Hearing Fan Xian's cold words, Lin Wan 'er's heart froze. She knew that her husband, who had remained calm since returning to the manor, was actually extremely angry in his heart. She gently placed a bowl of warm tea in front of Fan Xian and said evenly, "Ruoruo is still in the medical shop. Why don't you have her return to the manor in a few days and not show her face outside?"
Fan Xian shook his head and said, "Presently, my sister regards the practice of medicine as more important than anything else. Don't disturb her with this matter. I will handle it myself. If He Zongwei is relying on the Emperor's edict and wants to get close, then that is exactly what I want. "
Rou Jia's mind was spinning. She only wanted to return to the manor to see her father and then have him enter the Palace to handle this matter. She rose, bowed, and quickly left the manor to return home.
After she left, Fan Xian and Wan 'er met each other's eyes.
"You are too cunning. You purposely said this in front of Rou Jia. Isn't this forcing King Jing into the Palace to argue?"
"The King has not entered the Palace for a long time. I am forcing him into the Palace for the sake of the brothers' harmony. The Emperor should be thanking me," Fan Xian said as he shook his head. There was a glimmer of anger in his words.
Lin Wan 'er furrowed her brows and said, "But, Uncle Emperor knows that you will not agree to this marriage."
Fan Xian was a little lost in thought. He sighed and said, "These two years, the Emperor has truly favored He Zongwei. He truly hopes that I can get along with the Imperial Censorate peacefully. Furthermore, he thinks that since Ruoruo doesn't like Hongcheng, then she should like He Zongwei, the great … genius. He doesn't have any bad intentions."
There were many examples of good intentions doing bad things. Even someone as wise as the Qing Emperor was no exception. Fan Xian could empathize with the Emperor's intentions, but he couldn't resist his disdain for that toad. Thus, the most disdainful words in history were born.
…
…
A cup of tea went cold.
Fan Xian touched his hair. There was no longer a glimmer of anger on his face. "The Emperor has given me harsh words. He wants to protect He Zongwei. I don't want to have a falling out with the Palace at this time. Furthermore, whenever He Zongwei runs into me these two years, he acts like a grandson. I can't find a reason to act. "
Wan 'er quietly said, "The Emperor only hopes that you and Sir He can get along peacefully in court. I didn't think he would touch your reverse scale."
"I'm not the Son of Heaven. I'm not a dragon. I don't have any reverse scales." "For the sake of Ruoruo's marriage, I made such a big fuss back then and even moved Ku He to the Qing Kingdom. If His Majesty thinks he can control my life and my surroundings, then he's wrong. "
Fan Xian said with slight mockery, "The Emperor truly thinks highly of this marriage. If I resist to the end, he will have no choice but to withdraw the edict. However, the crime of resisting an edict is not light. Who knows what he wants to take from the Overwatch Council or the palace treasury? "
— —
In reality, Fan Xian had misunderstood the Emperor's intentions this time. Although the Emperor of the Qing Kingdom was the most powerful man in the world, he was only a commoner. After learning of Fan Ruoruo's return to the capital, the Emperor's heart jumped. Naturally, he thought of He Zongwei, who was still unmarried. He thought that King Jing's side had long been hopeless, so he was willing to let His Highness's officials have a good match.
He Zongwei was an older man, and Fan Ruoruo was an older woman. The Emperor thought he was doing a good deed. He only lightly asked to see if this matter could be carried out. He thought An Zhi would be able to understand his intentions. Unexpectedly, his reaction was to clash head-on in the royal study.
The Emperor was already showing mercy by not punishing Fan Xian for the crime of roaring in front of the Emperor. He could not understand. An Zhi, you are a loyal official, and He Zongwei is also a very loyal official. The marriage between two loyal officials is truly a beautiful matter that will be praised for thousands of years. Why are you so angry and out of control?
Do you have other thoughts in your heart? No one knew whether or not the Emperor had such dark thoughts in his heart. Just as Lin Wan 'er had said, the Qing Emperor was a valiant ruler. If Fan Xian had asked nicely, perhaps there would have been a chance to turn this matter around. However, Fan Xian's clashing head-on strengthened the Emperor's resolve.
He would not allow anyone in the world to go against his edict, not even his most trusted and favored Fan Xian.
In an instant, the news of the marriage between the Fan manor and the He manor spread throughout Jingdou. Although the Palace had not issued a clear edict, according to those with inside information, this matter was already set in stone and could not be changed.
The civil and military officials thought about it carefully. This marriage was indeed of great benefit to the court. The Emperor's heart was indeed distant. However, everyone knew of Fan Xian's attitude toward He Zongwei and knew that he would certainly oppose it. No matter how powerful Fan Xian was, in the end, he was only an official. Could he be more powerful than the Emperor?
After hearing that Scholar Hu had personally entered the Fan manor to persuade Fan Xian to agree to this marriage, the news reached its peak.
The officials who had been dealt with wretchedly by the Overwatch Council and the people who were usually intimidated by Fan Xian's power all began to wait for the day the young lady of the Fan family married into the He manor. They waited to see Sir Fan junior's expression when he swallowed a fly alive. They prepared to see the best joke.
Fan Xian's performance since entering the capital had been too perfect. He had put too much pressure on many people. It was a rare opportunity to see Sir Fan junior lose his composure, anger, and helplessness. No one wanted to miss it. Thus, countless people secretly cheered for He Zongwei.
Unexpectedly, Fan Xian did not do anything. He did not enter the Palace again to argue with the Emperor. He also did not kick open the Imperial Censorate's doors and give He Zongwei a beating. Everyone felt it was strange. The story of Fan Xian personally giving He Zongwei a black fist in the manor was a long-circulated gossip in Jingdou. Now, Fan Xian watched as his sister was about to marry Sir He, yet he was still able to appear so calm. Had Sir Fan junior's personality changed?
In less than two days, everyone knew the reason for Fan Xian's calmness. He had no intention of putting on a show for the court. Instead, he sat calmly to the side, waiting to see others make a joke of themselves.
To see the Emperor make a joke of himself.
King Jing, who had not entered the Palace for two years and only knew how to uproot weeds for fun, entered the Palace late one night and had a big argument with the Emperor. According to the eunuchs in the Palace, the argument was unusually intense. In the end, King Jing even broke a blue and white porcelain brush washer in the royal study.
In the end, King Jing left angrily. When he was young, he had not beaten his brother in a fight. It looked like he had not won an argument now either.
Immediately after, the next day, King Jing went to the Imperial Censorate. Without any consideration for his dignity, he pointed at He Zongwei and gave him a torrent of abuse. It made He Zongwei's expression change dramatically, but he could only repeatedly nod his head.
King Jing's status was too noble. Neither Taichang Temple nor the internal court dared to control him, much less the Jingdou government, city gate guards, and other yamens that maintained public order.
Only now did everyone remember that three years ago, there seemed to be a vague edict in the Palace that the young lady of the Fan family was prepared to marry King Jing's heir, Li Hongcheng. Thus, the people watching the show all shut their mouths, terrified that one day King Jing would come knocking on their door.
This was King Jing creating havoc in the Imperial Censorate, and the little Duke's miraculous hands had reversed the situation.
In the words of Fan Xian, who sat peacefully in his manor drinking tea and listening to the show, when King Jing went out, he was worth two. If the Emperor wanted to randomly marry, he could find someone who was not afraid of anything to come out and deal with him.
…
…
As for this matter, the Emperor knew that Fan Xian had done it in secret. However, he didn't have any good methods to deal with his brother. He only had the internal court go to the manor to announce the edict and give King Jing a good scolding. He couldn't bring out any practical methods to stop the manor from loosening the soil and digging the walls.
In King Jing's view, his son Li Hongcheng had waited bitterly in Dingzhou for Fan Ruoruo for three years. For the Emperor to suddenly have the young lady of the Fan family marry He Zongwei, this was truly shameless digging.
Fan Xian calmly watched the development of this drama in his manor. As long as the Palace's decree to appoint a marriage did not enter the manor, he had time to watch. Although King Jing had not asked about matters for a long time, with his identity and status, the Emperor had to be wary of his brother's emotions.
After some time, the situation in Jingdou calmly became much calmer. The Palace, Fan manor, and King Jing's manor were still in a tug-of-war. He Zongwei himself did not express any attitude. The first news Fan Xian received from the Palace was that the Emperor had already raised this marriage to him. Sir He was not surprised by the favor or humiliation. He only calmly thanked the Emperor and expressed his willingness.
Although the marriage of the young lady of the Fan family had a great impact, it could not affect the operation of the court. The problem was behind this marriage. The Emperor's intentions and the harmonious development of the Qing court in the future were the most important.
More perceptive people noticed that the struggle between the Emperor and Fan Xian was not as simple as a matter of face. It was a suppression and counter-suppression between ruler and official. In this world, if the east wind did not suppress the west wind, then the west wind would suppress the east wind.
The Emperor was currently testing the east wind. Unexpectedly, he had mistakenly struck King Jing's old battle drum.
… …
It was already winter. The cold air seemed to be about to freeze. However, it was loosened slightly by the heat of the furnaces in the private residences. Amidst the mingling of the icy west wind and the warmth of the tens of thousands of furnaces, Thirteenth Wang and Ye Ling 'er, who had stayed in Qingzhou to recover, finally returned to Jingdou.
Because of the Second Prince's suicide by poison, Ye Ling 'er was still unable to completely let go of her father. Thus, she only sent a letter back to the Ye manor before moving into the Fan manor to keep Lin Wan' er company.
Fan Xian could only personally go to the Bureau of Military Affairs to inform Ye Zhong. After hearing the news, the foremost person in the Qing military sighed sadly and patted Fan Xian's shoulder. He didn't say anything else.
Ye Zhong knew that his daughter was living in the Fan manor, so there was no problem. Thinking of Fan Ruoruo's recent marriage, he couldn't resist asking Fan Xian about it.
As the head of the Bureau of Military Affairs, he also didn't understand why the Emperor had to make Fan Xian lose face. He also didn't understand why Fan Xian continued to resist. In his opinion, Sir He had already entered the Hall of Governmental Affairs and was a good match for Fan Ruoruo. As long as Fan Xian nodded, King Jing's side would not be able to find any more reason to make trouble. Everything would become smooth.
It seemed that everyone knew of the Emperor's stubbornness but had overlooked Fan Xian's. No one could force Fan Xian to do anything he didn't want to do, not even the Emperor.
Fan Xian didn't explain to Ye Zhong. He only laughed and left the Bureau of Military Affairs. He didn't return to the manor. Instead, he sat in the carriage and headed in the direction of the Imperial College.
His wife and Ye Ling 'er were gossiping in the manor, but he was going to see the gossip. Ye Ling' er and Thirteenth Wang had already returned to the capital. Hongcheng had also returned. King Jing's old battle drum was about to be broken by the Emperor. He had to personally go out and light this fire.
The carriage came to a stop at the intersection of Dongchuan Street. Fan Xian went into a restaurant not far from the bookstore and ordered a few side dishes. As he slowly ate, he looked in the direction of the bookstore. Across from Danbo Bookstore was a medical shop. Fan Xian had personally chosen the name. The words had been written by Shu Wu.
The medical shop managed by the young lady of the Fan family had received great praise throughout Jingdou in a short amount of time. Her medical skills were exquisite, and her fees were low. She didn't care about the status of the patients. She only had to wait in line for consultation and medicine. Before long, she had won the praise of the common people of Jingdou. It was almost dusk, but there was still a long line in front of the medical shop in the cold wind. The capable servants Lin Wan 'er had sent from the Fan manor were maintaining order outside the shop and handing out hot soup. All of the details were taken care of.
Fan Xian narrowed his eyes and looked in that direction. Indeed, he saw the slightly black-faced official. Who else could it be but He Zongwei? Due to the pressure from the Palace, he couldn't hit He Zongwei every time he saw him. Furthermore, he found that He Zongwei was indeed clever. He knew that everyone's words were fake. Only the young lady of the Fan family's nod was real.
Recently, after He Zongwei left court, he would come to the medical shop to greet Fan Ruoruo before returning home. The guard between men and women in the Qing Kingdom was not as strict as in Northern Qi. Additionally, Fan Ruoruo practiced medicine on the streets, so she didn't have to worry so much. Thus, no one could stop He Zongwei from greeting her politely. Now, this had become news that everyone in Jingdou knew. It had already become a much-told tale.
Fan Xian's eyesight was very good. He saw clearly that his sister would occasionally say a few words to He Zongwei as she consulted. He was not surprised by this. As early as five years ago in Yishi Tavern, he knew that his sister and He Zongwei knew each other. They had probably met at the poetry conference in King Jing's manor. At that time, the young lady of the Fan family was a talented girl in Jingdou, and He Zongwei was a scholar in Jingdou. Naturally, the two of them knew each other.
He sighed in his heart. Thinking of how everyone in Jingdou had changed these years, he couldn't help but feel a little strange.
Back then, He Zongwei's arrogance had yet to be shed. His face was as black as charcoal. Even if he wanted to flatter him, it would appear unnatural. Thus, he was not in Fan Xian's eyes at all. Who would have thought that after a few years, this person would actually become so calm and steady. Perhaps there was still a bit of arrogance in his bones, but when he did things, there was not a trace of arrogance. The speed at which he matured was truly astounding.
No wonder this person still received the support of most of the officials in court and the favor of the person in the Palace despite Fan Xian's purposeful slander.
Fan Xian sat in the restaurant and watched with cold eyes. He wanted to see whether or not He Zongwei had the ability to suddenly launch a surprise attack and resolve this stalemate while he and the Emperor were wrestling.
At this moment, a rider galloped over from the other end of the street. Fan Xian put down his wine cup and smiled with narrowed eyes. He thought to himself that his surprise attack had finally arrived.
King Jing's heir, Li Hongcheng, had returned to the capital to debrief. He had just come out of the Palace and did not return to the manor. He did not remove his armor or even bring a personal guard. Instead, he asked for the location of the medical shop and came alone to it.
Fan Xian watched from a distance in the restaurant. He saw Li Hongcheng dismount from his horse and calmly greet He Zongwei. He then said a few words to Ruoruo. He was too far away, so he didn't know the contents of their conversation. However, he could see that his sister's expression was one of joy at seeing an old friend. Immediately after, Li Hongcheng said something and began to argue with Fan Ruoruo.
Fan Xian's heart tightened. He stuck out half his head. He understood his sister's icy nature very well. He wondered if Li Hongcheng had said something inappropriate and offended his sister.
At this moment, He Zongwei seemed to have come forward to explain a bit, but Li Hongcheng did not even look at him. He ordered the servants of Fan Manor to close the door of the medical shop. Then, under Fan Ruoruo's slightly angry gaze, he unreasonably grabbed her and put her on a horse.
Amidst the clip-clop of the horse's hooves, the heir of King Jing, who had just returned to the capital, grabbed the young lady of the Fan family and mounted his horse. He then rode in the direction of the Fan manor.
It left behind a street of missing jaws. At that time, there were no spectacles.
Seeing this scene, Fan Xian couldn't help but be dumbfounded. His expression was very ugly. He thought to himself that Hongcheng was quite something. A few years ago, he only knew how to read poetry and pretend to be cultured. Now, after fighting in Dingzhou for three years, he knew how to play the tyrant.
The servants of the Fan manor and the servants of the medical shop, as well as the patients waiting to be seen, were also dumbfounded. However, these Fan manor servants knew what had happened recently and what trouble King Jing's manor had been making. The Fan manor and King Jing's manor had a good relationship, so these people pretended not to see this scene.
The most dumbfounded person was, of course, Sir He Zongwei, who had maintained his elegance and bearing. The medical shop closed its doors. The people gradually dispersed. Sir He stood alone in the doorway of the medical shop and looked at the street in a daze. He did not dare go to the Fan manor because he was afraid Fan Xian would actually beat him. Thus, he could only watch helplessly. This scene looked extremely wretched.
…
…
Fan Xian slowly came to his senses and recovered his calm. He knew that Li Hongcheng would not do anything rash. He had probably exploded in anger after hearing the news on the road, which was why he was acting so forcefully. If Fan Xian had to choose his brother-in-law, Li Hongcheng, who had broken off his relationships with women and turned over a new leaf, was much better than He Zongwei. Thinking of this, a smile rose to his face.
"Invite Sir He up here to sit." He slowly placed the wine cup on the table and ordered Mu Feng 'er behind him.
In a moment, He Zongwei entered the restaurant with his brows furrowed and sat across from Fan Xian. This was the first time in many years that the two of them had met in private. Fan Xian gently used his finger to spin the small wine cup. He knew that there were spies from the Palace downstairs. They should be the attendants the Emperor had bestowed to He Zongwei, but he did not care much.
"Eat." Fan Xian raised his chopsticks.
Although He Zongwei didn't know why Sir Fan junior had summoned him, he was not afraid. Very shamelessly, he began to eat. Looking at his posture, if Fan Xian did not shout for him to stop, he would not put down his chopsticks.
Looking at this scene, Fan Xian felt a bit of admiration for this person. There were not many people in the world who could be so natural under his gaze. Furthermore, this person knew very well that Fan Xian greatly disliked him.
After the food and wine, Fan Xian calmly said, "Sir He, you have come to the medical shop to look after us these days. As your brother, I must thank you."
"You are too polite," He Zongwei replied with a slightly astringent smile.
Fan Xian raised his brows and said, "You saw the scene earlier. You should know what King Jing's attitude is."
He Zongwei was slightly absent-minded. After a moment, he slowly said, "You have good methods."
"This has nothing to do with methods." Fan Xian looked at him and said straightforwardly, "I've never had a chance to sit and talk with you. Today is a rare opportunity, so I'll tell you directly. This matter is impossible, so you should give up on it. "
He Zongwei's slightly dark face froze. A moment later, he said sincerely, "Sir, I know …"
Fan Xian tilted his head and listened to the other person's words. It went in one ear and came out the other. He Zongwei sincerely spoke of his admiration for Fan Ruoruo and explained everything he had done these years. He humbly hoped that Fan Xian would give him a chance.
"I don't have any objections," Fan Xian said. "Right now, it is King Jing's manor that has objections to this matter."
"Last time, when the Palace appointed the heir to King Jing's marriage, it was blocked by you." He Zongwei was not flustered at all. His eyelids were slightly lowered as a stubborn light flashed through them.
"When water comes, we drown it with earth. When the edict comes, we burn it with fire. If I can block it once, I can block it a second time." These words were treasonous, but Fan Xian said it in front of He Zongwei. He was bullying him for not daring to use these words to enter the Palace and report him to the Emperor. "Don't think that just because the Emperor has said something to you, you can have wishful thinking. Or, does Sir He think that by currying favor with Ruoruo, you can let me go? "
"You also know that I dislike you, so you don't mind offending me one more time. However, I must remind you that there are degrees to offending me. If you offend me too much, I will actually go to your manor with a kitchen knife to find you. "
Fan Xian reminded him seriously.
…
…
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