The last time he had come to the Imperial College was a few months ago.
That day, the spring rain fell. Fan Xian had come to the Imperial College to see Hu the Scholar about the matter of Sun Jingxiu, the Jingdou magistrate. At that time, he had returned to the capital with a peerless achievement. It had truly been glorious and glorious. He had resisted the pressure of the Hall of Governmental Affairs and humiliated Scholar He's will. He had been confident and arrogant, climbing to the second peak of his life. Once the rain stopped and the black umbrella fell, he was recognized by the students of the Imperial College and caused a small commotion.
He had escaped from the Qing Temple in the bleak autumn rain. His face was slightly pale, and his arms trembled slightly. Some of the rain had leaked through the cloth umbrella and soaked his clothes, making him look somewhat wretched. Fan Xian had already been stripped of all of his official positions and titles. He had become a proper commoner. Furthermore, the entire Jingdou knew that the Emperor was torturing this once glorious young man. The Fan manor was like a house arrest. No one dared to come to his door or show their support.
In a mere few months, his life circumstances had completely flipped around. Thinking of this, Fan Xian couldn't help smiling. Lowering his head and holding the umbrella, he walked past the Imperial College students who were discussing something and headed deeper into the Imperial College.
In the rain, the Imperial College appeared particularly beautiful and quiet. Old trees stretched out their old branches on either side of the stone path, providing a rare comfort for the scholars running through the rain. Along the way, the autumn yellow had not yet risen, but the spring green was still there. At dusk, the school bell rang in the distance, clearing one's heart.
Fan Xian no longer worried about the Qing Temple Ascetic Monks chasing him from behind. Putting aside whether or not they could find him while surrounded by hundreds of Imperial College students, the Imperial College was a sacred and important place. Even if the Ascetic Monks were willing to sacrifice themselves, they probably would not dare to charge in like a butcher and risk a commotion among the scholars.
Holding the umbrella, he walked toward the Imperial College. After walking for a long time, he finally came to a relatively quiet place where the teachers were. Fan Xian habitually walked around the long corridor and entered a small courtyard. Passing by the screen wall, he slowly stopped his steps.
This was his room in the Imperial College. A few teachers and talented students had been transferred under him. They had been editing books in this courtyard for a number of years. The carriage of books Sir Zhuang Mohan had given Fan Xian had been reorganized in this place and then sent to Xishan Paper Workshop for the final edition. In the end, it was sold at a fair price by the Fan manor's Danbo Bookstore.
These years, the work of organizing books had continued, so the Danbo Bookstore had been losing money the entire time. However, Fan Xian did not care about this. Just like how he had felt when he saw the bookshelves in Sun Pin 'er's boudoir during the Jingdou rebellion, Fan Xian thought that this kind of thing was meaningful. Since it was meaningful, he would continue to do it.
He stood quietly by the screen wall and looked at the movement in the room. He was comforted to find that although the Emperor had beaten him into a commoner, the Imperial College teachers and students who had followed him for a number of years had not been implicated. Furthermore, the work of editing books continued and had not been affected.
A glimmer of warmth rose in Fan Xian's heart. He gazed into the room and smiled. Before the Imperial College teachers discovered him, he turned and left the familiar courtyard. Slanting through the small hill in the northeast corner of the Imperial College, he followed a shallow lake and came to another familiar courtyard.
This courtyard and these rooms were where Shu Wu the Scholar had lived when he taught. Later, Hu the Scholar had been summoned back to Jingdou by imperial edict and squeezed in. After Shu Wu retired, this courtyard belonged to Hu the Scholar alone. The last time Fan Xian had asked for Hu the Scholar's help, it had happened in this courtyard.
Fan Xian pushed open the door and entered. He bowed to the shocked officials and teachers. He then walked into the study alone, leaving behind the group of people looking at each other in dismay.
Hearing someone push open the door and enter, Hu the Scholar, who had been buried in his desk, raised his head. He quickly took off the crystal spectacles on the bridge of his nose. His face quickly changed to a solemn expression. The leader of the Qing civil officials was not in a good mood. Given his identity, who dared to barge in without summoning him?
However, he saw a face he had never expected. After pausing for a moment, a trace of bitterness rose to the scholar's face. "This is truly shocking."
Fan Xian had actually not expected Hu the Scholar to be in the room. He had been busy in Dongyi for a long time. He had somewhat forgotten his duties for the court meetings and the Hall of Governmental Affairs. He was also not sure whether or not this scholar would be at the Imperial College. However, he did have some things he wanted to talk about with someone. Since he had come to the Imperial College, he had to find this person.
In court, the only person who could come into private contact with Fan Xian and not worry about being angrily dismissed by the Emperor was probably this Hu the Scholar.
"Some things happened today. I am not in a good mood, so I came to find you to chat."
As Fan Xian spoke, he walked in the direction of the desk. The umbrella in his hand dripped water all the way. Hu the Scholar furrowed his brows and pointed. Only then did he understand. Smiling, he placed the umbrella behind the door. Without a trace of politeness, he picked up the cup of warm tea on the table and took a few sips, warming his body that had been soaked through by the rain and ice in the Qing Temple.
"How come you are so down and out and pitiful?" Looking at the dripping Fan Xian snatching the hot tea to drink, Hu the Scholar couldn't resist laughing. However, the smile disappeared as soon as it appeared. He found that this joke could easily be extended to other meanings.
As expected, Fan Xian very naturally followed along with this topic and said, "I am just a commoner now. To be able to drink the hot tea on the scholar's table, I have to treasure the opportunity."
After these words were said, the quiet room immediately became silent. Neither of them spoke. Instead, they sank into their own thoughts. Hu the Scholar thought Fan Xian had come specifically to find him, so he had no choice but to be cautious. Each word and each action had to be carefully thought out before they could be expressed.
After a long time, Hu the Scholar looked at him and said, "Why did you want to come out for a walk today?"
A strange smile rose to the corners of Fan Xian's lips. His voice was slightly cold. "Has the Palace ordered me to be confined?"
Hu the Scholar smiled. Fan Xian continued warmly, "Since there isn't, why can't I come out for a walk? In particular, His Majesty has stripped me of all my duties, but what is very wonderful is that he has left me a teaching position at the Imperial College that has no rank or rank. My coming to the Imperial College today can be considered to be considerate of His Majesty's wishes, to show that this commoner has no resentment.
There was resentment in his words. If a normal official had said such words in front of Hu the Scholar, Hu the Scholar would certainly have harshly reprimanded them. Facing Fan Xian, he could only maintain his silence. Of course, the atmosphere of this conversation was completely different from the conversation in the spring rain. After all, although Fan Xian's words were fearless at that time, they were fearless with the Emperor's permission. Hu the Scholar could still join in the fun. Now, the Emperor had withdrawn this permission. Hu the Scholar's response was particularly difficult.
He paused for a moment and then looked at Fan Xian. Seriously, he said, "I am not very clear about your thoughts. Yesterday, when I entered the Palace, I had a conversation with the Emperor. When it came to the matter of the Fan manor, the Emperor had a comment about you."
Fan Xian slowly raised his head and didn't ask. The calmness in his eyes did not match the confusion in his heart.
"Everything about An Zhi is good. It is just that his personality is too direct and stubborn …" Hu the Scholar glanced at him and took the teacup from his hand. Leaning slightly, he went to refill the tea on the little stove at the side.
Hu the Scholar had his back to Fan Xian. His voice was flat and indifferent. Quietly, he said, "Direct and stubborn. It looks like the Emperor understands you and is considerate of you. No matter how big a mistake, it can be washed away with these words. This is a problem of personality, not a problem of natural disposition. You have to understand the Emperor's painstaking efforts. "
Painstaking efforts? Fan Xian's brows slowly furrowed. They were beautifully furrowed and cold. He understood what Hu the Scholar's words represented. The man in the Palace still had 30 percent hope and 30 percent tolerance for his illegitimate child. How much of the remaining 40 percent was anger and how much was fear? No one could say for sure.
Hu the Scholar turned his body and placed the teacup in front of Fan Xian. Looking into his eyes, he said seriously, "Direct and stubborn. This is a person of character. The Emperor likes true lovers like you. It is not that the Emperor cannot forgive you for the mistakes you have made these days. What is important is that you know where you went wrong and let the Emperor know that you know your mistakes. "
Fan Xian sat silently in the chair. He knew that Hu the Scholar had misjudged his intentions for coming today. However, it was impossible for the two of them to speak openly like they did in the past. He was not stupid enough to argue back. He only unconsciously and slowly said, "Where did I go wrong?"
"You know where it is. You need to show your attitude." Hu the Scholar's brows furrowed. With slight worry, he said, "Any of the things you have done these dozen days is enough for you to be struck into the dust and unable to rise again. The Black Knights have passed through the provinces. The memorials accusing you these days have flown into the Hall of Governmental Affairs like snowflakes."
"Probably the officials in these places still don't know that the Emperor has long punished me." Fan Xian smiled.
"When has the Emperor truly punished you?" Hu the Scholar's brows furrowed even deeper. Even the moisturizing cream he had to wear every day was almost unable to hide the deep wrinkles on his forehead. He looked at Fan Xian with a slightly disappointed gaze and said heavily, "If you truly want to be punished according to Qing law, even if you have entered the body of the Eight Deliberations, how many heads do you have to chop off? Can it offset these? "
Hu the Scholar looked at the silent young man in front of him. For some reason, a fire of anger that was difficult to suppress rose in his heart. Lowering his voice, he scolded, "Don't you understand that the Emperor has already been sufficiently lenient toward you? If you continue to challenge the power of the court like this and sharpen the Emperor's patience …"
"So what?" Fan Xian woodenly cut off Hu the Scholar's words.
Hu the Scholar looked at him calmly. The disappointment in his eyes grew stronger and stronger. After a long time, he said in a raspy voice, "Do you want to die?"
Fan Xian raised his head to look at him.
"Don't rely on the Emperor's favor to continue making trouble without regard for the law and morality." It looked like Hu the Scholar was truly angry. As the leader of the Qing civil officials, he had been like the other officials in court these days, watching as the Emperor and Fan Xian turned against each other. He watched as the originally beautiful autumn scenery of the Qing Kingdom added countless dark clouds because of this sudden change. As a high-ranking official of the Qing Kingdom and a citizen of the Qing Kingdom, they all wanted to persuade Fan Xian to enter the Palace to ask for forgiveness and end this period of unrest.
However, the attitude Fan Xian had displayed these days gradually chilled the hearts of everyone, including Hu the Scholar.
"You think that I am just a favored official?" Fan Xian did not want to brag about his abilities like a child. After hearing these words, he still couldn't resist furrowing his brows slightly and asking.
"It has nothing to do with favor. You are just an official. I am also an official." Hu the Scholar forcefully suppressed his anger and faintly said, "You and I are both the Emperor's officials. Perhaps you think that the Emperor does not treat you well. Think about it carefully. Since the founding of the country, which official has received such favor and trust from you? You have clearly seen the history of the country these years. You should know that the Emperor has already shown you the greatest degree of tolerance and patience. "
"Don't be blinded by your power. In the end, your power was bestowed upon you by the Emperor. It's not that the Emperor can't do anything about your ruthlessness these days. It's just that he doesn't want to, can't bear to, and doesn't want to make those decisions. It's not that he can't. "
Hu the Scholar slowly lowered his eyelids and said in a serious voice, "Of course, I have to admit that you are an exceptional official …"
Hu the Scholar did not finish because he wanted to tell Fan Xian that if the Emperor truly did not have a sliver of leniency toward him, perhaps he would have long thrown him into prison or even executed him. The Emperor had always had this ability. However, these involved the matters between the Emperor and Fan Xian. Hu the Scholar's emotions surged. He realized that he had already said too much, so he silently changed the topic.
"No one wants to see a meritorious official of the Qing Kingdom disappear from Jingdou because of his arrogance," Hu the Scholar looked at Fan Xian and said solemnly. "One must know when to turn back when one is lost. There has to be a limit to one's stubbornness."
"These words seem to have been said not long ago by many baldies." Fan Xian smiled unhappily and straightened his body. "Looks like the present Jingdou and the world all think that I am the little insect in front of the carriage of history. I should either quickly move out of the way or be crushed to death. If I have my own thoughts, then I am a sinner."
He gradually withdrew his smile and thought of the group of wastrels he had crippled outside Baoyue Brothel many years ago. He also thought of what Wan 'er had once said was very similar to Hu the Scholar's. The Emperor's patience, in the end, had a limit. Presently, he was trapped in Jingdou and could not leave. If someone wanted to kill or cripple him, it was only a matter of a word.
This was different from the siege of the Ascetic Monks in the Qing Temple. Once the Qing court truly decided to get rid of Fan Xian, this unstable factor, no matter how shocking Fan Xian's cultivation was, he would not be able to escape this fate. After all, he was not a Great Grandmaster.
"Earlier, when I braved the rain to enter the Imperial College and watched those scholars walk past me, I thought that perhaps one day, I would also become someone worthy of disdain in their eyes," Fan Xian said tiredly with his head lowered.
"No, no one has ever blamed you or disdained you. Not only these students, but even the officials and people in Jingdou have some respect for you when it comes to matters on the execution field." Hu the Scholar coughed and slowly said, "Just like the Emperor's criticism of you, you displayed sufficient stubbornness in the matter of Director Chen. This kind of true nature can make many people understand you. However, you must learn to think through these things."
"The people respect you only because of your affection. However, if you really do something treacherous and heinous, then …
However, if you truly have any treasonous actions … even thoughts. " Hu the Scholar's voice became icy. "I cannot tolerate you. The court cannot tolerate you. The people cannot tolerate you. The Emperor cannot tolerate you."
"You must understand. This is the unified will of the Qing court. I hope you won't mess around."
"Mess around?" Fan Xian smiled, but there was a heavy pressure in his smile. Being the enemy of the world was not something he was afraid of. His heart was still thinking back to the thoughts in his mind earlier. He could not quite come back to his senses.
After a long time, he bowed solemnly toward Hu the Scholar. He didn't say anything or give any information. He turned and walked toward the door.
"Although I don't want to admit it, I have to admit that I am already old." Hu the Scholar looked at Fan Xian's back and suddenly blurted out. Slowly, he said, "The words I said today were a bit excessive. However, the world is not yet settled. The war cannot stop. For the officials in court and for the people under heaven, I hope you can think more."
Hu the Scholar spoke from the bottom of his heart. He had been the Emperor's purposeful choice to be the next Prime Minister. Following the changes in the situation in court, his prospects had become blurry.
In order to oppose Fan Xian, the Emperor had raised up He Zongwei. Sir He understood the Emperor's heart and was skilled in government affairs. He was experienced and mature. It was impossible to find a single mistake. Now that Fan Xian's power had declined, He Zongwei had naturally secured his position in the Hall of Governmental Affairs. He had the Emperor's trust and was popular for a time, faintly suppressing the Hu faction's limelight.
Even if Hu the Scholar did not care for power and position, he would probably still sigh in his heart. His urging of Fan Xian was probably because he needed a familiar helper in court. Of course, the most fundamental reason was just as he had said earlier. The Qing Kingdom, whose sharpness pointed at the world, needed a stable court and a harmonious society. Each day Fan Xian did not lower his head to the Emperor, the Qing Kingdom would not be at peace.
Unless Fan Xian died. In reality, in the Qing court and in the streets, not many people wanted Sir Fan junior, who had just accomplished a great deed, to die like this.
"I understand what you mean." Fan Xian didn't turn his head. After a long silence, he said, "Perhaps one day I will think it through and enter the Palace to ask for forgiveness."
Behind him, Hu the Scholar smiled bitterly and thought, If I wait for you to think it through, how many years and months will that take?
"Perhaps … I was truly wrong?" Fan Xian's figure at the door was very tired. He quietly muttered to himself in a slightly raspy voice.
When these words landed in Hu the Scholar's ears, it made his heart warm. His brows slowly furrowed. He decided to enter the Palace again tonight.
In his opinion, the dispute between the Emperor and Fan Xian was not something that could not be resolved. It was just that no one wanted to lower their head first. If he could convince the Emperor to send an edict summoning Fan Xian into the Palace, perhaps Fan Xian would go with the flow.
As he thought this, Fan Xian suddenly turned his head and said, "Although I am no longer in the Overwatch Council, I know a very interesting piece of news. Perhaps you would like to hear it."
Hu the Scholar raised his head slightly.
"Fan Wujiu is a strategist in Scholar He's manor."
Fan Xian bowed again and walked out of the room. The rain in the Imperial College continued to fall unhurriedly. Under the umbrella, Fan Xian's calm face did not change in the slightest. He had already achieved his goal in his conversation with Hu the Scholar. He knew exactly what the upper echelons of court officials thought of him. He also understood where the bottom line of the Emperor's generosity toward him was. Of course, the most important thing was the last two sentences.
Fan Xian held the umbrella and walked silently in the rain. He thought to himself that if it wasn't tonight or tomorrow, the Palace would probably send out an edict summoning him into the Palace. Through Hu the Scholar releasing some kind of signal into the Palace, perhaps he could hide it from the man on the dragon chair.
All of this was because the people of the Qinian Unit had just left the capital, so Fan Xian was not ready. He had to control this cold war between ruler and official to within the range of a spring failing. He was preparing at all times.
…
…
That night, Hu the Scholar entered the Palace. No one knew what he said with tears and tears to the Emperor, but the eunuchs serving in the royal study all knew that the Emperor's mood should be much better. An edict was immediately sent out of the Palace. The dark killing field outside the Fan manor, which had been tormented for seven days, came to an end.
Until Scholar Hu left the Royal Palace with a peaceful and happy expression, he still did not tell the Emperor the shocking news Fan Xian had told him. For one reason, he didn't understand why Fan Xian had told him such an important matter. Was there a hidden conspiracy behind it? For another reason, the Qing Kingdom was like what Hu the Scholar believed. What they needed was unity.
In the Imperial College, he only felt that the name Fan Wujiu sounded familiar, but he couldn't remember who it was. After all, he was the head scholar of the Hall of Governmental Affairs. In the time it took to drink a cup of tea, his subordinates found out that Fan Wujiu was one of the eight generals of the Second Prince's manor.
Walking out of the Palace and into the carriage, Hu the Scholar couldn't resist sighing. He gently stroked his beard and smiled. He thought to himself that Sir Fan junior was indeed a cute person who held grudges.
…
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