Chapter 73 – Eunuchs can change the world

The general was not wearing armor, nor was he carrying the longbow behind him, but despite this, Fan Xian still slightly lowered his head and narrowed his eyes, just enough to resist the thick arrow intent coming from the other side.

The arrows were used to kill, but the arrow intent was not a killing intent, just an aura that seemed to tear apart a person’s outer clothing, revealing the timid, pale skin within.

With Fan Xian’s powerful mind control and strength, he was still overwhelmed by this aura, naturally indicating that this general’s cultivation was actually a level higher than his.

Grand Commander Yan Xiaoyi of the Northern Expedition, an absolute powerhouse on the ninth rank, the one in the world most likely to challenge a Grand Master.

“Good day, Grand Capital Governor.”

Fan Xian piled up a smile and bowed to Yan Xiaoyi in a gentle manner.

Yan Xiaoyi stood just below the long corridor, the deep gaze in his eyes washing over Fan Xian’s face like spring water, and he did not react much after hearing Fan Xian’s words, his voice hissing slightly as he said, “I will be returning to the north in a short while, and it is disappointing to think that I won’t be able to spar with Lord Tiji during the martial arts discussion in the palace on the day when the lanterns are suspended high above the ground.”

The so-called martial discussion is just a boxing match organized by the imperial court, this is Fan Xian’s understanding, and he also knows clearly, in such a country that takes war achievements and force as its pride, if Yan Xiaoyi really went crazy, not caring a bit about the face of the emperor’s old man, and challenged himself face-to-face in the palace ……

Would Yan Xiaoyi go crazy? Fan Xian was of course well aware that people in the Eldest Princess’s lineage were all a bit crazy, especially after the son of the other party’s sole lineage, Yan Shenduo, had been stabbed to death by that lovely thirteenth son at his own behest.

Could he beat Yan Xiaoyi himself? Fan Xian asked himself, it wasn’t like he could sprinkle poisonous mist on the hall, much less use a crossbow, and in a frontal martial arts encounter, he was still some distance away from being a peak powerhouse on the ninth rank. Although it wasn’t likely that Yan Xiaoyi would use his prestigious longbow on the temple, he wouldn’t be so stupid as to think that all of Yan Xiaoyi’s transcendent skills were in that bow.

So if once the martial discussion became a fact, even if Old Hong could save his life in the end, it was a certainty that he would be seriously injured.

At today’s military conference, His Majesty the Emperor asked Yan Xiaoyi to return north early, which was at Fan Xian’s request, after all, he didn’t even want to be injured. However, looking at the current situation, Yan Xiaoyi’s disappointment and anger could not be concealed at all.

Fan Xian couldn’t help but laugh, smiling gently at this powerful figure in the army, “Grand Capital Governor, I thought you misunderstood something.”

Yan Xiaoyi was silent for a moment before saying, “I just wanted to learn about Fan Tiushi’s petty tactics.”

Fan Xian was also silent for a moment before arching his hand and saying, “When this is a peaceful time, it is better to have less fighting and killing.”

Under the long corridor, only Fan Xian and Yan Xiaoyi stood opposite each other, and a dangerous flavor arose, but Fan Xian was clear that in the middle of the palace, Yan Xiaoyi would not make a move no matter what, so he did not worry much, gazing calmly at the other party with those clear eyes.

“Cough.”

Came the sound of a few coughs, not Elder Eunuch Hong, but a somewhat shorter figure, but with an aura condensed like an eastern mountain, suddenly appeared beside the duo.

Ye Chong.

Fan Xian smiled faintly, thinking that this one had come at the right time, he did not want to engage in another eye conflict with Yan Xiaoyi.

“Yan Dudu, Fan Tisi, this is an important place of the palace guard, do not raise your voice.”

When Ye Chong was in charge of the Kyoto guard, Fan Xian had not yet been born, Yan Xiaoyi was still hunting in the mountains, his seniority status was placed here, and the weight of his words naturally weighed much heavier.

Yan Xiaoyi was slightly stunned and bowed back.

Fan Xian smiled and asked, “Uncle Ye, long time no see, how are you in Dingzhou?”

With Ye Chong interrupting, Yan Xiaoyi stopped talking. Ye Chong also saw the problem between Yan Xiaoyi and Fan Xian, he frowned, thinking that the death of Yan Xiaoyi’s only son has always been an unsolved case, why did Yan Xiaoyi decide that it was Fan Xian who did it?

“My humble servant still has official business to attend to, so I will take my leave now.” Fan Xian took this opportunity to get away in a hurry.

Ye Lian nodded his head.

Yan Xiaoyi, however, slowly said, “Little Lord Fan must take care of his health.”

Fan Xian’s heart flinched slightly, knowing what the other party meant by these words, and a wave of bravado rose up in his heart as he arched his hand towards the sky and laughed, “There is a blessing from the heavens, and I don’t need to worry about it from Great Governor Yan.”

Yan Xiaoyi’s smile suddenly became a bit cold and piercing, he stared at Fan Xian’s eyes and said word by word, “This sky, does not cover my eyes, Fan Xian, you will die by my hands.”

At this time, the crowd was in the palace, and Ye Chong was still by his side, Yan Xiaoyi was actually arrogant enough to utter such threatening words. Ye Chong couldn’t help but frown, but didn’t say anything.

Fan Xian watched this scene and couldn’t help but shake his head, Ye Chong was the second prince’s father-in-law, and was now long over there, it was just that Yan Xiaoyi actually didn’t care about anything in front of himself, and said he would kill the emperor’s illegitimate son in this imperial palace, truly arrogant and crazy to the extreme.

He flicked his sleeves, tilted his face up and said confidently, “Yan Xiaoyi, I bet you will die by my hands first, and it will be an incomparable death.”

After saying this, he arched his hand towards Ye Chong, never looking at Yan Xiaoyi again, and walked off in the direction of the palace entrance with a flourish.

Yan Xiaoyi narrowed his eyes at his fading back, indifferent to the extreme.

Ye Chong similarly looked at Fan Xian’s back, thinking in his heart, just where did this young man get his confidence from? The arrangements that had been laid out for several years must not change in a way that he could not have expected because of Fan Xian. With this thought in his heart, he looked back at Yan Xiaoyi but sighed, patted his shoulder and said: ”My condolences. Just in the palace beware of the walls having ears, he …… is not an ordinary person after all, he is the son of His Majesty.”

Yan Xiaoyi’s face remained unchanged, indifferently saying, “I also have a son.”

Walked to the palace gate, Fan Xian’s face has long since regained its calm, Yan Xiaoyi and himself has long been a game of death, just need a suitable place and time to practice, the last time he arranged the bureau was broken by Eunuch Hong, the next time he will be caught in Yan Xiaoyi’s bureau?

There is also that Wang XIII Lang, after killing Yan Shenduo, he suddenly disappeared without a trace, and did not know where he went.

Fan Xian was calculating in his mind as he went out of the palace city, and then was not surprised to see the Grand Prince by his side, the only military general amongst the royal family.

“What did you say to Yan Xiaoyi?” The Grand Imperial Prince asked in a lowered voice beside him.

“His son died biting people indiscriminately.” Fan Xian smiled and responded, “Said he wanted to kill me.”

The Grand Prince frowned and said with slight anger, “What an arrogant tone, he doesn’t even look at where he is?”

Fan Xian pondered for a little while before saying seriously to the Grand Prince, “Yan Xiaoyi’s anti-spirit is set, I don’t think His Majesty will not be able to see it, but you have to be careful.”

The Grand Prince was slightly stunned, thinking where did this word …… anti come from?

Fan Xian got into the carriage and traveled towards the mansion, only this way he was still thinking about this question, His Majesty would not be unable to see Yan Xiaoyi’s raging battle and killing intent, then why would he still let the tiger return to the mountain, or would he still be withered in captivity in the capital?

Very interesting question.

He laughed to himself in his heart, knowing that not long from now, when Yan Xiaoyi came to kill himself, or when he himself killed Yan Xiaoyi, this world must have already become very interesting, and the table of mahjong that His Majesty the Emperor was playing would surely be at the eve of the hutu.

On the fifteenth day of the first month, there was no snow and no wind in Kyoto, the kingdom of Qing. After nightfall, colorful lights were hung high all over the city, and pedestrians were weaving on the dry streets, men and women were searching for the faces that made their hearts flutter and avoiding the harassment that made their hearts sick by the reflection of the beautiful lights. Misses with maids blushing around the play, polite young men to maintain a distance not far not close, quietly watching them play.

This night, spring came early, the street do not know how many shoes off, those hands do not know how many touched the soft skin. Tailgating and name-detecting, eye-flowing and testing, just like this, the night went on happily, and people manipulated by hormones collectively fell into a matchmaking activity without matchmakers.

And for the Qing dynasty court, the joy of the people and can not affect its solemn, although the corner of the palace also hung up a large palace lights, the palace also prepared some riddles and other knick-knacks for the empress dowager and those nobles to enjoy the fun, even if even the Supervisory Yuan that square black and grey strict building, but also in the Fan Xian’s authorization to hang up the red lanterns.

But still solemn.

Because the military mobilization has begun to carry out as early as fifteen years ago, the northern conquest of the great governor to lead his troops to return to the north, to go to Cangzhou Yanjing line to resist the sharp eyes of the world’s most famous general of the Northern Qi. Ye Chong also returned to Dingzhou, the court once again to the west to increase the troops, from the remaining five central army from the elite, replenished to the Dingzhou area, infused into a full 100,000 people invincible division.

When spring arrives, these 100,000 soldiers will be further west into the pressure of two hundred miles, called pressure, but if the western Hu and those long march south of the northern barbarians have some movement, these Qing invincible soldiers will find the opportunity to raid, raw tear off a large part of the hu people’s flesh and blood to.

Soldier is a big thing, although only mobilization, not yet war, but the six ministries in order to dispose of logistical matters, has long been busy, but the good thing is that the Qing Dynasty to military home, a matter has long become a fixed procedure, the cooperation between the ministries seems to be organized, very high efficiency.

In the external, the Qing country is always so united, at this moment, no one still remembers the tilting between the princes, Fan Xian’s terrible.

Fan Xian had also been busy for several days, as the Supervisory Academy was responsible for providing intelligence to the military, as well as reviewing the instruments and weapons sent up by the various divisions, and all sorts of matters had piled up at once.

Fortunately, there was Yan Bingyun to help, so on the night of the fifteenth, Fan Xian was able to enter the palace and take a look at the legendary martial arts conference. The duel in the palace was really wonderful, and there were indeed quite a few masters of the Qing State …… just less life and death fights between Yan Xiaoyi and Fan Xian, and the ministers seemed to be unable to raise any interest.

And no one is stupid enough to take the initiative to invite Fan Xian to fight, because they are not Yan Xiaoyi, they do not want to find death.

On the 22nd day of the first month, the nerves in the court which were tensed up because of the border movement had gradually gotten used to it, and gradually relaxed, and the days had to be lived how they should be lived, and when it was time to eat, they still had to eat, and when it was time to dress, they still had to dress, and it was not possible to let the nobles in the palace not have a couple of new clothes for the New Year’s Day.

So the Palace Embroidery Bureau sent a team to a merchant to take over the embroidered cloth shipped from the Western Ocean, because the Empress of the Eastern Palace and do not like last year’s Jiangnan tribute up to the embroidery color, so in advance they ordered another batch.

Like this is not from the inner library of the palace on the line to go on additional missions, often the eunuch in charge of a good opportunity to make a lot of money, alone rebates and filial piety, even if they are up to the price of embroidered cloth 30%, out of a trip to the palace, easily will be able to collect a few thousand taels of silver into the sleeve.

In previous years, because of the second prince is favored, this mission are by the Shuji Fei Palace of Dai eunuch for, but this year, the second prince is obviously not as holy as in previous years, and Dai eunuch is because of bribery and hanging temple assassination of the two cases of involvement, was felicitous to take away most of the power, so the palace of the eunuchs have begun to redden up, have begun to activities, want to take over the old Dai’s position in the past years.

However, just after inquiring about the news, the eunuchs, including Eunuch Yao and Eunuch Hou, stopped their activities, because they heard that this year, Hong Zhu, the chief eunuch of the East Palace, was in charge.

Hong Zhu’s surname is Hong, deeply trusted by the Empress, coupled with His Majesty also seems to be extremely fond of this flexible little eunuch, so the status in the Palace day by day, and even people like Eunuch Yao, is not willing to in the way of Hong Zhu gradually shine across a stroke, and so chose to back off.

This morning, the big inner guards stand in a big store outside the forbidden, but just but keep yawning, because they believe that no one will come to find what trouble, store there is no princes and nobles, only a eunuch only …… every time I think of these strong martial arts of their own, can not follow the Dingzhou army westward, but to protect the district of a eunuch, the mood of these guards is not good. These guards are not in a good mood, and their vigilance naturally relaxes a lot.

In a quiet room on the second floor, Hong Zhu is carefully scrutinizing the number of threads and color halos of the embroidered cloth, although it is a good opportunity to get kickbacks, but on behalf of the Empress to do things, always have to be on some heart. As for the proprietor of this Dongyi store, he has long been driven out.

Hong Zhu’s fingertips are trembling a little, obviously in his heart some uneasiness, because he does not know exactly when and how little Lord Fan can hide from the eyes and ears of the guards, and meet with himself.

Just as he was having a hundred hard times, the light in the room suddenly folded, and the light and shadows produced some kind of very subtle change.

“Who?” Hong Zhu turned around alertly, but did not shout out the questioning voice.

Fan Xian, who was dressed in an ordinary citizen’s clothing, rubbed the corners of his eyebrows, which were so sticky and painful from his disguise, and gave a gesture to Hong Zhu before taking out a jade jade ring from his bosom and handing it over.

This piece of jade jade ring was exactly the piece of jade ring that he had thought of many ways to get from the hands of the He Luo Gang some days ago.

Hong Zhu received the jade ring with some puzzlement, and after taking a look at it, he felt that it looked very unfamiliar, but it seemed to be something used in the palace, and this kind of system and jade pattern always gave him a sense of familiarity.

“This is something from the Eastern Palace.” Fan Xian said softly.

Hong Zhu pursed his lips and said, “What do I have to do?”

Fan Xian said a date and frowned, “Every time the Crown Prince goes to Guangxin Palace, it should be this date, you have a lot of information in the palace, let’s see if it’s accurate.”

Hong Zhu recalled and did some math, then nodded.

Fan Xian put his heart down, this date was the conclusion that Wang Qinian had drawn from squatting on that clan house every day during these days. That clan house was responsible for sending medicine to the palace, and the date was basically stable.

Fan Xian stared into Hong Zhu’s eyes and said, “After the embroidered cloth enters the palace, as a general rule, the Eastern Palace will distribute it to all the palaces, and you should be aware of what hour it is if the Empress asks the palace maid to send the embroidered cloth to Guangxin Palace.”

“It is usually the afternoon of the next day.” Hong Zhu was a little nervous, not knowing what this matter had to do with embroidered cloth.

“Very well, you are in charge of the procurement, so delay the time when this batch of embroidered cloth enters the palace.” Fan Xian said, “Calculate the time well, and make sure that when the Eastern Palace gives the embroidered cloth into Guangxin Palace, it happens that the Crown Prince is also in Guangxin Palace.”

Hong Zhu picked at the itchy little pimple on his face and asked suspiciously, “What’s the point of this?”

Fan Xian did not answer. Hong Zhu thoughtfully looked at the jade pennant in his hand and suddenly said in surprise, “This …… seems to be something that the Niang Niang has used before.”

“Not bad.” Fan Xian seriously commanded, “It was those little eunuchs under you who secretly sold it out of the palace.”

“These little brats are so bold!” Hong Zhu had forgotten about the situation at the moment and subconsciously returned to his role as the chief eunuch of the Eastern Palace, speaking viciously. He was a big eunuch, there was plenty of places to make money, naturally he didn’t need to use these chicken and dog tactics.

Then he suddenly woke up, knowing that Little Lord Fan would never let himself rectify the order of the Eastern Palace as simple as that. He looked at Fan Xian s smiling face and asked in a trembling voice, “How is this jade penannular …… handled?”

“Put it in the house of the palace maid who sent the embroidered cloth into Guangxin Palace.” After Fan Xian thought for a moment, he sighed and said, “The next thing to do is simple, you remind the Empress Dowager of this jade jade pennant, and then what happens?”

Hong Zhu was a smart man and immediately understood, but still hadn’t connected this whole thing to Guangxin Palace.

Just Fan Xian did not have more time to explain, he listened to the footsteps coming from downstairs, and came to Hong Zhu’s ear to urge him a few words, so that he did not have to care about anything, and only needed to do these three things in place, and not to have any extra actions.

The sound of knocking came from outside the door, and Fan Xian disappeared from this room with a flash.

The proprietor of the merchant store respectfully entered and asked this eunuch what else he wanted.

Hong Zhu looked at his empty side, suddenly a little lost in thought, and a moment later thought of Fan Xian s instructions, frowned, and squeezed out a shrill voice, saying, “This cloth …… seems to be different from the one that the Empress named in the beginning.”

The proprietor froze, the heart is straight to scream bitter, said: “Gong Gong said this …… we a small businessman, how dare to deceive the palace nobles.”

Speaking, is a few silver tickets hard stuffed into the sleeve of Hong Zhu.

Hongzhu eyes glanced, some satisfied with the number, just still can not let go, frowned and said: “This flower color in the yellow Dan is not a problem? Looking at some deviation …… especially these several satin with line, how to feel not thick enough.”

“Where can?” The proprietor cursed in his heart and said with a bitter face, “This is authentic Western cloth, three layers of mixed spinning and thirty-six stitches, there is no better.”

Hong Zhu laughed and said, “Is that so? But there’s no hurry, you go back and check again, I’ll come back for it some days later.”

The proprietor was anxious, said: “Gong Gong, this is the palace empress mother in a hurry, late days, not only small, I am afraid that even you are also …….”

This Hong Zhu listen to this is not happy, put eyes a glare, gloomy said: “You give me to listen clearly, this cloth when the palace to be, just wait to see when I am happy …… Empress is what status, where will remember these small things!”

After saying this, Hong Zhu whisked his sleeve downstairs and went away, his face was greatly unkind.

That store proprietor followed behind, only to say that they have offended this big eunuch, the heart repeatedly complained bitter, secretly think I do not know this drag on a few days they have to this eunuch to stuff how many silver bills. How does he know that Hong Zhu s face is not good, because …… he is afraid in his heart and excited.

Hongzhu knows what he is doing with the little Lord Fan, more clearly his district a small eunuch, but also has the potential to change the original face of the history of the Qing Dynasty. His heart is not a eunuch, but a reader, the reader wants to do the most is to rule the country and level the world, and to this day, Hongzhu finally feel, as a eunuch, in fact, can also change the world.