In Shufang Palace, Yi Guipin was beaming with joy as she watched the two people at the desk. Fan Xian was watching Li Chengping copy a book. Not many people in the Palace cared about the contents of the book. The key was in the word "watch" and the key was in the teacher-student relationship between Fan Xian and Li Chengping.
Yi Guipin was not a shrewd and calculative noblewoman. On the contrary, in this dark and gloomy Royal Palace, she had always maintained the carefree and open-mindedness of a virgin. Because of her purity and truth, she was favored by the Emperor and gave birth to the Third Prince.
Given the Qing Emperor's style of not caring about the matters between men and women, after the empress gave birth to the Crown Prince, he probably had no plans to have more children. From this, it could be seen that Yi Guipin's personality had indeed suited the Emperor's personality.
Even the other people in the Palace were the same. They always felt that this Guipin from the Liu family was full of energy all day, charming and lively, and made people feel comfortable just by looking at her. Like Lady Ning in the courtyard, they were both different in the Royal Palace. However, this difference of hers was more likable.
Even though the empress dowager had never been very close to the Third Prince because of the power of the Liu family and the Fan family, she did not have any malicious words toward Yi Guipin. Everyone knew that Yi Guipin was very lenient and treated people well. She never had any thoughts of harming others. This was the result of 10 years of silence in the Palace.
Just because she was unwilling to scheme and had no thoughts of harming others, it did not mean that Yi Guipin truly did not have her own plans. Otherwise, she would not have used the opportunity of Fan Xian saving the Third Prince to have the Third Prince take Fan Xian as his teacher and open up all of the resources in Shufang Palace to Fan Xian.
She knew Fan Xian's importance to Shufang Palace, so she always tried to win him over when there was no one around. The royal family always kept a close eye on the extended relatives, but Fan Xian had a complicated identity between the relatives, the officials, and the royal family. When Shufang Palace interacted with Fan Xian, the people in the Palace could not say much.
The more stable Fan Xian's position in court was, the more stable Shufang Palace's position in the Emperor's heart was.
Occasionally, when she thought of Fan Xian's power and the Emperor's favor, Yi Guipin would always feel a bit surprised. The Emperor favored his illegitimate child too much.
Because of Fan Xian's great favor, it was not that Yi Guipin had not been wary of certain dangers. However, that caution could not be expressed. Thus, she remained silent and maintained a hearty and flirtatious appearance. It was not until Fan Xian returned to the clan that she truly confirmed Fan Xian's intentions. Boundless gratitude welled up from the depths of her heart.
Thus, at this moment, looking at the scene of Fan Xian and her son sitting side by side at the desk, she felt incomparably happy.
…
…
"I heard that you met someone in the hallway at the back of the palace."
Yi Guipin's personal palace maid, Xing'er, received a rumor from within the palace and hurriedly told her mistress. Yi Guipin's heart jumped. She gently beckoned Fan Xian to a side room and opened her eyes.
Fan Xian rubbed his slightly sore fingers and said with a smile, "Hong Zhu, that servant, is becoming more and more impudent. Seeing me, he doesn't bow. Even when he walks, he uses his nostrils to look at the road. I taught him a lesson on behalf of the Emperor."
Using his nostrils to look at the road, this description was amusing and mischievous. Yi Guipin couldn't resist laughing out loud. However, she immediately restrained her smile and quietly said, "Eunuch Hong is now a popular person in the Palace and the head eunuch in the Eastern Palace. Furthermore, the Emperor seems to favor him and is preparing to have him return to the royal study."
She glanced at Fan Xian. Everyone in the Palace had, through their own channels, clearly investigated Hong Zhu's promotion and history. They all knew that Hong Zhu was serving in the royal study. Just as he was about to climb up, it was Fan Xian's secret report that caused Hong Zhu to lose his position and be chased to the Eastern Palace.
Yi Guipin knew that Fan Xian and Hong Zhu did not see eye to eye, but Hong Zhu had already climbed up again in the Eastern Palace. The Emperor seemed to be regretting his actions in the past. She had to remind Fan Xian that although he was not afraid of this kind of eunuch, as a foreign official, he had to be on guard against the eunuchs in the Palace stirring up trouble.
Fan Xian shook his head and smiled coldly. "How can it be so easy for such a servant who allows his brother to forcefully take over the people's property to return to the royal study?"
She thought for a moment and then said in a soft voice, "Why bother with a servant? If he truly returns to the royal study, the hatred between the two sides will deepen. I'm afraid it will be inconvenient. Besides, there are rumors in the Palace that this Eunuch Hong is related to you. After all, your identity is a court official. "
Eunuchs in Qing Kingdom never had much status. Ever since the founding of the country, it had been strictly forbidden for eunuchs to interfere with government affairs. Light offenders would be expelled from the Palace. Heavy offenders would be beaten to death on the spot. However, in the decades since the founding of the country, there had always been one or two exceptions. Old Eunuch Hong, who was always resting outside Hanguang Palace, was such a special person.
No one knew how many years this old eunuch had stayed in the Palace. He was deeply trusted by the empress dowager and the Emperor. Furthermore, he was a mysterious and powerful figure. If Hong Zhu was really related to old Eunuch Hong, Fan Xian would probably be wary of him. However, Fan Xian knew the reason behind this and couldn't resist smiling. He could not tell Yi Guipin, so he could only smile and say, "Aunt, don't worry. I know what I'm doing."
Yi Guipin saw that he did not care and couldn't resist saying a few more words of advice. Seeing that it had no effect, she angrily went into the back of the room, too lazy to continue talking to this stubborn child.
Fan Xian moved closer to the Third Prince's table and said a few more words. He then left Shufang Palace under the Third Prince's reluctant gaze.
Wan 'er was going to stay the night in the empress dowager's Hanguang Palace. No one knew how many days she would stay. Fan Xian and his wife entered the Palace, but only one of them had to go back. Walking through the long and gloomy doorway of the Gate of Divine Martial, he was alone. Looking at the blurry shadow behind him, he felt very unhappy. On one hand, he felt that Wan' er was indeed very favored in the royal family. On the other hand, he was silently cursing. That old woman only knew about the love between grandfather and granddaughter. She had never thought that he and his wife would be reunited after a long time.
He walked out of the Palace with a face full of displeasure. He saw the Great Prince looking at him with a not-quite-there smile. He couldn't help but say unhappily, "Since the founding of the country, there have not been many Commanders of the Imperial Army and officials of the guards who have stood guard outside the Royal Palace every day like you. This is not the time for marching and fighting. This is a time of peace. Who are you waiting to see make a fool of yourself by standing guard outside the Palace?"
The Great Prince's smile disappeared. He huffed coldly and said, "What joke do you have to see? Do you think Chen 'er will lose face if she doesn't return with you? Don't forget, my sister grew up in the Palace. You seem to have long forgotten this. "
After Fan Xian returned to the capital, he had seen the Great Prince a few times. However, there were always outsiders beside him, so it was difficult to speak of personal matters. Although the two brothers had long formed an alliance that did not need to be spoken of under Chen Pingping and Lady Ning's intimate care, the Great Prince's position was different. He was the elder brother of all the princes. He did not want to see the Crown Prince and the Second Prince be played step by step by Fan Xian until they became depressed. Thus, there was still some distance between the two of them.
"I won't talk much with you today. I have to hurry back to the manor to do some business." Fan Xian looked at the Great Prince's expression and knew what this fierce general of the army and political virgin was about to say to him. He repeatedly waved his hand.
The Great Prince scolded in a heavy voice, "I don't plan on lecturing you about Chen 'er's matter today. However, what exactly are you going to do with that woman in the North?"
Fan Xian was startled. Only now did he know that it was another family matter. He couldn't help smiling bitterly and saying, "I say, Your Highness, this is my family matter. Since Wan 'er has married me, there is no need for you to worry about it."
At the beginning, he had been slightly jealous of the intimacy between the Great Prince and Wan 'er. Now that he had the opportunity, he coldly retaliated.
The Great Prince was furious. He forcefully suppressed his anger and said, "Who has the patience to care about you? However, wangfei said that you still haven't come to my manor after the new year. She had me come to ask you if you aren't planning on coming. "
Wangfei was the Great Princess of Northern Qi that Fan Xian had personally escorted to the South. Fan Xian rubbed his head and said, "Naturally, I have to go to your manor. It will probably be the day after tomorrow."
Seeing that he had agreed, the Great Prince nodded and didn't pay him any more attention. Fan Xian suddenly thought of something and said, "I'll also bring Hongcheng."
The Great Prince was slightly surprised and glanced at him, thinking, Wasn't Hongcheng grounded because of you?
Fan Xian didn't explain. He only furrowed his brows and said, "Speaking of which, do you still want that manor in Yangcong Alley? She is a proper Hu tribe princess. You can't just leave her in that courtyard to rot, right? "
The Great Prince choked and couldn't speak for a moment.
Fan Xian looked at this scene and confirmed that when the Western Expedition Army was on their way back to the capital, this Great Prince must have had countless stories with the Hu tribe princess, Ma Suosuo. However, it wasn't good to poke at him again. He raised his hands in a salute and climbed into the black carriage.
…
…
After returning to the Fan manor and entering the most secretive study in the triangular area of the garden, he confirmed that there were no eyes or ears around. Even the Tiger Guards and the servant the Emperor had buried in the Fan manor were far away from the study. Only then did Fan Xian spread his legs and lay comfortably on the low couch. He placed his feet, which were wearing pure wool socks produced by the palace treasury, toward the door of the study. He relaxed and let the steam rise, making his sore feet happy.
The pair of boots was placed under the couch.
The slip of paper was already in his hand.
No one knew about his relationship with Hong Zhu. Not even Chen Pingping and his father knew. Even Su Wenmao, who had personally handled the Yingzhou matter, did not know that he was avenging Hong Zhu. He would not be able to guess in this direction. It could be said that Hong Zhu was the deepest spy Fan Xian had buried in the Royal Palace.
Because of this, the two sides did not dare to take the risk of establishing a regular intelligence system. It would be difficult for any news Hong Zhu had to send out of the Palace.
Of course, the normal news in the Royal Palace was handled by a few eunuchs that Yi Guipin and Fan Xian were on good terms with, so there was no need to worry about ears and eyes being blocked. Since Hong Zhu had taken the risk to send him news, then this news was worth paying attention to. Furthermore, the glimmer of fear he had seen when he entered the Palace before the new year made Fan Xian even more curious about the contents of this slip of paper.
…
…
Fan Xian looked at the slip of paper and involuntarily narrowed his eyes. When he read to the end, he could not suppress the shock in his heart and directly sat up on the couch.
When he began to read this slip of paper, he did not think much of it. He felt that Hong Zhu was taking too much of a risk. As he read to the end, he finally understood the meaning hidden in Hong Zhu's words. He was so frightened that he could no longer lie down.
What was written on the slip of paper was very simple. The specific names of the people were also used in a secret language that Fan Xian and Hong Zhu had discussed at the beginning. Fan Xian understood it very well.
The opening paragraph wrote about a strange habit the Crown Prince had when he went to bed. He always liked to lift up the clothes of the serving girls and concubines and cover their heads, only revealing their naked lower bodies.
The handwriting of the second paragraph trembled slightly. It was clear that Hong Zhu was also afraid when he wrote it.
It said that in the year Fan Xian had left Jingdou, the Crown Prince's health had gradually improved. His venereal disease seemed to have been cured. However, his habit of going to bed had not changed. Furthermore, a few times when the Crown Prince was drunk, he could faintly hear him call out the word "aunt" in the moment of ecstasy.
Aunt?
Aunt!
If it was only limited to these two paragraphs, Fan Xian could only use this intelligence report to confirm that the Crown Prince had endless fantasies about the Eldest Princess' beautiful appearance and perfect body. Although it was slightly perverted, for Fan Xian, who had experienced countless baptisms of sex in his previous life, it was nothing.
What truly scared Fan Xian so much that he jumped up from the couch was the third paragraph in Hong Zhu's message. There was only one sentence.
He said that in these few months, the Crown Prince had rarely been close to the serving girls and concubines in the Eastern Palace. Furthermore, he was in good spirits.
…
…
It was very simple. To a normal person, the last sentence was very meaningless, but it scared Fan Xian quite a bit. Although the words on this piece of paper were taboo, in the eyes of observant people, they would still know who it was talking about. Hong Zhu must have seen something or heard something, but he didn't dare write it on the paper …
Aunt? Fan Xian paced a few times in the study. His lips were a bit dry. Finally, he stopped in front of the low couch. Rubbing his hands together, he crushed the piece of paper into powder. His expression was very strange. After a long time, he cursed in a low voice, "Do you think you're Yang Guo?"
Fan Xian was dumbfounded. He was completely dumbfounded. Although Sir Jin and Sir Zhong Ma had both taught him that the two dirtiest places in the world were the Royal Palace and the brothel, and the history of his previous life had used the words "dirty Tang and stinky man" to give him some mental preparation. Now that he truly knew about the things in the Palace, he, the owner of the largest brothel in Qing Kingdom, still couldn't help but stare dumbfounded and feel greatly shocked.
He walked to the side of the table and picked up a cup of cold tea to drink, extinguishing the shock and sense of absurdity in his heart. With great difficulty, he finally calmed down. He finally knew where Hong Zhu's fear came from. Anyone who knew of such an incestuous story that could not be told to the world, their first reaction would be to be afraid of being silenced.
At the same time, he also knew why the Crown Prince had been so calm recently and appeared to have a card up his sleeve. It turned out that he had the confidence to make the Eldest Princess truly abandon the Second Prince and turn to support him.
But, what if the Eldest Princess was playing with the Crown Prince's feelings?
Fan Xian suddenly thought of this and immediately shook his head, giving himself a light slap. Such a big thing, what exactly was he thinking? Did he have to think for the Second Prince? He had to reap the most benefits from this information.
However, he still couldn't help but think of the scene in Guangxin Palace. He involuntarily shivered.
He was indeed uncomfortable in his heart. For one, he strangely felt that it was not worth it for the Eldest Princess. How could the foremost beauty in Qing Kingdom, a peerless beauty who had not shown any signs of her youth fading away, use her body as a weapon? Even though there had always been rumors in the streets that the Eldest Princess kept many handsome men, Fan Xian still unconsciously did not want to believe this.
The second reason he was unhappy was that no matter what was said, the Eldest Princess was his mother-in-law. The Crown Prince, that little bastard, had an affair with his mother-in-law. What would happen to his father-in-law's hat in Wuzhou? He … what the f * ck was he?
Fan Xian stood by the table with his fists tightly clenched. There was a wave of unreasonable anger in his heart. This was clearly a piece of news that he could use to make a big deal out of and directly bring down the Crown Prince. However, it did not make him happy at all. He kept feeling that he had been taken advantage of by the Crown Prince.
At the same time, he was angry at Hong Zhu's daring. He didn't know if the little eunuchs kneeling on the ground had seen a corner of the paper he had stepped on. If this matter got out, it would be difficult for Fan Xian to protect him.
He was silent by the table for a long time. He finally shook off that absurd feeling of failure and anger. He took two deep breaths and decided to make good use of this shocking news.
However …
If he couldn't talk to Hong Zhu face to face and act from inside the Royal Palace, it would be impossible to maximize the influence of this matter. After all, he couldn't have the Eighth Bureau of the Overwatch Council go into the marketplace to spread rumors.
The Eldest Princess had an affair with the Crown Prince? Fan Xian didn't want to risk the Emperor's anger or the empress dowager's embarrassment turning into anger and investigating the Overwatch Council to throw out these rumors. He had to have the Emperor or empress dowager personally discover this scandal in the Palace.
He made up his mind to make a good plan. At the same time, before he left the capital, he had to discuss all the details of the plan with Hong Zhu and Fan Xian.
When it came to plans and conspiracies, Fan Xian, who was skilled in assassination and little tricks, did not have much confidence. He immediately thought of his most capable assistant, the white-clothed young master. He immediately walked out of the study, passed through the back garden, and got into the carriage. He didn't even hear the sound of the edict being announced from the front yard of the Fan manor.
— —
The carriage drove to the Overwatch Council's gray and black square building. Fan Xian hurriedly jumped off the carriage. His leather boots stepped on the remaining snow piled on either side of Tianhe Avenue with a whoosh.
As he walked into the Council, there were Overwatch Council officials he bumped into along the way who bowed with faces full of shock and made way. These officials looked at the Commissioner's gloomy expression and hurried footsteps. They all wondered which major figure in the capital was going to be unlucky again.
Pushing open the door and entering the secret room, he was not surprised to see a young official wearing thick, plain-colored clothing sitting behind the table beside the black cloth by the window. In the entire Overwatch Council, the only person who didn't like to wear official robes and had the right not to wear official robes was the present head of the Fourth Bureau, the acting representative of the Overwatch Council, Yan Bingyun, or Sir Yan junior.
Fan Xian threw the robe he was wearing onto the chair and closed the door. Looking at the black cloth on the window, he furrowed his brows. He walked directly to the side of the window and pulled down the black cloth.
The light from the sky outside and the reflection from the remaining snow immediately poured into the gloomy room, brightening it up. The sudden strengthening of the light pierced Yan Bingyun's eyes. He unconsciously raised his hand to block it.
"You're not Director Chen," Fan Xian furrowed his brows and said. "There's no need to always hide yourself in the dark."
Yan Bingyun lowered his hand and shook his head helplessly. This piece of black cloth had been placed on the window of this secret room for many years. It had already become the Overwatch Council's most unique scenery. Who would lightly touch it? Only the commissioner would not take Director Chen's intentions to heart.
Fan Xian looked at Yan Bingyun's slightly pale face and haggard expression. He couldn't help but shake his head. Chen Pingping did not care much about the present Overwatch Council. Fan Xian was also too lazy to care. Everything was piled on Yan Bingyun's shoulders. Looking at his appearance, he probably hadn't had a good night's sleep in many days. A faint apologetic feeling welled up in Fan Xian's heart.
He walked to the window and narrowed his eyes at the Royal Palace in the distance. "What exactly does the Director mean by using such a black cloth to cover it?"
Yan Bingyun didn't say anything.
Fan Xian looked at the majestic Royal Palace in the distance and suddenly had a glimmer of doubt about his decision to come to the Overwatch Council to find Yan Bingyun. That matter involved the dignity of the royal family and the future of the Qing Kingdom. Sir Yan junior had always placed the interests of the court as the highest standard.
He turned his head and glanced at Yan Bingyun. He truly did not dare to take this risk.
…
…
There are two flaws. Before, I wrote two things incorrectly. It should be that Chen Pingping is older than the Emperor. Also, King Jing is older than Yunrui, just a little older. Shamelessly apologizing.
As for the problem of the Crown Prince not entering the ranks of the princes, I set it this way in the past. As for whether or not this setting is good and reasonable, that is another matter. However, I like to play this way. There is no problem of writing the Third Prince and forgetting the Crown Prince. There are only four in total. I have five fingers and can count them all. Perhaps it is not reasonable, but I don't care.
As for Li Yunrui, it was said before that Yunrui gave birth to Wan'er at 15. When the Jingdou incident happened, Yunrui was only 12 or 13. I think all young girls are pure pearls.
As for the hide-and-seek that King Jing mentioned, it was a lie. Such an important matter could not be overheard by playing hide-and-seek in the Royal Palace. As a member of the royal family, King Jing had his own difficulties. He was the most helpless person. He only reminded Fan Xian of the Qin family matter, but he could not tell Fan Xian everything.
King Jing only needed a reason to tell Fan Xian, and Fan Xian accepted this reason. A smart person would not ask too many questions. I wrote this very carefully, so there should not be any problems.
King Jing is not very old. Some friends say that he does not look like the old gardener. It feels wrong. That is another problem with my setting. Originally, I wanted to write about a decadent prince. His first love died early, so he indulged in sensual pleasures. He was born early and had children early. His hair turned gray early and he aged early.
From this, it can be seen that men should cherish their relationships and not fall in love early.
There are many flaws in the book. I will admit this, but even if I admit it … I am afraid that I will not have time to correct them. After all, this is not a thesis. I do not have the ability and energy to write every day. It is very tiring. Please understand. I am very grateful. Thank you all for reading, correcting, and understanding.
After writing so much nonsense, it would be stupid not to ask for votes. Stretch out your right hand. If you love China, if you love monthly votes, please vote monthly!
PS: This paragraph does not count the number of words.
PS: This chapter was originally going to be called Shocking Secret News, but then I felt that it was too common, even though I am very common.
PS: The Philips TV in my living room that has accompanied my family for 14 years is finally broken. Does this count as me crying about being poor out of habit?
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