The court bulletin and Council report stated clearly that the position of Commander of the Jingdou Imperial Army was no longer held by the Great Prince. It had been given to Gong Dian. After Gong Dian had quelled the rebellion in Jingdou, he had once again taken up his old position as Commander of the palace guards. It was not strange that he was now also the Commander of the Imperial Army. Everyone knew of the Ye family's loyalty to the Emperor. The Royal Palace was no longer the responsibility of the Great Prince's safety, so it could only be given to Gong Dian.
The problem now was, after the Great Prince was no longer the Commander of the Imperial Army, what position would the Emperor place him in? The court bulletin did not say, and there were no clear rumors in Jingdou. Fan Xian looked at the paper in his hand and couldn't help but shake his head.
A few important appointments had been made in Jingdou. These appointments were all concentrated in the military. It was clear that the Emperor had some thoughts. Furthermore, he was beginning to open up a position for the Great Prince. What caught Fan Xian's attention the most was that the Commander of the Jingdou Garrison, Xiao Jinhua, had been removed from his position and had been transferred to the Nanzhao border army to be the Deputy Governor. The Governor of the Northern Expedition Camp, Shi Fei, had been summoned back by the Emperor to take over the important position of Commander of the Jingdou Garrison. Above Shi Fei, the Governor of the Yanjing Camp, Wang Zhikun, remained where he was.
These three transfers of military generals were not normal. Fan Xian knew very well the roles these generals played. He also understood the Emperor's different attitudes toward each of them. For example, the Commander of the Jingdou Garrison, Xiao Jinhua. During the Jingdou rebellion, he was only the Commander of the Donghua Gate of the 13 city guards. Because he had stood his ground firmly and forcefully blocked the remaining soldiers of the Qin family, which belonged to the Crown Prince, within Jingdou, he had performed a great service. That was why the Emperor had promoted him three levels and made him the Commander of the Jingdou Garrison. This could be considered the Emperor's expression toward a loyal official.
Fan Xian had long guessed that the Emperor would not let this minor character, Xiao Jinhua, be the Commander of the Jingdou Garrison for too long. For one, his foundation was too shallow. It would be difficult for him to convince the masses and take on such an important responsibility as the Jingdou Garrison. For another, Xiao Jinhua had come from the 13 city gate guards. The Emperor had been bitterly disappointed by their performance during the Jingdou rebellion.
The Emperor trusted Zhang Deqing the most, but Zhang Deqing had sided with the Eldest Princess. Although the Emperor had Zhang Deqing killed by a thousand cuts and destroyed three of his clans, he had not vented the anger in his heart. Xiao Jinhua had been caught in the crossfire, but this person presumably knew the use of his symbol. He should be able to accept going to Nanzhao to be the Deputy Governor.
The situation in the Northern Expedition Army was rather complicated. Yan Xiaoyi had been killed by Fan Xian on the summit of the mountain. The Qing Kingdom's Northern Expedition Camp next to Cangzhou had been implicated in the rebellion and had faced countless purges in the past two years. The court had never allowed General Shi Fei to officially take over the position of Governor of the Northern Expedition Army. Instead, he only had the right to know that he was under the jurisdiction of the Yanjing Camp's Wang Zhikun.
General Shi Fei had been Wang Zhikun's deputy for the past decade, so there should be no problem with this arrangement. Since the Emperor had Shi Fei return to the capital to take over as Commander of the Jingdou Garrison, the position of Governor of the Northern Expedition Camp was empty. Who was it for?
Fan Xian shook his head and thought that probably everyone could see clearly that the position of Governor of the Northern Expedition Army, which was at the heart of the world's struggle, was left for the Great Prince.
It seemed that after the Emperor had rested for two years, he had finally begun to lay down his chess pieces step by step. During these two months, the Overwatch Council and Dingzhou army had forcefully stabilized the situation in Xiliang and the grasslands. The Emperor finally had the spare time to prepare everything in the northeast.
However, if the Great Prince was to become the Commander of the Qing army's vanguard, control the 100,000 soldiers on the front lines, and become the powerful Governor of the Northern Expedition Army, then he would have to accept another of the Emperor's arrangements. He would take in a Secondary fei. When the troops were sent out, it would be the time for the Great wangfei to leave court.
"The Great Prince is not like that," Fan Xian furrowed his brows and thought. Fan Xian furrowed his brows as he thought. The Emperor had already paved the way for the Great Prince to lead the Qing army and fight on the battlefield. He was just waiting for the Great Prince to understand his painstaking efforts and walk this path. Although the Great Prince liked the battlefield, he probably wouldn't do such a thing.
Thinking of how he would be forced to do such a thing under the Emperor's pressure after he returned to the capital, Fan Xian felt annoyed and couldn't help but grunt. Although this grunt was very quiet, it gave Deng Zi Yue and Mu Feng 'er a fright. They didn't know what had happened.
"It's nothing. Hurry and rest. We still have a long journey tomorrow." Fan Xian rubbed the spot between his brows and waved his hand at the two of them. After thinking for a bit, he asked Deng Zi Yue to stay.
He looked at Deng Zi Yue and was silent for a moment. He then said, "You've been stationed in Shangjing for a long time. Do you know how the Northern Qi people view Shi Fei?"
During these two years, Shi Fei had been stationed in Cangzhou, leading the Northern Expedition Camp to contend against the famous general Shang Shanhu. Although he had suffered some losses, he was not anxious or impatient. He had stabilized the situation very well. Deng Zi Yue thought for a bit and then said, "General Shi Fei has always been Governor Wang's assistant in the Yanjing camp. His reputation was not very prominent. It was only after he went to the Northern Expedition Camp two years ago that he gradually became known to the Qi people. Although there have been no major battles in the north and south of Cangzhou these two years, he was still able to not panic under Shang Shanhu's coercion. Just this point alone proves that Shi Fei's personality leans toward the feminine side. "
"Feminine?" Fan Xian asked with some disagreement. "If it was just the feminine side, why would the Emperor have him shoulder such a heavy burden two years ago?"
Deng Zi Yue knew what the Commissioner was talking about. In the late autumn of the seventh year of the Qing calendar, the Dong Mountain incident and Jingdou rebelled. Everyone seemed to have overlooked the Northern Camp that Yan Xiaoyi had abandoned near Cangzhou. No one thought of its importance. Fan Xian had never forgotten that when the Emperor was still trapped on Dong Mountain, he had secretly sent a secret edict to Yanjing for the Yanjing Camp to be ready at any time to take over the Northern Camp in Cangzhou to prevent the Northern Qi people from taking advantage of the chaos to invade.
This was a very important mission. With Yan Xiaoyi's death, thousands of trusted soldiers were captured. If there were no capable generals holding the fort, the Northern Camp would probably truly rebel. At the time, the general responsible for the Emperor's important edict was General Shi Fei.
Not many people knew the specific process of how to subdue the Northern Camp's military morale. As the Commissioner of the Overwatch Council, Fan Xian knew. In his opinion, the process of Shi Fei following the edict to subdue the Qing army was like a legend.
General Shi Fei only brought a dozen trusted soldiers and entered the Northern Camp in Cangzhou. Holding the imperial edict in his hand, he easily took control of the Northern Camp. Faced with 100,000 soldiers, where did this general get his courage and ability to make the Northern Camp, which Yan Xiaoyi had run for many years, as docile as a warhorse?
For someone to be able to do such a thing, he was definitely not just feminine. The pain between Fan Xian's brows grew. He kept feeling as if there was a shadow shrouding his mind. The Emperor had decided to have the Great Prince lead the army on a Northern expedition. This was expected. For a powerful figure like Shi Fei to not stay on the front lines but instead be transferred back to Jingdou to be the Commander of the Jingdou Garrison, who was he targeting?
As early as when the former Crown Prince left for Nanzhao, Fan Xian had deduced that once the Eldest Princess's power melted like ice and snow, what welcomed him immediately would be the Emperor's merciless reduction of power as well as the Palace's merciless attacks on the older figures of the court. During these two years, the Overwatch Council's power had been reduced significantly. Fortunately, the Emperor's trust in him grew with each passing day. No one in court dared to do anything to him. The elders that worried Fan Xian the most had also gained valuable experience from the Jingdou rebellion. Without waiting for the Emperor to act, they automatically disappeared from the stage.
His father had long resigned from his position as Minister of Revenue and returned to Danzhou to retire. Although Chen Pingping still held the position of Director of the Overwatch Council, he had long stopped overseeing matters and handed all Council affairs to Fan Xian and Yan Bingyun. Furthermore, he had long asked the Emperor for his resignation. However, the Emperor truly pitied the relationship between them and insisted on not allowing it. Of course, among the people of the older generation, the most tragic was his father-in-law in Wuzhou. During the rebellion in Jingdou, the previous Prime Minister, Lin Ruofu, had made a miscalculation and handed over all the people he had buried in the court to his good son-in-law. He had originally thought that he could make a comeback. Who would have thought that the Emperor would safely return to the capital? All of this had become like a dream-like bubble.
Not only was it a bubble, the Emperor was deeply afraid of the previous Prime Minister's dishonesty. During these two years, he had dealt with the Prime Minister's former followers miserably. Although he didn't use any sinister methods, he had completely uprooted the last of the power Lin Ruofu had left in Jingdou.
Concerning this matter, Fan Xian didn't even have the leeway to speak. He could only smile bitterly as he watched all of this. He watched as his father-in-law was terrified in Wuzhou and repeatedly secretly wrote to the Emperor, begging for forgiveness.
Fortunately, the Emperor gave both Fan Xian and Lin Wan 'er face and did not continue to pursue the matter with Lin Ruofu.
Thinking of it this way, the three old men the Emperor intended to sweep clean had already consciously retreated to the back of the stage. The Qing court was like an iron bucket. Why had Shi Fei been moved back to Jingdou? Such a powerful figure was not left in the battle to unify the world but had been moved back to the Emperor's side. Who was he targeting?
Was it him? Fan Xian's heart dimmed. He no longer thought about these questions. Raising his head, he quietly said to Deng Zi Yue, "Don't worry about the matters in Jingdou."
He paused and then said, "No matter what you hear or know, don't worry about it. You have to remember, you are an official of the Overwatch Council and the Emperor's official. I have placed you in Xiliang now for the sake of the lives of the hundreds of millions of people in Qing Kingdom. If you do this well, everything will be fine."
Deng Zi Yue was the second person to enter the Qinian Unit. He had been personally captured by Wang Qinian. Other than geezer Wang, he was Fan Xian's most trusted aide. These few years, he had been in Shangjing in Northern Qi as the head of the Fourth Bureau stationed in Northern Qi. He knew that the Commissioner was promoting him and felt endless gratitude. Hearing the Commissioner's inauspicious words, he couldn't help but be startled and speechless. His eyes were filled with worry.
The three successive heads of the Fourth Bureau's Northern Qi spy network in the Overwatch Council were Yan Bingyun, Wang Qinian, and Deng Zi Yue. They were all Fan Xian's most capable assistants. If they didn't get into an accident like Wang Qinian, they would all become the top officials of the Overwatch Council in the future.
Fan Xian looked at Deng Zi Yue calmly. "The Xiliang matter is very important. You have to handle it well. After you return to the capital, you will hold the position of head of the Fourth Bureau. This way, it will be easier to get support from the other seven bureaus. However, don't worry about the other areas for now. Let Yan Bingyun lead them. Do you understand?"
"I understand." Deng Zi Yue nodded. "Thank you for your grace."
"Don't let the Hu people take one step into my territory." Fan Xian stared into his eyes. "I have given up so many people and left you, whom I trust the most, in this desolate Xiliang Road for at least two years. You know why. Don't disappoint me."
Deng Zi Yue's heart trembled. He knelt down on one knee and solemnly said, "I will not disappoint your hopes."
Fan Xian nodded and didn't say anything more. It was Deng Zi Yue's heart that was still filled with emotion. He had followed the Commissioner for five years but had never seen him give instructions so seriously. What made him feel even more awed was that although Sir Fan junior was only a young man in his early twenties, when he gave instructions and did things, he was calm and steady like an old man who had floated in court for decades.
He hesitated for a moment and then said, "Concerning Songzhi Xianling …"
The news that Songzhi Xianling was a haitang would slowly spread out. At least for now, other than Fan Xian, only Deng Zi Yue knew this secret. Hearing this request, Fan Xian fell silent and didn't reply for a long time.
… …
A dozen days later, the imperial envoy Fan Xian's group of carriages arrived outside Jingdou. Three days ago, Fan Xian had given an order for all of the guards of honor and other eye-catching things to be removed. This trip to inspect Xiliang by imperial edict was just a formality. The secret plan was the most important. Additionally, there were some small troubles in Jingdou, so Fan Xian didn't want to be too ostentatious. Thus, the imperial envoy's guards of honor changed and became the carriages of the Fourth Bureau of the Overwatch Council.
There were no problems with the Overwatch Council's travel documents. The soldiers of the city gate department also didn't dare provoke them. The group of carriages did not wait for long outside the western city gate before heading inside. Fan Xian lifted a corner of the curtain and unconsciously looked out. He couldn't help but think of the first time he entered the capital and how he had caught a glimpse of Ye Ling 'er riding in on a horse.
Ye Ling 'er should have already arrived in Dingzhou. Thirteenth Wang would certainly report to the Fan manor during the new year. However, he didn't know if she would follow. A comforting smile rose to Fan Xian's face. He thought of the spring that year. The girl wore a light-colored dress and a white deer-skin hat. Her brows were like distant mountains, and her eyes were clear and bright.
Suddenly, a gray shadow charged past the side of the group of carriages and dangerously brushed past the carriage Fan Xian was in. This shadow was very fast and almost startled the horses of the Overwatch Council carriages. The situation was very dangerous.
The swordsmen of the Sixth Bureau of the Overwatch Council unconsciously gripped the handles of the metal drills and prepared to act at any moment.
However, Fan Xian had already seen the gray shadow clearly and shook his head. It was just a little girl on a horse. There was no need to be so nervous. However, the girl on the horse charged very quickly and completely disregarded the safety of the commoners and farmers waiting outside the city gate. It made Fan Xian involuntarily furrow his brows.
The girl on the horse had to be some noble young lady. Otherwise, she wouldn't be so arrogant. Fan Xian stuck his head out of the window and narrowed his eyes at the girl charging through the city gate. He looked at the group startled by her horse, as well as an old farmer who had fallen to the ground in fright. His mood became terrible.
There were many reasons for his terrible mood, but one of the most important was that the noble young lady was riding a horse in a dress like Ye Ling 'er. She also wore a white deer-skin hat on her head, and it was also the same as Ye Ling' er's.
"Whose family is this young lady? Her conduct is so unbearable," Fan Xian asked Mu Feng 'er beside the carriage. Mu Feng 'er's family worked in the First Bureau of Jingdou and was familiar with the members of the noble families in Jingdou. Mu Feng 'er looked at the disappearing horse in the distance and only shook his head to indicate that he didn't know.
It was a member of the Qinian Unit who had come out of the city to welcome them who said in a low voice, "It should be the young lady of the Wang family."
"The Wang family?" Fan Xian's brows rose slightly. Other than the daughter of Yanjing Governor Wang Zhikun's family, which other Wang family in Jingdou dared to be so arrogant? Two years had passed since the Jingdou rebellion. The Yanjing Camp had performed exceptionally well in quelling the rebellion. Not only had they helped the Emperor clear the entire Dongshan Road, but they had also taken control of Yan Xiaoyi's Northern Expedition Camp. Presently, Wang Zhikun was far away in Yanjing, and Shi Fei had been transferred back to Jingdou. This was the so-called Yanjing faction in the military. It was a time of great imperial favor.
"It is the young lady of Governor Wang's family. It is said that the Governor is grateful for the imperial favor and misses his old home in Jingdou, so he had this young lady return to Jingdou. The present Commander of the Jingdou Garrison, Shi Fei, was Governor Wang's subordinate in the past. This young lady calls him uncle. It is said that she liked the elegance of the young lady of Jingdou the most, so …" The member of the Qinian Unit explained in a low voice. A good subordinate would always analyze the situation for the superior to prevent any unnecessary problems.
"She wants to learn from Ye Ling 'er?" The smile at the corner of Fan Xian's lips was slightly strange. "The first time I saw Ye Ling 'er outside the city gates, the people of Jingdou automatically made way for her. I have also never seen my disciple randomly wave a whip to chase people away …"
Looking at this scene, he gradually understood who the Great Prince's Secondary fei was. His expression gradually darkened. "Don't enter the Palace first. Go around to Prince Heqing's manor."
…
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