(Yesterday, I typed the one-armed sister's surname incorrectly. My original surname was Guan, but I had no choice but to follow Su. Here, I deeply apologize. PS: This book is very easy to buy. Next week, I'll go to the specialty store and say, the cheapest one …)
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Ye Ling 'er made a sound and covered her mouth. She was so shocked that she couldn't speak. Although she had spent every day in Fan Xian's manor and played mahjong on the Cang Mountains after Fan Xian had come to the capital, she had some understanding of her young master's will. She had never imagined that at this juncture, Fan Xian would bravely choose to return to the family.
The Second Prince glanced at her and smiled bitterly. "I'm wondering if Fan Xian has gone crazy."
"Why do you say that?" A glimmer of doubt flashed through Ye Ling'er's jade-like eyes. Since Fan Xian dared to worship his ancestors, it must have been something that the empress dowager and the Emperor had tacitly agreed to. Why did her husband still think Fan Xian had gone crazy?
The Second Prince shook his head. "For the present Fan Xian, there are only four paths he can take. By choosing to return to his ancestral home, he has directly blocked off two of them."
Ye Ling'er did not continue to ask. She listened quietly.
The Second Prince thought for a moment and then quietly said, "Right now, he has too much power in his hands. He has offended too many people. The power of a lone official has already formed … for him, in the future, in Qing Kingdom, he will either fight with us for the throne, or he will support the Third Prince to rise to power while he hides behind the scenes and becomes a regent. Only these two paths can ensure the peace of his family and not be uprooted. Since he has returned to the Fan family, naturally, the possibility of him inheriting the throne has been severed. It is impossible to use the identity of a member of the royal family to act as regent."
Ye Ling'er furrowed her brows. "Even if he does not acknowledge his ancestral home, given his past, not to mention whether or not the Emperor will allow him to inherit the throne, the entire royal family and the scholars of the court will not agree. This first option in itself is impossible."
"What is impossible?" The Second Prince asked. "As long as he does not return to the Fan family, there is a chance that the palace will accept him again. Adding to the power in his hands, who dares to say that it is impossible for him to fight for the world?"
"What about the second item?"
"A prince regent might be able to make the nobles in the palace and the royal family military outside the palace remain silent, as long as his surname is Li … but for a powerful official with the surname Fan to threaten the Emperor and order the feudal vassals, that is … impossible."
The Second Prince calmly said, "That is why Fan Xian's return today directly cut off the two paths he mentioned earlier. I don't understand what exactly he is thinking."
"What are the other two paths?" Ye Ling'er looked at the strange expression on the prince's face and suddenly felt a chill in her heart.
The Second Prince paused for a moment and then said, "In the future, after father passes away, regardless of who ascends to the throne, I'm afraid they will carry out a great purge of Fan Xian and the Fan clan. If they don't purge, no one has the confidence to completely control the situation."
These were the words the Second Prince had said to Fan Xian in Baoyue Brothel. He had always thought that Fan Xian would gradually integrate into the royal family and fight for a position on the surface. Regardless of whether Fan Xian fought for the dragon chair himself or helped the Third Prince, they were both possible paths.
Given Fan Xian's present strength, as well as the old people he influenced in front of and behind of him, no newly ascended Emperor would be able to safely watch him live.
"Thus, many years from now, Fan Xian will only have two paths he can take." The Second Prince furrowed his brows tightly and could not understand it no matter how he thought about it. "Otherwise, he will wait helplessly and have his entire clan executed, just like the Ye family in the past."
He paused and then said tiredly, "Otherwise, he will use the power in his hands to rebel and leave the country."
He began to laugh self-mockingly. "Of course, the power in his hands is all paper. He won't be able to raise much of a storm. Father is a cautious person. If Fan Xian doesn't have an army in his hands, he will never be able to truly become a marquis."
Ye Ling'er was startled and carefully savored these words he said. She realized that if the situation really continued to develop like this, her teacher would indeed not have a good end.
Her little face swelled slightly and she said, "You've forgotten a possibility. If the Third Prince really does inherit the throne in the future, given his teacher-student relationship with Fan Xian, he may not necessarily let things happen to an irreversible state."
The Second Prince smiled. "I've also said this to Fan Xian. Third Brother is still young, but I've watched him grow up. This kid is not easy to deal with. Furthermore, at what position, you have to consider the level of affairs. Sometimes, it's not something you or I can stop doing just because we don't want to."
He calmly said, "Furthermore, don't forget, the Crown Prince is the true successor. Many people seem to have forgotten this matter because of his calmness, but I believe that Fan Xian will not forget."
"Most importantly …" The Second Prince slowly lowered his head. "Regardless of who inherits the throne, before our father leaves this world, will he watch as Fan Xian continues to gather the power of a large group of old monsters and bring endless trouble to his successor? This country is our father's country. He will not let this country become too chaotic, even if he dies. "
Regardless of whether the Second Prince was a son or an official, it was already a great taboo to discuss the Emperor's life and death. Ye Ling 'er bit her lip and didn't reply. Instead, she changed the subject and asked, "But this is not the life Fan Xian wants to live. This is what the elders in court have arranged for him. If you were Fan Xian, what would you do?"
The Second Prince was startled. A moment later, he self-deprecatingly said, "I don't know what I would do. It would probably be similar to his current situation. However, in the battle for the world, if you don't advance, you die. Since he has personally given up on the first two paths, then he should retreat more thoroughly. If I were in his position, at this time, I would enter the Palace and ask for my resignation. Regardless of whether it is the Overwatch Council or the palace treasury, he will have to let one of them go … then … from a purely rational point of view, he should appear more gentle and then secretly lean toward my side. "
Ye Ling 'er looked at him.
The Second Prince said seriously, "This is the wisest choice. Presumably, he knows in his heart that I dare to accept him. After all, my aunt is his mother-in-law. With Chen 'er's relationship, it is not necessarily impossible to let go of past enmity."
Ye Ling 'er shook her head and sighed. She knew that her family and the distant army in Dingzhou had long become a tool in the battle for the inheritance because of this marriage. If Fan Xian also joined in, naturally … but she didn't want to pay attention to these things. Suddenly, she felt a headache and unhappily furrowed her brows.
The Second Prince stood up and looked at the faint light outside the window. Lost in thought, he said, "If Fan Xian doesn't change, he will only walk into a dead end in the future. If he has the courage to change, perhaps he will suffer a great loss now, but in the future, he and the Fan family can obtain even greater benefits and a more stable peace. This all depends on what he thinks."
In the end, he helplessly lowered his head. "However … these two years have long proven that Fan Xian is a madman who does not act according to common sense. So, I do not have such extravagant hopes."
— — —
In the eyes of most people in the Qing Kingdom, under Fan Xian's gentle and amiable appearance, there was indeed a glimmer of a crazed murderous aura gradually seeping out. It was not talking about the night battles in Jingdou, but the shocking matter of Jingdou's return to the ancestral home.
At the cold of the fifth watch, the Fan family's worship to their ancestors began.
At noon, this news had already spread to all the large manors. For a moment, countless people were guessing at the subsequent development of the situation and the rise and fall of Fan Xian's desire for power in the court.
Just like the Second Prince, no one could understand why Fan Xian would do this. Although in the past, he only had the identity of the Emperor's illegitimate son and had no hope of entering the Palace, the identity of an illegitimate son was still an identity. As long as it was not sealed, anything was possible. Furthermore, this identity would certainly be of great use in the future.
A long time ago, Chen Pingping had thought that once the empress dowager was gone, it was not impossible for Fan Xian to re-enter the ranks of the princes.
Fan Xian's actions today had finally branded his name with the brand of the Fan family, cutting off the possibility of his surname being Li. In the eyes of most people, this seemed somewhat foolish or impulsive.
Even in the depths of the Palace, this news shocked the hearts of many nobles.
Lady Shu was transcribing the rare book of Tianyi Pavilion that Fan Xian had sent over with graceful handwriting. Listening to the palace maid's report, she shook her head somewhat sullenly.
Lady Ning was in her small courtyard practicing her swordsmanship around a tree. After hearing the news, her face lit up and she praised Fan Xian for having a backbone.
In Shufang Palace, Yi Guipin was watching the Third Prince practice his calligraphy. Hearing Xing 'er's quiet words, she smiled slightly and said nothing. She only looked at her son with a complicated expression.
After a while, she pulled her son behind the curtain and quietly told him the biggest news of the day in Jingdou. She spoke very seriously and solemnly. The Third Prince was startled. At such a young age, he immediately understood many things. His teacher had returned to the family, to a large extent, for his sake.
Finally, Yi Guipin said seriously, "Ping 'er, you must firmly remember everything that Master Fan has done for you. If you dare to do those things in the future, I will not forgive you."
The Third Prince lowered his head and said nothing.
In Guangxin Palace, Eldest Princess Li Yunrui, who had always lived in seclusion and rarely left the palace, was the first to hear the news. This beautiful woman paused for a moment and then smiled. As the saying goes, one smile can charm a hundred people. Just like this, it actually suppressed the light of the white curtains inside and outside the palace and the light of the jade trees.
The palace maid asked cautiously, "Princess, why are you so happy?"
The Eldest Princess slowly withdrew her smile and said very softly, "I suddenly feel that my son-in-law is a very good man. He knows when to stop and when to stop. It is a pity that I have only met him once … Tomorrow, arrange for him and Wan 'er to enter the palace. I want to see how young Fan Xian has grown so quickly in the two years I have not seen him."
The palace maid was startled. Sir Fan junior's actions were clearly too impulsive and did not consider the pros and cons enough. Was the Eldest Princess happy because of this? Looking at the Eldest Princess's expression, it was clear that she greatly admired Sir Fan junior's actions.
In Hanguang Palace, the empress dowager was picking at her rosary beads and muttering something. Old Eunuch Hong was bent over to serve at her side. After a long time, the empress dowager sighed and said, "That child knows the big picture. It has not been easy."
Old Eunuch Hong said with a slight hiss, "Sir Fan junior is not bad."
In the quiet and secluded little building at the back of the Royal Palace, the Qing Emperor, dressed in a yellow robe, held his hands behind his back. He looked at the yellow-clothed woman in the painting in a daze. A moment later, he quietly said, "Our son is indeed more like you. He is very proud. It is not that I don't want him to come back, it is just that he doesn't want to come back. The surname Fan is good. Back then, you and Yide used to call each other brother and sister.
Just take it as following your mother's surname. "A cold winter breeze blew in through the building and made the painting flutter slightly. The beautiful face of the yellow-clothed woman in the painting twisted slightly. It was as if a mocking smile rose to the corners of her lips. It was as if she was mocking the Emperor's words.
— — —
On the afternoon of the first day of the New Year, Fan Xian sat in the carriage heading toward King Jing's manor. This was an old custom between the Fan manor and King Jing's manor for many years. After the New Year, there had to be a day chosen for the people of the two manors to gather together. Fan Xian had been away from Danzhou for three years and had long gotten used to the strange, intimate relationship between his family and King Jing's manor.
Although Hongcheng had been miserably grounded for a year because of Fan Xian's good work, Fan Xian knew that this was actually King Jing's ruthless decision to prevent his manor from being dragged into the fight for the throne. The relationship between the two manors had not been affected by the battles between their sons and nephews.
The carriage jolted slightly. Wan 'er looked at Fan Xian in a daze and didn't speak for a moment.
Fan Xian smiled. "If you have anything you want to ask, ask away."
"I'm thinking that everyone in Jingdou must be talking about you today," Lin Wan 'er said with a smile. "They're all calling you an idiot."
Fan Xian smiled even more happily. Suddenly, he fell silent again. A moment later, he looked into his wife's eyes and said seriously, "I can hide it from everyone under heaven, but I won't hide it from you."
Lin Wan 'er smiled slightly and looked into her husband's eyes.
Fan Xian calmly said, "In reality, the reason is very simple. There are only two reasons. First, I have always thought of myself as Fan Xian. I was raised by my grandmother from a young age. I will not accept any other surname. I have always been willing to return to my ancestral home and worship my ancestors, so I will do it. "
Lin Wan 'er gently leaned against his arm and felt that his breath was very warm and pure.
"Second, regardless of whether it was openly supporting the Third Prince in Jiangnan, killing in all directions in Jingdou, or returning to my ancestral home today, I am showing my determination." Fan Xian lowered his head and glanced at Wan 'er's round face. Warmly, he said, "Danbo shows one's determination. If one wants to go far, one must show one's determination."
"What determination? Who are you showing it to? "
Fan Xian was silent. He thought of the conversation he had with the Emperor in the Royal Palace. Duke of Danbo, Duke of Danbo …
"I don't want to be the Emperor," he calmly said. "Of course, it is for the Emperor to see."
Lin Wan 'er glanced at him worriedly. Although she didn't say anything, Fan Xian knew that she had long seen the future. It was possible that he and the Fan manor would face a disaster of destruction.
"Go against the current. If you don't advance, you will fall back. If the boat capsizes, you will die. I understand this principle." Fan Xian tilted his head slightly. "It seems that all the circumstances force me to fight, but the Emperor has warned me, so I can only not fight."
He smiled and said, "Going with the current is, in the end, more comfortable. There are not many people I am afraid of in this world. However, I am still a bit afraid of your uncle, my cheap father."
Lin Wan 'er smiled, but there was still some worry in her smile. "But what about the future?"
"The future?" Fan Xian said. "The Emperor can live for at least another 20 years. I have used an unknown future danger to exchange for 20 years of peace, or perhaps 20 years of the Emperor's trust. This trade is very worth it. "
"Furthermore, I cannot be ambiguous. I must resolutely and decisively demonstrate my attitude and determination. Even if I stand behind the Third Prince, it is not enough to convince many people."
Fan Xian rubbed the space between his brows and said tiredly, "Men and women can be ambiguous. If you do this between ruler and official, it is easy for people to die. I believe the Emperor will like my decision."
There was still something he did not say to his wife. The so-called ambiguity was certainly two-sided. The so-called decision also worked on both sides. Today, he had recognized his ancestors and returned to his ancestral home to express his absolute sincerity to the Emperor. He had also seen clearly that the Emperor did not want him to take over the world.
This reality made Fan Xian relax slightly. After relaxing, there was a sliver of deep worry. The worry was not in the present. Instead, it was in the past. Just as Chen Pingping had confirmed that night, Fan Xian finally confirmed that the Emperor had an illness and a heart disease.
The carriage stopped in front of King Jing's manor. There were already all kinds of servants waiting outside, welcoming the honored guests from Fan manor into the manor.
Fan Xian led Wan 'er and followed behind his father and Lady Liu in.
Looking around, the scenery in the manor was the same as before. However, the white gauze on the other side of the lake was not up. Thinking about it, it was winter. How could there be gauze to block out the light? However, Fan Xian tilted his head to look at the gentle Wan 'er beside him. He still thought of the time when he first fell in love.
A slightly old, angry, joyful, and complicated voice rang out, pulling Fan Xian out of this rare and brief moment of happiness.
"You little dog, you still know to come see me!"
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