In the darkness of the carriage, the young man had a faint smile on his lips. It was a smile that he did not want to show. There was a hint of shyness that a man should not have. His lightly spread eyebrows were like the murals in the temples of Qing, giving off a natural feeling of antiquity and nobility.
"I don't understand." There was a hint of distress in the young man's smile. "I don't understand many things. For example, why did he investigate me? Does he not know that I truly admire him?"
His fingers gently pinched the sachet at his waist. He sniffed the scent of lilacs that was slowly spreading out. He gently leaned his head against the soft wall of the carriage and half-closed his eyes. "It is natural for me to admire him. Father is used to the life of a horse. Why does he value his literary name so much?"
No one dared to respond to him. No one had the ability to respond to him. So the young nobleman was still trapped in that absurd sense of unreality.
"Why?"
"Why?"
The bashful smile on his face gradually disappeared. He gently removed his fingers from the sachet and rubbed them against the tip of his nose, as if trying to preserve all the remaining fragrance on his fingertips.
"This doesn't make sense."
"But there's nothing I can do." The young man sighed. He turned his head to look at the bunch of green grapes beside him. Suddenly, he reached out and grabbed the grape by its stem. He expressionlessly threw the grapes away. "Father loves him too much."
"More than he loves me."
The corners of his mouth twitched nervously. He thought of the Crown Prince in the palace and his aunt in Xinyang. He waved his hand and said to the bowing censor beside him, "Sue for peace."
Censor He Zongwei did not participate in this operation. He raised his head in surprise and saw a flash of weariness in the second prince's eyes. He did not speak for a while.
— — — —
The Imperial Censorate's Imperial Censor had been beaten until his flesh and bones were separated and his blood was dripping. This matter naturally became the most sensational news in Jingdou recently. The newly published newspaper in the palace lightly described the situation at the time, and the internal court bulletin of the government wrote it clearly.
Everyone knew that through this incident, the Emperor had once again emphasized the authority of the Overwatch Council. Even more obviously, he had once again emphasized his desire to protect the young man called Fan Xian.
There was a seat in the royal study, and there was a seat in the Overwatch Council. If the Imperial Censor were to accuse him, it would mean that the Emperor was giving him face. Fan Xian, this was already a dazzling name. Now, on top of the golden content, there was an additional thick black and gray border. Most officials did not dare to look directly at him.
On the day the Imperial Censor was beaten, it was rumored that the young Commissioner had knelt outside the royal study and begged the Emperor to stop the punishment. The Imperial Censor was able to live because he had disregarded his former enmity and begged for mercy. At the time, Eunuch Hou, who had carried out the punishment, had casually revealed that the reason he had not beaten the Imperial Censor to death with three strikes was because of Commissioner Fan's secret request.
On the surface, Fan Xian did not turn this matter into a favor to the Imperial Censorate. He maintained his silence on the matter of the cane. On the contrary, it was this attitude that allowed him to gain more understanding and support. After all, he had kept the lives of those pitiful Imperial Censors. The Jingdou scholars and Imperial College students, who had secretly stood on his side, felt that they had not supported the wrong person.
The people of the Qing Kingdom had always thought the Overwatch Council was the Emperor's dog. It was not until this matter, perhaps because Fan Xian's reputation as an immortal poet was too dazzling, that people began to learn to face this organization that had always been hidden in the dark. Their impression of the Overwatch Council, or at least the First Bureau, began to gradually change. There was a possibility of transition between black and white. Within the camp of good and evil, there was also a different kind of beauty.
Gray silence. This was the Overwatch Council.
…
…
There were still a few more days before the chrysanthemum viewing party in the Royal Palace. Fan Xian sat in his courtyard with his head half tilted, guessing what exactly Wan'er was embroidering. At the same time, he wondered what Fan Sizhe, the little bastard, had been playing these days. Occasionally, he would also wonder if the Second Prince, who was very similar to him, still had that slightly bashful smile on his lips.
When Fan Xian thought of this matter, he was not very happy. Slightly bashful? Naive? This was his trademark! Suddenly discovering that someone more noble than him also had this quality, he began to feel uneasy in the depths of his heart.
"Young master." Teng Zijing respectfully reported, "According to your wishes, Miss Shen has already moved into the garden."
Fan Xian nodded. "Has she been acting strangely these past few days?"
Teng Zijing replied, "Aside from her somewhat gloomy state of mind, there has been nothing out of the ordinary."
Fan Xian nodded and slowly closed his eyes. "Send an invitation for me. Invite the young and old of the Yan manor over for a meal."
"Should I inform the Master?" Teng Zijing glanced at him and asked carefully.
Fan Xian laughed and said, "Of course. If father knew that he was able to eat at the same table as Yan Ruohai, I'm afraid he would be much happier. "
Teng Zijing agreed and couldn't help but say, "That Imperial Censor He Zongwei has come again. Young master, are you still not going to meet him today?"
Fan Xian opened his eyes. It was unclear what they meant. Of course, he knew He Zongwei. When he had first entered the capital, he had interacted with him at Yishi Tavern. At the time, this great scholar of the capital was attached to the only son of Guo You, Guo Baokun, the Minister of Rites. Yet, he refused to pass up the opportunity to make friends with Fan Xian. He was presumably a scholar who was passionate about power.
As for why he had become the Imperial Censor, Fan Xian was very clear about the hidden reasons. He knew that he had been visiting every day, representing that noble master. Because of Fan Xian, even Li Hongcheng was avoiding him, the Second Prince was probably a little annoyed.
"See him."
Fan Xian waved his hand and stood up. The preparations in the Council were almost complete. Seeing him and expressing his attitude was not an undeclared war.
…
…
After walking around the garden for a long time, Fan Xian felt a little annoyed. When he reached the front residence, he wondered why he had run so fast the night he returned from Northern Qi. Perhaps he was really worried that his sister would run away and his wife would make a cuckold of him?
As he thought this, he realized that the gravel path between the autumn trees was a little short. He walked into the study of the front residence. The Imperial Censor, He Zongwei, was already sitting in the room.
Seeing Fan Xian arrive, He Zongwei hurriedly stood up and bowed. "Master Fan."
Fan Xian waved his hand. "It's not the first time we've met. There's no need to be so polite."
That was true. After last spring, He Zongwei often came to Fan Manor to visit. Perhaps he wanted to walk the same path as the Fan family, but he didn't expect Fan Xian to have already seen through his thoughts about Ruoruo. Plus, he didn't like the man's deeply hidden nature, so he cleanly drew the line between them.
After coming a few times and being ignored, He Zongwei retreated. But this famous scholar of the capital was no stranger to the people of Fan Manor.
He Zongwei saw that there was no one else in the study. "I have come because of a previous matter," he said straightforwardly.
"A previous matter?" Fan Xian only said these two words before closing his mouth. The ends of his brows rose slightly. With a glimmer of interest, he looked at Imperial Censor He Zongwei's face. However, he waved his hand and stopped him from continuing to speak.
He Zongwei's face was dark. It was obvious that he came from a poor family when he was young. But these years in the capital, and half a year in the bureaucracy, had made him more mature, and had slightly shed some of the arrogance of a scholar.
His eyes were unusually clear, and his face was full of undisguised righteousness. Anyone who saw him would feel that he was amiable. But in Fan Xian's eyes, it was incomparable disdain.
"What previous matter?" Fan Xian narrowed his eyes and asked with a smile. "I am not very clear."
He Zongwei was indeed worthy of being the second prince's lobbyist. A faint smile appeared on his dark face, a sincere smile that could not be missed. "It's nothing, it was a slip of the tongue. I just brought a box of good tea from Mount Yunwu on behalf of the second prince."
Fan Xian looked at the seemingly ordinary box in front of him and fell silent. He knew that if he accepted this gift, it would be the same as making up for the incident with the censor a few days ago. From the second prince's point of view, perhaps Fan Xian had not suffered any losses, and had instead gained a great deal of face from the wooden staff in front of the palace walls. He should be willing to let the matter rest.
"Master He, it was a slip of the tongue. I remember something from before." Fan Xian looked at He Zongwei with a smile.
He Zongwei couldn't help but feel his heart tremble. He felt that this young and handsome Master Fan, this young man who, as soon as he entered the capital, had completely stolen all of his glory as a scholar, how could his expression be so similar to the second prince's?
"What matter are you referring to, Master?" He Zongwei felt a bit uneasy.
Fan Xian looked at him coldly. "I left the capital in the spring and went to Northern Qi. Unexpectedly, I returned a few months ago and found that things in the capital had changed greatly. Even my father-in-law has been forced to retire."
He Zongwei's tongue felt a bit bitter. He couldn't say anything. He knew that the thing he feared the most had finally happened.
Fan Xian quietly said, "Master He, you should know who Wu Bo'an is, right?"
He Zongwei forced himself to be alert. "He is the Prime Minister's strategist."
Fan Xian raised his eyebrows. "Master He, you are indeed a man with an old friendship. This spring, you and Wu Bo'an's widow entered the capital together. I wonder where Madam Wu is now?"
He Zongwei gritted his teeth and stood. He cupped his hands in a salute and begged, "Master Fan, that day I was grieved over the death of an old member of the Guo family, so I boldly brought Madam Wu into the capital. Correct, the Prime Minister's downfall is inextricably linked to my actions. However, this matter involves the laws of the Qing Kingdom. I dare not conceal it. I hope you can understand." Naturally, he did not have the extravagant hope that Fan Xian would let him go. Relying on the fact that he was now on good terms with the second prince, he stubbornly said, "You can target me as much as you want. However, the second prince is sincere. I hope you will not insist."
Fan Xian glanced at him and lightly said, "I am an official of the court. Naturally, I will not target someone. However, I am also just an ordinary person. I will always remember some personal grudges."
He Zongwei glanced at him with hatred in his eyes. He knew that the peace talks today had already become an illusion. Although the Prime Minister's downfall had something to do with him, that was his duty as a subject of the Qing Kingdom. So what if he used some tricks? Did the father-son-in-law pair not know how to use tricks? Thinking of this, he rose and bowed, preparing to leave in a huff.
Fan Xian looked at him with extreme disgust. Suddenly, he did something that did not match his status. He stepped forward and kicked He Zongwei in the waist!
There was a muffled sound, and He Zongwei fell to the ground in embarrassment!
He Zongwei was, after all, a famous figure in the capital. He was also the Imperial Censor. He angrily climbed to his feet and pointed at Fan Xian. "You … you … you dare hit me!"
Fan Xian clenched his fists. "I was kicking you! You came to my manor to ask for a beating. Naturally, I had to satisfy you. " He threw a few more punches. Although he did not dare to kill He Zongwei, he still beat He Zongwei into a pig's head.
He Zongwei did not dare to stay any longer. Holding his aching head, he remembered that when Fan Xian had made his debut, he had been famous for his dark fists. He quickly scrambled out of the manor. However, as he was leaving the room, he suffered another flying kick from Fan Xian and a dart from a tea box.
...
...
Fan Xian looked at the wretched figure of the servant and felt a little better. He lowered his head and spat. "You tricked my father-in-law, and now you come to my manor to ask for peace. F * ck, if this isn't asking for a beating, then what is?"
Teng Zijing flashed over from the side and smiled bitterly. "Young master, if word of this gets out, I'm afraid it won't look good on the old master."
Fan Xian shrugged. "It's just beating a barking dog. It's all for his master to see."
It was said that a few months ago, when Fan Xian was still part of the diplomatic mission heading north, he had received the Council's court bulletin. He clearly understood how the Prime Minister, his father-in-law, had fallen from power. And with the help of the dead old man Xiao En, his judgment of the matter was even more accurate.
Wu Bo'an was a strategist the Eldest Princess had placed in the Prime Minister's office. Last summer, he had instigated the second son of the Lin family to join forces with Northern Qi to assassinate Fan Xian on Niulan Street. Unexpectedly, he had died under a grape trellis. Because of this, Wu Bo'an's son was also tortured to death by the Prime Minister's men in Shandong. Fan Xian naturally did not know that this was the doing of Yuan Hongdao, Chen Pingping's deepest spy.
Wu Bo'an's wife had been arranged to enter the capital by Xinyang. Cleverly, through He Zongwei, she had moved into the old residence of an old Imperial Censor, and began to lodge a complaint against the Emperor.
What really toppled Prime Minister Lin was a very unreasonable murder.
On the streets of the capital, an assassin had attempted to assassinate Wu Bo'an's wife. It seemed that the Prime Minister's men had wanted to silence her, but she had been saved by the combined efforts of the second prince and Crown Prince Jing.
This matter was reported to the palace, and Prime Minister Lin Ruofu had no choice but to accept the deal and dejectedly leave the capital.
It was from that report that Fan Xian began to suspect the role the second prince and Crown Prince Jing played in this matter. It was also from that day onwards that he began to think about the true relationship between the second prince and the Eldest Princess of Xinyang.
Every time he saw Da Bao, Fan Xian would think of his father-in-law, who had returned home. This was not some official matter of state. It was just a personal grudge between Fan Xian and the second prince. Although Fan Xian must have had more far-reaching plans behind it, at least as the son-in-law, Fan Xian had to take revenge on this matter.
…
…
Fan Xian rubbed his fists and stretched his muscles. He felt much better. He turned around and returned to the back residence. As he walked, he said to Teng Zijing in a clear voice, "Don't tell father about this. I think that He Zongwei would be too embarrassed to spread it around."
When he arrived at the back residence, Wan'er was still earnestly embroidering something. Fan Xian looked at his wife, smiled slightly, and walked up to her.
— — —
He was too embarrassed to spread the news that He Zongwei had been beaten, but the second prince still knew about it. He increasingly did not understand what Fan Xian was relying on to be so arrogant. The second prince did not seem to have much power in the court, but in reality, with the help of the Eldest Princess of Xinyang, he had already gained the loyalty of many court officials, so he actually did not think much of Fan Xian.
But now that he thought about it, this Fan Xian … was clearly a great scholar with a scholarly heart and a refined heart. How did he become such an unreasonable official? Could it be that the Overwatch Council really had such a great influence on a person?
But the second prince still believed that Fan Xian was at most caught up in a personal dispute. He did not wish to condescend to see Fan Xian under these circumstances. He assumed that Fan Xian would have calmed down after beating He Zongwei, so the second prince only wrote a letter to Xinyang. He was not too worried.
…
…
Within the beautiful Li Palace in Xinyang, a beautiful old tree was slowly and silently plucking its leaves. The yellowish leaves floated among the white gauze curtains. A soft hand reached into the air and gently caught a leaf. The veins on the hand were not very thick, but they faintly moved through the white jade-like skin, like the spirit of jade. It was very beautiful.
Eldest Princess Li Yunrui, who had left the capital for a year, yawned like a young girl. She threw the withered leaf in her hand to the ground, raised her arm to support her chin, and turned her eyes slightly, overflowing with charm. "What do you think, Master Yuan?"
Yuan Hongdao, who had betrayed Prime Minister Lin Ruofu and was now working for Xinyang, was expressionless. However, there was a hint of surprise in his eyes. "The Second Prince is blessed by the heavens. He has underestimated the enemy a little."
The eldest princess giggled. "That Fan Xian is only a young man. To call him an enemy, Master Yuan is being overly cautious."
Yuan Hongdao laughed bitterly. "This son-in-law is no ordinary man. Although the matter of Northern Qi was not fully accomplished, and the eldest princess's clever plan was not fully realized, Master Fan was ingenious. His hands were not stained with blood, but he provoked the Emperor of Northern Qi to secretly send Shang Shanhu to assassinate Shen Zhong. How can such a man be described as reckless? Besides, the son-in-law is the immortal poet of his generation. Such a well-spoken but well-intentioned man, his thoughts are many times more complicated than those of an ordinary man. "
The eldest princess sighed and slowly rose from the brocade couch. Her luxurious palace robes revealed a large portion of her neck, which was incomparably fair, like a swan's.
"That kid. Not only did he not save Xiao En, he even sabotaged Shen Zhong in the end. The Cui family is complaining every day, and the position of Provost of the Discipline Commission in Northern Qi is still empty. The Brocade Guards don't dare to make decisions, and for a while, the distribution channels are blocked."
The eldest princess's confidant, Huang Yi, who had been standing quietly to the side, respectfully said, "We are currently in discussion with the Empress Dowager of Northern Qi. But the young Emperor of Northern Qi has been very stubborn lately, and has stubbornly resisted the Empress Dowager's order to appoint Marquis Ninghou as Provost of the Discipline Commission."
The eldest princess laughed coldly. "That old woman of Northern Qi is really an idiot. She could have chosen any unremarkable confidant, but she insisted on having her own brother be the head of the secret service. Does she think her own son is stupid?"
Yuan Hongdao reminded her, "Let's not talk about the matter of Northern Qi for now. I just don't know how things will develop in the capital."
Huang Yi had always disliked how he had gained the eldest princess's trust not long after arriving in Xinyang. Suppressing the faint jealousy in his heart, he said, "After the chaos in the capital for a while, things should calm down. Presumably, His Majesty does not wish for the successor of the Overwatch Council, whom he had personally chosen, to have an irreconcilable conflict with his own son."
Yuan Hongdao laughed coldly. "I don't know what His Majesty is thinking, but I do know that Sir Fan junior is someone who refuses to be taken advantage of. This time, the Imperial Censorate's Imperial Censors collectively denounced him, originally to remind him that there were some things he could not touch. Who would have thought that His Majesty would favor him so much? Fan Xian's face has been damaged, and naturally, he will find a way to get it back."
Huang Yi didn't care about his expression. "Do you think that Fan Xian would dare to make a big deal out of this?"
Only now did the eldest princess smile slightly. "What Sir Yuan says makes sense. This time, I shouldn't have rushed the Imperial Censorate to touch that little guy. That little guy's personality is quite stubborn." She suddenly covered her mouth and laughed. "Huang Yi, don't say it like that. That son-in-law of mine … really likes to make trouble. Fan Jian, that old thing, named his son An Zhi. Presumably, he had the foresight to know that my son-in-law couldn't stay quiet."
As she covered her mouth and laughed, the Li Palace was suddenly filled with a bright and beautiful color. The liveliness in her eyes and the charm in her brows were like the rain in autumn, moistening every inch of space. It made Huang Yi freeze where he stood, not knowing what to say. Even Yuan Hongdao couldn't help but be a little absent-minded.
"I reckon that my good son-in-law will certainly take a few more bites out of the second prince," the eldest princess said with a smile. "Write a letter and have the second prince sue for peace. No matter how injured he is, he will sue for peace."
Although the words of the most beautiful woman in the Qing Kingdom were gentle, no one dared to comment on the power contained within. Huang Yi wanted to say something but stopped. He couldn't help but shake his head.
The eldest princess smiled sweetly. "Mother's letter says that she wants me to return to the Palace for the new year. Just wait. Wait until I return to the capital. I will have a good time with my son-in-law."
— — —
In Jingdou, in the embrace of the autumn night, the secret agents of the First Bureau of the Overwatch Council began to move.
The director of the Imperial Astronomer was an unremarkable position. However, at special times — such as when a meteor fell or Yue 'er was eaten by a dog — he was responsible for explaining things to the Emperor. His explanations sometimes had serious consequences.
He was the Second Prince's man. However, before he had time to show his usefulness, he had been captured by the most famous black dogs in the Qing Kingdom.
On the long street, with a whooshing sound, a dozen black-clothed men, like demons of the night, jumped directly into the manor of the director of the Imperial Astronomer. By the time the guards reacted, their master had already been tied up like a rice dumpling by these black-clothed men.
However, these bandits did not leave. On the contrary, they lit up the lights in the courtyard.
Under the light of the courtyard, the guards, who were armed with martial arts, looked at the black-clothed men's clothes and did not dare to make a move.
Mu Tie, dressed in black and personally leading the way, looked coldly at the miscellaneous people present and the family of the director of the Imperial Astronomer. Enunciating each word, he said, "The Overwatch Council is handling a case by imperial edict."
After saying this, the officials of the First Bureau of the Overwatch Council dragged the director of the Imperial Astronomer out of the manor and stuffed him into a carriage. In a moment, they disappeared into the pitch-black night. A wail suddenly rang out in the director's manor, and the lights gradually went out.
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