Busyness, a cold, and a stomachache. These three mountains have tormented me for a few days. It is truly tiring. Sigh.
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In the deep spring of the 10th year of the Qing calendar, Fan Xian came to Ten Family Village for the first time in the secluded mountain village he called Fish Intestines. This mountain village appeared remote and peaceful, deep in the mountains. However, the lights in the night were dazzling. They outshone the multitude of stars in the sky and moved one's heart.
There were certainly more than 10 families in Ten Family Village. On the road leading from the main road to the col in the mountains, there were far more than 10 farmers by the fields and springs. Those farmers were not true farmers. They were patrolmen used to block off the inside and outside of the mountains and protect the secrets in the mountains.
Fan Xian was able to pass through these lines of defense and easily enter Ten Family Village because of these lines of defense and the particularly meticulous security arrangements. They had all been single-handedly made by him. The defense arrangements that gathered the wisdom of countless officials of the Second and Sixth Bureau of the Overwatch Council were indeed very powerful. When Fan Xian was making the plans, the officials of the Overwatch Council only knew bits and pieces. They had not thought that these blueprints would become reality on the outskirts of a small mountain village in the northeast of the land.
Walking along the small mountain path, he had just passed a pond when he saw the densely packed and picturesque buildings revealing their true appearance under the starlight. Fan Xian's heart jumped. He stood there and sighed to himself. He thought that even if outsiders accidentally entered this place, they would probably only think it was a large manor built in the mountains by some wealthy family just by looking at the buildings outside.
He stopped and his figure was revealed under the starlight. Then, a dozen crossbow bolts poked out of the darkness and aimed at him.
Fan Xian lowered his head and hid his appearance in the darkness. He then pulled up the hood on his back and covered his head. Only then did he take out a small token from his waist and flash it at the crossbow bolts full of murderous intent.
A person who looked like a worker walked out of the darkness and carefully approached Fan Xian. He accepted the small token and looked at it carefully for a long time before he waved his hand and had the crossbow bolts disappear in the darkness behind him.
The worker led the way, leading Fan Xian around the stone paths between the courtyards. They came to an isolated place. After confirming that no one was watching, he dropped to his knees and said excitedly, "Greetings, Commissioner."
Fan Xian looked at him with a slight smile. This was one of the first members of the Qinian Unit and an expert that Wang Qinian had helped him recruit back in the day. It had been two years since they had seen each other. It was clear that this secret agent had not expected Sir Fan junior to suddenly appear in Ten Family Village. It was difficult for him to suppress his excitement.
"It's been hard on you these past few years." Fan Xian looked at the worker and said, "For now, don't leak the news of my arrival. First, take me to see the old shopkeepers."
"Yes." The worker bowed respectfully and suddenly said, "The old master also came two days ago."
Fan Xian was shocked and asked, "When did this happen?"
"Eight days ago."
"Quick, take me to him."
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Two dark figures walked through the buildings of Ten Family Village under the accompaniment of starlight. Fan Xian couldn't resist using his peripheral vision to size up these buildings that were different in height from normal residences. He looked at the specially designed doors, windows, and ventilation systems. He wondered if they were empty or already filled with things.
Although everything in this village had been built bit by bit with the silver he had provided, it was still a very important matter. Thus, Fan Xian had cut himself off from everything here these two years. Even his most loyal subordinates in Jiangnan did not know that he had hidden such a village in a certain corner of the land.
This was also Fan Xian's first time coming here personally. Other than feeling moved and sentimental, he also couldn't help but be curious. He wondered what those people, silver, and blueprints had changed the village in the two years after they were gathered together.
The two of them walked into a small courtyard deep in the village. There was still a dim light in the room, making Fan Xian's shadow appear very thin and long as it fell on the stone steps. Fan Xian quietly said something to the secret agent of the Qinian Unit. The secret agent smiled and left. He did not arrange for anyone to guard this place. If someone could actually enter deep into Ten Family Village and threaten Sir Fan junior, then it would be unnecessary to send anyone else.
Fan Xian tidied his clothes outside the room and walked in. Facing the stern-looking middle-aged man behind the desk, he knelt down on both knees and made a full bow. In a sincere voice, he said, "Greetings, father."
The retired Minister of Revenue, Fan Jian, had not been in Danzhou to be filial to his mother and take Lady Liu on a trip to the sea. Instead, he had appeared in this small mountain village between Dongyi and Northern Qi. This was truly an unexpected scene.
Minister Fan looked at his son in front of him. Surprise flashed through his heart. Immediately, it became complicated. He smiled warmly and helped him up. The father and son had not seen each other for more than two years. They were worthy of Fan Xian's bow. However, the former Minister knew that his son was not someone who liked to kneel to others. From this kneel, he vaguely sensed something.
Fan Jian did not open his mouth to ask. Fan Xian also did not say that from his sister's mouth and the story of the past, he had already guessed what kind of painful price the Fan manor had paid for his survival.
"Father, why have you personally come?" Fan Xian helped his father sit properly in the chair. Looking at the faint white hair on his head, he couldn't help but sigh in his heart. Counting his years, his father should be in his hometown in retirement. However, because of Fan Xian's matters, these two years had still tired the old man out. His father's personal visit to Ten Family Village made him feel a glimmer of surprise.
Fan Jian smiled slightly and said, "Although I am in Danzhou and can remotely control the construction of this place, after three years of accumulation, constant dripping wears away a rock. The preparatory work for Ten Family Village is pretty much done. If you truly have the courage to rebuild a palace treasury here, if I don't personally oversee it, I cannot be at ease no matter what."
A second palace treasury? So, this remote Ten Family Village bore the weight of Fan Xian's great ambition.
Ever since the Jingdou rebellion, Fan Xian had secretly rescued a number of old Qingyu Hall shopkeepers from the capital. Additionally, he had been in charge of the palace treasury for a long time. A few years ago, he had made a copy of the palace treasury techniques in North Min. Additionally, with his present wealth and power, as well as the innate things in his transmigrated soul, if the heavens were truly willing to give him 10 years, perhaps he could actually turn this remote mountain village into a second palace treasury.
What was the palace treasury? It was the foundation that supported the Qing Kingdom's military strength for 30 years. It was an endless source that the Qing Emperor used to supplement the national treasury and people's livelihood. It was not an exaggeration to say that the palace treasury was one of the two sources of the Qing Kingdom's strength. The other was the Emperor himself.
However, Fan Xian wanted to rebuild a palace treasury outside of the Qing Kingdom.
Without question, this was the most important decision Fan Xian had made in his life. If this decision truly became a reality many years later, the entire world would change because of this matter. The Qing Kingdom would no longer have the natural ability to smile proudly in the world.
What exactly did Fan Xian want to do?
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Presently, the situation in the world was complicated. Furthermore, this matter was a major matter that could shake the foundation of the Qing Kingdom. Thus, during these two years, Fan Jian and Fan Xian had worked in great secrecy. Progress had been slow. They only hoped to not draw the attention of the people under heaven and did not ask for speed.
If, in the future, a second palace treasury truly appeared outside the Qing Kingdom's borders, it went without saying what kind of powerful blow and damage it would bring to the Qing Kingdom's national strength. Thus, Fan Xian hid this matter from everyone under heaven. He only dared to carefully discuss it with his father in secret.
"If you leave Danzhou for too long, I'm afraid it will cause discussion." Fan Xian was not in a hurry to discuss the problem of a second palace treasury with his father. Instead, he spoke with slight worry.
Although Fan Jian had retired, seeing how the Emperor had used a sword to kill people and slaughtered over a hundred Tiger Guards, the Emperor did not trust this trusted companion he had grown up with. Presumably, there were many spies from the Palace stationed in Danzhou. If Fan Jian was not willing to retire in Danzhou, the news of him leaving Danzhou should immediately be sent back to Jingdou.
"Your Overwatch Council combed through Danzhou, and my people combed through it again." Fan Jian gazed at his son and smiled warmly. "The Emperor does indeed appear to be undefeatable, but he is not a god. His energy is limited. It is impossible for him to grasp all the minute changes under heaven, particularly since you are secretly hiding it from him. As for me leaving Danzhou, it was originally to wander around Dongyi. "
The smile of the previous Minister appeared slightly amused. "Before I entered the Ministry of Revenue, I was a famous wastrel in Jingdou. Now that I have retired and returned to my hometown, it is natural for me to go to a prosperous place like Dongyi to paint some beauties. The Emperor cannot fly into a rage because of this."
"It's still not appropriate."
"I just come occasionally to take a look and keep an eye on the progress."
Fan Xian looked at his father. Other than worry, there was also an additional sense of guilt. He had never wanted his father and Chen Pingping to be involved in this incomparably dangerous matter. However, when it came to the matter of Ten Family Village, at the beginning, he had no clue at all. How could they rebuild a palace treasury from nothing? He was not his mother, Ye Qingmei. Although he had a ready-made old shopkeeper of the Ye family, who had once experienced the construction of the palace treasury in North Min, had a large pile of records of the various processes of the palace treasury, and was even familiar with the layout of the three workshops of the palace treasury in North Min, he still felt lost and retreated when it came to building a new palace treasury.
The night before Minister Fan left Jingdou, he talked with him for an entire night and cleared up many of his doubts.
When Minister Fan discovered that his son was using the Eldest Princess' rebellion to prepare to rescue the old shopkeepers of Qingyu Hall in Jingdou, he knew what Fan Xian was thinking in his heart. Thus, he spoke openly and honestly to his son.
"Building another palace treasury is more difficult than you imagine. This is an inauspicious matter that will shake the Qing Kingdom and change the situation of the entire world." That night, Minister Fan said to him with sincere and heartfelt words, "I am a person of the Qing Kingdom. Of course, I do not want you to do this. If you can convince me, you can leave the beginning matters to me."
At that time, Fan Xian did not want to completely break off relations with the Qing Emperor. He also did not want to become a sinner of the Qing Kingdom and put the Qing Kingdom he had grown up in into great danger. However, he still unconsciously began to dig up the foundations of the Qing Kingdom.
He only used two sentences to convince Fan Xian.
"This is not the palace treasury. This is what mother left for this world. If mother was still alive, she would not want the Emperor to use her legacy to satisfy his personal ambitions. "
"But, your mother also hoped for the world to be unified."
"I don't understand those very mysterious things, but I understand women," Fan Xian said to his father in that quiet night. That quiet night, Fan Xian said very seriously to his father, "I only know that if mother was alive, she would not want the wealth she left behind to forever be held in the hands of the man who murdered her."
Minister Fan was silent for a long time that night. He then nodded.
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With this nod, two years passed. The father and son, who had the most money in their hands, began to secretly do something that was destined to shock the world. Perhaps what the two of them had done was too inconceivable, so not a single force had found out about it.
This was also the result of Fan Xian's extreme caution. During these two years, other than the secret flow of money, he did not use any of the power at hand to help Ten Family Village grow. This little village was like a child who had been released into the wild, slowly growing among the green grass of the mountain. As for whether he would continue to release the sheep after he grew up or be released into the wild, that was a matter for many years in the future.
Fan Xian did not ask him what Fan Xian would use Ten Family Village for if, many years from now, two palace treasuries truly appeared in this world. Fan Xian also did not ask his father why, as a subject of the Qing Kingdom, he would make such a choice just because of the grudge between his mother and the Emperor.
The old shopkeeper of Qingyu Hall, who had escaped from Jingdou, came to Ten Family Village. The craftsmanship secrets Fan Xian had stolen from the palace treasury came to Ten Family Village. Minister Fan's most secretive power also came to Ten Family Village. The silver Fan Xian had gathered from all over the world also came to Ten Family Village and the depression deep in the mountains.
Secrets, money, and martial power fermented in this obscure little place for two years. No matter how careful the Fan father and son were, Ten Family Village was already prepared to expand. They had completed all the basic construction and were ready to become a second palace treasury.
Thus, Minister Fan had the black-clothed knife-man bring a message to Fan Xian that a large sum of silver was needed.
This point of time was actually much earlier than Fan Xian had originally predicted. From the beginning of the plan, he had never thought that he could be mentioned in the same breath as his mother, Ye Qingmei. Ye Qingmei had not taken many years to build the palace treasury because she had the support of the entire Qing royal family and Uncle Wu Zhu to protect her. Furthermore, her abilities had always far surpassed Fan Xian's.
Minister Fan clearly saw Fan Xian's confusion. He smiled warmly and said, "Those old fellows of Qingyu Hall were all old people who had participated in the building of the palace treasury. This is the second time, so it should be easier."
Fan Xian smiled and shook his head. "But, it's still faster than I thought."
"When we were repairing the palace treasury …" Minister Fan seemed to think of many years ago in the wastelands of North Min. He smiled. "Your mother was actually impatient and didn't want to deal with these details. Lao Wu was someone who wouldn't open his mouth even once a year. Thus, I did all of these small and mundane tasks."
So, he was the supervisor of the building of the palace treasury. No wonder Ten Family Village had developed so quickly. Fan Xian looked at his father and involuntarily felt a sense of admiration. He thought to himself that there was indeed a reason why the Emperor was so afraid of his father and was willing to lose a hundred Tiger Guards to wipe clean his father's power in the capital.
"Furthermore, Ten Family Village's location is good. You've never been here before, so I didn't have the opportunity to tell you." Minister Fan continued to smile, but the red streaks in his eyes revealed his exhaustion. After all, he was getting on in years. Regardless of whether it was in Danzhou or here, this former Minister of Revenue had single-handedly taken care of such important matters. His mind was exhausted.
Fan Xian spread out a large map on the table. It was flat. Fan Xian moved closer and used the dim light to look at the markings on the map. Because of the markings, he easily found the tiny Ten Family Village in the middle and east of the map.
His eyes gradually lit up. The geographical location of Ten Family Village was indeed as his father had said. It was miraculous. If, in the future, they could open the road to the southeast and directly reach the shores of the East Sea, it would be easy to reach Dongyi. If Ten Family Village remained quiet, the people outside would have no idea what was happening inside.
"If we act immediately, there will be a large amount of supplies entering. It will no longer be like the ants moving around the past two years. It will certainly draw the attention of many people. Even if your silver is in your account, don't think twice about whether or not to act." Fan Xian saw the faint excitement in Fan Xian's heart and reminded him with a smile.
Fan Xian's smile immediately became bitter. If he truly wanted to turn Ten Family Village into the palace treasury of North Min, hiring was one reason. Large amounts of supplies entering was another. The simple blast furnace and steel installation could not be hidden from the eyes of an idiot. Everyone would probably guess what was going on inside.
Given the importance of the palace treasury to the Qing Kingdom, as long as the court discovered the slightest abnormality, the Emperor would not hesitate to send troops to the North and attack Dongyi at all costs, destroying the embryonic form of the new palace treasury in Ten Family Village.
"Of course, even if the Emperor sends troops to attack, the location of Ten Family Village is special. It is easy to ask for reinforcements. It will not be easy to attack." Fan Xian's thinking manner was not like that of a Qing official. He was more like a traitor. Coldly, he said, "Ten Family Village was originally the Ye family village. Most of your mother's subordinates came from this village. In order to protect the secret of this place, the Ye family village changed its name and became the Ten Family Village of today."
"And this village was the first place your mother chose when she built the palace treasury."
"However, for some other reason, she relocated the location of the palace treasury within the Qing Kingdom, to North Min, which is very close to Quanzhou."
"We chose Ten Family Village anew because we believe in your mother's foresight." Fan Jian looked at Fan Xian calmly and said, "Other than your mother and Lao Wu, only I knew of this position. It is easy to defend and difficult to attack. More importantly, this is a place that none of the three powers in the world can fully devote themselves to."
Fan Xian was silent for a long time. He then said, "I would rather be careful and slow than let the Emperor discover any clues."
"Your mother is no longer here. Although we have many natural advantages in our hands, it is impossible to build a palace treasury in Ten Family Village out of thin air without a number of years of effort and the power of a country." Fan Xian closed his eyes slightly. "You had the intention to move the palace treasury out of the Qing Kingdom to use this as a pretense to threaten the Emperor. It was necessary to be cautious at the beginning."
Fan Xian was not surprised that his father had so easily seen through his thoughts. In a quiet voice, he said, "Even if it is a pretense, it has to be real. Furthermore, who knows what will happen many years later? After all, the Emperor is not a god. There will come a day when he will die. "
"Thus, the moment you agreed to move a large amount of silver into Ten Family Village, I began to have doubts." Fan Xian opened his eyes and sighed heavily. "Do you think the Emperor will actually act against Chen Pingping?"
Fan Xian was silent for a moment. He then said, "I don't know."
Fan Xian's gaze pressed on him coldly. "What if the Emperor actually moves?"
Fan Xian was silent and didn't answer the question. He only thought of the Ten Family Village that his cloth shoes had stepped on.
This village was still very quiet now, but in the future, it would certainly be incomparably dazzling. Regardless of how the internal affairs of the Qing court developed or whether or not there would be a great battle, Fan Xian always maintained one attitude in his heart.
The palace treasury was not the palace treasury. It had come from a distant world and should benefit the people of the present. It could not become the logistics department of a vast army.
Presumably, Ye Qingmei also thought this way.
A certain person had killed her, and her things still had to help him fight for the world. If Ye Qingmei knew of this, her heart would certainly hurt.
Fan Xian felt great pity for the mother he had never met. The more he felt pity for her, the more he didn't want her heart to hurt.
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