Returning to the manor, Ye Ling'er and Princess Rou Jia had already returned. Fan Xian returned to his room and called for Siqi to pour tea. He sent away the serving girl, who, like Sisi, had been complaining about him in the autumn. Taking advantage of the fact that there was only him and his wife in the room, he quietly asked, "Has there been any news in the palace?"
Lin Wan'er was sitting by the window, embroidering something against the light outside. Hearing his question, she raised her head in surprise. "What has happened?"
It was close to dusk, and the light from the sky shone in through the window. Fan Xian looked at Wan'er's tightly furrowed brows, and his heart ached as he walked forward. He rubbed her smooth brows and said, "The light is not good. What are you embroidering?"
Wan'er's face was a bit pale. Perhaps it was because she had not slept well last night. She lowered her head and giggled. She hid what she was embroidering behind her back and said, "I'll show you when I'm done."
Fan Xian looked at his wife's weak appearance and long eyelashes. He couldn't help but feel a glimmer of guilt. Ever since he had left Jingdou at the beginning of spring, his care for his wife had been weaker than it had been last year. This was not to say that he was someone who liked the new and hated the old. After all, the great Sir Fan junior did not even have a concubine. It was just that there were too many things holding him back, and he rarely paid attention to family matters.
Lin Wan'er thought of what he had asked earlier. She thought for a moment and then said, "The palace has been quiet recently. There is nothing special. Why would you ask this?"
Fan Xian smiled bitterly. "Your heartless uncle sent me to manage the First Bureau. I don't know how many officials I will offend. The true masters of those officials all live in the palace. Naturally, I have to pay more attention."
Lin Wan 'er's identity was special. She had the royal grandmother's favor and the Emperor's favor. Her position in the Palace was even higher than Fan Xian had imagined. The Emperor did not have a daughter. Presently, Qing Kingdom did not have a proper princess. Wan' er was not much different from a princess.
She thought for a moment and then smiled. "Don't worry. We all know the Emperor favors you. Those ladies will only say good things about you in front of you."
Fan Xian smiled and said, "I've only seen the Emperor a few times. I don't know where the word 'favor' comes from. If it's said that the Emperor favors you, then it's possible. As for me … it's just 'love me, love my dog.'"
A trace of adoration flashed through Lin Wan'er's eyes. "Husband is always like this …" She continued, "Shu guifei has been full of praise for you these days. As for Yi guipin, you also know that she is a relative of our family. No matter what, she has to side with you. It's just that the empress is as quiet and indifferent as usual. As for the other concubines, they don't even have the right to speak in the palace, so I haven't remembered them."
Fan Xian trusted his wife's judgment. Even if he took over the Overwatch Council in the future, the Royal Palace was still a place that his fingers could not touch. And Wan'er was his most reliable spy and spy. Lady Shu had said good things about him because he had done her a favor. A few words didn't cost him much money.
"What did Lady Ning say?" Fan Xian asked curiously. "News of me and your Great Brother fighting over the road should have reached the palace a long time ago."
Lin Wan'er covered her mouth and laughed. "Lady Ning can't be bothered with you. She has always loved me the most. She said that you and the Great Prince are two brats messing around. In the future, she will beat you 50 times."
Fan Xian pretended to be alarmed. "My wife! The beatings in the palace are not pleasant. You have to help me put in a few good words. "
Lin Wan'er was too lazy to respond to his naughty joke. She spat and said, "You like to offend people, and for no reason, you always want me to clean up after you." She took out the tight embroidery from behind her and giggled. "You have nothing to ask, Commissioner? Then please leave. Don't disturb me. "
Fan Xian pulled back his hand that was about to grab her hand. "I don't know what it is," he said gloomily. Just as he was about to leave, he remembered the important person he had forgotten. With a trace of hesitation, he asked, "Did you see the Empress Dowager?"
Lin Wan'er's hand paused. A moment later, she raised her head. There was confusion and sadness in her eyes. She nodded. "I saw her. Grandmother didn't say anything."
The Empress Dowager, who had always lived deep in the palace, was in reality the true ruler of the entire palace. Strangely, Fan Xian had entered the palace a few times, but had never had the chance to see her. Even the last two times the couple had entered the palace, the Empress Dowager had said she was ill and refused to see her. And when Wan'er entered the palace herself, the Empress Dowager loved her dearly. She held her in her arms and called her "darling." The Empress Dowager was clearly distancing herself from Fan Xian. This made Wan'er feel vaguely uneasy and confused.
Fan Xian laughed coldly in his heart. He knew that the Empress Dowager had guessed something, but he was not afraid.
Lin Wan'er looked into his eyes and sighed. "Today, she told me about Ling'er entering the palace last time. Husband, I know your official duties are a bit difficult, but you still don't know what kind of person you are. It looks like you are using her, but I'm afraid you are giving yourself an excuse to remember her favor. The things you told me last night are very scary. Second brother, although the Second Prince looks soft and easygoing right now, his personality is actually very twisted. Since you have no choice but to investigate him, if you still have so many misgivings like you do now, I'm afraid it is not appropriate."
Fan Xian looked at his wife's worried face and smiled slightly. He nodded. "I also didn't expect that when you were little, you would give the Second Prince the name Pebble."
"He looks easygoing, but once he sets his mind on something, he will not change," Lin Wan'er said worriedly.
Fan Xian had always believed that the way of a husband and wife was based on sincerity. If he was reborn, he would have to be more cautious of the person who slept next to him. That kind of life would be a bit miserable, so he did not hide the fact that he was investigating the Second Prince from his wife. Hearing Wan'er's worry, he comforted her. "In reality, it is for the good of the Second Prince. Looking at the current situation, the court officials seem to be blinded by the Emperor's determination to protect the Crown Prince. If no one pulls the Second Prince up now, when he truly climbs to the top, it will not be easy for him to come down again."
Lin Wan'er smiled sweetly and did not continue this topic. She changed the subject. "I don't know how your heart was born, but it has a few more openings than other people. Your brain is full of twists and turns."
A few more openings than a person? Fan Xian almost blurted it out, but he knew that he was just an actor. When it came to politics, he was very naive. The only thing he could rely on was his own cold-bloodedness and the gentleness on the surface. He bowed deeply to his wife and smiled. "How could I be compared to the great strategist Lin? You are a fairy who escaped from the most scheming palace in the world."
Lin Wan'er spat at him and laughed. "Do you really think the palace is so embarrassing?"
Fan Xian smiled. "A wise man once said that in this world, there are only brothels and the palace. It is a world of darkness. It is not a place for people to stay."
Hearing this, Lin Wan'er was startled. She felt a bit displeased and lowered her head. Only now did Fan Xian remember that his wife also came from the palace. What he said really did not take her feelings into consideration. He smiled and apologized, and the two of them returned to normal. After a moment of silence, Lin Wan'er thought about it carefully. Her heart was moved. Although her birth mother was the Eldest Princess, how many women in this world could receive such respectful treatment from their husbands after marriage? She had never heard of a husband apologizing to his wife.
Lin Wan'er said warmly, "The palace is indeed not what you think it is. Uncle the Emperor is a wise ruler who does not lust after women. The masters in the palace are all decent on the surface. No one dares to use the methods you talked about in the novels in the past. The empress dowager's eyes are watching. If anyone dares to spoil the blood of the Emperor, that ancestor will not tolerate it."
Hearing this, Fan Xian's heart jumped. He felt even more at ease.
Lin Wan'er smiled. "The Emperor is very strict within the palace. Fighting for favor? There is no favor to begin with, so how can they fight? The empress does not care much, so those concubines … can only put all their thoughts on the mahjong table. Fighting for favor is good. In reality, it is no different from the houses of other princes. "
Fan Xian was surprised. He had not thought that the palace would be so harmonious. Didn't that mean that the pile of palace grievances he had read in his previous life were useless? He scratched his head in self-mockery and laughed. "No wonder you are so good at mahjong, Wan'er. Even that little monster Fan Sizhe can only tie with you."
As soon as she heard about mahjong, Lin Wan'er's face shone with a strange light, which scared Fan Xian. He walked up to take a closer look, only to find that the light was hidden like flowing light, but it was contained within. It was like a piece of jade. It was called the light of a master who returned to simplicity.
...
...
Lin Wan'er's eyes wandered, and she glared at her indecent husband. "My hands are itching to marry you, but you are so busy every day that I can't see you. But my luck is good. I managed to catch a genius at the mahjong table like my brother-in-law. "
She gritted her teeth, rolled her sleeves, and rubbed her fists. "I don't know where Fan Sizhe has gone these days. Every day he can't catch anyone at the mahjong table. Playing mahjong with his mother is torturous. Look at how courteous she is, it's like I am her mother-in-law."
Fan Xian scratched the bridge of her sharp little nose and jokingly scolded, "Who talks like that?" He paused and then said, "Lady Liu is not your mother-in-law. Don't be too unreasonable in the manor."
Lin Wan'er was full of hidden bitterness. "Am I that kind of person?" Her tone changed. "In a few days, it will be time to admire the chrysanthemums. According to the rules of the past, the nobles in the palace will all go to Xi Mountain. I don't know how they will arrange for us this year. We must go, but we have to see how we go. I reckon that in a few days, there will be eunuchs from the palace coming to deliver an edict. Don't forget about this."
"Admire the chrysanthemums?" Fan Xian's brows twitched. He knew that in the crisp autumn air, the people of Jingdou all liked to go to the gardens to admire the chrysanthemums. He had not thought that the royal family would also have this hobby. Naturally, he had to go to the Li family's large gathering. However, thinking of what he had done recently in Jingdou, he suddenly wondered if the older generation of foxes were watching his every move like they were admiring the chrysanthemums.
Not noticing her husband's sudden silence, Lin Wan'er said seriously, "I haven't been able to play mahjong lately, and the chrysanthemums haven't bloomed yet. I'm always bored. The book you promised me before marriage … when will you write it for me to read?"
Fan Xian's head was full of questions. How could he still have the energy to copy "Dream of the Red Chamber"? He forced a smile and begged for mercy. "I say, grandmother, please spare me." Seeing Lin Wan'er's stubborn expression of urging him to write, he didn't dare to stay in the room and dawdle. Smoke rose from his butt as he pushed open the door to hide.
— — —
Fan Xian fled as if he had seen a ghost. He made his way through the wide courtyard until he ran into a few servant girls who were covering their faces and laughing. Only then did he feel that something was wrong. He coughed twice, trying to show the demeanor of a famous person and a famous official. But his body had not even straightened for a moment before he immediately slowed down. He gritted his teeth. Since he was young, he had decided that he wanted to live a beautiful life. Why should he care about how others looked at him? He grunted, hummed a little tune, and hopped into his study.
Although his conversation with his wife was casual, he had obtained some useful information. However, Fan Sizhe's movements these days were indeed a little strange. Fan Xian frowned, faintly worried. Then he thought of the problem with "Story of the Stone". Only then did he remember that the Emperor of Northern Qi had sealed off the news. He owed him a favor, and it seemed that he would have to copy a chapter and send it over. However, the fact that he was the author of "Story of the Stone" could not be hidden for long. He decided not to use the Overwatch Council's secret mail route.
After sitting for a short while, before the light outside the room had completely dimmed, Yan Bingyun had arrived as promised. Fan Xian looked at the file he handed over and could not help but rub his temples. Today, he had first gone through the file Mu Tie had handed over and set the tone with Shi Chanli. Next, he had gone to the "old manor" to do some work. After returning to comfort his wife, he now had to talk to Sir Yan. In a short day, he had done so many things. It seemed that the so-called "cultivation of a powerful official" was indeed a very tiring path.
"I've already arrested the people you wanted me to arrest. I don't know if this will be of any help to your work." Fan Xian did not look at the file. He only asked calmly. A while ago, the "whack-a-mole" seemed to have not touched upon the bureaucracy of the capital, but in reality, under the cover of a large number of redundant cases, he had carefully approached the secret power of the second prince. He had also tentatively arrested two officials, because Yan Bingyun believed that although the two officials were of low rank, they were important figures in investigating whether or not there was a relationship between the second prince and the eldest princess.
Yan Bingyun sat in a chair, his expression calm. He pointed at the file in front of him. "They have been arrested."
Fan Xian was shocked. "That fast?" He was too lazy to look at the file again. "The conclusion?" he asked directly.
Yan Bingyun said coldly, "Every year, Xinyang smuggles a large amount of goods to Northern Qi and Dongyi. On the surface, the deficit is caused by the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace, but in reality, the largest amount is given to the Second Prince through the Ming family. It is used to bribe the officials in the court and befriend the feudal officials of various places. So your judgment is correct. The Second Prince is backed by the Eldest Princess.
Fan Xian frowned. "The Ming family? The in-laws of the Cui family? "
"Exactly."
"Such a large amount. How did they get it from the palace treasury to the second prince?" Fan Xian asked.
"Of course, they couldn't go through the capital. They went around Jiangnan. In the middle, a few royal merchants split it up. From bottom to top, they were all controlled by the second prince." Yan Bingyun glanced at him. "The process is complicated. It is written in the file. If there is anything you do not understand, you can just read it. It is more complicated to say it."
Fan Xian did not pay attention to the doubt in his voice about his ability. He only sank into deep thought. His judgment was correct. He took a deep breath and said, "The man is very handsome."
Fan Xian countered with a question. "The eldest princess and the second prince did it so secretly, but we easily found out. Do you think the palace doesn't know? How could our Director Chen not know? "
"Even if the palace is vigilant, they certainly do not have concrete evidence." Yan Bingyun slowly lowered his eyes. "Don't forget, the head of the First Bureau, Zhu Ge, was always the eldest princess' man. This case, if you were not in charge of the First Bureau and the full cooperation of the other departments, it would have been impossible to find out. So, the situation now is that if you really open this case, Jingdou will be in chaos. "
He spoke calmly, but Fan Xian could hear a glimmer of coldness behind his words. To be able to find out so quickly, other than the terrifying resources of the Overwatch Council, a large part of it was due to Yan Bingyun's extraordinary ability. It was clear that Yan Bingyun did not want the case he was investigating to throw the seemingly peaceful Qing court into chaos.
When it came down to it, Yan Bingyun was not loyal to Fan Xian. He was loyal to the Emperor, to the Qing Kingdom, and to the Overwatch Council.
Fan Xian glanced at him. "Do you know what it means to suppress this matter?"
Yan Bingyun shook his head. "I only know that if this matter is opened, your wife will be the one in the most difficult situation."
In reality, most of the upper echelons knew that Fan Xian's wife was the eldest princess' daughter. It was just that no one had said it. If Fan Xian was determined to expose this matter, without question, no matter how one looked at it, the Emperor in the palace would have to make an unusually valiant response. Lin Wan'er's situation would inevitably become awkward.
Fan Xian's actions after returning to the capital were actually just to make up for his failure in using the paper to force the eldest princess away and ease the conflict in the palace. The result he wanted was to force the Emperor, who might have other plans, to strip away the eldest princess' power in the shortest amount of time.
"I respect my wife." Fan Xian stared at Yan Bingyun with a chill. "But, I will not slow down my steps because of her difficulties."
Yan Bingyun slowly raised his head. There seemed to be some confusion in his eyes. "This is something I do not understand. Sir, what exactly do you want to do?"
"Two reasons." Fan Xian stood up and walked to the window of the study. He looked at the slowly sinking sun. In the corner of the courtyard, a woman was taking care of the branches and leaves of a shrub. "The first reason is very simple. The court is currently short of silver. The great river in the south has not been repaired for many years. This year, the dam has failed and hundreds of thousands of people have drowned. Although I have not personally seen it, thinking about it … it is indeed tragic, brother."
"Where can we find silver for disaster relief? My father has been worrying about this problem these days. The financial situation of the current dynasty is different from that of previous dynasties in history. Long years of military use have used up large amounts of money and grain. Putting aside this, the source is also very strange. A large portion of the national treasury's annual income must come from the palace treasury. The palace treasury is the Emperor's treasury. In reality, you and I both know that it is the legacy of the mistress of the Ye family. It is only by relying on the endless silver produced by these industries that the Qing Kingdom can be supported. "
Fan Xian turned his head and narrowed his eyes at Yan Bingyun. "The Eldest Princess is a person who loves to play with power. Over the years, the silver of the palace treasury has gradually been scattered into the hands of officials in exchange for her and him loyalty and power. To put it bluntly, this is using the Emperor's silver to poach the Emperor's officials. The silver has been spent on internal strife and officials. In this world where silver is needed, where can we find silver? "
"Silver is just silver. How to use it is a big problem. Rather than letting it rot in the officials' residences, it is better to force it out and fill it in the river to scare the ghosts."
"So, I am in a hurry to investigate the Cui family and the second prince. Otherwise, our eldest princess and the second prince, who only seems to like reading, will generously give away all the silver of the Qing Kingdom." Fan Xian lowered his head slightly and seemed to feel a little emotional. He smiled bitterly and said, "Of course, after this matter is exposed, the Emperor will probably not punish his own sister. But just like last time when she was chased out of the palace, the Emperor will be afraid of gossip and carefully investigate the palace treasury. He will also give the second prince a wake-up call. But I … His Majesty will probably be angry and think that I am meddling in other people's business. He will kick me out of the Overwatch Council and demote me far away."
He stretched and wore a pure and innocent smile on his face. "There is no other way … I hope the Emperor will let me return to Danzhou."
Yan Bingyun tilted his head slightly. His face was stiff, as if he had never known the commissioner in front of him. He murmured, "But you will take over the palace treasury next year. When that time comes, won't it be right and proper for you to investigate?"
Fan Xian smiled and spoke as if he was talking about someone else's business. "The Qing Kingdom has no surplus food. The sooner we can stop the outflow of silver from the palace treasury, the more the people in the south can have a few more bowls of porridge to eat. Other things can wait, but if we don't eat, we will starve."
Yan Bingyun stared at him, as if trying to see if the person in front of him was the sinister official he had thought he was, or if he was a compassionate, benevolent, and unafraid of criticism.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
