Chapter 74 – The Hidden Wind in the Small Building in the Palace
A carriage ran over the new street entrance of the green stone road surface, issued a creaking sound. Winter cold, the road has already frozen, four-wheeled carriage also dare not go too fast, the driver Su Wenmao is carefully swinging the whip, surrounded by wearing boots of the Supervisory Yuan six swordsmen with the carriage on the one hand, on the other hand, vigilant look around, the members of the team of Qi Nian was dispersed, disguised as ordinary people wearing cotton jacket, hidden in the street onlookers in the crowd.
On the carriage was the emblem of the Fan family, intersecting square and circle, with gold and black edges. In the carriage sat Fan Xian and Gao Da, with two tiger guards sitting opposite them. Fan Xian’s face was quiet as he said, “The formation has to be too big and conspicuous.”
Gouda picked up the corner of the thick curtain of the carriage window, glanced down the street, and said stoically, “Assassins have suddenly come from the mountains, who knows if the capital is safe or not, His Majesty is very enraged by this, and has strictly ordered his subordinates and the others to make sure that you, Your Excellency, are safe.”
His eyes swept across the street, there were not many pedestrians on the street, but the people in the various private houses and stores had already spotted the Fan family’s carriage and guessed who was sitting in it, all casting strange gazes at the carriage. The rumors had been spreading for many days, and the news that Fan Xian was His Majesty’s illegitimate son had been deeply planted in the hearts of the people of the world. Looking at the direction of the carriage’s forward movement, the people of Kyoto knew that young Lord Fan was going to enter the palace, and could not help but begin to speculate, wondering if today’s Kyoto was going to provide people with yet another even more shocking piece of news.
The palace seems far away and very close.
The carriage stopped when it reached the periphery of the square in front of the palace, and after the incident at the Hanging Temple, the guards of the forbidden army were obviously much tighter. Fan Xian got off the carriage and took the cloak Su Wenmao handed over and put it on, and also took a walking stick and put it under his armpit. Gouda knew that Fan Xian’s external injuries had long since healed, so he couldn’t help but look at him with some surprise.
Fan Xian ignored his gaze and led the crowd towards the cool and majestic red and yellow palace city.
Before reaching the palace gates, the forbidden guards responsible for guarding the palace had already divided into a small group to come over and follow him, silently but very considerately blocking the wind for him and welcoming him into the palace gates. This kind of treatment had always been available only to the old and frail ministers, and even the princes were not given this kind of treatment. Fan Xian couldn’t help but frown, his heart somewhat puzzled.
He did not know that the Grand Prince had secretly instructed his subordinates. Although the Grand Prince hadn’t stated anything, those faint statements had been enough to make it clear to all the forbidden army generals that the rumors hadn’t harmed Fan Xian’s position, and even more so, the relationship between Fan Tisi and the Grand Imperial Household had long since returned to a good one.
Today, at the entrance of the palace, the person in charge of receiving the guide is Mr. Hou, whom Fan Xian met for the first time in the palace, and the two of them have been extremely familiar with each other for a long time. Eunuch Hou said with a fawning face, “Fan …… young master, thanks to the slave who got up early today, where did I expect you to come so early.”
Fan Xian laughed and cursed twice, and asked with a slight hint of doubt, “Last month you said you were going to the Xi Officials Bureau, and the first few times you went to the palace, it was old Yao who was answering, so how come you’re the one who came out again today?” Hou eunuch has long been promoted to Xi official bureau order, in charge of the palace medicine death, is really a critical place, is the palace of the red people. According to reason, it was not his turn to meet Fan Xian outside the palace.
Eunuch Hou laughed and said, “Old Yao is out of the palace on business. His Majesty has asked Nucai to come over today to fill in for a day.”
Fan Xian nodded and followed him toward the palace. After a long time of talking, Fan Xian finally sighed and said quietly, “These days, I’m used to seeing that kind of gaze from other people, but it’s still you, old Hou, who’s kind enough to treat me as you always do.”
Eunuch Hou was slightly shocked, but then his heart warmed up and he said, “Look at what you’re saying, Young Master Fan will only be more and more prosperous in the future, so of course I have to serve him carefully.”
Fan Xian didn’t say anything, and just smiled, in fact, he did have a feeling that everyone would look a bit unnatural after knowing his relationship with the royal family, but the eunuchs in the palace didn’t seem to have much of a reaction.
He was not aware that the eunuchs of the Qing Kingdom’s palace had always maintained a balance between the royals, and did not dare to vote for their masters indiscriminately, they were not like the ministers, once they voted for the wrong master, in the future, after the other party ascended to the throne, they would only have a share of death. So on the contrary, they are respect for the emperor with alienation, and daily serving the emperor, in addition to the crown prince, they are not too afraid of the rest of the three emperors.
Whether Fan Xian was a prince or not was not important to the eunuchs, but rather it was his own official position that was the reason for the eunuchs to curry favor with him.
After traveling through several familiar palaces, he finally arrived in front of the imperial study, and Eunuch Hou carefully spoke outside the door, turned around, gave Fan Xian a wink, and retreated to the side.
After the door opened, Fan Xian leaned on his crutches and entered, standing before the tall bookcase, facing the emperor who was reading the scrolls on the soft couch, pretending to be a little unnatural as he put his crutches to the side, and gave the emperor a big salute.
The emperor did not raise his head, hmmm, and said: “Find a place to sit by yourself, to be I finish reading these.”
How can you find a seat in the imperial study? Hong Zhu, who was guarding the side with a duster, was incredibly smart, and hearing his majesty’s meaning, hurriedly went to the back and moved an embroidered pier out, placing it beside Fan Xian. Fan Xian gave the little eunuch a grateful smile and sat down, but in his heart he wondered why this child’s acne was still so vigorous.
The Emperor had his head lowered and didn’t seem to see this scene, but a hint of a smile flashed in his eyes as he looked at the zhangzhi.
The imperial study was quiet, no one dared to speak, the eunuchs inside and outside the door didn’t dare to make half a sound. This was not the first time that Fan Xian was alone with the emperor, but after that rumor spread, the two of them were alone in a room like this, his heart was always a little inexplicably nervous, and his chest was a little itchy, so he couldn’t help but cough twice, and the sound of coughing suddenly echoed in the imperial study, clear and unmistakable, but instead, he startled himself.
The emperor looked up at him, did not say anything, and began to continue to read the zhangfu.
Fan Xian hurriedly sat up straight on his stool and began to observe the emperor’s daily routine with unparalleled quiet, knowing that not too many people would have the chance to see the scene in front of them. Too much time had made him a bit distracted, and he actually began to subconsciously observe the emperor’s appearance, and although the emperor’s head was slightly bowed at this time, Fan Xian still found a few familiar shadows from his hale face, or to be more precise, similarities to himself.
This was probably the so-called blood relationship.
The emperor took an extremely long time to review the sangha, and the folders on his desk were extremely numerous. His eyebrows were sometimes furrowed in anger, sometimes stretched happily, sometimes silent and gloomy, and sometimes emotionally charged. Qing country’s territory is vast, unified seven road twenty-six counties, countless counties, with Kyoto as the hub and rule the world, is a very difficult thing, alone daily by the official documents sent from various places is as many as snowflakes. If it is practicing the emperor’s rule under the arch, perhaps the power will be sent to the cabinet, their own daily travel to the mountains and play. And the current emperor of Qing, obviously not willing to be a mediocre master, for the power of the empire is not put in the slightest, so do not hesitate to Chancellor Lin Ruofu out of the court, only set up under the door of the Central Book ……
“This is simply self-abuse.” Fan Xian serenely watched the scene in front of him, a cold smile flashing through his heart. Being an emperor really wasn’t a fun thing to do, in comparison, planting flowers like King Jing seemed to be a good choice.
The sun gradually moved to the middle of the sky, the sunlight through the layers of cold clouds sprinkled down, has been frozen to lose all the heat, people in the palace seem to have forgotten the time. Right at this moment, the emperor finally ended the morning of the imperial approval, closed the last zhangzhang, closed his eyes God slowly nourishing God, and finally also stretched a lazy waist.
The eunuchs came in a row, towels, clear heart tea, snacks, wake up incense, began to the emperor’s body in the stomach. Fan Xian noticed that the towel did not emit a trace of cold air in this winter, frowned, and asked, “Your Majesty …… is this cold?”
The Emperor hmmm’d, took the towel and rubbed it vigorously on his face, saying vaguely, “Ice cold to the bone, it can wake up the mind.”
Fan Xian thought for a moment, but finally said, “Your Majesty, try using a hot towel, it’s good for the body.”
The emperor was slightly surprised, then smiled and said, “A hot towel is too warm and cozy, I’m afraid I’ll fall asleep.”
Fan Xian also smiled, “Use a hot one, the hotter the better.” He suddenly nearly choked in general, coughing while waving his hand sharply, “Of course, be careful not to burn yourself.”
The emperor suddenly revealed a meaningful smile and looked at him twice before saying, “Not bad, still acting relatively calm.”
Fan Xian was dumbfounded.
The emperor’s eyes moved to that crutch behind Fan Xian, and he couldn’t help but sigh in his heart, “This child is as stubborn as his mother’s heart …… wants to intentionally let me see that he’s selling out, wanting me to reprimand him and firm up his heart, could it be that he thinks that I don’t see it?”
Thinking in this way, the emperor more and more remembered that year someone’s good to, but also more and more feel that Fan Xian is a nothing out of the ordinary, but instead some of the state of clear loneliness …… good son. He got up and walked towards the imperial study, signaling Fan Xian to follow him. Fan Xian hurried to get a cane, the emperor laughed and said, “I knew you were almost as good as injured, what pity to play in front of me?”
Although he was pointing out, he did not have the angry look of a son of heaven. Fan Xian appropriately slightly stunned, seems to be did not expect the emperor actually …… did not reprimand their own, followed by a laugh, will be thrown to the side of the crutches, with the emperor walked out.
Fan Xian and the so-called “father” of the first psychological encounter, Fan Xian won.
Along the long eaves of the palace to the northwest direction, along the way the temple gradually thinned out, will be behind the Hall of Contained Light Hall Taiji Hall of those magnificent buildings left behind. All the way to see the palace maid eunuchs are humbly incomparable bowed his head to give way, the emperor and Fan Xian behind, only Hong Zhu this small eunuch. Gradually walking, even the palace maids and eunuchs are rarely appear, the winter garden is silent and clear, the occasional snow on the rockery, early no birds, no insects, just a ghostly quiet.
Fan Xian heart to understand where this is going, natural silence, the emperor seems to be in a different mood, and did not say anything. Until even the cold palace has disappeared, the temple has shown the state of dilapidation, the emperor only stopped his footsteps. At this time in front of the crowd is a party of quiet courtyard, courtyard is not large, inside only two wooden buildings, buildings are somewhat dilapidated, should be many years without repair.
With the emperor picking up the steps to enter, Fan Xian’s mood began to tense up, took a deep breath.
The outside of the small building was dilapidated, but the inside of the building was clean and spotless, so it should have been cleaned by someone here all year round.
Up to the second floor, in the main hall, the emperor finally sighed, out of the building, looking at the terrace across the garden for a long time in silence. Terrace opposite the corner of the palace, has been the most remote and quiet place in the imperial city, the garden flowers and plants unattended, self-centered wild growth, and then by the autumn wind and cold dew and wild snow a bullying, decadent dumped on the ground, looks like countless killed corpses, yellow and white bleak.
The corner tower of Huayang Gate was faintly visible in the distance.
Fan Xian stood in silence behind the emperor, naturally not good to speak, but the rest of the light has already swept the hall, and did not see the portrait in his intention.
Little eunuch Hong Zhu like a trick, do not know from the small building where to rectify out of boiling water, brewed a good tea, respectfully placed on a few, then honestly went downstairs, do not dare to wait on the side.
“Earlier let you wait in the imperial study.” The emperor’s face was facing out towards the railing, a pair of hands firmly and forcefully gripping the railing, and there was no fluctuation in his tone, “It was to tell you that there is a way for a king to be a king.”
Fan Xian remained silent.
“As the king of a country, I …… must consider the gods of the earth and grain, and I must consider the people of the world.” The emperor said leisurely, his eyes looking straight at the very far away place, “Emperor, not a good occupation …… your mother once said back then, so sometimes I must give up some things, even some things that are quite precious, and put you in Tanyu state for sixteen years, you don’t complain to me. ”
This day, Fan Xian has been waiting for a long time, also made a very solid ideological preparation, but suddenly heard the words, still can not stop a cold along the neck to the top of the head to kill, shocked and do not know how to say. After a long time of silence, he suddenly bit his lower lip and answered in a clear voice: “I …… don’t know what Your Majesty means by this.”
Fan Xian’s reaction seems to have been expected by the emperor, he smiled to himself and did not turn around, but his tone was softer: “Including your brothers, the world’s millions of people, even if there is a grudge against me, I’m afraid that no one dares to say it in front of me and show it …… Anzhi, you really do have a few moments of your mother’s legacy.”
Fan Xian forced his neck straight, stubbornly saying nothing.
“Don’t understand what I mean by this?” The emperor turned around, the pale yellow shirt looking especially noble by the winter building railing, he slowly said, “What I mean is that you are my …… own son.”
Fan Xian was silent, after a long time suddenly laughed, lost his smile, mute smile, laugh with indescribable pungent sadness and anger. After a long time, he slowed down the smile on his face, a time of some confusion, actually forgot the previous, since the step into the palace, he was in accordance with the plan in the performance, or has been completely substituting the role of the emperor’s illegitimate son, it is difficult to get out of the play!
He bowed deeply to the emperor, but still refused to say anything.
The emperor’s heart sighed, completely deceived by the emotions Fan Xian showed, said quietly, “Kyoto rumors, I would not recognize, but I ultimately have to recognize, because Anzhi you ultimately …… are my flesh and blood.”
The emperor approached him, looked at this beautiful young man in front of the face of the unique perseverance and stubborn look, face pity color a show that is hidden, did not require Fan Xian must answer what, but said to himself: “Next month you will be eighteen.”
Fan Xian raised his head haughtily, wanting to speak, and only after a long time did he faintly say, “I …… don’t know where I was born.”
This sentence will be rooted into the emperor’s heart, so that this has always been cold-minded generation of the emperor also finally gave birth to some sense of apology, he said slowly after a little deliberation, “the first month of the eighteenth.”
Fan Xian was slightly stunned, then sighed with a bitter smile, “Waiting until the eighteenth, only then did I realize that I was born on the eighteenth.”
The emperor smiled gently, and the more he looked at the child in front of him, the more he liked him, and subconsciously said, “If you can be taught to be such a sensible child in the countryside, I think that when you were in Tanyu, your mother must have worked very hard. Find a day, I also go to Tanyu state to see the old man …… Anzhi, how is the old man’s body recently?”
Fan Xian bowed his head in silence for a little while, not knowing what he was thinking about, and finally opened his mouth, “Grandmother’s health is extremely good, and I …… have corresponded with Tanyu State from time to time.”
“Oh.” The emperor listened to him finally stop referring to himself as a minister, his heart warmed, and with a comforting smile, he began to ask Fan Xian extremely softly about his life as a child.
With a start to the conversation, Fan Xian seemed to have adapted to the new “ruler-subject” relationship, and began to recount his childhood days to the Supreme Emperor of the world before him.
Please read aloud the following jingle.
Fan Xian was the emperor’s son. At first the Emperor did not know that Fan Xian knew that Fan Xian was the Emperor’s son, but now the Emperor knows that Fan Xian guessed that Fan Xian was the Emperor’s son. At first Fan Xian wanted the emperor to not know that he knew, now he wants the emperor to guess that he just knew but didn’t want to know. So the emperor doesn’t know Fan Xian, and Fan Xian knows the emperor. The emperor regarded Fan Xian as his son, and Fan Xian did not regard himself as his son.
It was a matter of the mind, which was also a psychological problem. From the first step of stepping into the palace door, Fan Xian had utilized this, backing down step by step, and also attacking step by step.
The upstairs finally quieted down, the pair of “father and son” who had their own agenda sat across the table, drinking tea and chatting, although Fan Xian still did not say anything, but his face had calmed down, and the conversation with the emperor was no longer just restricted to the play of the ruler and the courtier, but also some gossip outside the palace, life in Tanya state over the past few years, the shortcomings of the family and so on.
Thus, the emperor began to revel in this atmosphere, and this was exactly what Fan Xian needed.