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…
…
Fan Xian sat on the bed and gently held his grandmother's hand. He found that the wrinkles on her hand had deepened. There was a palpitating feeling of being separated from flesh and blood. After taking her pulse, he found that his grandmother had only occasionally caught a cold. Her body was fine. However, she was getting on in years. Her oil was about to run out, and her lamp was about to run out. He didn't know how many more years she could endure.
Thinking of this, his mood dropped. Adding to the shock brought by the Emperor downstairs, it made him sink into silence.
After the second floor was silent for a long time, the old woman sighed and said, "Just what are you worried about?"
"I don't know how I'm going to walk my path in the future." Fan Xian looked at his grandmother's serious face and smiled slightly. He knew that under his grandmother's serious face hid a gentle heart.
"You've walked well these few years." The old woman's voice was lowered slightly. Although the people downstairs certainly couldn't hear their conversation, she smiled amiably and rubbed Fan Xian's head. She smiled kindly and rubbed Fan Xian's head. Her tone and expression both revealed a sense of pride and relief.
Given the position and reputation Fan Xian had obtained these three years, the old woman, who had single-handedly taught this grandson, had enough reason to be proud.
"Half of a 100 li journey is 90 li." Fan Xian patted his head self-mockingly. "I'm just afraid my head will suddenly fall off halfway."
The old woman looked calmly at her grandson. A moment later, she gently said, "Did the Emperor's arrival in Danzhou make you have some inauspicious thoughts?"
Fan Xian lowered his head and thought for a long time. He confirmed what the emotions that had spontaneously risen in him earlier were. He then nodded his head solemnly.
The old woman looked into his eyes and quietly said, "You've grown up, but there are some things I must remind you of."
"Please speak, grandmother."
"The Fan family has never needed to pick a side … and you, even less need to pick a side because we have always stood in front of the Emperor," the old woman said solemnly and seriously. The old lady said seriously, "As long as you can guarantee this, then you will never make a mistake."
There were countless meanings hidden in these words, but they were all built on the strongest foundation of trust in the Emperor. Fan Xian glanced at his grandmother with some confusion but didn't dare to ask.
"There's no need to doubt what has been proven in the past 30 years."
Fan Xian did not think this way. He believed that what history had proven would often be overturned by the future. He thought for a bit and then said, "But, under these circumstances, it is truly too risky for the Emperor to leave Jingdou."
"Are you going to remonstrate later?" The Old Mistress looked at her grandson with a faint smile.
Fan Xian thought for a moment, then nodded. "We should still be able to make it if we rush back now." In reality, these words were just empty words. He knew that since the Emperor had come to Danzhou at this time, he must have very important thoughts in his heart. It was not something he could chase away with just a few words. However, as an official, particularly one who had to pretend to be a loyal and filial son, there were some things he had to say in person.
The Madame Dowager smiled and said, "Then you should go. Otherwise, His Majesty will be impatient."
Fan Xian also smiled but didn't leave immediately. He carefully used the zhenqi of Tianyi Dao to probe into his grandmother's body to check the condition of her body. He left behind a few prescriptions and chatted with her for a while until she began to feel sleepy. Only then did he help her pull up the thin towel and tiptoed down the stairs.
…
…
Coming down to the first floor, the Minister of the Board of Rites, the Imperial Astronomer, and Eunuch Yao all looked at Fan Xian with strange gazes. These people had not thought that Sir Fan junior would be so daring as to stay on the second floor for so long and leave the Emperor, who had been waiting to speak with him, hanging for half a day.
In this world, Fan Xian was probably the only person who dared to make the Qing Emperor wait for so long. These bigwigs were all thinking that His Majesty's love for this illegitimate child had indeed reached a very exaggerated level.
Fan Xian bowed to these people and asked with a slight smile, "Where is the Emperor?"
The Minister of the Board of Rites forced a smile and glanced outside, pointing the way for him. Eunuch Yao suppressed a smile and led Fan Xian out the door. "Looking at the osmanthus flowers in the garden."
Danzhou was most famous for its scented tea. Minister Fan and Fan Xian both liked it. Every year, the old manor would send it to Jingdou. A portion of it was even offered as a tribute to the Palace. Although the garden in the old manor was not large, Fan Xian had partitioned off a corner and planted some osmanthus flowers to mix with tea.
Walking to the corner of the garden, Eunuch Yao retreated with his body hunched. Fan Xian felt it was strange. The head eunuch of the royal study was not at the Emperor's side to serve. Why had he run off? As he thought this, he had already stepped into the garden and saw the Emperor under the tree.
There was also the old man by the Emperor's side.
Fan Xian secretly sucked in a breath of cold air. No wonder Eunuch Yao didn't have to be by the Emperor's side. There was another eunuch at his side. He walked forward and bowed to the Emperor. At the same time, he turned his body and said to the eunuch as politely and not abruptly as possible, "Greetings, Eunuch Hong."
Expressing goodwill to a eunuch in front of the Emperor was something that should not have happened, but Fan Xian knew that Eunuch Hong was not a normal person. However, Fan Xian knew that Eunuch Hong was no ordinary person. Even the Emperor would give him some respect. Greeting him should not mean much.
Hong Siyang smiled slightly and glanced at Fan Xian. He didn't say anything and retreated behind the Emperor.
The Emperor moved his gaze from the osmanthus tree in the garden and clapped his hands. Turning his head, he said to Fan Xian, "I heard you moved these trees in and planted them?"
Fan Xian replied, "Yes, the old manor's garden is not large. Previously, there weren't many trees planted inside. It looked rather boring, particularly in the spring and summer. There are tall trees and bushes of flowers outside, but it is too quiet inside, so I moved a few."
"Looks like you have some interest, child," the Emperor smiled. The Emperor smiled and said, "Back then, when I lived in this courtyard, there were also trees. However, they were all broken by my people who practiced martial arts."
Fan Xian was speechless. He had lived in this manor for 16 years, but he had never known that the Emperor had once lived here. The old woman's mouth was truly tight shut.
He suddenly thought of the past that his father and King Jing had once mentioned. Back then, the Emperor had once taken Chen Pingping and his father to Danzhou to play. At that time, the Emperor was still an unknown heir. It was in Danzhou that they had met his mother and Uncle Wu Zhu. Looking at it this way, when the Emperor lived in the old manor, it was also the moment the wheel of history began to turn?
As he strolled around the garden and chatted idly with the Emperor, Fan Xian's mood gradually became anxious. He didn't know what opportunity he should find to open his mouth and urge the Emperor to hurry back to the capital. The expression on his face began to appear unnatural.
"I am not in plain clothes." Seeming to guess what Fan Xian was thinking, the Emperor said with slight mockery, "Three days after I left Jingdou, I announced it to the world, so don't worry too much."
Fan Xian opened his eyes wide and asked in shock, "Your Majesty … everyone knows you have come to Danzhou?"
"Wrong, everyone knows I am going to worship heaven." The Emperor glanced at him, put his hands behind his back, and walked first out of the garden.
Fan Xian glanced at Eunuch Hong with some confusion and quickly followed. Following behind the Emperor, he asked, "Your Majesty, why did I not know of this matter?"
The Emperor did not stop walking. Smiling coldly, he said, "Imperial envoy, you were having fun on the sea. How could you have received the edict I sent to Hangzhou?"
Fan Xian was greatly embarrassed and didn't reply.
The Emperor paused and then angrily said, "You are, after all, an imperial envoy. How could you leave your post without permission? I have already given the edict for you to meet up with the group worshipping heaven. When you return to Hangzhou in the future, walk through these procedures. "
After Fan Xian's great embarrassment, he was slightly surprised. The Emperor's edict had long been announced to the world for him, an imperial envoy, to join the group worshipping heaven. No wonder the officials along the coast had guessed the people on the ship. However, the Emperor's words earlier were clearly to protect him. Ah, it looked like after the Jingdou matter had passed a few months ago, the Emperor's mood did not seem so bad.
Seeing the Emperor's footsteps step out of the old manor's wooden door, the guards hidden in the shadows and officials in the courtyard all followed out. For a moment, the scene was incomparably lively. Fan Xian couldn't resist anymore and caught up a few steps. Lowering his voice, he said, "Your Majesty … the situation in Jingdou is not yet settled. Since it is time to worship heaven, I will escort Your Majesty back to the capital."
The Emperor stopped his steps and turned his head to glance at him with amusement. "Since it is to worship heaven, why do we have to return to the capital?"
Fan Xian replied, "Naturally, it is in the Qing Temple."
"There is more than one Qing Temple," the Emperor said lightly. "There is also a temple on Dong Mountain."
Fan Xian's heart jumped. For a moment, he couldn't speak. The Emperor had traveled thousands of li to Dong Mountain to worship heaven. No wonder there were very few scholars and officials among the servants with him. Instead, it was the Minister of the Board of Rites, Taichang Temple, and the Imperial Astronomer who followed. Worshipping heaven and deposing the heir indeed needed these people. Why wasn't this done in Jingdou? Why had it come to the shores of the East Sea? Was the Emperor not worried at all?
"I know what you are worried about." The Emperor's expression was slightly gentle. It was as if he felt that his son was always thinking about his father's safety. His heart was praiseworthy. After thinking for a bit, he smiled slightly and said, "Since you are unable to control your worry, then I will leave my safety in your hands."
Fan Xian was surprised again and repeatedly smiled bitterly. He wondered why he had taken on such a difficult task. At this time, he could not refuse and could only give thanks and agree.
"In a moment, come see me on the dock." The Emperor knew what Fan Xian was going to do next. After saying this, he and Eunuch Hong left the manor and climbed into the carriage. Eunuch Yao, along with a group of servants and officials, also followed out.
Fan Xian stood at the manor door and looked at the slightly changing light around him on the street. He knew that the Tiger Guards and the Overwatch Council swordsmen accompanying the Emperor had already followed. He relaxed slightly. He waved his hand. Wang Qinian ran over from the other side of the street. With a face full of astonishment, he said to Fan Xian, "Sir, the person who went earlier was …"
Fan Xian nodded.
Wang Qinian swallowed his saliva with great difficulty and said in a low voice, "Why is this master here?"
Fan Xian's expression darkened slightly. He muttered, "No one knows why. I only know that if something happens to him, I'm done for."
If something happened to the Emperor during the process of worshipping heaven, Fan Xian, as the Commissioner of the Overwatch Council and now with the heavy responsibility of being a bodyguard, would die a wretched death. At least, the people in Jingdou would certainly put this black pot on Fan Xian's head while they would sit on the chair with a smile.
Fan Xian clenched his fist and smiled bitterly in self-mockery. "I don't want to be Sigu Jian. Send down an order. Have all of the people in the Council stationed in East Shandong Road move out. Be alert. If anyone comes within 50 li of Dong Mountain, send a first-level report."
Wang Qinian acknowledged.
Fan Xian continued, "Send the order to Jiangbei. Have Jing Ge take 500 Black Knights and rush through the night to reinforce Dongshan Road. Set up defenses along the northwest line and coordinate with the local provincial army. Make sure there are no problems. If there is any strange movement, kill without mercy."
Wang Qinian raised his head and glanced at Fan Xian. The northwest direction of Dongshan Road led directly to Yanjing and Cangzhou. It was where Governor Yan Xiaoyi's camp was. However, the two places were very far apart. If Yan Xiaoyi truly had the courage to rebel and kill the Emperor, he would not have been able to move his army so far away without alerting the court.
"Being careful is always the best strategy," Fan Xian said with his head down. He was incomparably angry in his heart. Who knew how many people the Emperor was going to frighten by doing this?
Wang Qinian accepted the order and left. A man in cloth clothing walked to Fan Xian's side and bowed. "By the Emperor's edict, please give your orders."
Fan Xian glanced at this person and warmly said, "Deputy Commander, you are more familiar with the Emperor's personal defense. If there is anything inappropriate, we can discuss it again."
The security of the Qing Royal Palace was handled by the Imperial Army and the palace guards. The two systems were basically the same. A few years ago, the Commander of the palace guards was Yan Xiaoyi. The deputy commander was Gong Dian, who led the Imperial Army and guards.
In the fifth year of the Qing calendar, after Fan Xian's night infiltration of the Royal Palace, the security arrangements of the Royal Palace underwent a major change. Yan Xiaoyi was transferred to the position of Governor of the North. The Imperial Army and guards were split into two. Presently, the Great Prince was in charge of the Imperial Army while the guards within the Palace were under Eunuch Yao's control.
The person speaking to Fan Xian was the Great Prince's deputy, the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Army. Fan Xian had to be more polite when speaking to him, but he didn't waste time on pleasantries. Straightforwardly, he asked, "How many people from the Imperial Army have come?"
"Two thousand," the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Army replied respectfully. "They are all outside Danzhou to receive orders."
Fan Xian nodded. He thought to himself that with two thousand Imperial Soldiers, in addition to the numerous aces at the Emperor's side, the problem of safety should be guaranteed.
He turned his head to glance at the two-story building faintly visible in the corner of the old manor and was slightly lost in thought. He remembered the first time he left Danzhou, his grandmother had once told him to harden his heart. At the same time, she had once said that his mother had died an unnatural death because she was too gentle.
In that instant, Fan Xian thought of the words his grandmother had said to him as she held him and the faint truths. Suddenly, his heart jumped. However, he immediately suppressed it and shook his head with a sigh.
Eunuch Hong was unfathomable by the Emperor's side. Uncle Wu Zhu was not by his side. The Shadow and Haitang were also not here. Even with Thirteenth Wang, their power was not strong enough. Furthermore, he was far away in Danzhou and had no way of controlling the movements in Jingdou. Most importantly, Fan Xian had to admit that up until now, the Emperor had treated him fairly well.
He laughed self-deprecatingly, trying to banish the thought from his mind.
The Deputy Commander of the Imperial Army did not know that he was thinking of treasonous things. He thought that Sir Fan junior was worried about the Emperor's safety, so he had to say a few words of advice and pat his chest to express his confidence.
…
…
On the Danzhou dock, the common people watching had long been chased out of sight. The fishing boats coming and going had long returned to their respective ports. The entire city seemed to have become incomparably oppressive and respectful because of the arrival of the middle-aged man in a light yellow robe on the dock.
Only the floating clouds in the sky, the foam in the sea, and the seagulls flying between the sky and water did not seem to feel this kind of pressure. They continued to float and fly freely.
The birds searched for food on the sea and gave out sharp cries, startling the Emperor who was deep in thought on the dock.
He beckoned his hand behind him and said, "Come to my side."
Fan Xian, who had been watching the Emperor's figure from below the wooden dock, heard these words and jumped onto the wooden plank. He walked to the Emperor's side and slightly behind him. Facing forward, he looked at the boundless ocean.
"Take another step forward." The Emperor held his hands behind his back and did not turn his head.
Fan Xian followed the order and took another step forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with the Emperor.
The sea breeze blew and blew the hair by the side of the Emperor's face back. There was no sense of gentleness. On the contrary, it gave off a sense of determination that made one's heart tremble. Below his feet, the waves were beating against the rocks under the wooden plank, turning into one snowflake, two snowflakes, and countless snowflakes.
"Stick out your chest." The Emperor's eyes looked at the end of the ocean and said to Fan Xian beside him. "I don't like you pretending to be a coward."
Fan Xian smiled slightly. He understood the Emperor's current state of mind. He followed the words and relaxed. Standing shoulder to shoulder with him, he did not open his mouth to speak.
"The last time I came to Danzhou, I wasn't even the Crown Prince," the Emperor slowly said. The Emperor slowly said, "That day, Chen Pingping was like Hong Siyang standing behind me. Your father … Fan Jian was like you now, standing side by side with me, bathing in the exceptionally clear sea breeze of Danzhou."
"Ever since I became the Crown Prince, Fan Jian never dared to stand shoulder to shoulder with me again."
Fan Xian tilted his head slightly and saw a glimmer of self-mockery flash across the corner of the Emperor's lips.
The Emperor said with slight mockery, "After I sit on that chair and fight in the North and South, there won't be anyone who dares to stand up straight and talk to me, much less stand up."
Fan Xian sighed at just the right time.
"That day, the three of us came to Danzhou to relax. At that time, Jingdou was in chaos. The two Princes were secretly fighting for the throne. The previous Emperor was only the unremarkable King Cheng," the Emperor said indifferently. "As juniors, we had no way of interfering. We could only hide as far away as possible from the place of trouble."
He tilted his head and glanced at Fan Xian. "In reality, my thoughts are similar to yours. However, you are much more powerful than I was in the past."
Fan Xian smiled slightly and said, "Most importantly, the heart is not strong enough. There are some things that one does not know how to face."
"Who would have thought that you would have some pity for Chengqian." The Emperor turned his head and coldly said, "However, this is good. Back then, the three of us stood on this dock and looked at the ocean. There was no pity in our hearts for anyone. We only thought about how to protect ourselves and how to survive. I often think that when I looked at the ocean that day, perhaps I was hoping that an immortal would suddenly appear on the ocean."
Fan Xian was silent. He knew what the Emperor would say next.
"There was nothing on the ocean, just like today," the Emperor said slowly. A glimmer of a smile once again rose to the corners of his lips. "However, when we turned our heads, we found that there was another woman on the dock, as well as her strange servant."
Fan Xian slowly said with yearning, "Actually, I have always wondered how you met my mother back then."
The Emperor's body shook slightly. He was slightly shaken by Fan Xian's sudden "I". Only then did he realize that this kid had unconsciously said it. Involuntarily, the glimmer of a gratified smile appeared at the corners of his lips.
However, he did not continue this topic. He only said, "I told you earlier, no one has ever dared to stand shoulder to shoulder with me. Only your mother dared. Regardless of whether she was the Crown Prince or the Emperor, your mother dared to stand shoulder to shoulder with me. She looked at the ocean and felt the sea breeze. She did not treat me as someone special at all. Sometimes, she would even look down on me without holding back."
The Emperor smiled self-mockingly and said, "After she died, there was no longer such a person in this world. I don't expect you to inherit much of what she did. I just feel that you shouldn't be too cowardly and damage my and your mother's prestige for no reason."
Fan Xian smiled bitterly and thought, This is because you are looking after the past and the present, which is why you allowed me to stand for a while. As for prestige … forget it. My life is more important.
"Your Majesty, let's return to the capital." Fan Xian finally said what he wanted to say. With a slightly worried expression, he said, "Leaving the capital for too long is always …"
Seeing that he wanted to say something but then stopped, the Emperor coldly said, "Say everything you want to say. You just want to say that you're afraid that someone will take advantage of my absence to have ill intentions. "
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