The Fan manor's carriage traveled on the road out of the city. It had just passed the west city gate and was headed toward the country estate in the distance shrouded in twilight. He entered the Palace in the morning and only returned to the manor in the afternoon. Fan Xian did not tarry. He boarded the carriage with Wan 'er and went to the country estate on the outskirts.
Last night, an edict from the Palace had come out. The surveillance of the Fan manor had completely ended. People had thought that the cold war between the Emperor and Fan Xian had ended. Unexpectedly, after Fan Xian entered the Palace to see the Emperor, there was no news of his return from the Palace. There wasn't even a related edict. Putting aside what the officials in court and the various powers were guessing, the fact that the Fan manor's carriage had left just like that still shocked many people.
What surprised many people was that the Fan manor's carriage had smoothly passed through the Jingdou city guard's inspection. More accurately, it had not been inspected at all. Was the Emperor not worried that Sir Fan junior would leave Jingdou in a fit of anger? Although the Emperor's household did not have children running away in anger, the scene on the execution field, as well as the disputes these days, made people scratch their heads in confusion about Fan Xian's response.
Many people were worried whether or not Fan Xian would leave Jingdou. It was clear that the Emperor was not worried. Otherwise, he would not have removed all the surveillance outside the Fan manor or given Fan Xian such freedom.
"My sister is in the Palace, and the Emperor's edict has been sent out. The subordinates and relatives who rely on me to live are all in Jingdou. How can I leave?" Fan Xian tilted his head and looked at the autumn scenery illuminated by the red twilight outside Jingdou. In a quiet voice, he said, "Bring back Xiaohua and Liangzi. Let's live well in the manor."
Lin Wan 'er's heart trembled slightly. She didn't know if Fan Xian's words came from the bottom of his heart or if they contained some other meaning. If staying in the Fan manor and being an idle person was the Emperor's edict, then Lin Wan 'er knew why Fan Xian was forced to accept this edict. The Fan manor had received a bad piece of news when it opened.
That day, Lin Wan 'er had made a decision at the first instant. She had Teng Zijing take the young mistress and the young master to the Fan manor outside the city. She was worried that something would happen later and was prepared to quietly take the children back to Danzhou. However, the country estate had only sent news today. It turned out that the carriages taking the children had arrived at the country estate and could no longer leave.
It was not that there were soldiers waiting there. Rather, a eunuch was already waiting. Under these circumstances, Teng Zijing did not dare to act rashly. If he truly secretly sent the young master and mistress back to Danzhou, who knew if something would happen on the way? Would the court shed all pretenses of cordiality and snatch these two children into the Palace?
Just like Fan Ruoruo.
Fan Xian furrowed his brows slightly and said, "In the end, I still underestimated the meticulousness of the Emperor's thoughts. Now that I think about it, the day you decided to send the children back to Danzhou, something had just happened in the royal study. Chen Pingping had just been sent to the Overwatch Council. At that time, the Emperor was heavily injured, but he still did not forget about our children. "
The glimmer of a cold smile rose to the corners of his lips. "Truly, the Emperor's kindness is vast and mighty. As officials, we should thank him."
"It was my lack of thorough arrangements. Back then, we shouldn't have waited in the country estate. We should have thought of a way to send them directly to Danzhou." A glimmer of darkness flashed through Lin Wan 'er's brows. She had not thought that her uncle the Emperor would be so cold and severe that he wouldn't even let go of two children.
"At that time, the most you could contact was the First Bureau. My people were all scattered outside Jingdou. If you wanted to send them to Danzhou, there was no way." Fan Xian gently put his arm around her thin shoulders and comforted her. "You've been tired enough these days and worried enough. This has nothing to do with you. Our Emperor even dares to use the Temple, much less two children."
"What exactly did you and Chengping talk about in the Palace?" Lin Wan 'er sighed and thought to herself that the entire family was trapped in Jingdou. The Emperor did not show much of his extraordinary face. Only this faint threat was enough to make Fan Xian and her not dare to act rashly. Thus, she changed the topic and continued to ask the previous question. She also knew about the matter of the concubines. As intelligent as she was, she guessed the Emperor's intentions. Thus, she wanted to hear some of Shufang Palace's reaction from Fan Xian.
"What can I say?" Fan Xian smiled faintly and said, "Hong Zhu, that little eunuch, has been by my side the entire time. He has the Emperor's edict to send me out of the Palace. Can Chengping and I kick him aside?"
There was an ambush in these words. For the sake of Hong Zhu's safety, Fan Xian had kept this secret tightly. Even the Third Prince did not know the true relationship between him and Hong Zhu. Earlier in Shufang Palace, the Third Prince had indeed been rude to Hong Zhu.
"However, there is no need to worry too much. After all, Chengping has performed very well these years. How could the Emperor bear to have the court fall into chaos again because of my relationship?" Fan Xian's brows twitched. "In front of Hong Zhu, I gave the Third Prince a good scolding. In any case, it will probably be very difficult for me to enter the Palace in the future. I should quickly scold him. It would be best if I can make Chengping truly angry at me."
The carriage moved gently along the road. In the distance, the setting sun in the western sky dragged out a long red tail. It brushed across the nearby hills and then the faintly discernible head of Cang Mountain in the distance.
"Who do you think you can fool?" Lin Wan 'er leaned into his embrace. Her mood was unusually heavy. "Putting on a show for Hong Zhu to see. Will the Emperor believe it?"
"Regardless of whether the Emperor believes it or not, I will not see Chengping in the future. We will also have to cut off contact in Duke's Alley. It would be best if you don't enter the Palace as often." Fan Xian gently stroked her face. After a moment of silence, he said, "It's best if we don't drag other people into our own matters."
Lin Wan 'er straightened her body and looked at him calmly. "What do you want the Emperor to believe? To believe that Chengping does not have true affection for you? Don't forget that big brother is still in Dongyi. Each day he doesn't bring you and your brothers into the Palace, the Emperor will not be at ease. Isn't the matter of the consort selection clear? "
"Correct, it is a separation." Fan Xian gazed at his wife and said seriously, "It is a true separation. Even if something happens to me, don't drag Chengping into it. Chen Pingping did this in the past. I also wanted to do this. However, I don't have much foresight, so I prepared much later. "
Lin Wan 'er sighed helplessly and said, "Based on what you say, the Emperor still intends for Chengping to inherit the throne. Then, why is there a consort selection?"
"Just in case. This kind of thing is easy to understand," Fan Xian smiled slightly. "It's only a 10-month pregnancy. How could it be so easy to have a child? Those beauties are only 14 or 15 years old. If they want to be stepmothers, they will have to endure a bit longer."
Speaking of this, Fan Xian sank into deep thought. He thought of the problem of the Emperor's masculinity. If one carefully calculated the Emperor's age, given his Great Grandmaster realm body, the matter between men and women should not be too difficult. However, he was getting older, so his desires would probably grow thinner.
Concerning the repercussions of the Tyrannical martial secret, Fan Xian knew better than anyone. Adding to the discussion he had with Sigu Jian at the end in Dongyi, Fan Xian confirmed that the Emperor's body no longer had normal Meridians. Instead, it had become like a completely unobstructed channel or vessel. Only this could allow the physical body to contain so much Tyrannical zhenqi. Only then could he use one finger to guide half a lake into Ku He's body and forcefully fill a Great Grandmaster to death.
No matter how Tyrannical it was, it was still Tyrannical. It only had the name of the Way of the Emperor. How could there be a true change? Fan Xian thought of this and raised his brows slightly. He had proven that the Emperor's constitution was cold on the outside and dry on the inside. His breathing disturbed his nature. He probably needed to eat a few more Lengxiang pills.
If he didn't have Lengxiang pills to eat, then eating more celery would be good. Garlic? Fan Xian lowered his head slightly and thought about the Imperial Academy of Medicine's conclusion. He prayed to the heavens to ensure that a Great Grandmaster's body was no different from a mortal's body.
Celery, garlic, and bean products, particularly the first one, had a powerful killing effect. Without question, only Fan Xian knew this knowledge. The Imperial Academy of Medicine did not know. Hong Zhu did not understand. Even the Emperor did not know. Whether or not the tricks Fan Xian did in secret would bear fruit in the future would depend on whether or not the heavens would help.
As long as the Emperor did not have any more children, then the Third Prince's position would be as stable as Dong Mountain. This was Fan Xian's hope.
Perhaps making the Emperor have no more children sounded like a sinister plot. However, Fan Xian did not think so. The Emperor already had three sons. That was enough. If he had more, it would just create more trouble for the Qing Kingdom in the fight for the throne.
At least, he did not make the Li family die without descendants. Thinking of this, Fan Xian thought of Chen Pingping and couldn't resist smiling.
"I still have the heart to offer, but have no reason to see a wise ruler."
Lin Wan 'er was slightly surprised to find that Fan Xian was making another rare poem. Thinking about it closely, she found that this poem only talked about the grievances of an official. She looked at Fan Xian in a daze and wondered if he was truly willing to forget the death by a thousand cuts in front of the Royal Palace and the bloody case in Taiping Courtyard decades ago.
As for the Emperor, Ye Qingmei, Chen Pingping, Fan Jian, and that group of old people, Fan Xian had already told Wan 'er everything. Only now did Lin Wan' er know that in the shadows of the Royal Palace and behind history, there were so many heartless choices and vengeance. Thus, she did not have the extravagant hope that Fan Xian would actually obediently stay in the manor as an idle person.
However, she heard these two lines of poetry.
As she thought this, the carriage arrived at the Fan clan's country estate. The entire clan, young and old, had already received the news ahead of time. They waited obediently outside the country estate for the arrival of the young master and mistress. Although Fan Xian no longer had an official position, he was still the backbone of the Fan clan. Other than the vengeance, he still had to shoulder the people his father had entrusted to him.
Dusk shone on the gates of the country. Sisi was carrying Fan Liang. Shuning, who was wearing a large flowery farmer's clothing, was holding onto her leg. She looked curiously at her parents who were getting off the carriage. She was already three years old and had no problem remembering people.
Fan Xian accepted Fan Liang's embrace from Sisi's hands and quietly said something by her ear. He then smiled and had the people waiting for him quickly disperse. He then pulled Shuning's small hand and walked into the central room. He asked, "Has Xiao Hua been good lately?"
When they reached the central room, the well-behaved Shuning let go of her father's hand and threw herself into Lin Wan 'er's arms. Sisi was busy making arrangements for the night's rest. Fan Xian turned his eyes and saw a eunuch in the central room.
He nodded toward the eunuch. The eunuch's expression was very ugly. There was also a hint of fear on his face. He quickly went forward and kowtowed to Fan Xian before leaving the country estate.
The eunuch's figure disappeared through the door. Only then did Teng Zijing walk out on his crutch and spit at the figure's back.
"Pay attention to hygiene," Fan Xian said with a smile. In the fourth year of the Qing calendar, Teng Zijing had been heavily injured in order to protect him. One of his legs had been broken by an assassin. Although he had gotten much better after being nursed back to health, he often used a crutch at home.
Teng Zijing looked at him and said with shame, "I was useless and was unable to send the young master and young mistress away …" He then continued, "I had planned to kill that little eunuch, but I was afraid it would cause trouble for you."
"Don't look at him just because he's a little eunuch who doesn't know anything. He represents the Emperor. How could you casually kill him?" Fan Xian said carelessly. He then touched the large flowery dress Shuning was wearing and said with a smile, "It's quite bright."
The wife of the Teng family came out with hot tea. She smiled embarrassedly and replied, "It's third sister-in-law's daughter's. It shouldn't have been worn by the young mistress, but …"
Teng Zijing scratched his head and said, "These days, there's no way to get news from the manor. The elders in the clan discussed it with my family and thought it would not be difficult to hide it from that little eunuch. They were just worried that there might be an ambush from the court along the way. Thus, they planned to disguise the young mistress and young master as country children. If something happened, we would see if we could secretly send them away."
Fan Xian's heart jumped. He knew what the people in the clan were preparing to do. He then thought of the bloody case in Taiping Courtyard on Liujing River. Ruoruo's biological mother seemed to be like the wife of the Teng family in front of him.
His face darkened and he said, "In the future, don't think about such foolish things. How can you hide it from others? Don't harm other people's children for nothing. "
Seeing that Teng Zijing only made a casual sound of agreement and did not take it seriously, Fan Xian sighed in his heart and scolded, "The elders in the clan can be said to be foolish. How could you all be so foolish?"
Fortunately, the Fan manor had opened and Fan Xian had rushed over. Nothing had happened, so there was no need to say these things now. However, thinking of the clan members who had welcomed him at the entrance of the country estate earlier, even someone as cold as Fan Xian couldn't help but be moved. His heart was moved, but he sank into an even deeper worry.
Traveling alone under heaven, he could happily repay kindness and enmity. Even if he spilled his blood and threw away his head, it was all in exchange for no regrets.
Chen Pingping still wanted to send the girls in the garden to Dongyi, but there were so many people around Fan Xian. How many could he send away? There was only one life in which to have no regrets. It was not an easy matter.
Their family did not stay long in the clan estate. After only one night, they picked up their children. The next day, the family of five left the manor to return to Jingdou. Just as the Emperor had said in the royal study and just as the Eldest Princess had said one day to her strategist, Fan Xian's weakness was too fatal. As long as he grasped this point, even if he grew wings, where could he escape to? Even if he could escape, would he want to?
If he didn't escape, he could only face it. But, the snowy mountains were so high and so cold.
Holding a pair of children, Fan Xian sat in the carriage with a smile. His gaze occasionally looked through the window at the Cang Mountains reflecting the white light from the east in the morning. The Cang Mountains were on the west side of Jingdou. They were far from the official road, but they were tall and majestic, piercing the clouds. It was only early autumn, so the top of the mountain had long been covered in snow, adding a touch of coolness to the world.
"Do you still remember those two years of winter in the Cang Mountains?" Fan Xian suddenly asked.
After he said this, expressions of happiness and reminiscence appeared on Lin Wan 'er and Sisi's faces. The first year, Sisi had been purposely left behind by Fan Xian in the old manor in Jingdou. The second year, she still went with him. For the young people of the Fan manor, the snow in the Cang Mountains could clear their hearts and wash their faces. It was a beautiful little world completely cut off from Jingdou. There, Fan Xian could fully reveal emotions and emotions that were different from this world.
Regardless of whether it was playing mahjong or chatting, the warm kang in the winter snow always brought back such memories. The carriage gradually grew quiet. Lin Wan 'er thought of Ye Ling' er and Rou Jia, who occasionally went up the mountain. These days, the Fan manor in Jingdou had been surrounded. Presumably, Ye Ling 'er was worried sick outside. Other than worrying about the Fan manor, Rou Jia was probably also worried about King Jing's matter in the Palace.
"How is King Jing?" Lin Wan 'er asked worriedly.
"The Emperor's anger has subsided. Naturally, he will be allowed to return to the manor. He didn't even punish me, much less him." Fan Xian shook his head. He thought of his brother, Sizhe. He didn't know if there would be any problems after he heard the news in the North with so many things happening in Jingdou.
Sitting by Fan Xian's side, Shuning suddenly looked at the snow on the Cang Mountains. Pursing her lips, she said in a childish voice, "So high."
It was very high and difficult to go up. Fan Xian narrowed his eyes slightly and gazed at the top of the Cang Mountains. He took a deep breath. On that snowy mountain were his most beautiful memories in the Qing Kingdom. There was also the time when Uncle Wu Zhu took him to climb the mountain and lie in the snow. He knew how difficult it was to climb to the peak of that snowy mountain.
His eyesight was startling. Suddenly, he saw a few eagles circling around and doing their best to fly toward the highest peak of the Cang Mountains. Unconsciously, he pointed to Shuning and said, "Look, if you can actually go up, it is actually very beautiful."
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