Chapter 693
There was not too much exchanging of pleasantries, greetings, or sorrow and anger . The members of the Qinian Unit left in this isolated courtyard calmly saluted Fan Xian . In the shortest amount of time, they reported what they knew about the Overwatch Council situation . During these seven days, much of the armies of the Bureau of Military Affairs stationed outside the Overwatch Council had been moved away . With powerful pressure from the Palace and cooperation of Yan Bingyun, the purging and changing of personnel within the Overwatch Council went quickly and effectively .
These reports were full of sensitive and important information . These members of the Qinian Unit had been capable Overwatch Council officials . During these seven days, they had purposely investigated on behalf of Fan Xian and had found a lot of information .
Fan Xian listened silently and nodded slightly . After Chen Pingping died and his position had been removed, the Emperor's purging and switching of personnel was expected . With Yan Bingyun helping, along with the might of the ruler, the Overwatch Council was a group of dragons without a head . No one was powerful enough to change the situation .
"Although Yan Bingyun doesn't know about this courtyard, he has, after all, been by your side a great deal these years, so we are a bit worried," a member of the Qinian Unit said as he looked at Fan Xian . "We need to choose a new spot to meet in Jingdou . "
This official directly called Yan Bingyun by his name . It was clear he no longer had any respect for him . Although Yan Bingyun had never joined the Qinian Unit, as Fan Xian's right arm and a high-ranking Overwatch Council official, he had always had the Qinian Unit's respect . However, Yan Bingyun's actions had made all the officials develop a hatred toward him .
Yan Bingyun was Fan Xian's confidant, but he was never someone Fan Xian trusted completely because Sir Yan junior, who specialized in scheming, was an independent person . Fan Xian was silent for a moment . He then shook his head . He neither objected to this idea nor did he say that they should choose another meeting place . He still had some faith in Yan Bingyun . He even felt a faint worry as to whether Yan Bingyun would die to the anger within the Overwatch Council . Additionally, after the meeting now, the people of Qinian Unit would have to leave Jingdou . This little courtyard, which Wang Qinian had spent 120 liang to buy, would be left to ruin . Why bother troubling themselves?
Seeing Fan Xian did not respond, the official shook his head and continued his report . "Once the city gates opened, the people heading to Xiliang and North Min had already left . Presumably, Sir Deng and Sir Su will receive the news at the first instant . Please, don't worry . "
This was what Fan Xian had been most worried about while under house arrest . After Wang Qinian, Deng Zi Yue and Su Wenman were his most trusted subordinates . They had also been given the most important positions . One was in Northern Qi and then Xiliang . The other was in Jiangnan keeping an eye on the palace treasury . If these two people were killed by the Emperor, Fan Xian would probably regret it his entire life . He didn't know if the Emperor had the spare thought to lay down killers ahead of time . Since the message had gotten out, Fan Xian could relax a little .
He looked around at the members of the Qinian Unit next to him . A warm smile rose to the corners of his lips . He had been under house arrest in his manor for seven days, and these subordinates had been busy for seven days . Other than investigating news, they had exhausted all their means to enter Fan manor . It had to be said, these subordinates were the truly effective people of the Overwatch Council .
The name of the Qinian Unit came from Wang Qinian . Starting from the fourth year of the Qing calendar until the autumn of the seventh year of the Qing calendar, when Wang Qinian disappeared, for three entire years, all the members chosen to enter the Unit had been single-handedly decided by Wang Qinian . These members had originally been unremarkable civil officials on the fringes of the Overwatch Council or lower-level officials not placed in important positions . However, they just happened to meet Fan Xian's criteria and Wang Qinian's temperament . Once these officials were brought under Fan Xian's banner, they suddenly recovered their previously powerful ability to carry out tasks and glory to become the most secret, as well as the most famous, Overwatch Council unit . They were a group that had always belonged to Fan Xian .
During these few days, the actions of the Qinian Unit members were very much in Fan Xian's style . Once they knew things were not going well, they immediately returned to the darkness . Under the condition of protecting their own lives, they did not rush to do anything . Instead, they carefully investigated each faction's reactions and intelligence reports . They then found an appropriate method to hand Jingdou for him to decide .
To have such loyal but not prideful, capable but ignorant subordinates was one of Fan Xian's good fortunes . His eyes flitted across each person's face in the courtyard as his heart jumped . Suddenly, he thought that if not for Wang Qinian's wise gaze, how could the Overwatch Council have so many heroes buried and hidden away only to be discovered after Fan Xian had come to Jingdou from Danzhou?
Was Wang Qinian's gaze that ruthless? Or, had these loyal subordinates always been suppressed by the old lord of the Overwatch Council and left for him to use?
Fan Xian furrowed his brows . His heart grew confused . Thinking of how well Chen Pingping had treated him, he didn't speak for a long time . He let out a sigh but didn't have time to ask these subordinates anything . He waved his hand and walked into a quiet room in the back by the well .
Inside the room was a massive writing desk . On it was placed the Overwatch Council's special paper and seal, as well as an entire set of wax and ciphers . The inkstone was placed on the ride side of the table . The early autumn weather was not very cold, so it would be easy to melt the ink . Fan Xian did not go to grind the ink . Instead, he took out a pencil specially made by the palace treasury from beneath the desk and spun it between two of his fingers .
The sharp head of the pencil never landed on the snowy white paper . After exhausting all ideas to finally escape the watch of the court and come to this little courtyard, Fan Xian had already, without a doubt, thought clearly about the orders he should give . In the end, he still placed the pencil down . Once anything landed on paper, it became a potential leverage and flaw .
In the winter of the sixth year of the Qing calendar, he often came to this little courtyard . At that time, Si Lili's young brother was still being held hostage by him, and Haitang was still in that little courtyard in the North urging Sizhe to pull the millstone . Fan Xian had often written letters to Haitang . Thinking about it closely, although things were awful with the Eldest Princess and Second Prince in the capital at that time, his state of mind had been calm and happy . Now, Haitang Duoduo was in the grasslands and had become an enemy of the Qing Kingdom . Sizhe had been forced to keep quiet and go into hiding in Shangjing . Fan Xian's state of mind had long changed .
All of the members of the Qinian Unit were standing in the room, waiting silently for Fan Xian to give the orders .
"In a moment, leave Jingdou immediately . No one is allowed to return before receiving written orders from me . " Fan Xian didn't spend much time tidying his emotions . Staring at everyone, he said in an even more serious tone, "This is the first order, you must survive . "
"Yes," everyone replied and then left . As indicated by Fan Xian's gaze, two people stayed behind .
The first three years of the Qinian Unit had been under Wang Qinian's control . It was then handed to Deng Zi Yue . After Deng Zi Yue went to Northern Qi, Fan Xian managed it personally . Mu Feng'er was only responsible for personal affairs . There were not many people in the unit . Many had died in the upheaval of the recent years . Presently, one portion of the Unit was with Deng Zi Yue in Xiliang . Another portion had followed Su Wenmao to Jiangnan, North Min . Another portion had been left by Fan Xian in Dongyi . The people still left in Jingdou were the only subordinates he could use . Because of this, Fan Xian did not want to lose any more people .
Fan Xian stared at one of the two people left in the room and took out a jade hook from his clothes . Handing it over, he said, "Go to Qingzhou . Don't alert the people of the Fourth Bureau . Follow Xia Mingji's merchant group into the grasslands and find Hu Ge . Tell him that I need him to begin feigning attacks at the end of autumn so that the armies of Qingzhou and Dingzhou are trapped in Xiliang Road . "
The official accepted the jade hook and said, "The Left Virtuous Prince has been dead almost a year . Although Hu He has amassed a great deal of power with your secret support, I'm afraid he still doesn't have the strength to convince the Hu people to brave the dangerous weather of late autumn and early winter to attack the cities of the Qing Kingdom . "
Everyone knew that it was not easy for Fan Xian to get out, so these subordinates did not hide their objections . Instead, they did their best to quickly and completely present their thoughts .
"It's just a feigned attack . Besides, he wants revenge . If he can waste the strengths of the grasslands court and Right Virtuous Prince, he will be willing," Fan Xian said . "As for the problem of insufficient strength, tell him that I will make arrangements so the grasslands court stands on his side . "
"But, the news from Jingdou will presumably travel to the grasslands . Once Hu Ge knows that you have lost power, will he go back on the deal you made in Dingzhou?" The official who accepted the jade hook continued to fully express his thoughts .
Fan Xian did not appear impatient at all and said, "Hu Ge is a clever man . He has to place his bet on me . "
He glanced at the jade hook in the official's hands . Shaking his head he said, "If he wants the owner of the jade hook to live . "
The jade hook was the childhood jewelry of Princess Ma Suosuo, the last generation of a tribe on the grasslands . When Fan Xian had met with Hu Ge in Dingzhou, he had given one to him . This time, the item of trust was the second one . Although Ma Suosuo was installed in one of the Great Prince's manors, she still belonged to Baoyue Brothel . No matter how much power Fan Xian lost, it would not be too difficult to defeat a weak woman .
The official thought for a moment and felt that there weren't any problems with the Director's order . He placed the jade hook inside his clothes, exited the study, and left by himself from the little courtyard . As for how this member of the Qinian Unit was to escape out of Jingdou, go through Qingzhou, enter the grasslands, and contact Hu Ge, that was his problem . Fan Xian's trusted in the abilities of his subordinates .
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