Last night, I had insomnia, unusually serious insomnia. I tossed and turned in bed for a long time, unable to fall asleep. It was not until 10 o 'clock this morning that I went back to bed. I slept for a few hours in a daze. Even now, my mind is still muddled. For an optimist like me, insomnia is actually a rare thing. However, since May of last year, it has happened to me. Everything is the fault of Qingyu. I can't help it. I will slowly write this chapter. There is still a long way to go before the end.
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The winter snow landed on the stone tiles and quickly melted. It was difficult to accumulate. The snowflakes that landed on the bright yellow glazed tiles were frozen in shape by the cold wind. They looked like countless broken clouds waiting calmly in the golden light of the morning sun.
Fan Xian withdrew his greedy gaze from admiring the snow. With his hands behind his back, he followed behind Eunuch Yao and quietly circled around the quiet and winding Palace walls. Surrounded by the crimson blood, he walked deeper into the Royal Palace. Behind the two of them, a dozen guards followed carefully. Fan Xian had not been bound. The edict had already named him a traitor. The guards were worried. If Sir Fan junior suddenly rose in revolt in the Forbidden Palace, what power did they have to stop him?
It was clear that many officials had died in Jingdou. Fan Xian had also shocked the world by publicly killing a scholar of the Hall of Governmental Affairs at the foot of the Royal Palace. However, he had no interest in fighting in the Royal Palace. Perhaps it was because he knew that there were countless aces in this seemingly quiet Palace. Perhaps it was because he knew that the Emperor in the Royal Palace was a tall mountain. Before the mountain collapsed, there was no point in making a scene in the Palace.
The corner of the eaves of Taiji Palace moved with the footsteps of the people on the high Palace walls. Walking past a small door and a wintersweet with snow, a group of silent people arrived in front of the royal study.
Fan Xian waited quietly outside the study. Eunuch Yao glanced at him with a complicated expression. He went forward and said a few words in a low voice to Hong Zhu, who was standing guard at the door of the royal study. His expression changed slightly. Turning back, he lowered his voice and said, "The Emperor is waiting for you in the little building."
"Little building?" Fan Xian's gaze did not land on Hong Zhu's face. He did not risk asking with his gaze in front of everyone. Instead, he forced a smile and said, "Then, let's go."
Eunuch Yao waved his hand and blocked the dozen internal court guards outside the round stone archway. Alone, he led Fan Xian into the rear palace. Behind the two of them, the guards could not hide the nervousness, unease, and suspicion on their faces. Hong Zhu, who had been standing obediently by the door of the royal study, watched Sir Fan junior's back as he walked deep into the Palace. An uncontrollable sorrow suddenly surged in his eyes. He quickly lowered his head, terrified that others would see something strange. However, this lowering of his head seemed to be sending Fan Xian off.
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The inner palace was very quiet after the snow, and one could occasionally hear laughter coming from the depths of the palace. Fan Xian's hearing was so good that he could even hear the sound of mahjong tiles falling to the ground. He couldn't help but laugh. He thought to himself that the things that happened in the capital had not yet reached the palace. Everyone seemed to be having a good time. However, the palace had never been so lively before. He thought to himself that the beauties who had been in the palace for months and the imperial concubines were really in the prime of their youth, diluting the loneliness.
Fan Xian liked it this way so that the Royal Palace would not always be cold and gloomy.
The Royal Palace was as familiar to him as home. The Emperor was waiting for him in the little building, so he knew the way. Still holding his hands behind his back like a scholar, he walked unhurriedly toward the northwest corner of the Royal Palace. Eunuch Yao had fallen behind him.
At this time, there was no point in rushing. Presumably, the Emperor would not be in a rush. Coincidentally, the Palace was large, and the air was cold. There was snow on the winter trees, lakes, and fake mountains. It was much more beautiful than the winter scenery in the Palace. Fan Xian could take a few more glances. However, as he walked steadily step by step, Eunuch Yao's gaze, which fell behind him, had an additional meaning.
Eunuch Yao sensed that Sir Fan junior in front of him was adjusting his breathing. He was using the correspondence between his body and the surrounding environment to allow his realm to rise to a sensitive and abundant level.
Eunuch Yao lowered his head even more. He knew why Sir Fan junior was slowly walking step by step and adjusting his breathing.
Walking past the winter tree garden, around the side of the fake mountains, and onto the wooden stack on the cold lake, he was just about to cross the lake and pass the snow pavilion where he had once talked long with the Emperor during a snowstorm. Fan Xian suddenly stopped his steps and narrowed his eyes slightly.
There were people under the snow pavilion. A few eunuchs and serving girls were accompanying a noble-looking woman to admire the snow. Perhaps there was a warm stove in the pavilion, but the noble-looking woman was still wearing an expensive and warm mink coat. After a moment of surprise, Fan Xian smiled and continued to walk toward the pavilion. He had not thought that he would run into a concubine in the Palace on such cold weather.
Entering the Palace today, he would not go see Yi Guipin. He would also not go see Lady Ning and Lady Shu in the Cold Palace. He had even purposely avoided them. That was why he had chosen this plank path above the lake. Unexpectedly, he had still run into one. Naturally, he would not go and hide. Eunuch Yao followed behind him and did not dare to make a sound for him to choose another path.
The two of them entered the pavilion. The people in the pavilion were shocked. It was clear that they had not thought that outsiders would enter the Palace at this time. A sharp-eyed serving girl saw Eunuch Yao with his head lowered behind Fan Xian. She quickly half-crouched in greeting and quietly guessed the identity of the young scholar in front of her.
Fan Xian stood in the pavilion and also felt surprised. He thought to himself, It has only been a few months, how come the serving girls in the Palace have changed so much that they don't even recognize me anymore? As he thought this, his gaze unconsciously landed on the concubine sitting in the middle and refused to leave for a long time.
This concubine was about 15 or 16 years old. Her appearance was still young and beautiful. Today, she wore hairpins and rings, proper makeup, and luxurious clothing. It forcibly brought out a sense of nobility and pride. There was a sense of unsuppressable pride in the concubine's eyes. Looking at Eunuch Yao, she asked, "Has the Emperor eaten lunch?"
Eunuch Yao did not reply. He only smiled. He thought to himself that it was not a good choice to act like a favored one at this time. The people in the pavilion immediately felt it was strange. Particularly after noticing the young scholar's gaze, they felt incomparably angry. They wondered where such a bastard had come from.
Fan Xian stared in a daze at the concubine's slightly bulging belly. Although she was wearing a thick fur coat, he could still see it clearly. He immediately knew that the noble sitting in the pavilion in front of him admiring the snow was the favored Concubine Mei. It was this woman who was pregnant with the Emperor's dragon seed.
There was a deathly silence in the pavilion. Fan Xian looked calmly at Concubine Mei's belly for a long time. The expression in his eyes was very complicated. To stare at the Emperor's woman so nakedly, particularly at this position, was truly rude.
"Where did this bastard come from? Where are those thieving eyes looking?" A young serving girl stared at Fan Xian and reprimanded him in a sharp voice. Looking at her appearance, she was about to immediately go forward and slap Fan Xian. This serving girl was a servant girl Concubine Mei had brought in from outside the Palace. These days, the master followed the son's status, and the servant followed the master's status. She was very arrogant and proud in the Palace. Even the concubine in Shufang Palace greeted her warmly. She had cultivated an arrogance for a lifetime. She had never seen a man like Fan Xian in the Palace.
Fan Xian's eyes narrowed slightly. He looked at the serving girl walking toward him with a face full of anger and did not move.
Eunuch Yao's heart froze. He had been at the Emperor's side these days and had not paid much attention to matters in the back palace. He had not thought that the servants at Concubine Mei's side would be so domineering and blind.
With a crisp slap, Eunuch Yao floated forward and viciously slapped the serving girl to the ground. He then quickly retreated behind Fan Xian and said in a low and humble voice, "Sir Fan junior, the Emperor is still waiting for you."
Fan Xian smiled and glanced at him. "What are you so nervous for? Are you afraid I'll kill her? "
Eunuch Yao smiled foolishly and didn't say anything. He thought to himself, You're adjusting your breathing step by step. The killing intent in your body has long reached a peak and is sealed in your body without a sliver leaking out. If you actually touched a trigger, the casual anger of a superior ninth-level ace is not something anyone can withstand.
The serving girl was knocked unconscious to the ground. A trickle of blood seeped out of the corner of her mouth. The air in the pavilion seemed to freeze. Concubine Mei stared dumbfounded at this scene. She was so angry that she was confused. She could not understand why Eunuch Yao, the head eunuch of the internal court, would do this. Who was this young man? He dared not kowtow to her and stared at her so rudely.
Only the eunuchs and serving girls serving at the side heard clearly the identity that Eunuch Yao had purposely pointed out. They finally knew that this young scholar who had entered the Palace alone was the Sir Fan junior that the elders in the Palace never forgot to warn and warn about. They immediately lowered their heads nervously, not daring to look directly at him.
Fan Xian calmly looked at Concubine Mei's angry face. He paused for a moment and then said, "It's cold outside. Go back to the Palace and play mahjong. If you get sick from the cold here, it won't be good for the child in your stomach. Don't think that the Emperor will think you're a bit prettier when he sees you in the pavilion. Don't expect him to dote on you. Life in this Palace is actually very simple.
You just have to be a bit more obedient. "His gaze landed on Concubine Mei's stomach again. He couldn't help but smile bitterly and shake his head. It had only been a short time, yet it was already showing. It looked like the Emperor was indeed powerful in all areas. However, he didn't know if the child in her stomach would be another brother or sister.
"I hope you can give me a sister. I don't have one yet." Fan Xian gave Concubine Mei his sincere and sincere blessings. He then walked around the people under the pavilion and onto the wooden stack on the other side of the lake, heading toward the northwest corner of the Royal Palace.
Concubine Mei forced herself not to cry with unusual difficulty. Emotions of anger and helplessness piled up in her heart. She unconsciously turned her head to glance at Fan Xian's back and couldn't help but shiver. In the end, she was just a girl of 15 or 16. After hearing the other person's identity from his last words, she involuntarily felt a bit afraid. Ever since she had become pregnant with the Emperor's dragon seed, she was proud on one hand and afraid on the other. She knew what the child in her stomach meant to the person in Shufang Palace, to this "foreign official" surnamed Fan.
She didn't think Fan Xian's last words were any kind of blessing. She only heard them as a warning. She didn't think that Fan Xian truly hoped she could give birth to a princess. After all, if she gave birth to a prince, she would probably sink into the dark strife for the rest of her life and never be able to rise again.
Concubine Mei looked with slight fear at the figure disappearing into the snow. The fear in her eyes gradually became unwillingness and hatred.
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The Qing Emperor was not in the little building. He was in front of the large abandoned Palace in the northwest corner of the Royal Palace, watching the little building. There were few Palace buildings here, and the Winter Garden was quiet. There were also fake mountains, but they had long been broken down. It was as if they hadn't been repaired for many years. Compared to the Cold Palace on the other side, it was even colder.
In front of a patch of overgrown grass, Eunuch Yao quietly retreated. Alone, Fan Xian looked at the bright yellow figure between the little building and the long grass. Quietly, he walked over and stayed slightly behind. Just like when they were by the seaside in Danzhou, he accompanied him and watched the little building silently.
This pair of ruler and official, father and son, were not silent for long. With his hands behind his back, the Emperor calmly watched the little building. His thin lips moved slightly as he lightly asked, "Did you see Concubine Mei earlier?"
"Yes." Fan Xian's hands were also behind his back. Hearing the Emperor's question, he calmly replied.
"Do you think the child in her stomach is a boy or a girl?" the Emperor asked. At this moment, the atmosphere was very strange. The father and son had been in a cold war for several months, and countless people had died because of the cold war between the two of them. Yet, when they met today, there was no anger or reprimand that outsiders would expect. They were just casually chatting.
"It should be a princess."
"Oh? I always knew you were well-learned, but I didn't know you were so wishy-washy, "the corners of the Emperor's lips twitched slightly as he spoke mockingly.
"It can't be said that I am well-learned, but I do have some understanding of medicine. Most importantly, the child in Concubine Mei's stomach can only be a princess," Fan Xian replied respectfully.
"Hmm …" The Emperor's brows gradually furrowed. Coldly, he said, "In your opinion, I cannot raise someone more successful than the Third Prince?"
"No," Fan Xian replied straightforwardly. "Concubine Mei is not as good as Yi Guipin."
The Emperor was silent for a moment. He then said, "These words are reasonable. However, the royal bloodline is thin. It is always good to have one more prince."
"If Your Majesty shows pity, it would be good for the Qing Kingdom to have more princes in the future." Fan Xian didn't explicitly say what pity meant. Instead, he lowered his eyelids and straightforwardly said, "Otherwise, if there is another Chengqian or Chengze, it would be meaningless."
After these words were said, the Emperor's expression quickly darkened. Fan Xian had mentioned the Crown Prince and the Second Prince. Although he had single-handedly manipulated the tragic end of these two princes, it had to be said that the Emperor's initial training of his sons had completely taken an overly cold-blooded and wrong path. Concerning this, it would be a lie if the gradually aging Emperor did not feel a glimmer of emotion in his heart.
Fan Xian stood behind the Emperor's bleak figure and calmly paid attention to each of the Emperor's minute changes. He discovered the hidden pain in the Emperor's heart and couldn't help but sigh in his heart. No one in this world was a true god. Even someone as powerful as the Emperor had gradually walked the path of a normal old man after stepping down from the throne.
The Qing Emperor's changes these years had been seen by Fan Xian. It was because he knew of this that he had the courage to come to the Palace and say these words to the Emperor.
These words were like knives cutting into the Emperor's heart. In the end, the Emperor was not He Zongwei. In just a moment, the Emperor's face once again became the eternal and unchanging precipice of Dong Mountain. It was as warm as jade on the outside, but in reality, it was craggy and sharp, disdaining the storm.
"He Zongwei is dead?" the Emperor slowly opened his mouth and asked.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"You thought hard in your manor for seven days and seven nights. I was wondering what trick you could think of that would move me. I didn't expect that in the end, it would still be such nonsense." The Emperor shook his head and said mockingly, "You have truly disappointed me."
Fan Xian smiled shamefully and replied, "Your Majesty is like Dong Mountain, unaffected by thousands of years of wind and rain. In the end, I am only a commoner. No matter how much I think, I cannot think of a trick to create something out of nothing. A person's imagination is, in the end, limited. Things that do not exist in this world cannot be thought of no matter how much one thinks. "
These words were spoken with sincerity. They truly came from the bottom of Fan Xian's heart. Faced with the Emperor's great talent and strategy, as well as his own strength, it was easier said than done to find a way to defeat him. It was indeed a possibility that did not exist in this world.
"I thought for a long time and couldn't think of a way. In the end, I thought it through. Perhaps it is because I have been immersed in the Overwatch Council since I was young that I am used to considering everything thoroughly and only attacking when I am confident."
Fan Xian suddenly raised his face. There was a joyous glow on his delicate face. "However, this time is different. I will never be able to find a confident method. Since I will never be able to think of a good method, then why not use the simplest method?"
It was the simplest method. Six simple words, but they contained a deep meaning. What was the simplest method in the world? Naturally, it was to be like a wild beast, using teeth to bite, claws to tear, and carrying out the most primitive and bloody hand-to-hand combat.
Fan Xian said these words. This was a breakthrough that came from the bottom of his heart after a defeat. It was a raw and spicy viciousness. It was a kind of reckless energy that he had never displayed before. It was displayed to the fullest.
The Emperor suddenly calmed down and turned to look at his son calmly. It was as if he was trying to find something different in this familiar face. A moment later, the Emperor laughed loudly. There was actually a bit of admiration in his laughter.
However, the laughter stopped for a moment. The Emperor's voice was particularly cold. "To kill an official in front of everyone and disregard the laws of the Qing Kingdom, this is the work of the uncivilized, not a hero."
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