Chapter 7: The World on a Carriage, The Beanstalk in the Palace

The ministers walked past Fan Xian with slightly odd faces and exited the Taiji Hall, while Fan Xian was slightly uneasy in his mind at this time. He knew what the pattern of the imperial conversation would be, and even if he was the supervisory court’s chief of staff, he was afraid that he would appear to be too abrupt in it, and his seniority and age were too shallow after all – but things had come to this point, he had no choice but to respond openly, and with a slight hint of surprise, he followed a few of the old ministers, and followed the eunuchs to the back of the hall.

Three turns and two back, and did not travel far, came to a side hall, the top of the partition, so the space does not seem how broad, the left hand side of a large row of people high bias grain balance wood shelves, shelves are set on all the books. Fan Xian secretly measure around the arrangement, know that this is probably the legendary imperial study, the corner of the lips smile a pan that is gone, about the heart thought of the braided theater often watched in his previous life.

The emperor at this time has in the eunuch’s service took off the dragon robe, changed a piece of sky wash blue shirt, waist tied a jade belt, looks casual. The emperor reclined on top of the short couch, reached out to the tea bowl on the table, very casually waved his hand, eunuchs rushed to the end of the seven brocade surface of the round stools into the house. The seven old ministers bowed down to thank you, and then naturally took their seats.

The crown prince and the eldest prince stood in the emperor’s low couch next to the rules, although there is not a seat, but look at the two face look, we know that this is always the rules.

The eunuch of the Imperial Study Room probably had not seen Fan Xian before, so he had some difficulties, not knowing whether he was just a junior bureaucrat who had been summoned in for questioning, or whether he was some other honored person.

All the people were seated, and Fan Xian was on his own, which suddenly made him stand out, but his father, Fan Shangshu, was looking at him with his eyes on his nose, and his nose on his heart, and didn’t even glance at him. Fan Xian couldn’t help but smile to himself and move his already inconspicuous position further back.

He this small move, but fell in the eyes of the crown prince, the crown prince to him a slight smile, Fan Xian only dare to gaze back to the intention, but inadvertently saw the eldest prince behind his majesty is actually a small yawn, it is estimated that the prince just returned to the capital yesterday, I do not know how much to drink wine, today is only afraid of is very tired.

In addition to the day when they first met at the teahouse on the banks of the Flowing Crystal River, today, is the closest Fan Xian has ever been to the emperor, so close that it seems to be out of reach, and he couldn’t help but raise his head slightly, sweeping a glance at a very high speed, but not daring to stare at the other side. After all, the other party is the emperor’s old man, although the Qing dynasty has produced an official called Mu Tianyan, but really against the Tianyan, think no one dares to look at a beautiful woman like a wanton admiration.

But it was this extremely quick glance that Fan Xian saw the other party’s appearance, but he was nearly shocked by the pair of gazes that had looked back at him!

The emperor glanced at him, not counting his direct gaze. Fan Xian’s face showed a fluke, but in his heart, he had no fear at all. After a while, the second prince, who was reading with the young prince in Xingqing Palace, was also invited over by the eunuchs, and when he entered the imperial study, he was still holding the young prince’s hand. Looking at this scene of brotherly harmony, the emperor nodded slightly, seemingly more satisfied, the crown prince had a smile on his face, but he didn’t know how many expletives he had cursed in his heart.

“Bring Fan Xian a seat.” After the four emperors stood beside the short couch in unison, the emperor seemed to have only realized that Fan Xian was standing, and casually commanded.

Fan Xian was slightly startled and responded, “I don’t dare.” With his rank, it was already an exception for him to enter the imperial study, so how could he dare to sit when the four emperors were still standing? The six old ministers listened to his majesty give this young little guy a seat, also feel some itch under the buttocks, moved a little, twisted a little, coughed a little, obviously a little dissatisfied, thinking that their own in the imperial court at least twenty years also simmering, only in front of the saint has a position, you Fan family boy, actually the first time to enter the imperial study can be a seat!

The prince looked at the ministers, said respectfully to the emperor: “Father, Fan Xian is young, his body is not as good as a few old ministers, look at his fearful appearance, or stand.”

This was said in an extremely neutral and calm manner, and both the several old ministers and Fan Xian were thankful.

At this time, the eldest prince and more mouth, said: “remember when the father let us brothers listen to the adults discuss state affairs, must stand, because the son and so on later to assist His Highness the Crown Prince to rule the country and level the world, both listening to the lesson, the student will have to have a student’s look …… “He did not finish his sentence, but the meaning is already understood, you Fan Xian is young, first time in the official field, what political achievements, what virtue and how can let us a few princes to treat you as a teacher.

Several old ministers also stroked their whiskers and shook their heads – this seat seemed unusual, but the hidden meaning inside was not trivial, and they could guarantee that if Fan Xian really had a seat in the imperial study this time, within three moments, the news would spread all over Kyoto.

Fan Xian was about to go along with it and thank His Majesty, but unexpectedly he looked at the bashful gaze cast by the Emperor, and with a slight chill in his heart, he actually swallowed his words back down again.

The emperor glanced at the courtiers, and then looked at his eldest son who, although straightforward, was a bit impatient, and said, “Fan Xian, he naturally can not afford this seat ……, but today he must sit, not to reward his labor, but only to reward his work.”

The crowd didn’t understand what it meant, but since His Holiness opened his mouth, there was naturally silence in the imperial study. The emperor looked at his sons and said in a soft voice: “If you can also pull back a carload of books from Zhuang Mo Han’s family, I will also let you sit!”

The crowd was silent, know what this cart represents, although still feel that this emperor his majesty in the literary road in the vanity of some paranoia, but also not how to refute.

The emperor knows what the crowd is thinking, coldly said: “Do not think that this is only a matter of the readers, what is a reader, you courtiers are all readers. Cultural governance martial arts, this martial arts way I do not lack, the lack is the cultural governance on things …… easy to unify the world territory, unify the world’s hearts and minds is difficult in the difficult, not to work from this, relying on the knife sharp horse fast is not.”

The face of the eldest prince obviously showed a disapproving look, but his father did not finish, naturally did not dare to talk too much.

Listening to the emperor continued to leisurely say: “Immediately can seize the world, but not immediately rule the world. The Way of Literature may seem vague, but it involves the hearts of the world’s scholars. When I think of the three times the Northern Expedition, the Wei’s life into a mess of mud, who would have thought that the war family can take advantage of the chaos and rise, but a few years of work, they gathered a large number of talents, which has now the Northern Qi court, blocked our hooves north …… What do they rely on? Relying on their orthodox status in the minds of the world’s scholars! The world’s orthodoxy? This is not a matter for the readers …… Shu Wu, Yan Xingshu! You are ministers of the Kingdom of Qing, but you participated in the imperial examinations in Northern Wei back then, why is that?”

Grand Maester Shu and Minister Yan Xingshu hurriedly stood up, terrified.

The emperor shook his hand and said, “All the scholars in the world are like this, and there are still such ugly winds nowadays, I don’t blame you and others, and you shouldn’t doubt yourselves. I just want to tell you, the world is correct, the scholar will bring a lot of benefits, the county road more good material and wise officials, then in the speech will also take some advantage.” He looked at his eldest son and said coldly: “I know what you are thinking, but if when you send out the army, you can have less resistance, and you can let the soldiers under your rule die a few less deaths, wouldn’t you be willing to do so?”

The Grand Prince was silent.

The Emperor said coldly again, “A wagonload of old books can recruit more scholars for me to travel around the world, and can save the lives of countless generals for me, so what’s wrong with me rewarding Fan Xian for this seat?”

The crowd always felt something strange, as if His Majesty was deliberately showing favor to the world, and why did Minister Fan not come out to resign his seat on behalf of his son? However, the whole country of Qing was born in the midst of war, and the people of Qing had an overriding fervor and sense of mission for the unification of the world, and since His Majesty had linked the book that Fan Xian had brought back from his current mission to the unification of the world, who dared to say anything else, and all of them got up to say that His Majesty was wise.

What direct relationship can a carriage have with the world? Fan Xian thanked His Majesty for giving him a seat, his face was calm, no arrogance, no impatience, sitting steadily like a mountain, but in his heart, he was laughing bitterly, not understanding why the emperor’s old man had to put himself above the fire cage to steam and roast.

The red velvet cloth pull open, revealing the inside of the broad map, the map has been reworked, the yellow territory of Qing is constantly extending to the northeast, and her body behind in addition to those wilderness Hu land, has been returned to their own. The momentum of the extension of the territory of the Qing Dynasty is very rapid, the northeast of the North Qi, although it still looks like a behemoth, but in front of the beast of the Qing Dynasty, but it seems a little bloated and unmanageable. North Qi is also a new country, but not only inherited a large part of Wei’s territory, but also inherited Wei’s bureaucracy and culture, which has already shown its rotten flavor.

Fan Xian looked at the map, listening to the sound of discussion into the ears, in the center of the power of the Qing Dynasty, the first time to feel the Qing Dynasty’s strong style of action and wild ambition, can not help but sigh in the heart. After all, that court in the north is still powerful, and then look at Haitang and His Majesty’s thoughts, the world war together, the people of the world will inevitably suffer, but I do not know how many years and months to recover.

Although he is not a compassionate pacifist, but for war this kind of thing, is really lack of interest.

The emperor at this time is with a few ministers to discuss important matters of state, occasionally heard a few words of the river embankment, and discussed the annual income and those small vassal states of the tribute problem, these things Fan idle do not know, naturally will not intervene, even if he has the idea of his heart, at this time, sitting on the “tiger bench”, will not say a word more.

The people intentionally or unintentionally, he was forgotten in a corner of the imperial study, so he had the leisure to think, looking at the map that has obviously been improved, constantly dazed, doing the Mo’s disciples sigh.

Suddenly, a word popped into his ears – Inner Treasury! He frowned slightly, his heart grew wary, the emperor had left himself behind, it really wasn’t as simple as giving a stool and rewarding a face.

“As all the ministers know, although the inner treasury is called the inner treasury, it is implicated in many vitals.” The emperor said in a hateful voice: “These years the library to engage in how embarrassing, the new calendar three years, dredging the southern river, and meet the northern cold, I ordered the inner library to the treasury to transfer silver, where do I know …… Guanghui library even silver can not come out!”

Guanghui library is the inner treasury ten library specializing in the storage of money banknote library division, gold and silver but should be placed in the Cheng Yun library, the emperor born of this gas seems to be born of the wrong object. But no matter how to say, Cheng Yun library and Guanghui library is the Princess and the Ministry of household side of the co-management, although this decade, the Ministry of household simply dare not say half a word, the Ministry of household secretary Fan Jian or hurriedly stood up to ask for a crime.

The emperor waved his hand, did not even look at him, continued: “The new policy ended without a problem, but I am determined to do something on the internal library, do not seek to return to the prosperity of more than ten years ago, but at least every year to earn some silver back to the court.”

His voice is not high, the tone is not how intense, but the power contained within, but let the people do not dare to speak: “the imperial sister back to Xinyang, always want a close to the head of the minister to do this thing, you have what a good candidate, report with me to listen to.”

Inside the imperial study, several ministers and princes know that this is just a scene, Kyoto has long known that his majesty’s preferred candidate is Fan Xian, who is sitting quietly in the back at this time. His Majesty’s previous “borrowed the car to play”, vigorously support Fan Xian on the throne, but also is the first to give the ministers a position, do not stay in the internal treasury on the choice of candidates to sing the opposite tune.

But people also know that in fact, the situation of the inner treasury is far from what the emperor said that bad, every year by the Jiangnan workshop lost to the north of the goods, to say the least for the court to earn a few million taels of silver, if it is not the inner treasury of those very secret business support, the Qing Dynasty does not have enough financial resources to go around to expand the border to open up the land. For a while, the Fan family had a hidden jealousy.

However, since His Majesty seems to be so dissatisfied, I think that in the future, no matter who takes over the inner treasury, I’m afraid that every year will have to headache to pay the amount of silver money.

Thinking of this section, the ministers will be cynical mind faded a little, but even so, no one is willing to propose Fan Xian at this time – this is the face of the issue, but also economic issues, how difficult to take care of the inner treasury, the person in charge of the annual rake in the oil will not be less to go. These ministers also need to get a very thick reward from Xinyang every year, which has no reason not to know.

The ministers do not say, Fan Jian in the way of identity, nature is not good to nominate their own son, the Imperial Study Room fell into an awkward silence. The emperor did not say anything, just picked up the cup of tea, shallow sip, face as usual, but no one found the chill in his eyes.

“The son of the minister to raise ……”

“The son minister raised ……”

The imperial study in the crowd was shocked, this silence was actually broken by two people at the same time, and at the same time the two who spoke, one is the crown prince, one is the second prince, this situation can be wonderful.

The emperor nodded slightly and said, “Speak.”

The second prince glanced at the crown prince and said with a slight apologetic smile, “Since the crown prince has a good candidate, I am all ears.”

The emperor glanced at him and did not say anything.

The Crown Prince saw that the second prince was being modest, and as the head of the Eastern Palace and future Emperor of Qing, he was naturally the one who would not give in, and bowed to his father and said, “Father, my son recommends Fan Xian.”

It was clear to everyone in the imperial study that the Eastern Palace spared no effort in pulling Fan Xian’s strings, not to mention that this kind of smooth favor was naturally done. Unexpectedly, His Majesty did not take a stand right away, but instead asked the Second Prince, “Who are you going to recommend?”

The second prince smiled slightly shyly and said, “My son is also prepared to recommend …… Fan Xian, Lord Fan.”

The imperial study remained quiet, but the emperor swept Fan Xian with a meaningful glance. Fan Xian’s face remained unchanged, ready to get up and respond, but unexpectedly the emperor didn’t give him the chance at all, saying faintly, “Since both of you brothers think Fan Xian can do it, then it’s him, and a decree will be drawn up after the fall, without the need to spread the word to all the counties and states.”

The topic was thus finalized, although this was something that had been agreed upon in the palace at the beginning of the marriage between Fan Xian and Lin Wan’er years ago, today it was proposed and passed in the imperial study and recorded, so naturally it could not be changed again. The thought of Fan family father in charge of the treasury, the son in charge of the treasury, the hearts of the people will always have some strange feeling, this kind of holy favor, this kind of favor, the capital is really can’t find the second family, and then look at the crown prince and the second prince are scrambling to hand over to the Fan Xian, we know that the position of the Fan family in the next years, I’m afraid that it will only be up, will not be down, but the cooking of the fire, however, is like this!

Fan Jian and Fan Xian’s father and son hurriedly got up to thank the grace, and even said they were terrified.

The emperor didn’t care much about them, but smiled and asked, “Since it’s settled, I’m here to ask you two brothers, why do you care about Fan Xian at the same time?”

The Crown Prince smiled and said, “I just have a rough idea, Lord Fan Shangshu has been very effective in managing the country’s finances, and since Fan Xian is his son, I think he should have some talent in this area as well.”

The second prince also smiled and said, “My son also thinks the same way, besides, the inner treasury involves a lot of gold, silver, yellow and white things, there is always a need for a clean minister to manage the treasury. The son of the minister deluded a sentence, nowadays in the officialdom, corruption and ink into the wind, although the various counties also have a famous clean officials, but mostly in the local. Little Lord Fan is very talented, and the world knows that he is a scholar of literature and purity, so I think it’s appropriate for him to take care of the inner treasury.”

“Oh?” The emperor’s face remained unchanged and asked, “The reasoning is barely passable, can there be other reasons?”

The crown prince and the second prince looked at each other, both felt a little puzzled, could it be that his majesty is using the opportunity to test his own two. Arrow on the string, had to send, the crown prince had to say: “second brother said is extremely, plus the internal treasury supervision has always been the supervision court’s part of the matter, Mr. Fan since the supervision court, I think that the two divisions to cooperate, will also be much more convenient.”

With the second prince all the way in the little prince, has been withered standing for a long time, feet are a little sore, plus may also not hear these white bearded ministers in and father said what, spirit not inevitably a little unhelpful, in a trance, some strange, cheeky grinning childish voice: “Prince brother, according to what you say, this Fan Xian is not their own monitoring themselves? ”

He was a small child, so he could speak with some abandon, and the onlookers would only think that it was a childish remark, but it seemed to be an unintentional remark, but it directly pointed to the wrong omission of the Crown Prince’s previous words. Although the ministers do not dare to speak, the crown prince is slightly sulking.

It was good that the second prince was also distressed at this time, “Father, my son really can’t think of anything else.”

The emperor did not blame the crown prince for a word, just said lightly: “Can’t think of it? Then why did you bail him out earlier?”

The people in the imperial study, seeing that His Holiness was going from east to west, obviously favoring Fan Xian, but looking for trouble with his two sons, really felt that the heart of the Holy Spirit was hard to gauge, so they had to keep their mouths shut for fear of stirring up any trouble.

Fan Xian, as the person concerned, felt that the “tiger bench” under his buttocks was not only solid, but also a bit hot. At this moment, the second prince said with a hint of uneasiness: “In fact, …… there is also a pile of reasons, is …… because of the children’s minister …… and Fan Taoshi good personal relationship! .”

His Majesty quietly looked at his second son, and after a moment, he suddenly laughed, and his laughter appeared to be very soothing, and said, “A thousand articles, only this one is enough …… What is this inner treasury? Is the treasury of the royal family, since to Fan Xian to take care of the inner treasury, he naturally has to be close enough to the royal family to be able to do, Fan Xian since he has done it in the Taishang Temple, this one close will be enough.”

Of course it’s enough, Fan Xian how to say is also fake fake is a county princess extra horse harnessed by the side of a team, how to say, the crown prince, the second prince is also often shouted his brother-in-law. The crown prince listened on the sidelines, couldn’t help but sigh in his heart, thinking that the oldest two are really powerful, actually guessed the answer that his father wanted, how did he slow down a bit?

Because the army first returned, the border is first set, so today’s deliberations than usual seems a little longer, even after the hour of lunch. The emperor looked at the time of day, then ordered the eunuchs to prepare a meal, the ministers and princes to stay together with the meal. Fan Xian this day, the first time to eat the Imperial Catering Room out of the things, did not feel where the surprise, but some vegetables, fish and chicken, and so on, more comfortable for him is, and the Holy Spirit with the meal is not like their own imagination that difficult, before eating does not need to kowtow again.

The previous words of the Crown Prince and the Second Prince all fell on his ears, knowing that he could not hide, and when he looked at the middle-aged man on the dragon couch again, he could not help but feel a hint of extra caution and chill in his heart – the Emperor’s favor was based on a certain ridiculous fact, but he did not think that an emperor would possess much of such rare things as affection.

Fan Xian was not a person who was good at controlling, he was kneeling, tolerating and listening, but when something threatened his own bottom line, he would smile and touch his own left calf, he could not kneel, tolerate or listen, he would only go to your mother.

The crown prince and the princes honestly wait on his majesty to eat, and then go to the side hall to eat. At this time, his holiness and a few old ministers are chatting, naturally do not talk about state affairs at the table, so the discussion is all about who’s well water to make tea excellent, a state watermelon is as big as a boulder, how how, and occasionally mention the world’s anecdotes, naturally, can not help but mention that Zhuang Mo Han’s resignation, the crowd’s voices seem to be bleak, think in addition to shu Da Da Shi and yan xingshu, these Qing’s high officials and even his majesty, enlightenment time had also memorized Zhuang everyone’s sutra policy.

All in all, this meal was much more relaxed than the family feast at the Fan Mansion. Fan Xian was a bit hungry, and didn’t prick up his ears to listen to the conversation over there, and was just putting a long chopstick of bean sprouts in soup into his mouth when he suddenly heard His Majesty pointing at him and saying, “Fan Xian, come over here.”

Fan Xian put down his chopsticks in a daze, glanced at the fragrant bean sprouts in soup with some reluctance, piled up a bright smile on his face, and quickly walked over to His Majesty’s short couch, looking at the thin but heroic cheeks, a hint of excitement and gloom played out in his eyes in just the right way, and he arched his hand in salute.

The old ministers wondered what His Majesty had called him over for, and listened with somewhat curious ears. His Majesty looked at him with a smile and said, “Do you still remember what I had promised you that day at the teahouse on the banks of the Liujing River?”

Fan Xian did not expect His Majesty to tell the story of that coincidental encounter in front of these high-ranking officials, and responded with a smile, “I didn’t know it was His Majesty that day, and I even clashed with Commander Gong, offending His Majesty’s Majesty, so I really deserved to die for my sins.”

The Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, relying on his face as a veteran of three dynasties, stroked his whiskers and asked haughtily, “It turns out that His Holiness and little Lord Fan had met outside the palace before.”

His Majesty, the Emperor of Qing, appeared unruffled when discussing matters of state, but at this time, he appeared to be very easygoing, and with a smile, he told the courtiers about the events of that day. Fan Jian secretly said in his heart that it was absurd, so he could only ask His Majesty to forgive his son for his offense once again. The rest of the several court elders were secretly muttering, no wonder Fan Xian was so favored by the Holy Spirit, so there were such strange encounters. This kid’s luck was too good to be true, and they couldn’t help but wonder what His Majesty had promised Fan’s son.

“I once said that I would grant your sister a good marriage.” The emperor looked at Fan Xian with a very soft gaze, even with a hint of self-promotion that a son of heaven should never have, “Now that Miss Fan has been promised to Prince Jing, what do you think of this marriage?”

Fan Xian’s heart was even more bitter than eating yellow fever, but his face was filled with touched colors, and he followed his father and thanked him repeatedly. The several old ministers beside him, after being slightly stunned, also began to slip up. They said that His Majesty’s chance encounter with his son on the riverbank had resulted in a marriage, which was really a good story for the ages.

Speaking voice is a little loud, spread to the next room is having a meal in the ears of several princes, the eldest prince frowned, the crown prince is a slight smile, more their own pulling together the Fan family’s decision-making feel wise, subconsciously go to look at the second brother’s face, but found that the face of this is unchanged, is still like these years that slow and methodical – and even some odd slow and Continuously chewing his food, could not help but in the bottom of his heart to curse this guy’s hypocrisy.

Inside and outside of the palace where the imperial study was located, there was all the sound of laughter and glorification of the saints, and who knew the troubles and bitterness in Fan Xian’s heart.

When Fan Xian stepped out of the palace gate in the afterglow, he looked at the son on the horse at the entrance of the new street, and the trouble in his heart grew even more. Li Hongcheng, the son of King Jing, greeted him with a happy face, and his face showed the joy of reunion after a long time, without seeing the true emotions in his heart.

The sun was setting and night was approaching.