The light snow had just stopped, and the cold air in the Palace accumulated. The might of heaven was indeed difficult to withstand. However, Fan Xian sat in the wheelchair and felt very warm. The high-collared cloak he wore blocked the wind and snow, and he even felt a little hot. As for the Emperor's questions, he had long been mentally prepared. He had never expected his family to secretly transport Fan Sizhe out of the capital and hide it from many people.
"I just received a letter the day before yesterday. He has already settled down in Shangjing."
Fan Xian glanced at the young eunuch behind him, intentionally or unintentionally. The Emperor was in the mood to travel in front of him, so he did not notice the exchange of glances between the two people behind him.
The young eunuch was Hong Zhu. He looked at Commissioner Fan's smiling gaze. For some reason, his heart suddenly chilled and a glimmer of fear grew in him. Hong Zhu knew that this commissioner was warning him that some words could not be passed into other people's ears. This young eunuch had been at the Emperor's side recently and deeply understood that a ruler should maintain a silent attitude. He quickly lowered his head, not daring to meet Fan Xian's gaze.
Hong Zhu also wanted to climb up the mountain that was Fan Xian. How would he dare to go around announcing things that were not good for the Fan family?
"You just said it like that?" The Emperor walked toward the other side of the lake as he lightly said, "I originally thought that although there are many things that the people under heaven know, some superficial effort still has to be done."
Fan Xian lowered his head and rotated his neck, letting his cheeks rub against the soft fur on his collar. "Your Majesty has asked, and I dare not speak a word of falsehood."
The Emperor suddenly stopped walking. The young eunuch quickly pulled on Fan Xian's wheelchair, not daring to sit next to the Emperor. Fan Xian didn't sit firmly and furrowed his brows.
"You don't tell lies to me … but you dare to brazenly lie to the people under heaven?" The Emperor turned his head and looked at Fan Xian with a not-quite-there smile. The few wrinkles at the corners of his eyes revealed a slight smile, but also a hint of questioning.
Fan Xian raised his head and looked directly into the Emperor's eyes with a bit of impoliteness. "There are many foolish people under heaven … I am only loyal to the Emperor, not to the common people."
"But someone once said …" The Emperor's gaze suddenly became a bit strange. "The people are most important, the state comes second, and the ruler is light."
"Nonsense. I don't know who was so daring." Fan Xian frowned slightly. Of course, he knew who would be so daring. The original creator was Mencius, and the plagiarist was his mother.
"The Ministry of Justice is still searching for your brother." The Emperor laughed and turned around to continue walking forward. "Are you not afraid that I will punish you?"
Hong Zhu pushed the wheelchair and followed. Fan Xian listened to the squeaking of the wheels and felt a headache coming. He shook his head and said, "The Emperor is wise and will certainly understand my difficulties."
"Difficulties?" The Emperor laughed coldly. "I'm afraid that it is only now that the Second Prince feels that he has difficulties that he cannot voice out, right?"
"Ah … this subject is guilty."
Fan Xian knew that at this moment, he should pretend to be slightly frightened, like those officials who were close to the Emperor in Qing palace dramas. But he knew that it was the Emperor's own idea to bring the Second Prince down from his throne. He was just a knife. Moreover, in the heart of the Emperor, he was not a simple official. After all, that relationship was at work.
Thus, he did not feel a glimmer of fear or nervousness. So, no matter how much he put on his acting, it was still superficial and a bit exaggerated. He dragged out the words "this subject is guilty" a bit too long. The sense of drama was too strong.
The Emperor lowered his voice and scolded, "Even if you're acting, you don't know how to be more serious!"
Fan Xian replied with a pained expression, "This subject is guilty."
Repeating it over and over meant that the subject was guilty and the subject was guilty. Fortunately, the three of them had already stepped onto the wooden bridge in the middle of the lake and temporarily stopped talking. Although Jingdou was already very cold, it was the first snow, so the lake water was certainly not cold enough to freeze. It was still green under the bridge, rippling coldly. Although the wooden bridge was built smoothly and sturdily, the wheelchair still felt a bit unsteady on it. Fan Xian's hands gripped the handles of the wheelchair tightly. His eyes stared at the gaps between the wooden bridge, thinking that if the eunuch behind him suddenly turned into an assassin, he would be in trouble.
In front of them, the eunuchs and serving girls who had come to clean and decorate the pavilion bowed from a distance and then disappeared without a trace. They did not dare to stay by his side.
The Emperor sat on a cushioned stone bench and used his gaze to indicate for Fan Xian to bring himself a cup of hot tea to drink. He used two fingers to pick up a pine nut and slowly peel it. The eunuch, Hong Zhu, tactfully retreated to the side of the pavilion. One reason was to keep watch, and the other was to be ready at any time for any orders from his masters in the pavilion.
"How is it?" the Emperor asked.
Fan Xian seemed to have been scalded by the tea in his cup. He furrowed his brows and immediately replied, "Your Majesty, are you referring to my injury, or …"
"The latter," Fan Xian replied very directly.
"We have already prepared to act. The Council order has already been sent down. This matter has not gone through the Council, so it shouldn't attract too much attention."
The Emperor nodded.
Fan Xian continued to explain the details. "Currently, all of the goods within the borders should be able to be intercepted. However … I'm afraid that if the Northern Qi people get wind of it, they will also make a lot of money from it. After all, the Cui family has stockpiled a lot of goods in the north …" In these words, he hid a very important piece of information. Even if you beat him to death, he would not tell the Emperor that this was his plan to split the spoils with the Northern Qi Emperor.
"There are three routes to the north. Currently, the Fourth Bureau has already begun to control them. As for the people in the palace treasury, because they have been with the people on that side for too long, they are not at ease. For now, they have not been used."
He furrowed his brows and explained Yan Bingyun's plan in great detail. However, before he finished, the Emperor had already waved his hand and said, "I … don't want the details, I only want the results."
Fan Xian paused and then said, "Please rest assured, Your Majesty. At the latest, within a year, we should be able to recover most of the palace treasury's income."
The Emperor coldly shook his head. "For the palace treasury to return to its former glory is an impossible matter … I think you understand the reason."
Fan Xian lowered his head.
The Emperor asked, "Let me ask you, why are you so certain that I will support you acting against the Second Prince and the Eldest Princess?"
"Because … the court needs silver."
After a moment of silence, the Emperor grunted through his nose and said, "If the court wants to do things and expand the borders … they need silver. These years, Yunrui has emptied the palace treasury too much. I could not stand it anymore, so I wanted you to take over this mess. You did not disappoint me. First, you had the courage to take over. Secondly, you acted ruthlessly enough and did not fear the other party's identity … this is what I like about you. "
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your appreciation." Fan Xian could only thank the Emperor because the matter involved the Eldest Princess. After all, she was his mother-in-law, so he could not rashly comment.
The Emperor picked up a pine nut and put it to his lips. He slowly savored the fragrance. Outside the pavilion, the wind had stopped and the snow had disappeared. There was a slight chill in the silence.
"Ye Zhong has returned to Cangzhou. I have made Prince He the commander of the Imperial Army. I heard that there is a lot of discussion in the capital. Did you hear anything? "The Emperor seemed to ask very casually.
Fan Xian smiled bitterly and replied, "Of course, discussion is unavoidable. After all, it does not seem to conform to old practice."
"Your opinion?"
Fan Xian was shocked. How could he have the right to give his opinion on such a matter? He quickly said, "Your Majesty is farsighted and calm. I dare not speak rashly."
"Speak. I forgive you of your crimes." The Emperor did not look at Fan Xian's delicate face. He only focused his gaze on the winter tree in the palace garden.
Fan Xian calmed down. He knew that talking to the Emperor was a difficult matter. Wei Xiaobao had faked 90% of the truth, but in the end, he had still been caught by Kangxi. And the things he had done in secret, sneaking into the palace, the agreement with Northern Qi, the conversation with Xiao En … these were all hidden from the Emperor in front of him. If it came to light, who knew what would happen to him?
But the Emperor in front of him was truly unfathomable. If Fan Xian did not have that natural advantage, he would not dare to play with him. The so-called advantage was that he knew the true relationship between him and the Emperor, and the Emperor did not know that he knew this. Thus, Fan Xian could play the role of a loyal official. The more apologetic the Emperor felt towards him, the more benefits he could obtain.
"The Great Prince does not wish to stay in the capital," Fan Xian said directly. "And for a Prince to be demoted to a lower rank is against the rules. Most importantly, the palace is the heart of the Kingdom of Qing. We must be careful."
His words were very direct, and even a little out of line. But the Emperor did not have much of a reaction. He only coldly said, "He does not wish to? Nine out of ten things do not go one's way. He does not wish to stay in the capital. Do you think he can bear to see me, his father, guard the capital alone? Fan Xian, as a lobbyist, you are not very good. "
Fan Xian looked embarrassed. He knew that the Great Prince's visit to Fan Manor had not been hidden from the Emperor.
"Don't make trouble with the Second Prince. If he calms down …" The Emperor closed his eyes and put an end to what had happened in the capital.
"Yes." Fan Xian nodded. He had already achieved his goal. What more was there to make trouble for?
"You have done a great service in the Hanging Temple incident," the Emperor suddenly said. The Emperor suddenly said, "But as the Commissioner of the Overwatch Council, you allowed an assassin to sneak into the capital. Before it happened, the Second Bureau did not find out anything. This is your dereliction of duty. The two cancel each other out, so I can only reward you with those useless things. Do not feel resentful."
"I would not dare." Fan Xian replied seriously, "It was a failure on my part. As for the injury, it was because I was not skilled enough. That was why I was injured by the white-clothed swordsman."
The Emperor suddenly became interested and asked, "That swordsman … we have not found out who he is. You have fought with him. Can you guess anything?"
…
…
Outside the pavilion, a cold wind suddenly rose. Fan Xian's back suddenly became numb. A drop of sweat rolled down his neck and dripped down the inside of his undershirt. He did not know what the Emperor's real purpose was, but he felt that if he was not careful, he would lose everything.
The white-clothed swordsman was the Shadow. No matter what reason Chen Pingping had for setting up this trap, he would not tell the Emperor the truth before he told Fan Xian. But if the Emperor vaguely guessed this, how should he answer? If he said he did not know, would it shake the position he had worked so hard to establish in the Emperor's heart?
It was only a moment of shock, but Fan Xian concealed it well. "Your Majesty, didn't you say that the white-clothed swordsman was Sigu Jian's younger brother?"
The Emperor laughed coldly. "Back in the day when Dongyi was in chaos, Sigu Jian's sword was merciless. He killed who knows how many of his own family members. It is said that one of his brothers escaped … I guessed it. That day on the tall building, that brilliant sword strike, if it were not for Sigu Jian's sword will, I'm afraid my eyes would have been blinded."
Fan Xian's heart was slightly at ease. He knew he had gambled correctly. He smiled and said, "It is a pity. If I could have had concrete evidence … next year, I would have used this excuse to send troops against Dongyi. My injury would have been worth it."
These words scratched the Emperor's itch. The Emperor liked this kind of shameless method the most. He smiled and said, "After Sigu Jian was cured by Fei Jie, he never acted like an idiot again. How could he admit to this? First, he did not admit that there was still a brother alive in this world. Then, he sent a letter of credence, expressing shock and sympathy for the assassination attempt on me. He expressed disbelief at the viciousness of the assassin … "
As the middle-aged man spoke, he found that no one responded to his rare humor. Turning his head, he found that Fan Xian was looking at him seriously. The eunuch outside the pavilion was hunched over, not daring to make a sound.
Looking at this scene, he couldn't help but sigh in his heart. He thought that after all these years, there was indeed no one else who dared to cause trouble with him as impudent as her.
The Emperor's mood was a bit dim. Slowly, he opened his mouth and asked, "Fan Xian … that day upstairs, why did you save Ping'er first?"
Fan Xian sat in his wheelchair and asked for forgiveness. After a long silence, he replied, "In the situation at that time, if I had come to Your Majesty's side, I would only have been able to block the sword in front and not the knife behind me … the Third Prince was in danger."
"Oh?" The Emperor smiled self-mockingly. "Is my life not as valuable as Ping'er's?"
Fan Xian smiled bitterly and once again asked for forgiveness. "I deserve to die. At the time, the situation was tense and I didn't react in time."
"By the time you rushed in front of me … the initiative had already been lost. Were you not afraid of death?"
Fan Xian thought for a moment and then finally said these treasonous words. He looked into the Emperor's calm eyes and said bitterly, "At the time, I was thinking that if I could block that sword with my little life, it would be great. If I couldn't … hehe … to be able to go with Your Majesty to another world to see the scenery, that could be considered a great honor."
The Emperor paused slightly and then laughed loudly. His laughter shook the sky and traveled far outside the pavilion. The eunuchs and serving girls waiting in the corner of the garden in the Royal Palace heard the Emperor's rare happy laughter and couldn't help but look at each other. They didn't know what joke Commissioner Fan had told to make the Emperor so happy.
The Emperor stopped laughing. The more he looked at the familiar expression between Fan Xian's brows, the more comforted he felt. Slowing his voice, he said, "On this trip to Jiangnan, be careful. Don't rush to the front for everything … I heard you were also as noisy in the North. You're a proper official, yet you don't know how to cherish your life."
Fan Xian felt slightly embarrassed. He knew the Emperor's words were reasonable. Of the officials of a country, how many would be as accustomed to taking risks as he was in the past? However, deep in his bones, he liked to travel alone. When all was said and done, it was because he didn't trust others. However, there were still a few months until the Jiangnan trip. The Emperor's parting edict seemed to have come a bit too early.
"Your Majesty." Fan Xian thought of an important matter and said uneasily, "What you said earlier at Yi Guipin's place … was it a naughty joke?"
The Emperor glared at him and said coldly, "An Emperor does not joke."
Fan Xian was terrified. "I am not old and have little prestige. How can I be the teacher of a prince?"
The Emperor smiled and looked at him. "I heard … when you were in Shangjing in Northern Qi, that little Emperor respected you very much … as for prestige, even Zhuang Mohan praised you, why can't I be the teacher? The Northern Qi grand tutor is only a junior of Zhuang Mohan … if it wasn't for the fact that you are truly too young, I would have directly issued an edict for you to enter the Palace to lecture. Who would dare to say anything? "
"But …" Fan Xian somewhat regretted the illustrious reputation he had created out of his own vanity. Vexed, he said, "But I am going to Jiangnan next spring. It would not be good to delay the Third Prince's studies."
The Emperor waved his hand. "Take Ping'er with you. I have already spoken with the empress dowager."
Fan Xian opened his mouth wide and didn't say anything for a long time.
…
…
"Do well," the Emperor said with a calm expression. "After the Jiangnan matter, stay in the capital for another two years. I will let you enter the Hall of Governmental Affairs."
He stared into Fan Xian's eyes and said in a gentle tone, "I do think highly of you."
After a moment of silence, Fan Xian nodded his head without any pretense. He knew that the conversation was over, so he prepared to take his leave and go home. Unexpectedly, the Emperor waved his hand again and lightly said, "Today is the beginning of winter. There is a banquet in the Palace. You can eat in the Palace … I have already sent someone to your home to pick up Wan'er."
Fan Xian's heart jumped again. He didn't know what this meant or if it didn't explain anything.
"The empress dowager wants to see you," the Emperor said. He coughed again to cover it up. "She wants to see what exactly Wan'er's husband looks like."
— — — —
The Emperor sat in the royal carriage and left. The pavilion quieted down. Only Fan Xian and the little eunuch responsible for pushing the wheelchair remained.
Fan Xian watched the direction the Emperor left in. A cold self-mockery flashed through his eyes. Although it had happened suddenly, he still had some hope that the middle-aged man would let him see that painting. Perhaps the middle-aged man would say something to him?
Who would have thought that in the end, it would still be this kind of benevolent and loyal subject? There was a faint disappointment in his heart. The royal family had always been heartless. He knew this, and he had never seen the middle-aged man as his father. The so-called disappointment was actually just disappointment for that woman called Ye Qingmei.
Looking at the Emperor's attitude toward him, he knew that he was a fickle person. At least, toward his mother, he did not have a heart of gratitude or enough remembrance. In other words, even if the Emperor now had complete trust in him, even if he already saw him as his closest official, he was still only an official.
If one day his identity was revealed, he would no longer be a "loyal official" who protected the Emperor, and it would involve the ownership of that chair … Fan Xian smiled coldly in his heart. He had no interest in being the Emperor. Being the Commissioner of the Overwatch Council was an interest he had raised since he was young. Whether or not he wanted to be was his problem. Whether or not the middle-aged man would let him stand in the order was a problem of morality.
F * ck! I don't want to talk about you!
…
…
After venting his anger by cursing the Emperor's mother, Fan Xian took a deep breath. He knew that his gloominess was indeed unreasonable. Because Lady Ning was a Dongyi prisoner of war, the Great Prince had been automatically stripped of his right to inherit the throne by many people. Furthermore, he was a character who could not see the light of day. Furthermore, there must have been some loose ends left in his mother's strange death, which was why the Emperor did not dare to acknowledge him until now.
What confused Fan Xian was that, from the day he had guessed his identity, he had given up on the idea. Why did he suddenly care so much about it today?
With a soft drip, a drop of snow water dripped down from the eaves of the pavilion and softly hit the stone steps. The sound startled Fan Xian. He raised his eyes to gaze at the early winter scenery outside the pavilion and sighed. He thought to himself that perhaps it was because the environment in the Palace was too oppressive that it made him think about those boring things that he did not need to think about.
"Commissioner … Sir … there is still some time for dinner. The Emperor has instructed that you can wander … wander as you please," the young eunuch Hong Zhu said with his head lowered, but his voice trembled.
He could wander as he pleased in the rear palace? He was not recuperating in the plum garden, so it was better not to break any taboos. Fan Xian shook his head. "I'll just watch from this pavilion." He noticed the young eunuch's voice and narrowed his eyes. They swept over the young eunuch's body like two small knives. This gaze made the young eunuch nervous.
"Cold?"
"Yes."
"Sweating?"
"… Yes."
The corners of Fan Xian's lips twitched and he smiled. "Don't be afraid. Since the Emperor is at ease letting you listen here, naturally, he trusts you."
That was true. The conversation between the Emperor and Fan Xian in the pavilion seemed like a normal family affair, but the information hidden within was very rich. For the first time, Hong Zhu learned that the battle between the Overwatch Council and the Second Prince, as well as the matter of the palace treasury, had been tacitly approved by the Emperor. Commissioner Fan was incomparably intelligent and had secretly agreed with the Emperor's actions. And it seemed that Commissioner Fan was about to make some big move again.
If these things got out of the palace, it would probably cause a huge uproar.
"I'm not afraid," Hong Zhu replied pitifully.
Fan Xian looked at the young eunuch's pitted face and suddenly asked curiously, "Eunuchs also have pimples?"
"Pimples?" Hong Zhu was slightly startled and immediately understood what he meant. Somewhat annoyed, he replied, "I'm not sure either."
It was quiet outside the pavilion. In the distance, there were palace maids moving about. All around, the cold lake was cold and awe-inspiring. There was a gentle breeze coming from the lake, entering the pavilion and circling around his body. Slightly calming the irritation in his heart, Fan Xian smiled. "You … are Hong Zhu?"
…
…
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