Fang Xianye saw his own surprise and nervousness in the emperor's eyes. He hesitated and said cautiously: "Maybe something unexpected happened on the way..."
"Over the years, I have allowed him to do whatever he wanted to do. He is a talented general, and there is no better general than him in the whole of Daliang, but such a sword needs to be held in my hand, and in the future it will also be held in the hands of King Jin." The emperor seemed not to want to listen to Fang Xianye at all. He had woken up from his sleep, turned his head to look at the roof, and said coldly: "Song Yun is good at judging people, and I have never made a mistake in judging people. Duan Shunxi is indifferent to power and has no ambition. He has no ambition, but he is not loyal either."
After a pause, the emperor turned around and looked at Fang Xianye, saying, "Can we keep such a person?"
Fang Xian's ambition was growing stronger. He immediately stood up and walked to the side. He lifted his skirt and knelt on the ground and said, "Your Majesty, the recovery of the seventeen states north of Guanhe is in sight. If we attack General Duan now, I'm afraid that our relatives will be sad and our enemies will be happy, and the Danzhi will reap the benefits."
"The seventeen states north of the Guanhe River..." The emperor's laughter was somewhat contemptuous. He said lightly: "Whether the seventeen states north of the Guanhe River will be named Han or Duan in the future, who knows?"
"Your Majesty, you just said that General Duan is not a man with evil ambitions. I think he won't..." Fang Xianye blurted out in a hurry. He realized he had said something wrong after saying just two sentences and stopped talking.
The sun had completely set, the candlelight was dancing restlessly, and the room was too dark to see the emperor's expression. After a moment of silence, the emperor said quietly, "It seems that Fang Qing is not at odds with General Duan, and even admires General Duan very much."
Fang Xianye gritted his teeth and said, "This is all for the sake of Daliang."
The emperor smiled lightly, then changed the subject and mentioned what Fang Xianye had said before.
"Mr. Fang said before that he entered the government for the sake of the world and to save the people from suffering. Now that you are no longer in the Jin Wang Party, it will be very difficult for you to realize your ideals. But as long as you use this decree I have granted you, you will be able to rise to prominence and realize your ambitions."
"But I have one more thing to add to this decree. I confer upon you the title of Marquis of Zhonghe, and promote you to be the Deputy Privy Councilor and the Minister of State Affairs. At the same time, Duan Shunxi was unable to rescue the emperor, and he was negligent and plotted rebellion. When he returns to the Southern Capital, you will deprive him of his military power and execute him."
Fang Xianye looked up at the emperor in shock. His mind was in a mess. He stood up without paying attention to etiquette and walked to the bedside, saying, "Your Majesty?... General Duan is not..."
"Fang Qing, do you plan to be Duan Xu's shadow for the rest of your life? He has a good family background, so he has countless shadows. But your chance to be the shadow only comes once." The emperor did not pursue Fang Xianye's transgression, and said calmly: "Fang Qing, if it's for power, even fathers and sons and brothers will kill each other."
Fang Xianye stared at the emperor in a daze. The emperor's eyes were dark, hiding deep anger.
What is deeper than anger? It is malice.
When Eunuch Zhao returned with dinner, the emperor asked him to call Song Yun, and in front of them, he wrote this secret decree, stamped it with the imperial seal, and handed it to Fang Xianye.
Under the gazes of the crowd, Fang Xianye knelt stiffly on the ground, stretched out his hand to receive the secret decree, and said in a voice that didn't seem to be his own: "I accept the decree."
The edict that fell into his hands, half of which contained his glory and the other half contained Duan Xu's grave. It was the most vicious curse he had ever seen in his life.
When the emperor fell asleep again, Fang Xianye said to Eunuch Zhao: "The time is not yet ripe. Please keep this secret order confidential and do not let it leak out."
Eunuch Zhao smiled and said, "Congratulations, sir. Congratulations, sir. I understand this matter and will never tell anyone. I will come to testify for you when you need me."
Fang Xianye bowed and said, "Thank you, eunuch."
He closed the door and walked out, walking with Master Songyun under the eaves of the Buddhist temple. The shadows of the trees were dancing and everything was silent. After turning a corner, he stopped and called out, "Master."
Master Songyun turned around and looked at him. The old man had white hair and beard and a face full of wrinkles, but his expression was always calm and unmoved, just like when Xianye first saw him many years ago.
In Fang Xianye's real past, there was naturally no so-called teacher. He was sold many times and ended up in Duan Chengzhang's house. Later, he was selected as a fake Duan Xu and sent back to Daizhou. When he was fourteen years old, Duan Xu rescued him and brought him to Nandu, and entrusted him to Master Songyun for care. He was able to live in Jin'an Temple for some time, and naturally "ran into" Pei Guogong who came to burn incense.
No one could have imagined that Duan Xu, who did not believe in gods and Buddhas, would have a friendship with the enlightened monk Song Yun. According to Master Song Yun, their relationship began when Duan Xu was five years old and threw stones at him on the road, asking him to return his mother to him.
At this time, Master Songyun looked at Fang Xianye, sighed and said, "Amitabha, the emperor is a good friend of mine, and Duan Xu is also a friend of mine. I will just pretend that I have never heard of the imperial edict today."
Fang Xianye bowed deeply and said, "Thank you, Master."
The emperor's awakening this time seemed to be just a last breath of life. His condition rapidly worsened. When he woke up again, he could no longer speak, but there was a breath stuck in his throat that he couldn't swallow.
After more than ten days of fighting in Nando, Prince Su finally won and captured Prince Ji alive. He announced that the emperor was dead and passed the throne to him, and then could not wait to execute Prince Ji, his army and staff on the charge of treason.
Songyun sent the news to Prince Jin, who took advantage of Prince Su's laxity to secretly take the emperor away. Fang Xianye was finally able to get out of Jin'an Temple and return to his own residence.
The streets of the once prosperous Nandu were now in ruins, filled with the smell of burning grass and wood, with unwashed bloodstains and corpses lying on the ground. The people of Nandu, who used to walk leisurely and elegantly, now walked in a hurry on the streets and never stopped.
Fang Xianye met Duan Jingyuan on the road somewhat unexpectedly.
She was wrapped in a cloak and walking hurriedly on the road with her maid. When she saw him, she stopped in surprise.
"Right now? In this situation, why are you still walking out?" Fang Xianye couldn't help but say.
Duan Jingyuan took off her hat, revealing her delicate and pretty face in light pink in the gloom. She pursed her lips and said, "The rose dew is gone, so I must come out to buy some. Others can't choose, but I can pick the good ones."
"You..." Fang Xianye didn't know what to say to her.
"Besides, His Royal Highness Prince Su has won now. His Royal Highness Prince Su is the one supported by Daddy, and the situation is on our side." Duan Jingyuan was stunned when he said this, and asked hesitantly: "But you... Will you be okay?"
Fang Xianye rubbed her temples and told her to go home quickly. However, the string of the cloth bag in her hand loosened, and the bottle in the bag was about to fall to the ground. Fang Xianye hurriedly caught it for her, put it back in the bag, tied a knot, and told her not to go out again recently.
Duan Jingyuan was walking on the way home, looking down at the cloth bag in her hand, which was tied with a neat six-petal flower knot. She pulled the knot and whispered, "Does he know how to tie this knot..."
She thought that only her third brother knew how to fight
Prince Su soon convened a court meeting. He sat on the dragon throne in a royal robe and a crown, looking very proud. Fang Xianye, wearing a red court robe, stood among many ministers in the court. Many ministers had uneasy expressions on their faces. The new emperor would have to shed blood when he ascended the throne, but no one knew who would be the first to be stabbed.
While the confidant of His Royal Highness Prince Su was still saying some high-sounding words, there was a sudden noise outside the palace. The young Prince Jin walked in the front, and many servants carried the dying Emperor into the palace on a sedan chair. The court officials were immediately in an uproar, and Prince Su was also extremely surprised.
The Prince of Jin spoke impassionedly, accusing the Prince of Su of trying to imprison the Emperor in the palace, intending to murder the Emperor and usurp the throne. He did not give the Prince of Su a chance to refute, and directly asked the Emperor: "Father, is what I said true? Who is the person who intends to imprison and kill you?"
The emperor looked even weaker than when he left Jin'an Temple. He raised his hand with some difficulty and pointed at Prince Su.
"Father, do you want me to kill this traitor for you?"
The emperor nodded slowly.
"What nonsense! What nonsense! Father has been deceived by the villain. It is you, Prince Jin, who is holding father hostage!" Prince Su was pale-faced and retorted loudly on the throne, ordering his men to take Prince Jin down. Prince Jin did not give in either. His ambushed men and men started fighting with Prince Su's men. The court officials screamed and dodged. Fang Xianye followed the crowd and dodged. He stood behind a pillar and looked at the emperor on the sedan chair. The emperor, who had been tortured by illness for a long time, raised his hands and fell to his side. His eyes were tired and cloudy, and he slowly closed his eyes.
He had held on until now just for this moment. As the emperor, he must see his arrangements come true.
However, in the chaotic court, the curtains were torn, blood flowed like a river, and corpses were lying everywhere. No one noticed that the emperor had died. Maybe someone noticed it, but it was not the most important thing at the moment.
Someone screamed loudly, Fang Xianye turned his head and saw that the body of Prince Su had fallen heavily to the ground in a twisted posture, and blood had spread from under his body and covered the crown that had fallen not far away. Prince Su had only worn the crown for half an hour, and now it was stained with his blood.
Prince Jin and his men were shouting something, but Fang Xianye didn't pay much attention. He just looked at Prince Su, who died with his eyes open. Prince Su's eyes were looking towards the Emperor.
Fang Xianye felt his heart beating noisily, shocked and depressed. He looked at the dirtiest chaos in the most majestic place in the world.
—If it is for power, even fathers, sons and brothers will kill each other.
At this moment, a clear shout broke out from the chaos and blood.
"Report!"
The soldier who jumped into the hall seemed confused when he saw the situation in front of him, but he still finished speaking the rest of his words conscientiously.
"Good news! Daliang won! Youzhou was taken? Here we go!"
Amid the noisy discussions, Fang Xianye stood there in a daze. He felt that his heart was at peace and he could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
In March of the fifteenth year of Tianyuan, Daliang annihilated 30,000 enemies in Fujian, Youzhou, and captured the entire territory of Youzhou. At the same time, Fengzhou was also successfully captured. The emperor passed away, and the southern capital was in chaos for two months. Prince Ji and Prince Su died.
In May of the 15th year of Tianyuan, Prince Jin succeeded to the throne and changed the next year's reign title to Xinhe.
In September of the fifteenth year of Tianyuan, the Daliang army captured Qingzhou and Danzhi asked for peace.
In November of the fifteenth year of Tianyuan, the emperor summoned the Grand Marshal of the Army Duan Xu to return to Nando, and Duan Xu responded to the call.