162: Fan Ruoruo: Fan Xian is not allowed to be included in the Fan family tree!

Chapter 161: Fan Ruoruo: Fan Xian is Not Allowed into the Fan Family Genealogy! (13)

Two days later, Salt Market Plaza.

Three months ago, the Khan of the Northern Barbarians and the Chanyu of the Western Hu were dismembered here.

Now, someone else was to be subjected to slow slicing.

The objects of the slow slicing were the Dark King of the Supervisory Council and the foremost poison Master in the world.

The common people had just heard that the Supervisory Council had been ordered to be disbanded by the Regent, and immediately erupted in cheers.

Because the Supervisory Council, in popular legend, was a sinister yamen that devoured people whole.

This yamen was most adept at extracting confessions through torture, using severe interrogation, and killing indiscriminately.

The yamen now stationed in the Supervisory Council's compound, they heard, was called the Net, and its main purpose was to gather military intelligence.

The leader of the Net was an old servant who had been by His Highness the Regent's side since childhood, named Zhao Gao.

Chen Pingping, who was being slowly sliced at Salt Market Plaza today, was also the last Director of the Supervisory Council.

The other person being slowly sliced, Fei Jie, was the head of the Third Bureau of the Supervisory Council.

And the official supervising the execution was the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, and also the last Commissioner of the Supervisory Council, Fan Xian.

At the execution ground, Eunuch Hou was reading out Chen Pingping's crimes.

These crimes were all personally reviewed by Emperor Qing, with the first few even added by Emperor Qing himself.

"Firstly, starting in the fifth year of Qingli, the traitor secretly delivered aphrodisiacs into the palace, polluting the imperial court..."

"Secondly, the traitor repeatedly incited and lured various imperial princes with benefits, causing a rift between I and my sons..."

"Thirdly, the traitor conspired with the head of the Sixth Bureau of the Supervisory Council to assassinate I at the Hanging Temple..."

"Fourthly, the traitor brazenly attempted to assassinate I, a heinous and insane act..."

...Fan Xian suppressed his grief; he had already decided to complete the supervision of the execution.

If this task had to be done by someone, then he was the most suitable person to do it.

The two being slowly sliced were his Uncle Chen Pingping, who regarded him as a son or nephew, and his Master Fei Jie, who taught him everything he knew.

Fan Jian had specifically warned him to complete the supervision of the execution and to obey the imperial decree.

If he couldn't help but seek revenge, he had to wait until Wu Zhu returned.

With the Supervisory Council completely dismantled, Fan Xian had no power left in his hands; seeking revenge would be no different from seeking death.

The two people being slowly sliced, one was corpulent, the other gaunt.

After Eunuch Hou finished reading their crimes, the onlookers became even more agitated.

The crimes of these two were simply outrageous; no wonder even the Supervisory Council was uprooted.

Fan Xian, with tears streaming down his face, came before Chen Pingping and Fei Jie, looking helplessly at the two old men.

Chen Pingping was a eunuch; everyone could see that now.

Among the crowd, there were various emotions: pity, shock, disdain, and disgust.

"Director, Master, I will definitely avenge you."

Fan Xian lowered his voice and promised the two old men.

Fei Jie said affectionately, "Fan Xian, don't seek revenge."

"When Wu Zhu returns, let him take you to another continent, far away from here."

Chen Pingping seemed oblivious to everything around him, merely showing a tired smile.

"Fei Jie is right, you cannot avenge this."

"Your Majesty probably has another trump card, and Li Chang'an is even more unfathomable."

"Don't get involved in the affairs of the Qing Kingdom, or the affairs of this continent, anymore."

Fan Xian kept his voice very low, "We will go to the temple, to find the strongest helper."

Chen Pingping shook his head painfully, "We're leaving; listen to Fan Jian more, don't try to be strong."

He glanced at the dozen or so old men from the Supervisory Council, including Murong Yan and Xuan Jiu, who were kneeling in the distance.

Those people were now filled with righteous indignation, their faces wet with tears; they had to watch Chen Pingping and Fei Jie's slow slicing.

Finally, Fan Xian, suppressing his grief, threw down the execution token, and Chen Pingping and Fei Jie were dismembered.

Then, the old men of the Supervisory Council were beheaded and displayed to the public; the Supervisory Council was completely annihilated from then on!

In the distant Imperial City, Emperor Qing was also watching all of this from a high vantage point.

"With the Supervisory Council gone, my hands and feet are broken."

"Regent, a King with more power than the Emperor, Li Chang'an really has imagination!"

"Si Xiang, since I ascended the throne, I have never suffered such humiliation!"

As he said this, Emperor Qing himself felt a sense of déjà vu.

At that time, when they wanted to add a courtesy title for Li Chang'an, he also felt humiliated.

Then, he told himself to bear with it, it was just a temporary humiliation.

But he never expected that the more he tolerated, the more Li Chang'an escalated!

Now, he even let Lin Ruofu create the title of Regent, openly riding roughshod over him!

And the entire court of officials, intimidated by his status as a Great Grandmaster, hardly anyone objected!

Yes, who would dare to object!

A Great Grandmaster is simply not human!

Killing with a flick of a finger, regardless of whether you are an ordinary person or a Ninth Rank Upper Level expert!

"Your Majesty, if you also publicly revealed your Great Grandmaster status, Li Chang'an would never dare to be so presumptuous."

Emperor Qing said with a resolute expression, "How can a trump card be easily revealed! The one who laughs last is the winner!"

"Among Great Grandmasters, the combat power is almost the same; to finally defeat Li Chang'an, I must first remain hidden."

"Moreover, I still need to use him to contend against Wu Zhu, Ku He, and Si Gu Jian."

"Li Chang'an's reputation is too great; he is most prone to arrogance and complacency; youthful recklessness will lead to great losses!"

Hong Sixiang was somewhat worried; the current Emperor, without the Supervisory Council, had almost lost control over the world.

Because Li Chang'an had first revealed his Great Grandmaster status, almost all the court officials had to act according to his wishes.

It was truly unexpected that a once formidable ruler would end up losing his power.

A month later, Northern Qi Imperial Palace.

The Empress Dowager of Northern Qi and Zhan Doudou were staring dumbfounded at the news from Southern Qing.

As they read, they occasionally let out an astonished "Ah."

Haitang Duoduo, unable to resist her curiosity, also stood on tiptoe, craning her neck to look.

Zhan Doudou said in surprise, "Mother, is Li Chang'an rebelling, or not rebelling?"

"You say he isn't rebelling, but this Regent's power is greater than the Emperor's!"

"He can manage everything the Emperor can, and he even has the power to veto the Emperor's decisions!"

Empress Dowager Wei also had a look of shock, "You say he's rebelling, but he hasn't become Emperor."

"His title is still Prince of Qin, but he has an additional title of Regent."

"When attending court, he sits as an equal with the Emperor, without distinction of rank."

"The euphemism is, brotherly harmony, two sages ruling, sharing the world!"

Zhan Doudou blinked her innocent big eyes, "Is this still that aggressive, suspicious, and stubborn Emperor Qing?"

"I originally thought Li Chang'an only bullied women, but I didn't expect him to bully men even more excessively."

Empress Dowager Wei nodded slightly, "This palace originally thought the same..."

Zhan Doudou furrowed her delicate brows slightly, "How did Mother know that Li Chang'an only bullies women?"

Empress Dowager Wei's expression stiffened, then she said very naturally, "Naturally, it's from the Brocade-Clad Guards' intelligence."

"Doudou, Li Chang'an is indeed a Great Grandmaster, so Southern Qing now has three Great Grandmasters."

Zhan Doudou said with some worry, "I don't know if Ye Liuyun's injuries have healed.

If those three Great Grandmasters defeat the Imperial Advisor and Si Gu Jian one by one, won't we and Dongyi City be in danger?"

Empress Dowager Wei could only sigh, "In this world, what determines the world's situation is still the Great Grandmasters."

"Although we stand at the pinnacle of the Dynasty, our influence cannot be compared to that of a Great Grandmaster."

August of the sixth year of Qingli, the day of ancestral worship at the Fan Manor.

The Fan Family rode in carriages, heading to the Fan Family ancestral temple outside the city.

The matter of Fan Xian being entered into the Family genealogy, which he had spoken of, was to be realized today.

Since he had already almost fallen out with the Emperor, being surnamed Li was impossible.

Since the imperial Family couldn't give him a proper status, would he go his whole life without a reliable surname?

Amidst numerous disturbances, Chen Pingping and Fei Jie were dismembered, and Fan Xian was once in a low state.

Thinking that he could finally enter the ancestral temple today, a smile remained on his face.

Fan Sizhe's gaze darted about; he hadn't spoken the entire way because he felt guilty.

He knew very well that Fan Xian's current position was very awkward, because he could stand against His Majesty and the Regent at any time.

His Majesty killed Ye Qingmei, and Ye Qingmei's servant, Wu Zhu, also a Great Grandmaster, would definitely seek revenge on His Majesty.

Wu Zhu would definitely come for Fan Xian, and Fan Xian could follow in Chen Pingping's footsteps at any moment, becoming a rebel and traitor.

In Fan Sizhe's view, Fan Xian could drag the Fan Family into eternal damnation at any moment!

So, a few days earlier, Fan Sizhe had secretly gone to find Fan Ruoruo.

His sister, the Princess Qin, the Regent's official consort, was already the most powerful woman in the Qing Kingdom.

The two discussed for a long time, absolutely refusing to allow Fan Xian to drag the Fan Family into the abyss, so Fan Xian could not enter the Fan Family genealogy.

After exiting the capital city gate, they followed the official road west, finally arriving at a farmstead, the Fan Family's ancestral property.

Over thirty carriages were already parked outside the clan ancestral temple's courtyard; the Fan Family itself was a large clan.

The current Clan Chief of the Fan Family, Minister of Revenue Fan Jian, stood at the foot of the ancestral temple steps.

The prominent figures from each branch of the Fan clan had already disembarked from their carriages, standing outside the ancestral temple according to their seniority, followed by hundreds of younger generations and Family members.

Thirty years ago, the Fan clan was already one of the prominent clans in the capital, and Fan Jian's branch was merely a minor, weaker branch.

It was because Fan Jian's mother served as a wet nurse for the Prince Cheng's Manor that this branch soared to prominence, and Fan Jian also became the Clan Chief.

Fan Jian had many worries this year; first, his daughter had fallen out with him, and then there was the rift between his two old friends, Emperor Qing and Chen Pingping.

He calmly looked at everything before him, but a feeling of warmth and satisfaction surged in his heart.

He had raised a son for His Majesty, and finally, that son had become his own son.

Could this be considered the most successful day of his life?

With a creak, the large black wooden doors opened, and a gust of cold wind rushed out, as if the Fan ancestors were coldly observing their descendants.

Fan Xian, dressed in plain cloth, stepped out of the carriage and, following Fan Jian's gesture, slowly walked forward between the two rows of male Family members.

When the members of the Fan Family saw Fan Xian, they still couldn't help but widen their eyes in shock and surprise, letting out countless exclamations.

"Fan Xian! How did he come?"

"He doesn't have the Fan Family Bloodline."

"That's right, he's the son of His Majesty and Ye Qingmei."

"Without the Fan Family Bloodline, how can he be entered into the genealogy!"

At this moment, Fan Jian was also surrounded by several elders.

These respected elders of the Fan clan were of the generation of Fan Sizhe's paternal uncles and granduncles.

"Yi De... This is inappropriate."

Fan Jian smiled and said, "Second Uncle, what's inappropriate?"

An elder lowered his voice and said, "This child... this child... is His Majesty's son; he doesn't have a single drop of Fan Family Bloodline."

Subsequently, several elders expressed similar concerns, but their voices were not too loud, fearing they might disturb the ancestors in the ancestral temple.

Everyone felt unconvinced, thinking, 'He's not a descendant of our Fan Family, so why should he come to worship the ancestors?'

These elders also worried whether His Majesty would resent such an action.

Although Fan Jian's smile was genial, his attitude was very firm.

He had exchanged his own son for Fan Xian's life, even causing his wife to die of melancholy, all because of Fan Xian.

Xiao Yezi's son, returning to the imperial Family was impossible; couldn't I give him a proper status?

"Everyone, what you're saying is all hearsay..."

Fan Jian used gentle but firm rebuffs to push back against the elders' words.

Today, no matter what, he had to ensure Fan Xian entered the Fan Family genealogy!

Fan Jian was, after all, a second-rank Minister of Revenue; most of the other elders had no official positions, so of course, they couldn't directly oppose Fan Xian.

Seeing that the Clan Chief wouldn't listen, no one dared to express further opposition.

"Ancestors have merit, clans have virtue."

"All things originate from Heaven, and people originate from their ancestors."

White smoke billowed inside and outside the ancestral temple, and ritual vessels were displayed.

Amidst the rising and falling chants, the Fan clan's ancestral worship was about to officially begin.

Just at this moment, a clear shout suddenly came from the entrance of the ancestral temple, "Wait!"

Everyone from the Fan Manor turned to look, and a dignified noblewoman, dressed in a large red-sleeved robe and a gold-embroidered red silk skirt, walked into Fan Jian's ancestral temple, supported by a maidservant.

Fan Ruoruo had been married for over a year; by rights, she should not participate in the Fan Family's ancestral worship.

However, the current Fan Ruoruo was the Regent's official consort; who would dare question her arrival?

Everyone knew that the Empress and the Emperor in the palace did not have a harmonious relationship.

However, the Princess Qin and the Prince of Qin had been betrothed since childhood and were now very much in love.

The Regent, Great Grandmaster Li Chang'an, was the most powerful figure in the Qing Kingdom!

Everyone looked in terror at the five-clawed golden Dragon on Fan Ruoruo's skirt, so frightened that they didn't even dare to breathe!

They had long heard that His Highness the Regent and His Majesty the Emperor both wore Dragon robes.

Now, seeing the Princess Qin in person, this rumor could be confirmed!

At this moment, Fan Jian's heart was filled with mixed emotions; he, of course, knew why Fan Ruoruo had come.

As a father, a dignified second-rank official, he now had no choice but to kneel respectfully and kowtow.

"Your subject, Fan Jian, greets the Princess Qin!"

"Your subject, Fan Xian, greets the Princess Qin!"

Subsequently, all the Fan Family members bowed in unison, "Greetings, Princess Qin!"

Fan Sizhe knelt among the crowd, the heavy stone in his heart finally falling.

As long as his sister came, Fan Xian's entry into the genealogy would definitely be out of the question.

He tilted his head and glanced at Fan Jian, 'It's fine if you want to be a sycophant yourself, old man.'

'It's fine if you even include your biological son and wife, but you can't drag the entire clan into it, can you!'

Fan Ruoruo walked straight forward, offered three sticks of incense to the Fan Family ancestors, and then sat down in Fan Jian's seat.

Fan Xian hadn't expected Fan Ruoruo to personally come to prevent him from entering the Fan Family genealogy.

Did this sister really not want him to become a member of the Fan Family?

Indeed, Fan Ruoruo would never allow Fan Xian to become a member of the Fan Family.

Because Fan Xian and Wu Zhu were bound to take the path of opposing Emperor Qing, which would sooner or later lead to the great crime of exterminating nine generations of the clan.

Her husband, Li Chang'an, did not like Ye Qingmei; currently, he was temporarily cooperating and using Emperor Qing, but he would definitely not help Wu Zhu and Fan Xian.

Therefore, Fan Xian could not be allowed to implicate the Fan Family.

"This Princess is here today for only one matter."

"This person, Fan Xian, has no Fan Family Bloodline, and is not allowed to enter the Fan Family genealogy!"

PS: Two more chapters at 6 PM. Joy of Life will conclude within ten chapters!