Chapter 737: Wither

Listening to the Emperor’s words, the expression on Ye Wan’s face did not change. He lowered his head slightly and just happened to hide the strange light in his eyes.

This abruptly risen and powerful figure in the Qing Kingdom had turned against his father at a young age. From Dingzhou to Nanzhao, if the man on the throne in the Royal Palace in Jingdou had not secretly looked after him, if he had not learned silent and steadily determination in these oppressive years, how could he have suppressed all these years and finally erupted violently in the end?

It was precisely because of these experiences that allowed Ye Wan to have such strong powers of self-control. When the Emperor had said that he was not a match for Shang Shanhu, a glimmer of dissatisfaction had appeared on Ye Wan’s face. This glimmer of dissatisfaction was actually shown purposely.

To not be a match for the famous general Shang Shanhu was not an evaluation difficult to accept. He was, after all, the leader of a new generation of military figures that the Emperor thought highly of. If he appeared too wooden and lacking in the dynamism and desire for victory that young people should have, it would not an easy matter to deal with.

However, the odd light in Ye Wan’s eyes when he heard Fan Xian’s name had come from within his heart. Not only because the Emperor had made clear that his brilliant achievements on the grasslands were in part because of Fan Xian’s secret help, it was more because, Ye Wan discovered with shock, the Emperor’s words earlier had elevated Fan Xian’s life and death to completely the same status as that of the Emperor’s.

Everyone in the world knew what kind of person Fan Xian was. Although Ye Wan was generally at the front lines in Nanzhao and had almost no involvement in Jingdou affairs, the Ye family had a complicated relationship with Fan Xian. How could he not have secretly learned about the young and powerful official who had successfully made his sister change her personality, the person who had, in a few short years, brilliantly lit up the sky above the Qing Kingdom like fireworks?

Ye Wan had been suppressed and watched this world from the sidelines for many years. He had his own confidence. He never thought he was in any way inferior to others who had risen up in the world. However, the Emperor had kept him quietly in an outer county, so he lacked a stage.

Now, this stage had appeared beneath his feet. Through the great battle at Qingzhou and the subsequent blood pursuit, he had begun to give off a dazzling light. However, each time he thought of Fan Xian’s name, he always felt slightly strange.

It was not resentment or admiration. Instead, it was a faint coldness. Ye Wan had coldly observed Jingdou for a number of years and always felt that he was unable to see through Fan Xian. After thinking about it closely, there was admiration, cautiousness, sympathy, and disdain. It was unusually complicated.

Although this was so, Ye Wan still did not think Fan Xian was a major figure who could shake up the world because he believed that as officials and subjects, no one, including himself, could reach such a realm. After the four Great Grandmasters dispersed, no one else other than the two rulers in the North and South could stand in such a position.

“Do you think that I have elevated him too high?” the Emperor lowered his head slightly and gently stroked the white cat in his arms, clearly grasping the emotions in this young official’s heart. “There is no harm in the young being proud. However, sometimes courage lies in knowing that you are not as good as someone else. This is true pride.”

Ye Wan sternly accepted the lesson. In the increasingly hazy light of dusk deep in the Palace, he bowed sincerely to the Emperor.

The Emperor’s eyes narrowed slightly. Under the hazy light, the lines at the corners of his eyes seemed extra harsh. In a slow voice, he said, “In this world, there are very few people who can escape my control. There are even fewer who can calmly challenge me without action or chaos. Naturally, you all do not understand An Zhi as well as me.”

The words were spoken truly, but they were slightly vague. During the winter snows at the beginning of the year, there were great changes in Jingdou. Fan Xian killed with impunity in Jingdou all of the officials in the He faction in one day. Shocking the imperial court and the people, he entered the Palace to carry out an assassination and was denounced as a traitor.

The reality that the officials could not understand and what made all the information in the tea houses and back alleys lose all sense of direction was that the Qing court had indeed invested a great deal of energy into pursuing Fan Xian and the assassins who entered the Palace but still had not made a move against the people Fan Xian had scattered all around.

The old officials of the Overwatch Council, who had clearly participated in the killing of He faction officials, were not questioned. They were just removed from their posts en masse while Fan Xian’s faction in Jiangnan had yet to be greeted with the Royal Palace’s powerful attack. The Emperor who had been ruthless and resolute his entire life seemed to lose the heart of an Emperor that he always possessed when faced with Fan Xian. The Emperor appeared overly warm and lenient, to the point that it was a bit muddle-headed.

No one dared to criticize the Emperor, but many people questioned him. Why was the Emperor constantly merciful when it came to Fan Xian’s crazy rebels? Was there actually some unspeakable background to this matter?

After Ye Wan returned from the grasslands and learned of what happened after the incident in Jingdou, he also felt shocked and could not understand it.

The reason for this was because none of the officials knew that in that snowy night, the Emperor had talked with Fan Xian in the Royal Palace for an entire night. It was not that the Emperor did not want to clean out the Fan faction, it was because he had other things to consider. He had no choice but to uphold his promise to Fan Xian for a two-person battle. If the court truly carried out a purge against the Fan faction, the Qing Kingdom would immediately be faced with what would probably be the largest unrest since the inception of the country.

It had to be said, the Emperor had lost some of his courage in charging forward violently in the handling of this matter. He now had a touch more concern and gentleness. It also had to be said that only Fan Xian could so thoroughly understand the Emperor’s desire to establish a long-lasting dynasty while also being able to tightly grasp the Qing Kingdom’s lifeline, forcing the Emperor into such a choice.

In this world, only Fan Xian could force the Emperor to put down the butcher knife in his hand.

“If Fan Xian does not die, I cannot be at ease,” the Emperor said to Ye Wan at his side. His fingers brushing through the white cat’s fur suddenly froze as he slowly closed his eyes.

Ye Wan’s heart chilled. He lowered his head without saying anything.

“How is your practice of Flowing Cloud Release?” the Emperor casually asked.

Ye Wan’s mind turned, not understanding why the Emperor had suddenly changed the topic and began to ask about his cultivation. After thinking for a moment, he answered sincerely, “Just crossed the threshold.”

“Twenty years ago, your father practiced the Coffin-Breaker Technique to the extreme but could not progress any further. Although Fan Xian worked harder than anyone, it is clear that he was also unable to progress after learning the Coffin-Breaker technique from your sister. Uncle Liu Yun’s extraordinary art cannot just be forgotten like this. Since you have crossed the threshold, I feel at ease.”

The Emperor kept his eyes closed and said, “Even so, you are still no match for Fan Xian. If you run into him in the future, retreat three steps first.”

Ye Wan’s was surprised again. Although he was indeed dissatisfied that the Emperor thought him not as good as Fan Xian, Ye Wan had guessed a great deal from the Emperor’s words earlier about being uneasy as long as Fan Xian remained alive. If Fan Xian was someone that made the Emperor, who was as powerful as a god, use matters of state and war as the price to kill him, he probably truly couldn’t compare.

Following on the heels of this, a ruthless and stubborn emotion burst into flame in Ye Wan’s heart. The expression of the most dazzling general of the younger generation of the Qing military did not change, but a faint desire grew in his heart to be able to meet Fan Xian face-to-face in a battle one day.

The night gradually devoured the colors of dusk and enveloped the Royal Palace, wrapping the ruler and official in front of Taiji Palace within itself. The Emperor slowly opened his eyes. The light in them seemed like it was going to illuminate the entire Palace in an instant.

Eunuch Yao came to the side of the Emperor’s soft chair with a wooden tray in his hands. The bottom of the tray was lined with yellow damask. There were two letter-like objects on top.

Ye Wan was unsure of what this meant. Unconsciously, he glanced at the Emperor.

“One letter is the essence of the martial method I cultivate, and the other is a secret edict I have left for you,” the Emperor casually said with his eyes focused in front of him. “If I die within a year, the secret edict may be opened. If I have not died, burn it. As for the essence of martial method, if you can use it to improve, then consider it some compensation from me to your family.”

Ye Wan didn’t understand what was meant by compensation, but he understood the words essence of martial method. Even a weather-beaten and ruthless general who killed on the grasslands without a blink of an eye could not control his expression right now. His body trembled slightly. He knelt without thinking in front of the Emperor and kowtowed heavily.

Ye Wan did not decline with false righteousness because he knew the Emperor had written the experience of being a Great Grandmaster in this letter. For him, it was, without question, a priceless treasure. Naturally, this action of the Emperor’s hoped that, in his hands, the Ye family would continue to be absolutely loyal to the royal family. This kind of trust made every inch of Ye Wan’s skin began to tremble.

“A few days ago, I granted you the title of Chengping’s martial tutor. Since this is so, you should visit Shufang Palace often.” The Emperor seemed to not care at all that he had casually tossed the martial secret of the Tyrannical Way to an official earlier. It was as if he wasn’t worried about Ye Wan’s loyalty to the royal family.

Ye Wan had just experienced great psychological shocks in his audience with the Emperor. His face had paled slightly. However, it did not affect his judgment. From the Emperor’s words, he immediately understood the meaning within them. The bloodline of the royal family was in decline. The Great Prince had not truly rebelled, alone and far away in Dongyi, challenging the court. The Second Prince and the Crown Prince had died tragically long ago. Fan Xian had disappeared after turning traitor, and his life and death were unknown. Although Consort Mei was about to give birth, only the Third Prince, Li Chengping, was truly being considered by the officials as the heir.

After the Emperor was injured at the beginning of the year, his body had not fully recovered. Although his recovery was much faster than that of common people, he still tired easily and managed far fewer affairs of the court than in the past. Fortunately, with Scholar Hu and Scholar Panlin running the Hall of Governmental Affairs, there had been no problems. However, three months ago, the Third Prince, who had been under house arrest in the Palace for six months, had suddenly been ordered into the royal study to listen in. During this month, the Third Prince had begun to, according to orders, inspect the memorials on behalf of the Emperor. Such events made the entire Qing court guess the Emperor’s intentions.

The Emperor made Ye Wan the martial tutor. Now, he had also secretly imparted a secret edict and gave away the martial method, as well as commanded him to get closer to the Third Prince. The meaning of all this was clear without needing to be asked. Other than shock and surprise, Ye Wan was grateful. He knelt on the ground and kowtowed again.

“You may go. Remember everything I said today.” The Emperor gazed at the eaves of the palace hall that were growing darker and darker. He narrowed his eyes slightly and slowly said, “Particularly that one thing. Of all my sons, An Zhi is the most ruthless. If he is actually alive, you must first retreat three steps when faced with him.”

Ye Wan’s brows furrowed slightly. A glimmer of anger suddenly surged through him from out of nowhere. This anger was not because the Emperor told him to retreat three steps when he saw Fan Xian. Instead, he felt that Fan Xian had acted truly treasonously, with great disloyalty. He was very unfilial and had not acted in the way of official or people should

But, he didn’t say anything. After bowing solemnly again, he followed the long corridor out of the Royal Palace. As he walked, Ye Zhong’s shoulders felt heavier and heavier. His mood also became more and more weighed down. One reason was because the Emperor had handed him a heavy burden. Another reason was because during his conversation with the Emperor, he had suddenly smelled an inauspicious scent. It was the scent of old people.

Ye Wan’s heart trembled slightly. A sense of sorrow pressed down on his weighty figure leaving the Royal Palace. Without the Emperor, there would not be the Ye Wan of today. The loyalty of the next master of the Ye family to the Li royal family had never wavered. Now, he felt that the Emperor seemed to be entrusting his son to him earlier. What was this for?

Although the Emperor was old and tired, he was still powerful. Why did he say what he did and make such arrangements? If the Emperor actually died and the Third Prince took the throne, given Shufang Palace’s connection to the Fan manor, would the future Qing court not belong to Fan Xian, that traitor?

Ye Wan only felt a chill run up his back and pierce into his mind. He didn’t dare make any more guesses. He raised his head and walked coldly out of the Royal Palace.

…

…

There were no lights lit in front of Taiji Palace. It was still dark. The Emperor did not watch Ye Wan’s clearly sorrowful figure. He just stared coldly into the darkness in front of him. It was as if he was seeking a light that belonged to him in the darkness.

After a long silence, the Emperor suddenly said, “I had so few sons in this life. Who would have thought that I would be forced into such a wretched position by An Zhi?”

“Who would have thought that he would actually come back alive from the Temple?” A cold light flashed through the corners of the Emperor’s eyes. He paused for a moment and said, “In the end, I am the father, and he is the son. How could a son be victorious over the father in this world?”

Waiting behind the Emperor, Eunuch Yao felt the cold sweat break out profusely on his body. When the Emperor muttered to himself like this, how could comment?

The Emperor suddenly sighed desolately. He looked at the walls of the Royal Palace that appeared particularly tall in the darkness and dim firelight of the imperial soldiers on the palace walls and narrowed his eyes slightly, thinking of something only he knew.

After the assassination in the Royal Palace, the Emperor had never left the Palace again. In the eyes of many officials, this had always been the Emperor’s habit. Some people also thought that perhaps the Emperor had not fully recovered and was staying in the Palace to tend to his wounds. Only he knew that the reason he didn’t leave the Palace was because he didn’t dare to.

The roar of thunder that day above the Royal Palace, the black chest that continued to appear and disappear in the world and remained outside the Emperor’s control, had struck the greatest blow against this powerful ruler. Although the attack had not been fatal, it had successfully shattered this ruler’s confidence. There truly was something in the world that could easily kill him. The Emperor had always feared the chest. Now, he knew that the chest was outside the Royal Palace. Although it was not in Fan Xian’s hand, it was in the hands of his enemies. How could he leave the Palace?

The Emperor did not know when the chest would ring out again, but he already knew that Fan Xian had returned alive. Fan Xian had come back, but what about Lao Wu?

The Emperor lowered his eyelids slightly. He waited alone in the Palace, but his orders could travel through the world. However, these tall and long palace walls were similar to a fence, trapping him within the Palace.

“If An Zhi does not die, I cannot be at ease,” the Emperor said coldly as a ruthless expression slowly rose to his slender face. The old and sallow lines on his face were not smoothed away by this ruthless expression. Just like the bark of a withered tree, it appeared irreversible and startling.

This was the second time the Emperor had said these words. There was too much complicated history between him and Fan Xian. This lifetime’s hatred and difference in ideology made them irreconcilable enemies. Even so, the Qing Emperor had great appreciation of his most successful son. But, the more appreciation he felt, the angrier he was. In his life, he had never wished someone dead like he did now.

Perhaps only when he discovered that Chen Pingping had betrayed him and had secretly betrayed him for many years had he felt as angry as he did now.

Ever since the Emperor had the Way of the Emperor in his mind, he had felt little joy or anger. Once he fell into mortal emotions, he was nothing more than a mortal. He looked out into the dark palace with complicated emotions. He thought about the chest that’s whereabouts were unknown and Fan Xian and Lao Wu heading to Jingdou from locations unknown. Strangely, his emotions returned to an absolute calm from the earlier rage.

Hurried footsteps suddenly came from the long corridor behind his chair. Eunuch Yao looked over in anger but saw Eunuch Hong Zhu, who had long since returned to work in the royal study by the Emperor’s side, walking toward them with a lantern and a face full of joy.

Perhaps it was because the night was door dark, but the acne on Hong Zhu’s face was not very obvious. He knelt by the Emperor’s side and said in a voice that trembled with joy, “Great news, Your Majesty.”