Great Song Super Scholar

Chapter 725 Ouyang's Entrustment
Fan Ning knew that he couldn't get around the empress dowager's hurdle, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and come to the Palace of Compassion.

Fan Ning knelt down in front of the bamboo curtain and saluted, "My humble minister, Fan Ning, sees the Queen Mother!"

"Get up!"

"Thank you Queen Mother!" Fan Ning got up and stood aside.

Empress Dowager Cao asked coldly: "Do you know why Ai's family came to find you?"

"Wei Chen knows!"

"Since you know, why don't you discuss such an important matter with Ai's family?"

Fan Ning pondered for a moment and said, "I don't want to create conflicts between the queen mother and the emperor."

How shrewd is Empress Dowager Cao, she immediately understood Fan Ning's meaning, "You mean that resignation was not your original intention?"

Fan Ning shook his head, "Reporting to the Empress Dowager, it was Weichen who resigned on his own initiative. I was really tired from the two years of fighting in the South and North, and I didn't spend time with my family. I felt guilty and resigned from the military. It is a relief for the humble minister."

"Then why did you resign?"

"This is the rule of the Zhizhengtang. If you are on leave for more than three months, you need to temporarily suspend your duties. I want to go to Beidao to visit my grandmother. I am afraid that I will not be able to return in half a year."

Empress Dowager Cao shook her head, "You all regard Aijia as a fool. Is suspension and resignation the same thing? The officials also said the same. Aijia didn't expose him, but Aijia needs to know what's going on?"

Fan Ning was silent for a long time and said, "The Queen Mother should know the reason."

Empress Dowager Cao snorted coldly, ""It seems that the newspaper's comments are really right. You have made great contributions and threatened the status of the emperor. The Ai family doesn't understand. The dignified emperor of Song Dynasty doesn't even have such a heart ? "

"Queen Mother, from the standpoint of the Son of Heaven, he is not at fault. The Great Song Dynasty cannot rely on only one person to rule the world. Not only the Great Song Dynasty, but any dynasty is the same. If only one person can be relied on, it will be dangerous. I fully understand The worry of the emperor."

"Then why did you resign from the position? Tell the Ai family the truth, do you want to retire from Bei Dao?"

"Queen Dowager, Shiyun, it is not important for a minister to be an official in the court, the key is how much he has done !"

Empress Dowager Cao was silent for a long time and asked, "You should come back, right?"

Fan Ning hesitated for a moment and said: "To be honest, I don't know. It should be more likely to come back, but I'm not sure."

"Then you go! Take care of yourself."

"Please also take care of the queen mother, I will leave!"

Fan Ning slowly withdrew from the Palace of Compassion and Ning, and the Empress Dowager Cao suddenly felt very tired. She thought of Gao Taotao, and wondered whether Fan Ning's departure was a good thing for her or a loss?
…………

As soon as Fan Ning returned to the mansion, his second wife Ouyang Qian came up to meet her and said anxiously: "Husband, my father is here!"

Fan Ning secretly sighed in his heart, the impact of his resignation was too great, even Ouyang Xiu, who had always been indifferent, was alarmed.

"Where is Yue Zhang?"

"I have been here for a while in the expensive guest room of Cuiyun Building."

Fanning nodded, "I'll go see him."

Fan Ning walked quickly to Cuiyun Tower, Ouyang Qian quickly followed a few steps and said: "Father is asking about my husband's resignation."

"I can think of it, what else did he ask?"

"Then he asked me if we went to the North Island, and he asked me if the whole family went to the North Island together."

"Then how do you answer?"

"I didn't hide it from him. I told him the truth that the whole family really plans to go to Beidao together."

"and then?"

"There's no more, my father didn't say anything, he was just waiting for my husband to come back, my husband, did I say something wrong?"

Fan Ning smiled and said, "Of course I'm not wrong. I shouldn't have kept this matter from him."

"But... I'm a little worried that my father will object."

"No, don't worry! Your father is a sensible person, he knows why I made this decision."

As the couple talked, they came to Cuiyun Tower. From a distance, Fan Ning saw his father-in-law Ouyang Xiuxiu standing in front of Cuiyun Peak with his hands behind his back, admiring the No. 1 stone in the capital.

Fan Ning stepped forward and apologized, "I kept my father-in-law waiting for so long!"

Ouyang Xiu pointed at Cuiyun Peak, stroking his beard and said with a smile: "Every time I see this strange stone, there is something new, which makes people's eyes shine. It is indeed the number one strange stone in the capital."

"If father-in-law likes it, give it to father-in-law!"

Ouyang Xiu shook his head, "I can see what you give me for a few more years, so take it away yourself!"

Fan Ning was silent, there was something in Ouyang Xiu's words, it seemed that he already understood it.

Ouyang Qian hurriedly said from behind: "Husband, please come in and sit down!"

Fan Ning nodded, and quickly waved his hands, "Father-in-law, please come into the lobby and talk about it."

Ouyang Xiu stroked his beard and smiled, turned around and walked into the lobby.

Weng and son-in-law took their seats in the lobby, Ouyang Qian hurriedly arranged for the maid to serve tea, Ouyang Xiu said with a smile: "Qian'er, go get busy! I'll have a chat with Aning."

Ouyang Qian looked at her husband, Fan Ning nodded, and Ouyang Qian had no choice but to leave.

Ouyang Xiu shook his head and said with a smile: "You still have to listen to your husband. As a father, I can no longer talk."

Fan Ning quickly explained: "Aqian has always cared and respected her father-in-law."

"No need to explain, it's normal, I don't mind at all."

After a pause, Ouyang Xiu asked again: "Qian'er said that you were summoned by the queen mother, did the queen mother keep you?"

Fan Ning pondered for a while and said, "She meant it, but in the end she didn't force me."

Ouyang Xiu nodded, "I think it's the same. After all, the Empress Dowager has to take care of the emperor's face."

"When do you plan to go to Beidao?" Ouyang Xiu asked again with a smile.

"Clean up, about half a month later! The fleet has just arrived in Quanzhou, and they will transfer to Yangzhou. The crew needs to rest for a few days, and they will leave in half a month."

Fan Ning was a little strange, he smiled and asked, "I thought my father-in-law would also persuade me to stay."

Ouyang Xiu shook his head, "Is there anything to persuade, besides, you must come back, how can you just leave like this."

"My son-in-law didn't discuss it with his father-in-law before he resigned from the phase. My son-in-law is really ashamed."

"It's nothing."

Ouyang Xiu smiled gently and said, "Actually, it was within my expectation that you resigned and left."

Seeing the puzzled expression on his son-in-law's face, Ouyang Xiu took a sip of tea and said slowly: "Over the years, your family and Zhu's family have planned to leave Song Dynasty in a step-by-step manner. Everyone has seen it, and I know it very well. It's just that everyone doesn't talk about it, I knew that you would leave sooner or later, but I didn't expect this day to come so soon."

Fan Ning was speechless for a moment. In fact, he also knew that such things would be hard to hide from the eyes of those who cared. He originally planned to retreat gradually in ten years, but now that the emperor has suspicions about him, it is the best opportunity for him to leave. up.

Ouyang Xiu smiled again: "With your talent, you won't be under others for a long time. Your departure is good for the emperor and for you, so I am not trying to dissuade you today."

Fan Ning nodded silently, Ouyang Xiu glanced at Fan Ning and said, "Son-in-law, I came to the door today to ask for something!"

Fan Ning quickly said: "Father-in-law is serious, if you have something to say, just tell your son-in-law!"

Ouyang Xiu sighed and said: "I have six children in my life, the eldest son and the eldest daughter were born by my ex-wife, and my current wife is relatively strong and partial. I don't tell you about the family situation. I am not in good health. , is already old, and probably won't live too long."

"Father-in-law, don't say that, take good care of it, and you will live another 30 to [-] years without any problems."

"You don't have to persuade me. I'm not afraid of death. Besides, I've been successful and famous all my life, and I have no regrets in dying. But the only thing I'm worried about is my eldest son. He is not from a major. In addition, I have offended many people, and the few times I have chances for promotion, I have been dismissed." After being suppressed, he has been wandering from the sixth rank for many years, and he probably won't be able to rise to the fifth rank, let alone the fifth rank. I never count on it, and he knows it in his heart. My son-in-law, I implore you to take him too. North Island."

Fan Ning was surprised. It turned out that his father-in-law wanted to take his eldest son Ouyang Hua to Beidao with him. This was really beyond his expectation, but it was not surprising after thinking about it. Ouyang Xiu was indeed in poor health, not a sign of longevity, probably not many years.

Once he passed away, the eldest son Ouyang Hua would have almost nothing. In addition, Ouyang Xiu had offended too many people, so Ouyang Hua's life would be difficult, so he wanted his eldest son to go with him.

Fan Ning pondered for a while and asked, "I am willing to relieve my father-in-law's worries and take my eldest brother away, but is he willing to abandon his official position and go to Beidao?"

"I've talked to him and he's very willing, as is his wife and children."

Fan Ning nodded, "Okay! I promised my father-in-law that I will take my elder brother's family to North Island. He should pack up now, and we will officially set off in half a month."

(End of this chapter)