A pair of long chopsticks pierced into the longan of the jietang bun and pulled it apart to reveal the delicious and tempting broth inside. Fan Xian took out a ladle and scooped out the broth and ladled it into the porcelain bowl in front of Da Bao. He then picked out the meat stuffing and placed it on top of Da Bao's zhajiangmian.
"Little Xianxian, eat." Da Bao lowered his head as he attacked the food. His words were unclear but unusually determined. Hearing his tone, he was truly worried that Fan Xian would give everything to him and that he wouldn't be full.
Fan Xian looked at his brother-in-law and smiled. He used his hands to tear open the soft and white skin of the jietang bun and soaked it in the kelp soup. He casually took a few bites. Ever since he had taken over his position in the First Bureau of the Overwatch Council, he liked to eat buns in Xinfeng Restaurant. Each time he came to eat buns, he would bring Da Bao. He knew that Da Bao only liked to eat the meat stuffing and had no interest in the skin of the buns. Thus, it was suitable for the two brothers to work together.
Glancing at the happy and sweaty Da Bao, for some reason, Fan Xian's heart began to ache. He didn't know if he would have such an opportunity to waste time with his brother-in-law in the future. He liked being together with Dabao. Only when he was with Dabao could he truly relax. He could tell Dabao all of his secrets, his views of the world, and he wouldn't have to worry about Dabao betraying him.
After today, it would probably be very difficult to eat buns with Da Bao again. It would also be very difficult to lie at the bow of the boat with Da Bao and talk about how the starry sky of the Qing Kingdom was so similar to the starry sky of that world.
Fan Xian's face still carried a warm and encouraging smile as he looked at Da Bao, but he sighed in his heart. He couldn't taste his food. Grabbing a towel beside the table, he wiped away the grease on his hands and turned his head slightly. Separated by the railing of the second floor of Xinfeng Restaurant, he looked at the two yamens across the street.
The Supreme Court of the Qing Kingdom and the First Branch of the Overwatch Council were both across the street from Xinfeng Restaurant.
…
…
Today was the seventh day of the New Year. It was the first day of duty for court officials after the end of the year. On this day, other than the interaction between the various departments, the exchange of well-wishes, and the exchange of red packets, there were actually no important political matters that needed to be handled. Inside a yamen, everyone was basically having a tea party. From the main official to the lowest level of scribes, everyone was holding a teapot, eating melon seeds, and chatting leisurely. This was the custom of the entire world's officialdom. Even the one in the palace knew this. After all, it was the atmosphere of the new year.
When on duty, it was very idle and there was nothing to do. Naturally, the shift ended even earlier. It was clearly not time yet. The sun hiding behind the cold clouds in the sky had not yet moved to its southern zenith. Across the street, many officials walked out of the yamen of the Supreme Court. These officials met up with the officials from the other departments who had been waiting outside the yamen. Like birds and beasts, they scattered on the street. No one knew where they had gone to enjoy the delicacies of Jingdou. On the first day of duty, it was not a crime to eat and drink at noon. It was even possible that after getting drunk, they would return to their manors to rest in the afternoon.
Different from the Supreme Court, the First Branch of the Overwatch Council's yamen, which was clearly much more wretched and sinister, still had its doors tightly shut. There were no officials going in to do business, and there were no idle people walking around laughing and laughing. A depressing atmosphere that made one's head droop emanated from the courtyard. Fan Xian looked calmly at the familiar courtyard, which he had once controlled with one hand. He knew very well why it was like this.
The Overwatch Council was facing a bleak storm. Its position in court had dropped a thousand li, particularly in the previous month. Many Overwatch Council officials had been arrested by the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Court on some groundless charges. Although they knew that it was the Imperial Censorate leading the purge, the Overwatch Council seemed to have lost its former magic. It was no longer able to gather its true power and give the most powerful counterattack.
With He Zongwei at the head, the Imperial Censorate faintly suppressed Hu the Scholar and began to lead the entire system of civil officials to launch an attack on the Overwatch Council. No one knew how many Overwatch Council officials had welcomed cruel punishments in prison.
The Qing Kingdom was long no longer the Qing Kingdom with the old cripple.
…
…
A wave of steady footsteps and self-contained laughter came from the stairs. About seven or eight officials walked up from downstairs. Looking at their clothing, they were all high-ranking officials. These officials did not go to the private rooms on the third floor. Instead, under the guidance of the owner, they came to the railing and prepared to put up a screen and sit against the railing.
Xinfeng Restaurant had not been famous in the past. Although it was opposite the Supreme Court and First Bureau of the Overwatch Council, the officials always felt that the place was too low-class. Even in the private rooms, there were no girls to serve them, so they would rather go further. It was not until later that Fan Xian often came here to lean against the railing and munch on meat buns that he forcefully raised the reputation of Xinfeng Restaurant. From then on, there was an additional type of elegance.
Most of the officials who came to Xinfeng Restaurant were from the Supreme Court. The main guest was Hou Jichang, who had just been transferred back to the capital from Jiaozhou. The officials of the Supreme Court knew that this person, who had once been one of Fan Xian's four disciples, had now put down his status and thrown himself under the tutelage of Scholar He, who had once been as famous as him. Only then did he have the wonderful matter of being transferred directly into the Supreme Court. The changes in the world truly made one sigh.
The officials couldn't help but feel some disdain toward Hou Jichang's betrayal of Fan Xian. However, no one was willing to show it on their faces. It was Hou Jichang's first time in the Supreme Court, so he was invited to Xinfeng Restaurant to treat. In order to give Scholar He face, even the deputy of the Supreme Court personally came to accompany him.
Arriving at the railing, the officials prepared to sit down. Before the screen came up, they could see the table on the other side of the railing. There were only three people at that table. A person who looked like a bodyguard had clearly finished eating and was looking around warily. The fat man facing the officials had his head lowered and was chewing fiercely. The person facing the officials was wearing commoner clothing. He raised his head to look at the other end of the street. It was just his back view, but it made everyone's heart thump.
Hou Jichang's body froze. The hands that were exposed outside his official robes began to tremble uncontrollably. It was as if the cold wind outside had instantly eroded every inch of his skin.
The other officials of the Supreme Court had only been shocked by the bleak back view and did not recognize that person's identity. Looking at Hou Jichang's deathly pale face, they couldn't help feeling incomparably shocked. They followed Hou Jichang's gaze and looked again. Finally, they understood where Hou Jichang's fear lay.
After a moment of awkward silence, the deputy furrowed his brows and gently patted Hou Jichang's shoulder. In a quiet and comforting voice, he said, "Sit."
Hou Jichang sat down restlessly. After a long time, he sighed with some shame. If this had been any other time in the past, this table of officials would certainly have gone to that table to respectfully and respectfully greet Fan Xian. Now, not only did Fan Xian not have any official positions, but even his status as a first-rank Duke had been taken away by the Emperor. He had become a completely white person and was nothing more than a commoner.
This table of officials of the Supreme Court were all He Zongwei's direct subordinates. They knew that Sir Fan junior was on the other side of the railing and that they were on the other side of the railing. Naturally, they could not leave. What reason was there for an official to give way to a commoner? What reason was there for the He faction, currently in the limelight, to give way to a drowning dog?
Seeing Fan Xian's ruined appearance, although these officials were not stupid enough to mock him, presumably, they felt a secret joy in the bottom of their hearts. These few days, the Supreme Court had been investigating the Overwatch Council's old cases and were in the limelight. Thinking of how this was a prosperous and important place in Jingdou and how the Emperor had a death grip on Sir Fan junior, as long as they did not actively provoke him, presumably, Fan Xian would not eat too much and come to ask for humiliation.
For some reason, the screen had not been brought, but the food and wine had arrived first. Although the officials of the Supreme Court were not happy, they could not make a fuss in such a situation. Losing face was a small matter. If they actually had any interaction with the three silent people at the other table, it was not something these officials wanted to see.
"Today, we welcome Sir Hou into the temple. From now on, Sir Hou will be our colleague …" The deputy of the Supreme Court smiled and raised the wine cup in his hand.
Hou Jichang forced a smile and also raised his wine cup. However, he was truly flustered in his heart because he understood Fan Xian, his teacher, who was even younger than him. He had suddenly appeared opposite the Supreme Court and in Xinfeng Restaurant. Did he really just like the buns in this restaurant?
Thinking of this, his hand began to tremble again. Out of the corner of his eye, he unconsciously glanced at the three silent people on the other side of the railing. He knew who the fat man facing him was. It was Princess Chen's biological brother, Da Bao, who was born stupid. He prayed silently that since Sir Fan junior had brought him here, he hoped he was not here to make trouble.
The deputy of the Supreme Court sensed his strangeness and furrowed his brows unhappily. Ever since the previous deputy had been implicated in the old Qin family's rebellion in Jingdou, his position had been smooth sailing. Now, even the Overwatch Council had to look at his face. He truly did not feel that he had anything to be afraid of. Everyone knew Sir Fan junior was powerful, but could he be so unreasonable as to come and curse loudly?
The deputy of the Supreme Court was clearly not satisfied with Hou Jichang's behavior. He glanced at the fat man sitting across from Fan Xian and guessed his identity. The corners of his lips twitched slightly and released a glimmer of a disdainful smile. The ridicule in his eyes was full of. Fan Xian liked to hang out with his silly uncle. This was something everyone in Jingdou knew, but it was also something the officials looked down on. Although this deputy did not, and did not dare to say anything to that side in mockery, the expression on his face revealed everything.
"The second matter is to welcome Sir Guo, who has finally returned from Jiangnan and has re-entered the Imperial Censor of the Left."
After these words were said, the banquet immediately became lively. The Imperial Censor of the Left was a rather important position. Sir Guo smiled boastfully and raised his cup of wine in a toast. However, when his gaze landed on the other side of the railing, just like Hou Jichang, his expression became rather unnatural.
Imperial Censor Guo's surname was Guo Zheng. He was the person who had wanted to punish Fan Xian in the Jingdou government. Now that so many years had passed, the people of Jingdou had probably long forgotten this matter. However, Guo Zheng believed that Fan Xian would not forget, and he would not forget. Because in the Jiangnan palace treasury matter, Guo Zheng had also stood against Fan Xian.
…
…
The wine hadn't gone through three rounds when the three silent people on the other side of the railing had already finished eating. Fan Xian held Da Bao's hand and walked toward the stairs. Teng Zijing followed silently behind. If the three of them wanted to go down, they had to pass the table where the officials were gathered. Unexpectedly, the officials at this table all quieted down at the same time with a glimmer of nervousness, waiting for the young master to quickly leave.
However, Fan Xian did not leave. Very naturally, he came to the side of this table and looked at the officials with a slight smile. Seeing that the situation was not right, the deputy of the Supreme Court smiled awkwardly and stood up. Raising his hands in a salute, he said, "So, it is Sir Fan junior, I …"
Only after he said the word "I" did he realize that something was wrong. The other party was already a commoner. As a proper deputy of the Supreme Court, how could he say "I"? The deputy stopped his mouth and steeled his heart. With a forced smile, he said, "Would you like to sit together?"
Fan Xian smiled and shook his head. Hou Jichang had already stood up in fear. Lowering his head, he bowed toward Fan Xian. Cold sweat soaked through his back, but Fan Xian did not even glance at him. It was as if he did not exist. It was this kind of disregard that made everyone at the table feel a glimmer of coldness.
Fan Xian did not look at Hou Jichang. He looked at the new Imperial Censor of the Left beside him, Guo Zheng. In a quiet voice, he said, "Three years ago, I was very curious. I exiled you to Jiangnan, making you uneasy day and night. Later, when the Jingdou rebellion occurred, you were clearly a Xinyang person, so why did the Emperor not issue an edict to punish you?"
"Later, I understood. You saw that the situation was not right, so you abandoned my poor mother-in-law and used your old friendship in the Imperial Censorate to hug He Zongwei's thigh." Fan Xian smiled and shook his head with a sigh. "He Zongwei, that bastard, is a servant of three surnames. Naturally, you, a fence-sitter, learned everything from him."
Presently, He Zongwei was an important figure in court. With Fan Xian's cutting words, all of the officials at the table could not sit still. Abruptly, they stood up and prepared to scold him.
"I was wrong. He Zongwei is not a servant of three surnames. The previous masters he served were all surnamed Li." Fan Xian shook his head. "It should be said that he is a loyal dog of the Li family."
The Deputy of the Supreme Court finally couldn't resist and said something with a cold expression. However, Fan Xian seemed to not have heard it. He only looked coldly at the trembling Guo Zheng. Enunciating each word, he asked, "For you to be transferred back to Jingdou to take up the post of Imperial Censor of the Left, presumably you have performed a great service in Jiangnan. I was wondering if the deaths of my subordinates in Jiangnan had anything to do with you?"
Guo Zheng steeled his heart and said in a cold voice, "I am carrying out my duties by imperial edict. Does Sir Fan junior have any objections?"
"Very good, you finally have some backbone. This is what an Imperial Censor should be like," Fan Xian slowly said. "I knew you were entering the capital today, so I made a special trip here to wait for you."
…
…
The atmosphere in Xinfeng Restaurant immediately became like the calm before a storm. It was so quiet that it made one's heart palpitate. Specially waiting for Guo Zheng. What did this mean? Although, until now, no one believed that Fan Xian would risk universal condemnation and do something to disgrace the court in such an important place in Jingdou, looking at Fan Xian's increasingly indifferent face, everyone felt a glimmer of coldness and fear.
There were not many guards following these officials into Xinfeng Restaurant. After all, no one would have thought that such a major incident would occur right across the street from the Supreme Court. Feeling the strange atmosphere upstairs, a few guards rushed up and watched the scene nervously.
Fan Xian smiled.
The Deputy of the Supreme Court smiled awkwardly along with him.
Guo Zheng smiled very awkwardly.
Then, a plate of food landed directly on Guo Zheng's face. Vegetable juices and broken porcelain flew together. At the same time, the Imperial Censor's face split open, turning into countless rays of light that sprayed out.
What sprayed out at the same time was the fresh blood that sprayed out from Guo Zheng's face.
Fan Xian pulled back his hand and pressed it against the back of Guo Zheng's head, pressing it directly into the hard pear wood table. Such a hard table forcefully pressed a head made of flesh and blood into it.
With a crack, a few fine cracks appeared on the surface of the pear wood table. Guo Zheng's cervical vertebra was completely broken. Blood seeped out from the gap between his facial bones and the pear wood table like black water.
He didn't even have time to grunt. Sir Guo Zheng, who had just performed a great service for the court in Jiangnan and had returned to Jingdou to take over as the Imperial Censor of the Left, was slammed into the table by Fan Xian's palm and became a dead man.
…
…
There was a death-like silence. Everyone present stared stupidly at the deeply sunken head on the table and the table full of blood mixed with vegetable juices. They were speechless because no one dared to believe the scene they saw. Everyone thought it was an illusion.
Killing on the street! Killing an official of the court! Killing a Imperial Censor of the Left in front of so many officials!
This was something that had never happened in Jingdou before. It was also something no one could imagine. No one could react at all. They only watched this scene as if they were watching an absurd play.
Finally, an official reacted. He let out a terrified scream. Then, his eyes rolled back and he fainted.
The guards charged over and attacked Fan Xian. However, there were only a number of muffled thuds. A few fainted bodies appeared on the wooden boards of the second floor of Xinfeng Restaurant. Fan Xian continued to stand quietly by the table as if he had never attacked.
The deputy of the Supreme Court extended a trembling finger and pointed it at Fan Xian. It was as if he had seen a demon from the netherworld suddenly walking under the sunlight. He couldn't say anything. His throat only made pitiful whimpering sounds.
Fan Xian's eyes were expressionless. He looked at him coldly and asked, "I heard that during this month, the Supreme Court, under your orders, has used a great deal of torture on my subordinates. Three of my subordinates were tortured to death by you in prison?"
The deputy of the Supreme Court suddenly let out a loud cry and turned to run like a rabbit. Looking at his momentum, it looked like he was going to flip over the railing. Even if he fell heavily, he was going to run out of Xinfeng Restaurant.
However, since Fan Xian had already begun to act, how could he let him escape? There was only the sound of a gust of wind brushing past the pavilion of Xinfeng Restaurant. There was another crisp crack and a muffled thud. The deputy of the Supreme Court's cervical vertebrae snapped. His head was also smashed wretchedly into the hard pear wood table.
Blood began to flow down the table, and the heads of the two officials of the Imperial Court sank into the table, unable to escape. Their corpses were half-kneeling on the ground, and the tips of their feet, which were wearing thick boots, were still twitching. It was a horrifying scene.
Killing two people on the street filled Xinfeng Restaurant with the cries of ghosts and wails of deities. However, Fan Xian's expression did not change. He turned around. A waiter from Xinfeng Restaurant had unknowingly appeared behind the crowd and handed over a steaming hot towel.
Fan Xian accepted the towel and carefully wiped his hands. He then threw the towel to the ground with some disgust. Holding Da Bao's hand, he walked down the stairs and said to the waiter, "You can begin."
From the moment Fan Xian walked to this table to the moment he used the cruelest method to kill the two court officials to the moment he walked down the stairs and left, he did not glance at Hou Jichang.
With a pale face, Hou Jichang's lips trembled. He withdrew his gaze from the stairs and looked at the two corpses. Looking at the blood flowing on the table, he didn't know whether it was brain or bean curd. Endless fear took over his whole body. Finally, he couldn't help but bend over and vomit uncontrollably.
…
…
"Take uncle back to the manor." Below Xinfeng Restaurant, Fan Xian helped Da Bao onto the carriage and spoke to Teng Zijing. He then watched the black carriage head toward the south of the city. Fan Xian, alone, began to head in the direction of the Royal Palace.
Fan Xian was not worried about the safety of the carriage going home. Along the way, there were swordsmen of the Sixth Bureau responsible for protecting it. Just as he had said in Xinfeng Restaurant, killing was to avenge the subordinates of the Overwatch Council. Although he was no longer the Director of the Overwatch Council, as long as he wanted to, he would always be the Director of the Overwatch Council.
The Shadow returned to Jingdou and reorganized the Sixth Bureau assassins who had long been hiding in the dark. The arrival of Haitang, particularly Thirteenth Wang, made it impossible for the Royal Palace to stop Fan Xian from reconnecting with the people loyal to him in the eight bureaus of the Overwatch Council. The Overwatch Council was already in a state of turmoil. Today could be considered this sinister Council's last moment of glory.
In the morning, Fan Xian, in the name of the Director of the Overwatch Council, gave one last order to the spies and assassins the Overwatch Council had set up in various places. He didn't know how many secret agents and officials would follow him. Fan Xian believed that the men under his command would not disappoint him.
The cold winter wind blew through the streets of Jingdou. There was still some time before he had to enter the Palace. Fan Xian walked alone along the streets toward the Royal Palace in the distance. Along the way, he looked at the Jingdou streets and greedily breathed in the air. It was as if he wanted to engrave all of this into his memory. Even if he died, he wouldn't forget it.
Not long after Fan Xian left Xinfeng Restaurant, the First Bureau of the Overwatch Council, which had its doors closed the entire time, suddenly came out. A hundred black-robed Overwatch Council officials surged murderously into their old neighbor and now their most despicable new enemy, the Supreme Court.
It had to be said that the seventh day Fan Xian had chosen was indeed the best time. It was not yet noon, but the officials of the Supreme Court had long gone to enjoy themselves with the officials of the other departments. The Supreme Court's yamen had no power to resist in front of these wolf-like Overwatch Council officials. This coincidentally matched Fan Xian's hopes that there wouldn't be too many Qing officials who would bleed because of this turmoil.
The court officials who were going to die had their reasons for dying. They were all targets that Fan Xian had carefully chosen. The First Bureau had entered the Supreme Court to rescue their colleagues who had been sent to prison by the court.
Fan Xian walked through Chang Street and turned Shahe Street. He bought a skewer of candied haws from a vendor and ate it with relish. Carelessly, he tossed a golden leaf. He couldn't be bothered to ask for change. He was very grateful to Jingdou's candied haws. Back then, it was because of the candied haws in that child's hands that he hadn't gotten lost in the Qing Temple.
At noon, the Minister of Revenue was entertaining guests in Yishi Tavern. He had invited the assistant minister of the Ministry of Justice and a few good friends. As expected, they were all core figures of the He faction. The Minister gently stroked his short beard. He felt slightly proud in the warm winter room. After three years of hard work, he had finally cleared away the shadow the previous Minister Fan Jian had left in the Ministry. The independent kingdom that belonged to the Fan manor no longer existed. He had finally become the true Minister of Revenue.
In order to resist the pressure from the Fan manor, he had taken the initiative and humbly stood by Scholar He's side. He did not feel humiliated because He Zongwei had always been a scholar of the Hall of Governmental Affairs. Furthermore, standing by Scholar He's side was like standing in front of the Emperor. This was an honor.
Originally, the banquet should have been held at night to appear more formal. However, the guests who had gone to the He manor to ask around had found out. Furthermore, after the court meeting before the new year, Scholar He had to explain that there were matters to be done in the Palace on the seventh. Thus, Scholar He could not personally attend the banquet. Thus, the time had been moved to noon.
Although he was slightly disappointed, the Minister of Revenue also let out a breath. Scholar He was not here, so he was the highest-ranking official at this table. Hearing the flattery by his ear, how happy was his mood?
He had just reported to Scholar He's will. The Ministry of Revenue had forcefully interfered and played the Jingdou yamen to the point where they wished they were dead, forcing the stubborn Sun Jingxiu to quietly resign. In the end, he still could not pay the silver to discuss his crimes and was sent to prison. The Minister began to feel like he wished he were dead. What did you have to fight with me? Isn't it just because you have a good daughter? After your daughter is sold to the Musical House, I'm going to secretly make your daughter feel like she's about to die.
The alcohol had gotten to his head. Just as the Minister of Revenue was circling around the words "wish he were dead," he did not notice a cunning and sinister light flash through the eyes of the woman serving everyone in the warm room.
The Minister did not know that the poison in the Wuliangye he drank was enough to make him wish he were dead countless times.
On the seventh day of the First Month in the 11th year of the Qing calendar, Yishi Tavern caught on fire. The warm room was reduced to ruins. The Minister of Revenue, the assistant minister of the Ministry of Justice, and a few other core officials of the He faction died in the fire from drinking in the line of duty.
By the time the fire started, Fan Xian had already finished eating the candied haws. Carrying a newly bought black cloth umbrella, he walked to the beautiful Tianhe Street. He casually tossed the bamboo stick with the sugar residue into the unusually clean pond by the side of the street. He shrugged his shoulders, not at all blaming himself for his actions of polluting the environment.
Then, he glanced at the black stone tablet in front of the Overwatch Council's main door that was being taken down and the decreasing number of golden characters on it. He stared at it for a moment and then shook his head.
Suddenly, a gust of wind blew past. Snowflakes began to float down.
The snowflakes landed on the cold and cheerless door of the He manor. Scholar He was upright and righteous. He hated people giving gifts the most, so he kept two vicious dogs at the door. Many people knew that this move had been first created by Sir Yan Ruohai in Viscount Chenghai's manor. They couldn't help secretly mocking Scholar He for copying someone else's ideas. No matter what, these two vicious dogs had helped him gain a good reputation.
The two dogs were angered by the slowly falling snowflakes and began to bark at the sky with all their might. What was the use of frozen dogs barking at the snow? The snow continued to fall slowly and steadily.
With two sorrowful cries, the two vicious dogs fell dead to the ground. A dozen assassins wearing commoner clothing cautiously controlled the surroundings of the quiet He manor and then quietly snuck into the manor.
…
…
Fan Xian narrowed his eyes and looked at the sky. Opening the black cloth umbrella, he covered his eyes and the sky.
The snowflakes accumulated on the black cloth umbrella and melted quickly. They were unable to gather together, which made him unhappy. Walking like this, he arrived in front of the Royal Palace. He did not go to the main door to wait for the message. Instead, he circled around the base of the Royal Palace. Under the watchful gazes of the imperial soldiers, he walked to a row of unremarkable single-story houses in the Hall of Governmental Affairs.
Fan Xian pushed open the door and entered. Dusting the snowflakes off his body and head, he carefully placed the black cloth umbrella dripping with snow at the door. Smiling at the dumbstruck officials inside, he said, "Long time no see."
Scholar He, who was sitting on the heated kang and reading all kinds of memorials, slowly raised his head and glanced at the uninvited guest at the door. His brows furrowed.
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