The wheels of the four-wheeled carriage rolled over the grass that had just sprouted on the official road. When they collided with the cracks of the stones on the road, they made a creaking sound, which matched the sound of the reeds in the carriage, as if they were singing cheerfully.
The road out of the palace treasury was filled with a joyous scene. Little birds flew quickly in the distant forest beside the paddy fields. The green rice seedlings revealed their slender and shy bodies. The weeds beside the paddy fields looked at them disdainfully. There was an endless stream of carriages on the road, and cargo ships came and went on the river. They transported the products of the palace treasury through various channels and sold them to the people of the world. It was a lively scene.
A group of carriages, led by soldiers, easily passed through the innermost inspection line. Originally, the wagons on the official road did not dare to fight with this group of carriages and unconsciously stopped. However, someone in the group of carriages took a few glances and seemed to have found that there were too many goods coming out of the palace treasury today and the traffic was busy. He ordered his group of carriages to stop on a patch of grass by the side of the road and, surprisingly, let the wagons go first.
In the second to last carriage of the group of carriages were the pitiful palace treasury transport company officials who had just had their black gauze removed and official robes taken off yesterday. These officials were all trusted aides the Eldest Princess had placed in the palace treasury. Although they had thought that their days would not be easy after Commissioner Fan took office, they had not thought that Fan Xian would not give the officials and his mother-in-law any face. He had very straightforwardly captured them. Furthermore, the reason he had used was the labor unrest. These officials now knew that they had fallen into Fan Xian's trap. Their hearts were filled with fear and unease.
However, Fan Xian did not immediately open the court to try the case. These officials all had friends and knew last night in the prison that Fan Xian was prepared to bring them to Suzhou and hand them over to the Jiangnan governor, Xue Qing, to be personally interrogated. Hearing this news, the officials' moods improved slightly. As long as they didn't face the Overwatch Council's tiger stool and pepper water, how could this case be so easily settled? Even if the Overwatch Council had the confessions of the treasurers' betrayal, as long as they refused to admit it to the death after they arrived in Suzhou, Xue Qing, Sir Xue, would have to give the Eldest Princess some face. As long as they dragged it out for a few more hours, once the pressure from Jingdou had arrived, Fan Xian would be too busy to take care of himself. Presumably, he would not pay any more attention to them.
"Why did Xue Qing have to be interrogated?" Haitang leaned against the window and furrowed her brows slightly.
Fan Xian lowered his head and said, "I'm not suited to do this."
Haitang made a soft sound of agreement and said nothing more. Ever since the day of the strike, the atmosphere between the two of them had become somewhat strange. The mutual trust they had in the past seemed to have weakened a little. They treated each other politely, but there was also a hint of unfamiliarity. After thinking about it, Haitang understood why. She knew that her proposal to travel had indeed put Fan Xian in a difficult position. But, seeing that Fan Xian was always so deliberately indifferent, she couldn't take the initiative to explain. After all, no matter what, Haitang was the saint girl of Northern Qi. Her status was extraordinary, and Fan Xian's pride touched her pride.
Thus, the two of them maintained this awkward exchange.
"I want to confirm again. Have the silver arrived yet?" Fan Xian frowned.
A faint smile rose to Haitang's face. It was as if she was mocking Fan Xian's worry about personal gains and losses. Quietly, she said, "I said it last time in Suzhou, why are you so worried? Perhaps you don't trust me now?"
Fan Xian suddenly felt the atmosphere in the carriage was somewhat oppressive. In a low voice, he said a few words to Sisi beside him and then lifted the curtain to disembark. Sisi tilted her head slightly and looked curiously at Haitang. She didn't know how this famous girl had offended the young master. She had seen clearly these few days that although the young master and Haitang did not have any romantic feelings, at first their behavior was very much like that of a close friend of many years. These few days, he had been a bit strange.
Haitang was puzzled by Sisi's gaze. She suddenly smiled and said, "What are you looking at?"
Sisi said without good humor, "You're only allowed to look at me, not me looking at you?"
Haitang smiled and shook her head. Out of habit, she moved her hands to her waist and found that they were empty. These few days, she had been wearing the clothes of a serving girl and not the patterned jacket she was used to wearing. There were no two large pockets in front of her.
She gazed at Sisi and teased, "I'm looking at you because I want to see what the girl Fan Xian likes looks like."
These words were the truth. Haitang had always been confused. Her good friend Si Lili was clearly the most beautiful girl in the world. Why was Fan Xian able to maintain his calm in front of Si Lili and purposely maintain his distance? Even after that wild night, he did not have any longing for Si Lili. They had been in Jiangnan for dozens of days, yet Fan Xian had not asked her a single question, such as how Si Lili was doing recently.
No matter how heartless a person was, he would not be so cold toward a beautiful girl he had shared a night with and the blessing of being in the same carriage. Thus, Haitang even began to suspect that Fan Xian had some hidden illness, like the Emperor …
However, Fan Xian had taken Sisi into his room. On this trip, Haitang knew that Sisi, the serving girl, was someone in Fan Xian's room, so she felt it was strange. After looking at her these days, she still could not see what was so special about Sisi. Her appearance was only dignified and delicate, far from Si Lili's soft charm and fullness.
Hearing Haitang say "the girl Fan Xian likes," Sisi's face suddenly reddened. Using a voice as small as a mosquito, she replied, "How could the young master like me?"
Haitang smiled bitterly and shook her head. "If he didn't like you, why would he take you into his room? Although Fan Xian is a cold-blooded and heartless person, I don't believe he would do something like this. "
Sisi suddenly raised her face and revealed a proud and confident expression. "You are mistaken. The young master is the person who values relationships the most in the world."
"Relationships?" Haitang savored these two words and remembered that Sisi seemed to have served Fan Xian since he was a child. For a moment, she furrowed her brows and hesitated in her heart. Fan Xian was such a cold-blooded and heartless young official who took pleasure in scheming against others. Was he really a person who valued relationships?
She sighed. Because there were no large pockets on her clothes, she could only regretfully roll up her two sleeves and ask, "Miss Sisi, why were you staring at me earlier?"
In reality, Sisi had some conflicting feelings towards Haitang, who had been inseparable from the young master for the past few days. After all, she was not the young mistress and was an enemy of Northern Qi. But later, after interacting with her more, like many people who had interacted with Haitang, Sisi also easily liked this girl who was gentle in speech, bright in conduct, and straightforward in temperament. Haitang was a person of noble status. Although her face appeared indifferent and she did not speak much, she treated people with sincerity. No matter what status someone had, she would treat them equally. Furthermore, it was a respect and equality that came from her bones — such as Sisi, who was still a servant girl. Just this point alone made her surpass the rest of the world.
Hearing Haitang's question, Sisi couldn't help but cover her mouth and smile. "Just as you think, I also want to see what the young master likes looks like."
…
…
The carriage quieted down. Haitang opened her large, bright eyes and looked at Sisi like she was looking at a cute little animal. A moment later, she put her hands in her sleeves and shrugged. "Do the Hu people not kill people?"
The Western Hu and the Northern barbarians had slaughtered countless Chinese people over the centuries. Their evil reputation had spread far and wide. Sisi replied firmly, "Impossible!"
Haitang blinked slowly and smiled. "It's the same principle."
— — — —
A light breeze brushed past Fan Xian's face, telling him that it was spring. He closed his eyes and welcomed the breeze in his face. Smelling the scent of life in the wind, he was very pleased. The green leaves of the forest on the other side of the paddy field in front of him rustled in the wind. Suddenly, his eyelids moved slightly. He heard a rustling sound coming from behind him.
It was not the wind rustling through the trees, not sweeping the street, not throwing dice, not writing with the tip of a pencil, and not eating the mulberry leaves in spring.
It was her walking. The village girl was walking.
Fan Xian didn't open his eyes. Slowly, he said, "Why is it impossible?"
"Hmm?" Haitang calmly walked to his side and used one word to express her question. Her lightness was very much like the blind man's question to Chen Pingping many years ago.
The corner of Fan Xian's mouth twitched. "Why do you think it's impossible for me to like you? According to the Council, the empress dowager of Northern Qi is already anxious about your marriage. "
Haitang put her hands in her sleeves and stood by his side. Looking at the cattle in the paddy field in front of them, she smiled slightly. She knew that her conversation with Sisi in the carriage had been completely heard by him. She opened her mouth and said, "Looks like your zhenqi has recovered well."
Fan Xian opened his eyes and stared at a little bird that had landed on the back of a cattle. With a smile, he asked, "What I'm asking is … why it's impossible for me to like you."
Haitang turned her head to glance at him and found that he was asking this question very seriously. She couldn't help but reply helplessly, "I always like to be so flowery, but I can't really take advantage of you."
Fan Xian was silent. He thought of the conversation he had with Seventh Ye yesterday. After his rebirth, there were many things he could only do and not say. However, with Haitang … it seemed that he could only say it and not do it? He couldn't help smiling and said, "I'm just curious as to why you're so sure."
Haitang smiled slightly and said, "In Shangjing, you once said that all men, or perhaps male animals, think with the lower half of their bodies. I don't think I have that kind of appearance to attract your attention. After all, my identity is different. You have restraints, and you can't gain any benefits. How could you like me?"
Haitang was the sage girl of Northern Qi, and Fan Xian was a powerful official of the Qing Kingdom. The two of them could interact as friends. If they were to become a couple, the Northern Qi empress dowager and the Qing Emperor would certainly not allow such a thing to happen. On the contrary, it would bring harm to their plans. However, Fan Xian was not thinking of this. He mockingly said, "Liking such a thing has nothing to do with benefits. I've found that in just half a year, your temperament has changed a great deal from before. "
When they were in Hangzhou, Fan Xian seemed to have said these words to Haitang.
Haitang was silent for a moment and then slowly said, "Tianyi Dao pays attention to the connection between heaven and man, the world above, and the people below. I had originally thought that these things could be done naturally. However, in this half a year, I've been entangled in many plans. It is very different from the way of our sect, so it is inevitable that I am not used to it."
Fan Xian nodded slightly and said in agreement, "This kind of scheming and scheming is indeed only suitable for people like me. You should go back to being a village girl, a job with a future." He thought of something and sighed. "Speaking of which, your temperament is not harmonious. In the end, it is my problem. If I hadn't pulled you into the situation when we were in Shangjing, perhaps you would still be raising chickens and playing with donkeys in the garden."
He turned to Haitang and smiled slightly. "Does this count as me leading you into the demonic path?"
"What is the demonic path?" Haitang replied calmly. "It is only a demon in one's heart. With desires comes loss. Although my desires appear grand, they still have losses. This is the so-called way of nature."
Fan Xian asked, "Then, you still persist?"
"Of course," Haitang said quietly. "An Zhi, you once said something that resonates deeply with my heart."
"What did you say?"
"In this world, there has never been a good war or a bad peace." Haitang smiled slightly. "For this goal, I am willing to help you."
Fan Xian once again sank into silence. He looked at the scene in front of him in a daze. He saw that the bird, perhaps on the mud-covered body of the ox, did not find any parasites to fill its stomach, so it flew away with a whoosh.
"Actually, you don't have to feel too inferior." Fan Xian turned his head to look at Haitang. Very seriously, he said, "I've always felt that you look very dignified."
Haitang was speechless. A moment later, she replied, "Dare I ask, is this praise or mockery?"
Fan Xian smiled and shook his head. "It is only in response to what you said earlier, the reason why I could not possibly like you. I am expressing my feelings."
Haitang finally couldn't resist rolling her eyes at him like a little girl. It was very rare.
Fan Xian felt an itch between his brows. He stretched out his finger and rubbed it. "Don't compare yourself to me. Compared to me, there aren't many women in this world who are beautiful." He gloomily said, "This is not my problem. This is my parents' problem."
No matter how calm and composed Haitang was, she was still a teenage girl. Which girl didn't care about appearance? Unless she was blind … She was angered by Fan Xian's words, which were clearly comforting but secretly mocking. She thought to herself that his mouth was indeed a bit annoying. She gritted her teeth and said, "As a high-ranking official, it's best if you don't make things up."
Fan Xian didn't seem to notice her anger and explained seriously, "I'm not making things up. You said I could not possibly like you because you are not beautiful enough. I want to explain to you that, in my opinion, your appearance is not bad …"
Haitang was slightly startled. Fan Xian's next words came very quickly. "After all, there are precedents. The people of Jingdou all say that my wife is only delicate and pretty. In my opinion, Wan 'er is the most beautiful woman in the world …" He shook his head and sighed. "My sense of beauty is probably not the same as most people in this world."
These words finally poisoned Haitang. She gave a muffled grunt, took out her hands from her sleeves, and swept them away. With a sweep of her sleeves, the grass on the grass flew wildly. The wind moved without reason. It was forceful. Presumably, this sweep contained the supreme zhenqi of Tianyi Dao.
Fan Xian raised his hand to cover his eyes. He was very wretched in the grass. He swayed back and forth as if he could fall to the ground at any moment. Yet, his incomparably joyful laughter rang out from the grass that filled the air.
…
…
The wind stopped and the grass fell. Haitang stood quietly to the side with a glimmer of mockery on her face. Looking at him, she said mockingly, "After humiliating me, have you vented the anger from two days ago?"
Fan Xian sighed and smiled slightly. "Duoduo, are you still breathing?" This was the first time he had referred to her as Duoduo after the strike.
After a moment of surprise, Haitang slowly turned and walked toward the carriage. The swordsmen of the Sixth Bureau in the carriage had long gotten off to stand guard. The Tiger Guards, with Gao Da in the lead, watched Haitang cautiously. After all, Fan Xian's subordinates didn't know what had happened during the earlier gust of grass. They were afraid that Haitang would suddenly attack.
Fan Xian followed and smiled slightly. "Don't be in a hurry to get on the carriage. Walk with me." He waved his hand to have Gao Da and the others retreat. After giving them a few more orders, he took Haitang and walked side by side along the woodland beside the road.
…
…
The two of them walked side by side. There was already a long distance between them and the group of carriages. Sunlight shone through the spring forest above their heads. Strands of light intersected and transformed into all kinds of beautiful spots of light, shining on their clothes.
"I am a person who cares a lot about trust," Fan Xian said calmly. "Perhaps it is because it is very difficult for me to find someone worthy of trust in this life, so I was a bit disappointed that you wanted to leave the manor that day."
Haitang lowered her head slightly and didn't explain anything. Instead, she said straightforwardly, "Duoduo is also a person who cares a lot about this matter. After all, you and I belong to two different countries. If there is no trust, it would be very difficult to accomplish anything."
Once the words were out, it was relatively simple. However, asking Haitang if she wanted to go to the workshop to peep or if Fan Xian had misunderstood this girl was already a very unnecessary matter. Since the trust between the two of them had been restored to a certain extent through Fan Xian's sharp tongue, bringing up old matters again would seem very stupid.
The two of them walked forward side by side. Haitang glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and furrowed her brows. Her hands were still in her sleeves. It was not as comfortable as Fan Xian putting them in his large pockets. Fan Xian quietly explained, "I had Sisi add two pockets to the Overwatch Council uniform."
Haitang smiled slightly and sighed with some regret.
In the woodland beside the official road, a rustling sound rose again. This pair of man and woman, who did not have a personal relationship but were particularly demanding of each other's trust, were just like half a year ago in the Royal Palace in Shangjing in Northern Qi. They naturally dragged their heels and walked lazily on the road beside the Yuquan River.
In front and behind them was a scene of spring. The leaves above their heads were tender and lovely.
"How do you plan on dealing with the Ming family?" Haitang asked quietly.
Fan Xian's eyebrows twitched slightly and said, "There are a total of 16 projects in the palace treasury's opening bid. In the past, the Cui and Ming families took up 14 projects. Now that the Cui family has fallen, there are about six spots left. I have already arranged for people to take them over. After Sizhe has pretty much gathered up the remnants of the Cui family's business in the North, the North and the South will come together and the roads will open up again. As long as your Commander of the Guard doesn't mess around, there will be no problems with the goods the palace treasury sends to the North. As for how much of my own goods I can get, that will depend on how much control I have over the palace treasury.
This was the agreement between him and the Northern Qi Emperor. Haitang had come South to keep an eye on this matter and that large sum of silver.
Haitang was silent for a moment and then said, "Even if you can completely control the palace treasury in a short amount of time, if the amount you send to the North … according to the agreement, it will be more than what the Eldest Princess has sent in the past. How can you guarantee the amount you send to the Qing court? I'm worried that you won't be able to explain it to the Qing Emperor. Before I came this time, the Emperor asked me to bring you a message. Since it is impossible to satisfy the needs of the North this year, we can postpone it for two years until you have a stable footing. After all, this is a long-term plan. "
He hadn't thought that the Northern Qi Emperor would be so considerate of him. He couldn't resist smiling and saying, "We'll see how it goes. As long as the palace treasury's output this year is significantly higher than in previous years, it will be easy for me to explain it to the court."
Haitang glanced at him and asked with confusion, "Where will this increase come from?"
Fan Xian calmly replied, "First, of course, the output of the various workshops in the palace treasury has to increase. After the new source is created, there will be the old shopkeeper, Su Wenmao, and the old Ministry of Revenue officials my father sent to tamper with the accounts. You also know that the one overseeing the palace treasury is me. It won't be too difficult for me to wipe away the traces. Second, I plan to take a big bite out of the Ming family and dig out this large family's wealth to offer with both hands to the Emperor. The Emperor will certainly be very happy."
He returned to the question Haitang had asked at the very beginning. How exactly did he plan to deal with the Ming family? Hearing his tone, Haitang didn't seem to be prepared to wipe out the Ming family in a short amount of time. She was a little surprised and asked, "You can tolerate the Ming family?"
"I have no choice, at least for this year," Fan Xian said with a self-mocking smile. Fan Xian smiled self-mockingly and said, "The Cui family's foundation is too shallow. Their battle lines are spread too far, so the Overwatch Council can succeed in one battle. However, the Ming family is a century-old family. Long before the palace treasury, they were a famous Jiangnan family. Their foundation is very solid. A large family of tens of thousands of people, who knows how many of them are officials in court. If we use thunderous methods to deal with them, I'm afraid Jiangnan Road will fall into chaos. The most important thing is … "
The Eldest Princess, Crown Prince, and Second Prince all have shares in it. Perhaps you won't believe it, but even the Fan family has a position in it. Furthermore, they send heavy gifts to Jingdou every year. The various ministries and even the Bureau of Military Affairs have a very good impression of the Ming family. They have always kept a low profile. You have also seen young master Ming. He is a very steady person in the way he does things, and he does not have a bad reputation among the people. If we want to touch them, it will be very difficult. "
Haitang also began to feel that this matter was complicated. She found that although there was worry between Fan Xian's brows, he still did not lose his confidence. She asked, "What is your trump card?"
"My trump card is the Emperor," Fan Xian said seriously. "The Ming family stole silver from the palace treasury and gave a portion to the princess, princes, and officials. Everyone in the world likes the Ming family, but … the Emperor doesn't like it. But … the Emperor does not like it because the Ming family stole his silver. "
…
…
(Not counting the words below: First of all, I sincerely request for monthly tickets, because Old Six's position is very dangerous. Three thousand RMB … At this time, I have to take the night train to Guangzhou and arrive tomorrow. It's just that the journey will be long, and I have to pack up and make arrangements, so the updates for the next few days will be a little less messy. Please understand.
Why do I have to go out? It's not that I have anything to do, it's just that I'm getting moldy from sitting at home. I need a change of environment and adjust my state of mind. Perhaps everyone doesn't understand the feeling of sitting alone at home from body to brain. Ever since I started writing the Qing Yu year, my life has become rigid. Every day, I stay at home, sit, and occasionally go out, but I don't dare to drink. A life without the word "presumptuous" is very depressing. Lying on the bed, Wu Zhu and Fan Xian were still fighting in their heads. At 30 years of life, they finally understood the feeling of insomnia. Of course, I think this is a necessary professional attitude and occupational disease for writers.
Other than a professional attitude, I need to adjust, so I decided to stay in Canton for a few days. It won't be too long, and it won't affect my writing. I just need to go out for a walk … the friend who wrote the evil Ming is also in the same predicament, but he doesn't have time to drink with me. I also don't dare go to his place, so I can only go south. I hope everyone's body and spirit are not sub-healthy, and smile more in life. In the end, I still firmly extended my hand to ask for a monthly ticket.
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