Political and commercial struggles often share a common trait: just when all seems lost, a glimmer of hope emerges; when the oil is blazing hot, it can instantly turn into a desolate autumn scene.

The battle surrounding the Ministry of Revenue in Kyoto saw the Xin Yang and Eastern Palace factions confidently believing they had pinpointed the key and seized the Fan family's biggest weakness. They launched a fierce attack, intending to change the Fan family's insignia. However, in the end, their efforts backfired, resulting in a significant loss of their own strength.

In Jiangnan, Fan Xian, armed with the imperial sword of the envoy, cleared the Imperial Treasury and took control of the Transportation Office. Through Xia Qifei, he tightened the Ming family's finances, and through the lawsuit, he successfully plunged the Ming family into chaos. Aided by the vast network of the Overwatch Council, he made things difficult for the Ming family throughout the land, his momentum so aggressive that it seemed he could crush them into dust at any moment.

Yet, at this very moment, who could have imagined so many shocking events would occur?

...

...

"My men need to enter the garden," Fan Xian slammed his hand on the table, his eyes like hooks as he coldly stared at the man before him, saying each word deliberately, "Lord Xue, I have waited for ten days. I will wait no longer today."

Sitting beside him was none other than Xue Qing, the most powerful man in Jiangnan, the Governor-General of Jiangnan Road. The two were currently engaged in a secret discussion within the study of the Governor-General's mansion.

The accountant of the Junshan Association, the Ming family's chief steward, a man surnamed Zhou, had been discovered by the Overwatch Council and was hiding within the Ming Garden. Whether it was for the assassination before the Jiangnan Residence or Fan Xian's strong interest in the Junshan Association, the Overwatch Council had ample reason to storm into the Ming Garden and drag that person out.

However, this was, after all, the Ming Garden, one of the three great gardens in the land. It represented the interests, livelihoods, and spiritual sustenance of countless people in Jiangnan.

Therefore, even if Fan Xian wanted to send men into the Ming Garden to search for the man, he had no choice but to first consult with Xue Qing, the Governor-General of Jiangnan. As long as Xue Qing agreed, Fan Xian didn't really care about the Ming family or the Jiangnan gentry.

It was just a pity that time was a bit tight, so he couldn't send Da Bao to Wuzhou first. Naturally, he couldn't learn from his father-in-law exactly what Xue Qing's bottom line was.

Fan Xian had no choice but to directly enter the Governor-General's mansion and make this seemingly outrageous proposal.

Xue Qing's attitude was very clear.

Search the Ming Garden? Sure.

Ask the Governor-General's office to assist? No way!

The Governor-General of Jiangnan was naturally not afraid of offending the Ming family, but he knew very well that the Ming Garden was like a door. In the past few months, he and Fan Xian had been cleaning up the Ming family's businesses and tormenting their spirit outside the door, without touching the Ming family's foundation. So, the other party had retreated, endured, and showed weakness. But once officials stepped over that high threshold of the Ming family's door...

This would mean the struggle had reached the core, and the two sides had torn off their masks, resulting in a life-or-death situation.

The dignified Qing Kingdom court naturally didn't care about overturning a wealthy merchant family, even if that family was the wealthiest in Qing Kingdom. But the problem was that the Ming family directly and indirectly supported hundreds of thousands of people, and also affected the lives of most of the people in Jiangnan. The Ming family didn't even need to fight back vigorously. As long as this situation emerged, the stability of the entire Jiangnan would become a major problem.

Governor-General Xue Qing coldly looked at the young man beside him, thinking that you are the imperial envoy, and you can leave after turning Jiangnan into a mess. After returning to Kyoto, you will have His Majesty the Emperor, Dean Chen, and Minister Fan Shangshu to support you. But what about me? Would I have to clean up the mess all by myself?

If Jiangnan is unstable, how can I continue to be the Governor-General?

Therefore, after Fan Xian politely came to the Governor-General's mansion to discuss matters, Xue Qing resolutely rejected the request for cooperation in handling the case. He made it very clear that since it was the mysterious Junshan Association, since the problem was initially discovered by the Overwatch Council, and since it didn't involve local affairs, he could have his men clear the periphery for the Overwatch Council, but he wouldn't directly enter the Ming Garden. He wasn't willing to do such a troublesome thing.

This was the way of officialdom. Xue Qing knew that Fan Xian was probably unsure about the trouble that searching the Ming Garden might cause, so he wanted to drag him into the water. How could he obediently go into the water like that?

After delaying for ten days, Xue Qing still refused to budge, and Fan Xian began to feel increasingly annoyed.

After leaving the Governor-General's office, Fan Xian got into the carriage, frowned, propped his chin, and began to space out.

Deng Ziyue looked at the Lord Envoy and softly said, "Our men have been stationed at the entrance of the Ming Garden. That Fourth Master Ming hasn't suffered much in Suzhou Prefecture. Whenever we want to enter the Ming Garden to arrest someone, we can just do it ourselves... Actually, we don't necessarily need the Governor-General's office to help. It's just that we might lose some manpower."

The Ming Garden naturally had its own thugs, even powerful private armed forces. Fan Xian had once seen that garden from afar and knew that with a little modification, it could become a solid castle. If the Overwatch Council wanted to launch a strong attack with their own men, it would be very difficult without the help of the Black Knights.

And if Xue Qing didn't agree, the Black Knights naturally couldn't enter the prosperous cities of Jiangnan.

"Entering the garden isn't difficult," Fan Xian said with a wry smile. "As long as the Ming family isn't preparing to rebel, and the Overwatch Council has my handwritings as the imperial envoy, and enters the garden for a search, do they dare to stop us?"

"What castle and armed forces? They're all fake. Even the Old Matriarch Ming wouldn't dare to mobilize them."

His face gradually turned cold. "But there are two problems with entering the Ming Garden to arrest someone. First, we don't know how many experts from the Junshan Association are here. If that Chief Steward Zhou, who knows the inside story of the Junshan Association, hasn't been silenced yet, will those experts protect him and keep him away from Suzhou? Second, the matter can't be made too big. The Ming family has been showing weakness for several months, and the atmosphere of sorrow is incredibly thick. Especially after that Fourth Master Ming was arrested and taken to Suzhou Prefecture, Suzhou Prefecture has been keeping him locked up without releasing him, and the rumors outside are getting more and more bizarre..."

Deng Ziyue listened quietly, knowing what the director was worried about. Now, the entire Jiangnan was spreading rumors that, under Fan Xian's command, the Overwatch Council was oppressing the Ming family, intending to seize their property, and was about to turn into a story of killing to steal property.

Any action must have a legitimate reason, but the court's justification for dealing with the Ming family had not been straightened out. Therefore, from the gentry to the common people in Jiangnan, they began to look at Fan Xian with wary and disgusted eyes. The reputation Fan Xian had built in Kyoto for two years had been greatly tarnished.

"Ming Qingda is a smart man," Fan Xian said with a frown. "This move of retreating to advance is indeed beautiful. It seems that they are retreating and we are constantly pressing forward, which tends to lean towards emotions in the eyes of the world. Moreover, the Ming family has deep roots in Jiangnan, and their ability to mobilize public opinion among the people is much stronger than our own Eighth Office."

Ever since it was known that Chief Steward Zhou was hiding in the Ming Garden, the Overwatch Council, the Imperial Treasury, and the Transportation Office had been launching increasingly fierce attacks on the Ming family. The Ming family's industries were constantly being harassed, gradually showing signs of decline, looking incredibly pitiful.

"Public opinion is a very important thing, and reputation is also very important," Fan Xian sighed. "If we continue to suppress the Ming family like this, not to mention that the people will resent me, even those imperial merchants contacted by Xia Qifei will probably become wary of the court. Who knows if they will be the next Ming family."

"What troubles me the most," he shook his head, "is that we don't know the situation in Kyoto now. I don't know if a large action, too many deaths, and too much controversy will give the people in Kyoto an excuse to transfer me back to Kyoto."

With Jiangnan still unsettled, Fan Xian was unwilling to return to Kyoto, especially since he would be constrained by the women in the palace after returning to Kyoto, which was a situation he could not accept.

The carriage arrived at the Hua Garden. He briefly said a few words to the Third Prince and the others, then took Deng Ziyue and a few trusted confidants into the study, spread out a map on the large desk, and began to ponder.

After thinking for a while, Fan Xian pointed to a certain state city on the map and softly asked, "Has the news from Quanzhou returned yet?"

The concubine of Ming Lanshi, the direct descendant of the Ming family, had her hometown in a village next to Quanzhou. The Overwatch Council had already found out that the concubine's elder brother was responsible for the Ming family's pirate business in the East Sea, robbing their own merchant ships. That pirate leader had been silenced by military personnel colluding with the Ming family, and the concubine had also disappeared, said to have returned home to visit her family.

Of course, the Overwatch Council knew that this was a lie, but who could expose this lie?

"That concubine did not return to the village," a member of the Qinian Group reported. "No signs of bandits were found along the way. She should have been silenced in Suzhou."

Fan Xian nodded. This was something he had expected, so he was not surprised. He directly asked, "The key is that since that village is the pirate's hometown, some people must have followed him to the island to become bandits. Those relatives must have some understanding of this matter. Since the Ming family has massacred that island, those villagers shouldn't be foolishly standing on the Ming family's side."

A look of shame flashed across the member's face as he said, "That village is empty."

Fan Xian frowned. The village was empty? There was no need to ask for any more reasons. Since it was empty, it must be due to dirty tricks.

"What about the family members here?" His finger still pointed directly at Quanzhou, frowning, "The officials following the ships of the Shipping Office were killed by those pirates. When will those family members come to Suzhou Prefecture to report the case?"

Another member of the Qinian Group responded in a deep voice, "Most of those family members have returned to the mainland. Only some are still in Quanzhou. However, people have tried to ask around, and those family members have received a large amount of compensation. Their desire to pursue the pirates has faded. The key is that... the Ming family is indeed good to them. They simply don't believe that the Ming family would collude with pirates."

Fan Xian was stunned for a moment, then said with a slight mockery, "Of course, it's not collusion. The Ming family is the pirate."

Immediately afterward, he asked about several previous arrangements and received some not-so-pleasant answers. Only then did he realize that after he had brought down the Cui family in Kyoto, during the days when Yan Bingyun was planning and plotting against the Ming family, the Ming family had also made full preparations and had not left too many loopholes.

Fan Xian sat down on the somewhat cold chair, holding a bowl of warm tea in his hands, lost in thought.

His subordinates looked at the director in silence, not knowing what to say.

Taking the righteous path, it seemed difficult to defeat the Ming family in a short period of time. But if he used the shady methods of the Overwatch Council, Jiangnan was not like other places after all, and he had to consider the reaction of the people. If it really led to a mass demonstration, the Overwatch Council would not be able to clean up the mess.

Thinking of this, Fan Xian began to feel annoyed at Xue Qing's wavering. If the Governor-General of Jiangnan came forward, and he followed up from behind, one in the open, one in the dark, one playing the good cop, one playing the bad cop, this matter might be much simpler.

However, Fan Xian did not feel too much frustration, because he knew that in the struggle between the court and the Ming family, the Ming family could only stand on the passive defensive side. Fan Xian had plenty of time to play with the Ming family slowly. The reason he was eager to enter the Ming Garden was that he wanted to find out the role of the Junshan Association.

In the contest with the Ming family, he could keep trying to defeat the other party. Even if he failed once, he could rest for a while and have a second chance. But the Ming family couldn't. This large family couldn't afford to lose even once. A single defeat would be devastating.

"Get ready," Fan Xian said, his eyes slightly lowered. "Be ready to enter the garden and arrest people at any time."

...

...

Deng Ziyue hesitated for a while, then said, "Aren't we going to wait for Governor Xue to express his position?"

Fan Xian sneered, "I've never liked following in other people's footsteps. I've waited for ten days, giving Xue Qing enough face. Now that I'm taking action myself, he shouldn't blame me for being ruthless."

"What about the discussions of the people of Jiangnan?"

"Discussions? Saying that I'm oppressing the Ming family? I'm going in gently and quietly, I'm not hitting anyone, I'm not killing anyone. How am I oppressing them?" A hint of a smile appeared on Fan Xian's face. "Besides, I've figured it out. If my reputation is ruined in Jiangnan, I can slowly pick it back up in the future."

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Fan Xian waited for ten days, not because he didn't have the confidence to enter the Ming Garden and arrest Chief Steward Zhou, not simply because he was concerned about the discussions, and not because he wanted to wait for Xue Qing to express his position. More importantly, he was waiting for news from Kyoto.

After the Imperial Treasury bidding, he clearly knew that the Princess faction in Kyoto would launch an offensive against the Ministry of Revenue. He was waiting for the result of this matter.

The matter was in Jiangnan, but the overall control was in Kyoto. If the situation in Kyoto was unclear, Fan Xian could not take action in Jiangnan.

The next day, the birds were chirping wildly on the willow branches. Three swift horses rushed into Suzhou City under the cover of dawn. The yamen runners guarding the city only knew that the people were secret agents from the Overwatch Council and did not dare to stop them.

The horses' hooves pounded as they rushed outside the Hua Garden in Suzhou City. Someone had already led the three riders into the garden.

This was the fastest way for the Overwatch Council to transmit information, much faster than the Qing Kingdom court's express delivery.

Fan Xian held the Overwatch Council's report sent by Mu Tie from Kyoto and was slightly pleased, knowing that the outcome of the matter was indeed as he had guessed. The Ministry of Revenue was unharmed, and the Princess's faction had suffered a great loss.

But seeing the details, as intelligent as he was, he naturally saw through His Majesty the Emperor's intention to take the opportunity to make the old Fan family in Kyoto withdraw from the stage. His slightly pleased face immediately turned gloomy.

But he didn't have time to consider his father's affairs. Fan Xian shook his head and said to the Overwatch Council official who had been receiving orders by his side, "Enter the Ming Garden and arrest people."

The Overwatch Council official received the order and left. For a time, many officials came out from various official offices in Suzhou. The sound of horses' hooves broke the tranquility of the morning. Outside the city, more than forty Overwatch Council officials, led by Deng Ziyue, were openly heading towards the Ming Garden.

"Be careful," Fan Xian turned his head and said gently. "Who knows what people the Junshan Association has left in Jiangnan."

Hai Tang Duo Duo put her hands in the large pockets of her floral cloth clothes, tilted her head, and smiled.

...

...

Outside Suzhou City in the early morning, the early-rising birds had chirped once and then returned to the trees to take a nap. The official road was quiet all around, especially around that extremely beautiful and vast Ming Garden, where one could only hear the faint sound of pouring water and washing up from inside. Everything was the same as any other day.

Suddenly, dozens of riders galloped along the official road. Everyone on horseback was wearing the official uniform of the Overwatch Council.

As these dozens of riders arrived outside the Ming Garden with a roar, the secret agents of the Overwatch Council who were responsible for monitoring the Ming Garden all around emerged from the trees and behind the mountains. Some merged into the ranks of their colleagues who had come to inspect the garden, and some spies disappeared without a trace.

Deng Ziyue, with his serious face, rode his horse to the front gate of the Ming Garden, dismounted, and his subordinates dismounted with him, their movements uniform.

At this time, the Ming Garden was as quiet as a shy virgin, but Deng Ziyue clearly saw some metallic light shining with soul-devouring light on the inside of that low wall. And on those high points in the left hand direction, one could even see longbows and powerful crossbows.

The other party was already on high alert. If a round of volley fire was launched, perhaps none of these dozens of Overwatch Council officials would be able to return alive.

But Deng Ziyue's expression remained unchanged, because he believed in his director's judgment. Although the Ming family was a bandit at heart, they would not be foolish enough to take the initiative to engage in a firefight in the face of the Overwatch Council, this big bandit.

Sure enough, the main gate of the Ming Garden was slowly opened. Ming Lanshi, the young master of the Ming family, whose eyes were slightly red, as if he had not slept all night, stood respectfully beside the door, extending his right hand and saying, "Everyone, please."

...

...

(I haven't been in the right state this week, and the writing is relatively rough. I'm not very satisfied with a previous chapter either. Everyone knows that I'm a person who is easily disturbed by emotions. I'm sorry, but I received news the day before yesterday that one of my cousins had passed away at the young age of forty. I have a strong feeling of the impermanence of life. No need for consolation, maybe it's a liberation.)