First-class baron, second rank.
Fan Xian pondered the importance of the title in his heart, worried that receiving the title would cause some criticism. In fact, this is because he was too cautious. Although the envoy to Northern Qi is not a difficult and dangerous task on the surface, it is still a hard job after all. His Majesty refuted the face of Prime Minister Lin and Fan Shilang at the early spring court, and forced him to kick him After leaving the capital, even though Fan Jian was promoted to Minister of State after the fact, adding a baron title to Fan Xian at this time, in the eyes of the world, is only the second compensation for the Fan family, and no one will be too surprised.
What's more, since entering Beijing, everyone in the world knows that the reason why the Long Live Lord in the palace admires the Fan family boy so much is because of the so-called literary talent, which just caters to the general strategy of the Holy Majesty to promote literary governance. Fan Xian This time in the Northern Qi Dynasty, he earned a horse-drawn face and returned to China, so His Majesty will naturally reward him.
Although considering Fan Xian's current position, he doesn't think much of the baron of the upper district, but being a knight is always a matter of family and value, and it will always be beneficial to conduct. He looked at his father and said, "What is the purpose?" Time to come down?"
At this time, the father and son had already been talking in the study for a long time. Fan Xian chose the less secretive part of the mission itinerary. , Fan Shangshu waved his hand first, letting him jump over.
In fact, after all, Fan Xian grew up in Danzhou since he was a child, and he rarely communicated with his father after entering Beijing. Most of the places where he talked were in this simple but unique study, so when it comes to feelings, it is really a little underwhelming. But for some reason, watching Fan Jian's temples grow more and more, and thinking of those romantic figures in the Northern Qi Dynasty who had been blown away by the rain, he felt a sense of guilt in his heart.
The dean was right, Si Nan Bo didn't owe Fan Xian anything, Fan Xian owed him a lot.
"When you enter the palace tomorrow, you will probably invent the decree." Fan Shangshu closed his eyes, drinking the fruit juice that Liu's made every night, and seemed to be enjoying it, "You did a good job in the north this time. Thank you, Your Majesty appreciates it very much."
Fan Xian thought to himself that this trip to Northern Qi had done nothing for the court except his own secret affairs, including Yan Bingyun's return to the country. Back and forth, I really didn't do anything."
"Sometimes, doing nothing is really good." Fan Shangshu slowly opened his eyes.
Fan Xian's heart trembled slightly, thinking that his father wanted to take the opportunity to teach him a lesson about his fight with the eldest prince outside the capital, but Fan Jian didn't say a word about it, instead he moved the topic to other places: "In the past I have told you many times not to get too close to the Overwatch Council, but I didn’t expect you to disobey me and be tricked by that old dog Chen Pingping into boarding a pirate ship..."
Speaking of this, Fan Shangshu seemed to be really unhappy: "An'an is guarding the inner treasury, in the eyes of others, what a rare opportunity."
Fan Xian smiled wryly and said, "My child, I think, the problem is that you know that Xinyang is not willing to let go like this, and she was the one who started the trouble first, if I don't join the Overwatch Council, how can I compete with such people. "
Fan Shangshu sighed, thinking that he really didn't think carefully about this matter. He didn't expect Her Highness the Eldest Princess to have such a strong reaction, so he waved his hand and said, "After all, she is His Majesty's own sister, and the Empress Dowager loves her the most. Daughter, Wan'er's biological mother, let him get over the past."
Fan Xianxin said this. Although he didn't believe that his father was just a man who knocked out his teeth and swallowed his stomach, he also knew that his loyalty to the royal family was absolutely the same. For my own interests, and my father has always insisted that I stay away from the Overwatch Council, and I also don't want to get involved in those extremely complicated and insidious political struggles in Kyoto.
It's just... the internal treasury is banknotes, the officialdom is politics, and banknotes and politics have always been twins. I think my father didn't think about this law clearly when he first started. But no matter what, Fan Xian was also grateful for Sinan Bo's hard work, and said, "Father, rest assured, the child will be careful."
Fan Jian was somewhat satisfied with his statement, and asked: "Only the truly strong are qualified to show weakness. The weak are inherently weak, so you can think about where you can use a sign."
Fan Xian understood what his father meant, smiled, and suddenly thought of another matter, and asked, "Father, can you let the seven Gundams follow me after returning to Beijing?"
Fan Shangshu glanced at his son, but there was a gentle smile in his always solemn eyes: "You also know that for the father, he is only training and managing the tiger guards on behalf of the royal family, but the real deployment right is in the palace. If you want to Leave those tiger guards behind, I have no choice but to go to the palace to speak for you, but it is estimated that His Majesty will not allow it."
Fan Xian smiled wryly. He really felt a little bit reluctant to go up to the seven long-sword and tiger guards. With such a few silent masters as bodyguards, his safety would be greatly guaranteed. On the meadow outside the Wudu River, the seven knives teamed up, and even Haitang couldn't take advantage of it. This level of strength is a level higher than those of the swordsmen in the Sixth Division of the Overwatch Council, let alone myself. The Qi Nian team formed earlier - the Qi Nian team is his most personal and loyal force. Although under Wang Qinian's training, whether it is tracking intelligence or other affairs, it has gradually taken shape, but it is a pity that the force is still weak.
But he also understands that the Tiger Guards have always been assigned to the princes as guards, like there are a few in the personal battalion of the West Route Army, who are responsible for the safety of the eldest prince. Although the Holy Majesty would occasionally transfer the tiger guards to a certain minister, those were special tasks. For example, when his father-in-law, Prime Minister Lin, resigned and returned home, the Holy Majesty sent four tiger guards to accompany him. The prime minister has made great achievements in serving the country all his life, and he must ensure the safety of the prime minister on the road. After the specific affairs are completed, the tiger guard will return to Beijing and disappear in those inconspicuous houses.
Fan Xian knew so much because Fan Jian had always been in charge of handling these matters for His Majesty. Now that the mission had returned to the capital, the tiger guards would follow him, and if the royal family knew about it, it would inevitably cause some big troubles.
Fan Shangshu saw the regretful expression on his son's face, and couldn't help smiling, thinking that although this child is like his mother and has extraordinary talents, he is still only a young man after all, so he couldn't help but remind him Said: "When you left, that scholar named Shi Chanli often came to the mansion to say hello. I have met him a few times. He is indeed a talented person without showing it."
Fan Xian was startled, and immediately understood that after his father knew that he was determined not to ask for power cuts and leave the Overwatch Council, he began to plan for his future in the officialdom. This is to remind myself not to forget those disciples. Although his position in the hearts of the literati in the world has been established, and the disciples left by his father-in-law and prime minister in the court can also help, but as time goes by, there is always a need for some of his own people to be able to speak in the court.
After trying to understand what his father was thinking, Fan Xian couldn't help but be a little moved. It's just that a man will never learn to reveal anything, so he just bowed deeply to his father.
Fan Shangshu waved his hand and asked him to invite Ann back to his room. Fan Xian thought for a while, it was better not to speak too early about his sister's marriage, this kind of arrangement can only be done slowly, so he respectfully left the room.
Looking at Fan Xian's tall and straight back when he walked out of the study, Fan Shangshu's eyes could not help showing a bit of satisfaction and comfort. If there is a son like this, what more can a father ask for? He gently drank the last drop of fruit juice in the bowl, knowing that the child had guessed something long ago, but as far as the child's disposition is concerned, since the other party does not say anything, it will not hinder... The future of the Fan family depends on it. Look at this kid.
Thinking of this verse, Fan Shangshu couldn't help admiring Prime Minister Lin who was far away from the power center of the Qing Kingdom. He thought that the old fox was really lucky. He had paid so much and worked hard for more than ten years. He was lucky, but Just give birth to a daughter.
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In September, it is dull and boring, everything is fine, only troubles are missing.
Fan Xian sat on the carriage, tapped lightly on the wooden lattice of the window, and hummed a song that others could not understand along with the somewhat weird rhythm. Entering the palace is a very serious matter for most of the courtiers, but he just finds it boring. When he returned to Beijing on the first day of junior high school, he and his wife and father made up their minds. There is nothing to worry about myself for the time being, after entering the palace to be honored, kowtow, and then go to the courtyard to get things together, it seems that the only option is to go back to Cangshan to practice jumping off the cliff.
The fingers tapping on the window lattice suddenly froze, he suddenly remembered his sister's marriage, and remembered that Li Hongcheng was going to serve him with wine on the Liujing River at night, his face suddenly became ugly. This dull and boring September turned out to be such a shitty life.
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…
Today is Asahi, early in the morning, many ministers came to wait outside the palace gate. I heard that in the early years, in order to express their diligence and loyalty to the emperor, some old officials started preparing court clothes in the middle of the night, and came outside the palace gate before dawn, just to wait for the sound of the key being lifted at the palace gate, etc. After the old courtier got old, he couldn't hear the creaking sound for many days and nights, and it was extremely uncomfortable.
Now that the Holy Son of Heaven is in power, he hates those people who are famous, so the ministers dare not come too early, but they dare not come too late. I don't know who came up with the idea, but some grown-ups reserved seats in the teahouse at Xinjiekou, got up and left the mansion as soon as the sun was shining, and waited in the private room of the teahouse, letting the attendants stare at the palace gate from afar so that you can pinpoint the time to queue up.
The supervisor of the Overwatch Council did not have Pin Yiyi, saying that apart from that mysterious figure who had been forgotten by people, Fan Xian was actually the first commissioner since the founding of the Qing Dynasty, so now he still only has the rank of the fourth rank of the Imperial Academy. If it weren't for His Majesty's request to return to the mission, he would definitely not be qualified to go to court, so there is no court uniform that needs to be worn for a long time. He set off from Fan Manor in the early morning and traveled leisurely all the way, but when he arrived at the gate of the palace, it was much later than most of the ministers.
People are jealous of people, let alone a young and purple young man who has been popular in Beijing for only a year and a half, let alone this young man who has torn the faces of most of the officials in the capital, and killed a minister. A fellow of the Shangshu ran away, the so-called turtle responds when the turtle crows, and the fox mourns when the rabbit dies. Everyone looked at this handsome chief of the Overwatch Council who got out of the carriage with a yawn, and there was more warning in their eyes, and three traces of disgust. .
Fan Xian looked around, and felt something was wrong with the atmosphere. These ministers were either the ministers of various ministries or the ministers of a certain temple. From the second rank to the top, whose wife didn't have a command, whose house didn't have much to show for it. Royal gift plaything? Even though I am young, I came later than these ministers... If there is no Fan Shangshu behind him, especially the old cripple, I am afraid that the real high-ranking officials of the Qing Kingdom would have scolded him a long time ago. up.
Naturally, he can't be scolded now, but the ministers didn't give him a good look. They glanced at him coldly, and then turned their heads away with pride. Among the group of officials, there were quite a few people who were single-handedly promoted by Lin Ruofu back then. They wanted to go up to talk to Fan Xian and comfort him, but seeing the contemptuous eyes of the colleagues, they couldn't help feeling a little headache, so they stopped going out. footsteps, but greeted Fan Xian with extremely gentle eyes.
Fan Xian was swept away by these fiery gazes, and felt uncomfortable all over his body, but he still maintained a steady smile on his face, and he bowed his hands to salute the ministers neither humble nor humble. Just as he was clasping his hands, someone behind him coughed twice—Fan Shangshu came late for some reason today, and did not go with his son. Fan Xian quickly went up to him, and carefully helped his father out of the carriage. .
Fan Shangshu glanced at him and shook his head: "My father is not so old yet."
Fan Xian smiled, and knew that he had overacted the scene a little bit. Although Fan Shangshu looked a little displeased, all the officials could tell that "Old Money Basket" was very happy today, no, he didn't even let go of his son's hand, and led him here.
Fan Shangshu personally brought it over, and the ministers couldn't hold back any more, and greeted each other one after another. After a while, Sinan Bo took Fan Xian hand in hand and walked around the venue, allowing him to recognize all the ministers with real power in the court. Fan Xian called out uncles and elders, and all the ministers looked at him again. This smiling young man was much more pleasing to the eye, and those ministers who belonged to the Lin party were even more affectionate, even praising Master Xiao Fan for being young and promising, and so on.
But there were still some ministers who looked on coldly, even though they were saluting, their faces were extremely indifferent. After all, no one in the court of the Qing Kingdom knew that this little Mr. Fan was most famous for his seemingly gentle but actually sinister smile.
The Minister of the Ministry of Officials, who was already a veteran of the three dynasties, watched Fan's father and son walking in front of him, and couldn't help snorting: "It is said that since the founding of this country, and even the Wei family in those days, it is like the Si Nan Bo's house, the two of you went to the house at the same time. It's very rare to see people in the court, and it really is a happy spring breeze."
Fan Jian chuckled and said, "Holy grace is like a sea, holy grace is like a sea." He seemed unable to hear the other party's ridicule, and gave all the glory to His Majesty the Emperor. Fan Xian smiled slightly, knowing that on such an occasion, he really had no room to speak, so he simply fell silent.
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…
At this moment, the three eunuchs walked out of the palace gate slowly, the one in the middle obviously had a higher status, waved the whisk in his hand, and said softly: "My lords have worked hard, please do so."
The ministers stopped exchanging pleasantries immediately, tidied up their court clothes a little superfluously, and then walked into the palace gate. Probably because they are used to it, they didn't even bother to take a look at the guards with spears at the gate of the palace and the guards with knives at the inner gate. spirit.
It was the first time for Fan Xian to go to court, but it was inconvenient to walk with his father, so he had to drag himself to the end of the line, and walked in with the three eunuchs. The leading eunuch was still the familiar Eunuch Hou, but Fan Xian At this moment, he didn't dare to speak softly to him, let alone pass a bank note over without fumes, so he could only smile at him as a gesture.
After a long time, Hou San'er was still thinking about this question, why did he think Master Fan was a trustworthy backer from the beginning? In the end, he concluded that every time Mr. Fan looked at him, his smile was very sincere, unlike other ministers who deliberately warmed himself up when it was useful, and smiled affectionately the rest of the time. But there is always a few traces of that smile that are not clear, which makes people feel a little uncomfortable and contemptuous.
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It was the first time for Fan Xian to participate in the court meeting, so he couldn't help being a little nervous, but standing at the end of the civil servants, he was still far away from the dragon chair. He couldn't hear it, knowing that the middle-aged man on the dragon chair would definitely pay attention to him, but he still relaxed a little, and began to look at the interior decoration of Tai Chi Palace.
Although I have entered the palace a few times, most of the time I spend most of my time in the harem talking with the ladies and traveling the mountains with Wan'er. This Taiji Palace is the main hall of the palace. I just glanced at it from a distance and didn't have a chance to stand inside. . After I came in today, I found that it was nothing more than that. Dragons and phoenixes are carved on the beams, the paintings are exquisite, the red pillars are majestic, the fragrance in the vast palace is subtle, and the cranes and beasts made of brass are waiting for you. As far as the imperial palace is concerned, it is ultimately inferior.
However, there is an aura in this hall, which seems to be the smell of power, rising from the dragon chair, making all the courtiers feel awe.
It has nothing to do with the dragon chair, the middle-aged person sitting on the dragon chair is the source of this breath. Although his palace is not as magnificent as Northern Qi, and his food is not as exquisite as Dongyi City, but everyone in the world knows that he is the most powerful person in the world.
The main topic of the court meeting is naturally inseparable from the eldest prince and the mission, but it is not about fighting for power outside the city. Even if the censors of the Metropolitan Procuratorate intend to make some articles on this matter, it is impossible to produce some memorials today. It’s not that those censors don’t have the ability to make quick decisions overnight, but they are so eager to participate, I’m afraid it will be revealed The traces made His Majesty unhappy.
This court meeting is discussing the future deployment of the West Route Army, as well as the merits and rewards of the soldiers. The Eldest Prince has already been crowned king, but the 100,000 soldiers under him must have an explanation. This point is proposed by the Privy Council, and no courtier will raise any objection. Although His Majesty attaches great importance to the rule of law, after all, the Qing Kingdom is a sturdy country that started with force, and no one will have trouble with the military in this matter.
As for the affairs of the mission, after reporting the whole journey, Honglu Temple handed over the letter of credence on behalf of the Northern Qi gift-giving delegation, and presented the newly demarcated map of the world. Looking at the gradually expanding territory of the Qing Kingdom on the map, it always seemed His majesty, who was a little too calm, finally had a tinge of fiery color in his eyes.
The ministers know their interests, so naturally they want to shout long live and flatter them wantonly, and the elders of the Privy Council are also proud of themselves. This is the land that the boys in the army fought back with their flesh and blood...
At this time, naturally, not many ministers realized how much role the officials of Honglu Temple, including Xin Qiwu and Fan Xian, and the four parts of the Overwatch Council played in the negotiation process. Even if they realize it, they will deliberately ignore the past.
Fan Xian looked at the joy from the heart of the courtiers, and couldn't help but smile a little on his lips. After all, he had participated in this big event. He thought to himself, if the eldest princess hadn't sold Yan Bingyun, Qing Kingdom would have gained even more. However, Her Royal Highness the Eldest Princess tossed Xiao En back to Northern Qi, causing civil strife in the Northern Qi court. The separation of monarchs and ministers was also an extremely powerful method. Comparing the two, it was only the difference between short-term benefits and long-term benefits.
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…
The most powerful middle-aged man in the world, after a burst of uncontrollable joy in his heart, he immediately returned to calm with strong control, put his hands on his chin, smiled, and listened attentively to the eulogy of the courtiers He said, but glanced at the back of the line of courtiers very indifferently. After seeing the smile on the little guy's face, his mood changed for the better somehow.
He waved his hand, and the eunuchs holding the pen and Zhongshu Ling held the imperial edict in their hands, and began to chant the edict that had been drawn up in a slightly shrill voice. Due to the large number of officers and soldiers in the army, and the opinions of the First Prince and the elders of the military must be consulted, it will take some time. This edict is mainly for the rewards of members of the mission.
The hall became quiet all of a sudden, everyone knew that after the mission returned to the country, it was just a routine reward, and the officials didn't care much about it, they just kept their ears open to catch the name Fan Xian in the eunuch's shrill voice.
"... a first-class baron, a second rank."
All the ministers breathed a sigh of relief and felt relieved. It seems that His Majesty still has a sense of proportion. Regardless of their relationship with the Fan family, these ministers were unwilling to have Fan Xian awarded such a high title at such a young age. Everyone had different considerations and positions, but their ideas were very similar.
Xin Qiwu, Fan Xian and others had already knelt down in the hall, and after thanking the Holy Grace, when the courtiers were about to listen to the phrase "If there is something to play, nothing to leave the court", His Majesty the Emperor sat on the dragon chair and said lightly He said: "You guys stay here."
Your Majesty's eyes are on the few high-ranking officials who are closest to the Dragon Chair. After Lin Ruofu resigned as Prime Minister, the court couldn't find a suitable candidate to replace him, so the current cabinet affairs are all handled by a few senior scholars and ministers. We are coordinating with you. After these celestial meetings, His Majesty will often leave them to say a few more words. Today, the crown prince and the eldest prince are also in the hall, so naturally they have to stay to discuss a few words, so the courtiers do not think it is strange. Please, Shengan After that, they all retreated outside the hall.
Then these ministers heard a sentence that made them feel extremely jealous and envious.
"Fan Xian, you stay too."