The absurd people speak absurd words and do absurd things. On the seventh day of the first lunar month in the eleventh year of the Qing Dynasty, Fan Xian ordered his subordinates to kill the ministers in the street, and at the foot of the imperial city to kill the senior scholars of Zhongshu University. It really did an absurd thing that the Qing court had never seen in a century, but at this moment Talking eloquently, speaking loudly and acting according to orders, on the side of the Qing emperor, it seems that this set of rhetoric can really explain what he is doing today, which is really absurd to the extreme.
However, even so absurd, what is unexpected is that the corners of His Majesty's lips only showed a few elusive sneering smiles, and he did not get angry, and asked, "When did I give you my will?"
"The upper body is the king's heart, which is what our subjects should do." Fan Xian responded calmly.
Today, taking advantage of the New Year's Eve just passed, all parts of the capital are looking for opportunities to relax, and taking advantage of the fact that the palace underestimated his influence and summoning ability on the former subordinates of the Overwatch Council. core staff of officials.
The main reason for being able to achieve this strategic goal is that Fan Xian's action was too sudden, even abrupt, so abrupt that no one had the slightest prediction whether it was in the palace or in the court.
There was a thunder in silence, shaking everyone in the world to cover their ears in fear. This was Fan Xian's idea. He had to think about the way out after the failure. Officials who don't let go on their own side!
If the killing is thorough enough, if he really loses in the future, the officials and subordinates he wants to protect may have a much better life.
The thunder rang, but there was no possibility that it would last forever. It was only a matter of an instant, and the court would immediately react. May be destroyed, especially in Kyoto.
Presumably at this time, the Kyoto garrison division has already begun to join forces with the thirteen city gate divisions to start a clean-up operation. The forbidden army will strictly guard the palace defense and will not intervene, but that alone is enough. The subordinates loyal to Fan Xian have already started to sneak into the dark, but for Fan Xian, this is far from enough. Under the strict laws of celebration and His Majesty's wrath, seeking a door as wide as possible for those who are loyal to him is the root of the ridiculous words he said to His Majesty at this time.
"There are two ferocious dogs in He Dashi's mansion, which are quite famous for being clean and honest. However, his two clan brothers are also quite famous for ferocious dogs in He's ancestral county. The beauties born in the fields are not polite .”
The corners of Fan Xian's lips curled slightly and he said, "As for selling officials and accepting bribes, although there is no such thing, in the past three years, there have been dozens of volumes of famous paintings from the former Wei Dynasty in the seemingly dilapidated mansion of Grand Master He."
"Fan Wujiu is an old subordinate of Chengze. As one of the eight generals, although he left the palace, he also participated in the rebellion. After the rebellion in Kyoto three years ago, this person never surrendered to the imperial court, but committed himself incognito. In Master He's mansion, what he is plotting is known without asking. However, Master He knows his identity, but he is secretly nasty, not knowing what his intentions are."
Fan Xian spoke slowly and calmly. For He Zongwei, the Overwatch Council has long been investigating, but because of his holy face, these hard-earned things can't be revealed in broad daylight. Today, Fan Xian naturally won't shy away from anything, especially since he knows that It is clear that His Majesty the emperor in front of him is very clear about these things, even better than himself.
"Fan Wujiu was assassinated in a strange way a month ago, and almost died." Fan Xian smiled suddenly, looking at the profile of His Majesty the Emperor, because Fan Wujiu's silence was originally ordered by His Majesty, "Fortunately, I have someone under my command." He happened to pass by, saved him, and finally recorded a statement, which should have been sent to the Overwatch Council by now."
When He Zongwei and the widow of Master Peng were hunted down by the prime minister's mansion, the second prince and the eldest son Li Hongcheng happened to pass by. Now that person in He Zongwei's mansion was killed, his shadow just happened to pass by. Things in the world are always like this.
"What makes me even more curious is that Master He is not young anymore. He has never married a wife, and he doesn't even have a concubine or a maid, yet he lives with his widowed aunt..."
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Just as Fan Xian was eloquently elaborating on the crimes committed by Master He, the emperor finally said indifferently: "Enough, Master He is dedicated to serving the country, even though he once offended you, he died at your hands. Why bother to frame a dead man with these filthy words."
"Your Majesty said so."
"You should be very clear, I am very clear about these things."
"Yes, Your Majesty. However, all the people in the world don't know that Master He, whom His Majesty wholeheartedly favors, is such a person."
Fan Xian had already suppressed the smile on his face, calmly blocked back, and said, "I have sent someone to copy He's mansion, to record the criminal evidence in the account list, and send the copied record to the Overwatch Council, presumably In a short time, Dean Yan will definitely send it to the palace in person. As for the original copy, it has already been sent to Danbo Bookstore and Xishan Bookstore or other places, and in a few days, people all over the world will see this episode."
"If you want to do these things, how can you do without the eight major divisions of the Overwatch Council? Are you threatening me? Do you want the people of the world to see my jokes?" The emperor smiled slightly.
"Don't dare, but please think twice, Your Majesty, what happened today will definitely shock the world. No matter whether the historian can stand up or not, there are still unofficial histories, which will always be recorded on the pages of the book and remain in the history."
Fan Xian lowered his head slightly, and said calmly, "Your Majesty is a generation of wise rulers. Whether it's me, the former dean of the Overwatch Council, who is insane, or Mr. He, who died with more than a guilty conscience, it's not good to write on paper, but if your majesty's holy eyes are like torches, It must be another discussion."
"It sounds like a feasible solution, but if it's true, wouldn't it mean that the court is unkind?" His Majesty the Emperor didn't know if he was really moved by Fan Xian's words, and looked at his son indifferently and sarcastically.
"An official, after all, is nothing but His Majesty's servant. A servant dies as soon as he dies, but it is his honor to be able to honor His Majesty's favor after death." Fan Xian's words were so harsh, but he didn't know it was ironic. He himself and the officials in the imperial court are still the dead scholar He, or... the ruthless king in front of him who never forgets the word gentle and benevolent.
"The imperial court has its own laws and regulations. Even if He Zongwei is guilty, he should be arrested by a certain Si Suo. He should be interrogated and punished according to the law. How can he be brutal and reckless?" His Majesty the Emperor didn't know if he didn't hear Fan Xian's words. The sarcasm, said indifferently.
"Yes. Therefore, the official who acted out of righteous indignation today is guilty, but after all, he has the upper body and the heart, and the crime can be pardoned. As for me, a frenzied thug, naturally there is no pardon." Fan Xian smiled slightly, and said: "In my case One life, if the world's discussion subsides, no one will feel that He Zongwei is at a disadvantage."
His Majesty the Emperor listened to the seemingly gentle but in fact stern words, but he was not moved, and said: "But I... after all, I feel ashamed of Mr. He."
"The dead are dead." Fan Xian spat out four words in a calm manner.
Unexpectedly, a look of sadness and gloom appeared on the emperor's face, he looked at him quietly, and said after a while: "If it's really dead, how can you enter the palace today?"
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Fan Xian remained silent. There was no need to talk about this topic between His Majesty and him. The last time he entered the palace, the difference between the titles of his father and His Majesty had already been described. Today, Fan Xian entered the palace. Gong's resolute attitude explained his intention of coming even more clearly.
It's just that Fan Xian had to make it clear about today's wind and rain in the capital, because how the imperial court characterized today's killings, even if it was just a slight change in the direction of the wind, would bring completely different degrees to those subordinates who were loyal to him. hit. A word from the Son of Heaven is as heavy as the sky.
Xishan Bookstore and Danbo Bookstore have already made preparations for publishing and distributing to the world, but Fan Xian really didn't want to threaten the emperor with a mere name, because it was impossible at all, he just knew too much about His Majesty's harshness and ruthlessness , all the concepts of profit first.
Now that He Zongwei was dead, no matter how much he was valued and appreciated by the emperor, once he turned into a cold corpse, he would be nothing more than a useless slave. Treating him like a slave is a chilling fact.
How to prevent the death of Grand Master He from shaking the foundation of Qing Kingdom's court is the most important consideration of His Majesty the Emperor. And Fan Xian is trying to use his prepared strategy to persuade His Majesty to accept it. As for the crime of poisoning a minister, he cannot escape, and he does not want to escape. His iron and blood actions today have touched the bottom line of a feudal dynasty, whether it is From the standpoint of the emperor, or the standpoint of the world's scholarly officials, there is definitely no place for him, Fan Xian, in the huge Qing Kingdom.
What's even more amazing is that the emperor's royal family always pays attention to a gentle and benevolent attitude. Even the monarch who treats all people like ants doesn't care about the death of a subject at all. Sometimes, he will carefully pull out the flag of righteousness to cover it up, and he will definitely not speak so nakedly and act like Fan Xian today.
Fan Xian did this, said this, but His Majesty the Emperor didn't think it was embarrassing, so he just listened casually. Probably only this father and son of the heavenly family can have such naked, bloody and shameless conversations in the world.
If someone beside the two heard the content of their conversation at this time, apart from being horrified by the content itself, they would definitely notice another very serious problem.
In the deserted palace in winter, since the conversation till now, Fan Xian has been rude, not bowing, not kneeling, not being a vassal.
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The emperor condoned Fan Xian's presumptuousness, because there was a faint coolness in his eyes, and he just waved his hand in disgust. Others might not be able to understand the meaning of His Majesty's every movement, but Fan Xian was different. He quickly stood up straight, his face regained his composure, and his spirits vibrated slightly. There is only a slight difference in the charges, but the difference in degree between the court's public arrest and the secret attack is huge.
A gust of bleak wind blew, and the light snow on the long grass behind the two was rolled up, and fell on the two of them one after another, adding a bit of coldness and harshness. If the dead He Zongwei knew that His Majesty the Emperor whom he was loyal to until his death and Fan Xian who killed him, just had a conversation, and he would not be able to die cleanly, I am afraid that the resentment in his heart would be stronger .
However, this is the feudal dynasty, this is the so-called family world, in the eyes of this shameless father and son, no matter whether it is officialdom or folk, whether it is Emperor Qing or Fan Xian, the reputation is more important than He Zongwei, a minister who has become popular in the beginning As for power, as for how to deal with it like this, whether it will chill the hearts of the ministers is a matter of specific operations in the palace in the future.
The snow was still falling slowly and coolly. The emperor turned around slowly and looked silently at Fan Xian, who was about the same height as himself. The forbidden land was slightly hunched or head bowed, but today Fan Xian stood up straight, and the emperor discovered that his son was already as tall as him.
A frightening chill and coercion emanated from the man in the bright yellow dragon robe, welding Fan Xian to the snowy grass. The incomparably majestic essence is revealed by taking advantage of the situation, and it is actually intended to affect the surrounding environment.
Fan Xian's expression remained unchanged, and he breathed the air in the snow gently and earnestly. The father and son had talked for so long, and they knew that this moment would eventually come. Now that He Zongwei's matter was settled, it was naturally their turn. things between people.
"I'm very curious, what kind of service do you have when you enter the palace alone to face me?" The emperor's face was calm, and he looked up slightly naturally, full of sarcasm and disdain.
"There is nothing to rely on at all." Fan Xian slowly closed his eyes. After a moment of silence, he took a deep breath, bravely opened his eyes, and looked directly at the unfathomable king in front of him, with a calm expression. He whispered in a numb tone, "I... just want to have a fair fight with His Majesty."
Fair fight! Fair fight? After a slight start, the emperor laughed uncontrollably. The laughter was thick and profound, full of absurd meaning. It echoed in the imperial palace in the deep winter, awakening countless hibernating creatures under the permafrost.
His Majesty's eyes narrowed slightly, and a strange smile flashed from the corners of his clear eyes, and he said in a slightly sandy voice, "You have no right to demand justice from me."
That's right, in front of His Majesty the Emperor, what right does Fan Xian have to demand fairness? His younger sister is still in the palace, his family is still in Beijing, and although his subordinates have played a big role today, in fact, in the eyes of the emperor, they are still just a group of ants who can't make waves. It is precisely because His Majesty the Emperor is confident and strong that he does not take today's turmoil in the capital seriously. As long as he is willing, he can easily mobilize the army and rely on the power of the world in his hands to crush Fan Xian to death. Yes, I can't move at all.
How arrogant, how brave and brave...but how naive. The Tianjia Imperial Palace is not a reckless rivers and lakes. If you want to fight, the king doesn't bother to fight with you, so what can you do
Fan Xian's expression remained unchanged. He looked back at His Majesty calmly and resolutely, and said word by word: "Qualification lies in strength. I think I still have the strength to be willing to die."
As these words came out, the emperor's eyes narrowed slightly, his deep gaze naturally passed over Fan Xian's shoulders, and he looked towards the large stretch of palaces in the southeast direction. The supposedly bustling cold palace was extremely quiet in the snow today. There were no sudden sounds or changes. However, His Majesty the Emperor felt a slight twitch in his heart, knowing that something was wrong, because Fan Xian Today, she entered the palace alone to seek a blood-soaked love and hatred. Naturally, she had already prepared to arrange a way out and show her qualifications as a bargaining chip.
If the world is a game of chess, the chess board placed between the father and son is the territory of the seven routes, the forces of the three parties, countless states and counties, and the chess pieces are hundreds of millions of people, endless wealth, and the people's sentiments. But what Fan Xian did today, apart from the word "brave and brave", he wanted to take this chessboard back from the world and turn it into the cold soil of the imperial palace where his feet were standing at this time, and to remove those chess pieces from the chessboard. Yu himself and Emperor Qing, this is his ruthless determination, his ruthlessness to himself, and his determination to His Majesty.
But to make His Majesty abandon the world chessboard, and to ensure the safety of those chess pieces, Fan Xian must have enough leverage to convince the opponent, even including the death of He Zongwei. He is not qualified to say this.
The first chip Fan Xian threw out was a fire, a fire in winter, and this fire was burning in a quiet but heavily guarded room somewhere in the palace. A dozen people never cared about world affairs, The inner court master, who was only responsible for guarding the things in the room, watched the flames gradually spit out from the window in a daze, knowing that he was doomed.
It didn't take long for the fire in that room to be extinguished, but the files and books inside had already been burnt clean, without leaving any residue.
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The emperor looked at the southeast corner of the palace, and after a while, he saw black smoke, and then the black smoke dispersed among the snowflakes and disappeared without a trace. His eyes finally gradually became cold and dignified.
"Not many people in the palace know where the transcripts of the inner treasury's technological process are stored." The emperor's eyes did not fall on Fan Xian's face, but he said indifferently: "You can find it, and you can even set it on fire." , really surprised me."
Fan Xian stood aside, and said: "There are only two copies of the internal warehouse process in the world, one is in northern Fujian, and the other is in the palace. Since I can burn the one in the palace, I can also burn the one in northern Fujian. … Regardless of whether Su Wenmao is dead or not, I believe His Majesty should understand that I am in the south of the Yangtze River, and I am in the inner library, so I have the strength to do all of this."
After saying these words, Fan Xian looked at His Majesty's calm face and sighed inwardly. The inner treasury is the foundation of the Qing Kingdom, but suddenly hearing that the foundation was injured, His Majesty the Emperor was calm as usual. This kind of state of mind is indeed transcendent and holy, so how can a mortal like me resist it