80-86

Chapter 80: Searching for his Fiancée

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Within Count Sinan's study, there was no indication that a court plot was afoot.

Count Sinan smiled. Although this child was clever, he thought, he had little experience in political battles. It appeared that he would have to slowly teach him. "His Majesty has always reserved his judgement in matters. It is nothing to be concerned about. It is just that he does not wish to see himself quarrel with his son, so uses this matter to warn the Empress's followers."

The Empress's followers? There appeared to be the empress, the crown prince, the eldest princess... and perhaps the prime minister. "His Majesty should find a better way to settle this dispute. You said before, the property of the treasury is overseen by the Overwatch Council. Why has he chosen me?"

"The answer is simple." Count Sinan looked at Fan Xian as if he were looking from a far-off distance, and as if he were looking at someone else. "It's because I suggested it to him."

Fan Xian raised his brow. He knew his father would not explain further, so he changed the subject. "So why is Chen Pingping opposed?"

"Because he advised the Emperor not to choose you," said Count Sinan. "Chen Pingping has always felt that you should choose a different path."

The grand Director of the Overwatch Council was so concerned about him! Fan Xian suddenly recalled the stone tablet by the entrace to the Council chambers. He couldn't hold back the powerful suspicions he felt. "Why... by the gate of the Overwatch Council..."

"Why is your mother's name there? That's also simple. When the Kingdom of Qing was founded, there was no Overwatch Council. Your mother suggested it..." Count Sinan smiled. He seemed very happy. "So that is why we have the Overwatch Council."

Fan Xian's heart pounded fiercely. He opened his mouth, seemingly dazed for a long time. He thought of the phrase he knew very well from his previous life - "And God said, let there be light."And there was light!

They continued their discussion. Fan Xian finally knew what formidable powers the Ye family had held. When the Kingdom of Qing's military expeditions to the west and east had brought the kingdom to the brink of bankruptcy, it was the Ye family who had stabilized the nation's collapsing political system. And the Overwatch Council that the Emperor had used to "unite" the kingdom – to the great shock of the bureaucracy – was his mother's idea, and she had used her vast finances to support its establishment. It had all been handled and provided by his mother, all by herself.

No wonder her name was inscribed by the entrance to the Council. No wonder he had been under the surveillance of the Council since he was a child. Fan Xian looked at his father for a long time before finally shaking his head. "Father, I must tell you something. Please don't be angry."

"Don't worry. When have I ever been angry with you?" Count Sinan seemed to have guessed that he had something to say. There was a slightly odd smile on his face.

Fan Xian tried to find the best wording. Finally he thought of the right way to phrase it. He smiled bitterly. "I'm not sure... how my mother fell for you."

"Haha, don't forget your mother's name..." Count Sinan seemed happier than he had been in years. He waved Fan Xian out of his study.

Fan Xian walked into the courtyard. What did it all mean? Suddenly, he understood. Ye Qingmei, Ye Qingmei... scorning the men of the land.

"Did father not rebuke you?" asked Fan Ruoruo concernedly. She and Fan Xian were different after all. What they held most in common were their long eyelashes and fair skin.

Fan Xian smiled bitterly. "Rebukes are not the worst part of education. The worst part is having a long exchange of ideas. Parents always think that they should discuss ideas with their children, but they don't know how hard that is to endure... When you're young, you're caught in this shroud of banality."

This was something that had just occurred to him as he went through the reception pavilion. He watched Fan Sizhe's face as he impatiently listened to Lady Liu's admonishings. When Lady Liu saw him, she went quiet. He cheekily brought Fan Sizhe over.

Fan Ruoruo sighed. "There's nothing to be done about that." She suddenly recalled the hubbub in the capital around the court case that day. "Xian," she asked curiously, "you once said if you were doing something you didn't want to do, there was definitely a clear and strong reason behind it. There must have been a reason behind you going to court today."

Fan Xian nodded.

Fan Ruoruo didn't ask what the reason had been. Instead, she asked something else. "Did you get the result you wanted?"

Fan Xian laughed. "I'm fairly satisfied. At least now I know which side father stands on in the imperial court. And I know that the Fan family has even more influence in the imperial court than I imagined. As for the reason; you can guess. I don't know what the result will be. After all, I can't turn into a mosquito and eavesdrop on the conversations of the big players at the palace."

"You didn't need to take such a gamble just for that," rebuked Fan Ruoruo.

Fan Xian smiled as he explained things to her. "Anyway, by getting the idea to beat up that Guo scoundrel, I've found out how deep the waters run in the capital."

"Hey! I don't get it!" Fan Sizhe, who had been listening the whole time, could not keep to himself any longer.

Fan Ruoruo smiled and brandished her ruler. "I get hit just because I don't understand?" blurted Fan Sizhe. Fan Ruoruo's smile became tighter. "I have told you many times, you are to address him as 'older brother'."

"I'm sorry for my mistake, older brother." Fan Sizhe was only young, but his dishonest way of thinking meant he was never at a disadvantage.

Fan Xian looked at him and laughed. "I saw the proposal that you altered. I think you have some talent. How can you say you don't understand what I and your sister are talking about?"

"Shrouds and education rounds," he blurted out angrily, "who knew you'd use such weird phrases? ...But I understood the last part. Hey... sorry, I mean older brother, that rat Guo picked on me at that restaurant. You should have hit him. How come you waited until last night? ...It doesn't matter. Next time you go and have fun making trouble, you should bring me along."

Fan Xian looked at him and smiled bitterly. Maybe he'd get into less trouble if he didn't act like a little tyrant in the streets all the time.

As sister and brother talked, they did not ignore Fan Sizhe rolling his eyes next to them. This was Fan Xian's decision. On one hand, he was using this as a pretext to let Lady Liu know what he was thinking, so that the two sides did not accidentally spark a conflict over a lack of information. It was much like how China and the USA had exchanged military information in his previous life - both sides would dispatch an attaché to observe all military maneuvers. Fan Sizhe naturally was that attaché. On the other hand, he wanted to gradually change this stubborn little brother... Fan Xian believed the atmosphere between the three children of the Fan family could secretly influence the habits they acquired in their upbringing, and make them consider things more clearly before they made decisions.

After Fan Sizhe had gone to sleep, Fan Xian turned to his sister. "Is everything ready?"

Fan Ruoruo nodded, smiling sweetly. "What if someone recognizes you? If the people of the capital find out that you're so concerned about getting to see your new wife, they'll laugh themselves to death... and it might make a lot of people unhappy."

"It doesn't matter." Fan Xian waved his sister's suggestion away, somewhat annoyed. "I have to figure this out first."

Early in the morning, a carriage from the Ye family, the head of the city guard, stopped at the entrance to Count Sinan's estate. Inside the carriage sat Ye Ling'er, waiting anxiously. After a little while, Fan Ruoruo led a pale and slightly hunchbacked youngster out of the manor. Ye Ling'er's eyes shone, and she greeted the young man.

Ye Ling'er curtsied. "Thank you for your trouble, Miss Fan." Then she turned to the hunchbacked youngster and smiled. "Sir, are you a student of Master Fei's?"

The young man laughed. His yellow and sallow skin matched the wrinkles around his eyes. It looked as if there were something wrong with him. He cupped his hands in salute. "That is correct," he replied.

"My apologies for this imposition, sir," said Ye Ling'er.

The young doctor laughed. "If it's a serious illness," he responded politely, "we had best get going right away."

Ye Ling'er and Fan Ruoruo got into the front carriage, and the young physician got into the rear carriage. He discovered that the carriage was quite spacious. It was rather different from the kind usually seen in the capital, and the inside was outfitted with many kinds of ornaments. It looks like the Ye estate, though born from the battlefield, had always had some class. The young phyisican was, of course, Fan Xian. That morning he had arisen early, and with the help of Ruoruo's eyebrow pencil and foundation, transformed himself. These were just some tricks he had learned from Fei Jie as a child, but the results were effective.

The main reason for his confidence was that he believed he had already garnered a reputation within the capital, but few people had actually seen him. At the very least, neither Ye Ling'er nor Miss Lin had laid eyes on him. As soon as he thought about Miss Lin, who he was soon to meet, his heart beat faster. No matter what he planned to do afterwards, she was his fiancee. And the girl in the white dress who had lingered in his memory was also clearly from a noble family. He wished he could keep one as a wife and the other as a concubine, but that was out of the question. It looked like he was going to have to make a choice.

As the carriage rolled on, Fan Xian became increasingly nervous, because the carriage was also heading toward the imperial palace, where Miss Lin – his fiancée –resided. Today, he was pretending to be a doctor. It was an absurd situation. But he thought of the chicken leg, and he thought of the Ye family. And a wife was someone with whom you shared a pillow for the rest of your life. Fan Xian couldn't help but feel cautious and timid, but also brazen beyond belief. He felt as he had before he came to the capital. He had to see for himself. Was she cute? Was she pretty? Was she a lolita?

Chapter 81: Entering the Hall

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

In the front carriage, Ye Ling'er and Fan Ruoruo were talking. "Sorry to bother you about it," said Ye Ling'er, her face suddenly skeptical, "but is he really a student of Master Fei? He looks rather young."

Fan Ruoruo laughed. "I know, one expects a doctor to be older. But he's only having a look today, and after all, even the imperial physicians respect Master Fei's medical skill. Our family has a relationship with Master Fei. It won't do any harm to let him take a look."

Ye Ling'er thought so too. None of the doctors had found a way to treat Miss Lin's tuberculosis. The palace had contacted Fei Jie, but they found that he had gone to the border, and it seemed he would not be returning for a long time. They were still quite lucky to have found one of Fei Jie's students. She thought for a while, until eventually she couldn't bear it any longer. "Ruoruo," she asked, "I heard that yesterday your brother was accused of a crime?"

Fan Ruoruo wondered why she had decided to ask now. She laughed. "Do you have something else to bring against him?"

Ye Ling'er harrumphed. "I am thankful to you, but when it comes to your brother, I have no good will towards him. He's a brute, but he's as pliable as dough. He'll do what anyone tells him, and he doesn't have any will of his own."

Fan Ruoruo was secretly amused. If his brother had his way, this marriage wouldn't be happening anyway, and who knows who that might upset. But she didn't say anything. Instead, she smiled. "People of our status learn quickly that there are many things outside our control."

"But your brother is one for making trouble, is he not? It's clear that he wants to marry Miss Lin, but he still... frequents houses of ill repute. How does he think that reflects on Miss Lin?" Ye Ling'er recalled the rumors she had recently heard, and welled up with anger. "Not only that, but he beats people in the street. That sort of behavior... Ruoruo, please don't be angry with me. But... if you had to marry someone like that, would you be willing to?"

Fan Ruoruo sighed. Where did free will come into it? "Clever people don't listen to rumors. It's all just gossip, do you understand? My brother is a distinguished fellow. He's not hiding some sort of terrible behavior."

Ye Ling'er laughed coldly. "Is that so? Do you know what the people of the capital have been calling him since yesterday?"

"What do they call him?" Fan Ruoruo's eyes were wide open as she asked curiously. She truly wanted to know what the people of the capital thought of her remarkable older brother.

"They call him... The Brute of Fan Manor!" said Ye Ling'er, panting with rage. "That's what people say about your brother."

Fan Ruoruo covered her mouth to hide a smile. "Did you know my brother has another nickname?"

"What?"

"The Empress Dowager said 'ten thousand miles in sorrowful autumn, always the guest, and yet he still beats people?'" She stifled a laugh. "Ten-thousand miles-in-sorrowful-autumn-always-the-guest, isn't that a bit long for a nickname?"

Ye Ling'er knew that she was trying to tell her something. Not only was Fan Xian a prize fighter, he was also a great poet. She harrumphed, but she couldn't refute the Empress Dowager's opinion. It was clear that the Empress Dowager appreciated Fan Xian's poetry.

The two carriages entered a quiet courtyard not far from the palace. Outside the courtyard, one could clearly see a great number of palace guards. They had simple belts tied around their waists, so it was convenient for them to draw their daggers.

Alighting the carriage, Ye Ling'er made her way along the familiar path to the palace, but she unexpectedly found it blocked by a guard. "What's going on?" asked Ye Ling'er.

"I can't let you in, Miss Ye," said the guard, slightly embarrassed.

Ye Ling'er laughed heartily. She pulled Fan Ruoruo to her side. "This is the daughter of Count Sinan. She's quite well known in the capital." She glanced at Fan Ruoruo. "You mean to tell me that the little sister of ten-thousand-miles-in-sorrowful-autumn-always-the-guest cannot enter?"

"Who's 'ten-thousand-miles-in-sorrowful-autumn-always-the-guest'?" The guard was not a literate man, and he looked at them dumbstruck. Ten-thousand-miles-in-sorrowful-autumn-always-the-guest was hidden behind Ye Ling'er, forcing a smile.

Ye Ling'er giggled. "I've invited a doctor to see Miss Lin today. Are you going to let us through?" she said, explaining kindly to the guard.

The guard turned to look at the doctor. He was rather ugly-looking, and his posture was somewhat stooped. He looked like he was in poor health himself, the guard thought – and he wanted to examine the princess? But the guard said nothing, as he wished to protect Miss Ye's honor. How many of the guards did not have some sort of relationship with the Ye family? He forced a smile. "Miss Ye, if you had told the master you were coming earlier, I would not dare to stop you. Nor would I stop this doctor. But I cannot let you through today. The doctor you have invited has not been approved by the palace. What if something bad were to happen while he was treating her?"

Fan Xian lowered his head. He felt nervous. He had gone to all this trouble, and yet he still couldn't even see Miss Lin's face. Was it best to just give up? He wasn't sure whether this was his own fault or not. Last time, he had inadvertantly barged into the Temple of Qing and matched blows with the temple guard, and the whole palace guard had been subjected to a torrent of abuse by Eunuch Hong and the head commander, so today they were extremely strict.

"What are you talking about? This man is a student of Fei Jie of the Overwatch Council." Ye Ling'er fixed the guard with a glare.

When the guard heard mention of Master Fei, he looked at Fan Xian with a sudden deference, silently stepping backward, but then he thought of something and frowned. "A student of Master Fei's? I've never heard of such a thing."

Ye Ling'er also thought about it. Any student of Master Fei would no doubt also be well known. How come she had never heard of him? Suspicious, she turned and looked at Fan Xian. But Fan Xian had prepared for this. He shook his head gloomily, and fished out a token from his chest pocket.

It was a token from the Overwatch Council. No one could have counterfeited it – or more precisely, there was not a craftsman in the land who would dare to counterfeit it. It was given to Fan Xian by Fei Jie in Danzhou when he was six years old.

The guard took the token and looked at it. It proved his identity beyond a shadow of a doubt. He looked again at the young man's pallid complexion and yellowing skin, and he realized that this most definitely was a student of Master Fei, someone who had experimented with poisons for many years – that ghostly appearance was unmistakeable.

Having received a sufficient guarantee, the guard let them pass. The three walked into the quiet courtyard, glancing at clusters of flowers as they walked along a stone-tiled path through them, leading to a small building deeper within the courtyard.

A servant girl ushered them into the building and served them tea. Fan Xian observed her movements and noticed that her every move seemed extremely proper. Clearly she had received long years of training at the palace. A while later, an old woman with a slightly arrogant air walked out. "Miss Ye, it's you."

Ye Ling'er clearly did not like this woman, and she made a grunt of acknowledgement in response. "Where is Miss Lin?"

"Miss Lin is sleeping. May I ask why you have come today, Miss Ye?" The old lady seemed to be standing respectfully, but her tone of speech was clearly meant to keep people away. Fan Xian couldn't help but wonder what would get in his way next.

Ye Ling'er was not in the mood for arguing with the old lady today. "I have brought a doctor to see Miss Lin," she said reproachfully. "Go and tell her. When she is ready, this doctor will come and examine her."

The old lady looked at Fan Xian. She knew this was the doctor. "You are aware of the young lady's status," she said coldly. "Other than the palace physicians, who could treat her?"

Ye Ling'er brought up Fan Xian's identity as a student of Fei Jie. Surprisingly, the old lady did not concede. She was much more troublesome than the guard outside. Fan Xian did not know what the palace regulations were, but young unmarried ladies always had plenty of ladies-in-waiting by their side. Although they did not restrict them and they were not like the frightful spinsters of the court of the Qing dynasty in his previous world, these women were always loyal to a fault. She absolutely would not allow her mistress to get in any sort of danger.

Fan Xian felt rather annoyed. He cast a glance at Fan Ruoruo. Fan Ruoruo understood what he meant. She stood up, smiling. "Since it is not in keeping with regulations," she said to Ye Ling'er, "I suppose we had best leave. This is not like any other place in the capital, after all."

Sure enough, Ye Ling'er was enraged. She shot up and unleashed a torrent of abuse at the old woman. Fan Xian watched and frowned. She was a rather angry girl, he thought. Who was going to teach her to control her temper in the future? At that moment, Fan Ruoruo attempted to intercede insincerely, asking the aggrieved old woman to sit at the table, handing her a cup of tea.

After a moment, the old woman's face changed, and she hurried off. Having heard all the commotion, one of Miss Lin's serving girls came out. She saw that the old lady was not there, and ushered the three upstairs.

Although Ye Ling'er had a temper, she was not stupid. She cast a suspicious glance at Fan Xian. Fan Xian lowered his head a little, said nothing, and followed them up.

He always carried things on him that people had no idea about – laxatives, knockout drops, aphrodisiacs, and not just medicine, but a dagger and a hidden crossbow too; all little tools to defend himself. With these things on his person, he could get himself out of any jam.

As they entered Miss Lin's bedchamber, Fan Xian lowered his head. He did not dare show that anything was off. A delicate fragrance reached his nostrils. He could tell that they were burning a specific type of incense that helped sick people convalesce, but it was concentrated too strongly, overpowering the delicate aroma of her boudoir.

Ye Ling'er went behind a curtain and said something, and then was followed by Fan Ruoruo. Fan Xian strained his ears, and heard that his sister was greeting the young woman. The young woman only coughed. It seemed that she was short of breath. In his mind, Fan Xian sketched out the scene. He didn't know how he should act when he saw his bride-to-be.

As he thought about it, Fan Xian realized that he was somewhat unfaithful. He felt deep love for that girl in white who nibbled at the chicken leg. Entering Miss Lin's bedchamber and smelling her rare perfume, he began to wonder what her blushing face might look like.

"Please enter, sir." Ye Ling'er conveyed Miss Lin's request.

Fan Xian straightened his appearance slightly, lifted the curtain, and entered.

Chapter 82: Enter the Chamber

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Fan Xian was stepping into the bed chamber of his "fiancée" for the first time, although he was doing so in the disguise of a doctor. The first thing he saw was the bed decorated with blue shells and purple glass, then the three ladies—Ye Ling'er, his younger sister, and the head maidservant who was busy fixing the blankets.

Fan Xian cleared his throat and walked forward. He sat down on the round stool provided by the maidservant and stroked his beard like a legitimate doctor. As it turned out, the newly glued-on beard wasn't very secure, so he almost pulled it off. Giving up on the stroking, he said, "My Lady, please show me your hand."

Lady Lin lay in bed; her silhouette showed faintly behind the veil. As the doctor instructed, she slowly reached out her left arm and rested her wrist on a soft arm pillow. This pillow seemed to be a common item here; the royal doctors must visit her often.

Fan Xian's heart skipped a beat when he saw her pale arm. He thought about how if that wrist's owner became his wife, he'd be able to caress it every day thereafter. It was a very pleasing thought… Putting his mind back on track, he put a finger on Lady Lin's wrist. For some reason, both trembled at that first touch.

Ye Ling'er didn't want to interrupt the doctor from taking her pulse, so she looked at Fei Jie's student in wonder. When she saw that he was using only one finger, just like the legendary Fei Jie did, she became much more trusting. There was no way she would know that Fan Xian had studied the healing arts, but only for a year. He could not match a legitimate royal doctor. His only strong point was his usage of medicine and the knowledge he had from his past life. He decided to take her pulse in order to intimidate the others and to set his image as a miracle doctor.

The feeling of smooth skin under his finger was a more or less strange sensation for him, and for a moment he didn't want to let go. He said gloomily, "The Lady's pulse is a bit weak, but there is plenty of dryness, like fire intermixing into fine filaments. This is a bit complicated."

"What's wrong?"

"May I see the Lady's face, to make a better diagnosis?"

"Absolutely not!" The head maidservant refused the suggestion without a second thought. While Qing customs were relatively open-minded, the one lying in bed was still the adopted daughter of the emperor. Because of her special identity, not even the royal doctors could view her face, let alone this random doctor who had come from out of nowhere.

Fan Xian was a bit disappointed. He asked, "I hear the royal doctors diagnosed it as fatigue of the lungs?"

"Yes." It was still the head maidservant who answered him. Lady Lin appeared to be lacking in strength, as she didn't say a word.

Fan Xian thought about it for a moment and felt fairly confident. This "fatigue of the lungs" was none other than the tuberculosis found in his previous life. Although he didn't bring with him an emergency medicine kit, there were still many ways to treat it, so he continued questioning: "Does the Lady often feel tired? Frequent coughs?"

"Yes."

"Is she gradually losing weight?"

"Yes."

"Frequent hot flashes?"

"Yes."

Fan Xian was getting irritated; this head maidservant kept cutting him off. Rolling his eyes, he asked, "Does she sweat a lot?"

"Yes." The head maidservant still tried to interrupt him.

This time Fan Xian pretended not to hear. He touched Lady Lin's soft palm and discovered it was slightly moist. Lady Lin wasn't expecting a doctor from outside the palace to be so bold and withdrew her hand in haste—but Fan Xian was quick and the other three ladies didn't catch him.

Fan Xian frowned. "No coughing up blood?"

"She's starting to. She got better at the beginning of spring, but a few days ago it started again." Noting the young doctor's accuracy, the head maidservant stopped taking him lightly and answered with a hint of desperation and hope.

"I see," Fan Xian said after some silence, "Her Ladyship really does suffer from fatigue of the lung."

Hearing him say something they already knew after all that, the head maidservant bit at her bottom lip and resisted the urge to kick him out. Ye Ling'er stared at him menacingly. Feeling somewhat embarrassed, Fan Xian lowered his head.

He didn't dwell on it for long, however, and walked over to the desk. Picking up a brush, he started to write a prescription. The head maidservant read it over and discovered it was still the tonic made from lilies, except with two extra doses of beautyberry, gardenia ash, and one extra dose of skullcap. She frowned and asked, "The skullcap is bitter-cold. It suppresses fire and strengthens yin energy, but it also hurts the harmonious qi. Can it really be used here?"

Having been around an ill person for so long, this maidservant had picked up a lot from the different doctors over the years. She couldn't be more familiar with the prescriptions. Fan Xian looked at her, somewhat impressed. He then explained, "If the patient has a sturdy constitution, there shouldn't be any problems. We first hit the ailment with something strong, and then we can proceed slowly from there."

The head maidservant looked at Fan Xian crossly and said with some anger, "The Lady has fatigue of the lungs and her body is weak; how can she withstand that?"

Fan Xian chuckled; he did not get angry. He said, "Since she has already begun to cough up blood, it's a sign that the disease is moving on to advanced stages. Therefore, we must first strengthen her body before giving her medicine."

"Give her medicine or strengthen her body; which one is it exactly?" Ye Ling'er was already getting confused.

Fan Xian cleared his throat, "From now on, have her Ladyship drink a bowl of goat's milk every day. Make sure it's fresh." He had heard of this remedy in his past live. It happened to actually be effective. He then asked, "How is the Lady's diet?"

The head maidservant was still thinking about goat's milk. Hearing Fan Xian's question, she answered proudly, "Light congee and small-portioned vegetables daily. She doesn't consume any meat."

Now Fan Xian really got angry. She was already so sick. How could they do this? Preventing a frail girl from eating well absolutely would not pass! Only after noticing his younger sister and Ye Ling'er eyeing him strangely did he realize his anger was unreasonable. Given Lady Lin's status, no one would suspect her diet as the problem. Laughing at himself, he asked, "Why is that?"

The three ladies stared at him like he was an idiot. Those with fatigue of the lungs should avoid all forms of meat; everyone should know that.

Regardless, it wasn't part of Fan Xian's education, so he insisted. "The Lady must eat well. Don't leave out the oils and meats anymore. The goat's milk is a must. Overall, her food must be diverse. If she can't handle too much at the moment, give her a steamed mixture of barley and mountain yam. Then break apart some dried persimmons and mix that in as well. After a month, we can move on to my prescription."

As he said that, everyone else in the room frowned; they didn't dare to listen to him.

At that moment, the old nanny who had stopped the three of them earlier came in. For some reason, she looked as if she had just done something physically demanding. Supporting her waist, she said in a weak voice, "Why have you come in?" The head maidservant welcomed her with a smile and explained, "This is the doctor brought in by Miss Ye. The Lady agreed to let him take a look." The old nanny was a bit unhappy, "The royal doctors come once every two days. What's so special about this doctor?"

The head maidservant laughed, "Special, as you say. He ordered us to have the Lady dine on delicacies every day."

Hearing this, the old nanny shook her head and said they must not do that. What were they going to do if the Lady's condition worsened? After a few more things to say, she excused herself from the room. An idea flashed in Fan Xian's mind. He told the maidservant, "That prescription must be used along with the diet I suggested, or else it won't work."

The maidservant still wouldn't listen to him, which made Fan Xian quite angry. He thought, "If I really end up bedding your Lady in the future, I'll have you prepare the bed!" He said casually, "I have with me some premade pills. Have her take them for now; if she shows improvement, then will you believe me?"

"Your pills might be effective, but she must not eat any meat." This maidservant refused to give in.

At this point, Fan Xian was clenching his jaws in anger; he didn't know what to do.

When he coughed up blood, so did she; when he clenched his jaws in anger, she did the same. That frail, bedridden girl, hearing the doctor's voice behind the veil, had already begun panicking. His voice sounded so familiar. It was, without a doubt, the voice of that young man she had met in the temple. Although she didn't know why he had come to her home or how he became master Fei's student, but still…

Lady Lin's hands gripped the corners of her blanket tightly and her cute teeth gently bit at her bottom lip. She was very excited. A shade of unhealthy but pretty red dyed her cheeks. What should she do? Even though that person was just behind the veil, she had no idea how to get a look at him.

The conversation behind the veil seemed to have concluded, and the owner of the voice was getting ready to leave. The girl finally couldn't take it anymore. She propped herself up and, with all her strength, uttered in a voice which was as loud as a mosquito's buzz:

"Wait!"

Hearing the voice, the people outside had different reactions. The maidservant walked over first, quietly asking what was wrong; Ye Ling'er showed her concern; and Ruoruo was thinking that her brother had disguised himself to see Lady Lin, but wasn't able to see her, so she wanted to see his expression. She didn't expect it would be a stupefied one.

Fan Xian stopped in his tracks upon hearing the voice. He stared dumbfounded at the bed, as if wanting to stare right through the veil. At the temple, he had heard the voice of that girl in white, especially that sentence, only that one sentence: "Who… are you?"

Those three words at the temple imprinted themselves deeply in Fan Xian's mind. He would never forget them.

Fan Xian immediately knew who was behind the veil, and a sudden urge of happiness flooded his brain, making him temporarily numb. After this initial shock, he remembered that one song by Huan Lixing: "The sound waves are too strong, if you don't sway, you'll hit the ground…" He started to sway a bit. However, he immediately came back to his senses and forcefully checked his impulse to rip open that veil.

"My Lady, what's the matter?" The maidservant asked quietly. Ye Ling'er also came over, "Chenchen, lay back down. Why did you get up?"

"This… This doctor, what he said… I think there's some sense to it." The girl behind the veil seemed to be trying to find excuses, "… If he could see my face, perhaps… Perhaps the doctor could be more certain."

Despite hearing the Lady's own words, the maidservant still remembered the rules, so she looked at Ye Ling'er for help. Ye Ling'er had begun to suspect Fan Xian's abilities by now, and offered a few words. But she couldn't refuse in the end. Lady Lin insisted. She knew her days were numbered, and therefore wouldn't give up on the slightest ray of hope—Ye Ling'er sighed and parted the veil.

At that very moment, the despicable old nanny came up for the third time. Seeing what was about to happen, she went to drag Fan Xian away. Enraged, Fan Xian thought, "How troublesome can you be?" He threw her a gaze like an angry god of thunder. The old nanny suddenly put her hands to her stomach and ran out.

Fan Ruoruo knew her brother couldn't harm people with his gaze; the laxative seemed to still be working. Ruoruo covered her laughter with her hand while a smile showed on Fan Xian's lips. Ruoruo looked at the slowly parting veil, waiting for the moment.

After the veil had been lifted, in the blankets was a beautiful girl with pale skin and clear eyes. Despite being seen by several people, she acted like she was alone and directed her gaze at one spot.

Fan Xian's gaze was filled with joy, but Lady Lin's was… filled with disappointment! Fan Xian immediately realized he was still in disguise. His fiancée had only seen him once before, of course she wouldn't recognize him.

The maidservant supported Lady Lin to a seating position. Seeing this strange young doctor, Lady Lin found it difficult to hide her dismay. But she frowned as if remembering something, as if discovering something from this young doctor's joyous gaze.

Ye Ling'er suddenly became annoyed by the gaze from Fei Jie's student. "What are you doing just standing there?"

Fan Xian walked forward with a smile. He carefully looked over that beautiful face which he had retained in his memory for several days. Seeing her unhealthy color, he was filled with extreme pity. He said in a soft voice, "You must eat according to what I just said, understand?"

Hearing that voice again, and pairing it with a completely different face, Lady Lin became a bit dizzy. Putting her arm on the bed for support, she said weakly, "Sorry to trouble you."

As they left Lady Lin's room, Lady Lin respectfully thanked the young doctor and Lady Fan. She knew this Lady Fan would likely become her "sister-in-law" in the future, so there was some unavoidable awkwardness. She then looked at the young doctor and her heart became agitated. It was his voice, but why wasn't it him?

Seeing the young doctor about to exit, Lady Lin started to panic. But there was nothing she could do. Given her status as one of the ruling class, insisting on seeing the doctor was already a bold move. She couldn't possibly afford to chase after him and ask "Didn't you go to the temple a few days ago? Didn't you see a girl dressed in white? Do you still remember the chicken drumstick?"

——Oh well. It's not him, it just sounded like him. Seems I've been sleeping too much these past few days and hanging onto his voice too much. I almost lost control of my senses.

At this crucial moment, Fan Xian stopped abruptly at the door. He turned around with a weird smile and said, "You must drink goat's milk and eat meat. If you're really hungry, eat some chicken legs."

Lady Lin's eyes lit up. "But my stomach hasn't been feeling great recently. I often feel nauseous."

"That's nothing. You'll get used to it." Upon discovering his future wife was smart, Fan Xian was overjoyed. "You could get some fresh air during the day, but at night you must remember to… close your windows."

Both Ye Ling'er and the maidservant thought something must be wrong with the doctor's head for saying such things.

On the carriage ride back to Fan Manor, there were no outsiders, only a grinning Fan Xian and a laughing Fan Ruoruo beside him. Seeing her brother holding back the urge to burst out laughing, she said, "Go ahead and laugh. Why hold it in?" As soon as she said that, the sound of laughter came flooding out of the carriage. It was so loud it startled the people passing by, as well as Teng Zijing who was leading in front.

"Such a coincidence." Seeing her brother happy, Fan Ruoruo couldn't help but be happy for him. "Who would have thought Lady Lin really was the girl you met at the temple."

"Coincidence indeed." Fan Xian scratched his itching eyebrows. "Stop calling her 'Lady Lin'. From now on, she's your sister-in-law; call her 'sister'."

Fan Ruoruo mocked him, "Your marriage is still ten months away. Isn't it too early to call her that? Besides, you know the prime minister and the eldest princess don't like you very much. And didn't you consider avoiding this marriage?"

Fan Xian smiled in embarrassment, "That was back then. Now I have to marry that girl. Forget about the prime minister and eldest princess. I wouldn't care even if that Commander of Defense returns to the capital."

Suddenly, Fan Ruoruo became curious, "I too saw Lady… sister Lin for the first time today." She couldn't hold back her laughter. "She does look pretty, but she's not as beautiful as you described last time."

Fan Xian was surprised and asked in a serious tone, "You don't think she's divinely beautiful?"

Fan Ruoruo answered frankly, "Nope."

Fan Xian thought about it for a bit, still shocked. After a while he said, "Could this be what they call… Xi Shi is only beautiful to those who love her?"

"I can more or less understand what that means, but who is this Xi Shi?" Fan Ruoruo was always eager to learn.

Presently, Fan Xian's mind was filled with Lady Lin; he had already forgotten his usual conduct as his sister's mentor. He replied stupidly, "Xi Shi is a girl who sells tofu in Danzhou. She's very beautiful. She's very fair-skinned."

"Liar." Fan Ruoruo was a bit unhappy. She found that ever since her brother discovered his future wife was the one he set his eyes on, he wasn't quite himself.

Fan Xian reassured her, "I didn't lie to you. When you were still little I snuck out with you to go to the market. Back then she sold tofu there. You were too young to remember."

Fan Ruoruo half-believed him.

Thinking back on the day's events, Fan Xian felt incredibly grateful. "This isn't just traveling between worlds; this is a romance novel."

Lady Lin's first name was Wan'er, and her nickname was Yi Chen. She grew up in the palace and didn't have many friends. Her background was a bit absurd. Although she knew her father was the current prime minister, she didn't have many chances to see him. On the contrary, she was closer to her uncle, especially since four years ago, when her uncle arranged this marriage and her mother was revoked of the authority to control her. In doing so, she had some relaxing days. However, such days did prove lonely, and Ye Ling'er often played with her older friends over at Dingzhou. Even though they were all in the capital, it wasn't convenient for them to enter the palace. Lady Lin never had a person with whom she could converse personally.

Earlier this year, her uncle exposed his relation with her father for no apparent reason. At the time, she thought her uncle wanted to give her father a tough time and force him to resign. But she couldn't have been more wrong. On the contrary, the marriage from four years ago resurfaced.

His name was Fan Xian. He was Minister Fan's illegitimate son from Danzhou? A smile crept across Lin Wan'er's mouth. He too had lived an uneasy life, separated from his parents at a young age. But why must she marry him? Was her background that disgraceful she could only be randomly arranged to Fan… Xian?

She didn't know what Fan Xian looked like.

Lin Wan'er couldn't help but think about that doctor during the day. Hiding her laughter with her hand, she thought he sure was fun. Using such a method to sneak onto royal property, where security was tighter than tight. She couldn't figure out how he managed that—pretending to be master Fei's student? His boldness knew no bounds—but she then thought about how he came with Lady Fan. "Does he have some connection with the Fan family? Then he must know about my marriage with that Young Master Fan… My goodness! If he knew, why did he come to see me? Why did he say all that?"

She blushed, as beautiful as the clouds during sunset. The maidservant who was fixing the bed was transfixed by her. Snickering, she asked, "My Lady, did you think of something happy again? You keep smiling for no reason these days."

Lin Wan'er felt a bit pressured, so she retorted, "What, can I not smile now?" The maidservant stuck out her tongue and slowly walked over to the window to close it. It was late, already past bedtime. Lin Wan'er thought about the last thing the youth said before he left. She said quietly, "Go get some incense." The maidservant wondered for a moment, since there was still some incense left, but ultimately did not question it and went downstairs.

Lin Wan'er made her way towards the window, resting her slender fingers on the small wooden lattice work, thinking, "Should I close it or not?" Remembering her illness and also the fact that she had already been given to the stranger named Fan Xian made her heart ache. She gathered some strength into her fingers and tightly shut the windows.

Chapter 83: Through the Window

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

The night watchman's drum could be heard on this spring night. It was the time when roosters crowed—the perfect time for the likes of thieves to sneak about.

A shadow lightly fell from the back wall of Fan Manor like a leaf. It hit the ground without making any noise and dusted itself off before disappearing into the darkness. That shadow was none other than Fan Xian. As he prodded along in the dark, he inwardly lamented that there wasn't any true qinggong in this world which would let him jump ten meters in one leap; every time he climbed a wall he got himself covered in dust.

As prosperous as the capital was, not many places were illuminated at night. Areas that were lit included places such as Wanong Alley, where there was a night market as well as various street performers, and the areas around the river pond which were lit so customers could board boats. Most other streets were dark, only sparingly dotted by dim lights from private residences, some of which shone through cracks in door and onto the stone-paved streets, forming bright lines.

Fan Xian navigated between those lines, running in the night. The cool night wind brushed against his slightly burning cheeks, giving him a very refreshing feeling. After only a short while, he had already arrived at the royal complex, at the same alleyway he'd visited during the day. Seeing the building in the courtyard a distance away, he frowned—there must be palace guards roaming about. In Wu Zhu's words, his neigong was level seven, and his control of it was level three. If he wished to get inside without alarming those very skilled guards, he had to be extra cautious.

He had to see Lady Lin no matter what, even though he still did not know her full name. He had to tell her who he was, who she was going to marry, and most importantly, what disease she had.

Everything was quiet in the night. The night watchmen's drums had just sounded and would not sound again anytime soon. Only some frog calls carried over from the distance. Fan Xian stood quietly behind the alley walls, adjusting his zhenqi, letting it slowly course through his entire body. Using xueshan behind his waist at the control center, Fan Xian could perfectly control his every muscle and his awareness.

He didn't know if Wu Zhu was around, but he did know he couldn't rely on Wu Zhu his entire life. Regardless of how strong Wu Zhu was, the blind man couldn't protect him at all times, or else his mother wouldn't have suffered the fate she had all those years ago. Vigorously wiping away any sweat from his palms, Fan Xian aimed at an inconspicuous spot on the wall. Zhenqi slowly seeped out from the center of his palms and miraculously flowed back along the outer edges, forming a dip. Just as he had climbed the cliffs back in Danzhou, his hands easily adhered to the wall. Fan Xian began to slowly climb.

That wall was over six meters high; an ordinary person, no matter how skilled, could not have jumped over it. Furthermore, the wall was smooth, lacking any footholds in order to discourage climbing. For those reasons, this spot was the least heavily guarded. No one would expect that a Spider-Man would come visit tonight.

Having scaled to the top, Fan Xian anchored one hand on the wall while wiping away his sweat with the other. Why did he have to take so much risk just to see his future wife? But now was not the moment to back down. He raised his head and watched as the crescent became obscured by the clouds. This opportunity excited him.

With the sudden darkening of the moonlight, Fan Xian dropped down to the courtyard and squeezed into the dense bushes like a leopard cat. With the vegetation hiding his presence, he darted straightforward. And yet, he did all of that without making a single sound, all thanks to Wu Zhu's harsh training back in Danzhou.

He was even more fortunate that there weren't that many guards in the courtyard. It was close to midnight now, and the security was even laxer. From the sound of it, there were still people awake at the front gate, but there were basically no patrols in the courtyard. Fan Xian let out a sigh of relief. Carefully making his way to that building, he discovered all the lights were out. He wondered if she had already gone to sleep.

The door was locked. Furthermore, there was the chance the laxative from earlier was still working, which meant that old nanny could get up at any moment. Grinning at the possibility, he gave up on the initial path and walked around. Putting his strength into his hands, he held on firmly to the wooden corridor and climbed up. Once on top of the corridor, the second level projected horizontally about half a meter outward. Fan Xian lightly breathed out and started feeling the framework with his hands. Finding a small crack, he hooked onto it with his index and middle fingers. His body then hung in the air. Using the strength in his abdomen, he swayed and lurched upwards like a bat, sticking closely against the window.

Fan Xian believed the Lady inside must have understood his words earlier that day, so he pulled on the window with a confident smile… It didn't budge. He used more strength and pulled it again… The window still didn't budge!

Lin Wan'er had gone to bed early, but she couldn't fall asleep. She gripped the corners of her blanket, eyes wide open in the darkness, staring at the canopy of her bed, thinking of something.

She immediately heard the sound from outside. Suddenly nervous, she didn't know what to do; she wasn't expecting that youth to be so bold, sneaking into the royal complex in the middle of the night. She thought about calling someone over but stopped herself. If guards really came, that handsome youth would surely get the death penalty. Unable to bear the thought, Lady Lin could only bite at her bottom lip in frustration.

She offered herself some consolation by thinking it was good that she had shut the windows. She thought that if the young man couldn't get in, he would eventually realize the futility of the situation and leave on his own. In that case, she wouldn't have to deal with an undesirable situation, and he wouldn't have to atone for a capital crime.

Unfortunately, things did not go as she had hoped. The window was pushed open with a creak. A young man dressed in all black vaulted in wielding a thin dagger, also painted all black. Seeing this scene through the veil, Lin Wan'er nearly screamed out, but upon seeing his face— that face she once saw in the temple under the incense table— she forcibly stopped herself.

Fan Xian acted quickly, without the shyness one would expect from a boy experiencing his first love. He closed the window and walked to the bed. Lifting the veil, a faint fragrance began to drift throughout the room.

Lin Wan'er had been feeling drowsy earlier, but smelling that fragrance made her immediately alert. Now she realized this youth had deployed some sleeping incense earlier. Startled, she wondered if he was one of "those" she often heard about… Could he be a rapist?

As her heart began to fill with deep regret, she opened her mouth, ready to scream!

Fan Xian wasn't prepared for this, he was about to happily awaken the sleeping lady. Seeing her awake with a terrified expression and her mouth ready to scream out, he immediately came back to his senses. As if floating, he put one knee on the bed and put a hand to Lin Wan'er's mouth.

Her soft lips touched his palm. It tickled.

"Don't scream." This was Fan Xian's first time sneaking into a girl's room at night in the name of love. His lack of experience was not surprising. He said in an uneasy way, "It's me, me. It's me."

She seemed to be able to tell that he didn't have any malicious intent. Lin Wan'er gradually relaxed. Fan Xian removed his hand and said lightly, "No need to scream."

Lin Wan'er suddenly remembered the incense and asked in a panic, "What did you do to my maidservant?" The maidservant was sleeping close by. Despite the current scene, she did not wake up. Fan Xian explained quietly, "It's nothing. That incense soothes the mind. It does no harm to the body. She's merely sleeping."

Lin Wan'er was slightly relieved. Seeing this smiling face before her, she was happy, but also very afraid. Who exactly was he? Seeing the fear in her eyes, Fan Xian said, "Don't be afraid, I'm the doctor from earlier today. Didn't I say I'd stop by tonight?"

Lin Wan'er suddenly gave him a sly smile, "Didn't you tell me to shut the window tight?" Seeing this beauty's smile, Fan Xian's heart quivered; seeing her lips, Fan Xian started to have some ideas. At that moment, he felt something cold on his neck.

A short sword. It gave off a cold gleam. Its hilt was in Lin Wan'er's hand, while its blade was on Fan Xian's neck!

Lin Wan'er stared at her intruder. Suddenly, with a change of heart, she said, "I don't care who you are, if you leave immediately, I shall not pursue this matter."

With a blade on his neck, Fan Xian was still smiling. He said softly, "I'm going to leave in a little bit. I just came tonight to see you." After he said that, he reached into his shirt and pulled out an oilpaper package, completely oblivious to the sharp sword. Ironically, Lin Wan'er didn't want to cut him accidently, so she moved the blade away a little bit.

Ripping open the package, Fan Xian took out a delicious-smelling chicken leg, raising it to her lips. He said with a grin, "You were eating one at the temple the other day. I know it's your favorite, so I specially came to bring you this."

Lin Wan'er didn't know whether to laugh or cry. How was he still messing around at a time like this? If the guards discovered a strange man in her room, both of them would be doomed. With a shaky voice, she beseeched him, "I'm begging you, please leave."

Fan Xian had planned on teasing her for a bit longer, but upon seeing how worried she was, he gave in and tried to offer her some consolation. "Don't be afraid, I'm not going to hurt you." That sounded somewhat wrong. Why did that sound like something a rapist in a wuxia novel from his past life would say?

Unsurprisingly, Lin Wan'er's expression changed. The sword's edge was once again on his neck. In a trembling voice, she told him, "I don't care who you are, if you continue to belittle me, I will make this cut."

Only now did Fan Xian realize sneaking into a girl's bedroom at night really was something which could destroy the girl's reputation. But seeing her adamant expression, he couldn't help but wonder, "Are you really prepared to murder your own husband?"

Chapter 84: Time-Crossed Lovers

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

"I've thought about you a lot these past few days." Fan Xian threw caution to the wind and spoke his heart. "Ever since I saw you in the Temple of Qing, I've wanted to see you again so badly."

"What are you talking about!?" said Lin Wan'er, worried and shy. She gritted her teeth. "I am already betrothed to another. And what's more, you can't go sneaking into a girl's bedchamber in the middle of the night, it isn't proper."

"You are betrothed to the Fan family. I know." Fan Xian laughed as he gazed at her.

Lin Wan'er thought back to the first time she saw this youth, and the complicated feelings she had felt as they silently laid eyes on each other. She felt a twinge of heartache. "Since you know, why don't you leave? Do you have a death wish?"

Fan Xian could not tease her any longer. He looked at her with a sincere gaze. "I'm... I'm Fan Xian."

There was a deathly silence for what felt like forever. Fan Xian felt rather awkward, but then he saw a tear fall from the corner of Lin Wan'er's eye. She hurriedly wiped it away. "Please, get a hold of yourself."

Fan Xian laughed bitterly. "I'm telling you the truth. What will make you believe me?"

Lin Wan'er looked on his face, silent for a long while. Finally, she spoke in a low voice. "You are... master Fan?"

Fan Xian nodded, smiling, but her facial expression remained skeptical. At that moment, the moonlight shone through the clouds, illuminating his bright and beautiful face. It sprinkled its faint luster upon the earth, shining through the window and enveloping the pair in its light.

"I am," said Fan Xian quietly.

Lin Wan'er could not believe what she was hearing. Her passion stirred, she could not help but cough, dropping the blade in her hand. "You're the Brute of Fan Manor?"

Fan Xian couldn't stop himself from laughing. He looked at her delicate features and lovingly extended a hand to hold her wrist. He gave her some of his zhenqi, carefully stabilizing her pulse. When he heard the word 'brute', he laughed bitterly. "But I've only been in two fights."

Lin Wan'er slowly began to trust him, and happiness rose in her cheeks. "Are you ten-thousand-miles-in-sorrowful-autumn-always-the-guest?"

Fan Xian continued to laugh. "I wrote that in a hurry... It doesn't count."

Lin Wan'er's eyes slowly began to brighten. "Is it... is it really you?"

Fan Xian was about to lose it. "I came here today with my sister," he said, trying not to cry. "If I weren't Fan Xian, why would my sister have helped a stranger see her future sister-in-law?"

Lin Wan'er agreed, and stifled a smile. But she soon thought of another question. "That time you went to the Temple of Qing," she asked angrily, "were you there just to see me?" When she realized that she had been kept completely in the dark by this young man, she felt furious. When she thought of the pain and worry this awful young man had caused her over the past few days, and all that improper business, she wished that she could... give him a good thrashing.

When Fan Xian saw her expression, he realized what she was thinking and hurriedly explained. "I was there to make a vow to Heaven. Meeting you at the Temple of Qing was a coincidence, honestly. Other than that, this morning was the only time that I've seen you. It's only now that I know who you are, my lady." He beamed as he gazed at Lin Wan'er's beautiful face. "It was fate," he said quietly.

Lin Wan'er lowered her head, bashful, and freed her wrist from Fan Xian's grasp. "Why did you come to see me today with your sister?" she asked in a low voice.

Fan Xian was taken aback. How could he tell her he was getting ready to cure her and then flee his arranged marriage? He dared not say it even at pain of death. "I heard that you were in ill health," he replied gently. "And there was no other way I could see you, so I had to do it in secret... I had no idea that you were that chicken leg girl I met at the temple."

Lin Wan'er groaned. How could he call her something so awful? Fan Xian laughed and pointed at the chicken leg next to them. "Did you want to eat it?"

Lin Wan'er couldn't hold her laughter any longer. "You take it," she replied, "I'm not that hungry."

Suddenly, Fan Xian heard the sound of someone getting out of bed downstairs. It seemed like they were coming up the stairs. He frowned. "Someone's coming."

Lin Wan'er began to panic. Even if he was her future husband, if someone saw him, she would be humiliated. She pushed him away. "You must go, quickly." After having gone through all this trouble in the middle of the night, he was in no mood to leave. Fan Xian smiled slyly and leapt under the covers. The bed was very large, as was the quilt, and the room was pitch black. If anyone came in to look, they would see nothing untoward at all.

As she saw Fan Xian slide under her blanket, Lin Wan'er was taken aback, but there was nothing else that she could do. She heard someone feel their way up. It was that old nanny who'd had an upset stomach earlier in the day. Bashful and nervous, Lin Wan'er slipped deeper under the blanket, facing her body between Fan Xian and the door, pretending to be fast asleep.

The nanny looked and saw nothing unusual. She grumbled to herself quietly, wondering if she'd been dreaming. Her tiredness returned and she went back downstairs.

Lin Wan'er elbowed Fan Xian. "She's gone," she chided him in a quiet, shy voice. "Now you have to go."

With great difficulty, he kissed her. For the first time, he felt thankful to the old nanny for leaving immediately. "You're tired. You should lie down," he said shamelessly.

Lin Wan'er realized that deep down, her future husband was a rascal. "This is... this is unacceptable!" she said angrily.

Fan Xian laughed darkly. Getting closer to her and smelling her faint scent, his heart was filled with joy. "Why?"

"If... if this ever gets out, how can I face people?" Ashamed, she buried her head in the covers. As she felt the heat of his body behind her, she moved away from it.

Fan Xian sighed. He feared she'd move so far that she'd fall off the edge of the bed. That would be something of a shock. He got up, filled with unsatisfied desires, and sat on the edge of the bed, holding her trembling hand. Lin Wan'er pulled away from his grasp, but couldn't break free. At least he wasn't lying down on the bed; that was a good start.

Fan Xian looked at her as her eyes began to droop. "I'm finding out that I've been lucky all my life," he said quietly.

"Huh?" Lin Wan'er kept her eyes open with curiosity, gazing at him with pupils like two clear pools.

"I fell in love with a girl. But before I even fell in love with her, it turned out that she was my future wife. How is that anything other than lucky?" His fresh and handsome face was filled with joy as he explained.

Lin Wan'er was curious. "If... if..."

"If what?"

"Never mind."

Lin Wan'er bit her lower lip and pushed the doubts from her mind.

"There's something else I need to tell you." Fan Xian saw the faint trace of sweat along her forehead, below her fine black hair. His heart ached. "I was serious when I told you about your health today. You need to recuperate. Clear rice porridge and a few vegetables might be easy on the stomach, but it won't help your illness."

She knew, deep down, that the wonderful surprise she had met with today would not last. When she heard him talk, she was immediately reminded of her own illness. At once, she was gloomy again. Filled with rage, her face dimmed, and she spoke with grief. "The imperial physicians have studied it, and they say it is not easy to treat. Although my tuberculosis is not that severe... if we are together some day, I fear I will wear you out."

Fan Xian suddenly fixed her with a serious expression. "Goat milk, chicken legs. If you give me a moment, I'll leave you some of the pills I prescribed you. Take them like I said, and your health will recover."

Lin Wan'er sighed. "The imperial doctors can't treat it. It'll just get worse every year."

Fan Xian laughed. "Of course, my medical expertise isn't as good as the imperial physicians. Even if my teacher was in the city, we'd probably still have to treat you in secret. Your health is what's important. I'm worried that the nobles of the palace won't dare try. Anyway, eat like I've told you. But there's something that the imperial physicians haven't thought of. We need to you build up your strength too. When my teacher returns—he's inspecting the border at the moment, I'm sure he's gathering lots of rare medical herbs—then we'll have a chance to treat your sickness. Diagnosis is only one part of treatment. Medicine is another part. Even though there are a lot of rare medical herbs in the palace, in all honesty, I don't think they're as good as the things in my teacher's collection."

Lin Wan'er listened to his earnest words. She was moved. "You have gone to all this trouble for me, master Fan."

Fan Xian was taken aback. How could she still talk so formally? He did not understand how women thought. Once she had confirmed that the young man in front of her was her future husband, Lin Wan'er's speech had become more reserved. This was the way of women. He was a little confused. He smiled. "You're still calling me master Fan?"

Lin Wan'er was curious. "What should I call you?" Suddenly she realized what he meant, and blushed bashfully. She turned away from him and spoke in a tiny, timid voice. "When we are married, then I shall call you something else."

"What I meant was, you can call me Brother Fan." Fan Xian stifled a laugh.

When Lin Wan'er realized what he meant, she was bashful and annoyed. She wanted to reach out a hand and slap him, but when she remembered that she had only ever met him twice, and he was still a stranger, she stayed her hand, grumbling. Fan Xian gazed at her slender shoulder blades. "When we are married, we will go to the Cang Mountains. It's high above sea level, and there are hot springs. It will be good for your health."

When she heard the word "married", she felt slightly bashful. She nodded her head, though she didn't understand what "sea level" meant. Something else came to her. "Is Master Fei really your teacher?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah." Fan Xian smiled. "I always thought that since Master Fei worked for the Overwatch Council, he was a very secretive man. It turns out that everyone in the capital has heard of him."

Lin Wan'er smiled. "He was highly praised for his service in the wars in the north and the west. Of course he's well-known. But everyone is scared of his poisons, so they hide from him." She looked at Fan Xian's handsome face. "How did Master Fei end up becoming your teacher?" she asked curiously.

Fan Xian shrugged. "Miss Lin, it's a very long and troublesome story, and to this day I'm still not sure I understand it completely. If you marry me, I'm worried that you might get caught up in that trouble too. You will have to think it over."

Lin Wan'er smiled and shook her head. She too knew that behind this marriage was a secret exchange and division of benefits. When she had learned of it, the pressure of the conflict had made her illness worse. But since she had learned that Heaven was keeping an eye out for her after all, and the young son of the Fan family stood before her... she was filled with gratitude to Heaven; what more could she ask for? She recalled the recent scuffle in the capital. "Master Fan, sometimes I truly do not understand. You are the son of Count Sinan, a student of Master Fei of the Overwatch Council, and an accomplished poet... that line, 'Ten thousand miles in sorrowful autumn, always someone's guest', did you really write that?"

Fan Xian did not see any doubt in her face; she simply asked a question. He responded with curiosity. "What's wrong?"

A trace of anger flashed across Lin Wan'er's face. "The Empress Dowager loved that line, but there has been talk in the palace recently. They say that the last four lines were copied from a poet of a previous age." Since she now trusted the young man who stood before him, she felt rather angry.

Fan Xian now realized that the matter of the poetry contest would not be resolved so easily, and that the Guo family's lawsuit had not ceased. He had not expected this criticism, but he had plagiarized Du Fu after all, so he was not angry. Instead, he looked at his fiancée's tired face and felt a twinge of heartache. He patted her hand gently and told her not to talk any more.

"I'll come and see you as often as I can."

"But... if someone discovers you, then what?"

"You're right. I'm still worried that after I get caught, that old pervert will kill whoever found me... It's a problem, and one of these days I'll have to sort it out it with him." Fan Xian's hair stood on end when he thought of the terrible things that could happen.

Lin Wan'er looked at his face, not wanting to close her eyes, but eventually she couldn't escape her tiredness.

The next morning, Lin Wan'er arose, slightly dazed, from her warm blankets. She opened her eyes, rubbed at them, and found that she felt very much at ease. A sweetly-smiling servant girl bowed to her and got ready to help her get out of bed, wash, and dress. At that moment, she remembered what had happened the night before and gave a cry of surprise. "Oh! Is he here?"

"Is who here?" asked the servant girl curiously.

"Did you hear a noise last night?" asked Lin Wan'er, nervous.

"I heard nothing, madam," answered the servant girl earnestly.

Lin Wan'er walked to the window. Her long black hair rested on her shoulders and a thin white gown was draped around her. She looked stunningly beautiful. She looked out of the window, but did not see a trace of that young man. She couldn't help but wonder if it had all been a dream— one that she wished dearly could become reality.

As her imagination ran wild, the servant girl approached her, holding the torn greasy paper wrapping. She smiled slyly. "Madam, you have been eating secretly. When nanny sees this, she will call for the Emperor... Close the window, you don't want to catch a cold."

Lin Wan'er took the oilpaper and realized that she had a number of pills stashed in her belt. Her heart was filled with warmth. She looked out the window at the garden scenery, which seemed just a little greener. She closed the window. It seemed that she could not stop her thoughts of love from opening the window and escaping.

Chapter 85: Clan School

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

"We common folk are happy today! Really damn happy!" Fan Xian sat in the reception pavilion, drinking soy milk and chewing on a fried dough stick. He felt completely at ease.

He had to admit that he had very good luck. Clearly he had died, but he came to this world to live again; clearly he was born in pitiful circumstances, his mother dead and his father nowhere to be found—but he later found out that the foes who had killed his mother had been disposed of. He personally had little appetite for revenge. Although he had some issues with his father, it was nothing that he could not bear. Furthermore, he had clearly been preparing to copy books and earn a little cash to make his life easier—but he didn't expect to have a great pile of glittering treasure waiting for him.

Most importantly, it was clear that if he wanted to make quick cash, he had to go against his own wishes, and accept the plans that had been made by higher-ups, marrying a woman he had never laid eyes on. And as it turned out— hey—that woman was a girl he liked!

Some people have good luck. Some people have great luck. But Fan Xian could not believe how lucky he was. Discovering that Fan Xian was in high spirits, Lady Liu had no response. But Fan Sizhe was interested, and after his mother left, he quietly asked Fan Xian about it. "Why are you so happy? The store looks good. When are you going to go see?"

"Shouldn't you ask the shopkeeper?" Fan Xian was in a good mood, with a beaming smile on his face, throwing caution to the wind. "I said before; you can deal with this yourself. Just come find me if anything goes wrong. If you think you're too young to hold down the fort, there are plenty of advisors around. Take a couple with you."

Fan Sizhe grumbled. "How can you say you're the boss? The books are yours, the money's half yours, you should take a look."

Hearing him call him the boss, Fan Xian smiled. "Fine. I'll come in a few days. But hasn't father been scolding you lately and telling you not to slack in your studies?"

"If you take me, it's fine. Afterwards I'll take you around the capital."

"Give it a rest. If I go out with you, you'll only offend someone else. I don't want to be going to court every single day." Fan Xian finished the last of his soy milk, savoring the last dregs. He felt somewhat dissatisfied. "If you can handle this book business well, when you're older, there'll be a lot more business waiting for you to handle."

Fan Sizhe didn't understand what he meant, and walked away scratching his head. Fan Ruoruo was sat to one side listening quietly. She laughed. "So you've chosen to accept the marriage?"

"Honor thy mother and thy father." Fan Xian sighed. There was nothing funny about it. He smiled and shook his head. "I definitely want to get married. But it's the things that happen after the marriage that are the problem. Offending so many people without good cause, and it's still not likely that I will have a great grasp of those things—I've thought about it, and it doesn't seem worth it."

Fan Ruoruo knew that her brother was speaking of the royal family's business. She felt worried for him. After all, the Eldest Princess had managed affairs for so many years; who knew how much profit the Prime Minister and the Crown Prince's faction had creamed off? If they really were going to give the business to Fan Xian to manage, he would have to audit the accounts. Who knew how many people had their eyes on the treasury and the royal business?

She frowned. "What if you didn't audit the accounts?"

"I don't have to audit the accounts, but I have to freeze the old account completely. If any of the dirt from before hits us, we're done for. And the key thing is, if I cut off their livelihood, some people will be angry."

"What if... if you just marry Miss Lin and ignore the business. After all, it was a result of negotiation between father and the Emperor. If you get father to concede, His Majesty won't be too angry."

Fan Xian shook his head. He thought of his father's mood that evening and knew how dedicated his father was to reclaim his mother's former business. Though he didn't know where this dedication had come from, it would be no easy task to get him to renounce this opportunity.

And he didn't want to renounce it either. After all, it was something his mother had left to him personally. Why would he let the royal family benefit from something that belonged to him? According to talk from the palace, after he had married Lin Wan'er, it would take a few years before he was managing things personally. But he wanted to familiarize himself with the process, so Fan Xian now handled the bookstore business. On one hand he was skilled; on the other hand he wanted to prove to people that he also had a head for business.

"Could... could anyone use some more unusual strategies?" asked Fan Ruoruo, anxious.

Fan Xian thought for a while. "Although I've never met the Eldest Princess, and I've never met any of the big players at the palace, I think since she has been managing the business for over a decade, no matter what kind of person she is, she's definitely a clever one. With this bookstore business, if I'm really killed, no matter whether or not it's her doing, a lot of people will look at her for it. The Emperor may not care whether I live or die, but he won't tolerate anyone secretly wrecking his decree. As ruler, his own prestige is top priority, and with me being caught up in this lawsuit, I can't leave the capital. If anyone moves against me while I'm in the capital..."

He shook his head. "It would be really stupid."

Fan Ruoruo looked at him with admiration. "Your analysis is right."

"Don't look at me like that." Fan Xian looked at her grudgingly. "You trust me more and more. I'm not some sort of god. I'm just a normal guy. There are undoubtedly many things that run contrary to our expectations."

Hearing this, Fan Ruoruo felt somewhat worried, but Fan Xian felt fine. After all, Wu Zhu was always hiding somewhere in the shadows, and if someone wanted to move against him, it would only be if Ye Liuyun, currently travelling, had returned to the capital.

At midday, with the escort of a big group of guards including Teng Zijing, Fan Xian rushed to the Fan clan's own private school to see Fan Sizhe. In the classroom, the children of the Fan clan were happily and noisily playing, paying no attention to the old master. Some of the bolder boys were dipping their brushes in ink and spraying it in front of them for a laugh. Not only did they make a mess of the wall, they even got it on the master's clothes.

The old master was ashen-faced, but he knew—in light of their backgrounds—it was no use getting angry with these urchins, even though their parents often warned them to pay attention to the revered master's words. But when they arrived at the private school, the youngsters' faces changed. What's more, they had their vile manservants backing them up, so they messed around endlessly at school, and often got up to no good in the streets.

Fan Xian peeked inside and took a careful look. He found that Fan Sizhe was well-behaved in comparison, sitting at a table in a corner and writing something. The manservants assigned to him by the family were crouched by his side, drinking tea. It looked like he wasn't listening to the teacher's words either, but at least he wasn't doing anything too untoward. He had overestimated his little brother. If something more fun hadn't just caught his attention, perhaps he would end up just even more impudent than the degenerate children in the classroom.

Fan Sizhe called him in. "So this is where you study?" Fan Xian asked calmly.

Fan Sizhe didn't know why he was unhappy. "Yeah, what of it?" he replied angrily.

"You should be taking charge." Fan Xian believed in his leadership ability. What was more, of all the Fan clan today, Count Sinan's manor was the most magnificent, so he should have held a special place among all the children.

Fan Sizhe scratched his head. "They listen to what I say."

"That's good," replied Fan Xian. "You go in, and I'll teach those brats a lesson, get them to listen to the teacher."

"Huh?" Fan Sizhe seemed not to have understood.

"You don't listen to your teacher?" Fan Xian frowned, thinking back to his time in Danzhou. Whether it was Mr. Xixi or Fei Jie, he was always respectful to the utmost. The noise in his ears got louder and more chaotic. Angrily, he chided him. "If you dare act like them, I'll give you a good slap."

Fan Sizhe didn't know why the always-gentle Fan Xian had suddenly become angry with him. He looked at him and howled. "Why would you slap me?"

The manservants gathered around. They were already familiar with Fan Xian, but when they heard that he was going to beat their master, they were eager to protect him. They glared fiercely at Fan Xian, and counting on his familiarity with Sizhe, one manservant began to scold Fan Xian and swear at him.

Fan Xian frowned.

Teng Zijing and the other bodyguards stepped forwards, relentlessly seizing the manservants and giving them a good thrashing. The manservant who had scolded and sworn at him got the worst of it. The men following Fan Xian were direct subordinates of Count Sinan, and so they did not care in the slightest for these manservants, who were lower in rank than they were. Now they were happy to hurt even a minister's son with no trouble. They didn't hesitate to get started.

And that was how the lesson ended. Filled with fear and pain, the manservants looked at Fan Xian and retreated, cowering. And that one manservant's cheeks were red through and through. He howled incessantly.

Fan Xian towered above Sizhe, looking at his scared face, and spoke quietly. "I never said I'd slap you, but if you do something wrong, naturally, I'll slap you. As for why? It's very simple. You can't beat me, and you can't scold me. And you won't dare tell father. If you want to challenge me further by messing up, you'll be looking for trouble."

Seeing that he seemingly did not mean to beat him, Fan Sizhe sighed in relief. Deep down, he was the son of a noble family who didn't care about people below him, and he didn't mind that deeply that Fan Xian had beaten up his servants. Although he had lost some face, sticking with him seemed to have some benefits. He thought about the natural qualities of being a businessman, and found that it was better than offending Fan Xian.

"Go in and establish some order in there. I'll wait for you outside. Didn't you say you wanted to go to the shop?" Having said this, he straightened his sleeves and walked out the door of the school. As the members of the Fan clan waited outside, seeing that earlier sight, they couldn't help but be astonished. Count Sinan's bastard son was truly a formidable sort. He had the impertinence to bully Count Sinan's legitimate son in the light of day. The crowd looked at him with fear.

Fan Xian paid them no mind as he sat outside, waiting on a bench. A little while later he heard the sound of miserable cries from the school, and the unmistakable sound of a face being slapped, and the sound of Fan Sizhe's arrogant voice. "Pull yourselves together! If you dare disrespect our teacher again, I'll give you a good slap!" The words were pretty similar to what Fan Xian had said. It seemed that young master Fan had taken his brother's anger out on his young clanmates.

This time he had certainly disturbed them. The Fan clan manservants who were waiting outside the school heard the cries of pain from their young masters in the schoolhouse. They glared angrily at Fan Xian and rushed inside. Fan Xian worried that Fan Sizhe would be harmed, and signaled to Teng Zijing with his eyes. Teng Zijing led the other bodyguards in after the crowd, and soon after, they came out clutching Fan Sizhe.

Fan Sizhe still wasn't satisfied. He waved his fist and scolded. "Don't worry, don't worry, those guys won't dare misbehave again." And just as he'd said, the servants rushed in to protect their young masters, but did not dare return the blows. It seemed that across the entire Fan clan, Count Sinan's estate held a special position.

After they were beaten, Fan Xian dragged Fan Sizhe into a carriage by the scruff of his neck, leaving the chaos he had singlehandedly created behind them. Next to them, Teng Zijing frowned. "Young master, although there are some in the clan who are more and more unreasonable, there are those whose help we may need at a later juncture. Offending too many people is not necessarily good."

Fan Xian laughed bitterly. "What are you afraid of?" Maybe those clanmates really did have some power, but he was soon going to marry a princess, and the Emperor would be his wife's uncle; what did he have to fear? He could teach those brats a lesson and they couldn't fight back.

"Are you satisfied?" he asked Fan Sizhe.

Fan Sizhe was a bit puzzled. "I beat people up a lot, but it never makes me feel satisfied like it did today. Why is that?" The resentment he had at the lesson his brother had taught him today had dissipated without trace in the course of his own heroic beatings.

"It's very simple. You need a reason to beat people, just like going to war. If you have an honorable reason, then you can beat people up without any mental burden. When our kingdom attacked the Kingdom of Northern Wei, wasn't it because they had violated our borders? Whatever the issue is, it's all the same; we must stand on the side of righteousness. Do you understand what righteousness means?"

"No," Fan Sizhe replied sincerely.

Chapter 86: Shopkeeper Ye of Qingyu Hall

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Arriving at the chosen bookstore on Dongchuan Road, Fan Xian's group took a good look and discovered the location was indeed excellent—convenient for transportation and not too far from the Imperial College. All of Qing Kingdom's scholars who came to the capital to prepare for the Imperial examinations had to pass by here almost every day. Most importantly, the place wasn't too rowdy, which meant that the ladies from various manors and official households could send their maidservants here to purchase books in peace.

Fan Xian nodded and walked inside with Fan Sizhe. Upon seeing the few freeloaders inside, he said, "Mister Cui, sorry to bother you."

Mister Cui replied, with a smile, "My two young masters; this bookstore doesn't earn that many coins a year, so spending this much energy really isn't worth it."

Fan Xian knew they were all former government officials who naturally wouldn't take such measly business seriously. He explained, "My younger brother is really fond of the place, so just let him do as he pleases." He didn't want to hide this from Count Sinan forever, so he asked some freeloaders in the manor for their help. Since his allowed Mister Cui to help them, that means he also agreed to let his two sons do as they please outside the manor.

Fan Sizhe was writing something while biting on the handle of his brush while the others were chatting in the back room. For Fan Sizhe, once he set his eyes on a checkbook, he would block out everything else. While the chatting in the back continued, the shopkeeper they invited from Qingyu Hall also arrived. This shopkeeper wore a loyal expression on his face; his eyes lacked shine, but had a clarity to them. As they say, the eyes are the window to the soul. Fan Sizhe was satisfied and gave the responsibility of running the bookstore to that shopkeeper.

Fan Ruoruo had already gave over sixty chapters of Dream of the Red Chamber to Fan Sizhe, and Mister Cui had sent people over to Wansong Hall to make copies. There shouldn't be any issues. Fan Sizhe frequently pressured Fan Xian for the later chapters, ready to make a big hit in the capital. However, recently, Fan Xian wasn't in the mood to copy down books and kept pushing it back.

Once the time of the opening was determined and the permit from the Eighth Bureau of the Overwatch Council was guaranteed, they discovered they had ran out of things to do, so they imported some historical records and classical literature from Wansong Hall and decided on Dream of the Red Chamber as their main seller; it looked as though all that was left was for money to come flowing in. As for the staff and the rest of it, all of those were handled by the shopkeeper from Qingyu Hall; the Fan side didn't have to worry about one thing.

Fan Xian thought it was strange the way everyone trusted this Qingyu Hall so much. Finally getting the opportunity to talk to the shopkeeper one on one, he kindly asked, "Shopkeeper, may I ask your family name?"

The shopkeeper smiled, "Family name Ye."

Fan Xian was a little bit shaken. He repeated the name, "Your family name is Ye?"

Seeing his surprise, the shopkeeper was somewhat baffled. "That's right, there are seventeen shopkeepers in total at Qingyu Hall, all with the family name Ye. This is known by all in the capital. Young Master Fan?"

"All?" Fan Xan frowned. "What is your connection with the Ye household from twenty years ago?"

The shopkeeper was very surprised and looked at Fan Xian for a while before showing some feelings of nostalgia. "It's been so many years. I thought the young ones nowadays had long forgotten about the Ye House. Indeed, we were all once shopkeepers of that Ye household. When it later got in trouble, the entire business was taken over by the palace. We were supposed to find other means of living elsewhere, but for some reason, we were forbidden to start our own business under Imperial law, leading to this embarrassing scene today. We could only take care of business owned by others, but not start our own. That is also how Qingyu Hall came to be."

Knowing this shopkeeper was his mother's former subordinate gave Fan Xian a slight sense of closeness. He asked curiously, "After the incident with the Ye house, did the government…" He didn't finish his sentence, but the shopkeeper understood very well what he meant. To weed something out, you're supposed to dig up its roots; since the government took over the Ye business, it had no intention of keeping these old geezers around. The shopkeeper suddenly felt close to this young master from Fan Manor as well, and answered, "We also thought it strange. We've been living in constant fear these past years—we are not allowed to leave the capital, so we are scared that someday something will happen to us."

"One of these days, please bring me to visit Qingyu Hall." Having suddenly found a place in the capital with direct connection to his mother, Fan Xian couldn't help but be excited. He grabbed the shopkeeper by the shoulders, "I have many, many things to ask you guys."

After going back to the manor, he went to his father in the book chamber and told the count what he learned. "Is Qingyu Hall really made up of former staff of the Ye household?"

"Of course." Fan Jian stroked his short beard, as if remembering the past. He slowly continued, "Each one of them are impressive, to say the least, having been dispatched to various prefectures to head the different branches. Unfortunately, you mother ended up offending the powerful nobles. You knew how glorious and influential the Ye household was back in the day. If it falls, then the entire kingdom would most likely descend into chaos for at least a few decades. For a while, even the Imperial court didn't know what to do. It ended up with a compromise: let the royal family take over the Ye household, which at least made sure no official would be able to take advantage of its fall, and then…"

Fan Xian cut him off, asking, "The ones who killed mother, how did they die?" He had been wanting to find out for a long time.

Looking directly into Fan Xian's eyes, Fan Jian said coldly, "You were too young, you probably don't remember anything fourteen years ago."

"I do." Fan Xian frowned. "Fourteen years ago, apparently someone who wanted a revolution tried to usurp His Majesty, and stirred up all kinds of major problems in the process. There was an entire month of killing in the capital, in which all the original noblemen were slaughtered. Their heads were displayed on the city walls and formed a line half a kilometer long. That month became known as the ''The Month the Capital Bled',. Even though I did not experience it, my teacher Fei Jie spoke of it many times."

"Very good." Fan Jian said in a chilling tone. "It was during that 'clean-up' when we killed all those involved in the fall of the Ye house."

Taking notice of "we", Fan Xian asked, "Who do you mean by 'we'?"

"Myself and Cheng Pingping, of course." Fan Jian smiled. "For over twenty years, we had followed His Majesty. That was our most successful operation."

"That also marked the rise of the Fan household. On the other hand, that incident further established the terror of the Overwatch Council and firmly secured the influence of those government officials." Fan Xian sighed, "Turns out it was due to you and Sir Chen avenging mother."

"And then?" Fan Xian was asking about what happened to the Ye house.

"As was previously explained, all Ye-owned businesses got taken in. During the time, it was the best strategy to stabilize the Imperial court. No better ideas came out from the talented court," Fan Jian explained. "But the problem with those head shopkeepers remained. They were all taught by your mother. While they couldn't match your mother's intelligence, if they were allowed to roam free, who knows when a second Ye House would appear? For that reason, they were all rounded up in the capital and ordered to take care of other businesses while not allowed to start any of their own. That was how today's famous Qingyu Hall came to be."

"You kids wanted to do business; asking them was a good decision."

Fan Xian was saddened. "Those shopkeepers were pretty much imprisoned in the capital for over ten years because of that, how terrible… Father, if all of them were employed at once, wouldn't that attract the attention of the Imperial court?"

Fan Jian shook his head. "Using them was the preferred method way for various manors in the capital. The Imperial court wouldn't care. However, I don't think you need all seventeen of them."

"If the Imperial court really minded, how come those shopkeepers weren't all killed off early on?"

Looking at his son, Fan Jian explained while smiling, "Back when your mother suffered her misfortune, I was waging a war on the western front. Cheng Pingping was off to Northern Qi boarder on a secret mission and didn't realize the truth until he was halfway there. You're underestimating your father far too much if you think he would be killed after returning to the capital."

Lady Liu knocked on the door; father and son stopped their conversation and Fan Jian let her in. Only after seeing the bowl of fruit pulp in Lady Liu's hand did Fan Xian realize it was already getting late—time for his father to go to bed. He stood up and was about to excuse himself, but Count Sinan beckoned him to stay before asking Lady Liu to go to bed first.

Before Lady Liu left, Fan Xian could see that she held some worry in her eyes. He knew she was concerned for her husband's health. Knowing this fact only made Fan Xian frown. She probably held genuine sentiments towards his father; too bad her heart was a bit too ruthless, carrying out "those" acts back in the day. Knowing his father must have something important to tell him, Fan Xian listened eagerly.

"Time to talk about the recent happenings in the Imperial court." Count Sinan slowly drank the still-warm fruit pulp. "I know you still held much anger and hatred over the fact that she tried poisoning you four years ago.."

Fan Xian was greatly shocked; he didn't think Lady Liu would have anything to do with the current developments in the Imperial court, and he was even less prepared to hear his father bring up the assassination attempt so easily. At that moment, he didn't know what to say.

"The two are, in fact, connected." Fan Jian knew what his son was thinking. "Regarding her motive four years ago, first, Sizhe was getting older but wasn't acting any more appropriate for his age. And I wasn't able to set her on the right track, causing her to lose hope and make that decision out of impulse. More crucially, she was granted an audience in the palace during that time. , She was told that with your death, Fan Sizhe would inherit Fan house's everything."

"The palace? And whose word would make her disregard even Grandmother's life?" Fan Xian asked coldly.