"Regardless of whether you should be dead right now or have been kidnapped by the Ming family," Fan Xian sat in the carriage and looked outside. Fan Xian sat in the carriage and looked outside. In a quiet voice, he said, "In any case, during this period of time, it is impossible for you to appear in front of people again. The Council has already arranged a place for you. Hide well and come out after this matter has settled."
The Fourth master weakly made a sound of acknowledgment.
Fan Xian turned his head and glanced at him. He couldn't resist shaking his head. "When I asked Seventh Ming to meet you, you should have agreed. Why did you have to suffer such a fright?"
The Fourth master gritted his teeth and said in a raspy voice, "No one would have thought that mother and son would be so ruthless."
Fan Xian shook his head somewhat helplessly. "For such a large family to survive, they need many sacrifices."
The Fourth master fell silent. His hand touched his red, tight, and aching throat. He knew that he was nothing more than a sacrifice and didn't have much right to ask for anything.
When the carriage was halfway through its original journey, another carriage picked up the Fourth master from Fan Xian's carriage. Only Fan Xian and a few people from the Qinian Unit were left in the carriage. The seven Tiger Guards followed Gao Da's arrangement and scattered around the carriage, concealing their tracks.
"Sir, where do we go next?" the subordinate asked in a low voice.
Fan Xian thought for a bit and then said, "Wait another hour and send an invitation to the governor's manor. I want to see Xue Qing again." His gaze landed on the subordinate's face and asked, "Has the arrangement in the prison been completed?"
The subordinate said in a low voice, "Yes. Furthermore, the Suzhou government has people watching. The Ming family cannot escape the crime of breaking into the prison, only …"
"Speak directly." Fan Xian furrowed his brows.
"I don't understand. If the Ming family wanted to kill the Fourth Ming master and frame the Council, there was no need to do it so exaggerated."
Fan Xian shook his head. "The method is not important. What is important is the timing. Today, the Overwatch Council entered the Ming Garden to search. The Fourth master died in the prison. No matter how he died or how the Ming family arranged the aftermath … as long as he died and someone found his body, all of the Jiangnan gentry and common people would think it was me who did it. "
He smiled and said, "The Ming family … have been waiting for me to lose my patience and enter the Ming Garden so they could throw out this abandoned pawn. However, now that the Fourth Ming disciple is not dead, I am truly curious. How will the Ming family continue to play the tragic card? "
The carriage slowly came to a stop. The morning sunlight of Suzhou City gently and warmly shone on the long street, shining on people's hearts, and then on the roof of this black four-wheeled carriage, as if to brush away the coldness in the hearts of the people sitting inside.
Estimating that Ming Garden was already in a commotion, Fan Xian lifted the curtain and got off the carriage. The Tiger Guards gathered around and walked toward the tall Governor's yamen.
An official of the Overwatch Council had already handed over a name card, so the yamen gatekeeper did not dare to stop them. An advisor hurriedly walked out and welcomed them in.
It was still in that study. There was still only Governor Xue Qing and imperial envoy Fan Xian. Fan Xian very straightforwardly expressed his intentions and informed the other party that the Overwatch Council people had already entered Ming Garden.
Hearing this reality that had already happened, the corners of Governor Xue Qing's eyes furrowed imperceptibly. He then sighed and slowly said, "There are many things that cannot be done quickly."
Going down to Jiangnan to deal with the Ming family was the Qing Emperor's established policy. Fan Xian was only a specific executor. As the Emperor's trusted aide, Xue Qing knew the origins of this matter. However, in terms of specific measures, he was very different from Fan Xian.
The court did not set a timetable for taking in the Ming family. For the Emperor, he believed he still had a lot of time and enough patience to slowly eat up the large clans in Jiangnan. Correspondingly, Xue Qing did not want to act in too much of a hurry. He had always been conciliatory in order to avoid making too much of a ruckus, messing up Jiangnan, and shaking the foundation of the court's rule.
Thus, Xue Qing's mood was not very good regarding the matter of Fan Xian directly entering the yamen and saying he had already entered Ming Garden. He still did not understand why Fan Xian was in such a rush. He was clearly a young noble not even 20 years old. What was there to be afraid of wasting a few years?
There was another glimmer of anger in his chest. He understood that Fan Xian's action was to force him onto the boat to take a knife. The Overwatch Council had already entered Ming Garden. If the two sides fought, as the governor of Jiangnan Road, he had to ensure peace no matter what. Then, he had to do what he needed to do.
A few days ago, Xue Qing had not relented because he did not have much confidence in dealing with the Ming family. Furthermore, he was afraid of the rumors in the capital. Now that he had been played by Fan Xian, his anger gradually rose. In a low voice, he said, "If trouble arises, who will be responsible?"
Fan Xian thought quietly for a moment and then seriously said, "There shouldn't be any trouble."
Xue Qing glanced at him coldly and said, "It's not that I'm being arrogant, but no matter how you look at it, I am still one of your elders … you didn't handle this matter carefully enough. The Ming family has already shown weakness for half a year, waiting for you to bully them. Now that you have already bullied their way in, how could they miss this opportunity?"
Fan Xian shook his head. "Once we've entered Ming Garden, what can they do?"
Xue Qing lowered his eyelids slightly and said, "Although the court has always known that the Ming family keeps a thousand private soldiers, they have always turned a blind eye to the service they have performed for the court."
It was not difficult for a large family of tens of thousands of people to use all kinds of names to raise a thousand private soldiers. However, Fan Xian couldn't help smiling coldly when he heard these words. "Is it for the court or for the Junshang Conference?"
Hearing the words "Junshang Conference," Xue Qing fell silent. For such a mysterious and limitless power organization to appear in the Jiangnan under his rule, it had to be said that he had failed in his duty. The Emperor had already severely reprimanded him in the secret letter he had sent.
Xue Qing understood that Fan Xian was using the name of the Junshang Conference to pressure him. He could only helplessly shake his head and say, "Where exactly are your plans?"
Fan Xian was silent for a moment and then said, "The Ming family was prepared to kill the Fourth Ming disciple and plant it on the Overwatch Council. I stopped this matter."
"In the Suzhou government?" Xue Qing was slightly startled. Only now did he understand why Fan Xian appeared to have a card up his sleeve.
"A thousand private soldiers. As long as the Ming family does not raise the flag and rebel, I will only send 40 people in, and they won't dare to move." Fan Xian continued to smile slightly and said, "Don't they like to play retreat in order to advance? I want to see just how far they can retreat. "
Xue Qing half closed his eyes and said, "They really won't dare to move? What you have is not an imperial edict. "
Fan Xian responded with equal harshness, "I have not taken an imperial edict, but I have the Emperor's sword."
Xue Qing lightly said, "As long as a few more people die in the Ming Garden and adjust their emotions, it is not impossible for them to bury your 40 Overwatch Council secret agents in the Ming Garden … the Emperor's sword? The Ming Garden can find enough excuses to argue that they did not know of this and only thought that Sir Fan junior of the Overwatch Council wanted to kill and steal property, so they were forced to retaliate … don't forget, the Ming family has laid the groundwork very well these few months. For something like this to happen at this time, everyone under heaven will believe them. "
These words stabbed into Fan Xian's heart. If the Ming family was truly forced into a corner, it was not as if they could not do such a crazy thing. Given the Ming family's foundation in Jiangnan and support in the capital, they could completely shed all pretenses of cordiality with Fan Xian. Furthermore, the Overwatch Council had entered the Ming Garden first. Even if the two sides fought openly, public opinion would completely fall on the Ming family's side.
Unexpectedly, Fan Xian did not seem to care about this at all. There was not a trace of emotion on that young and handsome face.
Xue Qing couldn't help but furrow his brows.
Fan Xian finally opened his mouth. There was a faint self-mockery at the corner of his lips. "The Ming family is waiting for me to act, and I am also waiting for the Ming family to act. As long as we shed all pretenses … if they actually dare to touch my subordinates, no matter what, I will frame them as rebelling. Regardless of whether the people under heaven believe it or not, I will place this hat on the head of that old Ming matriarch."
To say such a perverted thing in front of the Governor, Fan Xian could not be said to not be daring. However, his following words made Xue Qing feel a glimmer of coldness.
"Naturally, no one would believe they would rebel," Fan Xian smiled slightly and said. "However, once we act, the Black Knights that have been staying in Jiangbei will come. I will kill everyone in the Ming Garden. As long as everyone in the sixth branch is dead, who will cry out for them? The Jiangnan people or the Jiangnan gentry? "
He continued to calmly say, "Even if they cry out for their grievances all the way to Jingdou, so what? Even if they file a lawsuit before the Emperor, so what? I have killed everyone in the sixth branch. There is only Xia Qifei left. At most, there will be the Fourth Ming prince as an ornament. The court will still have the Ming family property in their hands … as long as the goal is reached, it doesn't matter if the methods are dirty. "
He turned his head and stared into Xue Qing's eyes. "I trust that if 40 people of the Overwatch Council died and I moved the Black Knights to Suzhou, you wouldn't still stop me, would you?"
Xue Qing's pupils constricted slightly. If things really developed like this and the Overwatch Council threw in 40 officials, and he still had to forcefully stop the Black Knights from going South … he was afraid that the Overwatch Council would truly fly into a rage and anger the old man in the wheelchair. Even if he was the Governor, he probably wouldn't have a good end.
Looking at Fan Xian's warm and pure eyes, Xue Qing felt an inexplicable chill in his heart. He had a completely new understanding of the young official beside him. It turned out that Commissioner Fan of the Overwatch Council was indeed a powerful figure who killed without blinking. The way the younger generation did things was indeed sufficiently crazy.
"What about you?" After massacring Ming Garden, Fan Xian would not have a good ending. However, Xue Qing still did not believe that Sir Fan junior would gamble with the Ming family on this.
"Me? At most, I'll have all my titles removed, lose my official position, and be demoted to a commoner … at the very least, banished 3,000 li away? " Fan Xian seemed to be thinking about his own end and laughed out loud. "It's not like you don't know. I can go anywhere in the world."
Xue Qing couldn't resist shaking his head and sighing. "Then the 40 subordinates you sent into Ming Garden … were they all abandoned?"
Fan Xian closed his eyes and shook his head. "Not so. I am only talking about the worst ending. However, I believe that given the shrewdness of the mother and son of the Ming family, they would certainly not make such a choice … thus, I am very curious. How exactly is the Ming family prepared to deal with this?"
"It's like playing cards. I don't think I'm going to win this round, but I'm very curious as to what card my opponent is going to play." He opened his eyes and said with a smile, "Sometimes, I have the curiosity of a gambler."
"I … am also beginning to become curious." Xue Qing's eyelids jumped slightly. "I hope your judgment is not wrong. The Junshang Conference accountant surnamed Zhou is still in Ming Garden."
"Don't worry." Fan Xian encouraged the Governor. "I have people in Ming Garden."
Xue Qing furrowed his brows. He didn't know who exactly Fan Xian was hiding in Ming Garden. Given his identity, it was not convenient for him to ask, so he closed his mouth and didn't say anything more. The two leading figures of the Jiangnan officials sat silently in the study, waiting for news from Ming Garden.
They didn't have to wait for long before the news came. The advisor of the governor's manor moved closer to Xue Qing's side and whispered for a while.
Xue Qing fell silent. He then gazed at Fan Xian and sighed. "The cards the other party has played seem to have exceeded your expectations … I am going to start moving troops."
Fan Xian furrowed his brows slightly.
Xue Qing continued to smile bitterly and said, "Moving troops … is for the safety of your subordinates and not to prevent you from massacring the garden."
Xue Qing knew he didn't need to explain it to him in detail. His face was still full of shock as he hurriedly left the study. Fan Xian stood and heard the whole story from the mouth of the Qinian Unit member outside the door.
The Overwatch Council's news should be faster than the governor's manor's. After all, he was in the manor, so the message was sent slower.
After Fan Xian heard of what happened in Ming Garden, he still couldn't help but be like Governor Xue Qing. A shocked expression appeared on his face. His mouth opened slightly and he sighed, "Ruthless … even more ruthless than what I did."
He was prepared to curse out to vent the absurd feeling in the depths of his heart. In the end, he endured it. He smiled bitterly and shook his head. His expression gradually became calm. He then gave out an order.
"Have Deng Zi Yue pull everyone back."
"Don't retaliate when hit. Don't retaliate when scolded."
The official of the Qinian Unit accepted the order and left. Fan Xian followed him out of the door of the governor's yamen. He saw that the inside of the yamen was a mess. Most of the officials who didn't know the inside story looked at each other. They didn't know why the governor had chosen this time to inspect the governance of the city and why he had called all of the military officials in the city into the manor to discuss matters.
Fan Xian had the right to participate in the discussion, but he knew that it was not suitable for him to stay in the governor's manor. The storm that was about to arrive would have to be dealt with by Sir Xue Qing, while he should go and do other things.
Climbing into the carriage, Fan Xian rubbed the space between his brows and suddenly said something to Tiger Guard Gao Da that had no head or tail. "Actually, a lot of the time, how a matter goes is completely dependent on the order of the people who die."
Gao Da paused. He didn't understand what the commissioner was talking about.
Fan Xian scratched his head and said, "Clearly, I want him to die. If he kills himself before I let him die, then we … will actually have problems."
"Who died?" Gao Da furrowed his brows and asked.
"The great grandmother in the eyes of the Jiangnan people, the old matriarch of the Ming family who has saved countless poor people," Fan Xian said with a slight smile. "Because she couldn't stand the humiliation of the Overwatch Council entering the Garden and Sir Fan junior's many days of oppression, she angrily hanged herself this morning."
The old Ming matriarch killed herself?
Gao Da sank into shock. Although he was from Jingdou, he knew what kind of prestige and position this old ancestor of the Ming family had in the entirety of Jiangnan.
"Using death to demonstrate her will," Fan Xian laughingly scolded. "Ming Qingda is truly ruthless, even more ruthless than his mother."
— — —
In reality, the old Ming matriarch did not want to die.
Of course, this was nonsense. No one in this world wanted to die. Even though the old Ming matriarch was already old and her breath of life had flowed out for many years, she had enough of enjoying her life in Jiangnan, but she still did not want to die.
The Ming family's reputation in Jiangnan was very good. They had done countless good deeds such as opening shops, giving out porridge, and sponsoring students. In people's hearts, this old Ming matriarch was like a benevolent old immortal in the clouds. Her entire body was wrapped in a sweet and glowing clothing. It was to the extent that among the Jiangnan people and even in some remote places, there were people who had begun to erect shrines for this old Ming matriarch.
It was clear that the old Ming matriarch did not connect the shrines to her lifespan. She also did not think that since the shrines had been erected, how many more days could she … or should she live? Recently, all of her attention had been focused on dealing with the Overwatch Council's all-pervasive coercion. She had long drawn up a corresponding plan.
On this beautiful morning, hearing that the Overwatch Council secret agents had entered the garden to search, the old woman's face was filled with anger. She cursed, "After Ming Garden was built, how could there be a government search? Even if the governor enters the manor, he has to maintain etiquette. These bastards of the Overwatch Council! "
The little courtyard she lived in was far away in the deepest part of Ming Garden. She could not hear the clamor of the Overwatch Council searching in front of her. However, this feeling of humiliation still made her angry. Narrowing her eyes, she said, "You plan to let our family be bullied like this?"
Standing beside her was the current master of the Ming family in name, the eldest son of the eldest branch, Ming Qingda. His face was slightly ashen. He knew what his mother meant and replied in a small voice, "He has already gone. However … after all, Fourth is still a brother."
The old Ming matriarch glanced at her son coldly and with disgust. She thought, If you are not ruthless, how can you accomplish great things? How can you allow your family to struggle at death's door under the Overwatch Council's powerful attacks and endure until the day the capital turns the tables?
"You have to be ruthless."
The old Ming matriarch lectured.
Ming Qingda glanced at his mother's wrinkled face. A filial smile appeared on his face and he made a sound of acknowledgment.
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