Through Yan Bingyun's narration, Fan Xian knew what had happened back then.
After the Kingdom of Qing's three northern expeditions, the Zhan family took advantage of the situation and established the Kingdom of Qi. However, the founding Emperor had unfortunately died 12 years ago, leaving behind only the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, who had only been a few years old at the time, in the empty palace.
Although the Kingdom of Qing had stopped moving north, the ruthless Chen Pingping would not let go of this opportunity. He secretly supported and instigated some of the nobles of the previous dynasty and the Zhan family in Shangjing. In the end, it became a situation to force the Emperor to abdicate. Seeing that the Empress Dowager and the Emperor were about to be dragged out of the palace by the rebels, Ku He moved into the palace as a friend of Commander Zhan Qingfeng.
At that time, 3,000 soldiers and horses surrounded the palace. Ku He sat in front of the great hall. Behind him were the pitiful mother and son, and a large group of trembling eunuchs and serving girls, holding candles and brooms.
Faced with countless spears and arrows, Ku He sat alone in front of the great hall. No one dared to make a move.
Then, the Empress Dowager's brother, Chang Ninghou, crawled out of a sewer hole in the corner of the palace. He secretly contacted Shen Zhong of the Brocade Guard and gathered a group of forces loyal to the royal family to return to the palace. Only then did they stabilize the situation in Shangjing in Northern Qi.
After the incident, Ku He did not pursue the matter, and the Empress Dowager maintained her silence. Although the nobles who tried to force the Emperor to abdicate were fine at the time, they did not meet a good end in the future.
So no matter how one looked at it, the reason the Empress Dowager was able to sit safely in the palace was because of Ku He's reputation and unfathomable power.
…
…
"Ku He is so cool," Fan Xian said, slapping his leg in admiration. "One man blocking a thousand men. Even if there were millions of them, he would still go forward. So strong, so strong."
Yan Bingyun looked at him. He felt that Ku He's words were a bit vulgar and not very respectful to the four Great Grandmasters. "As one of the four Great Grandmasters, Ku He is aloof from the world. But if he shows his stance, no matter who it is, they have to be cautious."
Fan Xian shook his head. "Those idiots who tried to force the Emperor to abdicate, I don't believe that Ku He could do anything to them."
"At the time, Ku He swore a blood oath. If anyone dared to sit on that dragon chair, he would kill that person." Yan Bingyun suddenly felt that the Commissioner in the Council was somewhat childish. "Given Ku He's terrifying power, in the North, of course, he can kill whoever he wants. If you can't even keep your life, your head will be separated from your body the moment you sit on the throne. Who would be willing to be an emperor like that? "
"Great grandmaster?" Fan Xian frowned. For the first time, he felt that this kind of existence, which was beyond the scope of mortals, was indeed a very troublesome matter.
"What? Master Fan is young and promising, yet you don't even care about a grandmaster? "Yan Bingyun looked at him coldly.
Fan Xian smiled and didn't say anything. He had only met one of the four Great Grandmasters, Ye Liuyun. At the time, he only felt that his singing was pleasant. As for Uncle Wu Zhu, who was nameless but was actually on the same level as the four Great Grandmasters … Fan Xian had grown up with him, so naturally, he couldn't feel excited.
"Let's continue talking about Shangjing." Fan Xian raised his hand. "If the Empress Dowager listens to Ku He, and Ku He wants Xiao En dead …"
Yan Bingyun interrupted. "Master, why are you so sure that Ku He wants Xiao En dead?"
"I have my sources of information," Fan Xian smiled. He didn't say anything about Haitang, nor did he say anything about the secret of the Temple. He continued. "Then Shang Shanhu will inevitably fall to the Emperor's side. Only by gathering all the power of the Emperor's party can we save Xiao En's old life … Master Yan, do you think we can gain something from this?"
Yan Bingyun shook his head. Suddenly, he thought of something. He smiled. "Actually, when it comes to power, Northern Qi has never been weak. In these four years, I don't know how much I've seen … but I believe that compared to the Kingdom of Qing, Northern Qi will never be able to win."
Fan Xian didn't know why he had suddenly come to this conclusion. He was a little confused. Yan Bingyun laughed with great satisfaction. "Just look at how the court will send Xiao En back to Northern Qi. In the past year, the balance and peace that the Empress Dowager and the Emperor have struggled to maintain will be broken. I truly admire … admire the person in the court who planned this."
The person who planned Xiao En's return was the Eldest Princess. Fan Xian's eyes were calm, but he was laughing coldly in his heart. "There is nothing to admire. You have to know that this deal came at the cost of you."
"What do you mean?" Yan Bingyun frowned.
Fan Xian said, "It was the Eldest Princess who sold you to the court of Northern Qi. Then, she arranged with Shang Shanhu to exchange Xiao En for Northern Qi … Even if there is some disturbance in the court of Northern Qi because of Xiao En, do you really think it will cause any big waves? You are nothing more than a pawn being manipulated by nobles. A pawn should have the self-awareness of a pawn. For someone like you to admire the hand that is holding your head, I really don't understand. "
These words were a little harsh. Fan Xian did it on purpose. He wanted to plant a seed of hatred in Yan Bingyun's heart for the Eldest Princess. Unexpectedly, Yan Bingyun's face was calm, as if he hadn't heard. Instead, he continued to plan. "We cannot interfere in this matter. Xiao En's life and death have moved even Ku He. The diplomatic mission is in a foreign country, after all. It is impossible for us to interfere, and there is no need for us to interfere."
"I agree with your view." Fan Xian looked at him. "But there is one more thing that I need your opinion on."
Fan Xian told Yan Bingyun about what had happened to Cui a few days ago. Yan Bingyun's expression didn't change. "What does Sir want to do?"
Fan Xian was silent for a while. But since he had already begun, he naturally continued. "According to the Council's wishes, we will gradually reduce the benefits that Xinyang has gained from the north."
"The Council's wishes?" Yan Bingyun looked into Fan Xian's eyes. "I hear that the Commissioner may be in charge of the palace treasury next year."
Fan Xian smiled as if he hadn't heard him. "Sir Yan, you have been imprisoned for half a year, but you are still very well-informed."
…
…
After a long silence, Yan Bingyun suddenly said, "Why are you telling me these things?"
"Because you are most familiar with the routes in the north. If there comes a day when we need to pull in the net … then from now on, I must begin to keep a close eye. Without Sir Yan, I have no power in the north."
Yan Bingyun calmly said, "Sir Fan, you think very highly of me."
"I have never thought of you as a simple patient," Fan Xian said calmly. "I believe that if Sir Yan had the desire, you would still be able to call the wind and summon the rain in the north."
"Why should I help you?"
"Because I am your superior." Fan Xian's expression gradually grew cold. "I am not asking for your help. I am asking for your cooperation."
Yan Bingyun didn't buy it. He laughed coldly. "When the Commissioner truly takes over the Overwatch Council, it won't be too late for us to talk about this then."
Fan Xian laughed and waved his hand. "I knew that playing this game wouldn't work." He paused for a moment. "The logic is simple. The Eldest Princess is our common enemy. Not only do I need you, but I believe that you need me as well."
Yan Bingyun didn't think much of it. He calmly nodded. "If that's the case, then I must make it clear. Your plan has been completely wrong from the beginning."
"Why do you say that?"
"If you want to gradually reduce the Eldest Princess's profits from smuggling, you shouldn't have gone to Shen Zhong."
"Shen Zhong is the Provost of the Discipline Commission of the Brocade Guard. If I didn't go to him, who would I go to?"
Yan Bingyun looked him in the eye. "Shen Zhong, Chang Ninghou, these are all trusted aides of the Empress Dowager … they have been making deals with the Eldest Princess for many years … if you want to start anew, why not go to the young Emperor?"
Fan Xian sighed. "Because I can't see through the Emperor's mind."
"The Emperor of Northern Qi is a very pure person, a person who gets excited easily." Yan Bingyun raised a finger. "A pure radical needs money."
Fan Xian looked at him. After a moment, he said, "I trust you."
"At present, I am worthy of your trust," said Yan Bingyun.
Fan Xian let out a sigh of relief. He patted him on the shoulder. "Don't worry. Although the world is theirs now, it is still ours." Having said that, he left the room, leaving Yan Bingyun behind to reflect on those strange words.
— — —
For the next three days, the diplomatic mission was still dealing with diplomatic matters with Northern Qi. Fan Xian and Yan Bingyun were secretly plotting in the room. Gradually, Yan Bingyun no longer hid anything. He analyzed the information he had, and very clearly established a guiding ideology for Fan Xian's future actions.
Action was better than inaction. He needed to use delaying tactics in Xinyang, and so did the Empress Dowager. Only the palace needed to be contacted. Fan Xian had once wondered if he should pay a visit to General Shang Shanhu, but Yan Bingyun had coldly stopped him.
Yan Bingyun felt that there was no need to do these things. If the other party needed it, they would naturally come to him. Fan Xian's actions after entering Shangjing were, in Yan Bingyun's professional eyes, a complete mess.
Fan Xian silently accepted the lesson. He knew that in these matters, he was not as good as Yan Bingyun. In addition to chatting, they also talked about reorganizing the spy network in the north. But Yan Bingyun clearly did not trust Fan Xian's abilities, so he never relented.
One day, after eating, Fan Xian suddenly said, "That Lady Shen is very capable. She actually knew that you were hiding in the diplomatic mission and came to you again."
Yan Bingyun's face was as cold as ice, and he was as heartless as a flowing cloud. He said lightly, "Inform Shen Zhong. He will take care of his daughter's matter."
Fan Xian glanced at him. He truly did not understand how this young official had honed such a cold and heartless will.
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