Joy of Life

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

Having lost all hope, the empress dowager told Fan Xian the answers he wanted to know. With her lips trembling, she closed her eyes with difficulty. Fan Xian looked at the lines on her face and didn’t see too many unusual emotions. Being able to carry out this conversation with this seemingly kindly looking but actually ruthless old woman in such a night was, for him, a kind of mental comfort, particularly since the Emperor was about to return to the capital.

The empress dowager of the Qing Kingdom could not be considered to have the heart of a devil. In these decades, she had not used the Emperor’s filial piety and power in her hands to hurt many people or do many outrageous things, other than the Ye Qingmei incident. For some reason, for Fan Xian, it was much more difficult to tolerate the fact that this old woman had something to do with the matter 20 years ago than the fact she had tried to kill him.

Furthermore, this old woman had actually always hated him. Until after the Hanging Temple incident and the Emperor acknowledged Fan Xian’s identity, only then did she pretend to consult some spirits in the memorial hall and prayed over some beads to express her opinion.

When it came to people that he admired and could not threaten him, Fan Xian could demonstrate his generosity and grace. When it came to the empress dowager, who had the power to threaten him, he did not admire her. So, he would not demonstrate a grandchild’s filial piety and gentleness.

After the Emperor returned to the capital, he would learn of everything that had happened. Regardless of whether or not he could sympathize with the fact that Fan Xian had no choice but to break-in into the Royal Palace at night and hold the empress dowager at sword point, Fan Xian would not leave too many fatal loopholes for himself. He slowly used his hand to push and pull on the empress dowager’s arm, sending zhenqi into her body. He helped to speed up the effects of the pill in her body, gradually dispersing her life force.

Completing this carefully, the empress dowager once again became unable to speak or move. At this time, even her gaze had become dim and confused, like an old person’s dementia before death.

Fan Xian should have had the empress dowager die naturally before the Emperor returned to the capital, but he didn’t want to take this risk and gamble on the Emperor’s heart. If the empress dowager could survive until the Emperor returned, her death would not be Fan Xian’s responsibility. However, if the empress dowager died during the measly few days that Fan Xian was regent, he would probably be greeted with the Emperor’s unreasonable anger.

Purposely increasing his volume to offer a few consoling words and to express his filial piety and regret, he waited a bit more before walking out of Hanguang Palace. He nodded slightly to the serving girls and old maids outside. Under everyone’s respectful gaze, he walked to the steps in front of the Palace and glanced at the Eastern Palace in the distance. Not seeing any flames, he didn’t do anything else.

…

…

In the brightly lit palace gate, Fan Xian saw King Jing hurrying toward him. This King was no longer dressed as a farmer. He was wearing proper clothing. King Jing manor and Fan manor had always been close. During the rebellion in Jingdou, they had depended solely on King Jing’s status to successfully hide his father in the manor. Fan Xian had great gratitude toward him and quickly went forward to bow deeply.

Fan Xian knew the reason why this King, who had long refused to enter the Palace, was rushing here tonight. The news in the Palace had already been sent out. All the officials and people of Jingdou knew that because of the Li Chengqian’s and the Eldest Princess’s rebellion, the empress dowager had been struck by anger. In addition to the fright she received in having the Palace surrounded and the cold she had caught, she was now bedridden and probably didn’t have many days left.

Although King Jing had pretended to be a farmer for many years and was unwilling to get close to his mother, in the end, he was still the empress dowager’s son. Hearing this news, he was anxious to enter the Palace. Seeing the handsome junior in front of him, he couldn’t resist letting out a sigh. Although he spared him a glance, he didn’t say anything.

Fan Xian’s expression was calm. He had already informed King Jing that the empress dowager did not have much longer. Although everyone knew the empress dowager’s anger had nothing to do with Li Chengqian, he wasn’t worried that King Jing would be able to see trick he had pulled on the empress dowager’s body. Some indirect information confirmed that King Jing also knew martial arts. If he couldn’t fool King Jing, what hope did he have in fooling the Emperor that was about to return?

“My brother is still alive?” King Jing asked after he sighed.

Fan Xian nodded. “When I was at Taiping Courtyard, I saw the letter the Emperor wrote to the Eldest Princess.”

The expression on King Jing’s face was complicated. The son of the second generation of the royal family had never participated in any political affairs, but he knew the rebellion in Jingdou had wide implications. With the news that the Emperor was still alive, he was able to guess a part of the truth. With slight mockery, he said, “Brother is very generous. What a brutal action.”

King Jing immediately thought of someone. Furrowing his brows slightly, he asked, “How is she?”

Fan Xian knew who he was asking about. With a solemn expression, he replied, “Already passed. Presently, she’s at my manor. I don’t know how to handle it. If you…”

King Jing’s expression changed slightly and stopped his words. Weakly, he said, “Presently, you are the regent. You can handle all of it.”

Worried about his mother’s illness, he didn’t speak long with Fan Xian. He only related Minister Fan’s condition and was quickly led toward Hanguang Palace by a few eunuchs. Hearing from the King that his father had already safely returned to the manor, he felt his heart ease slightly. Immediately after, he thought of the troubles he still had to deal with. His brows involuntarily furrowed again.

Too many officials had died. The Emperor wasn’t back. Jingdou was in chaos. Various yamen still did not have officials return to duty. Taichang Temple people had also disappeared without a trace. The problem of the Eldest Princess’s funeral matters would have to be resolved later.

After Ye Zhong had resolved the problem of Li Chengqian, he personally led troops out of the capital, met up with the troops that had rushed from Dingzhou as backup, and began to pursue the already dispersed rebel soldiers. The Great Prince was personally leading the imperial soldiers in guarding the Royal Palace, so he couldn’t leave. The Scholars Shu and Hu were in the royal study dealing with urgent documents. Fan Xian looked around. Although he was temporarily the regent, he had become an isolated person. He had no one at hand and could not do anything.

Fortunately, after Sun Jingxiu from the Jingdou government had capitulated, he persisted in carrying out his duty. With the help of the Overwatch Council, he was working hard to maintain Jingdou’s peacekeeping process.

During the day, the common people escaping calamity had left the city through Zhengyang Gate controlled by Gong Dian. The people who remained in Jingdou accepted their fate and bitterly awaited peace. Night in Jingdou recovered its quiet as the fires lit randomly during the day were gradually extinguished. Only a few places flashed with the light of flames.

Fan Xian stood on the square in front of the Palace gates and stared in a daze at the traces of broken stone on the pavement and the unwashed traces of fresh blood. Jing Ge’s group of Black Knights, as well as the Overwatch Council secret agents who carried about the ambush at Zhengyang Gate, had taken heavy casualties and serious injuries. Those who were fortunate to survive had already been sent to the square building of the Overwatch Council to be tended to.

He trusted in the medical skills of his brothers in the Third Bureau. The doctors from the Imperial Academy of Medicine were also tending to imperial and Dingzhou soldiers in temporary private residences. However, many people were still dying.

In a distant northeastern corner, soldiers silently moving bodies and piling them into a small mountain in the dark. It looked incomparably sinister. There was no time to move these bodies out of the city to be buried.

Fan Xian watched this scene and brought a pill he took out from his clothes to his lips. Without drinking any water, he swallowed a few times and managed to force it down. It wasn’t an ephedra pill. It was just normal healing medicine. He coughed and used his sleeve to wipe away the threads of blood by his mouth, unable to resist shaking his head.

This was the first battle he had truly experienced. Looking at the scene before his eyes, he finally understood that digging up tombs to appreciate the body could not train his mind to be merciless.

He said to himself in the depths of his heart, In this world, there are no good battles, no bad or good. He had to complete the deal he made with Haitang in the fifth year of the Qing calendar, even if he had to face a powerful enemy he had never met before.

Qingyu Hall should have already been burned to ruins, Fan Xian thought to himself. In order not to arouse suspicions, the private residences around it had been burned. After the soldiers rioted, no one knew how many private residences had been burned and looted. Presumably, it would not draw too much attention.

A rider from the northwestern direction rode urgently toward them, startling the night that had just fallen silent. The people up and down the Palace walls became alert. The already exhausted imperial soldiers barely managed to lift the weapons in their hands until they noticed the person was wearing an Overwatch Council uniform.

Fan Xian’s eyes narrowed as he looked at his subordinate that approached him. Without speaking, his eyes already carried a thick inquiry. The person coming in was a member of the Qinian Unit, someone Wang Qinian had personally chosen. There was absolutely no question about his loyalty. Thus, he had arranged for him to secretly watch Teng Zijing’s actions in case the old shopkeepers of Qingyu Hall ran into any dangers as they were leaving Jingdou.

With the subordinate riding toward him anxiously, clearly something had gone wrong.

The Overwatch Council watched Fan Xian’s eyes and reported in a lowered voice, “Something unexpected happened.”

There weren’t any miscellaneous people around, so Fan Xian said straightforwardly, “Speak!”

This official glanced around and carefully said, “Lighting the fire went smoothly, and nothing went wrong as they mixed in with the people escaping the city. But, the brothers left behind only just realized that spies were alerted. However, we don’t know who they belong to.”

Who they belonged to? Fan Xian knew. It had to be spies the Emperor had left behind. The things in the heads of these old shopkeepers were too precious. There had to be a group of people in the Palace who were responsible for surveillance. Even if a rebellion happened in Jingdou, these people would still stay hidden.

“I don’t have many people at hand,” Fan Xian stared at him and said in a cold voice. “I gave you 20, yet you still can’t resolve these problems?”

The official lowered his head, not daring to explain himself “The opposition was tough. Three of them escaped.”

Fan Xian stopped criticizing the official because he didn’t want too many people to know about this since it had been carried out secretly. He was taking a big risk. The plan itself already had many flaws, so, naturally, it would not go smoothly when carried out.

The official raised his head and glanced at him. With a complicated emotion, he said, “Three of them ran. We later caught up to them and found a dozen dead bodies. One person left words for you.”

These words were difficult to understand and made no sense. Three of the spies had escaped, yet they had found a dozen dead bodies. Fan Xian’s heart thumped. He asked, “What words?”

“That person said someone is waiting at home.”

…

…

Someone was waiting for him at home. Fan Xian rushed home at the first instant. Stepping into the manor for the second time that day, he headed directly for his father’s study in the back garden. The unlooted Fan manor was still beautiful. The light in the study shone through the glass and splashed across the rocks and clear water.

Just as King Jing said, his father had already safely returned home. Fan Xian quietly released a breath and entered without being announced. Pushing open the door and entering, he saw that Lady Liu was tidying something.

He swept his eyes through the room and knew that his father had already finished drinking his winter cherry. To have the frame of wind to drink winter cherry at a time like this made Fan Xian involuntarily admirable of his composure.

“Has mother been well?” He bowed respectfully toward Lady Liu.

Lady Liu smiled slightly and said something about going to comfort her daughter-in-law as she left the study.

Sitting in the great chair, the Minister of Revenue Fan Jian raised his head and glanced at his son. His eyes revealed relief and a glimmer of criticism. This man of the previous generation, who had been hiding all over Jingdou since the start of the incident, could finally stop hiding his thoughts.

“I sent people to kill the spies outside Qingyu Hall.” Fan Jian gently knocked on the table thoughtfully. In an even voice, he said, “I don’t what has made you dare to carry out such a flawed plan, unless you truly thought that the Emperor would not be able to see through it?”

Fan Xian smiled awkwardly. There had indeed been a large change in his state of mind. However, when it came to things like bravery, it often implied loopholes.

He said down and respectfully said, “Many thanks, father.” He knew his father secretly trained the Tiger Guards for the Emperor, so it was impossible to believe that his father didn’t have some hidden power. It didn’t surprise him that his father had sent someone to kill those spies. Furthermore, since he had personally told Ye Zhong the shocking news of the Emperor’s survival, of course, his father also knew.

“Killing people is easy, what should be said after is what is complicated,” Minister Fan slowly said. “Even if Jingdou rioted and the rebel soldiers killed indiscriminately… But, have you thought about it? Would the shopkeepers of the Qingyu Hall be burned to death so coincidentally? The dozen bodies you put at the scene of the fire are only deceiving yourself.”

Fan Xian quietly listened to the lecture.

“And, those spies from the internal court. Even if you used the power of the Overwatch Council to kill them all, how can you ensure that there are no spies of the Emperor among your subordinates?”

“It was a separated operation. Other than the Qinian Unit, the other people did not know of the truth,” Fan Xian explained.

“Fine. Even if the Overwatch Council has been shaped into a unified whole by Chen Pingping, the let me ask you, who was going to explain to the Emperor afterward why all the spies watching the Qingyu Hall had died?”

Fan Xian was silent. Only now did he understand that even if he killed people to silence them, the deaths of these spies, who shouldn’t have died by the hands of rebel soldiers, would rouse the Emperor suspicions.

“Furthermore, these old shopkeepers still have family in Jingdou.” Fan Jian looked at his son. “Do they really want to leave?”

“I had Teng Zijing only take four of the old shopkeepers away. There have to be people alive in Qingyu Hall. Do you understand?”

“I understand.” A layer of cold sweat appeared on Fan Xian’s forehead.

“As for the killing of the spies, the person who had designs on the old shopkeepers of Qingyu Hall was not you or me. It was the Eldest Princess.” Fan Jian’s eyes became cold “Those dozen bodies were soldiers from Xinyang’s side.”

“Since we have to convince the Emperor, we have to make him believe it. The person who acted needed to do this. The Eldest Princess knows of the importance of the palace treasury, so of course she would want to fight for Qingyu Hall. Only she has this ability and this thinking.”

Fan Xian was satisfied.

Minister Fan suddenly sighed and said, “An Zhi, ah… I don’t know what exactly you were thinking and why you did this, but you have to remember, you are, in the end, a person of the Qing Kingdom and so am I. No matter what, don’t do anything that will harm the foundations of this country.”

Fan Xian’s heart jumped. He knew that his father had seen through his plans with a glance. He wanted to justify himself, but he couldn’t bring himself to lie to his father. He could only remain helplessly silent.

Fan Jian looked at his son and sighed again. Shaking his head, he said, “I won’t scold you anymore. This palace treasury, in the end, it is your mother’s. Although I am an official of the Qing Kingdom and there are things I don’t want to see happen, you can do what you want.”

Fan Xian’s body trembled. He had not thought that his father would make such a decision. Of course, his father would not lie to him or harm him, but he knew the importance of the palace treasury to the Qing Kingdom unifying the world. So, why did he want to help him?

“I am already old and don’t have much power now.” Maybe Minister Fan knew of something. His usually severe and handsome face had a few extra traces of exhaustion and age. Slowly, he said, “After the Emperor returns to the capital, I will ask to resign. I will give you what help I can in Jingdou. I can’t watch as something bad happens to you.”

Father wants to resign? Fan Xian’s heart jumped again. That spring, the Emperor had made open and secret overtures, allowed the Imperial Censors to attack him in court, and checked the accounts of the Ministry of Revenue all to force his father to quit and retire. However, his father had remained bland and silent, forcefully stalling for two years. Why was he suddenly saying he wanted to quit tonight?

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