Mu Tie's face was grim as he slowly stepped out of the doorway. Without even looking at the people sitting in the side hall, he said coldly, "I wonder which esteemed official insists on seeing me, Mu? Such airs. Does he not know that the First Bureau is extremely busy?"

Seeing his former colleague, Su Wenmao always felt a sense of care. His eyes darted about, giving a subtle signal. Mu Tie had actually known who was coming for a long time. He was merely putting on a show now, pretending to be reminded by Su Wenmao. He turned back suspiciously and saw the young man.

"And you are?" Mu Tie frowned and took a step closer, then suddenly exclaimed in shock. With two swift movements, he knelt down on one knee. "This humble official, Mu Tie, pays his respects to Lord Commissioner!"

Fan Xian stared at him expressionlessly, not at all interested in playing along.

Mu Tie, his face still showing residual shock, said with delight, "My Lord, why didn't you inform us before coming to the First Bureau? Leaving you waiting out here, how can this humble official be at ease?"

Fan Xian remained silent, only a faint smile playing at the corner of his lips. Looking at that smile, Mu Tie's heart began to grow cold. Everyone knew that when the young Lord Fan smiled the sweetest, it was probably when he was most annoyed. His voice involuntarily dropped, "This... My Lord, that... This humble official."

Fan Xian still didn't speak, only smiled at him.

A hint of dismay appeared on Mu Tie's dark face for no apparent reason, and he didn't dare say anything more, but simply knelt down again.

The atmosphere in the First Bureau's side hall was extremely oppressive.

...

...

Fan Xian didn't want to watch him embarrass himself any further. After all, Mu Tie was the head clerk of the First Bureau, and since Zhu Ge's suicide, he had been basically managing all of the bureau's affairs. He frowned and said, "The side hall is too dirty, not suitable for entertaining guests."

Mu Tie was taken aback, then immediately cheered up and scolded Feng'er, who was standing beside him, "Quick, have someone clean this up!"

"Having case files just lying around in the hall like that isn't in accordance with regulations," Fan Xian said with a smile.

Mu Tie jumped up in alarm, shouting for the clerks of the First Bureau to come out and start moving the dusty case files into the hidden room at the back. These clerks had been slacking off, listlessly emerging, but when they saw Lord Mu standing respectfully beside a young man, they didn't recognize Fan Xian, but were all from intelligence and reconnaissance backgrounds, so their minds worked quickly. They immediately guessed the young man's identity and were startled, quickly getting to work.

Before long, the side hall was cleaned up spotlessly, and the case files were neatly organized. It seemed that the First Bureau of the Supervisory Council still retained their original quick response capability.

————————————————————————

"Give me half an hour. Except for those who have council duties in various departments, ministries, and yamen today, and except for those whose identities cannot be revealed, I want to see all the employees of the First Bureau."

Fan Xian flicked the hem of his long robe and sat down on the chair. He reached out his hand, and Mu Tie dutifully handed him a teacup. He said somewhat dejectedly, "I'll go right away." He knew that this young master was not easy to fool, and that his entire future was in the other's hands, so he had to work diligently, hoping to reduce some of the other's aversion towards him.

"You don't need to go yourself, it's just a small matter." Fan Xian withdrew his hand, took a sip of tea, and frowned when he found it was cold. Mu Tie quickly reached out to change it, but Fan Xian stared at him and placed the teacup on the impeccably clean table next to him, saying, "Come in with me, I have something to discuss with you."

Mu Tie quickly arranged for his subordinates to summon all the First Bureau employees who were always out and about, and then hurriedly followed Commissioner Fan to the backyard, watching Fan Xian step into the room he had just come out of, and his heart tightened again.

Fan Xian frowned, looking at the jade mahjong tile under the threshold, and said, "As expected of the most powerful office in the Supervisory Council, even the mahjong tiles are made of jade."

Mu Tie, drenched in sweat, explained, "It's imitation jade. This humble official wouldn't dare deceive you, My Lord. This was a new product made by the Internal Treasury three years ago, looks like jade but doesn't break when dropped. One set was distributed to each of the eight bureaus back then. The First Bureau's set has always been kept in the yamen, no one dared to take it home privately. Usually... when there are no council duties, we occasionally play a game... This humble official is ashamed, please punish me severely, My Lord."

Fan Xian shook his head and said, "We'll talk about that later. I'm just a little disappointed. The First Bureau of the esteemed Supervisory Council's skills at hiding their tracks are so lacking. You were playing mahjong here earlier? You cleaned up, so how is there still one tile under the threshold?"

Mu Tie wiped the sweat from his forehead, knowing that this was the mahjong tile he had used to smack his nephew earlier. Those careless subordinates must have forgotten to pick it up when they were cleaning the room.

Fan Xian sat down, looked at him, and said, "Tell me, how did you become an official? It's one thing to neglect your council duties, playing mahjong isn't a capital crime..."

Mu Tie's heart stirred slightly. He thought that these were not major crimes. Just as he was feeling relieved, he suddenly heard a loud bang! He was startled and looked timidly at Commissioner Fan.

Fan Xian slammed his hand heavily on the table. With his current overbearing power, it would be easy to smash the wooden table into pieces, but this time he only made a loud noise - he rebuked in a cold voice, "Seeing that basket of fish earlier, I know that you even dare to accept benefits from various departments! Do you still want your life? If the council finds out, the Internal Affairs Office will be the first to flay you alive."

Mu Tie quickly knelt down in front of him, but hesitated for a long time, unable to say anything. He thought that a basket of fish wasn't a big deal.

Fan Xian scolded in a cold voice, "Do you think a basket of fish doesn't matter? But you need to know the iron rules of the council, especially since the First Bureau is in charge of supervising all officials in the capital. If you're all buddy-buddy with those courtiers, how will you be able to supervise anything in the future?"

Fan Xian had always been a seemingly gentle person, but the occasional anger of a gentle person was filled with a faint chill and a sense of oppression, causing Mu Tie great fear.

...

...

Looking at the official kneeling before him, Fan Xian couldn't help but feel a little disappointed and surprised, not only with the First Bureau that he was about to take over, but also with the person in front of him.

"Get up."

In fact, according to the council's regulations, there was no need for such strict formality between superiors and subordinates, but Mu Tie knew that his attitude had to be proper at this time, and after all, he and Fan Xian had some past connection. Only when he heard Fan Xian speak did he dare to straighten up.

Looking at his unforgettable face, thin iron lips, and dark complexion, Fan Xian frowned and said, "You are the first person in the entire capital to know my true identity..."

Mu Tie's heart sank. During the investigation of Ox Cart Street last year, he had once audaciously gone to the Fan residence to ask questions. At that time, the Fan family was not as popular as it was now, but this young lord had revealed his identity and he knew that he was the commissioner rumored in the council. This was originally an extremely rare opportunity, and he had thought that he would be able to struggle less, but he had not expected that it would end up benefiting the middle-aged Wang Qinian instead.

"In this year, you have also helped me with some things." Fan Xian narrowed his eyes and said, "Logically speaking, you should have frequently visited my house, but you didn't. I was very happy about that, thinking that you were a sincere person, but I didn't expect that in just one year, you would have changed so much, from that honest person who was awkward at flattering his superiors, to the old slippery bureaucratic who now only knows how to live a muddled life and has learned to change his face. I am very disappointed."

The words "I am very disappointed" made Mu Tie even more disappointed with himself - he knew that although he wasn't as close to the commissioner as Wang Qinian, nor did he expect to be solely responsible for a large area, but in this year, he had been promoted from a Seventh Rank Aide to a Fifth Rank Head Clerk. Thinking about it with his ass, it was also because of Commissioner Fan's face.

He took a deep breath and no longer made any excuses, but said in a deep voice, "Please judge this humble official by my future performance, My Lord."

Fan Xian noticed that he had changed "this humble official" (卑职 - beizhi) to "this subordinate" (下官 - xiaguan), and that he was standing up straighter, with a hint of admiration in his eyes. He said, "That's good. Not everyone has the talent of a comedian, so don't always remember Wang Qinian's behavior. Just go back to being the you who was focused on investigating cases, and this official will naturally not delay your future."

...

...

After the storm comes sunshine, and after the sunshine comes the storm again. Mu Tie looked at the commissioner in front of him, thinking that this lord's thoughts were really like the just-passed summer in the capital. He only heard Fan Xian ask in a deep voice, "Tell me, how did the First Bureau rot to this point? I've been to the other bureaus in the council, and they simply can't compare. The council clerks in the other places are all cautious and self-restrained, conscientious and diligent, not to mention playing mahjong, they even rush to the privy and have to walk without a breeze... Look at this place! What's the difference between this and a vegetable market?"

Mu Tie had already gone all out at this time, wanting to return to his original self, wanting to latch onto Lord Fan's thick thighs. He didn't shy away from anything, and said directly, "My Lord, the reason why the First Bureau has become like this, this subordinate is naturally responsible, but in the past year or so, there hasn't been a proper leader managing things, and the people below don't listen to me, so naturally they've become undisciplined."

Fan Xian was very clear about this matter. The original head of the First Bureau, Zhu Ge, secretly sided with the Xin Yang faction and leaked Yan Bingyun's information, directly leading to Yan Bingyun's capture in the North. Later, the council conducted an internal investigation, Zhu Ge's affair was exposed, and he committed suicide in the secret room during the council's joint meeting, which was a sensational event since the establishment of the Supervisory Council. Since that day, the First Bureau had been without a head. On the one hand, Chen Pingping wanted to wait for Yan Bingyun to return home, and on the other hand, it was naturally because this position was indeed very sensitive. Secretly supervising the officials in the capital, such power could be used to obtain too many benefits. At that time, there were no suitable candidates in the council, so it had been delayed.

"Even if there isn't a leader managing things, the regulations and detailed rules of each bureau have always been there, why hasn't anyone been doing anything? Hasn't the council rebuked you all this time?" He asked with some confusion.

Mu Tie was also a little puzzled, shook his head, and continued, "My Lord said that the regulations are all there... but for the First Bureau to do anything, the council has to issue an order first. Without a leader to speak, how can we ordinary officials find an excuse and go to the residences of various ministers and scholars to stake out?"

Fan Xian was stunned and said angrily, "Has the Second Bureau not sent any intelligence over this year?"

"They have sent some." Mu Tie glanced at him, "But according to Qing law, we are not qualified to independently investigate officials of the Third Rank or above. We always need to ask for instructions, or at least have the director sign off."

Fan Xian said helplessly, "You temporarily can't touch officials of the Third Rank or above, what about those below the Third Rank?"

Mu Tie replied, "My Lord, I dare not deceive you. In fact, the First Bureau, although nominally the most important department in the council, has actually always been the most incompetent department. The reason is also very simple - the Second and Third Bureaus only deal with intelligence, poisons, and weapons, these inanimate objects. The Fifth and Sixth Bureaus are responsible for security, the Seventh Bureau only deals with prisoners, and the Eighth Bureau only deals with books. Among the eight bureaus, only the First and Fourth Bureaus are departments that deal with people, and the Fourth Bureau's energy is mainly in foreign countries and various prefectures, those lower-level officials, how dare they compete with the people of the Fourth Bureau? With a random excuse, they can dismiss those county magistrates, who would dare say anything?"

Speaking of this, he couldn't help but show a hint of self-deprecation on his face, "That is, our First Bureau, deep in the capital, seemingly glorious, but in fact, the objects we deal with are all ministers in the court and local officials in the capital. In terms of status, they are more esteemed than us, and in terms of position, there's no need to mention it - the officials in the capital are showing goodwill to us on account of the First Bureau of the Qing Dynasty Supervisory Council, which was ordained by the emperor. It's natural for the Six Ministries not to forget us when there are benefits to be had, but when it really comes to competing... they won't be afraid of us."

Fan Xian thought that this wasn't right! Where had he heard of such a useless Embroidered Uniform Guard in his previous life? - "Below the Third Rank, you have the right to file a case, the right to independently investigate. They are afraid of you, so they will flatter you, how dare they compete with you?"

Mu Tie said self-deprecatingly, "My Lord, those officials may be below the Third Rank, but what about their teachers? These officials have long woven a large net that spans the capital. For some cases, even if we find evidence, it's not good to report it."

Fan Xian narrowed his eyes and asked, "Why?"

"It's very simple, the brothers of the First Bureau also have to live in the capital." Mu Tie sighed and said, "Although the salary is much higher than that of ordinary court officials, the relatives in the family still have to find some work, seek some errands in the various ministries and yamen. Even if you don't deal with these officials, even if you go to sell vegetables, if you investigate a clerk from the Kyoto Prefecture, the Kyoto Prefect has the ability to make your vegetable stall unable to stay open, and the reason used will also be in accordance with Qing law, and you won't be able to find any fault with it. As for those who have relationships with the palace, they won't even look at us directly, like Dai Zhen of the Lantern Market Vegetable Inspection Department, a well-known corrupt official, but we can't do anything... Why? Because Eunuch Dai in the palace is his own uncle!"

"Ever since Lord Zhu committed... committed suicide in fear of punishment, the First Bureau hasn't had a leader, so the officials below won't easily offend the officials in the capital. Who doesn't have some relatives? We're all in the officialdom, we have to leave some room for future meetings."

Mu Tie said with shame, "Don't be angry, My Lord, in this year, this humble official has also been keeping the idea of protecting himself in mind. Except for the major cases assigned by the council, I basically haven't investigated anything. My Lord, it's not that this humble official doesn't have the courage of a tiger, it's just that it's not easy to live in the capital. There are too many officials in the capital that we have to deal with on a daily basis."

Fan Xian didn't say anything, but said calmly, "In the future, just talk to me like this. The rectification, the first thing to rectify is the style of not being pragmatic and only knowing how to cater to superiors."

Mu Tie heard the term "rectification" and felt a sense of fear for no reason. He quickly asked the lord for instructions. After a series of words, Fan Xian said emotionlessly, while Mu Tie listened admiringly, and was afraid that he would forget, so he ground ink and wrote diligently... He didn't know how long it had passed when he finally heard Deng Ziyue gently knock on the door and report, "My Lord, everyone is here."

———————————————————————————

The First Bureau of the Supervisory Council, excluding the personnel stationed in the suburbs of the capital, had a total of 310 members. Except for those who were investigating cases today, and those "spikes" buried in the residences of various ministers, those who could come were basically all here, occupying an entire flat piece of land in the backyard of the First Bureau. They had each tidied up their clothes and stood solemnly, waiting for the Commissioner's instructions.

Fan Xian sat on the chair in front of everyone, not having the intention of standing up. He nodded slightly as he looked at these people, and found that the slackness of more than a year had not completely eroded the solemn aura of these people. He could still smell a trace of the sinister flavor that the secret agents of the Supervisory Council should have on their bodies. He was relatively satisfied with this.

Mu Tie, hunching over, whispered in his ear, "The First Bureau is relatively special. The secret agents are not secret, those here are all open identities, and most people are still hidden. The register of spikes is kept inside the council and cannot be consulted. If you want to view it, you need a report from the First Bureau and the director's warrant." He thought of Fan Xian's identity, paused and said, "You are the commissioner, you don't need the director's warrant, but you still need a report from the First Bureau. I'll go write it later."

Fan Xian shook his head and, after a moment of silence, said with a smile, "No need, from today onwards, I will also manage the First Bureau. If a report needs to be written, I will have someone write it."

Mu Tie's body stiffened. He had thought that Commissioner Fan was only here for an inspection, but he had not expected that he would also manage the First Bureau! But when he thought that he could work with the lord in the future, and it would be easier to get closer, a hint of joy appeared on his face.

...

...

The flat ground was silent for a long time. Fan Xian had not spoken the entire time, and the hundreds of members of the First Bureau had also maintained the posture of standing like javelins. Although they were not soldiers, the uniform blackness was still very pleasing to the eye, with a kind of Scotland Yard feel on a rainy day.

After a long time, Fan Xian finally stood up and said softly, "I am Fan Xian, and from today onwards, I am your commanding officer."

Most people had guessed his identity, but after hearing that the famous young Lord Fan was coming to the First Bureau to serve as the commanding officer, in addition to being slightly surprised, they were more happy. After Zhu Ge's death, not only was it difficult to carry out the work of the First Bureau in the capital, but they were also subjected to more cold looks in the council. Now that they had Lord Fan leading them, which of the other seven bureaus in the council would dare to delay and make mistakes? The various yamen in the capital would probably secretly offer more benefits.

But Fan Xian's next words made everyone feel a burst of chill.

"This official knows how you have spent this past year." Fan Xian said with a smile, "From now on, you can no longer spend it like this."

After dropping this very simple conclusion, he sat back down in the chair and glanced at Mu Tie.

Mu Tie stood up, coughed twice, and looked at his subordinates with great authority. He said, "The main reason for summoning everyone here today is that Commissioner Fan is taking office and has some things to explain. This official has been entrusted by Commissioner Fan to say a few words. The main points have all been drafted by Commissioner Fan, so please listen carefully, colleagues."

The officials in the courtyard listened respectfully.

"Today, I want to talk about the issue of our First Bureau's style." Mu Tie frowned, looking bitter and resentful, "Why do we have the Supervisory Council? Why do we have our First Bureau? Because there are corrupt officials and corrupt officials in the court who deceive His Majesty, exploit the people, and secretly undermine Qing law. His Majesty wants to investigate the official administration clearly, the people want to live and work in peace and contentment, and the dignity of Qing law must be maintained, therefore, there must be the First Bureau."

The officials were stunned, thinking that Lord Mu had always been good at handling cases and practical matters, when did he also learn to write these official articles? However, with the three great mountains of His Majesty, the people, and Qing law pressing down, no one dared to say anything.

"... We are the First Bureau, we are His Majesty's eyes and ears. If we want to be clear-eyed and sharp-eared, and share the burden for His Majesty, we must achieve unified steps, crack troops and strong horses, and orders must be like mountains! If not, supervising the officials in the capital will become castles in the air..."

"What problems do we have in the First Bureau now? His Majesty's instructions are naturally wise and correct, and the work of the First Bureau is also effective, and this point has been greatly praised by Commissioner Fan." Mu Tie changed the subject and said in an extremely sinister tone, "... But! In the recent year, the First Bureau has had many problems. As the acting commander, I am of course responsible, and will ask for punishment tomorrow, but from today onwards, all matters violating the Supervisory Council's regulations are not allowed to be done again."

"It is forbidden to accept gifts and all benefits that can be converted into silver from other ministries and departments of the imperial court, either privately or in the name of the First Bureau."

"It is forbidden to refuse to accept any reports for any reason."

"It is forbidden, in any name, to have routine contact with relevant officials from any ministry or department. If a banquet is required for handling a case, it must be declared in advance, and the number of people must be at least three!"

"Strengthen the rationality of routine work, strengthen..."

"Strictly implement the execution of the Supervisory Council regulations and related detailed rules. In the past year, if any of your colleagues have any improprieties, please explain them to this official within ten days, and everything will be forgiven."

...

...

Mu Tie was still talking eloquently, but the clerks of the First Bureau below became nervous. They didn't know about this so-called "rectification movement", but they only heard that if Commissioner Fan really did it with determination, the benefits they had earned in this year would never be earned again in the future, and they would once again plunge into the dangerous and glorious work of offending officials in the capital. The faces of the crowd couldn't help but reveal an expression of difficulty and indignation.

But even so, they still did not whisper, did not speak out in rebuttal, and did not have an unbefitting official manner like the officials in the Six Ministries. Although their expressions changed somewhat, they still stood steadily with extremely strong control - the Supervisory Council, which Chen Pingping had personally trained, was, from its foundation and essence, always the most ironclad team of secret agents in the world.

Mu Tie's speech was over, Fan Xian stood up, put his hands behind his back, and said with a smile, "If you have any opinions, say them out in the open now."

The bottom was silent.

The status gap between the ordinary secret agents and ordinary investigators of the Supervisory Council and Fan Xian, this favored son of heaven, was too great, and no one dared to refute anything in front of him.

Fan Xian smiled and tempted people to speak, "Let's brainstorm, Director Chen asked me to come to the First Bureau, it is also a high regard for all of you colleagues, everyone also knows that this official is busy, I am too lazy to go to ordinary yamen."

After these words were spoken, the mood of the officials in the courtyard was slightly relaxed. It was rumored that this commissioner had a knife hidden in his smile, but they really couldn't see it at this time, and the other party came from a noble background and was a famous genius in the world, how could he really be proficient in these dirty things of the Supervisory Council? They would just agree for now, and then talk about it later, so they all bowed and saluted, saying, "We respectfully obey Lord Commissioner's orders."

Fan Xian frowned slightly, somewhat dissatisfied.

Mu Tie was close and could see the hint of coldness in his eyes. He thought that Fan Xian was dissatisfied with his subordinates for not appearing loyal enough, and was anxious in his heart. He quickly gave a wink to Feng'er, who was standing in the front row. This person was his distant nephew, also surnamed Mu.

When Mu Feng'er saw his uncle winking, he thought that he was being asked to stand up and object - but how could he dare to say no to the dignified Commissioner Fan! He was terrified in his heart, and his legs trembled repeatedly. In the end, he still remembered his uncle's past kindness, steeled his heart, gritted his teeth, and stepped out of the line. Without hesitation, he gave a salute and said, "Lord Commissioner, although the First Bureau is responsible for supervising the officials in the capital, it is unavoidable that there will be personal relationships. Every family will have relatives. For example, my brother-in-law is currently working in the Horse Administration. If I don't have routine contact with him, that is also possible, but I'm afraid that my shrewish wife will make a fuss!"

These words seemed playful, but no one in the room dared to laugh out loud. No one knew why Mu Feng'er was so bold today.

Fan Xian was happy in his heart, but his face was gloomy, and he rebuked in a cold voice, "Do you think the council regulations are a pile of dog shit, for you to smear on your face as you please! The detailed rules have long made it clear that relatives within three generations are not included after being declared and registered. You insist on saying this, could it be that there is something improper? Mu Tie, drag your distant nephew down and serve him with the rules!"

Mu Tie sighed and dragged his nephew, who was full of resentment, to receive the beating. Fan Xian cast a cold gaze around the crowd and said, "Is there anything else anyone wants to say?"

Everyone knew that he was using his official authority to suppress people, but they didn't expect that there would be such a stubborn person among the secret agents. He stepped forward, bowed deeply, and said, "Lord Commissioner, investigating cases is what we should do, but what if we encounter threats from nobles? What if our family encounters harassment from officials? What if the eunuchs in the palace speak up?"

The room was silent. The thing that the First Bureau feared most when handling cases was encountering officials who had relationships with the palace, because no matter how strong the Supervisory Council was, it was still just a lackey raised by the palace.

...

...

Fan Xian looked at him with a calm face and said, "Report my name."

The five words were sonorous and powerful. Who dares to harass and threaten you, whether he is a minister or a powerful person, just report my name, Fan Xian! In the current Kyoto, Fan Xian did have the confidence to say such words. Even if those people in the palace still had to reveal a few airs of self-respect in front of him, in reality, those officials and powerful people above the Third Rank would probably not dare to risk offending Fan Xian to bully his subordinates.

With the power of supervision in his left hand and the money of the world in his right hand, who would want to offend Fan Xian?

—————————————————————————

Fan Xian looked at the official who had stepped forward, feeling somewhat admiring. After he had deliberately suppressed Mu Tie, he still dared to stand up and speak. Thinking of this, he slowed down his tone and said softly, "If there are any other opinions, raise them together, and I won't punish you."

That person actually didn't have anything else to say. He braced himself and said, "This subordinate believes that it is right for individuals not to accept money and goods, but it's okay to accept some in the name of the First Bureau. On the one hand, we can improve the relationship with the various departments of the Six Ministries, which will make it easier to investigate cases in the future, and on the other hand, these money and goods can be distributed to supplement our income."

Fan Xian looked at the crowd in the courtyard, knowing that these people were also distressed about this money, and couldn't help but sneer and say, "When it comes to salary, you earn three times more than officials of the same rank. Although you don't have as much extra income as those officials, this was originally the intention of paying high salaries to prevent corruption at the beginning of the establishment of the council, what's there to complain about."

Su Wenmao, who had been standing behind him all along, took advantage of his familiarity with Commissioner Fan and said boldly, "The Supervisory Council has always endured the backlash of officials and the scorn of the people, and the First Bureau's situation is more special, and the imperial court is not willing to give more subsidies, so that's why..."

Fan Xian shook his head, stopped him from speaking, and quietly looked at these secret agents and clerks of the Supervisory Council. He waited until the atmosphere in the room had been squeezed to a silent state before saying word by word:

"Don't ask what the court has done for you, ask yourself what you have done for the court."

Su Wenmao was stunned when he heard this. After chewing on it a little, he found it to be very meaningful. He couldn't help but feel a trace of shame and a trace of admiration in his heart. Yes, when these officials of the First Bureau were planning for themselves, did they think about what the court was building the Supervisory Council for?

The official who had spoken at the front was also stunned in place. The education and indoctrination of the Supervisory Council for so many years, and Chen Pingping's admonitions, seemed to bring him back to the mental state he had when he first entered the Supervisory Council. His heart warmed, he clenched his right fist and shouted:

"Everything for the Qing Kingdom."

"Everything for the Qing Kingdom!" This was the purpose that everyone who entered the Supervisory Council had to remember on their first day.

Fan Xian looked at the scene below and smiled with great satisfaction. He clenched his right fist lightly and said in his heart, "Everything for life."