In the blink of an eye, the waves on the shoreline expressed their anger toward the rocks and longing for the sand. The sound of the waves was like thunder, and they were shaped like snow. Without touching the clothes, they retreated, leaving behind a patch of peace. Half the eyes were blue sea, and the other half were blue sky.
Fan Xian heard her words clearly and couldn't help smiling bitterly. "If I were a woman, I would certainly be much happier than I am now."
He knew that the little Emperor had too much dissatisfaction and unwillingness in her heart. As a person of the Qing Kingdom, Fan Xian didn't have many opportunities to experience the little Emperor's imperial schemes and power plays. After so many years of private interactions and interactions, he knew that although the Northern Qi Emperor was younger than him, her will was particularly mature. Her methods of doing things were unusually cold and heartless.
Perhaps the dragon chair was indeed an incubator that could turn people into strange creatures?
From birth, the female Emperor beside him had been raised as a man. The process of her growth had been a completely abnormal process. Even now, she had not become a pervert. Instead, she had become a slightly cold, ambitious, and particularly unwilling Emperor to the arrangements of fate. It should be said that the Northern Qi empress dowager was truly an extraordinary figure.
Thinking of how he had thought there was a big problem between the empress dowager and the Emperor and wanted to use this to wedge himself into Northern Qi court politics, in the end, he had helped this mother and son cover up, got rid of Shen Zhong, and subdued Shang Shanhu. Fan Xian felt a bit of bitterness in his heart. His admiration for this mother and son grew stronger and stronger.
"Woman?" The Northern Qi Emperor placed her hands behind her and looked at the boundless ocean in front of her. A glimmer of mockery rose to the corners of her lips. "In this world, women are all accessories to men and are forever in a position to be dominated. If you truly became a woman, you would probably cry endlessly in your blankets every night."
Fan Xian was silent for a long time. He then suddenly said, "Do you loathe your identity as a woman?"
"Correct," the Northern Qi Emperor said coldly. "If my body wasn't that of a woman, how could I be threatened by you?"
Fan Xian smiled and didn't say anything. He thought to himself that this female Emperor's heart was indeed a bit like a heartless man's. Everything she thought about was power and country. She lacked much of the gentleness he had imagined.
The two of them fell into silence at the same time. They stood side by side and looked at the sea with their hands behind their backs. Not far from them, Si Lili, dressed in light yellow, was holding a delicate little paper umbrella in one hand. She crouched down slightly and was picking up seashells on the beach. It was unclear whether or not her attention was on the two of them.
The tips of Fan Xian's brows rose slightly. He thought of the seaside in Danzhou three years ago when he and the Emperor had stood on a wooden plank and looked at the sea. At that time, white waves had risen from under their feet. Now, he was once again looking at the sea side by side with the Northern Qi Emperor. Putting aside the change of time and the flow of time, just these two times looking at the sea was enough to explain many problems. After struggling and working hard for a long time in this second life, he finally had an influence that others could not have in Northern Qi and the Qing Kingdom.
The Northern Qi Emperor's expression was cold. His straight, sword-like brows appeared particularly calm. His clear eyes had a sense of keeping strangers away. His not-so-long eyelashes rested calmly on his eyelids.
"The diplomatic mission has already arrived in Dongyi. I must return." She suddenly looked forward and said, "I must admit that I have taken the risk to come South this time and have not obtained any benefits. I am very disappointed."
"What is there to be disappointed about? At least you didn't kill me. The world hasn't fallen into chaos."
Fan Xian looked at her expression. For some reason, he felt a faint sense of pity in his heart. It was just like that crazy night when he saw her cry crazily. He knew that this Emperor, who was female and had a man's heart, had not lived a happy life. Quietly, he said, "Although you are the monarch of Northern Qi, you cannot change what has already been decided."
The Northern Qi Emperor's voice was slightly sharp. Using a harsh and bitter tone, she said, "For example, I am a woman?"
Fan Xian smiled bitterly. He wondered how the conversation had turned to this again. Shaking his head, he said, "It is very difficult for one person to change the entire world. This has nothing to do with gender."
In a cold voice, the Northern Qi Emperor said, "But, in my view, the most spectacular losers in the world these 30 years, the most stunning losers, all happened to be two women who refused to accept the arrangements of fate and stood out bravely. How do you explain that?"
How did he explain it? Fan Xian was completely unable to explain it. One of those two women was his mother and the other was his mother-in-law. As a child, he could reminisce, be sentimental, and bear grudges, but he could not explain it.
He opened his mouth and said, "My mother's failure was because she was too kind. The Eldest Princess's failure was because she was too sentimental."
The Northern Qi Emperor looked at him calmly and said with a smile, "In reality, the reason is simpler than you say. It is just that you don't dare to say it."
Putting aside the Eldest Princess, wasn't the reason that terrifying mistress of the Ye family had failed because of that man?
Fan Xian would not continue this topic in front of her. Quietly, he said, "Today, when Your Majesty leaves, I hope you will tidy up the court and support the people. As for other matters, it is best not to act rashly."
"Before you become the Emperor of the Qing Kingdom, don't ever hope that I will count on you for anything," the Northern Qi Emperor said. The Northern Qi Emperor said, "This has nothing to do with trust. It only has to do with the power of one's words. That day, Sigu Jian took us through Dongyi. You should know what it was for."
Fan Xian sighed and said, "He took me to talk about the past, the future, to see Dongyi, and to deepen our feelings. It was all for this."
"Dongyi is not the Qi Kingdom or the Qing Kingdom. This city is too special. If Sigu Jian wishes to preserve the uniqueness of Dongyi after his death …" The little Emperor turned her head and looked at him. "He can only hope that you can become the Emperor of the Qing Kingdom."
Fan Xian smiled self-mockingly and said, "Do you think that is possible?"
"This is precisely why I look down on you. You are in a dilemma, unable to advance or retreat. You have no idea what you need to do."
The Northern Qi Emperor turned her head and mockingly said, "If you are truly a saint like Master Zhuang and don't want the people of the world to sink into the flames of war, then you can't just sit around and do nothing. You are doing your best to mend things, but you are unable to change the fundamental nature of the situation. In the end, in the end, you can only end up with a tragic end. You should know without me saying how wretched your end will be. "
On the contrary, Fan Xian smiled and said, "It looks like you finally believe I have the potential to be a saint."
The Northern Qi Emperor was silent for a long time. She then slowly said, "Other than being forced to believe you are a saint, I can't think of any other reason why you would do these things."
If Fan Xian only saw himself as an official of the Qing Kingdom and single-mindedly helped the Qing Kingdom unify the world, now that Dongyi had been subdued and he grasped the greatest secret of the Northern Qi royal family, there were too many things he could use and too many powerful moves he could use.
However, he didn't do anything. He was just like the little Emperor described, running around tirelessly sewing and mending, forcefully suppressing all possible disasters into the darkness of the Overwatch Council.
"I don't want to be a saint, nor do I have the ability to be one." Fan Xian tiredly lowered his head. "I have just become much braver than before. I am willing to follow my own thoughts and change some things I don't want to see in this life."
The Northern Qi Emperor gazed at him and smiled. "Even if you have to pay with your life?"
"No," Fan Xian said straightforwardly. Fan Xian said straightforwardly, "My own survival is the most important. My family's survival is the second most important. Innocent people's survival is the third most important. If that day truly comes, I think the only person in this world who has the power to kill me will not be able to kill me. "
"Why? Because he is your father? Or is it because he knows there is a Temple behind you? "A strange light flashed through the little Emperor's eyes as she slowly asked.
Fan Xian smiled and said, "Your Majesty does not have a shred of respect or fear for the Temple." Then, he closed his mouth and didn't explain anything more. There was no need to let the Northern Qi people know of the Emperor's fear of Uncle Wu Zhu.
"I have questions about your earlier words." The sea breeze blew against the Northern Qi Emperor's determined face. It didn't move her nonexistent bangs or make her feel any sense of weakness. "You think that your own survival is the most important. Then, let me ask you, if the person being compared was Princess Chen, would you still think your own survival is the most important?"
Fan Xian was silent. The tablecloth in the Qing Temple, the paintings, the ancient legends, the white-clothed girl hiding under the table and eating a chicken leg, the snow on Cang Mountain, the medicine at their first marriage, the crying in the carriage, and the usual silence rose in his heart. Suddenly, a powerful feeling of remorse surged in his heart. Raising his head, he said seriously, "Of course, her life is more important than mine."
"Minister Fan?"
"Yes."
"Your children?"
"I'm not sure."
"The Fan family's aunt disciple?"
"Yes."
…
…
"Chen Pingping?"
After a long silence, Fan Xian gently nodded. The Northern Qi Emperor smiled and looked at him. "You truly are a strange person. You are so protective of an old cripple, yet you don't have the courage to risk your life for your own woman."
"They are still young." The expression in Fan Xian's eyes was somewhat empty. "For things like feelings, other than bloodline, there is also the problem of time."
The Northern Qi Emperor was silent for a long time. "It looks like even if I had a child with you, I would not be able to completely control you."
Fan Xian thought for a moment and then said, "Actually, we are very similar people, cold-blooded and heartless. It is just that you are a woman and I am a man."
"Heartless? Your words earlier almost made me think you were a saint who cared for the people of the world. "
"Didn't Sigu Jian say that saints are heartless?"
"He didn't say that."
"I don't want to argue about this."
The little Emperor suddenly glanced at him and said, "You are my first man and my last man. Although I don't like that feeling, I don't mind having a child for you."
"I also don't mind." Fan Xian's smile was somewhat mysterious. "Of my three great wishes in this life, one is to have many, many children."
He suddenly changed the topic and said, "As for the last man, don't say such nonsense. You are an Emperor. As they say, after eating the marrow, one will yearn for the taste. I dare to bet that once you grow up and firmly control the Northern Qi court, there will certainly be a lot of medicinal dregs in Shangjing's harem."
The Northern Qi Emperor did not understand this joke, but she understood the meaning. Her face paled slightly. Her anger flashed and was immediately hidden. Coldly, she said, "Do you think I am a pervert like you?"
Fan Xian shrugged and said, "Who knows? No one would dislike the pleasure between a man and a woman. As for the matter of having children, you didn't get pregnant that summer in the ancient temple. Perhaps you won't get pregnant this time either. "
"I don't like men." The little Emperor stared at him.
At this moment, Si Lili, who had been standing silently by the side, walked over and stood beside the two of them. Her brows were gentle and she didn't say a word.
The little Emperor wrapped her arms around Si Lili's waist and looked at Fan Xian. "I like women. These are my women."
"This kind of thing doesn't scare me. Your Majesty doesn't know that the two men I admired the most in the past, one was surnamed Zhang and the other was surnamed Cai. They both liked men."
Fan Xian shrugged his shoulders and looked at the two women beside him. Their temperaments and appearances were completely different. Suddenly, his heart jumped. He raised his hand and very quickly swept it across the two people's chins. Moistening his fingertips, he quietly said,
Moistening his fingertips, he quietly said, "You are both my women. That is enough."
The little Emperor furrowed her brows as if she was not used to the frivolity by the seaside. Slightly angry, she said, "Don't be presumptuous, I …"
"What about me? Do you think I will believe you when you say you don't like men in front of me? " Fan Xian looked at her calmly. "You've been acting for 20 years. It's been hard on you. Don't act in front of me anymore."
"I don't like men." The little Emperor looked at him calmly. "I chose you because you were born beautiful, more beautiful than a woman."
With these words, Fan Xian had lost. He had lost wretchedly.
The Northern Qi Emperor smiled slightly and said, "Of course, other than being as beautiful as a flower, you also have other benefits. I once said why I chose you back then. Presumably, Duoduo also thanked you for writing a biography for her boudoir, but …" She furrowed her brows and said, "I still don't understand how you discovered my secret."
Si Lili leaned against the Northern Qi Emperor's side and looked at Fan Xian with her large, expressive eyes. Presumably, she was also filled with curiosity about this matter.
"There was the fragrance of golden osmanthus in that old temple. Later, I learned from the Great wangfei that this kind of golden osmanthus was only grown on the mountain behind Shangjing Palace. In the entire world, only the Emperor would use this kind of fragrance." Fan Xian quietly told the story.
The Northern Qi Emperor's brows furrowed even tighter. No matter what, she found it difficult to believe that it was this faint fragrance that had exposed her secret.
"Of course, Your Majesty's passion for The Story of the Stone is a bit excessive." The corners of Fan Xian's mouth twitched slightly. "Bao Dai's story is one of the best tools for determining gender."
"I still don't believe it," the Northern Qi Emperor said coldly. The Northern Qi Emperor coldly said, "What kind of secret is this? How could you think in that direction based on these two points? I admit that you are the most intelligent person in the world, but … "
Before she finished speaking, Fan Xian already understood what she meant. Any investigation into a secret needed a primer. For something that no one had ever dared to think about, naturally, no one would doubt it. The little Emperor still did not understand how Fan Xian dared to think in that direction.
He stood on the seashore and laughed happily. His laughter traveled along the waves and traveled very, very far.
"Do you know who Zhu Yingtai is? Shakespeare's lover? Mu Wanqing? Prince's coffee shop? A pregnant female bishop? A young boy and girl? " Fan Xian looked at the two perplexed women beside him and said in a loud voice, "That is Horita Maki, my favorite!"
After a bout of laughter, Fan Xian stood by the seaside and immediately felt comfortable.
His talent in martial arts was not as good as Haitang and Thirteen. In terms of politics, he could not catch up to the Emperor. He was not as good as his father-in-law at cultivating disciples. In terms of scheming and scheming, he was far behind Chen Pingping and even Yan Bingyun. He was not as patient as his father. He was not as determined as Ku He. He was not as clear as the little Emperor about what she wanted. He was not as good as Sigu Jian, who could see all things as ants.
There were too many exceptional people in this world. Fan Xian was not much. The only thing he could rely on was his own hard work. However, in this second life, he was so successful and stood in his current position. It was because his mother had come to this world in advance, and he was the same. He also had a lifetime's worth of knowledge that the people of this world did not have.
This was the source of his courage and the foundation of his confidence.
…
…
Lang Tiao stood on a large tree by the seaside. The tips of his feet stepped on the treetop. As the sea wind blew, he floated gently. The two curved knives by his side made a clanking sound. He narrowed his eyes and looked calmly at the seaside. He didn't hear clearly what the Emperor and Fan Xian had said, but he heard clearly Fan Xian's wild and somewhat arrogant laughter at the end.
The three people by the seaside knew that it was not just Lang Tiao. Perhaps there were other powerful figures, such as people from the Sword Hut, who were secretly watching this conversation. However, they were not very worried. They faced the ocean. There was no one on the ocean.
Fan Xian's hand held the Northern Qi Emperor's hand and then Si Lili's. Calmly, he said, "No matter which one of you is pregnant, don't forget to tell me, the father."
After these words were said, the Northern Qi Emperor's expression darkened. He glanced at Si Lili. Fear floated onto Si Lili's face, but she was not very afraid in her heart. If one were to look from behind, Si Lili was leaning against the Northern Qi Emperor's side, while Fan Xian was standing on the other side. The three of them did not appear small against the backdrop of the blue sea. On the contrary, there was a sense of warmth.
… …
That night, a heavily guarded but unmarked group left Dongyi. Other than those in the upper echelons, no one knew that the Northern Qi Emperor and Imperial Consort Li were in this group.
The Northern Qi Emperor had bravely come to Dongyi with the determination to cut off all means of retreat and try to find the last chance of victory for his country. In the end, he returned gloomily. Other than receiving Fan Xian's nonchalant words, he had gained nothing.
Of course, for a woman — even if this woman claimed to like women — to be able to have such a night and such a beautiful beach in this absurd and dangerous imperial life, perhaps this would be a story that she would never forget for the rest of her life.
To have this was actually enough, was it not? When the Northern Qi Emperor looked back at Dongyi in the dusk from the window of the carriage, was she thinking of Northern Qi's future or that man?
The Northern Qi diplomatic group remained in Dongyi, but they had all given up hope. Although Dongyi still treated them with courtesy, everyone could clearly see that they had already begun negotiations with the Qing people.
The details of the negotiations had been released through some unknown channel. The Qing Kingdom's conditions were not harsh. For the merchants and commoners of Dongyi, they were unexpectedly relaxed. Other than the vassal states that were about to send their hostages into Jingdou and sink into a gloomy fog, the reactions of the commoners were rather normal.
Of course, they would be sad and disappointed, just like Yun Zhilan. However, there was no overly intense opposition.
The negotiations were still ongoing. The implications of this matter were too great. Even if they had to talk for an entire year, it was completely necessary. Thus, the secret message sent from the Jingdou Palace was not overly hurried. On the contrary, the Qing Emperor told Fan Xian not to rush. His words were filled with comforting and encouraging words.
Fan Xian was not in a rush. He had talked for a number of years about that beautiful city in the south, much less today's situation. He just wandered the streets in Dongyi and meditated by the seaside. Occasionally, he would drink tea with Thirteenth Wang and repair their relationship. His entire behavior was not like that of a powerful official of the Qing Kingdom. Rather, he was like an idling Dongyi person with nothing to do.
Time passed in a flash. Fan Xian had been in Dongyi for almost a month. He finally stepped into the Sword Hut again to see the Great Grandmaster who had been injured by the Shadow and was bedridden.
…
…
PS: Today's chapter was very annoying to write about. Women are too difficult to write about. They also have to make everyone's appearance and personality different. Furthermore, it is easy to attend to one and lose sight of the other. It is too exhausting. I've decided that the next book will have at most four. As for the different colors of the sea in yesterday's chapter, it refers to the human heart being like the sea. The depth is different, but it is all very complicated.
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