"The best timing?" Fan Xian looked at his father, puzzled. But for some reason, seeing his father so calm, his mood relaxed, no longer as anxious as he had been in the mountains. He gave a self-deprecating laugh, threw aside his crutch, and sat down on the chair.

"Be careful of your wound," Fan Jian said, shaking his head in disapproval.

Fan Xian smiled and gently rubbed the area below his chest. It was still faintly painful, but thanks to Mister Fei's miraculous treatment recently, it had almost healed.

"Tell me, what exactly are you afraid of?" Fan Jian gently stroked his long, flowing beard. The usually upright and serious Minister of Revenue finally revealed a hint of composure and confidence.

Fan Xian was stunned, frowning as he thought for a long time. He then realized that he was indeed overreacting. What was he actually afraid of? After sorting through his concerns in his mind, he said sincerely, "If this news spreads, the discussions throughout the world will naturally be extraordinarily turbulent. If the palace finds out about my background, who knows how they'll handle it."

"How will they handle it?" Fan Jian scoffed. "Do you think the palace still doesn't know about your background today?"

Fan Xian fell silent, knowing that his father was right. The Emperor certainly knew better than anyone that he was a descendant of the Ye family. As for the Empress Dowager... judging from her expression at the Winter Solstice mutton banquet, it was likely that the old lady had known for a long time, but the mother and son had simply kept it from the world.

"They want to keep it from the world, but now they can't. There will inevitably be some changes in how things develop," Fan Xian said calmly. "Moreover, if the Empress knows that I'm a descendant of the Ye family, what will she think? According to you, Father, there's an irreconcilable feud between the Ye family and her."

Fan Jian shook his head, saying coldly, "You don't need to consider the Empress. This woman is the weakest Empress in history. What you need to consider is whether the Crown Prince will be persuaded by her to deal with you."

The Empress's family's power had been completely wiped out by the Qing Emperor in the Kyoto Bloodbath more than a decade ago. Fan Jian, who had always been discreet, had played the biggest role in it, so he was naturally aware that the Empress was incapable of causing any trouble.

"The Crown Prince," Fan Jian said, a faint smile appearing on the corner of his lips. "He's a smart man. Given your current status and power, he only wants you to maintain the balance. Why would he actively provoke you because of what happened back then?"

Fan Xian lowered his head slightly and said after a long while, "What about the Princess Royal?"

Everyone knew that the Ye family's assets had been seized by the Qing Imperial family and become the current Internal Treasury. The reason for forcibly confiscating the richest family in the world back then was naturally something terrible, such as treason. But now, suddenly there was a legendary Ye family orphan. Would they investigate the past crimes?

Even if they didn't, in the eyes of many people, the Ye family descendants were an object that the Imperial family would inevitably eliminate completely. This was the rule of history, and no one could escape it.

After the news that Fan Xian was a descendant of the Ye family spread, the Princess Royal would definitely use this to make a big fuss, forcing the palace to react accordingly. Recalling the seizure of the Ye family's assets, according to the Imperial family's usual way of doing things, Fan Xian would be fortunate not to be secretly killed, let alone achieve prominence.

Of course, the other half of Fan Xian's background was also miraculous, so he didn't have to worry about the mother and son in the palace harming him. They might not even see him as someone they needed to be wary of. But the frustrating thing was that the world didn't know this fact!

If the mother and son in the palace wanted to keep it from the world for a long time, they could only treat Fan Xian as a simple Ye family descendant. Under the pressure of public opinion, Fan Xian would have to give up the Internal Treasury... and even the Overwatch Council. For Fan Xian, who had already made countless enemies, losing the power in his hands was extremely dangerous.

"The Princess Royal?" Fan Jian said, his face devoid of emotion. "If she's smart enough, she'll stand by and watch this time, and won't take action."

"Why?"

"Because of His Majesty's intentions."

Fan Xian pondered, gradually understanding what his father meant. The Emperor was, of course, aware of his background. Although he didn't know how the Emperor would arrange things in the future, at least for now, he had no intention of lifting the velvet cloth on the table. After learning about this, the Emperor's reaction should have been the same as his own: a mixture of shock, anger, and agitation.

The Emperor and Fan Xian both liked to be in control of everything, so they were very wary of things getting out of control. Therefore, His Majesty would definitely be very angry. His first thought would be to find out who leaked the information. And if the Princess Royal was foolish enough to launch a major attack on Fan Xian at this time, the Emperor would instead strongly defend Fan Xian, and his alienation towards the Princess Royal would deepen even further.

Fan Jian said softly, "You're now the Director of the Overwatch Council. Through the actions of the past six months, you've gained enough power. From Danzhou to Kyoto, whether it's your father or Director Chen, everything we've done has been to build a more solid foundation beneath your feet... Now you're a heavy stone, how can you be afraid of a gentle breeze? Rest assured, the wind can't move you anymore."

Fan Xian was silent, with other worries in his heart.

"Naturally, there are also cosmic gales in this world," Fan Jian said mockingly. "What you're afraid of is nothing more than the attitude of the palace. But both the Empress Dowager and His Majesty know about this, and at most they'll keep you at a distance for a few days due to public opinion. How this matter develops ultimately depends on His Majesty's attitude."

Finally, the shrewd Minister of Revenue said, "And because of the assassination attempt at the Suspended Temple, His Majesty deeply believes in your loyalty, and will naturally be biased towards you... Now that your injuries haven't healed, His Majesty will always remember your merits. At this time, when your background is revealed, His Majesty will try to consider everything for you, regardless of the Imperial family's interests, the Empress, the Crown Prince, or even the pressure from the Princess Royal and the Empress Dowager..."

"Compared to the sword you took for His Majesty, it's evened out." Fan Jian said coldly, "So, this is the best timing. You know the things in the palace even if I don't tell you. Perhaps after a few more years, His Majesty's gratitude for you saving his life will fade, and it will be difficult for you to take advantage of it. Revealing your background can only be done in these few days. Earlier won't work, and later... won't work either."

The best timing.

Fan Xian tasted the chill in these words in his heart, and a bitter smile appeared on his face. "I'm just worried about what trouble this matter will bring to the family."

The Fan family harbored a Ye family orphan back then? Although this was the Emperor's arrangement, if it blew up, the Emperor would definitely deny it, and the Fan Mansion would be the only ones to suffer.

Fan Jian slowly closed his eyes, a trace of a gratified smile appearing and then disappearing on the corner of his lips. He said slowly, "Silly child, if even you aren't touched, how can your father be touched? If the court attacks me, wouldn't that confirm that you're a descendant of the Ye family?"

Fan Xian's eyes widened, and after a long while he said, "You mean, no matter what's said outside, we can't admit it?"

"Of course," Fan Jian said with a smile. "Who can have evidence?"

Fan Xian sighed. "It's a pity. I thought that since there wouldn't be any impact, I could take the opportunity..."

"Take the opportunity to overturn the verdict for the Ye family?" Fan Jian laughed loudly. "No wonder you were so nervous earlier. It turns out you had such great intentions. Child, why must the verdict be overturned publicly in this world? His Majesty already overturned it once for the Ye family more than a decade ago. These are just the aftershocks."

Fan Xian shook his head and lowered his voice. "The matter of being a Ye family descendant doesn't really scare me. It's just..." He was about to say that he was worried that the Princess Royal and other interested parties would guess from this that he carried the bloodline of the Imperial family, but as the words were about to leave his lips, he suddenly realized and stopped speaking.

Regarding his relationship with the Emperor, Fan Xian and his father had never spoken about it directly. The father and son had always been tactful and hadn't brought it up, trying to maintain the current harmonious appearance.

Fan Jian understood what his son wanted to say and fell silent. After a long while, he sighed, "That matter... you should just keep it in your heart. As for whether others guess it or not, what does it matter? Your... your father will say it plainly, Director Chen is probably looking forward to this matter happening. After the rumors reach Kyoto, he will definitely use the power in his hands to strongly suppress the rumors, thereby confirming the rumors, and then wait for the world to gradually guess your background, at least to let the world get used to... the rumors of your background."

Fan Xian was silent, knowing that his father's speculation was extremely reasonable. He could imagine Old Cripple's methods even with his ass. Strongly suppressing the rumors of being a Ye family descendant was the only way to make the people of Qing believe the rumors. This was an extremely clever method. As for the matter of him being the Emperor's illegitimate son...

"What exactly does Chen Pingping want to do?" Fan Xian's mood suddenly became very tired, and he asked his father weakly.

"Your father doesn't know," the Minister of Revenue, who had never shown extraordinary strength or wisdom, said slowly. "You should have guessed that my ideas have never been the same as Director Chen's. I've been competing with him for many years on your issue. And I don't have the habit of trusting him. What's strange is that he seems to not trust me either. On the contrary, both he and I trust you, this child, a little more."

He glanced at his son and said with a self-deprecating laugh, "In the end, it seems that he won, successfully dragging you into this mess." He then said softly, "I even suspect that he orchestrated this matter, otherwise how would the Northern Qi people know that Xiao Yezi was your mother. Of course, you don't need to worry too much now. Director Chen should have already entered the palace to plan for you."

The father and son fell silent. After a long while, Fan Xian suddenly said something that made no sense: "I'm sorry, Father."

A very unreasonable apology, not knowing what he was apologizing for. Was he apologizing for ultimately taking over the Overwatch Council in his choice of the road ahead, thereby being forced onto the path of fighting for power, not choosing a safer life like his father? Or was he apologizing for his bizarre background, bringing unknown dangers to the Fan family? Or was he expressing the most sincere apology to his "father" on behalf of his mother?

Or perhaps... I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I really want to be your real son, but Mom won't give me this chance.

——————————————————————

Minister Fan was guessing whether Chen Pingping was using the best timing of Fan Xian's serious injuries from saving the Emperor to reveal his identity as a descendant of the Ye family. At the same time, Chen Pingping, in the depths of the palace, was also constantly guessing who had suddenly stirred up such a thing.

Political figures didn't really care about nominal things, so these two old foxes only wanted Fan Xian to live happily and have power in his hands. They didn't think Fan Xian had to return to the Ye family in a legitimate way.

"The only ones who know about this are me, Fan Jian, Old Madam Fan, His Majesty, and Fei Jie." Chen Pingping sat in his wheelchair, his dry, slightly sharp voice echoing in the Imperial Study, "His Majesty said earlier that the Empress Dowager discovered this after the Imperial Examination. That's only six people in total. In my opinion, none of these six people could have leaked it."

The Emperor slowly turned around, his eyes, which were usually clear and bright, were now filled with anger, as sharp and fierce as an eagle. He said each word slowly and deliberately, "None of them could have leaked it? Then how did the Northern Qi people know!"

After the Imperial Examination, Fan Xian's identity as the Director of the Overwatch Council was revealed, making him the most popular young official in Qing, especially since he was about to take over the Internal Treasury, a power that was truly overwhelming. Ordinary people couldn't guess anything, but the Empress Dowager in the depths of the palace, having experienced state affairs for a long time and seeing countless dark secrets, had an extremely keen political sense. Under her strong questioning, the Emperor finally admitted to his mother that Fan Xian was his illegitimate son.

After the Empress Dowager's shock, she finally accepted this fact. After all, no matter how much the old lady hated the "enchantress" of the past, she always had a degree of tolerance for the Imperial family's bloodline.

"Maybe... maybe the Northern Qi people guessed it," Chen Pingping muttered to himself, but he didn't know that he had guessed the closest thing to the truth.

The Emperor sneered, "What kind of person is Ku He? Would the Northern Qi National Preceptor dare to draw a conclusion based on mere speculation?"

Chen Pingping was silent for a long time before opening his mouth to say, "The Princess Royal is the most suspicious."

If Fan Xian was eavesdropping nearby at this time, he would definitely shout a "赞" (zàn - praise) ! What was this? This was the legendary great skill without craft, the great sound without noise, a naked frame-up!

The Empress Dowager knew that Fan Xian was a descendant of the Ye family. The Princess Royal was the Empress Dowager's most beloved daughter. She had once sold Yan Bingyun to Northern Qi with a backhand, and had also had private transactions with the Northern Qi scholar Zhuang Mohan. She had private correspondence with the Empress Dowager of Northern Qi. Her smuggling routes to Northern Qi had saved the Northern Qi people countless silver coins. She... she she, because of the transfer of power over the Internal Treasury, hated Fan Xian to the bone, and had even started using assassins, but failed.

These were all facts that the Emperor was very clear about. As long as he analyzed it carefully, he would find that the Princess Royal had the greatest possibility of knowing about this matter, the best channels to leak the information through Northern Qi, and, most importantly, the greatest motive.

Chen Pingping's previous sentence was also very particular. If he had vaguely pointed out that someone in the palace had a good relationship with Northern Qi, allowing the Emperor to think of his sister far away in Xinyang - he wouldn't dare to be so rebellious. By directly and centrally saying the Princess Royal's name, the Emperor would also slightly suspect his intentions.

But by directly and frankly saying the Princess Royal's name, saying that she was the most suspicious, it was a display of a purely loyal subject, who only cared about whether his opinions would be useful to His Majesty, and didn't mind whether His Majesty would suspect him - such a performance was, of course, extremely pleasing to the always shrewd Emperor.

The Emperor fell silent, but his expression looked a little ugly. After a long while, he said, "It seems... Yun Rui doesn't know that Fan, doesn't know that Anzhi is my flesh and blood."

If the Empress Dowager had also told the Princess Royal about this matter, then the Princess Royal would not have revealed Fan Xian's background, because that would no longer be targeting Fan Xian, but targeting His Majesty.

Chen Pingping nodded slightly. From His Majesty's words, he knew that His Majesty had already believed that the Princess Royal was the source of this rumor.

After a moment, the Emperor said coldly, "Wait for the news, see if Yun Rui will send a letter."

If Fan Xian was a descendant of the Ye family, if the Princess Royal sent a letter to the palace, using this as an opportunity to advise His Majesty to be wary of this matter, or directly persuade her Imperial brother to kill Fan Xian and wipe out the Ye family, then the Emperor would truly see his sibling relationship as unimportant.

"How to handle it next?" Chen Pingping coughed twice. Because he had entered the palace in a hurry, his gray hair was not tied too tightly and was a little disheveled, making him look even older.

The Emperor looked at him and suddenly smiled bitterly, sighing, "In this life of mine, I can be considered glorious, but I didn't expect that while still in my prime, I've become a true lonely man. Apart from you and Jian ge'er, I can't find anyone I completely trust."

Chen Pingping was slightly stunned. Just as he was about to say something, the Emperor waved his hand with a sigh, "Do you remember what reason the Empress Dowager used to confiscate the Ye family back then?"

"Treason."

"Hmm," the Emperor said expressionlessly, "You two also approved of this proposal back then. After all, what Xiao Yezi left behind could not be left in disarray, nor could it be released. After her departure, only the Imperial family had the ability to collect and protect these industries of the Ye family so they could continue to operate."

"Correct," Chen Pingping said calmly, "Back then, I thought that since the person was already gone, any charge we placed would probably not bother her. I just didn't expect that seventeen years later, it would become a bit troublesome."

The Emperor said coldly, "What's so troublesome about it? The decree came from my mouth. I'll just redress the injustice for the Ye family, and who in the world would dare to say anything?"

"Absolutely not," Chen Pingping replied firmly, which seemed to be beyond His Majesty's expectations, "Your Majesty has pity for that child, but this matter must not be done... After all, Your Majesty, you need to consider the feelings of the old lady." Old Cripple knew very well that although the Emperor's trick had no name, it was the last test.

The Emperor knew that he was talking about the Empress Dowager. After thinking for a moment, he nodded and said, "It seems you already have a plan in mind."

Chen Pingping replied with a wry smile, "Things happened suddenly, and Your Majesty didn't give any instructions, so there was no plan prepared." The meaning of these words was very clear: the Emperor had always wanted Fan Xian's background to be hidden, so the Overwatch Council had not considered this matter.

He changed the subject and continued, "But it's not a big deal. If there is a letter from Xinyang, please reprimand them severely. Then Your Majesty can remind the princes a few words. As for Fan Xian, let him deny it to the death. Even if the officials are suspicious, probably no one will dare to submit any memorial based on baseless rumors."

"Anzhi will inevitably be embarrassed. How will he conduct himself in court?"

"In a year, he will be going to Jiangnan on official business, which will be a good opportunity to avoid this discussion." Chen Pingping said in a soft voice with a smile, "Your Majesty, although this matter is troublesome, it's not a bad time for it to be revealed now. Let Fan Xian stay away from the important place of Kyoto. If we drag it out for two years, things will naturally fade away."

"Can they fade away?" The Emperor said, narrowing his eyes.

"Si Lili is on the Liujing River. People say she is a descendant of a prince from back then. After spreading around, besides making the business of that pleasure boat better, there haven't been any major problems. As for Fan Xian's background..." Chen Pingping sighed, "Let there be one more harmless piece of gossip in the world."

The Emperor pondered for a long time and then grunted in agreement.

"The newspapers can also use this matter for some fluff." Chen Pingping continued.

The Emperor also smiled.

"Just have to guard against that matter," Chen Pingping looked at His Majesty, with a hint of sadness in his eyes.

"As for the Empress, I will have my mother deal with it," the Emperor nodded and sighed, "I can't give him a title. I've already let this son down."

—————————————————————————

Half a month later, a message began to circulate in the streets and alleys of Kyoto. The message said that the popular Little Fan, the Director of the Overwatch Council, was actually a descendant of the old Ye family!

The Ye family was confiscated for treason nearly twenty years ago. Unexpectedly, there were descendants, and it turned out to be Little Fan, who the people of Kyoto were talking about with relish. After being shocked, the people of Kyoto began to get excited and passed this gossip message around, and in less than two days, the entire city knew about the rumor.

If this rumor was true, then the Fan mansion, which harbored a criminal wanted by the court, was in for a bloody demise. Those Kyoto officials who had been offended by Fan Xian began to excitedly plan their offensive. Of course, without a word from the palace, these officials would not dare to act rashly. After all, it was just a rumor and there was no evidence.

Thinking about how Fan Xian would rather give up his literary reputation after entering Kyoto and still enter the Overwatch Council, and also take over the Internal Treasury full of the stench of money, the Kyoto residents and officials were all whispering in their hearts, and they believed the truth of the rumor even more.

Contrary to everyone's expectations, the palace remained silent, as if they had never heard of this matter. But the Overwatch Council began to act. At the risk of being cursed by the censor officials for three generations of ancestors, the Eighth Bureau began to arrest those people who dared to spread rumors in the restaurants and teahouses.

At Yishiju in the afternoon, the diners in the building looked at each other. They were all people of some status, but they did not expect that the officials of the Eighth Bureau of the Overwatch Council were so unreasonable that they arrested the two scholars who were spitting and spraying saliva earlier!

From the reaction of the Overwatch Council, people were even more convinced that Director Fan... must have a relationship with the Ye family of the past!

Inside the Overwatch Council, Chen Pingping, with a wool blanket covering his lap, opened a corner of the black curtains and watched the timid pedestrians walk by on the street. A strange smile appeared on the corner of his lips.

"Knowing who your mother is, but not knowing who your father is, what's there to be afraid of?"

(Book friend Ruyu is so cute... My stomach hurt badly a few days ago. I saw that post, and I laughed so hard that my stomach hurt even more...)