Chen Pingping gently plucked a small pink flower and carefully pinned it to the end of his hair. Seeing that the flower was trembling as if it would fall at any moment, he quickly used his fingers to press the old man's hair together so that the flower would be more stable.
Chen Pingping smiled happily and gently patted Fan Xian's hand. "After 16 or 17 years of struggle, you've finally come to the capital and grown up. I can finally answer to your mother."
Fan Xian had always been curious about the story of the past. He couldn't help but ask, "How many of you were there?" He was naturally asking about the powerful people who had followed his mother and wanted to change the world.
"You can count for yourself."
Fan Xian counted on his fingers and smiled. "Six."
"Hmm, your mother was a very powerful person." Chen Pingping smiled. "It seems that you are quite smart."
"About the first sentence, Teacher Fei Jie already said it to me when I was very young."
"I don't think he said it, but we all miss your mother. In some ways, she was my guide."
"A little surprised." Fan Xian smiled. "But I can guess a little."
"Be more respectful to Count Sinan, and be nicer to the Fan family." Chen Pingping suddenly became very serious. "They have done a lot for you."
Fan Xian slightly lowered his eyelids. To be able to protect the life of a little infant under such strange circumstances, to make the people in the palace believe that he was dead, without even asking... his father must have done a lot. He said, "Who is the real enemy I need to guard against? It can't be that crazy Eldest Princess. She was still very young at the time. "
"The Eldest Princess is just a poor woman. To the people of the royal family, the Young Lady's brilliance is too dazzling. She has lived under your mother's shadow all her life. She prides herself on her intelligence and ability, and has obtained many benefits for the Kingdom of Qing. But in the end, she was never as important as your mother in His Majesty's heart. As for the enemy... there is no enemy, there is no enemy. "Chen Pingping softly repeated, as if trying to convince himself.
"First in charge of the Overwatch Council, then in charge of the palace treasury. I think there will always be people who will feel that something is wrong." Fan Xian smiled. "What do you want me to do?"
Chen Pingping quietly said, "Don't you want to be a powerful official?"
Fan Xian looked calmly into Chen Pingping's eyes and suddenly said, "I think I know what you want to do."
Chen Pingping's expression did not change. He smiled and said, "I hope you will always pretend that you don't know what I want to do."
Fan Xian frowned. "Although I don't have any blood ties with them, I still don't want to see too many people shed blood."
"It's still early." Chen Pingping said softly, "Moreover, when it comes to bloodshed, it's often the stupid people who first pull out their knives and want to cut someone else's neck, but accidentally cut their own neck instead."
Fan Xian smiled bitterly. Although he respected and trusted this old man, he had to walk his own path. Since entering the capital, he had maintained a tacit understanding with the Director of the Overwatch Council, who had done many things for him. But if something really did happen in the future that caused the two of them to think differently, Fan Xian would choose to respect his own intentions first.
Chen Pingping waved his hand and furrowed his brows. "In the future, you have to learn to open your eyes a bit more. Don't always focus on one ministry, one department, and a mere official in Jingdou. You have to learn to stand higher … "
Fan Xian smiled. "Do I have to set my eyes on the world?"
Chen Pingping smiled. "Perhaps even higher."
Fan Xian did not understand.
"Go. On this trip to Northern Qi, be careful." Chen Pingping coughed and took the pink flower from his hair. He gently rubbed it between his fingers and said quietly, "Xiao En is going to die. Of course, you have to ensure your own safety first. Apart from that, do as you see fit with the other three missions. If the situation permits, you can try to find out where the temple is. After all, in this world, only Ku He, the Imperial Advisor of Northern Qi, has ever made contact with the temple. "
Fan Xian frowned. "The temple … it's too sudden. I don't seem to have much confidence, although I do like to take risks."
Chen Pingping nodded. "Your mother also liked to take risks. But I really don't worry about your life or death. If you still can't crawl back from Northern Qi alive after Sir Wu has taught you for so many years, then I will express my disappointment in you at your funeral. "
The old man smiled and sprinkled the flower petals between his fingers on the ground. How could a young man like him deal with the real enemy?
— — —
After saying goodbye to his mother's old comrade, Fan Xian returned to the building and met with Yan Ruohai. He took some files and prepared to go back to the manor to study them. Northern Qi was in an unusually complicated situation. Even if Chen Pingping wanted to use this matter to give Fan Xian real control of the Overwatch Council, if Fan Xian did not want to, no one could force him to go to that strange country …
But Fan Xian really wanted to go.
In his previous life, he had been imprisoned in a sickly body, without control. In this life, he had been imprisoned in a strange life, without control. This was a rare opportunity for him to go to Northern Qi, where he could fly freely in the sky and crawl freely in the sea. How could Fan Xian let go of this opportunity to be presumptuous? So he earnestly asked Yan Ruohai about the things he should pay attention to on this trip, and asked about the people he needed to pay attention to in Northern Qi.
Yan Ruohai shook his head and looked at the young commissioner. It seemed he didn't know why Fan Xian was so passionate about this matter. "Northern Qi has always been unstable. The empress dowager is too young, and the emperor is too young. But after the war last year, it seems that their capital has stabilized a lot. Sir Commissioner, there are three things you need to pay attention to. One is Friar He, another is Shang Shanhu, and the last is, of course, the rarely seen Imperial Advisor Ku He. "
"Friar He?" Fan Xian frowned. There was no Taoism in this world, so why was he called Friar He?
Yan Ruohai didn't know what he was thinking, so he didn't explain. "Friar He is a master of the Rear Party. Cheng Jushu, whom Commissioner Fan killed last year, was his disciple. Shang Shanhu is a rare brave general in Northern Qi. He has always fought the barbarians in the snowy north. I heard that after Northern Qi was defeated last year, he was transferred back to the capital by the young emperor. Sir Commissioner, on this trip to Northern Qi, you must pay attention to him, because the Council has always been suspicious of his teacher. As for Imperial Advisor Ku He, as one of the four great grandmasters, he shouldn't be involved in these worldly matters, but … "
He frowned. "Ku He has accepted a disciple, and this year he has officially entered the world to train. Sir Commissioner, your name is known all over the world. You must be careful if they come to cause trouble."
Fan Xian was startled. For some reason, he thought of the prostitute sects he had read about in the novels of his previous life. "It can't be a woman, can it?" he asked with a wry smile.
Yan Ruohai said expressionlessly, "We don't know if it's a man or a woman. All we know is that in the past three months, this great grandmaster's disciple has traveled throughout Northern Qi and challenged countless high-ranking masters. There are even rumors that he is the legendary Tianmai One. "He looked at Fan Xian and asked quietly," Sir Commissioner, do you know of the Tianmai One? "
Fan Xian felt that the term sounded familiar. Suddenly, he had a flash of inspiration. When he was young, Fei Jie had mentioned it once. Later, when he was eavesdropping on the conversation between the Eldest Princess and Zhuang Mohan in Guangxin Palace, he had also heard it once.
After listening to Yan Ruohai's explanation, Fan Xian frowned. "A genius that only appears once every five hundred years. The bloodline of the heavens. It's not like he's a bunch of leeks that grow in the fields. I don't believe it."
Yan Ruohai nodded. "According to the Council's analysis, it is likely that Northern Qi, because of their successive defeats, needs to create the image of an exceptional young master to increase the people's confidence."
Fan Xian smiled. "That's more likely. It's just like how the Council has been trying to create the image of me as Commissioner … What's that person's name? "
"Haitang."
Fan Xian felt a headache coming on. "I hope it's a sissy, but please don't let it be a real sissy."
The two of them chatted for a bit. Finally, Yan Ruohai looked at Fan Xian calmly, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes wrinkling weakly. He said quietly, "Regarding my son, I'll have to trouble you, Sir Commissioner."
"I told you at the gate of the Ministry of Justice," Fan Xian replied seriously. "I will bring Master Yan safely back to Qing."
— — —
After leaving the Fourth Bureau's room, Wang Qinian, who had been waiting outside, hurried over and took the pile of files from Fan Xian's hands. Fan Xian looked ahead, but he spoke quietly to his "confidant". "I will definitely bring you to Northern Qi."
"Thank you for your trust, Sir," Wang Qinian replied with a smile. If there were no other arrangements for this trip to Northern Qi, it would truly be a gilded, leisurely trip. No country in the world would dare to make a move on a diplomatic mission.
Fan Xian shook his head and smiled. "I'm bringing you because you're the fastest person in the Overwatch Council. Of course, that's excluding Zong Zhui."
Wang Qinian smiled bitterly and didn't say anything. Earlier, he had gone to Zong Zhui's place to catch up. He and Zong Zhui used to be known as the two wings of the Overwatch Council. Later, Wang Qinian became content with administrative matters, so his position gradually became ordinary. Zong Zhui had always been depressed. Now that Wang Qinian had become Commissioner Fan Xian's confidant, Zong Zhui felt that his old friend had finally regained some of his former glory, and he was very happy.
The head of the Third Bureau, Brother Leng, had long been waiting by the door of the secret room. Seeing Fan Xian arrive, he didn't say anything. He felt very cold. Pushing open the door and entering the secret room, he was greeted by a cool breeze. The wind wasn't fast, and Fan Xian raised his eyebrows. He immediately knew that this sort of well-ventilated place had nothing to do with making poison.
Chief Leng glanced at his Junior Brother and suddenly grinned, saying, "Nice figure."
Fan Xian looked at this senior disciple he had just met and shivered. He thought to himself... no way? Hearing his senior disciple's next words, Leader Leng yelled into the room, "Standard!"
Fan Xian was startled. Not long after, he saw five or six people push out a large table. On the table were a few boxes and a piece of clothing made of strange material. The five or six people looked at Fan Xian, their faces expressionless. Perhaps it was because they had been in a strange department like the Third Bureau for too long that they all seemed a bit wooden. But after a closer look, they couldn't help but show expressions of admiration. They said to Commissioner Fan, "Nice figure."
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