Under One Person: Starting from the Inheritance of Gods

Chapter 395 Calming the Storm - Ode to Bamboo [Begging for subscriptions, monthly tickets, and recommendation votes!]

Teng Zijing's life or death was like an ant in the capital's government office; no one cared except Fan Xian.

Fan Xian looked at Teng Zijing with a worried expression. At this moment, he was speechless and could not defend himself. It seemed that the blame was about to be placed on Teng Zijing.

But the Crown Prince didn't want to waste his time only to find a scapegoat. He immediately pointed at Teng Zijing and insisted, "But Fan Xian once submitted a memorial saying that he personally killed this man!"

The Crown Prince's words were tantamount to accusing Fan Xian of an even greater crime—the crime of deceiving the Emperor!

The Second Prince immediately defended Fan Xian, saying, "Perhaps Fan Xian was deceived by this person's trickery?"

The Crown Prince clicked his tongue and put his hands in his robes. "But as far as I know, this person has been by Fan Xian's side ever since he came to the capital, especially after Fan Xian recovered from his injuries. He also went to Zuixianlou yesterday, didn't he?"

"He stood right behind Fan Xian, like a bodyguard!"

"That makes it even more interesting!"

"The Overwatch Council is His Majesty's henchman, and our young Master Fan actually fabricated a death report to recruit people from the Overwatch Council into his ranks!"

"I won't even talk about criminal law or national law, but just this one thing, Fan Xian, you're deceiving the emperor!"

The Crown Prince pressed on relentlessly, presenting one fact after another. Now it was Fan Xian's turn to be in trouble. Even the most meticulous plans can have a flaw. Fan Xian had never imagined that the mistake would be made by Teng Zijing.

At this moment, the Crown Prince looked at Mei Zhili with a meaningful gaze, which made Mei Zhili shiver. He never expected that an ordinary case would involve the crime of deceiving the emperor.

Is this a matter that a mere prefect of the capital can decide?
Just as Fan Xian was in a panic, Teng Zijing took the blame, saying, "I threatened Fan Xian with a knife and forced him to comply!"

"If that's really the case, why didn't Fan Xian run away or shout yesterday? That Grandmaster was standing right next to him at the time!" the Crown Prince questioned again.

Teng Zijing was speechless, but still insisted, "I threatened him with my own body, he wouldn't dare fight me to the death!"

But Teng Zijing's words were clearly untenable.

The Crown Prince sighed and rubbed his forehead, saying, "As far as I know, Fan Xian went up to the third floor of Zuixianju alone yesterday, while you stayed on the first floor. If you were really being held hostage, why didn't you ask the Grandmaster for help?"

"Or, we could just run away!"

"Moreover, Fan Xian was injured in a fight with a ferocious beast, so he was quite skilled. Why didn't you dare to resist Teng Zijing?"

"Don't tell me you're still recovering from your injuries. You only entered the palace to receive His Majesty's reward after you were fully healed!"

The Crown Prince narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Fan Xian, and said with a fake smile, "If your injury has not healed, yet you claim it has, that is also deceiving the Emperor!"

Fan Xian was speechless after being confronted. In fact, after learning his true identity, he became increasingly bold in his actions, showing a sense of arrogance.

Fan Xian looked at the crown prince, who was his half-brother, and his eyes turned cold. It was obvious that the crown prince was determined to kill him.

He had been followed all the way after entering Kyoto. As soon as he gave himself away, these people pounced on him like sharks that smelled blood.

At this moment, Fan Xian finally realized the dangers of Kyoto.

Fan Xian sighed and said, "So, whether I hit Guo Baokun or not, you've already pinned the crime on me?"

The crown prince put on a hypocritical air: "Because of your poetic talent, I can spare your life!"

Fan Xian sneered and bluntly stated, "Forget about getting married!"

"I'm tired today too. Second Brother, is there anything else you'd like to say?"

The Crown Prince turned to look at Li Chengze, who in turn silently looked at Fan Xian. If Fan Xian's methods were limited to this, then he was not worth trying to win him over.

He can win over many kinds of people: the greedy, the lecherous, the family-oriented... but he will never win over fools!

Seeing that Li Chengze had no reaction, the Crown Prince pressed his advantage, saying, "Then let's torture him! I want to see what other treacherous schemes Teng Zijing has in order to fake his death and enter the capital!"

Upon hearing this, Mei Zhili, who was standing to the side, was about to pick up the gavel and strike it down with trembling hands in order to curry favor with the Crown Prince, but then he glanced at the Second Prince with apprehension.

Finally, gritting his teeth, he said:

"Guards, begin the torture!"

But when the Crown Prince was in complete control.

Just then, a sharp voice suddenly rang out from outside the door: "Wait a moment!"

Then, Eunuch Hou walked briskly into the main hall and bowed to the Crown Prince and the Second Prince, saying, "Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince and Your Highness the Second Prince!"

The Crown Prince frowned slightly: "Eunuch Hou?"

At this moment, Eunuch Hou straightened up: "Convey His Majesty's oral decree!"

Everyone, including the Crown Prince, hurriedly rose and knelt down. Eunuch Hou then stood in front of them and said directly, "Teng Zijing is not dead. The Surveillance Bureau made other arrangements, which I am aware of. This does not constitute deceiving the Emperor!"

"Judicial proceedings are a matter for the Kyoto Prefecture. Royal family members should go home and mind their own business!"

Upon hearing this imperial edict, the Crown Prince's expression darkened, and the Second Prince also seemed thoughtful, but both remained kneeling and said in unison, "We will obey Your Majesty's decree!"

Then, everyone stood up, and the Crown Prince turned to leave, but as the two brushed past each other, Fan Xian suddenly asked, "Your Highness, if I may be so bold, there is something I would like to ask you!"

"speak!"

The crown prince didn't even turn his head, and he looked extremely displeased.

But Fan Xian deliberately moved closer to the Crown Prince and bluntly asked, "I was assassinated in Danzhou before. I wonder if the Crown Prince knew about it?"

This question stunned everyone. It was tantamount to telling others that the assassination attempt on you was because they suspected you!
Teng Zijing's eyes widened in disbelief, unable to comprehend that Fan Xian was so "brave"!
Seeing Fan Xian's lack of manners and dignity, the Crown Prince immediately turned away with a cold expression. At the same time, the Second Prince gave Fan Xian a thumbs up, then tossed his hair and left gracefully.

The Crown Prince looked at Fan Xian with a very strange expression.

It's like watching a monkey from the countryside, ignorant of all rules, acting recklessly and bluntly.

The Crown Prince finally sighed in silence, responding to Fan Xian with a cold laugh, full of sarcasm.

After the crown prince left.

Eunuch Hou whispered to Mei Zhili, "Lord Mei, His Majesty summons you to the palace!"

“Now, now, now?” Mei Zhili stammered.

Eunuch Hou glanced at the other person: "What's wrong, sir? Is something inconvenient?"

"No, no, no, I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare!"

Mei Zhili finally remembered something and quickly bowed respectfully, saying, "Your subject obeys the decree!"

Little did he know that his trip would end in him being robbed and killed by bandits!

"Then come with me!"

Just as Eunuch Hou was about to leave with Mei Zhili, Fan Xian stopped him. However, Eunuch Hou's attitude towards Fan Xian was clearly different. He said warmly, "Young Master Fan, do you have something to say?"

He had an attitude that said, "Just let me know if you need anything."

"And what about our side?" Fan Xian asked.

Eunuch Hou smiled and said, "Now that the people who handled the case have all left, they can naturally go back to their own homes and find their own mothers... Sigh, the capital city isn't that big, we'll meet again someday!"

Eunuch Hou gave Fan Xian a barely perceptible bow before leaving.

—————— Inside the Oversight Council, in a secret room.

"What do you think Emperor Qing will think of my relationship with Fan Xian?"

Chen Pingping shook his head: "It's hard to say. There's apprehension, attempts to win them over, delaying the process, and testing them..."

Meng Fan laughed and said, "Couldn't it be that you're looking for trouble?"

Chen Pingping shook his head: "His Majesty is not in such a hurry. Even if you are in the capital, surrounded by tens of thousands of imperial guards, he will not easily fight against a Grandmaster."

"Like a fierce tiger lying in a desolate hill, concealing its claws and teeth in endurance!" Meng Fan commented.

Chen Pingping exclaimed in admiration, "Truly worthy of being called a master of poetry, his words flow effortlessly!"

Meng Fan smiled and shook his head: "It's just the wisdom of our predecessors. To put it in more vulgar terms, it's like saying a barking dog doesn't bite, and a barking dog doesn't bite!"

"Hahaha!"

"The words of the 'Poet Immortal' are truly insightful!" Chen Pingping said with a relaxed and cheerful smile.

The shadow stood behind Chen Pingping, enduring immense hardship.

No one could have imagined that someone would be so audacious as to compare Emperor Qing to a dog.

"After the incident in Kyoto Prefecture, Fan Xian has grown a little, but it's not enough. A sword must be tempered by blood and war to truly become sharp!"

"Shouldn't Li Yunrui make some moves next?" Meng Fan asked confidently.

Chen Pingping nodded: "That's right. If His Majesty is a wild wolf that has always been hiding in the shadows, then Li Yunrui is more like a mad cat."

“She’s willing to use any means to achieve her goals, and Fan Xian is going to have a hard time,” Chen Pingping worriedly said.

Meng Fan scoffed: "A woman's methods are ultimately underhanded; they're nothing more than assassination and framing. What do you think Fan Xian will do in the upcoming storm?"

Chen Pingping's gaze was deep yet full of light as he looked at the orchids beside him and the faint light shining in. He seemed to say with confidence, "I believe he will not let me down. He is Miss's child!"

"Is that so? Then let's wait and see!"

Meng Fan smiled and said, "I'm in a good mood today, so how about I give you a poem?"

"Great! The poems and calligraphy of the Lyricist are priceless; I will treasure them carefully!"

Once the shadows had arranged the paper and pen, Meng Fan wrote the poem in one stroke.

"To the Tune of Ding Feng Bo - Ode to Bamboo"

Clinging firmly to the cliff face, its roots find no solace in the cracks. Snow and frost press ever closer, yet it stands tall! Its iron will defies the harsh winter.

Even if a fierce wind destroys ten thousand trees, what fear is there? I stand firm against the azure sky. Though struck and ground a thousand times, my integrity remains steadfast, enduring all blows! I let the winds blow from east, west, north, and south as they will.

It is still in the Slender Gold style, each character as tall and slender as an ancient bamboo, the brushstrokes moving on the rice paper like dragons and snakes racing, the ink color appropriate in shades.

With his wrist suspended in the air, Meng Fan's fingertips exerted force that penetrated three-tenths of an inch into the paper, causing the slender gold script characters to be deeply embedded in the paper's texture as if carved by a knife and axe.

"Good word!"

A glint flashed in Chen Pingping's eyes, and her wheelchair unconsciously moved forward half a foot.

He saw that the character “咬” (bite) started with a stroke like a bamboo shoot breaking through the soil, but ended with a stroke like a sharp sword being drawn from its sheath; the horizontal strokes of the characters “苍崖” (Azure Cliff) resembled a crouching tiger, and the vertical strokes resembled a pillar supporting the sky.

The ink on the paper was still wet, glistening like dewdrops in the sunlight.

Shadow couldn't help but peek halfway out from the shadows. He had followed Chen Pingping for so many years and had never seen the King of the Night show such an infatuated look at any object.

At the same time, he was also examining the poem. Unlike Chen Pingping, what Shadow saw was a supreme sword technique that was fierce and ruthless, with a sword intent that could shatter the heavens!
Chen Pingping's thin fingers hovered three inches above the paper, trembling slightly with the flow of the characters, as if she were copying them from afar.

“These three words, ‘frequently pressing’…” Chen Pingping’s throat bobbed, “The horizontal strokes are like breaking gold, and the downward strokes are like thunderclaps, which actually bring out the grim atmosphere in the poem.”

Meng Fan's brushstrokes flowed like dragons and snakes, but when he wrote "iron bones defying the cold winter," he suddenly changed the subject.

With a slight flick of his wrist, the tip of his brush suddenly lifted at the last stroke of the character "冬" (winter), the ink changing from dark to light, like snow falling on bamboo tips, creating a sense of chill in the blank space.

When Meng Fan finished writing "Ren Laifeng", he suddenly threw the brush on the table. The wolf-hair brush bounced twice on the inkstone, splashing a few ink stars that landed right at the signature, like a few plum blossoms in the snow.

Chen Pingping slammed his hand on the table and exclaimed in admiration: "Wonderful! This unintentional flying white is more elegant than deliberate crafting!"

This poem is not only written for Chen Pingping, but also for Fan Xian, and for all those righteous people who dare to draw thunder with their blood!

Take Deng Ziyue, for example. Born into a poor family, he once raised horses in the border army. Chen Pingping, recognizing his courage and integrity, granted him special permission to enter the academy. He struggled in the court of Qing Kingdom, and his original heart to speak out for the people and fight for justice for the world was gradually worn down.

But he was still that same young man, unwilling to compromise his principles. Even when Wang Qinian gave him fifty taels of silver, he still handed the money over to the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, used a portion to treat everyone to meat, while he himself hid in his room reviewing official documents and eating flatbread.

In the original novel, Fan Xian told Deng Ziyue a lot, about how Deng Ziyue fought his way out of the encirclement and how he went from a passionate young man who wanted to serve his country and speak up for the people to a petty official who now seeks to protect himself.

It can be said that Deng Ziyue is a microcosm of many people. Fan Xian is right; nowadays, many people have gone from doing everything for the Qing Kingdom to doing everything for a living.

People scheme and plot, all for the sake of survival; those with ambitions are unable to realize them—that's the reality.

"The world is full of injustice. To use blood to summon thunder is foolish enough, my lord!"

But there is also a saying: "If you treat me as a national hero, I will repay you as a national hero!"

Every world has its own unique wonders. Meng Fan might pause for certain scenery, and what he is willing and happy to do is to make up for some regrets and achieve some glory.

After Meng Fan finished writing, Chen Pingping carefully picked up the calligraphy and examined it closely, her thin fingers carefully avoiding the still-wet ink.

“These characters…” His voice trembled slightly, “The horizontal strokes are like a thousand miles of battle clouds, and the dots are like stones falling from a high mountain. What’s even more remarkable is that every character has the aura of a sword, and every stroke hides a murderous intent, yet it does not lose the elegance of bamboo.”

Meng Fan smiled and said, "Dean Chen has a good eye. The Slender Gold style should be like a battle of swords and horses, and writing bamboo should be a combination of strength and gentleness."

As he spoke, he lightly tapped the two characters “岿然” with his fingertip and said, “Look at this vertical hook, doesn’t it look just like the resilience of bamboo when it encounters a strong wind?”

As dusk deepened outside the window, a ray of setting sun shone through the window frame, landing precisely on the last three characters.

Chen Pingping suddenly felt that the ink characters came alive in the light and shadow. He took a deep breath and solemnly rolled up the Xuan paper: "This generous gift, I will definitely use North Sea silk as a backing and sandalwood as a scroll, and then make Fan Jian drool."

Meng Fan chuckled to himself.

Just then, hurried footsteps came from outside the courtyard. Shadow heard the extremely faint sound, took the secret report from the spy's hand, and handed it to Chen Pingping.

"Li Yunrui replaced three hidden agents overnight!"

"She's panicking!"

Chen Pingping and Meng Fan exchanged a smile, a cold glint flashing in their eyes. The faint scent of ink from the painting "Calming the Waves" on the table lingered in the secret room, like the calm before the storm.

"Yes, the more famous Fan Xian's poetic talent becomes, the more determined Emperor Qing is to bestow a marriage upon him. If Li Yunrui doesn't make a move now, he won't have many more chances!"

After Meng Fan finished speaking, Chen Pingping nodded, her eyes growing even darker.

"If Fan Xian, like a bamboo, wants to stand taller and stand firm against the wind, his roots, hidden in the shadows, need to grow even deeper. It's time to activate some of my secret arrangements within the Oversight Council!"

The Supervisory Council is the Supervisory Council of the Qing Kingdom, and also the Supervisory Council of Emperor Qing, but this does not mean that there are no people who are truly loyal to Chen Pingping.

In fact, there are many people like this!
To pave the way for Fan Xian, the true King of the Night is coming back!

(End of this chapter)