Chapter 168 Angry Grape

"Why?"

Faced with his son's extremely shocked question, Shangshu Fan did not continue the topic. After a smile, he turned to say, "Is the situation in the palace still good?"

Fan Xian was stunned and replied: "Your Highness is on duty with injuries, the Empress Dowager is seriously ill, and the Prince has been locked up in the Eastern Palace, so there should be no problem."

"Yes." Fan Jian nodded, and looked at the soft smell gradually in his eyes, and said in admiration: "It's only been seven or eight days before you return to Beijing. You can defend Kyoto for Your Majesty in such a difficult situation. I have to say that your progress has exceeded my expectations and performed well."

After being praised by his father, Fan Xian had no joy in his heart and said with a wry smile: "I and the boss are fighting to the death in Kyoto, but who could have expected that His Majesty would have calculated everything. If there was no final rebellion from the Dingzhou Army, the imperial city would not be able to be defended anyway..."

Before he could finish his words, Fan Jian waved his hand and stopped him, "Your Majesty has a long-term plan and a long-lasting heart. Of course, we ministers cannot think about it..." The tone in this sentence showed a little unnatural, and he continued to sigh: "The issue about the Ye family is really beyond everyone's expectations. After several years of forced efforts, it turned out to be His Majesty's trick."

He looked at Fan Xian and smiled slightly: "From this point, after the Kyoto Valley sniper a year and a half ago, your judgment was correct, but I was wrong."

Fan Xianran mutely said that after the sniping in the valley last year, he and his father had studied the problems of those city crossbows. Although he knew that it was the Qin family who did it later, he had also thought about whether His Majesty would take his anger on Ye Chong. He then talked about the military forces of various parties in the Qing State. He suddenly discovered that in the past twenty years, in addition to Ye Chong who had been the commander of the Kyoto Garrison Division, the imperial guards of the palace were in charge of the imperial guards and the chief of the guards of the imperial palace were in charge of the palace, and they only appeared on the palace divine.

At that time, Fan Xian had once doubted this point. Since His Majesty had trusted the Ye family so much, why did he force the Ye family to join forces with the second prince and turn to the eldest princess? However, Fan Jian gave the reasons he believed, and Fan Xian thought it was reasonable. So he let go of this question.

Unexpectedly, this question finally revealed the truth during this Kyoto Rebellion. His Majesty endured the truth about his suspicious weaknesses.

His Majesty the Emperor organized a big mystery, which not only confused the eldest princess and everyone in the world, but also deceived Fan Jian, a confidant who grew up with him since childhood.

Speaking of the valley sniping, Fan Xian's eyes involuntarily appeared in front of him that day's snow, red blood, and the heads in front of the Privy Council. And his own arrogance, he couldn't help but smile bitterly, thinking that in front of His Majesty and the eldest princess, his arrogance that day seemed so childish and ridiculous at this time.

He felt aroused and asked, "Father, the child has always had a question, why did Qin Ye betray His Majesty?"

This is not only his question, but also many people's questions. It is just the battle between imperial power and the struggle for the world, which makes everyone naturally think that the betrayal of the Qin family is like every internal struggle in history books, which is a matter of course.

However, when Fan Xian heard the words of the eldest princess before her death, a poisonous flower bloomed in his heart and began to pay special attention to this issue - although the Qin family had 10% of the Ming family, and although the Qin family secretly instructed the Jiaozhou navy to slaughter the island, for a military veteran, his face alone was enough for His Majesty to gently expose the matter - as long as he was always loyal to His Majesty.

What a person the Emperor is? If he had not doubted Qin Ye's loyalty, how could he have been in the position of the Privy Council for so many years? Mr. Qin has been ill and has not been vacancies for many years, and the position of the Privy Councillor's General has never been vacant.

After he spoke out this doubt, Fan Jian said coldly without thinking: "It was also the day when I was sniping in the valley that I once said... the head of the queen's father was cut off by me. But who knows whether those heads should be cut off were really cut off."

Fan Xian's heart trembled. He understood what his father meant. The old Qin family was on the side of the eldest princess and rebelled, which may be inseparable from the bizarre death of his mother twenty years ago.

"I followed His Majesty to fight in the Western Hu, and Chen Pingping was transferred to the Yanjing area to deal with the emergency situation in the north, and Ye Chong later stationed in Dingzhou to suppress the formation for His Majesty..." Fan Jian lowered his eyes and said slowly: "... and Qin Ye was in charge of the imperial court's old position, as the official position of the Privy Council, and controlled the military center of Kyoto. If he also participated in the Kyoto Incident, no one would find it strange."

It’s strange that if Mr. Qin was also one of the culprits of the murder of Ye Qingmei, four years later, the Queen’s clan was beheaded and the princes and nobles of Kyoto were washed away by blood. Why was the Qin family not implicated? If His Majesty Chen Pingping’s father and the three of them joined forces to avenge their mother, how could they let Mr. Qin go?

Welcomed Fan Xian's questioning gaze, Fan Jian said slowly: "The problem is that there is never any evidence, which shows that the Qin family was involved in this matter, just like the empress dowager, at most it was a crime of condonation..."

Fan Xian frowned slightly. Chen Pingping once said to herself that the Queen Mother's death should not be the culprit, and she was only a crime of indulgence. However, after discussing with her father today, Fan Xian suddenly thought that she was afraid that Dean Chen would have some other thoughts in his heart and had endless doubts about the role the Qin family once played.

The person who best proves Chen Pingping's thoughts about the Qin family is naturally Jing Ge, the deputy commander of the Black Cavalry. Chen Pingping still quietly took him to his own account? Is it just to turn against the Qin family in the future?

A chill arose in Fan Xian's heart. If the Qin family really participated in the murder of Ye Qingmei as Chen Pingping expected, why could he survive until now? With this in mind, a cold current began to surge from his body from the inside, and countless chills oozed out of his pores, making the study room look like the cold winter.

He had guessed countless times that it was infinitely close to the truth, but he dared not ask, and even Chen Pingping dared not ask, and Chen Pingping was also extremely coldly separating him, not giving him any chance to speak.

Fan Xian had always had a knot in his heart, so he kept quietly shifting his center of gravity to the North Qi, and had a natural sense of fear for Qing State. Today, the knot seemed to be about to open, revealing the dark truth inside. So he was silent, smiled slightly at his father, and said, "If the Qin family really participated in this matter, today would be retribution."

He was worried that his father would follow this idea and think of his previous fearful things, so he rushed to speak: "Your Majesty will return to the capital soon. This court was preparing for His Majesty's funeral, but he didn't know how to turn it around for a while."

Fan Jian was slightly stunned and smiled, "The Ministry of Rites is worried about these things, so why do you need to pay attention to so much?"

Fan Xian shrugged and said nothing more. Shangshu Fan also became silent, with a hint of confusion on his face, and the atmosphere in the study was a little weird.

I believe that in Kyoto tonight, the powerful ministers who survived were silent in their respective residences. No one expected that His Majesty the Emperor could actually come down from Dadong Mountain alive. In addition to being shocked, he also thought of the Ye family's trick of rebellion and many unforgettable plans. All the ministers' fear of His Majesty the Emperor was raised to an unprecedented level.

Fan Xian looked at his silent father, stood up and said a few more words. Then he turned around and left.

Walking out of the study room, heading to the back garden on the back street, preparing to see Wan'er. The night wind and autumn cold were as cool as water, pounced on his face. He couldn't help but feel a little happy. He took a deep breath and maintained the injuries in his body. He thought in a daze that Chen Pingping's letting go in the valley sniper was the kind of splitting. The old lame man deserved to be the most powerful person in the world, and had already seen everything. However, he carefully kept the truth from himself, did those things alone, and used these splits to maintain his own safety afterwards.

Fan Xian has been learning from Chen Pingping, so he can only remain silent tonight, so his father is about to resign and return home. Why bother guessing that he will be in danger in Kyoto again and cannot extricate himself? For the sake of each other's safety, they must be separated. This is the true love.

Just as Chen Pingping loves herself.

At this time, Fan Xian really wanted to see Chen Pingping.

At this time, Chen Pingping was traveling around Kyoto in an extremely casual manner. Occasionally, she might issue orders to ask the Supervisory Office to cooperate with His Majesty's actions in the world. Even if he wanted to return to Kyoto before the emperor arrived in Beijing, it would not be possible tonight.

However, someone came to Fan's mansion to look for Fan Xian. It was already late at night. Before Fan Xian could see his wife, he was invited out of the mansion with helplessness. He looked at Gong Dian at the door, took a deep breath, suppressed the irritation in his heart, and bowed: "Master Gong."

Previously, he and his father were discussing this person in the study, knowing that he was one of the people His Majesty’s most trusted people, so he spoke very well. In Gong Dian’s opinion, Mr. Xiao Fan was the closest nephew of His Majesty, and he did not dare to be arrogant. He bowed a lot from his identities at the lower level and said in a deep voice: “I have something to bother Mr. Danbo.”

Now Fan Xian is ranked among the Dukes, and he deserves this gift. What's more, within one or two days before the emperor returned to the capital, he pretended to be a minister in charge of the country. When he heard the word "trouble", Fan Xian knew that there must be big trouble and couldn't help but feel a headache.

Too many people have died in Kyoto today. Fan Xian’s mood is not very good. The battle in the four fields of Kyoto is still fierce, but the city has gradually stabilized. He needs rest and think about it. He is disturbed, so of course he has no good expression.

But is the regent so good? Fan Xian forced himself to suppress his annoyance, looked at him, and said as peacefully as possible: "What's the matter?"

Gong Dian looked at him and seemed a little hesitant and difficult. Even when he slashed at the military veteran Qin with one knife during the day, he was not so difficult.

Fan Xian didn't say anything, but just looked at him calmly. Perhaps because of the pressure, Gong Dian swallowed and said, "I can't persuade the lady to go to the palace..."

Yes, as soon as these words were said, Fan Xian immediately understood what was going on. He was busy killing people to save people during the day, and he never thought of going there. At this time, the night was late and the smoke of gunpowder was slightly dissipated. He immediately thought of a big trouble that the Ye family would immediately encounter after following His Majesty to achieve eternal achievements.

"The general went out of Beijing to pursue the matter, and ordered the general to take the lady back home, but the lady refused to obey..." Gong Dian was guarding Zhengyang Gate for a long time in the evening, and then encountered big trouble at night. He knew that in Kyoto, only Fan Xian could handle this matter and was qualified to deal with the royal family. He no longer cared about the face of Dingzhou and told the problem directly.

Fan Xian still looked at Gong Dian quietly and let him say it. There was no contempt and mocking in his eyes, but Gong Dian felt a sense of uneasy and ashamed for no reason.

Fan Xian took a deep breath and said nothing. In the whole thing, the people who are still alive are the most painful things, Wan'er and her friend Ye Ling'er. His wife was sad about the death of her biological mother, and Ye Ling'er's grievances and anger was probably not less.

Ye Ling'er married the second prince, and it was really a love affair. But no one could guess that this marriage was just a part of the plan between His Majesty the Emperor and Ye Chong. In other words, Ye Ling'er was not even a chess piece. She just gave her own feelings and marriage and became the bargaining chip for the Ye family to win Princess Nobunast. When things came to an end, she was shocked to find out. It turned out that her father was determined to deal with his husband.

Of course, her husband was also determined to use her to control the Dingzhou army.

With this in mind, Fan Xian couldn't help but think that the three words that the eldest princess said before her death - the men in the world were controlled by fame, wealth, power, and the so-called ideals and righteousness of unifying the world. They were really not something - perhaps including himself. But he asked himself that he could not do such a thing, and he hated Ye Chuangsheng, who sold his daughter.

Gong Dian seemed to guess what he was thinking, and his expression was very unnatural.

Fan Xian shook his head and said, "The second prince is also locked up in the mansion?"

Gong Dian responded.

Fan Xian lowered his head and said, "No obstacle. Your Majesty on Dadongshan once said that if you can not kill, you will not kill, especially... Chengze."

Gong Dian looked up in shock. He knew the news that His Majesty had returned to the place, but it was the first time he knew that His Majesty on Dadongshan had given Fan Xian this in person. If His Majesty was really willing to save the second prince one's life, it would be a blessing to heaven.

The whole country and the whole people actually liked Ling'er, so the truth was revealed today. When Ye Ling'er was dying in the center of the palace, all the Dingzhou troops felt extremely ashamed and uneasy. At this time, he heard that the second prince did not need to die, and Ye Ling'er naturally did not need to be a widow, which was easier to explain.

Fan Xian sighed in his heart. Only when he thought of His Majesty the Emperor in Dadongshan could he understand. It turned out that His Majesty had already calculated confidently that he would return to Beijing safely, and the eldest princess led the prince and the second prince would be defeated. That was why he deliberately reminded himself to save his second son's life.

Leaving the second son's life is actually just a man to Ye Ling'er and a trace of face for the great hero of the Ye family. Otherwise, if the second son died suddenly, how could Ye Ling'er deal with it? The world is full of discussions, how can the Ye family live?

Although His Majesty had already calculated that Fan Xian still went to the palace because even though he had no good feelings for the second prince, Ye Ling'er had called him countless masters after all, and as a state-controlled country, he had to deal with the captured prince carefully. If something really happened in the palace, he would be hard to explain.

Without looking up at the plaque on the mansion, he entered directly with Gong Dian's company, and soldiers were guarding him all around. Even if the second prince still had the strength in his hands, it would be difficult for him to turn into a mosquito and fly out of the cage.

This was the first time Fan Xian stepped into the second prince's mansion. He felt a little strange in his heart. He didn't know what the brother, who was a bit similar to his temperament, was thinking at this moment.

Gong Dian stayed outside the backyard, and Fan Xian went in alone. The garden was clear and quiet, not as good as the royal palace. There were still lights in the room. It seemed that although it was late at night, the young prince and princess still couldn't fall asleep.

When I entered the entrance, I saw Ye Ling'er alone, sitting at the table with a sad face, silently, without saying a word, there were still tears in the corners of my eyes. The eyes that were as bright as jade were usually bright, but there were some unexplainable fatigue and grievances, and more were hidden anger.

At this time, the princess was like a tiger who could pounce on her and bite her to death at any time. She was used by her husband and not mentioned before, deceived by her father and thrown out by her family. How could she bear this?

Fan Xian felt a faint feeling of pity in his heart, walked to her side, and said in a harmonious voice: "Ming Dian asked you to go home, and it was kind to do it. When things go down a few days, will you and Chengze still be the same?"

Ye Ling'er was shocked, and then she realized that it was him who came into the room. She was sarcastic in her eyes. She wanted to wait for a few words of ridicule, but she felt sad and lowered her head and cried silently.

When did Fan Xian see Ye Ling'er's graceful and sad appearance? He didn't know how to persuade him for a while.

After a while, Ye Ling'er raised her head and looked at him with a little unconscious eyes: "You are not your governor in the palace now, why are you going to the palace to do?"

"Please advise you." Fan Xian replied directly.

Ye Ling'er slowly shook her head.

"Don't be stubborn, your father has no way to do this... After all, if the second brother could listen to your advice and not participate in this matter, how could he have the situation today?"

Looking at Ye Ling'er's sad appearance, Fan Xian became angry for no reason. In recent years, he had tried his best to attack the second prince. A thought hidden in his subconscious was to use the favor of the Supervisory Office and His Majesty to break the second son's power into a disabled person, and cut off his intention to seize the throne. Unexpectedly, the second son's intention to seize power was so heavy, and the eldest princess teased him with clever hands, this strategy did not work at all.

Ye Ling'er smiled sadly and said softly: "Master, I will naturally not blame you for this matter. It is his own business to end up in his own hands. In recent years, even you have not been able to fight back his passionate thoughts. How can I persuade him if my daughter's family?"

"You don't have to persuade me to leave the mansion... He is involved in treason, who will give him a way out?" Ye Ling'er's face gradually calmed down. "No matter what kind of person Chengze is, I am a husband and wife after all. Since my father and the people in the clan never regard me as human beings, I will go with him. Be a couple in the underworld. Thinking about that lonely land, he will never have the dream of becoming an emperor."

Fan Xian's heart was trembling, and he clearly saw a trace of death from Ye Ling'er's calm expression. His voice trembled slightly and said, "Ming told you that Your Majesty personally sent me an order on Dadong Mountain. Chengze... will not die."

Hearing this, Ye Ling'er suddenly looked up, a hint of hope and surprise flashed in her eyes, but then she immediately became dim, making Fan Xian a little confused.

Ye Ling'er shook her head and sighed softly: "Everyone said that he was gentle on the outside but cold on the inside. In fact, this is not wrong... Even the mother in the palace was polite to him. How could he feel the real warmth in his life? He is not only ruthless to others, but also extremely cold to himself."

"I am his wife, and I always know him more than you outsiders... You don't know how proud and conceited he is in his heart. This complete failure this time has brought him a blow. Even if the father left him a way out, how could he have the face to continue to live?"

She raised her head and looked at Fan Xian with a helpless and sad look: "After returning home, he refused to say a word... I know that he already had the idea of ​​death. If even I left at this time, everyone in the world would abandon him... He would have left very simply."

Fan Xian took a deep breath and said directly: "Where is he?"

The second prince Li Chengze squatted on the chair, holding a bunch of purple grapes in his hand and was sending it to his lips. Fan Xian had seen this scene countless times, but tonight the second prince was covered in scattered hair, and his handsome face had a hint of expression that no one could understand. The corners of his lips were slightly raised, as if he was mocking something, and his whole body looked extremely decadent.

"If you die, who will protect Concubine Shu? What should I do if the princess?" Fan Xian sat opposite him and said calmly, looking straight at the other person, as if he saw another self.

Fan Xian and the second prince have very similar temperaments. This is the news that has been spread in Kyoto. Although the two of them have different eyebrows and eyes, they sit opposite each other, as if they are looking at themselves in the mirror through a layer of mirror.

Fan Xian looked at the other party and thought to himself that if his mother was not Ye Qingmei, if he had exchanged his identity with his second child, I am afraid that today he would only be able to sit on a chair and eat grapes without spitting out the grape skins.

The second prince seemed to have noticed Fan Xian's arrival at this time, smiled slightly, and said, "Can I survive?"

Fan Xian had no choice but to repeat His Majesty's order.

The second prince smiled sarcastically and said, "Living like a yellow dog, I will be imprisoned in the mansion for the rest of my life. When the father's hundred years is approaching, before the new emperor ascends the throne, the Ye family will be killed like a dog, and I will be sentenced to death again... You said, if I survive, will this be the future life be like this?"
To be continued...