The Head of the Bureau of Military Affairs of the Qing Kingdom, the foremost person in the military under the Emperor, Commander Ye Zhong, had personally led elite soldiers to Taiping Courtyard to suppress, monitor, and control Fan Xian. It had to be said that the Qing court and Royal Palace maintained a high level of respect and caution toward Fan Xian. This respect and caution was expressed through strength.
Fan Xian's face was haggard and slightly pale. Streaks of muddy marks appeared very eye-catching on his handsome face. They were probably marks formed by the rain and dust from a thousand li. He looked at Ye Zhong's slightly cold gaze on his horse. His entire person appeared wooden and indifferent. It was as if he did not see Ye Zhong and the thousands of fully armored riders.
For people at Fan Xian and Ye Zhong's level of strength, they knew that on the plains, no matter how powerful an ace, it would be impossible to escape the pursuit of thousands of elite riders unless they had already entered the realm of a Great Grandmaster. However, this place was still on the outskirts of Jingdou. The dense forests, clear rivers, and houses were still densely packed. If Fan Xian truly gave up everything in Jingdou and fled like a giant bird into the woods, these thousands of elite soldiers would probably not be able to catch him for a while.
The Emperor had ordered Ye Zhong to personally lead troops to deal with this matter because he had thought of this. Among these thousands of elite riders, there were many aces from the military. Most importantly, there was Ye Zhong, who could face Fan Xian head-on. He was one of the few aces in the Qing Kingdom who stood above the ninth-level.
Fan Xian narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at Ye Zhong on his horse. Suddenly, his heart jumped. He thought of another matter and couldn't help smiling self-mockingly.
In the beginning, there were three countries. Dongyi had the most ninth-level aces. However, the Qing Kingdom conquered the world with its knives and horses, so aces emerged in an endless stream. They had the most aces between the seventh- and eighth-level. There were even a number of aces who had entered the ninth-level in Jingdou.
However, all of this had become history. The Tiger Guards, who had gathered the most seventh- and eighth-level aces, had all sacrificed themselves to the vicious sword of Dongyi because of the Emperor's caution toward the previous Minister of Revenue, Fan Jian. The aces of the military had all died in the Jingdou rebellion three years ago. Qin Ye and his son had both died in front of the Royal Palace. There was also old Eunuch Hong, who had fallen on Dong Mountain, and the Qing Temple's Great Priest and Second Priest who had died one after the other.
Because of the Emperor's schemes and paranoia, the top aces of the Qing Kingdom had unknowingly been decreasing. Now, a large gap had appeared. In order to suppress Fan Xian, a superior ninth-level figure, there was no one to send. They had to send the top person in the military, Ye Zhong, personally.
"I am very surprised that the heir to the High Duke can still smile." Ye Zhong had already slowly restrained the coldness in his eyes and said calmly.
"I was just thinking of a question. If even you and Gong Dian died, the Emperor, he … who else would be trustworthy?" The corners of Fan Xian's mouth twitched slightly as he spoke in a raspy voice.
Ye Zhong's heart trembled slightly. He knew that Fan Xian had seen the present flaws in the Qing Kingdom's martial power in a glance. Although the Qing Iron Riders were still unparalleled in the world, regardless of whether it was the Dingzhou army, the Yanjing camp, or the old subordinates of the Western Expedition Army scattered across the borders who had once belonged to the Great Prince, they were all tigers and wolves on the battlefield. When it came to a small group of elites led by a strong warrior, it was difficult for the Qing Kingdom to find an ace they could rely on.
"All the warriors in the world are in my hands," Fan Xian looked at Ye Zhong and slowly said. Fan Xian looked at Ye Zhong and slowly said, "I don't care about the edict the Emperor gave you earlier. I only know that if you don't immediately pull back the scouts and riders you sent out, there will be many scenes you don't want to see."
All the warriors in the world are in my hands. How arrogant were these words? All the land under heaven belonged to the King. All the officials under heaven belonged to the King. As the most powerful Emperor in the world, the Qing Emperor should have the loyalty of most of the powerful warriors in the world. However, the situation had changed. Regardless of whether it was luck or coincidence, Ye Zhong had to admit that most of the truly powerful aces in the world had fallen into Fan Xian's hands.
Although Ye Zhong did not know the truth of the assassination in the Hanging Temple, the scene on the execution field earlier made him certain that the true aces in the Overwatch Council, such as the mysterious head of the Sixth Bureau and the legendary younger brother of Sigu Jian, would follow Fan Xian's orders blindly.
Most importantly, there were 13 disciples of the Sword Hut. Other than Yun Zhilan, who had already become the Master of Dongyi, there were 11 other ninth-level aces.
"The Emperor has not given you a clear edict," Ye Zhong said in a heavy voice. "But, those Black Knights and the First Bureau officials who followed you out of the capital have broken Qing law and are conspirators in rebellion. Do you think the court will let them live?"
"It is me who wants to protect their lives." Fan Xian lowered his head tiredly. He felt that negotiating with Ye Zhong here was truly tiring. Slowly, he said, "You are a smart person. You know what to do. The Emperor is currently angry. I heard he is also injured. I'm afraid it would not be wise to give an edict at this time."
"It is very difficult for me to control my emotions. I think you would not want to truly drive me crazy. Once I go crazy, it will not be good for you, me, the officials and people of the Qing court, or even that person in the Palace." Fan Xian's body was hunched as he shook his head. "You know what my bottom line is. Starting from the old cripple all the way to me, the style of the Overwatch Council is to protect our own. We will not allow our people to be harmed."
"I understand, but this is defying an edict …" Ye Zhong calmly looked at the messy hair on Fan Xian's forehead. "I am an official of the Qing Kingdom. For all officials who break the law and rebel, I have the duty to capture and kill them."
"Don't say such useless things." Fan Xian waved his hand tiredly. "There is no one else here right now. If you want to ensure the Dingzhou army's safety for a thousand years, you'd better make a decision quickly."
Ye Zhong and Fan Xian stood far in front of the riders. No one could hear their conversation. Even Yan Bingyun, who had been following Fan Xian the entire time, stood quietly by the black carriage and did not move forward.
Ye Zhong thought silently for a long time. He then said, "Even if I let them go right now, the Black Knights under your command have been exhausted to the extreme. Regardless of whether you have them go to Xiliang to join Hongcheng or Dongyi to join the Great Prince, the soldiers stationed in the various provinces and counties along the way …"
Speaking to this point, Ye Zhong suddenly stopped and sighed in his heart. Knowing the inside story, he knew the court's arrangements these days. In the intelligence reports, Fan Xian was clearly far away outside Yanjing a few days ago. Who knew that he would rush back to Jingdou today? Thinking of this, this Qing military ace couldn't help but feel a sense of shock in his heart. He could not understand how Fan Xian had flown across thousands of li and brought hundreds of Black Knights back to Jingdou.
"As long as you don't personally act, those provincial soldiers cannot stop my people," Fan Xian said in a raspy voice. "As long as I am willing to go with you, the Emperor will not be angry at you for going easy on them."
Ye Zhong was silent for a long time then suddenly said, "That's true. As long as you are willing to return to the capital, the Emperor's anger will lessen greatly."
"See, isn't this a very simple matter?" Fan Xian said this expressionlessly. He then turned his head and walked directly into the black carriage Yan Bingyun was leading. Letting down the curtain, he closed his eyes and began to rest.
The carriage jolted slightly and began to move forward on the road. Thousands of Qing elite riders seemed to be escorting and escorting as they followed the black carriage slowly toward Jingdou.
They entered Zhengyang Gate again and traveled on the quiet and austere street. Fan Xian, who had been resting with his eyes closed in the carriage, suddenly opened his mouth and said, "Are we going into the Palace?"
"No." Ye Zhong sat on the horse and straightened his not-so-tall figure. Calmly, he replied, "The Emperor did not give an order. He only forbids you from leaving the capital."
"Very good, then I'll go home," Fan Xian said quietly as he closed his eyes again. Yan Bingyun, who was responsible for driving the carriage, had a slightly serious expression. He pulled on the rope and followed the fork in the road at the entrance of the salt market toward the south of the city.
Some people in the dark followed the black carriage closely. Ye Zhong's subordinate riders also sent a group of people to catch up. Ye Zhong himself stood at the end of the street and did not make any movements.
There were already people on the street. Although the scene on the execution field in the autumn rain had already spread like wildfire among the people, it was, after all, a distant matter and could not truly affect the lives of the people. Thus, life in Jingdou returned to normal following the end of the autumn rain.
The people walking under the eaves and on the side of the road had long been herded to the two sides of the street by the soldiers. They watched this scene woodenly and looked at the black carriage surrounded by soldiers. Very easily, they guessed the true identity of the important figure in the carriage. For a moment, nervousness, excitement, confusion, worry, and many other emotions flashed through their eyes.
Ye Zhong stood on the horse and watched with an indifferent expression as the black carriage slowly drove away in the direction of the south of the city. His heart felt unusually heavy. Logically speaking, the order to capture Fan Xian and bring him back to Jingdou and forbid him from leaving the capital had already been accomplished. However, he still could not relax. For one, under Fan Xian's naked and calm threat, he had no choice but to give up on the pursuit of the Black Knights traversing the fertile lands of the Qing Kingdom and the officials of the First Bureau of the Overwatch Council who dared to defy the Emperor's edict. After he entered the Palace in a moment, he didn't know what kind of ferocious rage he would receive from the Emperor. The coldest, hardest, and heaviest stone pressing down on his heart was Fan Xian's expression along the way.
Ye Zhong knew that it was not him who had captured Fan Xian and brought him back to Jingdou. Rather, Fan Xian had followed him back to Jingdou. What chilled his heart was that Fan Xian had no intention of entering the Palace to see the Emperor. Regardless of whether Fan Xian angrily criticized the Emperor or explained something to the Emperor, it was actually more comforting than Fan Xian's current indifference.
That kind of indifference actually contained anger towards His Majesty and suppressed coldness, as well as a kind of disregard for imperial power. Ye Zhong didn't know why Fan Xian had the courage to do this. He knew that the cold war between the Emperor and Fan Xian had just begun.
Perhaps the Emperor, who was currently recovering, was waiting in the Palace for his illegitimate son to enter the Palace to explain something or roar about something. However, Fan Xian had made all of the Emperor's hopes and predictions come to nothing.
Ye Zhong slowly lowered his head and thought of Fan Xian's calm and powerful words outside Taiping Courtyard earlier. He couldn't help but shake his head sadly. He had been forced to concede under Fan Xian's cold pressure. This proved that Fan Xian already had the power to directly oppose the power of the Qing military. Without a doubt, such power added many variables to the relationship between the Emperor and Fan Xian.
Ye Zhong could even guess what the Emperor and Fan Xian were thinking. The Emperor would never voluntarily issue an edict for Fan Xian to enter the Palace. He would wait for Fan Xian to enter the Palace, and Fan Xian would never voluntarily enter the Palace. He would wait for the man on the throne to speak first.
This was the so-called contest of attitude, intentions, and willpower. The foundation of this contest lay in the difference in power between the two sides. More importantly, it lay in the powerful and icy hearts of both sides. Who would beat first?
Ye Zhong took a deep breath. The expression on his face recovered its solemn calmness. Squeezing his horse, he prepared to enter the Palace to report. The battle between this father and son was not something he, as an official, could interfere with. The reason the Dingzhou army had interfered was because of the Emperor's edict. It was clear that the Emperor's attitude toward Fan Xian, his illegitimate son, was completely different than that of his other sons.
As the head of the Qing military, Ye Zhong only hoped that this battle would end peacefully or as quickly as possible. It wouldn't be like the autumn rain these two days, always making one feel cold and uneasy.
…
…
The carriage stopped in front of the main gate of the Fan manor in the south of the city. The street was completely silent. The two rain-soaked stone lions outside the gate stared with wide eyes, angrily and uneasily at the people walking around them. The tightly shut main gate immediately opened. A few manor guards carrying knives surged out and stood under the carriage.
Fan Xian walked down from the carriage. He didn't glance at Yan Bingyun on the shaft. He only lightly swept his gaze around his surroundings. He easily saw that there were many spies watching. They were probably people sent by the Palace. They were probably people raised by the 13 yamens or the Supreme Court.
Further away, the Overwatch Council secret agents were still there. A warm smile rose to the corners of Fan Xian's lips. In terms of surveillance, even if the entire court worked together, they might not be a match for the Overwatch Council. It looked like the secret agents he controlled were still in his hands and not yet controlled by the Emperor.
He walked up the steps. Yan Bingyun sat on the shaft and sighed. He was just about to leave when he suddenly heard a sentence.
"I probably won't be able to manage the Council for much longer." Fan Xian didn't turn his head. One of his arms was supported by a wife. Tiredly and with a glimmer of self-mockery, he said, "Originally, I didn't manage it for too long. However, I hope you won't make the mistakes you've made in the past. The reason the Overwatch Council is so united is not because of clear rewards and punishments. Rather, it is because we protect our own."
"Probably many people have already been imprisoned. In the future, it will be impossible for these old fellows to continue staying in their positions in the eight bureaus." His back slowly straightened. "If they've been taken, then they've been taken. But, you have to ensure that they can live. If even they die, no matter how much you protect this stupid Council, it will be meaningless. Do you understand?"
Yan Bingyun was silent for a moment. He then nodded, not caring whether or not Fan Xian could see it. Fan Xian sighed. With the support of his wife, he stepped into the Fan manor's high doorstep.
The moment he entered the Fan manor, a familiar aura hit him in the face. It wrapped around Fan Xian's tired body and made him feel sleepy. This was probably the so-called power of home. However, Fan Xian forced himself to stand straight and walked on the stone path. He even left his wife's support.
There were hidden weapons buried all around the manor. There were also guards walking solemnly. Everything was orderly and filled with a sense of sternness. This was the tradition of the Fan manor. No matter how turbulent the outside world was, there would never be too many holes on the inside. During the Jingdou rebellion three years ago, the Fan manor had made ample preparations. Now, the Fan manor had also made preparations.
This tradition was a rule set by his father while he was still alive. No matter how chaotic Jingdou became, to drag the Fan manor down would require at least a forceful attack by hundreds of soldiers. Fan Xian looked at all of this with satisfaction. He knew that Wan 'er had made ample preparations. Thus, he had to maintain his valiance and let the people of the Fan manor, who saw him as their backbone, know that their young master had not fallen yet.
Walking past the flowerbed and into the back garden, he saw the gentle woman at the door to the Flower Hall. Fan Xian gazed at her and forced a smile. "I'm back."
A mist gradually rose in Lin Wan 'er's eyes, but she forcefully suppressed it. She had also just returned from the Palace. Taking a few steps forward, she grabbed Fan Xian's icy hand and smiled sweetly. "It's good that you're back. Sleep first. You probably haven't slept for a few days."
"I haven't slept for six days. I didn't think I would be able to make it." Fan Xian's heart ached a little. He forced a smile and placed the weight of his body on his wife's shoulder. Walking toward the bedroom, he said in a warm voice, "These two days must have been hard on you."
"Not hard at all." Lin Wan 'er helped him into the bedroom. She found that there were some bloodstains on his palm. Her heart dimmed slightly, but she didn't say anything. She only had him sit down by the bed. Then, she ordered the servants to quickly bring hot water and help him wash his face. She also placed the copper basin used to wash his feet at his feet.
Lin Wan 'er sat on a little stool and helped him take off his shoes and socks. Only then did she realize that the many days of hard running, although he was riding a horse, had already made Fan Xian's feet and shoes seem to be connected. Particularly, the soles of his feet that were stepping on the stirrups had a deep, bloody mark.
Lin Wan 'er's heart ached. She carefully placed Fan Xian's feet into the basin of hot water. Fan Xian sighed. She didn't know whether it was because he was too comfortable or too sad.
"The outside of the courtyard is filled with people. There's no way to go in." Lin Wan 'er lowered her head and gently rubbed his feet as she spoke quietly. The courtyard in this sentence referred to the square and sinister building of the Overwatch Council.
"When I left the capital earlier, some daring people from the First Bureau followed me out of the city." Fan Xian looked at the top of his wife's head and smiled warmly. "I know it was you who told them. I've already arranged for them to leave. Don't worry. As for the courtyard, at least for now, the Emperor will not allow me to contact them."
Lin Wan 'er's hand froze slightly. She was worried about Fan Xian, but she was also thinking about whether or not she should say that matter. A moment later, she lowered her head and said in a trembling voice, "Sister went into the Palace yesterday to tend to the Emperor's wounds. She still hasn't come back."
"That's normal." Fan Xian had long heard this news from Yan Bingyun's mouth. Calmly, he said, "The Emperor has always grabbed people's weak spots tightly. Only the old cripple didn't have any weak spots for him to grab. That's why he ended up like this today."
Speaking of Chen Pingping, Fan Xian's face darkened. In reality, Chen Pingping's only weak spot in this life was Fan Xian. However, this old cripple still separated Fan Xian in such a hopeless situation, leaving the Emperor unable to grab hold of him. In the end, they could only walk into a deadlock.
After saying this, Fan Xian fell asleep. With his feet in the basin and his head lowered to his chest, he fell into a deep sleep. Having not slept for a long time, he finally relaxed his state of mind in front of his wife. With a glimmer of unshakable sorrow on his face, he fell into a deep sleep.
Lin Wan 'er gently stopped the movements of her hands and looked at the haggard and sorrowful face. For some reason, sorrow welled up in her heart, and a few tears rolled down. She gazed at Fan Xian and thought, When did that bright and beautiful youth become so pitiful?
…
…
Fan Xian slept for a full day and night. When he slowly woke up, he found that it was already dusk. The slightly dim light of dusk seeped in through the window and covered everything familiar in the room with a layer of unfamiliar light.
Wan 'er's voice came faintly from outside the window. It seemed that she was ordering the servants to do something. Fan Xian didn't want to startle her, so he continued to lie quietly in the warm, thin blankets. He didn't want to get up. Perhaps he knew that once he came out of the soft blankets, he would have to face what had already happened and what was about to happen.
His gaze turned slightly and saw a towel by the bed. Extending his hand, he pulled it over and gently wiped the dirt at the corner of his eyes. Immediately after, he looked at his body and found that it was clean and fresh. It looked like Wan 'er had wiped his body while he was sleeping.
Just these two simple movements caused his entire body to ache with unbearable pain. The thousand miles of rushing, the valiant fighting, and the pain that seeped deep into his bones had indeed caused him to weaken to the extreme. It was absolutely not something that could be recovered with a simple sleep.
Fan Xian lay quietly on the bed and slowly activated the two powers of zhenqi in his body, particularly Tianyi Dao's natural method, to recover his yuanqi. His gaze stared straight at the ceiling embroidered with complicated patterns and thought to himself, What is the man in the Palace thinking at this time?
…
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