It was the chrysanthemum that was loved by the people of the Central Plains. Chrysanthemums were not rare, and Danzhou, where Fan Xian had lived, produced them in abundance. The Danzhou chrysanthemum tea was a famous product of the Qing Kingdom. These years, the Fan Manor in the capital had to buy a lot of it from their ancestors and bring it to the capital.
Because of this, Fan Xian was very familiar with this kind of flower. He often thought of the little yellow flower that bloomed on the side of the cliff in Danzhou. He knew that although the chrysanthemum was resistant to the cold, and in his previous life, Yuan Zhen's poem had shamelessly said that the flower would not bloom again after it bloomed. But in the end, it was not a winter plum. In such cold autumn weather, it should have long withered into mud.
The carriage passed through the heavy defense at the foot of the mountain. Under the gaze of the palace guards and the imperial soldiers, the young people of Fan Manor got off the carriage. They followed the mountain road beside the autumn stream and climbed for a long time. They turned around the waterfall, which was no longer as abundant as it was in spring and summer. Suddenly, they saw a temple built in the style of the Qing Temple appear in front of them. It appeared on the cliff that looked like it had been carved out of an axe.
The Hanging Temple was built against the mountain, and the wooden pillars were stacked layer by layer. The widest part of the temple was no more than ten feet wide, and it looked like a thin piece of art that had been casually pasted onto the cliff. The autumn wind was strong in the mountains, and as it whistled past, the onlookers couldn't help but feel a chill in their hearts. They couldn't help but worry that the wind would blow away the paper-like temple. According to legend, this was the earliest temple in the Qing Kingdom, and it was built by ascetic monks who worshipped the temple. It took them hundreds of years to build, and their purpose was to spread the light of the temple, and to persuade the people to do good.
The Temple had never interfered with worldly affairs and was extremely mysterious. However, it seemed that for thousands of years, it had always been secretly influencing the winds and clouds of this land. In many rumors that had already disappeared into the long river of history, one could faintly see the shadow of the Temple. In addition, although there were not many Ascetic Monks, they had always been righteous and were greatly loved by the common people. Thus, the Temple still had a very high position in the hearts of the common people.
As rulers, the royal family maintained a considerable amount of respect for the Temple, which could not affect them but still possessed a certain mysterious influence. This kind of superficial effort was what politicians were best at doing and what they were most willing to do.
Therefore, the Qing royal family held their Chrysanthemum Viewing Festival every three years in the Hanging Temple. This had become a tradition. The Chrysanthemum Viewing Feast was, to a greater extent, to reconcile the conflicts of interest between the members of the royal family and deepen their understanding of each other. Thus, they could avoid a situation where both sides fought to the death. At the very least, they could avoid the terrifying situation of two princes being assassinated at the same time decades ago and the Qing Kingdom not being able to find a successor for the throne.
The royal family of the Qing Kingdom did not have many people, so the Chrysanthemum Viewing Festival invited a few in-laws and even the families closest to the royal family to participate. According to recent custom, the Qin family and the Ye family, the two pillars of the military, were naturally part of the group. The Qin family had considerable power in the military, and the Ye family had been stationed in the capital for many years. Furthermore, they had the only Grandmaster in the Qing Kingdom, so their status was somewhat extraordinary.
Other than that, there were a few old families that had been created when the country was founded, and a few new families, such as the Ren family, who had married a distant princess. As for the Fan family, it was not because of the Fan family's current power. The royal family did not care much about the power of an official family, nor was it because Fan Xian had married Wan'er and thus had a secret relationship with the royal family. It was because the ancestor of the Fan family had personally raised the Emperor and King Jing. Their close relationship was not known to outsiders, but because of their personal relationship, the Fan family was the closest family to the royal family.
Fan Xian stood at the foot of the Floating Temple, gasping for breath. He looked at all the nobles of the Qing Kingdom standing in twos and threes, and he couldn't help but mutter, "Chrysanthemum Viewing Festival? Where are the chrysanthemums?"
Minister Fan had already been invited to a place where he could avoid the wind. The older generation always had some special privileges. The carriage stopped at the foot of the mountain, and the guards were left outside of the area where the royal guards were stationed. Thus, there was only one man and two women from the Fan family. Lin Wan'er, one of the members of the triangle, laughed and pointed down the mountain. "It's here."
Fan Xian was surprised, and he took a step toward the edge of the cliff. An irritating autumn wind blew against his face, and he couldn't help but squint his eyes. Then he took a deep breath and praised, "What a beautiful place."
The cliff that the Floating Temple was built on was slightly sunken in, like a U shape. The mountain path followed the side, so when Fan Xian came up, he didn't notice anything strange in the mountains. Now that he was at the top of the mountain, he looked down. His field of vision was very wide, and he found that the mountains were full of chrysanthemums. The color of these chrysanthemums was much darker than normal, and they were gold. The shape of the petals was long and narrow.
"Golden chrysanthemums. They really do match the style of the royal family." Fan Xian stood at the edge of the cliff and looked at the flowers that were like stars. He sighed and said, "It is so cold, and yet they are blooming so brightly. What a strange sight."
Lin Wan'er explained, "These are golden chrysanthemums. It is said that after the Floating Temple was built, the great master of the Northern Wei Kingdom, Gen Chen, personally moved them here. Ever since then, it has been a strange sight in the capital."
"Gen Chen?" Fan Xian sighed and said, "Could it be Ku He's great ancestor?"
"Yes."
Fan Xian shook his head and continued to look down the mountain. After a few more glances, he realized that the chrysanthemum flowers were not very flourishing. The soil between the mountains was not fertile, so it was often only a few feet away that a chrysanthemum flower would grow. However, at this time, the distance between the flower watchers and the mountains had been increased to the maximum. Thus, it created a visual illusion. It made people feel that the golden flowers, like stars in the sky, had taken up every corner of the mountains. Contrasted with the autumn colors of the mountains, it was particularly magnificent. The delicate flowers spread out in a majestic manner.
There were already people coming up to say hello, but because the Emperor was rather cold toward Fan Xian, and because of Wan'er's status, she did not allow the young masters of the large clans to talk too much with Fan Xian. So, they only exchanged greetings before parting ways. Fan Xian smiled warmly as he spoke to the crowd, but he began to empty his mind. He felt a little bored, and unconsciously began to observe his surroundings according to his professional habits.
The Floating Temple hung in the middle of the mountain, and behind it was a precipitous cliff. There was only one path up the mountain. Today, the royal family of the Kingdom of Qing had gathered here, and the foot of the mountain was already filled with imperial soldiers. They were heavily guarded, and the inner circle was carefully guarded by the palace guards, led by Gong Dian. As for the obedient eunuchs, no one knew if any of Eunuch Hong's disciples were among them. However, Fan Xian did not see any signs of the Tiger Guards, which was a bit strange. But with the current arrangement, it could be said to be watertight. Not to mention assassins, even if a mosquito flew up the mountain, it would be a headache.
He smiled and greeted Ren Shao'an. Seeing him being dragged away with some embarrassment, Fan Xian smiled in his heart. His father-in-law had passed away a long time ago, and his original connections were finally beginning to fade. Looking up, Fan Xian couldn't help but narrow his eyes. The few people with the most power in the Kingdom of Qing were all in this wooden temple. From afar, he could see that on the top floor, there was a person dressed in bright yellow clothing, leaning against the railing and admiring the view. That person was, of course, the Emperor.
Raising his head to look, Fan Xian felt a strange feeling in his heart. His mind suddenly spun, and he began to imagine a scene. If at this time, the people of Northern Qi, or the aces of Dongyi, burned this Floating Temple down, what would the world suddenly become? Of course, he also knew that the defenses in Jingdou were very tight. It was impossible for such a thing to happen. However, he still impudently imagined that if he wanted to climb up this temple, which footholds should he choose and what kind of path should he take to reach the top floor in the shortest amount of time.
This was purely a professional habit.
A eunuch hurried out of the temple, and the young nobles in the open space in front of the temple quickly made way for him. The eunuch walked in front of the three people of the Fan family, and very respectfully said in a low voice, "His Majesty has summoned Lady Wan'er."
Lin Wan'er was a little surprised. She looked at Fan Xian and softly asked, "Eunuch Dai, is it only me?"
Eunuch Dai was an old acquaintance of Fan Xian's, and he knew that in front of everyone, if Fan Xian was not summoned to the temple, there would be a lot of talk. He secretly looked at Fan Xian with a guilty expression, and calmly said, "His Majesty has no other orders."
Fan Xian smiled and said to Wan'er, "Then you go." He paused and then said with a light laugh, "Uncles always love their nieces the most. I know that."
Watching Wan'er disappear through the dark door of the Floating Temple, Fan Xian squinted his eyes and said nothing. He led his sister to another corner, ready to take a look at the scenery there. Unexpectedly, someone did not want to let him relax. A slightly uneasy voice rang out, "Teacher."
Fan Xian looked back, and sure enough, it was Ye Ling'er. Seeing her uneasy expression, Fan Xian knew why. Next year, Ye Ling'er would be married to the second prince, and the conflict between him and the second prince seemed to be one of anger. But in reality, it was a bloody and violent affair. Since she was Ye Zhong's daughter, how could she not know the real reason?
He looked at Ye Ling'er and smiled warmly. "What are you thinking? Are you blaming me for bullying your future husband too much? "
Seeing his calm expression, Ye Ling'er returned to her usual easygoing self. She smiled and said, "I was worried that you wouldn't talk to me."
Ruoruo laughed. "What are you talking about?"
Ye Ling'er sighed. "I don't know where the second prince is. In the future, he will be missing from the mahjong table. I'm not used to it." In the back garden of the Fan manor, there had been frequent mahjong parties over the past year or two. The four people at the table were Fan Ruoruo and Fan Sizhe. The other two were Lin Wan'er and Ye Ling'er, who were best friends.
"It's all because you and Ruoruo are giving money to Fan Sizhe and Wan'er." Fan Xian smiled. "When the game is over, you can lose less. You should be happy."
As he spoke, Qin Heng walked over from afar. Before he got close, he shouted, "What are you guys talking about, hiding here?" Seeing how loud his voice was, it seemed that he wanted everyone to hear him clearly. Fan Xian smiled wryly. "We're talking about mahjong."
Qin Heng's interest was piqued. He patted Fan Xian on the shoulder and said, "I'm good at that." He looked around and frowned. "The chrysanthemum viewing party … is a chance for the Emperor to get close to the children of the noble clans. Why is it so quiet around you?" With Fan Xian's power, even if those people felt inferior, they would still come and say a few words to him. There was no way it would be so quiet.
Fan Xian's face was calm. He said, "Today, I learned that chrysanthemums can only be looked at from afar and not played with. You know my personality. I don't want to talk to these people. As for getting close to them," he laughed, "I'm not interested."
The so-called chrysanthemum viewing party, in his eyes, was a social gathering similar to the wine parties in his previous life. It was also a bit like a tea party. It was a way to show how close the royal family was to each other and establish their status. But for Fan Xian, he did not want to rely on the power of the royal family to show his existence. So, he felt that it was very boring.
Qin Heng was already 30 years old. He had a wife and family, but the Qin family had to come see the chrysanthemum every three years. He had seen it many times already, and he was tired of it. Hearing Fan Xian say this, he couldn't help but nod.
Today, the second prince and Crown Prince Jing had not been released from their manors. They were still under house arrest, so they did not come to the Floating Temple.
"Teacher, the view here is not bad. Why don't you write a poem?" Ye Ling'er blinked her bright eyes.
Every time Fan Xian saw the girl's eyes shine like gemstones, he felt like he was going to get dizzy. He unconsciously squinted his eyes and said, "I said a long time ago that I would no longer write poems."
Ye Ling'er calling him "teacher" could be seen as a little girl playing around, and this amusing matter had long since spread throughout the capital. But for him to call himself "teacher" so boldly was rather funny. Qin Heng and Ruoruo could not help but laugh.
Qin Heng joked, "Sir Fan junior wrote that poem in Northern Qi. It has already spread all over the world. Do you think you can hide it from us?"
Fan Xian felt a headache coming on. He casually tossed out a poem and shook his head. "Don't tell anyone else. I hate writing poems."
Fan Ruoruo had her head lowered as she thought about the poem. She suddenly heard her brother sigh. She couldn't help but ask, "Why?"
"Because being chased around and asked to write poems is the most painful thing in the world," Fan Xian said slowly.
Then, under the confused gazes of the other three, he began to laugh. It was a very happy laugh, a very private one, and a very brainless one.
The nobles who had gathered in front of the Floating Temple, drinking tea and writing poems, suddenly heard the laughter. They looked over in surprise and saw four young men standing by the cliff. They quickly recognized who they were, and they couldn't help but feel shocked. Sir Fan junior's name was known throughout the world, and everyone knew him. But he had already thrown the second prince off his horse, and now he was standing with the younger generation of the Qin and Ye families. What did this mean?
Fan Xian did not care about what other people were looking at him. But suddenly, his nose twitched. He smelled a bit of smoke, and he wondered if today's main meal was ham. He turned his head and saw that in the corner of the Floating Temple, there was a barely noticeable black smoke rising up.
Everyone present was very sensitive, and naturally, he was the leader. But no one else noticed anything strange. Even the palace guards who were guarding the area did not have any reaction.
Those people were still looking at the four young men standing by the cliff. Who knew how much they felt, and how much they were envious of them?
…
…
The autumn wind blew past, and the black smoke seemed to have been plucked up. It suddenly became very angry, and within the black smoke, there was a fire. Fan Xian's body was already flying with the wind, heading toward the front of the Floating Temple.
"Qin Heng, protect these two girls."
By the time he finished speaking, he was already in front of the temple. He looked at the fire that was suddenly erupting, and he could feel the heat coming from it. He waved his hand, and a palace guard who was trying to attack him, yelled, "Are you blind?"
The fire began to burn. Because the Floating Temple was made of wood, the fire started very quickly. The young nobles who were attending the chrysanthemum viewing party screamed and tried to hide. For a moment, it was very chaotic. Although it was autumn and the weather was dry, this fire was very strange. The commander of the royal guards, Gong Dian, was on the highest floor of the temple, so the guards on the ground floor were a bit panicked.
Fan Xian shouted at the guards and eunuchs, "Where is the sand and stones?"
After he spoke, these people came to their senses. They now knew who Fan Xian was, and so they began to listen to his commands. One step at a time, one step at a time. First, they invited out the old officials on the first floor of the temple. Then, they sent guards upstairs to protect the emperor and deliver the news. At the same time, they sent out a dozen elites to carefully set up defenses around the temple.
Their reactions were quick, and their actions were clean. Although the nobles were terrified, the guards and eunuchs gathered their courage to extinguish the fire. Not long after, the flames were suppressed. Minister Fan and the other old officials took the opportunity to retreat from the first floor. But the stairs of the Floating Temple were very narrow, and the messenger was very slow. The people on the top floor could not come down just yet.
Seeing that his father was unharmed, Fan Xian felt slightly at ease, but he still felt a lingering fear. He had not expected his earlier fantasy to become reality. If this fire truly spread, the Emperor, who was admiring the scenery on the top floor, would probably die.
Someone must have started the fire. He did not know how the culprit was able to hide their identity and enter the heavily guarded temple. But the method of starting the fire was too lousy, and Fan Xian found out.
Things were not that simple. Fan Xian stood in front of the chaotic temple, and he forced himself to remain calm. He analyzed the situation, but he could not come up with a single clue. But thinking about Wan'er, who was still on the top floor, his emotions were a little messed up, and it was difficult for him to calm down. He had a bad feeling about this, but he did not dare to go up the stairs. He was afraid of being used.
"Fan Xian, go and protect the emperor!" Minister Fan walked in front of him and coldly said.
"Yes, sir." Fan Xian had been thinking about this for a long time, and he did not have time to study the strange expression in his father's eyes. He led two highly skilled guards toward the top floor of the Floating Temple. But he did not want to use the stairs. Instead, he pushed off the ground and became a black shadow. He stepped on the narrow eaves of the Floating Temple, and like a nimble ghost, he climbed to the top of the building.
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