(This chapter thanks me as a Pai Jiu. I was about to write about the Crown Prince for the last time when I saw his post in the Qing Yunian Club. I feel the same way. Sad, sad … Everyone, please continue to vote for today's monthly votes … I really can't do it anymore … I have no more excuses, silently and perversely canvass votes …)
…
…
The greater the profit, the greater the lie, and the more outstanding the actor. Fan Xian deeply believed in this. Standing in the court, what they tested each other was the ownership of the chair. This was the greatest benefit in the world, so it would not be strange for the Crown Prince to tell such a big lie in front of him.
The problem was that Fan Xian had no way of determining how true the Crown Prince's words were. If he was in the Crown Prince's position, would he make such a promise?
Let bygones be bygones?
Given the Crown Prince's natural position, the empress dowager's love, and his unknown relationship with the Eldest Princess, if he also had Fan Xian's support from the Overwatch Council and palace treasury, no one would be able to stop his ascension to the throne. If he could obtain Fan Xian's support, it seemed that the Crown Prince could make enough sacrifices.
The problem was, given Fan Xian's life experience and knowledge, he did not think that this kind of transaction would happen unless the Crown Prince truly became a fatherless person. If he truly became such a person, how could Fan Xian dare to sit next to him?
He chatted warmly with the Crown Prince. Occasionally, he would think of when he first entered Jingdou, the Crown Prince's good attitude toward him and those stories. The complicated clouds in his heart grew thicker.
"Is Wan 'er all right?"
After walking around the Royal Palace for so long, only the Crown Prince was the first person to directly ask if Wan 'er was all right. He asked very directly.
Fan Xian smiled. His mind was slightly absent-minded. He spoke intermittently to the Crown Prince, but his gaze fell on the other party's face. Looking at it seriously, he gradually saw some details that he had never noticed before.
The Crown Prince was very lonely and pitiful.
…
…
As he walked out of the Eastern Palace, the sun had gradually set. The faint red light of dusk shone on the vermilion palace walls and gradually spread out. It covered the cold-resistant short plants and palace buildings around him in a layer of red, an inauspicious red.
Fan Xian placed his hands behind his back. His expression was calm as if he was deep in thought. His thoughts were all on the Crown Prince. Thinking about it now, Fan Xian realized that of the five princes, including himself, the most pitiful was the Crown Prince. He was only a little older than Fan Xian, and the Ye family had been destroyed before Fan Xian was born. What about the Crown Prince?
Four years after the destruction of the Ye family, on a night of bloodshed in Jingdou, the Crown Prince's maternal family was slaughtered to the last. His maternal grandfather died at his father's hands. He lost far more family than he did. From then on, the Crown Prince lived alone in the palace, living in anxiety and unease. The only people he could rely on were the Empress Dowager and the Empress who loved him dearly.
No, the Empress did not count. Just as his father had said in the past, the reason the Emperor did not abolish the Empress and make it difficult for him to inherit the throne was because the Empress was extremely stupid. Her relatives had been completely slaughtered. This kind of situation was exactly what the Emperor needed.
The only person the Crown Prince could rely on was the empress dowager. As he gradually grew up, the environment of the Palace and the Empress' deep memories of the past created the Crown Prince's mediocre and slightly timid personality. He had no friends and could not have friends. He could only be silent.
However, the Qing Emperor did not want the successor he had chosen to be silent forever, so he picked out the Second Prince with the intention of sharpening the Crown Prince's knife. In the end, he picked out Fan Xian and took down the Second Prince to continue to sharpen the Crown Prince.
Such an abnormal life would naturally lead to many psychological problems.
Silence and silence. Either explode in silence or become perverted in silence. The Crown Prince seemed to have chosen the latter. However, his heart did not seem to have an overly terrifying part.
Fan Xian walked to the bottom of the palace wall and turned his head to look at the towering Taiji Palace glowing with a fiery light. He narrowed his eyes slightly and sighed in his heart. When did he want to stand against you?
Comparing the Crown Prince and the Second Prince, Fan Xian actually leaned more toward the Crown Prince because he knew the ruthlessness under the Second Prince's gentle expression.
He could try to knock the Second Prince off his horse and thus preserve his life, but he could not use the same method on the Crown Prince. Because the Crown Prince's position was too special, he would either soar into the clouds and transform into a dragon, or he would bleed under his scales and fall to the Yellow Springs.
The Second Prince had to do something to inherit the throne, so he gave Fan Xian too many opportunities. However, the Crown Prince was the exact opposite. He did nothing and could not do anything. Only then would he naturally inherit the throne. Once the Crown Prince thought through this, he would be like what he had shown this year. He would intelligently maintain his calm and watch everything with cold eyes.
However, calmness did not mean magnanimity. If Fan Xian was truly blinded by this illusion and softened his heart, once the other party actually ascended the throne, what welcomed Fan Xian would certainly be the empress' crazed pursuit for revenge and the Eldest Princess' merciless purge.
At that time, would the Crown Prince still cherish his life?
However, the Second Prince had not been beaten back by Fan Xian. The Crown Prince had also charged forward. He gently clenched his fists and made his heart cold and hard. He thought to himself, It is not easy for anyone to survive in this world. Don't blame me.
He took one last look at the setting of the Royal Palace that seemed to be on fire and tilted his head slightly. The source of all of this was actually the middle-aged man sitting on the dragon chair.
Fan Xian suddenly felt a glimmer of pleasure. He wanted to see the middle-aged man's embarrassed expression turn into rage. He wanted to break through the Emperor's calm disguise and truly tear at his heart.
When all was said and done, everyone was a group of cruel people.
… …
On this day, the sky was high and the clouds were light. Spring had not yet arrived, but the sky was clear. The winter trees on both sides of the road outside the Jingdou city gates spread their branches, baring their fangs and brandishing their claws to frighten the people far away from home.
A row of black carriages filed out from the city gates and lined up by the side of the road. At the same time, they waited for the large group of people in front to disperse. A young man lifted the curtain and came out. Standing in front of the carriage, he put his hand on the awning and looked in that direction. He furrowed his brows slightly and said to himself, "Why is this happening?"
The young man was Fan Xian. It was already February. He could not find any more excuses to stay in Jingdou. Furthermore, under these circumstances, he knew that the further he left Jingdou, the better. Only then would he not drag himself into the water. However, the matter of Sisi's pregnancy gave him a headache. Later, after a good discussion in the manor, they decided to have Wan 'er stay in Jingdou to take care of her and let him go to Jiangnan alone.
Today was the day he would leave Jingdou. With the precedent, he did not inform many people. Even the young scholars in the Imperial College did not receive the news. His journey this time was relatively quiet, and there was a bit more loneliness.
Fan Xian looked at the Qing soldiers lining up in front of the road and furrowed his brows slightly.
In a short while, a few riders broke away from the even more parting group. These riders circled back and rode toward Fan Xian's group of carriages. Hearing the sound of hooves, Fan Xian smiled slightly and got off the carriage to wait.
At the very front of the riders was an officer wearing thin cotton lined armor. He looked very heroic. Behind him followed a few deputies.
The officer rode in front of Fan Xian and dismounted with a whip. His movements were clean and efficient. When he took off the armor on his face and revealed his handsome and warm face, only then did Fan Xian realize that this person was King Jing's heir, Li Hongcheng.
"Who would have thought that we would leave the capital at the same time." Li Hongcheng patted Fan Xian's shoulder heavily and said with a smile.
Fan Xian shook his head and sighed. "Staying well in Jingdou, why go join the army? As a man, of course, he has to seek achievements. But, it is not necessary to seek them on the battlefield. If the King had not told me, I would not have known you had such plans. "
The Qing Kingdom conquered the world on horseback. Their people were simple and valiant. Even the children of the royal family learned horsemanship and martial arts from a young age. From the previous generation, they had the habit of joining the army. In this generation, the Great Prince was a model figure. He had started as a minor officer and climbed to the position of a Great General.
Li Hongcheng was silent for a moment. He then said, "You also know that if I stay in Jingdou, my father will always keep me locked up in the manor. That is no different from being in prison. I would rather go to the West and fight with the strange Hu people than suffer these grievances again."
Fan Xian was silent for a long time. He then raised his head and slowly said, "You must take care of yourself. Otherwise, I will feel apologetic."
"If I can make you feel apologetic, then this expedition will not be a loss." Li Hongcheng smiled after a slight pause. "In life, one has to find a few goals for oneself. This time, I joined the Western Expedition Army to fulfill a dream I had since I was young."
Fan Xian said, "I didn't know you had such a dream in life. I had thought your dream in life was all on the pleasure boat …"
The two of them smiled at each other. They noticed that there were still many people beside them, so it was not convenient for them to talk in depth. Li Hongcheng held the reins of his horse and rode side by side with Fan Xian. They came to the slope below the official road. The leafless and withered branches were even denser here, blocking out the dim sunlight in the sky into patches of coldness.
It was quiet. No one could hear the two of them talking.
Li Hongcheng was silent for a moment. A relaxed smile gradually rose to his face. Happily, he said, "The matters of these two years have made me understand. In Jingdou, I can't win against you. The Second Prince also can't win against you. This is good. I'll leave Jingdou for you to play. I'll go play in the West."
Fan Xian smiled bitterly. For a moment, he didn't know how to respond. A moment later, he sincerely said, "The road to Xi Hu is long and difficult. You must take care. Although seeking fame in the military is a shortcut, it is also a dangerous path. Although the Great Prince holds military power in his hands, you know how hard it was to waste a few bitter years in the West."
Li Hongcheng nodded his head thoughtfully. Seriously, he said, "Since I've joined the army, I've long been mentally prepared. Father also knows what I'm thinking. Otherwise, he wouldn't have nodded."
His so-called thinking meant that he had truly decided to leave the tiresome and dangerous battles in Jingdou. However, Fan Xian remembered that the main force of the Western Expedition Army was still the Ye family, the family of the Second Prince's father-in-law. He couldn't help but feel a strange feeling in his heart. Looking at Li Hongcheng's face, he resisted and resisted. In the end, he couldn't resist and said, "Ye Zhong … is the Second Prince's father-in-law. Since you've decided not to participate in the affairs of Jingdou …"
Before he could finish his reminder, Li Hongcheng had already waved his hand to stop him from speaking. Calmly, he said, "Relax, I will do what I promised you. I'm not an idiot. It's just … "He smiled." It's just that you appear to be a bit too smart, which makes it difficult for us to find opportunities to show our abilities, particularly during these two years, you've used my father to suppress me. If I don't lower my head to you, I'm afraid I'll still be under house arrest. "
Fan Xian smiled bitterly. "It's not that I'm using King Jing to suppress you. It's that King Jing is using me to suppress you. You have to be clear about this."
"It's fine no matter what." Li Hongcheng sighed. "In any case, my father and you think the same. Since it's like this, why should I forcefully struggle for anything? It's good to go to the West this time. Presumably, the blood and fire on the battlefield will be more direct."
He suddenly calmed down and looked into Fan Xian's eyes. Sincerely, he said, "My relationship with the Second Prince has always been very good. I have something to ask of you."
The word "ask" sounded a bit heavy. Fan Xian immediately guessed what he was going to say. Furrowing his brows first, he said, "I am only an official. Some things are not up to me to decide. Furthermore, who can completely predict victory and defeat? There's no need to say these things in advance. "
Li Hongcheng shook his head calmly. "You didn't let me say it in advance because you were afraid you wouldn't dare to promise me something. You're right when you say victory and defeat are uncertain. No matter how you look at it, it's impossible for you to defeat them in a few short years. For some reason, I feel that in the end, you will win."
"I'm flattering you?" Fan Xian smiled bitterly.
"But, don't forget, he is, after all, your brother … blood brother." Li Hongcheng looked into his eyes and said seriously, "If that day really comes, I hope you can let him live."
"You think too highly of me." Fan Xian turned his body slightly and gazed in a certain direction to the side of Jingdou. Calmly, he said, "He is a prince. No matter how much power we, as officials, have, we cannot decide his life or death. Furthermore, you said you want me to let him live. If one day the Second Prince catches me, will he let me live?"
His voice gradually became cold. "I've given the Second Prince enough time to think. You know why I've shaved off his wings this year. But, he won't do it. His heart is too big, so big that he can't control it. Since it is so, if I still extravagantly control myself, then I am looking for death."
Li Hongcheng slowly lowered his head and said, "Since he was 10, he was forced onto the path of fighting for the throne. After all these years, it has already become his unchangeable goal in life. Even if you beat him until he is the only one left, he will not be satisfied. "
"That's the principle." Fan Xian's expression gradually became cold. He raised his right arm and pointed in a certain direction he was facing. "A few dozen li from here is the Fan family's country estate. Do you know what's there?"
Li Hongcheng glanced at him.
"There are four people buried there," Fan Xian lowered his arm and said. Fan Xian put down his arm. "The four guards of the Fan family are buried. They were with me after I entered the capital. They were killed on Niulan Street."
He continued, "The attack on Niulan Street was the Eldest Princess's idea and the Second Prince's arrangement. Although you were used, you can't deny that no matter how you look at it, you are an accomplice. From that day on, I swore that in Jingdou, if anyone else wanted to kill me, I would not show any mercy to them."
"During these three years, too many people have died. Many people have died on my side, and many people have died on their side. The hatred between the two sides has long become blood in the mud. No matter how it is washed, it cannot be washed clean. Since the Second Prince thinks he can continue to drag it out with the Ye family's help, then I will drag it out with him. "
Fan Xian turned his head to look at Li Hongcheng and slowly said, "Since the Second Prince refuses to back down, then this matter has already become a situation of life and death. You want me to show mercy to him, but have you ever thought that this is equivalent to harming my own life? Have you ever thought that the request you make of me is very unfair? "
Very unfair … Li Hongcheng laughed self-mockingly and sighed. "I only hope that this matter can end peacefully."
"That depends on the Crown Prince and Second Prince's hearts!" Fan Xian said something very similar to the Emperor's. "I am only the knife in the Emperor's hand. For this matter to end peacefully, it depends on how these two perform in front of the Emperor."
He paused and suddenly felt that speaking to Hongcheng so mercilessly at this moment of separation seemed too harsh. He couldn't help but shake his head and soften his tone. "You didn't have to stay between me and the Second Prince on your trip to the West this time. It was a very wise decision. From my perspective, I must thank you. "
"Thank me for what?" Li Hongcheng smiled bitterly. "Thank me for escaping so that when you swing your knife in the future, you won't have the heart to?"
Both of them laughed.
Seeing Li Hongcheng's hand hold the reins, Fan Xian's heart jumped. For the third time, he said, "This trip to the West will be difficult. You have to take care."
Li Hongcheng was silent for a long time and then gently nodded his head. Flipping onto the horse, he turned to look at Fan Xian. A moment later, he quietly said, "If I die in the West … remember to quickly tell Ruoruo the news of my death. Since I'm dead, she won't have to keep hiding in the North. After all, it's a foreign country.
Fan Xian knew that the Crown Prince had guessed the truth behind his sister's study abroad. A wave of shame involuntarily welled up in his heart. Raising his hands in a salute, he forced a face and scolded, "Come back alive."
Li Hongcheng laughed loudly and cracked his whip. The fine horse charged up the slope. Leading the other three riders, they rode straight west along the official road, kicking up plumes of dust.
Fan Xian watched this scene with narrowed eyes and secretly prayed for Hongcheng's safety.
… …
At dusk, the Overwatch Council's carriages heading to Jiangnan once again passed by the little valley where they had been attacked. Along the way, they could occasionally see the battle marks left on the rocks. Fan Xian licked his slightly dry lips. A powerful murderous intent surged in his heart. This trip to Jiangnan was to wrap things up. After he had settled everything, he would have to think of a way to chop off the head of that old cabbage farmer of the Qin family.
Ever since Qin Heng had been transferred to the position of Deputy of the Bureau of Military Affairs and lost his position in the Jingdou garrison, the old Qin master still did not attend court as usual. Fan Xian also did not go to the Qin family for new year's greetings. He only sent a generous gift. Perhaps they did not know that Fan Xian had already guessed who the true culprit of the attack in the valley was.
At this moment, Fan Xian was calculating in his heart how the Emperor had arranged things. Using the attack in the valley, a few important positions in the court had already been changed to new people and successfully carried out a new generation. However, the old Qin family and the Ye family's prestige in the military was still very strong. The Emperor would certainly not be satisfied with the current situation.
What exactly would the Emperor do? Fan Xian often asked himself if he was sitting on the dragon chair, the purge of the military this time would certainly be done more thoroughly and not as small as it was now. It would still give these military elders enough opportunities to move around.
Perhaps it was the sudden advance of Xi Hu that messed up the Emperor's overall plan, or perhaps it was the young Northern Qi Emperor's clever release of Shang Shanhu that forced the Emperor to temporarily keep Yan Xiaoyi.
However, of the Qing Kingdom's seven Roads of elite soldiers, there were still four that had not been moved. The core generals the Great Prince had raised on the Western Expedition had yet to be used on the battlefield. Was there a need to rely so heavily on Qin, Ye, and Yan's old power?
Fan Xian shook his head and faintly guessed at a certain possibility, such as showing weakness, seduction, or seduction like the red plaque girl. However, this kind of plan appeared too absurd and suicidal. Even someone as impudent as Fan Xian did not believe that the Emperor would disregard the survival of the Qing Kingdom and make such an arrangement.
The group of carriages passed through the valley and traveled a few more li before meeting up with the 500 Black Knights. After the silver-masked Jing Ge came forward to greet him, he silently retreated back into the Black Knights. With 500 Black Knights patrolling left and right, in the heart of the Qing Kingdom, there was no longer any power that could threaten Fan Xian's safety.
Fan Xian's heart suddenly jumped. He furrowed his brows and gently clapped his hands.
The carriage moved slightly. A common official of the Overwatch Council lifted the curtain and walked in. Fan Xian glanced at him and said with admiration, "No wonder you are the best assassin in the world. Your ability to disguise is indeed much stronger than mine."
The Shadow didn't smile. Lifelessly, he asked, "What orders do you have?"
"Return to the capital." Fan Xian stared into his eyes and said in an unquestionable tone, "Immediately return to the Director's side. From now on, don't take a step away from him. You must ensure his safety."
The Shadow furrowed his brows. He had been personally arranged by Chen Pingping to come to Fan Xian's side. Unexpectedly, Fan Xian suddenly had him return to Chen Pingping's side. Fan Xian didn't explain anything. Straightforwardly, he said, "You know my strength. You also know that he is a cripple. Go."
The Shadow thought for a bit and nodded. In a moment, he left the group of carriages and became a black shadow. Leisurely passing through the valley and fields, he headed toward Jingdou.
Fan Xian confirmed that the Shadow would return to Chen Pingping's side. His tense heart finally relaxed. For some reason, he felt very uneasy leaving the capital this time. If it was just the matter of the Crown Prince, it shouldn't be enough to endanger the old cripple's safety. However, Fan Xian felt a faint fear. He kept feeling that something big beyond his imagination would happen in Jingdou.
Once something big came, the people in the Palace would not know about the secret power at his father's side. Furthermore, his father had always hidden it well. Even if Jingdou was in turmoil, he would not be the primary target.
Chen Pingping was different. If something big really happened, the first thing those people would do would be to gather all their power and think of all ways to kill him. Kill the old dog the Emperor relied on the most.
This was a truth that had long been proven in the decades of turmoil in the land. If they wanted to kill the Qing Emperor, they had to first kill Chen Pingping.
Although Fan Xian knew what kind of power and shrewdness the old Director had and how terrifying the defenses outside Chen Garden were, without the Shadow by his side, Fan Xian still felt uneasy.
…
…
The group of carriages traveled south and south. They passed through the hills beside the Wei River, traveled through the mountains north of the river, crossed the river, passed through the newly built dikes, and arrived near Yingzhou. A branch of the river transport governor's yamen was located there.
That night, Fan Xian did not summon his student Yang Wanli to see him. For one, he wanted to personally see how Yang Wanli was doing. For another, he was in a hurry to check the Council reports from Jingdou, as well as the news from the Jiangnan water bandits.
Jingdou was calm. The matter Fan Xian planned had not yet begun, and there were no signs of danger coming.
Fan Xian sat by the table and used the faint light to look at the file. He couldn't resist smiling self-mockingly. Perhaps he had been in a dangerous place for too long and appeared overly sensitive. Given the Qing Emperor's supreme prestige among the people and the army, as well as his stable loyalty among the Qing court officials, who in this world would dare to rebel?
In the middle of the night, the sound of the night watch rang out on the street. Fan Xian had already left the inn alone. He wore a black night traveler's robe that covered his face.
Since the situation in the world had not moved, then he had to start on a few small matters.
In a broken down temple outside the city, Fan Xian found the green banner and saw Thirteenth Wang, who was staring at the statue in a daze with his eyes wide open.
"I am very satisfied with the little archer's matter."
Fan Xian sat across from him and smiled slightly. "I just heard you were also heavily injured. I didn't expect you to be recovering so well."
Thirteenth Wang smiled bitterly and said, "My body might be a bit sturdier than others."
"It's good that it's sturdier because I'm about to arrange something for you to do," Fan Xian said with a smile. "I will slowly return to Hangzhou and Suzhou, but you have to go first to meet with someone. Then, you will appear on my behalf and help me collect some debts."
"Debts?"
"Yes," Fan Xian sighed. "What a large amount of debts."
Thirteenth Wang glanced at him and said, "I can't help with the Ming family matter. You know my brother disciple Yun has been keeping an eye on them."
"Nonsense. If it wasn't for Yun Zhilan keeping an eye, why would I have you go?" Fan Xian smiled. "This is a business matter. I don't want to fight and kill with Dongyi, so it's most appropriate for you to appear."
Thirteenth Wang smiled bitterly and said, "I am only expressing my teacher's attitude. It doesn't mean I will represent my teacher to suppress brother disciple Yun."
"I am also not stupid enough to believe that Dongyi will have internal strife." Fan Xian shook his head and looked at the green banner by his side. "However, the owner of this account is me … but it is not convenient for me to appear. Even my students and subordinates cannot appear. I had originally wanted to get a random stranger to do it, but I was afraid the Ming family would be forced into a corner and kill that stranger. Your skill is high, so you don't have to be afraid of these vulgar threats to your life."
Thirteenth Wang said in shock, "Why do you trust me so much? Aren't you afraid I'll swallow these accounts? Aren't you afraid I'll make it clear to the Ming family? "
"You won't be able to swallow it. You're just going to pretend to be a professional manager." Fan Xian didn't care if he understood these new words and straightforwardly said, "As for the Ming family, I have already tied it down. You just need to go out and tighten the knot."
Thirteenth Wang sighed sorrowfully and said, "Sir Fan junior, I am not your killer."
"Attitude," Fan Xian smiled and comforted. Fan Xian smiled and comfortingly said, "Attitude decides everything. Since that teacher of yours wants to stand against the wall, then he has to make his attitude clearer. Otherwise, after the Ming family completely collapses, I cannot guarantee that the Eastern road will be smooth."
"If the Eastern road is not smooth, the Qing Kingdom will also suffer." Thirteenth Wang didn't like being threatened.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
