(I've been having heart palpitations lately, and it's hard for me to concentrate on writing. Please forgive me. I'll take a day off next week to comfort myself. Thank you. As for the book review section, I don't mind criticism, really. Of course, it's up to you whether you agree or not. Regardless of whether you are a debater or a debater, you can say whatever you want, but can't you be a little more gentle? Please try your best to maintain the peace in the book review section. Sorry to trouble everyone, please.)
…
…
It was right next to the West Lake in Hangzhou. It was almost dusk. The scenery of the lake and the mountains blended into the golden light. It was indescribably beautiful. In this patch of dusk, Fan Xian, alone, came to the top of a hill by the lake. Looking at the young man holding the green banner, he tilted his head and said, "I heard you've been telling fortunes in Hangzhou recently and have received the favor of a few young ladies of large families?"
The young man holding the green banner was the last disciple of Sigu Jian in Dongyi, the ninth-level ace who had helped Fan Xian kill Yan Shendu. Fan Xian had always felt that the existence of this person, as well as his subsequent assistance to him, was somewhat absurd. It was like one of those avant-garde dramas he had heard of in his previous life. No matter how he savored it, it left a strange taste in his mouth.
Although Sigu Jian, that idiot, seemed to have thought things through clearly, Fan Xian still felt that this matter was too ridiculous. Although not many people in the world knew of the relationship between Thirteenth Wang and Sigu Jian, if Fan Xian turned hostile and denied it, how would Sigu Jian explain it to the Eldest Princess or Yan Xiaoyi?
Thirteenth Wang's face was facing the direction of West Lake. The faint golden light reflected off his handsome face, plating it with a comforting glow. It was very warm.
"Now, the entire Jiangnan knows that I'm an expert under your command." The young man smiled amiably and said, "Naturally, the officials will also give me some face. This fortune-telling business is definitely not bad."
A light breeze blew across the surface of the lake and moved up the trees at the foot of the hill. It only slightly moved a corner of the green banner in Thirteenth Wang's hand. It just happened to reveal the words "Iron Minister."
After experiencing the storm of Zhaoshang money house taking over the Ming family's shares, the people who had been in Ming Garden at the time had already guessed that the young man standing behind the shopkeeper of Zhaoshang money house was an ace Sir Fan junior had used to monitor the money house.
The trusted aide of the imperial envoy was naturally doing very well in the Jiangnan area.
"Fortunately, you don't have the habit of harming innocent girls." Fan Xian smiled and stood beside him. Tilting his head to glance at him, a complicated emotion rose in his heart.
On the green hill by the lake, the surface of the lake reflected golden light, and the smooth face. This scene made Fan Xian involuntarily think of many years ago on the cliff in Danzhou. The man closest to him in the world seemed to also be surrounded by a ball of light.
The man with the black cloth seemed to be saying goodbye to a certain place. What about Thirteenth Wang? Fan Xian unconsciously shook his head. He didn't understand why he was used to associating this friend with the blind uncle.
He missed Wu Zhu very much, particularly in such a peaceful situation in Jiangnan. He didn't know if Uncle Wu Zhu's injury had recovered or not. Even Chen Pingping didn't know where Wu Zhu was hiding to recover.
What kind of injury would take more than a year to recover from?
Fan Xian furrowed his brows.
Thirteenth Wang glanced at him curiously and asked, "Sir Fan, is there something on your mind?"
"Yes." Fan Xian did not hesitate and said straightforwardly, "I have something I need your help with."
"What is it?"
"The Crown Prince is heading in the direction of Nanzhao. The road is shrouded in poisonous fog, and the path is dangerous. I am worried about his body," Fan Xian said with a calm expression.
Thirteenth Wang furrowed his brows slightly. His breathing became slightly heavier. After thinking for a long time, he slowly said, "The Imperial Army, the Overwatch Council, and the Qing Kingdom's Tiger Guards. This kind of defense is very tight. Even if I die, I might not be able to get close to his body."
Fan Xian smiled. "You misunderstand what I mean."
Thirteenth Wang looked at him and didn't say anything.
"Help me bring an antidote pill to him." Fan Xian lowered his head slightly as if he was avoiding the thickening golden light on the surface of the lake. "Help me protect him in secret and ensure his safety along the way."
Thirteenth Wang's brows furrowed even tighter. He had no idea why Fan Xian would suddenly give him this mission. After hesitating for a moment, he quietly said, "Why? Given my understanding of the situation in Jingdou, the Eldest Princess is under house arrest, and it is clear that the Crown Prince is about to lose power. Under the Qing Emperor, there is no one who can stand against you. "
Fan Xian smiled. He didn't know how to explain, so he decided not to explain.
"What exactly happened in Jingdou?" Thirteenth Wang asked curiously like a child. "This matter wouldn't have anything to do with you, would it?"
He unconsciously used the honorific "you." Fan Xian spat and said without good humor, "I'm in Jiangnan. No matter how long my hands are, they can't reach Jingdou."
Thirteenth Wang thought for a bit and agreed with this explanation. He scratched his head and said, "But … the Crown Prince is heading all the way south. It looks like your Emperor has some thoughts. Sir Fan, you want me to protect him. Have you guessed something? But, if I guessed correctly … by doing this, aren't you opposing the Emperor of your country? Presently, I have long become a secret that everyone knows. To openly oppose your Emperor like this, are you not worried? "
"Forget it, don't guess blindly." Fan Xian sighed. "This matter has nothing to do with the Emperor. It is purely a request from Wan'er's letter. After all, I am half a member of the royal family, so I have to pay a price."
Thirteenth Wang smiled. He knew that what he said was a lie, but he didn't expose it.
Fan Xian furrowed his brows and glanced at him. "Don't laugh like a rabbit. Looking at it now, you're not an idiot either …"
Thirteenth Wang spread out his hands and said, "When have I ever been an idiot?"
"When you killed the little archer." Fan Xian had long learned from Thirteenth Wang about the specifics of the night attack on Yuantai Camp. He knew of Thirteenth Wang's bravery that day and had let out countless sighs of admiration. Now, he repeated it again. "Brave warriors … die very easily."
Thirteenth Wang smiled self-mockingly. "I'm probably only used to this kind of battle style."
For some reason, Fan Xian suddenly thought of Lin Qingxia's role as the valiant general. Absurdly, he laughed to himself. Then, under Thirteenth Wang's confused gaze, he gently patted his shoulder. "Your teacher wants you to follow me, presumably for something many years in the future. Since it is so, it is best if you value your life more. On the Nanzhao line, just follow in secret. It would be best if you don't have to fight."
He was silent for a moment and then said, "I'm not threatening you. However, the Ming family is now in my hands. The power to the East Road of the palace treasury is also in my hands. You should know that during these two months, my cooperation with your teacher has been good, so please help me with this small favor."
…
…
Watching the green banner disappear into the golden willows by the lakeside, Fan Xian fell silent. He crouched down and sat down on the green hill. He looked at the beautiful West Lake and the broken bridge that did not exist and had never existed in a daze.
If Wang Qinian, who knew the inside story, knew of his plans, he would certainly be scared half to death and think he had lost his mind. However, Fan Xian knew he was not crazy. In the past, he wanted to bring down the Crown Prince because if the Crown Prince succeeded, he would not have good days.
To protect the Crown Prince's life now, he had to create trouble for the Qing Emperor. Once the Eldest Princess and the Crown Prince completely died, there would be no buffer between him and the Emperor. A reduction in power would immediately come. Fan Xian was more worried about the safety of Chen Pingping and Fan Jian.
Fan Xian knew that the Qing Emperor was a person who cared a lot about his reputation. From the incident in the Royal Palace, it was evident that the Emperor had killed hundreds of people in the Palace in order to cover up a scandal of the royal family. He had also tossed out the long-suppressed island massacre in the East Sea and the details of betraying Yan Bingyun.
Thus, the Eldest Princess' downfall had a solid reason. However, the Emperor had gone around in circles. It meant that he did not want his reputation to suffer any damage. This was not a scandal of the royal family. It was a scandal of the Eldest Princess. That was all.
The arrangements regarding the Crown Prince also made this clear. Presumably, the Emperor was having a headache over how to depose the heir. He did not want to slap himself in the face. The Crown Prince had behaved innocently and peacefully these two years. What excuse could the Emperor find?
Many things would certainly happen on the trip to Nanzhao. Fan Xian had sent Thirteenth Wang, a variable, to digest a portion of those things.
Fan Xian was not stupid enough to protect the Crown Prince again. He just wanted to create some trouble for the Emperor so that he would not notice him, Zhaoshang money house, or the two elders behind him so early.
He missed Uncle Wu Zhu. He knew that there were many people he cared about in the Qing Kingdom. For these people, he had to stay here. If it was just Fan Xian alone, he would not be afraid or worried about anything. Even if he broke off relations with the Emperor, he could still be arrogant and pretentiously raise his middle finger at the Royal Palace.
In the eyes of the Second Prince and many clever people, everything around Fan Xian was actually power on paper and would not be able to withstand a single blow. He knew that the people of this world all had a natural worship toward imperial power. Putting aside the Overwatch Council, even his Qinian Unit and Sir Yan junior, who was far away in Jingdou, might stand against him because of an edict.
However, even if everything around him was taken away by the Emperor's edict, he would not be afraid. He would not be correct.
He had the heart of a modern person that had stopped for a long time. He never had a sliver of fear toward things like imperial power. He had the ability to consult with Seventh Ye and organize a set of palace treasury processes. He was himself a ninth-level ace skilled in killing people.
He still had the chest, the 419 Emperor's lover, and Uncle Wu Zhu.
Fan Xian sat silently on the green hill beside West Lake and narrowed his eyes at the red sunset clouds in the distance. He thought to himself, If one day he was forced to raise his middle finger at the Royal Palace, what a spectacular scene it would be.
— —
The Kingdom of Qing was the most powerful nation in the world. The Eldest Princess, Li Yunrui, had hidden behind the Qing Emperor and done many things in the past decade. She had secretly obtained countless benefits from the other two great powers. For example, she had used the murder of Assistant Minister Fan's illegitimate son by assassins from Northern Qi and Dongyi to start a war again, seizing a large portion of Northern Qi's territory. She had also backhandedly sold Yan Bingyun to Northern Qi in exchange for Xiao En's return to the North. This had thrown the Northern Qi court into chaos, and the factions of the Emperor and Empress had once again clashed.
Miraculously, the Eldest Princess, the empress dowager of Northern Qi, and Sigu Jian of Dongyi had always maintained a good relationship. There was even a lot of cooperation regarding the palace treasury.
He didn't know what those foreigners were thinking.
No matter how they thought about it, the Eldest Princess's sudden imprisonment brought a violent shock to many places in the world. It made many people begin to think of useless things, such as Fan Xian beginning to shift his strategic focus to the Son of Heaven.
In Northern Qi and Dongyi, the lofty people would also give their own judgments.
The Great Grandmaster in Dongyi had sent the last disciple he was most proud of to Fan Xian's side. He didn't know that this last disciple had been sent by Fan Xian to be a bodyguard. Of course, he didn't care about this right now. He was only concerned about the Eldest Princess' imprisonment.
The air of spring was thick. The air of spring was thick, but Dongyi, located by the sea, was filled with a salty and wet smell. The warm currents and wind on the sea blew gently all year round, so the people in the city did not feel much gratitude toward this air of spring.
In the center of Dongyi was the manor of the Master of the City. It took up a large amount of land. The Master of the City was responsible for all the specific business in the city. In this large and prosperous city, the so-called government affairs were actually business affairs. Problems with public security rarely appeared because there were no great bandits who dared to make a move in a place with the most ninth-level aces in the world.
Other than the young Wang Qinian.
Everyone knew that the place that truly guided Dongyi forward and decided its survival was not in the manor of the Master of the City. Instead, it was in the stretch of grass huts outside the city.
The grass huts formed a concave shape. Strangely, the opening did not face the main road. On the contrary, it was against the large mountain in the back. If someone wanted to enter the grass huts, they would need to go around to the back of the mountain and follow the mountain path down.
According to legend, this was the easiest way for Sigu Jian to test visitors.
In the center of the concave grass huts was a large pit. The pit was filled with the swords left behind by the aces who had come to challenge Sigu Jian and ask for his guidance. Like a chaotic forest, they pierced toward the sky.
It was not easy to become a Great Grandmaster who had just emerged.
Fortunately, the trend of this challenge finally ended after the large pit gradually filled up. No one would be stupid enough to challenge Sigu Jian again. As for those who were that stupid, they had already died in the grass huts.
This was the holy land that all martial artists worshiped, revered, and yearned for in their hearts … the Sword Hut.
Some people also called it the Sword Grave.
It was a beautiful name with a high realm.
However, Sigu Jian would only use one name to describe the holy land beside his residence: the sword pit.
"This is a pit," a mocking voice rang out from the grass hut. The owner of the voice seemed to be very young. "The Qing Emperor, that bastard, and Li Yunrui, that crazy woman, do they really think I am an idiot?"
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