(Last night, it actually jumped to second place, which is truly unbearable... Sincere thanks to everyone for the monthly tickets. Although I don't know how many days of happiness there will be, there is still glory, and my face is shining. I forgot to wish everyone a happy holiday yesterday, so I'm making up for it today. Also: I've put Dun Huai's comments in the public version, you can go and read them, I really like those words.)

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...

After returning to the capital for a month, Fan Xian smelled a very clear scent and understood some things. The most important of these, of course, were the words that the Second Prince had once told him in private. He admitted that the Second Prince's analysis and judgment were very correct. If the situation continued to develop like this, his situation would become exceptionally awkward and his future uncertain.

Qing Kingdom's silent and popular Emperor, although in the past few years, had been unusually cruel and ruthlessly provoking his sons to fight each other. But this kind of fighting had to be controlled within a certain limit. Because although he was cruel and powerful, he was not a pervert. As long as he wasn't a perverted father, he wouldn't sit idly by and watch his sons kill each other to the end.

The former Second Prince, and now Fan Xian, were actually just grindstones used by the Emperor to sharpen the Crown Prince. If the Crown Prince's newly forged treasured blade broke on these two grindstones, the Emperor would probably not hesitate to replace him. The competition between the A role and the B role has always been so fierce.

The Crown Prince is performing well now. Although he has no opportunity to show his light and heat, the blade is sheathed and hidden from the light of day – but this Crown Prince is obviously not a weakling. It's just that the opportunities to shine in previous years have been taken away by his brothers. If the blade remains in its sheath, it will reassure His Majesty, because the Crown Prince's choice is smart enough, with a wisdom of forbearance.

The Emperor has been coldly watching all of this, wanting to see clearly his sons' hearts, so he has given the Crown Prince many opportunities, enough time. If the Crown Prince continues to wait steadily like this, the Emperor may not make any major changes.

And remaining unchanged is unacceptable to Fan Xian. How many years later, once the Crown Prince ascends the throne and the Empress becomes the Empress Dowager, what will Fan Xian do? As the Second Prince said, it is Fan Xian who should be really worried now.

But the Emperor will not allow Fan Xian to do anything too outrageous. Although Fan Xian has never understood why the Emperor has remained silent, at a certain moment, he suddenly thought of a sentence, he couldn't remember whether it was Chen Pingping, his father, or his father-in-law who had said it, a very important sentence.

The Emperor is suspicious, the Emperor is sensitive, but... the Emperor wants to seek too much, he wants to seek the unification of the world, he wants to seek the most glorious name in history.

However, if he wants to continue to be glorious, the Qing Kingdom Emperor naturally has to care about history's evaluation of himself. If he replaces the Crown Prince, this matter will be a test of his virtue and ability in the history books. If his sons kill each other, it will leave a heavy and colorful stroke.

Fan Xian put down his teacup, took a breath of cold air, and finally understood the Emperor's reason for his silence. The Emperor still hopes that the issue of seizing the throne can be resolved peacefully, and that the Jiangshan of Qing can be passed down in a somewhat peaceful manner.

As an Emperor, what he seeks is nothing more than two things: territory and eternal fame.

The Emperor is unwilling to give up either.

...

...

A sneer flashed across the corner of Fan Xian's eyes, and he muttered to himself, "Throwing his sons into the jungle to educate them, but in the end wanting to turn the sons who have become bloodthirsty beasts back onto the path of humanity, this Emperor is thinking too beautifully."

The struggle for imperial power gradually eased under the Emperor's strong suppression and secret expression, and Fan Xian would not allow the situation to ease down like this, he must urge the Emperor to make a decision sooner.

When he was in Jiangnan, Fan Xian had already guessed that the old man in Chen Garden and his own thoughts were extremely consistent, and was also using various methods to influence the Emperor's thoughts, intending to make this Emperor make a decision sooner.

However, what he didn't know was that Chen Pingping had skillfully woven a large net, including the true cause of Grandmaster Sishi's death, the relationship between the Junshan Society and the Eldest Princess... so many heavy bombs had failed to make the Emperor truly decide to resolve these matters.

So Chen Pingping chose the most ruthless move, and this move was used by Fan Xian without Chen Pingping's knowledge.

An old and a young man, working together for the same purpose, quietly planning, wanting to play with the Qing Kingdom Emperor's mood, using this Emperor's suspicion and the jealousy hidden deep within his heart, to achieve the goals they wanted. In this world, there are not many people like Chen Pingping and Fan Xian who understand the Qing Kingdom Emperor's heart, and even fewer who dare to plot to provoke the Qing Kingdom Emperor's mood – all in all, it only shows that the leaders of the Supervisory Council are all ruthless characters who don't care about their lives or their reputation.

It's just that Chen Pingping's goal goes far beyond getting the Crown Prince out of the picture. On this point, he thinks deeper and his ambition is wilder than Fan Xian's.

...

...

January is coming to an end, and Fan Xian's trip back to the capital is also coming to an end. His subordinates are preparing for their return to Jiangnan, while he is seizing the last time to accompany his father and Chen Pingping. These two old men are already old, and he can't fulfill his filial piety because he is stationed in Jiangnan for a long time, which makes him feel really guilty.

And Da Bao, from Danzhou to Hangzhou and then to Wuzhou, after spending the New Year with Prime Minister Lin, also returned to the capital. Fan Xian naturally had to accompany his brother-in-law to stroll around the capital. The big fool and the second fool were having a good time, but the time was a bit tight, and they inevitably felt a little flustered.

In the midst of this tightly arranged schedule, Fan Sizhe, with the second-level team left behind by Deng Ziyue, went north again. The northern traveling merchants needed this genius teenager to manage them. It's never good to be away from Shangjing for too long. Since Fan Xian confirmed that matter, his feelings towards the north have fallen into a kind of dilemma. Although he is more confident about the safety of his younger brother and sister in the north, he subconsciously wants to avoid something, so he did not let Sizhe bring a secret letter to the Northern Qi Emperor.

The other members of the Qi Nian Group were also busy with their own affairs. Hong Changqing took Fan Xian's warrant and went to Jiangnan in advance. This was a very important matter. Fan Xian asked him to notify Su Wenmao to be prepared, and be sure to launch a perfect time difference before the matter in the palace broke out and the news reached Jiangnan, so as to swallow the entire Ming family.

Mu Tie and Mu Feng'er, the uncle and nephew of the First Bureau, were also busy with official duties in the capital and could not stay by Fan Xian's side at all times. Young Master Yan was busy coordinating daily affairs in the Supervisory Council, and was busy avoiding the marriage introductions from the noble ladies of the capital, which was a bitter experience. For a time, only Wang Qinian, the old man, was left as Fan Xian's trusted subordinate.

One day, Fan Xian was eating with Da Bao in Wang Qinian's courtyard. He suddenly thought of the poor Yan Bingyun, and then thought of the words that the Grand Consort of the Prince of Peace had quietly said to him that day in the Prince of Peace's mansion, and couldn't help shaking his head.

If Yan Bingyun really wanted to marry Miss Shen, it would really be an extremely difficult thing. First of all, the Emperor in the palace had to nod his head, and secondly, Miss Shen needed a suitable identity. The Grand Consort of the Prince of Peace was Miss Shen's friend when she was in Shangjing, so naturally she handed this troublesome matter over to Fan Xian to handle.

Fan Xian had only been good at breaking up marriages in his life, and he was not good at matchmaking at all, so he sighed and picked up the dishes on the plate.

Wang Qinian was squatting next to him smoking his pipe, and seeing that the Master's face was not good, he coughed twice and asked, "Is the taste not to your liking?"

Da Bao sat next to Fan Xian, chewing non-stop and said, "Delicious..."

Fan Xian pointed at the plate with his chopsticks and said, "The shredded fish with wine sauce made like this is worthy of the chefs in the pleasure houses, the taste is of course excellent." The pleasure house he was referring to was naturally Baoyue Tower. Wang Qinian was praised by the Master, and he smiled, the wrinkles on his face deepening.

While they were talking, a little girl of twelve or thirteen years old came out from the inner room carrying a plate, placed it respectfully on the table, shyly didn't dare to salute, and ran back in small steps.

Fan Xian looked at the girl's back and sighed, "Old Wang, you look like an old elm tree, how did you give birth to such a beautiful girl?"

That girl was Wang Qinian's daughter, and also the object that Fan Xian had once threatened Wang Qinian with in his letter. Wang Qinian was shocked and said with a wry smile, "She's still young, still young, you can't tell if she'll be beautiful in the future."

Fan Xian laughed loudly and said, "What are you afraid of? Who would dare to forcibly snatch your daughter from you now?"

What he said was true. Although Wang Qinian insisted on not taking the position of head of the Eighth Bureau, most people in the capital knew that he was Fan Xian's closest confidant. With this relationship, no one dared to underestimate him, let alone offend him, no matter which of the Six Ministries, Three Departments, and Three Academies.

At this time, Da Bao suddenly smiled and said, "This girl is beautiful."

At this time, it was Fan Xian's turn to be shocked. He thought to himself, what if his brother-in-law suddenly developed a desire and insisted on marrying Old Wang's daughter? He would certainly not agree, but how should he soothe his emotions?

Fortunately, Da Bao's mind was still like a six or seven-year-old child, and he couldn't possibly think of those things. He just froze with his chopsticks in his hand, the grease dripping from his mouth without him noticing, not knowing what he was thinking.

Fan Xian picked up the wet towel beside him and wiped the grease from Da Bao's lips, asking curiously, "What are you thinking about?"

Da Bao tilted his head slightly, the smile on his face gradually solidified, revealing a trace of grievance and sadness that was rarely seen on his face, and said haltingly, "Er Bao... likes... pretty gi-rls."

Fan Xian's heart darkened, and the hand holding the towel stiffened, not knowing what to say to comfort him. Wang Qinian, who was listening to the side, was a little curious, tapped his pipe on the stone roller beside his feet, and asked, "Young Master Lin, who is Er Bao?"

"Er Bao is my brother, very smart." Da Bao's face bloomed with a proud smile, but this smile immediately turned into a child's sadness, "But... he's dead."

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...

Wang Qinian and Fan Xian were standing in the corner of the courtyard, pulling out each other's pipes, the green smoke swirling, the leaves stinking. Wang Qinian looked back at Lin Da Bao, who was playing with his own little girl, lowered his voice and asked, "So Er Bao is Young Master Lin Gong. Lin Gong was killed by the people of Dongyi City more than two years ago, but... I heard that the manor has been keeping it from Young Master Da Bao, how did he know?"

Fan Xian spat out a mouthful of bitter saliva, and after a moment of silence, he said, "I told him... although he's mentally retarded, I've always treated him like a normal person. He and Lin Gong had a very good brotherly relationship, and I felt uncomfortable keeping this matter from him."

"Will there be any problems?" Wang Qinian asked cautiously.

"What problems could there be? I told him two years ago." Fan Xian pursed his dry lips and said quietly, "Da Bao's intelligence is just not fully developed, like a child who never grows up, but that doesn't mean he doesn't understand anything... There's a stone in Nanzhao called the Waiting-for-Husband Rock, I don't want another Brother-Seeking Bao by my side."

After saying this, he glanced in the direction of Da Bao, and found that Da Bao was squatting beside Wang's daughter digging for earthworms. His gaze immediately softened, with a hint of pity and a faint apology.

Just then, the wooden door of Wang's house was knocked on. The person knocking was knocking extremely hard, extremely urgently, not knowing what had happened.

Fan Xian and Wang Qinian exchanged glances and frowned. Wang Qinian stepped forward and opened the door. A man rushed in, rushed to Fan Xian's face, and said loudly, "Congratulations, Master, congratulations!"

Fan Xian was startled by this person. He took a closer look and realized that it was Teng Zijing. He couldn't help but scold, "What's the matter with all this fuss? Didn't I ask you to go back to the manor to read and prepare for the martial arts exam in the spring? Why did you run back to the capital again?"

He wholeheartedly wanted Teng Zijing to embark on an official career, which could be regarded as not letting down the other party's careful service since he took him out of Danzhou and that crippled leg. However, Teng Zijing's personality was extremely similar to Wang Qinian's. Although he loved the officialdom, he loved the life of following Fan Xian more. In addition, he really couldn't understand those military books and six strategies, so he ran back after reading in the manor for three days.

Teng Zijing's face was full of shame, but he immediately thought of that important matter, and said with great joy, "Young Master, go back to the manor quickly, the Master has returned, and the whole family is waiting for you."

"What exactly happened?" Fan Xian frowned, went over to take Da Bao's hand, and prepared to go out and get in the carriage.

Teng Zijing followed behind him, smiling and said, "Aunt Liu is pregnant."

Fan Xian was stunned, stood in place and turned back, touching his head and said, "What? Am I going to have another younger brother? Father... is indeed extraordinary."

Teng Zijing was stunned, and it took him a long time to understand what he meant. He hurriedly explained, "It's not the Madam, it's the Aunt who is pregnant."

Fan Xian still didn't understand what this sentence meant. He got into the carriage, fastened Da Bao's clothes, turned his head and asked angrily, "Explain clearly, even if there is a happy event in the Duke's mansion, it shouldn't be so nervous."

Teng Zijing couldn't help laughing and said, "It's not in the Duke's mansion, it's in our own mansion... it's Miss Sisi who is pregnant."

Fan Xian was stunned, and then he understood that although he had already taken Sisi into his mansion, he still regarded her as a younger sister and maid in his heart, and really didn't have the accurate idea of ​​a concubine. Moreover, coincidentally, Sisi had been raised in the old mansion in Danzhou since she was a child, and she didn't have a surname at all. Later, when she entered the capital, Liu, Sizhe's mother, took care of Sisi because of their similar circumstances, and finally simply let Sisi take the surname Liu.

Aunt Liu, Aunt Liu, so... it was referring to Sisi, no wonder Fan Xian didn't react for a while.

"Sisi is actually pregnant?" Fan Xian said with a smile, "Then we have to hurry back to the manor to take a look. Women who are just pregnant are always very temperamental, especially a hot girl like her. If we go late, I'm afraid we'll be blamed for a long time."

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...

The carriage trotted out of the West City along the street, heading towards the South City where the Fan Mansion was located.

Suddenly, there was a muffled sound in the carriage, as if someone had jumped up stupidly, causing their head to have a close encounter with the hard carriage compartment.

A terrifying voice came from the carriage, filled with shock and fear, which was heard clearly by the pedestrians on half the street.

"Sisi is pregnant! I'm going to be a dad?"

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Yes, Fan Xian, who was reborn into the world of Qing and whose mental age should be in his thirties, is finally going to be a father. The continuation of life is always the second strongest need controlled by instinct, so in theory, Fan Xian, who is mature enough, should show a controllable and genuine joy when facing this great happy event.

However, his performance is obviously a bit problematic, because he is very excited, uncontrollably excited, and at the same time, he is very afraid besides being happy.

Sitting by Sisi's bed, Fan Xian looked like a fool at the girl who was two years older than him. Sisi's face was a little pale, apparently starting to feel nervous after knowing that there was suddenly a small life in her belly. Fan Xian looked at her a little foolishly and said, "How did you get pregnant?"

Wan'er was sitting on the head of the bed feeding Sisi, her face full of joy. She had always wanted to give birth to a child for Fan Xian, but had never succeeded. Now that Sisi was pregnant, she, as the hostess, was also happy that Fan Xian had offspring. In ordinary families, perhaps a wife without offspring would be jealous of a concubine, but the difference in status between her and Sisi was too great, and it would be a bit foolish to be jealous.

Hearing Fan Xian's strange question, she couldn't help but frown slightly and scolded, "How can you say that?"

Fan Xian smiled foolishly. He had been worried about whether that person in the north would become pregnant with his flesh and blood for the past two days, and suddenly found that the woman beside him was pregnant. This emotional ups and downs, great worry and great joy, truly turned him into Fan Sanbao.