The manor next to Shenzheng Road in the capital had never had many people staying there. The main task here was to pass on Fan Xian's orders and receive information from Shangjing's Wang Qinian. Si Lili's brother and the others all lived in the wing. The room was set aside for Fan Xian to work in, so naturally, there was no way to light a fire.
Although they knew the commissioner was coming today and had already sent out a heater, there was still a lot of cold in the room, and it couldn't be dispersed. Fan Xian sat in his wheelchair, feeling the cold in the room. He couldn't help but shake his hands and smile bitterly. "You can't even bear to light a heater... is the manor that poor?"
Deng Zi Yue was warming an inkstone on the stove. He called for his subordinates to bring some hot water to melt the frozen brush. Hearing Fan Xian's words, he smiled bitterly. "Sir, you've been busy these days, and you've been injured. The servants didn't prepare for you to come today."
With great difficulty, he was almost done. Fan Xian propped his head up and watched Deng Zi Yue desperately grind the ink block against the warmed inkstone, mixing it with warm water. It was as if he was sharpening a knife. After a while, he finally ground out some juice.
Fan Xian nodded with satisfaction. It seemed that his new confidant's skill was not much worse than that of a royal doctor. He dipped the melted brush into the inkstone, dipped it in some ink, and wrote a few words on the snow-white paper... damn, the ink froze again!
"What kind of weather is this?" Fan Xian was furious. He threw the charred brush on the table and cursed. "How come it's not this cold at home?"
Deng Zi Yue felt a gust of cold wind blowing around the room. He carefully replied, "The furnaces in the fu are much better. When we first bought this courtyard, we did not prepare them. We did not even have time to heat up the kang bed."
"I'm not sleeping here," Fan Xian said angrily. Fan Xian said angrily, "You and Lao Wang are both so stingy … Back then, I gave Wang Qinian 1,000 liang of silver, and he only spent 120 liang to buy this run-down courtyard … Do you want to freeze me to death?"
Deng Zi Yue felt some sympathy for his predecessor, who was far away in Northern Qi and was being scolded by the commissioner every day. He carefully said, "It's peaceful."
"It's not just quiet." Fan Xian glanced at him and said hatefully, "It's called cold! If the officials in the capital were to see this, I'm afraid they would really think the Overwatch Council is just a small yamen. "
He had a few important letters to write today, so he couldn't care less. He tried his best to use the brush, but in the end, he couldn't use it smoothly. After struggling for a while, he finally gave up. He slammed the desk and shouted, "Give me that brush!"
Deng Zi Yue dawdled for a while and finally took out a pen from his close-fitting clothes. As he was about to hand it to Fan Xian, his expression became cautious. "This pen is expensive. I heard that the palace treasury doesn't have much left. Please use it sparingly."
Fan Xian snatched it and looked at him with disdain. It was just a pencil. Why was it so expensive? When we go to Jiangnan and find a few more graphite mines, the pencil business of the palace treasury will naturally start again. At that time, I will ask the palace treasury to make two baskets for you to carry. One basket for you to write until you die, and the other basket for you to play on the street.
…
…
The pencil glided across the snow-white paper like the toes of a beautiful woman dancing on smooth ice. Occasionally, it scraped up a few traces of ice and snow.
Deng Zi Yue knew that the commissioner was writing a secret letter, so he tactfully retreated. In the cold study, Fan Xian was the only one writing with the broken end of the pen. The mist that came out of his mouth appeared and disappeared on the paper. It looked very strange.
The contents of the letter were also very strange. Although it was a secret letter from the Overwatch Council, the implications of the letter were too great. Furthermore, the writing of the pencil could be erased, so Fan Xian was not at ease. The language used was rather vague, and important sentences such as the time involved were all in code words.
The letter was addressed to Wang Qinian, and it was about the Cui family. Because the Cui family had been persecuted in the capital, in order to help the second prince and Xinyang raise money, they had no choice but to move a large amount of smuggled goods to Northern Qi. However, the channels there had never been opened, so there was a phenomenon of stockpiling goods.
Currently, the goods that the Cui family had moved from Xinyang, as well as the warehouses in the north, accounted for about one-sixth of the annual production of the palace treasury!
From this ratio, it could be seen how bold the Eldest Princess had become after all these years of controlling the palace treasury. She did not hesitate to seek personal gain.
The current situation was the result of Fan Xian and Yan Bingyun spending a few months attacking the second prince and squeezing the Cui family dry. He had been waiting for this moment. He wanted to eat the other party clean in one bite, not even spitting out a bone.
At the end of the letter to Wang Qinian, he wrote: It's time to eat.
…
…
Fan Xian sat in his wheelchair, slightly tilting his head. He gently rubbed the area above the wound on his chest. It was wrapped in bandages, and it was a little itchy. After writing the letter, his hand was already numb from the cold. Suddenly, he began to miss the time in Danzhou when Sisi would help him copy books every day. When he was copying books, this girl would place his hand in her embrace to warm it. His hand was plump, and it felt good to the touch.
His heart fluttered, and he picked up the brush to write again. This second letter was addressed to Haitang Duoduo. However, when he wrote, his heart held a wanton heart, so the words in the letter were a little presumptuous and occasionally provocative.
Ever since he had returned from Northern Qi, his correspondence with Haitang had never stopped. He had long gotten used to having a pen pal in the north. After all, the two of them were powerful figures of the younger generation of two countries. It was necessary and beneficial for the future to maintain a smooth channel of communication.
In the letter, he talked about the recent gossip in Qing Kingdom's capital. Of course, the Hanging Temple incident was also included. Although the assassination of the Qing Emperor had shocked the world and Northern Qi had long reported in detail, as the person involved, he told the story with much more vividness than in a book.
He also said a few other things and secretly pointed out that he was preparing to take action against the Cui family. He wanted her and the unknown boy or girl Emperor to cooperate with him. At the end of the letter, he copied a poem to prove that he was still as talented as usual.
"I have come to repay a debt of gratitude, but it is not all profit and glory. The ancients died for their bosom friends, afraid that their bones would be frozen and buried in the courtyard. How can the people of the middle court miss me? Heavy coats and thick shoes float with beautiful tassels. I have heard that the north is even colder. I wonder how the people live. "
These were the last few lines of Sima Guang's bitter journey. Fan Xian read it over with some pride and rubbed his slightly stiff hands together. He felt that the poem he copied was too appropriate. Furthermore, the words between the lines were filled with bemoaning the state of the universe and pitying the fate of mankind. It would probably make Haitang think for a long time. It was not worth it to deceive a girl to death. This was exactly what he liked to do.
After confirming that he had not missed anything, he sealed the letter and pressed the wax. Suddenly, his heart jumped. He felt as if his desire to pour out his heart had not been completely satisfied. Facing the normal-looking girl on the other end of the letter, who was shaking her head like a village girl, he felt that he was facing an old friend. For a moment, he sank into silence.
Then, he spread out another piece of white paper and thought for a moment before raising his pen and writing:
"Duoduo, how are you? The previous letter was considered official business. This one is just a casual chat. Today, Jingdou had its first snow in the fifth year of the Qing calendar. It came earlier than usual. I thought that the snow in Shangjing would be even heavier and the weather even colder. That day in your vegetable garden, I saw a few wintersweet at the corner of the fence. I wonder if those wintersweet blossoms have bloomed and moisturized the monotonous appearance of the white snow. "
"Hmm, how are the ducks you raise? Be careful, don't freeze to death … my side is fine. Xiao Huang, Xiao Hei, and Xiao Bai are all raised in the country estates outside the capital. I heard that the workers there treat these three big fat cats like their ancestors. How could there be any problems raising them? "
"Everything is fine for me. I eat and sleep, sleep and eat. My house is quiet. These two days, my sister has been busy in the Imperial Academy of Medicine. I heard that she has become a rare sight in the capital. Wan'er went back to Lin Manor today. That cute brother-in-law of mine has been neglected recently, and his temper is a little bad. I wonder what you are doing at this time? "
Fan Xian wrote casually, as carelessly as if he were speaking. He simply wrote whatever came to mind.
"Right, that student of mine, surnamed Shi, opened a brothel. Business is good, and the food is very exquisite. If one day you travel to the Qing Kingdom, I will accompany you. Ah, I suddenly remember the name of that restaurant in Shangjing. I have forgotten the name of that restaurant, but I do remember that the wine was good that day. I said a lot of nonsense to you, but I don't know how much you remember. "
"Speaking of which, I have read your previous letters a few times. I can't bear to read them. You are a saintess. Don't learn the style of those noble young ladies. They always like to put poems in their letters. Although I have the fake title of immortal poet, I have no interest in correcting essays."
"Last time, you said Si Lili was doing well … Hmm, let's not talk about this in the future. I've always held a grudge against her, and I don't know why, but I especially hate hearing news about her from you."
"Duoduo, come to the Qing Kingdom to play. My wife is also very curious about you … Also, by the way, can the martial arts of Tianyi Dao be taught to outsiders? Recently, I have suddenly become very interested in your training methods. "
This seemingly natural question revealed the shamelessness and treachery in the depths of Fan Xian's heart.
"The snow outside seems to be getting heavier. The young man outside is still chopping firewood. Young people are always hot-blooded. Although I'm still young, I don't know why, but my heart is showing signs of old age. Looking at the people around me, it's hard for me to be interested. I'm tired, bored … The wind and snow outside are howling, perhaps urging me to start writing. Alright then, let's stop here. The stove in the room is too broken, and the temperature can't be raised. Although I still want to talk to you, I feel that there's no need to go against the coldness of God … Also, please help me take care of him. Thank you, and may he be well. "
Although the letter was natural, there was still a lot of useful information mixed in. He read the letter again and added a sentence at the end, "Wang Qinian, if you dare to peek again, I'll ask Mu Tie's nephew to peek at your daughter bathing!"
— — —
"Why is there one more than usual?" Deng Zi Yue opened his eyes wide and looked at Fan Xian. He counted the letters in his hand. "There are two for Miss Hai Tang?"
"Why are you asking so many questions?" Fan Xian said. "Same old routine. Escort her all the way to Shangjing."
Deng Zi Yue nodded and walked out of the room. He handed the sealed letters to the member of the Qinian Unit who had been waiting outside. The man counted the letters in his hand and asked the same question. "Why … are there two?"
Deng Zi Yue looked at him, and the corner of his mouth twitched unsightly. He took a deep breath and said, "Why are you asking so many questions?"
The two of them looked at each other and nodded. They stopped talking, thinking that the commissioner was using the Overwatch Council's top-secret mail route to send … love letters. It was a bit extravagant.
…
…
Fan Xian sat in his wheelchair and left the courtyard of Shenzheng Road. He got into the carriage and went to Lin Manor, ready to take Wan'er and Da Bao home. In the carriage, he suddenly asked, "Is there something strange about the position of Minister of the Imperial College? Also, I have long since left Taichang Temple. Why am I promoted to Vice-Minister of Taichang Temple? "
Deng Zi Yue first explained, "There are two Vice-Ministers. Vice-Minister Ren is the main one, and you are the deputy … But this is a nominal position, and you don't have to go there every day. The Minister of the Imperial College is in charge of seven schools, and both of these positions are of the upper fourth rank. " He reminded him, "Sir, although you can no longer be a court official after taking over the position of Commissioner, the court has not issued an edict to remove you from these two positions. This time, the Emperor has given you these two nominal positions. Presumably, it is only to show that the Emperor favors you, and there is no other meaning."
Fan Xian shook his head. These two positions were the last two in the Emperor's edict. At first, he did not think much of it, but the more he thought about it, the more he felt that something was wrong. The Emperor was a man of deep thought, and he would never use an official position as a mere steamed bun.
"These two positions … Is there anything … special about them?" He frowned and tried to organize his words.
After thinking for a long time, Deng Zi Yue replied with some uncertainty, "The position of Vice-Minister is common, and there is nothing special about it. It is just that Taichang Temple is in charge of miscellaneous matters in the ancestral temple, and it is more convenient to enter the palace … The Minister of the Imperial College has not appeared in recent years. After a few new policies, the positions have become a bit messy …"
He suddenly slapped his thigh and said happily, "I remember now. In the past, the Minister of the Imperial College had to enter the palace to give lectures to the princes, and he was the assistant of the grand tutor."
Fan Xian was stunned, and his mouth opened wide. He was speechless for a long time. He finally understood why the Emperor had arranged these two positions for him. Vice-Minister of Taichang Temple and Minister of the Imperial College. Wouldn't that make him the teacher of the princes?
More accurately, wouldn't he be responsible for disciplining the little bastard Third Prince?
Thinking of this, he turned pale with fright and cursed, "I don't have the time to enter the palace every day … Aren't we going to Jiangnan? How could you arrange such a terrible thing for me to do? "
With a creak, the carriage seemed to have been stopped by his scolding. The curtain was lifted slightly, and in the light snow, he saw that the front of the carriage was blocked by a eunuch and a few palace guards.
Eunuch Yao looked at Fan Xian in the carriage, and his eyebrows trembled in fear. In a trembling voice, he said, "Sir, let me find a good one … Come with me quickly, the Emperor has summoned you to the palace."
(Two chapters behind schedule. I didn't control it well.)
(To be continued, if you want to know what happened next, please go to WWW. CMFU. com. There are more chapters. Support the author, support the original reading!)
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