It had just stopped snowing, and a chill permeated the palace, the power of the heavens truly difficult to withstand. However, Fan Xian sat comfortably in his wheelchair, warmly wrapped in a high-collared cloak that shielded him from the wind and snow, almost to the point of overheating. He had long prepared himself for the Emperor's question and never expected that his family could smuggle Fan Sizhe out of the capital without anyone noticing.

"I just received a letter a few days ago. He has settled down in Shangjing."

Fan Xian glanced, intentionally or unintentionally, at the young eunuch behind him. At this moment, the Emperor was walking ahead, enjoying the scenery, and did not notice the exchange of glances between the two.

The young eunuch was Hong Zhu. Seeing Fan Xian's smiling gaze, he felt a sudden chill in his heart, a sense of fear. Hong Zhu knew that this Director was warning him that certain words must not reach the ears of others. This young eunuch had been by the Emperor's side recently and deeply understood the importance of silence when serving the Emperor, so he quickly lowered his head, avoiding Fan Xian's gaze.

Hong Zhu also wanted to cling to Fan Xian, so he dared not spread any news detrimental to the Fan family.

"You just say it like that?" The Emperor said faintly as he walked towards the lake, "I thought that while many things were common knowledge, some pretense should still be maintained."

Fan Xian lowered his head and turned his neck, letting his cheek rub against the soft fur on his collar: "Your Majesty asked, and I dare not utter a false word."

The Emperor suddenly stopped. The young eunuch quickly stopped Fan Xian's wheelchair, not daring to stand beside the Emperor. Fan Xian was caught off guard and frowned slightly.

"You don't lie to me... but you dare to brazenly lie to the people?" The Emperor turned back, looking at Fan Xian with a smile that wasn't quite a smile, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes showing not only a hint of a smile but also a questioning gaze.

Fan Xian raised his head, impolitely meeting the Emperor's eyes: "The world is full of fools... I am only loyal to Your Majesty, not to those commoners."

"But someone once said..." The Emperor's eyes suddenly became strange, "The people are most important, the state comes next, and the ruler is the least important."

"Nonsense. I don't know who is so bold," Fan Xian frowned slightly. Of course, he knew who would be so bold, the original author was Mencius, and the plagiarist was his mother.

"The Ministry of Justice is still hunting your brother," the Emperor laughed twice, turned back, and continued walking, saying, "Aren't you afraid that I will punish you?"

Hong Zhu pushed the wheelchair and followed. Fan Xian, hearing the squeaking of the wheels, felt a headache and shook his head, saying, "Your Majesty is wise and will surely understand my difficulties."

"Difficulties?" The Emperor sneered, "I suppose the Second Prince is only now realizing his own unspeakable difficulties?"

"Ah... I am guilty."

Fan Xian knew that he should pretend to be slightly alarmed at this time, like those courtiers close to the Emperor in Qing Dynasty dramas, but he knew very well that bringing down the Second Prince was originally the Emperor's own intention, and he was just a knife. Moreover, in the Emperor's heart, he was not just a simple courtier; after all, that relationship was at play.

Therefore, he was not afraid or nervous in the slightest. No matter how hard he tried to act, it still seemed superficial and somewhat exaggerated. The three words "I am guilty" were drawn out too long, and the theatricality was too strong.

The Emperor lowered his voice and scolded, "Even when acting, you don't know how to be serious!"

Fan Xian replied with a bitter face, "I know my guilt."

Back and forth, it was just uninteresting words like "I am guilty" and "I know my guilt." Fortunately, at this moment, the three had already reached the wooden bridge in the lake, temporarily halting the conversation. Although Kyoto was already quite cold, the lake water certainly hadn't reached the desolate point of freezing in this weather after the first snow, and it was still green and chilly under the bridge. Although the wooden bridge was smooth and sturdy, the wheelchair still felt unstable on it. Fan Xian gripped the handles of the wheelchair tightly, staring at the gaps between the planks, thinking that if the young eunuch behind him suddenly turned into an assassin, he would be in trouble.

The eunuchs and palace maids who had come in advance to clean and arrange the pavilion in front bowed from afar and disappeared without a trace, not daring to attend by their side.

The Emperor sat on a stone stool covered with a soft cushion, gesturing for Fan Xian to take a cup of hot tea to drink. He himself picked up pine nuts with two fingers and slowly peeled them. The young eunuch Hong Zhu discreetly retreated to the edge of the pavilion, both to keep watch and to be ready for any instructions from the masters inside.

"How is it going?" the Emperor asked.

Fan Xian seemed to have been burned by the tea in his cup, frowned, and immediately replied, "Is Your Majesty referring to my injuries, or..."

"The latter."

Fan Xian responded directly, "Preparations have been made to take action. The order has been issued by the Director. This matter has not gone through the Bureau, so it should not attract too much attention."

The Emperor nodded.

Fan Xian continued to explain the details, "The goods still within the territory should all be intercepted, but... I'm afraid the Northern Qi people will get wind of it and make a fortune from it as well. After all, the Cui family has also stockpiled a lot of goods in the north..." He hid very important information in these words, and he would never tell the Emperor that this was his plan to split the loot with the Emperor of Northern Qi.

"There are three routes to the north. The Fourth Bureau has already started to take control. The people in the Bureau who work with the Internal Treasury are not very trustworthy because they have been with them for too long, so they are not being used for now."

He frowned, explaining the plan drafted by Yan Bingyun in great detail. But before he could finish, the Emperor waved his hand and said, "I... don't want details, just results."

Fan Xian paused slightly and said, "Please rest assured, Your Majesty. At the latest, within a year, we should be able to recover most of the Internal Treasury's income."

The Emperor shook his head coldly, "It is impossible for the Internal Treasury to return to its former glory... I think you understand why."

Fan Xian lowered his head.

The Emperor asked, "Let me ask you, why are you so sure that I would support you in taking action against the Second Prince and the Eldest Princess?"

"Because... the court needs money."

After a long silence, the Emperor grunted from his nose and said, "The court needs to do things, to expand its borders... and that requires money. Yun Rui has drained the Internal Treasury too much in recent years, and I couldn't stand it anymore, so I intended for you to take over this mess. You have not disappointed me. First, you had the courage to take over, and second, you were ruthless enough, not being deterred by the other party's identity... This is what I appreciate about you."

"Thank you for Your Majesty's appreciation." Fan Xian could only thank him, because it involved the Eldest Princess, who was after all his mother-in-law, and he could not comment rashly.

The Emperor picked up a pine nut and put it in his mouth, slowly chewing the aroma. The wind and snow outside the pavilion had stopped, and there was a slight chill in the silence.

"Ye Zhong has returned to Cangzhou. I made the Prince of Heqin the commander of the Imperial Guards. I heard there is quite a bit of discussion in the capital. Have you heard anything?" the Emperor asked seemingly casually.

Fan Xian smiled bitterly and replied, "Discussion is inevitable, after all, it doesn't seem to follow the old rules."

"Your opinion?"

Fan Xian was startled, thinking how could he be in a position to give his opinion on such matters, and quickly said, "Your Majesty plans far ahead and is calm of heart. How dare I speak rashly?"

"Speak, I will pardon you." The Emperor did not look at Fan Xian's handsome face, but instead fixed his gaze on the winter trees in the palace garden.

Fan Xian calmed down. He knew that talking to the Emperor was a difficult matter. Wei Xiaobao used nine truths and one lie back then, but was still caught by Kangxi. And the things he was doing in secret, sneaking into the palace, the agreement with Northern Qi, the conversation with Xiao En... all of these were hidden from the Emperor in front of him. If they were exposed, who knew what kind of end he would meet?

It was just that the Emperor in front of him was truly unfathomable. If Fan Xian didn't have that natural advantage, he definitely wouldn't dare to play with him. The so-called advantage was that he knew the true relationship between the Emperor and himself, while the Emperor didn't know that he knew this - therefore, Fan Xian could play the role of a pure and loyal minister, and the more guilty the Emperor felt towards him, the more benefits he could get.

"The First Prince is unwilling to stay in the capital," Fan Xian said directly, "Moreover, it is also against the rules to demote and use a prince. Most importantly, the Imperial Palace is the heart of Qing, and we must be cautious."

These words were very direct, even somewhat excessive, but the Emperor didn't have much of a reaction, just coldly said, "Unwilling? Things in life are mostly unsatisfactory. If he is unwilling to stay in the capital, does he think I, as his father, am willing to guard Kyoto alone? Fan Xian, you are a terrible spokesman."

Fan Xian's face turned awkward, knowing that the First Prince's visit to his residence had not escaped the Emperor's notice.

"Don't fight with the Second Prince anymore, if he settles down," the Emperor closed his eyes, bringing to an end the recent events in Kyoto.

"Yes." Fan Xian nodded. He had already achieved his goals, so what was the point of fighting?

"You have made a great contribution to the Hanging Temple incident this time," the Emperor suddenly said quietly, "However, as the Director of the Supervising Office, you actually allowed assassins to infiltrate Kyoto. Before the incident, the Second Bureau didn't find out any information. This is your dereliction of duty. The two cancel each other out, so I can only reward you with those useless things. Don't hold a grudge."

"I dare not." Fan Xian replied seriously, "It was my dereliction of duty... As for the injury, it was also because my skills were not good enough that I was injured by that white-clad swordsman."

The Emperor suddenly asked with interest, "That swordsman... we still haven't found out who he is. You fought him. Can you guess anything?"

……

……

A gust of cold wind suddenly rose outside the pavilion, and Fan Xian's back went numb. A drop of sweat flowed down from his neck, trickling down the lining of his underwear. He didn't know what the Emperor's true purpose was in asking this, but he felt that if he wasn't careful, he would lose everything he had gained.

The white-clad swordsman was Shadow. No matter what Chen Pingping's reasons were for setting up this situation, he certainly wouldn't tell the Emperor the truth before informing him. But if the Emperor vaguely guessed this, how should he answer? If he said he didn't know, would it shake the position he had worked so hard to establish in the Emperor's heart?

Only for a moment, Fan Xian concealed his shock very well and asked in surprise, "Didn't Your Majesty say that the white-clad swordsman was the younger brother of Si Gu Jian?"

The Emperor sneered, "During the great chaos in Dongyi City that year, Si Gu Jian showed no mercy with his sword and killed countless members of his own family. It is said that a brother escaped... I am just guessing. That day, on the high building, that blinding sword, if it wasn't the sword intent of Si Gu Jian, my eyes would have been blinded."

Fan Xian felt relieved, knowing that he had guessed correctly, and said with a smile, "It's a pity. If we could have solid evidence... and use this as an excuse to send troops to Dongyi City next year, then my injury would be worth it."

These words pleased the Emperor, who liked this kind of shameless approach, and he laughed, "After Fei Jie healed Si Gu Jian, he never acted like an idiot again. How could he admit to this? First, he wouldn't admit that there was a brother alive in the world, and then he would send a letter of state, expressing his shock and condolences about the assassination of me, and expressing disbelief at the viciousness of the assassin..."

The middle-aged man spoke to himself, but found that no one was responding to his rare humor. He turned around and saw that Fan Xian was looking at him very seriously, and the little eunuch outside the pavilion was even half-bowed, not daring to make a sound.

Looking at this scene, he couldn't help but sigh in his heart, thinking that so many years had passed, and there was no one who dared to joke with him like she did... indeed, there never would be again.

The Emperor's mood was a little gloomy, and he slowly opened his mouth and asked, "Fan Xian... that day on the building, why did you save Ping'er first?"

Fan Xian sat in the wheelchair and begged for forgiveness, remaining silent for a long time before replying, "In that situation, if I had gone to Your Majesty's side, I would only have been able to block the sword in front, and I wouldn't have been able to take care of the knife behind... His Highness the Third Prince was in danger."

"Oh?" The Emperor laughed self-deprecatingly, "Could it be that my life is not as valuable as Ping'er's?"

Fan Xian smiled bitterly and begged for forgiveness again: "I deserve ten thousand deaths. The situation was tense at the time, and I didn't react for a moment."

"By the time you rushed to my side... the opportunity had been lost. Aren't you afraid of death?"

Fan Xian thought for a moment, and finally said something treasonous. He looked at the Emperor's calm eyes and said bitterly, "At the time, I was thinking that if I could block that sword with this little life, that would naturally be great. If I couldn't block it... heh heh... to be able to go to another world with Your Majesty to see the scenery, that would be a great honor."

The Emperor was slightly stunned, and then burst into laughter, his laughter shaking the sky and spreading to the far reaches of the pavilion. The eunuchs and palace maids waiting in the corners of the palace garden, hearing the Emperor's rare happy laughter, couldn't help but look at each other, wondering what joke Director Fan had told that had made the Emperor so happy.

The Emperor stopped laughing, and now the more he looked at the familiar expression between Fan Xian's eyebrows, the more comforted he felt. He softened his voice and said, "When you go to Jiangnan, be careful yourself. Don't rush to the front in everything... I heard that you were also causing trouble like this in the north. You are a dignified official, and you don't know how to cherish your life."

Fan Xian felt slightly embarrassed, knowing that what the Emperor said made sense. Among the ministers of the country, how many would dare to take risks like he used to? It was just that he liked to be alone at heart, and in the end, he didn't trust anyone else - but there were still a few months before the trip to Jiangnan, and it seemed a little too early for the Emperor to give this farewell instruction.

"Your Majesty," Fan Xian thought of an important matter and said with some unease, "What you said to Consort Yi earlier... was it a joke?"

The Emperor glared and said coldly, "A ruler does not joke."

Fan Xian was terrified: "I am not old and my prestige is not high, how can I be a teacher to the prince?"

The Emperor laughed and looked at him, saying, "I heard... that when you were in Shangjing, the little emperor respected you... As for prestige, even Zhuang Mohan praises you, why can't you do it? The Grand Tutor of Northern Qi is only a junior of Zhuang Mohan... If I didn't think you were really too young, I would have directly issued an edict to summon you to the palace to lecture, and who would dare to say otherwise?"

"But..." Fan Xian regretted the reputation he had gained from his vanity and replied with distress, "But I am going to Jiangnan next spring, and it would be bad if it delays the Third Prince's studies."

The Emperor waved his hand: "Take Ping'er with you. I have already told the Empress Dowager."

Fan Xian opened his mouth wide and couldn't speak for a long time.

……

……

"Do a good job," the Emperor said with a calm expression, "After the Jiangnan affair, stay in Kyoto for another two years, and I will let you enter the Zhongshu Menxia."

He stared into Fan Xian's eyes and said in a gentle tone, "I value you."

Fan Xian was silent for a moment, and then nodded without pretension, knowing that the conversation was over, and he was ready to ask to go home. Unexpectedly... the Emperor waved his hand again and said lightly, "Today is the Beginning of Winter, and there is a banquet in the palace. You can eat in the palace... I have already sent someone to your home to pick up Wan'er."

Fan Xian was shocked again, not knowing what this represented, or if it didn't mean anything at all.

"The Empress Dowager wants to see you," the Emperor said, and then coughed twice to cover up, "The old woman wants to see what Wan'er's husband looks like."

—————————————————————

The Emperor left in his imperial chariot, and the pavilion became quiet, leaving only Fan Xian and the young eunuch who was specially responsible for pushing the wheelchair today.

Fan Xian watched the direction the Emperor left, a hint of cold self-deprecation flashed in his eyes. Although today's summons to the palace was sudden, he still had some small expectations, perhaps the middle-aged man would let him see that painting? Perhaps that middle-aged man would say something to him?

Unexpectedly, in the end, it was still a dialogue between a benevolent ruler and a loyal minister. He felt a vague disappointment in his heart. The imperial family was inherently ruthless, and he certainly knew this, and he had never regarded that middle-aged man as his father... The so-called disappointment was actually just disappointment for the woman named Ye Qingmei.

Looking at the Emperor's attitude towards him, he knew that he was an unfeeling person, at least... towards his mother, he did not have the gratitude and sufficient remembrance that he should have. In other words, even if the Emperor now trusted him无比, even if he had regarded him as his closest courtier, he was still just a courtier.

If he really exposed his identity one day and was no longer a "loyal minister" who had protected the Emperor, and it involved the ownership of that chair... Fan Xian sneered in his heart. He had no interest in being Emperor. Being the Director of the Supervising Office was where his interests lay. But whether he became Emperor or not was his own problem. Whether the middle-aged man let him stand in the ranks was a matter of morality.

Damn! ... I don't bother to talk to you!

……

……

After scolding the Emperor to vent his anger, Fan Xian took a deep breath, knowing that his depression was really unreasonable. Because Ning Cairen was a female captive from Dongyi, many people had automatically deprived the First Prince of the right to succeed to the throne, let alone a character like himself who couldn't see the light of day. Furthermore, his mother's bizarre death must still have some loose ends that hadn't been cleaned up, which was why the Emperor hadn't dared to recognize him until today.

What made Fan Xian feel a little inexplicable was: Why did he suddenly become so concerned about it today when he had given up on this idea since the day he guessed his identity?

With a soft "drip," a drop of snow fell from the eaves of the pavilion, gently hitting the stone steps. The sound awakened Fan Xian. He looked up at the scenery of early winter outside the pavilion, sighed, and thought to himself, maybe it was precisely because the environment in the palace was too oppressive that he was thinking about those boring things that he didn't need to think about.

"Director... Sir... it's still some time before dinner. His Majesty instructed that you can wander around... around as you please." The young eunuch Hong Zhu said with his eyes downcast, but his words were trembling.

Wander around in the harem as he pleased? He was still recuperating from his injuries in the Mei Garden, so it was better to avoid taboos. Fan Xian shook his head: "I'll just look around in this pavilion." He noticed the young eunuch's voice, narrowed his eyes, and scanned the young eunuch like two small knives. This gaze made the young eunuch a little nervous.

"Cold?"

"Yes."

"Sweating?"

"……Yes."

Fan Xian's lips curled slightly, and he smiled: "Don't be afraid. Since His Majesty is letting you listen here, he naturally trusts you."

That was true. The conversation between the Emperor and Fan Xian in the pavilion today, seemingly commonplace, contained very "rich" hidden information. Hong Zhu learned for the first time today that the struggle between the Supervising Office and the Second Prince and the matter of the Internal Treasury were actually condoned by the Emperor. Director Fan was extremely intelligent, and his actions secretly conformed to the Emperor's wishes! And it seemed that Director Fan was about to take some big action soon.

If these things were spread out of the palace, it would probably cause an uproar.

"This servant is not afraid," Hong Zhu replied pitifully.

Fan Xian looked at the young eunuch's pockmarked face and suddenly asked curiously, "Do eunuchs also get acne?"

"Acne?" Hong Zhu was slightly stunned, and then understood what it meant, replying somewhat irritably, "This little one doesn't know."

The pavilion was quiet, and palace maids could be seen walking in the distance. The cold lake was awe-inspiring, and a gentle breeze blew across the lake, entering the pavilion and swirling around him, slightly calming the irritability in his heart. Fan Xian smiled: "You... are Hong Zhu?"

……

……

(Recommend the urban life novel "Snake Scorpion," by the author Diao Lan Yuqi. It tells the story of a female business leader. Welcome everyone to collect, click, and recommend it. The link is here...)