Chen Pingping gave a shrill laugh and rubbed his rough fingers together. "Is Sir Wu in the capital right now?" Fei Jie had asked this question on Fan Xian's wedding night. Fan Xian shook his head and answered just like last time. "I heard he went to the south to find Ye Liuyun. I don't know when he'll be back."
For some reason, Fan Xian seemed to faintly hear a regretful sigh coming from a dark corner of the room. He frowned, and the fingers in his sleeves tightened around his crossbow. What the three of them were talking about was too frightening. No matter who heard it, for Fan Xian and Chen Pingping, it would be difficult to bear the consequences.
"Come out." Chen Pingping seemed to see the reaction in his sleeves. "I think you must be very curious about who the true head of the Sixth Bureau is."
With these words, a person, or more accurately, a black shadow, floated out from the dark corner of the room. It was so ethereal that it did not seem to be a mortal. This black shadow floated behind Chen Pingping and gradually revealed itself. It was a man covered from head to toe in black … a strong man.
Fan Xian sensed the aura that the other party was deliberately emitting. His pupils shrank, and his entire body tensed up, then slowly relaxed. He had seen this person before. Sixteen years ago, this shadow-like assassin had stood on Chen Pingping's carriage, swept past like a hawk, and killed a mysterious sorcerer in an instant.
"He is the head of the Sixth Bureau of the Overwatch Council. He never sees outsiders." Fei Jie smiled. "Of course, you are not an outsider."
The head of the Qing Kingdom's assassins did not say anything. He stood silently behind Chen Pingping, as if he had no interest in Fan Xian. Chen Pingping's voice was a bit hoarse. He continued Fei Jie's words. "Aside from Sir Wu, he is the most terrifying assassin in the world. Of course, he is also the best protector. That is why I am still alive today. "
The black shadow bowed slightly, expressing his thanks to the old man in the wheelchair for his praise.
Chen Pingping looked into Fan Xian's eyes and smiled slightly. "The Shadow is Sir Five's admirer and follower. In fact, many of his techniques were learned many years ago when he was still young. He saw Sir Five's methods and gradually imitated them. Thus, when he heard you say Sir Five was not in the capital, he was a bit disappointed."
When Fan Xian looked at the shadow assassin again, his eyes were different. Just by imitating Wu Zhu, he had such power. This number one assassin of the Kingdom of Qing was truly a genius!
Of course, this meant that the blind Wu Zhu was even more terrifying.
…
…
Fei Jie pushed Director Chen's wheelchair into the large courtyard at the back of the Overwatch Council. The Shadow disappeared again into the light of day. No one knew where he had gone. Fan Xian followed closely behind the wheelchair, feeling a little strange. The most powerful assassin in the Kingdom of Qing was quite similar to Wu Zhu's style — he hadn't seen Wu Zhu for many days. Although he wasn't worried, he was about to leave, and he wanted to see the person closest to him.
This was the first time Fan Xian had entered the heavily guarded back courtyard of the Overwatch Council. The courtyard was extremely wide, and there were no tall buildings within dozens of feet of the walls, so no one could see what was going on in the courtyard from the outside. Completely different from what people imagined, the back of the Overwatch Council was a beautiful place. Green grass could be seen everywhere, and several towering trees cast their shadows on the ground. Small wildflowers could be seen on the side of the bluestone path.
The employees of the Overwatch Council walked silently between the different buildings. When they saw the black wheelchair from afar, they would bow respectfully.
And every time they walked a certain distance, Fan Xian would frown. Beneath the beautiful fake mountains and in the tender undergrowth, there seemed to be hidden spies everywhere. The security was much tighter than that of the palace.
"Familiarize yourself with this place. In the future, this courtyard is yours." Chen Pingping said this very casually and suddenly. It felt as easy as throwing a steamed bun to Fan Xian.
Fan Xian's heart skipped a beat. Although he had long known about this arrangement, he still hadn't expected the old cripple to say it so simply.
Chen Pingping frowned at him, shook his head, and sighed. Fan Xian didn't know why he sighed. He smiled and said, "I have a few questions."
"Let's hear them." The wheelchair stopped next to a shallow pond. The water was clear, and golden fish could be seen swimming freely in the water. Chen Pingping stared at the water.
"I have offended many people in the exam hall case, but why did Imperial Censor Guo and Minister Han dare to act against me? Are they not afraid of the wrath of my father and the Prime Minister? " Fan Xian looked at Chen Pingping's messy hair and quietly said, "In the Eastern Palace, if not the Crown Prince's orders, why would the Empress act against me?"
Chen Pingping didn't turn around. He waved his hand. Fei Jie smiled and patted his student on the shoulder, expressing his appreciation for his courage. He then left the pond.
Fan Xian stepped forward to take over his teacher's position, and pushed the wheelchair along the small pond. Chen Pingping was silent for a moment. "Are you forcing me to lay my cards on the table?"
"You should at least let me know how much they know about us."
Chen Pingping laughed shrilly. "What a cautious young man. It seems that you have guessed some things, and are afraid that the Empress is acting against you because of those things."
Fan Xian smiled. "Yes, if the Empress really does know what I have guessed, then it is only natural that she would act against me. That is the only reason I can think of. The problem is that if that is the case, my current strength is not enough to stand against the Eastern Palace. "
"The enemy is all paper tigers," Chen Pingping suddenly said.
Fan Xian hadn't expected to hear this from the other's mouth, and couldn't help but be shocked. Then he heard Chen Pingping say lightly, "This is what your mother said in the past. She also said that we should look down on the enemy strategically, and pay attention to the enemy tactically."
Fan Xian felt like laughing. This cripple certainly didn't know that the original author of these words was not his mother.
Chen Pingping smiled. "And your biggest problem right now is that you pay too much attention to the enemy strategically. You are even afraid of the enemy, so your hands and feet are tied. Think back to that day in the great hall of the Ministry of Justice. Even if you fought your way out, who would dare to do anything to you? And on the tactical level, you think too little. If it weren't for the Council cleaning up after you, the things you have done since you entered the capital would have been enough to kill you a hundred times over. "
Fan Xian was speechless. Chen Pingping gently crossed his hands on his thighs. "Don't think too highly of the Eastern Palace. In the entire Kingdom of Qing, there is no truly powerful force, including the Prime Minister and your father Fan Jian."
Fan Xian seemed to understand. "Violence is true power, so only the military and the Overwatch Council are truly powerful."
Chen Pingping raised a hand and shook it with a long, old finger. "No, in the entire Kingdom of Qing, there is only one truly powerful person."
Fan Xian lowered his head and quietly said, "It is the Emperor."
Chen Pingping smiled. "Correct. His Majesty can ignore everything. As long as he still holds the military power of the world in his hands, he can do whatever the officials and harem want. He won't even bat an eyelid."
Fan Xian smiled mockingly and said, "What a leisurely Emperor."
Chen Pingping rubbed his somewhat dry hands. "The Overwatch Council is His Majesty's," he said slowly. "I am only acting in charge. In the future, you will also be acting in charge. Remember this."
Fan Xian looked calmly at the head of the Kingdom of Qing's secret service. He didn't know whether or not he should doubt his rumored loyalty to the Emperor.
…
…
The black wheelchair had been circling around the shallow pond for a long time. The golden fish in the water were a little dizzy, and they slowly sank to the bottom of the pond. Ignoring the boring old man and the young man, they began to play with the fine sand with their mouths.
The officials of the Overwatch Council watched from afar as the Director and Commissioner Fan talked in secret. They didn't dare disturb them. Chen Pingping suddenly sighed. "Time always passes quickly. In the blink of an eye, your mother's son is already so big."
Fan Xian was startled. What did he mean by his mother's son? Why didn't he just say he was married? He smiled bitterly. "I only regret that I don't know what my mother looked like."
Chen Pingping smiled. "There is only one portrait of your mother in the world. It was secretly painted by a master painter. In the end, that master painter was almost killed by Sir Wu."
Fan Xian smiled. "That painting isn't in the palace, is it?"
Chen Pingping didn't answer directly. He only faintly said, "You don't need to worry too much about the Eastern Palace. As I said before, the empress's power was pretty much eliminated by His Majesty 12 years ago."
Fan Xian knew the story of the night the capital bled. He frowned. "Why didn't His Majesty abolish the empress?"
"After all, she is the Crown Prince's mother, and she has always been favored by the Empress Dowager. Most importantly … "Chen Pingping said with a smile that wasn't quite a smile." Our Majesty, where else could he find another empress with no power behind her, and such a stupid one at that? "
Fan Xian felt a chill in his heart. That Emperor really wasn't a good person. Fortunately, Chen Pingping didn't know what he was thinking about His Majesty. He still spoke gently. "Don't worry about people discovering your identity. The death of that baby 16 years ago was an unchangeable fact in the palace. The stupid empress had Minister Han make a move on you because she was thinking from the Crown Prince's point of view. At the time, she didn't know you were the Commissioner of the Overwatch Council. She was only angry at you for meeting the second prince on the pleasure boat. "
Chen Pingping frowned a little angrily. "I believe Count Sinan told you not to get too close to these princes. Did you think that the nobles of the capital would not know about your meeting on the pleasure boat?"
Fan Xian smiled awkwardly. When he was in the great hall of the Ministry of Justice, he really did not think that the empress had used the Ministry of Justice's firestick to warn him because she was afraid of the Second Prince. At the time, he had thought that she knew about his past.
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