The sound of kowtowing rang out in the vast palace hall. In a moment, blood had already appeared on the forehead of the Imperial Censor of the Left, Lai Mingcheng.
The Emperor looked at him with some disgust and waved his hand for the guards to bring him down. Only then did he lightly sweep his gaze over Fan Xian. "Commissioner Fan, as a member of the Overwatch Council, you have great privileges according to the law. In the future, you must be even more careful in your actions. Do not lose my face."
It was rare to find such an opportunity to smooth things over. Of course, the wise Emperor would not let it go. He waved his hand to stop Fan Xian's request. The eunuch understood and loudly announced the end of the court meeting.
Fan Xian sighed in his heart. He knew that the Emperor could not appear to be too biased toward him in this matter.
He was still not satisfied, but the officials had already deeply felt the Emperor's intention to protect the boy from the Fan family. As the officials retreated from Taiji Palace, they all came up to him to express their consolation. At this moment, the officials seemed to have become the Imperial Censorate's enemies, and they all disparaged the other side into a mess.
Fan Xian smiled bitterly in response to each of them. He glanced at his father, who was hunched over and walking toward the square in a very old manner. His heart jumped, and he quickly went forward to support him. The officials looked at the father and son from behind and couldn't help but repeatedly praise them. Father and son were officials in the same court. The scene of the father being kind and the son being filial appeared in the palace. It was truly a story to be told.
Minister Fan felt his arm tighten. He turned his head to see that it was his son who had come to support him. He couldn't help but smile bitterly and sigh. "An Zhi, oh An Zhi, why can't you be a little more obedient?"
Fan Xian was also full of grievances. Who would have thought that Xinyang would always be watching him like a ghost?
When they were about to reach the palace gate, a young eunuch quietly ran over and passed on the Emperor's oral orders. He then pulled Fan Xian along as he jogged toward the back of the palace. Minister Fan looked at his son's back with a complicated expression. He suddenly felt that although the boy had always pretended to be calm and steady, when he jogged, he still showed the carefree nature in his bones. It was not quite in line with the solemn and oppressive atmosphere of the palace.
A colleague came from behind. Minister Fan's eyes immediately became as calm as an ancient well. He smiled slightly and walked out of the Royal Palace with the officials. The rain had stopped a long time ago, but the empty ground in front of the Palace was still soaked in water. The Imperial Censorate's Imperial Censorates were already drenched, but they still stubbornly knelt on the wet ground. The furious Imperial Censor of the Left had left court and also knelt in front of those people. He even took off his black gauze hat and held it to his left chest.
Seeing this scene, the officials finally knew that the matter was not over. Shu the Scholar went up to comfort them, but seeing that it had no effect, he shook his head and left. Most of the officials hurried back to their mansions in their carriages. They knew that this matter would only grow bigger, and it was safer for them to hide far away.
Only Minister Fan stood in front of this group of people for a moment. He then ordered the guards in his manor to bring umbrellas for the Imperial Censors and waited to the side. No one knew if it would rain later.
— — — —
Led by a young eunuch, Fan Xian jogged through a few palace walls and arrived outside the royal study. The young eunuch was already panting from exhaustion. Fan Xian thought for a moment and circulated his zhenqi, causing his complexion to become a little rosier.
He entered the Emperor's royal study uneasily. Following the young eunuch's directions, he carefully stood beside the Emperor's soft couch. After a while, a curtain at the side of the study moved slightly. The Emperor, who had changed into regular clothes, walked in. Seeing Fan Xian's calm expression and a glimmer of excitement in his eyes, the Emperor waved his hand, indicating that he should not stand on ceremony.
Fan Xian was truly shameless and did not kneel in greeting. He accepted the embroidered stool that the young eunuch brought over and sat down obediently.
Today's royal study was much quieter than it had been that day. Only he and the Emperor were left, so the situation was a little strange. Fan Xian's expression was calm, but his heart was a little nervous. This was because a guess was only a guess. Although Chen Pingping's words and the many details of this life had long since confirmed this guess, if the Emperor really did make this guess clear, what would he do?
Just as Fan Xian felt that the Emperor was getting ready to put on the mask of a kind father, he was woken up by what the Emperor said next.
"Fan Xian, you do not lack money. Why are you greedy for it?" The Emperor looked at him coldly and asked directly.
A drop of cold sweat dripped from Fan Xian's forehead. He knew that he had indeed overestimated himself. He also knew that the matter of him receiving banknotes through Lady Liu could not be hidden from the Emperor in front of him. He stood up and said very seriously, "Long live. Because I am in charge of the First Bureau of the Overwatch Council, I need to receive banknotes."
"Oh?" The Emperor seemed to be a little curious about what he was going to say next.
"To truly supervise officials, one must first blend into the bureaucracy, like how the First Bureau of the Overwatch Council used to be cold and unapproachable. Although one can rely on a large network of spies to effectively supervise the officials in the capital, it is like looking at flowers in the fog. One can never see clearly. As for the most important transactions in the capital's bureaucracy, one can never be sure." Fan Xian carefully explained, "To supervise officials, one must become an official yourself."
He smiled bitterly and continued, "Long live your Majesty also knows that I have lived in Danzhou for a long time …" As he said this, he lowered his head, but when the Emperor heard this, he could feel a slight reaction.
"… After entering the capital, the changes have been too great. At the beginning, I was only a literary official. Now, I have to take over the Overwatch Council, which is such a heavy responsibility. I feel uneasy, and I often think that there is a layer of estrangement between me and the officials. It is difficult to blend into the court."
Without waiting for him to continue, the Emperor understood what he meant. He waved his hand and coldly said, "If you really are a white crane, even if you use ink to dye yourself black, you cannot fool those crows. These methods are truly childish. As long as you are loyal to the country, who would dare to make things difficult for you? Don't forget Zhu Ge's example. At first, that bastard wanted to plunge into the bureaucracy of the capital. Unexpectedly, he plunged head first into it and was unable to rise again. "
Fan Xian knew that the Emperor was repeatedly warning him to be a lonely official. He felt a bit disgusted, but his face did not change. He only chuckled and said, "Long live your Majesty. Today, someone in court is making things difficult for me …"
To the side, the eunuch holding the horsetail whisk felt his heart tremble. Sir Fan junior's words did not match his status. It seemed to be a bit arrogant because of his favor. No matter how much the Emperor liked this young official, he was afraid that he would lose his temper. Even the Crown Prince was respectful in front of the Emperor with a glimmer of fear. Who would speak like Fan Xian?
Unexpectedly, the Emperor glanced at Fan Xian with a slight smile and said, "I do want to give you justice. However, this is a matter between you and your family's elders. I don't want to meddle too much."
Fan Xian was shocked. He knew that the Emperor completely understood that the background of the Imperial Censorate's letter was related to Xinyang, but why did he still suppress him and not let him act? He was truly unwilling. He was about to give the Emperor some more eye drops when he suddenly saw the Emperor rub the space between his brows and faintly say, "I have a portrait for you to see."
Countless thoughts surged through Fan Xian's mind. He thought of what Chen Pingping had said. The only portrait his mother had left behind was in the Royal Palace.
At this moment, the door to the royal study was pushed open. Eunuch Hou, who was familiar with Fan Xian, walked in with a face full of anxiety. He quietly said something to the Emperor. Fan Xian's hearing was exceptional and had heard it clearly. He couldn't help but feel shocked. He thought to himself that the Imperial Censorate's Imperial Censorate had invested too much this time.
As expected, the Emperor's expression gradually darkened. Glancing at Fan Xian, he waved his hand and said, "Kneeling at the palace gates and taking off the black veil? This is remonstrating me for being muddle-headed. Then, I will show them how muddle-headed I am. Pass on my edict. The Imperial Censorate of the Imperial Censorate has corrupted court officials, recklessly interfered with Council matters, neglected state affairs, did not repent, and acted rashly. Thirty strokes of the cane! "
This was the first time Fan Xian had seen the Emperor angry. He couldn't help but feel a chill. Thirty strokes of the cane. If the Imperial Censorate didn't die, they would lose half their lives.
In reality, these Imperial Censorate's luck was too bad. Just as the Qing Emperor was preparing to do something important, he was interrupted by them. How could he forgive them?
— — —
Outside the Shenhua Gate, beside the Jade River, in front of the arch bridge, on the wet stone slabs, a few Imperial Censorates had their official robes stripped and were pressed to the ground to be beaten. The cane fell heavily and was slowly raised. Each time it rose and fell, it brought with it a few drops of blood and rain. The scene was bloody.
At this time, some of the civil officials who had heard the news had hurried back. Seeing this wretched scene, they rushed into the palace to admonish the Emperor. Looking at Fan Xian, who had been sent to the palace gates to observe the punishment, they couldn't help but feel a trace of fear in their eyes. Although today's matter was caused by the Imperial Censorate's people, the Emperor had actually used the cane, which had been suspended for many years, for Fan Xian's sake. They couldn't help but have a clearer understanding of Fan Xian's position in the Emperor's heart.
Fan Xian stood beside Eunuch Hou and narrowed his eyes as he watched the scene in front of him. He didn't have a trace of sympathy for the Imperial Censorate, but his face showed that he couldn't bear it. He said, "Eunuch Hou, tell your subordinates to go easy on them."
Eunuch Hou lowered his eyes and said, "Sir Fan, you have a good heart. You already told me earlier, and I didn't dare to disobey. I've already told you that although they are being beaten badly, they haven't hurt their muscles or bones."
Fan Xian's gaze swept down and saw that the eunuch's feet were spread out. He knew that this was the secret signal for "beating with all your heart." He sighed slightly and no longer cared about the matter.
Not far from the two of them, the Imperial Censor of the Left, who had been spared by the Emperor, fell to the ground with a pale face. Although he hadn't been caned, he felt that the punishment that had fallen on his subordinates was like a slap to his face. The servants left behind by Fan Xian's father had a look of disdain on their faces. Holding an umbrella in their hands, they looked at the dazed Imperial Censor of the Left.
Fan Xian walked over and waved his hand to disperse the servants. With a trace of pity, he looked at Imperial Censor Lai and said, "Why did you have to get involved in this matter?"
Imperial Censor Lai didn't know how much inside information Fan Xian knew. He stood where he was.
Fan Xian sighed and desperately begged Eunuch Hou to temporarily stop the caning and enter the palace alone to plead with the Emperor. It wasn't that he couldn't bear to see blood, nor did he want to spare these Imperial Censors who dared to provoke him. It was just that he had to do this in front of the hundreds of court officials who couldn't bear it.
As Fan Xian ran toward the palace, he thought bitterly to himself, You, the Emperor, want to use this caning to push me against all the other officials. I won't let it happen. I've worked so hard to build up my good character for two years. If it's all gone because of a few caning strikes, I'll lose a lot!
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