(Well, after yesterday's sincere outpouring, there was a wave of calls for removal in the Qidian message box. I am very pleased with the intensity of the people's struggle—pleased, my foot! Even if I'm a reactionary, I haven't sunk to Carrefour's level.)

However, I can only shrug, not bow. As a major villain, I must play this role well.

Life is full of happy moments. Hei Du Pi's writing about the begonias is very amusing to me. I'll post it in the public area later for everyone to enjoy.

I can't talk too much nonsense because some readers have expressed strong dissatisfaction. Well, I don't like to talk either, I'm just being verbose, and indeed, I'm in a bad mood, okay? Lamenting.)

...

...

The coldness outside the Guangxin Palace permeated inward, trying to forcefully change the palace's name to the residence of the Moon Goddess, Chang'e. However, with red candles nearby, fragrant smoke rising, and the strength of the wine, the atmosphere was full of spring, making this plot a mere fantasy.

Fan Xian watched the gentle conversation between the Eldest Princess and Wan'er, and the smile on his face gradually increased, no longer as wary and awkward as when he first entered the palace.

The Eldest Princess was still as beautiful and alluring as before. Even though Fan Xian clearly knew what Hongzhu had said, besides shock, he felt more intensely annoyed at the Crown Prince – at least at this moment, looking at Qing's number one beauty, the young son-in-law couldn't muster up too much antipathy.

Of course, this emotion itself was a wonderful thing. He gently put down his wine cup, smiled self-deprecatingly, and thought to himself, "Isn't the Eldest Princess also a pitiful person?"

There must be something hateful about someone pitiable.

This Eldest Princess was the Empress Dowager's most beloved youngest daughter and the Emperor's trusted right arm for the past ten years. Especially for Fan Xian, this palace-dressed beauty hid a viper-like tongue beneath her soft exterior, releasing bloodless poison...

At the age of twelve, Fan Xian faced the Eldest Princess's first assassination attempt. After entering the capital, the two were entangled in schemes and blood, unable to extricate themselves. However, in recent years, Fan Xian's power gradually expanded, while the Eldest Princess's strength declined. With this rise and fall, the Eldest Princess had long admitted that her son-in-law was her true enemy worthy of attention, but...

Fan Xian's two most direct antagonists in Qing, the Crown Prince and the Second Prince, were actually just pawns thrown out by the Eldest Princess. Fan Xian clearly knew that since his rebirth, the true enemy of the entire world was the palace beauty before him.

The Eldest Princess was the most powerful opponent in Fan Xian's faction. Therefore, in recent years, the Overwatch Council had concentrated all intelligence on Xinyang and Guangxin Palace. Fan Xian understood the Eldest Princess even better than she understood herself.

This was a problem on a psychological level. He could sensitively perceive the complex gaze of the Eldest Princess towards that woman in the past, even... that twisted emotion. Without it, the strange political landscape of Qing after the destruction of the Ye family could not be explained.

There must be something pitiable about someone hateful.

However, Fan Xian would not show the Eldest Princess a trace of pity. In this respect, he was more indifferent and ruthless than anyone else in the world, just as he had said countless times in the past – "Only after being drunk do you know love is strong, only after death do you know life is precious" – he wanted to live, and anyone who didn't want him to live had to die before him.

...

...

"How is Jiangnan?"

The Eldest Princess gently stretched her jade arms and slowly put down her wine cup. It was winter, and although there was a bamboo charcoal stove in the palace, the temperature was not very high. The Eldest Princess's palace dress was also winter wear, somewhat thick, but even such clothing still concealed the curves of her body and the ubiquitous charm.

At this time, Wan'er had already fallen asleep. The palace maids cautiously came out from the back hall to report and then retreated, closing the hall door. Fan Xian frowned slightly but didn't say anything to stop them. After all, the Eldest Princess was her mother, and it was inconvenient for him to say too much.

"Jiangnan is very good, the scenery is good, the people are good." Fan Xian responded with a smile, "If Mother has any free time, she can go to Hangzhou sometime."

Although saying the four words "Mother" felt particularly awkward, he had no choice.

"I went there a few years ago. The scenery is still the same, but the people are very different. What's the point of going again?"

The Eldest Princess left her seat and walked towards the outside of the hall, saying sarcastically. These words naturally referred to the Imperial Treasury that originally belonged to her but had now been completely taken over by Fan Xian.

Fan Xian didn't leave his seat, paused slightly, and said respectfully after a long time, "Born into this world, people must be seen, and scenery must also be seen. People are always like flowers following the water, different every year and every day, but the scenery stands in the world, unchanging for thousands of years. One's life is short, but one can see the changes of the ages, which is what Anzhi thinks is important."

The Eldest Princess was stunned, turned her head to look at Fan Xian, tilted her head slightly, and said with a smile on her face, "What are you trying to persuade me about?"

"Anzhi wouldn't dare." Fan Xian responded with a wry smile.

The Eldest Princess smiled mockingly and said, "There are very few things in this world that you wouldn't dare to do. However, trying to weaken my resolve with words is really a very stupid thing."

...

...

In front of the Empress Dowager, Li Yunrui was a well-behaved and even somewhat foolish daughter. In front of the Emperor, Li Yunrui was a precocious and even somewhat perverted assistant. In front of Prime Minister Lin, Li Yunrui was a timid and even somewhat artificial beauty. In front of the princes, Li Yunrui was a gentle and even somewhat bewitching woman. In front of her subordinates, Li Yunrui was a master who could create a hundred charms with a smile and destroy ten thousand lives with a wave of her hand.

Only at this moment, in Guangxin Palace, in front of her good son-in-law Fan Xian, Li Yunrui was nothing. She was just herself, the purest version of herself, without using any expression, charm, or timidity to conceal anything, facing Fan Xian frankly with her true appearance.

Perhaps these two were well aware that enemies were the ones who understood each other the most, so there was no need to make useless pretenses.

Therefore, Fan Xian didn't smile shyly and gently, but said very directly, "Time is a fleeting traveler of a hundred generations, and heaven and earth are the inn of all things. Anzhi dares not advise you on anything, but I just feel that life is short, and there are always plenty of joys to pursue..."

Before he could finish speaking, the Eldest Princess interrupted him and said coldly, "What is a poet? Can they stand against a knife or two? Open your eyes and see clearly who is standing in front of you. Don't always think that by saying some sour and decadent words, showing off a few seemingly philosophical words with self-satisfaction, you can solve all problems."

These words were ordinary, but the pride and disdain within were particularly sharp. Now that there were no outsiders present, the Eldest Princess revealed her most authentic side.

"Don't always think that women are animals whose sensibility outweighs everything." The Eldest Princess said indifferently, "You yourself said in your writing that men are all a pile of mud, so don't pretend to be a jade stone in front of me."

Fan Xian had nothing to say and could only listen with a bitter smile.

The Eldest Princess walked to the side of the hall door, lifted the cotton curtain, and stood on the stone steps, looking at the quiet night scene of the palace.

Naturally, Fan Xian couldn't continue to sit at the table, so he stood up and followed her out, wanting to hear what else this mother-in-law wanted to say.

"See clearly who is standing in front of you."

The Eldest Princess didn't turn around. Her body, which looked slightly thin in the cold wind, inexplicably made people feel a burst of palpitation, as if it contained endless crazy ideas.

"I am not a stupid girl like Haitang." She said, "I thought a good woman had finally emerged in the north, but I didn't expect her to still be a vulgar object."

...

...

Fan Xian was speechless and could only smile wryly, thinking to himself, who dares to compare with you? In such a male-dominated world, it seems that only this Eldest Princess dares to do what others dare not do, and compete with men.

Compete with men in all aspects.

Fan Xian vaguely understood that the Eldest Princess didn't take those things seriously at all. Hmm...yes, that's it. Even the sky is about to cry.

He scratched his head awkwardly. Facing such a woman, he actually felt restrained and didn't know how to deal with her.

"You should be clear why the Empress Dowager summoned you to the palace, and the banquet tonight." The Eldest Princess said calmly, "You and I know it well, so let's not discuss it further. Just cover it up a little. I don't want the Empress Dowager to be too sad and disappointed."

Fan Xian bowed to the ground and said sincerely, "I obey your command."

"Obey?" The corners of the Eldest Princess's lips slowly curled up. The faint red curves visible in the night were particularly moving. "I have to admit that your ability has exceeded my initial expectations, and you...are her son, which makes me even more surprised. No wonder I haven't been able to kill you or shake you these past two years. His Majesty dotes on you, and the old guys love you, but it's a pity...you are still just a stinky man."

Fan Xian said with a smile, "This is a problem of hormones and secretions."

"Hor-mon?" The Eldest Princess was slightly stunned, and for the first time, there was a hint of uncertainty and doubt in her charming eyes in addition to firmness. But she immediately broke free from Fan Xian's deliberate creation and said coldly, "You and your mother are the same, always having so many new words."

Fan Xian's heart stirred slightly, and he asked peacefully, "Have you met my mother?"

After a moment of silence, the Eldest Princess said, "Nonsense! She lived in Prince Cheng's mansion when she first came to the capital. How could I not have met her? It was impossible not to see her."

Speaking of this, the Eldest Princess's eyes narrowed softly, and she said slowly, "I admired her very much, I can even say I was jealous of her, but in the end...I looked down on her."

Fan Xian frowned and smiled calmly, "I don't think you have the right."

These words were extremely bold, but the Eldest Princess was not angry at all, and said faintly, "In the eyes of many people, it's like that, even if I assisted the Emperor since I was young and did so many things for this Qing country, but...as long as I am compared with your mother, no one thinks I am the best one."

"But..." The Eldest Princess said coldly, "I still look down on her."

Before Fan Xian could speak, she suddenly laughed somewhat neurotically, "Because in the end...she died."

Fan Xian's heart stirred slightly, wondering if he could confirm the final truth in history today, but the Eldest Princess's next words disappointed him slightly.

"And I didn't die." The Eldest Princess said coldly, "Who can predict the future? Can I do better than her?"

She turned around and stared at Fan Xian with her soft, moon-like eyes, and said softly, "She didn't unify the world after all. Do you think I can do it?"

Fan Xian was watched by these two gazes, and he forced himself to remain calm. After a long silence, he said slowly, "Evaluating a person is not necessarily based on the records of territory and history books."

He suddenly thought of the letter he saw that rainy night and said somewhat absentmindedly, "Like my mother, she didn't help my Daqing Dynasty unify the world, but who knows if she couldn't do it, or she disdained to do it?"

The Eldest Princess was slightly stunned, and a trace of relaxation finally appeared in her heart, with a hint of dissatisfaction, "Attribute things you can't do to disdain? As you said earlier, life is only a few decades in a hurry. If you want to leave a lasting mark in the hearts of future generations, if not based on history books, what can you rely on?"

"My mother...didn't leave a single word of record in the history books." Fan Xian took a deep look at the Eldest Princess and said, "I think you also understand why. But it can't be denied her existence in this world. Whether it is the production of the Imperial Treasury or the Overwatch Council, they are all telling the world something...History books will always be forgotten one day, and yellow paper will be swept into the trash, but the real changes to this world will always be preserved."

After listening to these words, the Eldest Princess was silent for a long time, and then said softly, "That's right, I haven't made any real changes to this world." She paused and said self-deprecatingly, "Except for constantly changing the boundaries between countries and constantly expanding the territory of Qing."

...

...

"Even if you conquer thousands of miles of land, you will eventually need an earthen mound after death."

Fan Xian said earnestly. Although the Eldest Princess had ruthlessly satirized him countless times before, he still said these seemingly clichéd sentences.

The Eldest Princess no longer looked at him, but looked at the quiet scenery in the palace and said, "Your idea is different from most men in the world. Some men are because they are timid and incompetent that they euphemistically say they are enlightened and calm...but a man like you, who already has enough status and possibility, doesn't want to achieve great things and leave a name in history books, which is really rare...and lacking courage."

Fan Xian responded with a smile, "Perhaps Anzhi knows that he doesn't have this ability. Characters like His Majesty, who are ambitious and talented, are not seen all the time."

After saying this, he carefully glanced at the Eldest Princess.

The Eldest Princess didn't look at him but looked at every corner of the palace, seeming to be caught up in some strange emotion because of someone in Fan Xian's words.

"I am a person with a very strong desire for power." She opened her mouth after a long silence and said, "But this doesn't mean I like power. I just need power to achieve a certain wish, and this wish is something that you people can't understand at all."

Fan Xian lowered his head slightly.

The Eldest Princess suddenly raised her hand and breathed a few warm breaths, making a cute gesture like a little girl. She smiled and said, "Women can also do things. I have always wanted to prove this. Why is it always men who use women in this world? Why can't women use men?"

This most beautiful woman in Qing said to Fan Xian at last, "This is something I learned from your mother. And I said that I look down on your mother because in the end, she still...couldn't escape the fate of ordinary women being used by men."

"You go, I'm tired."

"There shouldn't be a second time for this kind of conversation."

Fan Xian lowered his head and saluted. The corner of his eye caught a glimpse of the Eldest Princess's soft curves. He smiled slightly, thinking of the words the Eldest Princess said, and thought that this might be the constant state of the war between men and women that is difficult to change forever. Even you, aren't you just a reaction after being used and failing?

The Eldest Princess looked at his back calmly, hoping that her words today could plant that poisonous flower in Fan Xian's heart.

She immediately raised her head and looked at the night sky above the palace, rubbing her fingers slightly, as if recalling some kind of curve, frowning and wondering, in which palace will the Emperor be spending the night tonight?

...

...

Without pity, without emotion, without reflection, Fan Xian left Guangxin Palace very directly and walked towards the front city of the palace under the illumination of the eunuch's lantern.

His back was a little wet, not because of fear, but because of some very complicated emotions. He couldn't help but think of the first time he entered Guangxin Palace to massage the Eldest Princess. At that time, his fingers were stopped at the temples next to the beauty's hair, and he was always worried about being assassinated in the palace.

Looking back now, Fan Xian was so naive politically at that time.

And now, Fan Xian certainly understood that politics, this thing, is dark, dirty, and bloody. It is the most untouchable taboo in the world. But he has been tightly embraced by these things since birth, so he must do it more thoroughly than everyone else and hide it better.

The Eldest Princess was very calm tonight. But Fan Xian knew that just as the smile on his face became more gentle, the killing intent in his heart became stronger, the more calm the Eldest Princess's expression was, the more...crazy she was.

Walking all the way towards the front city, looking at the dim lantern swaying slightly in front of him, Fan Xian calmly, even somewhat indifferently, analyzed what he saw and heard tonight. As for the poisonous seed that the Eldest Princess wanted to plant, Fan Xian himself had already planted it, but he had been concealing it extremely well.

How crazy will the Eldest Princess be? Is it as the old father-in-law in Wuzhou guessed? But Fan Xian still couldn't figure out where to find this opportunity...He suddenly thought that the Eldest Princess didn't mention Lin Ruofu, who was far away in Wuzhou, at all tonight.

Based on Fan Xian's understanding of that old story, the Eldest Princess may not be without emotion for Prime Minister Lin. Tonight, it was indeed a bit strange. It seems that the woman has indeed had some changes in her life recently.

"Substitute?"

Fan Xian frowned and muttered to himself. He and the Second Prince looked somewhat similar, but strangely, they didn't look much like the Emperor. On the contrary, the Crown Prince, who had always been somewhat weak, vaguely resembled the Emperor in appearance.

"Sir, what kind of thing?" the eunuch leading the way asked flatteringly.

Fan Xian laughed and said, "Waste."

———————————————————

There are special places to rest in the palace, quite far away from the inner palace.

When His Majesty the Emperor was busy with government affairs more than a decade ago, he often handled state affairs overnight, and the prime ministers and dukes at that time also had to wait in the palace. They often didn't have time to return to their residences, so the Emperor specially decreed to vacate an area in the front city for these ministers to rest in.

But now Qing is in a prosperous and peaceful era, and there are no border troubles to worry about for the time being. The palace is no longer as busy as it used to be, and this place has been quiet for a long time.

Until Fan Xian moved in today.

Before long, Fan Xian had already left the residence. Taking advantage of the shadow of the high city wall, he moved forward silently like a ghost. He grabbed a handful of remaining snow under the palace wall, carefully wiped off the faint fragrance on his fingers, and quickened his pace, heading towards Jiukesong (Nine Pine Trees).

Walking alone at night in the palace is indeed extremely risky, but Fan Xian knew that if he really acted according to normal thinking, and moved out late at night, the palace's defense forces would be the most strict at that time.

Although it was already night, there were still many people in the palace who had not fallen asleep, and unexpected night travel would be safer.

His destination was a corner of the imperial city, near the laundry area on the Jiukesong side. This workshop area is still within the imperial city, the location of the original laundry bureau during the initial construction. But later, more and more eunuchs came to the palace, and many residences were built along the laundry bureau, which gradually evolved into the eunuchs' residence.

There is also a gate leading to the outside of the palace in the laundry workshop. Although it is still guarded by Imperial Guards, after all, the eunuchs and palace maids live there, and the popularity is mixed. The gate ban is much looser than in ordinary places. Those ministers who risk sending things into the palace to the imperial concubines often pass through this place.

Fan Xian's connection with the Shufang Palace is basically through this channel.

But of course, he is not going to sneak out of the palace tonight, but to meet someone.

Meet Hongzhu.

...

...

The architectural planning around the laundry room is very chaotic. Between the high palace wall and the inner red wall, I don't know how many houses have been built, a dense mass. The night light from the sky shone down, looking dark, like the slum of Kyoto, compared with the magnificent and powerful palaces of those nobles, it looked so shabby, but without that terrible sense of loneliness.