Although the light snow had ceased, the cold continued to be trapped within the palace. It was indeed difficult to withstand the might of heaven. However, Fan Xian was very warm sitting in his wheelchair. He wore a high-collared cloak that protected him from the wind and snow so well that he was feeling a little hot. As to the Emperor"s questioning, he had prepared himself for it a long time ago. He had never expected to hide the fact that his family smuggled Fan Sizhe out of the capital from many people.

"I received a letter the day before yesterday. He has already settled in Shangjing."

Fan Xian casually glanced at the eunuch behind him. The Emperor was walking energetically in front them and so did not notice the exchange of glances between the two people.

The eunuch was Hong Zhu. As he watched Commissioner Fan"s laughing gaze he, for some reason, suddenly felt a chill in his heart and began to feel a thread of fear—Hong Zhu understood. The Commissioner was warning him that some words must not be heard by the Emperor. Having been serving near the Emperor recently, he deeply understood the need for silence. He quickly lowered his head and did not dare to meet Fan Xian"s gaze again.

Hong Zhu wanted to be able to be taken under the wing of Fan Xian. He dared not say anything that was unfavorable to the Fan clan.

"I am surprised that you said it aloud," said the Emperor lightly as he strolled beside the lake. "Although you and I both know the truth of these things, there is still a need for us to play politics."

Fan Xian lowered his head and allowed the soft fur on the collar to rub against his cheeks. "Since Your Majesty asked, I dare not speak a lie."

The Emperor suddenly came to a halt and the eunuch quickly drew back the wheelchair so as to not be level with the Emperor. Fan Xian rocked in his seat and he furrowed his brows.

"You dare not lie to me… but you dare to lie brazenly to the world?" The Emperor turned around and looked at Fan Xian with a smile that was not quite a smile. The lines at the corner of his eyes were not smile lines and carried more of a question.

Fan Xian raised his head and, somewhat rudely, met the Emperor"s gaze. "There are many foolish people in the world… I am only loyal to the Emperor, not to those people."

"But someone once said…" The Emperor"s gaze was suddenly very strange. "The people are most important, and the state follows. The ruler is the least important of all."

"Nonsense, who dares to say such things?" Fan Xian"s brows drew together lightly. Of course he know who dared: the original author was Mencius. His mother had plagiarized that.

"The Ministry of Justice is still searching for your brother," the Emperor laughed. He turned around and continued walking forward, saying, "Are you not worried I will punish you?"

Hong Zhu pushed the wheelchair forward to keep pace. The squeaking of the wheels was giving Fan Xian a headache. He shook his head and said, "I trust Your Majesty understands my difficulties."

"Difficulties?" the Emperor laughed coldly. "I suspect that only now does the Second Prince feel like he has difficulties and no one to share them with."

"Ah…I am guilty."

Fan Xian knew that, right now, he should act as if he were slightly frightened, just like the ministers in those Qing dramas that tried to get close to the Emperor. But he knew that the Emperor had fully intended for the Second Prince to be brought down. He was nothing more than a tool. Furthermore, in the eyes of the Emperor, he was not just a simple minister. That factor remained in play, after all.

And so he did not feel even a thread of fear or nervousness. No matter how well he acted, it remained superficial and exaggerated. The three words "I am guilty" dragged out a little too long; it seemed overdramatic.

The Emperor lowered his voice and berated, "Even if this is an act, be more serious!"

Fan Xian made a forlorn face and said, "I am guilty."

Over and over again were the three boring words "I am guilty, I am guilty". Fortunately, the three of them had reached the wooden bridge in the middle of the lake by this time and their conversation was paused. Although Jingdou was already slightly cold, the light snow had not been cold enough to freeze the lake. It lay green and cold beneath the bridge. Even though the bridge was well-constructed and flat, the wheelchair still felt unsteady as it pressed down against the wooden boards. Fan Xian gripped the armrests of his wheelchair tightly and he stared intently at the gaps in the wooden bridge. He thought to himself that if the eunuch suddenly turned into an a.s.sa.s.sin, he was doomed.

The eunuchs and serving girls who were cleaning the pavilion ahead paid their respects and disappeared. They dared not to hang around.

The Emperor took a seat on a cushioned stone bench and indicated with his gaze for Fan Xian to help himself to a cup of hot tea. The Emperor himself instead used two fingers to pick up some pine nuts and began to peel them slowly. Eunuch Hong Zhu took his cue and stood to the side of the pavilion. Half of his attention was on the scenery and the other half was on his masters, ready to serve if they gave an order.

"How is it?" asked the Emperor.

Fan Xian seemed to have been scalded by his tea. He drew his brows together tightly and immediately asked, "Is Your Majesty referring to my injury or…"

"The latter."

Fan Xian replied in a very straightforward manner, "We are ready to move. The orders have been sent out. As this matter did not go through the official channels, it shouldn"t arouse the attentions of too many people."

The Emperor nodded.

Fan Xian continued with the details, "At the moment, we can retrieve all the stock in our territory, however… if Northern Qi hears about it, they will also be able to make a fortune from it. After all, the Cui clan stored a great deal of stock in the north…" He hid very important information within these words, information he wouldn"t reveal to the Emperor even in the throes of death. It was information about the plan for him and the Northern Qi Emperor to divide the spoils.

"There are three roads that lead north and we have them under control. As the people in the palace treasury spend a lot of time with them, they"re not completely safe, so we haven"t used them yet."

He furrowed his brow and carefully detailed the plan Yan Bingyun had devised. He hadn"t yet finished when the Emperor waved his hands and said, "I… don"t want the details. I only want the results."

Fan Xian hesitated then said, "Rest a.s.sured, Your Majesty. In, at most, a year, the treasury will recover much of its revenue."

The Emperor shook his head indifferently. "It is impossible for the treasury to return to its previous glorious state… I think you understand why."

Fan Xian lowered his head.

"Let me ask you," The Emperor said, "how you were sure that I would support you acting against the Second Prince and the eldest princess?"

"Because… the court needed money."

After half a beat of silence, the Emperor huffed through his nose and said, "What the court needs to do is to expand… and so it needs money. Yunrui has dug too deep into the treasury over the years—even I could not allow it anymore, and so I wanted you to handle the mess. You didn"t disappoint me. First, you had the daring to accept, and second, you did what you needed to do. You didn"t let the other person"s status scare you… this is why I used you."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your appreciation." Fan Xian could only give thanks. He couldn"t say much about the eldest princess. After all, she was his mother-in-law. Of course, he could not make improper comments.

The Emperor picked up a pine nut and brought it to his lips and slowly savored its flavor. Outside the pavilion, the wind had ceased blowing and the snow had stopped falling, it was a cold peacefulness.

"Ye Zhong has returned to Canzhou. I heard there is much discussion in the city because I allowed Prince He to take the position of Commander of the Imperial Army. What have you heard?" The Emperor seemed to ask very casually.

Fan Xian gave him a pained smile and replied, "It is difficult to avoid having people talk. After all, it does not seem to fit precedence."

"What do you think?"

Fan Xian was surprised. He wondered how it came to him to give an opinion on such a matter as this. He quickly replied, "Your Majesty has given it much deliberation. I dare not be so arrogant as to judge it."

"Speak, I absolve you of all offense." The Emperor did not look at Fan Xian"s delicate face at all. He focused his gaze on the frozen trees in the palace gardens.

Fan Xian relaxed. He knew talking to the Emperor was a difficult task. That year, Wei Xiaobao had barely spoken any truths yet Kangxi had caught him. The things he, himself, had done in secret: sneaking in to the Royal Palace, his pact with Northern Qi, his conversation with Xiao En… all these things he hid from the Emperor in front of him. If things went awry, who knew what would befall him?

Only, this Emperor before him was rather unfathomable. If Fan Xian did not have his natural advantage he would definitely not dare to play such a game with the Emperor. His so-called advantage was that he knew the true nature of the relationship between himself and the Emperor, and the Emperor was not aware that he knew. And thus, Fan Xian was able to pretend to be the loyal minister. The guiltier the Emperor felt toward

himself, the larger his advantage.

"His Eldest Highness is unwilling to remain in the capital," Fan Xian replied in a very straightforward manner. "Furthermore, reducing a Prince to be used in such a way is very irregular. Most importantly, the Royal Palace is the heart of the Qing Kingdom, and so caution is absolutely necessary."

This comment was very straightforward, almost crossing the line. However, the Emperor did not have much of a reaction to it. He only said, coldly, "Unwilling? Much of life is not to one"s liking. He doesn"t want to stay in the capital. Then is he willing to watch me, his father, guard the capital alone? Fan Xian, you are not very skilled in persuasion."

Fan Xian flushed in embarra.s.sment. He knew that he had not managed to keep the matter the Great Prince entrusted to him during his visit to Fan Manor away from the Emperor.

"If he settles down, leave second brother alone." The Emperor closed his eyes and concluded the matters that had been happening in the capital recently.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Fan Xian nodded. He had already achieved everything he wanted, why would he continue stirring the pot?

"You did very well in the Hanging Temple case," The Emperor suddenly gently said. "However, as the Commissioner of the Overwatch Council, you allowed an a.s.sa.s.sin to slip into the capital. Before it all happened, the Second Bureau did not know anything of it at all. This is an oversight on your part. However, it is evened out by your success. I can only reward you with those useless things. Don"t be resentful."

"I would not dare," Fan Xian replied seriously. "It was originally my oversight… as to my injury, it is also because I am not learned enough, and so I was injured by the white clothed a.s.sa.s.sin."

The Emperor asked with sudden interest, "That a.s.sa.s.sin… we never figured out who it was. You fought with them, can you make any guesses about them?"

The wind suddenly picked up outside the pavilion and Fan Xian"s back instantly went numb. A drop of sweat rolled down from his neck and trailed down his body inside his clothing. He did not know why the Emperor asked this question. However, he felt that if he were not cautious, he would lose all that he had gained.

The white clothed a.s.sa.s.sin was the Shadow. No matter why Chen Pingping had set up this situation, he would not have told the Emperor anything before he had communicated everything to Fan Xian. So how should he answer? If he said he didn"t know, would that affect the tenuous position he had managed to gain in the Emperor"s heart?

It was only a brief moment of surprise and Fan Xian covered it masterfully. He asked suspiciously, "Didn"t Your Majesty say that the white clothed a.s.sa.s.sin was the younger brother of Sigu Jian?"

The Emperor laughed coldly. "That year, in the turmoil of taking Dongyi City, Sigu Jian showed no mercy and countless numbers of his family were killed. There was a rumor that a younger brother had survived… so I guessed. That day, on top of the tall tower... that brilliant swordsmanship... If it wasn"t the spirit of the sigu sword, then I think I must be blind."

Fan Xian"s chest loosened slightly; he knew that he had gambled right. He smiled slightly and said, "It"s a pity, if we had concrete proof…we could use this excuse in the coming year to send soldiers against Dongyi City. Then my injury would have been worth it."

These words tickled the Emperor"s fancy; he liked these shameless methods. He smiled. "After the sigu sword was recovered from their destruction, they have never acted without thinking. How could they admit to this? First, they would not admit they had a younger brother still living; following that, they would send a diplomatic letter expressing shock at my a.s.sa.s.sination and offer their condolences. They would express disbelief at the a.s.sa.s.sin"s diabolical behavior…"

The middle-aged person continued to talk without concern and discovered that no one was acknowledging his rare display of humor. He turned his head to find that Fan Xian was staring very intently at him, and the eunuch outside the pavilion was leaning toward him, and dared not make a noise.

Taking in this scene, he could not help but sigh from the bottom of his heart. He thought, After all these years, there has indeed not been another person like her who can laugh around with me without caring about our statuses.

The Emperor"s mood was a bit gloomy. He slowly opened his mouth to ask, "Fan Xian…that day on the tower, why did you first save Ping"er?"

Fan Xian begged forgiveness from his wheelchair and was silent for a while before replying, "Given the situation at the time, if I had stayed near Your Majesty, I would have only been able to block the strike from the front, and wouldn"t have been able to deal with the strike from behind… His Third Highness was in danger."

"Oh?" The Emperor smiled in a self-deprecating manner and said, "Perhaps my life is not worth as much as Ping"er"s life?"

Fan Xian smiled bitterly and once again begged forgiveness. "I know I deserve to die. The situation at the time was very tense, and I did not react in time."

"When you rushed to my side…you had lost the initiative, were you not afraid to die?"

Fan Xian thought a bit, and then finally said something very treasonous. He met the Emperor"s serious gaze and said bitterly, "At the time I thought, it would be best if I could block the strike with my life, but if I couldn"t…hehe…to be able to go with Your Majesty into the next world would be a great honor."

The Emperor paused for a moment and then burst into laughter. His laugh shocked the skies and traveled far beyond the pavilion. The eunuchs and serving girls all over the garden could not help but look at each other upon hearing the laugh. They wondered what joke Commissioner Fan had told the Emperor today for him to be so joyful.

The Emperor stopped laughing and at this moment found great comfort in the familiar crease between Fan Xian"s brows. His voice became gentle and he said, "On this trip to Jiangnan, you should be careful. Don"t always rush to the forefront of things… I heard that you are similarly careless in the north. You"re a minister, after all—you should know to treasure and protect your life."

Fan Xian felt slightly embarra.s.sed, and knew that the Emperor was right. As a minister of a country, how many would be at the forefront of danger like himself? It was only because he enjoyed, to his very bones, being independent and alone. What it came down to was he didn"t truly trust other people. However, the Jiangnan trip was still a few months away. The Emperor"s farewell advice seemed to be a bit early.

"Your Majesty," Fan Xian remembered an urgent matter and said uneasily, "what you said earlier at Yi Guiping"s… was it a joke?"

The Emperor glared at him. "A gentleman does not joke," he said coldly.

Fan Xian asked fretfully, "I am very young, and I do not have much moral prestige. How could I be the Royal Tutor?"

The Emperor smiled and said, gazing at him, "I heard… when you were in Northern Qi, even that little Emperor respected you… as for moral prestige, even Zhuang Mohan has praised you, so why can"t you take the role? The Northern Qi tutor is only the descendent of Zhuang Mohuan… if it weren"t for the fact you are really too young, I would openly summon you to lecture in the palace. Who would dare to disagree?"

"But…" Fan Xian regretted the ill.u.s.trious name he had made for himself in his vanity. He replied in distress, "But, I am going to Jiangnan next spring. It would not do to harm the Third Prince"s education."

The Emperor waved his hand, "Take Ping"er with you. I have already discussed this with the empress dowager."

Fan Xian opened his mouth and was speechless for a long while.

"Work hard," the Emperor said with a placid expression. "After the Jiangnan matter has concluded, stay in the capital for a couple of years. I will have you enrolled as a disciple under the palace secretary." He stared into Fan Xian"s eyes and said softly, "I look favorably on you."

Fan Xian sank into silence for a moment and then nodded without argument. He understood the conversation had come to an end and he prepared to make his excuses to go home. However, unexpectedly… the Emperor waved his hand again and said lightly, "Today is first day of winter. There is feasting in the palace. You will stay here for dinner… I have already sent someone to your manor to pick up Wan"er."

Fan Xian was surprised again. He didn"t know what this meant, or if this meant nothing at all.

"The empress dowager wants to meet you." The Emperor said, and then coughed to cover up. "She wants to see what Wan"er"s husband actually looks like."

The Emperor left in his imperial carriage and the atmosphere in the pavilion relaxed. Only Fan Xian and the eunuch a.s.signed to push his wheelchair today remained. Fan Xian watched the direction the Emperor left in, and a cold, self-deprecating look flashed through his eyes. Although his summons to the palace had happened unexpectedly, he still had a small thread of hope. Perhaps that middle-aged man would let him see that painting? Perhaps he would say something to him?

He had not expected them to still play the parts of the beneficent Emperor and the loyal minister. In his innermost thoughts, he was quietly disappointed. Of course, he understood very clearly that the imperial family was heartless, and he had never viewed that middle-aged man as his father… his disappointment was for that woman, Ye Qingmei.

Looking at how the Emperor treated him, it was clear that he was not a man who was consistent in his love. At least…he did not have the necessary appreciation for his mother. In other words, even if the Emperor trusted him wholeheartedly, even if the Emperor thought of him as his closest minister, he remained nothing more than a minister.

If, one day, he revealed his ident.i.ty, not as a "loyal minister" credited with protecting the life of the Emperor, and brought to light the true origins of that chair… Fan Xian smiled coldly in his heart. He had no interest in being Emperor, however he had, ever since a young age, been interested in being the Commissioner of the Overwatch Council. Whether or not he accepted the position was up to himself, whether or not the middle-aged man allowed him to be part of the order was a question of ethics.

D*mn! I think about you a lot!

Having let out his anger toward the Emperor, Fan Xian took a deep breath. He knew that he had no reason to be so despondent. Due to the fact that Lady Ning was one of the Dongyi prisoners, many people had discounted in their hearts the Great Prince as the future heir, not to mention his own disgraceful role. Besides, there must have still been some loose ends concerning his mother"s strange death all those years ago that had prevented the Emperor from acknowledging him up until now.

What confused Fan Xian was that he had severed such expectations from the day he had discovered his true ident.i.ty. Why did he care so much now?

A drop of icy water dripped from the eaves of the pavilion and landed with a soft splash against the stone steps. The noise startled Fan Xian and he raised his gaze to the early winter scenery outside the pavilion. He sighed and thought that perhaps the atmosphere in the palace was too oppressive and was making him think these unnecessary things.

"Commissioner… sir… there is still some time until dinner. The Emperor has given orders for you to… go wherever you wish," said the eunuch Hong Zhu with lowered eyes and a stutter in his voice.

He could go wherever he wanted? He was not in the plum garden to recover from his injury; it was best if he didn"t cause any trouble. Fan Xian shook his head. "I"ll just watch from here." He noticed the eunuch"s voice and squinted at him. His gaze swept up and down the eunuch"s body like a pair of knives, causing the eunuch to feel very nervous.

"Cold?"

"Yes."

"Sweating?"

"…yes."

The corner of Fan Xian"s mouth twitched up and he smiled. "Don"t be scared. Since the Emperor let you stay and listen, naturally, he trusts you."

Today the Emperor"s conversation with Fan Xian had appeared very domestic on the surface, however there had been a "wealth" of information hidden within. It was the first Hong Zhu had learned of the dispute between the Overwatch Council and the Second Prince, and the issue of the treasury, were all undertaken with the Emperor"s implicit consent. Commissioner Fan was clever beyond words and understood the Emperor"s true desires! It also seemed that Commissioner Fan was about to do something else important.

If these matters were to spread beyond the palace, it would likely create great unease.

"I"m not scared," Hong Zhu replied wretchedly.

Fan Xian stared that the pitted face of the eunuch and suddenly asked, with interest, "You also have acne?"

"Acne?" Hong Zhu was startled momentarily, before suddenly understanding Fan Xian"s meaning. He replied, slightly angry, "I"m not sure either."

It was quiet outside the pavilion. In the distance there were unseen serving girls walking and the lake surrounded them, cold and awe-inspiring. A wind blew up from the lake and wrapped itself around the people in the pavilion. Tamping down the impatience in his heart, Fan Xian smiled. "You… are Hong Zhu?"