Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Ye Ling’er made a surprised sound and directly covered her mouth, surprised beyond words. Although she had spent days hanging around the Fan manor and playing mahjong in Cang Mountain in the days after he came to the capital and had some understanding of her young teacher’s aspirations, she had never thought Fan Xian would dare to choose to return to the ancestors.
The Second Prince glanced at her and smiled bitterly.
I’m wondering whether or not Fan Xian has gone crazy.
Why do you say so?
A glimmer of confusion flashed through Ye Ling’er’s jade-like eyes. Since Fan Xian dared to go to worship the ancestors, the empress dowager and the Emperor must have given implicit consent. Why did her husband still think Fan Xian was crazy?
The Second Prince shook his head and said,
For Fan Xian right now, he originally had four paths he could choose from. Now that he has chosen to return to the ancestors, he had blocked off two of the paths.
Ye Ling’er didn’t open her mouth to ask again. She listened quietly.
The Second Prince thought for a while and then quietly said,
Right now, he has too much power in his hands and has offended too many people. His position as an isolated official has already been set. For him, in the future Qing Kingdom, he can either fight for the throne with us or help the Third Prince take it while he stays behind the scenes and acts as a regent prince. Only these two paths can ensure the safety of his family and make sure they are not wiped out. However, now that he has entered the Fan family, it is impossible for him to inherit the throne. It is also impossible for him to act as a regent using his identity as a child of the royal family.
Ye Ling’er furrowed her brows and said,
Even if he didn’t enter the Fan family, given his past and putting aside whether or not the Emperor would allow him to inherit, at least the entire royal family and court officials would not agree to it. This first option has never been possible.
What is ‘possible?'
The Second Prince asked.
As long as he doesn’t enter the Fan family, there is a possibility he could be re-admitted by the Palace. In addition, with the power he has in his hands, who can say there is no possibility he wouldn’t compete for this kingdom?
And the second option?
Perhaps a regent prince could make the nobility in the Palace and the royal army outside the Palace maintain their silence. As long as his family name is Li…but if a powerful official named Fan wanted to hold power over the Emperor and command the officials, this…is impossible.
The Second Prince calmly said,
Thus, by returning to the ancestors today, Fan Xian directly cut off the two paths above. I don’t understand what he is thinking.
What are the other two paths?
Ye Ling’er asked with concern as she looked at the strange expression on the prince’s face. She suddenly felt a chill surge in her heart.
The Second Prince paused for a moment and said,
In the future, after father’s death, no matter who takes the throne, they will probably carry out a huge purge against Fan Xian and the Fan clan. If this isn’t done, no one has the confidence they can control the big picture.
This was what the Second Prince had said to Fan Xian in the Baoyue Brothel, but he had always thought that Fan Xian would gradually meld into the royal family and fight to have a public position. Regardless of whether Fan Xian fought for the throne himself or helped the Third Prince, they were both viable choices.
Given Fan Xian’s current power and the influence of the elders around him, no newly enthroned Emperor would be at ease watching him live on.
Thus, many years in the future, Fan Xian only has two paths to choose from.
The Second Prince tightly furrowed his brows and was very confused.
Either he will have his hands tied and his entire family wiped out, like the Ye family in the past.
He paused and said, with some exhaustion,
Or…rebel with the power he holds and defects out of the country.
He laughed self-mockingly.
Of course, the power in his hands is like paper, unable to raise any big waves. Father is a cautious person. Fan Xian has no armies in his hands, so he will never truly succeed.
Ye Ling’er was startled and thought carefully about what he said. She found that if the situation did indeed develop in this way, then there would certainly not be a good end for that teacher of hers.
Her little face flushed red slightly and said,
You forgot a possibility. If it is really the Third Prince who inherits the throne, given his student-teacher relationship with Fan Xian, he may not allow matters to develop past the point of no return.
The Second Prince smiled.
I have also said this to Fan Xian. My third brother is still young, but I have watched him grow up. That kid is also not someone easy to deal with. Furthermore, one thinks about different things in different positions. Sometimes, we can’t avoid doing something just because we don’t want to do it.
He calmly said,
Furthermore, don’t forget, the Crown Prince is the true heir. Many people seem to have unconsciously forgotten this matter because of his silence, but I believe that Fan Xian would not forget.
Most importantly,
the Second Prince slowly lowered his head,
no matter who inherits the throne, before our father leaves this world, do you think he could watch Fan Xian continue to gather the power of a large group of strange creatures and bring his heir endless trouble? This country is father’s country. He will not allow this country to fall into too much turmoil, even when he is dead.
Whether as a son or an official, the Second Prince had already broken a huge taboo by talking about the life and death of the Emperor. Ye Ling’er bit her lip and did not continue this topic. Instead, she asked,
But this isn’t the life Fan Xian wants to live, this is the plan of those elders in court. If you were Fan Xian, what would you have done?
The Second Prince paused and said, self-mockingly a moment later,
I don’t know what I would have done. I would probably be in a similar situation as him right now. However, in the battle for the world, to not move forward means death. Since he has personally given up the former two paths, then he should pull out more completely. If I was put in his position, at this time, I would go into the Palace and ask to quit. Regardless of whether it is the Overwatch Council or the palace treasury, he has to let go of one…and then…speaking purely based on logic, he should appear to relax a bit and then secretly lean by the side.
Ye Ling’er looked at him.
The Second Prince said, seriously,
This is the wisest choice. Presumably, he also knows this. I dare to accept him and aunt. After all, she is his mother-in-law. With Chen’er’s layer of connection, it is not impossible that they can forget their former enmity.
Ye Ling’er shook her head and sighed. She knew that her family, those military troops far away in Dingzhou, had long become a piece in the fight for succession because of this marriage. If Fan Xian was added to this…but she didn’t want to acknowledge these things. Suddenly, her head began to hurt. She furrowed her brows in discomfort.
The Second Prince stood up. Looking at the dim light outside the window, he said, in a daze,
If Fan Xian doesn’t change, he can only walk into a hopeless situation in the future. If he has the courage to change, perhaps he will suffer a loss right now. In the future, he can strive for even more benefits and a more stable peace for himself and the Fan family. This all depends on what he is thinking.
In the end, he lowered his head helplessly.
However…as these two years have long proven, Fan Xian is a lunatic who never does things by the usual logic, so I don’t have such outlandish hopes.
…
…
In the opinions of most of Qing Kingdom, a glimmer of lunacy and murder was gradually showing through Fan Xian’s warm and amiable outer appearance. This was not referring to the night battle in Jingdou when people were killed and captured. Rather, it was the matter of returning to the ancestors that shocked Jingdou.
On the cold fifth stroke of the morning, the Fan family’s ancestral worship began.
By noon, this news had already traveled to the various large manors. For a moment, countless people guessed at the developments and changes after the event. They guessed at the rise and fall of Fan Xian’s opinion and desire of the power in court.
Just like the Second Prince, no one could understand why Fan Xian did this. Although he only had the identity of the Emperor’s illegitimate child and there wasn’t even a glimmer of a hope of entering the Palace, the identity of an illegitimate child was still an identity. As long as he wasn’t dead, everything was a possibility. Furthermore, this identity would certainly be of great use in the future.
A long time ago, Chen Pingping had once thought that once the empress dowager was gone, it wasn’t impossible for Fan Xian to re-enter the ranks of the princes.
However, Fan Xian’s action today put the seal of the Fan family on his name and cut off all possibility of him having the family name Li. In the eyes of most people. This appeared to be very foolish or impetuous.
Even in the depths of the Palace, this news startled many noblemen’s hearts.
Lady Shu was using small and graceful characters to copy the rare Tianyi Pavilion book that Fan Xian had sent over. Hearing a serving girl report this, she shook her head in confusion.
Lady Ning was going around a tree in her little yard practicing the sword. After hearing this news, her face lit up. She praised Fan Xian for having courage.
In Shufang Palace, Yi Guipin was watching the Third Prince practice his characters. Hearing Xing’er’s quiet words, she smiled slightly and didn’t say anything. However, her gaze on her son became complicated.
A moment later, she pulled her son behind the curtain and quietly told him the biggest news in Jingdou today. She spoke very seriously and sternly. The Third Prince was frightened and startled. Despite his young age, he immediately understood many things. His teacher returning to his ancestors was actually, to a great extent, for him.
In the end, Yi Guiping seriously said,
Ping’er, you have to remember well everything that Sir Fan has done for you. If, in the future, you dare to do those things, I won’t forgive you.
The Third Prince lowered his head and didn’t say anything.
In Guangxin Palace, the Eldest Princess, Li Yunrui, who had long lived in isolation and couldn’t easily leave the Palace, was the first to know of this news. After this beautiful woman was slightly startled, she smiled. It was like a smile of a hundred charms. She completely overshadowed the white clear light in and out of the palace and the light filtering through the flowers and trees.
A serving girl asked, carefully,
Princess, why are you so happy?
The Eldest Princess slowly restrained her smile and said very softly,
I suddenly feel that my son-in-law is a very capable person. He knows the boundaries, when to press forward, and when to retreat. Speaking of which, I’ve only seen him once. It’s a pity. Arrange for him and Wan’er to enter the Palace tomorrow. I want to see how Fan Xian has grown so quickly in the two years I haven’t seen him.
The serving girl was surprised, thinking, It’s clear that Sir Fan junior’s action was rash, and he had not fully considered the advantages and disadvantages. Was the Eldest Princess so happy because of this? But looking at the Eldest Princess’ expression, it was clear that she greatly approved of Sir Fan junior’s action.
In Hanguang Palace, the empress dowager was mumbling something over her prayer beads, and Eunuch Hong was slightly bent over and serving to the side. After a long time, the empress dowager sighed and said,
That child now knows to think about the bigger picture. That’s not an easy task.
Eunuch Hong said, in a slightly raspy voice,
Sir Fan junior is not bad.
In the isolated little building to the rear of the Royal Palace, the Emperor of Qing Kingdom stood in his yellow robes with his hands behind his back. He stared at the yellow-clothed woman in the picture in a slight daze. A moment later, he quietly said,
Our son is indeed more like you, very proud. It’s not that I don’t want him to come back, it is he who doesn’t want to come back…it’s good that his family name is Fan. Back then, you and Yide referred to each other as brother and sister. It’ll just be as if he went with his mother’s family name.
A gust of cold winter wind blew through the building making the picture flutter slightly. The beautiful face of the yellow-clothed woman in the picture twisted a little. It seemed that a glimmer of a mocking smile rose to the corners of her lips as if she was ridiculing the Emperor for being able to say such a thing that he probably didn’t even believe.
…
…
On the afternoon of New Year’s Day, Fan Xian sat in a carriage heading toward King Jing’s manor. This was a long-standing tradition between the Fan manor and King Jing’s manor. After the New Year, they would also choose a day to get together and have some fun. Fan Xian had left Danzhou for three years and had long gotten used to the strangely close relationship between his family and King Jing’s manor.
Although Hongcheng had wretchedly been put under house arrest for a year, all because of Fan Xian, Fan Xian knew that it was actually King Jing’s ruthless decision to prevent his family being drawn into the fight for succession. The two manors did not allow the fight between their children to impact their relationship.
The carriage shook. Wan’er gazed at Fan Xian in a daze without saying anything for a while.
Fan Xian smiled,
If you have something you want to ask, then ask.
I am thinking, today, all of Jingdou must be discussing you,
Lin Wan’er smiled and said.
They’re all cursing you for being a fool.
Fan Xian smiled even happier, and then suddenly became silent. A moment later, he looked at wife’s eyes and said, seriously,
I can fool everyone under heaven, but I can’t fool you.
Lin Wan’er smiled slightly and directly met her husband’s eyes.
Fan Xian calmly said,
Actually, the reasons are very simple, and there are only two. One, I have always considered myself Fan Xian. I was brought up by grandmother, and I will not accept any other family name. I have always been willing to worship the ancestors, so I went and did it.
Lin Wan’er gently leaned against his arm. She felt that his breathing was very warm and pure.
Two, regardless of whether I was openly supporting the Third Prince in Jiangnan or killing in all directions in Jingdou, or even acknowledging the ancestors today, I am always demonstrating my sincere convictions.
Fan Xian lowered his head and glanced at Wan’er’s round and smooth face. Warmly, he said,
A simple life brings sincerity, and tranquility brings transcendence. If one wants transcendence, one must be sincere.
What sincerity? Who are you showing this sincerity to?
Fan Xian fell silent, thinking of that conversation with the Emperor in the Palace. Duke of Danbo, ah, Duke of Danbo…
I don’t want to be Emperor,
he calmly said.
Of course, it’s to show the Emperor.
Lin Wan’er glanced at him with worry. Although she didn’t say anything, Fan Xian knew that she had already seen the disaster he, or even the Fan manor, had to face in the future.
Going upstream against the flow…not moving forward means moving back. When the boat flips people die. I understand this logic.
Fan Xian tilted his head slightly.
It seems as if all of the circumstances are forcing me to compete. The Emperor has warned me, so I can only choose to not compete.
He smiled and said,
Going downstream with the flow is much more comfortable. There are not many people I am afraid of in his world, but your uncle, my cheap old man, is still a bit scary.
Lin Wan’er smiled, but there was still worry in her smile.
But what about in the future?
Future?
Fan Xian asked.
The Emperor can live for at least another 20 years. I used the danger of an unknown future and exchanged it for 20 something years of peace, or, in other words, 20 years of the Emperor’s trust. This exchange is very worth it.
Furthermore, I cannot be ambiguous. I must resolutely and decisively express my attitude and aspirations. Even standing behind the Third Prince is not enough to persuade many people.
Fan Xian rubbed the spot between his brows and said, somewhat tiredly,
There can be some ambiguity between men and women, but if there is ambiguity between a ruler and an official, then it is very easy for someone to die. I trust that the Emperor definitely liked my decisiveness.
There was still one thing he didn’t say to his wife. The so-called ambiguity had to be from both sides, and the so-called decisiveness also had to work together. He had acknowledged the ancestors, which was him expressing his sincerity toward the Emperor. He had also realized that the Emperor did not want him to take over this world.
This reality made Fan Xian relax a little. However, after he relaxed, he felt an extra glimmer of faint worry. His worry was not in the present, but in the past. Just as Chen Pingping confirmed in that night, Fan Xian had also finally confirmed it. The Emperor had a sickness, a sickness of the heart.
The carriage stopped outside the door to King Jing’s manor. There had long been various servants waiting outside the manor to welcome the noble guests from the Fan manor. Fan Xian led Wan’er and followed behind his father and Lady Liu, stepping into the manor.
Gazing out, the sight of the garden in the manor was as before. Only, the white silk beside the lake had not been raised. Thinking about it, it made sense. Right now, it was winter, so why would they need to hang silk to block the light? However, as he turned his head to look at the incomparably sweet-tempered Wan’er beside him, Fan Xian still remembered the light of first love.
An old and angry and happy and complicated voice rang out, pulling Fan Xian out of his rare and short memory of beautiful times.
You little fcker! You still know to come visit me, huh?
King Jing angry glared at Fan Xian. For some reason, a glimmer of hurt and nostalgia shone out from his wide-open eyes.
