Fan Ning knew that he could not get around the empress dowager's level, so the empress dowager summoned him, so he had to bite the bullet and come to Cining Palace.

Fan Ning knelt down in front of the bamboo curtain and bowed: "My minister Fan Ning will meet the Queen Mother!"

"Get up!"

"Thank you Queen Mother!" Fan Ning stood up and stood aside.

Empress Dowager Cao asked coldly: "Do you know why the Ai family is looking for you?"

"I know!"

"Since you know, why don't you discuss with the Ai family for such a major matter?"

Fan Ning pondered for a moment and said, "I don't want to create conflicts between the Queen Mother and the Emperor."

Empress Dowager Cao was so smart that she immediately understood Fan Ning's meaning, "What do you mean is that resigning is not your original intention?"

Fan Ning shook his head, "You are the empress dowager, it is the empress dowager who resigns voluntarily. I am really tired after fighting in the past two years and have not been with my family well. I feel quite guilty. Resigning from my military post is a relief for both the emperor and the empress dowager."

"Then why quit the phase?"

"This is the rule of Zhizhengtang. If you take leave for more than three months, you need to temporarily suspend your post. Weichen wants to visit his grandmother in Beidao, and it may take half a year to come back."

Empress Dowager Cao shook her head, "You all regard the Ai family as fools. Are suspension and resignation the same thing? The official also said so. The Ai family did not expose him, but the Ai family should know what happened?"

Fanning was silent for a long time and said, "The Queen Mother should know what the reason is."

Empress Dowager Cao snorted coldly, "It seems that the newspaper's comments are really right. You have made great contributions and threatened the status of the emperor. The Ai family doesn't understand that the dignified Emperor of Song Dynasty doesn't even have this attentiveness?"

"The Empress Dowager, from the perspective of the emperor, he was not at fault. The Song Dynasty cannot rely on one person to conquer the world. Not only the Song Dynasty, but also any dynasty is the same. If you can only rely on one person, it would be dangerous. I can fully understand the emperor's worries."

"Then why did you quit your position? Tell the truth to the Ai family, do you want to retire from Beidao?"

"The Queen Mother, the poem says, "To resolve the affairs of the king and win the reputation of his life and after his death, this is the idea of ​​all ministers and the dream of a weak minister. It doesn't matter how long a minister has been in the court. The key is how much he has done!"

Empress Dowager Cao asked after a long time of silence: "You should be back, right!"

Fanning hesitated for a moment and said, "To be honest, I don't know either. It's a high possibility of coming back, but I can't be sure."

"Then you go! Take care of yourself."

"Please take care of the Queen Mother, please take the leave!"

Fan Ning slowly withdrew from the Cining Palace. Empress Dowager Cao suddenly felt very tired. She thought of Gao Taotao, wondering whether Fan Ning's departure was a good thing for her or a loss?

…………

As soon as Fan Ning returned to the mansion, his second wife Ouyang Qian came up and said anxiously: "Husband, my father is here!"

Fan Ning sighed in his heart. The influence of his resignation was too great, and even Ouyang Xiu, who had always been indifferent, was alarmed.

"Where is my father-in-law?"

"I have been here for a while in the Guifang Guest Room of Cuiyunlou."

Fanning nodded, "I'll go see him."

Fan Ning quickly walked towards Cuiyun Tower, and Ouyang Qian hurriedly followed a few steps: "Father asked his husband about his resignation."

"I can think of what else he asked?"

"Then I asked us to go to Beidao, and he asked me if my whole family was going to Beidao together."

"Then how do you answer?"

"I didn't hide it from him. Tell him the truth, the whole family really plans to go to Beidao together."

"Then what?"

"No more, my father didn't express his opinion, just waiting for my husband to come back. Husband, have I said the wrong thing?"

Fanning smiled and said, "Of course, there is nothing wrong with it. This matter should not be hidden from him."

"But... I'm a little worried that my father would object."

"No, don't worry! Your father is a wise man, and he knows why I made this decision."

As the couple spoke, they arrived at Cuiyun Tower. Fan Ning saw his father-in-law Ouyang Xiuzheng standing in front of Cuiyun Peak with his hands behind his back to watch the number one stone in the capital.

Fanning walked up and apologized: "Let my father-in-law wait for a long time!"

Ouyang Xiu pointed to Cuiyun Peak and stroked his beard and smiled: "Every time I see this strange stone, there is a new meaning, which makes people shine. It is worthy of being the number one strange stone in the capital."

"If my father-in-law likes it, I'll give it to my father-in-law!"

Ouyang Xiu shook his head, "What do you give me to do? How many years can I see it? You can take it away by yourself!"

Fan Ning was silent. Ouyang Xiu had something in his words, and it seemed that he had already understood it in his heart.

Ouyang Qian hurriedly said behind, "Husband, please come in and sit down!"

Fanning nodded and waved his hand quickly, "Father-in-law, please go into the lobby to have a detailed discussion."

Ouyang Xiu stroked his beard and smiled, turned around and walked into the lobby.

The father-in-law and son-in-law sat down in the lobby. Ouyang Qian quickly arranged for the maid to serve tea. Ouyang Xiu smiled and said, "Qian'er, go and do your business! I'll talk to Aning."

Ouyang Qian looked at her husband, Fan Ning nodded, and Ouyang Qian had to leave.

Ouyang Xiu shook his head and smiled, "I still have to listen to my husband. My father is no longer useful."

Fan Ning quickly explained: "A Qian has always cared and respected her father-in-law."

"No need to explain, this is normal, I don't mind at all."

After pausing, Ouyang Xiu asked again: "Qian'er said you were summoned by the Queen Mother. Has the Queen Mother tried to keep you?"

Fanning pondered for a moment and said, "She has this meaning, but in the end she didn't force me."

Ouyang Xiu nodded, "I think this is the case, the Empress Dowager will eventually take into account the face of the emperor."

"When will you go to Beidao?" Ouyang Xiu asked with a smile again.

"Carry it out, about half a month later! The fleet has just arrived in Quanzhou, and they have to transfer to Yangzhou. The crew needs to rest for a few days, and it will be almost the same in half a month."

Fanning was a little strange, and he asked with a smile: "I thought my father-in-law would also advise me to stay."

Ouyang Xiu shook his head, "What's there to persuade? Besides, you must come back. You can leave like this."

"The son-in-law did not discuss with his father-in-law before resigning from the presidency. The son-in-law felt really ashamed."

"It's nothing."

Ouyang Xiu smiled gently and said, "Actually, it was as expected that you would resign and leave."

Seeing that his son-in-law was puzzled, Ouyang Xiu took a sip of tea and said slowly: "Your family and the Zhu family have left the Song Dynasty in a planned and step-by-step manner over the years. Everyone sees it, and I know it very well, but everyone doesn't say it. I know that you will leave sooner or later, but I didn't expect this day to come so quickly."

Fan Ning was speechless for a moment. In fact, he knew that such things were hard to hide from the eyes of those who were interested. He originally planned to gradually retreat in ten years, but now the emperor is suspicious of him, which is the best opportunity for him to leave.

Ouyang Xiu smiled again and said, "With your talent, you won't live under others for a long time. It's a good thing for the emperor and you to leave, so I'm not trying to dissuade you today."

Fan Ning nodded silently, Ouyang Xiu glanced at Fan Ning and said, "Son-in-law, I came to my house today, but I actually have something to ask for!"

Fan Ning hurriedly said, "Father-in-law is serious. If you have any questions, please tell your son-in-law!"

Ouyang Xiu sighed and said, "I have six children in my life, of which the eldest son and the eldest daughter were born to my ex-wife. My current wife is relatively strong and even more partial. If I don't tell you about the situation at home, you know that I am in poor health and old age, so I probably won't live too long."

"Don't say that, father-in-law, take good care of himself, and there will be no problem in living for another twenty or thirty years."

"You don't have to persuade me. I am not afraid of death. Besides, I have achieved success and fame throughout my life and have no regrets in my death. But the only thing I can't worry about is that he is not a professional, and I offended many people. I have been suppressed several times when I have the opportunity to be promoted. He has been wandering from the sixth rank hurdle for many years, and probably can't get promoted, let alone the fifth rank. I never expect him. He himself understands, son-in-law, I beg you to take him to Beidao too."

Fan Ning was shocked. It turned out that his father-in-law wanted to take his eldest son Ouyang Hua to Beidao with him. This was beyond his expectations. However, it was not surprising that Ouyang Xiu was in poor health. He was not a sign of longevity. It probably has been a few years since he was.

Once he passed away, his eldest son Ouyang Hua had almost nothing, and Ouyang Xiu offended too many people, Ouyang Hua's life would be sad, so he wanted his eldest son to go with him.

Fan Ning pondered for a moment and asked, "I am very willing to relieve my father-in-law and take my elder brother away, but is he willing to abandon his post and go to Beidao?"

"I've talked to him, he's willing, and his wife and children are willing."

Fanning nodded, "Okay! I promised my father-in-law to take my elder brother's family to Beidao. He should pack up now. We will officially set off in half a month."
Chapter completed!