Vol 2 Chapter 315 (1/2)
Chapter 315: A Garden Tour with Unease（2)
Although the light snow had ceased, the cold continued to be trapped within the palace It was indeed difficult to withstand thein his wheelchair He wore a high-collared cloak that protected hi a little hot As to the E tio He had never expected to hide the fact that his faled Fan Sizhe out of the capital from many people
”I received a letter the day before yesterday He has already settled in Shangjing”
Fan Xian casually glanced at the eunuch behind hietically in front thelances between the two people
The eunuch was Hong Zhu As he watched Coaze he, for soan to feel a thread of fear—Hong Zhu understood The Co hi been serving near the Emperor recently, he deeply understood the need for silence He quickly lowered his head and did not dare toZhu wanted to be able to be taken under the wing of Fan Xian He dared not say anything that was unfavorable to the Fan clan
”I ahtly as he strolled beside the lake ”Although you and I both know the truth of these things, there is still a need for us to play politics”
Fan Xian lowered his head and allowed the soft fur on the collar to rub against his cheeks ”Since Your Majesty asked, I dare not speak a lie”
The Emperor suddenly came to a halt and the eunuch quickly drew back the wheelchair so as to not be level with the Emperor Fan Xian rocked in his seat and he furrowed his brows
”You dare not lie to me… but you dare to lie brazenly to the world?” The Emperor turned around and looked at Fan Xian with a smile that was not quite a smile The lines at the corner of his eyes were not smile lines and carried more of a question
Fan Xian raised his head and, soaze ”There are many foolish people in the world… I am only loyal to the Emperor, not to those people”
”But soe ”The people are most important, and the state follows The ruler is the least is?” Fan Xian's brows drew together lightly Of course he knoho dared: the original author was Mencius His iarized that
”The Ministry of Justice is still searching for your brother,” the E forward, saying, ”Are you not worried I will punish you?”
Hong Zhu pushed the wheelchair forward to keep pace The squeaking of the wheels was giving Fan Xian a headache He shook his head and said, ”I trust Your Majesty understands hed coldly ”I suspect that only now does the Second Prince feel like he has difficulties and no one to share theht now, he should act as if he were slightly frightened, just like the et close to the Emperor But he knew that the Eht down He was nothing more than a tool Furthermore, in the eyes of the Emperor, he was not just a simple minister That factor remained in play, after all
And so he did not feel even a thread of fear or nervousness No erated The three words ”I a; it seemed overdramatic
The Emperor lowered his voice and berated, ”Even if this is an act, be more serious!”
Fan Xian uilty”
Over and over again were the three boring words ”I auilty” Fortunately, the three of thee in the middle of the lake by this tidou was already slightly cold, the light snow had not been cold enough to freeze the lake It lay green and cold beneath the bridge Even though the bridge ell-constructed and flat, the wheelchair still felt unsteady as it pressed down against the wooden boards Fan Xian gripped the arhtly
and he stared intently at the gaps in the wooden bridge He thought to himself that if the eunuch suddenly turned into an assassin, he was doo the pavilion ahead paid their respects and disappeared They dared not to hang around
The Emperor took a seat on a cushi+oned stone bench and indicated with his gaze for Fan Xian to help himself to a cup of hot tea The Eers to pick up so Zhu took his cue and stood to the side of the pavilion Half of his attention was on the scenery and the other half was on his ave an order
”How is it?” asked the Emperor
Fan Xian seeether tightly and i to my injury or…”
”The latter”
Fan Xian replied in a very straightforward manner, ”We are ready to o through the official channels, it shouldn't arouse the attentions of too many people”
The Emperor nodded
Fan Xian continued with the details, ”At the moment, we can retrieve all the stock in our territory, however… if Northern Qi hears about it, they will also be able to reat deal of stock in the north…” He hid very important information within these words, information he wouldn't reveal to the Emperor even in the throes of death It was information about the plan for him and the Northern Qi Emperor to divide the spoils
”There are three roads that lead north and we have them under control As the people in the palace treasury spend a lot of time with them, they're not completely safe, so we haven't used them yet”
He furrowed his brow and carefully detailed the plan Yan Bingyun had devised He hadn't yet finished when the Emperor waved his hands and said, ”I… don't want the details I only want the results”
Fan Xian hesitated then said, ”Rest assured, Your Majesty In, at most, a year, the treasury will recover much of its revenue”
The Emperor shook his head indifferently ”It is ilorious state… I think you understand why”
Fan Xian lowered his head
”Let me ask you,” The Emperor said, ”how you were sure that I would support you acting against the Second Prince and the eldest princess?”
”Because… the court needed money”
After half a beat of silence, the Eh his nose and said, ”What the court needs to do is to expand… and so it needstoo deep into the treasury over the years—even I could not allow it anymore, and so I wanted you to handle theto accept, and second, you did what you needed to do You didn't let the other person's status scare you… this is why I used you”
”Thank you, Your Majesty, for your appreciation” Fan Xian could only give thanks He couldn't say much about the eldest princess After all, she was his mother-in-law Of course, he could not make improper coht it to his lips and slowly savored its flavor Outside the pavilion, the wind had ceased blowing and the snow had stopped falling, it was a cold peacefulness
”Ye Zhong has returned to Canzhou I heard there is much discussion in the city because I allowed Prince He to take the position of Commander of the Imperial Army What have you heard?” The Eave hi people talk After all, it does not seem to fit precedence”
”What do you think?”
Fan Xian was surprised He wondered how it caive an opinion on such a iven it e it”
”Speak, I absolve you of all offense” The Emperor did not look at Fan Xian's delicate face at all He focused his gaze on the frozen trees in the palace gardens
Fan Xian relaxed He knew talking to the Emperor was a difficult task That year, Wei Xiaobao had barely spoken any truths yet Kangxi had caught hi in to the Royal Palace, his pact with Northern Qi, his conversation with Xiao En… all these things he hid fros went aho kneould befall him?
Only, this Emperor before him was rather unfathoe he would definitely not dare to play such a gae was that he knew the true nature of the relationshi+p between himself and the Emperor, and the Emperor was not aware that he knew And thus, Fan Xian was able to pretend to be the loyal uiltier the Ee
”His Eldest Highness is unwilling to rehtforwarda Prince to be used in such a way is very irregular Most idom, and so caution is absolutely necessary”
This co the line However, the Emperor did not have ? Much of life is not to one's liking He doesn't want to stay in the capital Then is he willing to watch uard the capital alone? Fan Xian, you are not very skilled in persuasion”
Fan Xian flushed in eed to keep thehis visit to Fan Manor away from the Emperor
”If he settles down, leave second brother alone” The Emperor closed his eyes and concluded thein the capital recently
”Yes, Your Majesty” Fan Xian nodded He had already achieved everything he wanted, ould he continue stirring the pot?
”You did very well in the Hanging Teently said ”However, as the Commissioner of the Overwatch Council, you allowed an assassin to slip into the capital Before it all happened, the Second Bureau did not know anything of it at all This is an oversight on your part However, it is evened out by your success I can only reward you with those useless things Don't be resentful”
”I would not dare,” Fan Xian replied seriously ”It was originally ht… as to h, and so I was injured by the white clothed assassin”