Shadow was more concerned about Si Gu Jian's life and death than anyone else, because he didn't want Si Gu Jian to die at the hands of others, not even the merciless hand of fate. Many years ago, a sudden chaos erupted in Dongyi City. Si Gu Jian went on a sword-wielding rampage, slaughtering his family elders and relatives, with only the then sixteen-year-old Shadow escaping. From the age of sixteen, Shadow's life had continued with the intention of avenging his brother, gradually sinking into intense fear and anger, becoming the shadow behind the two successive leaders of the Overwatch Council.

Si Gu Jian was probably called a big idiot because the means he used to slaughter his own clansmen were too bloody, bordering on madness.

The story of how Shadow escaped Dongyi City, how he met Chen Pingping, and how Chen Pingping took him into the Overwatch Council, where he became unswervingly loyal and devoted, might be another long story.

Fan Xian wasn't very clear about this and didn't want to inquire too closely, because everyone around him had their own stories, their own hidden troubles, like Jing Ge, like the Yan family, like Shadow – but he knew the identity hidden deep within Shadow, knew the blood feud between him and Si Gu Jian – just as he treated everyone else around him, Fan Xian helped them, supported them, and walked with them through this difficult time.

Fan Xian didn't turn his head, and said softly, "I know you've always wanted to ask him a question. Don't worry, you'll definitely get the chance."

After a moment of silence, Shadow disappeared behind Fan Xian, without Wang Shisanlang and Ye Ling'er in the garden noticing a trace.

After a moment of silence, Fan Xian walked into the garden, and soon came to the silent couple. Wang Shisanlang looked up at him, feeling a little surprised. At this time, the Southern Qing Dynasty was engaged in the most deadly battle with the grassland Hu people and the Northern Qi support forces on the Xiliang Road. For more than ten days in a row, Fan Xian had been overwhelmed with this matter. Why did he have the leisure to stroll in the garden at this time?

Ye Ling'er was looking down at the tightly stretched embroidery frame. Having already noticed Fan Xian's arrival, she immediately jumped out of the tranquil, silent, peaceful, yet comfortable atmosphere, and a faint resentment arose in her heart. Her already slow needle speed became even slower, and it didn't look like embroidery, but rather like using the fine needle tip to tickle the tight embroidery cloth.

Fan Xian stood between the two. Since they didn't speak, he couldn't find a reason to speak. He put his hands behind his back, put on a look of understanding everything, and looked at the lonely autumn trees outside the garden, pretending to be elegant.

Seeing his pretentious appearance, Wang Shisanlang wondered if he had seen through the thoughts he had never spoken aloud, and his eyes flickered slightly. Ye Ling'er glanced at him, then lowered her head deeply and gently bit her lower lip.

The time was ripe. Fan Xian coughed twice and said, "Your Highness, although the scenery in Qingzhou is good, embroidering in the garden every day, with the courtyard walls blocking your view, how can you see it clearly?"

Hearing the words "Your Highness," Ye Ling'er thought that Fan Xian, this wicked fellow, was reminding her of something, and her face turned pale immediately. She didn't respond.

Wang Shisanlang remained silent, also misunderstanding Fan Xian's meaning, thinking, "Forget it, forget it. Although I haven't talked much with this Miss Ye, I also know that she is a woman of clear disposition. My heart has indeed been touched by the wind of Qingzhou, but… after all, the other party is the Princess of Southern Qing, and the difference in status is too great."

Fan Xian sighed and turned to Wang Shisanlang and said, "Shisan, although you have been seriously injured and need someone to take care of you, we must be cautious about the difference between men and women. Especially since Miss Ye is the Princess of my Qing Kingdom, and there is no one else watching in this garden, the two of you sitting face to face like this, you have to think about how I will explain to the palace after I return to Kyoto."

These words were clear. Wang Shisanlang had been feeling some regret, but his nature, beneath the gentleness, was extremely persistent. He raised an eyebrow and looked at Fan Xian, saying, "I will leave the residence immediately."

Ye Ling'er raised her head in astonishment, glaring fiercely at Fan Xian.

Fan Xian was slightly stunned, then smiled gently, thinking that this was a Wang Shisanlang worthy of his trust. Ignoring Ye Ling'er's angry gaze beside him, he flipped his palm and drew three circles in the air, and grabbed the embroidery cloth in front of Ye Ling'er, gently and without wind, but extremely fast. It was the little trick he relied on to make a name for himself.

Subconsciously, Ye Ling'er pinched her fingertips, and the embroidery needle, carrying the sound of breaking through the air, pierced towards Fan Xian's wrist, at an extremely tricky angle.

This was also a small trick, but Fan Xian had taught her these tricks in the first place, so how could she prevent Fan Xian from taking the cloth?

In a flash of a figure, Fan Xian had already snatched the embroidery cloth from her hand and floated to Wang Shisanlang's side, smiling and saying, "Shisan, I'm just afraid you'll be deceived. Our Princess is not a lady who knows how to embroider."

Wang Shisanlang was slightly stunned, not understanding why the director would suddenly say this, and then he saw Fan Xian put the embroidery cloth in front of his eyes. He saw that the embroidery cloth was embroidered with... half a... duck?

Ye Ling'er had been embroidering in the garden, within Wang Shisanlang's sight, for seven whole days, and the result... was only half a duck?

Wang Shisanlang immediately understood what Fan Xian meant by misunderstanding, and couldn't help but smile slightly. Fan Xian laughed loudly and said, "The joy between men and women is a matter of course, and no one can stop you, but you have to think carefully."

Ye Ling'er suddenly stood up, trembling with anger, looking at Fan Xian with great anger, but she was embarrassed and couldn't say a word. Mist gradually rose in her eyes, looking quite pitiful.

Wang Shisanlang looked at the woman's appearance, and his heart ached for no reason. He naturally restrained his smile and looked full of concern.

Fan Xian slowly stopped laughing, suddenly lowered his voice and said in Wang Shisanlang's ear, "You always have to date when you're in love. What's the use of two fools sitting together for a lifetime?"

The words finally made it clear. Wang Shisanlang knew that this person had come specifically to tear down the paper on the window for him. While feeling a little embarrassed, he couldn't help but feel grateful, but he couldn't say such shameless words like Fan Xian. Ye Ling'er didn't know what Fan Xian said, and looked at the whispering couple, feeling very uneasy.

Fan Xian finished what he had to do and walked leisurely towards the front court of the military yamen, his posture very leisurely, as if he had done a great good deed and was extremely proud.

Ye Ling'er looked at his back, and for some reason, a great unwillingness arose in her heart. She snorted softly and said sarcastically, "Master, I can't embroider, but this duck is probably... embroidered better than yours."

Hearing these words, Fan Xian immediately thought of the little needle marks on Wan'er's fingertips back then, and the duck picture. He felt a chill on his body and was greatly embarrassed. Where could he still respond? He quickly fled in panic.

Looking at this scene, Ye Ling'er chuckled, her laughter echoing like silver bells in the autumn garden of Qingzhou. However, the person next to her didn't laugh, but just watched her quietly and admiringly.

It was boring to laugh alone. Ye Ling'er stopped laughing in embarrassment. In the ten days or so that Wang Shisanlang had been recuperating from his injuries, she had indeed restrained her unrestrained and arrogant nature, and seemed particularly peaceful. Unexpectedly, Fan Xian had broken her defenses in the end. She didn't know if this scene would make that man think that she was too sharp. Countless thoughts flashed in her heart, and the emotions in her eyes were extremely complicated.

Wang Shisanlang's mood was actually a little nervous, but he concealed it very well. He looked at Ye Ling'er and said, "My name is Wang Yi, formerly known as Tie Xiang. I am the thirteenth disciple of the Sword Lodge in Dongyi City. I am very grateful for the princess's care these days."

Ye Ling'er didn't expect the other party to speak suddenly, and to speak so seriously. Her heart was a little flustered. She calmed her mind, returned a salute, and said indifferently, "Lord Wang is too polite."

Referring to the other party by his official position, Ye Ling'er felt that it would be much easier and more natural, but she just didn't understand. They had been together for more than ten days, and had only spoken more than a dozen words in total. Why did the other party have to thank her so seriously at this time?

Was he really planning to leave the residence, or was all of this just a dream? Ye Ling'er sighed softly in her heart. If it were an ordinary woman, she might have chosen to leave at this time because of the melancholy in her heart, but Ye Ling'er was Ye Ling'er after all. She couldn't embroider, she only knew how to wield knives and spears. Although she was a widow, she was still full of tomboy energy, just like when she was ten years old...

She stared intently at Wang Shisanlang's eyes and said, "Just say what you have to say directly. There's no need to introduce yourself. Judging from your actions, you are also a straightforward person. Don't learn from Fan Xian, who is so long-winded and hypocritical."

Wang Shisanlang was slightly stunned. After a long while, he said seriously, "Lord Fan said... everything can be negotiated."

Ye Ling'er was stunned, understanding some of the meaning. She suddenly felt a gust of autumn wind blowing, and when it brushed against her cheek, it didn't have any murderous intent, but only the utmost gentleness.

……

……

The matter between Wang Shisanlang and Ye Ling'er didn't turn out the way Fan Xian imagined. After his teasing, they didn't meet like golden wind and jade dew, surpassing the countless people in the world, nor did they meet like dry firewood and raging fire, becoming as unstoppable as the Yellow River overflowing its banks. On the contrary, to his surprise, this young couple still maintained their etiquette, sitting across the stone path from each other, only occasionally saying a few more words.

Strangely enough, both Wang Shisanlang and Ye Ling'er had first-class personalities. Especially Ye Ling'er, who had grown up on the edge of the grasslands, was much more cheerful than the young ladies in Kyoto. But once the word "love" was involved, and because of the tragedy in Kyoto the year before, and Shisanlang's identity, both of them became somewhat silent.

Seeing all of this, Fan Xian wasn't in a hurry. Anyway, things in the world are always a thousand different ways. It's impossible to ask all loving men and women to be as impatient as himself, climbing over walls, turning over windows, and sleeping with flowers.

Moreover, he didn't have time to pay attention to these beautiful things, because the ugly things on Xiliang Road still needed him to lead the way.

Time quickly entered the end of late autumn and the beginning of early winter. The eight major divisions of the Overwatch Council gathered in Dingzhou City, and the eight tribes on the grassland gathered in the royal court to discuss matters. The Qing Kingdom ruthlessly cut off the hand extended by the grassland, as well as the hand extended by Northern Qi towards the grassland, and coldly watched the situation on the grassland gradually deteriorate.

The arrangements that Master Ku He made on the grassland before his death, and the hand that the young emperor of Northern Qi had stretched out over the past year, crossing the North Sea, crossing the desert, and touching the border of Southern Qing, shook hands lightly at the junction of Xiliang Road and the grassland.

However, after shaking hands for nearly a year, the Southern Qing Dynasty was greatly tested. The border was extremely tight, and the national treasury, military strength, and spirit were forced to stay in the west, which eased the pressure on the true enemy, Northern Qi.

Under the auspices of the Emperor, the Overwatch Council spent four months preparing. Fan Xian personally led the team, and finally, in the late autumn and early winter of Qingli 9, he cut off these two hands holding together. The situation on the grassland would probably not deteriorate to an unmanageable degree under the control of Chanyu Subida and Haitang, but it would not be so easy for the young emperor of Northern Qi to stir up trouble on Xiliang Road. Moreover, Fan Xian had also set up his own forces on the grassland, and he would begin to reap the fruits when spring blossoms next year.

After finally confirming the implementation of the various arrangements and verifying the effectiveness of the operations, Fan Xian finally got rid of the extremely busy duties of the hospital and began to prepare to return to Kyoto. Wang Shisanlang would not return to Kyoto with him, firstly because his injuries had not yet healed, secondly because Fan Xian didn't want him to have too much contact with Shadow along the way, and thirdly because Ye Ling'er would return to Kyoto for the New Year more than half a month later, so it was always good to let these two people stay together longer.

Once Fan Xian made a decision, he rarely changed it. Since he had decided to help Ye Ling'er and Wang Shisanlang get together, he naturally had his own confidence. After returning to Kyoto, while resolving the affairs of the First Prince's family, he would probably also go to the Privy Council to propose marriage to General Ye. Of course, this matter would first require the Emperor's approval.

On the fifteenth day of the winter month in the ninth year of Qingli, the Overwatch Council ended its operations on Xiliang Road, and Director Fan Xian set foot on the road back to Kyoto via Dingzhou. Outside the majestic city of Dingzhou, countless officials and generals came to see him off, densely lined up in two rows.

The Governor-General of Xiliang Road and General Li Hongcheng stood side by side with Fan Xian, said a few official words, and ended the conversation. At the end, Li Hongcheng took a deep look at Fan Xian. Fan Xian knew what he meant, but he didn't respond. He just said softly, "I'll wait for you in Kyoto."

The motorcade set off and drove onto the official road in front of Dingzhou City. Subconsciously, Fan Xian looked back, not focusing his gaze on the officials from the military and political sides of Dingzhou City, but instead looking up at the row of wooden frames on the gate of Dingzhou City.

A whole row of wooden frames were nailed above the gate of Dingzhou City. Each vertical frame was hanging a corpse. In this operation, a total of forty or so spies were executed. These spies could not rest in peace even after death, and were hung high above the city gate, allowing the autumn wind to blow and the autumn sun to bake them.

Some of the corpses that had been hung up the earliest had rotted almost completely. Even the carrion birds in the reclaimed land were unwilling to peck at them anymore, revealing the faintly visible white bones underneath. The clothes on the corpses were even more tattered, with black blood stains from the torture.

A long row of corpses swayed slowly in the wind above the city gate, exuding a terrifying and bloody smell, welcoming everyone who came from the Central Plains, and warning everyone in the world with this terrible sight.

……

……

Fan Xian narrowed his eyes and pulled his head back from the window. Hanging corpses had its own effect in psychological warfare. At least the spies sent by the young emperor of Northern Qi in the future would have some fear from the start. However, in the Central Plains, because of the moral and ethical restraints that have existed for thousands of years, there were very few cases of killing prisoners, and even less of defiling corpses.

But Dingzhou City was not the Central Plains. It was the key place where the Central Plains fought with the Western Hu. The two sides had been fighting for thousands of years, and even more cruel things had been done.

Fan Xian didn't have any sympathy for those spies, because what he had seen along the way from Dingzhou to Qingzhou had made him understand that once the war started, especially the long-standing hatred between nations, it was impossible to solve it with morality and ethics. Just take those dozens of corpses hanging on the city gate as an example. At least they had cost the Qing Kingdom the lives of thousands of civilians. What made Fan Xian even more ruthless was that these people were not Hu people, but Northern Qi people who shared the same origin, the same species, and the same ancestors as the Qing people.

As for the hatred between the grassland and the Central Plains, if his generation didn't have the ability to resolve it peacefully, then leave it to the more intelligent descendants.

Fan Xian began to close his eyes and rest, thinking to himself that he had cut off the hands that Northern Qi and the grassland were holding, at least severely injuring them. He was afraid that he had also cut a tragic wound between himself and Haitang. He didn't know if this wound could heal in the future, and he didn't know what Haitang would do on the grassland. This grassland, this majestic city, this border, would he ever come here again in his life?

Thinking so gloomily, the envoy's carriage had arrived at the nearest post station outside Dingzhou City, which was the place where Fan Xian had peeped at a pornographic scene that day.

After entering the post station, Fan Xian joked with the familiar post station chief, but the post station chief, who had finally been released from prison, didn't dare to respond loudly, and honestly went to boil water.

Fan Xian looked at Deng Ziyue beside him and said, "Ziyue, you still have to stay in Xiliang Road for two years."

Key members of the eight divisions of the Overwatch Council had come to Dingzhou to supervise the battle, and Deng Ziyue had even been summoned back from Northern Qi by Fan Xian from thousands of miles away. Now that Fan Xian was leaving, all the affairs of Xiliang Road were handed over to Deng Ziyue. The officials would return after seeing the envoy out of the city, but the officials of the Overwatch Council stayed at the post station.

Deng Ziyue nodded and said, "I'll listen to your arrangements, sir."

Fan Xian thought for a moment, gave him a few instructions, and then began to read the court gazettes from Kyoto. After a while, his eyes narrowed slightly. As the second person in charge of the Qinian Group, Deng Ziyue had served Lord Fan for a long time. Seeing him narrow his eyes, he knew that some trouble was happening, and asked softly.

Fan Xian smiled and said, "The hospital gazette mentioned it, and the court gazette finally confirmed that the commander of the imperial guards in the palace has been replaced."

Deng Ziyue was shocked, thinking that the First Prince had always been prudent in presiding over the imperial guards, so why would he suddenly be replaced?

……

……

(Thousands upon thousands of trees bloomed overnight, and suddenly the monthly votes soared to the top three, which was really a surprise. Everyone is very strong, very caring, and I am very grateful, very grateful. This chapter's name is long again, which is a personal preference. Recently, I occasionally feel listless, and the words and plot may be a little rough in some places. Please forgive me. Please continue to vote for support, and I will try to do better. ps: Tomorrow is Fei Liguo's birthday, and I am forced to wish him a happy birthday, hehe... Say thank you again, bow and step down.)