Joy of Life

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

After hearing these words, wangfei immediately stopped talking. She and Fan Xian understood each other perfectly. After the three riders entered the capital, the empress dowager’s seemingly panicked edicts were now gradually showing their effectiveness.

The reason that these edicts put such constraints on the Great Prince was because the empress dowager clearly believed in her eldest grandson’s character. In the her view, Fan Xian might be sinister enough to seek personal benefit regardless of his birth mother, but the Great Prince would not.

“To be able to create such a ruckus in Jingdou in just one night, it is clear that although the internal could control the Fan manor and is watching the Overwatch Council, you still have your power,” Wangfei furrowed her brows and said. “Therefore, I don’t understand…”

Without waiting for wangfei to finish speaking, Fan Xian shook his head and said, “What don’t you understand? If this matter is to be resolved, it must be done from within the Palace. No matter how much ruckus is outside the Palace, it would not touch the root of the problem. If this matter is to be resolved from within the Palace, it needs the help of the Great Prince.”

He watched wangfei’s face calmly and said, “Of course, he will also need my help. Someone needs to do the things he disdains or the sinister things he cannot do.”

Wangfei smiled and slowly said, “You misunderstand me. When I said I don’t understand, I was talking about why you still don’t know the two pieces of good news.”

“What good news?” Fan Xian felt slightly surprised.

“The situation in the Palace is much better than you think.” Wangfei lowered her head slightly. “The family you care about reacted much faster than you imagined.”

Fan Xian’s pupil constricted slightly. His father, wife, and family were in the control of the internal court, which was why he had made himself sink into the darkness after returning to the capital from Dong Mountain. He couldn’t take the risk to make contact with the Council. He could only secretly contact the powers his father-in-law had left behind. As for the situation in his family, he only had a general understanding. Hearing wangfei’s words, only now did he learn that the empress dowager’s plans were not completely realized. With just a thought, his heart moved slightly. He felt some anticipation.

Wangfei said, “Soldiers had indeed entered the Fan manor in preparation of wiping them out. However, Minister Fan was not in the manor. The day the three riders entered the capital, after Minister Fan came out from the Palace, he did not return home. Instead, he was taken by King Jing to his manor.”

“King Jing?” Fan Xian was greatly shocked. “You are saying that father has been in his manor all these days? Why have there been no rumors?”

Wangfei said, “The Fan manor had already been sealed, so no news could come out from within. After all, King Jing is the empress dowager’s trueborn son. Since the Emperor already died, she had to leave some face for her only son. Thus, presently, there is only the Jingdou Government and internal court working together to keep watch outside, but they don’t dare to charge in.”

After Fan Xian recovered from his surprise. He laughed coldly and said, “What not dare? What face? It is only because the empress dowager thinks she can control everything in Jingdou. Without having caught me, why would she be in a rush to get rid of my family?”

“After destroying the posthumous edict and getting rid of you, the empress dowager will dare to take action.”

Fan Xian smiled. “What is the other good news?”

“That Sisi girl that was about to give birth.” Wangfei said, “About 10 days ago, she went with Princess Chen and the Master of the Lin family to the Fan family estate.”

Fan Xian frowned slightly.

“The day the empress dowager gave the edict for your family to enter the Palace, the eunuch that went to announce the edit was met with an empty home,” Wangfei said calmly. “Sisi was not in the manor. No trace of this could be found in the Fan family estate either.”

“In other words, Sisi disappeared a dozen days ago.” Wangfei gazed at Fan Xian. A glimmer of admiration shined in her eyes. “Thus, I don’t understand. You were so well prepared ahead of time, what exactly were you worried about?”

Fan Xian’s expression remained calm and unchanging, but his heart had sunk into shock. Sisi had gone to the Fan family estate and disappeared. Who had organized this? Was it father? Did father know of the Emperor’s assassination a dozen days before it happened, thus deducing the following events and making appropriate arrangements?

“It wasn’t me.” The color of Fan Xian’s face was unsightly. “I also didn’t know that Sisi had been taken elsewhere or where that is.”

Wangfei was surprised and gazed at him for a while unable to speak. She had also sensed the oddness behind this matter. Who helped arrange this matter so many days ahead?

Looking at how the Fan manor hid the news of Sisi’s disappearance during this time, it was clear they knew inside information. Fan Xian understood this, so he did not continue to worry about Sisi’s safety. Rather, he sank into a difficult problem. He glanced at wangfei and saw the shock in her eyes.

“The old cripple.”

“Director Chen.”

The same answer rose in their hearts. Pushing the deduction forward from there might ouch upon a preposterous and exaggerated reality. The two of them, with great situational awareness, did not continue deeper into the discussion. Fan Xian furrowed his brows and said, “The manor has a good relationship with the Director. Recently, Jingdou has been in chaos. I have been unable to return to the Council. It is in a complete mess. I don’t know whether you know why such a situation would arise.”

Wangfei looked at him and said, after a moment of silence, “Everyone in Jingdou knows that once the Emperor isn’t here, it is the Director’s following actions that are important. I don’t believe the Eldest Princess would think of this point. On the first day, the empress dowager summoned the Director into the Palace…”

“I had thought that he had entered the Palace, but there was no more information later. Only then did I realize the strangeness of the situation.” Fan Xian waved his hand. “Even if the 13 city gate guards were strictly controlling the movement of information between the inside and outside of the city, they can’t seal off Chen Garden into an isolated island.”

His brows furrowed together. Having been back in the capital for a number of days, he had only been able to secretly contact some of the people in the Council and didn’t know much about the details. He could feel that many people were afraid because of the news of the Commissioner’s rebellion. Chen Pingping, who was supposed to be holding the fort in the Overwatch Council, had, for whatever reason, not followed the edict to enter the capital.

Fan Xian wondered, Is the news of him being poisoned true?

Wangfei didn’t know what he was thinking but sighed and said, very coincidentally, “I’m just afraid that the news about poisoning is true.”

Fan Xian’s heart tightened. Given the Overwatch Council’s defensive powers, how could someone slip poison into Chen Pingping’s food and drink? People were all saying that it was the doing of that master poisoner from Dongyi.

“At first, I thought the Director was using the poisoning matter to extricate himself from the fight for succession in court,” he closed his eyes slightly and said. “If the poisoning is real, then the matter becomes troublesome.”

“There is already big trouble,” Wangfei looked at him calmly and said. “The empress dowager still trusts Director Chen, but the poisoning matter was too coincidental. I’m afraid that she will have other thoughts. If the empress dowager didn’t think that Director Chen would stand on your side, she probably wouldn’t be so decisive in her choice of the Crown Prince. Rather, she would stand in the middle and leave space to compromise.”

Fan Xian nodded. He and others all suspected Chen Pingping’s poisoning. Naturally, the empress dowager would too. Suspicion would be like a thorn and would hurt more and more. Since the empress dowager’s suspicion had fallen on Chen Pingping’s head, she would do her most to subdue the Overwatch Council.

“It looks like Qin Heng’s first task as the Commander of the Jingdou Garrison is too keep an eye on the Chen Garden. No wonder no messages have come out yet.” Fan Xian’s brows furrowed even tighter.

As long as the Qin family’s troops don’t enter Jingdou, the Palace would not fall into turmoil. However, Chen Pingping, that old cripple, was also the person Fan Xian was most worried about. If he truly had been poisoned, no matter how strong the defenses were in Chen Garden, how could it stand against an attack by the elite of Qing Kingdom’s troops?

“We have to act,” Fan Xian lowered his head and said. “Please pass on to the Great Prince that there are times when he needs to make up his mind.”

“What about my mother-in-law?” Wangfei looked at him. She needed Sir Fan junior to give her a formal promise.

“I will ensure Lady Ning’s safety”, Fan Xian said. “I only need the Great Prince’s determination. He has to understand that although the Imperial Army is within his control, there are still some of Governor Yan’s trusted aides from the past. After a while, the empress dowager will switch him out from the position of Commander. At that time, he and I can only wait to eat sh*t.”

This was a crude way of speaking, but wangfei did not show any irritation. She knew that the present situation was indeed very sh*tty. She gazed at Fan Xian’s disguised face and felt confused. Deep in the Palace and under the control of the internal court, what powers and virtues did Fan Xian have that he could ensure Lady Ning’s safety?

She knew that Princess Chen was in the Palace. Fan Xian would not use a massive lie to sacrifice the life of his wife.

“The 13 city gate guards are important,” Wangfei pulled Fan Xian’s cup in front of her and said in a quiet voice. “In order to stop the armies loyal to the Emperor entering the capital, the person in this position has to be from our side.”

Fan Xian’s heart loosened slightly. He knew that this woman had, in the end, decided to persuade her husband to carry out a rebellion in the Palace. Only then would she begin to discuss these specific matters. He considered it for a while and then said, “As you know, I’ve never had any relationships with the military. I don’t where to start with the city gates.”

Wangfei sighed. “The Great Prince’s Western Expedition Army has long been dissolved. He doesn’t have much power in Jingdou. It is not comparable at all to the Qin and Ye families.” She paused and then said, “Of course, if Director Chen was in the capital, presumably he would have a way to influence the gate guards.”

“There is no need to bring that up again.” Hearing Chen Pingping’s name, Fan Xian subdued a chill in his heart and shook his head. “Since it is so, we have to rush and resolve the matter in the Palace before the city gates open.”

“It is too difficult.” Wangfei stared into his eyes.

Fan Xian pulled back the teacup in front of her and said with his head lowered, “There is only one teapot, but there are too many teacups. Don’t just keep your eyes on the Qin family’s army. You have to think about the Ye family. Ye Zhong is not far from the capital presenting prisoners of war. Although the empress dowager has ordered him to return to Dingzhou, who knows whether the thousands of Hu fighting soldiers have left or not.”

Wangfei bit her lip. Her heart jumped.

Fan Xian raised his head and said calmly, “The Second Prince’s thoughts are very simple. He will temporarily push the Crown Prince onto the throne, but he will want one part of this pot of tea in Jingdou. If the Ye family that stands behind him doesn’t enter the capital, what authority does he have to speak?”

“Of course, all of this happened because that mother-in-law of mine nodded her head,” Fan Xian rubbed his temples and said. “The Eldest Princes is not like the empress dowager. She is a woman that worships military power. If a few thousand people need to be killed to stabilize the court, she will not object.”

After a moment of silence, wangfei slowly stood up and said, looking at Fan Xian, “In the end, it will still be a bloody battle.”

“A bloodless rebellion will always be a perfect idealization or an extremely rare occurrence,” Fan Xian said. “Although I am a very lucky person, I do not dare depend on luck for this matter, particularly since the Eldest Princess prepared such a crazy plan. I don’t think that she would be as empathetic and pitiful as to watch and cause trouble in the Palace and not use soldiers.”

Wangfei nodded and said, “I will your intentions to the Great Prince.”

Fan Xian smiled and said without tact, “Since you have come at this time, naturally, it means that the Great Prince will accept my thoughts.”

These words meant that the Great Prince knew exactly what Fan Xian wanted. He had only asked wangfei to come to see how many cards Fan Xian held in his hand and how much he could do. Having been exposed, wangfei only smiled then said, “You are becoming more and more confident. Presently, Jingdou is in a dangerous situation, yet you can still talk cheerfully and wittily.”

After a moment of silence, Fan Xian said, “I indeed have confidence. As long as the Ye and Qin family armies don’t have time to enter the capital… As far as I am concerned, Jingdou is nothing more than an empty city.”

The most powerful people in the world had all been drawn to Dong Mountain by the dazzling Qing Emperor. Although not yet recovered from his injuries, Fan Xian’s personality and confidence had returned to their peak conditions after his rebirth.

Wangfei suddenly said, “I am somewhat curious. Last night, you went to contact various officials to make trouble in the hall today. At this moment, the Royal Palace is probably filled with bloody rain and wind and is a very sinister sight.”

She stared into Fan Xian’s eyes. “Those elderly and virtuous officials are standing against the empress dowager because of you. They may pay for this with their lives, yet you are sitting calmly and watching from the side. I don’t know if this is calmness or cold-bloodedness.”

Wangfei smiled gently. “Sometimes, I cannot help but admire you. You manage to have countless people stick their heads out on your behalf, spill hot blood, and lose their heads to help you obtain advantages. If these officials think through this point, do you think they will cry out ‘tricked’ the moment before their death?”

Having said this, the corner of wangfei’s lips carried a glimmer of mockery. In her eyes, Fan Xian’s action had forced the Crown Prince into a difficult and terrifying place. Fan Xian chose to concoct this matter the night before the coronation. He did not give anyone a chance to react. If the Crown Prince killed the officials, he would sink himself into faithlessness. The officials were essentially using their heads to cry out for Fan Xian.

Fan Xian’s face gradually calmed. He had indeed, with the help of his father-in-law in Wuzhou, incited the two scholars into stopping the Crown Prince’s coronation in Taiji Palace. As for the dangers of this matter, he had considered it before. Speaking from certain angles, he was using the lives of the truly brave civil officials in Taiji Palace to face the risk.

It was indeed dangerous and a selfish choice. When faced with wangfei’s mockery, he didn’t refute it. Instead, he slowly said, “Thieves have morals and so do I. In the past, I had always been someone very afraid of death. Recently, I have come to understand something. Death can be as weighty as Dong Mountain or as light as a feather. The scholars Hu and Shu are both willing to die for the morals in their heart. This is their choice.”

“Weighty as Dong Mountain, light as a feather?” Wangfei repeated this phrase and looked at Fan Xian’s face in a daze. She faintly felt that when she saw Sir Fan junior this time, there was a mixture of viciousness and warmth on the young man’s face. But, in his bones, there seemed to be a change taking place.

She still couldn’t resist asking, “Since it is so, why are you hiding behind the scenes and not bravely charging out?”

“Suddenly appearing in the hall, bringing out the edict, and then being surrounded by the aces in the court…” Fan Xian smiled somewhat bitterly. “That would indeed be very heroic, but it cannot obtain any good results.”

He drew back his smile and said, with a seriousness she had never heard before, “Twenty days ago, in a meadow on the summit of a tall mountain, I learned some things. From today onward, I do not fear death. I treasure life. If I am destined to die, I hope that I can die in a worthwhile manner.”

Wangfei was silent and did not speak.

Fan Xian closed his eyes and said, after a moment, “I am not using the heads of those respectable civil officials to take a risk. If the person in charge right now was the Eldest Princess, I would have chosen a different method. However, the person ascending the throne in Taiji Palace is the Crown Prince not the Second Prince.”

He opened his eyes and said coldly, “The Second Prince is cold beneath his emotions. On the contrary, I have some confidence in the Crown Prince.”

“What confidence?”

“I still think that the Crown Prince is the gentlest of all us brothers.” Fan Xian smiled warmly. “The empress dowager is old and does not have enough desire to kill. The Crown Prince is a good man, so I don’t think the bloody scene you expected will appear today in Taiji Palace.”

Fan Xian had given the Crown Prince in Taiji Palace a good person card. Wangfei felt that this was strange. She shook her head as she prepared to leave.

Before she left, Fan Xian called her to stop. He then called Ma Suosuo from inside the room and said to wangfei, “I won’t stay in one place in Jingdou. I will not come to Yangcong Alley again, but I am worried about her safety. I hope that you will take her into your manor.”

Wangfei was surprised. She had not thought that Fan Xian would be thinking about Ma Suosuo’s safety at this time, nor did she think he would make such a request.

Ma Suosuo also looked at Fan Xian in shock.

Fan Xian said, “Presently, your manor is the safest location in Jingdou. It is not only because of the strength of the Imperial Guards in the Great Prince’s hands. You should understand what I am talking about.”

Wangfei slowly lowered her head. There was the shadow of great foreign powers over the internal turmoil Qing Kingdom was experiencing. Even the Eldest Princess had to give their foreign allies some face, give the Northern Qi Emperor’s own sister some face.

The three of them exited the door of the little courtyard, bowed, and separated. At the last moment, Fan Xian stared into wangfei’s eyes and said, “Earlier, you were using righteousness to criticize me. At this time, I have to remind you that you are now wangfei. You must consider yourself a person of Qing Kingdom and not a person of Northern Qi.”

Wangfei’s heart trembled slightly. She did not dare meet Fan Xian’s deep and cold eyes.

..

..

Autumn had just arrived. It was slightly cold, but it did not pierce the bones. On the carriage, wangfei felt that the wind coming in from outside the carriage curtains was very cold to the point that she couldn’t help but shiver a few times.

Ma Suosuo had been placed by her in the second carriage. Even if Fan Xian had not asked her to look after the unfortunate Hu girl, wangfei would not just leave the girl behind in Yangcong Alley without a care. If she died, how would she explain it to the Great Prince?

Wangfei shivered from the cold. There was only her in the carriage. She had enough time to recall Fan Xian’s last words to her.

She could see clearly that Fan Xian had already made general plans for this entire matter. That was why he had reminded her.

As for Fan Xian, wangfei had married in from the distant Northern Qi and traveled with him. She had observed him carefully and knew how powerful he was. In particular, the tense scene in Taiji Palace had been created by him in one night with a swing of his sleeve. Wangfei had no choice but to feel a glimmer of respect. All the powers behind Fan Xian were being watched by the Palace and unable to move. Yet, he still managed to create a ruckus. Wangfei had no idea just what kind of trump card Fan Xian had hidden away.

Thus, she had decided determinedly to stand beside the Great Prince and Fan Xian. For something like history, it always progressed with the victors.

The carriage returned to the manor. Wangfei led Ma Suosuo into the back garden. She ordered servants to organize the Hu girl’s living arrangements and brought her alone to the side of the lake, walking into the pavilion in the heart of the lake. Half a year ago, this pavilion had held all the sons and daughter of the Royal Family, except the Crown Prince. That temporarily period of peace in the Emperor’s family had long dissolved into bubbles with his death.

The sons and daughters of the Emperor were all looking for ways to kill their brothers and sisters.

Wangfei sighed and sat beside the window. To the man who had stood guard in the pavilion the entire time, she asked, “Still no news from the Great Prince?”

He replied respectfully, “There are some small movements in the Imperial Army. However, listening to the deputy’s message, the Great Prince is guarding the palace walls. He should be able to subdue those people.”

He wore normal clothing, like he should be a housekeeper. He spoke to wangfei respectfully, but there was an aura between his brows that servants should not have. He quietly said, “Princess, did you see that person earlier?”

Princess? The only people who would refer to wangfei so naturally like this had to be Northern Qi people.

Wangfei nodded her head silently. After a moment, she suddenly opened her mouth and said, “Stay calm with the Eldest Princess’ side. For now, don’t say anything.”

He furrowed his brows slightly and said, “I am under strict orders from His Majesty to aid the Eldest Princess in controlling the situation in Qing Kingdom. Now that Fan Xian has shown himself, I have to report this to the Eldest Princess.”

Wangfei looked at him and slowly said, “I don’t know exactly what Shangjing is thinking. I only know that Fan Xian cannot die now.”

From this conversation, it appeared that man who looked like a housekeeper was actually a spy from Northern Qi stationed in Jingdou. In Qing Kingdom’s internal dispute this time, he was responsible for contacting important figures for the Eldest Princess’s side. His face was slightly cold. Looking at wangfei, he said, “Princess, please, remember that you are a citizen of the Qi Kingdom. Don’t do let emotions affect your decisions.”

Wangfei looked at him with a cold smile and said, “I am thinking of you. If Fan Xian actually died, do you think that His Majesty would let you go?”

He sucked in a cold breath, not understanding the meaning of these words. After thinking about it closely, his Emperor did seem to think highly of Fan Xian. But, if he wanted to fulfill the Emperor’s wishes, how could Fan Xian not die? In a heavy voice, he said, “The Emperor has strict orders that Qing Kingdom must experience major internal turmoil. The Emperor thinks that Chen Pingping will stay in the shadows until the end. If Fan Xian doesn’t die, Chen Pingping, Fan Jian, and the former Prime Minister in Wuzhou would not go crazy.”

“After the Qing Emperor died, the only truly powerful figures in Qing Kingdom were the Eldest Princess Li Yunrui and those three old men.” He stubbornly kept his head down as he spoke faster and faster. “Presently, the internal Qing court and empress dowager were keeping an eye on Chen Pingping and Fan Jian, not allowing them to move. Once something actually happened to Fan Xian, the Qing Royal Family will probably not be able to subdue those two…”

“As long as Qing Kingdom truly falls into chaos, regardless of who wins or loses in the end, it will all be good for Northern Qi,” he said with his head down. “The death of the Qing Emperor was one of the sources of chaos. Fan Xian’s death would light the last fire.”

“Is this the intention of the Brocade Guards or that of the Emperor’s?” Wangfei’s gaze was somewhat floaty.

“This matter has not passed through the hands of Commander. It is all the Emperor’s thoughts. Although the Emperor has not said it openly, the meaning is clear. Presumably, he has also thought about Fan Xian’s death.”

“Then which side should Northern Qi favor?”

He raised his head and said, after a moment of silence, “We hope Fan Xian’s side will win. That is why Fan Xian must die.”

“Why?” Wangfei asked in surprise. “Even if the Great Prince helps him, he cannot stand against the powerful armies of the Ye and Qin families.”

“I dare not impetuously guess at the Emperor’s thoughts,” hesaid calmly, “But, thinking of it, it should be that the Emperor has confidence in Chen Pingping.”

“Fine. If it were as the Emperor said, Fan Xian died and Jingdou was in turmoil, in the end, Director Chen would invite down the heavenly generals,” Wangfei furrowed her brows slightly and said, lightly mockingly. “The Eldest Princess’s faction would be defeated, and the people behind Fan Xian would regain control of court politics in Qing Kingdom. But, what about it? It may be better if Fan Xian was alive. If they win, given Fan Xian’s positive relationship with our court, there will probably be dozens of years of peace.”

The man looked at wangfei in surprise and said, a moment later, “Princess, do you truly not understand what the Emperor means?”

“What does he mean?” Wangfei wrinkled her brows slightly.

He quietly said, “Everyone’s eyes are on the Crown Prince, the Second Prince, the Third Prince, and Fan Xian. After it truly becomes a mess, the Great Prince holds the Imperial Army in his hands. In addition, he has always been friendly with Fan Xian, Director Chen sees him as a nephew, and Minister Fan will be suffering the pain of losing a son. In this way, the Great Prince has the best opportunity.”

Wangfei’s body jolted. She sucked in a cold breath. Looking at the man’s head, only now did she understand what sinister and terrifying deal her brother in faraway Shangjing was plotting. Her brother was not content with just killing his colleague on the dragon chair. Once one Qing Emperor dies, another will rise. As long as Qing Kingdom’s strength was not damaged, the situation between the three countries would not change.

If Qing Kingdom’s Great Prince inherited the throne… He was married to Northern Qi’s Great Princess with Dongyi blood. In the future, would Qing Kingdom still be as imposing of a country?

Wangfei covered her forehead, feeling shock deep in her heart. She had not thought her young and inexperienced brother would have such subtlety or that he would sew such an agreeable flowery border along the outside of this widespread net.

“The Great Prince would not do it.” She sighed with her hand on her forehead.

The man said, with a dark face, “If Fan Xian died to the Eldest Princess’s hand, the Great Prince would probably lose hope in his brothers. Sorrow can sometimes be a power that stimulates one’s ambitions.”

“No,” Wangfei raised her head and said with unswerving determination. “You don’t understand, and His Majesty does not understand just what kind of person the Great Prince is. Fan Xian cannot die. I don’t care what Shangjing’s plan is, but Fan Xian’s movements cannot be revealed by me.”

The man glanced at wangfei with pity and regret. He knew that if this incident were to happen and the Great Prince learned that wangfei had betrayed Fan Xian, there would be great problems between the husband and wife. No wonder wangfei absolutely refused this suggestion. He lowered his head in a bow, “Apologies, Princess. I am wholly responsible for this matter. When the carriage left Yangcong Alley earlier, I already notified the Eldest Princess’s faction.”

Wangfei’s body shook. She stared in disbelief. Her gaze flew through the window and into the clear sky outside the manor, unsure if Fan Xian could keep his life.

…

…

Fan Xian was a very careful person. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have let wangfei take Ma Suosuo away. He would never have thought that although wangfei was already half a Qing person, there were people at her side who were still purely Qi people, particularly given his relationship with the Northern Qi Emperor. Even if Northern Qi participated in the assassination of the Qing Emperor, he still believed that Northern Qi would not target him.

Therefore, he stayed for a bit longer in the courtyard in Yangcong Alley until the day had gradually become darker. Only then did he put on a common straw hat and walked out of the courtyard and alley. Walking between the saluting white banners from the private homes, he walked in the direction of the Overwatch Council.

He decided to take the risk to find Mu Tie because the silence from Chen Garden outside Jingdou made him feel a sliver of unease. Perhaps everyone in the world still thought that Chen Pingping was silently enduring and waiting, but Fan Xian did not think so. Distance created a sense of beauty and mysteriousness. Fan Xian, who was very close to the old cripple, knew that Chen Pingping was already old. There wasn’t much of his life left. At such a time, he was truly worried about the safety of Chen Garden.

Chen Garden was outside Jingdou. It didn’t have the high city or palace walls. Even though 500 Black Knights were not far away, how could they stand against an attack from the Qing army?

He was feeling anxious, so he was not paying much attention to his surroundings until his ears shook. He heard the sound of hooves coming from some street far away. Only then did he realize that his movements had finally been, for the first time, caught by the Eldest Princess.

Fa Xian turned his head. Using his proficient gaze, he immediately found three spies following him on his right-hand side.

He furrowed his brows and wormed into the little alley behind him, trying to disappear into the many private residences in Jingdou before they surrounded him. The three spies followed him without fear.

Fan Xian turned. His left palm sliced out and landed on the throat of the person closest to him. With the sound of bones being shattered, the man collapsed onto the ground. Immediately after, his leg kicked into the genitals of the second person while his left hand turned and a crossbow bolt flew out from his sleeves, piercing the third person in his eye.

He had moved lightly, cleanly, and clearly, but it had also been incomparably fast. He didn’t give the three people any chance to cry out in alarm.

Fan Xian knew that there had to be more of the Eldest Princess’s people beside him, so he didn’t linger. His left hand stuck to the green stone wall beside him as he prepared to flip onto the eaves.

Suddenly, a person flew down from the sky and struck toward Fan Xian’s face with a palm-leaf sized metal palm.

The wind from the palm strike was like a knife, making Fan Xian narrow his eyes slightly and hurting his skin. It was only now that he understood his words in the courtyard to wangfei earlier had been slightly overconfident. The top aces in the world had probably all been destroyed at the top of Dong Mountain. However, Jingdou was a place with many hidden talents. There were also countless aces in the military.

For example, the palm coming his way at the moment. It was at least at the eighth level.

Fan Xian narrowed his eyes and met it with his palm. The palms met without sound as if they had stuck together. In a split second, he sucked in a deep breath. His back knee relaxed slightly. The bottoms of his cloth shoes sent up small threads of dust.

A muffled clap rang out.

The military ace’s wrist bone shattered. His arm bone and chest bone had shattered. He was sent flying into the sky with an abundant and impossible-to-resist Tyrannical strength.

Spraying out fresh blood, he wore an expression of disbelief on his face as he flew out wretchedly. He seemed to not understand how someone so young and gentle looking could have a Tyrannical way that was so completely different from his temperament.

Fan Xian withdrew his calm palm and coughed. He felt a sharp pain in the left side of his chest and knew that the heavy injury Yan Xiaoyi had given him was acting up again.

He knew that he couldn’t fight for a long time. He had to immediately throw off the attacks from the Eldest Princess’s faction. It was only a split second, but the entire alley was surrounded by people.

Fan Xian narrowed his eyes and looked at them. He could see among them those who had come to capture him were soldiers from the Jingdou Garrison stationed inside the capital. There were people from the Ministry of Justice, and more were good fighters from the Jingdou government. Behind them stood a few eunuchs from the internal court.

Other than his Overwatch Council, it looked like all of the powerful yamens in Jingdou had sent people after him.

Seeing this sight, Fan Xian sighed in his heart. He knew that regardless of how wretchedly things ended in Taiji Palace, the Palace had already made real his great crime of rebellion in killing the Emperor. He had become a criminal that anyone could punish.

He didn’t feel a sliver of fear or have the miserable feeling of being a tiger leaving his hill after being injured. He only looked at all of it calmly.

Yan Xiaoyi could not kill him. Who else in this world could hold down Fan Xian?

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