"The best time?" Fan Xian looked at his father in confusion. For some reason, seeing his father so calm, his mood also relaxed. He was no longer as anxious as he had been in the mountains. He laughed self-mockingly, tossed aside the crutch under his arm, and sat down in the chair.
"Be careful of your wound." Fan Jian shook his head and said disapprovingly.
Fan Xian smiled and gently rubbed the area below his chest. There was a faint pain inside, but with Sir Fei's skillful nursing, it was more or less healed.
"Tell me, what exactly are you afraid of?" Fan Jian gently stroked the long beard on his chin. The minister, who had always been upright and serious, finally revealed a sense of confidence and confidence.
Fan Xian was startled. He furrowed his brows and thought for a while. Only then did he realize that he had indeed panicked. What exactly was he afraid of? He sorted out his hidden worries in his heart and said sincerely, "If this news spreads, the discussions of the people under heaven will be unusually turbulent. If the Palace knows of my past, who knows how it will be handled?"
"Handled?" Fan Jian laughed coldly. "Do you think the Palace still doesn't know of your past?"
Fan Xian fell silent. He knew his father was right. The Emperor knew better than anyone that he was a descendant of the Ye family. As for the empress dowager … looking at her expression at the Winter Solstice lamb banquet, he guessed that she had long known. It was just that this mother and son pair had hidden it from the world.
"They wanted to hide it from the world, but they can't hide it anymore. The development of things will always change," Fan Xian said calmly. "Furthermore, if the empress knows I am a descendant of the Ye family, what will she think? Based on what you said, there is an irreconcilable grudge between the Ye family and her. "
Fan Jian shook his head and said coldly, "There is no need to consider the empress. This woman is the weakest empress in history. What you need to consider is whether or not the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace will be persuaded by her to deal with you."
The empress's family power had been completely wiped out by the Qing Emperor a dozen years ago on the night Jingdou bled with blood. Fan Jian, who had never shown his power, had played the biggest role in it. Of course, he knew that the empress would not be able to make any moves.
"The Crown Prince." Fan Jian's lips curved into a faint smile. "He's a smart man. With your current status and power, he only wants you to maintain balance. Why would he take the initiative to flirt with you because of what happened in the past?"
Fan Xian lowered his head slightly. A moment later, he said, "Where is the Eldest Princess?"
Everyone under heaven knew that the Ye family's property had been taken by the Qing royal family and became the present palace treasury. Back then, when they forcibly seized the number one merchant house in the world, they naturally used a very frightening excuse, such as treason. But now, there was suddenly a legendary orphan of the Ye Family. Should they investigate the crimes of the past?
Even if they didn't investigate, in the eyes of many people, the descendants of the Ye family were targets that the royal family had to eliminate. This was the rule of history, and no one could escape it.
After the news that Fan Xian was a descendant of the Ye family spread, the Eldest Princess would certainly use this matter to make a big deal out of it, forcing the palace to respond accordingly. Tracing back to the matter of the Ye family's property being seized, according to the usual methods of the royal family, it would be good enough if Fan Xian wasn't secretly killed, let alone a meteoric rise.
Of course, the other half of Fan Xian's past was also very strange, so he didn't have to worry about the mother and son in the palace trying to kill him. In fact, they wouldn't even see him as someone they needed to be wary of. But what annoyed him was that the world didn't know this truth!
If the mother and son in the palace wanted to hide it from the world for a long time, they could only treat Fan Xian as a pure descendant of the Ye family. Under the pressure of public opinion, they could let Fan Xian and the palace treasury … and even the Overwatch Council leave. For Fan Xian, who had already made countless enemies, losing the power in his hands was quite dangerous.
"The Eldest Princess?" Fan Jian's face was expressionless. "If she was smart enough, she would watch from the sidelines this time and not act."
"Why?"
"Because of the Emperor's intentions."
Fan Xian was deep in thought, and he gradually understood what his father meant. Of course, the Emperor was someone who knew of his past. Although he didn't know what the Emperor would do in the future, at least for now, he had no intention of lifting the cloth on the table. After learning of this matter, presumably the Emperor's reaction was the same as his. After the shock, he felt a glimmer of anger and madness.
The Emperor and Fan Xian were both people who liked to control everything, so it was a taboo for things like this to happen that were out of control. Thus, the Emperor would certainly be very angry. His first thought would be to find the person who leaked the secret. If the Eldest Princess took this opportunity to attack Fan Xian on a large scale, the Emperor would instead protect Fan Xian with great strength and distance himself from the Eldest Princess in his heart.
Fan Jian faintly said, "You are now the Commissioner of the Overwatch Council. Through the actions of this half a year, you have sufficient power in your hands. From Danzhou to Jingdou, regardless of whether it is me or Director Chen, everything we have done is to help you forge the foundation under your feet a bit more firmly. You are now a heavy stone, how can you be afraid of the cool breeze brushing against your face? Don't worry, those winds can no longer move you. "
Fan Xian was silent. He had other worries in his heart.
"Of course, there are also celestial winds in this world," Fan Jian mockingly said. "What you are afraid of is nothing more than the attitude of the Palace. However, the empress dowager and the Emperor both know of this matter. At most, they will temporarily give you the cold shoulder for a few days due to public opinion. In the end, how this matter develops will depend on the Emperor's attitude. "
In the end, this experienced and farsighted Minister of Revenue said, "Through the assassination in the Hanging Temple, the Emperor believes deeply in your loyalty, so he will be partial to you. Right now, your injuries have not healed. The Emperor will always remember your contributions. At this time, your past has been exposed. The Emperor will do his best to think on your behalf. Regardless of whether it is the interests of the royal family, the empress, the Crown Prince, or even the pressure of the Eldest Princess and empress dowager …"
"Compared to the sword you blocked for the Emperor, the two cancel each other out," Fan Jian smiled coldly. "Thus, this is the best opportunity. You know these things in the Palace even if I don't say it. Perhaps after a few years, the Emperor's fondness for you for saving the Emperor will fade and you will no longer be able to use it. Exposing your past can only be done in a few days. Not earlier, not later. "
This was the best opportunity.
Fan Xian savored the coldness in these words in his heart. A bitter smile rose to his face. "I am just worried that this matter will bring trouble to my family."
The Fan family took in the orphan of the Ye family? Although this was the Emperor's arrangement, if things got out of hand, the Emperor would certainly not admit to it. The Fan manor would be the unlucky ones.
Fan Jian slowly closed his eyes. A gratified smile appeared at the corner of his lips. Slowly, he said, "Silly child. If even you cannot make a move, why would they make a move on me? If the court makes a move on me, does that not prove that you are a descendant of the Ye family? "
Fan Xian's eyes widened. A moment later, he said, "You mean, no matter what the outside world says, we will not admit to it even if we die?"
"Of course." Fan Jian smiled. "Who can have proof?"
Fan Xian sighed. "What a shame. I originally thought that since there would not be any repercussions, I could use this opportunity …"
"Use this opportunity to reverse the verdict for the Ye family?" Fan Jian laughed loudly. "No wonder you were so nervous earlier. You had big plans. Child, why must the cases of this world be overturned in the open? A dozen years ago, the Emperor had already overturned the case for the Ye family once. This is just the aftermath. "
Fan Xian shook his head. Lowering his voice, he said, "The matter of being a descendant of the Ye family should not scare me. It's just …" He was going to say that he was worried that the Eldest Princess and others with ulterior motives would guess that he carried royal blood. But just as the words were about to leave his lips, he suddenly realized and stopped.
Regarding his relationship with the Emperor, Fan Xian and his father had never talked about it directly. All this time, father and son had wisely not brought it up. They did their best to maintain the current harmonious scene.
Fan Jian understood what his son wanted to say. He fell silent. After a long time, he sighed. "That matter … you should hide it in your heart. As for whether or not other people can guess it, what does it matter? I … I will say it clearly. Director Chen has probably been happily waiting for this matter to happen. After the rumor reaches Jingdou, he will certainly use the power in his hands to forcefully suppress the rumor and thus confirm this rumor. Then, he will wait for the people under heaven to gradually guess your past. At least, he will let the people under heaven get used to the rumor of your past. "
Fan Xian was silent. He knew his father's calculations were very reasonable. The old cripple's way of doing things was obvious. Forcefully suppressing the rumor of a descendant of the Ye family could make the people of the Qing Kingdom believe this rumor. This was a very clever method. As for the matter of him being the Emperor's illegitimate child …
"What exactly does Chen Pingping want to do?" Fan Xian's mood suddenly became very tired. He asked his father weakly.
"I don't know." The Minister, who had never displayed his strength or intelligence, slowly said, "You should have guessed that Director Chen and I have never thought the same way. On the matter of you, I have argued with him for many years. Furthermore, I don't have the habit of trusting him. Strangely, he also doesn't seem to trust me. On the contrary, he and I trust you a bit more. "
He glanced at his son and laughed self-mockingly. "In the end, it seems that he still won and successfully dragged you into this mess." He continued lightly, "I even suspect that this matter was single-handedly done by him. Otherwise, how could the Northern Qi people know that Xiao Yezi is your mother? Of course, you don't have to worry too much right now. Presumably, Director Chen has already entered the Palace to help you plan the end of this matter. "
Father and son fell silent. After a long time, Fan Xian suddenly and thoughtlessly said, "Sorry, father."
It was a very unreasonable apology. He didn't know what he was apologizing for. Was he apologizing for the fact that, in the end, he had taken over the Overwatch Council and was forced onto the path of power struggle? Was he apologizing for not choosing a more peaceful life like his father? Or was he apologizing for his strange past and bringing unknown danger to the Fan family? Or was he apologizing on behalf of his mother to his "father"?
Or … sorry, sorry, I really want to be your true son, it's just that my mother won't give me this opportunity.
— — —
Minister Fan was guessing whether or not Chen Pingping had used Fan Xian's injuries to save the Emperor — this was the best opportunity to expose his identity as a descendant of the Ye family. At the same time, deep in the Palace, Chen Pingping was also endlessly guessing who had suddenly created this mess.
Politicians did not care much about those things in name, so these two old foxes only hoped that Fan Xian could live a happy life and hold power in his hands. They did not think that Fan Xian had to return to the Ye family in a proper and proper manner.
"The only people who know of this matter are me, Fan Jian, Madame Fan, His Majesty, and Fei Jie." Chen Pingping sat in his wheelchair, and his dry and slightly sharp voice rang out in the royal study. "His Majesty said earlier that the empress dowager found out about this matter after the spring imperial examinations. That means that there were only six people. In my opinion, none of these six people could have leaked it."
The Emperor slowly turned around. His usually clear eyes were burning with anger today. They were as sharp and vicious as an eagle's. "None of them could have leaked it? Then how did the Northern Qi people find out? "
After the spring imperial examinations, Fan Xian's identity as the Commissioner of the Overwatch Council was exposed. From then on, he became the most famous of the young officials of the Kingdom of Qing. Especially since he was about to take control of the palace treasury, this kind of power was truly overwhelming. Normal people wouldn't have been able to guess anything, but the empress dowager deep in the palace had long been involved in the affairs of the state. She was used to seeing dark and filthy things, and her sense of politics was quite sharp. Under her forceful interrogation, the Emperor finally admitted to his mother that Fan Xian was his illegitimate son.
After the empress dowager recovered from her shock, she finally accepted this reality. After all, no matter how much she hated the "witch" of the past, there was always a degree of tolerance for the royal bloodline.
"Perhaps, perhaps the Northern Qi people guessed it," Chen Pingping said to himself in a low voice, but he didn't know that he had guessed the answer closest to the truth.
The Emperor laughed coldly. "What kind of person is Ku He? Does the Imperial Advisor of Northern Qi dare to come to a conclusion based on mere speculation? "
Chen Pingping was silent for a long time before saying, "The Eldest Princess is the most suspicious."
If Fan Xian had been eavesdropping at this moment, he would certainly have yelled out in praise! What was this? This was the legendary "great skill without work", "great sound without sound", and "running naked" framing!
The empress dowager knew that Fan Xian was a descendant of the Ye family, and the Eldest Princess was the empress dowager's most beloved daughter. She had once backhandedly sold Yan Bingyun to Northern Qi, and had also had private dealings with the Northern Qi aristocrat Zhuang Mohan. She had private correspondence with the Northern Qi empress dowager, and her smuggling routes to Northern Qi had saved the people of Northern Qi who knew how much silver. She … she … she … because of the transfer of the palace treasury, she hated Fan Xian to the bone. She had even begun to use assassinations, but she had failed.
These were all facts that the Emperor was well aware of. As long as one analyzed it carefully, one would find that the Eldest Princess had the highest possibility of knowing of this matter. She had the best way to pass the information through Northern Qi. Most importantly, she had the greatest motive.
Chen Pingping's earlier words were also very particular. If he had vaguely and secretly pointed out that there was someone in the palace who had good relations with Northern Qi and thus made the Emperor think of his sister far away in Xinyang, he would not have dared to be so rebellious and directly point out the Eldest Princess's name. The Emperor would certainly have been a little suspicious of his intentions.
Yet, for him to so directly and openly say the Eldest Princess's name, saying that she was the most suspicious, was the performance of a purely loyal official. He only cared about whether or not his opinion would be useful to the Emperor, and did not care about whether or not it would cause the Emperor to suspect him. This kind of performance, of course, greatly pleased the always shrewd Emperor.
The Emperor fell silent, but his expression appeared somewhat ugly. After a moment, he said, "It looks like … Yunrui does not know Fan Xian, does not know that An Zhi is my flesh and blood."
If the empress dowager had also told this matter to the Eldest Princess, then the Eldest Princess would certainly not have exposed Fan Xian's past, because that would no longer be targeting Fan Xian, but targeting the Emperor.
Chen Pingping nodded slightly. From the Emperor's words, he knew that the Emperor already believed that the Eldest Princess was the source of this rumor.
After a moment, the Emperor coldly said, "Wait for the news and see if Yunrui will send a letter."
Fan Xian was a descendant of the Ye family. If the Eldest Princess sent a letter to the Palace and used this as an opportunity to persuade the Emperor to be wary of this matter, or to directly persuade his brother to kill Fan Xian and destroy the Fan family, then the Emperor would truly look lightly on the relationship between brother and sister.
"What should we do next?" Chen Pingping coughed. Because he had entered the Palace in a hurry, his grizzled hair had not been tied up too tightly. It was a bit disheveled and made him appear even older.
The Emperor glanced at him and suddenly smiled bitterly and sighed. "This life of mine can be considered glorious. Who would have thought that in my prime, I would become a true loner. Other than you and brother Jian, I can't find anyone I can completely trust."
Chen Pingping was slightly startled and was about to say something when the Emperor sighed and waved his hand. "Do you remember what reason the empress dowager used to expropriate the Ye family?"
"Rebellion."
"Yes." The Emperor expressionlessly said, "Back then, the two of you also approved of this suggestion. After all, the things Xiao Yezi left behind could not be messed up or let go. After she left, only the royal family had the power to collect them and protect the Ye family's businesses to continue operating."
"Correct." Chen Pingping calmly said, "At the time, I thought that since she was already gone, she probably wouldn't mind if I put a crime on her. I didn't think that 17 years later, it would become somewhat troublesome."
The Emperor coldly said, "What's so troublesome about it? The edict came from my mouth. If I rehabilitate the Ye family, who in the world would dare to make irresponsible remarks?"
"You can't." Chen Pingping's resolute and decisive reply seemed to have exceeded the Emperor's expectations. "Your Majesty feels pity for that child, but this matter must not be done. After all, Your Majesty must consider the feelings of the elderly." The old cripple's heart was like a mirror. Although the Emperor's move had no name, it was the last test.
The Emperor knew he was talking about the empress dowager. After thinking for a while, he nodded and said, "It looks like you already have a plan in mind."
Chen Pingping smiled bitterly and replied, "This matter happened suddenly, and Your Majesty did not have an edict, so there was no plan prepared." The meaning of these words was clear. The Emperor had always wanted Fan Xian's past to remain hidden. Of course, the Council had not thought of this matter.
His tone changed and he continued, "However, it is not a big problem. If there is a letter from Xinyang, ask Your Majesty to severely reprimand them. Your Majesty will also warn a few princes. As for Fan Xian's side, make him refuse to admit it no matter what. Even if the officials are suspicious, presumably no one would dare to submit any memorials based on baseless rumors."
"An Zhi will inevitably feel awkward. How will he conduct himself in court?"
"In the next year, he will have to go far away to Jiangnan on official business. He can coincidentally avoid this discussion." Chen Pingping smiled in a small voice. "Your Majesty, although this matter is troublesome, now that it has exploded, the timing is not bad. Have Fan Xian far away from important places in Jingdou. If this drags on for two years, the matter will naturally fade away. "
"Can it fade away?" The Emperor narrowed his eyes and asked.
"Si Lili is on Liujing River. People say she is the descendant of some prince. It has been passed on. Other than making the pleasure boat's business a little better, there are no major problems. As for Fan Xian's past … "Chen Pingping sighed." Let the world have one more piece of harmless gossip. "
The Emperor thought deeply for a long time and then made a sound of agreement through his nose.
"The newspapers can also use this matter to make some splendor," Chen Pingping continued.
The Emperor also smiled.
"However, we have to guard against that matter." Chen Pingping glanced at the Emperor and spoke with a glimmer of sorrow.
"As for the empress, I will have my mother appear." The Emperor nodded and sighed. "If I can't give him a title, I have already let down this son of mine.
— — —
Half a month later, a piece of news began to spread through the streets and alleys of Jingdou. The news said that the currently popular Sir Fan junior in court, the Commissioner of the Overwatch Council, was actually the descendant of the old Ye family!
It had been nearly 20 years since the Ye family had been sealed off for treason. Unexpectedly, there were still descendants, and it was the Sir Fan junior that the people of Jingdou loved to talk about. After this rumor shocked the people of Jingdou, they began to become excited. They all whispered to each other and spread this gossip. In less than two days, the entire Jingdou knew of this rumor.
If this rumor was true, then the Fan manor, which was harboring a court criminal, was in for a bloody misfortune. The officials of Jingdou who had been greatly offended by Fan Xian began to excitedly plan an attack. Of course, under the circumstances that the palace had not spoken, these officials did not dare to act on their own. After all, it was only a rumor and there was no proof.
Thinking of how Fan Xian would rather give up a generation of literary fame to enter the Overwatch Council and take over the palace treasury that reeked of money, the people of Jingdou and officials all began to mutter in their hearts. They began to believe the truth of this rumor a little more.
Unexpectedly, the palace maintained its silence. It was as if no one had heard of this matter. However, the Overwatch Council began to move. Risking the danger of being scolded by the imperial censors, the Eighth Bureau began to arrest the common people in the restaurants and tea houses who dared to spread the rumor.
In the afternoon, in Yishi Tavern, the customers in the tavern looked at each other. They were all people of some status, but they did not expect the officials of the Eighth Bureau of the Overwatch Council to be so unreasonable and arrest the two scholars who had been spouting spittle.
From the reaction of the Overwatch Council, people increasingly believed that Commissioner Fan … must have had some connection to the old Ye family.
Inside the Overwatch Council, Chen Pingping, with a wool blanket on his knees, lifted a corner of the black curtain and looked at the silent people walking on the street. A strange smile rose to the corners of his lips.
"I know who your mother is, but I don't know who your father is. What are you afraid of?"
(My book friend Ruyu is so cute … a few days ago, my stomach was in so much pain. After reading that post, I laughed until my stomach … hurt even more.)
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