Chapter 99 – Returning to One

The Emperor of Northern Qi in the mountain pavilion suddenly dissipated the smile on his face and returned to the silence he often held when he was alone. He grew up in the palace since he was a child, when his father first lost his father, he faced the most difficult test of his life, although in the bitter lotus master’s strong support, the empress dowager embraced him to get through the hardship, but such a beginning, doomed to his imperial career will be very bad.

Yes, there are many reasons, but the most important one, naturally hidden in his heart, in the heart of the Empress Dowager, in the heart of the Bitter Lotus Master that can never be declared secret.

For the sake of this secret, the Emperor of Northern Qi paid too many sacrifices and made too many changes that distorted his character somewhat. He can not have a close relationship with too many people, can not be too intimate with his sisters, can not be free to do what he wants to do, do what he wants to do, for more than ten years, the people around him has never changed, bathing are like a tight blockade as if they are on the verge of a great enemy, the few side consorts in the harem are still ghostly ……

In order to distract Nan Qing’s attention, in order to make the ministers in the court a little more alert, he and his mother’s mother acted for so many years of mother and son disagreement, it was really hard.

He didn’t want to take on all of this, but since he had already taken it on, as a descendant of the war family, endowed with his grandfather’s ambition and will to swing the world back then, he would have to do his role well.

It must be admitted that he had done a very good job over the years, and no one could pick too many faults with the little emperor. He condoned and even secretly induced the Uesugi Tiger rainy night raid to kill Shen Chong, the Shen family, the entire Jinyiwei firmly manipulated in the hands of the royal family. The house arrest of Uesugi Tiger for a year to reduce its sharpness, and then release the tiger out of custody, in the south to suppress the aggressive army of the Qing Dynasty. In the country in the suppression of the powerful, in the country outside the border and Fan Xian collusion.

A Tsubaki a Tsubaki means even out …… these two years in his management of Beiqi dynasty, more and more seem to be well organized up, especially the matter of Jiangnan, but also proved that the young emperor’s far-sightedness and wit.

Even if the person in charge of the inner treasury in Jiangnan is not Fan Xian, I think he also has the ability to secretly seek some benefits. But the Emperor of Beiqi knew in his heart that there were many different kinds of benefits, and no matter how imaginative he was, he had never thought that he would be able to obtain so many benefits for his court through Fan Xian.

He gently patted the railing, looked at the clear flowing water in the mountain stream, sighed, and softly muttered to himself: ”But who are you to come? By what right do you give me all those benefits?” The corners of his lips spread a cold and mocking smile, “How much difference can there be between the bastard son of the Emperor of Qing …… and his father?”

During the years of learning to become an emperor, the only person the Emperor of Northern Qi could find in reality was of course the powerful monarch of Southern Qing, and he knew what kind of powerful character that peer, who was a generation older than himself, was who coexisted with ambition and ambition, yet excelled in patience.

“You will eventually grow old, and have already grown …… old,” the Emperor of Northern Qi frowned slightly, his gaze turned slightly to the distant south, thinking of the recent rumors of the royal family dispute in Kyoto, Southern Qing, and said softly, “Even if you were a lion, beating Wei to fall apart and my Da Qi to languish, but after all, you are old, and your entire person reeks of decay. I really hope that you can continue to be this sinister and rotten and force him over to me.”

These few words seemed to be sighing every detail of history, and seemed to be increasing their confidence, because it was clear to everyone that no matter how sensitive and suspicious of assholes that Emperor of Qing was, history only believed in history itself, and past history had already proved that that Emperor of Qing was the only victor under the sun in the past thirty years.

The eyes of the young Emperor of Beiqi narrowed, the corners of his lips curled up slightly as he muttered to himself, “I, I hope that this time you will survive, so that I can defeat you on this stage of the world in an honorable manner.”

He was somewhat unable to see Fan Xian, in fact, how could Fan Xian see him clearly.

As an emperor, no matter what color that heart within his body was, his primary consideration was of course his throne and the world, and if Fan Xian’s relationship with him could always remain peaceful and complementary to his interests, the Emperor of Beiqi would do whatever it took to satisfy Fan Xian’s demands, such as Haitang, such as Fan Ruo Ruo’s worship.

But in the future, if Fan Xian threatened Bei Qi, the Bei Qi Emperor would be exceptionally cold and merciless, using all the power at his disposal to remove Fan Xian.

It had nothing to do with emotions, nothing to do with national affiliation, and nothing to do with men and women.

In this world, there were only three kinds of people-men, women, and emperors.

The water in the stream under the pavilion flowed down the mountain and flowed to the side of the lowest level of the palace group, and converged into a pool of clear water at the foot of the mountain, and there was a small gap made of white stone to the west of the clear water, and the bubbling clear water came out from this gap, but it did not cause the pool of water to move in the slightest way.

At this time in this pool of clear water after the woods, there are a large group of eunuchs and palace maidens low convergence of sound waiting, no one knows that His Majesty the Emperor at this time in the waist of the pavilion in the daze, they only know that the whole of Northern Qi in addition to His Majesty the Emperor outside the most noble two people, at this time is the side of the pool of water in the daze.

A wearing hemp clothes, head wearing hat, bare feet, looks like an ascetic state master bitter lotus, at this time is sitting on the side of the clear pool on the stone, holding a fishing rod.

And the north qi empress dowager, this in order to let their son sit firmly on the throne, don’t know how much heart and soul, endured how much trespassing and chaotic government of the name of the woman, smiling sitting beside the bitter lotus master, between the eyebrows is all the peace and quiet.

When the war family from the world in chaos, forced to the military inherited Wei Tianbao, however, years of war, the royal family do not know how many military generals, have perished in the South Qing Emperor hostile ferocious offensive, to be the war emperor a disease to the sky, the whole palace finally left her and the small Emperor of Northern Qi, the pair of widows and orphans.

At the time of the South Qing Chen Pingping with between, the North Dynasty political turmoil, princes and nobles have clamored, the situation in the palace is precarious. But in such a situation, this woman still let her son sit firmly on top of the dragon chair.

The most important thing, of course, was the strong stance of the Grand Master of State beside her. But at the same time, it also proved that this Empress Dowager was definitely not as mediocre as she appeared on the surface.

The eyes of Bitter Lotus looked serenely at the rippling water.

The Empress Dowager smiled faintly, but in her heart, she remembered the changes in the Upper Capital City in the past year or so. When the palace had a change, she let Changning Marquis risked his life to go out of the palace, begged Shen Chong to bring help, Shen Chong and the brocade guards is a great success. But the emperor grew up, but can not allow Shen Chong continue to be arrogant, so the idea.

The empress dowager’s heart is guilty of Shen Chong, but her son’s mind is set, she knew that she could not persuade, then acquiesced in this matter – the war family, it seems to always be that obsessive, impossible to be influenced by others to change, such as her son, such as the one beside her.

However, she still wanted to continue her efforts a little, because last night the Emperor of Northern Qi had a long talk with her, always feeling that this matter was not as good as imagined, and asked her to come and persuade the Bitter Lotus State Master-hence today’s greeting by the pool.

“I have not met Li Yunrui, I have only passed quite a few secret letters with her.” Empress Dowager Beiqi said peacefully. In front of Bitter Lotus, she naturally wouldn’t call herself a mourner. Although her face was still dignified, she spoke like she was just a little girl who didn’t know much.

Bitter Lotus smiled and said, “The three countries are far apart from each other, and when Zhuang Mo Han was first invited to go south, he had never seen the face of that Southern Dynasty Rapunzel.”

The Empress Dowager sighed and said, “That is why everyone in Zhuang left a lifelong regret.”

Bitter Lotus shook her head, “But I have seen that Elder Princess, so I am clear that this woman is not simple. This time, the change in Kyoto in the Southern Dynasty happened so quickly, and there was no movement at all, it was really quite unexpected.”

“DouDou’s meaning is ……” said the Empress Dowager after pondering for a moment, “The two countries are fighting each other, in the end, it is still a fight of national strength, it is better not to take risks.”

“Why didn’t he come to personally talk to me, the master ancestor?” Bitter Lotus smiled, “After all, the child is still young, and probably doesn’t understand why we old guys are still so wary when the Emperor of Qing has been acting like a mess all these years.”

He continued, “Because I am clear, and you are also clear, that Emperor of the Qing Kingdom is really not an ordinary character. In the middle of the second generation, not a single great master has appeared, but an emperor who uses his army like a god has appeared ……” His brows furrowed, “The longer he holds back, the more uneasy I feel.”

Empress Dowager Beiqi sighed and said, “Even so, there is nothing too good.”

The old man laughed, removed the hat, revealing the large bald head, and said cheerfully, “I remember that Ye Liuyun also likes to wear a hat and run all over the world …… Even such a person can be used by Li Yunrui, I believe that this Rapunzel will come up with a method.”

The topic has reached this point, the Empress Dowager is clear that she can no longer persuade the State Master to turn back her mind, and respectfully said, “Uncle, look at it more, the matter of the Southern Dynasty, let them make a mess on their own, it will always be good for us.”

“Time is running out.” The fishing rod in Bitter Lotus’s hand did not tremble a bit as he slowly said, “If we old guys can’t solve this problem while we’re alive, who will be able to do so in the future?”

These words were so consistent with what that great master in the grass hut had said.

The Empress Dowager’s hand trembled slightly and said with a smile, “Where is this girl Haitang? Besides …… there is still a Fan Xian in the south.”

Bitter Lotus laughed and said, “Fan Xian, this young man will depend on his destiny. If he’s smart and strong enough, this time, I think he’ll seek to maximize his benefits, and it’ll be considered a gift from my dynasty to him. With this young man’s heart, since he has taken on such a great favor from Doudou, he will always remember my Beiqi in the future.”

In the final analysis, the powers that be in Northern Qi are clear, in terms of national strength, in a short period of time, the long-standing Northern Qi is still unable to catch up with or surpass the Southern Qing, in the general trend, more than ten years, is still the main attack of the Southern Qing, the main defense of Northern Qi, so there will be the love of the good one said.

“I would have thought that it was the crown prince or the second oldest of the Southern Dynasties that had a better chance.” The Empress Dowager frowned and said.

Bitter Lotus shook his head, “Fan Xian such a good kill and fear of death, how could he give them the chance to get to the top, if there is really such a possibility, do you think that he would really not be able to lay his hands on a murderer …… this entire world, the people who can be under Fan Xian’s murderous heart and can stay alive, there are not a few of them in total. ”

The Empress Dowager was slightly stunned, not having thought that the State Master’s assessment of Fan Xian’s strength would be so powerful as to reach this point.

“Don’t forget that there’s a blind man behind him, yet Ye Liuyun couldn’t possibly be a bodyguard for those emperors of the Southern Dynasty.”

Bitter Lotus smiled and lifted the fishing rod in his hand. The rod was tied with a fish hook on a thin line, and it wasn’t like some people who were bored of fishing with a rope to seek shit realms.

The fish hook came out of the water, dripping up a few drops of clear beads and falling into the water once again. This pool of clear water in the palace, but seems to be disturbed by this few drops of clear beads excited up, wow sound of water waves, swinging the bottom of the water green grass helplessly swaying.

Countless tails or gold or green fish leaped out of the water, joyfully leaping, slapping the surface of the water with a sound, seems to be holding a fishing rod to the ascetic monk to express gratitude.

The sound of water gradually returned to silence, from the gap in the clear pool to flow outward, dripping into a white jade, and then run halfway up the hill, along the stone masonry of the imperial waterway, out of the palace wall outside, into the Jade Spring River. Palace stream is only a tributary of the Jade Spring River, but in fact, the reason why the Jade Spring River got its name is because of the name of the stream on the green hill in the palace – Jade Spring, Jade Spring also.

The Jade Spring River flows towards the capital city, not far from the palace wall, passing through a garden.

This is exactly the garden of Miss Begonia. It was a rare place to find peace and quiet in the middle of the capital’s bustle. So in the past, Fan Xian had ridiculed her for her name, but he had never imagined that this kind of garden was full of nobility in the dark, and there was not even a hint of the countryside.

At this time, two girls came out of the garden. They boarded the carriage outside the garden and traveled towards the city.

Did not take long, the carriage came to the most lively area of the capital city, the speed of the car naturally slowed down. When passing by an antique store, the coachman seemed to have heard the call of the woman inside the carriage and stopped.

Haitang put down her right hand that was pulling up the curtain, turned her head to Fan Ruoruo and said, “It’s your brother, do you want to go down and say hello?”

Fan Ruo Ruo smiled and said, “Since it’s his treat today, we shouldn’t meet in advance, let’s stroll around the Upper Capital first.”

Haitang nodded. The carriage drove off again without disturbing the people in the antique store.

Inside the antique store, a slightly chubby youth was looking down at the goods inside. This person was not someone else, it was the Fan family’s second young master, Fan Si Zhe, who had been kicked to the capital by Fan Xian, and had suffered countless hardships under Haitang’s men, and had finally made it out to take over the Cui family’s northern route.

I do not know is the disguise of the reason, or the life of the countryside so that the young man some precocious, at this time his eyebrows and eyes are all a piece of calm, no year’s arrogance and hostility of the color, let a person look at than his real age to be a lot of maturity.

He held the moon tonight in the upstairs Beijing branch of the feast guests, in advance, I know the sister and the two most afraid of their own people to come, so in advance out in the antique store to buy gifts, be sure to let the two happy mood is. Just looked for a long time, even let the shopkeeper will be hidden goods to see, still did not find a satisfactory thing, let his mood a little unpleasant.

Behind him were still those Northern Qi expert bodyguards with scimitars at their waist, although the Fan brothers knew in their hearts that this must be the Northern Qi royal family’s surveillance crowd, but Fan Sicheng was as bold as Fan Xian, and continued to use them casually in this way, and didn’t change the manpower.

Inside the store there are other people looking at goods, from the clothes of those people can be seen either rich or noble, this antique store is extremely famous, goods sold is also very expensive, so dare to come in to pick something people, are the big names of the Northern Qi, either the giant or the power and wealth.

These people don’t know Fan Si Zhe, but see he brought four expert guards, secretly guess this young man must be which family doesn’t love the publicity of the son.

At this time, the shopkeeper walked in with a wooden tray covered by a red cloth in an extremely solemn manner, and came over to Fan Si Zhe’s side and said, “Sir, if you want to make a pair, this is the one.”

Fan Si Zhe picked up a corner of the red cloth, saw on the plate is a pair of jade lions, carving is very good, the lion tiger head and brain, exceptionally cute, he could not help but smile, thinking to send this pair to sister and Begonia, really should be the scene, but also some of their own out of the meaning of anger.

“This is it.” He waved his hand.

Coincidentally, those powerful people beside him who were looking at the goods also looked at this pair of jade lions, and begged Fan Si Zhe if he could raise his hand to let them go, and a rich son of a rich family was even willing to give a red packet to show his sincerity. In the Shangjing or Kyoto Dongyi City, such a big place, usually not too much power to take the goods of the bridge occurred, after all, the people in the field are either rich or noble, who do not know who will offend.

In the capital city, Fan Si Zhe has always been low-profile, South Qing’s sea arrest paperwork on his name, so in addition to the Brocade Guards and the Qing royal family and related officials, not many people know his true identity. If in the past, like this rich boy this gentle request, Fan Si Zhe may be allowed, but today he really some love this pair of jade lioness, so hesitation did not open the mouth.

This hesitation, the mood of those powerful nobles became quite unpleasant, thinking that they have already given enough face, if not the Marquis was invited to attend an extremely important party, and left the matter of picking up gifts to the young gentleman, they do need this pair of precious jade lions as a gift, why would they have to talk to this stranger.

Right at this moment, those people parted, and a powerful son of about twelve or thirteen years of age walked out, pointing at Fan Si Zhe’s nose and cursing, “In the Upper Capital, no one has dared to compete with me for something yet!”

Fan Si Zhe’s brows frowned, if it were before, I’m afraid he would have greeted them with a fist, but as he grew older, his mind was much more stable, and he asked, “Your Excellency is?”

One person kindly reminded, “This is the young son of the Marquis of Chang’an’s family.”

Marquis Chang’an and Marquis Chang’ning, were the Northern Qi Empress Dowager’s own brothers, this identity was indeed honorable enough, but after Fan Si Zhe was slightly stunned, he laughed abominably.

“Your father is going to send a gift this evening, right?” How much more progressive is Fan Si Zhe, but back then, he was after all a lawless guy, gritting his teeth, staring fiercely into that child’s eyes, saying, “Little fart thing!”

As soon as these words came out, the people on the opposite side of the street all gathered around, the group was raging, seemingly ready to make a move.

Fan Si Zhe sneered and led the four machete guards out of the antique store.

On the carriage outside the store, a Machete guard flashed a strange color in his eyes and asked Fan Si Zhe, “Boss, do you know that gentleman?”

Fan Si Zhe spat and cursed, “A little brat, back then, big brother wrenched his hand off, and actually didn’t make any progress at all……. Dare to mess with Lao Zi again, beware of Lao Zi wrenching his other hand off!”

Inside the antique store, the crowd also looked at each other, thinking that earlier that guy had a lot of guts, and actually dared to call the Chang’an Marquis family’s son a little fart thing to his face!

Idle talk less, that young gentleman picked up the gift, forced to hold back anger, cheerfully returned to the house, followed their father, came to the capital city of the newly opened less than four months holding the moon building branch, ready to participate in this extremely important party.

However, when he entered the building, sat beside his father, and looked at the fat man on the first seat who was talking and laughing with his cousin, he was dumbfounded.

His cousin’s name was Wei Hua, he was the most outstanding young man in the entire Wei Clan, and now he was highly appreciated by His Majesty, holding the important position of Commander of the Jin Yi Wei Zhen Fu Division, and in the entire Northern Qi, he possessed extremely terrifying power.

However, such a powerful person, at this time, but and that young fat boy talk and laugh without fear, as if many years of friends and friends, between the eyebrows and eyes seems to have a hidden vigilance.

The young son of the Changan Marquis family looked at this scene in a daze, thinking Previously, the fat brother who scolded his own little fart thing …… is in the end what kind of person?

Fan Si Zhe and Wei Hua spoke in the air, with the afterglow glanced at the bottom of the seat, and found that Changan Marquis actually brought his untalented son to come, thinking that the old thing is so old, how to give birth to such a small son, don t not be wearing a hat …… He was bellyaching on the one hand, and on the other hand, he smiled towards Changan Marquis and greeted him.

Today this banquet was initiated by him, did not invite outsiders, all are members of the royal relatives of Northern Qi, the purpose is also very simple, the news is clear from the Southern Dynasty side, Li Yunrui has collapsed, there seems to be no more people within the country of Qing that can threaten his brother, then he must seize this opportunity to expand the entire business plate some more.

And doing business with Northern Qi was actually doing business with the Northern Qi Emperor’s family, so he invited everyone from the Wei family, and at the same time asked Haitang and his sister to help him press the stage a bit.

What was Fan Si Zhe afraid of? All the low-priced goods from the south were in his hands, the inner treasury’s output was constantly handed over to him by Xia Mingji, and the Wei family’s people would have to rely on him if they wanted to get rich.

He smiled and looked at the young prince of the Chang’an Marquis family whose face had changed a little, and winked, his meaning was clear, where is my old man’s pair of jade lions?