Black blood sprayed onto the purple grapes and dripped down to the ground, wetting the floor illuminated by the lantern light. The Second Prince lowered his head and opened his mouth. There was a patch of blood on his lower jaw. His eyes were lowered. Without looking at Fan Xian, he raised his hand and stopped him from walking over.
"The moment you entered the manor, I took the medicine." The Second Prince crouched on the chair with his head very low. Faintly, he said, "I know you are Fei Jie's student, but the poison has already entered my heart. You can't save me … I also don't want you to save me. You have to know that although you are powerful, you can't stop me from dying. "
As long as a person had the will to die, no matter what method was used, it was impossible to save his life. Fan Xian understood this. He looked at the other person calmly. His heart was empty and had no thoughts. However, he was still not prepared to watch with folded arms. It was not because he had a glimmer of brotherly affection for the Second Prince. Rather, he could not let the other person die in front of him.
"Don't worry about anything. I have already written my will earlier. The Palace will not blame you. No one will think you killed me." The Second Prince lowered his head. His blood-stained hand fumbled in his clothes and pulled out a letter. Gently, he placed it on the table.
Unexpectedly, before he died, he had even thought of what Fan Xian was worried about. Fan Xian's heart froze slightly. He knew that the other person was as Ling 'er said. He was ruthless toward himself to a certain realm and had cut off any hope of survival.
The Second Prince raised his head and glanced at Fan Xian with an envious gaze. He then vomited up another mouthful of black blood. He used his sleeve to carelessly wipe his lips. Using two slender fingers, he carefully broke off the grapes stained by the poisonous blood. Leaving behind a small, clean half, he sent it back into his mouth.
The sweet and juicy grapes were chewed into mush in his mouth. The Second Prince spat out the grape seeds. He spat them onto the ground, still carrying black blood.
After eating the grapes, he wiped his hands clean on his body and sighed. Looking at Fan Xian, who had been silent and not moving, he faintly said, "I don't want to continue living as a joke."
Fan Xian nodded to indicate that he understood his thoughts.
"Actually, you are also a joke." A layer of deathly grey gradually rose to the Second Prince's face. His gaze was slightly unfocused. Thinking of something, he said, "There are a lot of people in Jingdou who want to kill you. Yes, the first person to act was me, but do you think Chengqian has been gentle toward you? The Qin family didn't kill you in the valley. He was so angry he jumped all night in the Eastern Palace … but why? "
He stared into Fan Xian's eyes. "Why is it that your attitude toward Chengqian is completely different from how you treat me?"
Fan Xian himself did not understand this point. The Second Prince was about to die, and his words were also straightforward. They pierced straight into his heart. Why was it that he had always been so tolerant and gentle toward the Crown Prince, but pestered the Second Prince relentlessly and spared no expense?
The Second Prince's eyelids drooped weakly, and his voice was extremely low. "You don't like me. You didn't like me from the beginning. Of course, I don't like you either … The two of us are too similar. It's just that I've never had such good luck as you. "No matter who it is, no one will allow another to exist in the world. Everyone will unconsciously try to get rid of the other first."
His gaze was cold and helpless. "If you are Prince Jia of the Rongguo manor, then I can only be Zhen Baoyu of Jinling. I will never get many chances to appear in the novel … but I am the real one. I am the real one!"
As the Second Prince spoke, he coughed up blood. The blood was smeared all over the front of his clothes. He appeared very wretched.
Fan Xian looked at the scene in front of him. His body was stiff and he couldn't make any reaction. The Second Prince raised his head for the last time and stared at Fan Xian's face. With some difficulty, he said, "I always thought Chengqian was the most cowardly of all the brothers. Only when I was about to die did I realize that I was also very cowardly. I would rather die and humbly leave Ling 'er and mother than have the courage to face …"
"After I die, help me take care of Ling 'er. As for mother, her best ending is probably to be banished into the Cold Palace. Please help me take care of her."
The Second Prince's chest rose and fell violently as if something was about to charge out. He stared into Fan Xian's eyes and forced himself to finish speaking. He didn't give Fan Xian any chance to speak. Opening his mouth, he spat out a large pool of black blood and stopped breathing.
After death, the Second Prince continued to crouch on the chair with his left hand on his knee. His handsome face carried a deathly ashen color. A moment later, his body fell off the chair with a thud. However, his eyes refused to close and were wide open.
…
…
Fan Xian looked at the Second Prince's body with a numb expression. He suddenly felt that this early autumn night could be so cold.
He shivered. His emotions were complicated. He didn't know what kind of sigh he should make about the body in front of him. Perhaps silence was the best attitude. The Second Prince, the true prince, was already dead. How could the fake soul in his body continue?
His expression was not very good. It was not because the Second Prince had committed suicide in front of him, nor was it because of the heart-wrenching words the Second Prince had said before he died. Rather, in the end, the Second Prince had asked him to help him take care of Ling 'er and Lady Shu.
He didn't even give him a chance to refuse? Fan Xian thought to himself. His expression was desolate. When the Eldest Princess died, she gave Wan 'er to him. The Crown Prince knew that he was going to die, so he entrusted the families of the rebel soldiers and officials to him.
Why? Don't you know that I am your irreconcilable enemy? Was your death not caused by me? Why do you throw so many burdens at me before you die? Do you want to crush me to death? Are you betting that I will help you?
You dead people! If you die, then die. Why do you want me, a living person, to live so uncomfortably?
He lowered his head and was incomparably wooden. His body trembled slightly. He then walked to the side of the Second Prince's body and glanced at it. He picked up the thin will from the table and put it into his clothes. Then, he walked out of the sinister room.
Walking to the bedroom in the back garden of the manor, Ye Ling 'er was still sitting woodenly under the cold light of the green lantern. She had no idea what had happened in the back garden. Fan Xian sighed in his heart and walked directly behind her. Striking down with his palm, he didn't give her any chance to react before knocking her out.
If he didn't knock her out, once she learned of the Second Prince's suicide by poison, she would probably follow him. Fan Xian could only use this more direct method to delay the matter.
…
…
Gong Dian came forward to greet him. Fan Xian lowered his head and thought for a moment. He then handed the will in his clothes to him. At the same time, he handed Ye Ling 'er, who was on his shoulder, to him and said something in a low voice. Gong Dian accepted the unconscious Ye Ling 'er. He was already very shocked. Hearing the news of the Second Prince's death, he furrowed his brows tightly.
"The Second Prince wrote a will. The Emperor won't blame you or me." Fan Xian sighed. Immediately after, he said seriously, "Before wangfei wakes up, first tie up her hands and feet. Then, tell her this news. If she doesn't want to eat, force rice soup down my throat. No matter what, she has to drink it!"
These last two sentences had already been roared out through gritted teeth. They were incomparably sinister. Gong Dian thought that this was indeed the only way. He didn't notice the Duke of Danbo's loss of composure. After thinking for a moment, he helplessly said, "But, the young lady's personality is like a raging fire. We can't tie her up for the rest of her life."
Fire is not scary. It comes quickly and goes quickly. It's not as piercing as a lump of ice like me and the Second Prince, Fan Xian thought to himself. Lowering his voice, he said, "After a few days, when things have calmed down a bit, I'll come and try to persuade her."
…
…
After he finished dealing with the matters of the manor, the night in Jingdou had gradually receded. It was already early in the morning. In the distant east, a faint sliver of white peeked out. However, Fan Xian had no way of resting. He still had too many things to do. After circling back to the Fan manor from the manor, he went directly to the Royal Palace.
Although Minister Fan had said that these matters should be handled by the Board of Rites' Taichang Temple, Fan Xian could not forget his identity as regent and pretend these things had never happened. Furthermore, he was also the vice-minister of Taichang Temple. Minister Ren Shao 'an had followed the Emperor to Dong Mountain to worship heaven. He didn't know if he would survive.
He and the Great Prince stood side by side. Looking at the three black coffins in front of them, the two brothers were silent.
Just a day ago, the two of them had been standing on the palace walls worrying about the safety of the Palace and the world of the Qing Kingdom. Who would have thought that at this moment, victory and defeat had already been decided? The people who wrote the history of the world had already changed their names. Who would have thought that at the moment of danger in the Royal Palace, the black coffins under Fan Xian's feet had already begun to contain the skin of the defeated?
The Eldest Princess and the Second Prince were lying quietly in the coffins. There was another coffin that was empty. No one knew who was going to lie in it next.
"This is not in accordance with etiquette." The Great Prince's expression was heavy. He struggled not to show sorrow between his brows. The Eldest Princess was one thing, but the brotherly affection between him and the Second Prince, Li Chengze, could not be faked. Although the two brothers had gradually drifted apart during these two years, looking at the scene in front of him and thinking of the people in the coffins, the Great Prince's heart still ached.
Fan Xian nodded his head tiredly and said, "The officials of the Board of Rites have all been scared away. It looks like as long as the Emperor doesn't return to the capital, the Six Ministries will not be able to be gathered together. There aren't many people in Taichang Temple either. They are just temporary accommodations. After all, the face of the royal family has to be taken care of. They can't just stay in the manor."
The Great Prince sighed and didn't say anything more. He turned and walked into the Royal Palace. Compared to the group of imperial soldiers escorting the coffins, his figure appeared very desolate.
Fan Xian looked at him calmly and shook his head. He knew that in the face of the repeated heavy pressure and the gradually arriving news of death, the Great Prince was almost unable to hold out. Thinking of this, only then did Fan Xian feel waves of exhaustion coming from the depths of his body. He could barely keep his eyelids open. Furrowing his brows, he slapped his face and said to the subordinate beside him, "Return to the manor."
In one night, he had returned to the manor four times, but there was not a moment of peace. Fan Xian thought about it carefully. From the beginning of the preparations before breaking into the Palace, he had not slept for two days and two nights. His injuries had already relapsed. The power of the ephedra pill had completely worn off. He didn't dare take it again. His entire body's energy and strength had indeed reached their limits.
After returning to the manor, Fan Xian looked at everything in the dark night. He didn't go to see Wan 'er, who was staying in Lady Liu's room. He lowered his head and sat silently on the bed for a while. He then kicked the black chest under the bed. Without even taking off his clothes, he laid down with his arms spread out.
He was clearly exhausted, yet he couldn't sleep. He opened his bright eyes and looked at the dark ceiling.
…
…
He didn't sleep for long before he woke up. After all, Jingdou was still in chaos. As the regent, he could not give himself too much time to rest and be sad. After getting out of bed, he randomly ate something and used a hot towel to soak his face, forcefully recovering his energy.
As he walked out the door, he unconsciously glanced down at the bed. That fatal chest, the chest that often stayed in the dust, lay quietly under the bed. It was like the Eldest Princess and Second Prince lying quietly in their coffins, no one would ever disturb them again. Regardless of whether it was a chest or a person, perhaps only by becoming an unremarkable existence and placed in an unremarkable place could they obtain true peace.
As he left the manor, he unconsciously glanced back inside. After returning from Taiping Courtyard, he still hadn't seen Wan 'er. He didn't know what his wife's mood was. Thinking of this, a glimmer of darkness rose to his face.
As he entered the Palace, he unconsciously glanced toward the Palace doors. There were fire and smoke marks everywhere on the red Palace doors. Some of the cracks caused by weapons were gaping open, revealing the wood shavings inside. The copper nails that had been knocked off had long been cleaned up. There were only countless ugly scars left on the doors.
In this instant, Fan Xian confirmed some things. This Palace, this city, and this country were, after all, the place he had lived for 20 years. He had already developed deep feelings for this place. Even though this Palace was cold and gloomy, even though this city had let down many people, and even though this country had made a great mistake, it was still his country.
He had always thought of himself as a Qing person. There were many things that he had not investigated clearly. Before he understood them, he didn't mind doing his best to maintain the peace of the people in this country while he lived a beautiful life, just as he had done all these years.
So many people had died, so he had to live well. Unless … some people didn't want him to live.
…
…
He invited the scholars Hu and Shu back to their manors to temporarily rest. These two officials had already been in the royal study drafting up the Imperial edicts for an entire night. Some of the important memorials to the Qing Kingdom had finally been roughly sorted out. However, the two scholars were not made of iron. Their mental state was much worse than Fan Xian's. After receiving a series of shocks and not sleeping, they were long exhausted.
Fan Xian sat in the empty royal study and couldn't help but shake his head. Usually, when the Emperor was here, although the royal study was just as quiet, it was always filled with a different feeling. Was it dignity? Or something else? In any case, it was completely different from the royal study he sensed.
He didn't know how the Emperor had come down from Dong Mountain alive, but he knew that his performance would certainly satisfy the Emperor. It looked like his position as a powerful official could be secured. However, when he thought of the war that would open the curtains in two or three years, Fan Xian felt a bit of bitterness in his mouth.
It was said that a gentleman did not bully a dark room. However, Fan Xian was not a gentleman. He sat alone in the royal study looking at the mountainous piles of memorials on the low platform and the soft couch. He thought of how the Emperor had been controlling the entire Qing Kingdom's court politics from there. His heart jumped.
He stood up and looked calmly in that direction. Slightly tilting his head, he wondered what it would feel like if he sat there. Immediately after, he shook his head. His thin lips twitched slightly, revealing a glimmer of self-mockery.
Being regent for a day and night had almost tired him out like a big yellow dog in the summer. Looking at the wretched appearance of the scholars Hu and Shu being supported by the eunuchs, Fan Xian confirmed that the Emperor's job was certainly more tiring than that of the Yellow Emperor, who had countless women every day.
It was still that old saying. There were only three kinds of people in the world: men, women, and the Emperor. Anyone who could be a true ruler was not a person.
"Invite the Third Prince over."
Fan Xian smiled slightly and spoke to the little eunuch outside the royal study. He immediately thought of Hong Zhu and some of the people involved in the rebellion who were still imprisoned in the Cold Palace. He didn't know how the Emperor would handle this matter after he returned. However, in the eyes of an outsider, Hong Zhu had basically done nothing, so there shouldn't be any major problems.
In just a few years, the Third Prince, Li Chengping, who had gradually grown into a youthful appearance, arrived outside the royal study accompanied by an old nanny and a few eunuchs. Fan Xian glanced at the old nanny and waved his hand for them to leave. Holding the Third Prince's hand, he came to the front of the desk where the memorials were kept.
Li Chengping's hand was slightly cold. The gaze with which he looked at Fan Xian was also different from when he was in Jiangnan. It appeared to be somewhat respectful.
Fan Xian had already noticed this scene out of the corner of his eye, but he did not care much. He was respectful and fearful, but there was no sense of alienation. He knew that his performance this day and night had left a deep impression on this brother of his. He would probably never be able to shake off this kind of mark.
This was a problem in education. Other than Fan Xian, no one in this world understood it. In order to raise a prince who dared to open a brothel and kill people at the age of nine into a kind ruler, pure moral teachings were not enough to complete the task. He had to let the Third Prince understand that there were many things in this world that could be achieved through more open and aboveboard methods.
The Third Prince needed a role model. From the beginning of the Jiangnan trip, Fan Xian had set himself as the role model in the Third Prince's heart because he was an immortal poet, a warrior, a powerful official, and the savior of the Third Prince. In the hearts of most of the people of Qing Kingdom, he was a good person.
Fan Xian hoped that the future Emperor of Qing Kingdom would also be a good person, just like the Crown Prince?
"Sir … I heard father …" Li Chengping looked at Fan Xian with some fear.
Fan Xian smiled. "With the Temple above, the Emperor has the mandate of heaven to protect him. Naturally, those thieves and rascals cannot harm him."
"Oh." A glimmer of joy rose to Li Chengping's face. Although he knew that if his father died, he would become the next Emperor of Qing Kingdom under the protection of his teacher and brother, he was, after all, still a youth. His thoughts were not that ruthless.
Fan Xian pretended not to care, but he carefully paid attention to the change of emotions in Li Chengping's eyes. He thought to himself that he had indeed not seen wrong.
"In the future, the Emperor will probably often have you come to the royal study to listen." After Fan Xian said this, he paused and slowly opened his mouth to say, "Your Highness should first familiarize yourself with the place."
The Third Prince had come to the royal study before and knew that his brothers, the Crown Prince, his second brother, his eldest brother, and even his teacher would always listen to his father and the officials discuss matters in the royal study after the court meeting. However, after today, this royal study would probably be much emptier.
"There are many things that probably no one dares to say to Your Highness," Fan Xian said calmly after thinking for a moment. "But, I must tell you."
The Emperor was about to return. Fan Xian had to give his own explanation to the Third Prince because he knew that this child's thoughts were actually very meticulous. Earlier, he had always used "Your Highness" to refer to him.
"The Great Prince's nature is martial. In the future, he will be sent to the borders to guard." Fan Xian's expression was slightly heavy. Using his own words, he described the Emperor's future plans. "His nature is straightforward. He will not take the initiative to do anything that will harm the brotherhood. You can rest assured on this point. Don't be suspicious."
The Third Prince's hand trembled. Looking at his teacher's face, he didn't know why he was suddenly saying this.
"As for me, I will eventually leave. The world is so big. I have to go to the ends of the earth to take a look. Only then will I not have wasted my life." Fan Xian smiled slightly. "So, don't be suspicious of me. Even after you grow up … don't be suspicious of me."
The Third Prince opened his mouth wide. For some reason, he felt a glimmer of fear.
"These are not words that an official should say," Fan Xian withdrew his smile and calmly said. "But, I want to say it to you. In the 20 years of my life, I have grown tired of guessing and testing each other's intentions. Regardless of whether or not you still believe these words when you grow up, please remember these words. "
Just as he had said, these words had already violated the Emperor's family's great taboo. Furthermore, they had come from the mouth of an official. Yet, Fan Xian had said them so calmly and naturally. Li Chengping looked in a daze at his teacher's originally handsome but slightly sallow face and unconsciously nodded his head.
…
…
Three days had passed. Jingdou had already been pacified. The three riders once again entered the capital and announced to the world the news of the Emperor's return from worshipping heaven. The Jingdou people, still shaken, were overjoyed. Standing on the palace walls, Fan Xian didn't know what they were happy about after suffering so much.
The Emperor's scheduled return to the capital was three days late. During these three days, the Dingzhou army's military intelligence reports came endlessly to the capital through the military and Overwatch Council's channels. Fan Xian had enough of being a regent. With both hands, he held the Emperor's royal seal and randomly stamped it.
On this day, the news finally arrived. Fan Xian brought the Third Prince, the Great Prince, and the surviving royalist old officials through the streets that still had the marks of war. Walking out of Zhengyang Gate, they stopped 10 li away.
Thousands of people knelt down densely. There was no space on the road. Many people knelt directly in the wheat fields on either side of the road. At this time, the autumn harvest had not arrived. The golden ears of wheat survived the trampling of the warhorses and swayed in the wind with the heavy harvest. Countless people's emotions swayed like the ears of wheat as they watched the bright yellow royal entourage coming from afar.
Fan Xian pulled his gaze back from the wheat fields and smiled slightly at the nervous and joyful Third Prince beside him.
…
…
After canvassing for votes yesterday, I rushed to second place in the monthly votes. In my memory, this seems to be the first time in the Qing Yu year that I have reached second place. Although the Second Prince died quite tragically today, I am still as nervous and joyful as the Third Prince. Alas, I have lived most of my life as a bachelor. Thank you.
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