Of course, I didn't explode. I was just making up a chapter about getting drunk on National Day. Hmm, I didn't think there would be a day when I would make up a chapter. I am becoming more and more diligent.
…
…
After Fan Xian finished speaking, the Northern Qi Emperor did not think of the legendary blind Great Master. He did not, because of these words, begin to reflect on the mistakes he had made during these two years because of the Qing Kingdom's powerful pressure. He only stared at Fan Xian in shock and unconsciously raised his hand to rub his forehead. The anger in his eyes gradually deepened. In the end, he could not suppress it. In a low voice, he roared, "You dare to hit me!"
Fan Xian dared to hit him. Since he dared to kidnap an Emperor, he dared to hit him a few times. The little Emperor knew this. He just could not accept that Fan Xian would use a blow to hit him on the forehead. This kind of fighting was not a battle to the death. In his eyes, it carried a clear sense of humiliation.
Fan Xian paid no attention to his anger. Furrowing his brows, he said, "During these years, you and I have worked well together. I think I have brought a great deal of benefit to Northern Qi. But, you constantly want me dead. Is that not too much?"
The little Emperor was still tormented by pain and humiliation. He stared at Fan Xian in disbelief. It was as if he didn't know where such a strange being had jumped out of this world to not have any respect for a worker like the Emperor.
Fan Xian saw him gritting his teeth like a little lion and was instead amused. Shrugging his shoulders, he said, "I am just pointing out the big mistake you have made."
He suddenly closed his eyes and thought for a moment. In a quiet voice, he said, "Originally, the impression you left on me was that you were a shrewd ruler. However, your actions these past two years have been too eager for quick success. The world is so beautiful, yet you are so violent. This is not good, not good."
The Northern Qi Emperor knew that the situation was not in his favor. He had fallen into Fan Xian's hands. Additionally, the Great Grandmaster in the Sword Hut who had never shown himself was leaning toward him. The officials outside the Sword Hut would probably not be able to enter the Sword Hut to save him. He could only forcefully suppress the anger in his heart and coldly say, "Why do I need to explain my actions to you?"
"You don't need to explain to anyone, but you need to explain to me." Fan Xian's eyes narrowed, and a cold light flashed. "I've given you too many benefits. Even if it's an investment, you have to report it to me, the shareholder, instead of trying to kill me."
The negotiation between the two men returned to the original place. The Northern Qi Emperor was silent for a long time. Slowly, she said, "I must admit that you have helped me a great deal in the past few years, but …"
"But what?"
"However, you are, after all, the Qing Emperor's illegitimate child." The little Emperor smiled self-mockingly and stood up out of habit, placing her hands behind her back. If this was any other time, this movement would definitely be incomparably elegant and full of emperor's aura. However, today, he was dizzy from the shock and his ankle was sprained. How could he stand steadily? With a cry, he fell down.
Fan Xian reached out and scooped him back onto the bed, looking at him calmly.
The little Emperor furrowed her brows and said, "You are a person of the Qing Kingdom and the Qing Emperor's illegitimate child. Regardless of whether or not I believe you have the sincerity to carry out the agreement, even mother and the officials in court cannot place this illusory hope on a powerful official of the Qing Kingdom."
He closed his eyes and slowly said, "You are not a person of Qi. You don't know how the Ruler and people of Qi have lived these years after Imperial Advisor Ku He's death. The Qing Kingdom is ready for battle and could send out troops to invade at any moment. Although I have planned for a long time, in the end, the time is still short. It is difficult for the national strength to support a continuous war for many years. Under such circumstances, all past friendships and promises are empty. I must place my hope on my people, even Dongyi. I cannot place my hope on you."
Fan Xian listened quietly. He knew this logic was actually very simple. Never mind the Northern Qi Emperor, even Haitang, Chen Pingping, and his father did not think he would actually help Northern Qi fight against the Qing Kingdom.
If he was going to be a traitor, there had to be some benefits. Presently, Fan Xian was a figure in the Qing Kingdom who stood above tens of thousands of people. If he sold out the Qing Kingdom's interests, did he want the Northern Qi Emperor to give him the throne?
He smiled self-mockingly, thinking that no one in the world would believe this, much less the Ruler and people of Northern Qi. However, he had never thought about selling out the Qing Kingdom's interests to satisfy Northern Qi's request to establish a country. He only wanted to do his best to ease the possibility of a bloody battle to the end and rivers of blood.
Just as Li Hongcheng had criticized him in the Dingzhou General's manor, this was a childish and absurd idea. Furthermore, from a certain point of view, it was basically impossible.
From this, it seemed that it was only natural that Northern Qi wanted to kill Fan Xian, a powerful Qing official, and tie Dongyi to their own chariot.
As for the legendary blind Great Master? It was not that the Northern Qi Emperor did not know of this person. However, his whereabouts were too mysterious. Even if he was truly a Great Grandmaster standing behind Fan Xian, the threat he posed to Northern Qi was not as real as the powerful Qing Emperor and the powerful Qing army.
Seeing that Fan Xian had sunk into thought, the Northern Qi Emperor did not disturb him. Instead, he also closed his eyes and began to think about his situation and what might happen next.
One was the ruler of the North, and the other was an official of the South. Just like that, they faced each other in the quiet room, each with their own thoughts. They did not know that time flowed by like water. Without them realizing it, the sunset outside the Hut was like blood. It shone on the sword pit, making the branches of the ancient broken swords seem to be dyed with the blood of thousands of years. No matter how long they were washed by the sea wind and rain, they could not be washed clean.
Fan Xian stood up and walked to the window. He looked at the large pit in silence. He knew what the countless swords in the pit represented. They represented Sigu Jian's world-dominating sword skills and power. They represented the position of the Sword Hut in the hearts of the people. They represented the deaths of countless swordsmen and the legends that made one's blood boil.
For any kind of reputation or status to remain stable, it actually needed a baptism of swords and blood.
In this world, Fan Xian did not have any ability to distinguish or judge how to give those who came after a better future. Did it also need a baptism of blood and fire from the South to the North? Even though he had once discussed it with Yan Bingyun and argued with Li Hongcheng, he still did not have the ability to judge whether the separation of the world or the unification of it would be more beneficial. Prolonged pain? Short pain? Thank you. That was a question for historians. It was not a question that creatures born in the present needed to consider. Creatures only needed to consider the present. This was a selfish instinct of living things.
Fan Xian was, without question, a selfish person. After he died, even if there was a flood, he only hoped that while he was alive, this world was like the one he liked. There were flowers, trees, grass, insects, birds, people, poems and paintings, wine and gold, no pain, no disaster, and no blood.
Now, he deeply saw himself as a Qing person and not the internationalist warrior he had been in the beginning. Sadly, he had grown into a pacifist. He hoped that while he was alive and his children were alive, Spiderman or Takashi Kato's famous hand gesture could always be raised.
The Overwatch Council's nurturing from a young age and many years of jumping between life and death had allowed Fan Xian to grow into a pacifist. This appeared absurd and inconceivable, but it also proved from another angle that when a person was lying on a sickbed waiting for death, the obsession born could affect him for a lifetime or even two lifetimes.
Only by knowing the terror of death did one know that one should treasure life.
…
…
"I know the reason for your mistake," Fan Xian slowly said without turning his head. "The Qing Kingdom has put too much pressure on you. Although the Emperor has not sent out a large number of soldiers these years, each move he has made is all to prepare for the great battle in the future. The Emperor walks an upright path. He has already eliminated the existence of Great Grandmasters, so he disdains using his Great Grandmaster's strength to disturb the world. "
"He has enough confidence to conquer all of you in a fair and square manner." Fan Xian suddenly felt that the sunset outside was piercing to the eyes. He closed his eyes and said, "Actually, I understand the Emperor very well. The failure of the Northern expedition 20 years ago was a setback that was difficult for him to accept. For him, monsters like Great Grandmasters should not exist in this world, even if he himself later became a Great Grandmaster. "
"He has his own mind and strategy. With these, he can conquer everything. He has a disdain and disdain for individual martial power from the depths of his heart. However, he had to first clean out the Great Grandmasters before he could release this disdain to the extreme."
Fan Xian smiled self-mockingly. "I think that before Ku He died, he saw clearly the obsession of my Emperor. That is why he slowly placed chess pieces in Xiliang and my court. He wanted to play a final game of chess with the Emperor. However, he forgot that, after all, he is already dead. It is impossible for him to know all the details of what happened after his death. Furthermore, Haitang and you, whom he placed his hopes on, have each made an unforgivable mistake."
The little Emperor had been silently listening to Fan Xian's analysis. Hearing this, she opened her mouth and asked, "What mistake?"
"You all underestimate my anger." Fan Xian turned around and looked at the little Emperor. Enunciating each word, he said, "I dare to guarantee you that the two moves Ku He made before he died were both prepared to land on me. Yet, you tried to kill me twice. Regardless of whether you succeeded or not, if Ku He knew of your actions, he would certainly die in his grave in anger."
"Land on you?" The little Emperor's pupils constricted slightly. She thought back to Great Uncle Ku He's instructions before his death. Her expression gradually became serious. She still did not understand why she had placed the hope of Northern Qi's survival on Fan Xian. Was he not the Qing Emperor's illegitimate child? Was Fan Xian really a Great Saint?
No, the last saint in the world had died a long time ago in the fifth year of the Qing calendar. Fan Xian was only a common person.
Fan Xian laughed coldly. "Of course, Ku He's calculations were very good. He had truly grasped my heart. Even in death, he could not guess whether or not I would continue down the path he imagined."
The matter referred to in these words was too secretive. The Northern Qi Emperor could not hear it clearly.
"I will think of a way to control all of this. If I cannot control it, I can easily leave." Fan Xian walked out of the dusk outside the window. He grew closer and closer to the little Emperor's body. In a slightly heavy voice, he said, "It would be best if you could listen to me more."
"Why should I listen to you?" For some reason, the little Emperor suddenly felt a glimmer of coldness.
Fan Xian looked at him and said, "Because you have made too many mistakes. Although the Northern Qi court has been managed well by you these few years, and I had thought that another extraordinary Wu Zhou had appeared in history, in the end, I have found that women are still too easily angered and soft-hearted. They cannot hold up much."
After these words were said, the little Emperor's expression changed dramatically, but he immediately returned to his usual appearance. Narrowing his eyes, he said, "Sir Fan junior's words are becoming more and more mysterious."
"Earlier, you wanted to kill me. If you hadn't considered Si Lili's life and had the eunuchs trick her out of the room, and had instead used Lang Tiao to directly attack, perhaps I would already be dead." Fan Xian stood in front of him and lifted his chin with a calm expression. "The soft-heartedness of women was completely displayed at that moment. You have disappointed me so much. How could I continue to do business with you?"
The little Emperor's eyes narrowed further and further until they became two crescent moons. It was as if he wanted to use the slits of his eyelids to look at Fan Xian even more. Only then could he calm the boundless fear and struggle in his heart.
This was a secret he and the Northern Qi empress dowager had stubbornly kept for 20 years. For this secret, countless people had died in the Northern Qi court and paid a great price. Yet, at this moment, it had been lightly spoken of by a Qing person.
"My goal today is to enter the Sword Hut to see Sigu Jian, but I have another goal. I want to have a private conversation with you, Your Majesty." Fan Xian looked at him and said, "I want to tell you that if you still want to be the Emperor of Northern Qi, from now on, don't try to secretly attack me. On the contrary, you have to cooperate with me. Do you understand?"
The little Emperor pulled up the corners of his lips and laughed loudly. "Fan Xian, you want to threaten me? You can kill me with one stroke of the knife and see if I, the descendant of the Zhan family, will frown. "
"Your determination is truly admirable." Fan Xian looked at him with a smile in his eyes. Enunciating each word, he said, "Naturally, I cannot kill her. I just want to know, if Shang Shanhu, Lang Tiao, and a group of important Northern Qi officials suddenly discovered that the Emperor they are loyal to is actually … a woman, what kind of reaction would they have? The Northern Qi … Zhan family only has you, one woman. Is there still a need for it to exist? "
The little Emperor stared fixedly at Fan Xian. At this moment, he finally understood why Si Lili had said earlier that Fan Xian would not be afraid of him at all. Instead, it was he who should be afraid of him. It was because Fan Xian held his fate, the absolute fate.
The little Emperor's voice was raspy. He smiled coldly and said, "The immortal poet of a generation does indeed speak with an air of stupidity."
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