"Impossible."
Fan Xian lay on the bed and shook his head as he spoke. However, he immediately began to cough. It seemed that even his internal injuries knew he could not completely trust his judgment. In his agitated emotions, it was hard not to have some reaction.
However, Fan Xian still felt it was impossible. Ever since he was young, he had followed Sir Fei to learn the basics of biological poisons. He learned the rules and composition of the Overwatch Council's departments. He learned the Overwatch Council's unique way of doing things and killing techniques. From a young age, his life was intimately connected to the Overwatch Council that the Qing officials and people feared the most.
In other people's eyes, he was a child, at most a child with a bit of a genius' aura. However, he knew that Fan Anzhi's soul had already matured when he was in Danzhou. Thus, he had long understood that his future life would be intimately connected to the Overwatch Council.
After entering the capital, the appearance of the Commissioner's token made Fan Xian understand the good intentions of the elders of the Overwatch Council. They wanted to hand the Overwatch Council to him or return it to him. More accurately, they wanted to return it to that woman.
By now, Fan Xian had an immeasurable amount of wealth, a reputation known to the world, and an extremely high status. Perhaps all of this was due to the experience of his two lives, the countless poems and song lyrics of his predecessors, and the unswerving determination that he had trained since he was young. But he knew that all of this was just an external object. It was difficult to tie it to him, and he could lose it at any time.
The reason he could still have all of this was because he relied on the power of the Overwatch Council.
No matter how one looked at it, the Overwatch Council was the foundation of Fan Xian's existence in this world.
The attack in the snowy valley was different from the assassination in the Hanging Temple. The heavy injury he received after being suspended in the air was completely an accident. The Shadow's attack was completely under Chen Pingping's control. If he had not coincidentally reached a bottleneck in the Tyrannical Scroll and coincidentally had his meridians broken, presumably, he would not have received such a heavy injury.
However, the attack in the snowy valley was to kill him. Once it began, there was no possibility of it being stopped.
If it was really as his father had said and he guessed, this foundation had suddenly loosened. Fan Xian could dejectedly leave at any moment. Regarding this guess, regardless of whether it was rationally or emotionally, Fan Xian did not want to accept it. He could not accept it.
"Impossible."
Fan Xian once again used a heavy tone to repeat these three words.
He was the Commissioner of the Overwatch Council. After these two years of Chen Pingping purposely letting go and supporting him, he had long placed his own people in the eight bureaus. The Qinian Unit had become a special department. He had him in the First Bureau, Yan Bingyun in the Fourth Bureau, Fei Jie in the Third Bureau, Wu Xin in the Black Knights in the Fifth Bureau, and now there was Jing Ge.
No matter how he thought about it, Fan Xian was no longer the lonely man he once was. The resources of the entire Overwatch Council had long been firmly held in his hands. He truly did not understand. Even if there was a traitor in the Council, it was impossible to completely keep him in the dark and cooperate with his enemy.
Unless it was him.
This was the person she had been thinking about in the valley.
But he … was so kind to her. That pair of hands that were always placed on the wool blanket were so steady. That skinny, disabled body seemed so reliable. No matter where she was, she always felt that he was her biggest support. No matter what she did, she did not have a trace of fear.
…
…
"There has never been anything impossible in this world," Fan Jian said coldly. "Back then, how was your mother compared to you now? She similarly had the Overwatch Council in her left hand, the palace treasury in her right, and behind her was Lao Wu. Furthermore, she had us and the Quanzhou Navy in the South. How was she compared to you now? But, in the end? "
Fan Xian fell silent. He suddenly faintly felt that the matter in the valley was probably related to that matter many years ago.
"The empress's father was personally beheaded by me." Fan Jian lowered his head and looked at his slender fingers. Smiling slightly, he said, "But … who knows if all the heads that should be beheaded have been cut off?"
When Fan Xian first heard of this matter, he was unusually shocked. He looked at his father and couldn't speak for a long time. It was not until today that he learned that the empress's father had been personally killed by his father.
He knew what his father meant. That night when Jingdou bled with blood was a great revenge for the Ye family's collapse. However, the Ye family's foundation at the time was very deep. For it to be overturned in one night, although it was while the Emperor was on his Western Expedition, who knew how many noble families in Jingdou participated in this matter. It was not surprising that some escaped the net or even the main culprits still existed.
However, Fan Xian broke the silence. A determined expression appeared on his face. Warmly, he said, "Father, don't say anymore. I believe in the Director."
Fan Jian sighed.
Fan Xian continued to warmly say, "He has actually once said your words to me. I have also been thinking about the problem from back then. I found that before I entered Jingdou, you and Director Chen were unusually cold toward each other. It was completely different from how it is now. I understand that you both have wariness in your hearts. However, just as I unconditionally trust you, I also unconditionally trust him."
He gently coughed and continued, "Suspicion toward one's companions is a very terrifying thing. Perhaps some people have purposely hidden something to make you and Director Chen suspect each other."
"I won't do that," Fan Xian said with a heavy tone. "I believe in my own feelings. Only feelings will not lie to me."
His gaze looked out the window.
…
…
After a long time, Fan Jian smiled and comfortingly said, "Looks like you still have confidence in human nature. In this aspect, you are very similar to your mother."
Fan Xian also smiled and said, "Only for a few specific people."
Fan Jian continued to calmly ask, "How are you going to handle this matter?"
"I will first wait to see the Emperor's results." Fan Xian was silent for a moment. He then continued, "I'm just afraid we won't be able to find anything. The other party has invested so much capital into it. Naturally, they have thought of a way to deal with the aftermath."
He smiled mockingly and said, "Sometimes, I don't know where the Emperor's confidence comes from. There are already people in the military who are beginning to stir. Is he still as unworried as before?"
"Investigating will always be able to find something." Fan Jian gazed at his son and knew that the young man had not been blinded by blood. He smiled with relief and said, "The city guarding crossbows all have numbers."
"I'm afraid that even these city guarding crossbows were brought over from somewhere else. It would not be good to investigate the wrong person."
"You're right." A strange smile rose to the corners of Fan Jian's lips. "In the Emperor's anger, the case was investigated very quickly. We received news in the afternoon. There were five city guarding crossbows in the valley. They had just left the factory of the palace treasury's third workshop. They should have been sent in the direction of Dingzhou. For some reason, they were delivered a bit later than the delivery time and just happened to appear on your way back to the capital. "
"Dingzhou?" Fan Xian furrowed his brows. "The Ye family wants to be the scapegoat again? Can the Emperor harden his heart? "
"Of course, the Emperor knows that this matter is strange," Fan Jian said. "However, what if the Ye family purposely did this?"
"So, we need other evidence," Fan Xian asked quietly. "Does the living witness I sent to the Bureau of Military Affairs have value?"
"Yes." Fan Jian smiled strangely again. "Your move is still the same as the one you used against the Second Prince back then. Send the witness to the other party's yamen."
Fan Jian's expression was slightly calm. "It is only one method. It is best not to use it twice. At least this time, the Bureau of Military Affairs did not fall for your trick."
"Oh?" Fan Xian furrowed his brows. "How did they handle it?"
Fan Jian smiled slightly and said, "They worshipped the living witness like they worshipped an ancestor. They were terrified that he would die from excessive blood loss and not be able to answer the Emperor's questions. Immediately after, they used the excuse that the matter had to be investigated by the Overwatch Council and that the military needed to avoid arousing suspicion and sent the person to the Overwatch Council."
Fan Xian was slightly startled.
Fan Jian continued to smile. "But, you threw the person to the Bureau of Military Affairs. Naturally, the Overwatch Council would not accept it and had someone drag him back to the Bureau. The rough people of the Bureau of Military Affairs have truly learned to be shameless this time. They actually dragged this person back to the Bureau of Military Affairs."
The Minister of Revenue, who had always been solemn, smiled and shook his head. "This afternoon, the two Houses will compete over this survivor. You give him to me, I give him to you. It's like this person is a hot potato. No one wants to take him."
Although Fan Xian's mood was heavy after the ambush, hearing his father's words, he still couldn't resist smiling. It was as if he could see this afternoon on the Tianhe Road, in the center of the Qing court's power, the two yamens were like pork being dragged back and forth. That good soldier had probably never in his life thought he would receive such treatment.
"How was it handled in the end?"
"In the end, the Palace gave the order and the Overwatch Council was taken into the prison."
Fan Xian sighed. "Who would have thought that after sleeping for an afternoon, so many things would happen in Jingdou."
Fan Jian looked at his son calmly. A moment later, he slowly said, "You were ambushed by the army. This is the biggest thing after that night of bloodshed in Jingdou. Furthermore, you came back alive. Who knows how many people will no longer be able to sit peacefully in their manors. This night, who knows how many people will not be able to sleep."
Fan Xian was silent.
"Are you really going to do it?"
"I won't do it myself," Fan Xian said quietly. "But, I will make them feel pain, pain that reaches into their bones."
Fan Jian nodded and said, "Handle it yourself. Just … don't offend the entire military."
"I know what I'm doing."
Fan Jian stood and left his bedroom. In the end, he said, "You must live."
… …
That night, there were countless people sitting in secluded rooms. Their minds were restless and they were silent.
The news of Fan Xian's assassination had long spread throughout Jingdou. Today's routine court conference had come to an abrupt end because of this sudden incident. According to the private discussions of the officials who had left the court, after the Emperor heard the news, he appeared relatively calm. He immediately ordered the Commander of the Imperial Army, the Great Prince, to go out of the Palace to patrol. He also ordered the scholars Shu and Hu to comfort the Emperor on behalf of the Emperor.
According to Eunuch Yao in the Palace, after the Emperor returned to the royal study, he crushed an official porcelain teacup in his hand and was silent for a long time.
Everyone knew that the Emperor had sunk into a rage, but not everyone was afraid. The people who had been in charge of the valley incident or had secretly helped the valley incident all had sinister intentions and were making plans uneasily in their own manors.
Since these people dared to kill outside Jingdou, they had made preparations to welcome the Emperor's anger and the Overwatch Council's revenge. However, they had not thought that after using such a powerful force and carrying out such thorough preparations, Fan Xian would not die.
"He didn't die!"
In the Eastern Palace, the Crown Prince said through gritted teeth. With one hand, he grabbed the embroidered cloth on the couch beside him and twisted the soft cloth into countless ugly flowers.
The empress's eyebrows were slightly furrowed. Coldly and nobly, she sat opposite him. In a cold voice, she said, "Pay attention to your identity and words. Fan Xian is an official of the court. If he doesn't die, as the heir apparent, you should be happy. How can you be so disappointed?"
The Crown Prince laughed coldly. "This is the Eastern Palace. Besides, everyone knows that between me and Fan Xian, only one can survive. I'm afraid everyone is guessing that the valley incident was arranged by me. Since that is the case, why should I pretend to be so benevolent?"
The empress looked at him calmly. A moment later, she said, "Don't worry, the Emperor will not suspect you because … we never had this kind of power."
The Crown Prince was speechless. Only now did he realize that among the powers in court, his power was the weakest. For one, it was because of the Second Prince's struggles these years. For another, it was because he had lost the powerful support of the Eldest Princess. Another reason was Fan Xian's existence.
He smiled bitterly. "Who would have thought that it would instead become a good thing. Mother is right, I have no way of moving an army to kill."
"Only …" A glimmer of jealousy flashed through the Crown Prince's eyes. "If only Fan Xian had died."
What a Fan Xian! Fighting the Ming family property lawsuit in Jiangnan, yet you have to use the fact that the eldest legitimate son does not have a natural right to inheritance. Do you think I don't know what you are thinking? The empress dowager doesn't know? The empress dowager was already beginning to get angry … the Crown Prince smiled coldly. He was very grateful to that unknown power. Under such circumstances, they dared to directly attack Fan Xian and help many people in Jingdou do what they wanted to do but didn't dare to do.
…
…
Many people were guessing which power was so daring as to risk universal condemnation and murder a favored official of the Emperor in the outskirts of Jingdou.
Everyone's gaze turned toward the Eldest Princess. It seemed that only this noble had such madness, such daring, and such power.
"It's very regretful that we didn't succeed this time." In a quiet manor in Jingdou, the most powerful and beautiful woman in Qing Kingdom was lying lazily on a low couch. At the foot of the couch was a fire cage with rising heat.
Li Yunrui's eyes narrowed slightly. They were filled with laziness. She gazed at the Second Prince sitting below her and smiled slightly. "However, this matter has nothing to do with me. I am not that stupid. If I want to defeat Fan Xian, there are many simple ways."
The Second Prince was slightly startled. From the moment he heard the news of the attack in the valley, he had thought it was done by the Eldest Princess. No matter how he thought about it, only she had the boldness to not look at the Emperor's face. He even faintly suspected that this matter had been tacitly approved by the empress dowager grandmother.
Unexpectedly, he heard the Eldest Princess' straightforward denial.
"Of course, I am very grateful to that person." Li Yunrui smiled slightly as she spoke. The 30-something woman did not have the slightest hint of a dying flower. On the contrary, she bloomed with incomparable charm. Each time she narrowed her eyes and turned her wrist, a romantic air naturally seeped out. She sighed and said, "It would be good if my son-in-law could be killed. The attack in the valley, simple, violent, direct, and military-like … I like it."
Her words suddenly stopped. The Second Prince didn't know what to say. The room was filled with a speechless sigh.
After a long time, the Eldest Princess slowly shook her head and said, "He still couldn't kill him like this … is it because his luck is good enough, or is it something else?"
The Second Prince and Eldest Princess met each other's eyes and saw the unease and self-mockery in each other's eyes. Fan Xian truly was a monster, a monster with luck that could not be any better. Perhaps, it could be said that everyone, who valued him so highly, still underestimated his strength. The details of the attack in the valley had long reached the desks of these nobles. Not only had Fan Xian returned to Jingdou alive under such circumstances, but he had also killed all of the assassins and captured one alive. All of the powers felt incomparably shocked.
There was even a faint glimmer of fear.
The Eldest Princess was not afraid. She only lightly thought about how wonderful this world would be if, and only if, the Niulan Street incident had not happened.
…
…
"Continue to maintain good relations with the Eastern Palace." The Eldest Princess lectured the Second Prince like she was lecturing her own child. "We need his name to convince the empress dowager."
The Second Prince nodded. Finally, he couldn't resist the powerful confusion in his heart and asked, "Who did it? It can't be that Director Chen suddenly lost his mind. "
"The serial numbers of the five city-guarding crossbows have already been found." The Eldest Princess gazed mockingly at the Second Prince. "They belong to your wife's family."
The Second Prince shook his head firmly. "The Ye family's power is far away in Dingzhou. Even if 200 warriors attacked overnight, it would be impossible to not alert the Jingdou garrison and Overwatch Council. As for these five city-guarding crossbows, it is even more absurd."
"In court, we never care about whether or not it is absurd." The Eldest Princess mockingly said, "The Emperor and Overwatch Council want to vent their anger. In a situation where they can't find an exit, the Ye family will certainly become their punching bag."
The Second Prince thought for a moment and then calmly said, "Aunt, please act."
Although the Ye family was far away in Dingzhou and had been repeatedly suppressed because of the Hanging Temple incident, they were still powerful figures in the military. Now, they had become family with the Second Prince. In such a dangerous situation, the Second Prince did not want the Ye family to suffer another blow because of Fan Xian's assassination. Even for the sake of the future, the Ye family had to be protected.
"I am not an immortal," the Eldest Princess calmly said. "How can the anger of the Emperor be settled with just a few words from these women in the Palace?"
She looked calmly at the Second Prince and said, "Putting aside the Ye family, you should also prepare yourself. I understand my brother the Emperor. This time, he will certainly be very angry. Furthermore, if he can't find the root of the matter in the end, perhaps he will bestow grace and make everyone unhappy."
The Second Prince lowered his head. He knew that many people were going to be unlucky, but he was not worried. In any case, the matter had nothing to do with him. He still persisted in asking, "Who exactly was it? Aunt, this matter is very important. Don't hide it from me. "
The Eldest Princess' gaze remained calm, but the corners of her lips twitched into a beautiful, slightly mocking curve.
"Everyone knows that Fan Xian and I don't get along because I want to protect you, while Fan Xian has already made it clear in Jiangnan that he wants to protect the Third Prince." The Eldest Princess smiled slightly. "But, you and I both know that the matter in the valley was not done by us. This matter is very clear."
"Why don't you deal with the Third Prince and only want to kill Fan Xian?"
"This means that the assassination this time has nothing to do with that chair."
"It only has to do with Fan Xian himself."
"Other than that chair, the only thing that has to do with Fan Xian that is enough to cause a certain major figure in the military to take action is that woman from back then."
"Why would that major figure in the military want to kill Fan Xian because of that woman?"
"It must be because he knows that if Fan Xian actually ascended in the future, or if he helped the Third Prince ascend, once he knew certain things, he would certainly have their family finished for that woman."
"It looks like that major figure in the military must have something to do with that woman's death."
There was no need to delve deep into the matter. The Eldest Princess only slowly spoke each sentence as if she was talking about daily life. She was incomparably close to the original truth of the matter.
"But … the night Jingdou bled with blood?" The Second Prince furrowed his brows. "Didn't everyone who participated in the Ye family matter die?"
The Eldest Princess smiled sweetly. A moment later, she said, "Is the empress dowager and the empress dead?"
A glimmer of fanaticism suddenly appeared between her brows. "Furthermore, if I haven't gone crazy, since that major figure in the military was able to live so gloriously until now, I'm afraid that the death of that woman back then was not so simple … Oh, I admire him more and more, more than when I was young."
The Second Prince's lips were dry. He knew who his aunt admired. In the depths of his heart, he was incomparably shocked by his aunt's deduction. If the truth of the matter was really like this, then it could only be said that his aunt's heart was too sensitive and frightening.
However, he could not be certain of this. A moment later, he furrowed his brows and said, "But … I heard that on Fan Xian's way back to the capital, the son of the Governor once shot an arrow."
The Eldest Princess smiled lightly. "You also know that although that major figure in the military hides in his manor every day, his hands are stretched out outside. Yan Xiaoyi's son has always been hidden under his hands. This time, it looks like this major figure is also afraid that the Emperor will actually find out about him and forcefully wants to drag us down with him."
The Second Prince sighed and said, "It looks like everyone wants Fan Xian to die. I really don't know how father will handle this."
"I have to thank your father," the Eldest Princess said with a slight smile. "He has turned Fan Xian into a lonely official. At the same time, he has unconsciously and unconsciously pushed everyone to our side. The Ye family is like this, and today, that major figure in the military is also like this. My God, one thing after another has been taken by him and given to my good son-in-law, and one by one, he has given me even better things in return. How can this world be so adorable?"
The palace treasury, the Cui family, the Ming family, and even her own daughter … the Eldest Princess slowly tightened her fists. She maintained a gentle smile on her face, but her words revealed a glimmer of mockery.
"I have always respected him, but I also clearly know that he has a fatal weakness."
The Second Prince didn't dare to continue.
"He is too suspicious." The Eldest Princess smiled slightly. "Those who are suspicious are bound to lose."
— — — —
Without question, the Eldest Princess had an intelligence that was difficult for the common people to reach when it came to judging the political situation and the traps in the field of fame. However, regarding the attack in the valley, she had only guessed the surface. As for the deeper reason, other than one person, probably no one knew.
Even the major figure in the military who was in charge of the attack in the valley did not know.
In a quiet and large manor in Jingdou, this manor took up half the street. It was incomparably large and luxurious. Everything was built according to the mansions of nobles. Inside and outside the courtyard, there were all kinds of trees. In the dark night, it looked like the messy hair of giants piercing the lonely sky.
An old man wearing a cotton robe was watering the vegetable fields in front of his courtyard. The old man wore a pair of cotton shoes. The heels of the shoes were already a bit worn out. He wore a cotton robe and cotton shoes, plain and simple. This was a temperament forged from countless years in the military.
He loved growing vegetables. Particularly after he got old, he rarely went to the courtyard to sit. He liked to work on the few plots of vegetable fields at home. His sons and grandsons all knew of his hobby and brought a lot of rare vegetable seeds.
However, he didn't grow them. He only grew cabbages and radishes, the two most commonly eaten vegetables in the military. He was different from that muddle-headed King Jing. He didn't rely on the fields to express his sorrow. He was just used to it, used to growing vegetables, used to being simple and direct.
…
…
(There are some small matters tomorrow, so I will be even later. I will write less. I wish everyone a happy weekend. Bow and leave the stage.)
(To be continued, if you want to know what happened next, please go to WWW. CMFU. COM. There are more chapters. Support the author, support the original reading!)
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