On the quiet streets of Suzhou, the clear sound of the carriage wheels drowned out the shocked cry from inside the carriage.
The Third Prince said after a moment of shock, "This lawsuit can still be fought?"
"Why not?" Fan Xian smiled slightly. "Whether or not we can win is another matter, but we must fight."
The Third Prince was, after all, only nine years old. He was still a child. Hearing of this matter, he became interested and said, "Sir, when the time comes, let's go watch the excitement. I heard that Xia Qifei's birth mother … was beaten to death alive by the current old Ming matriarch."
Fan Xian sighed. "This is a family property lawsuit, not an old murder case. It's only about the articles on Qing law and documents. There's no meaning to it."
The Third Prince asked curiously, "Sir, there's no guarantee?"
"No." Fan Xian smiled bitterly and shook his head. "If there was a guarantee … then why bother with all these tricks? I just hope to drag it out, the longer the better. "
The Third Prince sat back down unhappily in his chair and looked at the unfamiliar street scene that passed by. He unconsciously asked, "If you're not going back to Hua Garden at this time, where are you going?"
Fan Xian gazed at him and said, "The Emperor had you follow me to learn, and you have always been diligent. Since you have come out with me today … I will go along the way to learn something you will definitely need to learn in the future."
The Third Prince didn't know what Fan Xian was talking about.
The carriage went from the west side of the city to the north side. It did not enter the place where the men were always circling. Instead, it quietly followed an alley and turned west. Using the cover of the night and the secret vigilance of the members of the Qinian Unit behind it, it shook off any possible tailing and disappeared into Suzhou.
— — —
The carriage stopped outside a private residence. The location was secluded and difficult to notice. Gao Da came down from the driver's seat. His hand grasped the hilt of the long knife on his back. After coldly and carefully observing for a while, he made a fist to signal that it was safe. Only then did Fan Xian lead the Third Prince's subordinates out of the carriage.
The Sixth Bureau assassins at Fan Xian's side were all recovering from their injuries. Fan Xian was not willing to let the only two people who were unharmed risk their lives again. Thus, their personal safety was completely handed over to the Tiger Guards and the Qinian Unit. He acted with increasing caution.
Walking along the quiet doorway, the Third Prince felt a little creeped out. It was dark all around, but he could smell a trace of smoke. This kind of feeling made his hair stand on end.
The child unconsciously tightened his grip on Fan Xian's palm.
He entered the house and turned into another room. It was a bedroom, and everything was there. There was a big bed and a dressing table … There was even a couple sleeping on the bed!
The Third Prince opened his mouth wide, unable to make a sound for a long time. He thought to himself, What kind of joke is this? Fan Xian was slightly startled. He turned his head to look at the Overwatch Council official leading the way.
The official's countenance did not change. He walked straight to the bedside and pulled the hook on the bedframe. With a click, the curtain above the bed was slowly pulled open, revealing a slanting path downwards. He then made a gesture of invitation.
As he did all of this, the couple on the bed only moved in a little and did not have any reaction. They didn't even glance at the people by the bedside. It was as if they were blind and deaf. It was also as if Fan Xian and his group were all like ghosts.
Fan Xian looked at this scene and couldn't help but smile bitterly. He scratched his head. He kept on feeling that it was like some kind of novel he had read in his previous life. Unexpectedly, it had become reality in front of his eyes.
This private residence was a secret residence the Fourth Bureau of the Overwatch Council had placed in Suzhou.
…
…
At this time, the Third Prince knew where he had come. Holding Fan Xian's hand, he carefully walked toward the underground tunnel. His heart was beating like a drum. In a trembling voice, he said, "Teacher, although I am a prince, according to the rules of the court, I do not have the right to know about the secret residences of the Overwatch Council."
Fan Xian smiled and said, "Every city has three to five secret residences. It's not like it's something strange. As for the rules, with me here, no one can say anything."
He was the Commissioner of the Overwatch Council. After Chen Pingping's personal letter, he had the absolute power of the Overwatch Council.
Hearing Fan Xian say this, the Third Prince relaxed slightly. Under the contrast of the dim light, he continued to move forward. The Fourth Bureau's residence in Suzhou was not the largest, but it was the most secretive. Before long, they came to a secret room.
The light in the room was quiet, and the dim light illuminated the somewhat cramped room. There was a charcoal fire in the room, two soldering irons, a few boxes of medicine, a few benches, and more than a dozen long and short metal sharp objects of different shapes.
It was the standard preparation for extorting a confession. Particularly when paired with the two dying and bloody people on the torture rack, it was clear.
Fan Xian sniffed this familiar and intimate scent and couldn't help but sniff. He felt the Third Prince's hand tighten. He couldn't help but smile in his heart. This child did sinister things in the Palace and Jingdou, but he was still a child. He had never seen such a slaughterhouse-like scene.
The Fourth Bureau officials who were extorting confessions had already taken off their clothes because of the heat. They were working with their upper bodies bare. Seeing their superior's superior's superior suddenly come to the secret residence, they jumped in fright and hurriedly looked around for clothes to wear.
Fan Xian waved his hand to stop their movements and said, "Continue working … how are the interrogations coming along?"
An official was wearing only one sleeve and wretchedly walked to the table in the corner of the room. He carefully took out a few pieces of paper. They were the results of the extortion.
Fan Xian took them and glanced at them. He couldn't help furrowing his brows. It was because he had been thinking about the Junshang Conference that, in order to make good use of time, he had personally come to see the situation of the interrogation. Unexpectedly, a few days had already passed and there was still not much progress.
The two people who had been captured by the Overwatch Council were the two swallow-like assassins who had tried to kill Xia Qifei in front of the Jiangnan Restaurant on the night of March 22nd.
That day, these two assassins had been poisoned by the swordsmen of the Sixth Bureau. They had seen the opportunity quickly and wanted to escape. Unexpectedly, along the way, they had been knocked unconscious by Haitang. Afterward, Fan Xian unceremoniously took them and hid them in a secret residence. He tortured and interrogated them. He wanted to know a little inside information about the Junshang Conference. For the Overwatch Council, the Junshang Conference was truly mysterious. A power that even the Overwatch Council could not grasp made Fan Xian worry.
A loosely organized organization? Yet, they could use the Second Priest of the Qing Temple as a chess piece?
Fan Xian furrowed his brows and looked at the results of his subordinates' interrogation. These two assassins were famous killers in the Jiangnan area. Their martial arts were powerful and their actions were sinister. However, it seemed that they did not know much about the Junshang Conference. They had only been bought by the Ming family with silver to do things.
"Wake them up." He shook his head helplessly.
An official brought a small bottle to the noses of the two people on the rack and had them sniff it. The two of them struggled weakly. Their muscles twisted and fresh blood seeped out of their wounds again. They also woke up.
The two assassins forced their eyes open. Terror seeped through their blurred eyes. They had long lost the toughness they had when they were first captured. It looked like they had been tortured badly by the cruel officials of the Fourth Bureau of the Overwatch Council these few days.
Fan Xian and the Third Prince sat on the long, not-so-clean bench. Fan Xian flipped through the paper in his hand and quietly asked, "The Sir Zhou you speak of … what does he have to do with the Junshang Conference?"
The two assassins knew the Overwatch Council's methods. Since they were not going to be martyrs, they rushed to answer. In a hoarse voice, they roared, "Sir, Sir Zhou is the accountant of the Junshang Conference. As for what exactly he does inside, I truly do not know."
Fan Xian raised his head in surprise. "Is Sir Zhou not the head housekeeper of the Ming family?"
One of the assassins said in a trembling voice, "I have only heard of it once. Concerning the Junshang Conference, I truly only know this one thing."
"After enduring for a few days, you two are still quite spirited. It looks like you haven't suffered too much." Fan Xian shook his head.
A glimmer of despair flashed through the eyes of the two assassins.
The Overwatch Council officials began to use torture again, carrying out this unaesthetic yet repetitive and uninteresting work. Wretched cries rose and fell in the torture room. They were incomparably mournful, but they had no way of reaching the ground.
Fan Xian did not cover the Third Prince's eyes.
The Third Prince looked at this scene. His face was deathly pale, but he forced his head not to turn to the side. He only looked at this bloody scene and suddenly felt the food in his stomach want to rush out of his throat uncontrollably. His chest was extremely depressed.
Fan Xian took out a box of ointment from his clothes and used the tip of his index finger to wipe it. He carefully rubbed it under the Third Prince's nose. In a quiet voice, he said, "I have already reported the matter of the Junshang Conference to the Emperor … for the other party to be so daring, Your Highness will be able to understand what kind of daring they have. For today's enemies and future enemies, there are some methods we must learn, but … we must not revel in them."
The Third Prince knew what Fan Xian was teaching him.
On the other side, the fresh flesh on the assassins' chests had already mixed with blood and turned into balls of charred flesh that sizzled on a metal plate.
"You cannot view using torture and cruel officials … as the best way to maintain the rule of the court. You cannot rely on these methods. Even if you weave a wide net, there will still be fish that slip through. Torture and extort confessions, but you still cannot obtain all the information you need, "Fan Xian said calmly. "The way of governing is to balance leniency and severity. If you believe, then you do not doubt. If you doubt, then you do not use it. Leniency is the foundation. The rest are just … small methods to pave the way."
The Third Prince's nose wriggled with a cool smell. He lost some of his malice and understood Fan Xian's meaning. The very different attitudes toward Ming Qingda and Xia Qifei clearly illustrated Fan Xian's method of doing things if you believe, then you do not doubt. If you doubt, then you do not use it. Coming to watch the execution tonight was to let him understand that not all powerful methods would be effective.
…
…
"It's not bad to be able to get information about the Ming family," Fan Xian comforted his subordinates. "Take care of the offerings and heal these two people's wounds. They'll be useful in the future."
After leaving the secret residence the Fourth Bureau of the Overwatch Council had set up in Suzhou, Fan Xian's mood was heavy. At first, he had hoped to be able to find traces of the Junshang Conference. Unexpectedly, he couldn't get anything out of these two assassins. He could only teach the Third Prince a few things along the way. In reality, it was just to cover up his own helpless awkwardness.
Sitting in the carriage on the way back to Hua Garden, he thought carefully. After all, the Overwatch Council was the Emperor's special forces organization. There were many things that could not be done openly. Thus, in terms of organization, there were innate limitations. For example, there could not be too many people. Thus, far away in the strategic town of Jiangnan, although it had always been an important area of supervision for the Fourth Bureau, there was still a clear lack of people.
If they wanted to investigate such a mysterious organization as the Junshang Conference, which floated in the clouds, the Overwatch Council's power in Jiangnan was far from enough.
At this moment, Fan Xian very much wished that Yan Bingyun could be by his side. However, he also understood that Yan Bingyun was currently in charge of the Fourth Bureau and could not easily leave the capital. Furthermore, he needed Yan Bingyun to help Deng Zi Yue with most of the work in the First Bureau.
Even if Wang Qinian was here, things might be a lot easier.
He sighed.
— — —
Yang Jimei had not only given Hua Garden to the imperial envoy Fan Xian with both hands, she had also kept the servants, women, and cooks in the garden. After the Overwatch Council's inspection, they confirmed that these people were clean, so Fan Xian did not refuse this good intention.
Thus, other than everything close to her, Sisi began to enjoy the treatment of a young mistress. Although she was not used to it, there was nothing she could do. The pitiful little girls Fan Xian had bought on his way to Jiangnan also did not have the opportunity to do any rough work. They were truly raised like serving girls in a large family.
What was particularly worthy of praise was the chef Yang Jimei had left behind. His standards were so high that it could make the royal chefs in the Palace blush with shame. Every day, his three meals were cooked in a variety of ways. It made Fan Xian reluctant to go out to taste the delicacies of Jiangnan. He was willing to stay in the garden.
Sisi liked this chef the most, and the Third Prince hated him the most.
That morning, Fan Xian, Haitang, and the Third Prince were sitting around a small table eating porridge made with old corn, diced ham, and western vegetables. The color of the porridge was not very pretty, but the completely mismatched flavors mixed together made it very delicious and strange. Fan Xian drank three bowls in a row. Sisi, who was standing to the side, scooped out the porridge in time.
At this moment, a few people walked in from outside the yard, accompanied by a Tiger Guard. They came to the courtyard and looked at Fan Xian and the Third Prince sitting around the table. They then glanced at Haitang and couldn't help but be shocked.
Fan Xian looked at the people who had stepped over the threshold and was even more shocked. The people who had come were Sang Wen and Deng Zi Yue. Sang Wen had already come down to Jiangnan to help him. However, what was Deng Zi Yue doing in Jiangnan instead of staying together in the capital? When Fan Xian saw clearly the person standing between the two of them, he unconsciously stood up in shock and cried out, "Da Bao! Why are you here? "
Indeed, the fat man standing carelessly between Sang Wen and Deng Zi Yue with a dazed expression, looking around fearfully … if it wasn't Da Bao, who else could it be?
Fan Xian quickly walked forward in fear. He grabbed his brother-in-law's hand with one hand and asked Deng Zi Yue, "What's going on? Where's Wan'er? "
Deng Zi Yue's expression was tired. He smiled bitterly and said, "Madam's health hasn't been good recently, so she temporarily delayed coming down to Jiangnan. However … this uncle heard that he was coming to see you, so he kept making a fuss at home. The Minister sent me to bring this uncle to Jiangnan."
"Nonsense," Fan Xian sighed. Immediately after, his heart tightened. He asked anxiously, "Wan'er's health isn't good?"
"Oh, it's nothing." Sang Wen, who had a warm smile on her face and the flesh on her cheeks, replied, "The princess has probably caught the wind and is a bit tired. She'll be fine after resting for a few days."
She took out two letters from her clothes and handed them to Fan Xian. "These are letters for you."
Fan Xian accepted them and glanced at them. They were written by his father and Wan'er. He didn't have time to read them. He first put them in his clothes and said angrily, "Father, what do you mean? Jiangnan is in chaos right now. Why did you send Da Bao here? "
Da Bao suddenly grinned and pulled on Fan Xian's ear. "Little Xianxian, you hid for so long in this hide-and-seek … you're really good."
The Third Prince, who was holding the bowl of porridge and staring curiously at the door, found that the always scary Fan Xian was actually like this in front of this big idiot … he couldn't resist anymore. With a splutter, he spat out the mouthful of porridge he had been holding in his mouth.
Deng Zi Yue smiled awkwardly and quickly went forward with Sang Wen to bow to the Third Prince. He didn't dare look at Fan Xian's wretched appearance. Presumably, these two had also been annoyed by Da Bao's antics along the way.
Since Da Bao had come, there would certainly be people to serve him along the way. Sisi understood and quickly left the garden to settle those people down. Fan Xian had also finally calmed Da Bao down. He first settled him in the back garden and had the little serving girls, who had nothing to do all day, go and eat melon seeds with him. Only now did the front hall quiet down.
Haitang rose and bowed slightly. She then left the front hall. She knew that Fan Xian must have a lot to talk about with Deng Zi Yue.
After Deng Zi Yue entered the hall, it was as if he hadn't seen this country girl. Since she had taken the initiative to bow to him, he still had to quickly return the bow.
Sitting at the table, Fan Xian furrowed his brows and said, "Last night, I was thinking that there are indeed few people by my side. It's good that you came, but what about the capital?"
"Sir Yan junior is watching over the capital. After receiving the Council report you sent back to the capital, the Director sent me to bring some people over to help," Deng Zi Yue explained. Deng Zi Yue explained, "Also, the thing you wanted to prepare took the Second and Third Corps a few months to complete, so I might as well deliver it to you on my way."
Fan Xian shook his head and said, "I thought someone else would deliver it. I didn't think it would be you."
He glanced at the Third Prince beside him, who was eating porridge and eavesdropping. He coughed and asked the young master to leave.
After the Third Prince left gloomily, Fan Xian furrowed his brows and said, "When you came in earlier, why was your expression so strange?"
Deng Zi Yue glanced around and smiled bitterly. "When I left the capital, the rumors in Jingdou were too fierce … they all said that you and the Northern Qi saint girl, Haitang, would travel together, sit together, and sleep together … the court couldn't stop discussing it. Furthermore, you are now fixated on the palace treasury, so you have to avoid suspicion. The officials in court were preparing to use this matter to attack you … I didn't think that when I entered Hua Garden today, I would see that girl. Only then did I know that the rumors were true. I couldn't help but worry."
"Sleep together?" Fan Xian smiled coldly. "Only those people could think of that. Let's not talk about it. Let me see what you brought."
Deng Zi Yue carefully took out a flat box from his clothes and handed it to Fan Xian's hand.
Fan Xian lifted the lid and carefully examined the piece of paper lying quietly in the middle of the box. The paper was slightly yellowish white. The edges were slightly curled, and it could be seen that it was quite old. The handwriting on the paper was slightly crooked. It looked like the person who wrote it was near the end of his life.
"Not bad." Fan Xian furrowed his brows. "Although this will still not be of much use, if this family property lawsuit is to be dragged on, we will have to rely on this."
Deng Zi Yue replied, "Don't worry, the Second and Third Bureau worked together and used countless pieces of the Ming family's previous master's handwriting. They also used old paper that is difficult to find today. In addition to the craftsmanship and attention to detail, no one should be able to tell it is fake."
"Of course, the Ming family knows it is fake. The real one has long been destroyed," Fan Xian smiled and said. "To pass off the fake as the genuine, there are indeed many professionals in our Council. In the future, if we go into the fake antique business, I think we can make a lot of money."
"Send it to Xia Qifei in a moment. Tomorrow, when the court opens for trial, if this will is thrown there … the Suzhou government will probably be dumbfounded. "
The investigation into the Ming family continued, but it did not have any results. For one, the Ming family's efforts to wipe away traces was too deep. For another, there were countless connections in the Jiangnan officialdom that protected them. Naturally, the Suzhou government was one of the links. Although Fan Xian could not directly tear down the Suzhou government, using a "secret Chen Pi's will" to make the Jiangnan Road officials feel fear and trepidation was still a very easy thing to do.
When he was the only one left in the Flower Hall, Fan Xian took out the two letters from his clothes. First, he roughly scanned them and then read them carefully. Wan'er's letter basically talked about Jingdou matters. Occasionally, it would mention the situation in the Palace. However, the language was a bit cryptic.
One of the greatest benefits of having a wife in Jingdou was that she could help Fan Xian immediately understand which way the wind in the Palace would blow.
The Eldest Princess returned to Guangxin Palace. The Second Prince quietly returned to the stage. The Crown Prince's movements were the most secretive. The old empress dowager seemed to be dissatisfied with Fan Xian's arrogance in Jiangnan.
The strangest thing was that the Emperor was still calm. This … god-damned Emperor, what good was it for him to make the world so chaotic? Where did his confidence come from?
Fan Xian sighed. His fingers gently rubbed the fragrant letter. Suddenly, his longing for Wan'er surged up. After not seeing her for a number of months, he knew that his wife was in Jingdou, worried about him and making plans.
After he finished reading his father's letter, Fan Xian finally understood Da Bao's purpose in coming to Jiangnan.
In the letter, Minister Fan urged Fan Xian to find a time to send Da Bao to Wuzhou. After resigning, the Prime Minister, Lin Ruofu, lived in seclusion in Wuzhou. It had been a long time since he had seen his son. If Fan Xian sent Da Bao to Wuzhou, he could take the opportunity to visit his scheming father-in-law.
This excuse was very good. Even the Emperor could not oppose it.
Wan Li, Brother Xiao Jin, the wind blows through the sky, burying love in blood … I'm very happy. Thank you, everyone. I don't know what to say. It seems a little pretentious to ask everyone to spend less money. Hehe, I can only say, "I will still write novels next year. I will still write novels the year after that. I will still write novels the year after that. I will still write novels the year after that. I will also write novels the year after that. The more I write, the better it will be …"
(To be continued, if you want to know what happens next, please log on to WWW. CMFU. COM. More chapters. Support the author. Support original reading!)
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