Chapter 512: A Lowly Monarch (2)
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Fan Xian was not escaping. He was close to running. He traveled the path far away from Jiangnan, Jingdou, and the political storm in Qing Kingdom. He knew that no matter how the situation in Jingdou developed, the Emperor had made up his mind. No one could stop the deposition of the heir from happening.
Since it was so, anything else he did would appear extra and unnecessary. Furthermore, he was worried that when the Emperor went to worship heaven, he would pull him into Jingdou and set him up as a human-shaped shield in front of himself. After the Crown Prince was deposed, there would certainly be random rumors in court. Fan Xian was certain that the Emperor would have him clash with the random rumors and newly re-stabilize the balance in court.
During these days, his mood had been rather low. Questions about life continually floated around in his mind. He didn't have the energy to care about these things. He knew in his heart that at times like this, the further away he was, the smarter it was.
Every time he thought about the decision the Emperor was going to make in that quiet and secluded Qing Temple, his heart felt strange and uncomfortable. That temple was where he and Lin Wan'er had met. It was where he and his wife had confirmed their love. Now, it was going to become a place for a power-grab. It was annoying.
Thus, he chose to go far away.
As Yan Xiaoyi led tens of thousands of elite troops directly into the Northern camp for a night attack, Fan Xian had, also on a muggy night, boarded a large ship going straight from Hangzhou to the seaport. He was preparing to go around the choppy edges of the east side of Qing Kingdom and carry out a harmonious journey.
His trip this time took place before the Emperor's edict arrived. He also didn't tell Xue Qing. Everything was done in great secrecy. Fan Xian didn't want to be involved again in this matter and thus ran determinedly. If the Qing Emperor discovered that his summons had not been delivered to him, he might be angry. But, there was no way for him to punish Fan Xian.
He was the active Jiangnan imperial envoy. It was necessary for him to sit in judgement. The only department that needed someone to sit in judgement was in the palace treasury area. His reason for going out in disguise was that he needed to check the palace treasury route to the East. It was just that his goal was Danzhou.
There were two reasons for returning to Danzhou. One, he was going to go visit grandmother. The housekeeper in the Danzhou manor had written and said that his grandmother had not been well recently, which worried him a great deal. Second, he wanted to get his grandmother's opinion on the future complicated situation in Qing Kingdom and the world. He had grown up beside his grandmother in Danzhou and received his education from her. When things became chaotic and out of his control, he instinctively thought about asking grandmother to help him see through it all.
Perhaps his grandmother couldn't help him with anything, but at least it put him at ease.
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The large ship left the seaport and moved forward against the newly risen sun in the east. Fan Xian only had time to briefly enjoy the expansive view between the sky and the land before he returned to the cabin and sat down beside the large chest of silver. He tilted his head and began to count.
He was counting the Cangzhou battle reports caught between the Council reports. Fan Xian counted back and forth and didn't feel that there was anything wrong with the battle. Except, the timing of this battle, or part of the battle, was a bit strange. He furrowed his brows. He had been making arrangements for once the situation in the Qing Kingdom had settled. How should he handle matters? Should he let go of the Overwatch Council? What arrangements would the Emperor make for him? He thought about all this in detail and felt that he was thinking about it too early.
After a few more days, the matter of deposing the heir in Jingdou should have reached its end stages. Fan Xian was suspended alone in the ocean and had no idea of the developments of the matter. He didn't want to accept an edict. He even had the boat temporarily break communications with the Overwatch Council's intelligence system. Like a black and anti-radar plane, he floated alone on the ocean.
The boat arrived at some small city in Jiangbei Road. The private boat he was on was a retrofitted Overwatch Council military ship. Normal people wouldn't be able to see a problem with it. Thus, he had thought that he wouldn't draw any attention on his trip to Danzhou.
Unexpectedly, the officials in the little city respectfully sent over generous gifts. They didn't ask to meet and left on their own.
Fan Xian was a bit confused, thinking, How could these minor officials have guessed that he was on the boat?
Wang Qinian smiled and said, "Your aura is too abundant."
This fawning was done poorly. Fan Xian displayed his displeasure. He turned his gaze toward the other man.
Thirteenth Wang glanced at him and shrugged. "Who knows? It seems to me like you're quite happy to receive gifts."
Fan Xian's vanity was exposed by him, so he was a bit unhappy. Thirteenth Wang laughed uproariously and walked to the side of the ship. He held the green banner in his hand. It was like a small-scale sail. It appeared very funny.
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The most important thing in officialdom was telling each other necessary information. After the officials in the little city knew the Overwatch Council Commissioner was on the boat, all the county officials along the coast knew of this news.
From that day on, every time they stopped somewhere as it followed the north coast, officials would come forward to give gifts. However, they seemed to have guessed that Fan Xian didn't want to see people, so no one asked to see him.
They went and stopped for about 10 days. Fourteen groups of people came onto the ship to give gifts and greetings.
Fan Xian sat at the head of the boat and watched as the great green jade passed on either side of the boat. It was the great Dong Mountain that had been split into two by the heavenly sword. His mind was still wondering, How could his tracks have been completely discovered by others?
It did not matter. In any case, he was getting further and further away from Jingdou and the Emperor. Fan Xian's mood was becoming lighter and lighter. He was a little drunk on the scenery by the wayside, as well as the service from the officials, who were like minions, along the way.
In another world, there had once been a drunkard on the boat on the Yellow River. He muddle-headedly accepted countless large gifts, verbal gifts, and pain in his body. Presumably, his vanity had been greatly satisfied, particularly in front of his shameless sister and brother disciples.
As Fan Xian floated on the East Sea, he also muddle-headedly accepted a countless number of large gifts. Although no one disturbed him, his vanity had received a certain satisfaction, particularly as the storm was reaching its height in Jingdou. Yet, he was able to float on the ocean, moving faster than the wind. This kind of feeling truly made one happy, even if this kind of joy was temporary.
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The ship passed the lonely seaside, sailed behind the great Dong Mountain that pierced the heavenly dome like a half-jade sword, and then made two turns. Once the temple on the mountaintop could no longer be seen, they were close to the Danzhou harbour.
This was the second time Fan Xian had taken this sea route. He no longer felt the same sense of impact as the first time he saw the strange and massive great Dong Mountain, but his heart still jumped slightly.
The large ship stopped in Danzhou harbor. No officials came forward to welcome him. Fan Xian let out a breath. Taking Gao Da, a few of the Tiger Guards, and the Sixth Bureau Swordsmen, he came to the doors of the old Danzhou manor under the endless greetings of the Danzhou people.
Fan Xian smiled slightly as he thought to himself, Didn't I come back just last year? Why are these people still so warm and excited? He stretched out his hand and knocked loudly on the familiar wooden door of the old manor.
Just as his hand fell from the door, his brows furrowed together. He clearly felt that there were countless wary gazes trained on his body all around the manor. The owners of these gazes clearly knew how to hide their bodies as he had not discovered just where they were.
There were countless breaths, both open and hidden, and a suffocating pressure. Fan Xian lowered his head and bent his knees slightly. His left hand caught the trigger of the crossbow in his sleeve. His right hand drooped down naturally, ready at any moment to draw that slender black dagger from inside his shoe.
At his side, Wang Qinian's expression did not change. He calmly held the Wei Emperor's sword. Half of the blade was exposed. The cold light was slightly visible. The hilt was at the most convenient position for Fan Xian to stretch out his hand to grasp it.
Thirteenth Wang's gaze dropped. He held the green banner tightly.
The Tiger Guards, with Gao Da in the lead, also felt something strange. Their brows furrowed slightly. Their hands were already wrapped around the hilt of their long knives.
Only the swordsmen of the Sixth Bureau of the Overwatch Council reacted a little slower. However, they were all scattered behind the Commissioner. Abruptly running into enemies, they naturally moved their bodies toward the shops on the sides of the streets. Using the shadows of the buildings, they were prepared at any moment to enter the darkness and clash in the most direct way with the hidden enemies.
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Fan Xian was someone who greatly feared death. Although he didn't bring many people, they were all the most powerful in the world. In the past, the Shadow and Haitang were the vanguards. Now, there was Thirteenth Wang as the ferocious warrior. In addition, there was himself, the Tiger Guards, and the swordsmen. With such strong defensive power, even if a Great Grandmaster came, Fan Xian was confident they could last a few attacks.
In other words, he was prepared at any moment to receive an assassination from a Great Grandmaster.
Outside the old Danzhou manor today, Fan Xian still felt the pressure from the people hidden in all directions despite the strength around him. This pressure was also coming from one person. It proved that the person was not a Great Grandmaster. In this world, who else could gather all these aces?
Fan Xian furrowed his brows and then laughed bitterly.
The wooden door of the Fan manor in Danzhou was slowly pulled open. With the creak, the atmosphere of nervous confrontation immediately disappeared.
A familiar face appeared inside the door. But, this face was certainly not meant to appear in Danzhou.
"Sir Ren." Fan Xian looked at the official of the Taichang Temple, Ren Shao'an, inside the manor and laughed bitterly. "Why are you waiting for me in my home?"
Ren Shao'an smiled but did not greet him. Instead, he made an "after you" motion. Fan Xian paused slightly and turned to glance at Thirteenth Wang, who smiled and stayed with the swordsmen of the Sixth Bureau outside the manor.
Fan Xian led Wang Qinian, Gao Da, and others into the old manor. As he walked, he didn't find anything unusual. He could feel that the previously quiet and secluded courtyard was filled with a sense of tension. Who knew how many aces were hidden behind those trees and outside that wall?
Reaching the door to the back garden, Ren Shao'an stopped. A eunuch with a face full of smiles took Fan Xian inside alone.
The smile on Fan Xian's face became even more bitter. He couldn't say anything for a while after seeing Eunuch Yao.
Walking into the little tower in the back garden, there were a few officials waiting silently inside. Seeing Fan Xian come in, they all rose to greet him. Fan Xian returned each of their greetings and recognized the Minister of Rites and a few people from the Imperial Observatory.
Eunuch Yao only saw him to the first floor. Fan Xian lifted the front of his robes and walked with heavy steps onto the second floor. Grandmother lived on the second floor.
Lifting the beaded curtain outside the second floor, Fan Xian walked in steadily. He saw his grandmother lying on the couch with a slightly ill appearance. Pain flashed across his face. Seeing the middle-aged man sitting beside the couch and holding her hand while talking to her, a glimmer of fear flashed through his heart.
He approached the couch and knelt down formally. He kowtowed to both of them and forced a smile. "Your Majesty, why are you here?"
Fan Xian's heart was filled with shock and helplessness. Going from Hangzhou to Danzhou, he had enjoyed the scenery as he passed and thought that he was as carefree as his eldest brother disciple. Waving his sleeves, he could toss the matter of deposing the heir to the back of his mind. He had not thought that his teacher had surmounted the people and was waiting here for him.
"Can I not come?" The Emperor wore a thoughtful expression as he looked at Fan Xian. Slowly, he said, "You are an imperial envoy, but your work has brought you to Danzhou? I remember only having you manage the Jiangnan Road and not the matters in Dongshan Road."
Fan Xian's expression was awkward. "I was mostly checking the eastern path for the palace treasury. After passing Jiangbei Road, I came to visit grandmother since Danzhou was not far away. I heard grandmother was not well. As a grandson…"
He hadn't finished talking when the Emperor spoke with slight anger, "Filial piety is not something that can be used as an excuse. Run. I want to see where else you can run to!"
Fan Xian was shocked and dumbfounded. He thought to himself, You want to depose of the Crown Prince. I just don't want to be involved. Is it necessary to be so angry? At this moment, he had endless amounts of confusion and worry in his heart. He was also not so stupid as to spar verbally with the Emperor. Smiling, he said, "I am an ant in your hand. No matter how I escape, I cannot escape the palm of your hands."
This fawning clearly had no effect on the Emperor's mood. However, the Emperor did not seem to want to pursue this matter. Lightly, he said, "Since you are here to show filial piety, then come quickly and look. If you can't make her better, be careful of your skin!"
After saying this, the Emperor rose and spoke quietly beside the old woman's ear, "Mother, look after yourself. I'll come to see you again tonight."
He walked out of the room, leaving behind a confused Fan Xian.
Fan Xian rubbed his legs and stood up. He then planted his bottom down beside his grandmother. He laid his finger on his grandmother's pulse. A moment later, his body went soft. A cold sweat broke out on his back.
The old woman smiled slightly and said, "You monkey, aren't you afraid of scaring me like this? There is nothing wrong with me. You are afraid of something else."
Fan Xian felt a twinge of guilt and was speechless.
He was indeed afraid of other matters. The Emperor had actually come, without detection, to Danzhou. Was there not an empty Palace in Jingdou?
How could the Emperor be so far away from Jingdou at the critical moment of deposing the Crown Prince? What time was this? How could the Emperor be so stupid as to go on a plain-clothes inspection tour?
Chapter 513: The Monarch Arrives In The East Sea
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Fan Xian sat on the couch and gently held his grandmother's hands. He found that the wrinkles on her hand had become even deeper. He felt a fear of soon being separated from his flesh and blood. After taking her pulse, he found that his grandmother had just caught a cold. There wasn't anything wrong in particular with her body. However, she was getting old. The oil was running dry, and the light was about to fade. He didn't know how many more years she could hang on.
Thinking of this, his mood became depressed. In addition to the shock that the Emperor downstairs had brought, it made him sink into silence.
After the second floor was silent for a long time, the old woman sighed and said, "Just what are you worried about?"
"I don't know what path to tread?" Fan Xian looked at his grandmother's serious expression and smiled slightly as he spoke. He knew that there was a warm heart hidden under his grandmother's severe expression.
"You've walked well these few years." Although it was impossible for the person downstairs to hear their conversation, the old woman's voice was pitched very low. She smiled kindly and rubbed Fan Xian's head. A sense of pride and gratification shone through in her tone and demeanor.
Given the status and reputation that Fan Xian had obtained in three years, the old woman, who had raised him single-handedly, had plenty of reasons to be proud.
"In a path of 100 li, 90 li was half way," Fan Xian patted his head self-mockingly and said. "I'm afraid my head will suddenly fall off once I've reached halfway."
The old woman gazed peacefully at her grandchild. A moment later, she said, gently, "Has the Emperor's arrival in Danzhou made you think some inauspicious thoughts?"
Fan Xian lowered his head and thought for a long time. After he confirmed what his earlier involuntary emotions were, he nodded his head solemnly.
The old woman stared into his eyes and said in a light voice, "You have grown up, but there are some things I have to remind you."
"Please speak."
"The Fan family has never had to wait in line… And you, there is even less need for you to stand in line because we have always stood in front of the Emperor." The old woman spoke sternly and seriously. "As long as you ensure this point, you will never walk the wrong path."
These words contained countless meanings, but they were all founded on a great trust in the Emperor. Fan Xian glanced at his grandmother with some doubt. He did not speak or ask.
"After proving something for 30 years, there is no more need to doubt."
Fan Xian didn't think this way. He believed that things proven through history would often be overthrown by the future. He thought for a bit and said, "For the Emperor to leave Jingdou under such circumstances, it is truly too risky."
"Are you going to admonish him later?" The old woman looked at her grandson with a not-quite-there smile.
Fan Xian thought for a short while and then nodded. "There should still be time if he rushes back now." In reality, these words were a farce. He knew that since the Emperor had come to Danzhou, he definitely had something important in mind. He would not be able to shoo him away with a few words. However, as an official, particularly one who was disguised as a loyal official and filial child, there were some things he had to say in person.
The old woman smiled and said, "You should go. Otherwise, the Emperor will tire of waiting."
Fan Xian also smiled but did not immediately leave. Once again, he carefully injected Tianyi Dao's zhenqi into his grandmother's body to check the situation. He left a few prescriptions and chatted a bit more with her until she began to feel drowsy for her midday nap. He then helped arrange her light curtain and tiptoed down the stairs.
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Coming down to the first floor, the Minister of Rites, the official of the Imperial Observatory, Eunuch Yao, and others in the building saw a strange expression in Fan Xian's eyes. These people had not thought that Sir Fan junior would be so daring as to spend so long on the second floor and have the Emperor, who was waiting to talk with him, wait so long.
In this world, probably only Fan Xian dared to make the Qing Emperor wait for this much time. In the minds of all these major figures was the thought that the Emperor's love for his illegitimate child was indeed at an outrageous level.
After Fan Xian greeted them, he smiled slightly and asked, "Where is the Emperor?"
The Minister of Rites forced a laugh and slanted his gaze toward the outside to point him the way. Eunuch Yao resisted smiling as he led Fan Xian out of the door and said, "In the garden looking at the osmanthus flowers."
The most famous thing about Danzhou was its flower teas. Minister Fan and Fan Xian both liked this flavor. Every year, the old manor would send some into Jingdou. A portion of it would be given as tribute to the Palace. Although the garden in the old manor was not large, Fan Xian had partitioned off a corner and planted some osmanthus flowers to use in teas.
Stopping outside the corner garden, Eunuch Yao backed away in a bow. Fan Xian found it very strange. Why did the head eunuch of the royal study run away rather than serving beside the Emperor? As he wondered this, his footsteps had already entered the garden. He saw the Emperor under the trees.
And, the old man beside the Emperor.
Fan Xian silently sucked in a cold breath. No wonder Eunuch Yao didn't have to be beside the Emperor, there was another eunuch there. He walked forward and bowed toward the Emperor. At the same time, he turned his body and did his best to speak respectfully and not rudely to the eunuch, "Greetings, Eunuch Hong." / update by NovelFull.Com
It was not a done thing to express goodwill to a eunuch in front of the Emperor. However, Fan Xian knew that Eunuch Hong wasn't just anybody. Even the Emperor showed him respect, so his greeting shouldn't matter much.
Hong Siyang smiled slightly and glanced at Fan Xian. He did not say anything as he moved to stand behind the Emperor.
The Emperor shifted his gaze from the osmanthus trees in the garden and clapped his hands as he turned his head toward Fan Xian. "I heard that you moved these trees and planted them."
Fan Xian confirmed, "Yes, the garden is not big. There were no trees here previously, so it looked a somewhat dull, particularly during the spring and summer. Outside was full of trees and flowers. It was overly simple inside, so I moved a few."
"Looks like you have some interests." The Emperor smiled. "When I lived in this courtyard, there were also trees. However, they were broken by me and others when practicing martial arts."
Fan Xian was silently speechless. He had lived in this manor 16 years. Yet, he had not known the Emperor had once lived here too. The old woman's mouth sure was tight.
He suddenly remembered the stories of the past that his father and King Jing had brought up. Back then, the Emperor had once taken Chen Pingping and his father to Danzhou on a trip. At that time, the Emperor was still an unknown heir. It was in Danzhou where they had met his mother and Uncle Wu Zhu. Thinking about it now, the time during which the Emperor lived here… It was the moment when the wheel of history began to turn.
As Fan Xian walked and talked leisurely with the Emperor in the garden, he began to gradually become anxious. He didn't know what excuse he should use to open his mouth and urge the Emperor to quickly return to Jingdou. The expression on his face began to appear somewhat unnatural.
"I am not out in plainclothes," the Emperor said in a lightly mocking way, guessing what Fan Xian was thinking about. "I announced it to the world three days after leaving Jingdou. Therefore, you don't have to be too worried."
Fan Xian opened his eyes wide and asked in shock, "Your Majesty, everyone knows you've come to Danzhou?"
"Wrong. Everyone knows that I am going to worship the heavens." The Emperor glanced at him and placed his hands behind his back as he walked out of the garden first.
Fan Xian glanced at Eunuch Hong in confusion before hurrying forward to follow behind the Emperor. "Your Majesty, why didn't I know about this matter?"
The Emperor didn't stop. He laughed coldly and said, "You were having fun at sea. How could you have received the edict I sent to Hangzhou?"
Fan Xian was greatly distressed and didn't comment.
The Emperor paused and said somewhat angrily, "You are, after all, a proper imperial envoy. How could you leave your post without permission? I have already decreed to have you join up with the worship group. After you return to Hangzhou, go through the process."
After Fan Xian's distress, he felt slightly surprised. The Emperor had long announced his edict to the world to have him, this imperial envoy, join in the worship group. No wonder the officials along the coast guessed who was on the ship. However, the Emperor's words earlier were clearly to protect him. It seemed that the Emperor's mood was not so bad now a few months after that matter in Jingdou.
As the Emperor stepped over the wooden threshold of the old manor, the guards hidden all around, as well as the officials in the garden, followed him out. For a moment, the area became noisy and lively. Fan Xian couldn't resist anymore and rushed forward a few steps. In a low voice, he said, "Your Majesty, the situation in Jingdou has not settled since you are worshipping heaven. I will escort you back to Jingdou."
The Emperor stopped and turned his head to glance at him with amusement. "Since it is to worship the heavens, why do I need to return to Jingdou?"
Fan Xian replied with surprise, "Naturally, the worship is at Qing Temple."
"Qing Temple is not just in one location." The Emperor said lightly, "There is also a temple on the great Dong Mountain."
Fan Xian was shocked and couldn't speak for a moment. The Emperor had come thousands of li to worship at the great Dong Mountain. No wonder there were not many officials and scholars in his entourage. Rather, there were the Minister of Rites, people from Taichang Temple, and officials from the Imperial Observatory with him. In order to worship heaven and depose the heir, these people were indeed necessary. However, why didn't the Emperor carry out this matter in Jingdou? Why did he come to the shore of the East Sea? Was the Emperor not worried at all?
"I know what you are worried about." The Emperor's expression was soft as if he found it laudable that this son of his constantly thought of his father's safety. After thinking for a moment, he smiled slightly and said, "Since you cannot control your worry, then I'll let you be completely responsible for my safety this trip."
Fan Xian was surprised again and forced a chuckle, wondering to himself how he had ended up with such a difficult task. However, he was also unable to reject it and could only thank the Emperor for his favor and accept it.
"In a while, come meet me at the docks." The Emperor knew that Fan Xian was going to do next. After saying this, he walked out of the manor with Eunuch Hong and climbed into the carriage. Leading the servants and officials, Eunuch Yao followed the Emperor out.
Fan Xian stood at the door to the manor and watched the slowly changing light all around the street. He knew that the Tiger Guards and Overwatch Council swordsmen with the Emperor had already caught up and let himself relax a little. He waved his hand. Wang Qinian ran over from across the street. With a face full of shock, he said to Fan Xian, "Sir, was that…"
Fan Xian nodded.
Wang Qinian swallowed with difficulty and said in a low voice, "Why was he here?"
Fan Xian's expression darkened slightly and he muttered, "No one knows why. I only know that if something happens to him, I am done for."
If something happened to the Emperor during the process of worshipping the heavens, as the Commissioner of the Overwatch Council and now with the heaven burden of leading the guards, Fan Xian would die in a nasty way. At least, the people in Jingdou would certainly scapegoat Fan Xian while they sat on that chair with a smile.
Fan Xian clenched his fist and forced a self-mocking smile. "I don't want another Sigu Jian. Send the order down and have all of the Council people stationed in Dong Mountain fall into action. Everyone better be on high alert. If anyone comes within 50 li of the great Dong Mountain, send a first-level report."
Wang Qinian acknowledged it.
Fan Xian said, "Send an order to Jiangbei to have Jing Ge take the 500 Black Knights overnight to Dongshan Road and have them spread defenses along the northwest path. Work with the local provincial guards to ensure that there are no problems. If there is anything odd, kill without question."
Wang Qinian raised his head and glanced at Fan Xian. Northwest of Dongshan Road pointed directly toward Yanjing Cangzhou, where Governor Yan Xiaoyi's main camp was. However, the two were separated by a great distance. Even if Yan Xiaoyi truly had the boldness to rebel and kill the monarch, he had no way of moving his troops so far without alerting the court.
"Being careful is always the best," Fan Xian said with his head lowered. He felt incomparably angry in his mind. The Emperor was going to scare countless people with such a decision.
Wang Qinian accepted his orders and left. A cloth-clothed approached Fan Xian's side. He bowed and said, "According to His Majesty's orders, I await your orders."
Fan Xian glanced at the person and gently said, "Deputy, you are more familiar with the Emperor's personal guards. If there is anything wrong, we will discuss it then."
The safety of the Qing Royal Palace was completely in the hands of the Imperial Army and internal guards. The two systems had once almost been the same. A few years ago, the Commander of the internal guards was Yan Xiaoyi and the Deputy was Gong Dian, who led the Imperial Army and guards.
After the night that Fan Xian snuck into the Royal Palace in the fifth year of the Qing calendar, the defense around the Royal Palace underwent a massive change. Yan Xiaoyi was transferred to the North as a Governor. The Imperial Army and guards were divided into two parts. The current Great Prince was responsible for the Imperial Army, while the guards inside the Palace were controlled solely by Eunuch Yao.
The person talking to Fan Xian at the moment was the Great Prince's Deputy, the Deputy of the Imperial Army. Fan Xian had to speak more politely to him. However, without exchanging pleasantries, he directly said, "How many of the Imperial Army of are here?"
"Two-thousand," the Deputy of the Imperial Army replied respectfully. "They are all waiting for orders outside Danzhou."
Fan Xian nodded. He thought to himself that 2,000 Imperial Guards, in addition to the other aces at the Emperor's side, should be enough to ensure the Emperor's safety.
He turned his head and glanced at the corner of the little story building that could be vaguely seen. His mind drifted slightly. He remembered when he first left Danzhou, his grandmother and told him to harden his heart. At the same, he thought about how his grandmother had once told him that his mother had died an unnatural death because she was overly gentle.
In this moment. Fan Xian thought about the things grandmother had said when she held him as a child and those vague truths. Suddenly, his heart jumped. He immediately suppressed it and shook his head with a sigh. / update by NovelFull.Com
Eunuch Hong, at the Emperor's side, was unfathomable. Uncle Wu Zhu was not with him, nor were the Shadow or Haitang. He and Thirteenth Wang were not powerful enough. Furthermore, he was far away in Danzhou and unable to remotely control the situation in Jingdou. Most importantly, Fan Xian had to admit, up until now, the Emperor had treated him well.
He smiled self-mocking and waved this fantasy from his mind.
The Deputy Commander of the Imperial Army did not know the rebellious and treasonous things Fan Xian was thinking about. He thought that Sir Fan junior was worried about the Emperor's safety and said a few extra words of encouragement. He then slapped his chest to demonstrate his confidence.
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On the Danzhou docks, the common people in the area had long been expelled out of sight. The fishing boats that come here had also long been sent to the harbor. The entire city seemed to become extraordinarily suppressed and filled with fearful respect because of the arrival of the middle-aged man in light yellow robes standing on the dock.
Only the clouds in the sky, bubbles in the ocean, and seagulls flying between the sky and water did not seem to feel the pressure and continued to float and fly naturally.
The birds were searching for food on the sea and gave a sharp cry, which startled the Emperor, who was deep in thought on the dock.
He waved his hand behind him and said, "Come stand beside me."
Fan Xian, who had been watching the figure of the Emperor from below the wooden boards of the dock, jumped onto the wooden boards upon hearing these words. He walked to the Emperor's side and stood slightly behind him. Facing forward, he looked at the endless ocean.
"Walk forward another step." The Emperor put his hands behind his back and did not turn his head.
Fan Xian started and followed the order to take another step to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Emperor.
The ocean breeze blew over and smoothed the stray hairs on the side of the Emperor's face back. It did not have a charming effect. Instead, it gave him an air of unswerving determination that made one feel enchanted and admiring. Below his feet, the sea waves were slapping against the rocks below the wood boards. They formed one blossom of snow, two blossoms of snow, and then countless blossoms of snow.
"Push your chest out." The Emperor's eyes watched the ends of the ocean as he spoke to Fan Xian beside him. "I don't like it when you act stupid and cowardly."
Fan Xian smiled slightly. He understood what the Emperor was feeling right now. He followed his words and naturally relaxed to stand with him shoulder to shoulder. But, he did not open his mouth to speak.
"The last time I came to Danzhou, I wasn't even the Crown Prince," the Emperor slowly said. "That day, Chen Pingping stood behind me like Hong Siyang while your fath—Fan Jian was like you, standing shoulder to shoulder with me, bathing in Danzhou's particularly crisp sea breeze."
"After I became the Crown Prince, Fan Jian has never dared to stand shoulder to shoulder with me again."
Fan Xian tilted his head slightly and saw a self-mocking smile flash across the corners of the Emperor's lips.
The Emperor said in a lightly mocking tone, "Once I sat on that chair and fought from the South to the North, there was no longer anyone who dared to speak to me with a straight back, never mind standing beside me."
Fan Xian sighed at just the perfect moment.
"That day, the three of us had come to Danzhou to relax. At that time, Jingdou was in turmoil. Two Princes had secretly made big moves in order to win the place of heir. At that time, the previous Emperor was only an unremarkable King Cheng," the Emperor said indifferently. "Us, the younger generation, had no way of interfering and could only hide as far away as possible from the center of it all."
He tilted his head to glance at Fan Xian and said, "In reality, it is much like what you are trying to do right now. However, you are presently much more powerful than I was back then."
Fan Xian smiled slightly and said, "What is important is heart. If it's not strong enough, there are some things that one will never know how to face."
"Who would have thought that you still had some pity for Chengqian," the Emperor turned his head back and coldly said. "However, this is very good. Back then, when the three of us stood on this dock and gazed at this great ocean, we had no pity for anyone in our hearts. Our only thought was self-preservation. I often think that as we gazed at the ocean that day, perhaps we were hoping for a god to suddenly appear on the ocean."
Fan Xian was silent. He knew what the Emperor would say next.
"There was nothing on the ocean, just like today," the Emperor spoke slowly. A smile once again rose to the corners of his lips. "However, when we turned around, we found there was a woman on the dock along with her very strange servant."
With a slight yearning, Fan Xian said, "I have long wondered how you met my mother."
The Emperor's body shook slightly. He was caught slightly off-guard by Fan Xian's out-of-the-blue reference to himself as both his son and official. Then he realized that the kid has said this unconsciously. The Emperor couldn't help a gratified smile appearing on his face.
However, he did not continue this topic. He only said, "I told you earlier, no one has ever dared to stand shoulder to shoulder with me. However, your mother dared. Regardless of whether I was the Crown Prince or the Emperor, your mother always dared to stand shoulder to shoulder with me to look at the ocean and feel the ocean breeze. She never saw me as anyone special. In fact, she would sometimes look at me disdainfully without restraint."
The Emperor laughed self-mockingly. "After she died, there was no longer such a person like her in this world. I don't expect you to inherit much from her, but I don't want you to be overly stupid and cowardly and damage your mother and my prestige for no good reason."
Fan Xian forced a smile and thought to himself, This is because you're trying to chase after the past today, thus you allow me to stand here for a while. As for prestige… I'll pass. My little life is more important.
"Your Majesty, let's go back to the capital." Fan Xian finally said what he wanted to say. With some worry, he said, "Leaving the capital for too long, it's never…"
Seeing him speak then stop, the Emperor said coldly, "Say everything you want to say. You just want to say that there may be some people in Jingdou who harbor errant intentions while I am gone."
The Emperor gazed at the ocean and was calm to a chilling extent. In a light voice, he said, "My trip to the ocean to worship the heavens this time is a public and open deposition of the heir. I want to see who has the courage and boldness to do something and see just who owns Qing Kingdom."
Chapter 514: Waves Growing From The Precipice
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Bird cries rang out along the shore. The ripples under the dock gently slapped against each other while in the distance, the large waves crashed into the precipice, making periodic booms punctuated by silence. Fan Xian stood on the wooden boards and was not moved by the Emperor's hot-blooded words. Seriously, he said, "Your Majesty, you should not have come so unexpectedly. I ask again for Your Majesty to return to the capital."
"There is the empress dowager keeping watch in Jingdou, plus there are Chen Pingping and the two scholars. Who would dare act without permission?" The Emperor gazed at the ocean and waved his hand impatiently. "If one wants to take over the world, they must take over that chair. Thus, they must first kill me as I sit on that chair. If they can't kill me, they can go make all the noise they want. When trash rebels, it won't succeed even in 10 years."
Fan Xian was silent and speechless. He thought to himself that the Emperor was truly a strange one. Extraordinarily strong self-confidence mixed in with extraordinarily powerful paranoia created the man's extremely narcissistic personality. The Emperor wanted to play at drawing the snake out of its cave. One day, he may die to his narcissism. The problem was that Fan Xian did not want to become a funerary object.
"An Zhi, you must know that it is very difficult to see someone's heart clearly."
The Emperor suddenly became emotional. It was unclear whether he was talking about his son or his sister. After these moving words left his mouth, his expression was suddenly clouded with a layer of tiredness. The lines around his brows and eyes appeared incredibly tired.
This exhaustion wasn't like the ones he feigned while sitting in court on the dragon chair for his officials to see. Rather, it was a true exhaustion that came from the depths of his heart.
Fan Xian quietly scrutinized the Emperor's expression and appearance with countless thoughts flashing through his head. This was his first time seeing such a true and intimate expression on the Emperor's face.
However, the movement of this kind of truthful expression was like the clouds above the port in Danzhou. It was burst open occasionally to block the piercing light only to immediately disperse and dissolve into the porcelain blue sky. In a flash, no trace of the emotion could be found on the Emperor's face.
What was left was a brilliant self-confidence and perseverance. After showing his mortal heart, he immediately recovered his role as a monarch.
Seeing this scene, Fan Xian couldn't help but feel a little moved and sighed. "That is why people say that one can paint a person and a tiger, but it is difficult to paint the bones. It is difficult to know one's face and person but not one's heart. Usually, they could be soft and agreeable, but who knows whether or not one day they will pick up two straight knives and plunge it into your heart."
It was clear that the Emperor did not care who Fan Xian was sighing about. He was just reminiscing about the past while surrounded by this kind of emotion. He stared into the ocean in a daze and faintly said, "Perhaps the world thinks I am someone without heart or emotions. Actually, they are all wrong."
Fan Xian quietly watched the Emperor and didn't comment.
The Emperor slowly said, "I have given them too many chances and hoped they would suddenly and completely repent. Even up to now, I am still giving them chances. If it were not for emotions, why would I rush about like this?"
Thinking silently to himself, Fan Xian wondered whether it was emotion or a sickness that made the Emperor lure and force others to make mistakes. He tested the Crown Prince's and Second Prince's hearts and watched closely their struggles these years.
"Such as your mother…" The Emperor's eyes squinted slightly as if he felt that the sun that had drifted out of the clouds was too piercing.
Fan Xian's heart tightened slightly. He listened carefully to each of the Emperor's words.
The Emperor glanced at him and then turned his face away again. Faintly, he said, "The Qing Kingdom owes her a great debt. For myself, it could be said that our affection was boundless. However, one day everything changed. She and her entire Ye family became just a past event. She died tragically, while I had long hidden the emotions. Although I have made compensations later, I have truly done very little to repay her gratitude and loyalty."
Fan Xian understood what he was talking about. After his mother died, the Emperor had endured four years before sweeping clean the royalty and nobility that were involved in the matter. However, he had left behind a few important figures. If this was said to be a revenge, it was done very incompletely.
Faintly, the Emperor said, "I have never spoken of it, nor have the two have them ever asked. But I know, they are both unsatisfied and feel resentment toward me…" Suddenly, a self-mocking twist rose to the corners of his lips. "But, what could I have done? To never speak further of this, to absorb the Ye family into the national treasury, and to cast the Ye family as traitors, was heartless. If I were to reverse the verdict on the Ye family, what was the empress dowager to do? Did I have to depose the empress and kill her before it could be said that I truly had a heart and loyalty?"
The Emperor's tone remained calm and without a trace of excitement. Fan Xian found it admirable. He knew that the "they" who had resentment in their hearts referred to his father, Fan Jian, and the Director, Chen Pingping.
"As a monarch, it is impossible to wander across the world without any stumbling," the Emperor calmly said. "If I had truly done that, I would still be a merciless person. Furthermore, what would happen to the entire court? I think, if she was alive, she would definitely approve of what I did."
"She wanted a powerful and wealthy Qing Kingdom, and I have achieved that." An expression of unswerving determination appeared on the Emperor's face. "Looking around the world, Qing Kingdom is the most powerful country. The people of Qing Kingdom are also living better than at any other point in history. I think this would comfort her heart."
Fan Xian remained silent. In the years after his rebirth, he often asked himself what kind of country was Qing Kingdom and what kind of man was the Emperor. Although he gained a deeper understanding of all this after he entered the capital and finally came into contact with the Emperor's self-confident, narcissistic, self-aggrandising, and self-abusive heart, he had to admit one point. Even if there had been flooding the year before last and a snowstorm this year, with the efficiency of the Qing Kingdom's bureaucratic system, the wealth of the people, and the well-order politics, it was countless times better compared to the history books he had read in his previous life.
At this moment, Qing Kingdom was, without question, prosperous and wealthy. The Emperor standing next to him was a wise monarch, even a holy monarch, if his goal was to have the people be full.
"She said that the court officials needed to be watched. Fine. While I was still a Crown Prince, I asked father to set up the Overwatch Council."
"She said that eunuchs were both pitiful and hateful. Thus, I have closely followed the rules from the establishing of this country and strictly prohibited eunuchs from participating in politics. At the same time, I have also ordered Taichang Temple to audit the number of eunuchs to reduce their presence as much as possible in the palace."
Fan Xian repeatedly nodded his head. There were indeed a great deal fewer eunuchs in the Qing Royal Palace compared to Northern Qi. Without question, this was a virtuous decree.
"She said that a wise monarch should be able to accept admonishments. Fine. I allowed the Imperial Censor the right to discuss matters through hearsay."
The Emperor spoke quicker and quicker and became more and more lost in thought. Fan Xian couldn't help but bite the tender flesh inside his lip to remind himself that he shouldn't laugh. He had thought of the Imperial Censorates bottom after it had been beaten in court.
"She said there needed to be reform to treat the corrupt practices at their root. Fine. I have also listened to her. I changed the reign title, the system, and pushed new policies…"
Fan Xian finally couldn't resist laughing bitterly.
The changing of the reign title in the Qing calendar was already the third change. The Ministry of War became the Department of Army Affairs. It then became the present-day Bureau of Military Affairs. The Imperial Academy separated into the Tongwen Institute and became the Ministry of Education before it changed back. Even the ancient to present day six ministries were almost renamed by this Emperor.
The Qing Emperor's life was filled with meritorious and eye-catching contributions. However, these three new policies became an absurd matter that he would never be able to avoid. Even to today, when the common people in Jingdou spoke of these departments, they were filled with confusion. Every time they wanted to go somewhere, they had to give a number of names.
If it weren't for the powerful military force of royal authority and valiant implementation by Qing officials, who managed to twist things back to what they were like and leave behind only an inharmonious name, Qing Kingdom would probably be in turmoil.
The Emperor looked at his expression and laughed self-mockingly. "You don't need to hide it. I know this is one of the rare times I became muddled. However, at that time, your mother was already gone. I only had a general idea, so it was inevitable for me to make a few mistakes."
Fan Xian was slightly moved. He thought to himself, After his mother died, the Emperor continued to keep his word. From this, one had to admit that in this matter, the Emperor was not an emotionless being.
"Before your mother passed, I listened to her a great deal. However, I wasn't able to do anything for her later…" the Emperor closed his eyes and faintly said. "So, after she passed, I remembered everything she had once talked to me about. I wanted to help her make it a reality. It could be considered a kind of promise to her, as well as regret."
Fan Xian sighed and said, "If mother was still alive, she would certainly be grateful for your affection."
"No, it's not affection," the Emperor opened his eyes and quietly said. "It is only loyalty. As for gratitude, that is impossible. I just want to do something to offer to her spirit. I don't desire anything else."
The Emperor suddenly smiled and said, "She had once very regretfully spoken of such a thing as a newspaper and said that there was no gossip and sensational news to read. So, I had the internal court create a newspaper with flowery borders on it. Thinking of it now, I was very troublesome."
Fan Xian was dumbstruck and speechless. The newspaper of the internal court was known as the most useless thing in Qing Kingdom. It was personally written by the great scholar and calligrapher, Sir Pan Ling. It was sent to the various Roads, provinces, and counties, and kept only by the officials and nobility. If it was on the market, one page of the newspaper could be sold for a great deal of silver.
Back when he lived in Danzhou, Fan Xian had stolen newspapers from the old manor to sell for money. Naturally, he was very familiar with newspapers. At that time, he had been extremely disdainful of the gossip in these so-called "newspapers" and was very confused by the flowery borders [JW1] on the paper. However, the answer to all this was because his mother had wanted to read gossip papers and listen to sensational news.
Fan Xian looked at the Emperor with a strange expression and forcefully pushed down the words that were about to leave his mouth. He had originally wanted to remind the Emperor that the so-called "flowery borders news" was not referring to the lines of flowers drawn on the sides of the newspaper.
The Emperor did not notice his expression and became happier the more he talked. "Your mother was most curious about stories from Chen Pingping's past. Thus, in the fourth year of the Qing Calendar, I had the internal newspaper write a great deal about him while I had sent that old dog back to his hometown to visit relatives. If your mother could see it, presumably she would be happy."
Fan Xian laughed out loud. He remembered the story. In the spring of the fourth year of the Qing calendar, he was heading to Jingdou from Danzhou. At that time, the biggest events in Jingdou were the exposure of Prime Minister Lin Ruofu's illegitimate daughter and the marriage alliance to the Fan family, and the internal court's massive reveal of stories from Director Chen's youth without fear of the Overwatch Council.
The sun by the sea gradually rose and moved from their front to their back, casting the Emperor and Fan Xian's shadows onto the occasionally rising surface of the ocean. The sea water happened to join in and reduced the waves a great deal, gradually becoming calm. It reflected the blurry shadows of the two people more and more clearly.
Fan Xian held back a smile and lowered his head, thinking, The Emperor was just a mortal after all. Just as he could not forget the Qing Temple, he couldn't forget Danzhou. In this world, it was probably only on the Danzhou docks that the Emperor would say so much.
This was a conversation that should not have happened between an official and monarch. It made Fan Xian develop a great deal more positive feelings for the Emperor and a deeper understanding of him. At the same time, it also created more worries.
He sighed and directed his gaze on to the ocean. He told himself that the worries in his heart were, in the end, about future matters. The worries in front of him were already sufficiently scary.
"What are you worried about?" the Emperor was feeling rather relaxed and asked casually.
Fan Xian considered for a moment then said, "The Admiral of the Jiaozhou Navy is a disciple of the Qin family."
When the Emperor formally went out on an inspection tour, the necessary honor guard was immense. Even though the Qing Emperor had always been simple, the court put down a great deal of effort when it came to defensive power. On land, the provincial soldiers were outside, while the Imperial Guards were within. In addition, there was a squad of aces and Eunuch Hong, that strange old creature. It could be considered an impenetrable castle.
While travelling by sea, the Jiaozhou Navy's battleships had received orders and arrived. They were responsible for defending against dangers from the sea. As Fan Xian spoke, his eyes were narrowed. He stared at the surface of the ocean, fixed on the ships the Jiaozhou Navy had sent to protect the Emperor.
The Emperor's expression was calm. It seemed like he had not taken Fan Xian's reminder to heart and said, "One day, I will give you justice for the incident of the valley. However, old General Qin is a foundation rock of the country. Do not doubt each other. Since you have already moved the Black Knights over, there is no need to worry about an attack within a hundred li. Why always make accusations like a homeless dog?"
Only now did Fan Xian remember another one of the Emperor's identities that had not been used in a long time. He was a famous general in the army. He smiled and accepted the order without saying anything more.
[JW1] "Flowery borders" and Sensational News" use the same characters and sound the same. Hence the Emperor's mix up.
Chapter 515: White Clouds Rise from Tall Mountains
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The next day, as the day was barely getting started, a group left Danzhou's port. Since it was the Emperor's entourage, the situation was not normal. Although all manners of honor guard had not come out, there was three li of densely packed people surrounding the noble and large carriage in the center. It appeared very imposing.
The common people of Danzhou knelt on the ground and respectfully kowtowed to the leaving Emperor. This might be the first and last time they would see the Emperor. As citizens of Qing Kingdom, no one wanted to miss it.
Fan Xian rode in the rear of the group. He looked at the group in the distance on the official road with a worried expression on his face. He was about to follow the Emperor to the great Dong Mountain's temple to worship heaven. However, his heart was full of unease and confusion.
Last night, he had secretly met up with Ren Shao'an. He learned the reason that the Emperor had chosen the great Dong Mountain to worship heaven was not just because he had begun to miss the air of freedom, the meetings of the past, and Danzhou's sea breeze. It was because a problem had appeared in the original plan to worship the heavens at the Qing Temple in Jingdou.
No one in the Jingdou Qing Temple had the authority to conduct such a large worship ceremony.
Qing Kingdom always believed in the military. Although its people feared and respected spirits, it was in a distant way, particularly under the influence of the present Emperor. The power of the Ascetic Monks of the Temples grew weaker by the day. The proper Tianyi Dao with Northern Qi's Ku He at the head had even less a possibility of entering into Qing Kingdom's system of temples.
The few virtuous and prestigious Great Priests left all had things happen to them these few years. First, there was that Great Priest who had returned to the capital through the South. In less than a month, because of his age and weak body, he had caught a cold and died. The Second Priest Great Master, San Shi, had tragically died in the woods outside Jingdou.
Fan Xian guessed that the deaths of the Great Priests were secretly the work of the Emperor. However, this meant that if they wanted to worship heaven, they could only go to Dong Mountain. After all, it was known as the location most like a spiritual temple. It was profound and where the incense was the thickest.
But was it just because of this absurd reason?
Fan Xian squeezed the horse's flank and caught up to the group with furrowed brows. The Emperor's protection work went on methodically, so he did not need to worry too much. After seeing the more than a hundred long-knifed Tiger Guards sandwiched between the Imperial Guards, he could feel more at ease.
Seven Tiger Guards could fight Haitang Duoduo. What could a hundred Tiger Guards do?
He should have felt at ease, but he still did not. In the minds of most people, Fan Xian was probably an expert in manipulation and conspiracy. But a person knows their own secrets. He knew his ability to calculate was truly not that amazing. In the past, he was able to fight without defeat in the South Kingdom and Northern Qi because he had Yan Bingyun's help and Chen Pingping's care. Plus, his biggest supporter was the Emperor. With him as a mountain to lean on, all obstacles moved when he approached it. What was there to really be afraid of?
The target of an opponent conspirator was his own support. Fan Xian was self-aware enough to know that he did not have sufficient intelligence to handle such a major situation.
He saw himself clearly, so he was particularly careful and sensitive. Thinking of the question that had been circling his mind since yesterday, he felt a bit of caution.
It was a major event for the Emperor to go on an inspection tour. Even if he had been floating on the ocean and broken his connection to the Overwatch Council's intelligence network, Yan Bingyun, who was in charge of Council business in Jingdou, should have had a way to notify him. The internal communications between the Qinian Unit had been kept open. Why had Yan Bingyun not notified him ahead of time?
He summoned Wang Qinian over and asked a few questions. After receiving the report that everything was as normal with the Council reports, he couldn't help but scratch his head. He didn't say anything more. He just smiled self-mockingly, feeling that he was too overly suspicious and in an abnormal state.
…
…
They traveled by land. It only took a few days before they saw the giant lonely mountain by the seaside that had blocked 10,000 years of sea wind and hid the sunrise to the east. It stood isolated and stubborn, piercing into the sky like a half-piece of jade.
Fan Xian rode beside the Emperor's carriage and unconsciously gave a shiver. He looked at the massive mountain with narrowed eyes and sighed in appreciation. This was the third time he had seen the great Dong Mountain by the sea. Every time he saw it, he couldn't help but let out a sigh at the wonder of nature.
How could such a stunning sight not make one open-minded? After sighing, Fan Xian also felt great pity and irritation. He had lived in Danzhou 16 years. He had not known that not far from his home, there was such a sacred place. Otherwise, he certainly would have dragged Uncle Wu Zhu there to play.
Although the court had stopped all jade extraction in Dong Mountain, it did not prohibit common people from entering the temple to pray. Presumably, no one would have stopped him if he had often come to play.
However, if he was still a child and wanted to enter the great Dong Mountain today, it would not be so easy.
At the foot of the mountain, flags and banners fluttered in the breeze. Thousands of people were standing in lines. All the paths leading into the mountain had been sealed. Three days previously, the imperial edict had gone up the mountain. The priests and monks in the temple on the mountain were waiting respectfully in front of the gates for the imperial entourage. The people who had come to the mountain to burn incense had long been herded down the mountain by the local provincial soldiers.
Currently, there were thousands of people restraining their breathing in this isolated and lonely mountain. An oppressively strict atmosphere enveloped the surrounding areas. All of this was for that one person, the first person in the world.
Eunuch Yao stepped onto the wooden frame and helped the imposing Emperor in the bright yellow formal clothing out of the large carriage. The Emperor stood on the flat stage in front of the carriage.
Without anyone giving an order, the thousands of people at the foot of the mountain uniformly knelt down with a swish. Cries of "wansui" rang out through the mountain.
The Emperor waved his hand calmly to indicate for everyone to rise. After being helped down from the carriage by Eunuch Yao, he naturally left the eunuch's hand. After placing his hands behind his back, he walked toward the newly repaired gates that shone like white jade.
Old Eunuch Hong followed behind the Emperor.
Fan Xian lagged behind a few steps, calmly watching the situation.
Approaching the gates to the mountain, the robe wearing priests bowed respectfully once again to the Emperor. They then bent their bodies in a flattering manner and asked the Emperor to ascend the mountain to listen to the will of heaven.
Fan Xian watched this and laughed to himself. The Monks in Qing Kingdom indeed did not have as much status as in Northern Qi.
The Emperor did not immediately move. He looked at the beautiful gates and smiled warmly. "The first edict came earlier in the month, while my exact time of arrival was set three days ago. The temple has certainly reacted quickly. However, the people should not be overly disrupted. A mountain gate is already so extravagant. Be careful that Dongshan Road doesn't run out of silver."
The priests' expressions became embarrassed. The head priest explained in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, it is only a mountain gate. The Temple at the peak is still how it was 20 years ago. There has been no change at all."
The Emperor smiled slightly and said, "That is very good."
The Governor of Dongshan Road, He Yongzhi, who had rushed to meet the entourage, wiped the sweat from his brows. He thought to himself that his attempt at flattering had missed its mark. Fortunately, the Emperor's next words were relatively gentle.
The Emperor glanced at this Governor and furrowed his brows. "Didn't I tell you in the letter to not come?"
He Yongzhi was one of the seven governors. Although his position was a bit weaker than Xue Qing's, he was still a first-rank official. In front of the Emperor, he didn't have the semblance of being a major figure. He forced a smile and said, "It's rare for your Majesty to leave the capital and come to Dongshan Road. I and all the officials from the Road and province all feel the glory. How could I not come?"
It was clear that the Governors of the Seven Roads were the Emperor's most trusted officials. The Emperor laughingly scolded, "Get back to your Luozhou. The Governor leads one side of the military. It is enough for you to your job. There has never been a lack of people serving me at my side…" He glanced at Fan Xian behind him. "With Commissioner Fan here, you can go back."
He Yongzhi did not dare object. He knew that although this Emperor appeared warm, he always expected prompt obedience. The Governor also didn't delay. He knelt and kowtowed again, nodded towards Fan Xian as a greeting, and hurried back to the Governor's manor in Luozhou.
Fan Xian smiled as he watched and didn't say anything.
…
…
The great Dong Mountain was very tall. If it was calculated using Fan Xian's units, it was at least 2,000 meters. Furthermore, it was surrounded by either the sea or grassland. Contrasting the two, the mountain appeared even more towering. It seemed to reach the heavens. If one had to ascend it, there wasn't anyone who wouldn't feel scared.
Fortunately, the side of the mountain facing the sea was a completely smooth precipice. The side facing the land was filled with dirt and life that had accumulated over millions of years. Stone steps rose on either side with grass growing abundantly and tall trees shooting into the sky. The branches and leaves were like little green fans that hid the newly risen summer sun. They danced in the light mountain breeze like countless little fans and brought a welcome coolness to people walking.
This beautiful and secluded scene was perhaps what gave the common people, who had come to light incense, the bravery to finish walking this seemingly endless series of stone steps.
Thousands of soldiers were spread out at the foot of Dong Mountain. Those following the Emperor up the mountain to worship the heavens were old Eunuch Hong, Fan Xian, the Minister of Rites, and a group of officials. There were also a number of eunuchs following them and a hundred or so Tiger Guards warily spread around the Emperor. However, they weren't taking the stone steps. They were going up the small trails in the mountain, which was a bit more difficult.
The tens of thousands of stone steps truly tested one's perseverance and energy. The people called this long series of steps the staircase to heaven. Only those who walked up showed sufficient sincerity and were able to use the mysterious power of the temple in the mountain to cure illnesses.
This group was not common people going to pray to the heavens. The Tiger Guards walking through the mountain could hold up. Even the eunuchs seemed to have sufficient energy. However, the civil officials, the Minister of Rites and Ren Shao'an, were almost at the end of their strength. They had no energy to care about losing face in front of the Emperor. Each of them supported their waists and puffed for breath.
Fan Xian had climbed mountains and jumped precipices since he was young. These tens of thousands of stone steps were not a problem for him. He wasn't even breathing hard. He watched the people and found that the eunuchs at the Emperor's side were very strong. He couldn't help but be silently speechless. Old Eunuch Hong was a strange creature. He also knew that Eunuch Yao had martial training. However, the eunuchs who brought tea were exemplary. It made him feel that there were indeed talented individuals hiding at the Emperor's side.
After an indeterminable amount of time, the group finally reached the summit of the mountain. A few priests and civil officials collapsed limply on the ground. They didn't come to themselves for a while.
The Emperor smiled mockingly as he glanced at them, but he couldn't be bothered to criticize. He put his hands behind his back and walked to the side of the precipice at the top of the mountain. He watched the floating clouds in front of the cliff and considered the sun above. His expression was extraordinarily calm and joyful. It was as if he had finally achieved, or was about to achieve, a goal.
Fan Xian followed behind him and smiled slightly. He saw the slight rise and fall of the Emperor's chest, and his slightly flushed and sweaty face. It seemed that although the Emperor's body was still healthy and strong, he was no longer the young man who rode into battle in. It was only for the Emperor's face that he forcibly endured it.
After resting for a moment, the people who had come along began to organize the ceremony and make the very troublesome arrangements for living and food. The Emperor and Fan Xian remained standing beside the precipice. The father and son seemed to be caught by the wondrous view below Dong Mountain. They didn't say a single word. They only stared forward in a daze.
In front of them was the ocean, an endless ocean. The ocean they were looking at was not the same one they saw while standing on the Danzhou dock.
The ocean in Danzhou was intimate yet difficult to be close to. It was calm but surging and close beneath their feet. The sound was beside their ears, and the white foam wet the bottoms of their robes.
The ocean below the great Dong Mountain was distant and cold. Standing on the edge of the precipice, one could not hear the roar of the waves. Gazing down along the precipice as smooth as jade, one could only see streaks of white moving forward and back on the ocean, crashing into and soaking the precipice of Dong Mountain, doing an endlessly pointless task.
In front of the precipice was a layer of very thin and light cloud, like a piece of paper. It rose and fell as it flowed slowly around the precipice.
The red sun on the surface of the ocean had long risen. It didn't seem to be much taller than the great Dong Mountain. Standing on the mountain, the sun seemed very close. Its brilliance pierced through the layer of white cloud and shone with twisted and beautiful streaks. Gradually, it lightened the pure white cloud until it almost disappeared into the air.
Watching the clouds spread and disperse, and the tide rise and all, Fan Xian unconsciously rubbed his nose and smiled self-mockingly. Why was he standing here beside the Emperor? Then he saw the Emperor's body sway.
Fan Xian's hand flashed out like lightning. His left hand was like a vine. His fingers exerted a slight strength. In a flash, the Coffin-Breaker technique came out. He caught the Emperor's hand and pulled him back a step.
Below their feet was a bottomless abyss. If one fell down, the chance of survival was slim. After Fan Xian's scare had passed, he felt that he had acted impetuously and gave his apologies. He also noticed that behind him, old Eunuch Hong was looking at him with a strange gaze.
The Emperor lightly touched his forehead. He did not resent him. Rather, he self-mockingly said, "Seems like I really am old. I actually became a bit dizzy after looking for too long."
Suddenly, the Emperor put down his hand and gazed at Fan Xian with a slight smile. "Do you believe there are sacred temples in the world?"
Chapter 516: People In The Temple
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Fan Xian's heart jumped. He slightly lowered his head and said, "I believe."
"Do you really believe there are gods in this world?" The Emperor watched him calmly. U.p.dated by Box n o v e l. com
Fan Xian answered directly, "Yes."
He didn't know why the Emperor was asking this question. For him to be reborn into Qing Kingdom, he had a deep and unquestionable belief in such things as gods. The Fan Xian of this time was not the same as Fan Shen of his previous life. He was the most ardent believer of the philosophy of idealism.
"Follow me."
Fan Xian's mind was filled with confusion. He followed the mysterious Emperor and walked toward the temple hidden at the summit amidst the trees. The fame of the great Dong Mountain was widely spread under heaven. It was initially famous for its jade and then later for its wonder. Countless poor commoners, who could not afford doctors and medication, had come to this place to worship and had their illness make a huge turn for the better. It was bestowed the title of sacred land by the Ascetic Monks under heaven.
Fan Xian had always thought Qing Temple was deliberately creating mysterious, with stupid women and infatuated people mistaking their mental consolation as true cures. However, the Emperor's expression was very serious. Could Qing Temple on the summit of this mountain be truly able to receive the intent of heaven and make contact with the legendary and mysterious holy temple?
Filled with countless doubts and a slight excitement, Fan Xian followed the Emperor around a quiet and isolated stone path. They came to an ancient small temple behind the main temple. The mountain breeze blew with some strength and set the bells below the eaves tinkling, giving off a clear, calm, and crisp sound.
It looked like the priests at the foot of the mountain had not lied. It was clear that these temples on the summit of the mountain had not been repaired in many years. It was surprising that thousands of years of wind had not blown the old, small temple into rubble.
Looking at the style of the little temple, at the dark and severe colors, Fan Xian's heart jumped. Involuntarily, a feeling of fear and respect welled inside him like when he first walked into the Qing Temple in Jingdou.
At that time, the Emperor had been inside the Qing Temple, and he had been outside. Now, he had followed the Emperor to a place that seemed out of the mundane world. A strange feeling grew inside Fan Xian. The Emperor seemed to be familiar with these paths and perhaps with everything in the great Dong Mountain.
Standing outside the little temple, the Emperor quietly said, "Don't be curious, and don't be tired of hearing this… The reason is actually very simple. After meeting your mother in Danzhou, of course, we could not miss the scenery on Dong Mountain. We had once stayed here for some time."
Although he didn't know how the Emperor had guessed his thoughts, Fan Xian's mood was immediately different after hearing these words. He looked again at the old buildings around him. There was a glimmer of intimacy and yearning in his gaze.
The Emperor's following words immediately shattered Fan Xian's relaxed and happy mood.
"The Emperor does not enter unexpected places." The Emperor laughed coldly and repeated the words of admonishment Fan Xian had said in Danzhou. "I know what you've been worried about these few days. Let me ask you, if you were in Jingdou right now and you were that woman, what would you do?"
Fan Xian didn't put on an act and repeatedly profess his fear. Instead, he directly sank deep into thought. This was a question he had already thought about countless times. In the end, he realized that if internal turmoil were to rise in Qing Kingdom and something went wrong in Jingdou, the Eldest Princess, who was imprisoned in the courtyard, would only have one path to take.
She could possibly do many things. At the heart of everything, the foundation of all attempts to take the throne, would be as the Emperor had said yesterday. There was only one way to do it—kill the Emperor.
"I have to leave the watch of the Overwatch Council and make contact with my own powers," Fan Xian said without much confidence. "However, this needed to have started several months ago. I don't think the Eldest Princess has this power."
The Emperor coldly said, "Do you believe that two people can set an entire Palace on fire? It was also a thundering and raining that night."
Fan Xian shook his head. He didn't want to show too many emotions. Through his own channels, he had learned the inside story about the turmoil in the Royal Palace a few months ago. He knew that the Eastern Palace had caught fire because the Crown Prince, in order to save himself, had done it to disrupt the empress dowager. At the time, he had only concerned himself with admiring the Crown Prince's initiative. Listening to the Emperor speak, he thought of the strangeness of the matter.
"I killed so many people, yet she did not resist at all," the Emperor said. "Yet, she still had the time to give thought to the Eastern Palace and give the Crown Prince a hand. That sister of mine always does things that others cannot understand. If someone told me that she was able to avoid the Overwatch Council's supervision and make contact with her people, I would not find it strange at all."
One could tell that after the Emperor forced his sister and son into betrayal, or after the betrayal that had yet to occur, his entire personality had changed slightly. He already considered Fan Xian, an illegitimate child who had not grown up beside him and had demonstrated genuine loyalty and secret filial piety after entering Jingdou, as someone he trusted the most.
However, this kind of trust made Fan Xian feel that the pressure on him had increased exponentially. He rubbed his slightly sore throat and glanced at the Emperor before continuing. "If the Eldest Princess had already contacted her people months ago, then she only needed to wait for an opportunity. I think you being far from Jingdou is the best opportunity."
"You only need to say what she would do. There is no need to constantly remind me of this point."
"Yes, I think that the Eldest Princess would use all the power she had consolidated over 20 years and attempt a lightning strike either at Dong Mountain or during the return to Jingdou. Regardless of the success or failure, she will block your messages and announce to the world that you have been met with misfortune. She will then have either the Crown Prince or Second Prince inherit the throne."
"There is no need for rubbish such as regardless of the success or failure. Since she is going to do it, she will want me dead."
Fan Xian's analysis was rough, shallow, and direct. If the Eldest Princess Li Yunrui could truly extricate herself, she would certainly make this choice. A so-called conspiracy, in the end, was a question of life and death, and success and failure. As long as life and death were set, success and failure were separated. With the Prince's support in Jingdou and the support of the Ye and Qin families, she just had to push the assassination of the Emperor onto Fan Xian. Who else would be able to sit in that dragon chair? Perhaps only if Chen Pingping led a mere 500 Black Knights once again in a rebellion.
He lowered his head and said, "Since you are here, you have plans."
The Emperor glanced at him and faintly said, "What power could Yunrui have? The Junshang Conference? Thinking of it now, I should have listened to Director Chen and your words and completely swept clean that stupid Conference."
"The Junshang Conference is only a loosely structured organization," Fan Xian repeated his father-in-law's deduction. "What is important is what kind of power can the Eldest Princess command?"
"Dong Mountain is an isolated precipice on the side of the sea, deep within the country. It is impossible to attack with an army." The Emperor smiled coldly. "It's a 10,000 li staircase to heaven. If someone wants to assassinate me, they first need the ability to ascend to the heavens."
Fan Xian lowered his head slightly. He understood what the Emperor was saying. The position of Dong Mountain was clever. It was difficult to send an army against it. To the north, Danzhou had endless ranges of tall mountains and sheer cliffs. It stopped the last sliver of danger from an army.
Since this did not need to be considered, if one wanted to assassinate the monarch of a country, the ruler of the most powerful country in the world, they could only use an assassin. However, there was no point sending someone mediocre. They wouldn't even be able to break through the outermost ring of the Imperial Army, much less the hundred or so terrifying Tiger Guard aces at the summit of the mountain. If the Eldest Princess truly had the intention of assassinating the Emperor, one could guess the skill level of such an assassin.
"Ye Liuyun takes offerings from the Junshang Conference," Fan Xian said heavily. "The Eldest Princess does not have many aces herself. After experiencing the attack in the valley, I feel that there are some people in court who are presently increasingly impudent. No matter what these impudent people do, it is not surprising."
He referred to the military elders within Qing Kingdom. If these people collectively stood against the Emperor, what would happen?
The Emperor didn't comment on Fan Xian's words. He only quietly said, "My personal visit to Dong Mountain this time did not confuse just you. The two scholars opposed it vehemently, but I still had to come. I have been in the Palace too long. I wanted to come out to have a look at the places I had visited. Second, Chengqian hurt my heart. I want to depose him, so I need to do it openly and publicly. I cannot leave anything for people to gossip about."
Fan Xian remembered that the Emperor beside him could probably be considered the most diligent and strangest Emperor in recorded history. After assuming the throne, particularly after the great battles ended, he had never left Jingdou. He had not carried out a kingdom-wide travel activity, which monarchs had previously done during an era of prosperity.
The Emperor even rarely left the Royal Palace. Fan Xian only knew about the one time he saw him outside the Taiping Courtyard.
The Emperor suddenly paused and smiled slightly. "The third reason is very simple. I am purposely giving Yunrui an opportunity to see whether or not the Junshang Conference is truly capable of getting rid of me."
Fan Xian shook his head and said, "I stick by what I said. Why take the risk? Why come here? You are the master of the world. With one edict, the broken remnants of the Junshang Conference would immediately shatter and not be worth mentioning at all."
"Is that so? But what about Ye Liuyun?" The Emperor smiled slightly as his brows gradually relaxed.
Fan Xian was speechless. Only now did he finally understand the extent of the Emperor's self-confidence. It turned out that he was using himself as bait and was not after just anyone. Rather, it was Ye Liuyun, the person the Junshang Conference made offerings to.
With this power and at-ease warrior floating overseas and in the wild and the Emperor in court, the two balanced and checked each other. Compromise created the loyal and distant relationship between the Ye family and royal family. If the Emperor was able to hold Ye Liuyun under his sword, then there wasn't a sliver of power inside the Qing Kingdom that would be able to rock the foundations of his rule.
Ye Liuyun had long been a malignant tumor in the Emperor's heart. His visit to the great Dong Mountain was to use the wonder of Dong Mountain to remove the tumor.
Fan Xian still thought it was absurd. Even if the Emperor had over a hundred Tiger Guard and Eunuch Hong, that mysterious and strange old creature, if the Eldest Princess were to make a move, it would certainly be countless powers working together with Ye Liuyun. Even if Ye Liuyun did not succeed in his assassination, given the super-human realm of a Great Grandmaster, how could the Emperor hold him?
He had once personally experienced Ye Liuyun's half a sword slicing through a building. He knew just how terrifying Ye Liuyun's power was. Unless Qing Kingdom's Iron Riders joined the camp, in addition to endless firing crossbows, they might be able to kill Ye Liuyun in the wilderness. However, at this moment, the Emperor was on a lonely summit. Ye Liuyun could float and float out, without giving the surrounding Tiger Guards any chance at all.
As for the Imperial Guards at the foot of the mountain, obstructed by the shape of the land, it was impossible for them to form into a cavalry and charge.
"How can a Great Grandmaster be killed?"
This was something Fan Xian had thought about for a whole year. He came to many conclusions. The safest was to use the assault rifle he had hidden like a precious child at a distance of 500 meters and shoot. This situation was not an easy one to engineer. Great Grandmasters were as mysterious as dragons, and their senses were overly strong. It was unlikely they would stand there and give him much time to take aim.
How to kill a Great Grandmaster? It was not until the end that Fan Xian thought of the most reliable method—use two Great Grandmasters to kill one Great Grandmaster.
This was a pointless idea and useless thought. Two children could certainly beat up one child, and two rocks were heavier than one rock. Creatures such as the Great Grandmasters were not mass-produced goods. They were rare geniuses.
Who could find two Great Grandmasters?
"Thus, I had to come to the great Dong Mountain because I need a person. This person will never leave Dong Mountain to welcome my idea."
The Emperor smiled slightly as he looked at Fan Xian. He then pushed open the wooden door of that old and small temple. The wooden door creaked. Fan Xian's gaze floated over. His heart tightened while shock and the difficult to suppress joy of meeting again after a long time flashed through his eyes.
…
…
Yan Bingyun sat in a room in the Overwatch Council in a daze. He wasn't sitting in the secret room because the Director had returned to Jingdou in his wheelchair and gone to his room. The power that Yan Bingyun had temporarily received was returned.
He was the head of the Fourth Bureau. This room also faced the street. There was no black cloth covering the window. The sunlight outside poured directly in, lighting up the interior of the room brightly. Standing at the window, one could clearly see the golden eaves of the Royal Palace.
There was no master in the Royal Palace. The Emperor's entourage had probably reached Dong Mountain at this time. Yan Bingyun thought to himself that ever since the Emperor left the capital, everyone in Jingdou had been on their best behavior and had not given the Overwatch Council too much trouble. Everyone was probably afraid of the far away Emperor being suspicious of them about something.
While the outside was relaxed, the inside was tense. Everyone knew the main purpose of the Emperor's trip to worship heaven was so the Crown Prince could not be left in charge of the country. Thus, the empress dowager once again ruled in the Emperor's place. The Great Prince, who had controlled the Imperial Army, became very cautious. The Jingdou Garrison also increased their patrols.
The most important action by the Emperor did was to summon the Director of the Overwatch Council Chen Pingping into the capital. The old cripple, who long had lived in the Chen Garden, had finally returned to the sinister Council. He coldly watched every detail in Jingdou and those who harbored errant thoughts.