The heavens set sail from the courtyard

Chapter 1261 Emperor Qing
The news that Wang Gang had left the Loulan Mountains and gone deep into the grasslands soon reached the Kyoto Inspection Institute. After Chen Pingping received the news, he was filled with doubts.

"Why did he go to the grassland?" Chen Pingping touched the love paper and said to himself, "Could it be that he was really forced into a corner by those people and went to the grassland to seek refuge?"

It’s no wonder that Chen Pingping had such wrong ideas, because from ancient times to the present, no one has ever accomplished the feat of unifying the grassland.

Today's Xihu is a general term used by the Central Plains to refer to the grassland tribes. In fact, there are dozens of tribes of all sizes in the grassland.

These tribes live a nomadic life and it is difficult for them to have a fixed territory. Moreover, they have different cultures, traditions, and even beliefs, and they are constantly fighting.

For thousands of years, the nomadic peoples of the grasslands and the agricultural civilization of the Central Plains have been in constant conflict and friction. No matter which dynasty in the Central Plains, they all regarded the people of the grasslands as a foreign race.

More than a decade ago, the Kingdom of Qing rose to power and fought a great battle with the largest tribe on the grassland, the Zuozhang Royal Court. The Kingdom of Qing defeated the Zuozhang Royal Court and annihilated more than 100,000 grassland cavalry, causing changes in the grassland situation.

The grasslands today are in great chaos due to the decline of the Left Tent Royal Court and the struggle for power among the various tribes. The Inspection Institute also sent spies into the grasslands in an attempt to resolve this major threat in one fell swoop, but with little success.

It can be said that the Inspection Institute knows very little about the situation on the grassland. Once Wang Gang goes deep into the heart of the grassland, Chen Pingping will have no way to monitor Wang Gang.

However, because Wang Gang, the "son of Ye Qingmei", attracted most of the firepower, Fan Xian, who was far away in Danzhou, was much safer.

Chen Pingping specially dispatched Fei Jie, the chief of the Third Division of the Inspection Institute, to Danzhou to teach Fan Xian.

"President, Lord Fan is here again." Chen Pingping's confidant, "Shadow", the head of the Sixth Division of the Inspection Institute, came to report.

"Let him come over!" Chen Pingping sighed and put down the information in his hand.

Fan Jian quickly ran over, and the first thing he said when he saw Chen Pingping was: "Where is my son?"

Chen Pingping looked at Fan Jian calmly and said, "Isn't Fan Xian in Danzhou?"

"You know who I'm talking about!" Fan Jian said gritting his teeth.

Chen Pingping handed the information he had just received to Fan Jian.

When Fan Jian learned that Wang Gang had gone to the grassland, he flew into a rage and grabbed Chen Pingping by the collar, angrily saying, "Chen Pingping, it was you who forced my son to flee to the desert. Give me back my son."

Chen Pingping remained calm and said, "Wang Gang ran to the desert on his own. What does it have to do with me?"

The shadow came silently behind Fan Jian, with a flash of cold light in his sleeves. As long as Chen Pingping nodded, Fan Jian would be covered in blood within five steps.
Chen Pingping secretly shook his right hand at the shadow, asking him to leave.

Shadow put away the dark sword and left the room silently.

"I just wanted to protect Fan Xian, so I spread the news that Wang Gang was Ye Qingmei's son all over the world. I didn't want to force him to go to the grassland." Chen Pingping broke free from Fan Jian's hand and said:
"The people I secretly sent to protect Wang Gang all died on the grassland, and the Inspection Institute also suffered heavy losses."

Fan Jian said angrily: "If it weren't for you, we would have recognized each other by now."

Chen Pingping said with a smile: "You know how Wang Gang treats you. Even without me, you and your son will eventually become strangers."

"I don't care, you have to find my son for me." Fan Jian gritted his teeth and said, "He is my only son."

Chen Pingping raised his eyebrows and said, "I heard that your new wife Liu is about to give birth. The imperial physician checked her pulse and it's a boy."

Fan Jian's face was gloomy and he didn't speak for a long time.

"Don't worry, I will send more people to sneak into Xihu and find a way to find Wang Gang, but you also have to pay attention to Fan Xian. I will send Fei Jie to Danzhou to teach Fan Xian. Please ask Madam Fan to take good care of him."

Fan Jian nodded silently and had no more conversation with Chen Pingping.

At this time, the shadow ran over again.

"Dean, someone from the palace has sent a message that His Majesty invites you and Lord Fan to enter the palace!"

Chen Pingping and Fan Jian were both startled and looked at each other.

At this point, the two had already determined that Emperor Qing was the mastermind behind the murder of Ye Qingmei, but neither of them was sure they could deal with him, so they chose to pretend not to know the truth and to play along.

"You have been coming to my place too often recently, which must have caused dissatisfaction among Emperor Qing." Chen Pingping guessed.

Fan Jian said with a gloomy face: "Go into the palace first, and we will adapt to the situation."

The two of them packed up and hurried into the palace to meet the emperor.

Emperor Qing was meeting the two of them in his bedroom. Fan Jian and Chen Pingping were standing outside the bedroom, while Emperor Qing was inside the palace. There was a screen separating them, so the two could only vaguely see Emperor Qing's shadow.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you." Emperor Qing did not speak. Fan Jian remained kneeling, while Chen Pingping, due to his disability, sat in a wheelchair.

After a long time, a crossbow arrow suddenly shot out from the screen, brushed past Chen Pingping's ear with a "whoosh" sound, and hit a set of armor not far away.

Fan Jian was so excited that he broke out in a cold sweat, but Chen Pingping remained calm, his hand unconsciously reaching for a mechanism on the handle of the wheelchair.

"I have been researching armor-piercing arrows for many years and have finally succeeded. My two dear ministers, please take a look at the effect." The low voice of Emperor Qing came from behind the screen.

Chen Pingping and Fan Jian looked back at the same time and found that the armor-piercing arrows on the armor had penetrated five inches into the iron armor.

"Your Majesty is so talented. With these armor-piercing arrows, the soldiers of Qing State will be invincible on the battlefield." Chen Pingping started by flattering him.

Fan Jian lowered his head, his mouth twitched, but he didn't express any opinion.

"If the soldiers of Qing want to be invincible, in addition to having sophisticated weapons, they also need generals who are good at fighting." Emperor Qing said coldly:
"Yesterday the Queen came to me again to cry and vindicate her mother's family."

Fan Jian was shocked, knowing that this was a warning from Emperor Qing.

In order to avenge Ye Qingmei, Fan Jian and Chen Pingping have been clearing out the murderer of the Taiping Villa tragedy and the forces behind them.

The Queen's family was exterminated by the two men, and the Queen could do nothing about it because Emperor Qing had tacitly approved of it.

Fan Jian and Chen Pingping had already understood by now that Emperor Qing was using a knife to kill someone else and eliminate the power of his foreign relatives.

The Kingdom of Qing developed too fast. In just twenty years, it became the world's most powerful country. While it was growing and becoming stronger, there were also many hidden contradictions in the country.

Although Emperor Qing is nominally the ruler of a country, he is restrained by many forces and the royal power cannot be concentrated in one person.

The Taiping Villa Tragedy, ostensibly because Emperor Qing wanted to kill Ye Qingmei, was actually his first step towards seizing power.

Now, the two major forces under Ye Qingmei, the Ye family business and the Inspection Institute, have all been brought into the inner court and controlled by Emperor Qing.

The power of the Queen's family was uprooted, many nobles in Kyoto were ruined and their families were destroyed, and Emperor Qing became the biggest winner.

Emperor Qing is now the only powerful figure in Kyoto, which is why Chen Pingping and Fan Jian have been hesitant to avenge Ye Qingmei.

However, everything is excessive, and Emperor Qing did not want Chen Pingping and Fan Jian to anger the people, so he wanted them to stop.

"Your Majesty, I will obey your command. Kyoto will be peaceful in the future." Chen Pingping secretly gave Fan Jian a look.

Fan Jian was unwilling to give in. Although he didn't say anything, he bowed deeply to show his attitude.

"I know that you two are loyal, especially Lord Fan, who has made many sacrifices. I promise that your children will be rich and prosperous for the rest of their lives."

Emperor Qing said loudly: "Pass the decree, Si Nanbo has done a favor to the country, and he is promoted to the first rank."

There are five ranks of nobility in the Kingdom of Qing: duke, marquis, earl, viscount, and baron. No one could be granted a title without military merit. Earl was promoted to marquis, one rank higher.

"I heard that Lord Fan's concubine is pregnant. When the child is born, if it is a boy, he will be named the Crown Prince and inherit his title."

Fan Jianda said anxiously: "Your Majesty, I want my eldest son to inherit the title."

Emperor Qing said quietly, "I heard that your eldest son is a bastard, and it is not in accordance with etiquette for him to inherit the title."

Emperor Qing emphasized the word "eldest son", and Fan Jian and Chen Pingping both understood what he meant.

Fan Jian wanted to say more, but Chen Pingping secretly pulled his robe.

"I obey your order." Fan Jian thanked helplessly.

Fan Jian knew clearly that Emperor Qing knew about Wang Gang's existence, but for the sake of his own son, he wanted Wang Gang to replace Fan Xian and become Ye Qingmei's son forever to attract all the attention.

Emperor Qing blocked all of Fan Jian's escape routes just for the sake of his own son.

Fan Jian made up his mind to secretly develop his power and wait for an opportunity to kill Emperor Qing.

"Fan Jian, I know your sacrifice. Don't worry! I will give you satisfactory compensation."

Emperor Qing gave Fan Jian a sweet reward after a beating, and promotion was only one of the compensations, but it could not change Fan Jian's mind.

This emperor must be killed, no one else can do anything about it.