255-257

Chapter 255: Fighting for Passage

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

As the nobles of the envoy were lost in thought and contemplation, the band arrived at the final courier station of their journey; the one before the capital. Looking at the Honor Guard lined up in attention, Fan Xian sighed and thought to resolve Miss Shen's situation upon their arrival in the capital. He believed her presence there was entirely unnecessary, and she only remained with the envoy because of her friendship with the Princess and Yan Bingyun's sympathy.

At this time, officers from the Board of Rites, Honglu Temple, and Taichang Temple were already there, awaiting their arrival. Watching the envoy slowly approach its destination, they dusted themselves off and greeted the princess of the Northern Qi Kingdom with the utmost grace and respect. Fan Xian, with merely a look, signaled the Tiger Guards to shield the princess' carriage and hide the presence of its additional passenger.

In truth, given Fan Xian's current authority and stature, he did not have to be so careful.

"I appreciate your perseverance through these most laborious times, Mister Fan!"

"Mister Fan, your trip has reflected upon our kingdom greatly and pleases His Majesty tremendously. Upon your return to the capital, I suspect further deeds of importance await you."

"You are incorrect, old Hu! Nowadays, Mister Fan…"

Amidst this cacophony of flattery, Fan Xian entered the courier station, passing by a copious amount of officers. The Northern Qi Kingdom's princess was resting indoors. The pageantry involved with the welcoming of the Head Diplomat was even more grandiose, however. If one did not know of Fan Xian's identity, one would be perplexed as to why Qing's counselors would respect such a young, middle-ranked officer so much.

Fan Xian smiled and waved back to the officers around him. He wasn't visibly annoyed, but he wanted such proceedings to go by quicker. He looked around him and realized that he knew most of those who were celebrating his return. Some were once colleagues of his from Taichang Temple, while some of them were those he became acquainted with from the times Honglu Temple negotiated with the Northern Qi Kingdom. Only the officers from the Board of Rites held some semblance of fear in their greetings with him, and Fan Xian knew exactly why; he was entirely responsible for ruining Guo You's machinations, after all.

He sat down on a chair and had a sip of tea before asking, "What is to happen next? The palace has yet to receive the decree. When can the envoy proceed to the capital?" He did not wait for the officer to reply. In self-deprecation, Fan Xian said, "I am the head diplomat. I have no idea how this should proceed."

The Board of Rites' officers weren't often given the opportunity to get close to Fan Xian, so who would have passed on this chance? One officer quickly responded: "No worries, Mister Fan; the Honor Guard was established by us, and all the arrangements with the palace have been taken care of."

A lesser-ranked member of Honglu Temple spoke: "The Emperor is aware that the envoy has been away from home for a considerable amount of time, and you are undoubtedly longing for your return. Thus, he did not issue the decree. Therefore, you are free to enter the capital whenever you may. However, upon returning, make for the palace…"

He was unable to finish his dialogue as an officer clad in a fourth-ranked outfit entered from outside the chamber. The officers were quick to welcome his presence. Fan Xian chuckled as he stood up, approached the officer and placed his arms around him jovially. "Mister Ren, why have you come?"

This man was the vice-minister of Honglu Temple, Ren Shao'an. He was also a bannerman of Fan Xian's father-in-law. Ren Shao'an, upon seeing Fan Xian had safely returned, felt great relief, and this brought a wry smile to his face. "The Qi Kingdom's princess is getting married; it's a huge event. We of Taichang Temple cannot work too hard; there is no need for the Imperial Censorate's censor to come visit, so I will have to leave."

Fan Xian laughed, beguiling the uncertainty in his heart. Knowing that the envoy arrived today, he pondered why the vice-minister would appear as late as he did. Fan Xian bid farewell to the officers in the house and pulled Ren Shao'an outside alongside him before asking, "What is going on?"

Ren Shao'an knew the person in front of him was young, but his personality was one that only appeared compassionate on the surface, misleading his tough-as-nails character beneath. Being in the capital for only one year, he was the impetus behind many incidents and concerning events. He had overthrown many officers, and Ren Shao'an was unsure of whether or not he should mention that. But Prime Minister Lin Ruofu was already retired, and the Lin family could only rely on the Fan clan. Upon consideration of both of these situations, Ren Shao'an was hesitant. "Mister Fan, what do you mean?" he asked.

Fan Xian looked straight into his eyes and said, "I am no fool. The envoy is returning to the capital. When we left Shangjing, the regulations that the Northern Qi Kingdom set down was something that our Imperial Court should know of. To have the princess in our envoy be greeted by such low-ranking officers… Where is Xin Qiwu? And the ministers of the Board of Rites? The princess is getting married; at least send some of the old countesses from the palace. You are from Taichang Temple; this is one of the royal matters you are supposed to be in charge of. If I don't ask you, whom else should I ask?"

Ren Shao'an gave another wry smile and said, "Today, as luck would have it, Xin Qiwu and members of the Board of Rites have gone there. Please don't lay the blame upon me, Fan Xian. I hurried on my way over here and displeased the people over there by my doing so."

"Where is this 'there' you keep mentioning?" Fan Xian asks with surprise.

Ren Shao'an laughed bitterly, his wry smile still glued to his face. He said, "The Great Prince will be returning to the capital today, as well. He has made camp only a mere three miles from here. That is quite the coincidence, isn't it? Those from the Board of Rites, Bureau of Military Affairs, and the Ministry of War are stationed there. It should come as no surprise as to why the envoy's greeting would be a slightly more subdued affair!" Continuing his speech, Ren Shao'an said, "Fan Xian, I know of the friendship that exists between us, and in light of it, I am unafraid to ask; do you truly care so much for the frivolity of such circumstances?"

Fan Xian, finally acknowledging Ren Shao'an's true plight, laughed. Shaking his head, he said, "Personally, I just want to hurry on back to the capital, but the princess is still a princess. If the Imperial Court does not treat her with the respect she deserves, people may start to gossip. And that can never bode well."

Fan Xian was at the very least relieved to have his confusion regarding the envoy's dim reception clarified. After all, the Great Prince was the figure in command of the kingdom's entire military forces. It should not be surprising why the officers would attend the return of the Great Prince instead of the arrival of the princess of another kingdom; if they were to suck up to someone, they'd do so to someone of greater importance." Fan Xian gestured with his hand to interrupt Ren Shao'an, and then asked curiously, "The decree that was established at the beginning of this year, the one that referred to the Great Prince's bid for departure, stated that he was to return at the end of autumn. Why has he returned so soon?"

"According to that which I have heard, Empress Dowager has missed her grandson a tremendous amount and as such, called for his return sooner than expected." Ren Shao'an gave a profound laugh. "And here they are, returning sooner. I do believe that the army in the west remained in Dingzhou. The prince brought with him 200 of his men."

Fan Xian, shaking his head once more, said, "Those officers from the Board of Rites, did they spend far too much time with the Guo clan and have their stupidity rub off on them? The envoy is returning to the capital and the Great Prince is returning to the palace; could this not have been prepared for more adequately? Or how about a letter to inform us, at the very least? I'm sure either the envoy or the Great Prince would not mind the prospect of delaying travel for an additional two days, if it meant we would each receive a fairer welcome. Tremendous, this is. We are all stuck here, outside the capital, to await the bickering and sorting out of which party should be allowed to enter first."

"The Board of Rites and even Honglu Temple sent numerous letters, informing you to slow your envoy's quick pace. Who would have thought an envoy bearing a princess would not even spend a day's rest? It was your envoy's quick pace and eager desire to return that caused this."

Fan Xian chuckled in amusement, but had no response. It was actually his own idea to quicken the pace of the envoy's return, but he had no desire to mention this.

"All that can be asked of you is a little patience in waiting for these procedures to be resolved and sorted out. An additional two days should be sufficient; is that okay?" Ren Shao'an, upon saying this, made sure to watch Fan Xian's eyes. He never did know how long he had been a member of the Overwatch Council, but he hoped that in his time there, the snobbish and arrogant attitude of Chen Pingping had not rubbed off on him. As he thought of this, Ren Shao'an said, "The new Director of the Board of Rites was too embarrassed to come tell you, so he sent me to relay the message."

"Blast! There is nothing more I desire right now than to return home and hold my wife." Fan Xian shared a close friendship with Ren Shao'an, and as such, his typical formalities were keen to lax in his presence. "And now I must wait for a further two days? The next time you visit my manor, be wary of my wife, for she'll kick you in the rear for this."

A bead of sweat trickled down Ren Shao'an's forehead, for he knew what Fan Xian's wife was indeed like. Despite her frail body, with her tendency to fall ill frequently, her background suggested that she was not one to trifle with.

Fan Xian had no desire to cause trouble with the Great Prince, whom he had never met before. He was the Great Prince, after all, and Fan Xian's stature held no comparison; for this, there was no point in even attempting to compete over who may enter the capital first. Laughing, Fan Xian patted Ren Shao'an's shoulders and said, "Fret not, for I won't thrust you into any awkward position." He continued by saying, "I will go and inform the princess. There's no use trying to risk the establishment of bad blood between the princess and her soon-to-be husband. And we, the little guys, are the ones who must explain it to her."

Ren Shao'an froze as Fan Xian approached the room in which the princess was resting. In his heart, he pondered what benefit Fan Xian might claim by telling the princess this. There was nothing entirely wrong with waiting an additional two days, after all. What if the princess was the sort to lose her temper if things didn't go exactly the way she desired? What if this would start an argument? These were the many thoughts that crossed Ren Shao'an's mind as he stood there.

Ren Shao'an wasn't aware of Fan Xian's incredibly selfish nature. The truth was, Fan Xian did not care at all about the possibility of bad blood between the Great Prince and the Princess. He merely, and quite impatiently, wanted to return home first, and if this was the way in which he could achieve that, then he had no qualm with confiding in the Princess.

It was sweltering, and so Ren Shao'an wiped the sweat from his brow. As he did this, he caught sight of a rank-four officer run into the courier station frantically. His back was drenched in sweat. Although it was just the beginning of autumn, it had been considerably hotter than most years, which made it particularly difficult for this man, who had been running back and forth between the princess in the envoy and the Great Prince, three miles away. This man was the vice-minister Xin Qiwu of Honglu Temple. He too caught sight of Ren Shao'an, and so he bowed before him and said, "Hey, you're here early!"

Ren Shao'an acknowledged that Xin Qiwu was of the eastern palace, but they weren't particularly close with each other, unlike how Ren Shao'an was with Fan Xian. In fact, their bond was so close that when the Prime Minister resigned, those who worked in the government offices put those two together as a team. Ren Shao'an laughed and said, "Mister Fan is in there. You can go in, but I will most certainly not. If the princess begins yelling, it's better that you be the target than I. Besides, why are you so late? I thought you were quite close with Fan Xian. Regardless, you must now be wary, for he may get mad at you for your tardiness."

With a wry smile, Xin Qiwu replied, "Mister Fan is not that sort of person." Thinking about the day's events and revelations, he found it quite humorous how the envoy managed to arrive at the same time the Great Prince did. "I see. Well, let's not dwell and speak of how the Board of Rites mishandled these proceedings. It's no wonder why all these officers are confused, pondering whom they should welcome into the capital first. Tell me, who do you think we should greet first, Mister Ren?"

It was a brief while before either of them spoke again, and the silence that quickly encircled them was a little awkward. After some time, they each coughed. They came to the conclusion that the envoy was equally important as the Great Prince, which was of course quite absurd, and they realized this. But was the reason that they thought this because of Fan Xian's presence? He was, after all, head of the Overwatch Council, and he was transporting a considerable amount of legendary scrolls and scriptures with him in the envoy. Could it be that they regarded Fan Xian with as much importance as the Great Prince himself?

Xin Qiwu shook his head and shelved those ridiculous thoughts. Still, he couldn't deny that in the hearts of many, Fan Xian was held in extremely high regard; the confusion between whom to welcome was testament to this. Whatever the case may be, Fan Xian had a profound effect on the people of the capital. He was the catalyst to a whole swathe of important events in the space of the single year he had been there. And now, in his envoy, there was a princess from a foreign land, but it was doubtful that she was the reason for so many officers being there. The officers, instead, wanted to be close with the Fan family and the Overwatch Council.

"Mister Fan didn't see me earlier. Did he mention me at all?" Xin asked with care.

Ren shook his head, which brought relief to Xin's mind. Now smiling, Xin said, "If we were to be reasonable, the Great Prince would undoubtedly go first. So for now, I must go aid the eastern palace in welcoming him. Mister Fan is little more than a courteous fellow who knows his place."

"I don't really know my place." Fan Xian approached Xin and Ren as they concluded their dialogue, waving as he walked. In jest, Fan Xian said, "Will you share a beverage with me, Xin? I have been away from this country for many months, and upon my return, you weren't even here to welcome me. I am very angry. Haha!"

Xin Qiwu laughed apprehensively and was on the verge of saying something when he caught sight of Fan Xian smiling. Then, Fan Xian said lightly, "To be reasonable, you are the vice-minister of Honglu Temple, and you are versed in the diplomacy of foreign affairs; there was no need for you to visit and welcome the envoy. And furthermore, why did you have to go welcome the Great Prince? Are you planning to join the Bureau of Military Affairs by heading over there to lick his boots?"

He spoke gently, but there was clear contempt behind his words.

Xin was taken aback and thought it quite intrusive of Fan Xian to make mention of such things.

And there Fan Xian was, facing two young, high-ranking officers. He bowed, stood up straight and then said, "The envoy will be entering the capital today. Can you two set it up? I am unable to locate anybody else from the Board of Rites, so it will have to be up to you."

If they were taken aback before, now they were aghast. Never did they believe that Fan Xian possessed the guts to supersede the Great Prince in any particular matter. It seemed as if the palace had forgotten all about it, as they had no decree; thus, if the envoy truly wanted to enter the capital first, the rules dictated that such a thing was indeed allowed.

The greatest problem that faced them was the fact it was the Great Prince himself they were opposing.

Ren Shao'an coughed again, to hint to Fan Xian that Xin Qiwu was in the crown prince's camp. He thought it unfair to back Xin Qiwu into such a corner, making him appear so rude before the Great Prince - but this did not concern Fan Xian. Instead, Fan Xian continued smiling and repeated, "The envoy wants entry into the capital first. You two ensure that this comes to pass, as it is the princess' idea. The Great Prince can wait!"

Following this, Fan Xian promptly turned around and exited the courier station. Almost immediately, he began rallying those in the envoy to prepare their departure for the capital. And while he did so, the two vice-ministers continued to stand dumbstruck. Though they did not say it out loud, they both shared the same concerns, asking themselves, "Who does he think he is? How dare he try to supplant the Great Prince in any matter!" Xin Qiwu`s face became distorted in an array of shifting facial expressions, until at last he clenched his teeth and said, "I won`t do it. If the palace has no further orders for me, then it is settled. I don't care."

Ren Shao'an curiously asked, "If you do not do this, where will you go? If you as vice-minister of Honglu Temple completely disregards matters concerning an envoy bearing the princess of a foreign land, be wary of losing your position!"

Xin laughed and said, "I am not particularly concerned about the Great Prince. This is my job, after all. Even if the Great Prince is made unhappy, I still have a reasonable explanation; for I have been following the envoy. And what about you? You are vice-minister of Taichang Temple. You are in charge of the royal family's business. That includes the emperor's son; while the envoy includes the emperor's soon-to-be daughter-in-law. Which side will you stand for?"

Ren Shao'an, cursed Xin within the pits of his heart but said nothing. At the end of the day, he was a good friend of Fan Xian, so what else could he do? He shook his head and reluctantly made the decision to go inform the Great Prince about his need to wait, and to inform the Board of Rites to prepare a welcoming ceremony for the envoy. How the Great Prince would to react, he had to wait and see. And he wondered just what would occur upon the only official road into the capital.

Fan Xian embarked Yan Bingyun's carriage, shook his head, and told him, "Stay here and do not reveal yourself to anyone. When we enter the capital, Mister Yan will send someone to retrieve you. Now remember, prior to your debriefing, do not give away a smidgen of information."

Yan Bingyun raised his drooping head and said, "What the hell are you fighting for? This is the Great Prince you are snubbing - he is the son of the Emperor! What gave you the idea that you could compete with him? You aren't a stupid person, so why are you committing such a stupid deed?"

"The prince?" Fan Xian decided to sit down beside Yan Bingyun, as all they were doing was waiting for the envoy to recommence its journey, anyway. He laughed and asked, "Does this not happen often? And besides, it's not me going against him. It is one of the other nobles that has decided to compete with the Great Prince."

Yan Bingyun was perplexed, and Fan Xian laughed once more. He followed up by saying, "Those two have yet to lay eyes upon each other and they are already quarreling over which one of them will be the boss. This princess was once a gentle woman, but the moment she heard that the Great Prince sought to enter the capital first, she changed completely. She stood near the banks of the eastern river with her mouth agape… This woman. She still did not understand."

"Eastern river? What river? What are you talking about?" Yan Bingyun denounced Fan Xian by saying, "Your meddling and provoking both of them are plain to see. I do not understand. We have yet to even reach the capital and already you have gone and picked a fight with the Great Prince himself. What the hell are you thinking?"

"Wow, you are starting to grow concerned for the well-being of your boss." With a soured expression, Fan Xian declared to Yan Bingyun, "I truly did not provoke the princess. Who would have thought the princess harbored such a lust for dominance?" This speech was taken directly from chapter eighty-two of Dream of the Red Chamber. Fan Xian had not yet written it; he was simply speaking aloud. Inside his heart, he had grown somewhat happy, and there was nothing more that he desired right now than to return home and see his wife. And quite simply, this was the catalyst for his deceptive actions on this day.

"The reason I have chosen to displease the Great Prince is quite simple. Not often am I provided with such an opportunity; that opportunity being a way in which I can display how much I genuinely despise the Great Prince."

"Why do you feel this way?"

"Even though you had been in the north for a long time, I can only surmise that lately you may have heard a lot regarding my exploits from others in the envoy. Fan Xian looked at Yan Bingyun.

Yan Bingyun nodded.

"Do you know what my relationship with the eastern palace is like?"

"It would appear that there has been turmoil and a barrage of disputes in recent times, but believe it or not, the Crown Prince cares for you quite dearly. The same applies for the civil service examinations; the Crown Prince supported you then, as well. And he did so for the diplomatic mission to Northern Qi too. He has been most kind to you."

"That is good news. So, I must look after the eastern palace in return." This conversation is in reference to the examinations scandal, but this was not something Fan Xian had ever told Yan Bingyun about. Continuing, he said, "And I am in Crown Prince Jing's good books, also. Furthermore, he is associated with the second prince; which means my relationship with him can't be all that bad, either."

Yan Bingyun was beginning to understand why Fan Xian sought to offend the Great Prince.

"So, in regards to the eastern palace, my relationship with two of the princes is good. In the future, if my relationship with the Great Prince improves…" Fan Xian's face then changed to suggest more light-hearted self-deprecation and with a smile he said, "If there was a young man in charge of the Overwatch Council and the palace treasury, and he was someone who had become friends with the three princes, one would wonder what this young man truly desired. The women that see him in the palace would consider him an eyesore."

Outside the capital, on this day, it had been chaos. The only entity with the authority to quell the disorganization was the palace, but they had yet to issue a decree. Sweating in the sweltering heat, the officers who were stood outside the city gate with unease saw the two separate caravans in the distance. In their hearts, they bid ill words to Fan Xian for his actions on this day. Of course, they would not dare to think the same of the Great Prince, for he was the Great Prince.

Many of the soldiers that marched with the Great Prince were battle-weary warriors returning home from the western front. Seeing the envoy, they scoured their thoughts for any possible solution that would enable them passage into the capital first; they were unhappy. Those who were under direct command of the Great Prince, however, were most disciplined. They were unaffected by almost anything and as such they possessed no cruel or bitter thoughts about the large envoy that now passed them by. There was one horseman of the cavalry amongst them, however, that could not bide his tongue. As they passed, he yelled, "Where is that foolish officer? Does he have a death wish!?

The envoy and the Great Prince's caravan came to a pause right beside each other. The tension was palpable.

Fan Xian disembarked his carriage and hastily dusted himself off. He looked towards a carriage that resembled the sort the Great Prince may be within and hollered, "It is I, Fan Xian. I bid thee greetings."

"Fan Xian? You are Fan Xian?!" An intimidating voice arose from within the carriage. With great scorn, the voice continued, "I cannot believe you are the husband of Chen'er. How dare you compete and attempt to supplant me! You are not brave. Nay, you are foolish!"

Fan Xian smiled and politely responded, "To compete against you was never my intent. It's just that…"

Before Fan Xian could finish his response, a quiet, yet confident voice came from the fabulous carriage behind him; it was that of the Princess of the Northern Qi Kingdom. "I am a weak woman, but I have travelled an extreme length of distance. Would you truly force me to wait outside the capital for a few more days?"

The soldiers of the Great Prince looked on in disbelief, only now recalling that the envoy bore the presence of an important noble. It was the woman who was to be their empress.

Fan Xian glanced at the Great Prince's cavalry. "This is family business," he thought to himself. "Best stay out of it."

Chapter 256: Family Business

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

The eldest prince had been on deployment for the past several years. Even though the men of the west weren't as barbaric as they used to be, the fields of battle were as bloody as ever - so much so that the weapons and armaments of the men were each now crusted in crimson blood. The eldest prince was remarkably different from his brothers, who had remained within the comfort of the capital for the duration of their years. He was a man who didn't rely so much on materialistic needs and the amenities typically desired by noblemen. For all accounts and purposes, he was a grizzled man of war.

The Great Prince was now returning to the capital as a General, commanding his own legion of soldiers. The rules of the monarchy and city dictated that he was allowed to bring a regiment of 200 to 500 soldiers with him upon his return to the capital, but he only brought the lowest of the given threshold. He didn't want to bring an extreme amount, in the event that any possible unruliness that may arise from his men would distract the officers of the city from their other duties. That being said, the men in his company were hardened warriors who had suffered greatly and toiled arduously on their journey home. With the souring revelation that the envoy sought to enter the capital first, it was difficult for them to maintain their composure. The 200 men that the Great Prince had selected to travel with him were all on horseback, and the expressions upon their face spoke of utter disdain toward those of the envoy. 400 eyes were now peering at that carriage in particular, for they knew who resided within.

Inside the carriage they all stared at sat the princess-to-be. No matter how infuriated the soldiers were, they made sure to hold their tongues, for they did not desire to upset the future empress.

The Director of the Board of Rites had walked ten miles out from beyond the city gates in a bid to welcome them all. He was the highest-ranking officer, and therefore he was the most qualified for this task. In the awkward silence that enveloped both parties, he was visibly uncomfortable. He spoke a few words, but the horses shared the anger of their masters, and were making so much noise as to drown out said the Director.

The neighing of the horses of the western army grew louder as all the riders aligned their steeds into two lines facing the envoy. Although intimidating, it did make the place look a whole lot tidier. In between the noise, a person clad in Xuansu armor clapped his steed and approached slowly.

As this happened, Fan Xian stood beside the carriage containing the princess. His eyebrows were raised as he watched and dodged the sudden passing of the western army's soldiers. As they went, they did so quickly, in a bid to kick up dust to both dirty and intimidate Fan Xian and the others in the envoy. The soldiers had been away from the capital for many years and as such had no knowledge of who Fan Xian was. The precipitous appearance of Fan Xian, to whom they took for some snobbish pretty-boy, irritated them almost immediately and for that they wanted to humiliate him by making him believe he was to be trampled.

But Fan Xian merely smiled, and bowed before the horses, not caring for the horses and their men who thought themselves superior. "I am Fan Xian. Greetings, Great Prince."

The Great Prince of the Qing Kingdom was upon a steed, and he possessed eyes of burning steel, which gave the impression of someone fiercely angry. His face had been graced with a tall nose and high cheekbones, which was beautiful to look at. Just a mere, passing glance would have you know how much of a real man he was. To compliment his beauty, the Great Prince wore armor that was radiant. Clad in such equipment, he glistened in the sun, creating an image that almost seemed to portray him as god. No one would dare to look at him head-on.

Fan Xian did not do this, either. But he was wearing a smile that suggested he did not think much of the prince at all. He was still bowing, though, so it could not be seen.

The Great Prince looked as if he did not notice Fan Xian directly before his horse. He mistook Fan Xian for a petty and low-ranked officer of the capital. The truth was that he was perhaps the most popular official in the city. "Why is he smiling like a girl?" the prince at last said.

The Great Prince was not one to beat around the bush and dress up his words - he was quick and to the point. He had planned to say this quietly, in a one-to-one with Fan Xian, but he mistakenly shouted it out loud for all of his men to hear. The soldiers then thought the Great Prince sought to humiliate Fan Xian, the one who sought to claim the road to the capital first, and so they all began laughing out loud. The noise emitted by their unified laughter could undoubtedly be heard miles away. This surprised even the Great Prince, which then brought a smile to his face.

A few of the mounted soldiers cockily drew nearer to Fan Xian. They had gotten so close that he could hear them breathe and he could even smell the scent of their breath. As many of the soldiers inched closer and closer, they desired to push the envoy off the road and take it themselves.

Fan Xian frowned, not expecting the Great Prince to be so disrespectful towards his future wife and his own brother-in-law. He trotted forward slightly, bit-by-bit, until his own horse's face was staring Fan Xian directly in the eye. And what big eyes did that steed possess. It was a risky move, for he knew that warhorses were difficult to fully control and master. In his heart, Fan Xian could only sigh.

He was prepared to step back, knowing that his goal of aggravating the Great Prince had succeeded. He did not desire a proper confrontation, in which they might possibly fight. Fan Xian had no affiliation or relations with the army, and it was his greatest weakness - one that he recognized. If the Bureau of Military Affairs received mention of Fan Xian's desire to disrupt and go against the soldiers of their kingdom, it would dramatically affect his role within the government.

As he was thinking about this, it suddenly dawned upon him that Fan Xian's own men weren't aware of this fragile state of affairs. Seeing their Commissioner in danger, a dozen of highly-trained warriors drew their swords from varying places within the envoy. It was as if they materialized from thin air, with many of them taking to the tall rocks that dotted the road, and others stood upon carriages. They brandished crossbows, and they trained the crosshairs of their weapons upon the heads of the horses that had gathered around Fan Xian

"No!" the Director of the Board of Rites shouted in fright. He was in shock at the prospect of these two companies engaging in a battle right outside the capital, for it would be an embarrassment to the entire country. The Director also believed he would be fired and lose the support of the Great Prince. Even though Fan Xian had the support of the Overwatch Council, even he would receive grave punishment from the prince if this were to occur.

The officers who had come to welcome them were aware that Fan Xian was a person that everybody should be frightened of, and in a bid to ease the tension, they each and all yelled, "Stop! What are you all doing!?"

The Great Prince did not move; he simply watched the proceedings in silence. He wasn't angry at the man that was called Fan Xian of the Overwatch Council and he in fact thought the opposite. He now possessed a modicum of respect for him, for he knew that whomever would actually choose to confront the Great Prince was a man with tremendous courage.

Fan Xian, in his heart, knew that his options now were quite few. His officers from the Overwatch Council had been trained extensively, quite often by Fan Xian himself, on their travels. He just didn't expect they would care far more for Fan Xian's personal safety than their reputation within the government. And even now, they still kept their crossbows aimed at the horses around Fan Xian. The soldiers of the western army were honorable soldiers, who had fought to keep their kingdom secure; if news of this confrontation spread any further, he suspected that Chen Pingping would be in trouble for quite some time.

The Great Prince laughed, having figured out that which now ailed Fan Xian's mind. He was curious as to how he sought to resolve the predicament he now found himself in.

But seeing the Great Prince threatened, his soldiers now also grew concerned. The harsh training they had each endured over the years was beginning to show. They began shouting, and many riders departed the main formation to the front of the envoy and block its passage. Another group went to surround the flanks of the envoy and a few extra soldiers now decided to encircle Fan Xian.

Despite being further surrounded by ferocious horses and their brutish riders, Fan Xian raised his hand, keeping his middle finger and ring finger concealed to gesture.

The officers and swordsmen of the Overwatch Council recognised the gesture and without a sound or expression, sheathed their swords and withdrew their crossbows. All together at once they did this, before returning to their place in the envoy as quickly as they originally appeared.

The Great Prince was still on his horse. He wore a helmet, but it did not mask his face; like stone, it was unchanged. This belied his true feelings, however, for in his heart, he was quite surprised. Seeing such a weak, bookish person before him, he found it difficult to believe that he was the one in command of such well-trained soldiers. And to be in a situation as fraught with peril as this, the sight of a single gesture signaling all of them was most impressive. The Great Prince knew that even he could not discipline and train his own men to achieve such effective compliance.

The Great Prince knew that outside the capital, he could not do anything to harm the envoy, either. Besides, near the gates of the city, two of his brothers were awaiting his arrival. So, he gestured to his own soldiers to back off, a gesture which was met with hesitant compliance and low grumbling sounds of disappointment from within the ranks. With visible unwillingness, the horsemen withdrew their weapons and stepped back with their horses. The difference between the prince's men and those of the Overwatch Council was as stark as night and day, and the Great Prince saw it all too clearly. This made the prince grimace.

As the horses were getting ready to pull back away from Fan Xian, the horses were too close as they were. With one heavy step, dust from the dried earth was kicked up, which went into the nostrils of one of the horses. This aggravated it, which caused it to kick its legs up angrily, confusing the other horses to do the same.

Two horses began charging at Fan Xian.

This was an accident; that was plain to see. The Prince had moved away from Fan Xian at this point, and when he heard the commotion, he looked back in shock. He knew that if one of these horses were to trample and kill the much-loved, widely celebrated commissioner Fan Xian before the Emperor and his city, the work he had been doing in the west would be squandered entirely. His thoughts trailed to the legends surrounding Fan Xian and he earnestly hoped in his heart that if he was indeed the Commissioner of the Overwatch Council, surely a few angry horses would not be the end of him.

Swish! The horses went right past Fan Xian, as he was wholly enveloped in a giant plume of dust. Only the greatest of warriors could have perceived the appearance of two phantom slashes from within the dust cloud.

Thud! Thud! The sound of two heavy objects hitting the ground quickly followed. When the dust settled, Fan Xian could be seen once again bearing his arrogant smile, with complete composure retained. The two frightened horses continued running for a little while longer, before collapsing on the ground totally, with the weight of their fall breaking the dried ground. The riders that were upon them seemed to pass out, but the full truth of what had occurred was soon revealed. Two horse heads were seen rolling along the ground, leaving a messy trail of blood in their wake.

Behind Fan Xian stood two swordsmen clad in brown, each bearing longswords. Their faces were stern and cold, as they looked all around at the company of the Great Prince.

Two swords had decapitated the two stampeding horses. It was a perfect counter, exacted with flawless precision. The Great Prince's pupils shrank as he peered at the two swordsmen behind Fan Xian. They seemed strangely familiar, particularly in the way that they moved. His fingers were tapping the plates of his armor as the Great Prince approached Fan Xian to speak. "Mister Fan, you really are something. Your king has been at war for the past few years, but I never thought upon my return to the capital, I would have two of my horses slaughtered in public by you. So, this is how the soldiers of the kingdom are to be welcomed home?"

Fan Xian sighed and used his hand to cover his mouth and nose, for the scent of the horse blood tainted the air with an awful fragrance. He then explained to the Great Prince, "My Lord, even if I was infinitely brash, I would not dare to slay the warhorses of my lord." It was at this point that Fan Xian realized that although the Great Prince was macho and boorish, he was not stupid. Every word was about himself, and to hear the Great Prince refer to himself 'your king' made Fan Xian recall how before the prince was to return to the west, the current Emperor had already decreed to swear in the Great Prince as the next in line to ascend the throne. He was chosen first, before his two brothers.

Thinking of today's grand offense towards the Great Prince, Fan Xian looked vehemently troubled.

When the Great Prince's face turned cold, the bodyguard beside him turned to speak to him privately. After that, the Great Prince looked once more towards the two swordsmen behind Fan Xian and said, "So, it's the Tiger Guard."

At the same time, Gao Da was standing behind Fan Xian, and he whispered to him, "The man next to the Great Prince is a Tiger Guard, same as I."

Fan Xian raised his eyebrow and turned to ask, "You know him?"

"I don't know him personally, but I know of him." Gao Da replied quietly. Horse blood continued to drip from Gao Da's weapon, even as he spoke. Fan Xian said, "If you are a Tiger Guard, how could you be so rude towards the Great Prince?"

Gao Da, once more in a whispered voice, said, "Sir, the emperor gave me an order. That was to secure your safety, no matter the cost or the transgressor."

They were both engaged in quiet dialogue and Fan Xian's eyebrows were still raised. When their talk ended, it was silent. After this short while, Gao Da and Fan Xian bowed to the Great Prince, and said nothing more.

At this time, the Great Prince ordered his men to retrieve the two soldiers who had passed out following their horses' headless collapse. Now, the rest of the soldiers in the Great Prince's command were teetering on edge, anticipating the call to arms in which they could attack the envoy and its people. But the Great Prince remained silent. After some time, he rode closer to Fan Xian and deepened his voice to say, "This attitude, I like it. But I do not respect you killing those horses. When we enter the capital, be wary of the trouble I am sure to leave on your doorstep."

Fan Xian sighed and said, "My Lord, this had nothing to do with me. Please, keep that in mind."

The Great Prince groaned. As he was of the royal family, he knew full well what the Tiger Guards were capable of. He assumed that the Tiger Guards alongside Fan Xian were bodyguards, given to the envoy by his father. It was because of this, he knew it truly did not have anything to do with Fan Xian, but that did not quell the anger in his heart.

"This was my idea. If you have a problem with it, do not take it out on Mister Fan." The Princess who had remained within her carriage this entire time spoke once more.

As she spoke, the remainder of the officers had arrived in haste. Ren Shao'an approached Fan Xian and tugged at his arm. Xin Qiwu was holding the Great Prince's legs. Servants that had also arrived from the palace of the capital stood beside the Great Prince and led his horse away. The Director of the Board of Rites stared at the soldiers of the western army with a disapproving look and had them move back, away from the envoy. Needless to say, the soldiers weren't happy about it. Almost the entirety of the Bureau of Military Affairs' officers then arrived in a bid to become peacemakers, to settle the dispute and ease the palpable tension. All members from the varying offices that represented different cornerstones of the government had come out to work together and quell the unease.

And it worked. Due to the presence of so many capital officials, the conflict that had arisen between the Great Prince, his men, Fan Xian and the envoy had to be put off. If a fight were to break out and injure some random elderly official who had come out there to negotiate peace, it would make the imperial court look bad.

What allowed the imperial court to operate smoothly? It was not the efforts of the varying departments and ministries. It was pride; the individual pride and reputation of each and every minister.

At the gates of the city, the people who were looking out beyond the pastures of the capital began to understand that something was amiss. It took them a long time before they learned that the envoy had arrived early and demanded to be welcomed into the capital before the Great Prince. This was not something that low-ranking officials could resolve, so they quickly reported the matter to their higher-ups.

The entire situation had spiraled out of control and become overblown, so much so that even Fan Xian was willing to throw in the towel and submit. The princess and the other civil officials in the envoy, however, were now adamant in their stance of being the first to enter the capital.

It was an embarrassment of massive proportion for the Great Prince to have two of his steeds slain in the open like so. It would have been taken as a grand blow to his reputation. Had he known that the Tiger Guards were allied with Fan Xian by decree of the Emperor, he would have approached matters differently. If this were not the case, he would have long decided to attack the envoy and its people then and there. But with the crowds that had gathered, such a course of action was now off the table. But now he was angry - he refused to allow the envoy entry into the capital first. What a wretched princess, thought the Great Prince. Aren't you just the bitch whose job will be to clean my feet in the future?

The arguments were now, by force of the coalition of government officials present, over. This was not accomplished by the ramblings or simple pleading of government men; the officers that were there forcefully led the Great Prince and his soldiers' away. If they were to continue their fight, it would have to be done through mere verbal communication. Although the soldiers possessed much might when it came to physical combat, when it came to the sharp exchange of words, they were remarkably less adept. Compared to those within the envoy, they were of no match to such sophisticated people; those who frequently dealt with diplomatic issues. From the government and friendship of two countries, and from the emperor and the officer's reputation, the Great Prince was at a disadvantage. But, stubbornly, he held true to his desire of not allowing the envoy to pass first.

The events that were unfolding were undoubtedly the kingdom's most exciting since its establishment and now, a yellow carriage was seen to be stopping by this grand commotion.

All that were present saw this, and, in unison, they each closed their mouths. By this time, Fan Xian had already backed off and departed the quarreling outside. He was in Yan Bingyun's carriage talking when he received notice of the yellow carriage that had just come forth. With great immediacy, he leapt out of the carriage, dusted himself off and ran towards the officers that were before the carriage and began bowing alongside them.

"Greetings, Crown Prince."

The Crown Prince had thought to follow the decree and prepare to welcome the Great Prince at the gates of the city, but he did not know of what was happening. As such, he resolved to come out here himself and see what disturbance had been birthed upon the plains.

Thankfully, to the relief of all, the Great Prince's anger was quelled with the arrival of the Crown Prince. No longer seething with rage, he dismounted his horse rather quickly. He then approached the carriage in anticipation of bowing before it. As he went to do so, the Crown Prince exited the carriage and prevented his bowing by saying, "Brother, you are still clad in heavy armor. There is no need for such formality. Besides, you are my elder - how could I possibly allow you to bow before me?"

The Great Prince showed no modesty and made no remark; he simply did as the Crown Prince said. The Great Prince then stood up straight and took off his helmet. Those who had gathered around from the Board of Rites and Taichang Temple all said something in their hearts: Their bowing was a required formality. If they did not care for such proceedings, we as officials have no place to comment on it.

The Crown Prince looked upon the Great Prince's face and was enamored. He said, "Brother, your tireless efforts at war have you looking worse for wear."

The Great Prince laughed and replied, "That's nothing. It has been a great joy to ride horses into battle all this time; you know how much I dislike staying in the royal palace. There, I can't help but be bored to death. If grandma had not insisted that I return, I'd still be out on the front!"

The Crown Prince spoke, "It's not just the Empress Dowager that desires your early return, but the Emperor, Empress, Lady Ning, and all your brothers as well.

The Great Prince looked at Fan Xian with a disrespectful stare and said, "I am afraid that some people do not want me to return quite so quickly."

The Crown Prince saw the face of the Great Prince turn sour and asked, "What are the issues here, exactly?" He then started laughing. The officers who had gathered here were unsure of what the Crown Prince had sought in his arrival. Then, the Crown Prince raised his hand and bid Fan Xian to follow him, saying, "You are attempting to supersede the Great Prince and gain access to the capital first? You must surely know this is a most grievous crime."

Fan Xian laughed and explained: "I could not possibly have the courage to attempt such a thing. This was all the doing of the northern Qi Kingdom's princess. Upon her arduous journey here, she caught flu. It cannot be expected of her to remain outside the palace for two more days."

The Crown Prince was holding the Great Prince's hand, as they walked towards the carriage and spoke softly to each other. The Crown Prince then turned around, laughed, and said, "Do not harbor animosity toward the officers. Besides, in the past two years that you have been gone, much has transpired here in the capital. You have no clue about what has occurred or who Fan Xian is. Come, let me introduce you."

Fan Xian and the Crown Prince did not actually see each other all that often, but he knew that the Crown Prince was being as gracious and as gentle as he was to avoid further quarreling. So, Fan Xian put on a big smile and approached the Great Prince and bowed, saying, "I am Fan Xian, Academician of the Imperial College. Greetings, my Lord."

"You are also a fourth-rank officer." the Crown Prince said. "How could you forget your title?"

Fan Xian gave a wry smile and shook his head. "The arduous trials of the road from the north to the south really messed me up. Please forgive me."

The Crown Prince quietly spoke to the Great Prince and said, "Right now, Fan Xian is aiding the Director of the Overwatch Council."

"I know, I know. He is the Commissioner of the Overwatch Council. What might." The Great Prince replied with great sarcasm.

The Crown Prince was attempting a parley of peace and said, "Fine, fine. If you don't want to uphold my reputation, then at least save face on behalf of Chen'er. You can't fight with Fan Xian. When we were kids, you were very close with Chen'er, and that makes Fan Xian our brother-in-law. We are family. So try to cool your temper."

The Great Prince groaned, moving his gaze back upon Fan Xian with a glint of acrimony in his eyes. "This is why I am mad! Chen'er is everyone's favorite in the palace, and yet she married this effeminate piece of dog waste. It infuriates me! Married for less than half a year and yet he has already become an ambassador, leaving his new wife alone back in their manor. These are the telltale signs of someone who merely desires power; he is no good for her!"

Fan Xian smiled wryly, and only then did he realize he had assessed the situation wholly incorrectly. This entire issue of securing entry into the capital first truly was a family matter. But this was not about the Great Prince and his future Empress-to-be; it was about himself and Chen'er.

Chapter 257: In a Hurry

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

There was an awful racket. Fan Xian simply smiled, not looking the least bit arrogant, but instead entirely sincere. He had played his part as brother-in-law, and spent the appropriate amount of money as an official, letting all the bureaucrats see it. No one would have imagined that this matter, causing offence by scrambling to enter first, had been his idea.

Fan Xian had a natural advantage - he was a scoundrel with an honest demeanor, an insidious fellow, more than willing to offend and bully others, but on the surface he was completely accommodating. This had served him to great benefit, such as with the Eldest Princess, who Fan Xian had forced out of the palace with his leafleting campaign, but who still to this day did not know that her own son-in-law was responsible. She presumed that her son-in-law was willing to suffer in silence, and to take her at her word in the north, not daring to be hostile.

He had always believed in one thing - that it was fine to be gorgeous and arrogant, but it was better to be subtly gorgeous and take advantage in secret.

If one can move, then one should move. If one who cannot be moved were beaten to death, then he could not move either. The Great Prince was someone who could not be moved, and yet today he was jostling with him for entry. This was a betrayal of his usual interests. Naturally, no one knew that this was all being done simply as a show for the Emperor, and the Great Prince, who had shown his true temperament, was without a doubt the best audience for this show. Perhaps only that old fox Chen Pingping could have guessed this.

Finally the two parties came to an agreement mediated by the Crown Prince. The vanguard of the diplomatic mission and the Great Prince's men would enter the capital together. This was not in keeping with custom, angering the Director of the Board of Rites, and making Ren Shao'an of Taichang Temple rather scared. How the ceremonial weaponry would be arranged became the greatest question.

The Crown Prince saw Fan Xian, staying quiet over on one side, and felt an unexplainable happiness. He pretended to scold him. "You are a troublemaker. It was clearly suggested that the diplomatic mission arrive in the capital the day after tomorrow. How could you suddenly bring it forward, leaving the royal court with no preparations and bringing about this mess?"

"I was anxious to return home," said Fan Xian with a smile. "Please forgive me for this incident, Your Highness. It is possible that the imperial censors may summon me tomorrow." In truth, he felt it rather odd. They had not seen each other in several months, and the Crown Prince now looked even better than before. He had lost his previous timid, gloomy air, and was all smiles. Something good must have happened to him, though Fan Xian wasn't sure what.

Naturally, he was unaware that after the Eldest Princess had left the palace, returning to her fiefdom of Xinyang, the constant pressure upon the Crown Prince from the Empress and the Eldest Princess had suddenly relented. His mood brightened immediately, and the Emperor had been much more reassuring toward him this year. The Crown Prince had been enjoying life much more than before.

The bureaucrats always presumed that the Crown Prince had it easy, and the Second Prince presumably didn't feel quite so comfortable. But at the city gates, when the onlookers saw the Second Prince preparing to welcome the Great Prince back to the capital, they had seen nothing out of place on the elegant nobleman's face, and instead, the young boy beside him had drawn greater attention.

This was the youngest son of His Majesty the Emperor. The Emperor had sired four sons in total, and since the Crown Prince was not given a number, this one was the Third Prince, who had been raised deep inside the palace. This year, he had just turned nine years old. Now that the Great Prince had returned to the capital from his military expedition, the Emperor had ordered that all the princes in the capital go out to greet him, showing him the appropriate respect. At the same time, he had allowed the young prince, who had never appeared before the court councilors, the opportunity to make his first formal appearance.

Taking the little prince's hand, the Second Prince bowed to the Great Prince. The Great Prince seemed to be on good terms with the Second Prince, coming forth and taking him in a bear hug, then tousling the little boy's hair and speaking casually. "How did you get so tall?"

The young boy giggled, showing his real personality. "I'll be as tall as you some day," he replied, "and I'll go and fight the barbarians."

The mother of the young prince was the sister of Lady Liu of Fan Manor. In a roundabout way, he was somewhat related to Fan Xian. But looking at the youthful young prince's innocent smile, Fan Xian's heart skipped a beat. He could see a certain self-possession in that smile that was incongruous with his age, and he couldn't help but give a slight smile himself. The young prince had started out by pretending to be innocent and bashful, and he had dared to play such a game in front of Fan Xian, naively attempting to win him over with his charms.

The Second Prince also knew what had happened previously. He forced a smile as he spoke with Fan Xian. "I say, brother-in-law, when will you stop causing so much trouble? I imagine all the officials in the capital will thank Heaven when that day comes."

Fan Xian's smile was even more pained. "In truth it was the Princess of Northern Qi's idea. As a mere official, I would never be so bold."

The Crown Prince frowned almost imperceptibly; he seemed unhappy with Fan Xian's conversation with the Second Prince. "Brother, the ceremony has not yet finished. Behave in a manner that befits your position."

His words were a little unreasonable. Previously, the Crown Prince had been happy to address Fan Xian warmly as "brother-in-law", and yet he was not willing to permit the Second Prince to do the same. The Second Prince's face stayed the same as ever. He chuckled in response and whispered something into Fan Xian's ear. "Before the civil service exams, I asked you to go home and ask Chen'er how she would address me. Did you ask or not?"

Fan Xian thought back to that time, then shook his head and smiled. "As Your Majesty knows, something happened during the civil service exams, and I forgot. I shall return today and ask her."

The Second Prince smiled and said nothing more. Taking his little brother's hand, he followed the Great Prince and the Crown Prince before him and walked toward the city gate. Although the two men's conversation was quiet, it still reached the Great Prince's ears. The Great Prince, who had spent the year fighting in a different part of the country, couldn't help but feel suspicious. Although he knew of Fan Xian's reputation, he had not been in the capital, so he didn't know what kind of power Fan Xian held. He was stunned to discover that both the Second Prince and the Crown Prince were conciliatory toward him in speech. It seemed that they feared that the officials present did not know of their close relationships with Fan Xian.

A mere official, and yet he was looked upon so fondly by both sons of the Emperor that they were willing to put rank aside. The Great Prince couldn't help but frown unhappily.

Fan Xian was thinking about other things. He saw that the four princes - three grown, one only a child - were all adorned differently. They all wore yellow silk robes, and walked toward the pitch-dark city gate somewhat absent-mindedly. Would the day come when he stood between these four princes?

Autumn in the capital was indescribably beautiful. The pale white clouds hung high in the sky. The yellowing leaves drooped over the edges of the houses, lingering, unwilling to fall into the water. The canals along the side of the street were somewhat quiet, and at the end of the long road, in the distance, a corner of the eaves of the palace jutted out, imposing against the clear blue sky.

The Great Prince's convoy had already departed in a huff, and the diplomatic mission's convoy was taking pains to keep their speed down. Accompanied by an official from Honglu Temple, they made their way toward the palace. Since they had already entered the capital, Fan Xian was no longer quite so nervous. In any case, he couldn't return home straight away; he had to make his report at the palace. So he finally had a little spare time to admire the scenery around him. He had only stayed in the capital for less than a year, so he wasn't nearly as familiar with it as he was with Danzhou, but for some reason, the moment he entered the city, saw the houses all around him, and smelled the city's unique scent, he felt a certain spiritual refreshment.

"You are anxious to return to the capital. Presumably there is business to attend to at home." From the carriage to his side came the meek voice of the Princess of Northern Qi.

Fan Xian smiled slightly but did not reply. He knew full well that she was taking pains to make friends with this seemingly ordinary official who was in fact particularly important. But they had already talked plenty on their way back to the capital. Now that they were entering the city, there were eyes and ears everywhere, and it was best to avoid any further incident at this final stage. Besides, he knew that she was right, and yet he had no idea how to respond.

The House of Fan were now greatly favored within the city. Peace reigned in their household. Nobody around him could understand why he was so anxious. He urged his horse onward, trotting forward until he came to the side of Yan Bingyun's carriage. "If you don't want to cause me any more trouble," he said in a low voice, "you need to take her away."

Sitting inside the carriage, Yan Bingyun shook his head. He surveyed the results of his work, but still kept the same familiar expression that he always did. He couldn't understand when Fan Xian had taken up matchmaking as a hobby. He sighed as he broached the subject. "Trying to jostle for entry into the city was not a wise move. The Overwatch Council has always remained neutral in struggles between the princes. You once said that you must verify everything that you hear. Both the Crown Prince and the Second Prince were awaiting your arrival. Since that is the case, then in order to remain neutral, you should not have provoked the Great Prince. It goes against the objectives of the Council."

Fan Xian was silent. He knew that Yan Bingyun was right, and that as an official of the Kingdom of Qing – particularly as a commissioner of the Overwatch Council – he should not have such dealings with the princes. Since he had to associate with them, he had to treat them all equally, so as not to have the palace suspect that the Overwatch Council could not be impartial in their dealings with them.

But he wasn't happy about it, because he knew that his status was not simply that of an official - having a degree of partiality toward one of the princes could at most make the Emperor suspect that he was making plans for his own future power and riches, and that his loyalty was not comparable to that of Chen Pingping. But if he were to remain truly neutral, making use of money and power in his occupation, then perhaps it would make the Emperor suspect... that he was not resigned to merely being an official.

This was Fan Xian's biggest secret fear.

The convoy travelled down Xingdao Lane, no longer needing the city's bailiffs to maintain order because it had already come to a relatively quiet area of offices and housing for officials. Naturally, there were no longer so many commoners lining the sides of the street. At that moment, a carriage in the convoy peeled away from the group, quietly making its way down a side alley where one could faintly see people waiting to meet it.

Although it was silent, the officials could see it clearly. They knew that the diplomatic mission was composed of numerous complicated parts. They presumed it was a matter for the Overwatch Council, and looking at Commissioner Fan's rather solemn face, no one dared to ask about it.

Naturally, Fan Xian had a serious expression because he was about to enter the palace. Its red walls appeared before him.

A group of diplomatic mission members waited outside the palace gates to give their reports. The Emperor's power was imposing, and no one dared to look as if they were relaxing. Instead, they constantly rushed around, tiring themselves out. After waiting for a long time, the order had yet to arrive. The gathered officials felt rather uneasy. But they had gone to Northern Qi in order to sort out carving up territory for the royal court, and Fan Xian had brought them honor in the royal court of the north. The carriage looked old and of little value, but they presumed that His Majesty would be happy to see them - how could he leave people such as themselves outside?

The official from the Ministry of Rites who was waiting outside the palace gates also began to gradually feel somewhat ill at ease. Ren Shao'an whispered something into Fan Xian's ear. "I imagine His Majesty is meeting with the Great Prince. As officials, all we can do is wait."

Fan Xian smiled, and said nothing. The Princess of Northern Qi's carriage had already been ushered inside by the palace eunuchs. The most important issues had been more or less dealt with. But he had guessed why the members of the diplomatic mission were being left outside.

The imperial guards glared coldly at the officials, whose nervousness was clearly showing. The guards' expressions did not change, and the eunuchs standing outside the palace gates did not look directly at them.

But Fan Xian's status was different from the others. He was still a prince consort of the palace, and a particularly well-favored one, as well as a high-ranking official of the Overwatch Council. This diplomatic mission would no doubt lead to further plaudits being bestowed upon him, so a eunuch had already brought him a round stool and invited him to rest there for a while.

Fan Xian was somewhat stunned. "Is this the custom?" he asked.

As he was speaking, the head eunuch came up to him, helping him onto the stool, and said to him with a flattering tone of voice, "Master Fan, His Majesty has missed you dearly. It is only right that you rest upon this stool a while after making such a journey."

"Oh, Eunuch Hou, how did you get here?" Fan Xian feigned amazement. The eunuch who stood before him was the one who he had seen when he accompanied Lady Liu and Ruoruo to the palace for the first time. He knew that he was on good terms with the Fan family, so his expression was an amiable one, and the eunuch had addressed him respectfully, wanting to maintain this mood of friendliness.

Fan Xian smiled in response. "I have come from afar, but it seems my path is blocked. There will be no honors bestowed upon me today."

Eunuch Hou snickered. "Everyone knows that everything you touch turns to gold," he whispered to Fan Xian. "And what's more, you've even more gold coming in your future." The old servant was ready for a chat, but he heard the palace gate creak open. A eunuch rushed out to convey His Majesty's order. Fan Xian immediately moved away from the stool and kneeled alongside the crowd of officials at the palace gate.

To his surprise, the Emperor had indeed issued a rebuke to Fan Xian for relying solely on his talent, being inobservant, reckless, and so forth... He also said that the day's events had left him tired, and that Fan Xian was to return to the palace to give his report tomorrow. Count Sinan would discipline him appropriately, and his reprimand would be severe. Finally, the diplomatic mission was to be commended nevertheless, with a formal message of praise to be sent in the days to come.

The officials looked at each other in dismay. They had not expected for the diplomatic mission to be treated this way on their first day back in the capital. They couldn't help but sigh dejectedly. But some of the more cunning officials looked at Fan Xian. His heart beat like a drum, he had been thoroughly rebuked by His Majesty, but in the end, nothing had been done; Count Sinan was merely to discipline him later. It seemed that Fan Xian was indeed a favorite of the Emperor.

Fan Xian kowtowed in acceptance of the order. He looked somewhat embarrassed, but he was in fact rather pleased. He stood up, patted his buttocks, and turned around to see an old friend. It was Gong Dian, commander of the Imperial Guard. Gong Dian caught sight of the look of appreciation on Fan Xian's face and was getting ready to chat with him. To his surprise, Fan Xian cupped his hands and bowed somewhat grudgingly, made an apology, then leapt up onto his horse, pressing his legs together, cracking his horsewhip, and galloping away from the grand plaza outside the palace walls, leaving behind a cloud of dust and nothing else.

Gong Dian was stunned. He and his subordinate guards stared blankly at the cloud of dust in the distance. Although he hadn't been expressly told not to leave the palace, Fan Xian was perhaps the first official to have made such a swift getaway.

Autumn had yet to fully arrive. Fan Xian's business with the Council had been sorted, and Gao Da and the other Tiger Guards had all been relieved of their duties. He galloped along the long street with the wind through his hair, and a little while later, he finally arrived in the south of the city. The sound of his horse's hooves echoed off the stone lions at the entrance to Fan Manor.

It was already dark. The lanterns had been lit outside the various mansions of the wealthy nobles who lived along the street. They were not particularly bright; only the ones outside Fan Manor blazed brightly. The main gate opened, and the guards standing outside the entrance turned their heads to look. Inside, Lady Liu had gone about her parental duties, ordering the serving-girls to make tea in anticipation of Fan Xian's arrival.

The news of the diplomatic mission's arrival on the outskirts of the city had long since reached Fan Manor. They thought it best to stand on ceremony. They had squandered two days before finally being able to enter the city, but the young lady of the manor still said the same thing: "He will arrive today." Everyone knew that Master Fan and Miss Lin were no ordinary people. Since she had said Fan Xian would arrive today, he would. So they all waited, exhausted.

They were still unaware of the news of his struggle with the Great Prince. Otherwise, they would undoubtedly have been rather worried.

"He's here, he's here." The sharp-eyed servants saw him approach on horseback in the distance, and they rushed out to the stone steps, forming two lines.

With a stomping of hooves, Fan Xian brought his horse to a halt and vaulted down from it. He launched a soft kick at Teng Zijing's buttocks as he waited to help him from the stirrups. "You've broken your leg," he said, scolding him with a laugh. "You don't need to take after the servants."

"Welcome back, young master," called the two lines of servants.

Fan Xian smiled and said nothing. He climbed up two stone steps, taking a hot towel from a servant girl to wipe his face, and then took a sip from a warm cup of tea that he had been offered. He knew that this was a necessary formality, and he didn't think too much about it. Seeing all the familiar faces of the servants and maids made him feel quite happy. Even Lady Liu's smile as she stood by the doorway appeared different from days gone past. It was more sincere than before.

"Your father is in his study," said Lady Liu, taking the towel from his hand.

Fan Xian nodded, then suddenly frowned and shook his head. "Step..." he couldn't bring himself to say the word "mother". He smiled. "I shall visit Ruoruo and Wan'er first, and then I shall visit Father."

Lady Liu knew that she could not control the young man with notions of filial piety, and so she had no other choice but to nod her head.

Fan Xian entered the mansion door, but the ruddy-faced fatty was the first to greet him. He couldn't help but turn pale with fright, thinking of how he had not seen him in months, and now the young bookkeeping child prodigy had grown as robust as an iron tower. Yet he did not enquire after him, and simply yelled at him: "We need to go over the accounts! There are things I need to do!"

Fan Sizhe was stunned. He took a step back and scolded him. "You seem in a good mood today. If you are going to ignore me, then I don't feel like discussing matters of accounting with you when you won't understand them anyway."

Fan Xian was also stunned. He chuckled. For some reason, he thought about the four princes that he had met outside the city gates. He took something out of his breast pocket and gave it to Sizhe, chiding him with a smile. "Accounting? It's all meaningless to me. You should go enjoy yourself. We're grown men; don't give me all this just because we've not seen each other in so long."

"It's not like I feel like playing games with you anyway," Fan Sizhe grumbled to himself, but as he stared blankly at Fan Xian as he entered the rear of the house, he felt a slight uneasiness.

After Fan Xian had gotten married, he had gotten his own house at the back of Fan Manor. The buildings were connected, so it was one residence with two houses. He was fond of his sister, and Wan'er and Ruoruo also got on well, so Ruoruo spent much of her time in their house.

On the day that Fan Xian returned home, his father was, naturally, in his study. But strangely, Wan'er and Ruoruo had not come out to greet him. This was rather odd. It made Fan Xian walk that much faster, and the servant girl beside him was unable to keep up. "The young lady is still here, as is the mistress," she said, panting for breath.

Fan Xian frowned. The servant girl's words sounded rather ominous. He didn't know who had taught her.

He gently pushed the door of his bedchamber only to find that it had been locked from the inside. Fan Xian was surprised. Unsure what to say, he called out, but nobody answered. He was somewhat puzzled, and knocked harder on the door. If it weren't for his respect for his wife, he would have already knocked the door down. A moment later, the servant-girl Sisi's uneasy voice came from inside the room. "Master, the mistress is sleeping. Please don't knock."

Fan Xian's frown deepened. He wasn't sure what had happened. He had travelled a thousand miles, and yet Wan'er had closed the door, unwilling to see him.

He saw the dim lamplight coming from inside the door. He said nothing, and waving his sleeves, he walked into another room. This time he did not knock, but simply pushed the door open and entered. The young woman in the room was frightened. She stood up, and after seeing Fan Xian come into the room, the look of indifferent vigilance on her face gradually dissolved. There was a look of genuine happiness in her eyes. She kneeled down and spoke in a quiet, joyful voice. "Brother, you're back."

Fan Xian looked at Ruoruo, and his previous unhappiness completely vanished. He smiled warmly. "I'm back, aren't you glad to see me?"

Fan Ruoruo smiled and approached him, taking his sleeve and leading him to a chair. "It's not been that long," she said. "Did you want me to hoot and holler? Would that make you happy?"

Fan Xian could only shake his head. "You've always been so calm and collected. I couldn't bear to see that change."

Fan Ruoruo laughed. "If I change, am I still Ruoruo?" she replied. She picked up a teacup as she spoke and carefully handed it to her brother.

Fan Xian took it but did not immediately drink from it. Instead, he looked at his sister's not-particularly-beautiful, but completely relaxed face. For a moment, there was a strange silence in the room, as the two siblings, both thoroughly patient people, waited for the other to speak.

In the end, Fan Xian sighed, moved by his feelings toward his sister. "Why bother with this? It's best to wait for my return before sorting things out."

There was a momentary sadness in Ruoruo's eyes. She knew her brother had already seen through her plans. "I intended to wait until you came back so I could see you, so it was delayed until today."

Fan Xian stood up, walked over to her bed, and pulled out a package from underneath. From the wardrobe behind the bed, he pulled out an unremarkable-looking box, and emptied it out onto the table. A few banknotes fell out, along with a few beaded hairpins and some silver coins which clanked as they hit its surface. He frowned and looked at the objects on the table. "Leaving home and taking all this stuff with you... It's nowhere near enough."

Fan Ruoruo was silent for a moment, then withdrew a dagger from her sleeve.

Fan Xian was angry, pleased, and heartbroken all at once. He looked at his sister. "You are a young woman with money. What do you know of the hardships of this world? Even if you don't want to get married, did you not think of the worry it would cause father, running away so hastily like this? Or me? Did you not think about how I would feel?"

Fan Ruoruo lowered her head, her hands grasping the corners of her sleeves. She was silent for a long while before she finally spoke. "When has father ever truly cared for me? And as for you... have you forgotten? Ever since I was a child, you taught me that I should make my own destiny, especially when it comes to marriage. That I shouldn't just go along with what my family arranges."

Fan Xian was struck dumb. In this world, the young women of noble families never even had thoughts of challenging the norm, let alone putting it into practice. Had his sister dared to bravely, impulsively run away because of the tales he had told her in her youth? Was it the morals of those stories - like the story of Cousin Mei - that had awakened her awareness as a woman? [1]

Uneasily, he tapped at the table, unsure what effect his past actions might have had on his sister. After all, this world was entirely different from that world, as were the ways of thinking. Perhaps the dagger might hurt him. He suddenly raised his head. "But it might not all be that bad," he said gently. "You've never met Hongcheng. How do you know that your marriage will be an unhappy one?"

Fan Ruoruo kept her head lowered, but her tone remained guarded. "I've known the Crown Prince since I was young. I know what he's like. I don't like him."

If anyone else had heard what she said, it might have scared them half to death - the young lady of the prestigious Fan family, outright stating what she thought of the matter. Fan Xian's head was swimming, but he still tried to ease her anxiety. "Nothing's set in stone. Just look at me and your sister-in-law. That was an arranged marriage, and now we're very happy together."

Fan Ruoruo suddenly looked up, a look of determined dedication in her eyes. "Xian, not everyone can be as lucky as you and Wan'er."

Fan Xian was stunned. This was the first time he'd seen disapproval in his sister's face. Ever since they were children, whenever Ruoruo looked at him, it was always with a sense of reverence and awe. This was the first time that Ruoruo had expressed opposition to him, and he couldn't help but feel shocked at how much his sister had changed.

After a long silence, Fan Xian's stiff facial expression softened, and finally he began to laugh. It was a bright, happy laugh that wasn't faked in the slightest. He felt a sense of satisfaction - the silly little girl he'd once known had finally grown up, and at last learned how to stick to her own point of view.

"Ruoruo, do you trust me?" Fan Xian smiled at her with a look of encouragement.

Fan Ruoruo hesitated for a moment, then gave the same quiet and content smile that she'd given in those days, nodding her head.

Fan Xian looked at the items on the table and shook his head with a smile. "Since you trust me, don't mess about. I'll arrange things properly."

Ever since she had learned of her impending marriage in the palace, Fan Ruoruo had sunk into silence. She knew that her own feelings were very much rebelling against custom, and that disobeying a royal order could have dire consequences. But ever since she was young, her brother had taught her with his stories. He had planted a seed in her spirit, and although it looked weak, it was the seed of strong-willed freedom. But she could never talk of such ideas to anyone. Deep in her heart, she feared that even her brother, who she trusted more than anyone in the world, would oppose her decision.

Hearing Fan Xian's promise, the uneasiness that Fan Ruoruo had felt for the past month faded with the autumn breeze, and instantly disappeared. Her high-strung nerves that had been building up for the past month suddenly relaxed. Her brother had come back, and he would take care of things for her.

Some months had passed since the two siblings had parted, and naturally there were things to discuss. But Fan Ruoruo looked at him somewhat oddly. If her brother wasn't speaking with their father in the study, then surely he should be with his wife. Why would he run to her room? As she thought about it, she couldn't help but stifle a laugh. "Xian, when you were advising me before, you said that you and Wan'er were an arranged marriage but now you're happy. Yet currently you are distressed. Why?"

Fan Xian's heart skipped a beat. His sister and Wan'er were good friends, so of course she would know why Wan'er had shut her door and refused to come out. "What happened?" he asked nervously.

Fan Ruoruo gave a rarely-seen mischievous smile. "I can't help you with that. You'd best go see her yourself."

Fan Xian frowned. He was in the right; what did he need to see her about? As he pondered, he heard the voice of a servant girl. "Master, the mistress has awoken."

Fan Xian shook his head. He knew his wife had a short temper, but Wan'er had always been a graceful and agreeable woman. How could she not take things seriously? She knew he had had an exhausting journey home. If she didn't come to greet him, then fine. But how could she close the door on him?

As he thought about it while he walked toward the bedroom, he began to feel somewhat angry. But when he crossed the threshold of the door and heard a verse come from the room, the anger disappeared immediately, and was replaced by a look of wonder.

The voice was clear and sweet. It wasn't Lin Wan'er's, but someone else's. And the verse sounded extremely familiar.

"Does she not know? Does she not know? Their green leaves should be blooming, the red flowers withered away."

Fan Xian looked embarrassed. The poem by Li Qingzhao that he had used to get one over on Haitang was only known to the Emperor and the Empress Dowager of Northern Qi, and himself and Haitang. How could it have made its way south?

[1] Cousin Mei is a character in Ba Jin's novel The Family. She marries, becomes a widow, falls ill, and dies. The Family is a criticism of the Chinese feudal system.