(Yesterday, I misspelled the surname of the one-armed, charming lady. Her original surname was Guan, but she followed Su, and I sincerely apologize for that. ps: The books are easy to buy. Next week I'll go to the store and just say: the cheapest one...)

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Ye Ling'er gasped and covered her lips, too surprised to speak. Although she had been spending every day at the Fan residence, playing mahjong on Cang Mountain during Fan Xian's early days in the capital, and had some understanding of the young master's ambitions, she never expected that at this crucial moment, Fan Xian would so bravely choose to return to his clan.

The Second Prince glanced at her and said with a wry smile, "I'm wondering if Fan Xian has gone mad."

"Why do you say that?" A hint of doubt flashed in Ye Ling'er's jade-like eyes. Since Fan Xian dared to attend the ancestral rites, it must have been tacitly approved by the Empress Dowager and His Majesty. Why did her husband think Fan Xian was crazy?

The Second Prince shook his head and said, "For Fan Xian now, there are only four paths he can take. But by choosing to return to his clan today, he has directly blocked two of them."

Ye Ling'er did not continue to ask, listening quietly.

The Second Prince pondered for a moment and then said quietly, "He now holds too much power and has offended too many people. He has become an isolated minister... For him, in the future in Qing, he either has to fight with people like us for that chair, or support the Third Prince to ascend the throne and remain hidden behind the scenes as a regent. Only these two paths can ensure the peace of his family and prevent them from being eliminated. But now that he has returned to the Fan clan, he has naturally cut off the possibility of succeeding to the throne. He can't be a regent with the identity of a member of the royal family."

Ye Ling'er frowned and said, "Even if he doesn't recognize his ancestors, given his background, not to mention whether His Majesty would allow him to succeed, at least the entire royal family and the scholars in the court would not agree. That first option was never possible in the first place."

"What is possible?" The Second Prince said, "As long as he doesn't return to the Fan clan for one day, there is still a possibility of being readmitted to the palace. Coupled with the power he holds, who dares to say that he has no chance of contending for the throne?"

"What about the second option?"

"A regent prince might be able to keep the nobles in the palace and the military outside the palace silent, as long as his surname is Li... But a powerful official with the surname Fan, who uses the emperor to command the feudal lords, is... impossible."

The Second Prince said calmly, "So Fan Xian's return to the clan today directly cuts off the two paths I mentioned earlier. I don't understand what he's thinking."

"What are the other two paths?" Ye Ling'er looked at the strange expression on the prince's face and suddenly felt a chill rise in her heart. She asked with concern.

The Second Prince paused for a moment and said, "After the Emperor's demise in the future, whoever ascends the throne will likely purge Fan Xian and the Fan clan. If they don't purge them, no one will be confident enough to completely control the overall situation."

These were the words that the Second Prince had said to Fan Xian in Baoyue Tower. But he had always thought that Fan Xian would gradually integrate into the royal family and strive for an overt position, whether Fan Xian himself would fight for the dragon throne or help the Third Prince, both were viable options.

With Fan Xian's current strength, and the old guys who were connected to him before and after, no newly enthroned emperor could rest assured watching him live.

"So many years later, Fan Xian only has two paths to take." The Second Prince frowned, completely puzzled. "Either he is bound and captured, and his entire family is beheaded, just like the Ye family back then."

He paused and said somewhat wearily, "Or... he relies on the power in his hands to rebel and flee the country."

He laughed self-deprecatingly, "Of course, the power in his hands is just paper, unable to stir up much wind and waves. The Emperor is a cautious person. Fan Xian has no army in his hands, so he can never truly achieve anything."

Ye Ling'er was startled, carefully savoring the words he said. She realized that if the situation really developed in this way in the future, her master would indeed not have a good ending.

Her little face flushed slightly, and she said, "You forgot one possibility. If the Third Prince really inherits the throne in the future, given his relationship with Fan Xian as teacher and student, things might not necessarily develop to the point of no return."

The Second Prince laughed, "I've said this to Fan Xian as well. The Third Brother is still young, but I've watched him grow up. That kid is no pushover. Moreover, in whatever position you are, you have to consider the affairs of that level. Sometimes, it's not that you and I don't want to do something, but you can't not do it."

He said calmly, "And don't forget, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is the true successor. Many people seem to have forgotten this because of his calmness, but I believe Fan Xian will not forget it."

"Most importantly," the Second Prince slowly lowered his head, "No matter who inherits the throne, will our father turn a blind eye to Fan Xian continuing to gather a large group of old monsters before he leaves this world, thereby bringing endless trouble to his successor? This kingdom is our father's kingdom. He will not let this kingdom be too chaotic, even after he dies."

To casually discuss the life and death of the Holy One, regardless of whether the Second Prince was a son or a subject, was already a great taboo. Ye Ling'er bit her lip, did not reply, and instead asked, "But this is not the life Fan Xian wants to live. This is arranged by the elders in the court. If you were Fan Xian, what would you do?"

The Second Prince was stunned for a moment, and then said self-deprecatingly, "I don't know what I would do either, probably similar to his current situation. It's just that in the struggle for power, you either advance or die. Since he personally gave up the first two paths, then he should retreat more thoroughly. If I were in his position, at this time, I should resign from the palace, whether it's the Overwatch Council or the Internal Treasury, he should release one of them... Then... purely from a rational point of view, he should behave more gently, and then secretly lean towards my side."

Ye Ling'er looked at him.

The Second Prince said seriously, "This is the wisest choice, and he probably understands it in his heart. I am willing to accept him, and the Empress Dowager is, after all, his mother-in-law. With Chen'er as a connection, it is not impossible to resolve past grievances."

Ye Ling'er shook her head and sighed. She knew that her family, those troops far away in Dingzhou, had long become a bargaining chip in the struggle for the throne because of this marriage. If Fan Xian were to join them, naturally... but she didn't want to care about these things. She suddenly felt a headache and frowned sadly.

The Second Prince stood up, looked at the faint light outside the window, and said absentmindedly, "If Fan Xian doesn't change, he will only walk into a dead end in the future. If he has the courage to change, he may suffer great losses now, but in the future, he can seek greater benefits and more stable peace for himself and the Fan clan. It all depends on what he thinks."

He finally lowered his head somewhat helplessly, "However... it has been proven in the past two years that Fan Xian is a madman who does not act according to common sense, so I don't have such expectations."

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In the eyes of most people in Qing, beneath Fan Xian's gentle and amiable appearance, there was indeed gradually revealing a hint of madness and ruthlessness. Not to mention the night battles of killing and capturing people in the capital, but the return to the clan, which shocked the capital.

At the fifth watch, when the morning was still cold, the Fan clan's ancestral rites began.

At noon, the news had already spread to all the major residences. For a time, no one knew how many people were speculating on the subsequent developments, and guessing about Fan Xian's lust for power and the waxing and waning of his desires in the court in the future.

Just like the Second Prince, no one could understand why Fan Xian would do this. Although he used to only have the identity of the Emperor's illegitimate son, and could not see a glimmer of hope of entering the palace, the identity of an illegitimate son was still an identity after all. As long as it was not sealed off, anything was possible. Moreover, this identity would definitely play a significant role in the future.

Long ago, Chen Pingping had thought that once the Empress Dowager was gone, it was not impossible for Fan Xian to be re-enlisted in the ranks of the princes.

But Fan Xian's move today finally branded the Fan clan's mark on his name, severing the possibility of being surnamed Li. In the eyes of most people, it seemed somewhat foolish or impulsive.

Even in the depths of the palace, this news startled the hearts of many nobles.

Noble Consort Shu was copying the Tian Yi Pavilion's fine edition, sent by Fan Xian, with her delicate handwriting. Hearing the palace maid's report, she shook her head in bewilderment.

Talented Lady Ning was practicing her sword around the tree in her small courtyard. After hearing the news, a light flashed on her face, and she praised Fan Xian for being backbone.

In Shufang Palace, Consort Yi was watching the Third Prince practice calligraphy, listening to Xing'er's soft words. She smiled slightly, said nothing, but her gaze towards her son became complicated.

After a long while, she pulled her son behind the curtain and told him the biggest news in the capital today in a very serious and solemn manner. The Third Prince was shocked, but he immediately understood many things at a young age. His teacher's return to the clan was, to a large extent, for himself.

Consort Yi finally said seriously, "Ping'er, you must remember everything that Teacher Fan has done for you. If you dare to do those things in the future, your mother will not spare you."

The Third Prince lowered his head and said nothing.

In Guangxin Palace, Princess Li Yunrui, who had been living in seclusion here and was not very convenient to leave the palace, was the first to hear the news. After this beautiful woman was slightly stunned, she laughed. The so-called "a smile can charm a hundred beauties" was like this, and it overwhelmed all the white curtains, clear light, and paper flower jade trees inside and outside the palace.

The palace maid carefully asked, "Why is the Princess so happy?"

The Princess slowly restrained her smile and said softly, "This palace suddenly feels that my son-in-law is really a lovable person, knows the limits, understands the advance and retreat. Speaking of which, I have only met him once. It's a pity... Arrange for him and Wan'er to enter the palace tomorrow. This palace wants to see how quickly young Fan Xian has grown in the past two years."

The palace maid was stunned, thinking that Lord Fan's actions were obviously more impulsive than well-considered. Could it be that the Princess was happy because of this? But looking at the Princess's expression, she was indeed extremely appreciative of Lord Fan's actions.

In Hanguang Hall, the Empress Dowager was fiddling with her prayer beads, muttering something. Eunuch Hong was serving beside her with a hunched back. After a long while, the Empress Dowager sighed and said, "That child can be considered to know the big picture, it's not easy."

Eunuch Hong whispered, "Lord Fan is good."

In the quiet little building behind the palace, the Emperor of Qing was wearing a yellow robe, with his hands behind his back, looking at the woman in the yellow dress in the painting in a daze. After a long while, he whispered, "Our son is indeed more like you, very proud. It's not that I don't want him to come back, it's just that he doesn't want to come back... It's good to be surnamed Fan. Back then, you and Yi De used to call each other brother and sister, so let him follow your surname."

A gust of cold winter wind blew into the building, causing the painting to flutter slightly. The clear face of the woman in the yellow dress in the painting twisted slightly, as if a hint of mocking smile appeared on the corner of her lips, as if she was mocking the Emperor's words, which he probably didn't even believe himself.

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On the afternoon of the first day of the Lunar New Year, Fan Xian sat in the carriage heading to the Jing Prince's residence. This was an old custom between the Fan residence and the Jing Prince's residence for many years. After the New Year, the people of the two residences would always choose a day to gather together for a lively time. Fan Xian had been away from Danzhou for three years, and had long been accustomed to the strange close relationship between his family and the Jing Prince's residence.

Although Hong Cheng was miserably confined for a year, which was a good move made by Fan Xian, Fan Xian also knew that this was actually a decisive decision by Prince Jing to prevent his own Prince's residence from being dragged into the matter of seizing the throne. The two residences were not affected by the wars of the younger generation.

The carriage swayed slightly, and Wan'er looked at Fan Xian absentmindedly, without speaking for a long while.

Fan Xian smiled, "Ask whatever you want to ask."

"I'm thinking that everyone in Kyoto must be talking about you today." Lin Wan'er smiled and said, "Everyone is scolding you for being an idiot."

Fan Xian smiled even more happily, but suddenly became silent. After a long while, he looked at his wife's eyes and said seriously, "I can hide it from the world, but I won't hide it from you."

Lin Wan'er smiled slightly, looking directly into her husband's eyes.

Fan Xian said calmly, "Actually, the reason is very simple, there are only two. One, I have always seen myself as Fan Xian. I was raised by my grandmother since I was a child, and I will no longer accept any other surname. Returning to the clan and worshiping ancestors, I have always been willing, so I did it."

Lin Wan'er gently leaned on his arm, feeling that his breath was very gentle and pure.

"Second, whether it's openly supporting the Third Prince in Jiangnan, or killing in all directions in Kyoto, or even recognizing my ancestors and returning to the clan today, I am declaring my ambition." Fan Xian lowered his head and glanced at Wan'er's round face, and said gently, "Tranquility to show ambition, tranquility to achieve distance, to achieve distance, one must show ambition."

"What ambition? Show ambition to whom?"

Fan Xian was silent, thinking of the conversation he had with the Emperor in the palace. Tranquil Duke ah Tranquil Duke…

"I don't want to be the Emperor." He said calmly, "Of course, it's to show to His Majesty."

Lin Wan'er looked at him worriedly. Although she didn't say anything, Fan Xian knew that the girl had already seen the future, which he might face, and even the Fan residence might face, the disaster of destruction.

"Going against the current, if you don't advance, you retreat, the boat capsizes and people die, I understand this principle." Fan Xian tilted his head slightly, "It seems that all the situations are forcing me to compete, but the Emperor warned me, so I have to not compete."

He said with a smile, "Going downstream is still more comfortable after all. There are not many people in this world that I am afraid of, but I am still a little afraid of your uncle, my cheap old man."

Lin Wan'er laughed, but there was still some worry in her smile, "But what about the future?"

"The future?" Fan Xian said, "His Majesty can live for at least twenty more years. I exchanged an unknowable future danger for twenty years of peace, or rather, twenty years of His Majesty's trust. This deal is very worthwhile."

"And I can't be ambiguous, I must show my attitude and ambition decisively, even if I am standing behind the Third Prince, it is not enough to convince many people."

Fan Xian rubbed his brow, and said somewhat wearily, "There can be ambiguity between men and women, but if this is done between monarchs and subjects, it is easy for people to die. I believe His Majesty must like my decision."

There was another sentence that he didn't say to his wife. The so-called ambiguity must be mutual, and the so-called decision also has reciprocal effects. Today, he recognized his ancestors and returned to the clan, which was his expression of sincerity to the Emperor, and he naturally saw clearly... The Emperor didn't want him to take over this world.

This fact made Fan Xian somewhat relaxed, but after the relaxation, there was a deep sense of hidden worry. The worry was not in the present, but in the past. Just as Chen Pingping confirmed that night, Fan Xian finally confirmed that the Emperor was ill, he had a heart disease.

The carriage stopped at the gate of the Jing Prince's residence. Various servants were waiting outside the residence to welcome the distinguished guests from the Fan residence into the Prince's residence.

Fan Xian led Wan'er, following behind his father and Liu Shi, and stepped inside.

Looking around, the garden scenery in the residence was still the same, but the white gauze over the lake was not hung up. Presumably, it was winter now, so why would they hang gauze to block the light? But looking sideways at the extremely gentle Wan'er beside him, Fan Xian still remembered the time of his first love.

A somewhat old, angry, happy, and complex voice sounded, pulling Fan Xian out of the rare and short beautiful time.

"You little bastard, you still know how to come and see this old man!"

Prince Jing glared at Fan Xian angrily, but in those wide eyes, for some reason, there was a trace of sadness and nostalgia.