Official history may not be correct

At an inn outside the imperial city, the letter from the wild goose in Ren Xuan's arms suddenly shook.

A flash of light appeared before his eyes, and lines of small, pale golden characters floated in the air.

Like a reflection on the water, it spreads out quietly.

Ren Xuan shook his head after reading the dozen or so lines of text.

He thought that Fang Che could take the initiative to expose this kind of family scandal, and he really treated Xiao Jingyuan as his own brother.

Across from him, Lu Shian saw him pause and also put down his bowl and chopsticks: "What happened?"

Only then did Ren Xuan remember that the letter from the wild goose was to be read by the holder alone and no one else could see it.

Then he took out a piece of paper from his sleeve, moved his fingers slightly, copied the floating words on it one by one, and handed it over.

Ren Xuan said in a complicated tone: "The ancestor of the Fang family left a dark history for future generations."

Those were historical materials that Ren Xuan had never seen before. They were probably old stories kept secret by the Fang family. Compared with the historical materials, they only had a few more details.

But once these hundreds of millions of details are added, the meaning of the historical document becomes completely different when viewed again.

The handwriting on the paper was steady, and the first line was a line of large characters.

"Fang Weian, the son of a criminal."

Then came the detailed recounting of past events:

"His father was implicated in treason, and his entire family was expelled from the family. Later, he was chosen by Xiao Dingyuan, the second prince of the Yuan Dynasty, to serve as his personal guard."

"He possessed unparalleled martial arts skills and had saved his master from certain death numerous times, earning him favor and trust. Prince Yong'an made an exceptional recommendation, allowing him to participate in the military examination despite being a criminal."

"In the 17th year of Chengyuan, he was appointed as the garrison commander of Heilan Pass."

"In the 19th year, he was transferred to Yunxi Suo as a chief centurion."

"That same year, a severe drought struck southern China. Fang Weian, without following the emperor's orders, arbitrarily opened granaries to provide relief to the starving. This incident shocked the court, and censors filed a series of impeachment complaints, accusing him of "abusing power to manipulate the government, feigning benevolence for personal gain, using the imperial government's grain to win over the people, and harboring ulterior motives."

"Tens of thousands of people were saved and thrown into the imperial prison, causing an uproar throughout the country."

Prince Yong'an submitted a memorial to defend himself, stating that Fang Weian was acting in accordance with his secret instructions. The emperor, mindful of his past merits, sentenced Feng Xiao Dingyuan to three years, while only punishing Fang Weian with a caning in court and releasing him from prison.

"In the 22nd year, with the recommendation of Prince Yong'an, he went to Guilin Guard. He broke into the battle line and captured the flag, earning him great honor."

"In the 23rd year, he ascended to the rank of Deputy General Xuan Duan Dao. He fought a bloody battle for thirty days against the five tribes of the Southern Barbarians, beheading thousands. He was awarded the Golden Lion Helmet by the Emperor, and his might resonated throughout the grasslands."

"In the 26th year, at the recommendation of Prince Yong'an, I was given the task of suppressing the rebellion in the southern border. I commanded a 30,000-man cavalry unit, named the 'Yaojia Camp.'"

"In the twenty-seventh year, he was granted the title of 'Marquis of Dingnan' by the Yuan Dynasty, commanded the Southern Front, and granted a golden seal and iron certificate."

"That same year, war erupted in the north, raging for a long time and causing chaos throughout the land."

"In the twenty-eighth year, King Qin Chengxu of Linyuan conquered the imperial capital, and the world changed. Qin Chengxu proclaimed himself emperor, and the new dynasty, Kaiyuan, began."

"In June, Qin Chengxiu led his army south, with a force of 100,000 armored soldiers, and approached the river to cross."

"Qin Chengxu sent an envoy to confer the title of Marquis of Zhennan on Fang Weian, promising him the title of hereditary governor of the southern border, and demanding the return of the Yuan imperial family under Fang Weian's protection."

"No."

"In August, a fierce battle broke out in Pengcheng, resulting in tens of thousands of casualties."

"In October, peace talks were held with Lin Gui. Fang Weian beheaded his former lord, Xiao Dingyuan, and captured and sent the Crown Prince and more than 20 other relatives to the new dynasty."

"Thus we gained control of the southern border and established a permanent presence there."

"In his later years, he became obsessed with immortality, dabbled in forbidden techniques, and became involved in evil ways. He died at the age of forty and was posthumously named 'Jingwu'."

Ren Xuan looked at it with a sigh: "Compared with the official history recorded by the court, Xiao Dingyuan appears more than once or twice in this historical material. I remember that in the official history, Xiao Dingyuan only appeared once or twice in total, right?"

Lu Shi'an's Adam's apple rolled slightly, and he finally sighed softly, "Some people, even if they are omitted from the history books, cannot be avoided in the end. Official history only mentions them in a few words, but Fang Weian still bore the infamy for a century. His merits and demerits in this life are ultimately unable to escape the heavy yoke of the former dynasty's old ministers."

Ren Xuan nodded in agreement, "That's true. Without mentioning Xiao Dingyuan, many things that happened to Fang Weian are simply unacceptable. Fang Weian was convicted of a crime, yet he was able to pass the martial arts exam. He advanced one rank per year, and became a marquis in ten years. Who would believe him if he said there was no one behind him?"

Lu Shian slowly shook his head, his tone indifferent: "Spring and Autumn style of writing. To conceal the names of the respected and the wise."

Ren Xuan couldn't help but chuckle, "He can be considered a sage?"

Lu Shian was silent for a long moment before he whispered, "Virtuous refers to achievement. Those who steal a hook will be executed, while those who steal a country will be made a marquis. If you succeed, there will be great scholars and famous officials who will sing your praises."

The young man paused and said, "But judging by his behavior alone, he might be able to make my uncle faint from anger."

Ren Xuan scoffed, his eyes gleaming with sarcasm. "Official history is so secretive, it only makes unofficial history wilder and wilder. Your official history is riddled with holes, and the common people have a million interpretations. I've heard a lot of different stories. Some say he was Xiao Dingyuan's concubine, enduring humiliation and rising through the ranks; others say he plotted against his mistress, murdered her at night, and usurped her bed. There are so many versions, and each family tells them with great relish."

He shrugged and smiled, his eyes showing a hint of teasing: "Compared to this, my reputation seems quite innocent."

Lu Shian glanced at him and said, "Don't compare yourself to that kind of person. Don't lower your own value."

Ren Xuanwei raised his eyebrows, the smile in his eyes deepened, and he actually felt a strange sense of intimacy with the King of the South.

As expected, the best way to whitewash yourself is to find someone even more outrageous to take the blame. If the other person is outrageous enough, you will appear respectable.

Thinking of this, Ren Xuan suddenly realized that the stigma imposed on him in the history books of his previous life was not worth mentioning.

The shadows of the trees outside the window were quiet, and the old history buried in the dust was eventually blown away by the wind without a sound.

···

In Wanrong Village, the night is as dark as ink.

The wind howled in the mountains and forests, and sporadic fires lit up in the wilderness, as if turning this old land into a silent execution ground.

There are figures of people everywhere.

Yanshi, white-sword rangers, black market soldiers, and even the remnants of old enemies...

More than a hundred masters from both the black and white worlds gathered together, almost surrounding the entire village.

They are not allies, they just happen to have a common enemy.

The former leader of Yanshi - Fang Cun.

It's so hateful.

In his early years, Fang Cun used the art of poisoning people and borrowing corpses to kill them, destroying the very bones and qi of many families; later he committed atrocities within the sect and killed countless of his fellow disciples; not to mention the blood debts he left behind in Yinshu.

The chief of all evil was trapped in this inconspicuous courtyard. Fang Cun's left arm was broken at the shoulder, and the bony bones were exposed to the air. The blood had stained most of the blue brick floor.

He leaned against the well in the yard, with a mocking smile on his face.

It was as if to say: You're not going to kill me? Come on.

No one stepped in, and the atmosphere outside the yard was extremely weird.

The fire was dazzling, but the voices were frighteningly low. People stared at Fang Cun in the courtyard, but no one went forward first.

Along the way, those who were truly active and disregarded their own lives had already been dragged to the underworld by Fang Cun.

Even if the mad dog is seriously injured, if it really wants to bite hard one last time, it can at least drag three or five more people down with it.

The situation remained at a stalemate. This person was going to die anyway, and no one was stupid enough to be his "cannon fodder".

The crowd reached an unspoken consensus: wait for him to die.

There was no doctor anyway, and Fang Cun had already lost so much blood. If he held on any longer, he would eventually die.

After all, this man was a mortal, not made of iron. No matter how ferocious he was, he couldn't stop bleeding.

As the night deepened, the torches swayed in the wind, casting flickering shadows on people's faces.

After waiting for too long, the murderous intent in the atmosphere had long been blown away by the cold wind, replaced by a deeper sense of fatigue and cowardice.

Then the crowd began to loosen up, and some people simply sat down and started to ask how the bounty on Fang Cun was calculated, and whoever took action would get a share.

Everything was about to cool down until a series of neat horse hoofbeats were heard in the distance.

From far to near, from small to large, torches flickered in the shadows of horses, and a familiar mark was printed on the outer armor - Silver Guards.

Someone with sharp eyes whispered in surprise, "It's someone from Yinshu City!"

Before he finished speaking, the team had already filed in. Without waiting for anyone to react, five of them rushed straight into the yard. Their movements were clean and efficient, without any delay.

The young man in the lead was ready to fight to the death.

The young man rushed into the yard and kicked the other man in the chest. Fang Cun fell heavily to the ground, leaving a patch of red on the blue bricks.

Bai Xiao pulled out his sword, but the Silver Guard behind him grabbed his wrist and said, "Fourth Master, I want him alive."

The next moment, the expressions of several Yanshi leaders present changed drastically.

Outside the firelight, a purple-robed Yanshi slowly stepped forward, his features calm, but his voice carried an ambiguous sharpness.

He said calmly, "Everyone, this is against the rules, isn't it?"

The purple-robed Yanshi's gaze fell on Fang Cun, who was being held down by the Yinshu Guards. He said slowly, "With so many of you, you've finally cornered this bastard, and yet you don't kill him? Aren't you, Yinshu City, too self-righteous?"

Hatred is easily incited.

In the crowd, an old man with white hair and bloodshot eyes rushed to the front and roared, "My disciple died at his hands! If this bastard doesn't die today, it will be unforgivable!"

"What do you mean by that, Yinshu City? Everyone knows that he is guilty of heinous crimes? He must pay with blood!"

"Why did you, Yinshu City, take him away? Why did you make the decision for us? Why did you let him live?"

In just a few words, the murderous intent has quietly shifted, hatred and fear overlap, and justice and selfishness are confused.

Angry shouts rose and fell in the crowd, and the cries for killing were boiling.

Seeing this, the leading Silver Guard hurriedly contacted the people in the city, and then whispered something to Bai Xiao.

The next moment, Bai Xiao turned around abruptly. The young man pointed at Fang Cun on the ground, veins popping out on the back of his hand. "What the hell is this long-term discussion?! My senior brother died at the hands of this bastard! What are we discussing?! Who are we discussing it with?!"

A Silver Guard behind him hurriedly held down his arm, speaking in a very low voice, "Fourth Master! Don't be impulsive... The Young City Lord has ordered that we take a long-term view of this matter. They are outnumbered, so we shouldn't engage in a head-on confrontation. Your safety is more important..."

The young man laughed in anger, his murderous intent unconcealed: "Can't you see? These bastards are just trying to take advantage of the chaos to silence this beast! As long as Fang Cun dies here, all the remaining debts can be considered as Fang Cun's alone! Then the rest of the people will be free of all responsibility! Dream on! "

Bai Xiao's eyes were bloodshot. He was afraid that they would investigate this group of people.

——These people are all murderers.

The purple-robed Yanshi who was leading the group had a dark look in his eyes.

Yinshu City wants someone alive - they are not satisfied with just killing Fang Cun.

Yinshu City wants to question, pursue, and settle accounts with all the Yanshi who were involved from beginning to end, one by one.

He jokingly said, "If Yinshu City is determined to protect a criminal and make enemies with all the fellow practitioners, then everyone will rely on their own abilities."

As soon as he finished speaking, some people in the crowd wavered: "They are from Yinshu City... If we touch them, I'm afraid that in the future..."

But on the other side, Yanshi coldly interjected, "Does Fang Cun still need to pay the blood debt of Yinshu City? Kill them and then put the blame on Fang Cun. Who would know it was us who did it?"

The crowd was in turmoil again, some people had already drawn their weapons, justice and selfishness were completely blurred in the flames.