Early in the morning, Fan Xian returned to his manor and changed his clothes. After giving a few orders, he sat in the carriage outside the Royal Palace. By the time he arrived, the area by the palace doors was already unusually lively. Officials were gathered in groups of two or three and whispering about something.
He lifted the curtain to take a look and couldn't help but shake his head. It looked like last night's story had already become today's gossip. He was the center of the officials' discussion.
He had not slept all night and had been tossed about so many things. It was inevitable that his spirit was fatigued. He accepted a towel soaked in ice water from Teng Zijing's hand and rubbed it hard on his face. The skin on his face hurt as if it had been pierced by needles. His spirit finally woke up a little. He yawned, stretched, and exhaled a few mouthfuls of murky air before getting out of the carriage.
As he walked along the bricks of the square in front of the Palace, he attracted countless gazes and discussions. Everyone was looking at the Commissioner of the Overwatch Council dressed in official robes.
This was Fan Xian's first court meeting since becoming the Jiangnan Road imperial envoy. Logically speaking, the officials in front of the Palace should have come forward to exchange pleasantries and greetings. For some reason, the officials' eyes were filled with wariness. They only watched from a distance and did not come closer.
In reality, the reason was simple. Last night, the Overwatch Council had killed and arrested people. Although the people they arrested were all low-ranking officials, there were too many people. No one knew how many court officials were involved. Although these officials were shocked, they were immediately surrounded by anger. In today's court meeting, they were certain to report Fan Xian. Since it was so, it was not good for them to come forward and greet him.
Fan Xian left in a bad mood. He felt that he was about to become a lonely official who was spurned by the civil and military officials of the court. Although this was his own doing, this feeling of being ignored was like being boycotted by little girls in kindergarten. He was filled with grievance.
His face did not show it. He continued to smile calmly and warmly as if he did not feel the fiery gazes.
When he walked to the Palace doors, the guards and eunuchs guarding the doors greeted him. Fan Xian looked at the two eunuchs' ingratiating gazes and felt his heart warm and comforted. He thought to himself that in this world, it was indeed the handicapped who were more caring.
Tilting his head, he saw that the two leaders of the civil officials were pointing their noses at the sky, as if they were observing the sky to see if there was anything unusual.
Fan Xian rubbed his nose. He was familiar with the white-bearded old man on the left. He also knew that the middle-aged man on the right was certainly the initiator of the literary reform movement, Hu the Scholar. Seeing these two overseers of the Hall of Governmental Affairs treat him so coldly, Fan Xian knew that he had made too much of a ruckus last night. In the eyes of these people, he was already leaning toward becoming a powerful and treacherous official. Additionally, the Overwatch Council's abnormal actions had indeed created a bad influence on court politics. These two leaders of the civil officials would not be too close to him, the head of the secret service.
But he didn't buy it. Forcefully suppressing the resentment in his heart, he moved closer with a mischievous smile on his face and stood next to the Scholars Shu and Hu. He didn't say anything and instead raised his head to look at the sky in a strange manner.
For a moment, the officials waiting to go into court saw a strange sight. The two scholars, as well as the wretched Commissioner of the Overwatch Council, all had their necks straight and heads tilted up. They looked endlessly at the layers of black clouds in the sky but did not say anything. They were only silent.
…
…
After looking for an indeterminable amount of time, it was finally the easy-going Shu the Scholar who couldn't bear it anymore. With a cold huff, he said, "What is Sir Fan junior looking at?"
Hu the Scholar also pulled back his gaze from the sky. Although the two scholars were clever people, they were not as thick-skinned as Fan Xian. They could not endure too many people's strange gazes. He coughed and didn't say anything.
Fan Xian smiled and said, "Whatever you two are looking at, I am looking at."
Shu Wu furrowed his brows and looked at him, wanting to say something but then hesitating. After enduring for a moment, he still couldn't hold back the anger in his heart. He opened his mouth to reprimand, "Do you know that because the Overwatch Council has power, it has to act carefully and safely? Putting aside what your intentions are, just driving around Jingdou like a tiger or a wolf, how will the officials behave? How will the court act? You don't want the face of the world's gentry, but the court wants it. Tell me! You've captured so many yamen of the Six Ministries, how will they act? Putting aside how to act, the officials' hearts are all cold. How foolish! "
How foolish! It was fine if he didn't say it, but once he did, he couldn't stop. On the contrary, it was Hu the Scholar who gave Shu Wu a meaningful glance. Only then did Shu Wu stop. However, he still felt bitter and hateful.
He couldn't control his anger. Presently, Fan Xian was no longer just a teacher in the Imperial College. He was also no longer an empty prince consort who could only roll around in Honglu Temple. Although the rank of the Commissioner of the Overwatch Council was not high, he was, after all, an imperial envoy. Although Shu the Scholar was now the head of the civil officials, it was still inexcusable for him to scold an imperial envoy so haughtily.
"Stop scolding," Fan Xian said with a smile. Fan Xian laughed and said, "No matter what, you are still an elder. To be so fierce to my nephew, it does not look good to the officials below."
Shu Wu was furious, but he couldn't scold Fan Xian's tired but respectful face. He huffed hatefully and swept his sleeve. "In the court conference today, just wait for me to report you."
Fan Xian's face was bitter. He raised his hands in greeting and said, "As expected. Elder, please take care of me."
Shu Wu was angry, angry, and also wanted to laugh. Coincidentally, the Palace doors opened. With the crack of a whip, ceremonial music began to play. He and Hu the Scholar walked in first.
It was a court conference. There were many more officials in court than usual. Even so, given Fan Xian's official rank, it was still not enough for him to line up in court. However, he now had the identity of Jiangnan Road imperial envoy and was going to the Palace to report on his work, so he did not need the Emperor's special edict.
However, entering the Palace also needed to be lined up, so Fan Xian could only be at the back. As he stood at the Palace gate, a cold and sinister aura seeped out, making the officials who walked past him feel a chill.
Earlier, when there were a lot of people, they could still tie together and ignore Fan Xian. Now, they were walking into the Palace in pairs. The officials estimated that their status was far from Shu the Scholar's. They calculated the Emperor's favor Fan Xian carried and thought of Fan Xian's methods. They had no other choice. They could only quietly greet him each time they passed him.
Toward Sir Fan junior, whom they had not seen in a year, these officials did not dare to be too disrespectful.
"Sir Fan junior, I trust you have been well?"
"Greetings, Commissioner Fan."
"…"
Fan Xian smiled and responded to each of them. Although he knew that he would lose face because of these people in the court conference, the vanity of being bowed in order by the officials at the Palace doors was not bad. He had to make the best use of this time to gain some benefits in terms of face.
… …
He had gained the benefits in terms of face, but what he got in the Palace was only sour fruit.
Fan Xian stood at the very back of the line and secretly sized up the Emperor on the dragon chair with a slanted glance. A wave of tiredness surged through him. Looking at the Emperor's calm and spirited expression, he felt a bellyful of anger. He thought to himself, You sleep peacefully, but I'm about to die of exhaustion from doing things for you.
Just as everyone had expected, once the court conference began, before everything had been properly arranged and the Governors of the three roads standing below Shu and Hu the scholars had time to present memorials, the battle of memorials targeting Fan Xian and the Overwatch Council's actions last night suddenly began.
Fan Xian did not listen to the specific contents of the memorials. It was nothing more than the old words Shu Wu had once said. The Overwatch Council did indeed have the duty of supervising the governance of officials, but it had been many years since an action like his, where he had captured over 30 officials in one night, had taken place. It could truly be said to have shaken the court.
He looked at the Governors of the three Roads and was not surprised to see Xue Qing at the top. The Qing Kingdom's territory was large, and there were four Governors in remote areas who returned to the capital every two years. He wondered with some curiosity. Last night, Xue Qing had been watching by imperial edict in Baoyue Brothel. Logically speaking, he should have entered the Palace that night to report to the Emperor. He wondered what the Emperor thought of him.
Fan Xian was truly tired, so his mind wandered completely. However, there were many things he could not hear even if he did not want to hear. The attacking words of the entire court continued to surge endlessly into his ears. Gradually, the crimes began to grow, such as looking down on the court, disrespecting morals, using national weapons for private purposes, forming a clique, and so on.
In the Qing court, the Overwatch Council and the system of civil officials had always been sworn enemies. Regardless of what faction the civil officials had, when faced with the Overwatch Council, they were always united. From when Prime Minister Lin was there to now when the Scholars were at the head, as long as the Overwatch Council, the Emperor's secret organization, overstepped its bounds, the system of civil officials would band together and carry out the most powerful counterattack.
Without question, Fan Xian had overstepped his bounds last night. Thus, today's court conference became the battlefield where he was attacked.
What was different from previous years was that the military, which had always had a close relationship with the Overwatch Council, no longer maintained its silence. On the contrary, the two Deputies of the Bureau of Military Affairs also stood out and secretly expressed their dissatisfaction with the Overwatch Council's actions.
Even the Emperor himself probably did not want to endure this kind of pressure, much less Fan Xian, who stood alone at the end of the line.
The atmosphere in Taiji Palace was no longer oppressive. On the contrary, it was filled with a kind of irritation unique to winter. With Shu Wu in the lead, the officials all went up to ask the Emperor to restrain the Overwatch Council and at the same time make a final judgment on this matter.
One after another, their words pierced straight into Fan Xian's heart and wounded his spirit. Slanderous water flew in all directions.
If it had been any other official in Fan Xian's position, they would probably have long lost their minds in anger and jumped out to debate with the officials. At the same time, they would gather their remaining courage and pull out the beards of the Imperial Censorate's Imperial Censors. However, Fan Xian still forcefully maintained his calm. He didn't say a word or defend himself. He only tilted the corners of his lips slightly, carrying a glimmer of a mocking smile as he watched the stage of the court conference.
Perhaps it was the smile at the corners of his lips that made someone uncomfortable to look at. It made someone feel that his son was too impetuous and arrogant. An angry rebuke came from the dragon chair. "Fan Xian! Do you have nothing to say? "
Fan Xian had been forcefully pushing away his drowsiness. Suddenly hearing these words, he shivered. Tidying his official robes, he stepped out and bowed. "Your Majesty, last night, the First Bureau of the Overwatch Council summoned 32 officials for questioning. Everything was done according to Qing law and edict. There was nothing that went beyond the rules. Thus, I do not understand why everyone is so agitated."
The Emperor smiled coldly and said, "You captured 32 people in one night. You sure are arrogant. Is the Qing court full of corrupt officials?"
Fan Xian said seriously, "I dare not deceive Your Majesty. In court …" He gazed at the officials in the Palace and said seriously, "Vermin crawl all over the ground. 32 people is only a small number. If Your Majesty grants the Overwatch Council a special edict, I will certainly be able to capture more corrupt officials."
The officials' hearts chilled. Immediately, disdain rose to their faces. They thought to themselves, What are you talking about? What is the court? The court is the officials. There are no officials in this world who are not corrupt. If you capture them all, who will govern the world on behalf of the Emperor and protect the people? How could the Emperor give you a special edict?
As expected, the Emperor flew into a rage and gave Fan Xian a thorough scolding. It was nothing more than not seeing the big picture, acting recklessly, and sullying the Emperor's heart.
Fan Xian was unhappy. Although he knew it was an act, he was still unhappy. He resentfully returned to the ranks.
In the court conference, no one brought up the death of the Second Prince's eight family generals, the death of Governor Yan's only son, and the Eldest Princess' strategist Huang Yi being poisoned and vomiting blood in bed. Those people were not officials. Furthermore, it was a matter of the dark. No one would be so stupid.
However, just the events of last night were enough to arouse the wariness and anger of the civil and military officials. Thus, even the Emperor had to appease them.
However, the Emperor sitting on the dragon chair only coldly said, "Concerning the assassination attempt on Fan Xian in the outskirts of the capital, how is the investigation going?"
The officials were silent. The official of the Supreme Court and the Minister of Justice stepped out with trembling bodies and repeatedly begged for forgiveness.
Fan Xian had no choice but to step out and beg for forgiveness. After all, the Overwatch Council was part of the Joint Investigation Division. However, this matter was absurd. He had been assassinated, but he had not found out, yet he had to beg for forgiveness.
The Emperor looked at Fan Xian and furrowed his brows. "I heard that the last witness died in the Celestial Prison last night. Is this true?"
Fan Xian was stunned. He had not thought that the Emperor's news would come so quickly.
On the other side, the faces of the Wu officials revealed a deeply hidden joy and smile. They were waiting to see how Fan Xian would explain this matter.
…
…
The Emperor did not need too much explanation. All of the preparation work had already been done. The Emperor was decisive. He issued the edict he had been preparing for a few days.
The first part of the edict made all the civil and military officials feel a sense of disbelief because the Emperor had reduced the power of the Overwatch Council.
The Overwatch Council's rank did not drop, but its power was greatly restricted, particularly the First Bureau stationed in Jingdou. Although it still had the power to arrest people, it had made detailed rules on the time limit after an arrest. In particular, the transfer of prisoners to and from the Supreme Court had to be completed within 48 hours.
In other words, the First Bureau no longer had the power to secretly interrogate officials in the capital.
At the same time, the edict made a general limit on the power of the Fourth Bureau stationed in each province. As for the specific rules, Fan Xian would have to return to the Council to draw up a draft and then submit it to the court for discussion.
These two changes appeared small, but in reality, it was like a timer had been placed on the Overwatch Council. It made it inconvenient for them to do things in the future.
Fan Xian listened to the edict. He felt disgusted like he had eaten a fly, but he still had to step out and give thanks.
The civil and military officials were pleasantly surprised. At most, they had wanted the Emperor to issue an edict to demote Fan Xian and, at the same time, slightly restrain the Overwatch Council and give the subordinates who had been innocently arrested a chance to live. They had not expected that the Emperor would actually take action against the Overwatch Council. If this trend continued, the Overwatch Council's power would gradually be whittled away.
Thus, cries of "Long live the Emperor" filled Taiji Palace. The officials secretly thought that the Emperor was indeed wise.
However, the second part of the Emperor's edict made the civil and military officials feel that although the Emperor was wise, he was still too protective of his own people.
The edict made it clear that the officials who had been arrested last night were not limited by the previous rules. They would all be handed over to the Overwatch Council to interrogate and then handed over to the Supreme Court to convict and interrogate. At the same time, the Emperor used this matter to fly into a rage. He angrily rebuked the officials in the palace for not being strict with their subordinates and letting down the grace of the country. They only knew how to form cliques for personal gain and were shameless.
Once the edict came down, the officials were terrified and didn't know what to do.
Because the investigation of the attack in the valley was not done well, the Jingdou guards were treated as empty, and the case of corruption among the officials in the capital, the Right Deputy of the Bureau of Military Affairs, Qu Xiangdong, was demoted. The Commander of the Jingdou Garrison, Qin Heng, was removed and replaced by the Deputy General of the Western Expedition Army. Qin Heng was transferred into the Bureau of Military Affairs. At the same time, the assistant minister of the Ministry of Justice was replaced, the deputy of the Supreme Court was replaced, and the Imperial Censor writing in the Imperial Censor was replaced.
The replacements were all the young officials who had entered the Palace a few days ago.
The officials paled in shock. The Emperor's lightning-fast methods truly caught everyone off guard. If it weren't for the recent conflicts in Jingdou, such a large-scale change of blood would not have proceeded so smoothly. Everyone knew that the matter was not over yet. They couldn't resist sneaking a glance at the young man at the back of the line. A complicated emotion welled up in their hearts. Only now did they understand that Sir Fan junior's sinister actions last night were just foreshadowing the edict in today's court conference.
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It has been very busy recently. The timing of the updates has been a bit unstable. Hmm, I will report to everyone in the future. I wish everyone a happy weekend. If you want to know what happens next, please log on to WWW. QIDIAN. com. There are more chapters. Support the author. Support the original reading!
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