Chapter 21 The Cane and Character

The thumping sound of kowtowing resounded in the expansive palace, and in no time at all, blood pigment had appeared on the forehead of the Left Capital Royal Historian Lai Mingcheng.

The emperor looked at him with some disgust, waved his hand to let the guards fork him down, and only then faintly swept a glance at Fan Xian, said: “Fan Tisi, you are in the Supervisory Yuan, the law set the privilege is very great, in the future to act, must be more and more careful is, must not lose my face.”

Rarely found such an opportunity to make peace, of course his wise majesty refused to let go, waved his hand to stop Fan Xian’s request to play. The eunuch knew what he meant and announced loudly that the court was adjourned.

Fan Xian sighed in his heart, knowing that His Majesty could not possibly show too much favoritism towards himself in this matter.

While he was not yet satisfied in his heart, the ministers were already deeply feeling His Majesty’s intention to return to Fan’s boy. As the ministers retreated from the Taiji Palace, they all came up to express their comfort for him, and at this time, the ministers seemed to have become enemies of the Ducha Academy, disparaging the other side to no end.

Fan Xian responded with bitter smiles one by one, glimpsing that his father was walking towards the square in a rickety, old-fashioned manner, his heart fluttered, and he hurriedly went up to support him. The ministers watched this pair of father and son from the back, and could not help but praise the father and son working in the same court, and the scene of father’s kindness and son’s filial piety was now in the palace, it was really a good story.

Fan Shangshu realized that his arm was tight, and when he looked sideways and saw that it was his son who came to support him, he couldn’t help but sigh bitterly, “Anzhi ah Anzhi, why won’t you settle down a bit?”

Fan Xian was also full of grievances, who would have thought that Xin Yang’s side would always be staring at him.

When he reached the palace gates, a small eunuch quietly ran over and passed on His Majesty’s message, then pulled Fan Xian along as he jogged towards the harem. Fan Shangshu looked at his son’s back with a complex expression, suddenly felt that although this kid always pretends to be calm and stable, but this trotting up, but still shows the frivolous in the bones, and the solemn and depressing atmosphere in the palace is really somewhat inappropriate.

A colleague from the rear, Fan Shangshu’s eyes immediately changed to the ancient well, a slight smile, and the group of ministers all the way out of the palace. Today’s rain has long rested, but the open space in front of the palace is still a waterlogged, those few imperial inspectors have been soaked to the skin, but still stubbornly kneeling on the wet ground, and the left imperial inspector with an angry face got down from the court meeting, and also knelt straight to the front of those few people, and also took down his own oubliette hat, and cupped it on his left chest.

Looking at this scene, the ministers realized that things are still not finished, Shu Da Da Shi went up to comfort a few words, found no effect, then shook his head and left. While more adults were hurrying back to their homes in their carriages, knowing that this matter would get bigger and bigger, and it would be safer for them to hide away.

Only Fan Shangshu stood in front of this line of people for a moment, and then ordered his own guards to fetch umbrellas for these few imperial officials, waiting at the side, because no one knew whether it would still rain or not.

Being led by the little eunuch to trot all the way through a few palace walls to the outside of the imperial study, the little eunuch was already panting from exhaustion, and Fan Xian thought about it, and his true qi was slightly moved, which also made his face a bit rosier.

He entered the emperor’s study with some uneasiness, following the little eunuch’s instructions, and carefully stood by the emperor’s soft couch. Not long after, a cloth curtain beside the study moved slightly, and the emperor, who had changed into his regular clothes, came in, and looking at Fan Xian, whose face was calm and steady, and whose eyes flashed with a hint of excitement, his majesty waved his hand, signaling that he should not be too formal.

Fan Xian then really and honestly did not kneel and salute, and took the embroidered pier that the little eunuch brought over, and honestly sat on it.

Today’s imperial study was much quieter than that day, with only the emperor and him left, so the situation was a bit strange. Fan Xian face smooth, heart also since some apprehension, because guess is just guess, although by Chen Pingping’s words and this life since many details, has long been confirmed this guess – but if stay the emperor really will be this guess picking words – their own! What should I do?

Just as Fan Xian was getting the impression that the Emperor was preparing to put on the mask of a loving father, he was awakened by the next words.

“Fan Xian, you don’t lack money, so why are you greedy for it?” His Majesty the Emperor looked at him coldly and asked very directly.

A drop of cold sweat dripped down from Fan Xian’s forehead, knowing that he had indeed been a bit self-centered earlier, and even more so, knowing that there was no way that he could have hidden the matter of accepting silver checks through Liu from His Majesty in front of him, he stood up and said very earnestly, “Long live, because I am in charge of one of the Supervisory Courts, I have to collect silver checks.”

“Oh?” The emperor seemed somewhat curious about his next words.

“To truly monitor the officials, then the first thing to do is to integrate into the officialdom, like in the past, one place of the Supervisory Yuan that kind of clear water and cold iron oil and salt mold, although you can rely on a huge system of secret agents, for the Beijing officials to make a strong monitoring, but it is like looking at flowers in the fog, always can not see clearly, for the Beijing officials system of the most important those transactions, always unable to feel clear. ” Fan Xian carefully explained, “In order to monitor the officials, you have to become an official yourself.”

He smiled bitterly and continued, “Banzai also knows that I have been living in Tanyu …… for a long time” When he said this, he lowered his head, but he could detect some subtle reactions from the emperor when he heard these words.

“…… After entering the capital, the change is too great, I was just a word minister, now to take over the Supervisory Yuan so heavy authority, the heart is uneasy, but also often think about their own in fact and officials have a layer of diaphragm, extremely difficult to integrate into the court.”

Do not wait for him to continue to say, the emperor understood his meaning, waved his hand and asked indifferently, “If you are really a white crane, even if you use the ink to dye yourself black, but also can not fool those crows. These tactics are really a bit childish. As long as you are loyal to your country, who else would dare to make things difficult for you? Don’t forget Zhu Ge’s previous experience, that guy at first didn’t want to get stuck into the officialdom in the capital, but unexpectedly, he got stuck in head first, but he couldn’t get up anymore.”

Fan Xian knows that the emperor is in the repetition of warning himself to be a lone minister, the heart slightly disgusted, but on the face but not the slightest movement, just hehehe smiled and said, “long live, this day on the court there are people to make things difficult for the minister ……”

On the side holding a duster eunuch heart trembled, thinking that the small Fan Lord said this is not status, seems to be some bullying meaning, even if the emperor how much he loves this young courtier, I am afraid that he will also lose his temper. Even the Crown Prince was respectful with a hint of fear in front of His Majesty, which person spoke like Fan Xian?

Unexpectedly to this eunuch, His Majesty was smiling as he glanced at Fan Xian and said, “I do want to return justice to you, but this is a matter between you and your family’s elders, and I don’t want to meddle in it.”

Fan Xian was creeped out, knowing that His Majesty was fully aware that the background of the Duzha Academy’s petition had something to do with the Xinyang side, but why did he still want to press himself and not allow himself to do anything? There was some resentment in his heart. When he was about to add some more eye drops to His Majesty’s eyes, he suddenly watched His Majesty rub his brow and said quietly, “I, have a portrait for you to look at.”

Countless thoughts surged through Fan Xian’s mind, thinking of Chen Pingping’s comment that the only portrait left by his mother was the one left in the palace!

It was at this moment that the door to the imperial study was pushed open, and Eunuch Hou, who was familiar with Fan Xian, came in with a face full of anxiety and whispered something to His Majesty. Fan Xian’s ears were too strong, so he heard clearly, and was surprised, thinking that the imperial inspectors of the Academy had put in too much money this time, hadn’t they?

As expected, the emperor’s face became gloomy, looked at Fan Xian, waved his hand and said: “Kneeling at the palace gate, taking off the veil? This is to advise me to be mediocre, then I will be mediocre once to show them. Transmit my decree, the imperial historian of the metropolitan inspectorate climbed the dirt courtiers, deluded to do the affairs of the court, deserted the political affairs, did not think of repentance, invited the name of the delusion, with the court cane …… thirty!”

Fan Xian for the first time to see the son of heaven anger, can not help but feel a chill, court cane thirty, those imperial historians do not die, but also to lose half a life.

In fact, it was also the bad luck of those imperial scribes, His Majesty the Emperor of Qing was about to do that great thing when they interrupted their mood, how could they be spared?

Outside of Shenhua Gate, along the Jade River, before the arch bridge, on the wet stone slabs, several Imperial Historians were stripped of their official uniforms and held down on the ground to be beaten. The court staff fell heavily, and slowly raised, every time between the fall, will bring up several threads of blood, rain water, several puffs, the scene is not bloody.

At this time, the civil officials who heard the news and some rushed back, looking at this miserable scene, anxious to enter the palace to advise, and look at the palace gate was sent to observe the punishment of Fan Xian, the eyes can not help but more a trace of scorn – today’s matter, although it is the people in the Ducha Academy first trouble, but his majesty even for Fan Xian to use a few years of suspension of the court canes, can not help but Fan Xian in the heart of his majesty, the status of the court canes, has an idea. His Majesty’s position in his heart had a clearer understanding.

Fan Xian stood beside Eunuch Hou, narrowing his eyes at the scene in front of him, not sympathizing with those imperial historians, but saying with a look of intolerance on his face, “Eunuch, call out to your men to go easy on them.”

Eunuch Hou lowered his eyebrows and said, “Lord Fan has a good heart, previously you have been told, how dare the old slave not comply, has been told, this time to hit the ground miserably, in fact, did not hurt the muscles and bones.”

Fan Xian eyes swept down, saw the eunuch toes spread outward, know this is “heart beat” code, a slight sigh, will no longer care about this matter.

Not far from the two, by the emperor left a trace of face of the left imperial minister color white, fell to sit on the ground, although he did not receive the court canes, but feel that these fell on the subordinates of the canes, as if a slap in their own face. Fan Xian’s father left behind a family man with a sneer on his face, holding a rain gear in his hand as he looked at Lord Left Royal Historian, who was lost in his soul.

Fan Xian walked over, waved his hand to disperse the household servants, and with a slight hint of pity, looked at Imperial Envoy Lai and said, “Why did you bother to get involved in this matter?”

Imperial Envoy Lai didn’t know how much inside information Fan Xian knew, and froze in place.

Fan Xian sighed, and begged Eunuch Hou to temporarily stop the caning and go to the palace alone to plead with the Emperor. He is not unable to see the blood, also not want to let these dare to provoke their own imperial historian a horse, just in front of those who face intolerance in the imperial officials, he must do so.

Fan Xian side to the palace to run, one side in the heart hate thought, you the emperor old man want to borrow this cane to push themselves to all the officials on the opposite side, I do not do. I’m not going to do it. After two years of hard work and saving up a good character, if you are a few canes to beat away, you can lose a lot of money!