Joy of Life

Zhan Doudou climbed up from the couch and had Si Lili come to put a black cloak over him. Walking to the door of the palace hall and looking at the snowflakes falling outside, the highest ruler in Northern Qi sank deep into thought.

The thousand-year palace built against a mountain was inherited from the Wei Kingdom and full of black, green, and other solemn colors. The Emperor liked the colors, the clothing he wore were essentially these colors and velvet shoes.

Snowflakes floated past his slightly narrowed eyes and landed on the silent ground. This palace was deep within the Royal Palace and not far from the empress dowager’s residence and small pavilion behind the mountain. It was very quiet. No miscellaneous people were allowed to come near without the Emperor’s permission.

Very few eunuchs and serving girls served around this palace hall. They were all old nannies and servants the empress dowager had brought up single-handedly in the past. There was no worry that the Northern Qi Emperor’s greatest secret would be leaked.

Even under these safe conditions, the Emperor of Northern Qi stood with her hands held behind her as he gazed silently into the snow. There was not a glimmer of weakness to be seen. Perhaps for her, playing the role of a man had long stopped being a matter she had to think about, that needed to be hidden. Instead, she had long seen herself as a man and an Emperor. This aura had sunk deep into her bones and could not be separated from her.

“After Chen Pingping died, only three people left in this world have the right to place pieces.” A complicated expression rose to her face. The weather was slightly cold. Her cheeks were red. However, there was no sense of charm. On the contrary, there was a sense of severity. “I had never thought that Chen Pingping would, in the end, do something like this…”

The Northern Qi Emperor’s brows pulled together. She huffed out a breath of cold air. “Only now do I understand why the Imperial Advisor was so interested in Chen Pingping’s longevity before he died. He had seen clearly that if we wanted to force Fan Xian to turn against his cheap father, it could only be Chen Pingping’s final, voluntary choice.”

“I don’t understand why Chen Pingping would do this. What kind of hatred made him do something so extreme?” She laughed coldly. “Presumably, it has something to do with that woman in the past.”

Si Lili walked slowly to her side and glanced at her worriedly. She then handed over the small warming stove in her hands. Quietly, she asked, “Do the three people include Fan Xian?”

She was the granddaughter of a King in the previous Qing court. Presently, she was also the only favored Imperial Consort Li in the Northern Qi Royal Palace. The relationship between her and the Northern Qi Emperor was far closer than many guessed. They were partners, friends from childhood, and each other’s confidant. Earlier, the Northern Qi Emperor had said that after Chen Pingping died, there were only three people left in the world who had the right to put down pieces. If these three people included Fan Xian…

“Of course, Fan Xian has the right.” The Northern Qi Emperor gently rubbed the slightly hot warming stove and said with a sigh, “He had a good mother and has been hard enough on himself to have the power he does today. Do not underestimate his ability. There is good stuff hidden inside Dongyi.”

“At least, at present, the Qing Emperor does not want to force him to the extreme. He still wants to subdue him because subduing Fan Xian and his faction would bring far more good to the Qing Kingdom than getting rid of him,” the Northern Qi Emperor said slowly, “Just this one point proves the power in Fan Xian’s hands. It also makes the Qing Emperor afraid of the consequences.”

“It’s freezing outside. Don’t stand by the door of the hall.” Si Lili carefully looked at the Emperor’s face. The corner of her eyes brushed indiscernibly over the chest wrapped in the large cloak.

The Emperor was a clever and sensitive person and immediately sensed the direction of her gaze. Immediately, a glimmer of annoyance rose to her face. Her face tightened slightly as if tightly gritting her teeth and suppressing her anger.

Looking at the Emperor’s expression, Si Lili spluttered and couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “I wonder what Sir Fan junior would think if he knew of Your Majesty’s situation.”

“That bastard is heartless. However, he is a rotten scholar in his bones.” Without mercy, the Northern Qi Emperor harshly criticized that man in the South. With an icy smile, she said, “The things he has done these few months, how naïve, childish, and muddle-headed! The situation has already developed to what it is today, yet he still foolishly hopes to resolve the issue within the Qing Kingdom. How many more people have to die for this matter to come to its conclusion? In the end, he underestimated the Qing Emperor. Even if his Emperor was not a Great Grandmaster, how could his little hands and feet shake up the Emperor’s position?”

“He wants to overthrow the dynasty with few people dying? That’s extremely absurd.” The Northern Qi Emperor narrowed her eyes. She did not listen to Si Lili’s words and move away from the door where the wind and snow had just started up. Coldly, she said, “If I didn’t help him this time, Dongyi would have clashed directly with the Yanjing Camp. At that time, regardless of which side wins or loses, I want to see how he can still pretend to be a wealthy man of leisure.”

“Do you truly only want to help him hold onto Dongyi?” Si Lili asked quietly as she gave her a fluid glance.

The Northern Qi Emperor’s body froze slightly. It was as if she had not expected Si Lili to instantly see through to her other plans. After a moment of silence, she said, “I am the Master of Northern Qi, how could I damage the strength of the Qi army for just one man? Helping him was actually helping myself. If the Qing Kingdom did not fall into chaos, the pressure on the Qi Kingdom would be too great. Furthermore, the Qing Emperor has always had thoughts of conquering the North. General Shang Shanhu was standing guard to the South and has probed forward first. Now, we are prepared. It will be easier in the future.”

“I’m just a little worried about Shang Shanhu,” Si Lili said with her head down. A concubine in the back palace had no place to say such things. However, this Imperial Consort Li was often very like the Northern Qi Emperor’s strategist.

“Our enemies are powerful. Even if Shang Shanhu hates me for joining with Fan Xian back then to kill Xiao En…” The Northern Qi Emperor furrowed her brows slightly. “As long as the Qing Kingdom has plans to invade the North, General Shang Shanhu will not forget the world for his personal hatred. I am like this, and so is General Shang Shanhu.”

“It’s just that Sir Fan junior’s situation in the South is already precarious. Once someone in the Qing court realizes that General Shang Shanhu’s attack is related to Dongyi…” Worry flashed between Si Lili’s brows. She involuntarily worried for Fan Xian. Of the three women that were connected to Fan Xian in Shangjing, Haitang Duoduo was far away on the grasslands. The Emperor in the Palace, who had her imperial schemes, was cold and heartless and probably did not care much about Fan Xian’s life and death. Si Lili could not help but worry about the sometimes gentle, sometimes cold, man.

“I never worried that the Qing people would realize our true purpose in going South. This could never have been hidden for a long time. At least, those who know the true situation between the Qing court and Dongyi should be able to guess,” the Northern Qi Emperor said coldly. “Yanjing’s Wang Zhikun will be the first to guess it. So what if he guesses it? Even if it gets out, there’s nothing to be afraid of. Presumably, collusion with Northern Qi is a crime even Fan Xian could not shoulder.”

Listening to this, Si Lili could not help but sigh. “So, you never gave up the idea of forcing him to come to Shangjing. If it really gets to that point, can he come alive?”

The wind and snow made one cold and made one’s face red. The Northern Qi Emperor looked calmly at the wind and snow and slowly said, “If he is alive but is not willing to come, to me and to you, what difference is there to him being dead?”

“Duoduo probably does not know of this matter.” Si Lili lifted her head and looked at her.

“Aunt Disciple is on the grasslands. All the people in Xiliang Road died again, so it’s not convenient to get in touch with her.” The Northern Qi Emperor lowered her head and looked at the tip of her toes. For a long time, she was silent and did not speak. Then, her right hand suddenly lifted and trembled slightly. It was as if it wanted to rest on her abdomen. However, this action did not happen for a long time.

The tips of her fingers twitched. She had finally revealed a glimmer of femininity.

“Report, Your Majesty. The military report has arrived. The officials have gathered in Lan Pavilion to await your arrival.” An old eunuch hurried reported in a raspy voice outside the hall. They were fighting the Qing people in the South. The military situation was tense. No one dared to make a botch of things. For the first time, the Northern Qi people found their army had finally and bravely carried out an attack first. Their emotions were very different compared to the past.

Hearing these words, the Northern Qi Emperor abruptly raised her head. The glimmer of gentleness in her eyes had long become an icy calm. Si Lili quickly tied a golden belt around the waist of her black cloak. She walked toward the outside of the hall. Her steps were steady, and her imperial aura was fully demonstrated. Coming out of the palace, Sir Lang Tiao and Friar He were already waiting quietly outside.

…

…

In the tenth year of the Qing calendar, Dongyi surrendered to the Qing Kingdom in name. The situation of the world seemed about to make an irreversible change, but the rain in early autumn pulled the entire situation back again. Regardless of whether Fan Xian, who was caught in the maelstrom, initially had such forethought, at the moment, Dongyi was under the control of him and the Great Prince.

It had to be said that Sigu Jian’s final wishes only demonstrated its greatest effect at this moment. Of the 13 disciples of the Sword Hut, other than Yun Zhilan, who was the Master of Dongyi, the other 12 disciples, as well as the aces of the grand disciple generation, had all gathered beneath Fan Xian’s banner. In addition, there were the 10,000 elite troops the Great Prince led and the 4,000 Black Knights Chen Pingping had left to Fan Xian. As long as there were no problems in Fan Xian and the Great Prince’s cooperation, Dongyi had once again become an individual power.

Regardless of which direction one was coming from, the trust and cooperation between Fan Xian and the Great Prince could not be so easily broken. This had been well embodied during the Jingdou rebellion three years ago.

The Dongyi after Sigu Jian’s death had maintained its independence. Presumably, the spirit of the Great Grandmaster was also slightly comforted.

Of course, other than the strength of Dongyi itself, a key component of reaching the present situation was the Northern Qi army’s sudden attack in the late autumn of the 10th year of the Qing calendar. This attack into Qing territory had made the Northern Qi court lose a great deal of power and grain. In the end, Shang Shanhu had only miraculously happened to capture a city in a corner. It looked like Northern Qi had not obtained enough to counter their losses.

Immediately after, Northern Qi’s entire territory mobilized. It seemed they were about to pour southward and force the Qing Kingdom to fully prepare for battle. A massive battle seemed about to erupt in the spring of next year. This, gave Dongyi and Fan Xian at least a six-month buffer.

No matter how the male-dressing Northern Qi Emperor tried to hide her thoughts in front of Si Lili and only spoke of putting the interests of the Qing court and its people at the very front, she was unable to convince herself. Everything she did was, to a large extent, for that man in the Qing Kingdom. That man who had struggled with her for a number of years, cooperated with her for a number of years, and fought for a number of years, finally, after one night of joy, had become her first and only man.

By the time the news of the battle in the North reached Jingdou, it was already early winter. The weather in Jingdou had been strange. The autumn rains had come more densely like squeezing out all the water in the sky. After winter came, the sky was clear of clouds. There was an icy coldness but no snow.

Without the Overwatch Council, Fan Xian could not be clear of the true situation of the battle in the North. After all, Baoyue Brothel’s intelligence were all scraps of information. This did not stop him from analyzing them and coming to a conclusion that was close to the truth. Unlike what Zhan Doudou expected, the eruption of the battle did not make Fan Xian angry because he was not, in the end, a true saint. He was just a common person. He knew the female Emperor in the North was helping him, so it was difficult for him to be angry about anything. He was just a bit gloomy.

The reason for his gloominess was complicated. Perhaps it was because he actually had no way to influence the thoughts of the Northern Qi royal family. Even though he had their biggest weakness, the other party was, in the end, a ruler and would have her own thoughts. Another reason was the matter at hand and the attitude of the back palace.

The Northern Qi invaded and then retreated. It did not withdraw. It prepared for battle. This chain of four attacks were all to reduce the pressure for Dongyi. All sharped-eyed people understood this. Some people guessed the role Fan Xian played in this. Although not many people understood this, it had not impacted the discussions among the people of the Qing Kingdom. However, the Royal Palace’s silence still caught Fan Xian by surprise.

Those major Qing figures would be shocked by Fan Xian’s influence, shocked that he could have the Northern Qi people send troops in aid. For example, Duke Liu, who rarely visited the manor. That night, Lady Liu’s father, Duke Liu, who had been silent in court for many years but still retained his power, spoke meaningful and heartfelt words to Fan Xian for an entire night.

He was Lady Liu’s father. If one were counting, he would be Fan Xian’s senior. These years in the capital, Fan Xian had always been respectful toward Duke Alley. Although he rarely left the manor, in crucial moments, he had always stood on Fan Xian’s side. Thus, although Fan Xian was silent toward his chiding, he did not refute it.

Born a military man of the Qing Kingdom, Duke Liu was shocked and fearful of the faint connection between the war in the North and Fan manor. However, it was impossible to make the matter explicit, so he could only come to the manor to warn and remind Fan Xian a number of times.

Even Duke Liu, someone who never interfered in worldly affairs, had begun to fear the role Fan Xian could play so why was the Palace still so calm? Fan Xian did not believe the Emperor would be shocked by the change in the North. He also didn’t believe that the Qing Emperor would feel any fear even if Northern Qi’s powerful support toward him was exposed in front of the Qing Emperor.

The Emperor needed a battle. How could he be afraid of Northern Qi’s invasion? It was just that this kind of calm and silence was truly unusual.

The cold air gradually congealed. Jingdou’s first snow finally floated down. From the beginning of winter to the Winter Solstice, dumplings began to be cooked in large pots in various residences in Jingdou. The lamb killing business in various markets was at its peak. The delightful scent of lamb soup seemed to rise from every street corner.

Prince Heqing’s manor in Jingdou which had been silent for a long time, opened its front doors. Noble guests came to visit. However, it was still impossible for it to grow lively because the people who came were always those few. The imperial soldiers responsible for defense outside Prince Heqing’s manor watched for movement with alert gazes. Presently, it seemed that the main use of these soldiers was to guard this manor.

The matter of the Great Prince opposing the Emperor’s will and not returning to the capital had not been made public. Only a few officials in the court knew of it. A prince leading an army outside and refusing to comply with an imperial edict was already treasonous. For the face of the court and Li royal family, and the situation at hand where the Yanjing Camp was unable to enter Dongyi, the court temporarily maintained its silence. But, no one was willing to relax the watch on Prince Heqing’s manor.

Fan Xian held Shuning’s little hand and walked into Prince Heqing’s manor with a face full of smiles. He walked with wangfei shoulder to shoulder to the pavilion in the middle of the lake. The moment Lin Wan’er entered the manor, she had been pulled away by Ye Ling’er. Who knew what these childhood best friends would talk about?

“You really have some astounding moves.” Heqing wangfei’s made-up face was without threat. It was only quiet and content. Presently, she was essentially a hostage. She generally did not leave the manor. Since it was finally the Winter Solstice, she had invited over these young people who were in the strangest situations in Jingdou.

Fan Xian and his wife, Ye Ling’er, Princess Rou Jia, Heqing wangfei, and the secondary fei, Wang Tong’er. This was already most of the Qing royal family. Other than the Third Prince deep in the Royal Palace, all of the younger generation of the Li royal family had gathered in this manor. Yet, it was these young people who were in unfortunate situations.

“Princess must be joking,” Fan Xian replied evenly. “If you’re talking about the matter outside Cangzhou, I trust that you must know about it better than me. The little Northern Qi Emperor is not a character I can control.”

Wangfei looked at him with a complicated expression and then slowly said, “It’s precisely because I understand my brother’s character. I don’t understand how you convinced him to send troops to help you.”

“I believe this matter does not need to be raised again,” Fan Xian replied with a smile. “At least, it is a good thing for His Highness far away in Dongyi. However, you are alone in Jingdou now. If there is anything inconvenient, please talk to me.”

Wangfei smiled slightly and bowed to him formally. Although the situation was changing unpredictably, she knew she had made a mistake once in the past,. She could not make that kind of mistake again. Her husband was already bound to this young man in front of her, bound with Dongyi.

“Yanjing Camp’s sword is pointed at Dongyi. I wonder how Tong’er feels.” Fan Xian asked wangfei as he picked up Shuning, noticing that she was too tired to walk anymore. The little girl would not understand what the adults were talking about. Curious, she opened wide her eyes and turned them back and forth between Fan Xian and wangfei’s faces.

“Although Tong’er’s nature is a bit arrogant and willful, she is a very innocent and unaffected child. She is just bored. Sometimes, I allow her to go wander in the Ye manor. She becomes uncontrollably happy. Oh yes, she had wanted to visit the Fan manor, but as you know, it’s not very appropriate.”

“Understood.” Fan Xian smiled slightly and looked at wangfei. “I had thought before that with you in the manor, the young lady of the Wang family shouldn’t have any problems.”

“As if this is not your doing. Ma Suosuo still does not have any status, and she is getting older…”

A glimmer of sadness flashed across her brows. The Great Prince was far away in Dongyi and remotely becoming rivals with the court. Her life as a hostage in Jingdou was desolate. There just happened to be a child-like secondary fei in the manor and a Hu girl who was straightforward by nature but did not understand the affairs of the world. It was indeed a difficult burden to shoulder.

Fan Xian sighed and said, “With things as they are, who has time for these things? Although it was me, this Taichang official, who brought out this beautiful devil, you and I both know that it was the Emperor’s intention.”

Having said this much, there was no point in saying more. It just so happened that the two of them had already crossed the wooden bridge on the lake and reached the pavilion. One side of the pavilion was a row of glass windows, letting in the light but not the wind. With a few warming stoves, the air was as warm as spring. It made one content. Fan Xian narrowed his eyes and looked at the four girls huddled together talking in a corner of the pavilion. He involuntarily sighed in his heart.

One Winter Solstice, he had been invited into the Palace as the Princess’s prince consort and had eaten a meal of lamb soup without any interest under the empress dowager’s ice like gaze. In the same year, it seemed that the Great Prince had opened up his manor and invited guests. It was in this very pavilion. Other than the Crown Prince, all the young people of the Li royal family had come, even the Second Prince.

All those who should and shouldn’t have died had all died. There was only Fan Xian locked in Jingdou, the Great Prince separated in Dongyi, the Third Prince secluded away in the Palace, and these five women.

All of the people stood faintly in front of him. Did he have it easy? Fan Xian involuntarily thought of the Emperor in the palace. He was lost in thought for a while standing in the door of the pavilion. For a moment, he was silent and speechless.

The hotpot was sent in. The meal was rather silent. Each person had probably thought of some things in their heart. Fan Xian sat beside Rou Jia and enquired solicitously about her well-being like a warm and close brother and helped cook the lamb for her. Of the girls in this pavilion, Rou Jia probably appeared the weakest and most pitiful. Although there were rumors in the Palace that King Jing would return to the manor in a few days, thinking of a girl enduring months by herself in King Jing’s manor, Fan Xian could not help but feel tenderness toward her.

Without servants in the pavilion, everyone seemed to speak more easily. Even the slightly reserved and unfamiliar Wang Tong’er with amusement blinking in her eyes did not feel left out. Fan Xian rose and went to the corner of the pavilion to get more coal. Out of the corner of this eye, he saw Ye Ling’er follow him over.

“I know you feel sorry for Wang Tong’er,” Fan Xian said quietly as he looked at her, rising to his feet. What would Wang Tong’er’s conclusion be in the future? Would she become a young widow like Ye Ling’er? No one knew.

Ye Ling’er sighed. She was no longer the charming girl who had ridden her horse through the streets and alleys of Jingdou. “Teacher, are you just going to keep on like this with the Emperor?”

Fan Xian was silent for a moment. He then said, “I don’t know. The Emperor probably doesn’t even have me in his sight. In a few days, perhaps news will come from the West. Help me keep an eye out to see if the Bureau of Military Affairs makes any moves in secret.”

“Father will not let me interfere in government affairs. I’m not Sun Ping’er.” Ye Ling’er glared at him. Shortly after, her expression grew dim. “I don’t know what you are doing, but I want to give you give you one piece of advice.”