Yesterday, I said a lot of sincere things about myself, and then there was the call to take it off the shelves in the Qidian message box. As for the strength of the people's struggle, I feel very gratified. Gratified my ass. No matter how reactionary I am, I won't fall to the level of Carrefour.
However, I can only shrug my shoulders and not bow. As the main antagonist, of course, I have to continue playing this role well.
There are many happy things in life. Blackbelly's writing about Hai Tang makes me very happy. In a moment, I will post it in the public area and let everyone play with it.
I can't say any more useless words because another reader has expressed strong dissatisfaction. Hmm, I also don't like to talk. I'm just long-winded, and my mood is indeed not good. Is that okay? In grief.
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The coldness outside Guangxin Palace seeped in in strands, trying to forcefully change the name of the palace to Sister Chang'e's residence. However, with the red candles at the side and the warm fragrance rising, the wine strong, and the spring overflowing, this kind of plan was ultimately just a delusion.
Fan Xian watched the Eldest Princess and Wan'er speak softly. The smile on his face gradually grew. He was no longer as wary and awkward as when he first entered the Palace.
The Eldest Princess was still as beautiful and alluring as before. Even though Fan Xian clearly knew of the matter Hong Zhu spoke of, other than shock, he felt a strong displeasure toward the Crown Prince. At least, looking at the foremost beauty in Qing Kingdom, the young son-in-law could not form too many feelings of disgust in his heart.
Of course, this kind of emotion in itself was a wonderful thing. He gently put down his wine cup and smiled self-mockingly. He thought to himself, The Eldest Princess is also a pitiful person.
There must be something hateful about a pitiful person.
This Eldest Princess was the empress dowager's most beloved youngest daughter. She was a powerful figure that the Emperor had relied on as his right arm these 10 years. Particularly for Fan Xian, hidden under the gentle and beautiful appearance of this beauty in palace attire was a venomous tongue, a liquid that could kill without spilling blood.
When he was 12, Fan Xian welcomed the Eldest Princess's first assassination attempt. After they entered the capital, the two sides became even more entwined in schemes and blood and fire, unable to extricate themselves. However, during these years, Fan Xian's power had gradually expanded while the Eldest Princess's power had grown weaker by the day. The Eldest Princess had long acknowledged that her son-in-law was an opponent worthy of her attention, but …
Fan Xian's two most direct opponents of conflict in the Qing Kingdom, the Crown Prince and the Second Prince, were actually just pawns thrown out by the Eldest Princess. Fan Xian clearly knew that since his rebirth, the true enemy of the entire world was the beautiful woman in palace garb in front of him.
The Eldest Princess was Fan Xian's most powerful opponent. Thus, during these years, the Overwatch Council had gathered all of their intelligence centers in Xinyang and Guangxin Palace. Fan Xian understood the Eldest Princess, even better than she understood herself.
This was a question on a psychological level. He could acutely sense the Eldest Princess's complicated gaze toward that woman in the past, and even her strange feelings toward that woman. If it wasn't like this, it couldn't explain the strange political situation in the Qing Kingdom after the Ye family was destroyed.
A hateful person must also have a pitiful side.
However, Fan Xian would not give a glimmer of pity to the Eldest Princess. In this aspect, he was colder and more heartless than anyone else in the world. Just as he had said countless times in the past, only when you are drunk do you know the weight of life. Only when you are dead do you know the weight of life. He wanted to live. Whoever didn't want him to live had to die in front of him.
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"How was Jiangnan?"
The Eldest Princess gently stretched out her jade arms and slowly put down the wine cup. It was winter and although there were bamboo charcoal stoves in the palace, the temperature was not high. The Eldest Princess was also wearing winter clothes that were a bit thick, but even with this kind of clothing, it still covered up the curves of her body and that alluring aura that was everywhere.
Wan 'er had already fallen asleep. The serving girls carefully came out of the back of the Palace to give their orders. They then retreated out of the Palace and closed the doors. Fan Xian furrowed his brows slightly but did not say anything to stop them. After all, the Eldest Princess was her mother. It was not convenient for him to say too much.
"Jiangnan is very good. The scenery is good, and the people are not bad," Fan Xian replied with a smile. "Mother, if you have the time, you can visit Hangzhou sometime."
Although it was particularly awkward to say the words "mother," he had no other choice.
"I went a few years ago. Now, the scenery is the same, but the people are very different. What need is there to go again?"
The Eldest Princess left the banquet. As she walked out of the Palace, she spoke mockingly. These words were referring to the palace treasury that had originally belonged to her and had now been completely taken over by Fan Xian.
Fan Xian did not leave his seat and paused slightly. A moment later, he respectfully said, "Living in this world, one has to see the people, and one has to see the scenery. People are always like flowers chasing water. Every year is different. The scenery stands tall in the world, but it will not change for a thousand years. A person's life is short, but they can see the changing scenery of tens of thousands of years. This is what I think is important."
The Eldest Princess turned her head to look at Fan Xian. She tilted her head slightly and revealed a trace of a smile on her face. "What do you want to advise me about?"
"I don't dare," Fan Xian replied with a pained smile.
The Eldest Princess smiled slightly mockingly and said, "There are very few things in this world that you don't dare to do. However, trying in vain to use words to weaken my will is truly a very stupid thing to do."
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In front of the empress dowager, Li Yunrui was a well-behaved and even somewhat stupid daughter. In front of the Emperor, Li Yunrui was a precocious and even somewhat abnormal assistant. In front of Prime Minister Lin, Li Yunrui was a timid and even somewhat pretentious beauty. In front of the princes, Li Yunrui was a gentle and even somewhat seductive woman. In front of her subordinates, Li Yunrui was a charming and enchanting mistress with a wave of her hand.
Only at this moment, in Guangxin Palace, in front of her good son-in-law, Fan Xian, Li Yunrui was nothing. She was only herself, the purest of herself. She did not use any expression or charm or timidity, but she made no attempt to hide it. She calmly faced Fan Xian with her original appearance.
Perhaps these two people both knew that the enemy was the one who understood them the best, so there was no need to make any useless concealment.
Thus, Fan Xian was not shy. He smiled warmly and only said straightforwardly, "Time is a passerby of a hundred generations. Heaven and earth are the reverse journeys of all things. I don't dare to persuade you of anything. I just feel that life is bitter and short. There is always a great deal of happiness to pursue …"
Without waiting for him to finish, the Eldest Princess cut him off and coldly said, "What kind of thing is an immortal poet? You can defeat one knife or two. Open your eyes and see clearly who is standing in front of you. Don't always think that by saying some unbearably sour words and smugly showing off a few seemingly philosophical words, you will be able to solve all problems. "
These words were spoken normally, but the pride and disdain in them appeared particularly sharp. At this moment, there were no outsiders present, so the Eldest Princess revealed her truest side.
"Don't always think that women are creatures whose emotions surpass everything else," the Eldest Princess said coldly. "You said in what you wrote yourself that men are all a pile of mud. Since that is the case, don't pretend to be a piece of jade in front of me."
Fan Xian had nothing to say. He could only smile bitterly and listen.
The Eldest Princess walked to the side of the palace door and lifted the cotton curtain. Standing on the stone steps, she looked at the quiet night of the Royal Palace around her.
It was not good for Fan Xian to continue sitting at the banquet. He could only stand and follow her out, wanting to hear what this mother-in-law had to say.
"See clearly who is standing in front of you."
The Eldest Princess did not turn around. Her slightly thin body in the cold wind made one's heart tremble for no reason. It was as if it contained an infinite amount of crazy thoughts.
"I am not a stupid girl like Haitang," she said. "I had thought that the North had finally produced a decent woman. Who would have thought that she would still be a commoner."
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…
Fan Xian was speechless. He could only smile bitterly and think, Who dares to compare to you? In this world where men were superior to women, it seemed that only this Eldest Princess dared to do what others did not dare and compete with men.
In all areas, she competed with men.
Fan Xian faintly understood that the Eldest Princess did not take those things seriously at all. Yes, yes, it was like this. The heavens were about to cry.
He scratched his head awkwardly. Facing such a woman, he felt his hands and feet bound. He had no idea how to respond.
"You should know why mother summoned you to the Palace and the banquet tonight," the Eldest Princess said calmly. "You and I both know, so there's no need to say more. Just hide it a little more. I don't want mother to be too sad and disappointed."
Fan Xian bowed to the ground and said sincerely, "I will obey."
"Obey?" The corners of Princess Royal's lips slowly curled up, and the faint red curve of her face was particularly charming under the night sky. "I have to admit that your ability is beyond my initial expectations, and you … are her son, which surprised me even more. No wonder I couldn't kill you or make you move in these two years. His Majesty dotes on you, and the old guys love you. It's just a pity … you're just a stinky man after all."
Fan Xian smiled and said, "This is a problem of hormones and secretion."
"He Er?" The Eldest Princess started slightly. For the first time, other than determination, there was a glimmer of uncertainty and doubt in her enchanting eyes. She immediately shook off Fan Xian's purposeful act and coldly said, "You're just like your mother, always having so many new words."
Fan Xian's heart jumped. Calmly, he asked, "You've seen my mother?"
The Eldest Princess was silent for a moment and then said, "Nonsense! When she first entered the capital, she lived in King Cheng's manor. How could she not have seen her? It's impossible not to see her. "
Speaking of this, the Eldest Princess's eyes softly narrowed. Slowly, she said, "I admired her very much. It could even be said that I was jealous of her. In the end, I looked down on her."
Fan Xian furrowed his brows and smiled calmly. "I don't think you have that right."
These words were very bold, but the Eldest Princess was not angry at all. Lightly, she said, "In many people's eyes, it is all so. Even though I have assisted my brother since childhood and done so many things for the Qing Kingdom, as long as I am compared to your mother, no one thinks I am the best."
"But …" The Eldest Princess coldly said, "I still look down on her."
Without waiting for Fan Xian to speak, she suddenly laughed somewhat nervously. "Because in the end … she died."
Fan Xian's heart jumped slightly. He didn't know if he could confirm the final truth of history today. However, the Eldest Princess's following words made him slightly disappointed.
"And I did not die," the Eldest Princess said coldly. "Who can predict the future? Will I be able to do better than her?"
She turned around and stared at Fan Xian with eyes as soft as the moon and mist. Quietly, she said, "In the end, she did not unite the world. Do you think I can do it?"
Fan Xian was watched by these two gazes. He forced himself to maintain his calm. After a long silence, he slowly said, "Evaluating a person is not necessarily based on territory and the records in the history books."
He suddenly thought of the letter he had seen that rainy night and said absentmindedly, "Just like my mother. She did not help the Qing Kingdom unite the world. Who knows if she couldn't do it or if she didn't care to do it?"
The Eldest Princess was slightly startled. A sliver of her guard finally appeared. With a glimmer of dissatisfaction, she said, "Things that can't be done are considered to be not worth it? Just as you said earlier, life is only a few decades. If you want to leave a lasting mark on the hearts of later generations, if you don't rely on the history books, what else can you rely on? "
"My mother … did not leave a single word in the history books." Fan Xian looked deeply at the Eldest Princess and said, "I think you understand why. But, you cannot deny her existence in this world because of this. Regardless of whether it is the products of the palace treasury or the Overwatch Council, they are all telling the world something. One day, the history books will be forgotten by people and the yellow paper will be swept into the trash heap. But, the true changes to this world will always be preserved. "
After the Eldest Princess heard these words, she was silent for a long time. She then quietly said, "You're right. I have not caused any true changes to occur in this world." She paused and then said self-mockingly, "Other than causing the borders of the countries under heaven to continuously change, the land of the Qing Kingdom has continuously expanded."
…
…
"Even if you conquer tens of thousands of li of rivers and mountains, you will still be a bun after death," Fan Xian said seriously.
Although the Eldest Princess had mercilessly mocked him countless times earlier, he still said these seemingly trite words.
The Eldest Princess no longer looked at him. She looked at the quiet scene in the Royal Palace and said, "Your way of thinking is different from most men in the world. Some men, it is because they are cowardly and incompetent that they gloriously say they have come to terms with it and are indifferent. However, for a man like you, who already has sufficient status and possibilities, to not want to establish a career and leave a name in the history books, it is truly rare … and cowardly. "
Fan Xian smiled and replied, "Perhaps An Zhi knows that he does not have this kind of ability. It is not always possible to see someone as talented and bold as the Emperor."
After saying this, he carefully glanced at the Eldest Princess.
The Eldest Princess did not look at him. She looked at the corners of the Royal Palace. It was as if she had sunk into a strange emotion because of someone in Fan Xian's words.
"I am a person with a strong desire for power," she said after a long silence. After a long silence, she said, "But this doesn't mean that I like things like power. I only need power to achieve a certain wish, and this wish is something that you people can never understand."
Fan Xian lowered his head slightly.
The Eldest Princess suddenly raised her hand and took in a few breaths of warm air. Her actions were as cute as a young girl's. She smiled slightly and said, "Women can also do things. I have always wanted to prove this point. Why is it that men always use women in this world? Why can't women use men? "
The most beautiful woman in Qing Kingdom finally said to Fan Xian, "This is something I learned from your mother. I have said before that I looked down on your mother because, in the end, she still could not escape the fate of women being used by men. "
"You can go. I am tired."
"There shouldn't be a second time for this kind of conversation."
Fan Xian lowered his head and bowed. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at the soft curve of the Eldest Princess's side profile. He thought about the words the Eldest Princess had said and smiled slightly. He thought to himself that perhaps this was the unchangeable norm of the battle between men and women. Even if it was her, wasn't it also a reaction after being used by men and not being able to change?
The Eldest Princess looked calmly at his back. She hoped her words would be able to plant that poisonous flower in Fan Xian's heart.
Shortly after, she raised her head and looked at the night sky above the Royal Palace. Her fingers moved slightly as if she was recalling a certain curve. Furrowing her brows, she wondered which Palace brother the Emperor would spend the night in.
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…
There was no pity, no emotion, no reflection. Fan Xian directly left Guangxin Palace. Under the light of the eunuch's lantern, he headed toward the front of the Royal Palace.
His back was a bit wet, not because of fear, but because of some complicated emotion. He couldn't help but think of the first time he entered Guangxin Palace to massage the Eldest Princess. At that time, his two fingers had stopped at the temples next to her beautiful hair, constantly worried that he would be assassinated in the Palace.
Thinking about it now, Fan Xian at that time had been very naive in terms of politics.
The present Fan Xian understood that politics was dark, dirty, and bloody. It was the most untouchable taboo in the world. However, from the moment he was born, he had been tightly embraced by these things. Thus, he had to do it more thoroughly than anyone else and hide it better.
The Eldest Princess was very calm tonight. Fan Xian knew that just like how the gentler the smile on his face, the thicker the murderous intent in his heart, the calmer the Eldest Princess' expression, the crazier she became.
Walking toward the front of the city, Fan Xian watched the dim yellow lantern in front of him sway slightly. He was calm to the point of coldness as he analyzed everything he had seen and heard tonight. As for the poison the Eldest Princess wanted to plant, Fan Xian had actually planted it a long time ago. He had just hidden it well.
How crazy would the Eldest Princess be? Was it as his father-in-law in Wuzhou guessed? Fan Xian still didn't understand where to find such an opportunity. He suddenly remembered that the Eldest Princess had not mentioned a word about Lin Ruofu, who was far away in Wuzhou.
Given Fan Xian's understanding of that old matter, the Eldest Princess might not necessarily be heartless toward Prime Minister Lin. Her actions tonight were indeed a bit strange. It looked like that woman had indeed changed in recent days.
"Substitute?"
Fan Xian furrowed his brows and quietly muttered to himself. He looked similar to the Second Prince. Strangely, he didn't look like the Emperor at all. On the contrary, the Crown Prince, who had always been a bit weak, vaguely looked like the Emperor.
"Sir, what kind of substitute?" the eunuch leading the way asked fawningly.
Fan Xian smiled and said, "Trash."
— — —
There was a special place to rest in the Royal Palace. It was far from the inner palace.
A dozen years ago, when the Emperor had been busy with government affairs, he often worked through the night to handle state affairs. At that time, the Prime Minister and officials also had to wait in the Palace and often didn't have time to return home. Thus, the Emperor had issued a special edict to vacate an area in the front of the city for these officials to rest.
Presently, Qing Kingdom was in a period of peace and prosperity, and there were temporarily no worries on the borders. The Palace was no longer as busy as before, and this place had been quiet for a long time.
Until Fan Xian moved in today.
Before long, Fan Xian had already left the manor. Borrowing the shadow of the tall city walls, he moved forward silently like a ghost. He grabbed a handful of snow from under the palace walls and carefully wiped away the faint scent of sleeping incense on his fingers. Increasing his speed, he headed in the direction of the nine pine trees.
Traveling alone at night in the Royal Palace was indeed a very risky matter. However, Fan Xian knew that if he acted according to normal thinking, he would only move out in the dead of night when the defenses in the Palace were the tightest.
Although it was already night, there were still many people in the Palace who had not gone to sleep. It was safer to travel unexpectedly at night.
His destination was a corner of the Royal Palace, near the Nine Pine Trees. This area was still within the boundaries of the Royal Palace. It was where the washing station was when it was first built. Later, there were more and more eunuchs in the Palace, and many residences were built along the washing station. Only then did it gradually become a place for eunuchs to live.
The washing station also had a restricted entrance to the outside of the Palace. Although it was still guarded by imperial guards, it was, after all, a place where eunuchs and serving girls lived together. It was crowded with people, so the security was much more lax than other places. The officials who took the risk to deliver items into the Palace often went through this place.
Fan Xian's contact with Shufang Palace was basically through this channel.
However, he was not going to sneak out of the Royal Palace tonight. He was going to see someone.
To see Hong Zhu.
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