Chapter 541: Whose Manor Is It?
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The young lady was shaking under the black lightly blood-scented dagger, pitifully lovely. Her two crescent brows were slightly furrowed as she breathed heavily.
She appeared unfamiliar and delicate. Fan Xian did not know her or feel any appreciation for her beauty. Seeing the pale-faced girl starting to cry out for help, his left hand quickly covered her mouth. Immediately after, he flicked his finger in preparation of sealing her meridian to render her temporarily frozen.
Before his finger made contact, Fan Xian suddenly found that the unfamiliar young lady he had under his control had suddenly fainted with a cry into his palm.
Fan Xian pressed gently with his finger on the young lady's neck, confirming that she had truly fainted and was not faking it. Hesitantly, he withdrew his hand and placed her on the chair. He looked at his finger and furrowed his brows. He thought to himself, He hadn't even had time to put on the sleeping drug, why did she already faint?
The frown between his brows did not disappear. Fan Xian had been listening with his heart to the cries outside the manor. He listened quietly, preparing to carry out the next step whenever the people chasing him entered the manor.
Unexpectedly, the noise outside the manor did not continue for long. The soldiers chasing him only exchanged a few words and then left.
Fan Xian was slightly surprised. Walking to the window, he gazed toward the front door of the manor and furrowed his brows. He wondered who this manor belonged to for the Eldest Princess' faction to trust them so much. In the present extraordinary times, who was able to avoid a search by the Jingdou government?
Although this manor took up a large plot of land, the standard of its construction did not seem to be that of a King or member of the royal family. It was probably the home of some major court official. He furrowed his brows and thought for a long time. He could not remember which official in the Eldest Princess's faction lived on this street.
Although he did not guess who the master of this manor was, since the soldiers chasing him had left, Fan Xian relaxed a little. Only now did he have the time and attention to observe the room he was in.
Everything was fine at a glance. Looking closely, Fan Xian couldn't help but be surprised, just like how he had mistaken the boudoir for a study and abruptly met the unfamiliar young lady.
Not only was did this boudoir have a number of bookshelves stuffed full with scrolls and looked nothing like the boudoir of an adolescent girl, not an item relating to women's work could be seen. Furthermore, a strangely familiar couplet was impressively stuck to the columns on either side of the desk.
A tender coldness surrounds her dreams for spring is cold. The enveloping fragrance is the aroma of wine.
Fan Xian narrowed his eyes and couldn't resist glancing at the girl lying in a faint in the chair. His heart felt quietly uneasy. This couplet was the work of the great Song scholar, Qing Guan, from the other world. The reason it would appear in this world and in this young woman's boudoir was because of Fan Xian copying "A Dream of Red Mansions."
This couplet had once appeared in Qin Keqing's room in a book. Fan Xian felt secretly uneasy because Qin Keqing was a charming, stylish, and short-lived illusionary figure. Hanging this couplet in one's home was an agreement with this figure. This couplet, the inexperienced appearance of the young lady on the chair, and the fragrant scent of books in this boudoir were too at odds.
The densely packed books on the shelves also shocked Fan Xian. There were no female biographies or work relating to women's education. There were no anthologies of the most popular lyrics and poems. Rather, there were collections of Banxianzhai poetry of various editions, particularly the edition that Master Zhuan Mohan had personally annotated. There were three copies of it.
There were three entire roles of the Zhuan edition classics that Fan Xian had personally revised a year ago that the Imperial Academy had published. These were the results after the books in the carriages were organized.
The most populous ones on the bookshelves were "A Dream of Red Mansions" and "Story of the Stone." There were various editions of them. Some were long, some were short. Some had exquisite covers, while other had rough bindings. Most of them were from the various printings the Danbo Bookstore published, but there were also some copies from some small and unknown publishers.
Fan Xian stood in a daze in front of the bookshelves looking at the scrolls. They gave off a faint scent of ink and sank into a silence for some unknown reason. He didn't know which family this young lady belonged to or why this young lady valued so highly the writing he had left in this world.
Faintly, Fan Xian sniffed. He seemed to have completely forgotten his dangerous situation in Jingdou and the bloody conspiracy he was planning. He only looked calmly at the books. For this instant, he suddenly felt satisfied with himself.
People eventually die. He had lived twice and had two very different lives. It was already far more exciting than the creator had intended. In this world, he had already left behind these words, these intellectual things. Even if he died today, how many regrets did he have?
The words were not his, nor was the intellectual wealth. He had brought all of this from that world and gifted it to this one.
Fan Xian suddenly felt somewhat proud of being a bridge between two worlds and leaving behind a mark. Perhaps this was similar to the feeling Ye Qingmei initially had in changing this world.
…
…
Outside the window, night had fallen long ago. Only the silver moon shone into the room. In this age, people had dinner early. However, this young lady was probably used to living alone. During this time, not a single serving girl or servant came to the room to check on her. Unexpectedly, this gave Fan Xian a rare chance to think alone for a time.
He had already shaken off the sudden emotions from earlier. Walking to the desk, he looked at the ink marks on the new, snow-white writing paper. Looking at the random array of copied words and phrases, he couldn't stop a thoughtful smile from rising to the corners of his lips.
His body was full of zhenqi. His six senses were superb, so he did not need to light a candle or worry about being discovered.
"All call the author a fool, who could understand his secret message within?" Fan Xian looked at the words on the paper and muttered to himself. He thought this young lady was indeed infatuated. As the words on the paper were so elegant and spirited, perhaps she had some inner intelligence.
He suddenly caught sight of a flash of red at the bottom of the desk from the corner of his eye. He stretched out his hand to retrieve it. It was a not a very thick book. The cover was red with no words. It was about eight inches square. Fan Xian gently lifted the cover of it with his finger to see the words "Romantic Reflections" written on the title page. Involuntarily, he felt a great deal of emotion.
It was his book.
When he first came to Jingdou, he had once bought this copy of "A Dream of Red Mansions" from the hands of a child seller in front of Yishi Tavern. That was the first batch of pirated goods in this world.
Fan Xian looked at the book in his hands in a daze. Je had not thought he would meet an old friend here. In an instant, his life these years in Jingdou and Jiangnan flashed through his mind, rendering him speechless. Gradually, he understood that even if he lived again, he still wasn't a match for the battlefield fame of profit in Jingdou. He had long forgotten his initial clear state of mind. He had long lost the frivolous, relaxed, and harmonious life.
I wonder just which family this young lady belongs to. He savored this thought in his mind. Holding the book in his hand, he unconsciously glanced at the face of the girl on the chair.
It was only at this moment that he realized the girl was very pretty. The skin on her face was particularly clean, although there was a coldness of unknown origin between her brows. It looked like the snow on a desolate mountain. It was very reflective. Fan Xian narrowed his eyes slightly and couldn't help but think of his sister Ruoruo, who always appeared as cold as ice in front of strangers, and his wife Wan'er, who was trapped in the Palace.
In this girl's continued faint, she seemed to have some of Ruoruo and Wan'er's essence.
Fan Xian looked at the girl's face with a smile. He suddenly realized there was movement below the girl's eyelid. He knew she was finally going to wake up.
…
…
Sun Pin'er slowly woke up but found that her eyelids were as heavy as lead. She only remembered that she had returned to her study to rest a little after eating and was going to carefully copy out another poem to burn in the garden tomorrow to venerate the Emperor. Loud noises had rung out from outside the manor. It was as if the Jingdou government was chasing criminals. Then, that man charged in.
The black dagger was icy cold. The pair of hands carried a strong stench of blood as well as the thick scent of a male's body.
Sun Pin'er had never experienced such disrespectful treatment. Assaulted by the smell of sweat on the hand that covered her mouth and nose, shame and anger overwhelmed her. She couldn't catch her breath and fainted away.
After an indeterminable amount of time, she finally woke up and slowly opened her eyes. Somewhat hazily she saw a face, a handsome, young, and kindly male face that wore a wicked smile as it looked at her. There were no lights in the room, only faint moonlight from outside the window. It made his face look extra pure and gentle.
Sun Pin'er's heart tightened. Her eyes were filled with a shocked expression. Unconsciously, she shrunk into the back of the chair and was preparing to open her mouth to yell out when the shock in her eyes became confusion and helplessness.
Her heart thudded. She wondered to herself, Who is this young man? He didn't look like someone she knew, yet why did he look so familiar? It was like she had met him somewhere a long time ago.
Fan Xian watched as the girl slowly opened her eyes and a complicated emotion flashed through them. She didn't cry out, which surprised Fan Xian. Looking at her with a slight smile, he withdrew the finger that had been ready to flick out. He hadn't prepared any sleeping medicine because he needed an awake hostage.
"Who are you?"
"Who are you?"
The two spoke at the same time. Fan Xian turned his head slightly and raised his brow before saying, "Should I not be a hoodlum?"
Sun Pin'er looked at the handsome young man and was slightly dazed. She felt that there was warmth between his brows. He didn't look like a hoodlum, but she also knew that her reaction was strange. Involuntarily, feelings of shame and panic welled inside her. Her hands covered the front of her body. She replied in a trembling voice, "I don't care who you are, but please don't do anything stupid. It won't be good for you."
"Young lady, you are very calm. I appreciate that very much," Fan Xian looked at her with a very gentle gaze and warmly said. "The young lady of a normal household would probably scream upon waking up. That would bring tragic results that neither of us wants to see. Your self-control is very strong. I admire it greatly."
Sun Pin'er's face was slightly hot. She thought about how she was preparing to cry out earlier but upon seeing this face, which she seemed to have vaguely seen in a previous life, she did not do so.
"There is no need to panic. I only need a place to hide temporarily. I promise I will not harm you."
Fan Xian spoke in a quiet voice and gently placed the red covered book of the "Story of the Stone" on the desk. Originally, he could have put the young lady into a sleeping state. He had a feeling deep in his heart that talking more with this young lady may bring him great benefits.
"Hide?" Sun Pin'er dropped her head in fear and glanced at the intruder's clothing out of the corner of her eyes, thinking, Who exactly is he? Who was he hiding from? Suddenly, she thought of the incident that had happened in Jingdou these two days. She remembered the appearance of the person in the rumors and glanced at the "Story of the Stone" that he had gently placed on the desk.
Sun Pin'er's face immediately went white. It was not because she was smart or lucky. During these few years, her heart had been occupied by that name. At no time was she not concerned with his every action, particularly recently as he had been struck into an endless abyss and become a traitor that everyone persecuted. This gave her great pain and was why she was able to think of him in the first instance and made a guess that was closest to the truth.
Is it him?
Sun Pin'er's mouth trembled slightly. She bravely raised her head to look intently into Fan Xian's face, but she still couldn't say anything.
Fan Xian glanced at her curiously and gently asked, "Young lady, may I ask whose family manor this is?"
Sun Pin'er had already confirmed who he was in her heart. With the swaying in her heart, how could she speak? She could only gaze in a daze at Fan Xian. In a trembling voice she asked, "Are you Sir Fan junior?"
It was Fan Xian's turn to be dumbstruck. Although his disguise was not overly exaggerated, he was certain that no one could be able to recognize him if they weren't very familiar with him. Why could this girl recognize him at a glance and call out his name? Fan Xian's heart tightened. His eyes immediately became cold.
Seeing that he didn't deny it, Sun Pin'er's state of mind became even more panicked. Only now did she remember his question from earlier. Biting her bottom lip, she timidly said, "My father is Sun Jingxiu."
"Sun Jingxiu!"
Fan Xian sucked in a cold breath and couldn't help but rub his nose and open his mouth wide. He was unable to speak for a while. In his heart, he sighed. He didn't know if his luck was good to the extreme or bad to the extreme.
Sun Jingxiu was the present Jingdou magistrate. He controlled the Jingdou bailiffs and the daily peace. He was the main official in charge of capturing him by the empress dowager's edict. Who would have thought that he was hiding inside the Sun manor and had captured Sun Jingxiu's daughter.
Fan Xian sighed and gazed at the young lady of the Sun family. "Ah, so it is young lady Sun. I hope I didn't startle you."
His brows began to furrow. Sun Jingxiu was a second rank Jingdou magistrate. Although he had never joined a faction, he had no connection to him. Since he was so trusted by the empress dowager, if Fan Xian stayed in this manor, it would be little different to staying in a tiger's den. For the sake of his safety, he needed to leave as soon as possible.
Glancing at the young lady of the Sun family, Fan Xian secretly extended his finger and chose a sleeping medicine that had previously knocked out Si Lili, Xiao En, and Yan Bingyun's brother Luo Fang. He was going to drug the young lady of the Sun family and then quietly leave.
"You are Sir Fan junior?" Sun Pin'er bit her bottom lip and asked to the ground.
Fan Xian stood in front of him with a confused smile on his face. Curiously, he asked, "How could you recognize me at a glance?"
Sun Pin'er heard his implicit admission and covered her mouth with her hands, not speaking directly to him. For some reason, two teardrops rolled out from her eyes and slid down.
Fan Xian shook his head in confusion.
Sun Pin'er saw that he was getting ready to leave and suddenly rose from the chair. Leaping forward, she held him tightly in her arms.
Feeling the soft, fragrant, and full embrace, Fan Xian was truly dumbstruck. Was this young lady of the Sun family a patriotic young woman who was prepared to use her own life to capture him, the criminal who assassinated the Emperor?
The girl in his arms was crying, it didn't look like she wanted to capture him. What exactly did she want to do?
Fan Xian's zhenqi circulated through his hands, but he didn't pry at her shoulder. He only felt the her shoulder shaking and couldn't help but be confused. This seemed to have sunk into some problem between men and women. However, Fan Xian's memory was startling. He had never in his life owed something to a woman surnamed Sun. In reality, he had never met this person before.
"Baoyue…" Sun Pin'er sobbed in Fan Xian's arms and suddenly said this like she was in a dream.
Fan Xian's heart jumped and pushed her from his arms. In a gentle voice, he said, "Young lady, wake up."
Sun Pin'er suddenly woke and, with a cry, pulled back at once. Thinking of how she shamelessly leapt into the arms of the strange man, she felt happy, shocked, embarrassed, and angry. Sitting on the chair, she began to cry.
Fan Xian looked at this scene and couldn't help but furrow his brows. He seemed to have vaguely caught onto something in his heart. Jingdou magistrate? The young lady of the Sun family? This room filled with "A Dream of Red Mansions" and Banxianzhai poetry collections. Just then, the young lady had unconsciously cried out Baoyue…
In a flash, Fan Xian finally remembered a matter from a long time ago, a story that had traveled hotly through Jingdou.
"You are that… Why did you burn my Baoyue?" Fan Xian gazed at the young lady of the Sun family and asked with shock.
Sun Pin'er was recognized by Fan Xian and couldn't help being surprised. Lowering her head, she glanced bashfully at him.
…
…
This was a story that Fan Sizhe had told Fan Xian three and a half years ago. At that time, the brothers were just starting to organize the Danbo Bookstore to sell "A Dream of Red Mansions" that Fan Xian had copied. Fan Xian was worried about the number of sales of the "Story of the Stone," but Fan Sizhe reassured him. The "Story of the Stone" had already swept through Jingdou and been a particular scourge on a number of young ladies from large families.
Among these young ladies, the most famous was the young lady from the family of the Jingdou Government's Fucheng. Because she had read "A Dream of Red Mansions," she gave no thought to food and drink and became dazed. In the end, the wife of the Cheng family burned the book. The young lady gave a pained cry of "Why did you burn my Baoyue?" and then she became heavily ill. She was bedridden for a long time.
The matter circulated in Jingdou for a long time. At that time, this was a bright spot on Fan Xian's brilliant reputation.
…
…
Fan Xian looked at the young lady of the Sun family sitting with her head down in shame in the chair and couldn't help sighing as he shook his head. He thought to himself, It was no wonder she became so excited after learning his identity. The boudoir was adorned in this way because she was his number one fan… No, it should be said that she was a girl who had caught the "Red Mansion syndrome," a pitiful person that had been seduced by brother Baoyue.
He gazed at the young lady of the Sun family and gently said, "Weren't the books burned?"
Sun Pin'er raised her head shamefully and glanced at the red-covered "Story of the Stone" on the table. Using a mosquito-like voice, she said, "I bought a copy later and got better."
"Jingdou government's Fucheng… Now, Master Sun is the Jingdou magistrate. It is difficult for me to make the connection."
Fan Xian spoke with a slight smile. In his heart, he thought that although there was only a difference of two ranks between the Fucheng and the magistrate, the difference in power was immense, particularly in such a place as the Jingdou government. Usually, it was difficult for a Fucheng to climb to the position of magistrate, much less do so in only three years.
Sun Pin'er glanced at him and quietly said, "I have to thank you, Sir Fan junior."
"Thank me?"
"Yes."
After a series of conversations, only then did Fan Xian understand that he had caused countless issues ever since he entered the capital. At that time, the Jingdou magistrate, Mei Zhili, had been forced to leave the capital because of Fan Xian's lawsuit against the son of the Minister of Rites Guo You. Presently, rumors said that he was in Yanjing leisurely in a position with no obligations. The person who took over being the Jingdou magistrate was removed from his post and investigated because he was implicated in killing people to keep them quiet during Fan Xian and the Second Prince's fight for power.
In less than three years, the Jingdou magistrate had gone through a number of people. Because of this reason, Sun Jingxiu was able to climb from the position of Fucheng to magistrate. Thus, when the young lady of the Sun family said this was all because of Fan Xian, it wasn't exactly wrong.
Fan Xian looked calmly at the young lady of the Sun family. His mind was spinning quickly. Positions in the Jingdou government were special. By chance, he had suddenly run into this young lady. Were the heavens helping him with something?
"Young lady Sun, do you trust me?" Fan Xian used a very sincere and plain gaze to look with incomparable purity at Sun Pin'er.
"You can just call me Pin'er," she said with her head down.
"Pin'er?" Fan Xian's heart jumped. He knew that his chances had just improved a little. Gently, he said, "Presently, I am a court…"
"I don't believe it!" Sun Pin'er raised her head in a panic and cut through his words.
"I am a bad…"
"You're not."
Sun Pin'er bit her lip and looked at Fan Xian's face, which was so close to hers. She did not care that this was Fan Xian's appearance after he had disguised himself. She only felt that her dream of three years was about to become reality. The man in her dreams had appeared in front of her. She could see him and hear him, and she had even smelled the sweat on his palm earlier.
A wave of panic and anger washed through her heart. How could Sir Fan junior be the bad person that had assassinated the Emperor? She had never entertained such a thought.
Having spoken to his point, what else was there to worry about? Fan Xian gazed warmly at her. Gently and shamelessly, he stated each word clearly, "Young lady… Pin'er, there is something I need your help with."
Sun Pin'er bit her bottom lip and shook her head forcefully. She said in a small voice, "Quickly light the candles."
He didn't know whether she thought the light from the moon outside the window was too dark to clearly see the face of her idol or if she wanted to remind Fan Xian to not draw the suspicions of the servants in the Sun manor.
"Everyone in the entire world is looking for you, but who would think that you are actually hiding in the manor of the Jingdou magistrate. Sir, you and I have known each other for two years, but it is now that I have felt true admiration." Under the candlelight, a young man sat across from Fan Xian shaking his head.
Fan Xian smiled slightly and gazed at him, "Young master Yan, have you finally learned to admire others?"
He was the first person Fan Xian had contacted after entering the capital, Yan Bingyun. However, after Fan Xian returned to the capital, he never had an appropriate place to live, so this was their first time meeting. As for how Yan Bingyun managed to shake off the surveillance of the internal court and quietly made his way to the Sun manor without attracting attention was not a problem Fan Xian had to worry about. As the only candidate to be the next Commissioner of the Overwatch Council, he had to have at least this much ability.
Yan Bingyun looked at him and said, "Not only do I admire you, the Eldest Princess probably also admires you. Master Sun, the Jingdou magistrate, has been ordered by imperial edict to capture you, yet you're hiding in his daughter's boudoir."
Fan Xian spread his hands and shrugged, "My luck has always been better than other people's."
After pausing for a while, his voice became more serious as he said, "Perhaps this is not luck, after all, this is a benefit my past has brought to me."
Yan Bingyun shifted forward on the chair. His hands were crossed in front of his legs. He rubbed them together. Glancing at the big bed in the rear of the boudoir, he furrowed his brows and said, "Important matters are at hand, trifles should not be bothered with. However, how are you going to use this girl?"
His voice was very low. He was not worried about being overheard by the young lady of the Sun family.
Fan Xian calmly said, "I need a headquarters from which to send out communications. If there wasn't the Sun manor, I would not be able to talk so calmly with you. It would also be difficult to send down my orders. Thus, the Sun manor is the launch site of the events in Jingdou."
Yan Bingyun looked at him and shook his head a moment later. He sighed and said, "Only you could do such a thing. But you're right, no one would guess that you would hide in the Jingdou government."
"The young lady of the Sun family is willing to help me." Fan Xian calmly said, "The city gates are essentially half opened for me."
"I don't believe that a young lady can have a great influence on her father."
"This is something I need to think about. What you need to do is to manage from within." Fan Xian stared into Yan Bingyun's eyes. "You have to responsible for placing the people coming into the capital evenly in various manors. Once we make a move, it has to be light a lightning strike so we don't give them any chance to strike back."
Yan Bingyun paused and said, "But there is a problem at hand. A month ago, all of my power in the Council was taken by Director Chen."
Fan Xian's pupils constricted slightly. He said in a low voice, "What is this? Has Chen Pingping gone crazy?"
Yan Bingyun fell silent then said, "We can talk about this later. I am only interested in one matter."
He stared into Fan Xian's eyes and asked each word clearly, "Has His Majesty actually died?"
…
…
After a death-like silence passed, Fan Xian slowly opened his mouth and said, "Of the entire Dong Mountain, only I escaped. Although I didn't see it personally, I suspect that it did not end well. Otherwise, the Eldest Princess' side would not be so confident."
"What exactly happened on Dong Mountain?"
Fan Xian didn't have much time to relate the details. He only said, "Ku He, Sigu Jian, and Ye Liuyun probably all arrived."
Hearing this news, Yan Bingyun's face turned ashen. He knew the Emperor was never returning to Jingdou again. Gradually, he clenched his fist and continued to ask, "Where are your 500 Black Knights?"
"Hidden outside the capital. I have a way to contact them, but it is very difficult to move them into the capital silently."
"Now that you have the protection of the Jingdou government, you should have a way to move these people in." Yan Bingyun hit on Fan Xian's plans with one sentence.
"Correct. The Black Knights outside the capital are truly no match for the 10,000 Jingdou Garrison soldiers. If they let go and go on a killing spree in the capital along with the help of the Great Prince's Imperial Army, I think they should be able to have a terrifying effect."
"The Council still has over a thousand people in Jingdou," Fan Xian said. "This is all the power we hold. We have to take action before the Eldest Princess controls the 13 city gate guards."
"There is something I must remind you of." Yan Bingyun was silent for a moment. He then suddenly said roughly, "If my estimation is correct, Director Chen should have known about the assassination of the Emperor ahead of time and had even secretly aided in the Eldest Princess' actions."
Fan Xian's pupils constricted slightly. He couldn't speak for a long time. The strange situation of the Overwatch Council was completely laid out in front of his eyes, but he still could not believe that Chen Pingping would play such a role in his matter.
"That shouldn't be the case," he lowered his head and said. "The Qin family army has already surrounded the Chen Garden."
"This is the truth." A cold light flashed in Yan Bingyun's eyes as he stared at him. "I don't care what relationship you had with the Director, but since you are going to carry out of the posthumous edict on the Emperor's behalf, you have to be careful of this matter. I don't wish to see you tricked to death before you have a chance to act."
Fan Xian said, "Relax, I still have confidence in people's natures. The Director would not harm me."
He took out the Commissioner token from his clothes and formally handed it to Yan Bingyun. "I don't know how many people this token can command. Since your powers have been taken, if you want to organize this matter, you should try with this token."
Without a word, Yan Bingyun accepted the token. He unconsciously glanced at the shadow of the young lady deeper in the room again. He shook his head and said, "It will certainly be useful. I am also beginning to believe in such a thing as luck."
Fan Xian smiled and said, "I once heard this saying, men conquer the world while women conquer the world through conquering men."
Yan Bingyun rose and prepared to leave. Turning his head to glance at him, he shook his head in disagreement, "I have long discovered that throughout your life it seems that you are conquering the world through conquering women."
Chapter 542: The Sword Is Never Shown When Killing
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Before Yan Bingyun went out of the door, he was stopped by Fan Xian's call. After a moment of silence, Fan Xian asked in a low voice, "Is there news from Hong Changqing and the Qinian Unit?"
After escaping down from Dong Mountain, Fan Xian had charged directly to Danzhou. His trusted aides on the white-sail boat had all been scattered by the attack. Although Yan Xiaoyi died to Fan Xian's assault rifle, Fan Xian had been worried the whole time about the life and death of Qing Wa and his other subordinates. Since the rebel army had the power to seal off Dong Mountain, and the provinces were also willing to reciprocate the Eldest Princess' wishes, they had ways to seal the road from Dong Mountain back to the capital.
Yan Bingyun's thin lips pressed together tightly. He said after a moment, "No news." He glanced at Fan Xian, signaling that he had already been away from Council affairs for a month. His didn't have much intelligence in this area.
Fan Xian shook his head, "Don't try to comfort me. No news is bad news."
"Fine, I admit that I still have channels to learn about intelligence reports in the Council," Yan Bingyun looked at him and said. "There is a strange matter. The intelligence system in Dongshan Road, and I'm not just talking about the Council's but all of the intelligence feedback systems, seemed to have failed. The most recent news was from three days ago."
Hearing this, Fan Xian's heart tightened. Sweat gradually gathered in his palm. His mouth felt slightly dry, but he forced his face to remain composed. Putting on a strong face, he said, "For now, we can't mind other places. We should first settle the matter in Jingdou."
Yan Bingyun brushed some dust from his robe and said with his head lowered, "You've given the token to me. That's the same as giving me command over a thousand people. Do you want to give me a strategy?"
Fan Xian lowered his head and was silent for a moment. He then said, "Follow the established guidelines."
Yan Bingyun glanced at him and furrowed his brows. He said, "Many people will die."
"I don't want to die." Fan Xian turned to glance at him with a cold face. "I request that you control the 13 city gate guards. This is the crux of the matter."
Yan Bingyun didn't show his determination or loyalty, he only shook his head and said, "With just the Overwatch Council, it is impossible to control the 13 city gate guards."
"With the empress dowager holding the city gates, she will not allow the Qin or Ye family armies to enter the capital." Fan Xian looked at Yan Bingyun. "She doesn't want Jingdou to sink into a battle. What we need to do is to help the Palace control it."
The 13 city gate guards were actually just one yamen that controlled the nine city gates in and around Jingdou. If the Eldest Princess' side has been infiltrating the 13 city gate guards, at this time, they had probably already taken the power of command away from the empress dowager's hands.
Yan Bingyun shook his head. "Betting a life against a door is a very stupid plan."
Fan Xian smiled slightly bitterly. "There is no other way. With only the Imperial Army, which we can't entirely depend on at hand, I don't dare meet the Qin and Ye family's head on in Jingdou. Everyone is saying Ye Zhong returned to Dingzhou, but who would believe that?"
"What if the 13 city gate guards can't hold the gates?" Yan Bingyun asked slightly mockingly. "When it comes to tricks like nurturing trusted aides in the court, you and I are not a match for those of the older generation. The Eldest Princess certainly has someone among the city guards."
Fan Xian laughed self-mockingly and rose. He patted Yan Bingyun on the shoulder. "Even if we can't stop the Qin family army from entering the capital, you can at least find out ahead of time what time the Qin family will arrive, how many people, and how they're getting here."
Yan Bingyun's shoulder was icy cold. He looked at Fan Xian with a slightly cold gaze.
Fan Xian gazed at him calmly, "You've said it before, the elder generation likes to play the game of betrayal and doomed spies. I know that the old cripple had people under him who are preparing to kill the Qin family's doomed spies."
Yan Bingyun laughed bitterly.
"If I haven't guessed wrong, your father is a piece that the Director buried beside the old Qin master for dozens of years." Fan Xian smiled slightly. "Thus, the actions of the Qin army are all within our grasps. It should be possible to create a perfect time difference."
Yan Bingyun sighed, bowed, and silently left the Sun manor.
…
…
After Yan Bingyun left, Fan Xian began to count on his fingers in the young lady Sun's boudoir. He wasn't counting how much silver he had earned since his rebirth. Rather, he was counting time, how much power he controlled in his hands, and what kind of ripples he could make in Jingdou. After much calculation, he had to admit that if the Qin and Ye families' armies' entered the capital, he could only fight a guerrilla war.
Before the army entered the capital, he had to make a lightning attack on the Royal Palace. Wan'er, Lady Ning, Yi Guipin, and the Third Prince, whose state of mind he didn't know, were the people he had to save.
As long as he could save them, he wasn't afraid of anything or using the assault rifle to carry out guerrilla warfare. Fan Xian could not imagine who could stand against him.
However, he still felt a bit sullen. He wouldn't be able to meet the Eldest Princess' forces face-to-face on the battlefield. He had no choice but to make one strike and retreat. Thinking of this, he involuntarily began to shake his head wildly. If the Emperor knew that Qing Kingdom would fall to such circumstances, would he have regretted strictly prohibiting me from having any contact with the military in the past?
There were seven Roads of elite soldiers in the world, yet none of them could be used by him. Fan Xian laughed bitterly and was speechless.
He was still confident. He rose and walked to the window to glance at the gradually extinguished lantern lights outside. His expression was calm. He began to have some optimistic judgments in his heart concerning this matter and growing confidence in a certain elder.
"Sir Fan junior." Seeing that Yan Bingyun had left, the young lady of the Sun family, who had been sitting quietly in her room the entire time, hesitantly walked out. At this time, she was no longer as excited and terrified as earlier. She had recovered the confidence and reserve that the daughter of a large family should have. Only her occasional glances at Fan Xian exposed the complicated feelings in the depths of her heart.
"You can call me An Zhi." Fan Xian returned the gesture with great gentleness.
Sun Pin'er felt moved in her heart. She had also faintly guessed what Sir Fan junior and the famous Sir Yan junior were discussing earlier. She couldn't help but feel somewhat scared but also a bit excited when she thought of the fact that she was helping Sir Fan junior. She lowered her head and said quietly, "Sir Fan junior, I am only a woman. I don't know exactly what is happening in court, but I…"
She raised her head and looked bravely at Fan Xian. "I trust you. If you need me to do anything, please, speak straightforwardly."
Fan Xian was silent for a moment as he smiled brightly. "Presently, traitors rule the court. There is no ruler. Officials and sons are not acting as they should and, soon, the country will also not be. Even if I have to toss out this fleshy body, I will try to pull that traitor and wicked son on the dragon chair in the Palace off his high horse. If you wish to help me, you don't need to do much. Just allow me to stay here for a few days."
Sun Pin'er was slightly surprised. She didn't think that Sir Fan junior would ask for so little and was faintly disappointed. She pressed her lips together and gathered her courage to say, "Sir, father should be of help to you."
Fan Xian smiled and didn't explain anything. In reality, now that he had the Sun manor as headquarters, it had already helped him a great deal. At least, from now on, he could easily contact his subordinates in Jingdou through Yan Bingyun. The start of this entire plan would begin from this young lady's boudoir.
"If there is the opportunity, I will indeed need you to introduce me to your father. There are many things that I need Sir Sun's help with." Fan Xian did believe that a girl would be able to convince a Jingdou magistrate to change his stance. However, with Sun Pin'er as a bridge, once the situation changed and Fan Xian's side had the advantage, why couldn't Sir Sun add the icing on the cake? Fan Xian would not refuse.
Sun Pin'er's expression of shame became stronger. A moment later, she bit her bottom lip and said, "Actually, I am being very not filial. I ask that you be lenient toward my father."
Sir Sun was ordered to capture Fan Xian by the empress dowager's edict, yet Sun Pin'er was hiding him in her boudoir. Once Fan Xian had actually turned the tables, who knew how he would treat those who had once tried to harm him? Sun Pin'er knew how bloody the battle for royal power was. Her impudent action may hurt her father deeply, thus, her words about being not filial.
Fan Xian sighed and looked with pity at the fragile girl. He couldn't help feelings of guilt rising in his heart. Comfortingly, he said, "Be assured, if the right way of the court is rectified, I promise your father will at least not have to worry about this life. If he is willing to completely repent, then he will be a meritorious official."
Having received his promise, Sun Pin'er wiped away her new tears. Without any thought as to whether the promises of a politician counted for anything, she bowed deeply to Fan Xian. "Thank you, Sir Fan junior."
"I should be the one thanking you." Fan Xian bowed deeply and formally to Sun Pin'er. Gently, he said, "Although I am not a good person, I am not someone fond of killing. In this matter, I hope the empress dowager will be able to see the truth clearly and resolve everything peacefully, without the need to shed blood."
The two bowed to each other and looked like they were bowing to heaven and earth. Feeling that it was greatly inappropriate, they hesitantly rose. Fan Xian turned to look out of the window again at the lonely sky and silvery moon. In his heart, he mockingly thought to himself, How could such a clear night be a day for killing?
…
…
Some mysterious shadows flitted back and forth outside Prince Heqing's manor. The guards responsible for guarding the manor didn't even glance at them. They knew they were spies from the internal court or perhaps there were also some spies from the Bureau of Military Affairs. Everyone was aware of each other's existence. No one would be the first to instigate something.
The Great Prince held the Imperial Army in his hands. As long as his military power was not taken, the various powers in Jingdou would have to maintain supreme respect to and fawn on this manor.
Ever since the news of the Emperor's assassination had spread out, the empress dowager had closed the Palace doors. After she had strictly subdued the restless movement from various sides, Prince Heqing's manor became the focus of the gazes of the various large powers. The Great Prince's protection of his wangfei and family inside the manor was strict to a stunning degree.
After all, he had been the Commander of the Western Expedition Army in the past. At this critical juncture, all his ruthlessness was laid out. He had moved a squad of 500 imperial soldiers to surround his manor.. Even if something happened in the Palace, the Great Prince's trusted aides would be able to preserve the safety of the manor until the last moment.
As for whether or not it followed the rules and broke Qing law, no one dared comment. If he wanted to do this, no one could do anything, under the empress dowager's implicit consent.
The civil officials who had enough courage to speak out in Taiji Palace had all been placed in jail.
Presently, the Qing Kingdom had no ruler. Therefore, whoever had the most soldiers had the loudest voice.
…
…
The second housekeeper of Prince Heqing's manor walked out from a door next to the main gates. In a low voice, he said a few words to the guard. It seemed that he was expressing his greetings. Immediately after, a person walked out from among the guards and went behind the manor to arrange a carriage.
Amid the clip-clopping of horse hooves, a carriage with the manor's symbol painted on it drove out of the darkness and stopped in front of the stone steps of the manor. The imperial soldiers on guard around the manor shifted their gaze over but did not have any reaction.
At present, Jingdou was enforcing a strict curfew. Other than the various powers that were pursuing Fan Xian, there was not a single person on the streets. Logically speaking, it would not be allowed for a person to go out late at night. However, at this moment, the person boarding the carriage was the second housekeeper of the Great Prince's mansion. The imperial soldiers pretended to not see anything.
The second housekeeper greeted the Imperial Army officer warmly. Standing on the stone steps, he narrowed his eyes and gazed into the darkness at the end of the street. He knew there were countless people secretly watching his movements in the darkness. However, he wasn't worried about anything. He was going to meet the strategist from the Eldest Princess's manor to plan out the next move for both sides.
This second housekeeper was the leader of the secret spies that the Northern Qi Emperor had sent to be stationed in Jingdou. He was the one who went behind wangfei's back and sold Fan Xian's location in Yangcong Alley to the Eldest Princess's man.
The brows of the second housekeeper gradually relaxed. He was carrying out the Emperor's orders, so he didn't care about wangfei's anger. There were many things that should be done first and reported later. Although the Great Prince had sent the Imperial Army here, he was still forced to remain in the Palace. It was impossible for him to know exactly what had happened in the manor and that Fan Xian had been betrayed by someone in his own manor.
He smiled slightly and raised his foot to descend the stairs, preparing to board the carriage.
His steady right hand slowly lifted the curtain on the carriage. The second housekeeper's pupils constricted nervously. There were two black-clothed people looking coldly at him from what should have been a completely empty carriage.
Then, the second housekeeper felt a bone-deep chill. It followed a number of holes inside his body and sank into his brain. After the chill, there was an endless pain.
He opened his mouth wide but could not utter a single sound. He could only breathe with great difficulty. Lowering his head, he finally saw that there were an extra three metal drills sprouting from his body.
The ice-cold metal drills pierced mercilessly into his body, skewering him like an innocent little chick waiting for slaughter. Warm blood flowed out of the blood groove on the metal drill and splashed toward the ground.
"Sixth Bureau!"
In the moment before his death, the second housekeeper finally recognized the identity of the assassins. He knew they were his counterparts in the South that were recognized for their fighting prowess. He accepted his fate hopelessly.
He had betrayed Fan Xian, so he should know that he would face endless pursuit by the Overwatch Council. However, he had not thought that in just a few hours, the Overwatch Council, which had scattered like sand, would regain such powerful moves.
Without time to think, the second housekeeper's hands grasped the metal rod in his chest weakly and collapsed off the carriage. With a crash, he fell to the ground with blood flowing out. There was not a chance of survival.
…
…
The first to discover the assassination at the door of the manor were the manor guards who stood close by. They were shocked by this blood sight and didn't react for a moment. They only stared at the second housekeeper, who was trusted by wangfei, as he was viciously killed by three metal drills and then fell into the puddle of blood, twitching continuously.
The carriage had already begun to move in a short amount of time. Passing by the second housekeeper's body, it charged into the dark night.
The spies watching this scene from dark corners couldn't help but be dumbstruck. They had not thought that someone would be able to assassinate the housekeeper-like person outside the strictly guarded door of Prince Heqing's manor. They didn't know how those people had hidden inside the manor's own carriage and had not revealed a single trace of themselves.
These spies would not rush forward to surround the assassins in the carriage. Rather, they opened their eyes excitedly to watch this excellent show. They all guessed as to who made the first move and how they should report it to their superiors when they returned.
…
…
"Kill!"
After a moment, the imperial soldiers stationed outside the manor recovered from their surprised and reacted as quickly as possible. Crying out angrily in unison, they charged toward the carriage with long spears.
With a number of creaks, the horse pulling the carriage gave a sorrowful cry and was flipped to the ground, dead. When the soldiers formed a circle, their power to harm and kill was truly terrifying. The long spears pushed out uniformly and the horse fell to the ground, sending up a cloud of dust. The carriage also came to a halt in the street.
At this moment, the encirclement was not complete. There was an opening in the direction of the mouth of the street. The crash of the carriage dissipated into countless shards. Immediately after, a large amount of thick smoke exploded out of the carriage. There was poison in the smoke. It forced the soldiers back on all sides as they endlessly coughed.
The three Sixth Bureau assassins dissolved into three black shadows. Using the cover of the poisonous smoke, they charged out of the gap. Before the soldiers closed the circle, they disappeared in the darkness of the Jingdou night, leaving only a sinister and cold announcement.
"This is the consequence of selling out Duke Fan!"
Outside the manor door, the poisonous smoke dissipated, the housekeeper was dead and the poisoned Imperial Soldiers were being seen to. It was a sorrowful, heavy, and tense situation. Everyone was thinking about the last words the assassins had left behind. Other than the terrifying and professional assassins in the Overwatch Council, who else had the power and daring to carry out an assassination outside the main door of Prince Heqing's manor?
After the Emperor died, Director Chen was poisoned by the Dongyi master and Commissioner Fan had become a court criminal to be captured. In just one day, the usually sinister and intimidating Overwatch Council had immediately become a plate of scattered sand and completely lost its magic.
However, this sinister and brave assassination and announcement once again told all the powers in Jingdou that Sir Fan junior was still alive and the Overwatch Council still existed.
Those who betrayed him and those who wanted to kill him would all slowly be met with the Overwatch Council's restless and endless vengeance. How long would this city soak in the killings that happened in the darkness and the poison? How many people would it kill?
The chaos, panic, and fear outside the manor did not travel completely into the manor. The heavily guarded manor appeared particularly calm. Wangfei sat with a cold face in the slightly chilly pavilion. Her eyes stared in a daze out of the window. She slowly said, "This is a warning to me?"
"No," Yan Bingyun slowly stood and calmly said. "This is the sincerity and message that the Commissioner sent."
Wangfei turned her head and looked into his eyes.
Yan Bingyun didn't move and calmly said, "Wangfei is wangfei. You are no longer the Great Princess of Northern Qi. With people like the second housekeeper, presumably, you will not care how many die."
Wangfeí's heart jumped. She knew what he said made sense. Since she had already married into Qing Kingdom, according to Fan Xian's reminder in Yangcong Alley, she was a person of Qing Kingdom. If she thought too much for her brother in Northern Qi, it would not be beneficial for her own future.
"The message the Commissioner wished to pass on is very clear," Yan Bingyun calmly said. "The people who died tonight will gradually prove this point. He has regained control of the Overwatch Council."
Wangfei was silent for a moment. She then said, "I am very willing to cooperate with Sir Fan junior." She suddenly smiled slightly. "Of course, other than thanking Sir Fan junior's determination to kill, I must also express my admiration. It was a good kill."
Nothing needed to be said. They each understood the other's heart. No one knew how many people the cry outside the manor doors had confused.
Wangfei suddenly opened her mouth and said heavily, "However, assassination is never the right way to resolve a problem. I hope you will be careful."
She knew that Fan Xian was still in the process of being pursued. The reason the power of the Overwatch Council was able to be gathered and its coldness spread quickly was completely due to the abilities of this official in front of her. Perhaps Fan Xian had set the policy to assassinate to establish might, but the person carrying it out was the one in front of her.
Yan Bingyun quietly said, "The Council people have long scattered. Our advantage is being in the dark."
He bowed to wangfei and slowly said, "Using the Commissioner's words, we don't show the sword. We only kill people. As for just how things will go and how the empress dowager will react, this is a problem the Commissioner needs to think about."
"How many people will die tonight?" Wangfei asked with worry. If Fan Xian really raised waves of blood in Jingdou, was he not worried that the empress dowager would respond with bloody methods? What about those people inside the Palace?
Yana Bingyun paused slightly. The touch of indifference between his brows gradually became coldness. "A commander of the 13 city gate guards and an official in the Ministry of Justice should have already died. There is no need to worry. With such a large disturbance, there are always many people who should die."
Chapter 543: Drawing The Dagger In His Shoe For The First Time
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
In one night, many people died. The news was like the first frost at the beginning of autumn. It immediately dampened the spirits of the conspirators who had been so excited.
The civil officials struggled to the death in Taiji Palace. The deaths that followed in the night finally made these people understand that battles that implicated the country would never be ended in a gentle manor. Sir Fan junior held the posthumous edict in his hand and had the Overwatch Council below his feet. As long as such a person was not captured, no one would be able to enjoy their wealthy and luxurious lives.
The empress dowager and Crown Prince knew that Fan Xian was showing them his attitude from the darkness. Toward this kind of attitude, they felt uncommonly angry. This kind of attitude was the equivalent of Fan Xian standing in front of them and saying openly, "I have the power to kill anyone I want to kill. I am threatening you."
This was an immoral action of terrorism. It was forcing the empress dowager and Crown Prince into temporary inaction. They could not act against the Fan family or the dozens of officials in prison. If they did so, who would actually kill who?
From some angles, Fan Xian's attempt to exacerbate the dilemma was possibly a stupid choice. How could the people in the Palace be threatened by an official? If the empress dowager truly decided to accept the loss and heavy injuries on both sides by bringing the army into the capital, what could Fan Xian do? The Overwatch Council could only execute their magic in the darkness. Once they were faced with a truly powerful army, their only option was to retreat.
For whatever reason, the empress dowager and Crown Prince temporarily chose to stay silent and didn't proceed with the most ferocious counter-attack.
…
…
In the following two days, the Eldest Princess's side gathered their power and continued to do their best to find a trace of Fan Xian in Jingdou's streets and alleys. They only managed to break a few of the Overwatch Council's secret hideouts and kill seven swordsmen of the Sixth Bureau. They still did not capture Fan Xian.
At the first instance, the Jingdou government and members of the Garrison, who were usually stationed in the city, surrounded the Yan manor. After charging into the manor, they only caught a few of the servants of the manor and were not able to catch Yan Ruohai. They didn't even see a glimpse of Lady Shen's shadow, much less Sir Yan junior, who was helping Fan Xian in Jingdou secretly contact old members of the Overwatch Council.
The army had not yet entered Jingdou. The other side could only distantly surround and watch the square building beside Tianhe Avenue. They didn't have the power to charge the Overwatch Council. They were only ensuring that Fan Xian and Yan Bingyun were not able to enter the Council.
The surveillance and encirclement of Prince Heqing's manor also tightened. No one dared lead soldiers into the manor because everyone was afraid of Fan Xian's eyes hidden in the darkness.
In just one night, most of the secret agents of the Overwatch Council received a secret order from up high to not return to the yamen to work. They disappeared into the sea of people in Jingdou, hiding their strength and protecting their safety. They returned to the darkness they were most used to.
Around 600 people disappeared like this. The disappearance of these Overwatch Council officials was a direct threat to the nobility in the Royal Palace.
…
…
Suddenly, there was no follow-up information about the Crown Prince's rumored ascension ceremony. Although the Palace had watched the information tightly, the shocking news of over 40 officials being captured and thrown into prison could not be hidden forever.
Gradually, the Jingdou people began to realize the truth of the matter and knew that big trouble had occurred in the Royal Palace. They did not have the power to change history or, at least at this moment, the courage. They could only face all this calmly, close their shops, stock up enough energy and food, return to their humble homes, worm into the blankets, and put their hands together to pray to the heavens to resolve this matter quickly.
It didn't matter who was Emperor, but there had to be an Emperor.
A never before seen solemnity and desolation appeared on Jingdou's streets. Even though there was curfew, not many people left their homes in the daylight either.
According to the Eldest Princess's original plan, the Crown Prince should already have been the new Emperor of Qing Kingdom and felt the people's unease. Presently, the cause of chaos was still contained within Jingdou. Once it traveled outward and reached the provinces, Qing Kingdom would truly be in chaos.
He had to stabilize everything in the shortest possible time. To do so, he had to find Fan Xian and kill him.
The Crown Prince looked at the mountainous pile of memorials next to him and laughed bitterly, unable to speak for a moment. In just three days, the number of memorials from the various provinces in Qing Kingdom had already reached more than 1,700. Usually, these memorials were spread evenly among the scholars in the Hall of Government Affairs to decide, with the most important matters being given to the Emperor to decide. Other small matters were sent to various departments to handle.
Presently, the scholars were all in the Celestial Prison and the officials in the departments had all sank into chaos. Everyone in Jingdou was in a state of fear. Court politics was gradually becoming stalled. State affairs were in disarray.
Taking down a few memorials from the top of the little mountain, the Crown Prince glanced over it. His pupils gradually became perplexed. These memorials had come the latest. They were from the governors of the other Six Roads after they learned of the Emperor's assassination.
Although these governors spoke respectfully, the edge hidden within their words was clear.
The Crown Prince sighed and wondered helplessly when the civil officials in Qing Kingdom had become so courageous. He abruptly thought of the dozens of officials in prison with the scholars Hu and Shu as their leaders. They had been in the Celestial Prison for two days and three nights, yet not one mouth had been loosened.
The Palace could not keep waiting. Thus, they had begun to use torture. However, it still did not wear down these officials' characters. He had even heard that Shu the Scholar had taken the lead in starting a hunger strike.
The Crown Prince rubbed his temples, feeling a powerful headache. Was he going to have to follow his aunt's intentions and have all these officials killed? What would happen after he killed all of them? Who would handle state affairs? Was he truly going to be an isolated person?
Eunuch Hou suddenly entered the royal study without being announced. He had panic on his face. The Crown Prince raised his head and glanced at him with his eyes slightly narrowed. He knew that Eunuch Hou was his aunt's trusted aide and someone he could trust.
Eunuch Hou moved close to his ear and said a few words with a pale face.
The Crown Prince was shocked and slammed his palm onto the desk, rocking the memorials to the floor. Gritting his teeth, he said with sinister coldness, "There's been an assassination attempt on the Third Prince! Who gave you such daring?"
Eunuch Hou's body shook. He quickly lowered his body. In a sorrowful voice, he said, "It has nothing to do with me, nothing to do with me."
"Nothing to do with you?" The Crown Prince looked icily into his eyes. "Presently, the entire Palace is managed by you. Without your stretched out hand, how could an assassin have gotten to that part of the Palace?"
"It truly has nothing to do with me," Eunuch Hong said in a low voice and quickly begged for mercy.
It took the Crown Prince a moment to calm his anger. Waving his sleeve, he headed into the Palace. He wanted to be the Emperor. He wanted to kill Fan Xian. He knew that the Third Prince was Fan Xian's student and biggest enemy for the throne. He still had not thought to kill the Third Prince because, in his eyes, the Third Prince was still a child.
If something had truly happened to the Third Prince, who knew how crazy the Palace and Jingdou, both of which already could not bear any turmoil, would become. All along the way to the rear of the Palace, the Crown Prince wondered with an ashen expression, Who wanted to kill the Third Prince? Was his aunt using the Third Prince's death to make him more ruthless? Was the Second Prince using the Third Prince's death to exacerbate his conflict with the world?
He knew, regardless of which perspective, the Third Prince could not die.
The Crown Prince silent prayed in his heart.
Li Chengping was the Third Prince. His life and death had great impacts, so he had to be prudent. However, the officials in Jingdou did not have such good treatment. Putting aside the officials who had reached the highest positions, who were currently shut up in prison and being tortured, the officials who still managed to continue working in the Six Ministries were also living wretched lives.
There were no leading officials in the Hall of Governmental Affairs managing matters. The officials of the Six Departments still did their best to maintain the running of the country. In the Palace, although the memorials the Crown Prince temporarily annotated did not pass through the royal seal, most of the officials implicitly accepted the Crown Prince's authority.
The Minister of Revenue Fan Jian was hiding in King Jing's manor for his life. Minister of Appointments Yan Hangshu was busy arranging for new officials to fill in positions in various departments, building a foundation for the Crown Prince to take the throne. As for the other four ministries, they were all working in a state of fear.
As for those officials who did not have a stable position or had innate problems, they had already been rejected. For those who had deep connections to Fan Xian's side, they had been cleanly relieved of their positions and kept at home to await questioning.
There was no space left in prison. It had already been filled by the loyalists Fan Xian's father-in-law had left behind. However, Minister Fan's connections in court were rather secretive. For the moment, they had not been dug out by the Eldest Princess. Fan Xian himself did not have much power in court. Logically speaking, there shouldn't be big problems.
Even if they were Fan Xian's four disciples that everyone knew about, Hou Jichang still held a dangerous responsibility. He was in Jiaozhou watching the movements of the navy and had secret communications with Xu Maocai, ready to act at any time. Cheng Jialin had been sent by Fan Xian to Suzhou and was holding the palace treasury with Su Wenmao. Yang Wanli had already been repairing the riverbanks on the east side in the South for a year. At this moment, Shi Chanli should be in Song Kingdom, continuing his travels as the biggest pimp in the world.
Even if the Eldest Princess wanted to take action against Fan Xian's four students, she was unable to extend her hand that far before the situation stabilized in Jingdou, while the Crown Prince was unable to ascend the throne and the attitude of six of the governors was unclear.
Unfortunately, it was the beginning of autumn, right after the summer floods. After the water transport governor's yamen had finished repairing the river bands, following precedent, someone had to be sent back to the capital to ask for silver. The person sent back for silver this was not just anyone, it was Yang Wanli. He had been placed by Fan Xian into the Clear Water Department and had focused all his energies on repairing the riverbanks. He had earned the admiration of everyone in the water transport yamen. In addition, learning of his connection to the Minister of Revenue, he was chosen to return to the capital.
They thought having Yang Wanli return to the court to ask for money would be a very easy matter. However, they had not expected that the Emperor would be assassinated and Yang Wanli's teacher, Fan Xian, would be cast as the main culprit of the assassination.
After Yang Wanli entered the Ministry of Works, he turned himself in.
He had already been shut in the narrow black room for two days and had suffered endless amounts of torture. His body was covered in scars, but the people in the Ministry of Justice could not open his mouth to obtain a confession concerning Fan Xian.
Yang Wanli was innocent. He did not believe his teacher would do such a wicked thing that angered men and gods. Furthermore, he had no way of knowing where Fan Xian was.
When it was dusk, the internal palace sent someone to escort him. Although his ranking was not enough to enjoy the Celestial Prison, the empress dowager had given him this honor for the sake of his teacher-mentor connection to Fan Xian.
Yang Wanli narrowed his blurry eyes and supported his waist like an old farmer as he walked out from the black room. He felt that his entire body hurt. The scabs on his fingers healed and then split open again, leaking fresh blood anew.
His heart was filled with helplessness. He knew that once he was escorted to the Celestial Prison, he might never see the sky again.
The two guards from the internal court escorted him, scolding him the entire way out. The officials from the Ministry of Works that saw this tragic sight along their journey did not move their eyes. They only twisted their heads and pretended to not have seen it.
The officials knew exactly what had happened two days ago in Taiji Palace. They were not at all surprised by the bloody punishments in the Palace. The Crown Prince wanted to take the throne, so he needed these officials to lower their heads and give in. Until the last step, the Crown Prince would not be willing to kill all the officials. However, in another two days, the Crown Prince would not be able to wait anymore. Then what?
…
…
Yang Wanli walked out of the Ministry of Works yamen and boarded the prisoner's carriage. It drove to a street corner and suddenly stopped. A guard furrowed his brows and stretched his head to have a look. His head had just extended out of the carriage curtains when it fell with a thud.
Looking at the headless body that fell in front of him and the fresh blood surging out of the wound, Yang Wanli's face abruptly became pale white. His empty stomach felt uncomfortable. Digestive juices welled up. He wanted to throw up.
The other guard at his side gave a cry for help. In his shock, his voice was sealed by a metal drill piercing through the carriage from the outside.
The curtain was lifted aside and revealed Fan Xian's always calm and handsome face. Fan Xian looked at the shell-shocked Yang Wanli and smiled, "Do you want to come out?"
Turbid tears streamed down his face. He nodded repeatedly as he looked at his teacher. In a trembling voice, he said, "Teacher, it is too risky. I am not worth it for you to do this."
Fan Xian didn't have the patience to listen more and pulled him down to board the Overwatch Council's specially made common carriage. In just a moment, they had disappeared into Jingdou's quiet streets and alleys before arriving at a secret communication point.
"Tend to your injuries, I didn't come specially to save you. I was just passing by." Fan Xian looked at the heavily injured Yang Wanli and sighed. "Of course, if you actually died, I would probably feel bad for a while."
Fan Xian was not being pretentious. He had actually been passing the Ministry of Works yamen. His goal was further away. That was why he had come to this secret communication point and was looking at Yan Bingyun in front of him as he asked, "Everything is confirmed?"
"The Eldest Princess, the empress dowager, the Crown Prince, and Lady Shu are all in the Palace." Yan Bingyun looked at him. "Everything is confirmed. As long as the Royal Palace is under control, the major matter is set."
"The empress dowager really trusts the Great Prince this much?" Fan Xian furrowed his brows. "If I was her, I would have long switched the Great Prince with someone from the old Qin family."
"Perhaps the empress dowager believes that with the combined surveillance of the internal court, the eunuchs, and guards, no one would be able to rescue Lady Ning."
"I can." Fan Xian smiled slightly. "Tonight, I am going to rescue some relatives and lock some relatives away."
Yan Bingyun smiled, but it was a bit tight.
Fan Xian could see that his expression was unnatural and asked with a frown, "Has something happened in the Palace or something on Sir Yan's side?"
"There is nothing to worry about on father's side. He's probably at the Qin home right now." Yan Bingyun lowered his head. "There is something that I should probably tell you before you enter the Palace."
Fan Xian looked at him.
"An assassination attempt was carried out against the Third Prince." Yan Bingyun raised his head to look at him. "You didn't give me your contact in the Palace, so I have no way of finding out the results of the assassination. However, I urge you to think of the worst possible situation. After all, he is only a child. Yi Guipin has no way to protect him."
"You're saying that there's been an assassination against Chengping?" Fan Xian's eyes narrowed. He didn't speak for a while. He gradually tightened his fist. The knuckles that turned white exposed the true feelings in his heart.
A moment later, he said in a low voice, "This isn't the work of the Crown Prince."
Yan Bingyun glanced at him and was slightly confused. He didn't understand why he was so certain that the culprit behind the attack in the Palace this time was not the Crown Prince.
"Blood has already been spilled." Fan Xian raised his head to look at him. "There is no need to bring forward the entry into the Palace tonight. Follow the original plan."
"With the help of the Jingdou government and Black Knights scattered throughout the capital, there is 400 people." Yan Bingyun knew how Fan Xian felt at this moment, so he didn't take offense to his particularly cold behavior. Rather, he calmly said, "Since you have already decided to give up the attempts on the city gate guards, then in the operation tonight in the Royal Palace, we have to capture everyone and not miss a single person."
"Of the nine city gates, which one can I control?" Fan Xian smiled bitterly. "There aren't enough soldiers at hand, so we can't meet them in open battle. We can only take the dangerous route."
"Of course, I believe that the empress dowager and Eldest Princess would think that I would dare enter the Palace by force…" He stood and smiled slightly. "Those who are used to scheming like an Emperor often forget about such things as courage. A drunk man may not have a clear mind, but he is still very mighty with a cleaver."
"Everyone says that my mother-in-law is a lunatic. I want to know if my forced attack without any sense of beauty makes her spitting mad."
"This isn't a forced attack," Yan Bingyun said. "At least the Imperial Army won't obstruct you. However, we only have 400 people. The rest of the people from the Seventh Bureau had to be outside the Palace to set up a diversion. The Royal Palace is so big, and we have insufficient people. If we want to ensure everyone is captured, then we have to know accurately where our targets are."
He looked at Fan Xian with worry and said, "Directly attacking a camp is a great taboo in military strategy. The gamble is too heavy. I don't know where your confidence comes from."
"I have people in the enemy's camp," Fan Xian said with a smile and then rubbed his smooth cheek.
After learning about the assassination attempt on the Third Prince, he had not exchanged a single word on the topic with Yan Bingyun. He only calmly organized the surprise attack. At the end, Fan Xian could not help but slowly lower his head with a pang in his chest and secretly pray that the child was fine.
"You can't die." Fan Xian seemed to be talking to himself as well as to the Third Prince, whose life and death was unknown. "You're going to be the Emperor."
…
…
One hour [JW1] earlier, an event happened that could change the course of history and the deaths of many people in the Palace. The second matter that shocked the Palace after the Qing Emperor was assassinated on Dong Mountain.
The target of this attack was the Third Prince. He was the only successor to the throne who Fan Xian had openly shown support for in this year.
Even after a long time, no one knew who the main culprit was behind this attack. No matter how it was looked at, the Third Prince could not be considered an important target. Although everyone knew that this teenage boy had great influence over the Crown Prince's ascension, this kind of influence mainly stemmed from Fan Xian's support.
The Third Prince himself did not have any extraordinary charm or power.
Even if the Crown Prince was worried that his younger brother would cause trouble, he would only want to kill Fan Xian and not take action against his brother. The Third Prince's death at this time would not be beneficial to the Crown Prince at all. It would only strengthen the objections of the court officials and make Fan Xian's rebellion even crazier.
What was particularly important was that with Fan Xian as the scapegoat, the Dong Mountain matter could be hidden forever by the truth. If Li Chengping died in the Palace, how could the present master of the Royal Palace, the Crown Prince, convince history?
The Crown Prince was like his father. They were both people who cared about their reputations in history. That was why he swung between killing and did not kill the officials. It was why he would not order his subordinates to kill the Third Prince. It was also the reason why Fan Xian concluded he was not the culprit.
Then, who wanted to kill Li Chengping?
In the Chen corridor, young Li Chengping's face was filled with shock. As he ran wildly, he also thought about this question.
It was a pity it was not Hanguang Palace. The empress dowager had no way to protect his life. He cried for help, but the Chen corridor was too quiet. No one heard his cries. Li Chengping lost all hope. He thought to himself that if he had stayed in Hanguang Palace, he would not die right now. Earlier, he would not have fallen for the trick and ran to the Chen corridor.
But, the other person had said that teacher had things to tell him and had shown him an item of trust, which was why he had fallen for the trick. Hiding it from his mother and tricking the eunuchs and serving girls in Hanguang Palace, he had quietly made his way to the Chen corridor.
Run wildly, child.
How could a child outrun an adult? Li Chengping panted and fell to the ground. He watched as the two eunuchs came closer step by step. His face was pale. He gritted his teeth tightly.
The two eunuchs were not professionals, but it was clear that they had received some kind of training in killing. It would be too easy to kill a weak child.
It was easy to the point that the two eunuchs had already considered Li Chengping to be a dead person. Stepping on him with one foot, a hand reached into its clothes to remove the knife.
When the eunuch's knife came down toward Li Chengping, his whole mouth was dry. His right hand felt for the dagger in his shoe. With a sharp cry, he finally pulled it out and stabbed forward.
[JW1] It could also be two hours.