The sky had darkened in an instant, but there were still no tears. Fan Xian's expression was slightly dark. He half leaned against the window and looked at the mountain path and the well-protected green hills and wild forests on the outskirts of the capital. He was silent for a long time without saying a word.
The black carriage followed the flat but undulating stone path and drove diagonally onto the official road, leaving the boundaries of Chen Garden. However, Fan Xian's expression did not relax. The Overwatch Council officials around him looked at the still handsome but particularly indifferent face by the window. They all felt a strange chill in their hearts. They didn't know what had happened in Chen Garden, what the old Director and the Commissioner had said, or why the Commissioner's expression was so serious today.
The carriage drove silently on the official road toward Jingdou. Along the way, it occasionally came across commoners entering the city or young men and women from the families of officials returning from a walk. These black carriages were like a silent warning light. When everyone saw them, they hurriedly moved to the side and made way for the black carriages.
The commoners were naturally respectful toward the officials, but the young nobles, who were usually not afraid of anything, knew the identity and power these black carriages represented. The nobles in Jingdou had many eyes and ears. They knew that Sir Fan junior had rushed back to Jingdou from Dongyi last night.
In this world, no one dared to offend Fan Xian. Even these young nobles, who had been trained to be incomparably arrogant by their hormones, could only restrain their Qi and focus in front of these black carriages and not make a sound. Sir Fan junior was famous for being ruthless and arrogant. He didn't care which lady or duke stood behind these young men. Four or five years ago, outside Baoyue Brothel, Fan Xian had broken the legs of a dozen little brats. This story had long shocked the hearts of all the other little brats.
Fan Xian did not notice the movement on the official road. He also did not look at the timid young men who had stopped their horses to the side. He only looked silently at the scenery by the side of the official road with an unusually heavy heart. In the past, guessing was just guessing and thinking was just thinking. His elders had never said anything to him, so he could temporarily pretend he didn't know any of this and was only preparing in secret. He could only treat it as an unconscious action and not from the bottom of his heart and torment for some clear goal.
But now, everything was laid out clearly in front of him. He had to face the story of the past and make his own choice.
At this time, the black carriage had reached a fork in the road. Not far ahead was the majestic city of the capital. On the left was a quiet and secluded road, hidden by the green bamboo forest. Where should they go?
"Turn left."
Fan Xian, who was leaning against the window, narrowed his eyes and softly instructed. Mu Feng 'er glanced at him and didn't dare to say anything. He made a hand gesture and the three black carriages quickly turned left into the bamboo forest and disappeared from everyone's sight.
Not far into this road, the green bamboos gradually became sparse, and one could see the clear green jade-like river on the side of the road. The river flowed slowly, and if one did not look carefully, one would think that it was a lake.
It was the Liujing River that passed through the city, circled around the city, and finally reached the Cang Mountains in the west. Somewhere upstream, this river gathered rouge, gathered colorful lanterns on the pleasure boats, and gathered half of Jingdou's erotic prosperity. Even though Fan Xian's Baoyue Brothel had suddenly risen, it still did not completely steal away the flavor of this river.
By the time the Liujing River reached the outskirts of Jingdou and came to this bamboo forest and green trees, it was already much quieter and quieter, particularly the courtyard on the small peninsula across the river. In this bright and beautiful spring, it suffused with a fresh and elegant flavor and added a sense of being aloof from the world and independent.
Taiping Courtyard, the courtyard of the mistress of the Ye family. Later, it became the courtyard of the royal family. During the Jingdou rebellion, the Eldest Princess had once lived there for two days. She had only stayed there for two days before the courtyard returned to its silence. It was as if no one had ever lived there.
Fan Xian got off the carriage and looked calmly at the courtyard. He thought of the people who had once lived in the courtyard and became absent-minded for a moment.
After the Jingdou rebellion had been quelled, the Emperor had hinted twice that he was going to bestow this courtyard to Fan Xian again. Fan Xian knew that it was best not for him to bring up this matter, so he had always treated it calmly. For some reason, this matter never came to fruition in the end.
In the summer of the fifth year of the Qing calendar, after staying a night in the Fan clan's country estate outside the city, Fan Xian had brought his sister here and kowtowed twice to Taiping Courtyard to express his sorrow. He did not go in because he knew that the Emperor had a different kind of feeling toward this courtyard and a different kind of fear.
Later, Fan Xian still went in. He and Uncle Wu Zhu found the bullets for the heavy sniper rifle in a secret room in Taiping Courtyard. They also wandered inside for a long time. The two of them did not care about the royal guards at all.
Fan Xian narrowed his eyes. His gaze shone through the faint moisture on the river. It was as if he was going to pierce through the greenish-gray walls of Taiping Courtyard and see everything inside.
There was no grave inside.
This was a fact that Fan Xian had long confirmed. His father, Fan Jian, had once told him in private that Ye Qingmei's grave was in a secluded place. Later, he had pointed out that it was in Taiping Courtyard, but it was not there. Later, Fan Xian thought it was in the Royal Palace, but it was not there either. There was only a painting of a yellow-clothed woman.
Ye Qingmei was no longer in this world. It was not important where she was buried. However, Fan Xian would occasionally think of a question. Was the Emperor also afraid to face the wisp of soul underground?
Fan Xian sat down by the river and lifted the front of his long robe to his knees. Very neatly, he said seriously, "I am thinking about some things here. Don't let anyone disturb me."
"Yes, sir." Mu Feng 'er and a few of the Qinian Unit close to him lowered their heads and accepted the order at the same time. Leading the guards around them, they dispersed into the depths of the bamboo forest until Fan Xian could not see them and they could not see the riverside.
Don't let anyone disturb him, including these subordinates. Mu Feng 'er and the others understood Fan Xian's thoughts. However, they did not understand his current mood. They retreated to a place far away and warily watched the movements on the roads around them. Sealing off the sound of the wind, they silently guessed in their hearts.
The courtyard across the river was once the mistress of the Ye family's residence. This was something all the old Jingdou people knew. The mistress of the Ye family was Sir Fan junior's birth mother. This was something the entire world already knew. Sir Fan junior had chosen to meditate here. Naturally, the things he was thinking about were thorny and important.
…
…
After sitting for an indeterminable amount of time, Fan Xian finally felt that he was tired from sitting. The secluded forest, green bamboo, grey courtyard, still water, moss, stone, and floating leaves had all become a joke. The stone under his butt suddenly seemed particularly sharp and painful.
He stood and patted the dust behind him. Furrowing his brows, he shook his head but did not leave immediately. Instead, he walked a few steps toward the riverside. Lowering his body, he scooped up a handful of slightly cold river water and splashed it on his face. It was as if he wanted to make the burning heat on his face colder.
At this moment, a handkerchief was extended from the side. It was as if she wanted him to wipe away the water droplets on his face.
Fan Xian was not surprised at all. Accepting the handkerchief, he randomly wiped at his face. He then reached into the river and wrung it a few times until it was slightly wet and cold. Only then did he return it with a smile and say, "You're most afraid of heat. Chill your face a bit."
Fan Ruoruo, dressed in plain white clothing, smiled and accepted the wet handkerchief from her brother's hand. Carefully, she wiped at her ears and cheeks. It looked like she had come in a hurry. The usual frost on her face was now completely wiped away by the flush on her cheeks.
"Why have you come?" Fan Xian turned and walked toward the riverbank. Very naturally, he stretched out his hand, wanting to hold his sister's hand to prevent her from falling.
Unexpectedly, Fan Ruoruo did not see her brother's outstretched hand and had already walked forward. Fan Xian smiled and said, "Looks like Ku He didn't hide anything back then. You've only been studying for a short time, but your body is much better than before."
Fan Ruoruo smiled and didn't respond to this question. She replied to Fan Xian's earlier words, "Brother, you just came back last night. Why did you run out again today? Someone in Jingdou is looking for you on urgent business. Sister-in-law just had to enter the Palace. The Teng family was annoyed by that person and had no choice but to find the medical shop. I went to the First Bureau to ask around and found out that you had left the city. I was just about to go to Chen Garden when I saw Mu Feng 'er at the intersection. I knew you must be here, so I got out of the car to find you. "
The people in the Council shouldn't know that Fan Xian had come to Chen Garden. However, he couldn't be bothered to pay attention to such small matters. He asked, "What is it that you're looking for me so urgently?"
As the brother and sister spoke, they sat down. Just like five years ago, they faced the far end of the river.
"It's nothing urgent. It's just that I haven't seen you in a long time. I miss you," Fan Ruoruo said with a slight smile. Fan Ruoruo said with a slight smile. Actually, if that person was bothering Miss Fan, it must be an extremely important matter. However, this intelligent girl had discovered that her brother had come to Taiping Courtyard to meditate. She must have even more trouble in her heart. She didn't want to bother him with matters of officialdom.
Fan Xian thought that it was indeed impossible for anything important to happen in the officialdom of the Qing Kingdom. He couldn't help smiling and shaking his head. "Since it's not something important, it's good for you to sit with me. I was just finding it a bit stuffy sitting alone."
They sat for another hour. Fan Xian had some thoughts in his heart, so he didn't want to speak. He only felt that having a sister who completely trusted him sitting by his side could indeed help his emotions stabilize a bit. Fan Ruoruo didn't have any other thoughts. She only faintly thought that as long as she could sit quietly by her brother's side, it would be fine.
After a long time, the sun had long passed through the top of the bamboo forest and slowly moved toward the west. The faint light became countless mottled shadows and hit the brother and sister's faces. Fan Xian's eyes happened to be blinded by the patches of light. He couldn't help but rub his eyes and sigh.
Fan Ruoruo's heart jumped. She heard too much distress, hatred, helplessness, and heaviness in this sigh. She lowered her head slightly and thought for a long time. She then said, "Perhaps it's better to say what's on your mind."
Fan Xian was silent for a long time. He then suddenly opened his mouth and said, "My birth mother was Ye Qingmei."
Fan Ruoruo was slightly startled and raised her eyes to look at him. She thought to herself that in the entire world, she was probably one of the first to know this secret. Why was her brother repeating it now? She knew that Fan Xian would certainly have something else to say, so she only made a quiet hum and didn't express her confusion.
"Back then, I brought you here to worship the distant river. I worshipped her for bestowing this physical body on me so that I could live in this world," Fan Xian said quietly. Fan Xian said calmly, "I have come to see from afar today because I respect her actions in the past. I respect her for leaving me, her son, so many benefits. She has also given the people of this world different possibilities and more choices."
Fan Ruoruo listened quietly to the side.
"In my life, I've never seen her appearance or heard her voice, but I've seen too many of the marks she left behind." Fan Xian lowered his head and thought for a moment. He then continued, "I've also seen a great deal on this trip to Dongyi. Thus, the image of her in my heart is becoming clearer and clearer. I'm also becoming more and more used to seeing her as my mother."
He added in his heart, even though she didn't seem to be much older than him.
"If someone harmed her back then, what do you think I, as a son, should do?" Fan Xian's brows were furrowed tightly. His brows were filled with gloom.
Fan Ruoruo suddenly felt nervous. Tightly gripping the wet handkerchief in her hand, she said in a trembling voice, "Didn't those people … all die? The empress dowager has also passed on a long time ago. "
"Naturally, the empress dowager had to die." Fan Xian didn't tell his sister that the empress dowager had actually died at his hands. He smiled slightly mockingly and said, "But, there are still some people who should have died who didn't."
Fan Ruoruo didn't open her mouth to ask. She had a strong feeling that she would certainly hear a name that would make her heart jump.
"I guessed a long time ago that the Emperor was my father," Fan Xian said. "However, in the first two years, I didn't see him as my father at all. Not only him, but it was also very difficult for me to see Ye Qingmei as my mother. This has nothing to do with what happened back then. It's not that I felt a sense of defeat from being abandoned. This is something that cannot be explained clearly."
When he came into this world, he had already taken his soul with him.
"However, the relationships between people are always forged by time. This has nothing to do with blood or closeness," Fan Xian said tiredly with his head lowered. "Just like how I have seen you as my sister since I was young and will always see you as the closest person in this life, time can always change many things. Time can always change many things. After being with His Majesty for so long, I could feel that he treated me differently than his other sons. Particularly these few years, the Emperor has changed too much. "
He suddenly smiled. His smile was slightly cute. "Tell me, if the Emperor had killed my mother back then, what would I have done?"
Fan Ruoruo's heart jumped. Her hands unconsciously tightened and squeezed out the last few drops of water from the handkerchief.
…
…
The brother who voted for 600 new tickets in the year of Qingyu, I, I'm crying. I watched with my own eyes as so much money floated away from my eyes. It is so painful that I wish I were dead. A lazy person like me with nothing to do really can't do it. I can only drool, especially these few days. However, I still have to sincerely say thank you.
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