The royal carriage slowly arrived and steadily stopped on the road. Because of the chaos and panic of the battle, the road had not been paved with yellow earth or sprinkled with water. However, the Emperor's feet still did not have any hesitation. Firmly and steadily, he walked down the steps and stepped onto the land around Jingdou.
The Emperor moved his hand away from Eunuch Yao's elbow. His calm gaze slowly swept across the wilderness. Thousands of officials and soldiers were kneeling on the ground and worshipping him. His expression was indifferent, but there was not much emotion in his eyes.
Amidst the earth-shaking mountain cries, the Emperor's gaze moved closer from the distant Jingdou walls and landed nearby. It flashed past the scholars Hu and Shu, the Great Prince in martial attire, and his nervous and slightly happy youngest son. In the end, it lightly landed on Fan Xian's handsome and threatening face. He noticed that there was a strong sense of tiredness on this boy's face.
The corners of the Emperor's lips twitched slightly with a hint of joy. It was as if he was growing to like this pretty face more and more in the depths of his heart. His brows immediately furrowed because he found that Fan Xian had suffered a serious internal injury.
Spreading out his bright yellow dragon robe, the Emperor stretched out his arms. Calmly and domineeringly, he faced the wilderness in front of him. The mountain cries gradually stopped.
If no one dared to look at the Emperor, how could these thousands of people know the Emperor's actions?
From the moment they got out of the car, the Emperor's gaze had basically landed on Fan Xian. Fan Xian felt uncomfortable all over, but he kept his head down. He didn't know how to react. After hearing the cheers, the Emperor's feet gradually moved toward them.
Just as he was about to walk in front of Fan Xian, the Emperor suddenly changed his direction and did not look at Fan Xian again. Solemnly, he helped Shu Wu and Hu the Scholar to their feet. His hands gripped old Shu's shoulders. Using a gentle and firm tone, he said, "You've suffered."
Shu Wu's heart jumped. Fear appeared on his face. Hu the Scholar also repeatedly said he didn't dare. The Emperor smiled and didn't say anything. Immediately after, he helped up the Great Prince, who had led the soldiers in the Jingdou battle and achieved great merit.
The Emperor's emotions toward this eldest son he had never liked much were complicated, but his expression was calm.
Following this, the Emperor pulled Li Chengping up and used his right hand to gently stroke his youngest son's head for a while. His gaze looked around at the officials loyal to him and didn't say a word.
Then, he turned around and walked back to the royal carriage.
Everyone was dumbfounded, thinking that it was over just like that? It was not about whether or not the Emperor's return ceremony had finished. Rather, it was about the most meritorious service in protecting the country, the Duke of Danbo, still kneeling stiffly on the ground. Why did the Emperor not say anything at all?
Shu Wu and Hu the Scholar met each other's eyes and saw the confusion in each other's eyes. Fan Xian was also a bit confused. He didn't know if he should stand up.
"Get up. Could it be that you won't be able to stand up if I don't help you up?"
Before he boarded the royal carriage, the Emperor lightly tossed out these words to the crowd. Although these words did not point to anyone, everyone knew that they were directed at Fan Xian. Furthermore, they appeared cold, but in reality, there was a sliver of closeness within. As for the other meaning hidden in these words, only Fan Xian could understand. The Emperor had already recognized his ability and loyalty. Without needing his support, he could also stand in his own position in court.
Fan Xian laughed bitterly and stood up. He lowered his head to look at the dirt on his knees. Logically speaking, the Emperor had not yet boarded the carriage. As an official, he could not clean up his appearance. However, an impulse came from somewhere and made his right hand brush at his knees, brushing away some of the dirt.
This small action did not attract too much attention. It made the Emperor's figure, who was about to board the royal carriage, pause slightly. Then, everyone heard the Emperor's words.
"An Zhi, come into the carriage."
The officials began to stare dumbfounded again. They looked at each other and sank into shock. Earlier, the Emperor had not personally helped Fan Xian stand up. Everyone had some guesses. Who would have thought that the Emperor would immediately give Sir Fan junior such an honor to follow the Emperor into the capital? What kind of honor was this? Even the Crown Prince had never enjoyed it in the past.
The gazes of the clever officials toward Fan Xian became heated. However, these officials appeared too clever, or perhaps they thought they were clever. Some of their gazes involuntarily landed on the Third Prince. Everyone knew that the Crown Prince and the Second Prince would not have a good ending because of the rebellion. At the beginning, everyone thought that the future master of the Qing Kingdom would be this young prince. Looking at the Emperor's attitude …
The reason these officials thought they were clever was because they had displayed an inappropriate attitude in an inappropriate place. The scholars Hu and Shu looked down as if they had not heard the Emperor's words at all. This was the difference between high-ranking officials and officials.
Fan Xian tasted bitterness in his mouth, but he could not go against the imperial edict. He walked to the side of the tall royal carriage, lifted the yellow curtain, and stood in front of the Emperor. Although the royal carriage was tall, it was still unable to allow a person to stand straight. Thus, he was forced to lower his head in front of the Emperor, just like everyone else in the world.
"Sit," the Emperor seemed to see through his thoughts and said with a slight nod of his head.
Fan Xian obeyed and sat across from the Emperor. Looking at the Emperor he had not seen for a month, his emotions gradually became complicated. In the past, although the Emperor had also had a bright and powerful side, he was not as terrifying as the Emperor now. The Emperor was still calm, but he was like a bottomless abyss, hiding an unfathomable power. This kind of feeling made Fan Xian's heart palpitate. Looking at the two straight eyebrows and calm eyes, he involuntarily felt the thought of retreating rise in his heart.
The Emperor's domineering aura did not appear from his outer appearance. Instead, it appeared in the history books through his methods and results. To be able to come back alive from Dong Mountain, to be able to arrange such a situation, and to be such a powerful figure, he was indeed worthy of being the foremost person in the land in 30 years. Fan Xian understood this reality and could only accept it.
The middle-aged man wearing the dragon robe lowered his head to look at the urgent memorials the two scholars had presented. He did not pay attention to Fan Xian's gaze toward him, even if this kind of gaze toward the Emperor was extremely impolite and taboo.
The royal carriage slowly began to move. The light from outside the window slanted in and shone on the memorials in the Emperor's hands. He lowered his head and furrowed his brows as he looked at these things. Suddenly, he said, "Three years. My Qing Kingdom still needs three years."
When he said this, the Emperor did not raise his head. It was as if he was talking to himself. Fan Xian knew what the Emperor meant. After experiencing an internal rebellion, putting aside the serious damage Jingdou had suffered and the chaos of court politics, just the internal attacks in the military had already caused serious consequences. The military's morale was already unstable. Additionally, the officials in the Dongshan Road area involved many people. Although the Emperor had already chosen good officials from Jiangnan to replace them, the impact on the people's lives would certainly be great.
It would take at least a year to gather the military's morale and remove the psychological effects of this chaos. The Qing Kingdom would need at least three years to truly prepare for a large-scale battle in terms of wealth, resources, and the hearts of the people.
Presumably, in the Emperor's heart, this Northern expedition to unify the world would be the last one. The progress of history that had been stopped by the two Great Grandmasters for over 20 years would slowly speed up.
The light from outside the window shone in through the glass and endlessly brushed back, sprinkling countless glass flowers on the father and son's faces. The Emperor still had his head down and said, "When the matter is done, brush off one's clothes and leave, hide one's body and name deeply … these are the words you once wrote. However, don't hope that I will let you go. When the matter is done, the matter is not over. Why is a young man like you in a hurry to brush off your clothes and leave?"
The Emperor's eyes looked at the memorial. These words seemed to have been spoken unintentionally, but Fan Xian's heart thumped. He didn't know what to say. When the matter was done, brush off one's clothes and leave. He had not thought that his unconsciously brushing off the dust in front of the royal carriage would allow the Emperor to guess his thoughts. Furthermore, the Emperor had resolutely and mercilessly dispelled his illusions or probing in his heart.
He laughed bitterly and didn't dare to hide anything. Straightforwardly, he said, "I am truly not good at things like fighting wars. It's better to peacefully earn some money for the court."
Fan Xian had other plans in his heart, so he rushed to speak clearly. Unexpectedly, the Emperor suddenly raised his head and looked at him. "Don't think about resigning. If you are still afraid of what people say, I will naturally do the matter of reducing your power."
Fan Xian cried out bitterly in his heart. The Emperor's words had forced him into a corner. If he was truly forced to stay in Jingdou to plot, he did not want his power to be reduced. The Overwatch Council was the most powerful weapon in his hands. If the Emperor actually tore it open, what would he use to negotiate terms with this unfathomable Emperor?
Until now, he still didn't know the truth of what happened on Dong Mountain. He didn't dare to open his mouth to ask in the carriage. It was the Emperor who spoke first and asked about the specific situation in Jingdou. Although Jingdou had continuously sent memorials to the royal carriage during these three days, the matter involved the secret of the royal family. There were many things that could only be reported personally by Fan Xian to the Emperor.
Fan Xian's voice rang out in the carriage. From the moment he left Dong Mountain to when he disguised himself as an oil merchant to enter Jingdou, to the later plan with the Great Prince, the surprise attack on the Royal Palace, and finally the Ye family's attack, he spoke methodically and clearly. He purposely downplayed some details that the Emperor presumably did not want to hear.
When Fan Xian made his report, the Emperor had already lowered his head again. That was why he carefully watched the Emperor's expression and reaction. Unexpectedly, regardless of whether it was the news of the Eldest Princess' death or the Second Prince's suicide, none of them made the Emperor's stone-like face tremble at all. It was only when he reported the empress dowager's illness that the Emperor raised his head.
"How many days does the empress dowager have left?"
"I've seen her at the Imperial Academy of Medicine. Her body is weak and she has experienced such a major event. She has been frightened. I'm afraid …" Fan Xian stopped talking. He had a malicious thought toward the cold Emperor. The empress dowager was scared to death by you. What should you, as a filial Emperor, do?
"The Imperial Academy of Medicine?" The Emperor furrowed his brows and looked at him coldly. "What is the use of those pieces of trash? You were in the Palace. Don't you know the details?"
Fan Xian said darkly, "It is indeed not something a person can reverse."
…
…
Under the gazes and protection of countless people, the Emperor's entourage entered Jingdou. Following the wide and straight Tianhe Avenue, it entered the Royal Palace. Along the way, the common people who had just suffered the disaster of war forcefully suppressed the sorrow or fear in their hearts and joyfully welcomed the Emperor's return. It was as if they were welcoming back the backbone of their lives. From this, it could be seen that the Emperor's prestige and reputation among the Qing people was still as strong and unbreakable as monarchical power itself.
Arriving at the front doors of the Royal Palace, Fan Xian retreated from the carriage with his body bent. Meeting the Great Prince's gaze, he shook his head, indicating that the Emperor's mood was fine and had not been affected by the successive news of deaths.
Fan Xian followed the carriage into the Palace. Looking at the bright yellow curtains, he couldn't help but think of the Emperor's expression earlier. Involuntarily, he felt a chill in his heart. Although the Eldest Princess and the Second Prince were both the masterminds of the rebellion, they were, after all, the Emperor's own sister and son. Furthermore, looking at the rebellion now, it was clear that the Emperor had purposely set up a trap for the other party. Yet, after learning of the death of his sister and son, the Emperor was still calm. This determination, this cold-bloodedness, truly made him shiver in fear.
The Great Prince walked to his side and said in a heavy voice, "Why did you come down?"
"Did you dare to sit all the way into the Palace?" Fan Xian glanced at him and explained in a low voice, "The Emperor asked some questions in the carriage. You know that it is not convenient to announce these things in public."
There was originally no need to explain anything to the Great Prince. However, Fan Xian looked at the gazes focused on him from all around. He knew what kind of discussion and consequences it would cause if he followed the royal entourage into the capital, so he unconsciously added this sentence. After he finished, he felt that talking to the Great Prince like this would probably have the opposite effect. He smiled bitterly and said, "It was too cold in the carriage, so I came down to stretch my bones."
The Great Prince smiled and patted his shoulder. He didn't say anything. These two brothers were actually both forcing themselves to smile. Guarding Jingdou to prevent the ruler of a country from becoming a lonely spirit in the land, without question, they had performed a great service, a great service. However, so many people in the royal family had died, and they had used so many tricks. Who knew what the Emperor was thinking?
…
…
The Qing Emperor didn't think of anything. In the process of arranging to wipe out the rebel army outside the capital, he had already learned of Li Yunrui and Li Chengze's deaths from the urgent documents Fan Xian had sent. In the carriage, he only learned the specific circumstances of their deaths from Fan Xian's mouth.
His expression was calm, as if the people who had died were strangers. He continued to look at the memorials the Hall of Governmental Affairs had presented. When the royal entourage entered the Palace and Fan Xian got off the carriage, the Emperor put down the memorial in his hands. Leaning against the back of the chair, he closed his eyes and said nothing in silence.
The lonely silence continued for a long time. A glimmer of old age and haggard gradually appeared on the Emperor's face. At this moment, the carriage had already stopped in front of Han Dian.
He gently sighed and slowly walked out of the carriage curtain that Eunuch Yao had pulled up. Once he was out of the curtain, he looked down at the familiar yet strange Palace. His expression quickly became calm and solemn. There was no longer a trace of the gloominess he had when he was alone in the carriage. Every brow and gaze conveyed his strength and strength.
…
The empress dowager wore a plain white dress and lay on the warm and soft phoenix bed. The wrinkles on her face were deep. It was as if she had once faced too much wind and rain with this Royal Palace and had been eroded to this state.
The Emperor said something to the terrified imperial physician kneeling on the ground. He then sat by the side of the bed and placed his slender fingers on the empress dowager's wrist.
Fan Xian and the other two brothers stood obediently behind the curtain, not daring to disturb them. Fan Xian's heart was faintly nervous. He could faintly see that the Emperor's technique in taking the pulse was very skilled. It was clear that he also had some understanding of medicine.
However, he had more confidence in Sir Fei Jie's medicine. Most importantly, that pill was not poison. Regardless of whether it was the Imperial Academy of Medicine or other brilliant doctors, presumably, none of them would be able to find the true reason for the empress dowager's gradual decline. Instead, they would straightforwardly conclude that she was getting old and weak and that her fate was coming to an end.
The Emperor's slender fingers had already left the empress dowager's weak pulse. He lowered his head and thought deeply for a moment. A glimmer of helplessness flashed through his eyes. It looked like this Great Grandmaster also knew that he could not delay his mother's departure. Then, his brows suddenly furrowed. His finger moved like the wind and tapped between the empress dowager's brows.
With the tap, the atmosphere in Hanguang Palace changed. The cold autumn wind was dispersed by a wave of unstoppable sunlight. A powerful and upright aura passed into everyone's heart.
Fan Xian suddenly felt the aura behind the curtain. His heart jumped, and his fingers began to tremble rapidly. Although this aura was not familiar, it was as harmonious as the zhenqi in his body. However, it was many levels higher than his realm. Faintly, it was the realm he had always longed for but had never been able to find the door to.
He abruptly raised his head and stared in a daze through the thin curtain. A voice in his heart cried out to him, "This is the second half of the volume." This was the second half of the volume that he had practiced for 20 years but had no progress at all.
…
…
I seem to have made the same mistake as the rapeseed flower in Vermillion Bird. It looks like I am walking down the path of not distinguishing between the five grains. Fortunately, this is the Qing Kingdom. The title of this chapter is the second half of the Father and Son. Everyone should know that this is a pun. This story is about to enter the final stage. There are still about six or seven more chapters in this volume. Then, it will enter the last volume, Emperor of the Dynasty. I have confidence that this is a corrected version. I mistyped the name of the last volume earlier.
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