It rained intermittently during the day, sometimes falling and sometimes stopping. After nightfall, not even small puddles of water formed on the streets of Jingdou. It was just so wet that it made one feel a sliver of sticky annoyance. In the chaotic spring garden of New Scholar Tree Alley, plants grew like crazy, just like a person's ambition and lofty aspirations. A great deal of rainwater accumulated in the grass nests and in the eyes of the flowers. It was like a beautiful and alluring jar of honey.
He Zongwei silently turned his back to the study and looked at the spring garden washed by the rain. The honey in his heart gradually melted. He knew that his thoughts were beautiful but also dangerous. The slightest carelessness would result in eternal damnation.
Fan Xian was not so easy to kill. What shocked He Zongwei even more was that in his six years of contact with Fan Xian, he could always see a glimmer of murderous coldness in the young official's eyes.
He was now the Imperial Censor of the Left and a scholar of the Hall of Governmental Affairs. Without the Emperor's personal command, the Overwatch Council could not touch him. Fighting against Fan Xian in court had, for a time, attracted countless officials to come to him. It looked like he was in limitless glory, but only he knew that he was actually walking down a path of death. His present situation was truly precarious.
If the trend in court continued like this, He Zongwei's future focus would still be on the Imperial Censorate to keep the Overwatch Council in check. However, once the Emperor passed, could this situation still be maintained?
Regardless of whether the Third Prince sat on the throne or some other shocking change, it made no difference to He Zongwei. It only depended on when he stepped down and how much he was suppressed.
However, He Zongwei had no solution to this trend. If he continued like this, step by step, even if he became the head scholar of the Hall of Governmental Affairs, what power would he have when facing the person on the dragon chair in the future?
He had once tried to find an opportunity to get close to the Third Prince deep in the Palace and seek the greatest support for the rest of his life. All his attempts these three years had been forcefully cut off by an unknown power when he was about to approach the inner palace. It was because of these failures that he realized with horror just how powerful the power in Fan Xian's hands was. His influence in the Royal Palace was far more terrifying than anyone could imagine.
Because of his fear and because he knew his future would not be pretty, He Zongwei wanted to stand against Fan Xian more and more, particularly after the Emperor had personally appointed a marriage with the intention of easing the relationship between his two beloved generals. However, he had been forcefully and forcefully refused by Fan Xian. Other than disappointment, He Zongwei knew that he had no other path to take.
Perhaps the Emperor was just a little angry, but He Zongwei was afraid from the bottom of his heart. Although the Emperor was Fan Xian's father, his understanding of Fan Xian was not as profound as He Zongwei's. There was an old saying that the people who understood you the most were often not your family or friends, but your enemies.
He Zongwei knew that Fan Xian would not let him go. He would not be like the Emperor and truly think that Fan Xian was a pure and solitary official who put the interests of the Qing Kingdom first in everything. In his eyes, Fan Xian was a strange being who always put his likes and dislikes first.
It had to be said that He Zongwei's judgment of Fan Xian was correct.
…
…
There was no hatred in He Zongwei's eyes. There was only a faint self-mockery and an icy coldness. He left the messy spring garden and returned to the study. The decorations in the study were relatively simple, but there were many books and account books piled on the bookshelves on either side.
He walked to the side of the bookshelf and thought for a moment. From an unremarkable position, he pulled out a small booklet. Then, he sat beside the desk and began to examine it carefully.
This small booklet was the list of names the Ministry of Rites and the internal court had worked together to compile after the Jingdou rebellion. He Zongwei was in charge of the Imperial Censorate and had the Emperor's trust. A long time ago, he had gotten his hands on this list. Furthermore, he had read it countless times in this quiet study.
The third page, page 42, was the most wrinkled. It looked like it was the place he had flipped through the most. Before and after these two pages were the birthplaces and names of the 100 Tiger Guards who had died for the country and the people of the Overwatch Council who had died in the line of duty on Dongshan Road. There were two names that stood out.
One was Gao Da, and the other was Wang Qinian.
Regardless of whether it was this small booklet, the Ministry of Rites' final seal, the Overwatch Council's request for credit, or the internal court's final approval, they all determined that these two people were dead.
However, He Zongwei did not believe it. From a long time ago, he did not believe that these two people were dead. Even though he later confirmed that these two people were among the bodies collected on Dong Mountain, he still did not believe it. The Overwatch Council could easily do such a thing.
It was still the same thing. He Zongwei understood Fan Xian better than the Emperor. What made him suspect this was because of some small details these few years. First of all, Gao Da and Wang Qinian were Fan Xian's most trusted aides. They should not have died so quietly in the Emperor's eyes. In the Emperor's eyes, they were both unremarkable people. In He Zongwei's eyes, these two people had their own importance.
Secondly, he had been watching Fan Xian in secret these few years, watching his every move, including when Fan Xian had taken Fan Ruoruo and the Overwatch Council officials to the mausoleum a few days ago. Not long after the matter, he had heard the news and had personally gone to investigate.
Just like in the past few years, Fan Xian's visit to the memorial garden was as quiet as ever. Most importantly, Fan Xian did not purposely stop in front of the two graves with Wang Qinian and Gao Da's names written on them and burn some paper money.
Fan Xian was a very protective official who cared for his subordinates, particularly trusted aides who had died. Logically speaking, they should not have received such treatment.
In the end, the reason He Zongwei made up his mind to determine that these two people were not dead was another small detail. After he became suspicious, he began to use the power of the Imperial Censorate to secretly watch from the side and let out a cry. Gao Da had never married or had children in his life. After his death, his troubles ended. But Wang Qinian, the head of the Overwatch Council stationed in Northern Qi, had a wife, a daughter, and a family. Although the Overwatch Council gave him a pension every year, no one knew who had taken it.
Most importantly, after Wang Qinian died, it was said that his entire family had moved back home. In the Wang family's hometown, no one had discovered the whereabouts of this family.
If Wang Qinian had truly died, Fan Xian would certainly be responsible for the Wang family's daily life. Given his personality, he would not allow Wang Qinian's widow and daughter to wander the world miserably.
…
…
Wang Qinian did not die. Naturally, Gao Da did not die either. Why were the bodies of the two people who did not die on Dong Mountain? Why did the Overwatch Council help them hide it? On Dong Mountain, a hundred Tiger Guards shed hot blood to block the sword. Gao Da was among them, so why did he not die? Had he escaped at the last moment? Wang Qinian had been by the Emperor's side at the top of the mountain. If he had not died, why was there no sign of him afterward? Could it be that when the Emperor was in danger, he had already escaped?
He Zongwei slowly closed the scroll. A slight smile rose to the corners of his lips. He thought to himself, The powerful subordinate that Sir Fan junior had brought indeed had Fan Xian's style at a critical moment. He ran faster than anyone and saw himself as more important than anyone else.
This was a great crime of deceiving the Emperor. This crime was punishable by death by a thousand cuts. He Zongwei understood the Emperor's personality too well. As long as someone betrayed him, or rather, as long as an official placed their life before the Emperor's safety, he would fly into a thunderous rage and be ruthless in his heart.
Furthermore, there were many people who deceived the Emperor. If Wang Qinian and Gao Da were captured and brought back, it would be difficult for them to escape death. What about the Overwatch Council? What about Fan Xian?
He Zongwei took a deep breath. His young and tired face immediately appeared a bit livelier and more austere.
When it came to Fan Xian, he could not find any openings to attack. Thus, he could only wait for that wretched day. Unless, before the Emperor died, he could incite the relationship between the Emperor and Fan Xian.
To incite the relationship between a father and son, one had to use such an illusory method as intentions. The crime of deceiving the Emperor was something that destroyed one's heart.
When all was said and done, this was probably Fan Xian's only lifeline in this life. He was too sentimental. If he had directly killed Gao Da and Wang Qinian, none of this would have happened. Thinking of this, He Zongwei couldn't help but smile and shake his head. Immediately after, he lowered his head and gently tapped the teacup on the table, making a ding sound.
Before long, two people walked in. One of them was about 30 years old with a respectful expression on his face. Looking at his facial features, he was rather similar to He Zongwei's. The other person was about 50 years old but still wore the attire of a Confucian scholar.
"Wang Qinian, Gao Da." He Zongwei didn't hold back on his choice of words. Straightforwardly, he said, "We've been investigating these two people for over a year. Do you have any clues?"
The person who looked like He Zongwei was actually a distant cousin. His voice was slightly raspy as he replied, "I vaguely caught some clues. However, when the Overwatch Council does things, even if you catch wind of it, you won't be able to catch up. Everything stopped three years ago. Even if these two people still have secret connections to the Overwatch Council, I'm afraid it's still a place we can't touch."
He Zongwei furrowed his brows and nodded. He knew that given the power of the Overwatch Council, regardless of whether Director Chen personally acted or Fan Xian made the arrangements, the officials in court alone would not be able to move that metal plate. Unless he secretly ordered the Ministry of Justice and Supreme Court to go out and capture them, the problem was that this had to be done in secret. The Ministry of Justice and Supreme Court had Overwatch Council spies hidden within them.
Once his actions alerted Fan Xian and caused the other party to block this opening, or even secretly do something vicious out of anger, it was not something He Zongwei wanted to see.
"Sir, we won't be able to find anything in this matter by ourselves. The bodies on Dong Mountain have been counted. Although I don't know how the Overwatch Council did it, the number of people matched up with the name list. Furthermore, there was a fire on the mountain path at that time. The faces were burned like that, so it was impossible to say anything wrong. "
The slightly older scholar still didn't say anything. The person who spoke was He Zongwei's distant cousin. This person had only begun to work for He Zongwei in recent years. He handled matters cautiously and was already He Zongwei's trusted aide. Thus, he had been sent to investigate this major matter. His words were also relatively direct.
"During the Jingdou rebellion, the North Expedition Army happened to surround the mountain. At least a few thousand people died in that battle. It would not be difficult for the Overwatch Council to secretly do something and move two bodies." He Zongwei lowered his head and furrowed his brows as he calculated. "Even if there was a fire on the mountain path, what about on the summit? Although the battle between the Grandmasters was powerful, not many people died in front of the ancient temple. Back then, weren't Ren Zhengqing and the officials of the Ministry of Rites all alive and well? Why did Wang Qinian die? Did he die at the summit or on the path down the mountain? If his body was not burned, something strange could be found. "
"But, three years have already passed. The body has long turned to ash. If they say the one buried in the grave is Wang Qinian, they can only accept it as Wang Qinian." The scholar finally opened his mouth. Once he spoke, he went straight to the point. "Thus, to investigate what happened a few years ago again would be too difficult. Secondly, we would never be able to find any problems. If you truly want to open a path in this direction, I think it is more important to find Wang Qinian and Gao Da alive."
He Zongwei sank into silence. Of course, he knew his strategist's opinion was correct. The problem was, if Gao Da and Wang Qinian were hiding in Dongyi or Northern Qi and concealing their identities, who would be able to dig out these two living people?
"You can leave first." He Zongwei raised his head and said to his cousin in an even voice, "This matter involves the face of the court. Be careful."
He had already established himself in the center of the court for three years and had gathered some power, particularly the Emperor, who had secretly given him some help. However, compared to Fan Xian, he was still a long way off. This cousin was the most important person to help He Zongwei carry out the shameful things.
It was true that the He household was incorruptible, but if He Zongwei wanted to gain a foothold in the court, he still needed money. He needed to support a large group of subordinates who were loyal to him. That cousin was the person who dealt with this matter.
There was only He Zongwei and the elderly strategist left in the study. It appeared rather quiet. After a moment of silence, He Zongwei said, "If we can actually capture Wang Qinian and Gao Da alive and bring them back to Jingdou, what do you think will happen?"
"Sir Fan junior will certainly protect these two people," the strategist lowered his head slightly. The strategist lowered his head slightly and said, "Given the Emperor's personality, if this matter does not become too big, perhaps he will give Sir Fan junior face and cover it up."
"You mean … even if these two people have committed the crime of deceiving the Emperor, the Emperor will let them go?" A cold light appeared in He Zongwei's eyes as he spoke in an icy voice. A complicated feeling rose in his heart. If the Emperor was truly benevolent enough to let those two people go, then what was the point of him working so hard?
"The key is to see what kind of price Sir Fan junior will pay for these two subordinates," the strategist smiled bitterly. "Everyone under heaven knows that Sir Fan junior treats his subordinates very well. If he really shed all pretense of cordiality and insisted on protecting these two people, what would the Emperor do? Was he supposed to just kill him? Sir, don't forget, Sir Fan junior is, in the end, the Emperor's own son. "
"Own son?" He Zongwei slowly closed his eyes. "The Crown Prince and Second Prince are also the Emperor's own sons."
"These words are not false. However, the Crown Prince and Second Prince did not help the Emperor take down Dongyi without bloodshed." When the strategist said the words "Second Prince," his voice trembled. Immediately after, he said in a quiet voice, "To use a piece of territory to exchange for the lives of two subordinates, the Emperor still has this bit of benevolence."
"Of course." The strategist glanced at the disappointed He Zongwei and lightly said, "Even if we can't force the Emperor and Sir Fan junior to turn against each other, we can at least plant a thorn in the Emperor's heart."
He Zongwei shook his head and opened his eyes to look calmly at the strategist in front of him. "Fan Wujiu, you were originally one of the Second Prince's eight generals. Because of the Second Prince's death, your hair turned white overnight, you have come to join me. Our goals are the same, so you know that if Fan Xian doesn't die, then I will. If you want to avenge the Second Prince, you have to think clearly. One thorn is far from enough."
This old strategist, who looked to be over 50 years old, was one of the most capable eight generals under the Second Prince, Fan Wujiu. Back then, the Second Prince and Fan Xian had a chaotic battle in Jingdou. The eight generals had all died or been injured. However, Fan Wujiu had long ago seen that Fan Xian's power could not be stopped. After trying to persuade the Second Prince was useless, he had quietly left.
Unexpectedly, many years later, after the Second Prince had taken poison and committed suicide, Fan Wujiu had returned to Jingdou and thrown himself under He Zongwei's wing, wholeheartedly seeking revenge for the Second Prince.
Fan Wujiu was silent for a long time. He then quietly said, "If you want to make a big deal out of this, then it cannot be done in secret. It must be made known to the entire court. The Emperor is someone who values face the most. At that time, no matter how powerful Sir Fan junior is, he will probably not be able to stop the murderous knife in the Emperor's hand."
"If the Emperor really kills Wang Qinian and Gao Da this time, I am very curious as to what Fan Xian will do." He Zongwei smiled slightly and said, "Other than the Emperor and the internal court, I can't think of anyone else who would be able to find those two people under the cover of the Overwatch Council in this vast sea of people."
"There is one most important problem." Fan Wujiu calmly looked into He Zongwei's eyes. "If you want to secretly report to the Emperor, you will probably have to take a great risk yourself."
"Oh, what do you mean?" He Zongwei did not reveal a trace of panic. He only asked indifferently.
"You do not have concrete evidence at hand, only some guesses and analysis. Of course, just based on these guesses and analysis, it should be enough to make the Emperor suspicious." Fan Wujiu glanced at him again and quietly said, "The Emperor will probably be suspicious of Sir Fan junior … but, he will also be suspicious of you."
"I am wholeheartedly loyal to the court and the Emperor. Why does the Emperor suspect me?" He Zongwei pressed his lips tightly together and said quietly.
"The Emperor will suspect that you are purposely trying to drive a wedge between him and Sir Fan junior."
He Zongwei was silent for a long time. "If the Emperor truly becomes suspicious and no longer protects me, what do you think will happen to me?"
"If the Emperor doesn't like a person, there are many ways to deal with them. I think that in three years, the Emperor will find an excuse to leave the Jingdou court and take up a post in a distant place. Then, you will certainly be mediocre for the rest of your life," Fan Wujiu calmly said.
He Zongwei smiled bitterly and sighed. His eyes were filled with calmness and determination. "If I make a move, I may be swept into the dust in the future. But if I don't make a move, I will be crushed into pieces. Which one will you choose?"
He gazed at Fan Wujiu and smiled slightly. "I choose the former because, at least, I can continue to live. If Fan Xian truly becomes hostile with the Emperor, it will be difficult for him to continue living. "
Fan Wujiu blinked his eyes. His grizzled hair was particularly eye-catching in the dark study. Faintly, he said, "You seem to have some resentment toward the Emperor."
He Zongwei's expression did not change, but the emotions in his heart churned endlessly. He had endless gratitude toward the Emperor, but he also had endless resentment. If the Emperor had not brought him up to fight Fan Xian, how could he be constantly trapped in a precarious predicament? How could he be so afraid of dying without a burial ground?
"Back then, the Second Prince was actually in a similar situation as you are now." Fan Wujiu smiled slightly darkly and quietly advised, "So, you must learn from the Second Prince's lesson and maintain a loyal heart toward the Emperor. If you truly pull out Wang Qinian and Gao Da, perhaps the Emperor will not suspect you. The one who will be out of luck will be Fan Xian."
"I have always been loyal to the Emperor." He Zongwei calmly replied and lightly swept his gaze over Fan Wujiu. He knew what this person was trying to test. To avenge the death of the Second Prince, Fan Xian was naturally one of Fan Wujiu's targets. That heartless and cold-blooded Emperor could not escape Fan Wujiu's eyes.
He Zongwei mockingly said, "A person needs to know where his own abilities lie. Dealing with Fan Xian is almost beyond our abilities. As for those people who are above the clouds, it is best not to even think about them. They will … kill you."
…
…
(This is a corrected version. It should have been Fan Wujiu, but I wrote it as Fan Bian … I confused it with Xie Bian. Apologies.)
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