Chapter 30: The Same Road

Fan Xian had two sets of intelligence teams at hand, and was extremely quick to detect movements under the sky. However, the matter of opening the Sword Lodge in Dongyi City was the most important thing for all forces to pay attention to, and he left the capital very quickly, at that time, the Supervisory Yuan and the Moon Tower had not yet returned with information. Yanjing is located in the north, and the world of the other two sides of the forces more intermingled, and the military also has its own intelligence system, so he was anxious to ask Wang Zhikun, to see if the other side has any news.

Wang Zhikun frowned and pondered for a moment before saying not so firmly, “According to common sense, it should be Marquis Changning.”

Dongyi City’s tendency in the future, the impact is too far-reaching, no matter whether it is North Qi or South Qing, are extremely nervous, South Qing sends out the number one fighter of the Heavenly Character, Fan Xian, it is estimated that the world’s people can not escape from the analysis of the judgment, and the North Qi side is bound to send out the corresponding figure, in order to let the East Barbarians City feel their sincerity as well as leverage.

The Marquis of Changning was the brother of the Empress Dowager of Northern Qi, and was now in charge of the silver and money of Northern Qi’s internal treasury, so he was indeed an extremely important figure.

Fan Xian, however, raised an eyebrow and said softly with some skepticism, “This Marquis is also an old acquaintance, and his drinking is not bad, but when it comes to doing things, he is quite a bit worse than his son.”

Wang Zhikun knew that what was being said at this time was the main event, and with his status as a Da Dudu he did not dare to be negligent, and responded, “Although Wei Hua is the Commanding Officer of the Brocade Guards, the Northern Brocade Guards, the status is far less than that of the courtyard, and he doesn’t have such a great authority.”

Fan Xian nodded, the Supervisory Academy this special agency is too special, except for the confident to the dregs of the emperor’s old man, no emperor dared to allow the existence of such an agency, although the Northern Qi Brocade Guards inherited from the year when Sean organized the Tee Cavalry, but in the Northern Qi Empress Dowager mother and son of the emperor’s mother and son’s blow, the prestige has long been far less than the time of the Great Wei Dynasty.

Especially after Shen Chong was stabbed to death on the street by Uesugi Tiger, although the ability of the Brocade Guards, the status is increasingly low, if the small emperor of Northern Qi, really want to make a difference in Dongyi City, Wei Hua is not a good choice.

“The soldiers are coming. Regardless of who is sent, the ultimate competition is national strength. It’s better to stop thinking about it.” Fan Xian took a sip of wine, a faint sense of exhaustion surfacing between his brows.

Wang Zhikun smiled as he looked at him and spoke, “Little Lord Fan is bound to be successful on this trip.”

Fan Xian gave a bitter smile. Before leaving the capital, everyone, including Grand Maester Hu, was just as confident as this Grand Governor Wang, and even when His Majesty the Emperor was giving his account in the Imperial Study Room, he didn’t seem to have thought that Fan Xian would lose this battle at all.

He didn’t understand that in the hearts of the officials and people of Qing, the four words of Little Lord Fan, the golden border embroidered back then, had long since turned into a golden awn, and everyone had extreme confidence in him, and the passing of the past five years had long since proved that as long as he personally made a move, there was nothing that couldn’t be done.

In this spring of the 10th year of the Qing calendar, it seemed that the Qing dynasty and the country were quietly waiting for the submission of the city of Dongyi, waiting for the carriage of little Lord Fan to enter the sword lodge, and without spending a single soldier or a single stroke of his arm, he began to take over a large area of land, as well as the people who lived on this land and the immense riches that had been contained in the land for countless years.

It was just that Fan Xian himself would not do such thinking. Although through Wang Xulang, he had felt the attitude of the Four Gu Swords, and had also carefully expressed his attitude to the Sword Saint, and the two sides had somehow found a crossroads of interests, however, this trip to Dongyi was really too great a benefit to strive for for the Kingdom of Qing.

To put it another way, the benefits Dongyi City had to give were too great. This was not a house passing, nor was it a big business involving millions of taels of silver, but a real historical change. A truly historic event would take place right in front of Fan Xian’s eyes, or even in his hands.

At this point in time, it was impossible for Fan Xian not to be terrified, and he often wondered what he was capable of, that he was actually able to open up a territory and expand it, and that it might even be on the path of the Nine Sevens?

The problem is that the Four Gu Swords will die of serious injuries, for the Qing Emperor’s hatred and anger, I’m afraid to pour out the water of the East China Sea is difficult to wash away. Although this great master knows that after his death, Dongyi City will inevitably be divided by the two major countries, he has to consider for this city, as well as the vassal states next to the city, which is why he invited Northern Qi Nanqing to attend the last hut opening ceremony of his life. But he still had to fight for the interests of the people of Dongyi City, one last time.

Fan Xian couldn’t help but think of the last deep conversation he had with the emperor in the imperial study before leaving the capital, when his majesty’s face floated with a faint smile, and although he and all the ministers were generally full of confidence in Fan Xian’s trip to Dongyi, he didn’t think much of the opening ceremony at all between his words and demeanor.

The emperor’s mind, Fan Xian understands very well, confident and powerful as his majesty, does not care at all about the conciliatory intentions and final goodwill released when the building of Dongyi City is about to fall.

In the emperor’s view, this is just the last wail of Dongyi city, if Qing can spend less, get the land and wealth of Dongyi city, that is of course a very cost-effective thing, but if the conditions put forward by Siguijian, let the emperor think it is very ridiculous, the emperor is not afraid to raise his hand directly to the sword, will be this wail into a tragic horn.

With Fan Xian’s analysis and understanding of the temperament of these two powerful men of the world, the conditions that Four Gu Swords was about to put forward would definitely be unacceptable to Emperor Qing, and this was the biggest problem that he would face on this trip.

The team didn’t dare to delay too much time in Yanjing, early the next morning, Fan Xian was escorted out of the city by Wang Zhikun and Mei Zhi Li, and met the four departments of the Supervisory Yuan that had rushed over from the south of the Yangtze River, and drove towards the official highway.

The caravan traveled towards the borderline of the Southern Qing Dynasty, and before it could completely leave the escorting officials and soldiers of the Yanjing camp, it ushered in another rendezvous team. A merchant boarded Fan Xian’s carriage amidst the puzzled gazes of the crowd.

“Hard work.” Fan Xian patted Shi Yanli’s shoulder. Over the years, three of Fan’s four sons had fought in the Qing dynasty, while only Shi Yanli, who had not been successful in the imperial examination that year, had become Fan Xian’s personal aid, and had been in Jiangnan and the luxurious counties beyond its borders, where he had opened Holding the Moon Tower alongside Sang Wen, secretly combing the sources of information for Fan Xian.

Shi Yanli explained in a low voice to Mun Fan Xian about the recent state of Holding the Moon Building, as well as some of the tidbits of information that he had inquired about within the city of Dongyi.

“It seems that Thirteenth Lang was right, there is also strife within Dongyi City. This time, everyone in the world thought that I, Daqing, was going to pick fruit, where would they have thought that the fruit could also be poisonous.” After listening for a long time, Fan Xian smiled to himself and said, “It’s just that I can’t see clearly where that Dongyi City’s city lord got the courage to actually dare to go against my Daqing when the Four Gu Swords will soon be gone.”

“The Northern Qi people are definitely supporting him in secret. Even within the Sword Lodge, there are many people who are unwilling to get close to my Daqing.”

“These things aren’t up to them whether they want to or not.” Fan Xian sighed, “Strength determines everything. Once the Four Gu Swords died, there will be no more great masters in Northern Qi and Eastern Yi, and the two sides can only meet on the frontier. Beiqi’s country is wide, the people are rich and the soil is fertile, so it has the power to fight with my Daqing, while Dongyi City is established as a city by trade, it is rich but strong but not very strong, where is the rival of my Qing army?”

“The key problem is that the Four Guards Sword is hurt by His Majesty’s situation, the Sword Lodge up and down hates my Southern Qing to the bone, I’m afraid they’d rather fight to the death. Nor are they willing to yield and submit to this.” Shi Yanli had been living the life of a big boss all these years, had gained some weight, and hadn’t developed gray hair on his head, and compared to his youthful and shabby appearance back then, he didn’t know how much he had changed, but the only thing that hadn’t changed was his loyalty and admiration for Fan Xian. Since a year ago, he had stayed in Dongyi City to spy on the intentions of the Sword Lodge side, so knowing that there was a risk underneath the dead silence of today’s Sword Lodge, he couldn’t help but be a little worried for the Gate Master.

“The key is still the attitude of the Four Gu Swords.” Fan Xian lowered his head, closed his eyes, and said with a bitter smile as the carriage traveled along, “If he’s really a temper-screwing idiot, I’m afraid it’s still going to be a big fight. But if it’s really going to be a fight, then what does Thirteen Lang count for? The news you’ve been passing around for the past few years if true, Thirteen Lang will be the heir to his mantle, such a strong and forceful attitude, forcing me to even consider it again and again for him Dongyi, the Four Gu Swords is not always out of this chess move for nothing.”

“That’s another problem. Dongyi city to my Daqing or North Qi, is one thing, however four Gu sword after the sword hut, who is actually in charge, this is another big thing.” Shi Yanli said worriedly, “Although the Thirteenth Lord is deeply favored by the Four Gu Swords, Yun Zhilan is the first disciple of the Sword Lodge, he is widely traveled and extremely popular, and there are countless younger siblings and juniors to build up the momentum, coupled with the support of the City Lord’s Mansion and the Northern Qi, if the Four Gu Swords dies, I’m afraid that Yun Zhilan won’t give the Thirteenth Lord any chance.”

Fan Xian opened his eyes, a cold aura in his eyes slightly made, and muttered to himself, “Does it have to be like many years ago when the entire clan was killed before the Sword Lodge could be finalized?”

This is said to be many years ago in Dongyi City, an old story, the big event, four Gu sword heinous even cut off the family more than a hundred people, and even their own parents have not spared, crazy idiots of the infamy of the spread, but also let the Supervisory Yuan picked a shadow, until today.

Shi Yanli was silent, not knowing how to answer.

“It is definitely impossible for the Lord of Dong Yi City to accept our conditions.” Fan Xian said softly, “There’s a saying book about the Three Kingdoms that mentions that vassals can surrender because they’re still being vassals, only that city lord, if he surrenders, then he’s nothing.”

“Another key is the legacy of Dongyi Castle.” He rubbed his brow, “If Yun Zhilan really wants to snatch it from Thirteen, we, outsiders, won’t be able to play much of a role beforehand.”

Shi Yanli pondered for a moment before asking in a low voice, “What was the bottom line given by His Majesty before Teacher left the capital?”

“Claiming the title of vassal, paying tribute, dispersing the army, opening the borders of each vassal state, the entry and stationing of our Qing army, and the princes and dukes all gathering in Kyoto to reside there.” Fan Xian said with his head lowered.

Shi Yanli sucked in a mouthful of cool air, thinking that these conditions will be opened out, Dongyi City directly if the waste, his majesty’s appetite is too big, want to rely on the powerful national strength to intimidate, without war and give up people’s troops, this kind of loss of power and humiliation of the country’s conditions, I’m afraid that no one in Dongyi City dares to accept it.

“Of course, the number of years can be renegotiated, it doesn’t have to be fought over.” Fan Xian said softly, in fact, this was only after he had argued privately with Emperor Qing for a long time, and only then did he fight for more time for Dongyi City. After a pause, he continued, “If these petty princes do not dare to go and live in Kyoto, His Majesty will naturally not treat them poorly by building another new residence for them in Yanjing.”

Shi Yanli suppressed the shock in his heart and shook his head, “No one will agree. Such conditions are like putting their heads on the table of my Daqing, so I’m afraid they’d rather fight to the death, so at least there’s some hope.”

Fan Xian did not answer this question, and turned to say, “The Northern Qi people surely can’t just stand by and watch Eastern Barbarians be swallowed by us, and this time they will surely do everything they can.”

“What can they do?”

Fan Xian lifted the curtains of the car window, looked at the green trees on the official road, and casually said, “That little emperor of Northern Qi will first try to convince Sigu Jian to join forces with Northern Qi before he dies, with Northern Qi giving Dongyi City a great deal of support. If once the Northern Qi people realize that Dong Yi City really can’t resist and is ready to agree to my Great Qing Dynasty’s treaty, then they will do whatever it takes to sabotage this agreement.”

Without waiting for Shi Yanli to open his mouth, he continued softly, “Kill me, or kill a certain important figure within Dongyi City, and stir up the already intense hatred and bloodshed between Dongyi City and my Southern Qing. As long as the war has started, even if Dong Yi City wants to surrender again, with His Majesty’s character, he will not agree. At that time, the Northern Qi people will be able to ride on the wall and make plans.”

Just as these words were being said, the caravan turned a corner toward the southeast, following a small mountain, alongside a clear stream, and traveling in the direction of Song. Fan Xian squinted his eyes and looked back, Yanjing City was still clearly visible, and the soldiers in the camp there were waiting for the war to come, or terrified of it.

The Wang family’s young lady was going to marry into the Prince of Peace’s residence as a side consort, so naturally it was impossible for her to come to see Fan Xian off today, but she still respectfully entrusted Grand Duke Wang to bring a gift to Fan Xian. Whenever he thought about the young lady who had started out as a bratty and unrivaled person, but was later made miserable by himself, Fan Xian’s mood would feel a bit complicated.

Regardless of what kind of disposition a person had, whether he or she was a great master or the daughter of a proud and savage powerhouse, if he or she had one thing that he or she definitely wanted to achieve in this world, then he or she, for sure, would be willing to pay a price for this matter that was simply impossible to pay in normal times.

“I’m only worried about one thing right now.” Fan Xian retracted his gaze out the car window and said softly, “It’s not as if the Four Gu Swords is a great sage and a great character, so if he believes in the same creed of not being afraid of flooding the heavens after death as I do, then that’s going to be troublesome.”

“Hm?” Shi Yanli obviously didn’t fully understand this sentence.

Fan Xian let out a bitter smile and said, “Before Bitter Lotus died, he made two cruel moves, dragging my Daqing to work hard and giving me an abnormal headache. Like them, such great masters, see farther than anyone else, I find it hard to believe that the Four Gu Swords, defeated at the hands of His Majesty and languishing until today, having thought about it for two and a half whole years, would be so willing to concede defeat without much thought.”

He was afraid of the terrifying thoughts of these great masters.

On the third day, the caravan crossed the invisible border line hidden in the plains and entered the Song Kingdom. This small vassal state was small in size, not quite as large as a large state in Southern Qing or Northern Qi, but it had an extremely long history. Although there is a nominal king, but in reality all by the East Yi City control, in addition to the power of appointment and dismissal of officials, a should be armed forces are from the East Yi City Lord’s Office and the Sword Lodge.

For Song, Fan Xian is not unfamiliar, for this road, he is more incomparably familiar. Because Song’s Moon Embracing House opened extremely early, it was the first pilot batch when Fan Xian took control of the world’s high-end green house industry and carried out the development of chain stores. And a few years ago, after sniping Yan Xiaoyi to death in the Great Eastern Mountain Change, Fan Xian escaped from the mountains with a seriously injured body, and also entered the country’s borders from Song, passed through Yanjing, and eventually returned to Kyoto, leading the Supervisory Academy and launching a vicious counterattack against the forces on the side of the Princess.

In previous years, Fan Xian was alone, incognito, disguised, physically and mentally exhausted, wounds lingering, and do not know where the road ahead.

This year, when he came, he was accompanied by a gorgeous cover, accompanied by a cloud of attendants, bright honor guards, ten thousand people were watching, and the scenery was infinite, with the name of the world’s first minister of power, boasting in the streets of Song.

However, in Fan Xian’s opinion, he hadn’t changed at all, and the only thing that had really changed was the contrast between the strengths of the three powers in the world.

Rejecting the hospitality of the Song officials, and avoiding those vigilant and complicated gazes, Fan Xian and his entourage stayed at the Moon House, which after all was his own property, so he felt more at ease in terms of security.

After entering the building for a few moments, a Song official nervously came to report that a guest had come and requested to see young Lord Fan. Fan Xian was slightly stunned, and when he saw the official’s nervousness, he knew who the guest was. He smiled and thought, “What a coincidence, just as he arrived, the people from Northern Qi have also arrived.

He got up and walked to the hall outside, a arch of the hand to welcome with a smile: “Wei Hua brother, unexpectedly come really is you.”

North Qi Brocade Guard Commander Wei Hua had a helpless smile on his face as he solemnly bowed back and said, “Greetings, Lord Fan.”