Joy of Life

Before Yan Bingyun went out of the door, he was stopped by Fan Xian’s call. After a moment of silence, Fan Xian asked in a low voice, “Is there news from Hong Changqing and the Qinian Unit?”

After escaping down from Dong Mountain, Fan Xian had charged directly to Danzhou. His trusted aides on the white-sail boat had all been scattered by the attack. Although Yan Xiaoyi died to Fan Xian’s assault rifle, Fan Xian had been worried the whole time about the life and death of Qing Wa and his other subordinates. Since the rebel army had the power to seal off Dong Mountain, and the provinces were also willing to reciprocate the Eldest Princess’ wishes, they had ways to seal the road from Dong Mountain back to the capital.

Yan Bingyun’s thin lips pressed together tightly. He said after a moment, “No news.” He glanced at Fan Xian, signaling that he had already been away from Council affairs for a month. His didn’t have much intelligence in this area.

Fan Xian shook his head, “Don’t try to comfort me. No news is bad news.”

“Fine, I admit that I still have channels to learn about intelligence reports in the Council,” Yan Bingyun looked at him and said. “There is a strange matter. The intelligence system in Dongshan Road, and I’m not just talking about the Council’s but all of the intelligence feedback systems, seemed to have failed. The most recent news was from three days ago.”

Hearing this, Fan Xian’s heart tightened. Sweat gradually gathered in his palm. His mouth felt slightly dry, but he forced his face to remain composed. Putting on a strong face, he said, “For now, we can’t mind other places. We should first settle the matter in Jingdou.”

Yan Bingyun brushed some dust from his robe and said with his head lowered, “You’ve given the token to me. That’s the same as giving me command over a thousand people. Do you want to give me a strategy?”

Fan Xian lowered his head and was silent for a moment. He then said, “Follow the established guidelines.”

Yan Bingyun glanced at him and furrowed his brows. He said, “Many people will die.”

“I don’t want to die.” Fan Xian turned to glance at him with a cold face. “I request that you control the 13 city gate guards. This is the crux of the matter.”

Yan Bingyun didn’t show his determination or loyalty, he only shook his head and said, “With just the Overwatch Council, it is impossible to control the 13 city gate guards.”

“With the empress dowager holding the city gates, she will not allow the Qin or Ye family armies to enter the capital.” Fan Xian looked at Yan Bingyun. “She doesn’t want Jingdou to sink into a battle. What we need to do is to help the Palace control it.”

The 13 city gate guards were actually just one yamen that controlled the nine city gates in and around Jingdou. If the Eldest Princess’ side has been infiltrating the 13 city gate guards, at this time, they had probably already taken the power of command away from the empress dowager’s hands.

Yan Bingyun shook his head. “Betting a life against a door is a very stupid plan.”

Fan Xian smiled slightly bitterly. “There is no other way. With only the Imperial Army, which we can’t entirely depend on at hand, I don’t dare meet the Qin and Ye family’s head on in Jingdou. Everyone is saying Ye Zhong returned to Dingzhou, but who would believe that?”

“What if the 13 city gate guards can’t hold the gates?” Yan Bingyun asked slightly mockingly. “When it comes to tricks like nurturing trusted aides in the court, you and I are not a match for those of the older generation. The Eldest Princess certainly has someone among the city guards.”

Fan Xian laughed self-mockingly and rose. He patted Yan Bingyun on the shoulder. “Even if we can’t stop the Qin family army from entering the capital, you can at least find out ahead of time what time the Qin family will arrive, how many people, and how they’re getting here.”

Yan Bingyun’s shoulder was icy cold. He looked at Fan Xian with a slightly cold gaze.

Fan Xian gazed at him calmly, “You’ve said it before, the elder generation likes to play the game of betrayal and doomed spies. I know that the old cripple had people under him who are preparing to kill the Qin family’s doomed spies.”

Yan Bingyun laughed bitterly.

“If I haven’t guessed wrong, your father is a piece that the Director buried beside the old Qin master for dozens of years.” Fan Xian smiled slightly. “Thus, the actions of the Qin army are all within our grasps. It should be possible to create a perfect time difference.”

Yan Bingyun sighed, bowed, and silently left the Sun manor.

…

…

After Yan Bingyun left, Fan Xian began to count on his fingers in the young lady Sun’s boudoir. He wasn’t counting how much silver he had earned since his rebirth. Rather, he was counting time, how much power he controlled in his hands, and what kind of ripples he could make in Jingdou. After much calculation, he had to admit that if the Qin and Ye families’ armies’ entered the capital, he could only fight a guerrilla war.

Before the army entered the capital, he had to make a lightning attack on the Royal Palace. Wan’er, Lady Ning, Yi Guipin, and the Third Prince, whose state of mind he didn’t know, were the people he had to save.

As long as he could save them, he wasn’t afraid of anything or using the assault rifle to carry out guerrilla warfare. Fan Xian could not imagine who could stand against him.

However, he still felt a bit sullen. He wouldn’t be able to meet the Eldest Princess’ forces face-to-face on the battlefield. He had no choice but to make one strike and retreat. Thinking of this, he involuntarily began to shake his head wildly. If the Emperor knew that Qing Kingdom would fall to such circumstances, would he have regretted strictly prohibiting me from having any contact with the military in the past?

There were seven Roads of elite soldiers in the world, yet none of them could be used by him. Fan Xian laughed bitterly and was speechless.

He was still confident. He rose and walked to the window to glance at the gradually extinguished lantern lights outside. His expression was calm. He began to have some optimistic judgments in his heart concerning this matter and growing confidence in a certain elder.

“Sir Fan junior.” Seeing that Yan Bingyun had left, the young lady of the Sun family, who had been sitting quietly in her room the entire time, hesitantly walked out. At this time, she was no longer as excited and terrified as earlier. She had recovered the confidence and reserve that the daughter of a large family should have. Only her occasional glances at Fan Xian exposed the complicated feelings in the depths of her heart.

“You can call me An Zhi.” Fan Xian returned the gesture with great gentleness.

Sun Pin’er felt moved in her heart. She had also faintly guessed what Sir Fan junior and the famous Sir Yan junior were discussing earlier. She couldn’t help but feel somewhat scared but also a bit excited when she thought of the fact that she was helping Sir Fan junior. She lowered her head and said quietly, “Sir Fan junior, I am only a woman. I don’t know exactly what is happening in court, but I…”

She raised her head and looked bravely at Fan Xian. “I trust you. If you need me to do anything, please, speak straightforwardly.”

Fan Xian was silent for a moment as he smiled brightly. “Presently, traitors rule the court. There is no ruler. Officials and sons are not acting as they should and, soon, the country will also not be. Even if I have to toss out this fleshy body, I will try to pull that traitor and wicked son on the dragon chair in the Palace off his high horse. If you wish to help me, you don’t need to do much. Just allow me to stay here for a few days.”

Sun Pin’er was slightly surprised. She didn’t think that Sir Fan junior would ask for so little and was faintly disappointed. She pressed her lips together and gathered her courage to say, “Sir, father should be of help to you.”

Fan Xian smiled and didn’t explain anything. In reality, now that he had the Sun manor as headquarters, it had already helped him a great deal. At least, from now on, he could easily contact his subordinates in Jingdou through Yan Bingyun. The start of this entire plan would begin from this young lady’s boudoir.

“If there is the opportunity, I will indeed need you to introduce me to your father. There are many things that I need Sir Sun’s help with.” Fan Xian did believe that a girl would be able to convince a Jingdou magistrate to change his stance. However, with Sun Pin’er as a bridge, once the situation changed and Fan Xian’s side had the advantage, why couldn’t Sir Sun add the icing on the cake? Fan Xian would not refuse.

Sun Pin’er’s expression of shame became stronger. A moment later, she bit her bottom lip and said, “Actually, I am being very not filial. I ask that you be lenient toward my father.”

Sir Sun was ordered to capture Fan Xian by the empress dowager’s edict, yet Sun Pin’er was hiding him in her boudoir. Once Fan Xian had actually turned the tables, who knew how he would treat those who had once tried to harm him? Sun Pin’er knew how bloody the battle for royal power was. Her impudent action may hurt her father deeply, thus, her words about being not filial.

Fan Xian sighed and looked with pity at the fragile girl. He couldn’t help feelings of guilt rising in his heart. Comfortingly, he said, “Be assured, if the right way of the court is rectified, I promise your father will at least not have to worry about this life. If he is willing to completely repent, then he will be a meritorious official.”

Having received his promise, Sun Pin’er wiped away her new tears. Without any thought as to whether the promises of a politician counted for anything, she bowed deeply to Fan Xian. “Thank you, Sir Fan junior.”

“I should be the one thanking you.” Fan Xian bowed deeply and formally to Sun Pin’er. Gently, he said, “Although I am not a good person, I am not someone fond of killing. In this matter, I hope the empress dowager will be able to see the truth clearly and resolve everything peacefully, without the need to shed blood.”

The two bowed to each other and looked like they were bowing to heaven and earth. Feeling that it was greatly inappropriate, they hesitantly rose. Fan Xian turned to look out of the window again at the lonely sky and silvery moon. In his heart, he mockingly thought to himself, How could such a clear night be a day for killing?

…

…

Some mysterious shadows flitted back and forth outside Prince Heqing’s manor. The guards responsible for guarding the manor didn’t even glance at them. They knew they were spies from the internal court or perhaps there were also some spies from the Bureau of Military Affairs. Everyone was aware of each other’s existence. No one would be the first to instigate something.

The Great Prince held the Imperial Army in his hands. As long as his military power was not taken, the various powers in Jingdou would have to maintain supreme respect to and fawn on this manor.

Ever since the news of the Emperor’s assassination had spread out, the empress dowager had closed the Palace doors. After she had strictly subdued the restless movement from various sides, Prince Heqing’s manor became the focus of the gazes of the various large powers. The Great Prince’s protection of his wangfei and family inside the manor was strict to a stunning degree.

After all, he had been the Commander of the Western Expedition Army in the past. At this critical juncture, all his ruthlessness was laid out. He had moved a squad of 500 imperial soldiers to surround his manor.. Even if something happened in the Palace, the Great Prince’s trusted aides would be able to preserve the safety of the manor until the last moment.

As for whether or not it followed the rules and broke Qing law, no one dared comment. If he wanted to do this, no one could do anything, under the empress dowager’s implicit consent.

The civil officials who had enough courage to speak out in Taiji Palace had all been placed in jail.

Presently, the Qing Kingdom had no ruler. Therefore, whoever had the most soldiers had the loudest voice.

…

…

The second housekeeper of Prince Heqing’s manor walked out from a door next to the main gates. In a low voice, he said a few words to the guard. It seemed that he was expressing his greetings. Immediately after, a person walked out from among the guards and went behind the manor to arrange a carriage.

Amid the clip-clopping of horse hooves, a carriage with the manor’s symbol painted on it drove out of the darkness and stopped in front of the stone steps of the manor. The imperial soldiers on guard around the manor shifted their gaze over but did not have any reaction.

At present, Jingdou was enforcing a strict curfew. Other than the various powers that were pursuing Fan Xian, there was not a single person on the streets. Logically speaking, it would not be allowed for a person to go out late at night. However, at this moment, the person boarding the carriage was the second housekeeper of the Great Prince’s mansion. The imperial soldiers pretended to not see anything.

The second housekeeper greeted the Imperial Army officer warmly. Standing on the stone steps, he narrowed his eyes and gazed into the darkness at the end of the street. He knew there were countless people secretly watching his movements in the darkness. However, he wasn’t worried about anything. He was going to meet the strategist from the Eldest Princess’s manor to plan out the next move for both sides.

This second housekeeper was the leader of the secret spies that the Northern Qi Emperor had sent to be stationed in Jingdou. He was the one who went behind wangfei’s back and sold Fan Xian’s location in Yangcong Alley to the Eldest Princess’s man.

The brows of the second housekeeper gradually relaxed. He was carrying out the Emperor’s orders, so he didn’t care about wangfei’s anger. There were many things that should be done first and reported later. Although the Great Prince had sent the Imperial Army here, he was still forced to remain in the Palace. It was impossible for him to know exactly what had happened in the manor and that Fan Xian had been betrayed by someone in his own manor.

He smiled slightly and raised his foot to descend the stairs, preparing to board the carriage.

His steady right hand slowly lifted the curtain on the carriage. The second housekeeper’s pupils constricted nervously. There were two black-clothed people looking coldly at him from what should have been a completely empty carriage.

Then, the second housekeeper felt a bone-deep chill. It followed a number of holes inside his body and sank into his brain. After the chill, there was an endless pain.

He opened his mouth wide but could not utter a single sound. He could only breathe with great difficulty. Lowering his head, he finally saw that there were an extra three metal drills sprouting from his body.

The ice-cold metal drills pierced mercilessly into his body, skewering him like an innocent little chick waiting for slaughter. Warm blood flowed out of the blood groove on the metal drill and splashed toward the ground.

“Sixth Bureau!”

In the moment before his death, the second housekeeper finally recognized the identity of the assassins. He knew they were his counterparts in the South that were recognized for their fighting prowess. He accepted his fate hopelessly.

He had betrayed Fan Xian, so he should know that he would face endless pursuit by the Overwatch Council. However, he had not thought that in just a few hours, the Overwatch Council, which had scattered like sand, would regain such powerful moves.

Without time to think, the second housekeeper’s hands grasped the metal rod in his chest weakly and collapsed off the carriage. With a crash, he fell to the ground with blood flowing out. There was not a chance of survival.

…

…

The first to discover the assassination at the door of the manor were the manor guards who stood close by. They were shocked by this blood sight and didn’t react for a moment. They only stared at the second housekeeper, who was trusted by wangfei, as he was viciously killed by three metal drills and then fell into the puddle of blood, twitching continuously.

The carriage had already begun to move in a short amount of time. Passing by the second housekeeper’s body, it charged into the dark night.

The spies watching this scene from dark corners couldn’t help but be dumbstruck. They had not thought that someone would be able to assassinate the housekeeper-like person outside the strictly guarded door of Prince Heqing’s manor. They didn’t know how those people had hidden inside the manor’s own carriage and had not revealed a single trace of themselves.

These spies would not rush forward to surround the assassins in the carriage. Rather, they opened their eyes excitedly to watch this excellent show. They all guessed as to who made the first move and how they should report it to their superiors when they returned.

…

…

“Kill!”

After a moment, the imperial soldiers stationed outside the manor recovered from their surprised and reacted as quickly as possible. Crying out angrily in unison, they charged toward the carriage with long spears.

With a number of creaks, the horse pulling the carriage gave a sorrowful cry and was flipped to the ground, dead. When the soldiers formed a circle, their power to harm and kill was truly terrifying. The long spears pushed out uniformly and the horse fell to the ground, sending up a cloud of dust. The carriage also came to a halt in the street.

At this moment, the encirclement was not complete. There was an opening in the direction of the mouth of the street. The crash of the carriage dissipated into countless shards. Immediately after, a large amount of thick smoke exploded out of the carriage. There was poison in the smoke. It forced the soldiers back on all sides as they endlessly coughed.

The three Sixth Bureau assassins dissolved into three black shadows. Using the cover of the poisonous smoke, they charged out of the gap. Before the soldiers closed the circle, they disappeared in the darkness of the Jingdou night, leaving only a sinister and cold announcement.

“This is the consequence of selling out Duke Fan!”

Outside the manor door, the poisonous smoke dissipated, the housekeeper was dead and the poisoned Imperial Soldiers were being seen to. It was a sorrowful, heavy, and tense situation. Everyone was thinking about the last words the assassins had left behind. Other than the terrifying and professional assassins in the Overwatch Council, who else had the power and daring to carry out an assassination outside the main door of Prince Heqing’s manor?

After the Emperor died, Director Chen was poisoned by the Dongyi master and Commissioner Fan had become a court criminal to be captured. In just one day, the usually sinister and intimidating Overwatch Council had immediately become a plate of scattered sand and completely lost its magic.

However, this sinister and brave assassination and announcement once again told all the powers in Jingdou that Sir Fan junior was still alive and the Overwatch Council still existed.

Those who betrayed him and those who wanted to kill him would all slowly be met with the Overwatch Council’s restless and endless vengeance. How long would this city soak in the killings that happened in the darkness and the poison? How many people would it kill?

The chaos, panic, and fear outside the manor did not travel completely into the manor. The heavily guarded manor appeared particularly calm. Wangfei sat with a cold face in the slightly chilly pavilion. Her eyes stared in a daze out of the window. She slowly said, “This is a warning to me?”

“No,” Yan Bingyun slowly stood and calmly said. “This is the sincerity and message that the Commissioner sent.”

Wangfei turned her head and looked into his eyes.

Yan Bingyun didn’t move and calmly said, “Wangfei is wangfei. You are no longer the Great Princess of Northern Qi. With people like the second housekeeper, presumably, you will not care how many die.”

Wangfeí’s heart jumped. She knew what he said made sense. Since she had already married into Qing Kingdom, according to Fan Xian’s reminder in Yangcong Alley, she was a person of Qing Kingdom. If she thought too much for her brother in Northern Qi, it would not be beneficial for her own future.

“The message the Commissioner wished to pass on is very clear,” Yan Bingyun calmly said. “The people who died tonight will gradually prove this point. He has regained control of the Overwatch Council.”

Wangfei was silent for a moment. She then said, “I am very willing to cooperate with Sir Fan junior.” She suddenly smiled slightly. “Of course, other than thanking Sir Fan junior’s determination to kill, I must also express my admiration. It was a good kill.”

Nothing needed to be said. They each understood the other’s heart. No one knew how many people the cry outside the manor doors had confused.

Wangfei suddenly opened her mouth and said heavily, “However, assassination is never the right way to resolve a problem. I hope you will be careful.”

She knew that Fan Xian was still in the process of being pursued. The reason the power of the Overwatch Council was able to be gathered and its coldness spread quickly was completely due to the abilities of this official in front of her. Perhaps Fan Xian had set the policy to assassinate to establish might, but the person carrying it out was the one in front of her.

Yan Bingyun quietly said, “The Council people have long scattered. Our advantage is being in the dark.”

He bowed to wangfei and slowly said, “Using the Commissioner’s words, we don’t show the sword. We only kill people. As for just how things will go and how the empress dowager will react, this is a problem the Commissioner needs to think about.”

“How many people will die tonight?” Wangfei asked with worry. If Fan Xian really raised waves of blood in Jingdou, was he not worried that the empress dowager would respond with bloody methods? What about those people inside the Palace?

Yana Bingyun paused slightly. The touch of indifference between his brows gradually became coldness. “A commander of the 13 city gate guards and an official in the Ministry of Justice should have already died. There is no need to worry. With such a large disturbance, there are always many people who should die.”