It began to rain again in Suzhou. It was said that the rain upstream of the Yangtze River was even heavier. The attention of the court officials was focused on the section of the river embankment above Shazhou that was riddled with holes. Even though Fan Xian was in Suzhou, his gaze could not stop from falling there. Yang Wanli had long gone to take up his post in the river transport governor's yamen. The palace treasury had transferred money, and the national treasury had also arrived. The money for the river transport had never been as plentiful as this year. However, the time to repair the river this year was too late. No one knew if it could withstand the summer floods.
The rain fell heavily. The summer heat that had just arrived in Jiangnan was immediately drenched. All that was left was a cold sense of the end of spring. For the people of Jiangnan, this rain only increased the melancholy and grief in the depths of their hearts. Not many people thought of the homeless people upstream of the Yangtze River who had no houses to live in and no clothes to wear.
The old Ming matriarch's funeral was about to begin.
Fan Xian watched all of this coldly and had no reaction at all. After Deng Zi Yue, his subordinates, including the governor's manor, the Overwatch Council, and the palace treasury transport company, all advised him that it would be best to light a stick of incense in the mourning hall. The imperial envoy had expressed his stance. Given the Qing people's reverence for the court, they should not continue to make trouble.
However, Fan Xian stubbornly refused this suggestion. In his opinion, it was just the funeral of an old man. What was the big deal? It was just the death of one person. If the matter upstream of the Yangtze River was not handled well, who knew how many people would die.
All of the officials sighed in despair at the imperial envoy's stance. They wondered if the imperial envoy did not feel the undercurrent surging among the people.
…
…
At the end of the month, the sound of mourning filled Ming Garden. White cloth hung high, and the mourning hall was spacious. It was the seven day period for the coffin to stop.
After the seven day period, it was time to announce the funeral. According to the funeral rules of Qing Kingdom, after seven days, the news of the funeral had to be spread to friends, family, and even enemies. Regardless of what enmity there was between the two parties in life, the rule of announcing the funeral could not be avoided. The original intention of this ceremony was to erase all enmity with death. Often, enemies in life would use the news of the funeral to personally go to the mourning hall to offer their condolences. It was the same as ending the wrongs in life. From then on, they would be separated by yin and yang and have nothing to do with each other.
The high officials and nobles who had been waiting in Suzhou for the Ming Garden's funeral all received the white invitation from the Ming Garden. One by one, they tidied up their clothing and expressions and headed for the Ming Garden.
Everyone's eyes were fixed on Hua Garden because, according to the rules and the old Ming matriarch's identity and position, the white card announcing the death should also be sent to Hua Garden and into the hands of the imperial envoy. As for what the imperial envoy planned to do, it all depended on how he dealt with this white invitation.
No one expected that when Ming Garden delivered the white invitation to Hua Garden, Hua Garden only politely welcomed the Third Ming master in, drank a cup of tea, and then sent the Third Ming master out. The white invitation was not accepted.
The Third Ming master immediately flew into a rage outside Hua Garden. He cursed angrily with obscenities and then spat viciously on the stone steps in front of Hua Garden.
Immediately, a servant came out and used water to wash away the phlegm.
Everything in the world couldn't be raised above the word 'reason', and in the hearts of ordinary people, the dead were the most important. This was the universal reason. The imperial envoy did not give the dead any face. It made all the people feel a glimmer of shock and anger.
What surprised and angered everyone even more was that before the old Ming matriarch's mourning hall opened, the Overwatch Council acted again and captured the Sixth master, who had led the resistance against the search in Ming Garden. They used the name of investigating Dongyi spies. Thus, not only the Suzhou government, but even the governor's manor could not say much. After the Overwatch Council secretly captured the Sixth master, they immediately sent him to the custody of the Shazhou navy and did not hand him over to the local authorities.
No one knew if there was anyone taking the lead, but from the second day onwards, there was an endless stream of people gathering in front of Hua Garden. They cursed loudly and shouted incomprehensible slogans, such as severely punishing the true culprit and releasing the innocent.
What was even more headache-inducing was that the Jiangnan students and scholars had also joined in. Young students were hot-blooded. Furthermore, Sir Fan junior's recent actions made these students feel disillusioned with their idols. They were furious and clamored loudly and bitterly.
Hua Garden was as calm as usual. However, the Jiangnan Road governor's yamen was afraid of a popular revolt and moved a group of soldiers to stand guard in front of Hua Garden, chasing the agitated and angry scholars to the end of Chang Street.
That afternoon, under heavy guard, Governor Xue Qing passed through the agitated crowd with great difficulty and entered Hua Garden.
In the study, he and Fan Xian argued for a long time. In the end, no one could convince the other. In the end, Xue Qing helplessly asked, "If we incite the people to surround the garden and not leave, where will the court's face go?"
Fan Xian coldly said, "Surrounding the prince with evil intentions. If you still don't move your troops, I will."
Xue Qing was startled. Only now did he remember that there was still a Third Prince living in Ming Garden. If he allowed the people of Suzhou to surround Hua Garden and the news got back to Jingdou, he wouldn't be able to be the governor anymore. The leading scholars would probably have to pay with their lives. As the Jiangnan governor, he did not dare to allow such a terrifying thing to happen within his jurisdiction. After thinking for a moment, he sincerely asked, "What should we do?"
Given Governor Xue Qing's shrewdness and experience, taking care of a few hot-blooded scholars was a small problem. Most importantly, he understood that this was clearly an atmosphere Fan Xian had purposely created. Without knowing what Fan Xian's true intentions were, there was no need for him to forcefully interfere and sink himself into this mess.
Fan Xian glanced at him and said, "They are all hot-blooded young people. I don't want to make things difficult for them … however, this continuous rain will make it cold at night. Their hot-blooded hearts will also go cold, so naturally, they will disperse."
Xue Qing's brows furrowed slightly. "And if they don't disperse?"
Fan Xian smiled coldly. "Righteous indignation cannot be eaten. If they don't disperse at night, then it means that some of the people surrounding the garden are not acting out of righteous indignation but have other goals."
The goal those people hiding in the dark wanted to achieve was simple. They didn't need to incite a civil revolt. They just needed to make the people's reactions bigger and have the matter travel back to Jingdou. The Emperor would have to respond.
Xue Qing thought for a moment and immediately understood Fan Xian's meaning. He said, "Should the governor's manor take action in this matter?"
Fan Xian shook his head. "This is a matter of bad reputation. I'll take responsibility for it myself … Sir, just look after Hua Garden. After all, the Third Prince's safety is of the utmost importance."
Xue Qing understood. He couldn't help but feel a glimmer of strangeness and shock in his heart. According to the common sense of officialdom, the matter of suppressing a civil revolt had to be done together by everyone above. However, Fan Xian's solitary and stubborn appearance did indeed reduce the pressure on him.
After the discussion ended, Xue Qing took his leave.
Fan Xian sat alone in the study in a daze. Shortly after, he couldn't resist smiling self-mockingly. Haitang had been gone for many days and still hadn't returned. If he couldn't capture Sir Zhou, then the Ming Garden coup would mean he had lost one-third of the benefits. As for the angry Suzhou people, Fan Xian didn't care at all. With Ming Qingda leading, the matter would certainly not go beyond the critical line of intensification. The problem was, it was clear that behind this mass movement, there were many shadows of people hiding in the dark.
Without anyone instigating and instigating, how could the cowardly and cowardly citizens of the Qing court have the courage to come to the imperial envoy's manor and raise their voices?
Concerning this matter, Fan Xian had already made ample preparations. Now that he had Xue Qing's reply, his heart was even more at peace.
The matter was indeed as Fan Xian had expected. When the sky darkened, the crowd outside had gradually dispersed. There were only the students with square headscarves on their heads, their faces full of righteousness, and a few unknown citizens mixed together. With the governor's manor's military watching, these people could only stand at the end of Chang Street and chant, angrily accusing the imperial envoy of treating human life like grass and harming the Jiangnan people.
No one knew who started it, but the crowd gradually became excited and pressed toward Hua Garden. For a moment, the governor's manor's soldiers did not dare to act ruthlessly and slowly retreated.
As they got closer and closer to Hua Garden, the crowd stopped. There was a clamor of voices, and all kinds of ugly curses were thrown out. However, the students were not all idiots. They knew that cursing was one thing, but they were all cursing about the Overwatch Council and did not touch upon Fan Xian's 18 generations of ancestors.
Everyone under heaven knew that Fan Xian's ancestors were the Emperor's ancestors. Cursing the Overwatch Council that all scholars hated to the bone was fine, but cursing the Emperor's 18 generations of ancestors? Everyone just wanted to vent the anger of the old Ming matriarch, who had died an unjust death. They didn't want to throw their lives into it.
Hua Garden was still silent. One could faintly see the flickering lights inside, and the sound of stringed instruments came through the rain.
The soldiers of the governor's manor were on standby. They lit torches in their hands and lit up the outside of Hua Garden.
The rain was like a thread and had long soaked the bodies of the students still outside Hua Garden. They looked at each other and wiped the rain off their faces, not daring to believe their own ears. Suzhou was already like this, they were already like this, yet the imperial envoy still had the leisure to do this … like this!
They were drenched in the rain, yet the imperial envoy was listening to a play. The students strangely became angry. The angry cursing that had just stopped due to exhaustion rang out again.
Amidst the angry cursing, a person wearing a gray unlined garment was sandwiched in the crowd. His eyes rolled around a few times. He took out something from his clothes and threw it into Hua Garden.
The item fell into the garden and only made a muffled sound. There was no sound of an explosion.
Instead, a thunderous curse came from Hua Garden, "Who the f * ck is throwing a bag of dog blood?"
…
…
Throwing dog blood was one of the most insulting tricks. Although it was childish like a child throwing a tantrum, throwing it into the imperial envoy's Hua Garden was a big deal.
The students were also stunned, and the cursing stopped for a moment. They thought to themselves, which classmate is this? How could he be so daring?
Just as they were thinking this, three black shadows flashed across Hua Garden. It was three swordsmen of the Sixth Bureau of the Overwatch Council. They watched the troublemakers on the street outside the garden coldly.
The crowd fell silent for a moment. Suddenly, someone exploded with a cry, "The Overwatch Council is going to kill people! We …! "
A shadow charged into the crowd. The sound of fanning the flames suddenly stopped. It was like someone had grabbed the throat of a duck's fate.
The crowd was startled and parted in the middle. A large man wearing cotton clothing walked out coldly with a gray-clothed person's throat in his hand.
The large man wearing cotton clothing was the leader of the Tiger Guards, Gao Da. He had been watching the people fanning the flames on Fan Xian's orders. Given his ability, it was easy for him to take the person. He threw the gray-clothed man to the ground and stepped on his chest. The sound of the man's sternum breaking could be heard.
The students looked at this wretched scene. Hot blood rushed to their heads. They surrounded Gao Da in the middle and yelled, "Murder! The Overwatch Council is killing people! "
This scene scared the surrounding officials of the governor's manor. They urged their horses forward, ready to send troops to suppress the situation at any moment.
Gao Da coldly picked up the gray-clothed man and shook him like he was shaking a sack. Clink, clink, clink. Who knew how many things fell from the man's body?
"First, he didn't die."
The gray-clothed man's moan answered Gao Da's words. The students' emotions calmed slightly.
Gao Da coldly said, "Second, you are here to seek justice. This person is here to tempt the imperial envoy to kill you. There is a difference, so there is a difference in treatment … these are his original words."
Only now did the students come to their senses. Looking down, they couldn't help but jump in fright. They saw that there were not only bags of dog blood on the gray-clothed man's body. There were also fire seeds and lamp oil. Only now did everyone understand that if they allowed this person to do bad things in the crowd and actually burn down Hua Garden, where the prince and imperial envoy lived, they would certainly be killed on the spot by the court as thugs.
"His original words are two," Gao Da said coldly.
Everyone was intimidated by his imposing manner and listened obediently.
"If there is injustice in your chest, you have to vent it. This is the nature of young people. I don't blame you."
Gao Da continued to narrate Fan Xian's words. "But to be incited by someone and not know the truth, how stupid is that? If there is injustice you want to vent, you have to find the right way. To make such a racket like a shrew in the marketplace is truly shameful. "
Listening to these words, the students felt very dissatisfied. A student who seemed to be the leader stood out boldly. "The Overwatch Council handles matters unfairly, forcing people to die. I once went to the Suzhou government to make a report, but officials protect each other. Furthermore, the Suzhou government fears the power of the Overwatch Council and does not accept the complaint. Dare I ask the imperial envoy, what other way can I vent my anger?"
Gao Da glanced at that person coldly. "Sir, since you have the courage to gather outside the garden to make trouble, do you have the courage to enter the garden to discuss matters?"
The students immediately began to make a ruckus. Some said they couldn't enter, others said they had to enter. There were many different opinions. In the end, they all focused their gazes on the student who had stood out earlier. This student was a student of Jiangnan Road's White Deer Academy. His name was Fang Tingshi. He came from a poor background but was very knowledgeable. He had always been deeply admired by his peers and was the hidden leader of the students.
Fang Tingshi thought for a moment and gritted his teeth. From his clothes, he took out the letters of blood from tens of thousands of people he had collected. Raising them above his head, he said, "I am willing to enter the garden to debate with you."
Gao Da glanced at him expressionlessly. Carrying the grey-clothed man, he walked into the garden. Fang Tingshi felt slightly uneasy. Summoning up his courage, he walked in. At the same time, he dissuaded his fellow students' requests to enter together.
…
…
Fan Xian sat in the grand wooden armchair with his eyes half closed, enjoying Sisi's gentle massage behind him. His fingers tapped on the table along with the singing of the melodious master in the pavilion in the garden.
Below him, the incomparably daring Fang Tingshi, who had entered the garden alone to ask for justice from the imperial envoy, was flipping through something. His face alternated between green and white. His lips trembled slightly. It was as if he was shocked by what was recorded on it.
Fan Xian slowly opened his eyes and said, "This is a court secret. However, there are many things that are not convenient to bring to the Suzhou government as evidence. There are many things that are already dead and cannot be used as evidence. There are many things that involve nobles in court. I cannot use them as a cover to openly destroy the Ming Garden … however, since you have the courage to pull together a group of students to seek justice, presumably you are not an idiot. After seeing so many things, you should have your own independent judgment as to what exactly happened in the Ming Garden matter."
What Fang Tingshi held in his hands were the results of the Overwatch Council's secret investigation of the Ming Garden this half year. It included the pirates on the East Sea island, the strange death of Ming Lanshi's concubine, the story of Xia Qifei and the Ming family, the Ming family smuggling to Dongyi, and the ace Sigu Jian left to enter Jiangnan to assassinate Fan Xian. Each stroke was recorded clearly. Although, as Fan Xian had said, these records could not be presented as evidence because of the lack of circumstantial evidence, Fang Tingshi knew that what was written on it was all true.
His hands holding the files were trembling. "But … it shouldn't be like this. The old Ming matriarch has softened Jiangnan and supported countless poor students. My family has been poor since I was young. If it wasn't for the Ming Garden giving me rice every month to study, how could I have entered White Deer Academy?"
His eyes were slightly red. He stared angrily at Fan Xian and said, "Imperial envoy, since I dared to enter the garden today, I did not have any thoughts of leaving alive. I do not believe the things recorded here. The Overwatch Council is best at framing people …"
Fan Xian looked at him coldly and did not continue.
Fang Tingshi himself could not continue.
"Ever since I took over the Overwatch Council, when has there been a case of framing people and framing people?" Fan Xian said mockingly. "As for you, as a student, you should have the ability to make independent judgments. You don't need to rely on other people's words or your own eyes. You only need to look at the situation these years and your own brain."
"Of course, you all have no brains to begin with," Fan Xian scolded. "If you all had brains, you wouldn't have been persuaded by others to come to Hua Garden. Where is this? This is the imperial envoy's residence, this is the prince's temporary imperial residence. Even if I cut off 300 of your heads, there would be no problem. In the end, it will be you all who die, and my reputation will also be gone. It will be good for those shady and illegal merchants who bend the law. "
He was angry and unkind. Pointing at Fang Tingshi's nose, he scolded, "You are all a bunch of idiots. I don't know where all your years of studying went."
His anger was faked because Fan Xian knew that these students would fall for it the most.
As expected, Fang Tingshi mumbled, "The imperial envoy's teaching is correct …" He changed his mind. Not only had the imperial envoy not taken action to suppress the students, but he had also invited him into the manor. His heart was indeed sincere. He opened his mouth with a pained smile and said, "Sir is magnanimous."
Fan Xian closed his eyes and shook his head. "My magnanimity cannot be said to be magnanimous. It is just that you are all still young. I am not willing to use those methods … as to why I can tolerate you today."
He suddenly opened his eyes and said, "You should know who the four disciples of Fan Xian's are."
Fan Xian's four disciples, Hou Jichang, Cheng Jialin, Shi Chanli, and Yang Wanli, were all Fan Xian's students who had jumped up after the spring examination case.
Fang Tingshi nodded.
Fan Xian smiled. "My four students are all older than me, but they all call me teacher. Back in the day, Jichang had also caused trouble in Jiangnan, just like you are today. "
Fang Tingshi was slightly startled.
Fan Xian finally said, "It is not that I value talent. Perhaps I am nostalgic looking at you."
After Fang Tingshi left, Sisi furrowed her brows and said, "Young master, these people don't know what's good for them, why are you still …"
"Still so polite?" Fan Xian shook his head. "Reputation is indeed not important, but I still have to be careful about the students. In the future, after these people pass the provincial examinations, they will all enter the court as officials. Even if I don't think for myself, I still have to think for the Prince."
Sisi then said, "Then let this matter end here."
A warm smile rose to the corners of Fan Xian's lips. "If Fang Tingshi can persuade the students to go back, it means he has the ability. In the future, of course, we have to train him well. As for the ghosts mixed in the crowd … they are the ones I am waiting for. "
Ming Qingda had long sent someone to send a message. The internal structure of Ming Garden had pretty much been suppressed. The problem was, it was not easy to suppress the rumors in Suzhou at the moment, particularly the troublemaking crowd. There were certainly people with ulterior motives.
"Don't use knives." Fan Xian turned around and gave orders to Gao Da. "The wooden sticks I had you prepare a few days ago are more useful. As for suppressing things, you have to hit them painfully, but you can't let them bleed."
No matter what matter it was, adding the word "bleed" in front of it was always troublesome.
After Fang Tingshi left the garden, he gathered with the students and spoke for a long time. Unfortunately, he was unable to convince everyone. On the contrary, some of the students suspected that he was afraid of the power of the court. There were also some sarcastic words in the crowd that provoked him. After Fang Tingshi's anger, he was ashamed. For a moment, he didn't know what to do. He could only take his friends and leave Ming Garden first.
Only half of the people who had surrounded Ming Garden to express their anger remained. The officials of the governor's manor watched even more closely after the dog blood bag incident earlier.
After an indeterminable amount of time, a large group of people suddenly charged out of Hua Garden with wooden sticks in their hands. They struck down on the bodies of the students who had surrounded and refused to leave. For a moment, wretched cries rang out and the sound of sticks hitting flesh rang out.
Although the people of the Overwatch Council did not strike too heavily and the students were not heavily injured, the students, who had immersed themselves in scriptures every day, had never experienced this kind of stick education. They cried and yelled before they were chased away by the sticks. In front of Hua Garden, peace immediately returned.
Only the rain slowly floated down.
The commander of the governor's manor stared dumbstruck at this scene. He thought to himself that the imperial envoy was truly vicious and merciless.
No one noticed that, following the scattered students, there were also some furtive figures. Behind these figures, there were also secret agents of the Overwatch Council disguised as scholars or commoners. As they ran in panic, they kept a careful eye on them.
Fan Xian stepped on the ladder and held the Third Prince's hand as they climbed to the top of Hua Garden's wall. Looking at this scene, he couldn't resist laughing and said, "According to the standard pattern, today we should have some gang members disguised as people with lofty ideals who are loyal to the Emperor and love the people to beat up these students."
The Third Prince asked curiously, "Sir, why didn't you do this today?"
Fan Xian laughingly scolded, "You want to use the Jiangnan water bandits? Now everyone knows that Xia Qifei is one of us. What need is there for that extra face? "
…
…
(I'm still sick …)
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