Niao Ni
Chapter 721: A Palace Celebration Ends in Heartbreak
It had been nearly seven years since Fan Xian left Danzhou in the spring of Qingli four. Apart from spending two years intermittently in Jiangnan, the truly exciting, tense, and memorable times of Fan Xian's second life had mostly been in Kyoto. His background and identity were different from most people in Qing, he entered the palace so many times that he felt as comfortable and at ease as returning home. Whether it was his position as Director of the Supervisory Council or his identity as the Emperor's illegitimate son, the palace restrictions were non-existent for him.
On this day, the seventh of the new year, Fan Xian strolled to the row of flat houses below the imperial palace as if taking a leisurely walk. Although the New Year had just passed, the Secretariat was still busy. Officials from various departments were there to discuss matters, but no one on the periphery noticed a figure holding a black cloth umbrella in the snow. As he entered the inner perimeter, the imperial guards responsible for inspections seemed to be dazed by Fan Xian's gentle smile, blankly watching him walk in.
Fan Xian's arrival was so natural and logical that all the imperial guards had become accustomed to seeing this young master enter and exit the palace without hindrance. For a moment, they didn't react, allowing him to pass through layers of guards and directly into the main hall of the Secretariat.
Inside the main hall, there were two heated kang beds, haphazardly covered with several layers of documents. Everywhere was piled with memorials from various regions and edicts drafted by His Majesty. Inkstones and paper were scattered on the table. The central hub of the Qing Dynasty's court looked to have poor office conditions. Several academician officials and scribes were busy until Fan Xian put down his black umbrella dripping with snow.
Silence descended upon the main hall of the Secretariat. Everyone stared blankly at Fan Xian, wondering why this important figure who had been severely punished by the Emperor's edict would suddenly appear here today.
As Fan Xian walked through the streets of Kyoto, changes had already taken place in various restaurants and government offices throughout the city. However, the timing of this assassination was extremely precise. By the time Fan Xian entered the main hall of the Secretariat, the flames of revenge were just beginning to burn in all directions of Kyoto, and the news had not yet reached the palace.
The first to react to Fan Xian's sudden arrival was Grand Academician Pan Ling, who was closest to the entrance and enjoying the bright daylight. The elderly Grand Academician, with his somewhat presbyopic eyes, looked at Fan Xian and coughed, saying, "Why have you come?"
From a young age, Fan Xian had learned calligraphy from Grand Academician Pan and had earned his first bit of silver through the newspaper edited by Grand Academician Pan. Although they hadn't interacted much in Kyoto, Fan Xian always respected the old man, replying with a smile, "His Majesty summoned me to the palace this afternoon. I had just reached the entrance of the imperial city when it suddenly started snowing. I thought it wouldn't be good to stand in the snow, so I came here to see you all."
Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall remembered that His Majesty had indeed issued an edict today to summon Fan Xian to the palace in the afternoon. They were relieved and greeted him with warm smiles. The officials of the Secretariat were different from the officials of the lower departments. They were most particular about harmony and composure, being majestic without anger. Especially since they were the officials closest to His Majesty, they naturally knew Fan Xian's true position in the court and dared not neglect him.
He Zongwei was the last to stand up and walk over. His expression was calm with a hint of self-possession. As soon as he stepped forward, the entire main hall of the Secretariat fell silent. Even Grand Academician Pan Ling coughed twice and left, hunching over.
Everyone knew that Grand Academician He was currently carrying out His Majesty's edict, desperately attacking the pitiful forces left behind by Lord Fan. Everyone also knew that, over the years, Lord Fan and Grand Academician He had never gotten along, not even once. But now, the situation had changed. Grand Academician He was so popular that his position in the Secretariat seemed to faintly overshadow that of Grand Academician Hu. Facing Fan Xian, who was now in trouble, what would he say, what would he do?
"Long time no see." He Zongwei said to Fan Xian, looking at him warmly, "The hour hasn't arrived yet. Sit down and have a cup of hot tea to warm up, so you don't have to stand for half the day in the Imperial Study later."
These words were said very gently, very sincerely, and very lightly, moving people. The concern expressed deep within the words was something everyone could hear. He Zongwei's performance at this moment gave the impression that there had never been any problems between these two most famous young dignitaries of the Southern Qing Dynasty.
But truly intelligent people would have heard another meaning. This was the tolerance of the victor towards the defeated, a kind of condescending concern.
The corners of Fan Xian's lips twitched slightly, a half-smile. Then, he slowly raised his head and looked at the Grand Academician, whose skin was a bit dark. After a moment of pause, he said calmly, "I came here today to say a few words to you. Yes, my hour has not yet come... your hour has arrived."
No one could understand this sentence. Not even He Zongwei himself could hear the cold undertones in it. He paused slightly, frowning as he looked at Fan Xian, seemingly wanting to say something, but he heard a commotion coming from outside the main hall of the Secretariat, a chaotic noise mixed with a few suppressed exclamations.
"Such panic, what kind of decorum is this!" He Zongwei's face darkened slightly as he rebuked the official who rushed in.
"Your Excellency! Vice Minister Cheng of the Court of Judicial Review and Guo Zheng, the newly appointed Chief Censor of the Censorate, have been assassinated on the street!" The official said in terror, revealing the news that had just spread from outside.
Upon hearing this news, the entire hall exploded, with exclamations rising everywhere. The officials of the Secretariat managed the Qing Dynasty's court on behalf of His Majesty. When had they ever heard of such high-ranking officials being assassinated on the street!
He Zongwei's body stiffened. Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review and Censor Guo Zheng were both his confidants. Especially Guo Zheng, who had always regarded the Fan faction as a major enemy. He had done many great things for him in Jiangnan, performed great service for His Majesty, and was transferred back to Kyoto by him. As a result, as soon as he returned to Kyoto... he died?
A trace of paleness flashed across his dark face, but he quickly regained his composure. He suddenly raised his head, staring at Fan Xian's handsome face, his eyes narrowing with cold light.
Before He Zongwei could speak, Fan Xian lowered his eyes slightly and said softly amidst the exclamations, "The Minister of Revenue is also dead, as well as two Vice Ministers. Here is a list I've drafted. Take a look and see if anything is missing."
After saying these words, Fan Xian took out a thin slip of paper from his bosom and handed it over. He Zongwei's hand trembled uncontrollably as he took the paper and glanced over it. He saw the names and positions of a dozen officials, all... his trusted officials!
After Fan Xian handed the list to Grand Academician He, the entire main hall of the Secretariat fell silent, so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.
Fan Xian casually smoothed his sideburns, stuck the thin needle he was holding between his fingers back into his hair, and said calmly, "I don't want to indiscriminately kill innocent officials, so please confirm if these are all your people. Then I can rest assured."
The slip of paper filled with names fluttered to the ground. The room was silent. At this point, everyone knew that the bloodshed in Kyoto today was all caused by Lord Fan, but they didn't know if what he said was true. Had all those court officials really died today?
He Zongwei understood Fan Xian, so he knew that Fan Xian wasn't lying. The names on the paper must have already turned into vengeful ghosts. He raised his head, his eyes burning with resentful flames, staring at Fan Xian. He didn't know why Fan Xian was doing this. Didn't he know that doing so was a dead end? At this moment, He Zongwei actually felt a hint of pride. He had actually forced Fan Xian onto the path of mutual destruction.
"Why... Guards! Seize this murderer!" The word "why" was spoken with such grief that everyone thought He Zongwei was going to condemn Fan Xian's inhuman evil deeds in front of all the officials. No one expected that, halfway through the words, He Zongwei would shout loudly, and his men would hide behind the officials as quickly as possible.
After all, He Zongwei knew Fan Xian best. Since the other party was disregarding life and death, slaughtering in Kyoto, he must be harboring the thought of risking his life in a desperate struggle. Seeing that the other party had made a special trip to the Secretariat to drop off his umbrella before entering the palace, it was obviously not just to ridicule and attack him with the names of these dead people, but to... kill him!
Even now, no one believed that Fan Xian dared to commit murder under the feet of the imperial city, in the solemn location of the Qing Dynasty's center of power. But He Zongwei believed it. He knew that this ruthless young dignitary dared to do anything once he went crazy. Therefore, disregarding his dignity as a minister, he frantically shouted for the imperial guards while desperately fleeing behind the ministers.
Fan Xian did not chase him, but looked at his actions with an expression of pity and ridicule, looking at the pale face behind the crowd.
After all, this was the Secretariat in front of the imperial palace. Long before He Zongwei shouted, the imperial guards and palace attendants had noticed the commotion here. Once they discovered that something was wrong, a dozen attendants and three imperial guard generals had rushed into the main hall of the Secretariat, drew their swords from their waists, and surrounded Fan Xian warily.
No matter how powerful Fan Xian was, it was impossible for him to break out of the encirclement of these palace attendants in an instant. Seeing this scene, everyone felt a little relieved, and He Zongwei's face behind the crowd also looked slightly better. The paleness disappeared, replaced by two traces of rosiness. He shouted sternly from behind, "Quickly capture this murderer!"
A man's reputation is like the shadow of a tree. Even if everyone knew that the blood in Kyoto today had been shed at the command of Lord Fan, who would dare to step forward and capture Fan Xian before the matter was clarified? Especially since Fan Xian had not made the first move, how could those imperial guard generals and palace attendants dare to rush forward rashly?
Panic spread under the feet of the imperial city, and the sound of troops being mobilized rose everywhere. In the blink of an eye, extremely urgent sounds came from outside the main hall of the Secretariat. It was unknown how many imperial guards had surrounded the area, completely encircling the hall and trapping Fan Xian and the officials who actually controlled the Qing Dynasty's court inside.
Even if Fan Xian had a pair of wings at this time, he would probably not be able to fly out. However, he didn't seem to want to escape. He just quietly looked at He Zongwei behind the crowd and took a step forward casually.
This step frightened the courage of many officials. There was a burst of exclamations in the hall, and the dozen attendants surrounding Fan Xian were forced to step forward.
Fan Xian stopped walking, looking at He Zongwei not far away over the heads of the crowd, and said calmly, "Perhaps, as many people say, you are actually a capable and enlightened official who is very likely to become a famous minister recorded in history."
Then he shook his head and said, "However, I will not give you the opportunity to continue living. It's strange, but I hate you so much. This hatred is simply without reason... Your desire for achievement and fame is too strong, always wanting to climb up by stepping on others, and this kind of behavior is what I dislike the most."
"Even if I didn't like it, I would have at most given you two punches and let it go, but I didn't expect that later you would devote your entire life to the cause of opposing me." Fan Xian smiled slightly, "Unfortunately, this cause is not very glorious, but instead gives me more reasons to kill you."
Fan Xian's smile was very gentle, but in the eyes of everyone in the hall, this smile was very sinister, very terrifying, full of murderous intent. However, he didn't seem to have any intention of attacking at this moment, so the imperial guards and attendants surrounding him didn't dare to move lightly, fearing that they would provoke the madness of this important figure and cause a massacre.
When he heard Fan Xian's last sentence, a sharp light flashed in He Zongwei's eyes. He was about to open his mouth and coldly rebuke a few words, but a burst of excruciating pain came from his abdomen. This pain was so real, so tragic, that his face turned pale and he couldn't say a word.
"You are a petty man who is keen on fame and profit, willing to climb up at all costs. You can deceive His Majesty, deceive the officials of the court, and even deceive the people of the world, but how can you deceive me?" Fan Xian's gaze became cold and he slowly said, "How much blood have you stained your seemingly clean hands with? How many wronged souls are on that official robe of yours? You know it, and I know it."
"I am killing you today, killing your He faction officials, to uphold justice for Heaven, to clear the Emperor's court of villains." Fan Xian said words that even he himself didn't believe, looking at He Zongwei's pale face with irony, taking advantage of the fact that he couldn't say a word at this time.
"I don't understand why you would climb up at all costs, stepping on the corpses of my subordinates to rise to power. Only later did I finally understand. It's not because of the natural hostility between the Censorate and the Supervisory Council, nor is it because I refused to marry my sister to you, nor is it because His Majesty has any instructions for you."
Fan Xian sighed with pity, "All of this, it turns out, is simply because you are jealous of me. You are not as good as me in literature, not as good as me in martial arts, not as good as me in reputation, not as good as me in power. No matter how hard you try, no matter how many big black dogs you raise, you will never be able to catch up with me in this life."
"You must be unconvinced, unconvinced that I have such a good father, a good mother... But it is destiny, what is there for you to be unconvinced about?"
Several beads of sweat the size of soybeans dripped from He Zongwei's pale forehead. He glared at Fan Xian with those resentful eyes, wanting to angrily question something, but he was powerless to speak. He was already unable to stand and sat down on the edge of the kang in complete despair.
"This is resentment, the resentment of a lord, but it is the root of the internal strife of our Qing." Fan Xian stared at He Zongwei, who was sitting on the edge of the kang, and said each word slowly, "Excessive resentment can lead to a broken heart, today I will grant you a broken-hearted end."
Every word, every sentence was like a small knife, piercing into He Zongwei's ears. Even if he didn't want to listen, he couldn't help it. He knew that his He faction officials were definitely all dead today, and Fan Xian must have other backup plans in secret. He just didn't know why Fan Xian would say so many useless words in front of so many officials.
If the officials were dead, as long as he was alive, he still had the Emperor's favor, and he could always rebuild his own power in the future. But why, after those little knives entered his ears, did they start to run wildly in his abdomen? Why did those knives seem to be cutting his intestines, making him suffer unspeakable pain?
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Grant you a broken-hearted end! As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere in this row of flat houses under the feet of the imperial city became extremely tense. All the officials scattered and hid, dodging the storm of Fan Xian's attacks that might follow, while the imperial guards continued to pour in from outside the house, lining up in countless rows, blocking He Zongwei's path.
The imperial guards in full armor lined up in formation, making the spacious main hall of the Secretariat exceptionally narrow, nervously staring at the solitary Fan Xian.
Just at this moment of tension, when a fight could break out at any moment, an extremely shrill and panicked shout came from the courtyard of the Secretariat, near the palace walls.
"Don't!"
Grand Academician Hu, covered in snow, rushed in from the direction of the palace. After hearing Fan Xian's speech at the Imperial Academy this morning, the Grand Academician knew that something major was going to happen in Kyoto today. He arrived at the palace as quickly as possible, but was delayed for a while in the middle. He only had time to say a few words to His Majesty before he heard the eunuch report that strange deaths of court officials were occurring everywhere in Kyoto. Immediately after, there was a quick report that Fan Xian had already stormed into the Secretariat!
No one dared to stop Grand Academician Hu. At such a tense moment, no one would care about his entry. At most, a few officials from the Secretariat watched Grand Academician Hu rush to Fan Xian's side, worried that he would be injured by Fan Xian, this madman, and cried out in alarm.
Grand Academician Hu ignored these cries, grabbed Fan Xian from behind, risking his old life, and dragged Fan Xian backward, shouting anxiously, "You're crazy!"
In everyone's eyes, the things that had happened today clearly showed that Lord Fan, whose poetry had amazed the world, had gone mad. Otherwise, how could he trample on the dignity of the court so much and do so many heinous and treasonous things? If what happened in Kyoto today wasn't treason, what else could it be?
Grand Academician Hu also knew that the assassination of those officials in Kyoto alone was enough to anger His Majesty and send Fan Xian into the abyss of eternal damnation. However, he still desperately held onto Fan Xian, not allowing him to attack. Killing a Grand Academician of the court in the Secretariat was tantamount to shedding blood before the throne!
A scene that had never appeared not only in Qing, but in the entire world!
The scene at this time was very ridiculous, very laughable, but no one laughed. Silence reigned under the feet of the imperial city. Everyone watched in horror as Grand Academician Hu desperately held onto Fan Xian with his old and weak body. But how could he drag him, hold him back?
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Fan Xian suddenly felt a trace of warmth finally emerge in his cold heart. He smiled and said, looking down, "Let go, it's too late."
Grand Academician Hu's body stiffened, and he let go of his hand tremblingly, looking at Fan Xian with some disbelief.
At this moment, He Zongwei, the Grand Academician who had been hiding behind the crowd, sitting on the edge of the kang in terror, suddenly vomited twice, and then spat out a lot of black blood!
The blood splattered on the official robes of many officials in front of him, black and unsightly. The hall was filled with exclamations, and several officials hurried forward to support He Zongwei, desperately shouting for the imperial physician...
He Zongwei's pupils began to dilate, and his hearing also began to fade. He couldn't hear what his colleagues beside him were shouting. He only clearly felt the pain in his abdomen. Those little knives seemed to have successfully chopped his intestines, which were full of enthusiasm and passion, into pieces.
It was very painful, like his liver and intestines were being torn apart. He Zongwei knew that he was dying. He didn't know when Fan Xian had poisoned him, nor did he notice the small needle prick on the little finger of his right hand. He just felt unwilling. He clearly also had a passion for this world, for this court, and was willing to shed his blood to seek a clear name, so why was it that what he finally spat out was a pool of black blood?
His blurred gaze searched for Fan Xian's cold face. He had great complaints and great unwillingness in his heart. As an official, working for His Majesty, working for the court, what was wrong with that? Even if he had killed some people, betrayed some people? But weren't the people in officialdom all doing this for thousands of years? Didn't Fan Xian also cause innocent people to die because of him? You don't have to betray anyone, that's because you were born to be a master, but we are born to be slaves...
He Zongwei wanted to angrily question Fan Xian, why did you kill me with those inexplicable reasons? You are just a playboy who doesn't understand the big picture and only does things based on your own preferences! However, this question was never uttered. The black blood that kept pouring out of his lips prevented him from speaking and also prevented him from breathing.
Just before the imperial physician arrived, He Zongwei, the Grand Academician and Imperial Diarist who was the most popular figure in the Qing Dynasty's court in the past three years, vomited blood and died with a broken heart in the main hall of the Secretariat, under the feet of the imperial city.
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Throughout this process, Fan Xian had been calmly, indifferently, and even cruelly watching He Zongwei, watching him vomit blood, watching him struggle in pain, watching him breathe his last breath, his expression remaining calm and unchanging. He didn't know He Zongwei's complaints and unwillingness before his death, nor did he need to know. The officials who died on the seventh day of the first month of Qingli eleven, including He Zongwei himself, were actually just some preparatory work.
He Zongwei's death had nothing to do with his likes or dislikes. It was only for those he had to protect, for those officials in Jiangnan, Xiliang and Kyoto who had already died, the officials whom the Emperor had cultivated specifically to deal with the Fan faction, they had to die.
This was just a link in a calmly calculated process, like a machine. Fan Xian only needed to confirm the person's death, and he didn't have many emotions. The matter of emotions could be left to be said before he died.
Grand Academician Hu stared blankly at He Zongwei's body, then turned his head heavily, looking at Fan Xian's cold face with an expression of anger, disappointment, and bewilderment. A cold voice squeezed out from his chest and abdomen.
"Take down this murderer."
He stood by Fan Xian's side, disappointed and angry by Fan Xian's side, issuing the order to arrest or even kill Fan Xian, but he didn't care at all that Fan Xian could easily kill him too with a casual move, sending him to death together with He Zongwei.
Fan Xian would naturally not kill him. He looked at Grand Academician Hu and smiled apologetically.
Just before the imperial guards rushed up, the head eunuch of the inner court, Eunuch Yao, finally arrived at the Secretariat, shouting in a sharp voice and with powerful true qi, "His Majesty has decreed that the traitor Fan Xian be escorted into the palace!"
The decree had finally arrived. Without a doubt, it was a decree to condemn and demand his life. However, the decree ultimately ordered Fan Xian to enter the palace. All matters between the Emperor and his illegitimate son could not be seen or heard by these officials of the court.
The hall was silent, and countless eyes turned to Fan Xian's body. Fan Xian was silent for a moment, then looked at Eunuch Yao and asked, "Do you need to tie me up?"
Eunuch Yao was silent, not saying a word. Fan Xian couldn't help but sigh. Naturally, no one could tie him up, but His Majesty's decree could easily turn the relatives and friends in this world into ropes that could never be broken.
"My umbrella is at the door, don't let anyone steal it."
After saying this, Fan Xian followed Eunuch Yao towards the depths of the palace. Behind him, the officials were still surrounding He Zongwei's body, filled with grief.
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(My illness has relapsed, damn it. The smell of the hospital I mentioned yesterday is actually the smell of penicillin, a suppressed, clear murderous intent, it's very uncomfortable.)