Tomorrow, I will only write 3,000 words. I have to slow down because … I don't know how to write anymore.
Hearing the Emperor's words, the expression on Ye Wan's face did not change. His slightly lowered head just happened to hide the strange light in his eyes.
In his youth, this powerful figure who had abruptly risen in power in the Qing Kingdom had fallen out with his father and traveled all the way from Dingzhou to Nanzhao. If it were not for the secret care of the man on the throne from the Royal Palace in Jingdou, and if it were not for the steady willpower he had developed through these years of suppression, how could he have been suppressed all this time and finally exploded violently?
It was precisely this kind of experience that allowed Ye Wan to possess a powerful ability to control himself. Earlier, when the Emperor pointed out that he was not a match for Shang Shanhu, a glimmer of dissatisfaction appeared on Ye Wan's face. This glimmer of dissatisfaction was actually purposely revealed.
It was not difficult to accept that he was not a match for the famous general Shang Shanhu. However, he was, after all, a leader of the new generation of the military that the Emperor thought highly of. If he appeared too wooden and lost the vitality and competitiveness that a young person should have, it would probably not be easy to deal with.
Hearing Fan Xian's name, the strange light in Ye Wan's eyes came from the bottom of his heart. It was not only because the Emperor had pointed out earlier that part of his great achievements on the Western Hu grasslands was because of Fan Xian's secret help. It was also because Ye Wan had shockingly discovered that the Emperor's words earlier had raised Fan Xian's life and death to a position completely equal to the Emperor's life and death.
The entire world knew what kind of person Fan Xian was. Although Ye Wan was often on the front lines in Nanzhao and basically did not participate in Jingdou matters, the relationship between the Ye manor and Fan Xian was complicated. How could he not secretly understand the young powerful official who had successfully changed his sister's personality, the major figure who, in a few short years, had lit up the Qing Kingdom's sky like fireworks?
Ye Wan had suppressed himself for many years and watched the world from the sidelines for many years. He had his own bearing and self-confidence. He had never thought that he would be any less than those rising figures under heaven. However, the Emperor had long placed him quietly in an outer county, so he lacked a stage. This stage had already appeared under his feet. After the Qingzhou victory and the subsequent blood-soaked pursuit, he had begun to blossom with dazzling brilliance. However, each time he thought of Fan Xian's name, he always felt strange.
It was not jealousy or envy. Rather, it was a faint coldness. Ye Wan had coldly watched Jingdou for many years and always felt unable to see through Fan Xian. After thinking it carefully, there was admiration, wariness, sympathy, and disdain. It was unusually complicated.
Even so, Ye Wan still did not think that Fan Xian was a major figure who could shake the world. He thought it was because he believed it. to be it. to he believed it. He believed it to be. He believed it to be. After the Four Great Grandmasters had left, apart from the two sovereigns of the North and the South, no one else should be able to stand in that position.
…
.
"Do you think I have to raise to to to him.
That is true pride. "Ye Wan sternly accepted the lesson. In the dusky light, he bowed sincerely to the Emperor.
The Emperor narrowed his eyes. Under the dim light, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes added a sense of age. In a slow voice, he said, "There are many people in this world who can escape my control. However, there are very few who can stand against me calmly without moving or falling into chaos. Naturally, you do not see An Zhi as clearly as I do. "
These words were true, but they were also somewhat vague. During the winter snow at the beginning of the year, Fan Xian had acted wantonly and violently in Jingdou. In one day, he had killed all the officials of the He faction, shocking the court and the world. He had entered the Palace to carry out an assassination and had been branded a rebel.
What confused all the officials and caused all the rumors in the tea houses to lose their direction was that the Qing court had indeed spent a great deal of effort to hunt down Fan Xian and the assassin who had entered the Palace to carry out the assassination. However, they had never acted against the power Fan Xian had spread around.
The old officials of the Overwatch Council who had clearly participated in the case of killing the He faction in Jingdou were not even tried. They were only dismissed in large numbers. The power of the Fan faction in the Jiangnan area also did not receive the pressure of the Royal Palace. The Emperor, who had always been ruthless and resolute, seemed to have lost the heart of an Emperor he had always maintained when facing Fan Xian. He appeared overly gentle and benevolent, even to the point of being muddle-headed.
No one dared to criticize the Emperor, but many people were doubting him. Why did the Emperor show mercy and show mercy to the deranged Fan Xian's rebel faction? Did this matter truly have a background that could not be revealed?
After Ye Wan returned from the grasslands with great difficulty and learned of the aftermath of the Jingdou chaos, he was also shocked and confused.
The reason it was like this was because none of the important officials knew that the Emperor and Fan Xian had talked for an entire night in the Royal Palace that snowy night. It was not that the Emperor did not want to get rid of the Fan faction. Rather, his heart was touched and he had no choice but to abide by the promise of a two-person battle with Fan Xian. If the court truly carried out a purge of the Fan faction, what the Qing Kingdom was about to welcome would probably be the largest upheaval since the founding of the country.
It had to be said that in the handling of this matter, the Emperor lacked a sliver of the courage he had in his wild advance in the past and gained a bit of worry and gentleness. It had to be said that only Fan Xian could understand the Emperor's thousands of generations of intentions and also hold the lifeline of the Qing Kingdom tightly to force the Emperor to take such a stance.
In this world, the only person who could force the Qing Emperor to put down the butcher's knife in his hand was Fan Xian.
"As long as Fan Xian does not die, my heart will not be at ease." The Emperor's fingers that were combing through the white cat's fur suddenly froze slightly. He slowly closed his eyes and spoke to Ye Wan beside him.
Ye Wan's heart chilled. He lowered his head and said nothing.
"How is your practice of the Flowing Cloud Release going?" the Emperor asked coldly. Ye Wan's heart jumped slightly. He did not understand why the Emperor had suddenly changed the topic and began to test his cultivation. He thought for a moment and replied sincerely, "I have just entered the door."
"Twenty years ago, your father practiced the Coffin-Breaker to the extreme but was unable to advance any further. Although Fan Xian is unusually hardworking, after learning the Coffin-Breaker from your sister, it is clear that there is no way for him to make further progress. Uncle Liuyun's skills cannot be lost like this. Since you have entered the door, my heart is at ease. "
The Emperor continued to close his eyes and said, "Even so, in the end, you are not a match for Fan Xian. If you meet him in the future, take three steps back."
Ye Wan's heart jumped again. Although he was indeed not satisfied with being judged by the Emperor to be inferior to Fan Xian, from the Emperor's earlier words about Fan Xian not being diligent and the Emperor not being at ease, Ye Wan had already guessed too much. To be able to make the Emperor, who was as powerful as a god, use national affairs and war as the price to lure and kill him, he probably truly could not compare.
Following this, a fierce and stubborn emotion rose involuntarily in Ye Wan's heart. The expression of the most dazzling general of the younger generation of the Qing army did not change, but he faintly longed to be able to have a face-to-face battle with Fan Xian in the future.
The night gradually eroded the twilight and surrounded the layers of the Royal Palace, enveloping the ruler and official in front of Taiji Palace. The Emperor slowly opened his eyes. The light in his eyes seemed to want to illuminate the entire Royal Palace in an instant.
Eunuch Yao came to the side of the Emperor's soft couch. He held a wooden tray in his hand. On the tray was a yellow silk cushion. On it were two items that looked like letters.
Ye Wan was slightly surprised. He didn't know what this meant and unconsciously glanced at the Emperor.
"One is the essence of the martial method I cultivate. The other is a secret edict I left for you." The Emperor's eyes were level as he casually said, "Within a year, if I die, the secret edict can be opened. If I do not die, then burn the secret edict. As for the essence of the martial method, if you can make progress, consider it some compensation from me to the Ye family."
Ye Wan did not understand what compensation meant, but he understood the words "essence of the martial method." Even the weather-beaten and ruthless General Li, who had killed without blinking on the grasslands, couldn't help but be moved. His body trembled slightly. Without hesitation, he knelt in front of the Emperor and kowtowed heavily.
Ye Wan did not decline insincerely. He knew that the Emperor had written his experiences as a Great Grandmaster in this letter. For him, it was, without question, a priceless treasure. The Emperor's actions were naturally because he hoped that the Ye family would remain absolutely loyal to the royal family in his hands. This kind of trust made every inch of Ye Wan's skin begin to tremble.
"A few days ago, I made you the martial tutor of Chengping. Since this is so, you should visit Shufang Palace more often." The Emperor did not seem to care at all. Earlier, he had casually tossed the essence of the Tyrannical martial method to an official. It was as if he was not worried about Ye Wan's loyalty to the royal family.
The mental blow Ye Wan had received when he saw the Emperor was too great. His face was slightly pale, but it did not affect his thinking and judgment. From the Emperor's words, he immediately understood the meaning. The bloodline of the royal family had withered. The Great Prince had not rebelled, and his army was far away in Dongyi, contending with the court. The Second Prince and Crown Prince had long died tragically. After Fan Xian's rebellion, his whereabouts were unknown. No one knew whether he was dead or alive. Although Consort Mei in the Palace seemed to be about to give birth, the only person the court officials faintly saw as the heir was the Third Prince, Li Chengping.
Ever since the Emperor had been injured at the beginning of the year, his health had not improved. Although his recovery was faster than that of a normal person, he always appeared tired easily. He had less control over court matters than in previous years. Fortunately, Hu the Scholar and Panling the Scholar were in charge of the Hall of Governmental Affairs, so there were no problems. However, three months ago, the Third Prince, who had been under house arrest in the Palace for half a year, had suddenly been ordered by the Emperor to attend a lecture in the royal study. During this month, the Third Prince had begun to look over memorials on the Emperor's behalf. This allowed the entire Qing court to guess the Emperor's intentions.
The Emperor had made Ye Wan a martial tutor. Now, he had secretly given him a secret edict, secretly given him the martial method, and ordered him to be closer to the Third Prince. Without asking, one knew what he meant. Ye Wan was shocked and grateful. He prostrated on the ground and kowtowed again.
"Go. Remember what I said today." The Emperor gazed at the increasingly dark eaves of the Palace and narrowed his eyes slightly. Slowly, he said, "Particularly that line. Of my sons, An Zhi is the most ruthless. If he truly survives, you must take three steps back in front of him."
Ye Wan's brows furrowed slightly. Suddenly, a glimmer of anger surged out of nowhere. This anger was not because the Emperor had told him to take three steps back when he saw Fan Xian. Rather, he felt that Fan Xian was truly treasonous, disloyal, and unfilial. He was not an official or a son. He was not a thing.
However, he didn't say anything. After bowing solemnly again, he followed the long corridor toward the outside of the Royal Palace. As he walked, Ye Wan's shoulders felt heavier and heavier. His mood also grew heavier and heavier. For one, he knew the Emperor had given him a heavy burden. For another, he had suddenly smelled an inauspicious smell from the Emperor's conversation. It was the smell of an old man.
Ye Wan's heart trembled slightly. A difficult to suppress sorrow pressed down on his heavy figure as he walked through the Royal Palace. Without the Emperor, there would not be the Ye Wan of today. The loyalty of the next master of the Ye family toward the Li royal family had never wavered. However, in this moment, he felt that the Emperor seemed to be entrusting an orphan to him earlier. Why was this? Why was this?
Although the Emperor was old and tired, he was still powerful. Why would he say such things and make such arrangements? If the Emperor truly died and the Third Prince took the throne, given the relationship between Shufang Palace and the Fan manor, would the Qing court not become the world of that treacherous official, Fan Xian?
Ye Wan only felt a chill pierce through his back into his brain. He didn't dare to make any more guesses. Raising his head, he coldly walked out of the Royal Palace.
…
…
There was no light in front of Taiji Palace. It was still dark. The Emperor did not look at Ye Wan's slightly sorrowful background. He only stared coldly at the darkness in front of him. It was as if he wanted to find a fire that belonged to him in this darkness.
After a long silence, the Emperor suddenly opened his mouth and said, "In my life, I have given birth to a few sons. Who would have thought that I would be forced into such a wretched state by An Zhi in the end?"
"Who would have thought that he would actually come back alive from the Temple?" A cold light flashed through the corners of the Emperor's eyes. He paused for a moment and then said, "In the end, I am the old man, and he is the son. How can there be a son who can defeat the old man in this world?"
Accompanying him, Eunuch Yao broke out in a cold sweat. How could he respond to the Emperor's muttering to himself like this?
The Emperor suddenly let out a desolate sigh. He looked at the Royal Palace walls that appeared particularly tall in the dark night. He looked at the not very bright Imperial Army lights on the walls and narrowed his eyes slightly. No one knew what he was thinking.
After the assassination attempt in the Royal Palace, the Emperor had never left the Palace again. In the eyes of many officials, this was the Emperor's habit. Some people thought that perhaps the Emperor's body was not completely healthy, so he was recuperating in the Palace. However, only he knew that the reason he did not leave the Palace was because he did not dare to leave the Palace.
That day, the thunder above the Royal Palace had sounded. The black box that had been floating in the air and remained outside of the Qing Emperor's control had dealt the heaviest blow to this powerful ruler. Although the blow this time was not fatal, it had successfully shattered this ruler's confidence.
There were truly things in the world that could easily kill him. The Emperor had always been afraid of that box. Now that he knew that the box was outside the Royal Palace, although it was not in Fan Xian's hands, it was in the hands of his enemy, how could he leave the Palace?
The Emperor didn't know when the box would make a sound again, but he knew that Fan Xian had returned alive. Fan Xian had already returned. Where was Lao Wu?
The Emperor lowered his eyelids slightly. Guarding the lonely Palace could allow his edict to spread throughout the world. However, this tall Royal Palace and long palace walls were also like a perimeter wall, imprisoning him in the depths of the Palace.
"If An Zhi does not die, my heart will not be at ease." A stern expression slowly rose to the Emperor's thin face as he spoke coldly. However, the old and haggard wrinkles did not flatten because of this dark and stern expression. They were like the bark of a withered tree, appearing irreversible and shocking to the eye.
This was the second time the Emperor had said these words today. Between him and Fan Xian, there were too many complicated past events, present grudges, and differences in ideals. It was inevitable that they would fight to the death. Even so, the Qing Emperor greatly admired his most accomplished son. The more he admired him, the angrier he became. In his entire life, he had never wanted someone to die as much as he did tonight.
Perhaps only when he discovered that Chen Pingping had betrayed him and had secretly betrayed him for many years would he be as angry as he was now.
The Qing Emperor had the way of a king in his heart. He rarely felt joy or anger. Once he fell into mortal emotions, he was still nothing more than a mortal. He looked at the dark Palace with a complicated expression and thought of the box that had disappeared. He thought of Fan Xian and Lao Wu, who he didn't know where they were heading toward Jingdou. On the contrary, his earlier anger returned to absolute calm.
The sound of hurried footsteps came from the long corridor behind the soft couch. Eunuch Yao angrily turned his head to look. He saw Eunuch Hong Zhu, who had long returned to the royal study to work by the Emperor's side, holding a lantern and walking over with a face full of joy.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
