Chapter 77 – Attitude Determines Everything

Fan Xian deeply believed in the fact that the greatest interests would breed the greatest lies and produce the best actors. Standing above the court, they were testing each other about the ownership of the chair, which was the greatest interest under the sky, so it was not surprising that the Crown Prince would tell a big lie in front of him.

The problem is that Fan Xian has no way to judge the truth of what the Prince said, if he himself is in the position of the Prince, will he make such a promise?

Would he make such a promise if he were in the crown prince’s position?

With the crown prince’s innate position, the empress dowager’s love, and the relationship with the eldest princess that no one knew about, if coupled with the support of Fan Xian, who possessed the Supervisory Yuan and the inner treasury, his ascension to the throne in the future would be a great momentum that no one could stop, so it seemed that the crown prince could make enough sacrifices if he was able to seek out Fan Xian’s support.

The problem was, with Fan Xian’s life experience and knowledge, he simply thought that such a deal was impossible to happen, unless the Crown Prince really turned out to be a fatherless person, and if the other party really turned out to be such a person, how could Fan Xian dare to sit side by side with the other party?

He chatted gently with the Crown Prince, occasionally thinking of the good attitude and those stories of this Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace towards himself when he first entered Kyoto, and the cloud of complex colors in his heart grew thicker and thicker.

“How is sister Wan’er doing?”

After walking around the palace for so long, it so happened that only the Eastern Palace Crown Prince was the first person to ask directly how Wan’er was doing, asking directly.

Fan Xian smiled, his mind in a bit of a trance, speaking to the Crown Prince without a word, but his gaze fell on the other party’s cheeks, looking at them attentively, gradually seeing some details that he had not noticed in the past.

The crown prince was forlorn and pitiful.

From the East Palace toward the Palace outside, at this time the sun has gradually set, light red twilight, shining on the vermilion palace wall, gradually halo, so that he surrounded by hardy short plants and the great hall buildings are covered with a layer of red, unlucky red.

Fan Xian put his hands behind his back, his face calm and thoughtful. Today’s thoughts are all in the Prince, just as the previous moment of feeling, at this time, Fan Xian thought carefully, Fan Xian realized, including himself, including the five princes, in fact, the most pitiful is the Prince, the Prince of the East Palace than their own age is only a little bit older than their own birth before the destruction of the Ye family, and the Prince?

Four years after the destruction of the Ye family, the night of bloodshed in Kyoto. The Prince’s maternal family was slaughtered, his grandfather died at the hands of his own father, he lost far more relatives than himself. Since then, the Crown Prince has lived alone in the palace, always in a state of tension and anxiety, and the only people he can rely on are the Empress Dowager and the Empress, who love him.

No, the Empress doesn’t count, as my father said back then, the reason why the Emperor doesn’t abolish the Empress and doesn’t make it easy for him to reserve is precisely because the Empress is extremely stupid. Relatives were slaughtered clean, such a situation is exactly what the emperor needs.

The only thing that the crown prince can rely on is the empress, and as he gradually grows up, because the environment of the palace and the empress’s deep memories of the events of that year, created this crown prince’s middle of the road and slightly timid temperament, he has no friends, and it is impossible to have a friend, there is only silence.

However, the Emperor of Qing was not willing to let his chosen successor remain silent forever, so he singled out the second prince with the intention of sharpening the knife of the crown prince, and finally singled out Fan Xian, knocked down the second prince, and continued to come and sharpen the crown prince.

Such a deformed life would naturally produce many psychological problems.

Silence, ah silence, if you don’t explode in silence, you’ll be perverted in silence, the Crown Prince seemed to have chosen the latter, yet there didn’t seem to be too much of a horrific part of his heart.

Fan Xian walked under the palace wall, looking back at the lofty Taiji Hall glowing with fire-like light amidst the curtain light, squinting slightly, sighing in his heart, why would he want to stand against you?

Comparing the Crown Prince and the Second Prince, Fan Xian actually favored the Crown Prince a bit more, because he knew the ruthlessness of the Second Prince’s gentle expression.

However, he could try to knock the Second Prince off his horse, thus preserving the other’s life, but he could not apply the same tactics to the Crown Prince. Because the crown prince’s position was too special, he would either enter the clouds and turn into a dragon, or he would ooze blood under his scales and fall into the Yellow Springs.

The second prince had to do something in order to inherit the throne, so he gave Fan Xian too many opportunities. On the other hand, the crown prince was the opposite, he did not do anything and could not do anything in order to naturally inherit the throne, once the crown prince thought through this point, he would be exceptionally intelligent like what he showed during this year, remaining calm and looking at all of this with cold eyes.

However, calmness did not mean generosity, and if Fan Xian was really blinded by this illusion and softened his heart, once the other party really ascended the throne, what would greet Fan Xian would inevitably be the Empress’s frantic pursuit of vengeance, and the Princess’s merciless cleansing.

At that time, would the crown prince still pity his own life?

Just the second prince was not beaten back by Fan Xian, and the crown prince also rushed up …… He gently clenched his fists, letting his heart freeze and harden, and secretly thought, It s not easy for anyone who wants to live in this world, you don t blame me.

He took one last look at the twilight view of the palace that was like a burning, and slightly inclined his head. The source of all this everything was actually that middle-aged man sitting on the dragon chair.

Fan Xian suddenly developed a trace of pleasure, he wanted to see that middle-aged man annoyed and angry mad look, he wanted to break the emperor’s calm disguise, really tear his heart.

In the end, everyone is a group of cruel people.

This day the sky is high and cloudy, spring has not yet arrived, the sky is already clear, outside the city gates of Kyoto on both sides of the official road small trees high branches, teeth and claws to terrorize those who are far from home.

A line of black carriages came out from the city gates, lined up at the side of the road and waited for the large crowd in front of them to disperse. A young man lifted the curtain and stood in front of the wagon with a cool canopy, looking that way, frowning slightly and muttering to himself, “What is this all about?”

The young man was Fan Xian. Time had already entered February, and he couldn’t find any more excuses to stay in Kyoto, and in this situation, he certainly knew that the further he left Kyoto, the better, so that he wouldn’t drag himself into the water afterward. Just Si Si pregnant this thing, let him some headache – later in the house good discussion, decided to let Wan Er stay in Kyoto to take care of, let him single person again to Jiangnan.

Today is the day he left Kyoto, with the previous experience, he did not notify many people, that is, those young scholars inside the Imperial College also did not receive the news, this time the trip seems relatively quiet, more than a few points of despondency.

Fan Xian looked at the official road in front of the Qing generals who were in formation, frowning slightly.

Not long afterward, the heavier sent troops on that side detached a few riders, which directly circled back and drove towards Fan Xian’s convoy. When he heard the sound of hooves, Fan Xian smiled slightly and got off the carriage to wait.

The first of the riders was an officer, wearing cotton lined thin armor, looking heroic, followed by several deputies.

The officer rode to Fan Xian’s body, whipped off the horse, the action is not clean, to be removed from his face armor, revealing the handsome and gentle face, only to find that this person is actually King Jing’s son Li Hongcheng.

“I can’t believe that we both left the capital at the same time.” Li Hongcheng heavily patted Fan Xian’s shoulder and said with a smile.

Fan Xian shook his head and sighed, “Why would I want to join the army when I’m doing fine in Kyoto? When a man is in the world, of course he should seek to make a career, but he doesn’t necessarily have to seek …… it on the sands If the king hadn’t told me, I wouldn’t have known that you had this arrangement.”

Qing country in the horse to seize the world, the people’s style is simple and tough, that is, the royal children are also more from childhood to learn horsemanship martial arts, from the previous generation on the habit of military campaigns, in this generation, the great prince is one of the model characters, from a small school officer to start, but climbed to the position of the great general of the king.

Li Hongcheng said after a moment of silence, “You also know that if I stay in Kyoto, my father will always keep me locked up in the mansion …… that’s not much different from squatting in jail, I’d rather go to the west and fight with weird looking huans than suffer these stifles again.”

Fan Xian was silent for a long time before raising his head and slowly saying, “You must take care of yourself, or I will have an apologetic heart.”

“If I can make your heart feel guilty, this expedition is not a loss.” Li Hongcheng smiled after being slightly stunned, “In life, one must always find a few goals for oneself, and this time I joined the Western Expeditionary Army, why wouldn’t it be a way to fulfill an idea that I’ve had since I was a child.”

Fan Xian said, “I didn’t know that you still had this kind of life’s ideal, I had thought that all of your life’s ideal were on the flower boat ……”

The two of them smiled at each other, noting that there were still many people around them, making it inconvenient to carry on a deep conversation. Li Hongcheng holding the reins of the horse and Fan Xian side by side, came to the official road below the slope, here the leafless and dead branches more dense, will the sky dull daylight are separated into a piece of the cold harsh.

It was so quiet that no one could hear the two of them.

Li Hongcheng was silent for a moment, a relaxed smile gradually appeared on his face, and said cheerfully: “The things of these two years have made me see …… in Kyoto, I can not play with you, and the oldest two can not play with you …… so Also good, just leave Kyoto for you to play, I’ll go to the west to play.”

Fan Xian laughed bitterly, for a moment actually do not know how to answer, after a long time sincerely said: “This go to the west of the Hu road is far and difficult, you have to take care of …… in the military to seek fame although it is a shortcut, but it is also a fierce road, the great hall now although the hands of the military power, but at first in the west of the bitter consumption of a few years, you also know that is how hard. know how hard it was.”

Li Hongcheng nodded thoughtfully and said seriously, “Since I joined the army, I naturally had prepared myself for it, and my father is also clear about my thoughts, otherwise I wouldn’t have nodded my head.”

The so-called idea is to really decide to get out of Kyoto to get tired of the ferocious fight, however, Fan Xian thought that the mainstay of the Western Conquest Army this time is still the Ye family, the second prince’s father-in-law’s family, and couldn’t help but have some strange feelings in his heart, and as he looked at Li Hongcheng’s face, he held back again and again, and finally didn’t hold back, and opened his mouth to say, “Ye Chong… …is Lao Er’s father-in-law, since you decided not to get involved in things in the capital ……”

Before he could finish his reminder, Li Hongcheng was already blocking his words with a wave of his hand and calmly said, “Don’t worry, what I promised you, I will naturally do it. I’m not a stupid person …… just ……” he smiled, “It’s just that you appear to be a little too smart, which makes it hard for us people to find opportunities to play, especially in these two years , you’ve used father to crush me to death, and if I don’t bow down to you, I’m only afraid I’ll still be under house arrest.”

Fan Xian laughed bitterly, “It’s not that I’m borrowing Prince Jing to press you down, it’s that Prince Jing is borrowing me to press you down, so be clear about that.”

“Any way is fine.” Li Hongcheng sighed, “Anyway, father and you both have the same idea, since this is the case, why should I force myself to struggle for anything, it is good to go to the west this time, the blood and fire on the sands will surely be more direct.”

He suddenly calmed down, looked at Fan Xian’s eyes, and said sincerely, “I have always been extremely good friends …… with Lao Er, and I have something to ask of you.”

The word “request” seemed a bit heavy when he said it, and Fan Xian immediately guessed what he would say and frowned before he could say, “I’m just a courtier, it’s not my turn to be the master of certain things, and who can be in the whole reckoning of victory and defeat? There is no need to say these things beforehand.”

Li Hongcheng calmly shook his head, “You don’t let me say in advance, is afraid of not daring to promise me anything …… What you said about the victory and defeat not yet determined is also right, no matter where it seems, you can’t possibly beat them down in just a few years, but I don’t know why, I just feel that in the end, you will be victorious. ”

“Overpraise.” Fan Xian smiled bitterly.

“But you must not forget that he is also your brother after all …… own brother.” Li Hongcheng looked into his eyes and said seriously, “If there really is that day, I hope you can let him live.”

“You think too highly of me.” Fan Xian turned his body slightly and looked at a certain direction on the side of Kyoto, and said calmly, “He is the emperor’s son, and those of us who are subjects simply cannot decide whether he lives or dies even if we have more power……. And you say that you want me to let him live, but if one day Lao Er catches me, will he let me a way out?”

His voice gradually cold: “I gave Lao Er more than enough time to think about it, and you know what I’ve been chipping away at his wings for over a year for …… But he won’t do it, his heart is too big, so big that he can’t control it himself, and since that’s the case, if I still have the luxury of controlling myself …… then I am looking for death.”

Li Hongcheng slowly lowered his head and said, “Since he was ten years old, he has been forced to embark on the path of seizing the throne …… for so many years has become his unchangeable life purpose. Even if you beat him until he is the only one left, he will not be willing.”

“That’s the truth.” Fan Xian’s face grew cold as he raised his right arm, pointing to a certain direction he was facing at the moment, and said, “A few dozen miles out from here is my Fan family’s field, do you know what’s there?”

Li Hongcheng glanced at him.

“There are four people buried there.” Fan Xian lowered his arm and said, “Buried there are four guards of the Fan family, four guards who have been following me since I entered the capital, killed on Oxen Street.”

He continued, “The sniping on Oxen Street was the meaning of the Princess, the arrangement of Lao Er, and although you were the one who was utilized, you can’t deny …… how to count that you were also an accomplice …… Just from that day, I swore that in this Kyoto, if there is anyone else who wants to kill me, I will not leave any love for the other party.”

“In these three years, too many people have already died, many people died on my side, and many people died on their side, and the grudge between the two sides has long since turned into blood in the mud, and it can’t be washed clean no matter how much it’s washed. Since Lao Er he thinks that with the help of the Ye family he can keep consuming …… then I will also accompany him to consume.”

Fan Xian turned back to look at Li Hongcheng and slowly said, “Since Lao Er refused to withdraw, this matter has become a situation of death for you and death for me……. You asked me to keep my hands off him, have you ever thought that this is tantamount to plotting against my own life? Have you ever thought that it is very unfair for you to make such a request …… to me?”

It is very unfair …… Li Hongcheng laughed mockingly, sighed and said, “I just still have the luxury of hoping that things can end peacefully.”

“That depends on the hearts of the Crown Prince and the Second Prince!” Fan Xian said something extremely close to the emperor’s words, “I’m just the knife in His Majesty’s hand, and it’s just up to these two to behave in front of His Majesty if they want to end things peacefully.”

He paused, suddenly feeling that it seemed too mean to speak so unforgivingly to Hong Cheng at this moment of separation, and couldn’t help but shake his head, turning his tone a little gentler, “It was a wise decision for you to go west this time and not have to stay between me and the two. From my standpoint, I must thank you.”

“Thank you for what?” Li Hongcheng said with a bitter smile, “Thank me for escaping so that you won’t have to be a little intolerant when you wield your sword in the future?”

Both people laughed.

Looking at Li Hongcheng’s hand holding the reins, Fan Xian’s heart fluttered and he said for the third time, “This is a difficult trip to the west, you must take care.”

Li Hongcheng was silent for a long time, gently nodded, rolled onto his horse, turned back to look at Fan Xian for half a moment and then said softly, “If I die in the west …… you remember to hurry to tell Ruo Ruo the news that I’m dead …… people are dead, she also Don’t need to hide in the north all the time. After all, it is a foreign country, how is not as good as home.”

Fan Xian knew that Shizi had guessed the truth about his sister’s study abroad thoroughly, and his heart couldn’t help but well up with a wave of shame, so he arched his hand and cursed with a strong face, “Come back alive.”

Li Hongcheng laughed loudly, waving his whip and snapping it, his steed rushed up the slope, leading the three riders, sailing straight down the official road to the west, shaking up several trails of smoke and dust.

Fan Xian narrowed his eyes at this scene, secretly praying for Hong Cheng’s safety.

At the end of the day, the convoy of the Supervisory Committee down to Jiangnan once again passed through the small valley where they had been attacked, and along the way, one could still occasionally see the traces of the battle left on the rocks. Fan Xian licked some dry lips, the heart surged a powerful killing intent, this trip to Jiangnan is to wrap up, and so on their own to get everything done, in the future, always want to think of a method, the Qin family cabbage planting old man chopped off his head to be good.

Since Qin Heng transferred to the Privy Council Deputy Secretary, no more Kyoto guard, the Qin family old man still as in the past did not go to the court, Fan Xian this New Year’s Day also did not go to the Qin family to pay tribute to the New Year’s Day, just send a thick gift, maybe the other side does not know that Fan Xian has already guessed the real culprit of the valley sniper killings are.

Fan Xian is now calculating in his heart is how the emperor is actually arranged, through the valley sniping matter, the court of several important departments have been replaced by new people, successfully carried out a metabolism, but the old Qin family and Ye family in the military is still full of prestige, the emperor is certainly not satisfied with the current state.

What exactly would the emperor do? Fan Xian often asked himself, if he is sitting on the dragon chair, this mobilization and purging of the military will definitely be done more thoroughly, rather than like this small fight, still giving these military big names enough opportunities to move.

Perhaps it was the sudden advance of the Western Hu that disrupted the Emperor’s overall plan, or perhaps it was the wonderful hand of the young Emperor of Northern Qi that released the Uesugi Tiger, so that the Emperor had no choice but to keep Yan Xiaoyi for the time being.

However, the seven elite troops of Qing, there are still four roads that have not moved …… The batch of middle generals and leaders that were cultivated during the great prince s western expedition have also not yet been able to play the battlefield, and they need to rely so much on the old forces of the three factions of Qin Ye Yan?

Fan Xian shook his head, vaguely guessed some kind of possibility, such as showing weakness, such as seduction, like the red card girl seduction …… Just this kind of plan seems to be too absurd, too desperate, even if it is as licentious as Fan Xian, can not believe that the emperor dares to disregard the survival of the state of Qing and to make this kind of arrangement to.

The caravan passed through the valley and traveled a few more miles before meeting up with the five hundred black riders. After Jing Ge, who wore a silver-colored mask, came to salute, he retreated back to the black cavalry in silence, and with the five hundred black cavalry patrolling around, there was no force that could threaten Fan Xian’s safety in the hinterland of the Kingdom of Qing any longer. Fan Xian’s heart suddenly stirred, his brows furrowed, and he gently clapped his palms together.

The carriage’s compartment moved slightly, and an ordinary official of the Supervisory Court lifted the curtain and walked in. Fan Xian glanced at him and said admiringly, “Worthy of being the world’s number one assassin, the skill of disguise is truly too much better than mine.”

The shadow assassin didn’t smile and asked in a deadpan voice, “What are your orders, my lord?”

“You return to the capital.” Fan Xian stared into his eyes and said in a tone that brooked no doubt, “Immediately return to Lord Abbot’s side, and from this point on, don’t move an inch, and make sure to keep him safe.”

Shadow frowned, he had been personally arranged by Chen Pingping to come to Fan Xian’s side, and it was unexpected that at this moment, Fan Xian suddenly asked him to return to Chen Pingping’s side. Fan Xian didn’t explain anything and said directly, “You know my strength well, and you know well that he’s a cripple, so go.”

The shadow thought for a moment, nodded, and in a few moments broke away from the caravan’s large group, transforming into a black shadow that swiftly crossed the valley and fields, and disappeared towards Kyoto.

Fan Xian confirmed that the shadow will return to Chen Pingping’s side, the taut heart finally relaxed, do not know why, this time away from the capital, he has been feeling very uneasy, if only the Prince of that matter, should not be jeopardizing the old cripple’s safety, but Fan Xian is feeling vaguely afraid, always feel that there will be a big event in Kyoto beyond their imagination.

Once the big event comes, father has hidden power around him, those people in the palace are not very clear, and father has always covered up extremely well, even if Kyoto is in turmoil, he will not be the primary target.

Chen Pingping is not the same, if there is really a big event, the first thing those people have to do is to gather all the power, think of every way …… to kill him, to kill this old black dog that the emperor relies on the most.

This was a truth that the turbulent history of the continent over the decades had long since proven – if you wanted to kill the Emperor of Qing, you had to kill Chen Pingping first.

Although Fan Xian was clear about what kind of strength and sophistication the old dean lord possessed, and how terrifying the defense force outside of Chen Garden was, without Shadow by his side, Fan Xian was always uneasy in his heart.

The caravan traveled all the way south, south, traveled through the hills beside the Wei River, traveled through the mountains north of the river, crossed the river, went through those newly repaired embankments, and came to the vicinity of Yingzhou. A branch office of the River Transportation Governor’s Office was located here.

That night, Fan Xian did not call his disciple Yang Wanli to come and see him, partly because he wanted to see for himself how Wanli was doing now, and partly because he was anxious to check the courtyard reports that had been coming in from Kyoto over the past few days, as well as the folk news that had been passed on from the water fortresses in the south of the river.

Kyoto was calm, the thing Fan Xian had planned had not yet begun, and there were none of those danger signals coming in.

Fan Xian sat on the edge of the table, looking at the dossier by virtue of the pale light, and couldn’t help but smile to himself, perhaps he had stayed in a dangerous place for too long to the point of appearing overly sensitive, with the Qing Emperor’s supreme prestige among the civilian army, and the stable loyalty of the Qing Dynasty official system, who in this world would dare to rebel?

Late at night, the sound of the night watchmen came from the street, Fan Xian had already single out from the post at this time, he was wearing a black night coat that covered his face.

Since the world had not yet moved, a few small things of his own had to be started.

In a dilapidated earth god temple outside the city, Fan Xian found the green streamer and saw Wang Thirteen Lang, who was staring at the statue with his eyes wide open under the green streamer.

“I’m satisfied with what happened to Brother Little Arrow.”

Fan Xian sat down across from him and said with a smile, “I just heard that you were also severely injured, but I didn’t expect that you seem to be recovering well now.”

Wang Thirteen Lang said with a bitter smile, “My body may be a bit sturdier than others.”

“It’s good that it’s sturdy, because I’m going to arrange for you to do something soon.” Fan Xian said with a smile, “I will slowly return to Hangzhou and Suzhou, but you will go first, to meet up with a certain person, and then you will go out on my behalf and help me collect some of the outstanding debts back.”

“Unpaid bills?”

“Yes.” Fan Xian sighed and said, “What a big bill.”

Wang Xulang glanced at him and spoke, “I can’t help with the Ming family’s affairs, you know that my senior brother Yun has been keeping an eye on there.”

“Nonsense, if Yun Zhilan hadn’t been keeping an eye on it, what would I have asked you to do?” Fan Xian smiled and said, “It’s a business matter, I don’t want to fight with your Dong Yi City, so it’s most appropriate for you to step in.”

Wang Thirteen Lang said with a bitter smile, “I’m just showing an attitude of my family master, it doesn’t mean that, on behalf of my family master, I’ll go to subdue Senior Brother Yun.”

“I wouldn’t be so foolish as to believe that your Dongyi City would implode.” Fan Xian shook his head, looked at the green streamer beside him, and opened his mouth, “It’s just that the proprietor who owns this account is me …… But I’m not convenient to come forward, that is, my disciples and subordinates aren’t convenient to come forward, and I was thinking of casually transferring a stranger to do it, but I’m afraid that the Ming family will be pushed, and that the stranger will be Slaughtered …… you high level, naturally do not need to be afraid of these vulgar threats to life.”

Wang XIII Lang was surprised and said, “Why do you trust me so much? Aren’t you afraid that I will swallow these accounts? Not afraid that I will talk to the Ming family?”

“You can’t swallow it, you’re just going to pose as a professional manager.” Fan Xian didn’t care if he understood these new terms or not, and said directly, “As for the Ming family, they’ve already been tied up by me, it’s just that you’re going to step in and tighten the rope.”

Wang Thirteen Lang sighed and said, “Little Lord Fan, I am not your assassin.”

“Attitude.” Fan Xian smiled in relief, “Attitude determines everything. Since that master of yours wants to stand on the wall, he needs to show his attitude a bit more clearly, or else after all of the Ming family collapses, I can’t guarantee that the goods channel on Xingdong Road will be smooth.”

“If the Xingdong Road is not smooth, those who will suffer include your Qing Kingdom.” Wang XIII Lang did not like being threatened.

Fan Xian said seriously, “The Kingdom of Qing is His Majesty’s, not mine, so I don’t care about suffering losses, while Dong Yi City is your master’s, so he cares about suffering losses, and this …… is the biggest difference.”