stonecrandall Chapter 1154 The seed has been planted; let it take root and sprout!
Chapter 1154 The seed has been planted; let it take root and sprout!
Fan Xian remained silent, recalling the historical texts he had read—Shang Yang's reforms ultimately resulted in his execution by dismemberment, Wang Anshi's reforms faced a full-scale backlash, and the Six Gentlemen of the Hundred Days' Reform were executed at Caishikou. It seemed that every idealist who attempted to forcefully push for social change in a short period was destined for tragedy.
"As for telling you not to trust Chen Pingping too much," Di Renjie changed the subject, his tone becoming more serious, "you should understand this point given the current situation, right?"
Hearing Di Renjie's words, Fan Xian frowned. Not long ago, he had been in grave danger, expecting Chen Pingping's Black Riders to appear at the crucial moment, but they hadn't materialized. That moment of disappointment and doubt was like a thorn, deeply embedded in his trust in Chen Pingping.
“I originally trusted Chen Pingping completely,” Fan Xian said, his voice a little hoarse. “I thought the Black Riders would protect me in secret, but I didn’t expect that they would not appear. How could I not have some doubts?”
Now, after Di Renjie's words, he naturally felt more distant from Chen Pingping. This sense of estrangement was not a sudden impulse, but rather the result of small cracks that had accumulated over a long period of time. Many things that Chen Pingping simply didn't explain to him were magnified into an insurmountable chasm at this moment.
“One thing you need to understand is,” Di Renjie’s gaze was piercing, as if he could see through Fan Xian’s deepest hesitation and contradictions, “that your goals and Chen Pingping’s have always been different. Chen Pingping’s goal is to avenge Ye Qingmei, while what you want to do is investigate the truth.”
"What's the difference?" Fan Xian frowned slightly upon hearing Di Renjie's words, somewhat unable to understand for a moment.
In his view, investigating the truth and avenging Ye Qingmei seemed to be different stages on the same path—first find out the truth, then avenge his mother. This logic was simple, direct, and in line with common sense.
Di Renjie sighed softly, a sigh that contained both sympathy for the naivety of the young people and endless感慨 about the complexities of reality.
“The truth,” he repeated the word, as if savoring its bitterness, “If you uncover the truth, and the mastermind behind Ye Qingmei’s death is the current Emperor Qing, your so-called biological father, what will you do? Kill Emperor Qing?
"I..." Upon hearing Di Renjie's words, Fan Xian was momentarily speechless and did not give an answer immediately.
He recalled the occasional, almost imperceptible tenderness that Emperor Qing showed; he recalled Chen Pingping's seemingly ruthless but perhaps deeply well-intentioned arrangements; he recalled the eternal torment between his identities as Fan Xian and as Emperor Qing's son.
"So, this is the fundamental difference between your and Chen Pingping's goals," Di Renjie broke the silence, his voice soft but each word carrying immense weight. "Chen Pingping's goal is to avenge Ye Qingmei, and he wouldn't be able to accept the possibility of sacrificing you in the process. He has a fire burning in his heart for twenty years, a fire that has consumed everything in him—reason, compassion, even reverence for life. As long as it can avenge Ye Qingmei, any price is acceptable, including your life."
Fan Xian felt a chill run down his spine. He recalled his interactions with Chen Pingping, wondering if such cold-blooded scheming truly lurked behind the apparent trust and nurturing.
"But what about you?" Di Renjie's gaze was like a knife, piercing straight into Fan Xian's heart. "Even if you were really given the chance to kill Emperor Qing, would you dare to do it without any scruples? Could you bear the sin of patricide? Could you face the chaos that would engulf the world after killing the emperor? Could you find a reason to continue existing after taking revenge?"
Faced with Di Renjie's question, Fan Xian fell silent, unsure how to respond. He wasn't even sure what choice he would make after learning the truth.
Di Renjie smiled slightly, a smile that contained vicissitudes, wisdom, and helplessness: "I'm not advising you to give up, but reminding you of the price. The reason Ye Qingmei failed was not that her ideals were wrong, but that she tried to fight against the gravity of an entire era single-handedly. If you really want to follow in her footsteps, at least understand what you are facing."
He paused, then continued, "As for Chen Pingping... he may indeed be using you, but in this world, it's sometimes hard to distinguish between use and help. The important thing is that you know what you want, what you can bear, what you are willing to live for, and what you are willing to die for."
“I will find the truth,” he said, his voice low but unusually firm, “not for revenge, nor to emulate Ye Qingmei. It's because… it's one of the reasons I exist. As for what to do after I know the truth…”
Fan Xian carefully put away the jade pendant and the paper, then took a deep breath. "I understand. Please tell Gao Yao for me... thank you."
Di Renjie bowed slightly: "I will deliver the message. Also, we will clean up the bodies of these men in black. General Zhan Qingfeng in Northern Qi has received a secret letter and will not pursue today's matter. You can continue your journey north with peace of mind."
Fan Xian nodded, turned to leave, but then stopped. "Mr. Di, one last question—why do you serve Gao Yao? With your talent, you could hold a high position in any country."
Di Renjie smiled faintly, a smile that held a wisdom beyond worldly concerns. "Young Master Fan, have you ever heard the saying, 'A scholar will die for one who understands him'? My lord understands me, and he understands the world. In his eyes, Southern Qing and Northern Qi, and even the entire world, are merely a corner of a larger chessboard. This vision... is truly fascinating."
Fan Xian seemed to be deep in thought, but ultimately did not ask any more questions and strode out of the woods.
When the sunlight fell on his face again, Fan Xian felt as if he had experienced a long period of time. Haitang Duoduo came forward, her eyes full of inquiry, while Guo Baokun timidly hid behind several guards, not daring to meet his gaze.
“It’s alright,” Fan Xian said calmly. “Let’s continue on our way.”
Haitang Duoduo hesitated for a moment, then simply nodded. She could see that something had changed about Fan Xian; his eyes, which always held a hint of mockery and a touch of wariness, now held a sense of gravity and resolve.
The carriage started moving again, its wheels leaving deep ruts as they rolled over the mud. Fan Xian leaned against the carriage wall, closing his eyes to rest, but clutching the half of the jade pendant tightly in his hand.
Mother... Emperor Qing... Gao Yao...
Names swirled in his mind, weaving a vast net. And he, Fan Xian, this soul from the modern world, this son of Ye Qingmei and Emperor Qing, this pawn or player watched by various forces, finally saw a corner of the chessboard clearly.
Ye Qingmei's death was related to many people. Although Di Renjie didn't finish his sentence, Fan Xian had already grasped the hidden meaning. In other words, the current Emperor Qing's ascension to the throne was largely due to Ye Qingmei. Combined with the information contained in the letters Ye Qingmei left behind, Fan Xian could already make certain deductions.