(Life must go on. Praying for the people in the disaster area, I won't say much more in the book. Thank you all.)

...

...

He continued, "As the head of the Ming family, I naturally have to cooperate with the imperial court in handling cases. As for any members of the family who have acted illegally, they will all be handed over."

"Lan Shi!" Ming Qingda stood up in alarm.

"That's right, Ming Lan Shi has already been summoned to the Suzhou Prefectural Yamen to explain the matter of private salt." Xia Qifei stared into Ming Qingda's eyes. "As for the matter of someone impersonating pirates, I believe it won't be long before it is clarified."

Ming Qingda took a few breaths and said, "Do you know that if this continues, the Ming family will really be finished! Even if my mother and I have mistreated you in the past, you... you are still father's youngest son, you are surnamed Ming! Are you just going to watch the Ming family be destroyed in your hands!"

He roared.

...

...

"Don't worry." Fan Xian slightly raised his eyes and said, "The imperial court has no interest in doing business. This official understands that if the government interferes too much in such commercial matters, it will only turn a golden pot into a toilet... I already advised His Majesty before the New Year that the imperial court will not directly interfere with Ming Garden. Ming Garden is still the Ming family's Ming Garden, but this Ming Garden will be much more obedient."

He spread his hands and said peacefully, "This official will have the Internal Treasury Transportation Department fully cooperate with the Ming family. In less than a year, you will surely see a re-emerging prosperity, no! A more developed Ming family!"

Ming Qingda was shocked and sat down weakly.

In this year-long event, the Qing Kingdom's official, or rather, Fan Xian, successfully gained control of the Ming family. What was especially crucial was that the change of ownership of the current Ming Garden did not involve too much of the government. Xia Qifei was originally the seventh son of the Ming family, and his entry into Ming Garden was justified. Moreover, all the methods used were business tactics, which the people of Jiangnan would accept more easily.

At least, there would no longer be many scholars and gentry marching in Suzhou Prefecture, saying that the Supervisory Council was forcibly seizing private property. The private property was still private property, but the owner of this private property was now Xia Qifei, a secretly affiliated official of the Supervisory Council.

Fan Xian shook his head and said, "This year, neither you nor I have had an easy time. Now that there is a plan, both you and I can be considered relieved."

"Although you, sir, are someone who likes to humiliate people, coming here at this time is probably not as simple as flaunting achievements." Ming Qingda interrupted him, staring into his eyes and said, "Presumably, you, sir, will slowly use these people to prop me up, but you... you can't tie me to the garden. I can always go out."

"What I want to talk about is this matter." Fan Xian said, word by word, "You cannot leave the garden."

Ming Qingda smiled coldly, "On what grounds?"

"This official is under imperial orders to investigate the case of the Jiaozhou Navy's rebellion. Master Ming is a witness involved in the case. If you don't want to be accused of fleeing from justice as soon as you leave the garden, you are welcome to go out."

The case of the Jiaozhou Navy had already been investigated long ago. Fan Xian was just looking for an excuse. Ming Qingda sneered and said, "Who are you trying to deceive with those words?"

"There's also the case of the Zhao Shang Qian Zhuang attack, and the case of the assassination of Xia Qifei." Fan Xian said with a smile, "Master Ming's hands have reached too far in the past, and there are too many loopholes that can be seized."

Ming Qingda laughed in anger, looking at Fan Xian with great interest, "If you really wanted to investigate these cases, you could have done so before. Why move it to now?"

"Because before, you were the master of the Ming family. If I investigated you, it would make the imperial court and the public think that the Supervisory Council was persecuting merchants and plundering wealth." Fan Xian said with a smile, "Now that you don't have this identity, it's much easier to handle."

"It seems that you, sir, have omitted a reason," Ming Qingda replied coldly.

"Ah." Fan Xian sighed, "The Princess now can't help you anymore. I can do things without any scruples, very happily."

He glanced at the woman behind Ming Qingda.

Ming Qingda's brows furrowed deeply. He said, "This is exactly what I didn't understand before. If you, sir, were certain that the capital couldn't help me, you could have used these methods directly to kill the Ming family... Why go through so many circles?"

"I said, I want a complete Ming family." Fan Xian said, "If I had used these thunderous methods before, you, as the master of the Ming family, could have mobilized the entire Ming family to resist the imperial court, and even caused chaos in Jiangnan... But now, you don't have this identity, and what you say doesn't have this kind of power."

"Identity seems unimportant," Fan Xian said seriously, "But it is the most important thing."

He said with a smile, "I must admit that you are just a merchant, far less than me. No matter what, you cannot resist the anger of the imperial court. However, you have used all means, endured humiliation and grievances, and stubbornly dragged me for a year... It is truly admirable."

Ming Qingda said with a smile, "At least I am still the big boss of the Ming family. Since you won't let me leave the garden, you probably don't feel at ease leaving me here. How do you plan to deal with me? Presumably, with your methods, you wouldn't kill me at this critical juncture, giving people something to talk about."

"You are wrong again." Fan Xian said seriously, "I admire you, but your identity is not as good as mine. Even if you die now, you won't cause much of a stir."

"Of course." He advised very gently, "It's better to live badly than to die well. I advise you to stay in Ming Garden for a few more days."

As he spoke, Xia Qifei, with a complicated expression on his face, took out a piece of white silk from his arms and gently placed it on the desk in front of Ming Qingda.

As soon as the white silk appeared, Ming Qingda's face remained unchanged, but the concubine behind him was so frightened that her teeth chattered.

"The white silk is placed here. If you really have the courage to resist me with death one day, please take it and use it yourself." Fan Xian looked at Ming Qingda and said, "But I know you don't have the courage to commit suicide, so you will continue to live according to my wishes, until I no longer need you to live... A person who strangled his own biological mother must be very clear about the fear of death and must be very afraid of seeing that old lady in the Yellow Springs after death."

"You better not die, because Ming Lan Shi will hardly be able to get out of prison again. If you die, the shares in your hand will be transferred to that infant less than two years old." Fan Xian frowned and said, "You know, a small child having so much money in his hands... is not a good thing."

After saying this, he turned and left the study. Behind him, Xia Qifei carefully closed the door of the study, leaving no gap. The study was once again plunged into darkness.

Ming Qingda stared at the white silk on the desk, silent and speechless. After a long time, he slowly said, "What a ruthless wolf cub..."

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The defensive forces in Ming Garden had been cleared and replaced by the Supervisory Council. This beautiful garden was immersed in an atmosphere of quietness and unease, with unfamiliar people seen everywhere. Now that Xia Qifei was in charge, he made changes to Ming Garden, and few people in the clan dared to resist his orders in person.

"The private soldiers of Ming Garden have been disarmed by the state troops sent by Lord Xue Qing." After receiving the news, Xia Qifei immediately went to Fan Xian's ear and said, "The power in Ming Qingda's hands has been cleared."

"Were there any problems?"

"More than forty people died."

"Remember Lord Xue's favor." Fan Xian lowered his head and was silent for a while, then raised his face and smiled, "The Ming family is finally yours now. How does the feeling of revenge feel?"

Xia Qifei lowered his head respectfully and said, "The Ming family belongs to you, sir."

Fan Xian shook his head in disapproval. Xia Qifei quickly explained, "What this subordinate means is that the Ming family belongs to the imperial court."

Fan Xian turned his head and glared at him, saying, "The Ming family is yours, just yours. When did it become the imperial court's or mine? Did you think that everything I said to Ming Qingda in the study was a lie? Put your heart at ease... The imperial court has no interest in the Ming family. All it wants is for the Ming family to be obedient."

Xia Qifei choked, not knowing what to say. The imperial court had spent so much money to bring the Ming family under complete control. Could it be that it would be so easily handed over to him to manage?

Fan Xian sighed and explained, "Standing in different positions, you think differently. Who is His Majesty? His Majesty is the lord of the world. The people of Qing Kingdom are all his people. Since this is the case, whatever his people possess is also equal to what he possesses, as long as this person manages this thing well... and it can benefit the people and the imperial court. If the imperial court really took the Ming family into its hands, what would the merchants in Lingnan and Quanzhou think? And with the pedantic faces of the imperial court officials, who would be able to manage such a large enterprise well? So rest assured."

Xia Qifei's mouth tasted bitter. He suddenly thought that His Majesty was the master of the world, so he didn't care about the property of his people. But what about Little Fan Xian? Why was he also willing not to benefit from the Ming family?

Fan Xian's words interrupted his thoughts, "I asked you earlier, how does the feeling of revenge feel?"

Xia Qifei shook his head blankly, "Walking in Ming Garden as the master, I don't feel anything... Because this garden is very unfamiliar. I always thought that I grew up here in my childhood. If I came back one day and regained power, I should be very happy, but for some reason, I can't feel too much joy."

"Revenge is like that," Fan Xian paused for a moment, then said, "Once a great revenge is achieved, you will feel that things are very boring."

Xia Qifei suddenly thought of something and asked carefully, "Actually, this subordinate's idea is somewhat close to Ming Qingda's. Looking at today's scene and then at your arrangements over the past year, it seems a bit too cautious."

"Peaceful evolution is originally a long-term process." Fan Xian said with a smile, "Stability is more important than everything else. Peaceful transition is the right way... I am just a errand runner for His Majesty. His Majesty requires a bloodless victory, so I can only do so..."

He then said with a wry smile, "Besides, Ming Qingda used to have the Princess and the princes helping him, and the military supporting him. How could I be as presumptuous as I am now?"

Mentioning the Princess, Xia Qifei frowned and asked, "How should those several percentage points of dry shares be handled?"

"Erase them all. Anyway, they are just things on paper, with no real goods." Fan Xian instructed, "Make a form. I want to send it to the palace."

Xia Qifei suddenly laughed bitterly, "This will offend the Princess terribly... I don't know how that noble person will retaliate."

Fan Xian smiled and said nothing, but he was thinking that the Princess in the palace had already been offended to the extreme by him. As for retaliation... that noble person had no time to think about these things.

He beckoned to Xia Qifei, and the two illegitimate sons strolled around Ming Garden, which had changed owners. They whispered about the follow-up arrangements and admired the beautiful scenery of one of the three famous gardens in the world. The environment and their hearts became beautiful.

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In the depths of the imperial palace in the capital, a rumor had been circulating since a month ago. Wherever such noble people lived, the servants who served them always liked to talk about right and wrong, tell old stories, and gossip about the private affairs of the nobles... However, this rumor was too shocking, so it only circulated for two days before quietly disappearing.

This was because this rumor was indeed somewhat baseless and didn't know where it came from. There was no evidence, and... although eunuchs and palace maids were mouthy, it didn't mean they were mindless. They knew that if they continued to spread it and it reached the ears of the nobles, their lives would definitely be lost.

Rumors were an indispensable seasoning in palace life since the dawn of history. Most of them would disappear into people's oblivion. No matter how sensational the topic, it could not maintain freshness for too long without subsequent outbreaks.

This year's number one topic in the palace also disappeared naturally. However, some people did not forget, especially those who were most suspicious and sensitive. In the middle of the night, they were still discussing this topic.

Eunuch Yao said softly, "Those little brats have very foul mouths. This servant knows what to do."

The middle-aged man on the low couch put down the memorial in his hand. He had none of the domineering air that an emperor should have. He said very peacefully, "I heard that a palace maid died in the East Palace?"