Synopsis and Starting Chapter Chapter 2: Story Time
Chapter 3: The Nameless Yellow Book
Chapter 4: Practice And Study
Chapter 5: The Nocturnal Visitor
Chapter 6: The Pillow
Chapter 7: The Guest
Chapter 8: The Cemetery
Chapter 9: Age Is Just A Number
Chapter 10: No Shame In Asking
Chapter 11: The Fifth Grandmaster?
Chapter 12: Overpowering Qi
Chapter 13: The Crude, Simple Explanation
Chapter 14: The Sea Salt Merchant
Chapter 15: Farewell For Now, Fei Jie
Chapter 16: A Letter From The Capital
Chapter 17: I Offer This Kitchen Knife To You
Chapter 18: Blood And Tears
Chapter 19: A Matter Of Dignity
Chapter 20: Standing At The Top
Chapter 21: Pain
Chapter 22: “The Poets”
Chapter 23: Maokouzi
Chapter 24: Assassin
Chapter 25: Tofu Like Jade
Chapter 26: The Old Man In The Blanket
Chapter 27: The Overwatch Council
Chapter 28: Nighttime Reading With A Beautiful Girl
Chapter 29: The Book Thief
Chapter 30: The Past
Chapter 31: The Singing Visitor
Chapter 32: Tipping The Boat
Chapter 33: Idle Years
Chapter 34: Zhu The Cool
Chapter 35: Memories Of A Rainy Night
Chapter 36: The Spring Of The 4Th Year
Chapter 37: To The Capital?
Chapter 38: Last Night
Chapter 39: Leaving Danzhou Harbor
Chapter 40: Approaching The Capital
Chapter 41: Entering Fan Manor
Chapter 42: Lady Liu
Chapter 43: Ruoruo’S Lessons
Chapter 44: Father And Son
Chapter 45: Palace Intrigues
Chapter 46: Old Friends In A Distant City
Chapter 47: The Treasured Red Book
Chapter 48: Street Literature
Chapter 49: In The Restaurant
Chapter 50: What Is Strength?
Chapter 51: Crown Prince Jing
Chapter 52: In The Carriage
Chapter 53: Alone
Chapter 54: Inside The Overwatch Council
Chapter 55: Candied Berries And The Temple Of Qing
Chapter 56: The Nobleman
Chapter 57: The Fluttering Heart
Chapter 58: It Was Her
Chapter 59: The Young Accountant
Chapter 60: A Brother-Sister Chat
Chapter 61: The Proposal
Chapter 62: Early Summer
Chapter 63: Simple Reasons
Chapter 64: Poetry
Chapter 65: The Prince’S Mansion
Chapter 66: Meeting Guo Baokun Again
Chapter 67: By The Lakeside
Chapter 68: The First Blow
Chapter 69: The Poetry Battle
Chapter 70: King Jing’S Declaration
Chapter 71: Si Lili
Chapter 72: Like An Orchid
Chapter 73: The Bag Of Pain
Chapter 74: The Lawsuit
Chapter 75: Courthouse Farce
Chapter 76: Dispute
Chapter 77: In The Palace
Chapter 78: The Slap
Chapter 79: The Wise Empress Dowager
Chapter 80: Searching For His Fiancée
Chapter 81: Entering The Hall
Chapter 82: Enter The Chamber
Chapter 83: Through The Window
Chapter 84: Time-Crossed Lovers
Chapter 85: Clan School
Chapter 86: Shopkeeper Ye Of Qingyu Hall
Chapter 87: Pillow Talk
Chapter 88: Can The Ant Climb The Tree?
Chapter 89: The Case Of The Young Killer On Niulan Street
Chapter 90: Investigation
Chapter 91: Fan Xian On The Move
Chapter 92: Wang Qinian’S Life
Chapter 93: Talking About The Capital Outside Cangzhou City
Chapter 94: The Functionary Wins The Queen Of Flowers
Chapter 95: Not Letting Flirting Interfere With Selling Books
Chapter 96: Danbo Bookstore
Chapter 97: The Official’S Suicide
Chapter 98: Torturing A Frail Woman In The Celestial Prison
Chapter 99: Sweet Words
Chapter 100: The Vineyard Collapses
Chapter 101: No Title
Chapter 102: Deception Before Emperor
Chapter 103: Breakthrough In The Puzzle
Chapter 104: That Woman
Chapter 105: The Arrival Of Summer
Chapter 106: The Country Estate
Chapter 107: Moonlight In The Mountains
Chapter 108: Paying Respect Across The River
Chapter 109: An Encounter Between Unacquainted Enemies
Chapter 110: Talking About The Future In Qingyu Hall
Chapter 111: Morning Roll Call At Taichang Temple
Chapter 112: Reaping The Whirlwind
Chapter 113: The Glorious Tradition Of Cheap Shots
Chapter 114: Coffin-Breaker Technique And Little Tricks
Chapter 115: Give Mountains, Give Rivers, Give Snuff Bottles
Chapter 116: Summer Vacation
Chapter 117: A Waft Of Cumin By The Lakeside
Chapter 118: A Tale Of Quarreling Fairies
Chapter 119: Finding A Plum Branch In Summer [1]
Chapter 120: The Crown Prince Rides
Chapter 121: Unlucky Despite The Promotion
Chapter 122: The Box, The Poison Needle, And The Killer
Chapter 123: The Emissaries From Northern Qi
Chapter 124: Unartistic Negotiation
Chapter 125: Old And Vicious Shaoqing Xin
Chapter 126: Sincerity In The East Palace
Chapter 127: There Isn’T A Single Trustworthy Person In The World
Chapter 128: That Chilly Royal Palace
Chapter 129: The Imperial Concubines
Chapter 130: My Hand Running Through Your Black Hair
Chapter 131: The Rush Back To The Manor
Chapter 132: Startling News Of Lord Yan In The North
Chapter 133: Agreement Beneath The Sewage
Chapter 134: Evening Feast
Chapter 135: Luminaries Of The Ages
Chapter 136: Intentions Of Entering The Palace While Drunk
Chapter 137: Eunuch Hong
Chapter 138: There Is A Key In Everyone’S Heart
Chapter 139: Guangxin Palace
Chapter 140: Who Is The Assassin?
Chapter 141: Secrets Of The Box (Part 1)
Chapter 142: Secrets Of The Box (2)
Chapter 143: Clarity After Autumn Rain
Chapter 144: Leaflets Like Snow
Chapter 145: Doing The Math
Chapter 146: Poetry Anthologies And Speeches
Chapter 147: The Grand Wedding (I)
Chapter 148: The Grand Wedding (Ii)
Chapter 149: Gifts (Part 1)
Chapter 150: Gifts (Part 2)
Chapter 151: Chapter 45
Chapter 152: Chapter 46
Chapter 153: Chapter 47
Chapter 154: Chapter 48-49
Chapter 155: Court Discussions (Part 1)
Chapter 156: Court Discussions (Part 2)
Chapter 157: Chapter 3
Chapter 158: Back To The Capital
Chapter 159: The Second Prince
Chapter 160: The Riverside Makes One Weary
Chapter 161: Examination
Chapter 162: Being An Examiner Is Really An Interesting Job
Chapter 163: Spring Wind And Rain Enters The Imperial Exams [1]
Chapter 164: You’Re Confused, I’M Confused… Everybody’S Confused [1]
Chapter 165: A Clap Of Thunder
Chapter 166: Cheating At The Exam Hall
Chapter 167: A Visitor In The Rain (Part 1)
Chapter 168: A Visitor In The Rain (Part 2)
Chapter 169: A Brilliant Day
Chapter 170: A Royal Proclamation
Chapter 171: The Powerful Minister Takes To The Road
Chapter 172: The Counterattack Of The Capital Officials
Chapter 173: Debate
Chapter 174: Chaos In The Ministry Of Justice
Chapter 175: Commissioner! Commissioner!
Chapter 176: The First Visit To The Manor
Chapter 177: The Real Overwatch Council
Chapter 178: A Shadow In The Mortal World
Chapter 179: Small Flower
Chapter 180: Chilling Equipment
Chapter 181: Blasphemy
Chapter 182: Night
Chapter 183: Xiao En Leaves Prison
Chapter 184: Outside The Capital
Chapter 185: An Artless Poisoning
Chapter 186: Romance In The Carriage
Chapter 187: Operation White Sleeve
Chapter 188: Learning From Xiao En
Chapter 189: Silent Killings In The Capital
Chapter 190: A Blade In An Oil-Paper Umbrella
Chapter 191: White Birds On The Lake, People On His Mind
Chapter 192: Si Lili’S Secret
Chapter 193: Eldest Princess’S Vision
Chapter 194: Uncaged
Chapter 195: Open The Door; Release The Dogs
Chapter 196: You Die, I Live
Chapter 197: Startling Developments In The Meadow
Chapter 198: Haitang Duoduo
Chapter 199: Shamelessness Against Virtue
Chapter 200: Untitled
Chapter 201: Haitang’S Lust
Chapter 202: Prelude To Psychological Warfare
Chapter 203: In A Word, Heart
Chapter 204: Wuduhe
Chapter 205: By The Roadside
Chapter 206: Arriving In Shangjing
Chapter 207: Thick Night On Mottled City Walls
Chapter 208: The Envoy Enters The Palace
Chapter 209: Chatting With The Emperor
Chapter 210: There Are A Lot Of Talented People Named Fan
Chapter 211: A Country Girl Indeed!
Chapter 212: To And Fro
Chapter 213: The Fighting Envoy
Chapter 214: Tan Wu Is Not A Literary Man
Chapter 215: The Old Shop On Xiushui Street
Chapter 216: Developments In The Imperial Business
Chapter 217: Chang Ninghou’S Mansion
Chapter 218: Do You Want To Get Rich?
Chapter 219: What’S It Got To Do With Minister Fan?
Chapter 220: Seeing Yan Bingyun For The First Time
Chapter 221: Ripping The White Robe
Chapter 222: The Idealists
Chapter 223: Meeting Shen Zhong In The Rain
Chapter 224: Young Yan Is Freed
Chapter 225: Things Aren’T As You Imagined
Chapter 226: The Plot
Chapter 227: A Real Man Loves His Children
Chapter 228: Killing In The Alley
Chapter 229: Shangjing’S Secret Agents
Chapter 230: Happy News
Chapter 231: Ruoruo Is Getting Married!
Chapter 232: The More The Merrier
Chapter 233: Overlooking The Prison Break
Chapter 234: Ambush
Chapter 235: Failure
Chapter 236: Fan Xian Follows
Chapter 237: Damp Firewood And Cheap Shots
Chapter 238: Fan Xian Jumps Off The Cliff
Chapter 239: Traveler Of This World
Chapter 240: The Temple Of Eternal Night
Chapter 241: The Little Girl Escapes The Temple
Chapter 242: Today’S Chapter Is Untitled
Chapter 243: Close Your Eyes And Be At Peace
Chapter 244: Why Have You Gone So Pale Once Again?
Chapter 245: Why Are You Coming, Xianxian?
Chapter 246: Get Thee To A Nunnery
Chapter 247: Farming, Drinking, Chatting, And Deciding The Future
Chapter 248: This World, This Woman!
Chapter 249: Fighting And Play-Fighting In The Palace Contest
Chapter 250: Look Up, Look Down And Then Laugh
Chapter 251: Even The Emperor Gossips
Chapter 252: Carry On The Torch
Chapter 253: The Long Pavilion, The Ancient Road, Tossing The Handkerchief
Chapter 254: Autumn Harvest
Chapter 255: Fighting For Passage
Chapter 256: Family Business
Chapter 257: In A Hurry
Chapter 258: Absurdities In The Rear House
Chapter 259: The Ninth Month
Chapter 260: Sky Above The Carriage, Bean Sprouts In The Palace
Chapter 261: Leaving The Palace To Be Lords
Chapter 262: The Lone Bureau
Chapter 263: A Youngster In The Bureau
Chapter 264: Rectification!
Chapter 265: Xinfeng Restaurant
Chapter 266: She Showed Self-Respect, You Became A Pervert
Chapter 267: Eunuch Dai’S Wise Decision
Chapter 268: Interlude Of Black And White
Chapter 269: A Saint?
Chapter 270: The Memorial In The Palace Storm
Chapter 271: An Zhi
Chapter 272: Confrontation In Front Of The Palace
Chapter 273: Courtroom Debate
Chapter 274: The Lashings
Chapter 275: The Bright Fist In The Dark
Chapter 276: The Youths Inside And Outside The Palace
Chapter 277: King Jing’S Birthday Feast
Chapter 278: Is It Worth Studying Abroad?
Chapter 279: Do You Want A Newly Embroidered Handkerchief?
Chapter 280: Bao Yue House
Chapter 281: Sang Wen
Chapter 282: Fan Strikes
Chapter 283: Ruthless Fighting
Chapter 284: Blocking The Street
Chapter 285: The Mantis Blocks The Road
Chapter 286: There Is Concern
Chapter 287: Heroes Start Young
Chapter 288: Follow Me Home
Chapter 289: Shutting Down
Chapter 290: Brother
Chapter 291: Family Discipline
Chapter 292: The Old Fan And The Young Fan
Chapter 293: Exile
Chapter 294: Drawn Together
Chapter 295: The Night Outside The Capital
Chapter 296: Repossession
Chapter 297: Prostitutes, Pedestrians And A Downpour Assassination
Chapter 298: The Greetings Outside The Capital Government Office
Chapter 299: There Is Nothing Wrong With Watching Leaves Fall
Chapter 300: Medicine
Chapter 301: There Is A Swing On This Side Of The Wall, And There Is A Street On The Other
Chapter 302: Chen'S Garden Has Guests
Chapter 303: Autumn Woods, Secrets, And Consequences
Chapter 304: Chrysanthemum, Ancient Swords And Alcohol
Chapter 305: Chrysanthemum, Ancient Swords And Alcohol (2)
Chapter 306: Dagger, Seeing The Dagger Again
Chapter 307: The Injured In The Palace
Chapter 308: The Candlelight Surgery
Chapter 309: The Patient In The Plum Garden
Chapter 310: A Bolt From The Blue
Chapter 311: The Eldest Prince Has Come To Visit
Chapter 312: Reward And Conversation
Chapter 313: Love Letter
Chapter 314: A Garden Tour With Unease (1)
Chapter 315: A Garden Tour With Unease(2)
Chapter 316: A Garden Tour With Unease (3)
Chapter 317: The Snow Of Shangjing City
Chapter 318: Great Grandmasters, Black Market, Riddles
Chapter 319: Who Could Kill Commissioner Fan?
Chapter 320: Mountain Living Notes
Chapter 321: The Best Time
Chapter 322: Knowing The Mother Is Better Than Knowing The Father
Chapter 323: The Qing People’S Collective Memory Of The Ye Family
Chapter 324: Even If You Guess The Flower, That Is That
Chapter 325: The Cloth-Clothed Grandmaster Battle
Chapter 326: The Fan Manor’S Changes
Chapter 327: Secret Movements In A Little Tower In The Palace
Chapter 328: All Exists
Chapter 329: Wishing You Meteoric Success
Chapter 330: Disturbance Before Leaving (Part 1)
Chapter 331: Disturbance Before Leaving (2)
Chapter 332: Bandits Came When Anchored At Yingzhou
Chapter 333: The Qing Kingdom’S Largest Bandit Ship
Chapter 334: A Situation
Chapter 335: You’Ve Been Surrounded
Chapter 336: What Should I Use To Worship You?
Chapter 337: Pledging Loyalty And Fan Xian’S Facade And Shadow
Chapter 338: A River Of Silver And Busy Receiving Gifts
Chapter 339: Loushang Tower, People Beyond People
Chapter 340: The Girl Selling Flowers And The Shameless Official
Chapter 341: Coincidental Classmates In Youth
Chapter 342: An Auspicious Sign From The Heavens
Chapter 343: Pick Up The Bowl To Drink Congee, Put Down Chopsticks To Curse
Chapter 344: Dragon Rise[Jw1]
Chapter 345: The Money House And The Brothel
Chapter 346: The Way A Gentleman Obtains Wealth
Chapter 347: Arriving At Shunde
Chapter 348: Very Tyrannical, Unable To Tolerate Trouble
Chapter 349: Palace Treasury Strike
Chapter 350: Why Was The Imperial Envoy Angry?
Chapter 351: Old Shopkeeper
Chapter 352: A Whetstone With An Independent Consciousness
Chapter 353: Some Things Can Be Done But Not Said
Chapter 354: Road Of Spring
Chapter 355: Borrowing Your Hand To Hold The Northern Qi Emperor’S Hand
Chapter 356: The Pebble In The Eye Of The Ming Family
Chapter 357: Choking The Throat Of Life
Chapter 358: Washing The Island
Chapter 359: Mother And Son Of The Ming Family
Chapter 360: A Good Man With His Body In Suzhou And His Heart On All Under Heaven
Chapter 361: The Door Of The Palace Treasury
Chapter 362: The Bandits Of Room B4
Chapter 363: Big Brother, Long Time No See
Chapter 364: A Slight Change
Chapter 365: Raising A Finger
Chapter 366: Heavenly Woman Scattering Flowers
Chapter 367: Heaven Knows Not Because Of The Chime Of Drums
Chapter 368: Pride Was Not As Heavy As Gold
Chapter 369: The Bright Moon Is Not For Those Who Walk The Night
Chapter 370: Xia Mingji
Chapter 371: Torture Chamber And Will
Chapter 372: The Family Property Lawsuit
Chapter 373: The Incomparably Harmonious Piece Of Paper
Chapter 374: Xinfeng Restaurant’S Buns, Prince, And The Lawyer In Court
Chapter 375: The Night Of The Building Opening And Murder
Chapter 376: Killing Yuan Jingmeng To Swap Blood
Chapter 377: Fishing
Chapter 378: Behind The Ming Family’S Tragedy
Chapter 379: Whose Navy?
Chapter 380: Unwilling To Let Go
Chapter 381: The Palace And The Court
Chapter 382: Poaching Talent In Court
Chapter 383: The Matter Of The Ministry Of Revenue (1)
Chapter 384: The Matter Of The Ministry Of Revenue (2)
Chapter 385: The Investigation And The Artist’S Work (1)
Chapter 386: Fan Jian’S Sword
Chapter 387: Picking Up A Giant Snowball
Chapter 388: With Reason And Heavenly Might
Chapter 389: The Capital Deep In Spring
Chapter 390: Spring Union
Chapter 391: Bright And Cheerful Scenery
Chapter 392: Rising Climax
Chapter 393: Who Was Not Surprised?
Chapter 394: Black Mud Beneath The White Frost In The City
Chapter 395: I Watch The People’S Hearts From Above
Chapter 396: You Make Trouble Outside The Garden, I Laugh Inside The Garden
Chapter 397: A Strange Guest To Suzhou
Chapter 398: You Dare To Kill Me?
Chapter 399: One Strike To Topple The Building
Chapter 400: Hua Garden’S Brainstorm
Chapter 401: These Months
Chapter 402: Blankets Protected The Common People Under Heaven
Chapter 403: The Gathering Of Abandoned Children
Chapter 404: The Sword And The Edict
Chapter 405: This Matter Does Not Concern Romance
Chapter 406: Childishness
Chapter 407: The Same Sky
Chapter 408: Wuzhou Uncle
Chapter 409: Negotiations With Wife’S Family
Chapter 410: Father-In-Law Laughing Talks About The Junshang Conference
Chapter 411: Leaving The Mountain
Chapter 412: Entering The City
Chapter 413: Someone Is Having A Feast In Jiaozhou
Chapter 414: Someone Is Doing An Assassination In The Bathroom
Chapter 415: Charging Into The Manor Again
Chapter 416: A Play Inside The Admiral’S Manor
Chapter 417: Announcing Verbal Orders In The Study
Chapter 418: A Night Of Drugging People But Not Killing Them
Chapter 419: Who Is Whose Man?
Chapter 420: I Came From Faraway To Make Our Appointment
Chapter 421: Entering The Sheep Herd
Chapter 422: The Sea Breeze That Brought A Stench Of Blood
Chapter 423: Great Things To Be Done
Chapter 424: Officials Have Heart
Chapter 425: The Son Of Heaven Has A Sickness
Chapter 426: A Letter On The Sea Breeze
Chapter 427: Return Home With Honor (1)
Chapter 428: Return Home With Honor (2)
Chapter 429: Grandson, Sister-In-Law, Husband And Wife, Ah…
Chapter 430: Mercy And Deep Running Still Waters[Jw1] Are A Pair
Chapter 431: There Is No Tofu In Danzhou Today
Chapter 432: Only Talking About Relatives
Chapter 433: The Few Days Before Leaving Danzhou
Chapter 434: Snowy Night Meets Green Banner
Chapter 435: Thirteenth Wang
Chapter 436: There Is Snow In The Valley
Chapter 437: White Snow, Red Woods, Black Hair
Chapter 438: Jingdou, I Trust You Have Been Well Since We Last Met?
Chapter 439: In Front Of The Bureau Of Military Affairs, A Great Head
Chapter 440: From Where Is The Report From?
Chapter 441: The Old Grandfather Who Planted Pak Choi
Chapter 442: Who Can Resist?
Chapter 443: There Are Dogs Under Heaven, Who Will Chase Them Away?
Chapter 444: When One Is In A Temple, One Has No Choice
Chapter 445: Old Wheelchair, New Wheelchair
Chapter 446: Three People, Three Thoughts
Chapter 447: Person In Picture, Sound Outside Picture
Chapter 448: Big Brother, Don’T Scold Second Brother
Chapter 449: My People, Their People
Chapter 450: There Is Snow Outside The Building And Thoughts To The North
Chapter 451: Washing Your Hands To Make Soup
Chapter 452: Intentions As Before
Chapter 453: Remembering The Past In The Royal Study
Chapter 454: Brothers Smile In Front Of Baoyue Brothel
Chapter 455: Discussing History At The Feast At Hongmen [Jw1] (1)
Chapter 456: Discussing History At The Feast At Hongmen (2)
Chapter 457: Discussing History At The Feast At Hongmen (3)
Chapter 458: Discussing History At The Feast At Hongmen (4)
Chapter 459: Fog
Chapter 460: The Snowflakes And Bean Curds Before The Dawn
Chapter 461: The Great Court Conference
Chapter 462: Duke Of Danbo
Chapter 463: There Are Enemies Under Heaven
Chapter 464: Not Your Goddamn Business
Chapter 465: Returning To The Ancestors
Chapter 466: No Ambiguity Between Ruler And Official
Chapter 467: Remember The Past, When You Were Young
Chapter 468: The Small One Is In The Shoe
Chapter 469: Those Stupid Matters…In The Palace
Chapter 470: Seeing The Eldest Princess Again
Chapter 471: Loneliness In The Palace At Night
Chapter 472: Oh, Tears
Chapter 473: Where Are The Roots Of The Straw?
Chapter 474: Everything Has Order
Chapter 475: Unexpected But Attained
Chapter 476: Breaking The Ice Like Jade
Chapter 477: The Unconventional In The Royal Family
Chapter 478: The Fragrance Could Not Endure
Chapter 479: I Know What You Did Last Summer
Chapter 480: Eunuchs Can Also Change The World
Chapter 481: The Origins Of Fan San Bao
Chapter 482: As Parents
Chapter 483: The Third Generation
Chapter 484: Attitude Determines Everything
Chapter 485: Zhaoshang Money House
Chapter 486: The Death Of A Palace Serving Girl
Chapter 487: Who Could Obstruct A Large Escorted Stone-Carrying Carriage?
Chapter 488: This Is A Conspiracy
Chapter 489: The Major Figures
Chapter 490: Laughter In The Ming Garden
Chapter 491: Mountain Wolf Amongst The Descendants (1)
Chapter 492: Mountain Wolf Amongst Descendants (2)
Chapter 493 - The Three Nights In The Palace
Chapter 494 - Half An Hour
Chapter 495 - Blood And Yellow Earth In The Royal Palace
Chapter 496 - Thunderstorm (1)
Chapter 497 - Thunderstorm (2)
Chapter 498 - I [Jw1]
Chapter 499 - Imprison
Chapter 500 - Flow
Chapter 501 - Sigh
Chapter 502 - Pit
Chapter 503 - A New Generation Of Strange Little Creatures
Chapter 504: The Young Lady Of The Fan Manor In The Forest And Letters
Chapter 505 - If You Support Me
Chapter 506 - When All Was Done
Chapter 507 - The More Silence, The More Joy
Chapter 508 - Tea, Liquor, Paper, Big Picture
Chapter 509 - Absurd Words
Chapter 510 - Miserable Tears
Chapter 511 - A Lowly Monarch (1)
Chapter 512 - A Lowly Monarch (2)
Chapter 513 - The Monarch Arrives In The East Sea
Chapter 514 - Waves Growing From The Precipice
Chapter 515 - White Clouds Rise From Tall Mountains
Chapter 516 - People In The Temple
Chapter 517 - Words From The Heart
Chapter 518
Chapter 519 - Longbows Seal The Mountain At Night
Chapter 520 - Covering The Moon
Chapter 521 - Seeking Shelter In The Raging Sea
Chapter 522 - The Heart On The Ship
Chapter 523 - Chase (1)
Chapter 524 - Chase (2)
Chapter 525 - Chase (3)
Chapter 526 - A Breathtaking Shot
Chapter 527 - The Sad Little Arrow
Chapter 528 - The Great Grandmaster
Chapter 529 - The Mortal World
Chapter 530 - Meeting At Dong Mountain
Chapter 531 - A Great Journey
Chapter 532 - The Song Of Jingdou’S Cicadas
Chapter 533
Chapter 534 - The Beginnings Of Autumn
Chapter 535 - Please Lend Sir Your Moral Character
Chapter 536 - The Sound Of Sorrow
Chapter 537 - He Has Actually Always Been Here
Chapter 538 - Secret Meeting In Yangcong Alley
Chapter 539 - Who Could Live A Simple Life?
Chapter 540 - A Child Jumped Over The Wall
Chapter 541 - Whose Manor Is It?
Chapter 542 - The Sword Is Never Shown When Killing
Chapter 543 - Drawing The Dagger In His Shoe For The First Time
Chapter 544 - That Night
Chapter 545
Chapter 546 - Courage Because Of Determination
Chapter 547 - Sounds Of Killing Inside And Outside The Royal Palace
Chapter 548 - Counting Arrows
Chapter 549 - Affectionate Eunuch, Merciless Arrow
Chapter 550 - Vicious (1)
Chapter 551 - Vicious (2)
Chapter 552
Chapter 553 - Giving Him A Taste Of His Own Medicine
Chapter 554 - The Attack In Front Of Zhengyang Gate
Chapter 555 - Glory
Chapter 556 - Stealing The Banner, Stealing Power, Stealing Heart
Chapter 557 - Placing Three Idols On The Palace Walls
Chapter 558 - No Peace While Sitting In The City
Chapter 559 - Who Formed The Monarch’S Heart In A Sea Of Fire?
Chapter 560 - Using The Black Knights As A Prologue
Chapter 561 - Jing Ge Assassinates Qin
Chapter 562 - Killing Qin
Chapter 563 - The Spy Of An Instant
Chapter 564 - Dingzhou Army’S Order
Chapter 565 - Taiping Courtyard
Chapter 566
Chapter 567
Chapter 568 - The Way Of The Emperor
Chapter 569
Chapter 570 - The Consequences Of Dong Mountain
Chapter 571
Chapter 572 - Blue And White Words
Chapter 573 - A Dignified Life And Death
Chapter 574 - An Old Ginger Gradually Fading
Chapter 575 - An Angry Grape
Chapter 576 - The Watcher In The Maize
Chapter 577 - The Second Half Of The Scroll Of The Father And Son
Chapter 578 - Hearing The Bell Clearly
Chapter 579 - A Hundred Years Of Solitude
Chapter 580 - You Are The Apple Of My Eye
Chapter 581 - In And Out, Gradually Gentling
Chapter 582 - The Emperor’S Intentions
Chapter 583 - Sending Off A Comrade
Chapter 584 - Can’T Be Covered By Qing Mountain
Chapter 585 - Our Unsatisfactory Winter
Chapter 586 - Court Case In Passing Time
Chapter 587 - Hu Ge In Dingzhou
Chapter 588 - The General’S Manor
Chapter 589 - Strong Liquor And Warm Intestines
Chapter 590 - Broken Knife
Chapter 591 - An Old Friend In The Frontier City
Chapter 592 - The Young Man From The King’S Camp
Chapter 593 - Chief
Chapter 594 - Two Years
Chapter 595 - The Haitang Flower By The Lakeside
Chapter 596 - Three Days
Chapter 597 - After The Battle Of The Hearts
Chapter 598 - Autumn Grasslands, Rising Sun, Black Knights
Chapter 599 - Return
Chapter 600 - Outside The Window
Chapter 601 - See Through All The Scenery
Chapter 602 - The Gazes On The City Gate Watch The Return To The Capital
Chapter 603 - Old Events By The City Gate But Not The People Of Old
Chapter 604 - Young Lady Of The Wang Family
Chapter 605 - To Accept Or Not Accept, This Is Not A Question
Chapter 606 - Schemes
Chapter 607 - The Thunder Of Heaven And Fan Xian’S Lost Tablet
Chapter 608 - The Same Moonligh
Chapter 609 - What Are The Intentions Of The Doctor?
Chapter 610 - Singing At Night
Chapter 611 - The Ditch Between Two Departments
Chapter 612 - The East Wind Blows
Chapter 613 - The Show Until Winter
Chapter 614 - I’Ll Go When The Spring Comes
Chapter 615 - The Same Road
Chapter 616 - Cutting Plums At Leisure
Chapter 617 - Shadows Follow By My Side
Chapter 618 - Reunions Can Happen Anywhere In Life
Chapter 619
Chapter 620 - Breaking The Willow, Entering The Hut
Chapter 621 - Guests In The Hut
Chapter 622 - The Secret In The Dusk
Chapter 623 - True Joy In Front Of A Palace
Chapter 624 - Each Emperor Has His Own Officials
Chapter 625 - Brushing Hair
Chapter 626 - The Pit In The Sword Hut
Chapter 627 - Old Man
Chapter 628 - A Large Tree
Chapter 629 - In A Flash
Chapter 630 - If Three Walk Together
Chapter 631 - Drawing Four Swords, Considering A Vacant Heart
Chapter 632 - Only Saints Should Use Them
Chapter 633 - Poisoned
Chapter 634 - We Are All Seas Of Different Colors
Chapter 635 - The Waves Retreating
Chapter 636 - The Waves Retreating
Chapter 637 - Returning To The Capital To Beg For A Position
Chapter 638 - Discussing Marriage, Discussing Merit
Chapter 639 - Taking The Courtyard, Seizing Power
Chapter 640 - Growing Up Overnight
Chapter 641 - Thinking Bitterly By The Courtyard
Chapter 642 - Graves
Chapter 643 - Separate Challenges
Chapter 644 - To Know The Situation From A Cup Of Light Tea
Chapter 645 - Fake Impetuousness During The Banquet
Chapter 646 - The Black Umbrella In The Imperial Academy And The Light On The Nose Bridge明
Chapter 647 - Chaos In Spring Garden
Chapter 648 - An Opening
Chapter 649 - Making A Mistake
Chapter 650 - Fish Guts
Chapter 651 - Farmer, Country Estate, Some Fields
Chapter 652 - Ten Family Village
Chapter 653 - The Way Of Heaven
Chapter 654 - The Starlight Spilling Into The World
Chapter 655 - Willpower Was The Way Of The Emperor
Chapter 656 - Temple, Ant, Notebook
Chapter 657 - Covered In Rain, I Came From The Sea (1)
Chapter 658 - Covered In Rain, I Came From The Sea (2)
Chapter 659 - Covered In Rain, I Came From The Sea (3)
Chapter 660 - One Object In The Air, The Swords In One Hand
Chapter 661 - The Money Markets Of The World Must Be Killed!
Chapter 662 - Opening The Hut
Chapter 663 - One Should Do As One Thinks
Chapter 664 - A Simple Conquering
Chapter 665 - Desire To Quell A Rebellion
Chapter 666 - The Return Road Is Bloody
Chapter 667 - Rising Wind
Chapter 668 - Wife
Chapter 669 - Everyone Came From Jingdou
Chapter 670 - Risking It All
Chapter 671 - A Match Made In Heaven
Chapter 672 - I Want That Old Dog To Live
Chapter 673 - Gentlemen, Friend, Escape
Chapter 674 - The Wheelchair In The Night Wind
Chapter 675 - The Beginning Of A Battle Between Two People
Chapter 676 - A Carriage Enters The City Alone
Chapter 677 - : Decades Of Past Events And Anger
Chapter 678 - So What?
Chapter 679 - Investigating Heaven And Earth Without Retreat
Chapter 680 - Chen Pingping’S Revenge
Chapter 681 - Bamboo Flowering Inside The Royal Study
Chapter 682 - A Finger Pointed To The Overwatch Council’S Subjugation
Chapter 683 - Chaos In Jingdou, Swaying Red Candle
Chapter 684 - Looking And Laughing At Heroes Was Not Common (1)
Chapter 685 - Looking And Laughing At Heroes Was Not Common (2)
Chapter 686 - Looking And Laughing At Heroes Was Not Common (3)
Chapter 687 - Sending Off Chen Pingping In The Rain
Chapter 688 - Untitled Again
Chapter 689 - Unwilling To Wake From A Long Sleep In Fan Manor
Chapter 690 - Snowy Mountain In Dreams, Bloody Water In Basin
Chapter 691 - Washing One’S Hands Of An Official
Chapter 692 - Seven Days
Chapter 693 - The Members Of The Qinian Unit Embark On Their Own Paths
Chapter 694 - Rain At The Qing Temple
Chapter 695 - Name Of The Temple, Shadow Of The Person
Chapter 696 - Prepared
Chapter 697 - The Young Lady Of The Fan Family In The Palace
Chapter 698 - Could There Be Peace When Ruler And Official Meet?
Chapter 699 - Yes, Your Majesty
Chapter 700 - A Small Gift
Chapter 701 - Look, It’S Beautiful Up There
Chapter 702 - Jingdou’S Man Of Leisure
Chapter 703 - Variables In The North
Chapter 704 - Winter Arrives Again
Chapter 705 - A Sorrowful Song Of Defeat In Western Hu
Chapter 706 - Pacifying Xiliang
Chapter 707 - Chaos In Jiangnan
Chapter 708 - Blood In The Capital And Jiangnan
Chapter 709 - Who Is Killing In Jingdou
Chapter 710 - Heartbreak In Front Of The Hall
Chapter 711 - A Commoner Facing The Emperor Alone (1)
Chapter 712 - A Commoner Facing The Emperor Alone (2)
Chapter 713 - A Commoner Facing The Emperor Alone (3)
Chapter 714 - A Commoner Facing The Emperor Alone (4)
Chapter 715 - A Commoner Facing The Emperor Alone (5)
Chapter 716 - There Are Snowy Swords And Frost At Cang Mountain (1)
Chapter 717 - There Are Snowy Swords And Frost At Cang Mountain (2) In The Space Of A Flick Of The Fingers [Jw1]
Chapter 718 - There Are Snowy Swords And Frost At Cang Mountain (3)
Chapter 719 - There Are Snowy Swords And Frost At Cang Mountain (4)
Chapter 720 - Rock Garden
Chapter 721 - One’S Heart Faces The North
Chapter 722 - On A Journey
Chapter 723 - Sudden Chaos In The Snow
Chapter 724 - A Night Of Northern Wind
Chapter 725 - There Once Was A Mountain
Chapter 726 - There Is A Temple In The Mountain
Chapter 727 - Someone In The Temple (1)
Chapter 728: Someone In The Temple (2)
Chapter 729: Someone In The Temple (3)
Chapter 730: That Person Told A Story
Chapter 731: Scene Of Radiation And Legend
Chapter 732: The Loneliness Of One Person
Chapter 733: The Name Of The Most Powerful Person
Chapter 734: No Lake That A Garden Shall Not Reclaim (1)
Chapter 735: No Lake That A Garden Shall Not Reclaim (2)
Chapter 736: Dusk
Chapter 737: Wither
Chapter 738: Noon (1)
Chapter 739: Noon (2)
Chapter 740: Glass Flower
Chapter 741: A Rainy Day In Front Of The Royal Palace
Chapter 742: Walking In Front Of The Palace, Who Will Die?
Chapter 743: The Rainbow In The 12Th Year Of The Qing Calendar (1)
Chapter 744: The Rainbow In The 12Th Year Of The Qing Calendar (2)
Chapter 745: The Rainbow In The 12Th Year Of The Qing Calendar (3)
Chapter 746: Afterward
Categories Genre: Action, Adventure, All, Completed, Fantasy, Harem, Martial Arts, Romance, Xianxia Status: Completed ______
Total Chapters in book: 746
Estimated words: 2481802 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 12409(@200wpm)___ 9927(@250wpm)___ 8273(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 2481802 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 12409(@200wpm)___ 9927(@250wpm)___ 8273(@300wpm)
______
LIST OF LAST 10 CHAPTERS:
Page No. 746 Page No. 745 Page No. 744 Page No. 743 Page No. 742 Page No. 741 Page No. 740 Page No. 739 Page No. 738 Page No. 737 Page No. 736 Chapter 688 - Untitled Again
Chapter 688: Untitled Again
Translator:
Nyoi-Bo Studio
Editor:
Nyoi-Bo Studio
The first two rains of autumn came suddenly and left suddenly, carrying a sense of mystery. It seemed that the first bout of rain was to welcome Chen Pingping’s return while the second was to send Chen Pingping away. Once everything was concluded on the execution field in front of the Royal Palace, the misty rain came to a stop. The dark clouds scattered in the sky, revealing a tall, light, and clear sky. Other than the rainwater left in the streets, alleys, and bricks, everything returned to normal.
The commoners of Jingdou had seen a startling scene, but no one dared to discuss it. Silently, they followed the various streets and dispersed. The officials in front of the palace gates looked at each other and did not know what they should do next. The Emperor had already returned to the palace, and the little Duke had left carrying the old Director’s body. The water flowing everywhere on the ground did not gather into an idea, leaving them perplexed.
In this headlong charge back to Jingdou, Fan Xian and the 500 Black Knights had already broken countless Qing laws and Overwatch Council regulations. Furthermore, when he had broken into Jingdou, he had casually killed many court officials. Additionally, he caused a disturbance in the execution field in front of the Emperor. Logically speaking, these were unforgivable crimes, but the Emperor did not speak. Who could condemn Fan Xian? Who dared to condemn Fan Xian?
Hu the Scholar came down from the top of the palace walls. Many officials greeted him. This Scholar had remained silent throughout the entire event. He looked at the blood stains on the wooden stage that had become diluted by the rainwater. His brows suddenly twitched. Turning back, he saw Scholar Shu Wu, who seemed to have aged decades in an instant, follow the foot of the palace walls and leave alone. He did not greet any of them.
Hu the Scholar’s heart dimmed. He knew he could not become controlled by these emotions. Sir He had already entered the palace. He had to stay and make sure the aftermath was dealt with clearly. His gaze swept slowly across the officials of the six ministries, three temples, and three departments. Calmly, he said, “The execution is over. Open the city gates. Everything is as usual.”
Hearing these words, the officials in front of the Royal Palace couldn’t help but let out a big breath. They had been frightened about how they would deal with Sir Fan junior. It looked like, at least for a short time, the Emperor was still able to control his anger and would not give such a dangerous job to his officials to deal with.
Hu the Scholar did not care about these officials’ reactions. He narrowed his eyes. There were no Overwatch Council members among the six ministries, three temples, and three departments. This was expected. The heads of the eight Overwatch Council bureaus were currently shut up in prison. However, it seemed that Sir Yan junior had quietly left earlier.
It was not only the Overwatch Council that was controlled through internal and external coordination. A heavy expression flashed across Scholar Hu’s brows. He knew that there were also people in the Royal Palace that had been controlled, such as Lady Ning and King Jing, who had risked death to make a last attempt to ask for mercy. They were both under house arrest in the palace. Their situations were unclear.
The young lady of the Fan family, who had tended to the Emperor last night, seemed to also not have come out. Thinking of these things, he thought of the 10,000 Qing elite troops still stationed outside the Overwatch Council. A chill rose in Scholar Hu’s heart. He knew he had to immediately find Fan Xian and say something to the little Duke who had the powerful and daring to oppose the Royal Palace.
…
…
The noon sun shone brilliantly on the Liujing River outside Jingdou. The river water was clear and cold. It had warmed slightly, but there was no lively fog rising from it. Across the river was an elegant courtyard separated from the world. It had gray-white walls, yellow bamboo, and an imposing coldness. The sun had reduced the water on the roof tiles into spots of wetness. It gave off a sense of warmth that seemed to turn back time.
Amidst this stifling heat at the beginning of autumn, a black carriage drove quickly across the bridge on the banks of the Liujing River and came to a steady stop outside the gate to the courtyard.
This courtyard was were Ye Qingmei had once lived, where the Eldest Princess had died, and where Fan Xian had kowtowed to many times across the river. After the Ye family incident, it had been absorbed into the royal family’s palace treasury and become an alternative residence. Through the years, the Emperor rarely came there. Additionally, there wasn’t a concubine or prince who dared to be so tactless as to ask to live there temporarily. So, it sat empty for over 20 years. Three years ago, when the Eldest Princess was planning the Jingdou rebellion, for some unknown reason, she had temporarily lived there for a few days.
Since the courtyard was quiet and rarely visited, and because of the cold weight of history that the place sustained, it made everyone feel the urge to maintain a respectful distance. Thus, the internal court’s care of this place was not very particular or exacting. Only four members of the royal family guard were stationed there regularly.
Seeing this black carriage disregard the mark of the royal family outside the courtyard and charge straight in, the expressions on the guards’ faces changed as they walked forward. They had no time to say anything before they were subdued with crossbows held by a group of people who had surged out from behind the carriage. They were disarmed and bound.
An official of the Overwatch Council walked up and silently pulled open the curtain on the carriage.
The sound of footsteps rang out faintly. Covered in rain and with a pale face, Fan Xian walked down from the carriage holding Chen Pingping’s body. The water on his body followed his black underclothing and Overwatch Council robe over the old man’s body in his arms and dripped down, making a tapping noise.
The door of the Taiping Courtyard opened. Fan Xian did not glance at the subordinates as he walked in sternly. With a squeak, the large door closed tightly behind him. The Overwatch Council officials immediately scattered. They took control of all the important positions at the head of the bridge and kept a cautious watch all around them.
After a while, the sound of hurried and slightly messy hooves rang out. Hundreds of exhausted Black Knights rode toward them by the side of the Liujing River.
Immediately following, a thunderous wave of hooves stopped further away. It was perhaps either the Jingdou Garrison or imperial soldiers.
Finally, a black carriage arrived and stopped right across the bridge. An icy-faced official walked down from the carriage. It was Yan Bingyun. He didn’t cross the bridge. He just calmly looked at the Overwatch Council officials outside the courtyard.
The Overwatch Council officials who had followed Fan Xian to Taiping Courtyard were mostly officials of the First Bureau. There were a few members of the Qinian Unit who had been scattered in Jingdou. With the help of the palace, Yan Bingyun temporarily had control of the situation in the Overwatch Council’s square and sinister building. He was unable to control the eight bureaus of the Overwatch Council, particularly the First Bureau. When Fan Xian had been in the First Bureau, he had been strong and glorious. The officials of the First Bureau all treated Fan Xian like their lord. Now, once the curtains fell on the show in front of the Royal Palace and not long after Fan Xian had left the execution field holding Chen Pingping’s body, officials of the First Bureau came to pick him up in a black carriage.
Yan Bingyun narrowed his eyes and looked at his colleagues on the other end of the bridge. He was not surprised by Fan Xian’s lofty reputation within the Council, particularly within the First Bureau. He just found it strange that the Emperor had sent people to keep an eye on the First Bureau. Their communications were not smooth. Fan Xian had just arrived back in Jingdou, so how did the officials of the First Bureau know? Furthermore, they had just happened to come to the rescue. It was truly incomprehensible.
Yan Bingyun did not know that the young mistress in the Fan manor had already reacted the first moment the news of Chen Pingping assassinating the Emperor came out. She had prepared everything for her husband ahead of time and had maintained contact with the First Bureau the entire time. When Fan Xian rode alone into the execution field, the people of the First Bureau had already begun to move.
As for the hundreds of exhausted Black Knights, they had orders from Fan Xian earlier and had agreed to regroup at Taiping Courtyard. Fan Xian had thought everything through before entering the capital. Regardless of whether or not he could rescue the old cripple, he and his people would eventually need to meet at Taiping Courtyard.
Yan Bingyun stood at the bridge in silence for a long time. After straightening his soaked uniform, he walked along onto the bridge. Squeaking endlessly, he finally arrived at the other end. Bowing under the alert, hostile, and disdainful gaze of the officials of the First Bureau, he said in a deep voice, “Yan Bingyun of the Fourth Bureau requests to see the Director.”
…
…
Fan Xian did not know that Yan Bingyun had already appeared outside Taiping Courtyard, but he was certain that someone would come to see him and advise him. He could even accurately guess that as he walked stepped by step out of Jingdou, countless people followed behind him and countless elites of the Qing army were, at this moment, gathered outside the Taiping Courtyard, waiting for the advising to be successful or not. This was all ordered by that Emperor, right?
He did not think about all this and couldn’t be bothered to think about it. He just felt very tired and exhausted. He felt empty inside. The zhenqi that usually filled his body in abundance seemed to have all been spewed out with the cry earlier. He had spat out the impure air in his chest as well as the zhenqi, leaving behind only emptiness.
Fan Xian felt that his footsteps had never been as heavy as they were now, and his body had never been so weak. The old man in his arms was clearly very light, so why was he becoming heavier and heavier? He was becoming so heavy that he almost couldn’t hold on anymore.
A strand of slightly wet hair lay on his forehead. He held Chen Pingping as he walked by the grassy plain passed the flowering tree and little lake and came to an isolated place. There were flowers on the wall. He gently picked a shrinking and blooming little yellow flower.
He stretched out his hand and gently pressed it against the corner of the wall. With a squeaking sound, a hold slowly appeared on the ground with stone steps leading down. It was not very deep. The sunshine in the sky was completely able to reach the dry paving stones below.
Presumably, the secret rooms in the Taiping Courtyard were not secret to those old folks. Even the much younger Eldest Princess had once found one in the courtyard. After the Ye family incident, the Emperor should have checked the courtyard for the whereabouts of the chest. However, he did not find it. Since he always held a strange emotion toward this courtyard, he had never come again.
For Fan Xian, this secret passage was very familiar. Many years ago, after he had opened the chest, Uncle Wu Zhu had once brought him to Taiping Courtyard. They had followed this passage to find the bullets necessary for the burning stick.
Step by step, he walked down as if entering the netherworld. In reality, it was only a secret room 29 feet beneath the ground. The room was clean and tidy. It did not have any decorations or treasures other than a few chairs and a few coffins.
Fan Xian placed a hand on the side of the coffin and lifted open the lid. Then, he carefully placed the thin body of the old man in his arms into it. He picked up a small porcelain pillow and carefully placed it behind his head. Looking at the silk lining inside the coffin, Fan Xian tilted his head slightly but did not close the lid.
Chen Pingping’s eyes were tightly closed. His naked body was only covered by the Overwatch Council robe Fan Xian had taken off. Fan Xian stood by the coffin and looked quietly at his thin face and deeply sunken eyes. Suddenly, he felt that this entirely black clothing was far more appropriate than those beautiful silks.
The black clothing was the uniform of the Overwatch Council. It had come from Fan Xian’s body, so it was in the style of the Director of the Overwatch Council. In Fan Xian’s opinion, Chen Pingping’s life was difficult to speak of. Presumably, he would have liked to die as the Director of the Overwatch Council.
Fan Xian stood quietly by the coffin and looked at the deeply sleeping Chen Pingping. He thought that on the execution field earlier and in the autumn rain, the old man had seemingly gradually drifted away in his arms. Before he left, he had held his hand tightly. He shouldn’t be afraid of anything, right?
Looking at the old and pale face, Fan Xian suddenly remembered many things. When he was very little, this old man, who liked to cover his legs with a woolen blanket, had asked Teacher Fei Jie to come teach him so that he had the ability to protect himself in this dangerous and evil world. He made him grow familiar with all of the regulations and structures of the Overwatch Council from a very young age. Probably from the day he was born, the old man had already decided to leave the Overwatch Council, which he considered his greatest treasure, to him.
Fan Xian thought of the first time he saw Chen Pingping. It had been in that dark room in the Overwatch Council. Although it was the first time they had met, seeing the old cripple on the wheelchair was like seeing an elder he had not seen for a long time. A natural sense of closeness twined between the two of them.
That day, Fan Xian had bent his head down and gently hugged the thin and weak Chen Pingping. He had placed his face next to his just like how he did it now.
Watching fish and discussing the world by the shallow pond, gently messing around with the flowers, the dance of two wheelchairs chasing around Chen Garden… These things would not happen again. He had to stop thinking. Fan Xian tightly closed his eyes. He then opened them shortly after. Bending down, he gently placed the shrinking yellow flower in his hand in the white hair by Chen Pingping’s temple.
Fan Xian was silent for a long time and didn’t say anything more. He closed the lid of the coffin and picked up the large nail beside him that had been prepared. Aiming at the edge of the coffin lid, he circulated his zhenqi into his palms and struck down.
A series of muffled thuds rang out. Silently, Fan Xian struck again and again, hammering in all the large nails and tightly sealing the entire coffin. He shut the old man in another world. One in which he could never see him again.
After doing all of this, Fan Xian looked at the black coffin in a daze. This was only a temporary solution. One day, Fan Xian would send the old man home or to a beautiful place no one knew about. He would not allow him to remain forever in this darkness close to Jingdou. Although this was Taiping Courtyard and Chen Pingping would presumably lie to live here, it was still too close to Jingdou and the Royal Palace.
Fan Xian’s body swayed slightly. He felt boundless and endless exhaustion surge into his mind and body. He sat down in the stool beside him and pulled both his legs up. He then buried his head deep between his knees. His hands hung weakly by his side.
The places on his right palm that had been cut open by the nails began to bleed. The blood dripped onto the floor.
Fan Xian sat with his head buried for a long time. The water collected in the grassy plain in Taiping Courtyard above his head began to flow down the stone steps. It wet one layer and then another. It then froze one layer and then another.
…
…
The sunlight in the sky slowly moved. The light brightened and dimmed in the secret room beneath the ground. It was either the angle of the sunlight or the thickness of the clouds that brought all this. A sliver of sound entered Fan Xian’s consciousness. He slowly raised his head from between his knees. Coming down from the chair, he glanced again at the silent and dark coffin. He then went up along the wet stone steps.
After a strange sound, the secret door to the stone room closed tightly. Not a sliver more of sunlight or a trickle more of water would seep in. The place recovered its calm and darkness.
Fan Xian followed the small path in the grass by the lake toward the door of Taiping Courtyard. When he was not far from the wooden door, he heard the low voice of a subordinate of the First Bureau making a report. A complicated expression flashed across Fan Xian’s cold face. He quietly said something and then sat down beneath a broken tree inside the courtyard.
The wooden door opened. Yan Bingyun walked in. He stood in front of Fan Xian with his head down and did not speak for a long time. Perhaps he didn’t know how to begin.
“Start from the day there began to be movement within the Palace. You should have participated from beginning to end, so I don’t want any details to be left out.” Fan Xian sat tiredly on the broken tree root. His right hand rested on his knee. His face was an unhealthy white.
Yan Bingyun glanced at his right hand and found that it was bleeding. His heart jumped slightly, but he didn’t say too much in explanation. Instead, he calmly said, “On the second, I was summoned into the Palace and received my orders. Then, I began to make arrangements. As for Scholar He capturing Gao Da in Dazhou and the Emperor using this matter to keep the Director at Dazhou and the Jingdou Garrison to seize them, I only have an approximate idea and not the details.”
“Tell me the details you do know.”
Yan Bingyun looked at Fan Xian’s bowed head and found that Sir Fan junior was not the same as in the past. His expression was very calm. It was so calm it made one feel fear. It was not a reaction that normal people should have.
From the morning that the Jingdou Garrison escorted the black carriage into the capital, to the argument in the royal study, to the Emperor being heavily injured, to Chen Pingping being injured by the porcelain cup, to him being sent to the Overwatch Council’s prison, Yan Bingyun did not hide any details. He even clearly laid out the ugly role he played in all of it.
Fan Xian was silent for a moment. He then slowly raised his head. Looking at him, he said, “Why are you here? Do you want to drag that old cripple back to be cut a few more times? Must you have him meet a tragic end?”
Yan Bingyun did not have to control his emotions in front of him. A sorrow that could not be acted appeared on his face. In a raspy voice, he said, “I had to come see you. I had to ensure that you wouldn’t go crazy.”
“Go crazy? Rebel?” The corners of Fan Xian’s lips quirked. His laugh was very cold. “Are the Jingdou Garrison and imperial soldiers outside the courtyard not here to do this?”
Puffs of dust rose faintly around the outside of the courtyard. It had clearly just rained on the land, yet there were signs of dryness. No one knew how many soldiers were ambushed outside the courtyard, or how many aces there were to subdue Fan Xian.
Yan Bingyun forcefully controlled his state of mind. He looked at Fan Xian and coldly said, “No matter what, the old Director is gone. No matter how angry you are, you cannot change this. Even if you can escape Jingdou, what can you do? Yes, Deng Zi Yue is in Xiliang. Su Wenmao is in the palace treasury in North Min. Xia Qifei is in Suzhou. The capable people of the Qinian Unit and the most powerful Overwatch Council officials had all been sent out by me, scattered where you have the strictest control. Once you leave Jingdou, you can reconvene 60 percent of the Overwatch Council’s strength, but what can you do?”
Fan Xian looked at him coldly and did not say anything.
“Alright, presently, you are the Master of Dongyi’s Sword Hut and have countless swordsmen under your command. Additionally, there are the 10,000 elite troops led by the Great Prince stationed in Dongyi. But, the Great Prince may not be able to control all 10,000 soldiers. Besides, would the Great Prince turn against the Emperor just for you or the old Director?” Yan Bingyun’s lips were dry. His throat was swollen, but he continued firmly. “Hongcheng is in Dingzhou, and he is your good friend. Even if he was willing to raise troops for you, will the Dingzhou army listen to him?”
“I have to say, only you have the strength to stand against the Emperor. But… You are still not a match for him.”
“Done talking?” Fan Xian looked at him with narrowed eyes and tiredly shook his head. “If you want to convince me, shouldn’t you take out the letter Chen Pingping left you?”
Yan Bingyun’s body shook. He had thought everything he had done these few days in the Overwatch Council would certainly anger Fan Xian. He had not thought that he would know everything from the very beginning.
Fan Xian looked at him. “Even if you take it out, I don’t want to see it. It is nothing more than looking after the big picture and preventing the Overwatch Council from losing control for a moment before being wiped out by the Emperor. You had to become the Emperor’s second dog to forcibly protect this Council. In order to gain trust with that man, you had to do some things.”
“I know you’ve suffered,” Fan Xian looked at the despondent Yan Bingyun and coldly said. “But, this is something you’ve brought on yourself. Did you think there was a joy in enduring humiliation as part of an important mission? Wrong. You were still out of your mind. Were you going to do whatever Chen Pingping told you to do? If he wanted you to kill him, would you do it?”
“The old Director was concerned with the thousands of lives in the Overwatch Council and for the common people of the world,” Yan Bingyun said in a raspy voice. “Even if I misunderstood and became an eyesore in the eyes of the Overwatch Council officials, so what? Do you want me to watch the world fall into chaos?”
“Why can’t the world fall into chaos? Concerned with the lives of the common people?” Fan Xian suddenly laughed strangely. There was a cough in his laugh. He coughed up some blood and said, “How many people of this world have been concerned with them?”
“I do not forgive you.” Fan Xian looked at Yan Bingyun calmly, but each word he said was chilling. “Everything for the Qing Kingdom, everything for the Emperor, everything for the world. This is your attitude, but it is not mine. For the people I care about, so what if tens of thousands of people die? But, you did not do this for me. So, I do not forgive you.”
Yan Bingyun knew that there was a heart that loved and hated to the extremes under Fan Xian’s gentle exterior. After a long silence, he suddenly said, “I don’t need anyone’s forgiveness. The old Director’s choice and my opinion aligned, so I did what I did. For the Qing Kingdom, I can do anything.”
“Very good, only this way can you become a good official to the Emperor. For those damned commoners, he might be a decent Emperor.” Fan Xian slowly stood up. “For me, neither you nor he are people I can entrust a sliver of trust to. In your hearts, there are things more important than friends.”
“King Jing and Lady Ning are both under house arrest in the Palace. Young lady Fan is also in the Palace,” Yan Bingyun hurriedly said, suddenly feeling a little cold.
Fan Xian’s voice in replying to him was mocking and cold, “For the Emperor, this is natural.”
Seeing Fan Xian take tired steps toward the door, Yan Bingyun’s heart suddenly tightened. Fear surged into his heart. It was not fear for himself, but concern for Fan Xian. In a loud voice, he shouted, “Where are you going?”
Fan Xian’s hand on the wooden door froze slightly. He didn’t turn his head as he tiredly said, “Home, to sleep.”
…
…
Walking out of the wooden door of Taiping Courtyard, he looked at the officials of the First Bureau at the head of the bridge who seemed to be on guard against all possible dangers. He looked at the hundreds of exhausted and dust Black Knights, who had barely managed to form into a defensive formation, and sighed in his heart. On the other side of the bridge, on the other side of the green and yellow forest, were the troops the Emperor was using to subdue him. They were not a force the subordinates he had hurriedly brought back to the capital could stand against.
The bright sun blinded him briefly. It was only now that he felt the extent of the damage tiredness and sorrow could bring to humankind. He walked lightly to the bridge and gave a few orders to the subordinates, who continued to follow him despite the tense situation.
The deputy commander and First Bureau officials were silent of a long time. They knew that the little Duke was acting in consideration of their lives. They didn’t say anything more and took a knee uniformly. It was uncertain whether they were kneeling to the young Director in front of them or to the old Director buried in Taiping Courtyard.
After they knelt, hundreds of people mingled together and retreated west following the beautiful and quiet river.
Yan Bingyun, who had been silently following behind Fan Xian, glanced at them with a complicated gaze. He followed Fan Xian across the bridge and onto the road. He then saw the thousands of fully armored riders spread over the fields. These riders were lined up densely. Their aura was imposing.
Fan Xian looked at this powerful martial force without expression. Holding both hands behind him, he slowly walked over and approached the Commander under countless alert eyes. In a raspy voice, he said, “Call off the scouts and ambushes. I want none of my people injured.”
Ye Zhong narrowed his eyes. A cold light flickered in his eyes.
Total Chapters in book: 746
Estimated words: 2481802 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 12409(@200wpm)___ 9927(@250wpm)___ 8273(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 2481802 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 12409(@200wpm)___ 9927(@250wpm)___ 8273(@300wpm)
______