"Why?"
Faced with his son's shocked questioning, Minister Fan did not continue this topic. He smiled and changed the topic. "Is the situation in the Palace still well?"
Fan Xian replied after a pause, "The Great Prince is on duty with an injury, the empress dowager is seriously ill, and the Crown Prince has already been locked up in the Eastern Palace. There shouldn't be any problems."
"Hmm." Fan Jian nodded. A glimmer of softness gradually appeared in his eyes as he looked at him. He sighed with admiration and said, "You've only been back in the capital for seven or eight days. To be able to protect Jingdou for the Emperor under such difficult and dangerous circumstances, it has to be said that your improvement has already surpassed my expectations. You have performed very well."
Receiving his father's praise, Fan Xian did not feel any joy in his heart. He smiled bitterly and said, "The Great Prince and I fought to the death in Jingdou. Who would have thought that the Emperor had calculated everything? If it wasn't for the Dingzhou army's final betrayal, we would not have been able to hold the Royal Palace today no matter what …"
Without waiting for him to finish, Fan Jian waved his hand and stopped him. "The Emperor plans deeply and thinks far ahead. His sacred heart is vast. He is not someone that we, as officials, can vainly speculate about …" His tone revealed a glimmer of unnaturalness. He continued to speak and sighed. "The problem with the Ye family has truly exceeded everyone's expectations. A few years of coercion was actually the Emperor's hidden pawn."
He looked at Fan Xian and revealed a slightly scholarly smile. "From this, it looks like after the attack in the valley in Jingdou a year and a half ago, your judgment was correct. I was wrong."
Fan Xian was silent. After the attack in the valley last year, he and his father had once studied the problem of the city guarding crossbows. Later, although they knew it was the old Qin family's doing, they had wondered if the Emperor would take his anger out on Ye Zhong. From this, they talked about the Qing Kingdom's various military divisions. Surprisingly, during these 20 years, other than Ye Zhong, who had always been the Commander of the Jingdou Garrison, the Commander of the Royal Palace's Imperial Army and the Head of the Internal Guards were both under one person.
At the time, Fan Xian had suspected this. Since the Emperor had once trusted the Ye family so much, why did he force the Ye family to ally with the Second Prince and lean toward the Eldest Princess's side? However, Fan Jian had given what he thought was the reason. Fan Xian thought it was reasonable, so he let go of this question.
Unexpectedly, in the Jingdou chaos, this question finally revealed the truth, the truth of the Emperor's hidden and suspicious weakness.
The Emperor had constructed a huge mystery. Not only had he fooled the Eldest Princess and everyone else in the world, he had even fooled Fan Jian, a trusted aide who had grown up with him since childhood.
Speaking of the attack in the valley, the white snow, red blood, and heads in front of the Bureau of Military Affairs involuntarily rose in front of Fan Xian's eyes, as well as his own arrogance. He couldn't help but laugh bitterly. In front of the Emperor and Eldest Princess, his arrogance back then seemed childish and laughable.
His heart, he asked, "Father, why Qin, Qin Qin, Qin, Qin, Qin, Emperor Qin.
This was not only his question, it was also the question of many people. However, in the struggle for imperial power and the struggle for the power of the world, everyone naturally thought that the Qin family's betrayal was like every other internal strife in the history books. It was a matter of course.
However, Fan Xian heard the Eldest Princess's words before she died. A poisonous flower bloomed in his heart. He began to pay particular attention to this question. Although the Qin family had a 10 percent share in the Ming family and the Qin family had secretly ordered the Jiaozhou Navy to massacre the island, for an elder of the military, just his face was enough for the Emperor to easily let this matter go, as long as he remained loyal to the Emperor.
What kind of person was the Emperor? If he had not never doubted Qin Ye's loyalty, how could he have allowed him to stay in the position of the Bureau of Military Affairs for so many years? These years, the old Qin Master had always said he was ill and did not go to court. The position of the Head of the Bureau of Military Affairs had never been empty.
After he spoke of this question, Fan Jian did not think deeply about it. He directly and coldly said, "It was also on the day of the attack in the valley that I once said … the empress's father's head was cut off by me. Who knows if the heads that should have been cut off were actually all cut off."
Fan Xian's heart trembled. He understood his father's meaning. The old Qin family standing on the Eldest Princess's side in rebellion perhaps had something to do with his mother's strange death 20 years ago.
"Back then, when I followed the Emperor to Xi Hu to fight, Chen Pingping was moved to the Yanjing area to deal with the emergency situation in the North, and Ye Zhong was stationed in Dingzhou to hold the line for the Emperor," Fan Jian lowered his eyes and slowly said. "At that time, Qin Ye was following the court's old practice. As the Head of the Bureau of Military Affairs, he controlled the center of Jingdou's military power. If he was also involved in the Jingdou rebellion, no one would find it strange."
It was very strange. If the old Qin Master was also one of the main culprits behind Ye Qingmei's murder, then why was the Qin family not implicated in the night of Jingdou's bloodshed four years later, when the empress's clan was completely slaughtered and Jingdou's nobility was massacred? If the Emperor, Chen Pingping, and his father had joined hands to avenge his mother, how could they have let the old Qin Master go?
Meeting Fan Xian's questioning gaze, Fan Jian slowly said, "The problem is, there has never been proof that the Qin family was involved in this matter. Just like the empress dowager, at most, they are guilty of conniving …"
Fan Xian furrowed his brows slightly. Chen Pingping had once said this to him. Concerning his mother's death, the empress dowager should not be the main culprit. She could only be guilty of conniving. After discussing it with his father, Fan Xian suddenly thought that Director Chen probably had other thoughts in his heart. He had boundless suspicions about the role the Qin family had once played.
The person who could best prove Chen Pingping's intentions toward the Qin family was the Deputy Commander of the Black Knights, Jing Ge. Why did Chen Pingping still secretly take such a dangerous figure who wanted to destroy the entire Qin family? Was it to make a move against the Qin family in the future?
A chill rose in Fan Xian's heart. If the Qin family was truly, as Chen Pingping suspected, involved in Ye Qingmei's murder, why was he still alive? Thinking of this, a cold current began to surge out from within his body. Countless coldness seeped out from his pores, making the study become as cold as winter.
He had guessed countless times and was infinitely close to the truth. However, he didn't dare ask. Even Chen Pingping didn't dare ask. Furthermore, Chen Pingping had heartlessly separated himself from him and didn't give him any chance to open his mouth.
There had always been a knot in Fan Xian's heart. Thus, he had always quietly shifted his focus toward Northern Qi. He had a natural fear toward the Qing Kingdom. Now, this knot seemed to be unraveling and revealing the dark truth within. Thus, he was silent. He smiled slightly at his father and said, "If the Qin family was truly involved in this matter, it could be considered retribution."
He was worried that his father would follow this train of thought and think of the things he feared earlier, so he rushed to say, "The Emperor will return to the capital in a few days. Earlier, the court was still preparing for the Emperor's funeral. I don't know how it will turn around."
Fan Jian smiled and said, "Naturally, the Ministry of Rites will worry about these things. Why do you need to care so much?"
Fan Xian shrugged and didn't say anything more. Minister Fan also fell silent. A glimmer of confusion appeared on his face. The atmosphere in the study was somewhat strange.
Presumably, the surviving nobles and officials in Jingdou were all silent in their own residences. No one had thought that the Emperor would be able to come down from Dong Mountain alive. Amidst their shock, they thought of the Ye family's ambush in the rebellion and the many watertight calculations. All of the officials' respect and fear of the Emperor had been raised to an unprecedented level.
Fan Xian looked at his silent father and rose to say a few more words. He then turned and left.
Walking out of the study, he headed toward the back garden behind the street to see Wan 'er. Along the way, the night wind was as cool as water and blew against his face. He couldn't help but feel a wave of pleasure. He took a deep breath and maintained the injuries in his body. He thought blankly that Chen Pingping's letting go during the attack in the valley was a kind of separation. The old cripple lived up to his reputation as the most powerful person in the world. He had long seen through everything, yet he carefully hid the truth from Fan Xian and did those things alone. He also used these separations to maintain his safety afterward.
Fan Xian had been learning from Chen Pingping, so he could only be silent tonight. His father was about to resign and return home. Why should he let his own guesses sink him into Jingdou's dangerous situation and be unable to free himself? For the sake of each other's safety, they had to separate each other. This was true love.
Just like how Chen Pingping loved him.
At this time, Fan Xian very much wanted to see Chen Pingping.
… …
Chen Pingping was leisurely traveling around Jingdou. Occasionally, he would give orders for the Overwatch Council to cooperate with the Emperor's actions under heaven. Even if he wanted to return to Jingdou before the Emperor arrived in the capital, it could not be tonight.
However, someone had come to the Fan manor to find Fan Xian. It was already late at night. Before Fan Xian could see his wife, he was helplessly asked to leave the manor. He looked at Gong Dian at the door and took a deep breath. Pushing down the threads of irritation in his heart, he bowed and said, "Sir Gong."
Earlier, he and his father had been discussing this person in the study. He knew that he was one of the Emperor's most trusted people, so he spoke with propriety. In Gong Dian's view, Sir Fan junior was the Emperor's closest nephew. He did not dare to be arrogant. Bowing as a subordinate, he said in a low voice, "There is something I must trouble the Duke of Danbo with."
Fan Xian was now a Duke, so he was worthy of this bow. Furthermore, in the few days before the Emperor returned to the capital, he was still a regent. Hearing the word "trouble," Fan Xian knew it was going to be big trouble. He couldn't help but feel a real headache coming on.
Too many people had died in Jingdou, so Fan Xian's mood was not very good. Battles were still raging around Jingdou, but the inside of the city had gradually calmed down. He desperately needed to rest and think. Being disturbed by someone, he did not have a good expression.
However, was it so easy to be regent? Fan Xian forcefully pushed down the irritation in his heart and looked at him. Doing his best to calm down, he said, "What is it?"
Gong Dian looked at him with some hesitation and difficulty. Even during the day, when he had attacked the military elder, the old Qin Master, amidst tens of thousands of rebel soldiers, it had not been this difficult.
Fan Xian didn't speak. He only looked at him calmly. Perhaps the pressure was too great. Gong Dian swallowed and said, "Please go to the manor. I can't persuade the young mistress …"
Fan Xian immediately understood what had happened. During the day, he had been busy killing people and saving people. He had not thought of this at all. Now, in the dead of night, the smoke of battle had dissipated slightly. He immediately thought of the big trouble the Ye family was about to encounter after they had followed the Emperor and made great contributions.
"The Commander left the capital in pursuit and ordered me to bring the young mistress back to the manor. Unexpectedly, the young mistress refused to obey …" Gong Dian had stood guard at Zhengyang Gate for a long time at night. He knew that in Jingdou, probably only Fan Xian could handle this matter and had the right to handle royal matters. Thus, he no longer cared about Dingzhou's face and spoke of the problem straightforwardly.
Fan Xian continued to look at Gong Dian calmly and allowed him to speak. There was no disdain or mockery in his eyes. However, it made Gong Dian feel an inexplicable sense of unease and shame.
Fan Xian took a deep breath and didn't say anything. In this entire matter, of the people still alive, the ones who suffered the most were probably Wan 'er and her close friend, Ye Ling' er. His wife was heartbroken over the death of her mother. Ye Ling 'er's grievance and anger would probably not be any less.
When Ye Ling 'er married the Second Prince, it could be said that they were congenial. However, no one would have guessed that this marriage was only a part of the plan between the Emperor and Ye Zhong. In other words, Ye Ling 'er couldn't even be considered a pawn. She had only given up her feelings and marriage to become a bargaining chip for the Ye family to win the Eldest Princess' trust. Only when things came to a head did she suddenly realize that her father had wholeheartedly wanted to defeat her husband.
Of course, her husband had wholeheartedly wanted to use her to control the Dingzhou army.
Thinking of this, Fan Xian couldn't help but think of the words the Eldest Princess had said before she died. The men of the world were all controlled by fame, power, and the so-called ideal of uniting the world. They truly were not good people. Perhaps that included himself, but he asked himself if he could do such a thing. He felt endless loathing for Ye Zhong, who had sold his daughter.
Gong Dian seemed to guess what he was thinking. His expression was very unnatural.
Fan Xian shook his head and said, "Is the Second Prince also locked up in the manor?"
Gong Dian made a noise of acknowledgment.
Fan Xian lowered his head and said, "It's fine. On Dong Mountain, the Emperor once said not to kill if possible, particularly Chengze."
Gong Dian raised his head in shock. He knew of the news of the Emperor's survival, but this was the first time he had heard that the Emperor had personally given such an order to Fan Xian. If the Emperor was truly willing to leave the Second Prince with his life, it would be a great blessing.
Everyone in Dingzhou actually liked Ye Ling 'er. Now that the truth had been revealed and Ye Ling' er was mourning in the manor, all of the Dingzhou soldiers felt incomparable shame and unease. Hearing that the Second Prince did not need to die, Ye Ling 'er did not need to be a widow, which made it easier to explain.
Fan Xian sighed in his heart. Thinking of the Emperor's orders on Dong Mountain, only now did he understand that the Emperor had already confidently calculated that he would return to the capital safely and that the Eldest Princess would lead the Crown Prince and Second Prince in defeat. Thus, he had purposely reminded him to leave the Second Prince with his life.
Leaving the Second Prince with his life was actually leaving Ye Ling 'er, a man, and a sliver of face for the Ye family, who had performed meritorious service. Otherwise, if the Second Prince suddenly died, what would Ye Ling' er do? With the endless discussion under heaven, how would the Ye family live?
…
…
Although the Emperor had long calculated, Fan Xian still went to the manor. Even if he did not have any good feelings toward the Second Prince, Ye Ling 'er had, after all, called him teacher countless times. Furthermore, as the regent, he had to handle the captured prince carefully. If something truly happened in the manor, it would be difficult for him to explain.
He didn't raise his head to look at the signboard on the manor. Accompanied by Gong Dian, he walked straight in. There were soldiers watching all around. Even if the Second Prince still had strength in his hands, it would be difficult for him to transform into a mosquito and fly out of this cage.
This was the first time Fan Xian had stepped into the Second Prince's manor. He couldn't help but feel strange. He didn't know what this brother, whose temperament, appearance, and temperament were similar to his, was thinking.
Gong Dian stayed outside the rear courtyard while Fan Xian went in alone. The garden was quiet and secluded, completely unlike the grand scene a manor should have. There were still lights in the room. It looked like although it was late at night, the young Prince and wangfei still could not sleep.
Entering the door, he saw Ye Ling 'er alone. Her face was full of sorrow as she sat silently by the table. She didn't say a word. There were still traces of tears at the corners of her eyes. Her usually bright jade-like eyes now had an indescribable tiredness and grievance, as well as a hidden anger.
Wangfei was like a tiger that could pounce at any moment and bite someone to death. Putting aside the fact that she had been used by her husband, she had been deceived by her father, and she had been thrown out by her family. How could she bear it?
A faint sense of pity rose in Fan Xian's heart. He walked to her side and said in an even voice, "Gong Dian had good intentions in having you return to the manor. After the matter fades in a few days, won't you and Chengze still be together?"
Ye Ling 'er was startled. Only now did she realize that it was him who had entered the room. The mockery in her eyes grew. She wanted to mock him, but her heart ached. She lowered her head and began to cry silently.
Fan Xian had never seen Ye Ling 'er so graceful and sorrowful. For a moment, he didn't know how to comfort her.
A moment later, Ye Ling 'er raised her head and looked at him with lifeless eyes. "You're not in the Palace doing your job as regent. What are you doing in the manor?"
"I'm trying to persuade you," Fan Xian replied straightforwardly.
Ye Ling 'er slowly shook her head.
"Don't be stubborn. Your father can't do anything about this matter. After all is said and done, if the Second Prince had listened to your advice and not participated in this matter, there would not be today's situation."
Looking at Ye Ling 'er's sorrowful appearance, Fan Xian became angry for no reason. These years, he had used all his strength to attack the Second Prince. Hidden in his subconscious was an idea to use the Overwatch Council and the Emperor's trusted aides to cripple the Second Prince's power and cut off his thoughts of fighting for the throne. Unexpectedly, the Second Prince's desire for power was so strong. Additionally, with the Eldest Princess's clever teasing, this plan did not have the slightest effect.
Ye Ling 'er smiled sorrowfully and quietly said, "Teacher, I don't blame you for this matter. How he ends up is his own business. These years, even you can't beat back his burning desire. How can I, a woman, persuade him? "
"You don't need to persuade me to leave the manor. He is involved in rebellion. Who would give him a way out?" Ye Ling 'er's expression gradually calmed. "No matter what kind of person Chengze is, he and I are, in the end, husband and wife. Since father and the people of the clan have never seen me as a person, it is good that I go with him. We can be husband and wife in the underworld. I think that in that lonely place, he won't still have his beautiful dreams of being an Emperor."
Fan Xian's heart froze. He could clearly see a glimmer of a will to die in Ye Ling 'er's calm expression. In a trembling voice, he said, "I'll tell you frankly, the Emperor personally gave me an edict on Dong Mountain. Chengze … will not die."
Hearing these words, Ye Ling 'er abruptly raised her head. A glimmer of hope and unexpected joy flashed through her eyes. Immediately after, it dimmed, making Fan Xian a bit confused.
Ye Ling 'er shook her head and sighed quietly. "Everyone says that he appears gentle on the outside but is cold and heartless on the inside. Actually, these words are not wrong. Even his mother in the Palace is polite to him. In his life, when has he ever felt any true warmth? Not only is he heartless to others, he is also very cold to himself. "
"I am his wife. I understand him better than you outsiders. You don't know what kind of proud and conceited person he is in his heart. The complete failure this time was a great blow to him. Even if father left him a way out, how could he have the face to continue living? "
She raised her head and looked at Fan Xian with a helpless and hurt gaze. "After returning to the manor, he still refused to say a word. I know that he already has thoughts of dying. If even I leave at this time and everyone in the world abandons him, his departure will certainly be very straightforward. "
Fan Xian took a deep breath and straightforwardly said, "Where is he?"
…
…
The Second Prince, Li Chengze, was squatting on a chair with a bunch of purple grapes in his hand. He was bringing them to his lips. Fan Xian had seen this scene countless times. Tonight, the Second Prince's hair was disheveled. There was an unreadable expression on his handsome face. The corners of his lips were slightly tilted as if he was laughing at something. His entire person appeared unusually dispirited.
"If you die, who will take care of Lady Shu? What about wangfei? " Fan Xian sat across from him and spoke as calmly as he could. His eyes were level with the other person. It was as if he was looking at another version of himself.
Fan Xian's temperament was very similar to the Second Prince's. This was news that had long spread through Jingdou. The two of them clearly did not look alike, but sitting across from each other, it was as if they were looking at themselves through a layer of mirrors.
Fan Xian looked at the other person and thought to himself that if his mother was not Ye Qingmei and his identity was switched with the Second Prince, he would probably only be able to sit on a chair and eat grapes without spitting out the skin.
The Second Prince seemed to have only just noticed Fan Xian's arrival. He smiled slightly and said, "Can I still survive?"
Fan Xian had no choice but to repeat the Emperor's edict.
The Second Prince smiled self-mockingly and said, "To live like a yellow dog and be imprisoned in the manor for the rest of my life. When father's 100 years are almost up and before the new Emperor ascends the throne, the Ye family will be slaughtered like a dog and then I will be ordered to die. Tell me, if I survive, will my future life be like this?"
Fan Xian was silent.
"Since it is so, why should I burden Ling 'er, burden that shameless father-in-law?" The Second Prince shrugged his shoulders. "Furthermore, there is actually no meaning in continuing to live like this."
Fan Xian opened his mouth and said, "Looks like your ambition has finally been extinguished."
The Second Prince suddenly stopped moving the grapes into his mouth. The purple grapes of early autumn were sweet and juicy. The smile on his face was also very sweet. He looked at Fan Xian and faintly said, "Now that I think about it, in the tea shop in front of Baoyue Brothel, what you said was correct. During these two years, you have always wanted to extinguish my ambition. Thinking back, I must thank you."
"Speaking of which, it is strange. I wholeheartedly thought that my aunt would help me, wholeheartedly thought that my father-in-law would help me. Looking back and forth, it was you, the greatest enemy of my life, who once had a glimmer of sincerity toward me."
The Second Prince sighed in admiration. "You are truly an anomaly in the Li family. The young lady of the Ye family is indeed as unusual as the rumors say."
"And me?" The Second Prince continued to speak and laughed loudly. He laughed until tears and snot streamed down his face. "What am I? I thought that I schemed against others, that I had countless supporters behind me, and that the throne was just around the corner. Who would have thought that everything was arranged by father? And I, a clever person, was not even as good as a chess piece. I was not even as good as Chengqian, that coward. I could do nothing. I had no ideas. I was like a powerless child. I could only watch stupidly as all of this happened.
The Second Prince was angry. His voice grew louder and louder. He didn't know what he was angry about, but it was clearly not directed at Fan Xian. Perhaps he was angry that he had been placed in the position of a whetstone by father since he was young and was forced to walk step by step to where he was today. Perhaps he was angry at Ye Zhong's heartless betrayal. Perhaps he was angry that he was born in the Royal Palace.
Fan Xian was silent. He had learned from Wan 'er that this Second Brother, who had a good relationship with her since childhood, was nicknamed Stone. Even if he was a simple and stubborn stone, after being sharpened by the Emperor with the sword of imperial power for so many years, for no reason, he would still carry some viciousness and negativity.
"What am I?" The Second Prince Li Chengze stared at Fan Xian and pointed at himself. Tears and snot streamed down his face. He laughed loudly and said, "I am a joke!"
Fan Xian wanted to say that in front of the Emperor, it seemed that everyone in the world was a joke. However, he didn't say these words because he watched in shock as the laughing and crying Second Prince spat out a mouthful of black blood after saying the word "joke."
A mouthful of black blood landed on the purple grapes.
…
…
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