Chapter 26: The Drain Between the Two Houses

Who He Zongwei was, I’m sure the watchers already knew by heart, and although the past old grudge between him and Fan Xian was already extremely distant, with Fan Xian’s extremely vindictive personality, how could he not have this person’s name deeply imprinted in his heart.

“Greetings, Grand Maester.”

“Greetings, young lord.”

He Zongwei was not humble, and bowed low with extreme steadiness. Grand Maester Hu laughed and made a few small talk, lifting his arms in vain and signaling that he did not need to be polite. Fan Xian, on the other hand, just calmly looked at the young minister from the sidelines, not knowing how many images flashed through his mind.

At the beginning of the seventh year of Qingli, when the military sniped Fan Xian in the valley, giving His Majesty the Emperor a chance to get new blood for the court, there were seven young officials who entered the palace that day, known to the people as the Seven Gentlemen. Among the Seven Gentlemen, Qin Heng was involved in the rebellion and has already died, Yan Bingyun is safely working in the Supervisory Yuan, just waiting to take over the position of Fan Xian’s Tishui, while He Zongwei is the one who has gained the most trust from His Majesty and has been promoted the fastest among these new bloods.

In the aftermath of the rebellion in Kyoto, Fan Xian and Da Huangzi Ye Chong were the first to be honored, but the problem was that these three were already the top of the power elite, and His Majesty was unable to honor or reward them. However, because of this incident, He Zongwei was treated by His Majesty’s eyes, and was promoted three times in a row, like a rocket into the political center of the court. This kind of promotion speed was really an anomaly, and perhaps only Fan Xian, who had first entered Kyoto, could surpass him.

Not only was Fan Xian clear, but He Zongwei himself was clear, and in fact, the entire court understood that this man’s promotion and His Majesty’s trusting decentralization was merely His Majesty’s attempt to balance out Fan Xian’s naturally occurring power. It wasn’t that the emperor had any misgivings about Fan Xian, it was just that if a powerful official like Fan Xian didn’t have someone to check and balance him in the court, there would always be some problems.

He Zongwei although into the door under the middle book, but still concurrently with the left royal inspector general, upholding the will of the holy. The power of the Capital Procuratorate has risen dramatically, creating a great pressure on the power of the Procuratorate. In the past two years, I do not know how many lawsuits between the Supervisory Board and the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the situation between the two sides is extremely tense, but also busy to Song Shiren and Chen Bochang as the head of the eight law enforcement division.

The Department of Law Enforcement is Fan Xian on the spur of the moment set up a new Office of the Supervisory Yuan, in order to deal with this cadre of the most capable of the Imperial Court of the Procuratorate of the smart mouth.

From this, it can be seen. Fan Xian of course does not like He Zongwei, this person overturned his father-in-law, everywhere and his own opposition, the key is the other side of this serious face, hidden under the heart of a speculation that he hated the most.

The name “Three Surname Slave” was spread from the study of the Fan House, the door of the Academy was kicked down by Fan Xian, and everyone knew that little Lord Fan despised He Zongwei the most.

However, whenever they met in the court or in the courtroom, He Zongwei still maintained absolute respect for Fan Xian, as if he didn’t know about it at all, and as if they still felt the same way they did when they first met in the Yishiju.

As the saying goes, one does not hit a smiling face, as long as the other party does not touch his bottom line for the time being, Fan Xian naturally will not humiliate him in any mean way. However, it was also He Zongwei’s smiling man’s attitude that made his heart somewhat secretly alert, such a small person who turned his hand to the clouds and his hand to the rain, it was impossible for him to let him eat losses on the surface, but secretly who knew what the other party would do.

He Zongwei seemed to see that Fan Xian was not very willing to talk to him, and smiled somewhat helplessly, saluting the two of them once again, and saying a few more words of what to say in a harmonious voice, he followed that red lantern and retreated back into the darkness beneath the palace city.

Fan Xian squinted his eyes at that lantern until he could not see the person’s face, then he gently exhaled a mouthful of turbid air. Grand Maester Hu looked at him gently from the sidelines and said, “Lord He has a solid holy favor, but he is not a man without measure, and he is only an office worker when it comes to disputes between the two houses.”

Listening to Grand Maester Hu speak for He Zongwei, Fan Xian’s lips curled up and said in jest, “If you were to marry that precious daughter of yours to him, would you be willing to do so?”

Grand Maester Hu coughed repeatedly, pointing at Fan Xian in amusement and anger, unable to speak. Nowadays, Kyoto had somehow developed a trend of late marriages, and even though the palace was greatly displeased with it, it couldn’t change it. For example, King Jing’s son, such as He Zongwei, are already a man, but still a widow, do not think of marriage.

“Speaking of my family that girl ……” Hu Da Da Shi suddenly smiled and said, “Anzhi ah, I heard that you received the young lady of Wang Da Dudu’s family as a student, in that case, also don’t mind more my family that right? ”

Fan Xian was stunned, and then he thought that he had accepted Wang Tiel as a female student, and this matter had already become a reality after that argument with His Majesty in the Imperial Study Room, at that time, he was still complacent, and used the retreat as a means of advancing, so that His Majesty would leave the matter of the Grand Imperial Prince’s taking a side consort all to his own hands, and at this time, when he heard Grand University Sergeant Hu’s words, he realized that he had caused another problem.

He waved his hands and said, “What kind of words are these, the university scholar is rich in knowledge, your daughter is also intelligent, where is the need for me to do this waste to do anything.”

Seeing him rebuffed dry, Hu Daoshi smiled, thinking that if you are a waste, who in the world is not a waste, the heart can not help but feel some pity.

The civil and military officials in the court who all know that the little Lord Fan when Mr. That is the world’s best, the year the stubborn and bad three emperor son taught into today’s gentle gentleman, will be the year when the horse in Kyoto, the Miss Ye family taught into a gentle Wangfei, the humanities have the name of the Poetry Immortal, the martial arts have the realm of the Nine Pinnacle, even if it is the University of Hu sergeant is also very willing to send their own daughters to his residence – of course, not to go to the concubine. -Of course, not to become a concubine, just a female student.

Fan Xian changed the topic back to the previous sentence, teasingly saying, “The maester refuses to marry his daughter to He Zongwei, naturally he knows that his heart is not in the right place, such a villain, why would I want to make false pretenses with him.”

Hu Daoshi sighed helplessly, thinking that in today’s court, only Fan Xian would criticize He Zongwei so viciously, but he could never understand why Fan Xian despised He Zongwei so much, and said that those things back then were actually not facilitated by His Majesty’s efforts.

This matter is not understandable, Fan Xian’s fear and dislike of He Zongwei comes from many aspects. At this time, it was early in the morning, there was nothing to do, so Fan Xian and Hu Daoshi talked about small talk.

Since Shu Wu returned to the old man, Fan Xian was a bit surprised to find that the original Hu Daoshi and Shu old man, are extremely interesting people, a bit of pedantry, coupled with the Kyoto rebellion, Fan Xian Cheng Shu Hu two Daoshi’s great friendship, an old man and a young man on weekdays official business, get along with the extremely cordial, the relationship is also closer to a few points.

Fan Xian and his two people together in a place, talking about Hu Daoshi when the new culture movement, this thing finally although no end, but Hu Daoshi life is the most pleased with things, even more pleased than the main door under the book, and Fan Xian is also deeply baptized by the generation of the four disciples, said incomparable pleasure, laughter is penetrated the silence under the palace city.

At this time under the palace gate in the darkness, countless red lanterns, in fact, are looking up here. Many people wanted to participate in the conversation between the Head Bachelor of the Central Book under the Gate and the young lord, but they knew that they didn’t have the qualifications to do so, and as for laughing out loud while waiting for the court, even more so, only these two had the guts to do so.

After a long time, Fan Xian straightened up, suddenly sensing that the atmosphere around him was a bit strange, and with a slight frown, he sighed.

Grandmaster Hu glanced at him, knowing that he had realized something, and smiled slightly.

Fan Xian had never known that His Imperial Majesty had once considered the issue of allowing him to succeed the throne for a moment after he had put down the rebellion, although His Imperial Majesty had been very resolute in erasing the thought from his mind afterward.

However, he knew clearly His Majesty’s initial arrangement for the future government of Qing Dynasty, using He Zongwei’s Du Cha Yuan to balance the power of the Supervisory Yuan, and then stabilizing the dynasty with Hu Da Daoshi’s Menxia Zhongshu (门下中書), who led the army.

Such an arrangement can ensure the peace and quiet of the Qing Dynasty for twenty years.

Just now Fan Xian’s power is too big, and with Hu Da Daoshi and extremely good friends, the emperor’s arrangement some implementation can not go on, had to He Zongwei into the door under the middle book.

“His Majesty’s meaning is clear.” Grand Maester Hu said gently, “He is not willing to have the courtiers below be like water and fire, and at first, Lord He came over to ask for peace. It was also the intention to ease the situation. Anzhi you are a smart man, you should know what to do.”

Fan Xian fell silent, his handsome face looking incredibly calm in the light of the lantern. A year and a half ago, he had once kicked down the door of the Duzha Academy and scolded a dozen or so Imperial Historians below He Zongwei to the point where they didn’t know whether they would live or die, and the world had only said that young Lord Fan was arrogant, how could they have known that he himself had been scolded by the Emperor’s Elder inside the Imperial Study Room afterward, so much so that his face had been greenish-white in color.

This incident proved His Majesty’s defense of the Duzha Academy and the price he was willing to pay in order to maintain this balanced situation. So after that day, Fan Xian knew exactly what he should do, and had always done so; as long as He Zongwei didn’t go too far, he wouldn’t exert his hot hand, and apart from setting up the Law Enforcement Division to make things difficult for the Capital Procuratorate, there weren’t any really powerful means to exert.

But all of this must be based on the premise that Fan Xian could endure, if He Zongwei did something he couldn’t endure, with his blood relationship with the emperor, with his true strength nowadays, a character like He Zongwei, even if he really killed him with a single stab, what could he do? Could it be that the Emperor would still be willing to let his own illegitimate son pay for the life of a minister?

Grandmaster Hu looked at the darkness under the palace gates and sighed quietly, in his heart he felt worried for He Zongwei. He immediately thought of the meaning of His Majesty’s words late at night the day before yesterday, and couldn’t help but frown. According to common theory, although He Zongwei could not be considered a pure and virtuous person, but the old matters of the past years were all His Majesty’s will, and when he thought about it, this Lord He was actually not so bad – if young Lord Fan was willing, His Majesty’s proposal could really calm down the dispute between the two houses.

It all depended on whether Fan Xian was willing or not. Grand Maester Hu turned his head and gave Fan Xian a deep look.

Fan Xian, however, was now wondering if Hu Da Daoshi’s words were words that the Emperor had entrusted him to pass on, or if it was the attitude of Menxia Zhongshu, and then immediately frowned at the thought that, although He Zongwei was also extremely respectful of himself on weekdays, he was not as meek and calm as he was today, and did not have a temper at all.

All of this, in fact, is from Fan Xian hands too much power, an imperial bastard, the Supervisory Yuan in his hands, the inner treasury also away from him, so the power, too much. Fan Xian thought of the emperor’s mind, could not help but be annoyed secretly, could it be that one’s good character, good family history, is also a kind of original sin?

When the great court meeting ended, then there was the usual small meeting, and finally His Majesty the Emperor had an even smaller private family meeting with the eldest prince, the third prince, and Fan Xian. Fan Xian stepped out of the high imperial city, and with a gentle smile on his face, he said his apologies to the housekeeper of the Hu Mansion who was waiting for him, saying that there had been a sudden emergency in the mansion this morning, and that this drinking would have to be rescheduled for another day.

Sitting on the carriage back to the house, Fuji Zijing found that the young master today seems to be in a really good mood, eyes have been smiling squinting, the corners of the lips have been curved, just like the moon. Thinking of what that mother-in-law of his own had been pressing for recently, he asked cautiously, “Young master ……”

Fan Xian gave him a sideways glance, listening to this most loyal servant of his own speak softly, and only after half a day of listening did he realize that the original Vine family’s watched as some of the people’s households in the mansion all went out to become minor officials by virtue of the Fan family’s prestige, and their hearts were also a little itchy.

Nowadays, all the chores are basically handed over to Fuji Zijing and his daughter-in-law in the office, there is this idea, is also Fan Xian had expected things. He looked at Fuji Zijing and said with a smile, “Today is the ninth year of the Qingli calendar, and since it’s already five years late, there’s no point in you going out again.”

Fuji Zijing didn’t understand the young master’s inscrutable words, so he smiled and stopped talking.

Returning to the front of the mansion, Fan Xian lifted the lapel of his coat and carried the wind with him as he entered, his face still maintaining a gentle and gracious smile. All the servants were happy to see this, Fan Xian was used to buying people’s hearts, not to mention that the entire household was proud of him, so when the young master was happy, the servants were naturally happy as well.

The third housekeeper followed Fuji Zijing as Fan Xian walked towards the garden, and said softly, “That young lady from the Wang family has come over, and I heard that she wants to formally pay her respects to her master. Seeing the young master’s mood, it should be granted. What should we prepare?”

Fuji Zijing’s face also did not turn, as Fan Xian smiled inscrutably and said, “The Wang family’s young lady …… will be miserable today.”

“Why?” The third housekeeper asked in surprise.

Fuji Zijing said with a dark face, “Young master is in a bad mood today …… unprecedentedly bad.”

As expected of a smart man who had seen Fan Xian’s brilliant future back in Tanyuzhou, and as expected of a close friend who had followed Fan Xian for the longest time, things unfolded just as Tou Zijing had expected, and shortly after Fan Xian walked into the study with a smile on his face, that bratty Wang family’s eldest young lady came running out of the study with howls and cries.

Wang Tieli’er was crying and cursing at the same time, looking miserable and unimaginable, and not knowing what Fan Xian had done to her that was so outrageous, the girl’s family seemed to think that the study was not a place for people to stay, and hid their faces all the way, their teardrops fluttering in the air.

It was precisely the tears all the way into a poem, or the gesture of the pear blossom body.

And behind her, Grand Admiral Shi Fei, the Kyoto Guardian who had specially set aside time to come today, also angrily walked out of the study and towards the outside of the mansion, reciting words under his breath, as if he hadn’t imagined that Fan Xian would actually not even give himself face.

Fuji Zijing looked at the dumbfounded third steward and said, “Don’t ask me, I don’t know what’s going on in the palace either.”

The women of the Fan Mansion who waited for the news rushed to the study, and along the way realized that in the study, Fan Xian was extremely mean and gave that Wang Tiel girl a good lesson, and in the end even had to move the whip.

The crowd was shocked, thinking that this was a great offense to the Yanjing faction of the military, especially such a big shot as the commander of the Kyoto garrison, who had given Fan Xian enough face to come in person for the sake of Wang Tiel’er’s entry into the royal residence, where would they have thought that Fan Xian would not give the other side any face at all.

The smile on Fan Xian’s face was eerie, as he looked at Wan Er, Si Si, and the little princess Rou Jia in the study, and said, “Nothing happened, it was agreed beforehand that if you come to my door, you’ll have to take a couple of lashes, to break up the offense you committed in the first place.”

Lin Wan’er sucked in a breath of cold air, and thought to herself, is my husband suffering from insanity today, the so-called return of the whip is of course just a joke, how can it become true.

Fan Xian restrained his smile and said softly, “It’s not a joke, program and ethics, this kind of thing always needs to be respected.”

“But you can’t fight in front of General Shi either.” Lin Wan’er glanced at him hopelessly, having long smartly guessed that something must have happened in the palace to make Fan Xian take it out on Wang Tiel’s head.

And nowadays, under the world, there was only one person who could give Fan Xian anger and still make him unable to vent it outside the palace.

“All of these words were said to me by that good uncle of yours.”

Lin Wan’er got annoyed and said, “That’s your own father.”

The couple was naturally talking about His Majesty the Emperor, the problem was that although the world knew that Fan Xian was the Emperor’s illegitimate son, no one dared to speak out about this fact, Fan Xian’s two couples were talking smoothly and incomparably in bed, but at this time, there were other people in the study.

Especially County Head of Roujia, her face was full of embarrassment and she didn’t know how to answer.

Lin Wan’er sighed, realizing that it was her own slip of the tongue, and stepped forward to say softly, “What exactly did His Majesty say that made you so angry?”

Fan Xian sat down with a bit of a headache, shook his head and said with a bitter smile, “His Majesty is going to give Ruo Ruo a marriage.”

Roujia’s eyes rolled back in her head and said with slight joy, “This is a good thing.”

Fan Xian glanced at her and said, “Do you think that this time it’s still meant for your brother?” His face sank as he said, “His Majesty asked me privately today what I meant, and it seems that he wants to point Ruo Ruo to He Zongwei.”

At these words, the room was filled with shock, silence, and tightness – nervous tightness.

Lin Wan’er’s heart was beating extremely fast, afraid of what Fan Xian would do in his anger, her eyebrows knitted slightly and she said, “How can this be?”

This is not to go along with Fan Xian’s hair in the touch, by Fan Xian’s influence, Fan House up and down are extremely despise He Zongwei, especially Lin Wan’er, on the one hand, she is thinking of Wuzhou old father’s collapse, on the one hand is from Fan Xian mouth to learn, that year, He Zongwei once to Ruo Ruo have some thoughts.

In fact, when He Zongwei was a talented young man in Kyoto, young man Mu Shaoai, like Ruo Ruo is not wrong at all, but Fan Xian just feel disgusted. Today, after the meeting of the Imperial Study Room, the emperor said that the meaning of the marriage, Fan Xian on the spot on the anger, and the emperor had a big fight, and finally was the emperor with the share of the emperor, father and son of the righteousness of the raw pressure down.

“He Zongwei this person …… character is not good ah.” Zo Jia of course hoped that Fan Ruo Ruo could become his sister-in-law, no matter from which angle, have to fight for his elder brother Hong Cheng.

Fan Xian listened to this criticism from Rou Jia’s thin, red-faced voice, and couldn’t help but let out a puff of a laugh, and was in a much better mood instead.

“His Majesty would not consider Lord He to be of poor character.” Fan Xian’s face calmed down and said, “In His Majesty’s eyes, He Zongwei is a man of talent, and now that he is a high ranking official and loyal to him, he is certainly worthy of Ruo Ruo.”

In fact, if colored eyes are put aside, many people would think that Lord He and Fan Ruo Ruo are a match made in heaven, because the so-called character of the person’s official character, in fact, it is all clear that He Zongwei is only working on behalf of his majesty, and is indeed a greatly loyal official.

Just one thing Fan Xian still did not figure out, in Qingzhou thinking about the great palace under the side consort matter, he had thought, His Majesty is now on their own trust and favor, and know that he was in order to Ruo Ruo’s marriage, at the expense of Hongcheng into a generation of obscene, should not be forcibly arranged for the marriage to provoke their own – but now His Majesty, actually will! start arranging Ruo Ruo’s marriage to He Zongwei, what exactly is he thinking?

“Since His Majesty asked you in private, he knew that you would definitely object, it was just a test.” Lin Wan’er immediately calmed down and began to analyze all of this, “You shouldn’t have fought hard against His Majesty, His Majesty’s temperament is not unknown to you, the more vehemently you oppose, the more he’s inclined to do so.”

“I’m just angry that his majesty would actually be confused to such an extent, did he think that by forcing this marriage, there would be a peaceful wind and rain in the court?” Fan Xian snapped out of his contemplation, and a light flashed through his mind as if he had vaguely caught something.

His eyes narrowed slightly, a cold light appeared within them, and his voice was pressed into a cold line, “I don’t care about He Zongwei, if he really dares to come to the door to propose marriage, I’ll split him with a knife.”