Chapter 640
One person's sorrow could not make the entire Chen Garden gloomy, particularly as the sorrow on Fan Xian's face always made one feel it was slightly mischievous and teasing . Sitting in the wheelchair and looking at the young man in front of him, Chen Pingping couldn't resist smiling .
It had been five years since Fan Xian saw Chen Pingping for the first time . During these five years, he had seen Chen Pingping grow old and silent . He had experienced how terrifying this elder could be . He had never realized that Chen Pingping's smile could one day appear so pure, like a child's .
The aura of darkness that usually enveloped the wheelchair was, for some reason, long gone . Chen Pingping appeared like a believer who had been vegetarian his entire life . He person emanated a clean and likable aura . It was as if he was completely transparent .
Fan Xian stared in shock at his face . He knew that one's appearance was decided by the heart . He didn't know what train of thoughts had made Chen Pingping become like he was now . The old man's eyes were dark but not a heartless indifference . They were calm . Lightly, he watched Fan Xian . . He then slowly said, "Other than that poison, what else?"
"There is a lot . We've talked about it before," Fan Xian said with a sigh and stared into Chen Pingping's eyes . "You had Sir Fei Jie go through Dongyi and did everything you could to lengthen Sigu Jian's life…"
From the beginning of this sentence, Fan Xian no longer used a questioning tone . He said each word clearly like he was narrating facts .
"Ku He did everything he could to extend your life because he saw clearly that the longer you lived, the more likely you and the Emperor would become hostile," Fan Xian continued with his head down . "You want Sigu Jian to live longer because you had long planned to have the Sword Hut expose the Shadow's identity and force the Emperor to deal with you . "
"Force?" Chen Pingping smiled as if hearing an amusing word .
Fan Xian was not moved by the old man's smile . Sighing, he said, "As for being poisoned three years ago, looking at it now, it is also very clear . You used this as an excuse to not enter the capital . You allowed the Eldest Princess and empress dowager to do as they wished . On the surface, you were obeying the Emperor's secret edict and letting the dogs out . In reality, you had a more ambitious intention . "
He self-mockingly said, "At that time, my situation was rather precarious . I didn't have time to think deeply about it . Only later did I understand . The Eldest Princess's main strategist was Yuan Hongdao and the Overwatch Council spy the old Qin Master depended the most on, Yan Ruohai . They were both your trusted confidants . Although you were out in the wilds, you had a clear grasp of the rebellion . With these two people helping you in secret, if you wanted to help the Emperor control the situation, Jingdou would certainly not have fallen to such chaos . "
Chen Pingping smiled . In a slightly sharp voice, he said, "Then tell me, why didn't I control the situation?"
"You wanted the situation to be chaotic . You wished everyone in the Palace would die," Fan Xian said slowly with his head down . "The Emperor lit a fire, but you let this fire burn a bit too brightly . It killed too many people . You had hoped that, in the end, the world would be a blank slate with just me and the Great Prince left to tidy up the tragedy . "
"There is still something you have not explained . Why would I betray the Emperor? Did I have the ability to make it so that there were only you and Prince Heqing left in Jingdou?"
"You have the power . I never doubted that . If the Emperor truly died on Dong Mountain, Yuan Hongdao and Yan Ruohai's uses were not fully demonstrated when you tossed aside Yuan Hongdao . " Fan Xian looked at Chen Pingping and tasted something strange at the corners of his mouth . It was slightly bitter and sour . "As for why you betrayed the Emperor, you and I both know very well . "
Chen Pingping laughed out loud and slapped the arms of his wheelchair, like he was slapping a Chinese yo-yo at full strength, making a buzzing sound . He was silent for a long time . He stared intently into Fan Xian's eyes just like he stared at a similarly young man many years ago . Sinisterly, he said, "Should I not?"
Fan Xian was silent . He had no idea how he should reply to the question . As the son of man, he should say no . He was stunned by Chen Pingping's bone-deep yearning for Ye Qingmei and a desire for revenge that could destroy everything .
Chen Pingping was the Emperor's closest subject . From his youth, he had served in King Cheng's manor . He met Ye Qingmei very late and, presumably, did not know her for very long . Because of that woman who passed through his life, the head of the darkest special operations organization in the world hid a dagger in his heart for over 20 years, hurting himself and everyone around him .
Chen Pingping suddenly sat back in his wheelchair tiredly and said, "You don't understand what happened in the past . You don't understand . "
Fan Xian had not been personally involved in the matters in the past . He could not lightly say that he understood . He could only be silent, calculating, and secretly enduring, but he had no idea how to deal with it . If there was only hate between people, perhaps the world would be much simpler . Regardless, the relationships between people were always complicated .
"I also want to understand the second reason you took poison . " Fan Xian looked at Chen Pingping's clear eyes . His heart suddenly twisted with pain . He felt the matters of the world truly hurt one physically and spiritually . "You thought the Emperor would not be able to come down from Dong Mountain . You also destroyed his kingdom . You two were ruler and official for a lifetime, so you decided to keep him company on the way to the Yellow Springs to complete your relationship as ruler and official . "
Chen Pingping closed his eyes and said, "After all, I watched the Emperor grow up from a child into an Emperor . I understand him too well . He is someone who is afraid of being alone . I worried that he would be afraid on the road between worlds, so I wanted to keep him company . "
"Company?" Fan Xian's voice became harsh . "He has killed plenty of people . There is no lack of people to keep him company on the road to the Yellow Springs . Did you need to do that?"
He calmed himself and said heavily, "Besides, he didn't die . "
"It is difficult to make someone die . " Chen Pingping sighed these words for the first time in front of Fan Xian . Looking at him, he slowly said, "I never underestimate the Emperor . That was why before planning and during the execution, I was always cautious and predicted all possible failures . Even if I failed, I would not leave behind any leverage or implicate you . "
Fan Xian looked at Chen Pingping and suddenly felt a powerful sense of worship in his heart . He was too familiar with this old cripple . There were many things that he did not hide from him . He knew more than the Emperor in the palace about the things Chen Pingping had done .
In this world, probably only Chen Pingping could secretly plot to overthrow the Emperor and keep it from the Emperor . This creator of the Overwatch Council's ability to scheme was too powerful, to the point that he didn't have to purposely create anything . He only moved with the bigger picture and occasionally added a few dark brush strokes to potentially trap the Emperor and the Qing Kingdom without any hope of reprieve .
It was only because the Emperor was too powerful, to the point of being able to easily shatter all schemes and plots . However, Chen Pingping was also truly remarkable . Even in such circumstances, he still did not reveal any minute flaws and had even planned a retreat many years ago .
Chen Pingping did not care about his life and death . The retreat he cared about was one where Fan Xian was safe after his death . After the Shadow's accidental stabbing of Fan Xian at Hanging Temple, he had begun to arrange all of it . Everything, including the attack in the valley and the matter in the palace, was all part of him severing his connection with Fan Xian .
Even if one day these things came to light, these matters that had been hidden deeply would all contribute to the separation between Chen Pingping and Fan Xian . In front of the painstakingly collected evidence, the Emperor would believe that Chen Pingping wanted to kill Fan Xian and that Fan Xian had nothing to do with what Chen Pingping did .
As for why Chen Pingping wanted to kill Fan Xian, that was something the Emperor needed to think about . Fan Xian suffered a heavy injury in the Hanging Temple and almost died . He also teetered on the brink in the valley . These two pieces of evidence were too strong .
Fan Xian could feel Chen Pingping's painstaking efforts . Looking at his old face, he experienced afresh aura rising from his heart . His heart was moved, but he didn't know what to say .
Chen Pingping's expression was calm as he said, "You should have already understood these things three years ago . That day before the Chen Garden was repaired, you had said something similar . Why come again today?"
"The Emperor would eventually come suspicious, particularly after your trick in Dongyi," Fan Xian said . "I came to make these things explicit . "
"The matters in Dongyi were arranged three years ago . After I promised you to let go, I have let go," Chen Pingping said with a smile .
"I don't care . Since you are going to let go, do it more completely," Fan Xian said . "The Emperor has already agreed to have me be the Director of the Overwatch Council . You can completely retire . "
"Retire? That won't be any different to my life now . "
Fan Xian smiled strangely and said, "You're going to say that in front of me? If you're not willing, even if I'm the Director for 10 more years, this Overwatch Council is still yours . "
"Oh, no," Chen Pingping said with a smile . "The Overwatch Council is the Emperor's . "
"Oh, no," Fan Xian copied his tone and sighed . "Two parts of the Overwatch Council are the Emperor's, and three parts are mine . The other half is yours . It is forever yours . "
After working in the Overwatch Council for so long, Fan Xian knew what disturbing extent of control the old cripple in front of him had over the Overwatch Council . Under the control of Chen Pingping's old hands, the Emperor's so-called private special operations organization had long become his own private organization . On one hand, this was because the Emperor had never suspected the loyal dog at his side . On the other hand, it was because Chen Pingping's prestige in the Overwatch Council was too high . He had too many officials who were loyal to the death .
Fan Xian did not doubt that if the palace issued an edict to bring down Chen Pingping, people like Yan Ruohai and the bald head of the Seventh Bureau would not even think before standing behind Chen Pingping .
Everything for the sake of the Qing Kingdom? In the hearts of the average official of the Overwatch Council, the Qing Kingdom was perhaps the Emperor . In the hearts of the middle-rank official who truly held the power, other than Chen Pingping, there was no one else .
"Hm… What exactly do you want to do?" Chen Pingping looked at Fan Xian and asked with enjoyment . This seemed to be a normal question, but it was also like some kind of exchange between two terms of Overwatch Council Directors .
Fan Xian suddenly lowered his head and sighed sadly . "Before I came here today, I already saw Yan Bingyun . I told him to get ready to bring all eight bureaus and the branches of the Fourth Bureau in each province to heel, to sever any possibility of you extending your hand into the Council . However, I know that if you yourself do not pull back, there is not much Yang Bingyun and I can do . "
"You're having Yan Bingyun bring down his old man?" Chen Pingping asked as he laughed out loud . "That move was pretty good . Although, there are many more old men he needs to defeat than he imagined . "
The old man he was talking about was the person most loyal to Chen Pingping among the upper-ranks of officials in the Overwatch Council .
Fan Xian sat forward and gently held Chen Pingping's very wrinkled hands . "Let go . "
"Why are you holding my hand if you want me to let go?" Chen Pingping asked with a smile . "You can try to sever the hand I extend into the Overwatch Council, but I can promise you, old men are stronger than you imagine . "
No sh*t! These old men were there from the start . They were the Overwatch Council's first clutch of eggs . They had countless disciples and grand-disciples in the Council . It would be difficult to sweep them clean . As Fan Xian cursed in his heart, he angrily said, "The two of us have gotten along well these years, hardly any different from father and son . Are you really going to fight this battle with me?"
"The important problem is that you have not convinced me why I should let go . " Chen Pingping's gaze was amused .
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