(I'll only write three thousand characters tomorrow. I need to slow down because I... don't know how to write anymore.)

Hearing the Emperor's words, Ye Wan's expression didn't change, but his slightly lowered head perfectly concealed the strange glint in his eyes.

This powerful figure who had risen abruptly in Qing Yu Nian, had broken with his biological father in his youth and traveled from Dingzhou to Nan Zhao. If it weren't for the secret support from the man on the dragon throne in the Kyoto Imperial Palace, if it weren't for the steady will he had forged during those years of suppression, how could he have remained suppressed for so long, only to finally erupt in a violent outburst?

It was precisely this experience that gave Ye Wan an extremely strong ability for self-control. When the Emperor had previously pointed out that he was not a match for Shang Shanhu, Ye Wan had revealed a trace of unwillingness on his face, but this trace of unwillingness was actually deliberately shown.

Not being as good as the renowned general Shang Shanhu was not a difficult criticism to accept, but after all, he was a new generation of military leaders that the Emperor valued highly. If he appeared too wooden, lacking the vigor and ambition that a young man should have, it might not be a good response.

However, upon hearing the name Fan Xian, the strange glint in Ye Wan's eyes was entirely heartfelt. It was not only because the Emperor had previously pointed out that his achievements in the Xihu grasslands were partly due to Fan Xian's secret assistance, but also because Ye Wan was shocked to discover that the Emperor's previous words had elevated Fan Xian's life and death to a status completely equal to the Emperor's own.

Who was Fan Xian? The whole world knew. Although Ye Wan was often on the front lines of Nan Zhao and had basically not been involved in the affairs of Kyoto, the relationship between the Ye Mansion and Fan Xian was extremely complex, so how could he not secretly understand the young and powerful official who had successfully changed his sister's personality, the great figure who, in these short years, had illuminated the Qing Yu Nian sky like fireworks?

Ye Wan had suppressed himself for many years, observing the world for many years. He had his own confidence and believed that he was no worse than any of the rising figures in the world, but the Emperor had always quietly placed him in a remote prefecture, so he lacked a stage. Now, this stage had appeared beneath his feet. Through the victory at Qingzhou and the subsequent bloody pursuit, he had begun to radiate dazzling light. However, whenever he thought of the name Fan Xian, he always felt a little strange.

Not jealousy, not envy, but a faint coldness. Ye Wan had coldly observed Kyoto for several years and always felt that he couldn't see through Fan Xian. After careful consideration, there was admiration, fear, sympathy, and contempt, all extraordinarily complex.

Even so, Ye Wan still didn't think that Fan Xian was a great figure who could shake the world, because he believed that as a courtier and citizen, no matter who it was, including himself, could not reach that level. After the Four Grandmasters had disappeared, no one else in the world, except for the two monarchs in the north and south, should be able to stand in that position.

……

……

"Do you think that I have raised him too high?" The Emperor lowered his head slightly, gently stroking the white cat in his arms, clearly aware of the emotion in the young official's heart. "Young man, it's okay to be proud, but sometimes, daring to admit that you are not as good as someone is the true pride."

Ye Wan respectfully accepted the teaching, and in the increasingly dim twilight of the deep palace, he sincerely bowed to the Emperor.

The Emperor narrowed his eyes slightly, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes adding a few traces of vicissitude in the dim light. He said slowly, "There are many people in this world who can escape my control, but very few can remain calm and steady in resisting me. You naturally don't see through An Zhi as clearly as I do."

This was true, but it was also somewhat vague. At the beginning of the year, during the winter snow Kyoto upheaval, Fan Xian rampaged through Kyoto, killing all the officials of the He faction in a single day, shocking the court and the world. He assassinated in the palace, was branded a traitor...

And what puzzled all the ministers and caused all the teahouse gossip to lose its direction was the fact that the Qing Yu Nian court did indeed expend a great deal of effort in pursuing Fan Xian and the assassins who had assassinated in the palace, but it never took action against Fan Xian's forces scattered throughout the country!

The former Jian察院 officials who were obviously involved in the murder of He officials in Kyoto were not even interrogated, but were simply dismissed en masse. The Fan faction forces in the Jiangnan area did not face a crushing blow from the Imperial Palace. The Emperor, who had always been ruthless and decisive in his life, seemed to have lost the imperial mind he had always maintained when facing Fan Xian, appearing too gentle and benevolent, even to the point of being somewhat muddled.

No one dared to criticize the Emperor, but many people questioned him. Why was the Emperor so lenient and merciful towards the insane Fan Xian rebels? Could it be that there was some unspeakable background to this matter?

After Ye Wan worked hard to kill his way back from the grasslands, he learned about the aftermath of the Kyoto turmoil and was also shocked and puzzled.

The reason for this was that all the important ministers did not know that on that snowy night, the Emperor and Fan Xian had talked in the Imperial Palace for an entire night. The Emperor did not want to eliminate the Fan faction, but he was touched and had to abide by the promise of a two-person war with Fan Xian. If the court really cleansed the Fan faction, what Qing Yu Nian would face was probably the biggest turmoil since the founding of the country.

It must be said that in handling this matter, the Emperor lacked a trace of the courage he had shown in his rapid rise in the past and had a little more hesitation. It must also be said that only Fan Xian could understand the Emperor's desire for eternal rule and hold the lifeblood of Qing Yu Nian so tightly, forcing the Emperor to make such a gesture.

In this world, Fan Xian was the only one who could force the Qing Emperor to lay down his butcher's knife.

"If Fan Xian doesn't die, my heart will not be at peace." The Emperor's fingers, which were stroking the white cat's fur, suddenly stiffened slightly, and he slowly closed his eyes, saying to Ye Wan beside him.

Ye Wan's heart turned cold, and he lowered his head in silence.

"How is your Fluid Cloud Hand coming along?" The Emperor asked indifferently. Ye Wan's heart stirred. He didn't understand why the Emperor had suddenly changed the subject and begun to test his cultivation. After a moment of thought, he replied honestly and steadily, "Just entered the doorway."

"Your father mastered the Great Coffin Cleaver to the extreme twenty years ago, but he could not take it any further. Although Fan Xian is unusually diligent, it is obvious that he has not been able to make any further progress after learning the Great Coffin Cleaver from your sister. Uncle Liu Yun's unique skill cannot be lost, now that you have entered the doorway, I am very pleased."

The Emperor still had his eyes closed, and said, "Even so, you are still not Fan Xian's opponent. If you encounter him in the future, take three steps back first."

Ye Wan's heart was shaken again. Although he was indeed unwilling to be commented by the Emperor as not as good as Fan Xian, he had already guessed too much from the Emperor's previous words that if Fan Xian didn't die, the imperial heart wouldn't be at peace. The person whom the powerful and god-like Emperor didn't hesitate to lure and kill at the cost of national affairs and wars was probably someone he really couldn't compare to.

But then, a fierce and stubborn emotion arose in Ye Wan's heart. The most brilliant and dazzling general of the younger generation of the Qing army didn't change his expression, but he faintly yearned for a face-to-face battle with Fan Xian in the future.

The night gradually encroached upon the twilight, surrounding the heavily guarded Imperial Palace, enveloping the two monarchs and ministers in front of the Taiji Hall. The Emperor slowly opened his eyes, the light in his eyes seeming to illuminate the Imperial Palace clearly in an instant.

At this moment, Eunuch Yao came to the Emperor's soft couch, holding a wooden tray in his hand. The tray was lined with yellow silk, and on it were two letter-like objects.

Ye Wan was slightly surprised, wondering what this meant. Subconsciously, he glanced at the Emperor.

"One is the essence of the cultivation technique I practice, and the other is the secret decree I left for you." The Emperor stared straight ahead and said casually, "Within a year, if I die, the secret decree can be opened. If I don't die, then burn the secret decree. As for the essence of the cultivation technique, if you can make some progress, it can be regarded as some compensation from me to your old Ye family."

Ye Wan didn't understand what the compensation meant, but he understood the four words "essence of the cultivation technique." Even though he was a seasoned and ruthless general who killed without blinking an eye on the grasslands, he couldn't help but be moved at this moment. His body trembled slightly, and without thinking, he knelt in front of the Emperor and kowtowed heavily.

Ye Wan didn't feign politeness, because he knew that the Emperor had written his experience as a Grandmaster in this letter, which was undoubtedly a priceless treasure for him. The Emperor's action was naturally to hope that the Ye family could still be absolutely loyal to the Imperial family in his hands. This trust made Ye Wan feel every inch of his skin trembling.

"I have already appointed you as the martial arts tutor of Chengping a few days ago. Since this is the case, you should visit Shufang Palace more often." The Emperor didn't seem to care at all that he had casually thrown the essence of the domineering cultivation technique to a minister, as if he wasn't worried about Ye Wan's loyalty to the Imperial family.

Ye Wan had received too much mental shock during his audience with the Emperor today. His face was slightly pale, but it didn't affect his thinking and judgment. From the Emperor's words, he immediately understood the meaning. Now that the Imperial family's bloodline was withering, the First Prince had rebelled in reality and was far away in Dongyi City, confronting the court. The Second Prince and the Crown Prince had already died tragically. Fan Xian's rebellion had left him missing and his fate unknown. Although the Consort Mei in the palace seemed to be about to give birth, the Third Prince Li Chengping was the only one who was vaguely regarded as the crown prince by the ministers of the court.

Since the Emperor was injured at the beginning of the year, his health had not been very good. Although he recovered much faster than ordinary people, he was always easily tired, and he had been less involved in the affairs of the court than in previous years. Fortunately, Grand Secretary Hu and Grand Secretary Pan Ling presided over the Ministry of Ministries, so there were no problems. However, three months ago, the Third Prince, who had been under house arrest in the palace for half a year, was suddenly ordered by the Emperor to attend lectures in the Imperial Study. In this month, the Third Prince even began to review memorials on the Emperor's orders. These signals made the entire Nan Qing Yu Nian court guess the Emperor's intentions.

The Emperor appointed Ye Wan as the martial arts tutor, secretly granted him a secret decree today, secretly sent him a cultivation technique, and ordered him to be close to the Third Prince. The meaning of these actions was self-evident. Ye Wan was shocked and greatly grateful. He prostrated himself on the ground and kowtowed again.

"Go, remember what I said today." The Emperor looked at the increasingly dark eaves of the palace, narrowed his eyes slightly, and said slowly, "Especially that sentence, among my sons, An Zhi is the most ruthless. If he really survives, you must take three steps back in front of him."

Ye Wan frowned slightly. Suddenly, a trace of anger surged from nowhere. This anger was not because the Emperor had told him to take three steps back when he saw Fan Xian, but because he felt that Fan Xian was too rebellious, disloyal, unfilial, and not a human being!

But he didn't say anything. After bowing solemnly again, he walked out of the Imperial Palace along the long corridor. As he walked, Ye Wan felt his shoulders becoming heavier and heavier, and his mood became heavier and heavier. On the one hand, it was because he knew that the Emperor had given him a heavy burden. On the other hand, it was because he suddenly smelled an extremely ominous scent from the Emperor's conversation today, the scent of an old man.

Ye Wan's heart trembled slightly. An uncontrollable sadness pressed down on his heavy back as he walked through the Imperial Palace. Without the Emperor, there would be no Ye Wan today. The loyalty of the next master of the Ye family to the Li family had never wavered in the slightest, but at this moment, he felt that the Emperor seemed to be entrusting him with an orphan. Why was this? Why was this?

Although the Emperor was old and tired, he was still so powerful. Why would he say such things and make such arrangements? If the Emperor really passed away, and the Third Prince ascended the throne, with the relationship between Shufang Palace and the Fan Mansion, wouldn't the Qing Yu Nian court of the future become the world of that traitorous villain Fan Xian?

Ye Wan only felt a chill pierce into his brain along his back. He didn't dare to make any more guesses or thoughts. He raised his head and walked out of the Imperial Palace coldly.

……

……

The Taiji Hall was not lit, and it was still dark. The Emperor didn't look at Ye Wan's slightly sad back. He just stared coldly at the darkness in front of him, as if to find his own fire in this darkness.

After a long silence, the Emperor suddenly said, "In my life, I have given birth to so many sons, but I didn't expect that in the end, I would be forced into such a predicament by An Zhi."

"I didn't expect that he would actually come back alive from the Temple." A trace of cold light flashed in the Emperor's eyes. After a moment of pause, he said, "But I am still the father, and he is the son. How can a son surpass his father in this world?"

Eunuch Yao, who was accompanying him, broke out in a cold sweat. How could he dare to respond to this kind of self-talk from the Emperor?

The Emperor suddenly sighed somewhat desolately, looking at the Imperial City wall in front of him, which appeared particularly tall in the darkness, and at the not-so-bright lights of the Imperial Guards on the wall, his eyes narrowed slightly, not knowing what he was thinking.

Since the assassination in the Imperial Palace last time, the Emperor had never left the palace again. In the eyes of many ministers, this was originally the Emperor's habit, and some people thought that perhaps the Emperor's body had not fully recovered, so he was recuperating in the palace. However, only he himself knew that the reason why he didn't leave the palace was because... he didn't dare to leave the palace.

The thunderous sound on the Imperial City on that day, that black box that had been floating in the human world and always drifting outside of Qing Emperor's control, gave the powerful human monarch the heaviest blow. Although this blow was not fatal, it successfully shattered the confidence of this monarch.

There were truly things in this world that could easily kill him. The Emperor had always been wary of that box. Now that he knew that the box was outside the Imperial Palace, although it was not in Fan Xian's hands, it was in the hands of his enemies. How could he leave the palace?

The Emperor didn't know when the box would make a sound again, but he already knew that Fan Xian had returned alive. Fan Xian had returned. What about Lao Wu?

The Emperor lowered his eyes slightly, guarding the lonely palace, and his decree could be spread throughout the world. However, this high Imperial City and long palace wall were like a wall, imprisoning him in this deep palace.

"If Fan Xian doesn't die, my heart will not be at peace." A trace of sternness slowly floated on the Emperor's thin cheeks, and he said coldly. However, the old and haggard wrinkles did not smooth out because of this sinister expression. Like the bark of a withered tree, they appeared irreversible and shocking.

This was the second time the Emperor had said these four words today. The relationship between him and Fan Xian involved too many complex past events, present-day grudges, and differences in ideas. It was a matter of life and death. Even so, Qing Emperor also greatly appreciated his most accomplished son. However, the more he appreciated him, the more angry he became. In his life, he had never wanted someone to die like this night.

Perhaps it was only when he discovered that Chen Pingping had betrayed him, and had been secretly betraying him for many years, that he would be as angry as he was now.

Qing Emperor had his own royal way, rarely showing joy or anger. However, once he fell into mortal emotions, he was just an ordinary person after all. He looked at the deep night palace with a complex expression, thinking about the missing box, thinking about Fan Xian and Lao Wu, who were rushing to Kyoto at this moment, and his mood returned from the previous anger to absolute calm.

At this moment, hurried footsteps came from the long corridor behind the soft couch. Eunuch Yao turned around angrily, only to see Eunuch Hong Zhu, who had already returned to the Emperor's side in the Imperial Study to handle affairs, walking over with a lantern in his hand, his face full of joy.

Perhaps it was because the night was too dark, but the pimples on Hong Zhu's face were not very obvious. He knelt beside the Emperor and said in a trembling voice, "Long live, congratulations."