Chapter 4: Going to the Mountain

Since he was in Suzhou, Fan Xian had been looking forward to his trip to Wuzhou, because he knew that the old prime minister in front of him, although he had kept his voice quiet during this year as if he had disappeared from the world, that was just a gesture deliberately made to prevent His Majesty the Emperor from being vigilant.

Of course, when the fake is real, the real is also fake, and after posturing for a long time, this kind of feeling often seeps into the bones, and Fan Xian appreciated his father-in-law’s courage to give up and get what he wanted.

Fan Xian admired his father-in-law’s boldness and courage. He could not live in the courtroom for long, so he left lightly, and did not need to talk about any conditions. Anyway, he left a tail like Fan Xian in the capital, and gave His Majesty enough face, and the court would naturally give the honorably retired ex-philosopher a hint of face.

This kind of political wisdom made Fan Xian trust his father-in-law’s judgment, so when he listened to these words today, although there were some chills and some vague excitement, more often than not, he was in deep thought, preparing to deal with the storm that would soon come.

The storm is difficult to determine, although stirring the waves of children’s hands also have their own one, but it seems Fan Xian put the influence of this thing or think small.

Understanding the Princess’s thoughts, but failing to immediately capture His Majesty’s mind, Fan Xian still had his own advantages after all.

For him, the one who knew most of the secrets in this world was that old cripple, the one who knew another part of the secrets was his own father, and the one who knew some other secrets was his own father-in-law.

These three people were the three most powerful subordinates of His Majesty, the Emperor of Qing, the three dry ministers of the Qing Dynasty during the five years after the new government of Qingli. Fan Xian remembered clearly that before he traveled from Tanyu to Kyoto, his father and Chen Pingping were like strangers and basically never spoke much, and Minister Lin and Chen Pingping were the two biggest opposites in the dynasty.

To be precise, this triangle never had the possibility of intercommunicating their voices.

And all of this, with Fan Xian’s entry into the capital, with his marriage to Wan Er, it became a gesture in the pile of old paper. At that time in the world, in addition to the Emperor of Qing, there was another …… lucky person like Fan Xian who could gather the resources of the three old men and share information from all three sides.

For Fan Xian, nowadays, he could even see a bit more clearly than all three of these elders. It was just that this kind of luck or strength seemed to be something that couldn’t be placed on a courtier, so no matter what, one of the three corners of this triangle was bound to step down.

Chancellor Lin Ruofu became the first casualty because he was not a hair child with His Majesty the Emperor.

Occasionally, Fan Xian looked into his heart and realized that his own exit had indeed brought great damage to the Lin clan. Of course, His Majesty was still unlikely to stop there, which was why there was the purge of the Ministry of Revenue at the Kyoto court in late spring.

Fan Xian woke up from his contemplation and couldn’t help but shake his head. Obviously there are still so many problems inside the court, the emperor just grabbed the first to kill the dog there …… but the prey has not yet been shot off …… what is going on here? Where exactly does the emperor’s confidence come from?

“I won’t ask about Jiangnan.” Lin Ruofu interrupted his thoughts, slowly said, “I believe in your ability, although on the surface it seems that this trip down to Jiangnan, you do some frivolous overdoing, but I think you must have a backhand …… just that you have to return to the capital to report on your duties during the New Year’s Festival, it’s good to do some preparations, especially because I don’t know when those people will be launch.”

Fan Xian thought about it, couldn’t help but smile, and said, “Don’t worry, nothing will happen.”

Lin Ruofu also couldn’t help but smile, looking appreciatively at his son-in-law in front of him, looking at the composure and confidence that surfaced on the young man’s face, and curiously asked, “His Majesty’s confidence, there is past history as proof …… and you, this headless confidence, where did it come from? ”

Fan Xian thought for a while and smiled back, “I believe that my luck is the best in this world.”

Lin Ruofu was dumbfounded, shaking his head hopelessly, and after a long while said in a harmonious voice, “What do you think of Yuan Hongdao?”

Fan Xian was slightly stunned, he knew that Yuan Hongdao was the Qing guest of the Xiangfu residence back then, and also Lin Ruofu’s good friend who had been interacting with him for decades, but it seemed that later on, in the matter of the downfall of Minister Lin, this person called Yuan Hongdao played some kind of extremely dishonorable role, and nowadays, this person had already become the number one schemer in Xinyang, and without a doubt, it was the glory that he had gained from selling out his friends.

Fan Xian did not understand why his father-in-law would suddenly mention this person, frowned, and then thought that his father-in-law did not seem to think of a way to kill this person to avenge his death, and felt even more odd.

“Yuan Hongdao is a very powerful person, and also a very spontaneous person.” Lin Ruofu smiled and said, “I could never figure out why he would betray me.”

“Isn’t he one of the Rapunzel’s people?”

“Does Yun Rui …… have this ability?” Lin Ruofu sighed, “I’m not really sure. It’s been more than a year since the incident, and my hatred for Hongdao has gradually faded, so there was always something that I didn’t understand about the true background of this incident at the time.”

“Ask him for me,” Lin Ruofu said with a hint of indifference, “…… why?”

Fan Xian nodded solemnly, thinking that this time the greeting would be either with a sword or a crossbow.

Lin Ruofu looked at his expression, shook his head, and said, “In the future, if the capital is really in chaos, perhaps he can help you.”

Fan Xian was slightly stunned, not understanding the meaning of these words.

Lin Ruofu was in deep thought, also pondering this question.

The old cripple in that garden outside of Kyoto was probably being complacent.

Fan Xian and his entourage stayed in Wuzhou for a few more days, and when he found some free time, he would ask his old husband for advice in his study, on the one hand to know some old stories from back then, and on the other hand to learn from the other side about the maneuvers in dynasty politics. Although he was also a man of two lifetimes, with innate advantages and rich life experience, but in these aspects, it is obvious that there is a thousand years of treacherous minister on the side, naturally, he refused to let go.

In the past years when he was on a mission to Northern Qi, in the middle of the carriage, Fan Xian had also learned from Lord Sean, and this was the biggest advantage of Fan Xian, he could ensure that he meditated and practiced hard at the second hour of the morning and evening every day, and he would also seize every opportunity to learn the skills to save his life, and this kind of perseverance and determination was in fact not in line with the slothfulness that he had shown.

In these days of conversation, Fan Xian focused on the study of the key points in the dynasty, especially for his most unfamiliar military, the Qin family Ye family, the two since the founding of the country, the old and the honored, added a lot of perceptual understanding, Fan Xian more and more feel strange, like the Ye family, such a generation of loyal family, how could it be and the Princess side is not clean?

But this doubt could only be buried deep within his heart.

About the things in Jiangnan, Lin Ruofu said that he did not want to care, but finally wrote a letter to the governor of Jiangnan, Xue Qing, as for the content of the letter, Fan Xian is also lazy to pay attention to, all the way to the governor of the Lord, will not sell the face of the former minister is another matter, the key is the father-in-law of the Lord for their own analysis of Xue Qing’s character of the person.

Xue Qing is a close minister of the Son of Heaven, and is a good …… and thoughtful person.

This judgment let Fan Xian made up his mind, like this kind of minister, the biggest hope is to be a famous minister, that some dirty things, naturally is not willing to do their own head to do, and in the future they cast a thunderbolt to, as long as let Xue Qing can stay out of the way, but after the fact, but will be a big pile of merit to send with him, he will naturally be in the dark with.

The smuggling of the inner treasury is still going on, the investigation and seizure on the sea road is still continuing, the exploitation and weakening of the Ming family has not stopped for a day, according to the news coming from Suzhou, Ming Qingda snake and rat, but did not really keep in touch with the Taiping money bank, the situation of last resort, began to increase the share of the silver transfer from the Merchants money bank.

Very good.

Fan Xian thought in his heart, as long as after that critical point, is the Ming family destroyed time.

Wuzhou city outside the end of the green mountains, so cover most of the southward blazing sunlight, coupled with the mountain breeze light and quiet, slightly brush the summer boredom, is really the best place to spend the summer.

Fan Xian and his entourage in Wuzhou is also comfortable, when away from the politics of those things, he will go with Wan Er and Dabao to go around the surrounding mountains, hunting some prey, foraging some small streams, roasted frogs, and Wan Er tell the story of the fox melon.

There are also in the mountains at night, when the stars are dotted, beautiful, magpie bridge gradually close, the Milky Way with the wind, Fan Xian arms holding his wife, giggling softly, loud noise, night stargazing, but I do not know that the world trend is actually divided or together, only know that the Cowherd and the Weaving Maiden one day a year of time to come.

Away from the world’s troubles, so happy.

His husband and wife have a very tacit understanding did not mention the things in Suzhou, Kyoto, all the things elsewhere, did not mention the begonias, did not mention the Princess, did not mention the Emperor, just occasionally talk about this time is practicing in North Qi Ruo Ruo sister, outside of Kyoto Fan’s Manor in the vine everyone whole game, Texas produced the fragrant beauty of the chicken thighs ……

All the way to the west, the two pointed to the mountain to ask the mountain, meet the water under the water, meet the deer is pity, meet the lone wolf is ferocious, in the forest next to the stream walking, in the cliffs in the clouds linger, this is extremely rare after the marriage of the silence to get along with, as if everything around them ceased to exist, only Fan Xian and Lin Wan’er these two people.

Wrong, there was still Dabao.

But Dabao’s loveliness lay in the fact that he was quiet from time to time.

Such days couldn’t last forever, and if Fan Xian wanted to keep them, he would have to go out of the mountain again and walk into the red dust once more.

“Dabao is going to follow us?” Fan Xian asked curiously with his eyes wide open, “Wasn’t he sent to father-in-law to keep him company?”

Lin Ruofu was now living alone in Wuzhou, although there were countless sons and daughters in the clan, there were not many true and caring people beside him, Wan’er was naturally going to follow Fan Xian now, if Dabao also followed them, who would accompany the aging ex-physician master?

With his son gone, his knees were as childless, a loneliness that Fan Xian was able to savor for a moment.

“Father is holding on.” Lin Wan’er said softly, after these days of Fan Xian’s careful recuperation, coupled with the excursions in the mountains, Wan’er’s body had indeed recovered a lot, her slightly moist cheeks were permeated with a few hints of healthy redness, and her eyelashes blinked slightly above her large eyes.

Fan Xian looked at her with a smile on his face, gently holding her hand, and said, “It’s all becoming.”

A few days later, the all-black convoy drove away from Wuzhou, slowly heading towards the east, passing through several small towns and large mountains along the way, and coming to a three-way intersection.

This place had already reached the territory of the Eastern Mountain Road, and this three-way intersection led to the two state cities under the rule of the Eastern Mountain Road.

The eastward direction was Tanyu Prefecture, and the northward direction was Jiao Prefecture.

“You go wait for me in Tanyu Prefecture, and I’ll go to Jiao Prefecture to do some errands.” Fan Xian stood on the carriage and said in a harmonious voice to Wan’er in the carriage, “It’ll be ten days late at most.”

Of course, Wan’er knew what he was going to do in Jiaozhou, and sighed in her heart, but knowing that the emperor’s orders were in place, Fan Xian could not refuse at all, so she could only pile up a gentle smile that would make each other’s hearts feel at ease, and spat out her tongue, “Don’t go and fondle the flowers.”

Fan Xian smiled in embarrassment and bowed to the ground, “Don’t worry, ma’am, I won’t go picking by the roadside anymore.”

Sitting next to Wan Er, Dabao has been sitting with a wooden expression, listening to this, suddenly interjected, “There are flowers in the garden …….”

Fan Xian slightly angry, Wan Er slightly hate, Dabao do not know what happened, the three of them this temporary farewell.

Turned by the three forks northward but three miles, Fan Xian drilled out of the carriage, stretched, to the subordinates around him and asked, “Is it ready?”

“Everything is ready, Lord Tiji.”

In the distance, on the flanks of the mountains and forests, a team of cold and black cavalry with a chilling and murderous aura was faintly visible waiting there.