Niao Ni
Chapter 324: The Collective Memory of the Qing People Regarding the Ye Family
"The Ye family was implicated in a treasonous crime back then. Only after that mysterious mistress passed away were all their assets seized and placed into the Imperial Treasury," one man said, his voice filled with worry. "If young Master Fan is truly that mistress's orphaned child... I fear this matter is fraught with complications."
"Treason? Then why are the managers of Qing Yu Nian still so plump and prosperous?" a scholar with remarkably thick eyebrows retorted mockingly. "It seems to me that the court seized their assets under the pretense of their being orphans without a mother. Now, wouldn't you know it, suddenly an heir to the Ye family appears. I suspect the court is in a panic."
"Panic over what?"
"Doesn't His Majesty intend for Vice Director Fan to concurrently manage the Imperial Treasury? This treasury originally belonged to his family. How exactly is he supposed to manage it?"
"The Imperial Treasury?" another scoffed. "I reckon Vice Director Fan is about to be in deep trouble, and soon."
The innkeeper, wiping cold sweat from his brow, approached them, saying, "Gentlemen, could you please keep your voices down a bit? If the gentlemen from the Imperial Censorate overhear, I won't be able to keep my humble establishment open."
The innkeeper of Yi Shi Residence rarely came out to greet customers, but today he had ascended to the upper floor. Several familiar patrons rose to greet him. The innkeeper, while attending to the guests, also listened intently to their drunken ramblings. Yi Shi Residence was an asset of the Cui family. Recently, the Cui family had been on the verge of collapse. Hearing the rumors about the background of their great enemy, Vice Director Fan, the Cui family members were secretly delighted and eagerly watched the unfolding situation.
The young man who had earlier accused the court of seizing the Ye family's assets, true to his drunken boldness, laughed and said, "What are you afraid of, innkeeper? Does the Imperial Censorate really believe they can silence the public? Even if they dare, His Majesty wouldn't allow it. Look at those they arrested and brought back to the Imperial Censorate yesterday. Weren't they sent back safe and sound today? We're just chatting idly; we haven't violated any Qing laws."
The person beside him remained worried. "Vice Director Fan is in a difficult position now. If he is truly a descendant of the Ye family... I suspect his career will end here."
This statement was not entirely explicit. After all, they were not officials and were in a public restaurant in broad daylight. No one dared to voice their true judgment. In their hearts, they assumed that once the court learned of Fan Xian's background, they would first strip him of his position and second... perhaps even take his life.
"What about the Fan residence?" the man continued with a sigh. "Minister Fan of the Ministry of Revenue has managed the ministry for years and is a renowned capable official. Is he to suffer ruin because of a past indiscretion?"
After the rumors reached the capital, besides the speculation about Fan Xian's background, what the people of the capital were most fascinated by was how Minister Fan Jian of the Ministry of Revenue had managed to woo the mysterious mistress of the Ye family and how she had conceived a child out of wedlock. Everyone knew that Minister Fan had been a renowned romantic figure on the Liujing River, but they had never expected him to possess such ability as to attract the mistress of the wealthiest merchant in the land.
However, in the process of spreading the rumors, the daughters of noble families and the young ladies of ordinary households developed a completely different feeling toward Minister Fan. The Ye family had been accused of a treasonous crime. Yet Fan Jian, who had held a very low official rank at the time, had managed to keep the child he had with that woman alive and hidden from the palace for so many years, risking grave danger. This story seemed enough to create a new tale, with the potential to become a popular romance novel.
Until now, people seemed to finally understand why Fan Jian had kept Fan Xian in Danzhou for sixteen years, refusing to let him enter the capital.
Judging from the flustered appearance of the Imperial Censorate's Eighth Bureau, people knew that the rumor must be highly accurate. However, with the wise Emperor on the throne, Vice Director Fan was, after all, not Chen Pingping. He could not cover the sky with one hand, nor did he dare to invite all the chatty people in the capital to the Eighth Bureau for tea. In the end, he could only watch helplessly as the matter gradually escalated.
For example, the people who had been arrested yesterday had been released today, which was clear evidence.
As a result, people no longer resented the young Vice Director Fan for suppressing public opinion, a serious taboo. Instead, they felt a sense of sympathy for this young official whose future was uncertain and whose life was "difficult to know." After all, Fan Xian had gained an excellent reputation in Qing over the past two years, both domestically and abroad, and had brought too much honor to the court. The thought of him about to fall from grace evoked a degree of public and scholarly sympathy, especially considering his mother, who had also seemingly disappeared without a trace due to a trumped-up charge of treason.
"The Ye family? Which Ye family?"
At this moment, a young man in the restaurant asked foolishly. He had been listening for a while but still didn't understand what the Ye family associated with young Master Fan was all about. After all, the events of that time were too far in the past. Time, like water, had made too many people in Qing almost forget that golden name.
"You don't even know the Ye family?" Some of the older people began to smile contemptuously. Sure enough, he was just a young pup whose beard hadn't even grown in yet. Not knowing the once-famous Ye family, they felt it necessary to give him a lesson.
"The Ye family was the wealthiest merchant in the land," a middle-aged man said with longing. "The Ye family that made glass and sold it as silver."
Someone objected, thinking that the emphasis wasn't clear. "The Ye family was the Ye family that made soap and perfume. Oh, the perfume has been out of production for over ten years. I doubt you've ever had the pleasure of smelling it."
"The Ye family was the only family that could make strong liquor."
Someone added, "The Ye family was the family that provided a large portion of the court's military equipment."
"You know the Imperial Treasury, right? Do you know where all the money that our great Qing Dynasty spends every year comes from?" the middle-aged man ridiculed. "It's the Imperial Treasury, which makes money from Northern Qi, Dongyi, and even the seas. And what is the Imperial Treasury? It's the old Ye family's assets!"
The young man who had asked the question was stunned, his mouth wide open. "Good heavens, they were that amazing?"
The scholar with the greatest courage, who had directly accused the court of seizing the family's assets, shook his head and sneered. "If the Ye family was just a merchant, how could they have grown to such a scale back then? If she was just a merchant, how could she have been... eliminated?"
The middle-aged man asked curiously, "Oh, does brother know something?"
"The Ye family..." The scholar shook his head and sighed. "They were said to have a very close relationship with the Imperial Censorate. When the Imperial Censorate was first established, I heard that all the income was provided by the Ye family. Of course, this is just a legend."
After pondering for a moment, the middle-aged man suddenly had a flash of inspiration. He said to everyone around him, "Everyone, do you remember the stone tablet at the entrance of the Imperial Censorate?"
Everyone nodded. Suddenly, their expressions changed, and they seemed to realize something. They exclaimed in unison, "Could it be that that passage... that Ye Qingmei, was the mistress of the Ye family!"
The scholar's expression also changed slightly. He sighed, "No wonder, no wonder... no wonder young Master Fan was willing to give up his prestigious literary name, even at the risk of tarnishing himself, and insisted on working in the Imperial Censorate. I'm afraid he knows this very well. Hmph..." He exclaimed in surprise, "Young Master Fan initially served as Vice Director of the Imperial Censorate, which has always been quite strange. Could it be that Director Chen knew all along..."
Before he could finish speaking, the middle-aged man hurriedly grabbed a wine cup and stuffed it into his mouth, stopping his next words. The scholar was stunned for a moment and then felt lingering fear. The people of Qing were honest and straightforward and were not particularly afraid of the officials or young Master Fan. Otherwise, how would they dare to discuss his gossip so openly in the restaurant? Only that old man in the wheelchair was feared by everyone like a ghost, and they dared not speak of him.
The restaurant finally became truly quiet. Everyone began to drink wine and eat, and after an unknown amount of time, they suddenly heard a voice of delight from a corner.
Everyone was startled and turned to look. They saw that it was the young man who hadn't known the glorious history of the Ye family earlier. He stood up, extremely excited, and waved his arms, saying, "I remember the Ye family! I remember! The Ye family was the Ye family that made firecrackers!"
Everyone laughed and ignored him.
In reality, for most of the people in Qing, the Ye family had become a noun in an old paper stack. No one would deliberately retain her existence in their memory. Even the people who had been talking so eloquently at this Yi Shi Residence, if placed two days ago, might not have remembered the many changes the Ye family had brought to Qing. However, after the rumors that Vice Director Fan was a descendant of the Ye family spread to the capital, everyone discussed it so much that they gradually awakened their sleeping memories and began to recall that Qing after the appearance of the Ye family seemed to be so different from Qing before the appearance of the Ye family...
Perhaps it was just a young lady from a certain household beginning to miss the scent of perfume, perhaps it was just a city gate guard remembering the wonders of soap while taking a bath, perhaps it was just a soldier staring blankly at the crossbow in his hand, perhaps it was a merchant heading north to Shangjing carefully wiping a glass horse with silk cloth, perhaps it was a poet drinking strong liquor and feeling endless joy in his heart, perhaps it was the old man in the Imperial Censorate lifting the black cloth and looking at everything in the world, perhaps it was just a young man remembering the first firecracker he had set off as a child.
In short, because of the rumors about Fan Xian's background, people began to think of the Ye family for this or that reason.
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Fan Xian walked out the door, stretching lazily in the rare warm winter sun, a refreshing smile on his face. Because of this matter, it was inconvenient for him to return to Cang Mountain. According to his father's wishes, everyone in the Fan residence acted as if nothing had happened, calmly observing everything and welcoming the whispers around them.
Deng Ziyue walked over and handed him the Imperial Censorate's daily report and the Enlai Group's private intelligence. Fan Xian glanced through it in the sunlight, asking, "Regarding that rumor, have the officials in the capital made any moves?"
Deng Ziyue secretly watched the Vice Director's calm face, admiring him greatly. Such a big thing had happened, yet he was still so composed. Wasn't the Vice Director afraid that the palace would send someone to arrest him immediately? He didn't know about Fan Xian's anxious appearance on Cang Mountain and couldn't help but think even more highly of him.
When Deng Ziyue and all the officials in the Imperial Censorate initially heard this rumor, they felt the same shock and disbelief as the general populace. However, after a moment's thought, everyone realized that although the rumor lacked evidence, it was very believable when juxtaposed with Vice Director Fan's actions after entering the capital. If he wasn't a descendant of the Ye family, why would Director Chen love him so much? If he wasn't a descendant of the Ye family, why would Minister Fan so strongly plan to have his son take over the hot potato that was the Imperial Treasury?
"There haven't been any big moves," Deng Ziyue said. His eyes were dazzled by the sun in the garden, and he only woke up from his daze. After apologizing, he said, "The news from the various mansions is very clear. The Court of Supervision is already secretly making contact, but they suffered a great loss last time, so they seem to be a bit more cautious this time. On the other hand, some officials in other ministries are starting to stir, but after all, rumors are just rumors, and without real evidence, they don't dare to write memorials saying anything. Everything is still happening in secret."
Fan Xian asked, "Is it the Eastern Palace?"
Deng Ziyue shook his head. "The officials who are friendly with the Eastern Palace are still observing, but... yesterday, several ministers' wives went to the palace to see the Empress. After they returned to their mansions, those ministers also met privately. As for what they said, no one knows."
"The Empress?" Fan Xian frowned and sighed, thinking to himself, he hadn't had time to cause her trouble yet. Was she going to take the initiative to come to him? The Empress would naturally fly into a rage, but what was the Empress Dowager thinking?
Only now did he realize that the forces he could use were not very reliable, except for Uncle Wu Zhu and that final trump card. In the current situation, even if he could rely on the Emperor's trust and the plans of Chen Pingping and his father to safely overcome this obstacle, what about the future? He would only be at ease if he could control the situation himself.
……
……
Inside the Imperial Palace's Hanguang Hall, the Empress sat beside the Empress Dowager's bed, her face stained with tears, holding the old woman's hand and saying miserably, "Aunt, you must help me!"
The Empress Dowager sighed and said, "How can I help you?"
The Empress gritted her teeth and said, "I've always felt uneasy about Fan Xian. Now I finally know that he's that vixen's son! His Majesty... His Majesty is so cruel. He's been hiding it from me for so long. That vixen even has descendants!"
The Empress Dowager stroked the Empress's disheveled hair and comforted her, "It's been so long. Why can't you get over it? You've met that boy. His Majesty won't give him any title anyway. What can you gain by fighting over it?"
The Hanguang Hall was silent. Except for Hong, the old eunuch, who was drowsily guarding the door, all the other eunuchs and palace maids stayed far away from this palace.
"Get over it?" the Empress said tearfully, the wrinkles around her eyes showing. "Aunt, have you forgotten my father? He was your brother! Although His Majesty has never said it, how can I not guess the reason? Isn't it because he still resents him for killing that vixen back then?"
Hearing this, the Empress Dowager's face immediately darkened. She struggled to sit up in bed and said sternly, "Silence! In this palace, you should call me Empress Dowager, not Aunt! How dare you even mention what happened back then? You got jealous for no reason and actually instigated your father to do such a thing, killing the entire family... His Majesty only told me a few months ago that if Fan Jian's family hadn't acted quickly and sacrificed dozens of lives, you would have not only killed that woman but also... Fan Xian!"
The Empress Dowager moved her face closer to the Empress and said coldly, "Don't forget that although Fan Xian is that woman's son, he has His Majesty's blood in his veins! No matter where he is, he is still our family's flesh and blood. If you want to kill him, you have to ask me what I think."
The Empress felt a chill in her heart, overwhelmed by fear. She stared blankly at the Empress Dowager's righteous face, thinking to herself, wasn't it you who tacitly approved of the attack on the Taiping manor? Why are you denying it now?
Seeming to guess what the Empress was thinking, the Empress Dowager's expression softened slightly, and she said calmly, "Some things that can't be said must not be said. Take them to the grave with you."
The Empress's eyes were filled with anger. She stared at the Empress Dowager without a word, saying impolitely, "So... so even the dignified Empress Dowager is afraid of her son."
The Empress Dowager stared at the Empress's face with a cold gaze and said, word by word, "It's not fear, it's love. I can't bear to see His Majesty as heartbroken as he was back then, and I don't want another bloody night in Kyoto... The imperial bloodline is already thin, and most of the princes and nobles have been lost. We can't withstand any more turmoil."
The Empress sat in a daze for a long time, then suddenly laughed hysterically, "Can't withstand turmoil? My poor father, your poor brother, just died in vain? Fan Xian is the son of the Ye vixen... but the court won't give an explanation? Just let the court and the public discuss it? What is the Ye family? The Ye family's crime was treason... Aren't you worried that the imperial family will lose all face?"
The Empress Dowager said slowly, "You're tired. Go and rest. As for Fan Xian... who said he's the son of Miss Ye? I don't believe it at all. As for the ignorant people of the world, let them say what they want."
The Empress finally despaired. Her hands inside the sleeves of her phoenix skirt tightly grasped a handkerchief. She forced herself to stand up and bowed to the Empress Dowager, then turned and walked out of Hanguang Hall.
As she was about to reach the palace gate, the Empress Dowager's cold voice rang out, "I heard that some ministers' wives often visit your palace recently? The New Year is coming, and there are many things to do in the palace. You are the mother of the nation and the leader of the six palaces, so don't always worry about things outside the palace... That's all. Go."
The Empress turned around and bowed again, a cold smile on her lips, and took her leave.
"Go and watch her. Her temper has become more and more strange in recent years," the Empress Dowager sat on the bed, struggling to gather the silver strands of hair on her head, instructing Hong, the old eunuch, in front of her. "Don't let these things trouble His Majesty's heart."
Hong, the old eunuch, responded and left Hanguang Hall like a ghost. With a creak, the palace gate opened, and the eunuchs and palace maids who had received the order hurried into the palace to serve the old Empress Dowager.
The palace maid's small hands, holding a comb, moved slowly and carefully over the silver hair.
The Empress Dowager suddenly snorted coldly and slapped the table. The palace maid, startled by the sound, trembled and dropped a few strands of silver hair. She looked at the hair on the comb, her soul flying in terror. Without thinking, she knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly, not daring to say anything.
"Get up," the Empress Dowager said, her eyes half-closed. "I'm not the kind of old monster who can't tolerate people."
She forcibly suppressed the anger in her heart but couldn't calm down for a long time. The Emperor had asked her to suppress the Empress because after the bloody night in Kyoto, the people involved had all died, and only the Empress knew the true relationship between Miss Ye back then and the Emperor. Only the Empress knew Fan Xian's true identity. If the Empress was allowed to act recklessly, who knew what those princes would do after being frightened and waking up.
Thinking of the Ye family, the Empress Dowager's temples began to throb, and a sharp pain began to spread. The Empress Dowager had always believed that the woman from the Ye family was a curse that would haunt the Qing imperial family for countless years. She hadn't expected that this idea would be confirmed. She had actually left the Emperor with a child!
The Empress Dowager had enough ability to deal with this matter. Otherwise, the Ye family wouldn't have been destroyed back then. The events of that time had left the old woman with a sufficiently bad impression. After she learned the truth from the Emperor, the thought of Fan Xian's mother being named Ye made her head throb with pain, so she had avoided seeing Fan Xian several times when he entered the palace because she couldn't guarantee that she could show the kindness that an Empress Dowager should have.
On the issue of how to deal with Fan Xian, she and the Empress had completely different ideas. For the Empress, Fan Xian was first and foremost the son of the Ye woman, her mortal enemy. But in the Empress Dowager's eyes, even if that Ye woman was a thousand times wrong, a myriad of sins, ruining the court... the son she bore was, after all, of the imperial family's bloodline, her own grandson.
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Late at night, after confirming that Hong, the old eunuch, had returned to the small house outside Hanguang Hall, the pale-faced Empress bit her lip and gave a signal to her personal palace maid. Before long, the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace, who had been relatively steady recently and hadn't made any mistakes, came to her and bowed in greeting.
It wasn't clear what the Empress was saying, only that her lowered voice became increasingly urgent, while the Crown Prince kept shaking his head.
Mother and son were speechless for a long time. After a while, the Crown Prince comforted her softly, "Mother, even if Fan Xian is a descendant of the Ye family, so what? He's just a merchant."
"A merchant?" the Empress sneered. "Do you think that woman was an ordinary merchant? She was a demon star!"
The Empress stared at the Crown Prince and said coldly, "Fan Xian is your father's son."