(Before I wrote, I looked and found that Wang Tong 'er's Xun character showed a different form. Perhaps it was too skewed. Xun means beautiful. Now, it looks like it needs to be changed to Tong. Also, I want to report something to everyone. I am seriously reserving monthly tickets after the 28th because I want to enter the top three. I clenched my fist and spoke in a low and forceful voice.)
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Fan Xian had been in the royal study for a long time. In the beginning, he picked the most important things to talk about. Presently, what the Qing Kingdom cared about the most was the situation in Xiliang Road and to what extent the plan the Emperor had the Overwatch Council prepare four months ago had been carried out. Fan Xian spoke confidently and with assurance. The Emperor listened quietly. There was not a trace of dissatisfaction on his face. He even said a few rare words of comfort to Fan Xian, saying that he had worked hard.
Feeling that the environment was suitable and the timing was just right, Fan Xian's eyes spun. He took this opportunity to say a few idle words about the Great Prince taking a Secondary fei. The gist of this idle talk was completely different from the response he had discussed with the Great Prince in the manor. He directly used words to humiliate the young lady of the Wang family. At the same time, he expressed his strong desire as an official not to participate in the affairs of the royal family.
Just as Fan Xian had expected, the Emperor flew into a rage upon hearing these words. He reprimanded Fan Xian, pointed out his identity as an official of Taichang Temple, and said harsh words about the matter of the Prince taking a Secondary fei. This storm did not make Fan Xian feel any fear. He had been with this unfathomable Emperor for a long time. Although he was still unable to see into the depths of his heart, at least he had a clear understanding of his personality and likes. However, such a vigorous scolding often meant that the matter was not serious.
As expected, Fan Xian took the opportunity to suggest that since he was an official of Taichang Temple and the Emperor was going to marry the young lady of the Wang family to the Great Prince, he had to think for the sake of the royal family's face. Should he teach the young lady some things? These things were usually done by the old nannies in the Palace, yet Fan Xian, a young man, had stolen them. It was unavoidably comical. However, the Emperor did not laugh. He directly told Fan Xian not to meddle in other people's business, but he did not get angry.
The Emperor had probably long known of the story outside the manor and had long guessed why his favorite son had insisted on not allowing it earlier and what benefits he had asked for.
Just as Fan Xian felt slightly more at ease, he heard the words "Zhaoshang money house."
These four words were like a deep brand, burning his heart, causing him to lower his head and remain silent for a moment. He knew why the Emperor had chosen this moment to have him hand over Zhaoshang money house. It was because he had gotten used to this kind of sudden thunder over the past two years.
If it weren't for his thick skin, he would have been struck by lightning in the past two years.
Was this the so-called unfathomable Saint's heart? Fan Xian thought to himself that although the Emperor doted on him to the extreme and allowed him to be free and arrogant in the Qing court, he still did not forget to give him a warning from time to time.
Yes, this was what a king would do to the person closest to him. He wanted to wake him up so that he wouldn't get carried away and ruin the relationship between a king and his subject, or a father and son. Ever since the Jingdou rebellion, each time Fan Xian had performed a great service for the court or been heavily rewarded by the Emperor, the Emperor would always lightly throw out some things or names to frighten Fan Xian and make him understand the position he was in.
The stick the Emperor used to beat Fan Xian with in court was He Zongwei and his group of officials. The real thunder that he struck in private was the things Fan Xian had done in secret.
Counting carefully, the things that had served as the Emperor's thunder these two years included the details of Xia Mingji, Xia Qifei's relationship with the Jiangnan water bandits, Fan Sizhe's smuggling in the North, the first thunder about Xu Maocai's impure intentions, why Thirteenth Wang had sought refuge with Fan Xian, and so on and so forth.
Each thunder struck directly into Fan Xian's heart and made his entire body cold. He didn't seem to have any secrets in front of the Emperor. If these crimes were truly brought out, they would all result in beheading. He knew the Emperor would not bear to use these crimes against him. He was only reminding him. Even so, his entire body was still cold. He felt that the Grandmaster Emperor on the dragon couch could swallow him with a casual breath.
Fortunately, Fan Xian was not a normal official. Faced with the Emperor's thunder, his way of dealing with it was also unique. He could only rely on his thick skin. He would admit to the crimes that he had to admit to, but he would continue to do what he had to do. In any case, the Emperor didn't want to kill him, so he would continue to muddle along like this.
However, he couldn't muddle along anymore. Zhaoshang money house was too important to Fan Xian. Regardless of whether it was the Overwatch Council's expenses, the silver moved to the Yangtze River to repair the embankments, the Hangzhou Conference that Wan 'er hosted, or even the luxurious lifestyle of the entire clan and Chen Garden, they all came from Zhaoshang money house.
Most importantly, Zhaoshang money house had once hidden millions of liang of silver from the Northern Qi Emperor. Once it was known, this crime of betraying the country could not be hidden no matter how Fan Xian pretended to be a filial son and wailed.
A few lines of cold sweat rolled down his back. Three years ago, when he had subdued the old man of the Ming family who was not afraid of boiling water, Zhaoshang money house had been forced to walk onto the stage. He had guessed that this matter would certainly arouse the Emperor's suspicions. The Ministry of Revenue had not moved this much silver. The Emperor would certainly wonder where the silver in the money house came from.
Fan Xian had made a lot of preparations for this secret. He confirmed that he had already cleaned up the accounts in the North. In the past, the Emperor had also asked about the source of Zhaoshang money house's money. At that time, Fan Xian had used the most famous rumor in the world to brush it off. Everyone thought that the mysterious shares in Zhaoshang money house were the secret wealth that the commander of the Northern Qi Brocade Guards, Shen Zhong, had saved up after decades of operation.
Now, the Emperor had asked directly. Furthermore, he had mentioned the young lady of the Shen family, who had been married to Yan Bingyun for less than three months. He was warning Fan Xian that the young lady of the Shen family had always been under his control, but she had also always been in the Emperor's eyes. Don't use the Shen family's inheritance as a bluff again.
Two more lines of cold sweat appeared on Fan Xian's back. However, it was already late autumn and the beginning of winter. Although there was a fire burning in the royal study, it was still cold. The official robes he wore were thick. For a moment, it was impossible to tell. His expression remained valiantly calm. "Your Majesty, what do you want to explain?"
The Emperor's expression darkened. He was very displeased that this kid still wanted to bluff his way out of such a private conversation.
He had no idea that Fan Xian's heart was beating like a drum. He wondered if the little Emperor in the North held a grudge against him for wantonly killing Northern Qi spies in Xiliang Road and thus tossed out this secret agreement and used the Qing Emperor's hand to kill him. Did Northern Qi hate him that much? Were they willing to pay such a high price to get rid of him?
Fan Xian's expression could no longer maintain its calm. Sweat beaded slightly on his forehead. He thought, Since that little strange creature from Northern Qi dared to toss out knives, who knew if he dared to toss out the money house?
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the clear displeasure on the Emperor's face. Seeing this displeasure, Fan Xian was overjoyed.
If the Emperor truly knew the inside story of this matter and wanted to take him down, given his shrewdness and cultivation, how could he be so "sincerely" displeased?
Fan Xian smiled awkwardly and coughed dryly. He then said, "The silver at the beginning of Zhaoshang money house was indeed not the Shen family's treasure. It was my own private stash."
This answer was very clever.
If a normal official had heard these words, they would certainly have cursed Fan Xian for being shameless and disgusting. Zhaoshang money house had millions of liang of silver as its foundation. Whose private stash could be that much? However, when the Emperor heard these words, he clearly revealed an expression as if he knew everything. Faintly, he said, "As expected. When did Lao Wu give this money to you?"
Fan Xian laughed bitterly and replied respectfully, "It was only before I went to Jiangnan that Uncle Wu Zhu knew I needed money."
The Emperor looked at him and shook his head. "Lao Wu is also messing around. Why would he give such a large sum of silver to a child like you?"
Fan Xian let out a big breath in his heart. He knew that the Emperor was, as he had expected, thinking of the old Ye family. However, there was still a strange smile on his face. It was as if he was silently criticizing the Emperor for coveting this money. It was also as if he was silently criticizing the Emperor for helping him earn millions of liang of silver after he took over the Jiangnan palace treasury, yet he was still not satisfied.
The Emperor clearly saw what Fan Xian's expression was hiding. He angrily scolded him in a low voice. A moment later, he forcefully suppressed his anger and pretended to be unintentional. "This palace treasury was left behind by your mother. Do you think I care about those millions of liang of silver? However, don't spend the silver your mother left you carelessly. "
Fan Xian did not dare to be negligent. He quickly explained each and every use of Zhaoshang money house's money. The Emperor knew these things very well, but it was always better to explain them clearly one by one. Furthermore, now that he had made it clear, he couldn't bring up old debts in the future.
The Emperor stroked his beard with satisfaction and nodded his head. "Of course, it is good to use it for good deeds. Chen 'er is also someone who can do things. Don't always lock her up in the manor. When she has nothing to do, let her enter the Palace to keep me company."
Fan Xian thought to himself that he had never locked up his lovely wife. Presently, she was busy managing the affairs of the entire Fan family. Additionally, because of the Jingdou rebellion, it was inevitable that she would develop some conflicting feelings toward her uncle, the Emperor. She did not want to enter the Palace.
"Take good care of the matters in the West." The Emperor stood and suddenly thought of something. Pretending to be unintentional, he asked, "Where did Lao Wu go?"
"I don't know where he went." Fan Xian also quickly stood and said, "I saw him once two years ago."
"This kid always likes to disappear. How did he learn the same temper as Uncle Ye?" The Emperor said with a headache. He then waved his hand, indicating for Fan Xian to leave.
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The door to the royal study was finally pushed open. Fan Xian walked out with a calm expression. Seeing Eunuch Yao waiting to the side, he nodded his head in greeting. Eunuch Yao quickly lowered his body and bowed. Lowering his voice, he asked, "How is Your Majesty's mood?"
Fan Xian smiled. The dark clouds on his face quickly turned into a patch of sunlight. It was incomparably brilliant, but his mood was heavy. Every time he entered the Palace to see the Emperor, it was a day of suffering for him. The omnipresent pressure and the sense of authority of an Emperor and Grandmaster made him very uncomfortable. Particularly, he had to occasionally endure a lightning strike like the one he had today. It was truly unpleasant.
When the Emperor asked about Wu Zhu's whereabouts at the end, Fan Xian couldn't help but mock coldly in his heart. Of the two foreign Great Grandmasters, one was dead and the other was crippled. Ye Liuyun's existence was clearly not necessary for the Qing Kingdom. This figure, whose nature was like that of a wild crane or a leisurely cloud, had truly floated far away after helping the Qing Emperor complete the situation at Dong Mountain. It was impossible for him to appear again. Although the Emperor had acted naturally when he asked about Wu Zhu, Fan Xian knew that the Emperor had always been secretly cautious and on guard toward Uncle Wu Zhu.
As for why it was like this, Fan Xian knew very well.
Walking along the long eaves of Taiji Palace toward the lofty Royal Palace, his expression gradually calmed. Private conversations like this in the royal study had occurred many times. From the discomfort he had felt when he first faced the lightning to how he handled it now, Fan Xian had grown a great deal.
Standing under the lofty Taiji Palace and looking at the stone steps carved with dragon clouds, Fan Xian took a deep breath and let the cold early winter air quickly enter his chest. The icy coldness was incomparably comfortable.
The things the Emperor knew were things Fan Xian was not afraid of letting him know. Although the lightning strikes were terrifying, they could not shatter the hard outer shell in Fan Xian's heart. He still had many secrets that he had successfully kept from the Emperor, such as Zhaoshang money house, the death of a few shopkeepers in Qingyu Hall, Uncle Wu Zhu's true whereabouts, and a small workshop slowly taking shape in a small country controlled by Dongyi.
For example, he knew that there was a soul in his body that did not belong to this world. For example, he knew how a similar soul had appeared in this world in a moving manner and disappeared in this world in a heart-wrenching manner.
These were all things that the omnipotent Qing Emperor did not know. These were Fan Xian's trump cards. The Emperor also did not know that his two greatest cards, the chest and Uncle Wu Zhu, had already left him and had gone somewhere unknown.
His eyes narrowed as he looked at the sturdy Royal Palace across the long imperial road. His gaze went past the city walls and straight through the cold clouds in the sky. It was as if he could see some of the past from many years ago, as well as the bloody and fiery killing two years ago.
The eunuchs and serving girls walking quietly inside the Royal Palace looked at the young man under Taiji Palace and quickly lowered their bodies in greeting. In their hearts, they were confused. Why was Sir Fan junior in a daze?
Fan Xian's gaze pierced through the clouds and seemed to land on the distant snowy plains in the north. It was as if he saw a man with a black cloth over his eyes carrying a chest and walking alone and resolutely toward an unknown wondrous place.
Each step of that person broke through countless snowflakes. Each glance saw through endless illusions.
Fan Xian smiled warmly in the shadows of the palace. He sincerely wished that Uncle Wu Zhu would be able to find him. This was perhaps the most important thing in his life.
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Presently, the restaurant with the best business in Jingdou was Yishi Tavern. Although the owner of this restaurant was no longer the Cui family under the protection of the Eldest Princess. A long time ago, the Cui family had been uprooted by the Overwatch Council for smuggling to Northern Qi. But business here was as good as ever.
Students of the Imperial College and scholars from other places liked to visit Danbo Bookstore the most. It had to be known that under the strict crackdown of the Eighth Bureau, there had been no aunties carrying children and selling little red books on the streets and alleys of Jingdou for many years.
The inn with the best business was the Tongfu Inn. The tofu shop with the most customers was the private property of the Fan family. As for the brothel with the most business and the highest class … it was the Baoyue Brothel.
Traveling to Jingdou, now that things had changed, often consisted of eating at Yishi Tavern, staying at Tongfu Tavern, eating a bowl of tofu on the road, strolling into Danbo Bookstore to buy a couple of books, and at night going to Baoyue Brothel to embrace a few beautiful women.
Without a doubt, it was because of that person called Fan Xian.
Yishi Tavern was the beginning of Fan Xian's legendary life. From Danzhou to Jingdou, his meeting with Crown Prince Jing and He Zongwei began in this restaurant. Given the status of these three people, Yishi Tavern naturally had a magical feeling. Of course, the most important thing was that the story of Sir Fan junior's black fist had shocked Jingdou. Through countless storytellers, it had spread throughout the world.
Tongfu Tavern was the birthplace of Fan Xian's four disciples. The other three places were Fan Xian's property. Let's not repeat Fan Xian's string of halos, because it is a very tiring thing to do. One only needed to notice this fact to know Fan Xian's reputation and status in the entire Qing Kingdom.
There were many people who hated Fan Xian, and even more who loved him. But very few people were like the owner of the medical shop opposite Danbo Bookstore, who had such complicated feelings toward him.
The medical shop had just been bought and had not yet opened for business. The medicine seemed to be piled up in a messy but orderly fashion.
A girl wearing a plain-colored brocade robe was supporting her chin in a daze in the room filled with the smell of medicine. She did not notice that there were already too many random people gathered outside the medical shop. If it weren't for the manor guards and secret Overwatch Council agents blocking them, those people would probably have long squeezed into the medical shop.
Master Ku He's last disciple, the young lady of the Fan family with astonishing medical skills, and Sir Fan junior's favorite sister had finally left Qing Mountain and returned to her hometown of Jingdou. Under the surprised gazes of the Jingdou people and the room filled with the strange smell of medicine, she began to miss certain people.
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