"Why should I do anything?" Wu Zhu rarely asked rhetorical questions like this. Ever since Fan Xian left Danzhou and came to the capital, he seemed to have become even more mysterious than he had been in Danzhou. He had never seen Fan Xian face to face.
Fan Xian's heart sank. Even if Wu Zhu had watched him grow up, Fan Xian had no reason to ask anything of him. In this world, only he owed Uncle Wu Zhu.
Wu Zhu saw that Fan Xian didn't say anything. He tilted his body slightly and said lightly, "I've said it before. I've taught you for many years, and Fei Jie has taught you as well. If you still can't deal with these small matters, then that's your problem, not ours."
"Afterwards, I found out that the big man was an eighth-level master. Uncle, you said before that I was actually a seventh-level master and had the power of a third-level master. I shouldn't have been a match for that big man." Fan Xian smiled bitterly. "You said it was my problem. Did you not care if I was killed by someone else?"
"Did you die?" Wu Zhu asked a question with an obvious answer. It was a rare second rhetorical question.
Fan Xian stared at the black cloth on his face and sucked in a breath of cold air. "You were by my side the whole time?"
"Yes."
"Then why didn't you do anything?" Fan Xian lowered his voice and yelled angrily. "Those three guards are dead! Teng Zijing is also injured! "
"I've never cared about the life or death of anyone else other than you." Wu Zhu's words were cold and heartless. "The people around you were gathered together because of you. If you want to control their lives, then you must protect them. So the life or death of those guards is your responsibility, not mine."
Fan Xian once again sank into silence. He knew that Uncle Wu Zhu was right.
"I can't help you too much," Wu Zhu said coldly. Wu Zhu said coldly, "On the cliff in Danzhou, I once said that if I were by your side in the capital, I would bring you trouble. Trouble that you would never want to face."
Fan Xian smiled bitterly as he recalled that conversation when he was 12 years old. At the time, he had said cheekily, "I will protect you." But in the end, it could only have been a joke.
"So remember, in the capital, I will never stand by your side under the sun, unless you are about to die, or … you are already dead," Wu Zhu continued to speak expressionlessly.
Fan Xian didn't understand what a powerful warrior like Uncle Wu Zhu was afraid of, but he heard the decisiveness in these words. There was no room for negotiation, so he nodded his head sadly.
"Someone's coming," Wu Zhu said quickly, then disappeared into the darkness once more.
The visitor was a guest, but one that Fan Xian did not want to see. Crown Prince Jing, Li Hongcheng, walked in with a gloomy face. He sat down on the edge of the bed and growled in a low voice, "Do you know what happened today? The envoy from Northern Qi refused to admit it, and the agitated imperial students almost destroyed the Office of the Grand Herald. "
The Office of the Grand Herald was the diplomatic organization of the Kingdom of Qing. It was responsible for the exchange of money and documents with Northern Qi, various small kingdoms, and Dongyi, as well as other related matters. Hearing that the Office of the Grand Herald had almost been destroyed, Fan Xian smiled bitterly. "These young people are really hot-blooded. But … of course, Northern Qi won't admit it. If the people of the Kingdom of Qing found out that an enemy country could send assassins to assassinate people in the capital, I'm afraid there would be endless trouble between the two countries."
Li Hongcheng smiled bitterly. "Trouble has already begun. His Majesty has already issued an edict. The envoy from Northern Qi in Yanjing has been driven out of the city, even their luggage."
Fan Xian laughed mockingly. "Dealing with outsiders is quite fast."
Hearing the other meaning in his words, Li Hongcheng frowned. "I've been coming to see you for the past few days. You haven't recovered from your injuries, so there are some things I can't say."
Fan Xian sighed. "I don't know which life I've owed you. I treated you to a meal, and then someone tried to assassinate me. After I came to the capital, I met you. You're the Crown Prince, and you've always been straightforward. Why are you so hesitant today? "
Li Hongcheng blamed himself. "This is my fault. No one would have thought that the Drunken Immortal Tavern was a spy from Northern Qi." He thought for a moment. "Today, I'm here to express my apologies on behalf of the Second Prince. He was going to visit you personally, but as you know, the situation in the capital has been rather muddled because of the assassination attempt on you. So, it's not convenient for him to come rashly." He smiled bitterly. "You should know that many people are still speculating that the Second Prince and I were the masterminds behind your assassination, and that we were only trying to frame the Crown Prince."
Fan Xian looked at him with a faint smile.
Li Hongcheng laughed. "You're looking at me so mysteriously. Am I supposed to admit that I was the mastermind?"
Fan Xian also smiled. He believed that this matter was not done by the Second Prince, because losing the support of the Fan manor was a loss that the Second Prince, who already had no strong support in court, could not afford to lose. At least, the benefits he would gain from framing the Crown Prince … were far, far greater.
— — —
With great difficulty, Fan Xian sat up on the bed. The servant girl helped him pour a bowl of water to drink. Seeing the figure at the door, he couldn't help but curse in his heart. He was clearly injured so badly, yet he kept receiving visitors. How could this be considered healing? This was clearly suffering. This time, however, the visitor was a stranger. He introduced himself as an official of the First Bureau of the Overwatch Council. He was currently investigating the assassination case on Niulan Street. Because this case involved officials of the court, and because there were rumors of some unclear background, all the files had been handed over to the Overwatch Council.
"How should I address you?" A servant had already poured a cup of tea for the Overwatch Council official. Fan Xian squinted at him. This was the first time he had seen an official of the Overwatch Council anywhere other than the time he had "bravely charged" into the Council. The officials of the Overwatch Council all seemed to have a deathly aura about them. This feeling made Fan Xian think of that accursed teacher Fei Jie again.
"I am Mu Tie." The official's lips were as thin as iron, and his face was dark. Without any expression, he replied, "A few days ago, you were seriously injured, so there are some questions that I have yet to ask. Today, I have come to ask. Please cooperate."
Fan Xian frowned. It seemed that this official didn't know about the secret relationship between Fan Manor and the Overwatch Council, which was why he spoke like this. "I am tired. Let's talk another day."
Mu Tie didn't seem to expect Fan Xian to refuse to answer his questions, and his expression turned ugly.
Fan Xian waved his hand and asked curiously, "The Council and the Ministry of Justice have already submitted the report. What else is there to ask?"
"There are some things that are not clear." The official, Mu Tie, stared at Fan Xian's eyes. Fan Xian's heart jumped. He knew that the Overwatch Council was also suspicious of the archers, but what use was there in asking him? The only person he had offended in the capital was Guo Baokun, the son of a mere civil official. He would not dare to collude with Northern Qi. As for the Crown Prince … that was something that even Fan Xian could not say.
Fan Xian pulled out the token that Fei Jie had given him from under his pillow and tossed it over. "We're all on the same side. If you have anything to say, just say it."
Mu Tie's tea was untouched. He took the token and looked at it. His expression changed, and he rose from his seat. He walked over to Fan Xian and knelt on one knee. He cupped his fists and bowed. "Greetings, sir."
Seeing Master Mu kneeling in front of him, Fan Xian was shocked. He hadn't expected the token to be so useful. He had no idea that the token Fei Jie had given him was a Commissioner's token, an existence that was independent of the eight bureaus of the Overwatch Council. Aside from Director Chen Zhang's direct orders, the Overwatch Council had the same rank as the heads of the eight bureaus. So when Mu Tie saw the token, he couldn't help but be shocked.
Fan Xian gestured for him to stand up. He frowned. "When will Master Fei return to the capital?" This was the question he was most concerned about. Although Wan 'er's health was improving, the root of her illness could not be removed. He didn't know how long she would have to endure it. Secondly, the situation in the capital was complicated. Uncle Wu Zhu was still a ghost, and his father was still polite. Deep in his heart, Fan Xian trusted Fei Jie, but he wasn't in the capital.
Hearing this handsome young man ask about Sir Fei, Mu Tie was certain that he was a powerful figure in the Overwatch Council. A secret service organization like the Overwatch Council always liked to develop spies in the various manors and departments of the capital. It was clear that this young master of Fan Manor was one of them, and he was of a particularly high rank. Mu Tie replied respectfully, "It should be a few more days."
"Have you found anything yet?" Fan Xian stared at him.
Mu Tie replied in a low voice, "The Council received the news too late, so the bodies of the archers were all cremated. In the end, they traced it to the City Patrol Division, and the trail was cut off."
"The City Patrol Division? Who cares about that? "
"Jiao Ziheng."
"Hmm?"
Mu Tie raised his head and looked at Fan Xian, curious that he didn't know Jiao Ziheng's identity. He replied, "He shouldn't be one of the crown prince's men." As soon as he saw the waist token, which couldn't be forged, he determined Fan Xian's identity, so he spoke without hesitation. This was the style of the Overwatch Council. All the strict hierarchy only worked within the Council.
"You're in charge of this case?" Fan Xian looked at him curiously. "What rank?"
"I'm a seventh-rank official," Mu Tie replied with a smile. "Just an errand boy."
"When can Si Lili enter the capital?" Fan Xian suddenly thought of his only witness, and frowned.
"Those people ran fast. Even if they were stopped now, it would take a few days before they could return to the capital."
Mu Tie looked at him, thinking that he had guessed why someone would collude with Northern Qi to assassinate this handsome young man. It seemed that this young man was a candidate for the Council's training. Thinking of this, Mu Tie's heart warmed, as if he had found an opportunity to make a meteoric rise. He gathered his courage and asked, "Sir, although I don't know exactly what you're doing in the capital, you've only just arrived. If there's anything you need me to do, please let me know."
Fan Xian asked curiously, "Then what about your current situation?"
Mu Tie smiled. "I can transfer it to you immediately. The Council has always been divided by rank. Given your status, it would be easy for you to transfer me here. "
Fan Xian immediately guessed what Mu Tie was thinking. He smiled bitterly. "Forget it. I don't even know what to do. If you follow me and lose your life for no reason, what good would that do you?"
His heart suddenly darkened as he thought of the three bodyguards who had died on Niulan Street a few days ago. These bodyguards had been following him ever since he entered the capital, but before he could even remember their names, they were already dead.
He asked a maid to open the window, and the light and cool breeze from outside rushed into the gloomy room. Fan Xian took a deep breath, roused himself, and decided to do something. He asked the warm-hearted Overwatch Council official, "Is there a man named Wang Qinian in the Council?"
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