On the quiet Suzhou Long Street, the clear sound of the wheels of the carriage covered the exclamation in the carriage.
The third prince was surprised and said: "Can this lawsuit still be fought?"
"Why can't you fight?" Fan Xian smiled and said, "Whether you can win a fight or not is another matter, but you must fight."
After all, the third prince was only nine years old, and he was still a child. He became interested when he heard about it, and said, "Sir, let's go and watch the excitement. I heard that Xia Qifei's biological mother...is the current Ming old lady alive." Killed."
Fan Xian sighed: "It's a family property lawsuit, not an old murder case. What's being talked about is just the clauses on the celebration document, which is meaningless."
The third prince asked curiously: "Sir, is it worth it?"
"No." Fan Xian smiled wryly and shook his head: "If it all comes to fruition... then why bother doing those tricks? I just want to delay time, as long as possible."
The third prince sat back on the chair sullenly, looked at the unfamiliar street scene that swept back around him, and subconsciously asked: "If you don't go back to Huayuan at this time, where are you going?"
Fan Xian looked at him and said, "Your Majesty asked His Highness to study with me, and His Highness has been working hard. Since His Highness came out with me today... let's stop by and learn what you will definitely need to learn in the future."
The third prince was startled, not knowing what Fan Xian was talking about.
The carriage traveled from the west city to the north city, but did not enter the place where the men had been entrenched all year round. Instead, it quietly turned to the west along an alley. Some of them may have followed and disappeared in Suzhou City.
※※※
The carriage stopped outside a private house, the location was secluded and it was extremely difficult to be noticed. Gao Da got down from the driving seat, grasped the handle of the long knife behind him, and after observing indifferently and carefully for a while, he clenched his fist to signal safety, and Fan Xian led the third prince's men out of the car.
The six Assassins staying by Fan Xian's side are all recuperating from their wounds, and Fan Xian is not willing to let them go through life and death as the only two remaining intact. Therefore, the current personal safety is all entrusted to Huwei and the Qi Nian team, and they seem to be more and more careful in doing things.
Walking along the quiet doorway, the third prince felt a little hairy in his heart. It was dark all around, but he could smell a trace of fire smoke in his nose. This feeling is a little creepy.
The child subconsciously grasped Fan Xian's palm.
Enter the house, turn to another room, but it is a bedroom with all the utensils in the room, the dressing table on the big bed... There is even a couple sleeping on the bed!
The third prince opened his mouth wide, but didn't make a sound for a long time, thinking to himself which play is this coming from? Fan Xian was slightly taken aback, and turned to look at the Overwatch Council official who was leading the way.
The official's expression remained unchanged, and he went straight to the bed, pulled the hook on the bed frame, and heard a rattling sound, and the curtain above the bed was slowly pulled away, revealing a slanting downward path, and then He made a gesture of please.
While he was doing all this, the couple on the bed just moved in, didn't react at all, and didn't even look at the person next to the bed, as if they were blind and deaf, or like Fan Xian This group of people are like ghosts.
Looking at this scene, Fan Xian couldn't help but wryly smiled and scratched his head, always feeling like some kind of novel he had read in his previous life, but he didn't expect it to become a reality before his eyes.
This private house is naturally a hidden apartment that the Overwatch Council placed around Suzhou City.
…
…
At this time, the third prince naturally knew where he came today, took Fan Xian's hand, and walked cautiously into the underground passage, beating his heart, and said in a trembling voice: "Teacher, although the student is a prince, you still have to be a prince." According to the rules of the court, students are not entitled to know that the Overwatch Council is hiding."
Fan Xian said with a smile: "There are three to five hidden dwellings in every state city, and it's not a surprise. As for the rules, with me here, no one can say anything."
He is the commissioner of the Overwatch Council, and after Chen Pingping's written letter, he has the absolute power of the Overwatch Council.
Hearing what Fan Xian said, the third prince was a little relieved, and continued to move forward under the background of those dim lights. In fact, the residences of the Overwatch Council in Suzhou City were not the largest, but they were the most secret. After a short journey down, they arrived at a secret room.
The indoor lights are quiet and dignified, dimly reflecting the somewhat cramped room. In the room, there is a charcoal fire, two soldering irons, several boxes of medicines, several benches, and a dozen long or short metal sharp objects of various shapes.
It is the standard configuration for extorting a confession, especially when paired with the two dying, bloody people on the torture rack, it is even more clear.
Fan Xian sniffed this familiar and intimate atmosphere, couldn't help sniffling, felt the third prince's hand tightened, and couldn't help but smile in his heart, this kid was acting insidiously in the palace and capital, but after all, he still Children, where have I seen such a slaughterhouse-like scene.
The officials from all over the place who were extorting confessions had already taken off their clothes due to the heat and were doing work with their upper body naked. When they saw their boss's boss's boss suddenly coming to the dark apartment, they were taken aback and hurriedly looked for clothes to wear.
Fan Xian waved his hand to stop their actions, and said, "Continue to work... How is the question?"
An official was wearing a sleeve, walked to the table in the corner in a state of embarrassment, and carefully brought over a few pieces of paper, which were the forced confessions.
Fan Xian took a look at it, and couldn't help frowning. It was precisely because he had always remembered the matter of the Junshan Club, so in order to hurry up, he came to see the interrogation in person today. Unexpectedly, several days had passed. Still not much progress.
The two people who were captured by the Overwatch Council and have been resorting to tricks... were the two swallow-like assassins who assassinated Xia Qifei in front of Jiangnan Residence on the night of March 22nd!
That day, the two assassins were poisoned by the swordsmen of the Six Places. Seeing the opportunity very quickly, they wanted to escape, but unexpectedly, they were knocked unconscious by Haitang on the way. Afterwards, Fan Xian naturally took over without hesitation. And hid in a secret apartment, tortured to extract a confession, just wanted to know a little bit about the inside story of the Junshan Society - to the Overwatch Council, the Junshan Society was really a bit mysterious, and Fan Xian couldn't help worrying about the power that even the Overwatch Council couldn't control.
A loose organization? But can the second priest of Qing Temple be used as a pawn
Fan Xian frowned as he looked at the results of his subordinates' forced confessions. These two assassins were well-known killers in the south of the Yangtze River. They were highly skilled in martial arts and acted insidiously. However, it seemed that they didn't know much about the Junshan Society, and they were just bought by Ming Dynasty.
"Wake them up." He shook his head helplessly.
An official brought a small bottle to the noses of the two on the rack and asked them to sniff it. The two struggled feebly for a while, their muscles twisted, and the blood from the wound on their bodies oozed out again. Also woke up.
The two assassins forcibly opened their eyes. There was fear in their bewildered eyes. They had long since lost the toughness they had when they were first captured. It seemed that they had been tortured badly by the cruel officials around the Overwatch Council these days.
Fan Xian and the third prince sat on the not-so-clean bench. Fan Xian flipped through the paper in his hand and asked softly, "What does the Mr. Zhou you're talking about... have anything to do with Junshan?"
The two assassins knew the methods of the Overwatch Council, and since they were not going to be martyrs, of course they rushed to answer, and shouted in a hoarse voice: "My lord, Mr. Zhou is the accountant of the Junshan Society. have no idea."
Fan Xian raised his head slightly in surprise: "Isn't Mr. Zhou the chief steward of the Ming family?"
An assassin said with a trembling voice: "The villain only heard it once in a while. About the Junshan Society, I really only know this one."
"After a few days, the two of you are quite energetic. It seems that you haven't suffered too much." Fan Xian shook his head.
A look of despair flashed in the eyes of the two assassins.
The officials of the Overwatch Council began to use torture again, performing such unsightly but repetitive and boring work, the screams in the torture room continued one after another, extremely horrific, but there was no way to reach the ground.
Fan Xian did not cover the Third Prince's eyes.
The third prince looked at this scene, his face was pale, but he forcibly controlled his head not to turn to one side, just looking at this bloody scene, he suddenly felt the food in his stomach rushing out of his throat uncontrollably, his chest was depressed endlessly.
Fan Xian took a box of ointment from his bosom, picked it up with the tip of his index finger, rubbed it under the third prince's nose, and said softly, "I have already reported to His Majesty about the Junshan Club... The other party is so courageous, Your Highness." Then we can understand what kind of power the opponent has, and we must learn some methods for the current enemy and the future enemy, but... we must not be intoxicated by it."
The third prince knew what Fan Xian was teaching him.
On the other side, the fresh meat on the chests of the assassins has been mixed with blood, and turned into a scorched lump of flesh sizzling on the iron plate.
"Punishment and torture of officials... cannot be regarded as the best way to maintain the rule of the court, but you cannot rely on this method. Weaving a wide net, there are still fish that slip through the net, torture to extract confessions, but still can't get all the information needed. "Fan Xian said calmly: "The way of the emperor is to combine leniency with strictness. If you believe in it, you will not doubt it. If you doubt it, you will resolutely ignore it. Leniency is the foundation. The rest are just auxiliary... small means."
The third prince got a very cool smell in his nose, and he understood Fan Xian's meaning, and he understood what Fan Xian meant. The attitude towards Ming Qingda and Xia Qifei was very different, which clearly showed that Fan Xianxin was not. Doubt, doubt is determined not to use the method of doing things, and to come to watch the sentence tonight is to let myself understand that not all strong methods can be effective.
…
…
"It's not bad to be able to find out about the Ming family." Fan Xian comforted his subordinates: "Take care of the paper supply and heal the injuries of these two people. It will be useful in the future."
After leaving the Overwatch Council's dark apartment in Suzhou City, Fan Xian felt a little heavy. At first, he hoped to track down the traces of the Junshan Society, but he didn't expect that the two assassins couldn't ask any questions, so he had to drop by. Teaching the third prince some things was actually just to cover up his helpless embarrassment.
Sitting on the carriage back to Huayuan, he thought carefully. After all, the Overwatch Council is His Majesty's secret service agency, and there are many things that cannot be done openly. Therefore, in terms of organizational structure, there are inherent limitations. important monitoring areas, but the manpower is still quite insufficient.
To investigate Junshan Society, a mysterious organization floating on the clouds, the current strength of the Overwatch Council in the south of the Yangtze River is far from enough.
At this moment, Fan Xian very much hoped that Xiaoyan would be by his side, but he also understood that Yan Bingyun is now in charge of all four places, and it is impossible for him to leave Beijing easily, and most of the jobs he is directly under also need Yan Bingyun. Help Deng Ziyue make up his mind.
Even if Wang Qinian was there, maybe things would be much easier.
He sighed.
※※※
Yang Jimei not only gave the garden to Fan Xian, the imperial envoy, but also kept all the servants, servants, cooks in the garden. After the Overwatch Council inspected and confirmed the cleanliness of these people, Fan Xian did not refuse the offer.
So Sisi began to enjoy the treatment of a young mistress except for everything close to her. Although she herself was not used to it, there was nothing she could do about it, and the poor little girls Fan Xian bought on the way to the south of the Yangtze River were also treated. I didn't have a chance to do some rough work, so I really raised her like a big maid of a big family.
What is especially commendable is that the cook left by Yang Jimei is of such a high standard that it can make the imperial cooks in the palace feel ashamed. He cooks three meals a day in such a way that Fan Xian is reluctant to go out for a taste of Jiangnan delicacies. Willing to stay in the garden.
Sisi likes this cook the most, and the Third Prince naturally hates this cook the most.
This morning, Fan Xian, Haitang, and the third prince were sitting around a small table drinking porridge made from old corn mixed with ham and watercress. However, it was extremely delicious and weird. Fan Xian drank three bowls in a row, so that Sisi, who was serving porridge next to him, was a little too late.
At this moment, a few people from outside the courtyard came, accompanied by a tiger guard. Those people came to the court room, looked at Fan Xian and the third prince sitting around the table, and took another look at Haitang, they couldn't help being surprised.
Fan Xian was even more shocked when he saw the people who had stepped over the threshold. The people who came were Sang Wen and Deng Ziyue. Miss Sang Wen had already gone to the south of the Yangtze River to help him, but Deng Ziyue was not staying in the capital and staying in one place. What to do? After Fan Xian saw clearly the man standing between the two, he subconsciously stood up in shock and exclaimed, "Dabao! Why are you here?"
That's right, that big fat man standing indifferently between Sang Wen and Deng Ziyue, with a dazed expression, looking around with a little cowering... Is it Dabao or who
Fan Xian rushed forward in a hurry, holding his uncle's hand with one hand, while asking Deng Ziyue: "What's going on? Where's Wan'er?"
Deng Ziyue looked tired, and said with a wry smile: "Madam is not in good health recently, so I will go to the south of the Yangtze River temporarily, but... this uncle and young master heard that he was coming to see you, so he kept making trouble at home, and Master Shangshu sent his subordinates to arrest this uncle. The young master brought Jiangnan."
"Nonsense." Fan Xian sighed, but then his heart tightened and he asked anxiously, "Wan'er is not in good health?"
"Oh, it's okay." The girl Sang Wen with a gentle smile on her face, her cheeks were still so amiable, replied: "The princess probably got a bit tired from the wind, and it will be fine after a couple of days."
She took out two letters from her bosom and handed them to Fan Xian, saying, "This is a letter for your lord."
Fan Xian took it over and took a look. It was written by his father and Wan'er. Before he could read it, he put it in his arms first, and said angrily, "Father, what does this mean? Jiangnan is in chaos now, why did you send Dabao here?"
At this time, Dabao suddenly grinned, tugged at Fan Xian's ear and said, "Little Xianxian, you have been hiding for so long this time in hide-and-seek... you are amazing."
Holding the porridge bowl, staring curiously at the third prince at the door, he realized that Fan Xian, who had always been terrifying, was actually doing this in front of this idiot... He couldn't bear it any longer, and with a puff, he spat out the mouthful of porridge he had been holding in his mouth all this time. out.
Deng Ziyue smiled awkwardly, and hurried forward with Sang Wen to salute the Third Highness, not daring to look at Fan Xian's distressed appearance, presumably the two of them were also disturbed by this big brother on the way. Now that Dabao has come, there must be people who serve him along the way, Si Siming has something to do, so hurry out of the garden to resettle those people. And Fan Xian finally calmed down Dabao, first settled him in the back garden, and then asked those little maids who had nothing to do all day to eat sunflower seeds with him. Only then did the front hall become quiet.
Haitang got up and gave a slight salute before leaving the front hall. She knew that Fan Xian must have a lot to talk to Deng Ziyue.
After Deng Ziyue entered the hall, he didn't seem to see the village girl, but the other party saluted him, so he still had to return the salute quickly.
Sitting on the table, Fan Xian frowned and said, "Last night, I was thinking that there are really few people around me now. It's fine if you come, but what about Beijing?"
"Mr. Xiaoyan in Beijing is watching. After receiving the courtyard report you sent back to Beijing, the dean sent me to bring some people over to help." Deng Ziyue explained: "Let's talk about the thing you want to prepare, the second and third divisions It took me a few months to finish it, so I just dropped by and sent it over."
Fan Xian shook his head and said, "I thought someone else sent it, but I didn't expect it to be you."
He glanced at the third prince who was drinking porridge and eavesdropping beside him, coughed twice, and asked the young master to go out.
After the third prince left sullenly, Fan Xian frowned and said, "When you came in earlier, why did you have such a strange expression?"
Deng Ziyue glanced around, and said with a wry smile: "When I left Beijing, rumors in the capital were too fierce... They all said that you and that Northern Qi saint girl Haitang walked together when you went out, sat at the same table when you sat, and slept together...there was too much discussion in the court, Moreover, my lord is now obsessed with the internal treasury, and I always want to avoid some suspicions. Those officials in the court are planning to use this matter to attack my lord... The subordinates did not expect to see the girl when they entered Huayuan today, and then they knew that the rumors were true, so they were a little worried .”
"Whether you lie down or share the same bed?" Fan Xian sneered, "It's thanks to those people who figured it out. Let's not talk about it, show me what you brought."
Deng Ziyue carefully took out a flat box from his arms, and handed it to Fan Xian.
Fan Xian lifted the lid of the box and carefully looked at the piece of paper lying quietly in the middle of the box. The paper was slightly whitish-yellow in color, and the edge of the paper was slightly curled. It's crooked, it seems that the person who wrote it is almost the time when the oil is exhausted and the lamp is dry.
"You did a good job." Fan Xian frowned and said, "Although this suicide note is still useless, this is the only way to drag this family property lawsuit forward."
Deng Ziyue replied: "My lord, don't worry, the two offices and the three offices will work together, refer to countless pieces of handwriting of the ancestors of the Ming family, and use the old paper that is extremely difficult to find today, plus the old-fashioned craftsmanship, and the attention to detail. Pay attention, no one should be able to see that it is fake."
"Of course the Ming family knows it's a fake, the real one has been destroyed long ago." Fan Xian said with a smile: "There are quite a few professionals in our yard, and if you want to do the fake antique business in the future, you can do it if you want." Earn a lot of money."
"Send it to Xia Qifei later. The trial will start tomorrow, and just throw this suicide note there... the Suzhou government will probably be dumbfounded."
The investigation against the Ming family has been going on, but it has been ineffective. On the one hand, the Ming family has worked too hard to smooth out the traces. Of course, it was also a part of it. Although Fan Xian had no way to directly destroy the Suzhou Mansion, it was still very easy to use a "secret tangerine peel suicide note" to make the officials on Jiangnan Road terrified.
※※※
When he was the only one left in the flower hall, Fan Xian took out the two letters in his arms, first scanned them roughly, and then read them carefully. Wan'er's letters basically talked about the affairs of the capital, and occasionally mentioned The situation in the palace is just that the language is relatively obscure.
One of the biggest benefits of having a wife in the capital is that she can help Fan Xian know which way the wind in the palace will blow in the first place.
The Eldest Princess returned to Guangxin Palace, and the Second Highness quietly returned to the stage. The Prince's movements were the most secretive, and the old Empress seemed a little dissatisfied with Fan Xian's arrogance in Jiangnan.
The strangest thing is that the emperor is still calm. This... god damn emperor, what good does it do him to mess up the world? Where does his confidence come from
Fan Xian sighed, and rubbed his fingers lightly on the scented letter paper. Suddenly, he missed Wan'er. He hadn't seen her for several months. He knew that his wife was in the capital, and she was also worrying and planning for him.
After reading his father's letter, Fan Xian finally understood Dabao's purpose in going to Jiangnan.
In the letter, Fan Shangshu told Fan Xian that he should find a time to send Dabao to Wuzhou. Lin Ruofu, the prime minister who resigned, took refuge in Wuzhou and hadn’t seen his son for a long time, and it was natural for Fan Xian to send Dabao to Wuzhou. You can also take advantage of the opportunity to visit your wily father-in-law.
This excuse is very good, and the emperor has no way to object.