands. In a low voice, he shouted back, "Not surrender? Did you actually want to be killed in the chaos of battle?"
Li Chengqian paused. He seemed to hear something else from Fan Xian's words. The hand gripping his collar unconsciously loosened. He said in a trembling voice, "My Crown Prince title has already been deposed, and I am about to die. You are the regent, and the scholars all support you. Even if Ping'er takes the throne, you are still the Emperor's teacher. If you say something, who would dare object?"
The expression on Fan Xian's face was apathetic. "His Majesty is still alive."
Abruptly hearing this news, Li Chengqian's shoulders fell weakly against his knees. Although he had already guessed at this possibility when Ye Zhong first defected, it was still difficult not to be shocked upon actually hearing this news.
"She is also dead."
Fan Xian said this calmly. He then turned his head to look at Li Chengqian only to see his face pale even more. His eyes stared woodenly and spiritlessly at the wall of the carriage. Unable to speak for a long time, he gradually lowered his head, bent over his body, and buried his head down. His shoulders trembled uncontrollably as he made a suppressed sound.
Perhaps it was the provocation of hearing the Li Chengqian cry, but Fan Xian felt a wave of gloominess in his chest. Unconsciously, he began to circulate Tianyi Dao's zhenqi to clean out his meridians. Unexpectedly, during it, a wave of great pain washed over him without rhyme or reason. His eyesight went dark and then immediately brightened again. Unable to control it anymore, a mouthful of fresh blood sprayed across the wall and made a splattering sound.
From Dong Mountain to Jingdou, he had suffered heavy injuries, crossed tens of thousands of li, and had not recovered fully. Using medicine to forcefully suppress it, and also going through countless dangerous killings, he could no longer keep it up. His injuries exploded out.
Li Chengqian was entirely subsumed by his feelings toward the news of his father's survival and aunt's death. He did not notice Fan Xian's situation. With his head buried, he sank into endless anguish.
Fan Xian wiped away the drops of blood at the corner of his lips and panted a few times. Glancing at the man next to him, he couldn't resist shaking his head.
Li Chengqian was close to him in age. Unlike him, he hadn't had two lives. When it came down to it, he was only a young man.
As the black carriage entered the Royal Palace, one brother vomited blood while the other cried.
…
…
The Great Prince, after having his injuries seen to, silently led the carriage straight to the gate of the Eastern Palace in the Rear Palace. Fan Xian and Li Chengqian stepped down and walked in. This Eastern Palace had always been the residence of the heir to the throne of the Qing Kingdom. Now, it was truly going to become Li Chengqian's prison, or perhaps his future tomb.
The Great Prince said something to Li Chengqian quietly, glanced at Fan Xian, and then turned and left. There was not a single person in the Eastern Palace. There were only the imperial soldiers patrolling outside.
Fan Xian didn't have much time to say anything to Li Chengqian. He covered his chest and said to him straightforwardly, "You only have one day."
Li Chengqian raised his head in shock as if waking from a dream. He stared at Fan Xian in confusion, not understanding what he was saying.
"The Emperor should return to the capital the day after tomorrow." Fan Xian looked at him calmly. "You had once burned down this Eastern Palace before. I think that if this Palace burns again, it won't surprise anyone."
Li Chengqian's expression immediately changed. He stared into Fan Xian's eyes as if confirming what he was saying. His lips moved a few times, but no sound came out.
Seeing that he had nothing to say, Fan Xian lowered his head and said darkly, "Dying through self-immolation is not a difficult thing for you."
Without waiting for him to finish, Li Chengqian was already shaking his head coldly, "Then you will rescue me during the fire and send me to somewhere no one knows?" He looked at Fan Xian. His gaze was complicated. "I don't know why you've become such a kind person, but I have to thank you."
"There is no need to thank me," Fan Xian said. "It is just that the elders are used to arranging everything, and I am not."
Li Chengqian laughed with difficulty and said, "I truly cannot see through you…"
"You know I am a merciless person. It is rare for me to be kind. The empress is also dead. By all rights you should hate me. If you want to live, set a fire tonight."
"Taking such a risk does not seem like your way of doing things."
"I have been gloomy for a long time. I almost forgot that I once said I wanted to live life to the fullest. After experiencing so many things, only now did I realize that if I want to live an exciting life, I must first live with courage."
Fan Xian didn't look at him again. He turned and left the lonely Palace.
Li Chengqian stared dazedly at the retreating figure, not understanding why he was suddenly so kind-hearted. His brows gradually furrowed as he became sorrowful. Giving a long sigh, he laid down right on the floor of the expansive Palace. An extremely relaxed smile rose to his face. He spread out his limbs as if he had never before been so relaxed and free.
…
…
That night, the Eastern Palace did not burn. In Hanguang Palace, Fan Xian watched that direction with cold eyes and confirmed the calm in the Eastern Palace. He shook his head. A had a slight miserable feeling in his chest. The Emperor would probably return to the capital the day after tomorrow. Everything would return to the hands of that powerful Emperor. Leaving Li Chengqian his life was not a spur of the moment idea or because he was excessively soft-hearted. Rather, it was a feeling of grief for one of their own kind that was acting up. He and Li Chengqian, as well as the Second Prince, were just pieces on the Emperor's chessboard. They were puppets controlled by fate or their elders.
As Li Chengqian had no power, his life and death did not matter at all to Fan Xian. Li Chengqian was a good man. This was something he had once said a long time ago to Chen Pingping. From the first time they met on the road outside the Palace, Li Chengqian had left Fan Xian with a kind impression, particularly these past two years. Although their battles did not stop, what did that count for?
If Fan Xian could send Thirteenth Wang to protect Li Chengqian on his Nanzhao journey, then, now, he dared to let Li Chengqian go.
If Fan Xian wanted to be free of the strings behind him, saving Li Chengqian's life was his attempt at tearing them off. Presently, the Royal Palace was in his hands. Given the Overwatch Council's skill at faking a scene, and the Emperor's understanding of Li Chengqian's personality, it would not be difficult to use the excuse of self-immolation to fool the Emperor without his knowledge.
However, Li Chengqian was like the Eldest Princess. His heart had died a long time ago. For such a person, Fan Xian would not be so stupid as to force them into anything risky. To have such a thought was enough to prove that after the shot in the meadow, his personality had changed too much.
Night fell. The lights went out in the Palace. It was still not completely calm outside the Palace. Within it, there was not a single sound. The dark sky enveloped the flat gardens and imperial soldiers and Overwatch Council officials stationed around, standing without moving like statues.
"Who?" A very cautious voice rang out in Hanguang Palace. A serving girl lit a lamp. Seeing clearly the person in front of her, she quickly knelt down.
Fan Xian waved his hand to signal her to stand up. He then ordered her to lead all the serving girls and eunuchs out of Hanguang Palace. At this time, not many people knew that the Emperor was already on his way back to the capital. As the regent and Third Prince's teacher, Fan Xian was like the real Emperor. He could move freely through the entire Palace and not a single person would express suspicion.
A dim lantern was lit. The serving girls and old maids retreated out of the Palace with their clothing askew. Alone, Fan Xian walked thoroughly slowly through the expansive Palace and approached the phoenix bed. Looking at the old woman lying in the bed, he didn't wait for her resentful eyes to land on him. Fan Xian's right hand moved gently and pulled out a poison-covered needle. He then pushed it into the old woman's neck.
Watching the drugged empress dowager, Fan Xian crouched down and burrowed under the bed. Feeling for the secret compartment, he pressed it slightly and opened it.
Three years ago, he had once entered Hanguang Palace at night. Using a sleeping gas to knock out everyone in the Palace, he had taken out the key to the chest from this secret compartment and made a copy. At that time, there was also a white cloth and a letter in the secret compartment. Because his time was tight, he wasn't able to look at it closely.
Now, in this secret compartment, there was a key and a white cloth, but the letter was gone.
Fan Xian held the white cloth in his hand and carefully smoothed it out. He sank deep into thought but still could not make heads nor tails of it. A moment later, he put the white cloth back into the secret apartment carefully to arrange it as before. He then stood up and sat on the bed next to the empress dowager's body before taking out the slender needle from her neck.
The empress dowager woke abruptly and stared with hateful eyes at Fan Xian like she wanted to devour him. It had already been a day and a night that she had been unable to say a single word or move. She felt that what was left of her life seemed to be endlessly flowing out of her body. Feeling such fear and angry, yet being unable to express it, was driving her crazy.
"His Majesty will return to the capital the day after tomorrow. I am here to visit you, grandmother."
Fan Xian gazed at her and said, a moment later, "Are you very shocked? Do you now know what a major mistake you made a few days ago?"
The empress dowager's eyes were filled with shock. If she had known earlier that the Emperor was still alive, the situation in Jingdou would not be like what it was. After the shock faded from her eyes, they became filled with joy.
"Don't be happy too early," Fan Xian patted her wrinkled hand and said evenly. "I will let the Emperor see you, and then you will die. Believe me, even if the Emperor is the most powerful man in the world when it comes to the medical side, he is not as good as me. If you don't believe me, you can try. At this time, you can speak now."
"If you want to have a comparatively dignified death and not die like this, then please answer a few of my questions," Fan Xian said. "Who wrote that letter? What were the contents? And, what connection does the Qin family have to the matter 20 years ago?"
Before the Eldest Princess died, she had told Fan Xian to ask Chen Pingping. However, he chose to simply, directly, and roughly asks the empress dowager.
"Don't think that I am cold blooded and shameless. Think about what you all did 20 years ago." Fan Xian lowered his head. "If you come out to mingle, you'll have to return. Even as the empress dowager, I'm afraid you won't escape the cycle of the natural order of things."
Chapter 574: An Old Ginger Gradually Fading
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Having lost all hope, the empress dowager told Fan Xian the answers he wanted to know. With her lips trembling, she closed her eyes with difficulty. Fan Xian looked at the lines on her face and didn't see too many unusual emotions. Being able to carry out this conversation with this seemingly kindly looking but actually ruthless old woman in such a night was, for him, a kind of mental comfort, particularly since the Emperor was about to return to the capital.
The empress dowager of the Qing Kingdom could not be considered to have the heart of a devil. In these decades, she had not used the Emperor's filial piety and power in her hands to hurt many people or do many outrageous things, other than the Ye Qingmei incident. For some reason, for Fan Xian, it was much more difficult to tolerate the fact that this old woman had something to do with the matter 20 years ago than the fact she had tried to kill him.
Furthermore, this old woman had actually always hated him. Until after the Hanging Temple incident and the Emperor acknowledged Fan Xian's identity, only then did she pretend to consult some spirits in the memorial hall and prayed over some beads to express her opinion.
When it came to people that he admired and could not threaten him, Fan Xian could demonstrate his generosity and grace. When it came to the empress dowager, who had the power to threaten him, he did not admire her. So, he would not demonstrate a grandchild's filial piety and gentleness.
After the Emperor returned to the capital, he would learn of everything that had happened. Regardless of whether or not he could sympathize with the fact that Fan Xian had no choice but to break-in into the Royal Palace at night and hold the empress dowager at sword point, Fan Xian would not leave too many fatal loopholes for himself. He slowly used his hand to push and pull on the empress dowager's arm, sending zhenqi into her body. He helped to speed up the effects of the pill in her body, gradually dispersing her life force.
Completing this carefully, the empress dowager once again became unable to speak or move. At this time, even her gaze had become dim and confused, like an old person's dementia before death.
Fan Xian should have had the empress dowager die naturally before the Emperor returned to the capital, but he didn't want to take this risk and gamble on the Emperor's heart. If the empress dowager could survive until the Emperor returned, her death would not be Fan Xian's responsibility. However, if the empress dowager died during the measly few days that Fan Xian was regent, he would probably be greeted with the Emperor's unreasonable anger.
Purposely increasing his volume to offer a few consoling words and to express his filial piety and regret, he waited a bit more before walking out of Hanguang Palace. He nodded slightly to the serving girls and old maids outside. Under everyone's respectful gaze, he walked to the steps in front of the Palace and glanced at the Eastern Palace in the distance. Not seeing any flames, he didn't do anything else.
…
…
In the brightly lit palace gate, Fan Xian saw King Jing hurrying toward him. This King was no longer dressed as a farmer. He was wearing proper clothing. King Jing manor and Fan manor had always been close. During the rebellion in Jingdou, they had depended solely on King Jing's status to successfully hide his father in the manor. Fan Xian had great gratitude toward him and quickly went forward to bow deeply.
Fan Xian knew the reason why this King, who had long refused to enter the Palace, was rushing here tonight. The news in the Palace had already been sent out. All the officials and people of Jingdou knew that because of the Li Chengqian's and the Eldest Princess's rebellion, the empress dowager had been struck by anger. In addition to the fright she received in having the Palace surrounded and the cold she had caught, she was now bedridden and probably didn't have many days left.
Although King Jing had pretended to be a farmer for many years and was unwilling to get close to his mother, in the end, he was still the empress dowager's son. Hearing this news, he was anxious to enter the Palace. Seeing the handsome junior in front of him, he couldn't resist letting out a sigh. Although he spared him a glance, he didn't say anything.
Fan Xian's expression was calm. He had already informed King Jing that the empress dowager did not have much longer. Although everyone knew the empress dowager's anger had nothing to do with Li Chengqian, he wasn't worried that King Jing would be able to see trick he had pulled on the empress dowager's body. Some indirect information confirmed that King Jing also knew martial arts. If he couldn't fool King Jing, what hope did he have in fooling the Emperor that was about to return?
"My brother is still alive?" King Jing asked after he sighed.
Fan Xian nodded. "When I was at Taiping Courtyard, I saw the letter the Emperor wrote to the Eldest Princess."
The expression on King Jing's face was complicated. The son of the second generation of the royal family had never participated in any political affairs, but he knew the rebellion in Jingdou had wide implications. With the news that the Emperor was still alive, he was able to guess a part of the truth. With slight mockery, he said, "Brother is very generous. What a brutal action."
King Jing immediately thought of someone. Furrowing his brows slightly, he asked, "How is she?"
Fan Xian knew who he was asking about. With a solemn expression, he replied, "Already passed. Presently, she's at my manor. I don't know how to handle it. If you…"
King Jing's expression changed slightly and stopped his words. Weakly, he said, "Presently, you are the regent. You can handle all of it."
Worried about his mother's illness, he didn't speak long with Fan Xian. He only related Minister Fan's condition and was quickly led toward Hanguang Palace by a few eunuchs. Hearing from the King that his father had already safely returned to the manor, he felt his heart ease slightly. Immediately after, he thought of the troubles he still had to deal with. His brows involuntarily furrowed again.
Too many officials had died. The Emperor wasn't back. Jingdou was in chaos. Various yamen still did not have officials return to duty. Taichang Temple people had also disappeared without a trace. The problem of the Eldest Princess's funeral matters would have to be resolved later.
After Ye Zhong had resolved the problem of Li Chengqian, he personally led troops out of the capital, met up with the troops that had rushed from Dingzhou as backup, and began to pursue the already dispersed rebel soldiers. The Great Prince was personally leading the imperial soldiers in guarding the Royal Palace, so he couldn't leave. The Scholars Shu and Hu were in the royal study dealing with urgent documents. Fan Xian looked around. Although he was temporarily the regent, he had become an isolated person. He had no one at hand and could not do anything.
Fortunately, after Sun Jingxiu from the Jingdou government had capitulated, he persisted in carrying out his duty. With the help of the Overwatch Council, he was working hard to maintain Jingdou's peacekeeping process.
During the day, the common people escaping calamity had left the city through Zhengyang Gate controlled by Gong Dian. The people who remained in Jingdou accepted their fate and bitterly awaited peace. Night in Jingdou recovered its quiet as the fires lit randomly during the day were gradually extinguished. Only a few places flashed with the light of flames.
Fan Xian stood on the square in front of the Palace gates and stared in a daze at the traces of broken stone on the pavement and the unwashed traces of fresh blood. Jing Ge's group of Black Knights, as well as the Overwatch Council secret agents who carried about the ambush at Zhengyang Gate, had taken heavy casualties and serious injuries. Those who were fortunate to survive had already been sent to the square building of the Overwatch Council to be tended to.
He trusted in the medical skills of his brothers in the Third Bureau. The doctors from the Imperial Academy of Medicine were also tending to imperial and Dingzhou soldiers in temporary private residences. However, many people were still dying.
In a distant northeastern corner, soldiers silently moving bodies and piling them into a small mountain in the dark. It looked incomparably sinister. There was no time to move these bodies out of the city to be buried.
Fan Xian watched this scene and brought a pill he took out from his clothes to his lips. Without drinking any water, he swallowed a few times and managed to force it down. It wasn't an ephedra pill. It was just normal healing medicine. He coughed and used his sleeve to wipe away the threads of blood by his mouth, unable to resist shaking his head.
This was the first battle he had truly experienced. Looking at the scene before his eyes, he finally understood that digging up tombs to appreciate the body could not train his mind to be merciless.
He said to himself in the depths of his heart, In this world, there are no good battles, no bad or good. He had to complete the deal he made with Haitang in the fifth year of the Qing calendar, even if he had to face a powerful enemy he had never met before.
Qingyu Hall should have already been burned to ruins, Fan Xian thought to himself. In order not to arouse suspicions, the private residences around it had been burned. After the soldiers rioted, no one knew how many private residences had been burned and looted. Presumably, it would not draw too much attention.
A rider from the northwestern direction rode urgently toward them, startling the night that had just fallen silent. The people up and down the Palace walls became alert. The already exhausted imperial soldiers barely managed to lift the weapons in their hands until they noticed the person was wearing an Overwatch Council uniform.
Fan Xian's eyes narrowed as he looked at his subordinate that approached him. Without speaking, his eyes already carried a thick inquiry. The person coming in was a member of the Qinian Unit, someone Wang Qinian had personally chosen. There was absolutely no question about his loyalty. Thus, he had arranged for him to secretly watch Teng Zijing's actions in case the old shopkeepers of Qingyu Hall ran into any dangers as they were leaving Jingdou.
With the subordinate riding toward him anxiously, clearly something had gone wrong.
The Overwatch Council watched Fan Xian's eyes and reported in a lowered voice, "Something unexpected happened."
There weren't any miscellaneous people around, so Fan Xian said straightforwardly, "Speak!"
This official glanced around and carefully said, "Lighting the fire went smoothly, and nothing went wrong as they mixed in with the people escaping the city. But, the brothers left behind only just realized that spies were alerted. However, we don't know who they belong to."
Who they belonged to? Fan Xian knew. It had to be spies the Emperor had left behind. The things in the heads of these old shopkeepers were too precious. There had to be a group of people in the Palace who were responsible for surveillance. Even if a rebellion happened in Jingdou, these people would still stay hidden.
"I don't have many people at hand," Fan Xian stared at him and said in a cold voice. "I gave you 20, yet you still can't resolve these problems?"
The official lowered his head, not daring to explain himself "The opposition was tough. Three of them escaped."
Fan Xian stopped criticizing the official because he didn't want too many people to know about this since it had been carried out secretly. He was taking a big risk. The plan itself already had many flaws, so, naturally, it would not go smoothly when carried out.
The official raised his head and glanced at him. With a complicated emotion, he said, "Three of them ran. We later caught up to them and found a dozen dead bodies. One person left words for you."
These words were difficult to understand and made no sense. Three of the spies had escaped, yet they had found a dozen dead bodies. Fan Xian's heart thumped. He asked, "What words?"
"That person said someone is waiting at home."
…
…
Someone was waiting for him at home. Fan Xian rushed home at the first instant. Stepping into the manor for the second time that day, he headed directly for his father's study in the back garden. The unlooted Fan manor was still beautiful. The light in the study shone through the glass and splashed across the rocks and clear water.
Just as King Jing said, his father had already safely returned home. Fan Xian quietly released a breath and entered without being announced. Pushing open the door and entering, he saw that Lady Liu was tidying something.
He swept his eyes through the room and knew that his father had already finished drinking his winter cherry. To have the frame of wind to drink winter cherry at a time like this made Fan Xian involuntarily admirable of his composure.
"Has mother been well?" He bowed respectfully toward Lady Liu.
Lady Liu smiled slightly and said something about going to comfort her daughter-in-law as she left the study.
Sitting in the great chair, the Minister of Revenue Fan Jian raised his head and glanced at his son. His eyes revealed relief and a glimmer of criticism. This man of the previous generation, who had been hiding all over Jingdou since the start of the incident, could finally stop hiding his thoughts.
"I sent people to kill the spies outside Qingyu Hall." Fan Jian gently knocked on the table thoughtfully. In an even voice, he said, "I don't what has made you dare to carry out such a flawed plan, unless you truly thought that the Emperor would not be able to see through it?"
Fan Xian smiled awkwardly. There had indeed been a large change in his state of mind. However, when it came to things like bravery, it often implied loopholes.
He said down and respectfully said, "Many thanks, father." He knew his father secretly trained the Tiger Guards for the Emperor, so it was impossible to believe that his father didn't have some hidden power. It didn't surprise him that his father had sent someone to kill those spies. Furthermore, since he had personally told Ye Zhong the shocking news of the Emperor's survival, of course, his father also knew.
"Killing people is easy, what should be said after is what is complicated," Minister Fan slowly said. "Even if Jingdou rioted and the rebel soldiers killed indiscriminately… But, have you thought about it? Would the shopkeepers of the Qingyu Hall be burned to death so coincidentally? The dozen bodies you put at the scene of the fire are only deceiving yourself."
Fan Xian quietly listened to the lecture.
"And, those spies from the internal court. Even if you used the power of the Overwatch Council to kill them all, how can you ensure that there are no spies of the Emperor among your subordinates?"
"It was a separated operation. Other than the Qinian Unit, the other people did not know of the truth," Fan Xian explained.
"Fine. Even if the Overwatch Council has been shaped into a unified whole by Chen Pingping, the let me ask you, who was going to explain to the Emperor afterward why all the spies watching the Qingyu Hall had died?"
Fan Xian was silent. Only now did he understand that even if he killed people to silence them, the deaths of these spies, who shouldn't have died by the hands of rebel soldiers, would rouse the Emperor suspicions.
"Furthermore, these old shopkeepers still have family in Jingdou." Fan Jian looked at his son. "Do they really want to leave?"
"I had Teng Zijing only take four of the old shopkeepers away. There have to be people alive in Qingyu Hall. Do you understand?"
"I understand." A layer of cold sweat appeared on Fan Xian's forehead.
"As for the killing of the spies, the person who had designs on the old shopkeepers of Qingyu Hall was not you or me. It was the Eldest Princess." Fan Jian's eyes became cold "Those dozen bodies were soldiers from Xinyang's side."
"Since we have to convince the Emperor, we have to make him believe it. The person who acted needed to do this. The Eldest Princess knows of the importance of the palace treasury, so of course she would want to fight for Qingyu Hall. Only she has this ability and this thinking."
Fan Xian was satisfied.
Minister Fan suddenly sighed and said, "An Zhi, ah… I don't know what exactly you were thinking and why you did this, but you have to remember, you are, in the end, a person of the Qing Kingdom and so am I. No matter what, don't do anything that will harm the foundations of this country."
Fan Xian's heart jumped. He knew that his father had seen through his plans with a glance. He wanted to justify himself, but he couldn't bring himself to lie to his father. He could only remain helplessly silent.
Fan Jian looked at his son and sighed again. Shaking his head, he said, "I won't scold you anymore. This palace treasury, in the end, it is your mother's. Although I am an official of the Qing Kingdom and there are things I don't want to see happen, you can do what you want."
Fan Xian's body trembled. He had not thought that his father would make such a decision. Of course, his father would not lie to him or harm him, but he knew the importance of the palace treasury to the Qing Kingdom unifying the world. So, why did he want to help him?
"I am already old and don't have much power now." Maybe Minister Fan knew of something. His usually severe and handsome face had a few extra traces of exhaustion and age. Slowly, he said, "After the Emperor returns to the capital, I will ask to resign. I will give you what help I can in Jingdou. I can't watch as something bad happens to you."
Father wants to resign? Fan Xian's heart jumped again. That spring, the Emperor had made open and secret overtures, allowed the Imperial Censors to attack him in court, and checked the accounts of the Ministry of Revenue all to force his father to quit and retire. However, his father had remained bland and silent, forcefully stalling for two years. Why was he suddenly saying he wanted to quit tonight?
Chapter 575: An Angry Grape
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
"Why?"
Faced with his son's shocked inquiry, Minister Fan did not continue this topic. He smiled and changed the subject, saying, "Is the situation alright in the Palace?"
Fan Xian replied, "The Great Prince is keeping watch with injuries, the empress dowager is very ill, and Li Chengqian has already been shut in the Eastern Palace. There shouldn't be a problem."
"Good." Fan Jian nodded. His eyes gradually revealed a glimmer of gentleness as he sighed in admiration". You've only been back in the capital seven or eight days. I have to say, to be able to hold down Jingdou for the Emperor in such circumstances, you have improved beyond my expectations. You've done very well."
Although he had received praise from his father, Fan Xian did not feel any joy in his heart. Smiling bitterly, he said, "The Great Prince and I fought desperately in Jingdou, but who would have thought that the Emperor had already calculated for everything. If the Dingzhou army had not defected in the end, it would have been impossible to hold the Royal Palace…"
Without waiting for him to finish, Fan Jian waved his hand and stopped him "The Emperor thinks far into the future, and his holy heart ranges far. It is not something that we, as officials, can arrogantly guess at." The tone of these words revealed a trace of unnaturalness. He continued to speak and sighed, "As for the Ye family, it was truly out of everyone's expectations. Who would have thought that after years of pressure, they were the Emperor's hidden pawns?"
He looked at Fan Xian and revealed a slight cultured smile. "From this, it seems that your judgment concerning the attack in the valley a year and a half ago was right, and I was wrong."
Fan Xian was silent. After the attack in the valley last year, he and his father had once analyzed the problem of the city guarding crossbows. After the matter, they knew it was the old Qin family's action, but they had once wondered if the Emperor would take out his anger on Ye Zhong. From this, they began to talk about the distribution of various military powers in the Qing Kingdom. Abruptly, they realized that during these 20 years, other than Ye Zhong, who had always been the Commander of the Jingdou Garrison, the responsibility of being both the Commander of the Imperial Army and Commander of the Internal Guards ha only ever fallen to Gong Dian.
At that time, Fan Xian suspected that point. Since the Emperor had shown such trust in the Ye family, why would he force the Ye family to join hands with the Second Prince and lean toward the Eldest Princess? However, Fan Jian had given him the reason he believed. Fan Xian had thought it reasonable, so he had let go of this suspicion.
Unexpectedly, the truth of this suspicion, the truth behind the Emperor's silent tolerance of many suspicious and weak points, was finally revealed in the chaos in Jingdou.
The Emperor had woven a huge maze. Not only had it confused the Eldest Princess and everyone in the world, it had even thoroughly fooled Fan Jian, a trusted confidant with whom he had grown up.
Speaking of the attack in the valley, the sight of the white snow that day, red blood, heads in front of the Bureau of Military Affairs, as well as his arrogance, all rose involuntarily before his eyes. He couldn't help but laugh bitterly. He thought about how childish and laughable his arrogance that day was in front of the Emperor and Eldest Princess.
His heart moved. He opened his mouth to ask, "Father, I've always had a question. Why did Qin Ye betray the Emperor?"
This was not just his question. This was many people's question. However, the battle for imperial power, for control of the world, made everyone assume that the Qin family's betrayal was like every internal conflict in the history books. It was inevitable and right.
Fan Xian had heard the Eldest Princess's words before her death. A poisonous flower bloomed in his heart. He began to pay particular attention to this question. Although the Qin family had a 10 percent share in the Ming family and secretly commanded the Jiaozhou Navy to massacre the island, for an elder of the military, just for the sake of his face, it would be enough for the Emperor to pass over these matters lightly. But, only as long as he remained absolutely loyal to the Emperor.
What kind of creature was the Emperor? If he had ever suspected Qin Ye's loyalty, how could he allow him to stay in the position as Minister of the Bureau of Military Affairs for so many years? These years, the old Qin master had constantly said he was sick and didn't come into court, yet the position of Minister had never been made empty.
He spoke about this confusion out loud. Fan Jian didn't think before saying coldly and directly, "Also on the day of the attack in the valley, I had once said the empress's father's head had been chopped off by me. Who knows if those heads that should have been taken off were completely done so."
Fan Xian's heart trembled. He understood what his father meant. The Qin family stood on the Eldest Princess's side in the rebellion. Perhaps they were also involved in his mother's strange death 20 years ago.
"At that time, I went with the Emperor to Xi Hu for war, Chen Pingping had been moved to the Yanjing area of deal with the emergency situation in the North, and Ye Zhong had gone with the backup troops to be stationed in Dingzhou to hold the fort for the Emperor…" Fan Jian's eyelids drooped slightly. "However, at the time, Qin Ye, following old court precedent and in his position as Minister of the Bureau of Military Affairs, controlled the headquarters of military power in Jingdou. If it was said that he participated in the rebellion in Jingdou, no one would think it was strange."
If the old Qin Master had been one of the original culprits responsible for killing Ye Qingmei, then the night that ran red with blood four years later, when the empress's entire clan was slaughtered and the nobles of Jingdou purged, why was the Qin family not involved in that? If the Emperor, Chen Pingping, and his father joined hands to avenge his mother, how could they let the old Qin master go?
Meeting Fan Xian's questioning gaze, Fan Jian slowly said, "The problem was that there was never any evidence that clearly said the Qin family had participated. Just like the empress dowager, at most, it was a crime of tolerance."
Fan Xian furrowed his brows slightly. Chen Pingping had once said this him too. Concerning his mother's death, the empress dowager was probably not a main culprit and was only guilty of tolerance. Examining this matter critically with his father, Fan Xian suddenly realized that Director Chen probably thought differently and had endless suspicions about the role the Qin family had once played.
The person who could best prove Chen Pingping's thoughts about the Qin family was the Deputy Commander of the Black Knights, Jing Ge. Such a dangerous figure who wished to wipe out the entire Qin family, yet Chen Pingping still quietly brought him in under his own wing. Why did he do that? Was it for when he fell out with the Qin family in the future?
A chill grew from the bottom of Fan Xian's heart. If the Qin family had, as Chen Pingping though, participated in the killing of Ye Qingmei, how could he live until now? Thinking of this, a streak of coldness began to surge out of the depths of his body, seeping out of countless pores in his body, making the entire study as cold as winter.
He had once guessed countless times and come close to the truth, but he didn't dare ask. He didn't even dare ask Chen Pingping. Furthermore, Chen Pingping had distanced himself with endless coldness and did not give him any chance to open his mouth.
There had always been a knot in Fan Xian's heart. He had always quietly turned his attention toward Northern Qi, feeling a natural fear toward the Qing Kingdom. However, it seemed that this knot was going to untangle and reveal the inky truth inside. Thus, he fell silent. Smiling slightly at his father, he said, "If the Qin family actually participated in the matter, it could be said that they had received their retribution today."
He worried that this father would follow this line of thought and think of the things he secretly feared earlier. He rushed to open his mouth and say, "The Emperor is returning to the capital in the next few days. Earlier, the court had been preparing his funeral matters. I don't know how they are going to turn around so quickly."
Fan Xian smiled. "The Ministry of Rites will take of such things. What needs is there for you to be concerned?"
Fan Xian shrugged and didn't say anything more. Minister Fan also fell into silence, revealing a glimmer of confusion on his face. The atmosphere in the study became strange.
Presumably, all the nobles and officials in Jingdou who had survived were silent in their residences. No one had thought the Emperor would be able to come down from Dong Mountain alive. In their shock, they also thought of the Ye family's defeated move, as well as a number of waterproof plans in the rebellion. All of the officials' respect and fear of the Emperor had been raised to a level that had never been reached before.
Fan Xian looked at his silent father and rose to say a few more words. He then turned and left.
Leaving the study, he walked toward the back garden bordering the street to see Wan'er. Along the way, the evening breeze was as cold as water as it washed over his face. Unexpectedly, a wave of joy came over him. He took a deep breath, preserving the injury in his body, and thought blankly about Chen Pingping's letting go of the attack in the valley. Because of this severance, it was no wonder that the old cripple was the most incredible man in the world. He had long seen everything clearly, yet he carefully hid the truth from him and did those things alone. He even used this severance to maintain his own peace after the event.
Fan Xian had been learning from Chen Pingping. Now, he could only be silent. His father was going to quit his post and return home. What point was there in having his guesses sink him once again into the dangers in Jingdou and be unable to extricate himself? For the sake of each other's safety, both had to sever. Only this was truly love, like how Chen Pingping loved him.
Fan Xian very much wanted to see Chen Pingping.
At this moment, Chen Pingping was traveling around Jingdou happily. Occasionally, he gave an order to have the Overwatch Council cooperate with the Emperor's actions. Even if he had to return to Jingdou before the Emperor arrived, it would not happen tonight.
However, someone came to the Fan manor to look for Fan Xian. The night was already dark. Fan Xian still hadn't had the time to see his wife. Somewhat impatiently, he was invited out of his manor. Seeing Gong Dian at the door, he sucked in a deep breath and pushed down the irritation in his heart. Bowing, he said, "Sir Gong."
Earlier, he and his father had been discussing this man in the study. They knew that he was one of the people the Emperor trusted the most, so he spoke measuredly.
In Gong Dian's opinion, Sir Fan junior was the person closest to the Emperor. Not daring to think too highly of himself, he bowed as a person of lower status and said in a heavy voice, "There is a matter I must trouble you with."
Fan Xian was one of the Dukes and could accept such a bow. Furthermore, in the days before the Emperor returned to the capital, he was still the regent. However, hearing the word "trouble," he knew that it would be a big trouble. His head couldn't help but start hurting.
Too many people had died in the Jingdou. Plus, Fan Xian was not in a very good mood. The battles around Jingdou still raged, but peace was gradually returning within the city. He had to rest and think. He wasn't happy about being disturbed.
Fan Xian forcefully suppressed the irritation in his heart. Looking at him, he said as evenly as possible, "What is the matter?"
Gong Dian looked at him and seemed to hesitate and feel awkward. Even when he had chopped toward the military elder, the old Master Qin, among tens of thousands of rebel soldiers during the day, he had not looked to be in such a difficult situation.
Fan Xian also didn't say anything and only looked at him calmly. Perhaps the pressure was too great. Gong Dian swallowed and said, "Please, will you come to the manor with me, I can't reason with the young mistress…"
Hearing these words, Fan Xian immediately understood what had happened. During the day, he had been busy killing and rescuing people and had completely not thought about this. Now, the night was dark, people were quiet, and the smoke was slowly dispersing. He immediately thought of a major problem the Ye family would run into after having followed the Emperor in achieving a meritorious deed of all ages.
"The Commander has left the capital in pursuit and ordered me to take the young mistress back to the manor. Unexpectedly, the young mistress refuses to comply…" Gong Dian had stood guard by Zhengyang Gate for a long time. At night, he immediately ran into a major problem. He knew that in Jingdou, probably only Fan Xian had the right to handle the matters of the royal family. Thus, he had not worried about Dingzhou's face and had straightforwardly spoken of the problem.
Fan Xian continued to look quietly at Gong Dian and allowed him to talk. There was no derision or mocking in his eyes, but it made Gong Dian feel an involuntary wave of unease and shame.
Fan Xian took a deep breath and didn't say anything. Of all the people still alive in this matter, it was probably the worse for Wan'er and her best friend Ye Ling'er. His wife hurt over the death of her mother, while Ye Ling'er's feelings of grievance and anger would probably not reduce.
When Ye Ling'er had married the Second Prince, it could truly be considered willing and voluntary. No one had guessed that this marriage was just one step in the plan between the Emperor and Ye Zhong. Ye Ling'er couldn't even be considered a pawn. She had only paid out her emotions and marriage and become a bargaining chip in the Ye family gaining the Eldest Princess's trust. Now that things had come to a head, only now would she abruptly realize that her father had been trying to defeat her husband.
Of course, her husband was using her to control the Dingzhou army.
Thinking of this, Fan Xian involuntarily thought of the Eldest Princess's last words before she died. All the men in the world were controlled by the ideals of righteousness such as reputation, power, and the so-called unified world. They really weren't anything. Perhaps this included him. But, he could not do such a thing. He developed countless feelings of disgust toward Ye Zhong, who had sold his daughter.
Gong Dian seemed to have guessed what he was thinking. His expression was very unnatural.
Fan Xian shook his head and said, "The Second Prince is also shut up in the manor?"
Gong Dian made a noise of acknowledgment.
Fan Xian lowered his head and said, "That's fine. The Emperor had said on Dong Mountain to not kill if it could be avoided, particularly Chengze."
Gong Dian raised his head in shock. He knew of the news that the Emperor was alive, but it was the first time he had learned that the Emperor had related such a thing to Fan Xian on Dong Mountain. If the Emperor truly wanted to leave the Second Prince his life, that would be a great stroke of fortune.
Everyone in Dingzhou liked Ling'er very much. When the truth came out today and Ye Ling'er mourned as if her heart had died in the manor, all the soldiers in the Dingzhou army felt incomparable shame and unease. Hearing now that the Second Prince didn't have to die, and Ye Ling'er didn't have to be a widow, it was easier to break to her.
Fan Xian sighed in his heart. Thinking now of the Emperor's instructions on Dong Mountain, only now did he understand that the Emperor had already calculated confidently that he would return to the capital and the Eldest Princess, leading the Crown Prince and the Second Prince, would be sure to fall. That was why he had purposely reminded him to leave the Second Prince his life.
Leaving the Second Prince a life was actually leaving Ye Ling'er a man, leaving the Ye family, this family of great meritorious service, a sliver of face. If the Second Prince abruptly died, what was Ye Ling'er to do? This would be heavily talked about. How would the Ye family live?
…
…
Although the Emperor had calculated this long ago, Fan Xian still went to the manor. Even though there was no love lost between him and the Second Prince, Ye Ling'er had, after all, called him teacher countless times. Furthermore, as the regent, he had to carefully handle the captive princes. If something went wrong at the manor, it would be difficult for him to explain it.
Without raising his head to see the banner up top, he directly entered the Palace accompanied by Gong Dian. There were soldiers keeping watch all around. Even if the Second Prince still had people in his hands, he couldn't turn into a mosquito and fly out of his cage.
This was Fan Xian's first time entering the Second Prince's manor, so it was inevitable that he felt a little strange. He wondered what the brother—whose personality, appearance, and aura were so similar to his own—was thinking about right now.
Gong Dian stayed outside the back courtyard as Fan Xian entered alone. The garden was quiet and secluded, completely unlike the scenery a prince's manor should have. The light in the room was still on. Although the night was deep, the young Prince and his wangfei were still unable to sleep.
Entering the room, he saw only Ye Ling'er sitting silently by the table with a distressed look on her face. There were still tear tracks at the corner of her eyes. Her usually bright jade eyes had unexplainable and indescribable tiredness and grievance. Most of it was hidden but unexpressed anger.
This wangfei was like an old tiger who could leap forward at any moment and bite someone to death. Putting aside being used by her husband, she had been lied to by her father and thrown out by her clan. How was she to endure this?
A faint sense of pity rose in Fan Xian's heart. Walking to her side, he said in an even voice, "Gong Dian means well to have you return to the manor. After things have cooled down a bit in a few days, you and Chengze will still be in the same place."
Ye Ling'er only now realized that it was him who had come in. The mockery in her eyes flared. She wanted to say something mockingly, but her heart was full of grief. She lowered her head and began to cry soundlessly.
Fan Xian had never seen Ye Ling'er subdued and sorrowful. For a time, he didn't know how to console her.
A moment later, Ye Ling'er raised her head and looked at him spiritlessly. "Why are you not being a regent in the Palace? Why have you come here?"
"To console you," Fan Xian replied.
Ye Ling'er slowly shook her head.
"Don't be so stubborn. Even your father can't do anything about this. When it comes down to it, if the Second Prince had listened to you from the beginning and joined in on this matter, there wouldn't be this situation today."
Seeing Ye Ling'er's bleak appearance, Fan Xian began to feel angry without reason. These few years, his attacks against the Second Prince had hidden an unconscious thought of his, which was to use the Overwatch Council and the Emperor's favor to cripple the Second Prince's strength, cutting off his thoughts for the crown. Unexpectedly, the Second Prince's desire for power was powerful. In addition to the Eldest Princess's clever manipulation, this plan was completely ineffective.
Ye Ling'er laughed sorrowfully at herself and said quietly, "Teacher, naturally, I don't blame you for this matter. To end up in such a situation, it is all down to him. During these years, even you couldn't beat back his desire. How could I, a mere woman, convince him?"
"You don't need to persuade me to leave the manor. He was involved in a rebellion, who would give him a lifeline?" Ye Ling'er's expression gradually calmed. "Regardless of what kind of person he is, in the end, we are husband and wife. Since father and the people in my clan have never viewed me as a person, then I may as well go with him and be a couple under the Yellow Springs. Presumably, he would not be able to continue his dreams of being an Emperor in that desolate place."
Fan Xian's heart jumped. He could clearly see a desire for death in Ye Ling'er's calm expression. In a slightly trembling voice, he said, "I will tell you clearly that on Dong Mountain, the Emperor personally instructed me that Chengze will not die."
Hearing these words, Ye Ling'er abruptly raised her head. A glimmer of hope and unexpected joy appeared in her eyes. It immediately dimmed, confusing Fan Xian.
Ye Ling'er shook her head and sighed quietly. "Everyone says that he is outwardly warm, but inside he is indifferent and heartless. Actually, these words are not wrong. Even his mother in the Palace is respectful toward him. In his life, when had he felt true warmth? Not only is he heartless toward others, but he is also very cold and severe to himself."
"I am his wife. I have to know him a bit better than you outsiders. You have no idea how proud a person he is in his heart and how he holds himself responsible. The complete and utter failure this time is a great blow against him. Even if father leaves him a lifeline, what face would he have to keep living?"
She raised her head and looked at Fan Xian with a helpless and broken-hearted expression. "After returning to the manor, he will not say a single word. I know he is already thinking about death. If, at this time, even I left, then everyone in the world will have abandoned him. He will go very simply."
Fan Xian took a deep breath and said straightforwardly, "Where is he?"
…
…
Second Prince Lil Chengze was crouched on a chair, holding a bundle of grapes in his hands and bringing them to his mouth. This was a sight Fan Xian had seen countless times. Now, the Second Prince's hair was disheveled and untied. There was an indiscernible expression on his handsome face. The corners of his lips were slightly upturned as if he was smiling mockingly at something. His entire person appeared to be dejected.
"If you died, who will look after Lady Shu in her old age? What about wangfei?" Fan Xian sat down across from him and said as calmly as possible. He looked flatly at the other person, as if he was looking at another him.
Fan Xian and the Second Prince's temperaments were very similar. This was something that had long spread in Jingdou. Although the two clearly looked different, when they sat across from each other, it was like looking at oneself through a mirror.
Fan Xian looked at the other person and thought to himself, If my mother was not Ye Qingmei, if mine and the Second Prince's identity were switched, all I would be able to do would probably be to sit on a chair and eat grapes.
The Second Prince seemed to just realize that Fan Xian had arrived. Smiling slightly, he said, "Can I still survive?"
Unwillingly, Fan Xian repeated the Emperor's edict.
The Second Prince smiled self-mockingly and said, "Living like a dog, trapped for the rest of my life in the manor. One day in the future, as father nears his death and before a new Emperor rises, the Ye family will also be put to death like a dog, and I will be granted death. Do you think that if I survive, my future like will be like this?"
Fan Xian was silent.
"Since it is so, why should I be a burden on Ling'er or on that shameless father-in-law of mine?" The Second Prince shrugged. "Furthermore, there is no purpose in living like this."
Fan Xian said, "Looks like your lofty aspirations have already been extinguished."
The Second Prince suddenly halted the movement of bringing autumn sweet and juicy grapes to his lips. The smile on his face was just as sweet. He looked at Fan Xian and faintly said, "Thinking of it now, the words you said in the teashop in front of Baoyue Brothel were right. These two years, you've always wanted to strike down my lofty ambitions. Thinking back over our relations, I have to thank you."
"Speaking of which, it is quite strange. I had always thought that aunt and father-in-law would help me. Looking around, it is you, my biggest enemy, who once had a glimmer of sincerity for me."
The Second Prince sighed in admiration. "You are truly an odd one of the Li family. The Mistress of the Ye family was indeed just as uncommon as in the rumors."
"And me?" the Second Prince continued and began to laughing with tears streaming down his face. "What am I? I thought that my calculations were beyond that of others, that I had countless people standing in support behind me, and that the throne was only just around the corner. How was I to know that father had arranged everything, and I, this clever person, wasn't even as good as a pawn, not even as good as that coward Chengqian. I can't do anything. I don't have any ideas. I am just like a weak child. I only know how to stupidly watch everything happening."
As the Second Prince raged, his voice grew higher and higher. It was unclear what he was angry about, but it was clear that it wasn't targeted at Fan Xian. Perhaps he was angry that ever since his youth, his father had put him in the position of a whetstone, forced, step by step, to where he was today. Perhaps he was angry at Ye Zhong's heartless defection. Perhaps he was angry at himself for being born within the Royal Palace.
Fan Xian was silent. From Wan'er, he knew that this Second Prince, who had she been close to since childhood, had the nickname "Rock. Any simple rock that had been ground by the Emperor with the sword of imperial power for so many years would involuntarily be imbued with some evil tendencies and negative things.
"What am I?" The Second stared at Fan Xian. Pointing at himself, with tears and snot smeared all over his face, he laughed loudly and said, "I am a joke!"
Fan Xian wanted to say that it seemed that everyone in the world was a joke. However, these words didn't come out. As he watched in shock after the laughing and crying Second Prince said the word "joke," he spat out a mouthful of black blood right onto the purple grapes.