Chapter 739

Separated by the fake mountain, Yan Bingyun looked at Fan Xian behind the mossy and snowy door. There was no expression on his face, but no one knew what he was thinking. After a moment of silence, he coldly said, "You know too many things. Don't forget, I have been at your side for so many years. I know a little about matters of the palace treasury. Furthermore, these years, you have always shifted your focus toward Northern Qi. Fan Sizhe is still in Shangjing. If you say you never had plans to betray the court and move to Northern Qi, how can I believe that? "

Fan Xian coughed gently and forced a smile. "I am also a person of the Qing Kingdom. Furthermore, I have an agreement with the Emperor. If the Emperor survives this time and does not carry out a purge of my people, I will not shed all pretense of cordiality with the court and stand on the side of the Northern Qi people. Don't worry about this."

"This matter concerns the life and death of millions of people. How can I be at ease?" Yan Bingyun's voice was very low and he scolded angrily. "I don't care what strange agreement you have with the Emperor. If the situation changes in the future and you leave the Qing Kingdom alive and go to Shangjing, who knows whether or not you will go crazy from anger and do those disgusting things?"

"Disgusting? Are you talking about selling the secrets of the palace treasury to Northern Qi or helping the Qi people attack the Qing Kingdom southward? " Fan Xian smiled slightly mockingly. "One has to keep some promises in one's life. As long as the Emperor keeps his promise, none of this will happen. You should know that the assassination attempt in the Palace this time is only a small-scale battle. I have not used all of my killing weapons."

"As long as I am alive, the Emperor must be forced to accept the agreement between me and him last night." Fan Xian's eyes became icy. "He doesn't want the world to fall into chaos, so he cannot act against my people. No matter how angry he is, for the sake of his great cause, he must endure. Don't forget, those people are also people you are familiar with. They were once your companions, your friends, and your colleagues! If you kill me now, the power in my hands will no longer have a leader. To put it bluntly, without a leader, the Emperor can slowly cut them with a soft knife. "

"Do you want those people you were once familiar with to fall one by one under the Emperor's butcher knife?" Fan Xian stared into Yan Bingyun's eyes and enunciated each word clearly.

Yan Bingyun was silent for a moment and then replied, "It seems you have thought about this matter for a long time. You must know that there can only be one Emperor in the sky and one Emperor in the world. If you are alive, even if you endure silently and do nothing, the Qing court's superficial balance will still be split in two by you. For the Qing Kingdom, this is not a good thing."

"I just want the people I want to protect to live. For this goal, I have to live. In the future, I will stand on a high hill far away and coldly look at His Majesty and you in the palace. I think it will make you be on your guard."

"But, don't forget, if you die, the officials and subordinates in the Council will one day have to accept this reality. The Emperor has great talent and strategy. He will certainly have a way to take back the Overwatch Council and even your Jiangnan subordinates." Yan Bingyun stared into his eyes and said, "On the surface, you want to protect their lives, but in reality? In reality, you are only using the power of these people to threaten the Emperor and the court. You insist on not dying because you are using the Overwatch Council as a personal weapon to continue your own intentions. "

You are actually just using the power of these people to threaten the Emperor and the court. You insist on not dying because you are using the Overwatch Council as a private weapon to continue your own intentions. "

"Both the dean and you have said it before." Yan Bingyun's face was calm. "The Overwatch Council is a public tool, not a private tool. How can you use the public tool of a country for your own personal gain? Yan Bingyun's face was calm. "The Overwatch Council is a public weapon, not a private weapon. How can you use the public weapon of a country for your own personal gain?

This is where I disagree with you. " "Is that so?" A slight coldness appeared in Fan Xian's eyes. Coldly and mockingly, he said, "The Overwatch Council is a public weapon. I cannot use it privately. Then, why didn't you stand out bravely and rebuke the Emperor when he used the Overwatch Council for his own gain?"

These words directly struck Yan Bingyun's heart. He stared at Fan Xian in a daze, unable to digest these words. In the hearts of all the officials in the world, the Emperor was the court, the Qing Kingdom, and the public. The Overwatch Council was a public weapon, so it was the knife in the Emperor's hand.

"Don't forget what you said. The Overwatch Council is a public weapon, not the Emperor's private weapon. In the end, the person on the throne is only one person. Don't use him to represent the will of the world." Fan Xian looked at Yan Bingyun coldly. "Since it is a public weapon, it should belong to the virtuous. Yes, I am not a virtuous person, but do you dare to say that the Emperor is also a virtuous person? "

"Since he and I are only a pair of bastards, old and young, then it is very simple who the Overwatch Council belongs to."

Fan Xian no longer looked at Yan Bingyun's expression. He picked up the canteen and took a sip with difficulty. Coldly, he said, "This Council was set up by Ye Qingmei and left to me by Chen Pingping. What right does the Emperor have to take it? What right do you have to say such senseless things to me? "

"The Overwatch Council is an organization used to monitor the Emperor. If it becomes the Emperor's secret organization, you might as well not be the Director of the Overwatch Council." He put down the canteen and reprimanded in a disdainful and bored tone.

…

…

There was a death-like silence. Waves of shock rose in Yan Bingyun's heart. He had always thought that Fan Xian was only grieving over Chen Pingping's death, so he had bravely stood against the Emperor. He had not thought that in Fan Xian's heart, there was no innate dignity of imperial power. This kind of treasonous and rebellious argument was difficult for Sir Yan junior to digest. He was silent for a long time but still could not wrap his head around it. Director Chen had never taught him this, and Fan Xian had never said this before. The Overwatch Council was used to monitor the Emperor? What kind of joke was this?

Glancing lightly at Yan Bingyun's expression out of the corner of his eye, a powerful sense of disappointment flashed through Fan Xian's heart. He knew that in this world, other than Chen Pingping, who had been deeply influenced by his mother, and himself, no one else could accept this. Even his father, far away in Danzhou, would probably find it difficult to accept this. It was only because of him that his father had gradually grown apart from the Qing court.

Yan Bingyun raised his head and looked calmly at Fan Xian. He was about to make a decision. For the benefit of the Qing court and the goal he had fought for in his life, he could not allow Fan Xian to bring too many secrets and throw too much power into the arms of a foreign enemy. However, if he truly had to take action and send him into the Palace, Yan Bingyun knew that Fan Xian would certainly die today.

Fan Xian did not seem to be in a rush. He just waited for Yan Bingyun's decision. At this moment, a tired, old, and indifferent voice sounded in the shadow of the rockery, "It's so late. What's there to talk about? What's so good about letting those old maids hear gossip?"

Yan Bingyun's body froze. He recognized that the speaker was his father. He turned around with unusual difficulty. The fists in his sleeves were clenched tightly. After a moment of silence, he knew that his father was reminding him of something. If others knew that Fan Xian was hiding in his manor, then he would have no choice but to kill him. His father had spoken at the moment he made his decision. Naturally, it was giving him the strongest warning.

Without Yan Ruohai's help, how could Fan Xian, with his meridians in a mess after being heavily injured, hide in the secret room in the fake mountain? How could his body be bandaged? How could there be food and water by his side?

Yan Bingyun knew that his father's seemingly warm and normal words were using his father-son relationship to threaten him. If he really decided to harm Fan Xian, then this family … would probably be destroyed from now on.

Fan Xian calmly looked at Yan Ruohai in the darkness. He looked at the old man of the Fourth Bureau and smiled with difficulty. In a low voice, he said, "Let's not talk about this. You can go back first."

Following this, he said coldly to Yan Bingyun, "Naturally, you won't hear what I say. There are a few files I took from King Jing's manor in the first cabinet of the Council. When you have time in the next few days, go take a look. "

These words were spoken lightly. It was as if Fan Xian was certain that Yan Bingyun would not act against him. Yan Bingyun stood silently for a long time with his eyes tightly closed. Finally, he left the fake mountain and walked toward his own manor. His decision to leave quietly had probably destroyed some of the stubbornness in his heart. It made the figure of his back appear somewhat desolate.

"No one will come to the fake mountain. Don't worry." Yan Ruohai walked to the bottom of the fake mountain and smiled warmly. "What you said about the Council earlier was very true. I hope he can understand some of it."

Fan Xian smiled slightly and replied, "How about you teach me by example and use your own head to protect my head? Everything is for the Qing Kingdom. In the end, Yan Bingyun cannot bear to use your life and death to prove his creed. Since everything has a price, presumably he will slowly think it through."

…

…

In all of Jingdou, other than the Yan father and son, no one knew of Fan Xian's whereabouts. The search for him in Jingdou continued like a raging fire. There was no let-up at all. Countless streets, alleys, and private residences had been turned over. What the Qing court found strange was that Fan Xian, heavily injured and unable to move, had disappeared from people's sight like a wandering spirit.

The Overwatch Council was also cooperating with the court's edict. They were carrying out intelligence work in various areas, but they had found nothing. This time, the main focus of the search was the military and internal court. The Overwatch Council was only cooperating, so their affairs were not very busy. The present Director of the Overwatch Council, Yan Bingyun, was not as busy and nervous as Ye Zhong and Eunuch Yao, unable to sleep. On the contrary, the square and sinister building on Tianhe Avenue had many more images of him reading seriously.

That night, Yan Bingyun listened to Fan Xian's words and began to read seriously the letters and files hidden in the first room. He read seriously for three days and three nights before he finished. Only then did he know that these were the memorials and letters Ye Qingmei had written to the Emperor. They systematically described many plans for the Qing Kingdom's future. However, these plans were too daring. No, it should be said that they were treasonous.

These poison-like words made Yan Bingyun feel his fingers holding the paper begin to burn. In his shock, he didn't look closely. He only picked the words about the origins of the Overwatch Council and read them seriously. He knew that the Overwatch Council was a yamen that Fan Xian's mother, the young lady of the Ye family, had single-handedly created.

Why was there an Overwatch Council in the world? Perhaps he could find the answer in these letters and files. Was the Overwatch Council's purpose not to do everything for the Qing Kingdom and the Emperor? Why were there not many mentions of the person on the dragon chair or the person who might sit on the dragon chair in the future?

Regardless of whether Yan Bingyun wanted to read them or dared to read them, the words that were not very elegant still crawled into his heart like a demon. He began to think deeply and spaced out. He began to feel that perhaps the night he was threatened by his father and forced to accept Fan Xian in his manor was not a completely wrong decision that was harmful to the Qing court.

He walked to the window in the secret room and looked through the glass at a corner of the Royal Palace under the dusk light. He narrowed his eyes slightly and felt that the reflected red light was piercing his eyes. After a slight pause, he dug out a piece of black cloth from a corner of his desk and pulled it open again. Carefully and carefully, he covered the glass window and blocked the view of the Royal Palace. It was as if only by doing this could he feel more at ease.

In the Palace, the Emperor had been heavily injured by the assassins. Fortunately, he did not die. He was only unconscious and awake at times. No one knew what his situation was today. It was this valiant Emperor who occasionally woke up and calmly, even coldly, gave a series of orders to pursue and attack. He wanted to keep Fan Xian in the Qing Kingdom's territory. On the contrary, the court did not care much about the assassins from Northern Qi and Dongyi, as well as the assassins who had luckily survived.

Yan Bingyun lifted a corner of the black cloth and looked at the glorious Royal Palace with narrowed eyes. He thought of another matter. It seemed that other than chasing after Fan Xian or searching for his body, the internal court was faintly searching for something. In the Emperor's heart, it seemed that something was even more important than Fan Xian. What could it be?

…

…

The light snow fell intermittently. The square in front of the Royal Palace no longer had any marks from a few days ago. The blood mixed with the snow had long been washed clean, revealing the clean and tidy stones below. The arrow marks that filled the sky did not leave behind any evidence. Only the green bricks on the vermillion walls of the Royal Palace, as well as a few frightening deep holes on the bluestone ground on the west side, indicated the cruelty of that day. At the same time, it proved to the passersby that the terrifying attack from beyond the heavens really did exist, and was not just a movement that people imagined.

Fan Ruoruo wore a large snow-white robe and stood quietly in front of the secluded Palace doors below the Royal Palace, waiting for the Imperial Army and guards to jointly examine the token to enter the Palace. After Scholar He was assassinated in the Hall of Governmental Affairs, the defenses of all the yamens in Jingdou had been tightened to a state of war. She knew that what truly terrified the court was the matter of the Emperor being assassinated. However, this matter was still hidden within a certain range and had not spread among the people.

Fan Ruoruo had already personally ordered her to enter the Palace after she woke up. The Imperial Academy of Medicine had personally gone to the Fan manor to invite her. This was not only because Fan Ruoruo's medical skills, which she had inherited from Qing Shan and Fei Jie, had reached a certain realm. More importantly, the serious injury the Emperor had suffered was not the internal injuries and sword marks left by the assassins. The most fatal injury was the metal shrapnel that had flown into the flesh of the Emperor's chest. Everyone knew that in the entire world, only the young lady of the Fan family knew this strange method of treatment called surgery.

On the way here, Fan Ruoruo had already learned of the current condition of the Emperor's body from the mouth of the royal doctor. Knowing that the Emperor had not died under her shot, Fan Ruoruo did not know what kind of feelings she had in her heart. Strangely, she did not feel overly disappointed. She only felt a bit lost.

She had lived in the Palace for a full five months and stayed in the royal study for five months. It could even be said that she was the woman who had stayed by the Emperor's side the longest these years. She knew very well what kind of person the gradually aging Emperor was. More importantly, the way this Emperor treated Fan Ruoruo was indeed different from others.

"Be careful after you enter the Palace. If it is inconvenient for the Emperor and you want to stay in the Palace for treatment, you have to send a message to the manor." King Jing's heir, Li Hongcheng, stood by Fan Ruoruo's side and warned her in a quiet voice. There was worry that could not be hidden between his brows. Treating the Emperor's illness had always been a terrifying matter. What was even more terrifying was that the Emperor's injuries could not be separated from Fan Xian, yet Fan Ruoruo was Fan Xian's favorite sister.

Thinking of how Fan Ruoruo had been placed under house arrest in the Palace a few months ago, Li Hongcheng felt a strong worry in his heart.

"Yes." Fan Ruoruo smiled slightly. The indifference and frost on her face gradually melted. She lowered her head and bowed toward Hongcheng. She and the imperial doctor were led by the guards toward the Royal Palace.

She had always known of Li Hongcheng's intentions and was deeply moved by it. Particularly these few days, the Fan manor had been repeatedly searched. Regardless of whether it was Lin Wan 'er's status as a princess or Fan Ruoruo's position in the Emperor's heart, in the face of the great crimes Fan Xian had committed, they all became things that did not need to be mentioned. After returning from Xiliang Road, Li Hongcheng, who had taken up the position of Deputy of the Bureau of Military Affairs, did not avoid suspicion at all. Bravely, he held down the fort in the Fan manor and suppressed the wolf-like soldiers.

Without Li Hongcheng, the days of the Fan manor would probably be much more difficult.

Walking through the quiet and cold Palace gate, the sound of footsteps rang out quietly. Fan Ruoruo lowered her head slightly. She felt that what her brother had said in the past was right. Life had always been a play, and it was often an absurd play. The Emperor had almost died to her spear, yet she was going to treat his injury.

Up until the moment Fan Ruoruo entered the Palace, she still had not made up her mind on how to respond. She knew that the Emperor had already woken up. Fortunately, the Emperor had woken up and sent down an edict. Thus, the Fan manor had not suffered a disaster. Given the crimes Fan Xian had committed, the entire Fan manor would probably be taken into prison. At most, Lin Wan 'er, Fan Ruoruo, and the children would be brought into the Palace.

However, the Emperor had not sent down this edict. This made Fan Ruoruo admire her sister-in-law's choice not to leave the capital that day. Although no one knew exactly what Fan Xian and the Emperor had said the night before the Palace coup and what agreement they had reached, at least Lin Wan 'er had guessed something. Presently, Jingdou was only desperately chasing after Fan Xian and did not use lightning speed to suppress the people Fan Xian protected.

The Fan manor not leaving the capital and returning to Danzhou was, without question, an expression of an attitude. It was an attitude to test how sincere the Emperor was in fulfilling his promise.

Thinking of this, Fan Ruoruo admired her sister-in-law's calm state of mind in the face of danger. She felt a sense of worship for her brother, Fan Xian, that had long been rooted in her heart. In this world, other than her brother, who else could force a powerful ruler to suppress his anger after being attacked by an assassin?

The Palace was right in front of her eyes. Fan Ruoruo gradually calmed her emotions. She had only been at Zhaixing Tower to help her brother escape Jingdou. When all was said and done, she could not feel too much hatred toward the Emperor. After all, 20 years ago, the death of the pitiful infant she had never seen was too far away from her.

…

…

On the last day of the first month, the steps of the 12th year of the Qing calendar finally landed firmly on this land. However, the footsteps of the Qing court still could not be steady. Although the Emperor could already sit up and examine memorials, he could not exhaust himself too much. He Zongwei of the Hall of Governmental Affairs had died, and key officials in various departments had been ruthlessly eliminated by Fan Xian. For a moment, the court was a bit chaotic. Fortunately, Hu the Scholar fought with his old life and did not return to his manor for seven consecutive days and nights. At least, the important matters of court were not delayed too much.

The footsteps in the shadows continued to step chaotically. Jingdou appeared to have returned to normal, but in reality, it was still under strict control. In particular, the work of capturing and killing those assassins never relaxed. The Qing court had to be proud of this matter. The ninth-level aces who had first been heavily injured by the Emperor and then shot by tens of thousands of arrows should still be trapped in Jingdou, passing their days in fear. In such a large capital, they were able to strictly seal off the possibility of these aces escaping. One reason was because these aces were too heavily injured. Another reason was that one had to admit the terror of the Qing Kingdom's national machinery.

At present, the deaths of five assassins had been confirmed. Their bodies had already been transported into the Royal Palace. Of the known assassins, at least three were still missing. They were the foremost ace in the Northern Qi Royal Palace, Sir Lang Tiao, the youngest disciple of Dongyi's Sword Hut, and Northern Qi's saint girl, Haitang Duoduo. These three had almost been captured a few times in Jingdou. Each time, they had paid the price of blood before escaping wretchedly.

As for Fan Xian, there was not even a shadow to be found. Yes, Fan Xian had disappeared, and the Shadow had also disappeared. Only now did the Qing official responsible for the killing realize that the people the Overwatch Council had raised were indeed too talented in these areas.

However, the officials still had confidence because Sir Fan junior's injuries were too heavy. The Emperor had said that his meridians had been destroyed and would not recover within a year.

On the other side, the court officials who entered the Palace every night to report on the progress and hand in memorials to the Emperor couldn't help but see another scene that they had long gotten used to but now found particularly strange. The Emperor lay weakly in a pile of blankets. A woman wearing normal clothes served the Emperor coldly and carefully, bringing him medicine and feeding him.

The woman was the young lady of the Fan family. The court officials had long gotten used to seeing her appearance in the past five months. They had not expected that she would come back after only a day out. Hadn't Sir Fan junior become an imperial criminal who had tried to assassinate the Emperor? How could his sister still serve at the Emperor's side? What was Manager Yao thinking? Was he not worried that the young lady of the Fan family would do something bad?

Not only was the young lady of the Fan family serving the Emperor in the Palace every day, but even the Fan manor, which everyone saw as a place of death, did not seem to have become hell. The people inside lived as usual. Princess Chen, Lin Wan 'er, would enter the Palace every few days to bring the Emperor some fresh food and joke with him.

What was going on? The Emperor was probably going crazy from wanting to kill Sir Fan junior, but he did not want to make things difficult for his wife and sister? This scene was truly too preposterous and absurd, and it was truly difficult for others to understand.

…

…

The depressing atmosphere in Jingdou was finally broken one day at the beginning of February. Eunuch Yao received a top secret message. That night, after a long conversation with the injured and tired Emperor in the royal study, countless internal court and military people quietly gathered from all directions the next day and came to the front door of Viscount Chenghai's manor.

The moment the morning light rose, the green buds on the trees were still sleeping under the bark when the front door of the Yan manor was suddenly blown open. Soldiers gathered from all directions and guarded all directions. Over 20 aces leaped over the high courtyard walls. They seemed to know where their target was and headed straight for the fake mountain in the back garden.

Eunuch Yao held his hands in his sleeves and waited calmly outside the Yan manor. He had no intention of entering the manor to speak. This manor was not a simple place. Putting aside how long Sir Yan Ruohai had operated in the Overwatch Council, the present young master of the Yan manor was, after all, the Director of the Overwatch Council.

This operation had not leaked any information to the Overwatch Council. Once they actually captured the noble in the Yan manor, Yan Bingyun would not be able to explain it no matter what.

Sir Yan junior was wearing a nightgown. With a serious expression, he looked at the arrogant soldiers searching everywhere in the manor. The anger in his eyes grew stronger and stronger. However, his expression remained calm. The most successful spy in the Qing Kingdom had a strong will. It was not something normal people could compare to.

He did not hurry toward his father's residence in the back of the garden. He just stood in the bedroom door and watched coldly as everything happened. On the bed behind him, his wife, Lady Shen, slowly sat up and asked in a trembling voice, "What happened?"

"Do you not know what happened?" Yan Bingyun didn't even turn his head. His voice was squeezed into a cold line.

Sitting on the bed, Shen Wan 'er's expression changed drastically. A moment later, she replied in a trembling voice, "What did you say?"

"Only my father and I know. You were the one who reminded me." A bitter smile rose to the corners of Yan Bingyun's lips. "Back then, I had indeed let you down. But, it has been so many years. I thought you had long forgotten. Furthermore, we are husband and wife. I didn't think that you would still be unwilling to let the Yan family be destroyed."

Shen Wan 'er's body began to tremble. She knew that her husband had already seen through what she had done. Facing Yan Bingyun's back, she said in a wretched voice, "How could I have such thoughts? However, he is, in the end, a criminal. If the court finds out, how can our family escape responsibility? Besides, he has always been a powerful person. If he said he hid in the manor and the manor didn't find him, the court would believe it. "

"Yes, we have the merit of being the first, but we are also guilty of sheltering." Yan Bingyun's smile appeared dark, cold, and bitter. "I still don't understand. Why did you do this? You are a Northern Qi person. When did you become so loyal to the Qing court?"

A clamor came from the courtyard of the Yan manor, but the master's bedroom was very quiet. Behind Yan Bingyun, Shen Wan 'er lowered her head and was silent for a long time. Finally, she bravely raised her head. Her eyes were filled with hatred that could not be shaken off. "Why? What did you say? Don't forget, I am your wife. Yes, that matter has nothing to do with you, but do you dare to say that it has nothing to do with Fan Xian? "

Lady Shen's voice was not very loud, but it appeared particularly sorrowful and hateful. She looked at Yan Bingyun's back and cried bitterly. "My father was killed by the Northern Qi Emperor's envoy, Shang Shanhu. Immediately after, my entire family was raided and destroyed. You have no idea what it means to destroy a family! My entire family of more than two hundred people are all dead! My three-year-old brother is also dead! Who did this? "

"This was done by the Northern Qi Emperor, but do you really think I don't know that this was all the idea of Fan Xian and that woman called Haitang?" Lady Shen's eyes were filled with a hateful light. "But what could I do? Fan Xian is your superior, your friend, and the person you never say, but in reality, admire the most. How could I expect you to avenge my family of over 200 people? "

"Since he dared to escape to my side and let me discover him, I cannot miss this opportunity." After Lady Shen finished saying these words, she knew that no matter how things developed, it would be impossible to win back the heart of the man in front of her. Her entire body went limp as she sat on the bed. She couldn't help but be shocked. Why did a woman like her, who didn't understand anything, do such a daring thing driven by hatred?

Yan Bingyun's body froze slightly, but he didn't have any reaction. He only sighed in his heart, feeling a bit lost.

The fake mountain in the back garden had already been forcefully dug out by the soldiers. They looked at the dust-covered secret room inside, the space that no one seemed to have ever been in. They couldn't help but freeze where they stood. Yan Ruohai, who had been startled out of the room by the noise, acted as if he didn't know anything. He furrowed his brows and looked at the soldiers responsible for killing the criminals and the internal court aces. In a cold voice, he said, "What is going on?"

…

…

"I've been hiding in the manor, but I've never worried that something would happen." In the carriage, Fan Xian leaned comfortably against the soft cushions. Although the Meridians in his body were still a mess and he was worse than a cripple, this could not affect his good mood. At least he was out of Jingdou. Looking at the more vivid scenery around Jingdou, he felt happy for some reason.

When he left the Yan manor, he didn't know what had happened. He also didn't know that Lady Shen had never forgotten the massacre of the Shen manor in Shangjing in the fifth year of the Qing calendar. He trusted in old Sir Yan's abilities. The Yan father and son were both skilled figures in the Overwatch Council. How could they not have sensed the strange movements in their own manor?

It was still the valiant power of the Yan manor that had finally found an opportunity to send Fan Xian out of Jingdou. The carriage was traveling on the dimly lit road in the mountains. The driver was an official of the Overwatch Council, but he was not an old subordinate Fan Xian was familiar with. He was also not an old member of the Qinian Unit. Since the Yan manor was at ease in letting this official manage this matter, presumably, they had sufficient confidence in his loyalty.

"That's the dean's good fortune." "Otherwise, the Director would not have found such an opportunity to send you out of Jingdou."

Of the two Directors, the first was Fan Xian, and the second was Yan Bingyun. The official was silent for a moment and then suddenly said, "The Director wants me to ask you one last thing. You promised him not to go to Northern Qi and not to betray the court. Can you really do it?"

"This damned lump of ice …" Fan Xian scolded jokingly. "Since I've said it, I will do it. I'm not like the old cripple who has no inhibitions."

"After you return to the capital, help me give this letter to Yan Bingyun. Have him think of a way to deliver it to the Emperor's desk," Fan Xian instructed after thinking for a moment. He then handed over a thin letter.

The contents of the letter were simple. He had already left Jingdou and would fulfill the contents of the agreement he had made with the Emperor that night. He also asked the Emperor to keep his promise that the Emperor would not go back on his word. He also wished the Emperor good health and to take care.

The main reason for this unnecessary action was because of his friends who were still sealed in Jingdou. Fan Xian knew that the Emperor's main target was him. If he could escape Jingdou alive, then there was not much meaning in wasting the country's power, stirring up more discussion, and keeping Thirteenth Wang and the others in Jingdou.

The carriage made a few turns in the outskirts of Jingdou and made a few circles. Using the secret paths in the mountains as well as a few transfer points the Overwatch Council had prepared, it took a full three days to arrive outside a city in a neighboring province.

The carriage would not enter the city. Instead, it chose to carry out the handover here. Looking at the familiar face, Fan Xian couldn't resist smiling. "I feel much more at ease now that you're here."

Wang Qinian, who had rushed back to the Qing Kingdom from Shangjing in Northern Qi and had been waiting outside Jingdou to receive him, had disguised himself as an old man. His face was full of wrinkles. Entering the carriage, he examined Fan Xian's injuries and couldn't help feeling heavy. He was not in the mood to joke and shook his head.

"What do I have to disguise myself as?"

Wang Qinian took out cosmetics and flowery clothes from his clothes. Forcing a smile, he said, "I have to disguise myself as my daughter-in-law …"

Fan Xian laughed bitterly. He didn't make a pretentious gesture and accepted it. "It's much more convenient for you to disguise yourself as an old man than it is for me."

While he was changing, Wang Qinian couldn't resist lowering his voice and asking, "Sir, from the beginning, did you already plan to be able to leave Jingdou?"

"I'm not an immortal. Plans can't always keep up with changes."

Fan Xian smiled bitterly. "If I could win in the Palace, I wouldn't have to leave the capital. Since I lost, I had to ensure my survival. Fortunately, my luck is as good as ever."

"I heard that it's not a place for humans to go, and not many people can go there. Those who dare to go there … are all dead."

"Who said they're all dead? Ku He is alive. Xiao En is also alive. Aren't my uncle and my mother all alive and well? " Fan Xian's eyes narrowed slightly. It was as if he was searching for the backs of those people. In a quiet voice, he said, "Just surviving is not enough. This time, I still lost in Jingdou. Other than going to the Temple to find my uncle, what other choice do I have? This is something I had thought about a long time ago. You don't have to stop me. "

Wang Qinian's expression was a bit ugly. He muttered, "It's not that I want to stop you. Who in this world dares to stop you? Other than the Emperor, those who dare to stop you are probably all dead. However, the Temple is not the Royal Palace. It is a place where immortals live. I'm afraid that even if I took you and searched for decades, we wouldn't be able to find a place. "

"Our goal is to not mess around." Fan Xian coughed and forcefully used his will to control the burning pain in his meridians. He forced a smile and said, "You don't have to be too afraid."

This was something Fan Xian had thought about. He knew more about the illusory Temple than anyone else in the world. He could even faintly capture the true background of the Temple. Of course, this was all just a guess.

His Majesty was so powerful that he had survived and woken up after the gunshot. Fan Xian knew that after this battle, the Emperor would never personally leave the Palace and risk his life again. The situation placed between Fan Xian and the Emperor was a mutual restraint based on the long conversation the father and son had before they attacked. In the end, this was a battle between the two of them. Regardless of whether it was the Qing Emperor or Fan Xian, neither wanted the flames of war to spread to the world. Thus, Fan Xian had suffered a crushing defeat. He had to find a power that could defeat the Emperor.

He could not find it in the world. He could only search in the sky. Fan Xian's mood was slightly heavy. He knew what a lofty existence the Temple was in the hearts of the people. He was very worried about Wu Zhu's safety. For the sake of his meridians and many other goals, he had no choice but to make this dangerous trip to the Temple.

"Where do we go?" Wang Qinian gently pulled on the reins and asked a very practical question. Everyone respected the Temple, but no one knew where it was.

"North. Keep going north. All the way north," Fan Xian said.

…

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