There is a house next to Shenzheng Road in Kyoto, which was bought by Wang Qinian for 122 taels of silver. After going through several procedures, I believe no one can find out who the real owner is. Fan Xian frowned and looked at the two big men who were tightly tied up in the corner. The big men's mouths were stuffed with stinky rags, their faces were flushed, tears were streaming from their eyes, they couldn't speak, and naturally they couldn't commit suicide by biting their tongues.
"Where did you catch it?" Fan Xian asked softly.
The staff behind Wang Qinian bowed and said: "Seven miles outside the city, Mr. Wang found the trace of the other party. After the other party was blocked by us, he wanted to quibble, but we couldn't help but we checked, so we accepted the account. After Mr. Wang left Beijing yesterday, this The two of them followed all the time, but they didn't know what method they used to inform their people about this matter, and they didn't know what relationship their people had with the East Palace, so they actually arranged this coincidence."
Fan Xian frowned. He didn't expect that he would actually pull out a clue to a conspiracy by making a random guess. It seems that he was not too wise, but that there were too many and stupid enemies, the capital was too dark, and everyone had a hair fork behind their ass. black tail. He also understood that what his subordinates said must have been punished, but since the other party admitted it, no one cared about what method was used.
"Have you found out who it is?" Fan Xian lowered his voice and asked Wang Qinian.
Wang Qinian shook his head: "The less the subordinate knows, the better, so I wait for the interrogation by the adults."
Fan Xian nodded, very pleased with his prudence, but immediately fell into deep thought. He looked at the two big men in the corner, and could easily see something else from the eyebrows of each other. A person with such a resolute look, but without any training in punishment, could not be a member of the Overwatch Council, and secondly, he could not be a person in the palace. He would not be a eunuch if he had been tested earlier.
So the most likely thing is the second prince's personal power. Of course, the eldest prince who is far away at the foot of Yin Mountain cannot escape the suspicion. At this time, Fan Xian suddenly remembered a sentence from his father, Si Nanbo, when you don't know who your enemy is, don't make enemies indiscriminately—even if you know who your enemy is? Assuming it was found out that the second prince did it, could he really enter the palace? Fan Xian smiled wryly, knowing that it is better not to ask clearly about some things.
"You don't need to ask." Fan Xian rubbed the center of his brows, as if he was a little depressed, "I'll kill them all."
"Yes." The subordinates are all fierce ghosts of the Overwatch Council, so they were not surprised by this bloody order. They walked forward calmly, pulled out their waist knives, and stabbed them into the waists and abdomens of the two big men. Two beeps sounded one after another, and the two big men stomped their feet twice indiscriminately, rolled their eyes and died.
"Bury it well." Fan Xian ordered, showing no pretense of sorrow.
"Yes." The subordinate replied.
After leaving the courtyard, they walked through the small alleys of Kyoto for a long time before they walked onto the main road. Wang Qinian walked with him, maintaining the silence and courtesy that his subordinates should have. Fan Xian suddenly said, "When will the Northern Qi and Dongyi City missions arrive? The courtyard should have information about this."
Wang Qinian replied: "Since entering the country, the four places have started to assist the local governments to receive them. Depending on the date, they should arrive at the beginning of next month."
Fan Xian nodded: "Help me find out who the other party is, and besides..." He pondered for a while and said, "If it's not breaking the rules, can you trouble the yard and ask the spies from Northern Qi to get some information back, it's best We can find out clearly what the bottom line of the Northern Qi mission's negotiation is this time."
Wang Qinian also heard the prince's words before, so he knew that Mr. Fan was going to be the deputy reception envoy, so he responded in a deep voice, and said: "Yan Bingyun, the son of Yan Ruohai, the big boss everywhere, has been lurking in the Northern Qi Dynasty for four years. A lot of good stuff."
Fan Xian reminded him: "Don't talk about this kind of thing in the future, otherwise if the Northern Qi people find out, I'm afraid Lord Yan's son will be in danger."
Wang Qinian explained with a smile: "My lord, as the commissioner, has the authority to know about this matter."
Fan Xian also smiled: "It's better to know less about this kind of responsibility."
Looking at the gentle smile on the handsome face of the lord, Wang Qinian couldn't help feeling a little weird when he thought of the murder in the courtyard before, and asked softly: "Since it's better not to know, then why do we need to investigate? These two people died as if It's not necessary."
Fan Xian replied calmly: "Although not knowing is better than knowing, we still need to investigate. Those two people must die too. Because I have to let others know that I know what they don't want me to know. Two lives are a warning, warn them Don't try to manipulate me again. It seems that Niulanjie didn't calm down those high-ranking people, and Si Gujian caused my second brother-in-law's death at the foot of Cangshan Mountain. Maybe they think I'm easy to bully?"
Although Wang Qinian was a little confused by the meaning of the series of tongue twisters, he still gradually understood the meaning and nodded. Fan Xian suddenly raised the corners of his lips and smiled: "Don't worry, I haven't seen blood and dead people, you don't know how I grew up."
※※※
In the next few days, the world was peaceful, and no one seemed to care about the death of the two unknown men. But Fan Xian figured that this matter must have started to play a role. Occasionally go to Taichang Temple to order a little bit, occasionally go to Danbo Bookstore to collect money, occasionally go to a tofu shop to get hands-on, occasionally go to the Prime Minister's Mansion to get closer to the future father-in-law, occasionally dive into the imperial family's other courtyard for love, and occasionally stay in Fan Telling stories with his sister in the mansion, and copying some books to read, was the whole life of Fan Xian these days.
That night, after he finished washing and was about to go to bed, his eyes fell on the black suitcase that was casually thrown aside. He didn't know what was in the box, so he would naturally be a little curious, but he had been in the same room for a long time, and the key hadn't been lost, so he couldn't help being a little numb now. Of course, if he knew that Chen Pingping also cared about this box, he would definitely re-evaluate the value of the box, and would not throw it in the room like a piece of junk, but would dig a big hole under the bed and cover it with three layers of steel wrench hiding.
where is the key It was as if God suddenly heard the great question deep in his heart, and a very cold voice rang in Fan Xian's ears:
"The key is in the palace."
Immediately afterwards, a black stick came from outside without wind and sound, and hit Fan Xian hard on the back. With a muffled sound, Fan Xian couldn't dodge it in time, and was knocked down heavily on the ground. His back ached, and he hummed twice in pain, blowing a few strands of ashes from his face.
"You've regressed." Although Wu Zhu's voice was emotionless, it was clear that he held a rather negative attitude towards Fan Xian's performance.
"Uncle?" Fan Xian was used to this kind of life since he was a child, and he got up from the ground with great difficulty. The true energy in his body was slowly flowing, and the pain behind his back was relieved. Looking at the dark corner of the wall, he couldn't help saying in a low voice: " Uncle, I haven't seen you for so many days, I'm really worried."
Wu Zhu was a little uncomfortable with the enthusiasm revealed in his words, and coldly took half a step back, coldly exposing Fan Xian's lie: "I know, you don't worry about me."
Fan Xian smiled bitterly. He was really not worried. Wu Zhu, a perverted master-level killer, would be fine wherever he went. But Fan Xian hadn't seen him for a long time, and he really missed and was curious about what he was doing these days. Maybe Uncle Wu Zhu was always by his side, but he didn't know it
Wu Zhu continued: "The key is in the palace."
It was the second repetition that made Fan Xian wake up. He frowned slightly, and then suddenly realized: "So these days, you have been looking for the key."
"This is Miss's relic. I shouldn't have listened to Chen Pingping and left the key in the capital." Wu Zhu's tone was still indifferent, not like ordinary people, "I searched for some days in the palace, and initially calculated three possible place."
"It's too risky!" Fan Xian roared in a low voice, feeling a little annoyed deep in his heart. Although Uncle Wuzhu has master-level strength, how can the palace be a place of kindness? Not to mention that the guards are all masters, but Fei Jie once mentioned that the most mysterious of the four great masters, It has always been hidden in the palace. Wuzhu actually took the risk to stay in the palace for so many days. If someone found out, the mysterious grand master would take action naturally. Way to come out alive.
As if not aware of Fan Xian's resentment, Wu Zhu continued to say calmly, "Do you want the key?"
Fan Xian calmed down and understood the purpose of Uncle Wu Zhu's visit today. The other party was a person hiding in the dark. If there was no need to communicate with him, Fan Xian even wondered if the other party would never see him again. , just protecting yourself in secret. And tonight, when Wu Zhu talked about the key, it was definitely not to ask for his own opinion, but because this matter required his own participation.
It's just... If it is very difficult for Uncle Wu Zhu to get something in this world, what can I do to help? While thinking, Fan Xian said softly, "What do you need me to do?"
"Those three places in the palace are very difficult to enter." Wu Zhu said expressionlessly.
Fan Xian was a little curious about the three places, so he asked.
"Xingqing Palace, Hanguang Palace, Guangxin Palace."
Fan Xian was startled, and smiled wryly. It is true that these three places in the palace have the strictest guards. They are the residences of the emperor, queen mother and eldest princess. The most difficult place in the world to enter.
"I want you to find a way to drag that eunuch named Hong Sitching outside the palace for an hour."
Fan Xian frowned slightly: "Eunuch Hong? The chief of the eunuchs in the palace, the elder of the three dynasties, I heard that he has been in the palace since the founding of the country, and has a strong influence, but if you want to steal the key from the palace, why should I trick him into the palace?" Going out? What's the relationship between this?" He suddenly understood something, looked up at the black cloth on Wu Zhu's face in surprise, and said in a trembling voice: "Could it be that Eunuch Hong is the most mysterious The great master of the world?"
Fei Jie said back then that there are four great masters in the world, one is Si Gu Jian of Dongyi City, the other is Ku He, the national teacher of Northern Qi, the other is Ye Liuyun, Liuyun Sanshou of Qing Dynasty, and the other one is also a member of Qing Dynasty, but no one has ever known him Whoever it is, with the power of the Overwatch Council, can only vaguely detect that this Grand Master should be hiding in Qingyuan's palace.
…
…
Wu Zhu shook his head: "I don't know, I haven't fought against him, but I know that in the current imperial palace, the eunuch named Hong Sitching is the easiest to find me."
Fan Xian nodded. In his heart, according to Wu Zhu's prudence, this old eunuch Hong must be an unfathomable figure in the palace. It's ready to come out.
With Wuzhu's indifferent temperament, even Ye Liuyun could be killed, but he couldn't kill him. Naturally, he would not be afraid of any great master in the world. It's just that last time he attacked violently to hide his relationship with Fan Xian. But this time it was to steal the key, so there was a difference in acting style.
Fan Xian thought about the recent arrangements, and related to the envoys from Northern Qi and Dongyi City, he never thought of a good way to get in touch with the chief eunuch in the deep palace. It is inconvenient to ask my father to come forward for this matter, otherwise I have to explain many things that I don't want to explain. Suddenly his eyes lit up, and he said: "Wan'er should be aware of the affairs in the palace, but she lived in the palace until the beginning of this year and didn't move out. I'll walk her way tomorrow."
Wuzhu "looked" at him noncommittally, and said coldly: "I just want you to drag Hong Sitch outside the palace for an hour. As for the method you use, that is your own business."
Fan Xian shrugged: "Uncle always entrusts me with the most difficult tasks."
This is a joke. And he didn't chat with Wu Zhu for some days, he seemed to have forgotten that Wu Zhu didn't have much sense of humor. He only heard Wu Zhu say seriously: "Then I'll kill Hong Sitch. Whether it succeeds or not, it will probably consume him three hours. You go to the palace and find the key."
Fan Xian realized that he had picked up a meteorite that was still hot and slammed it on his foot, so he quickly said softly and respectfully: "It's just to steal something, it's better not to take too much risk to challenge Hong Siitch, I'll go!" Try to get in touch with him."
After Wu Zhu left, Fan Xian remembered that he seemed unable to find him, so if everything was arranged in the future, how would he notify this blind uncle? Lying back on the bed again, the way he looked at the black suitcase was different. If the key must be placed in the most closely guarded place in the palace, judging from this importance, there must be something very important or terrifying hidden in the box.
For example, the border defense map, the list of senior spies of the Overwatch Council created by my mother, or... the treasure map of the Ye family
Fan Xian could no longer sleep peacefully. He stood up and kicked the box under the bed, as if he thought it would be much safer.
※※※
Fan Xian came to Ruoruo's room with a calm face, and asked her for some sewing needles and threads. If Ruoruo couldn't resist him, he took out a few small needles from the box and handed them to him, but he was curious in his heart, looked into his elder brother's eyes and asked: "This is for embroidery, brother's clothes are torn? Then let the maid do it." .”
Fan Xian smiled and said, "It's much more complicated than sewing clothes." He thought for a while, and then said, "Don't let others know, I took three needles from you."
Fan Ruoruo nodded in confusion.
The wedding is imminent, and the Fan residence has already started preparations. The marriage between Fan Xian and Lin Wan'er is somewhat strange, so every rule must be re-established, at least it will not be arranged by the royal family like other princes' consorts. After all, Lin Wan'er's status as princess has always been in the palace. It works, and if we do the same in the city of Kyoto, I'm afraid there will be some gossip again.
The newlywed's mansion was next to Sinanbo's mansion, it was just a garden that had been vacant in the past, Fan Jian had been preparing for this matter since the beginning of the year, so it had already been taken care of magnificently. There is a gate in the back garden of the two courtyards, so the front and rear mansions are connected in one place, but the courtyard where Fan Xian lived after marriage, but the main entrance is on the opposite street.
In the past few days, the mansion has been very quiet, the workers have already stopped, and the trees and rockeries inside have already been processed, and they are kept there by the wind and water. Because no one is there, the huge yard looks a bit awkward. It's so quiet that no one wants to stay in it for too long.
A black shadow floated past, and it was Fan Xian who quietly came to the courtyard, holding a piece of tofu in his right hand and three silver needles between the four fingers of his left hand. He found a secluded place, and carefully placed the tofu cubes among the branches of willow trees. After his improvement, the tofu became extremely tender, so it was trembling there, and it seemed that it might break at any time.
Fan Xian closed his eyes, and slowly raised the domineering zhenqi in his dantian, through the top of his head and back, into the snow-capped mountains behind his waist, forming two channels of zhenqi, one big and one small, allowing himself to be in a better state. Quiet, no more distracting thoughts.
When the wind blew, Fan Xian turned into a gust of wind and blew towards the middle of the willow tree. With a light touch, the toes of his toes stopped the forward leaning forcefully, and with a bang, relying on his ability to control his body, he bounced back again. .
Like a cunning fish teasing a fool's hook.
After a while, he walked forward slowly with his hands behind his back, and squinted at the piece of tofu in the willow branch. There were three thin needles on the tofu, which were trembling slightly. In the instant just now, he inserted the thin needle into the tofu extremely quickly, and arranged it in the shape of a character "pin". Based on Fan Xian's understanding of human body structure, if this method is used to kill people, it must be very effective.
He retrieved the thin needle with some satisfaction. Since Niulan Street, he has been looking for his most convenient weapon. Uncle Wu Zhu's weapon is a stick, whether it is a wooden stick or a very simple iron braze, in Wu Zhu's hands, it is a life-threatening weapon. This is due to the boundary. And Fan Xian knew very well that for him, a handy weapon could save his life in many cases.
In fact, he liked the slender dagger in his boots very much. No matter in Danzhou or Niulan Street, the sharp dagger left by Fei Jie had already helped him twice. Occasions cannot be brought in at all, such as the palace.
And Fan Xian knew that since the key was in the palace, he was afraid that he would eventually have to break through the forbidden zone just like the knights in the novels of his previous life. Wuzhu's stick and words yesterday made him a little stimulated, and he found some passion again. He looked at the three needles on his finger reflecting the light under the early sun, and couldn't help frowning, thinking, what kind of poison should be applied
※※※
After the goal is determined, doing things will appear very passionate. So when Fan Xian entered Lin Wan'er's boudoir passionately on a dark night, Wan'er couldn't help being a little surprised, after all, it wasn't long since the last outing. After some intimacy, Fan Xian pretended to be casual and asked about those things in the palace.
Lin Wan'er grew up in the palace, and she was quite familiar with the personnel and affairs inside, and she didn't wonder why her fiancé suddenly became interested in this. She thought it was the custom for Fan Xian to enter the palace after a headache, so she comforted her: "Women in the palace They are all very good to me, and your majesty is not good at women, so unlike the old emperor who died a few years ago in Beiqi, you can't see all the Fendai in the six palaces. In addition to the queen empress, there is also the biological mother of the eldest prince in the palace. Ning Cairen, the second prince's biological mother Concubine Shu, the third prince's biological mother Yigui concubine, and some concubines, there should be no need to pay their respects."
Fan Xian thought to himself that those women would not want to offend your biological mother, the eldest princess who is favored by the queen mother and controls the money in the inner treasury. He moved his body on the bed so that he could hold Wan'er more comfortably, and asked curiously: "Why is the eldest prince's biological mother just a talented person?"
Lin Wan'er explained: "Ning Cai is from Dongyi. His Majesty brought her back during the first Northern Expedition. I heard that His Majesty was injured on the battlefield. Ning Cai took care of her day and night, so His Majesty helped her out of slavery. After all, she was not from the Qing Kingdom, so even though she saved the emperor and gave birth to the eldest son, she still had no way to win the Queen Mother's favor, and naturally it was impossible for her to become a queen. She was already a noble concubine, but something happened in the palace ten years ago, His Majesty was furious, took her honor away, and directly demoted her to be a talented person."
Fan Xian was slightly taken aback, thinking that the battle in the deep palace was indeed as complicated as imagined. Lin Wan'er sighed, and continued: "Thanks to Elder Brother, who has made outstanding achievements in the west, Ning Cairen can keep her position in the palace, but she seems to understand many things now, and she is quite peaceful in the palace. In fact, I used to I often go to her palace to play, but it's less in the past two years."
Fan Xian asked some more secrets about the palace, but Lin Wan'er didn't hide it from him, and told him everything. In the end, Fan Xian finally asked the question of tonight, and said casually: "I heard that Eunuch Hong, the chief eunuch, is very powerful in the palace."
"That's right." Lin Wan'er was not a little tiger tonight, but a kitten nestled in his arms, and rubbed her face lightly, "That Eunuch Hong was a servant in the palace at the beginning of the founding of the country. When the late emperor was in power, I trust him very much, and now I still keep the position of the chief eunuch of the fifth rank, but I don’t take much care of things when I’m old, basically staying in the empress dowager’s palace.”
"In the Empress Dowager's palace?" Fan Xian suddenly had many dark historical memories of his past life.
"What's wrong?" Lin Wan'er asked curiously, blinking her big eyes.
Fan Xian pinched the tip of her cool nose, and said with a smile: "It's nothing, but if I want to have a good relationship with the palace, I have to take care of this Eunuch Hong."
"That's not necessary." Lin Wan'er explained: "This old man just walks around in the palace and doesn't care much about it."
It was impossible for Fan Xian to tell his plan to the woman in his arms, so he could only smile slightly, and then asked, "Recently, please pay attention, let's see when the palace will announce me to see you."
Lin Wan'er was shy but still didn't forget to tease him: "I guess it will take a few days, what's the matter? Are you in a hurry?"
"Of course I'm in a hurry. Who wouldn't be in a hurry if such a good daughter-in-law of the princess is left outside?"
…
…
Gradually, the second floor of the small building in the royal courtyard became quiet. Looking at his fiancée sleeping soundly in his arms, Fan Xian subconsciously sighed. There are always many other things in life, and he hopes he can handle them. good.
※※※
When I went to Taichang Temple the next day, Lord Ren Shaoqing mysteriously pulled him aside and said in a low voice, "Do you know about that?"
Fan Xian looked at the adult's thirty or forty-year-old face, which still had traces of his handsome face, and acted stupidly as a matter of course: "What's the matter?"
Ren Shaoqing sighed and said: "Honglu Temple sent a message this morning, saying that it will transfer you there." Honglu Temple is an institution in the Qing Kingdom that is responsible for receiving foreign guests and handling affairs between countries. Fan Xian was startled, knowing that what the prince said had begun, he cupped his hands and asked, "Master Shaoqing, why do you want me to be transferred there? I have only been in Taichang Temple for more than ten days."
Ren Shaoqing frowned and said, "Does it matter that Mr. Fan is in the East Palace?"
Fan Xian knew that he was asking about his father, shook his head and said, "You know my father seldom interacts with the palace, even the ministers."
"That's true." Ren Shaoqing nodded. Sinan Bo Fan Jian was notoriously reticent. Relying on the special relationship he grew up with His Majesty the Emperor, in the past even the Prime Minister would not pay much attention to him. The time has also remained the same. He thought for a while and said, "I heard that it was the East Palace's suggestion to let you participate in this negotiation."
Fan Xian didn't know how to respond, so he continued to pretend to be confused, and said in astonishment, "What negotiation?"
"The envoy from the Northern Qi Dynasty is here to talk about the follow-up of the battle between the vassal states in the northern border, such as the compensation of the world. The envoy from the Dongyi is to deal with the assassination of the second son of the prime minister at the foot of Cangshan Mountain. A beautiful woman with little money. The so-called negotiation is to see the court bargain with these two places."
Ren Shaoqing's surname was Ren Shao'an, and he was a student of the prime minister, so now he naturally regarded Fan Xian as one of his own, and carefully reminded: "If this matter is done well, it will be just icing on the cake. But if you don't do it well and don't get the benefits that His Majesty expected, then it's a big mistake. As for Dongyi City, it's about the death of the second son. It's hard to explain in front of me, but since the imperial court allowed Dongyi to come as an envoy, it proves that the imperial court doesn't want to pursue the matter too much, and just wants to get some benefits... After all, Dongyi City still has Sigu Sword."
Fan Xian frowned, thinking that these things were really complicated. Ren Shaoqing then said with concern: "Your status is special, and the prime minister will soon have Weng and his son-in-law's family. If you want to cater to the holy will, you will lose Weng's wishes, so this is an embarrassing situation in itself, you have to be careful."
Fan Xian was stunned, only to think of the joints, and cupped his hands gratefully: "Xiaguan just entered the officialdom, and I don't know the mystery at all... It's just that this matter is a bit complicated, and the Xiaguan is only an eighth-rank Xielu Lang, even if the Honglu Temple I'm going to assist, I'm afraid it will be a little bit of a whisper, so just stay honest."
Ren Shaoqing shook his head and sighed: "This time you are the deputy envoy. You are on the cusp of the limelight, and I don't know how many pairs of eyes are staring at you."
"Why stare at me?" Fan Xian thought in his heart, and said with a smile on his face, "Master Shaoqing is worrying too much, it should be fine."
It was true that Ren Shaoqing was overthinking. Although he didn't know what the East Palace meant by asking him to be a deputy envoy, whether it was to win him over or to make him follow Weng's wishes, but Fan Xian had already done enough preparations. , but not very afraid. In the afternoon, an official sedan chair came to pick him up, and he walked on the bluestone all the way, and within a quarter of an hour, the sedan chair entered Honglu Temple.
The Honglu Temple is equivalent to the diplomatic department of later generations, and the Minister of Honglu Temple is equivalent to the role of the Minister of Foreign Affairs. In his previous life, Fan Xian believed in a saying that "a weak country has no diplomacy". Today's Qing Kingdom is the most powerful country in the world, and Honglu Temple has naturally become a very prestigious and prestigious government office. Surrounded by cypress trees, the summer heat did not seep into the yamen at all. Fan Xian sat quietly at the bottom of the quiet hall, listening to the speech of the adult above.
The speaker was Xin Qiwu, the young minister of Honghe Temple—the Northern Qi and Dongyi came to submit their credentials. In the hearts of the officials of the Qing Dynasty, who were used to being the bosses, it was not a very big event, so the Lord Qing of Honghe Temple still agreed. Sleeping at home, the prime minister is only the fourth-rank Shaoqing.
"Lord Fan, this time the imperial court appointed you as the deputy envoy. Firstly, it is because of your talent. Second, the matter of the Northern Qi Dynasty has something to do with you. It's just that you are not familiar with this matter, so don't worry, take your time." Go." Xin Qiwu knew how strong the background of the handsome young man sitting at the bottom was, so he spoke very politely.
"Yes, yes, Mr. Fan is famous for his poems in Beijing. It is really a shame to come to our Honglu Temple to argue with those foreigners." A large group of officials looked at Fan Xian, flattering them quietly, and at the same time Fearing that this young master would steal all the credit for Honglu Temple, he couldn't help feeling a little embarrassed.