Joy of Life: Starting from Teacher Fan Xian

Chapter 129: Northern Qi Goes to the Capital
In late autumn, at the border between Northern Qi and Southern Qing, the Qing delegation drove into a remote town and found a wide area for the convoy to rest.

Fan Xian got off the carriage and first went to the back to check on Sean's condition and confirmed that his mental state was not too bad before he began to walk around and look at the town.

Just a few days ago, he and Sean staged a wonderful chase scene, which attracted countless forces.

First, they deployed their troops secretly, including Yan Xiaoyi from the Northern Camp who accompanied them all the way, and then they launched an open attack on the Northern Qi border troops, led by Shangshanhu, who was said to be Sean's adopted son. In short, things were not very peaceful.

Finally, a country girl appeared out of nowhere, speaking ambiguously and was very difficult to deal with. One moment she threatened to kill Sean, and the next moment she made a deal with him.

He used some despicable means and managed to drive the person away, but no one knew when he would attack again.

Fan Xian actually heaved a sigh of relief when he thought about how close they were to Northern Qi. Chen Pingping had told him before they left that they wouldn't have too many troubles once they entered Northern Qi.

Just as he was thinking, Fan Xian saw something out of the corner of his eye, paused, and casually called Wang Qinian who was in the carriage.

"Why is your name on the road sign?" Wang Qinian had been to the border area in his early years, so Fan Xian thought he should know something about it.

Fan Xian naturally knew that the town of Wudu River belonged to Northern Qi twelve years ago, but later fell into the hands of Southern Qing because of the war.

In this way, the honorific name on the road sign undoubtedly seems even more incredible.

Wang Qinian took a look, thought for a moment, clapped his hands and suddenly realized: "Mr. Fan, you don't know, my master passed by here more than ten years ago when he went to the border for negotiations. At that time, the town was plagued by war, hunger and cold, and it was in a state of depression. The master was kind-hearted and left all the remaining food of the delegation here. I think it was for this reason that the residents of the town were grateful and erected the inscription."

“In fact, there is much more than that…”

After Wang Qinian finished speaking, he remembered that year when his master tried his best to persuade General Qin to move the defense line forward, so now the border troops are no longer stationed in Wuduhe Town.

The remote town was thus spared from the frequent wars, and the country and people were protected, with beacons and watchtowers silenced.

"Sir, you are really a kind person."

The convoy set off, and Fan Xian excitedly lifted the curtain. The residents in the houses gradually poked their heads out. There was no joy in their expressions, but rather the usual indifference.

Obviously, perhaps because of their proximity to Northern Qi, they still regarded themselves as people of the north and did not have much sense of identity with Qing Kingdom.

But when they mentioned Lin Ruo, they were grateful from beginning to end.

Some greatness always transcends the country...

After crossing the Wudu River and reaching the border defense line, the outline of Northern Qi became clearly visible. Led by the welcoming team sent by Shangjing City, the Nanqing delegation finally arrived in Shangjing City five days later.

During these days in the carriage, Fan Xian had been pondering a very troubling question: how would Northern Qi treat Sean.

Sean was once an important official of the Northern Wei Dynasty. He led the Jinyiwei to fight against the Qing Kingdom for many years and was quite famous in the north.

But now the world has changed drastically, the Northern Wei Dynasty has been destroyed, and the Zhan family has replaced it to establish the Northern Qi Dynasty. Sean will inevitably be labeled as a remnant of the previous dynasty, and he may not be able to escape death.

However, this statement is not entirely correct. If Sean was really regarded as a remnant of the previous dynasty, the Northern Qi royal family would not have to go to so much trouble to bring him back, and could have just left him in Qing to fend for himself.

This shows that Northern Qi may have the intention to surrender and wanted to use Sean's abilities to persuade him to continue to serve the new regime.

However, Sean has always been loyal to his reputation, and Fan Xian feels that it would be difficult to persuade the Zhan family, who are seeking to usurp the throne.

It is estimated that the Zhan family is also thinking about this problem. If one plan fails, using Sean to contain Shangshanhu, who is gradually becoming disloyal, and taking back the military power can also be a good way to make a profit.

At the foot of Shangjing City, the two countries were making a preliminary handover. Shen Zhong, the second leader of the Jinyiwei of Northern Qi, exchanged a few simple greetings with Fan Xian, then took away Sean, who was wrapped in iron chains.

This former minister was not treated harshly by the Jinyiwei and sat safely in the carriage. Perhaps it was because he was a great hero of the Northern Wei Dynasty, or perhaps it was because he had founded the Jinyiwei. In any case, the soldiers did not have much hostility towards him and instead showed a little respect for him.

But Shen Zhong, who is smiling but hiding a dagger, doesn't seem to be so kind to Sean.

Fan Xian vaguely guessed that Northern Qi did not take Sean back for the purpose of re-employing him.

Afterwards, the maid in the palace took Si Lili away in a proud and arrogant manner, and the Nanqing delegation was able to enter the city.

Entering Shangjing City, the people of Northern Qi lined the streets to curse. Fan Xian led the Southern Qing delegation to fight back. Not only did they cause trouble, they also defeated many Northern Qi masters who were causing trouble.

Half a year later, Cheng Jushu appeared in Fan Xian's sight again and fought with him.

Fan Xian, whose realm had been elevated, easily defeated Cheng Jushu and calmed the impotent rage of the people of Northern Qi.

"Who does Cheng Jushu work for?" After entering the post station, Fan Xian picked out some suspicious points and asked impatiently.

"Sir, Cheng Jushu is one of ours." Wang Qinian said with a grin, and whispered something to Fan Xian. The latter took a deep breath, and then he realized that the master's layout in Northern Qi was so in-depth.

……

……

He Daoren, dressed in official uniform, walked in the imperial palace of Northern Qi with his sleeves gathered up. His face did not change much from twelve years ago, except for a little more unreasonable thoughtfulness. Now, he is the most powerful minister in Northern Qi, and his strength is no less than that of others. Even the two disciples of Master Ku He are no match for him.

He walked through the dark palace and entered the palace built on the green hills and surrounded by green trees. He walked around the long corridor and climbed to the second floor. Standing outside the curtain, He Daoren bowed slightly and said, "Your Majesty, I am your humble servant."

"Since you are one of us, there is no need for you to be polite, Lord He. Please come in." A deep male voice came from behind the curtain, and then someone lifted the curtain.

It was more like tearing it open than lifting it up. The movement was casual and rough. The woman who was revealed had a blank face. She didn't look very good, but her eyes were unusually bright.

Although she was wearing the noble clothes of the palace, she had the air of an ordinary country girl, especially when she bowed and her heels were exposed in her cloth shoes, which were particularly common in the countryside and looked extremely incongruous.

"Hello, Lord He." The woman was extremely casual and even covered her mouth to yawn in front of others.

"Saint lady."

"Just call me Duoduo. Such an awkward title of Saint doesn't suit me at all. You can just call me that in public, but there's no need to do that off stage." Haitang Duoduo said a few disparaging words to herself, and when she heard He Daoren's response, she took small steps back to the table.

Whenever he saw this step, He Daoren couldn't help but smile strangely, but he concealed it very quickly.

Since the young emperor took power, he has been playing a double act with the empress dowager, and He Daoren is one of the few who knows the inside story, which is enough to illustrate his status between the mother and son.

Apart from the court, only Ku He's two major disciples Haitang Duoduo and Lang Tao knew the truth.

In the open plan, He Daoren and Haitang Duoduo were both close to the Queen Mother. They deliberately left the little emperor alone and helpless. The shrewd Queen Mother had deep intentions.

"Please take a seat, my dear Lord He." The little emperor, who was only seventeen years old, waved to him. He was wearing an elegant black coat and a jade belt around his waist. At such a young age, he already showed the majesty of an emperor.

He Daoren sat down calmly. He didn't even know that the little emperor was a woman.

"What's the matter, mother?" the little emperor asked softly.

Taoist He bowed his head slightly and replied, "The Queen Mother sent me to discuss with Your Majesty the matter of the Nanqing envoys entering the capital and the treatment of Xiao En."

At this point, the little emperor glanced at Haitang Duoduo and said, "Little Sister, this is what you did that was not kind."

Haitang Duoduo was embarrassed and didn't know what to say, so she said casually, "It's my fault that I didn't kill Xiao En at the border. Your Majesty, please punish me. I have no complaints."

The little emperor ignored her and turned to look at He Daoren and said, "Xiao En has already returned to the capital. If we take action in the capital, we will no longer be able to shirk responsibility, which will not be conducive to bringing down Shangshanhu."

"Your Majesty, our goal is to seize power from Shangshanhu. If it weren't for Sean, Shangshanhu would not be willing to return to Beijing." He Daoren said immediately.

The little emperor sighed, "That's true, but Shangshanhu is a capable minister. We have to rely on him more in the border wars. Nanqing is coming with great momentum, so we must not let him down and hurt his talent."

"Shangshanhu has abused his power and declared himself independent. It is not a good idea to keep him around. Leaving Sean to keep him in check may be effective, but the risk is still too great." Taoist He said.

The little emperor frowned slightly and waved his sleeves vigorously: "Use Xiao En as a lure to force him to hand over the military power. What I want is to hold great power and have capable and obedient ministers."

"Your Majesty, if Xiao En is not killed, the old ministers of the Northern Wei in the court may rise up, which will be another bad thing." He Daoren said in a deep voice.

"Sean's reputation in the country is too great, even greater than that of me, the emperor." The little emperor said, and it was hard to guess whether he was dissatisfied or emotional.

Haitang Duoduo suddenly spoke up: "Master also means that Sean must be killed."

"Oh?" The little emperor was surprised. "Doesn't Master Ku He always take care of state affairs?"

Haitang Duoduo explained: "Master said that this has nothing to do with state affairs. As for the details, it is not convenient to tell His Majesty."

"It's fine if you don't want to tell me, but I still need to think about it." The little emperor rubbed his head, closed his eyes and thought to himself.

He Daoren was silent for a moment and then said, "The Nanqing delegation has already arrived in Beijing, and the issue of how to deal with Yan Bingyun must be resolved as soon as possible."

The little emperor closed his eyes and asked, "Can Yan Bingyun reveal the secret agents in Shangjing City?"

Taoist He shook his head: "I am incompetent and did not force a confession."

"Then let's just hold on for now. It's not appropriate to return it to Nan Qing like this."

"By the way, have you ever met Fan Xian, Lord He?" The little emperor suddenly opened his eyes and asked curiously.

"Not yet, but I'm sure he'll come looking for me today or tomorrow. Your Majesty will keep an eye out for him then."

The little emperor nodded and said, "Okay, Lord He, let him meet me first, and then I will let him come to the palace to see me."

Taoist He leaned forward and said, "Your Majesty, please rest assured that I will do my best to force Yan Bingyun to confess the secret."

(End of this chapter)