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Chapter 308: The Candlelight Surgery

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

Fan Xian was lying on the bed with a haggard look on his face. As soon as he heard her words, he rejected her proposal immediately. This was partially due to the fact that he wasn't confident in her stitching proficiency, and he didn't want his soft, gentle and weak sister to see a gaping cavity in his chest and then actually touch it.

"Wan'er, you should leave." Fan Xian, with a dry voice, continued by saying, "Bring my little sister, as well."

Wan'er did not say anything. She just shook her head lightly. Fan Ruoruo, however, insisted by saying, "My hands are the most steady."

Hearing Lady Fan say something in such confidence, everyone in the room, the Third Bureau leader included, was surprised.

Fan Xian looked at her. He saw this lady, who had so far led a plain and ordinary life, was starting to beam with self-confidence. His heart jumped, and although his thoughts could not be guessed, a smile crossed his pale face. "It will be a disgusting sight to see, and you are my relative. Under ordinary circumstances, I would not select you for this operation, but if you are insisting in the way that you are, then you can stay."

Having said this, Fan Xian's spirits were fatigued once again. This talk was enough for Wan'er to begin shaking her head over, continuing to remain speechless.

A silence creeped into the room. The candle illuminated Fan Xian's cheeks, but the brightness was quite strange. With a strained laugh, he spoke, "What are you guys waiting for? This is but a minor surgery."

The Third Bureau had brought with them a box at the request of Fan Xian. The box and its tools were created by Fei Jie, but where did he learn to make them? Aside from Fan Xian himself, nobody knew. But right now, Fan Xian had to be his own director of surgery. Following his instructions, the people who stayed in Guang Xin began working busily.

The palace itself was decorated luxuriously, and it remained lit by an abundance of candles. The group elected to gather as many of them together as they could and have their light focus on the bed to shine upon Fan Xian's chest as best as possible.

The eunuchs were also busy, hurrying to and fro. They boiled large amounts of water and disinfected their tools as best they could. To keep the area as sanitary as possible, they bid everyone in the palace wash their hands. Ruoruo leaned towards Fan Xian so she could clearly hear and understand the instructions her brother was to give her, including the caution she should heed and pitfalls she had to avoid while operating. There was no doubt that it was the Third Bureau's leader who was the best anesthetist present. The eunuchs quickly became the diligent nurses.

The royal doctors, however, had become third-year medical students as they looked on at the others performing their tasks ardently. They could do nothing while they watched an operation procedure unfold, one which resembled surgery from Fan Xian's prior world.

This is not a gynecological examination. Fan Xian thought this to himself. He also cancelled his prior idea of having the doctors removed from the room. And in regards to the disinfection and eradication of bacteria? Forget it. Their palace did not possess the ability.

Ding!

The sound of struck metal reverberated throughout the now-quiet Guang Xin palace. Fan Ruoruo was nervous, but she nodded to her big brother to gesture that she was ready to begin.

Lin Wan'er was worried, and she looked back at her sister-in-law. She took a clump of cotton that was as white as virgin snow, and used it to wipe the sweat from the Fan Xian's forehead.

Fan Xian smiled with difficulty. "My lady, you should go wipe the surgeon's sweat."

The Third Bureau's leader, without thinking, went to feed Fan Xian anesthesia. When the scent reached his nose, he shut his lips tight as a demonstration of his refusal to accept it. He then said, "The strychnos is too strong; I will pass out."

The Third Bureau's leader replied, "what are we supposed to do if you aren't unconscious? What if you move when you feel pain?"

Fan Xian did not have the strength of Guan Yu, but right now, he was the only one who knew how to perform this surgery. As a result, he did not want to go unconscious and place his life purely in the hands of his sister. With great difficulty, he said, "Use chloroform. Just a little bit."

The Third Bureau's leader then quickly remembered this form of anesthetic. In the springtime, he recommended this chemical to Fan Xian. He made use of it in the north and in the south, but the Third Bureau's leader himself rarely did. He returned to the corner of the room and searched for it. He found a little brown bottle of the stuff and happily walked back. He opened the cap and waved it under Fan Xian's nose gently.

A sweet fragrance commanded Fan Xian's nose, and it wasn't a while before the drugs began to kick into effect.

Although his vision did not blur, his view was distorted. He was beginning to see double. One image he saw depicted his sister holding pliers as she looked back at him. In another image, he saw a pretty nurse from a magical place called a hospital that had treated him many, many years ago.

His mind was stronger than most people in the place. He immediately knew that he was witnessing an illusion. The real image and the imaginary image began to slowly combine, not providing him much time to savor the moment.

"Begin. Quickly!" He squinted his eyes. "If Ruoruo is unable to see this through, you should take over."

His courage was immense, and it seemed as if he was using his own life as a way to bolster Ruoruo's confidence. Under the effect of chloroform, his mind could quite easily fly away from this makeshift operation room in the palace and forget that the patient of this operation was none other than himself.

Fan Xian had used chloroform to deal with Xiao En, Yan Bingyun and the second prince previously. Today, it was his turn.

He turned his head to look at Wan'er's pale, snow-white face. Her eyes looked even more beautiful after being slightly swollen. He then looked at his little sister, who was staring into his chest, and all of a sudden, he smiled. He was thinking; in the future, if he could get his wife and little sister to wear a pink nurse's uniform and squeeze in a brief peek, it would be a scene to remember.

When a person is almost unconscious, their truths often surface.

The people outside of Guang Xin palace waited anxiously. They already knew that Fan Xian had woken up and had already wanted to utilise his own methods to remedy his grievous wounds. The Qing Kingdom's people had long since gotten used to Fan Xian's surprises; like the 3,000 poems, tricking Haitang, the spring exam, the First Bureau and soft tofu. But everyone was concerned with his terrible injuries and desire to fix himself - could he truly pull himself away from the clutch of death?

The Emperor, who was resting in the royal study room, was apparently extra caring toward this young chancellor. With news of this development, he quickly embarked a carriage to return to the Guang Xin palace. He saw everyone who was quietly gathered outside it. From the room Fan Xian was in, he could hear the low voices and repeated clunking of metal and couldn't help but furrow his eyebrows. It reminded him of a time, many years ago in the northern battlefields, when he watched a scene unfold in quite a similar way.

"What is it?"

King Jing bowed before the Emperor with a worried expression. He told him, "The royal doctors could not help, but the Third Bureau's people had no problem eliminating the toxins in his body. The wound created by the blade cut too deep, however."

The Emperor smiled and said, "With the precious items she left, this should be no large concern."

King Jing looked surprised when he heard this response, but he stayed quiet and made no reply. He lined up behind the Emperor, where the anger and sadness in his eyes faded to blankness.

…

…

It was a long while later when the gate of the Guang Xin palace opened again. Ye Gui Pin cared little for her status, and so she pulled the third prince to look in the direction of the palace. She nervously asked, "What is happening?"

All that answered her was the sound of puking.

It was a eunuch who came out, delivering tools from the palace. He was the first person to have left since the gathering, and so he became the focus of everyone's attention. But hearing what Ye Gui Pin asked, he could not answer anything. His face was pale and discolored, as if he had just experienced something awful. He held the rail and threw up.

Eunuch Yao yelled, "You little bastard! How can you throw up!?" Before he finished yelling, another person came out to join-in with the hurling eunuch. This person was a royal doctor.

In this peaceful world, the young eunuchs spend their life growing up in the palace. They may witness the occasional lashing, but the sight they had seen tonight was wholly foreign to them. They had never seen such violence. The red, green and white colors; what were those? Do those horrible, squishy mounds of meat truly compose the human body? The Fan's lady was amazing, with how she fearlessly went to touch it.

The young royal doctor had studied in the medical field for many years, but he had only ever observed his patients. The grossest thing he had ever seen was the sight of an infected tongue or the effects of a sexual disease under one's arms. But tonight, he saw a person with scissors cutting flesh and needles to stitch up the exposed what was exposed.

After a while, the royal doctors, who had become students on this night, all exited the Guang Xin palace in solemn silence. They did not bear happy expressions. Although most of them were able to maintain composure, they were each shocked on the inside.

The Emperor observed their face and knew that Fan Xian was alright. Still, he had to ask them, "How is everything? Are things okay?"

The royal doctor who had previously been slapped by King Jing was the victim of curiosity earlier. Unable to temper his inquisitiveness, he went inside to observe what was going on there. Now coming out again to hear the Emperor ask this, his face was green and red. He shockingly responded, "My Lord, it is like magic."

King Jing heard these words and could not help but yell at him. "He asked you about Fan Xian's wellbeing, not your feelings!"

The royal doctor stood up straight with continued admiration in his thoughts of the surgery. His beard quivered and he said, "My Lord, I have been a doctor for a dozen years. I have heard rumors about this method of opening people up to fix an issue that plagued them on the inside… and today I saw it in action. There is no need for you to worry. His organs are all fixed and he has successfully been stitched up. He is alright. He lost a lot of blood, however, so he is weak and not currently conscious."

He did not dare to say that after Fan Xian's surgery, he could not withstand the fumes of the chloroform that was used and began blabbering nonsense during the actual surgery. The things that he had said included crude words used against the nobles and a subsequent plight to not allow the Emperor to hear of what he said. It was fortunate that near the surgery table, there was only him himself, his sister and wife at Fan Xian's bedside.

At this time, the people outside the Guang Xin palace continued to mull their desire for Fan Xian to pull through. When they heard the royal doctor promise the Emperor that he was going to be fine, everyone felt at ease.

The eldest prince showed a smile of relief and bowed before the Emperor. He no longer waited outside the palace, and instead returned to his manor. He did not want others to think that he cared too greatly for Fan Xian, nor did he want people to think that he was merely trying to figure out what the Emperor wanted. He simply did not want Fan Xian to die. When he heard of his survival, the eldest prince walked back chicly.

The Emperor waved his hand and signalled for Ye Gui Pin to bring the third prince, who was already exhausted, back to their palace. He raised his footsteps to enter the Guang Xin palace, with King Jing following from behind.

All of a sudden, a royal doctor jumped to bar the passage of these two people. With a wry smile, he told them, "Before Master Fan went unconscious, he said it would be best if people did not enter after the surgery to prevent…"

He furrowed his eyebrows to mull and recall the new word he had learned today. "...Infection?"

Fan Xian had asked this so that he could enjoy a few quiet hours to himself. The Emperor and King Jing were quite shocked. They accepted this, and then the royal doctor, with an empassioned look on his face, said, "My Lord, I think Master Fan's medical skills are quite brilliant. He should be working in the medical field as a royal doctor. He can fix everyone's sickness in the palace, he can teach students and cure civilians. His knowledge could be of great benefit to the kingdom over the next thousand years."

These words were a massive compliment to Fan Xian, and weren't selfish in the least. But it had been a tense evening. The Emperor could no longer hold his anger and yelled before King Jing, "He still didn't wake up yet? Why are you trying to steal him for yourself? Fan Xian is a smart man; he wouldn't dream of being caught up in your petty doctor business."

King Jing was no longer mad. Instead, he was laughing and he mumbled out, "Being a doctor has always been better than being a patient."

The officers from the Third Bureau now exited, and they bowed before the Emperor politely. After they received their compliments of gratitude from the Emperor, they looked fatigued. They then promptly departed the palace. In Guang Xin palace, aside from the few eunuchs and maids who were serving, there was only Fan Xian, Wan'er and Ruoruo left.

It hurt Lin Wan'er to see Fan Xian in such a position. She looked at her sister-in-law's pale face and she gently wiped the sweat that had gathered on her forehead. This is what Fan Xian had told her to do earlier. Fan Ruoruo's hands were steady throughout the entire procedure but now, after it was all done, her hands began to tremble. She knew that she had done an amazing thing, under the guidance of her big brother. Fan Xian's life had been saved. Her mind had now drawn a blank, and her legs became jelly; she almost fell on the floor.

Lin Wan'er was holding her, and she self-mockingly laughed. She had not yet said a single word, but the smile that she showed was plain to see. The "chickenheart lady" thought that everyone around Fan Xian was able to help him to some degree, but she herself could never do anything except sit and watch as events unfolded.

"Sister-in-law?" Fan Ruoruo had finally taken notice of Wan'er's profound silence. She caringly asked, "Are you okay?"

Lin Wan'er had been stared at for half a day by this little girl. She had no choice but to respond and with a forced, strained smile she replied, "I'm okay."

When she said these two words, she mumbled somewhat. Fan Ruoruo looked at her and realized that Wan'er's lips were stained with blood. In great shock, she prepared to call for a doctor.

Wan'er quickly held her mouth, afraid to wake up Fan Xian who was still under the effects of the chloroform. She spoke again, but not very clearly. She stuttered to say, "I… am okay… I just bit my tongue."

Fan Ruoruo froze and immediately understood what was happening. With warmth in her heart, she respected, loved and cherished her young sister-in-law more than anything. Earlier, when she was feeding Fan Xian's medicine, Wan'er did it rushedly. Her only concern was for Fan Xian, and when she chewed the medicine, she bit her tongue in the process. She only cared for the wellbeing of her husband, and because of this, she did not say anything until now.

The Guang Xin palace's white mantle had already been removed. It was now late, and the moon shone through the clouds, illuminating the world in silver. It was not unlike the mantle in the palace itself, back in the day. The people outside of the palace began to leave, but many eunuchs - who could deliver messages - and guards remained. Inside the palace, a few maids and eunuchs placed their head onto the comforting embrace of plush chairs to rest before they went to check on Fan Xian and see if anything had changed. There were a few maids on their night shift who extinguished candles that did not need to be lit.

The sisters sat on separate chairs quietly. They observed Fan Xian, who was in silent slumber under the dim candlelight of the room. Both of their faces displayed a look of appreciation.

Behind all the walls of the palace, Wu Zhu, who was dressed in ragged clothing, coldly looked in a certain direction to confirm the safety of someone who was special to him. Then, he disappeared into the dark woods.

A few days later, inside the palace, the place was quiet as usual. But today, the number of guards present had increased. The most famous patient in the capital was lying on a sofa talking.

"When can I go home?"

Fan Xian had a thin blanket draped over him as he lay on the sofa. Looking out towards the garden and the new berries that floundered earlier than usual, he thought it may have been because of his presence there. His face, however, looked annoyed.

The resources that the palace possessed were abundant. Swathes of costly medicine was produced here by the royal doctors, and it kept filling up his belly. With such amenities, one's well-being could not be hindered that long. And as for the services provided by the eunuchs and maids, they were considerably better than the ones in the Fan Manor. Even a simple view of the garden was considerably greater than any sight provided by the windows of his home. His wife and sister had also received permission to stay with him in the palace everyday, too. With the autumn sunlight shining, the cotton blanket that covered him and the beautiful women that accompanied him, it seemed as if there was no difference to him being in the Fan Manoe - save for the absence of a swing.

But still, he desired to return to Fan Manor, for that was his true home in the capital.

After experiencing the first surgery in the Qing Kingdom palace, because he had been training his body over the course of the past twenty years, his recovery came swiftly. His chest had not fully healed yet, but he could still lie down and comfortably observe the view. He felt that the zhenqi in his body was beginning to fade, though, and not an ounce of it had yet returned. His heart was chilled by this concept, and he had a fear in his heart.

Ruoruo had brewed congee in a bowl and used a spoon to feed him. Wan'er placed her hand inside his robes and carefully fixed the location of bag of fabric that was attached to his body. This was done at Fan Xian's request, in which fabric was used to dress the wound and then more added to tighten and maintain pressure on it. This was excellent for healing.

Fan Xian was having trouble swallowing his congee, and so he complained and said, "Eating congee everyday, my mouth is growing birds. I want to go home! I'm not requesting the food from the Bao Yue brothel, but even some juice from Auntie Liu would be better than this."

Lin Wan'er then said, "You have been awake for two days, and you are clearly talking a lot more. The Emperor gave you permission to remain in the palace and heal; what are you complaining for? And what does it mean for birds to grow in your mouth?"

Fan Ruoruo did not understand, either. She asked, "What birds?"

Fan Xian's annoyed expression did not change, and so he changed the subject by telling them, "I am not afraid of others whispering rotten words about me; I miss home, that's all."

Now that he was in the palace, he was unable to contact the Qinian Group. The Emperor had also issued an order to prevent him from working. Wan'er and Ruoruo had not exited the palace since their arrival, either. As for the eunuchs and maids? They were out of the subject. It had been a few days since the attempted assassination in the floating temple, and he had yet to learn a single thing. He could not even go and ask Chen Pinping for information about the shadow. His demeanor had grown uneasy and unhappy about the situation, but a foreboding sense of worry and dread is what concerned him the most.

Chapter 309: The Patient in the Plum Garden

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

The plum garden was behind Guang Xin palace. The environment there was very quiet. By going through Tianxin Tai, you would arrive at Yin Feng Ge; this was where Fan Xian was recovering. The Emperor had given him permission to stay in the palace while he healed, and the people in the palace all acknowledged that he had performed a great service for the royal family. But as a male chancellor, it was felt that his treatment was inappropriate. Fan Xian was well aware of this, so he just stayed in the plum garden. And in regards to the visitors who wished to see Fan Xian, he took advantage of the fact that he was ill as an excuse not to see them.

At this time, there was a noblewoman who looked as happy as she seemed clumsy. She was walking through Yin Feng Ge, and the way she appeared seemed to suggest that she was familiar with the place. She held the hand of a child, and a few maids of hers trailed behind her.

Fan Xian was surprised; it was who Yi Gui Pin. He did not say anything. Ever since Fan Xian had stayed at the palace, she had brought the third prince to sit in that place everyday. At first, it was because they were relatives, not to mention that Fan Xian had saved the third prince's life in the Floating Temple. She wanted to show her appreciation, and Fan Xian was not one to deny it. However, Fan Xian knew that her intentions weren't wholly pure and that she had an ulterior motive.

"Auntie, didn't I tell you that you did not have to come? Why are you even bringing stuff here?" Fan Xian was smiling as he said this.

In regards to appropriate mannerisms, he should have called her "lady". But ever since he first entered the palace last year, Yi Gui Pin had always enjoyed him calling her Auntie. She adored this sweet nickname, and Fan Xian was willing to oblige her. Today, the maids behind Yi Gui Pin were carrying a number of boxes; the contents of which weren't known to Fan Xian.

"It is a soup made from cordyceps." Yi Gui Pin and the two maids beside Fan Xian bowed. They did not behave like strangers to each other, and so they immediately presented a jar of the stuff. Yi Gui Pin then sat down next to Fan Xian and said, "This is not from the palace. It was formulated in your manor, and I was asked to deliver it to you."

Fan Xian made an "oh" sound in response. He then observed the maids who were pouring out the soup, noticing that one of them was quite familiar. With laughter he said, "Even Xing'er has come?"

Xing'er was the maid that guided him through the palace on his first ever visit to the place. She did not expect that Fan Xian would still remember her. Hearing his words, she blushed and with a high-pitched voice replied, "Yes."

This made everyone laugh. Yi Gui Pin, with a grand smile, then said, "You are badly injured. Even now, you still haven't forgotten about..."

All of a sudden, she regretted her suggestion. She hastily ended her sentence, held her mouth and smiled again. She was not that old, and Yi Gui Pin's personality was beautiful and pleasant. She was an easy person to get along with. She then turned to talk with Wan'er, and discuss the house with Ruoruo. It comforted them to know of how well the Fan Manor was being kept in their absence.

The third prince, who sat next to Yi Gui Pin, looked a lot more honest than he used to. He didn't look as cruel as he did back in the Bao Yue brothel. He looked down to the ground and with a face of sadness, remained silent. Only now and again would he raise his head to take a gander at the patient.

After what happened at the Floating Temple, the anger towards Fan Xian regarding the events of the Bao Yue brothel had all dispersed. Aside from his big cousin, it seemed to him as if no one else valued his life. This included his two brothers as well. There, they only looked to their father. Had Fan Xian not been there, he was afraid that his life was to be lost at the hands of the assassin.

For the eight-year-old kid, it did not matter how mature he was, he was still at the age that could only judge people through black and white values. People were either good or bad. The third prince looked at Fan Xian's pale face. He thought of Fan Xian covering him from the front in the Floating Temple, and through his reminiscing, admired Fan Xian and his courage a great deal. What he was feeling was could not be measured..

Wan'er looked at the third prince and asked, "Third Prince, why are you so quiet today?"

The third prince began laughing, and he said, "oh, nothing ails me, big sister."

Wan'er was even more confused, and so she said, "it seems as if you have completely changed."

Yi Gui Pin looked at her son and said, "if it wasn't for Fan Xian, this child would have lost his life. He was shocked a great deal, but it's better for him to be an honest boy."

Fan Xian was lying on the sofa. It was an inconvenience for him to turn his head, so he used the corner of his vision to observe the women who were chatting. He slowly drank the soup which had been produced from cordyceps, by Xing'er who was feeding him. When Xing'er brought back the bowl, she quickly rubbed his chest with her incredibly soft fingertips.

Fan Xian was surprised. He knew that this maid would not flirt or tease him, but he also knew that there was something Yi Gui Pin wished to tell him privately. So, he said, "Wan'er, could you go take the third prince for a walk in the garden? Ruoruo, you can accompany them."

They both looked at each other. They also knew that Fan Xian and Yi Gui Pin had something to discuss, so they stood up and brought the third prince with them to the garden. As he went, it looked as if he did not want to leave. They also brought the maids and eunuchs with them.

Inside Yin Feng Ge, only Fan Xian and Yi Gui Pin remained. Those two and Xing'er. The reason Xing'er stayed with them, was because Yi Gui Pin thought it to be inappropriate for the wife an Emperor to spend time alone with a young male chancellor.

Fan Xian was having difficulty turning his head, and so he looked at Xing'er.

Yi Gui Pin smiled and said, "she is just a maid I brought from my home. Do not worry."

"Auntie," Fan Xian was bearing a wry smile as he said this, "What is it? Must you really be this careful? I am heavily injured and have only been awake for two days."

Yi Gui Pin waved her handkerchief. With a smile, she responded, "If I did not come seek you out, would you have sought me out?"

These words were not playful. She calculated Fan Xian's desire to learn of what had been occuring outside the palace in his absence. In regards to the assassination in the Floating Temple, it was a little spooky. And the fear of it happening did not only concern the people of the palace; even the civilians were talking about it, and this was quite strange. At the dinner table, in various restaurants across the capital, people would repeatedly curse the assassin, all the while trying to guess his identity. Hundreds of people would provide hundreds of answers. Yi Gui Pin knew that the Emperor wanted Fan Xian to recover in peace, so he prevented him from attempting to do his own research into the matter. Yi Gui Pin, however, had decided to help him out in this regard.

"Aren't you afraid that the Emperor will punish you?" Fan Xian looked like he had a smile, yet did not have one.

"Now is the time." Yi Gui Pin said this straightforwardly, though corrected herself to laugh somewhat. She then said, "Aside from you, there is nobody else I can rely upon."

Fan Xian knew exactly what she meant. There were four wives with kids in the palace. The children that belonged to the Empress, Ning Cairen and Shu Guifei had already grown up to possess their own power. And this Yi Gui Pin before him, although she was a noble who had received support from the Fan Manor, bore the third prince, who was still too young.

After a time of silence had elapsed between them, he described to her what transpired in the Floating Temple.

Although she had already heard it once from her son, she was still brought terror when she heard it here again. Her hands were tightly holding onto the handkerchief in her possession, and it seemed as if she feared the prospect of another assassin hiding in the ranks of the guards of the palace, waiting for his moment to slay her son.

After she heard this, she angrily stated; "How is it possible for an assassin to be hidden within the guard!? The guards are each vouched for and given background checks to ensure a three-generation-long lineage of association with the palace before being accepted and put into service."

"I don't think the issue lies in..." Fan Xian now laughed, and then finished with, "Can I call him the third brother?"

"You are the elder brother, you can call him whatever you desire."

"I don't think they are intent on harming the third brother specifically." Fan Xian explained quietly. "Maybe the assassin would have slain the third brother as well, but it was the Emperor who was undoubtedly the primary target. You need not worry over his safety. Although the crown prince is worried about the power of the family, my and the second brother's relationship isn't very good. The third brother is still too young, so there is no need for him to become a target."

Saying these things in the palace was bold, and the person to speak such words would possess a fair amount of courage. Although Yin Feng Ge had no spies watching, Yi Gui Pin's face still warped nervously. She let out an unnatural laugh.

What she worried about the most was someone wanting to do harm to her son. But hearing what Fan Xian had just told her, she did not worry so much. She felt at ease. She then began reciting to Fan Xian the events that had transpired outside the palace. Fan Xian had no idea how the investigation was proceeding, but because Yi Gui Pin's family had spies outside the palace, she was able to gather a lot of accurate information. The intel she had gathered was pretty much irrefutable truth.

"Gong Dian has already been captured."

Fan Xian gave a slight "hum", but did not reveal the shock in his heart. Yi Gui Pin had used the word "capture". That meant the government had already confirmed his involvement. Still, it did not come as a surprise. As leader of the royal guard, and leader of the ordinary guard, he neglected his duties and was absent during the assassination attempt. Him being gone meant that, at the very least, his career would be buried so deep it would never see the sun again.

This is what interested Fan Xian the most; what was this clumsy leader doing the entire time the assassination was underway?

...

...

"He was in Jingnan, fourteen miles away in Luo Zhou. He said his presence there was at the adherence of orders given to him." Yi Gui Pin was talking with a confused look. Even though she was trying to downplay his crime as she spoke, she should not have said that he was following orders. If these words reached the Emperor's ears, it would be a grievous thing indeed.

"And in regards to what he was doing there, the Overwatch Council has been investigating for the past two days and have not found anything out."

Fan Xian took a deep breath and told her, "I know Gong Dian to be a supremely loyal person, but I did not know that he could be this stupid."

"Hm?"

Fan Xian shook his head and sighed. He then said, "If it was not the Emperor's idea for him to go work in Luo Zhou, then it must be that person. But the problem is, there was an ongoing assassination during his absence; how could he make that person the savior? Even though he was up there, the Emperor would not admit it. I am only afraid he will die all the quicker."

Yi Gui Pin was still struggling with Fan Xian's forthwithness and straight-to-the-point mannerisms of speech. With a wry smile, she responded, "… We should just ignore this matter."

"Correct. We do not have the qualifications to care." Fan Xian sighed before continuing. "The Ye family is going to suffer much misfortune. Has the assassin's identity been revealed yet?"

"The first assassin to fight was that nine-ranked elite who is dead." Yi Gui Pin's eyes looked frightened as she talked. "People say it was the assassin of the Xihu King, Zuo Xian, and that he had already been in the Qing Kingdom for fourteen years, spying and gathering intel."

"What does this have to do with Xihu?" Fan Xian asked. "How could people from Xihu have infiltrated the palace for so long? How has their presence gone unnoticed for so long?"

"These Hu people are powerful." Yi Gui Pin then took time to think of a way to organize and articulate how she would best explain this.

Fan Xian knew that the assassin who was killed by Eunuch Hong's hands was the heir of the "fake princess". While they made peace with the Qing Kingdom upon the country's founding many years ago, he had assumed and maintained his appearance as a person of this kingdom. That marriage was extremely famous. Because when Xihu was beaten by the Qing Kingdom, they sent a collective of peacemakers to the capital. Their request for peace, however, was rejected.

After that, the team of peacemakers returned to Xihu dishearteningly. No one would have expected that they left an elite in the capital, one who had remained in the shadows all this time, only to take action now.

"How could he mix in with the palace and become a guard? Who approved him?"

"The person who did that died a long a time ago." Yi Gui Pin furrowed her eyebrows and explained, "So, it became an undecided case. One without resolution."

In his heart, Fan Xian's curiosity was piqued. For this entire affair, he had finally obtained his first few clues.

Fan Xian said, "That young eunuch is still alive. With how the Overwatch Council does things, they should be able to investigate."

Yi Gui Pin nodded in correspondence. She then said, "They have investigated him quite thoroughly. That little eunuch is an heir of a sovereign who died amidst some chaos. Many people died during that time in the capital, about fifteen years ago. So, that sovereign's manor maid helped him escape. He had only just been born, you see. Coming from that family, he was therefore on the list, but he was somehow overlooked… that maid probably committed suicide. After this, the baby was raised by a farmer in the countryside. He was later castrated and brought into the palace."

"How could he conceal the dagger?" Fan Xian thought this was the real conundrum. A young eunuch like that wouldn't have been able to arrange something like this.

What Yi Gui Pin was to say next would turn Fan Xian's thoughts on their head. "For the past three years, he has had the duty of the brushing the top floor of the Floating Temple. He was just recently doing it before the flower event, so it is only natural that he would have hidden it during his time spent there. The Overwatch Council was already able to confirm who crafted the blade and when."

Fan Xian furrowed his eyebrows. The young eunuch was the victim of that bloody night, fifteen years ago. Fan Xian knew of this bloody night well, too. It was the night that the Emperor, Chen Pingping and his father avenged his mother's death. Back then, even the most famous sovereign was killed. No one knew of the true death toll that was incurred on that one evening in the capital. Even the Empress' family was killed, leaving her all alone in the palace. Who could know what was going through the eunuch's head?

Xihu and a sovereign… these people really did possess the correct motivation and courage to try take out the Emperor. The only perplexing angle concerned why they were cooperating in this sordid venture.

"Did the Ye family have any reaction?" Fan Xian asked, with gravity in his tone.

"What reaction could they be expected to have?" Yi Gui Pin was laughing as she spoke, shaking her head in tandem. "Ye Zhong sent eight documents in confession. He did not dare return to Cangzhou, and so he just stays in his manor. Even for the royal guards he owned, he had them sent to the capital government for employment there instead. He is being extremely cautious to see how the Emperor reacted."

"The Emperor?" Fan Xian then began laughing. "Let's see if this Yeliuyun returns to the capital."

Both of them thought to say something, but all of a sudden, noise erupted from the direction of the plum garden. The sounds then subsided, which had them start talking about something else instead. Fan Xian discussed the Bao Yue brothel, and apologized for the damage he had done to the Yi Gong family. Yi Gui Pin had represented the sovereign, and thanked him for the intimacy. She appreciated Fan Xian's willingness to teach the kids and end their downward spiral into wretchedness that would otherwise tarnish the title of sovereign.

They both had a nice chat before parting.

"What were you two talking about?" Wan'er saw Yi Gui Pin holding the third prince outside. She was curious and asked, "This woman has always been quite calm going about the palace. Why did she look so nervous today?"

Fan Xian laughed and said, "The kids are grown up. As a mother, how could you expect her to remain the same? Once we have a baby, you will understand."

Wan'er was shocked. She then thought of her belly, which had yet to feel any movement. But now that her husband was injured, there was nowhere further they could take this discussion. So, she forced a smile and changed the subject. She said, "How is it going outside the palace? Is it still a mess?"

Fan Xian wanted to tell Wan'er all of what Yi Gui Pin had told him. He saw that there was a eunuch and maid not too far away from them, so he said, "the wind is getting cold. Let us go inside."

They knew that there were some words that were inappropriate to speak in front of the servants, and so Wan'er and Ruoruo nodded. They then told the eunuchs to carry the sofa.

…

Back in the room, Fan Xian lay on the bed. He opened his eyes and observed the ceiling above. No one could guess what he was thinking. After a while, he spoke. "What do you think will happen to the Ye family?"

There was no one else in the room, so he did not have to care about what he may or may not say. In a straightforward manner, he said, "Gong Dian must have received an order, and that is why he was in Luozhou. This was most certainly not an idea of the Emperor. Otherwise, Gong Dian would have said it was a mistake. And the Emperor would not have been able to fix this."

His heart shivered. "This move sounds ridiculous, but it is quite effective. The Empress Dowager secretly asked Gong Dian to go Luozhou. As leader of the royal guard, he had no choice but to oblige. At the time this request was accepted, the plot to assassinate the Emperor had unraveled and was acted out. If he went on trial, and Gong Dian admitted that it was the Empress Dowager that gave him the secret order to depart the capital, that would mean he was telling the world that the Empress Dowager wanted to kill the Emperor. If Gong Dian didn't want his entire family killed, he had no choice but to swallow these words and accept whatever punishment awaited him."

Wan'er and Ruoruo were smart people. They did not think that the Empress Dowager did this. Wan'er made a sad face and said, "You mean, Gong Dian's passage to Luo Zhou was established by my grandmother and the Emperor?"

Fan Xian confirmed.

Ruoruo frowned sternly and asked, "Why would they do something like this?"

Fan Xian coldly laughed and responded, "Gong DIan is leader of the royal guard and he was a classmate of Ye Zhong. If he was unlucky this time, the Ye family would follow."

Wan'er worried about her good friend Ye Ling'er. She sighed and professed, "The Ye family has been loyal. Why would the Emperor want to…?"

Before her words were finished, the implication was understood. Fan Xian merely sighed and said, "If the Emperor wasn't doubting the Ye family's loyalty, of course he wouldn't choose to do this. But he now harbors some suspicion, so they can only put the Ye family to the side. At the very least, the important areas of the capital would not allow the brothers to act as guards. The key point is, the Ye's family had a grandmaster who only resided in the Qing Kingdom. As long as Yeliuyun is not dead, there will be no reason to move the Ye family."

"So, this is why they used the most embarrassing method to do this." Fan Xian sighed and continued, "Aren't they afraid of chilling the chancellor's heart?"

"But why would the Emperor doubt the Ye family?"

"It is simple." Fan Xian explained by saying, "The Emperor wants the second prince to marry Ye Ling'er. If Ye Zhong could get the right timing, he could reject the marriage. There would then be no fear of a cancellation of this marriage. He should just quit his job being a capital guard as soon as possible, though not totally retire, mind you. The Emperor would feel safer if he moved to the border."

"He didn't do any of this. So…"

Wan'er and Ruoruo nodded. Ruoruo couldn't help but say, "There are lots of twists and turns to this tale."

"When I was in the northern Qi kingdom, I surmised that there may come a day like this." Fan Xian proceeded to say, "I just never guessed that the Emperor may take advantage of such a cheap tactic."

All of a sudden, Wan'er said, "It seems as if this assassination in the Floating Temple was expected by the Emperor."

Fan Xian looked at her and nodded. He told her, "I just didn't know that everything was planned. I was just thinking that perhaps the Emperor only planned the interference of one of them."

Wan'er looked into his eyes and responded, "The Emperor never wanted to take big risks. I would say that the fire that started was the most he would do."

The wife and husband then stared at each other for a long while, both in silence. They both seemed afraid. If the fire in the Floating Temple was arranged by the Emperor, then for the attacks that followed, who set those up?

Fan Xian slowly closed his eyes and said, "The arrangement for the assassins' assault were too well-done. It was perfect enough for me not to believe it. This must have been devised by an organization. Perhaps the collective efforts of many."

"It was just a coincidence." Fan Xian then continued to say, "it was probably the cloaked assassin of the palace who was hiding just a few miles away. All of a sudden, there was panic due to the starting of the fire. This was his opportunity to strike, or so he thought. So, all the day's events weren't planned and organized all in one. They just happened to occur at the same time."

Towards the close of his dialogue, he told himself, "Obviously, this was something that was not planned and brought about a great deal of damage. It was beyond the Emperor's expectations completely."

Inside this gloomy building, which was not a great distance from the palace, Chen Pinping was sitting in his wheelchair. He did not say anything, nor did the other seven leaders who were with him. None of them knew what to say. An assassination of the Emperor was attempted; aside from the royal guard, who else might be held responsible for letting this happen? The Overwatch Council would have to suffer because of this as well.

If it was not for the commissioner who was lying in the palace recovering right now, the entire situation could undoubtedly be resolved. The Overwatch Council was currently facing the fate of the Ye family, and they were just waiting for the palace to punish them. Yan Bingyun, who had officially become the Fourth Bureau's leader, finally broke the silence in the room. He coldly spoke out, "The assassin who was from Xihu who hid within the guard, the young eunuch from that bloody night fifteen years ago, and the legendary Si Gujian's brother; these few people are not compatible. They could not have come together to do what was done. We still haven't found out who started the fire either. A lot of our intel points to the northern Qi kingdom's Brocade Guard being in a bit of a mess. They wouldn't have found the time to arrange this. Dong Yi City does not seem to have played a hand in this as well."

The Sixth Bureau's leader coldly said, "Si Gujian's brother is just a legend. Nobody knows if this person truly exists."

The Second Bureau of the Overwatch Council was in charge of analyzing details. The leader felt guilty and profoundly sorrowful. He said, "there is no further intel to relay. This is my own shortcoming. But I think that to arrange an assassination like this, some sort of contact must have taken place. There must be some source to obtain data from, but there has been none to find. I am guessing that between those involved with the assassination, there wasn't much contact between them, if any. I would surmise that the assassins involved did not actually know each other."

Chen Pingping, who was sitting on a wheelchair, slowly opened his eyes. He looked at his subordinates with a certain gloom. He was thinking, Of course you people cannot figure out that the fire was started by the Emperor. And about that assassin from Xihu and the brave little eunuch, who knows where they come from? The Emperor and the old man are not a real fairy.

"This was a stalemate." The old man yawned. "It was just a coincidence. There is nothing further to think about."

Chapter 310: A Bolt from the Blue

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

Please get rid of the notes that detail the Overwatch Council's rules and open the last page of the organization's references in book five.

Book five details many of the cases the Overwatch Council has dealt with over the years. The great cases of the past few decades are written there, complete with a thorough analysis of them. They focus on a wide variety of different cases; this includes how they first began, the progress that was made, the influences it had on certain sectors and how things ultimately wound up for each party involved.

In book five, a wide variety of different cases are detailed.The Overwatch Council made use of their methodology for gathering information, and with the evidence they gathered for each case, there was enough to use and draw from that would allow detailed analysis on many of the great conspiracies in the world, how they would first begin and the connection between various parties in-between. Humans are fond of believing they are more creative than they truly are.

But there is a certain type of case where people are only able to find out one or two sides of a story and not be able to explain everything. These are the five words of that close out book five on its final page; the five words that Chen Pinping and Fan Xian are very familiar with:

"A bolt from the blue."

…

…

The so-called "bolt from the blue" refers to the sudden appearance of an unexpected variable in a case. None could not predict such an occurrence.

Like back in the day when Chen Pingping led riders to battle from a thousand miles away, deep into the Northern Wei Kingdom to capture Xiao En, who had gone to his son's wedding party in secret. The Overwatch Council had already calculated all the details, even the disastrous price they would have to pay. But in Xiao En's wedding party, he did not drink the spiked wine that Fei Jie had produced. The Northern Wei Kingdom's spy leader was calm and cold, having direct control of everything that was around him, food and drink included.

But when the Qing Kingdom believed that their plans could not be followed through, the story took an unexpected twist none could have foreseen. Xiao En heard the fighting noises that came from another room, and he became depressed, and wanted something to drink. The biggest coincidence was that the general who kept his wine could not control his lust for the drink and had consumed it all. So, this irresponsible leader gave the remaining wine that was for the wedding party to Xiao En.

Because of this, Xiao En was poisoned. Chen Pingping and Fei Jie succeeded. A long time later, Chen Pingping discovered that the reason Xiao En became depressed was because his son was… a victim of something inhumane.

This variable did not exist in the plan, but it influenced things a great deal.

Or like twenty years ago, when there was a southern salt merchant who died quite suddenly following a wedding party. The Ministry of Punishment was unable to make progress in this case, and so they handed it over to the Fourth Bureau. No one expected that after their preliminary investigation there were fourteen suspects that could have been responsible for the merchant's death. This included a number of ladies. It seemed as if everyone wanted that rich merchant death.

But who was the culprit?

It was three years later when a poor old man stole a packet of biscuits. He was captured by the police and perhaps it was because he lacked the desire to continue living, confessed to the murder of the rich salt merchant three years prior. After they got this intel, the Fourth Bureau were as much shocked as they were embarrassed by this revelation. They were stumped as to how the professionals they were had been able to let the true culprit elude them. They quickly went through with the old man's trial and were rightfully ashamed as attention was drawn to their initial inability to capture the thief.

The merchant was a neighbor of the old man, and they had grown up together. The old man went to Wuzhou to live, and when he returned to his hometown, he discovered that the salt merchant was having a wedding party. No one knew what incited him to do as he did, but he climbed into the garden where the salt merchant was, alone and in a state of intoxication. He picked up a rock and promptly smashed his head in with it.

The Overwatch Council did draw attention to the presence of marks on the garden wall, but they never assumed an old man such as that would so riskily climb over and commit a crime in such a fashion. No servants noticed his presence, either.

Yan Ruohai, who was not the leader of the Fourth Bureau yet, asked the old man, "I looked over the case, and you were interrogated alongside the other guests; why were you not nervous?"

The old man replied by saying, "There was nothing to be nervous about. The most I can do is give my life in return for what I did."

This was probably the first time Yan Ruohai had met a stubborn person such as this, but he still curiously enquired, "Why did you kill him?"

The old man, with a righteous voice, responded, "When I was young, he slapped me."

…

…

The assassination in the Floating Temple seemed to include a bolt from the blue.

The Emperor started to doubt the Ye family, and he was also afraid of the family which possessed a grandmaster. So, he used an obscene method to try and frame them for a wretched deed. He used the name of the palace to send Gong Dai away for plausibility. He even arranged for someone to set fire to the Floating Temple, and in regards to this, it could only be assumed that Fan Jing and Chen Pingping knew about it.

After the fire started, the top floor became a mess. The assassin of Xihu took advantage of this opportunity to attack, after having stayed in the palace for over a decade. He could not hold on any longer, for his days as a spy were long and grueling. Three years after three years, he never knew when this would end. At this time, Eunuch Hong was aiding Empress Dowager in her flight downstairs. He underestimated Fan Xian's proficiency in combat, and seeing the Emperor who was only a short distance away from him, began his assault.

When the guards started fighting it provided another window of opportunity for the white-robed assassin to strike.

When the white-swordsman started to attack, the young eunuch who was hidden behind the sovereign for a long time, saw the back of the Emperor was but a single foot ahead of him. He thought of the handle of the dagger which was hidden in a wooden pillar, that was only a step away. He believed this to be an opportunity provided to him by God himself. In light of this temptation, it was an opportunity for revenge. This person had resolutely removed his penis; how could he avoid this chance to take him out?

…

…

It all began from the fire that the Emperor had arranged to have started. All the people that had been hidden in the dark possessed the same thoughts and were drawn out like moths to a flame. The assassins were brave warriors and although they had no connection to one another, they struck at the same time almost in sync. They helped each other to satisfy their own needs. There was only one thing they had to do and that was bringing an end to the life of the Emperor. In pursuit of this goal, they were happy to give up their lives if it meant securing success in this task.

They came from each direction, but they had the same purpose. It was because their needs aligned that they co-operated with each other.

In the deep night that veiled Guang Xin palace, Fan Xian was lying in bed. He observed the netting that encompassed the bed, unable to sleep no matter how hard he tried. Ever since he was injured, he had been in the palace each and every day with nothing to do, so he slept in the daytime a lot more.

The candles that lit the palace were quite dim. He stared at the thin net, seemingly of the desire to make use of the skills of the Yingmu to tear through it, as if breaking a fallacy in two.

Wan'er was already sleeping. She slept a distance away from him on this big bed, in fear of accidentally pressing against the wound on his chest if she moved in her sleep. Fan Xian turned around to observe her, feeling sorry. He stroked the black hair that flowed away from the pillow she lay her head on. The palace was quiet and the eunuchs were also asleep. The maids that were still on duty were lying on the table, resting. Fan Xian looked back up to the roof and began talking to himself.

It was a just a slight movement of the lips, with no audible voice. He was merely asking himself a few questions and giving himself a summary of the whole story thus far.

"The assassin from Xihu and the hidden eunuch. These were the people who were able to leave behind evidence. So, the Overwatch Council's judgement should be okay." His voiceless lips flapped in the dark. It may seem weird. "What about the shadow? Except from me, it is likely that no one else knows of this assassin. This man has lived in the dark for numerous years. It seemed as if it was the Sixth Bureau's leader, the most powerful assassin in the Qing Kingdom. Nobody had ever seen his face before, after all."

His eyebrows contorted in a good-looking way.

"The bolt from the blue; I bet this bolt comes from the crippled man." He was coldly laughing, facing this empty bed. He then said, "The Emperor wants to establish a plan to strip power from the Ye family completely. This is so he can remove the support for the eldest princess. He probably thinks I am being too hard on the second prince, too. He has obviously guessed of what plans I have in store for Xinyang, as well."

Fan Xian mulled this over and then sighed. He did not know if it was caused by the wound, or if it was caused by the Emperor's method. He was thinking that the Emperor was a despicable man.

"Then what are you doing?" He was guessing Chen Pingping's true purpose. "If I asked you face to face, you would probably just sit on your chair and give me some casual response that skirts the issue. 'In the Chen Garden, I told you before. I told you about the Emperor who only specially cares for you. I will deal with it."

"The Emperor who cares specifically about me?"

"When things started to change, did you still have time to arrange for an assassin to make you look like a hero?"

"Could it really be that simple?"

As the Qing Kingdom's first assassin, the Shadow could hide from Eunuch Hong's ears. But it wasn't a difficult thing to imagine. It was just that Fan Xian did not believe the reason the Shadow attacked was simply because he wanted to draw Fan Xian out in a bid to save the Emperor. So, by becoming grievously injured in the saving of the Emperor, he could earn the difficult-to-acquire trust that he desired. The movement was too broad and it wasn't good enough, nor did it meet the thoughts of how Chen Pingping perceived the situation.

"Besides, you are not afraid of me knowing that it was the Shadow who struck are you?" Fan Xian raised his eyebrows and said, "But let's say if you wanted to kill the Emperor, what sense would that make? Let's not talk about the loyal dog who all of a sudden becomes a grand betrayer. Judging from the power you possess, however, creating the environment that would allow such a thing to succeed should be no problem. Or is it that you wanted to test the response of the princes? You old dog; you are too nosy! The Emperor wasn't all that scared, anyway."

He kept thinking of his entanglement within this situation, with no real way out, so he sighed and fell back to sleep. But in his dreams, he still believed that his mother's dear old friend would lock his dark thoughts in the deepest recesses of his heart.

"In this world, there are no true bolts from the blue." Chen Pingping sat on a wheelchair, facing a person who had his eyes wrapped up, in the garden. "You know what the fifth book says about the death of that rich salt merchant. The reason why that old man who stole the biscuits could kill the salt merchant was because the guards and the servants in the manor were bribed by the ladies. They were happy to see someone who was willing to help them do this."

"And the reason why the old man would do this wasn't because of some petty reason like a slap from many years ago."

"The main reason was because the salt merchant stole the old man's daughter-in-law."

"He wanted revenge, and he wanted it bad."

"And please, do not believe that Yan Ruohai could not figure this out. You and I both know he was lost in the fifty thousand coins he had been given by the wives of the salt merchant."

"So, I say," the old crippled man concluded by saying, "there are no bolts from the blue. Everything was planned and enacted by the hands and hearts of men. Even though variables occasionally crop up, they are all under my control. If I could not control them, the Emperor would be dead by now."

Wu Zhu coldly said, "there is nothing you can control completely in this world."

"I admit that the Xihu assassin and the young eunuch's assistance messed up my plan, but the lucky thing was, there was nothing prohibiting the safety of the Emperor."

"Judging from what you have told me, I get the feeling that you are not loyal to the Emperor."

Chen Pingping laughed and said, "I am loyal to the Emperor. But I don't mind scaring him if it benefits him."

"What real benefit? An heir that is mature enough?" Perhaps Wu Zhu would only speak this much when opposite Chen Pingping.

"Plan." Chen Pinping spoke. "Politics is just the progression of a plan. The Emperor wants to send the Ye family away, but starting a fire was not enough."

"Do you think the Emperor will believe you, when he learns the truth?" Wu Zhu coldly said.

Chen Pingping shook his head and told him, "As long as it benefits the Emperor, it does not matter if I am trustable or not."

Wu Zhu thought that Chen Pingping and Fei Jie were old sickos. He quietly muttered, "Your Emperor was almost just killed."

Chen Pingping was used to hearing this inappropriate nickname. It started many years ago, and Wu Zhu would not refer to the Emperor as most people would.

"The Emperor won't die." The old man said these words with strength. "I trust him entirely. Do not forget that the Emperor always has an ace up his sleeve."

"Whether or not the Emperor lives or dies is no concern of mine." Wu Zhu slumped his head and continued talking. "I only care about the fact that he was almost killed."

The both of them possessed different opinions.

Chen Pingping had a wry smile. He knew that Fan Xian had suffered a terrible injury. He would allow Wu Zhu to turn him into a killing machine. Although he himself was a fairly evil and insidious person, facing Wu Zhu, even Chen Pingping's heart was given a chill. So, he tried to explain, "Fan Xian is worried about the Emperor doubting him; mostly because of the rapid ascension of his career. So, I set this up and took away this concern forever. Of course, I only planned the beginning of this little tale - I didn't arrange or know what the ending might be."

He was smiling. It seemed as if he still remembered what the mistress used to tell him back in the day. The Shadow has quite the connection with you. He always wants to fight you, but you never provide him the opportunity. Instead, he ended up fighting his student, and the opportunity to do so was not something he was willing to pass by. Of course, if Fan Xian did not end up chasing him and getting badly wounded in the process, the gravity of the events that transpired would not be half as pressing.

Wu Zhu suddenly said, "If you allow the Shadow to return, give me the chance to fight him."

This joke almost made Chen Pingping suffocate. He coughed for a while and then dropped the hand he used to cover his mouth. He said, "It was just an accident."

Wu Zhu straightly told him, "If it was just an accident then why did he flee the scene before I had arrived?"

Chen Pingping's face was full of wry smiles. He coughed many times before he said anything further. "This was my arrangement. Because I was worried that you wouldn't be happy if anything happened to him. You know that he is the only useful person that is close to me. If you killed him, how am I supposed to continue with my old bones?"

Wu Zhu did not respond. There was only a black cloth waving in the wind, expressing his disagreement.

"After I die, the Black Shadow will be loyal to him." Chen Pingping spoke of this reciprocation earnestly.

Wu Zhu slightly tilted his head. It looked as if he was wondering about whether or not Fan Xian would accept this "reward". He contemplated this for a while, and he came to the conclusion that he would. A person like Fan Xian, who had a lust for power, would be quite interested in procuring the talents of a ninth-ranked assassin.

He was silent for a while longer before saying, "You came to the south to find me. You told me there was something interesting in the capital that was worth showing me. This is it?"

"Fan Xian said you were just hanging around in the south. I thought he was lying to me." Chen Pingping continued, by saying, "I didn't really expect you to be there; this is all just a mighty coincidence."

Chen Pingping all of sudden moved his body forward and said, "I prepared a show for you to watch. It's a shame that I underestimated Fan Xian's power and underestimated how obscene Fan Jie could be. That old man, he knew that the fire was arranged by the Emperor, and so he immediately called upon Fan Xian to help." The old man started laughing like mad. He did so for a bit and then added, "It's a shame you weren't there to see it."

Wu Zhu slowly raised his head and said, "Do you want to kill Empress Dowager?"

Chen Pingping shook his head. "The Empress Dowager is Fan Xian's mother-in-law. This whole thing with the lady, although she has watched all of this unfurl, she has not lent any aid to the palace. Although she has not actually become involved with all this, for now, I haven't got enough evidence to say much of anything."

Wu Zhu shook his head and said, "If either of us are able to find something in the future, no matter what Fan Xian thinks, I will do it."

Chen Pingping knew that these three words, I will do it, were decisive and powerful. But still, he firmly shook his head and responded, "Wu Zhu, even though you are the most scary person in the world, do not underestimate a country and the power of its palace. I am the leader of the Overwatch Council, so I have to consider what it takes to maintain this country's stability and ensure that the kingdom stands forever."

"Do not forget that this is the lady's last wish." He smiled and said, "So, I should handle the boring matters."

"What were you supposed to show me?"

Chen Pingping suddenly sighed, and his voice became disheartened. He said, "This play has not yet debuted; let's not talk about it."

Wu Zhu's reaction was unlike most people, and it seemed his interest quickly vanished, and he didn't look like he wanted to ask again. He turned around swiftly and softly, preparing to return to the darkness.

"This is our first encounter together since you brought the master to Danzhou." Chen Pingping all of a sudden sighed in his speech, behind Wu Zhu. He proceeded to say, "It has been seventeen years. You are leaving already?"

Wu Zhu stopped and said one word. "Goodbye."

And then, he disappeared into the darkness. Gauging by his personality and mannerisms, it was quite profound for him to even say goodbye. At least Chen Pingping was made the recipient of some extra warmth for his heart.

The old servant from the Chen garden approached and pushed his wheelchair into a room. Who knew what Chen Pingping was thinking, but he all of a sudden sighed with satisfaction. He said, "What do you think? I successfully convinced the two good guards and a young eunuch to make a move; am I a powerful person? But I must truly thank the assassin from Xihu, however. If he had seen Fan Xian go upstairs, he would have undoubtedly remained hidden and the entire event would have been quite boring."

The old servant had a wry smile. "You conceive and execute every plan with perfect precision."

Chen Pingping sighed and said, "I was born to be busy; cutting the Emperor's nails 24/7. I won't be as perfect as the Emperor."

Fan Xian stayed in the palace quite a while, until the land went cold and snow began to drape the capital. He strongly requested a return home and the Emperor finally obliged his desire.

After what happened in the Floating Temple, as long as people had eyes, they could see through his recovery that the Emperor held Fan Xian in high regard and loved him far more than he did before. He was quite mad at what had happened to him. After all, he used his body as a shield to block the sword that was going to take his life. Although it was a boot-licking move, he risked his life for the Emperor's appreciation and gratitude. Not many people would look at this with engy, but would certainly feel it.

For the day when Fan Xian exited the palace, everyone brought him a luxurious gift. Even the Empress provided him with a gift. The second prince's mother, Imperial Concubine Shu, gave the most expensive present. There were rumors in the palace that Ning Cai, Yi Gui Pin and the Fan family were giving out expensive gifts, and it wasn't surprising. There would be no lady willing to look down on this entire affair.

The Empress Dowager gave Fan Xian a bracelet that was known to keep evil at bay, and it was something that she had used for over a decade. No lady would forget this.

Fan Xian was reclining in his carriage. Although his wounds weren't fully healed, he was now able to turn around slightly. He parted the curtains on the window and used the light from outside to see more clearly the jewelry he was holding in his right hand. He squinted and wondered if his mother-in-law had finally accepted his existence.

On the road, Wan'er and Ruoruo were the most happy. Staying in the palace for so many days was indeed quite boring, but the healing of Fan Xian's wounds each day brought them comfort.

The carriage reached the front gate of Fan Manor and it parked between two lion statues. They had used a few wooden boards to transform the stairs into a ramp and the people of the manor opened the gate as if they were welcoming the Emperor himself. The carriage drove inside carefully.

Normally, the carriage could not ride into the manor directly. But with Fan Xian being as injured as he was, it did so on this day.

The carriage drove behind the residence. Teng Zijing and a few others carefully helped Fan Xian disembark. Sisi went to his side to protect him with great caution. She did not have the qualifications to enter the palace so she had to worry over his well-being from home each and every day.

Fan Xian looked at her blushed cheeks and giggled. He turned around and saw his father and Liu Shi.

He saw his father's eyes possess a look of calm and care and it made Fan Xian's heart warm. He gently told him, "Father, I am home."

Chapter 311: The Eldest Prince Has Come to Visit

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

The events that had recently transpired never exceeded Fan Xian's expectations. The Qing Kingdom's grandmaster, who travelled around the world, had yet to return to the capital. The Ye family quietly accepted the arrangements that had them forced away from the capital's defense system, but they did have some leftover power amongst the lower level officers. That being said, what they had left wasn't enough to create any waves. For all intents and purposes, their power and influence in court was made null.

If Ye Liuyun really did return to the capital after this happened, the Emperor, who appeared nice on the surface, would show his most angry and displeased face. Even if their removal proved detrimental to the overall development of the Qing Kingdom, he wanted the Ye family out of the picture for good. For one family that was controlling the important part of the capital, one person was to marry a prince soon. What was crucial to remember, however, was that they had a grandmaster for a shield. If there was any disquiet or unruliness, it would have to be suppressed quickly.

In the end, Ye Liuyun did not return to the capital. That meant the Ye family accepted the state of affairs and misfortune dealt upon them. The Emperor observed Ye Liuyun's reputation and the Ye family's loyalty on the whole throughout all of this, however, he made sure they were not damaged too badly. Ye Zhong was still staying in Cangzhou, and the position of baron was still the same, but the reward was better than before.

The person known as Gong Dian, who was really straight and really cute, made a big mistake, but the Emperor did not punish him too harshly; he simply stripped him of his title and position in the palace, gave him thirty lashes and had him become a commoner.

What happened to the Ye family was unfair, but for the future prosperity of the Qing Kingdom, they were willing to have themselves sacrificed. But between them, they did appreciate the prospect of being free from the danger and turmoil of the capital's politics.

The most disappointed person amidst this fall out would either have been the eldest princess, who was in Xinyang, or the second prince, who was still imprisoned in his manor.

"This is ridiculous!" Fan Xian was reading the newspaper Mu Tie delivered. He could not help but shake his head. The Ye family backed away from the defense of the capital temporarily. This is what everyone's attention was dedicated to in court recently. Quite unsurprisingly, Qin Heng was put in charge of the defenses for now. And the most important position, which included being the leader of the royal guard and chancellor of the royal guard, had now been split into two separate jobs by the Emperor.

The chancellor of the guard position was empty for now, but sources from the palace indicated that Eunuch Hong would be taking it.

The job of being leader of the royal guard had been given to the eldest prince!

Fan Xian said this development was ridiculous. This was because it was the Emperor who made this decision. In the history of this world, it was extremely rare to have the prince of an emperor become leader of the royal guard. Why? It was because they were afraid of the ruthless princes making use of their soldiers to betray and turn on their fathers. But here, the Emperor had indeed given this job to the eldest prince, and the eastern palace had the crown prince. What was this Emperor thinking? The eldest prince's mother, Ning Cai came from Dongyi City, and if one were to review the rules, it could not be him no matter the case.

Mu Tie did not dare respond. He reported the recent work he had been involved with to Fan Xian. He looked at Fan Xian and noticed how tired he was, so he quickly went away.

"Teacher, please take a break." Si Chanli still referred to Fan Xian as a teacher, not "Master". He noticed Fan Xian looking a bit pale and said, "The Emperor authored a decree. It said that for the next three months, you are not allowed to work in court. Quite clearly, it was meant to hasten your recovery, but it is obvious you are not the sort who is willing to listen to such a thing."

The teacher was loved by the Emperor, and as a student, it made him proud to be Fan Xian's protege.

Fan Xian shook his head and said, "You are not staying in the Bao Yue brothel, so why are you running in and out of my study room each and every day?"

Si Chanli gave a wry smile and replied, "That place… does not feel right for me to remain in."

Fan Xian laughed and promptly kicked him out of the room, asking for him to send Deng Ziyue over as left.

Deng Ziyue entered the study room, and Fan Xian's face started to look heavy. Fan Xian asked, "Does the Overwatch Council have any news or judgments to share over the white-clothed assassin?" He said this in full knowledge that it would be impossible for him to unearth Chen Pingping's secret right now, though. In his hands, however, he was in possession of intel that wasn't all too different. If he did not use this knowledge to formulate guesses, it would have been a waste.

Deng Ziyue shook his head and said, "Although the Emperor can yell and reveal a person's identity…" With a wry smile, he finished, "You should know that the Emperor is not a fighter anymore. What he said cannot be absolutely correct. Back in the day, Si Gujian had a brother, but he has been missing for several years. People believe he was killed while Si Gujian was attacking Dongyi City, so in the council, this opinion is cautiously objected."

Fan Xian froze. He was surprised that the Overwatch Council had not discovered this trail under Chen Pingping's guidance. Or was this because Chen Pingping's true motive could not be guessed? So, he did not do all this work.

"But…" Deng Ziyue spoke again, though his face appeared to be in distress. "But the Emperor said it was Si Gujian's brother. We as chancellors shouldn't really object to it, especially since we don't know whether or not what the Emperor says will affect the court a few years down the line."

Fan Xian laughed. Everyone knew that the Qing Kingdom was keen on searching for a fight. Last year, when an assassination was attempted on Fan Xian on Niulan Road, the Emperor took advantage of these events to send armies to the north and conquer a good chunk of land there. So, in these days, the chancellors were used to the Emperor coming up with excuses to go and fight. They wouldn't do anything before the Emperor did.

And in regards to what happened in the Floating Temple, usually, Fan Xian would go and visit the young eunuch and examine the assassin's dead body. But he knew how muddy the waters were there, and so he was still pondering whether or not he should get himself involved too deeply. There was one other reason too, and that was the condition of his body. He was fairly sure that his father and everyone else in the manor would prohibit him from leaving the manor in his current state.

He didn't dare to go out, either. This was because Fan Xian cherished his life. Now that the zhenqi in his body had been completely drained, he wasn't sure when it was to return. Aside from being extremely disappointed, he took greater care and safety in whatever he did.

Of course, Fan Xian wouldn't reveal his true condition to anyone.

The door in the study room was pushed open, and the guard outside gave no reaction. Fan Xian was lying on the bed. But went to take a peep. It was Wan'er and his sister.

Deng Ziyue saw the lady and her sister, whose faces were really mad, and he quickly understood that he should get going. He promptly bowed and left quickly. Fan Xian wanted to tell him to ask Yan Bingyun to come over, but he was already gone.

"I told you to focus on your recovery, and you aren't!" They were both really skilled, and while talking, began changing his bandage and providing him medicine.

Fan Xian gave a wry smile and said, "Perhaps it was because I wasn't given the right name, but I can never stop being busy."

It wasn't just a case of being busy all the time; ever since Fan Xian had returned home, the Fan manor had become a lively place. All day, officers from every little department kept coming over to provide Fan Xian with their regards. Their numbers were endless, and so too was the countless amount of nobles and chancellors from different parties. Day in, day out, more and more would keep coming to give their blessings and wish for his recovery . On the street outside the Fan manor, the black carriage now looked like a cloud, buried in swathes of gift boxes.

The people who came to the Fan manor often came with some sort of pricey, exotic medicine. As nice as this was, it would have been impossible for Fan Xian to consume them all. Aside from the most expensive medicines of the lot, most was transferred to the Bao Yue brothel.

Following the assassination attempt in the Floating Temple, Fan Xian was once again the most famous officer in the Qing Kingdom. Compared to when he all of a sudden became the Overwatch Council's commissioner, this time, what he did was save the Emperor's life. This was a deed that could be respected by all, and it made the other officers in the capital look at him in awe.

The officers were not blind or deaf, though. For the duration of his injury and the days he had spent in the palace, news from the palace suggested that the Emperor did not sleep at all in fear of Fan Xian's welfare. This manner of grace had only been spent on Chen Pingping in the past.

With everyone fawning over the Fan manor, how could people not feel envious? Jealousy was most certainly prevalent between the young fighters of the capital, who thought he was extremely lucky to just be there during the Emperor's time of need when they weren't even around to help.

"All these items have earned the family a lot of money." What Fan Xian said was not in jest; it was serious. During his past life, if it was just some governor who got sick, the accumulation of what they received would be in the dozens of thousands. But here, Fan Xian was a high-ranking officer in the Qing Kingdom with a corrupt government.

Wan'er started laughing and said, "But you did have to suffer for it." She was feeding Fan Xian like she was feeding a child. She was a lady of high birth, but did not mind the behavior of chancellors.

Fan Xian, who was still recovering, could not be bothered going to see the officers who came over saying they were here to treat him. He knew full well they had just come there to lick his boots. But all these officers held a certain reputation, and it was Minister Fan who had to suffer with their presence. When he wasn't working, most of his time was now spent greeting these endless streams of people.

Fan Ruoruo was mad about this, saying, "These people don't just come once. Many have frequently returned; can't they stop to think about how annoying they've been?"

"All the other officers are fine." Wan'er all of a sudden thought of something. She gave a look of admiration to Fan Xian and told him, "The scariest person to come over is that royal doctor. That man sure has some patience; he has come over four times! All because you haven't yet seen him. Even the Emperor had to tell him that Fan Xian was not going to go to the royal hospital, yet he persists. Earlier, Mister Tang said he came here again today and went to sit in the study room and stubbornly refused to leave. Even when your father showed up to give him a stern you-should-leave-now look, he pretended not to see it and remained seated."

Wan'er finished by saying, "This guy really is something."

Fan Xian gave a wry smile, but did not say anything. He really did admire the persistence of that royal doctor of the Qing Kingdom, though, a man who didn't know when to throw in the towel. The night he was in the palace, the doctor had no confidence in Fan Xian's medical skills, but that did not sway his desire to learn more when he was proven wrong. Whilst Fan Xian was staying in the Guang Xin palace, he greatly desired to know more about Fan Xian's wondrous medical skills and learn all that he could, it was because of this that he wanted him to come and stay in the royal hospital. At the very least, he wanted Fan Xian's creepy medical talents to become sort of a legacy, and his desire for this was so great that he kept on coming again and again, sometimes refusing to leave. It was quite shameless and odd, however.

Surgery in the Qing Kingdom's doctors eye was something truly incredible, almost equivalent to magic. It was the primitiveness of this world that made surgeries difficult to perform, and Fan Xian knew that his survival was more or less through luck.

He slanted his head and looked at his sister, who was tending to the bandages on his wound. He then thought of some naughty possibility and quickly shook his head to dismiss the thought.

It was just the three of them in the study room, and the atmosphere was just right. But as he was beginning to appreciate the scene, a knock was heard on the door. At this sound, Fan Xian furrowed his eyebrows.

"Someone wants to see you!" The servant outside called out.

Even Wan'er was frowning and snarled back saying, "Didn't we say we didn't want visitors?"

…

…

This guest was one who would have to be greeted. Fan Xian was full of wry smiles and looked at the eldest prince who appeared before him, uninvited. Fan Xian said, "Isn't it easier for you to remain in the palace? You never came to visit me in the berry gardens, so why have you come to see me today?"

Wan'er opened her mouth and said, "Big Brother, there are many people visiting the manor at this time. Why have you come, also?"

The eldest prince had no response; he just looked at her. He had watched her grow up and she had been married for over a year; everything she thought of concerned her husband. He then responded, "Oh, it is nothing important." These two siblings started arguing with each other once again. The eldest prince admitted to a loss in a bid to change the subject, and after he did, he said, "The princess is here as well. She is talking with Lady Fan right now. Sister, why don't you go join them?"

The princess that he was referring to was the woman who came here to marry him, all the way from the Northern Qi Kingdom. Fan Xian froze for a second. He did not think that this couple would have established such a relationship already. In the palace, they frequently went around together. Then, he remembered what he said on his return to the capital and felt a little spooked.

Wan'er and Ruoruo, thinking about this exotic foreign princess, were made extremely curious for they had only heard of her name and had not yet seen her. They both knew that the eldest prince obviously had something to speak of with Fan Xian in private, and so they both took their leave.

The study room had now gone silent. Fan Xian gestured for the eldest prince to partake in a drink of tea. He then softly said, "Congratulations."

Fan Xian was congratulating the eldest prince due to him accepting the role of leader of the royal guard. The eldest prince raised his eyebrows, and he seemed relaxed. He said, "Is this something to be happy about? I was previously the Great General that conquered battlefields to the west."

Fan Xian laughed and said, "Although it is two levels lower, it is the royal guard. How can that be compared to some rugged army battalions fighting on the borderlands?"

The eldest prince looked at him, unsure if the words he spoke were suggesting something else. After a bit of silence, he said, "But I don't want to be the leader of the royal guard. I would rather go to the north and bring Yan Xiaoyi back."

Fan Xian shook his head. He thought that the Emperor had moved Yan Xiaoyi far away to rob the Ye family of any hope of doing something. All that he did was hinder the actions of that crazy woman in Xinyang. If the eldest prince went to the north, Yan Xiaoyi would be very happy. The Emperor, however, would be very mad.

"Please don't tell me you have come over here to visit me, the wounded patient, to say that your job sucks." He quietly chuckled to himself and joked, "I could be a therapist."

"It's not just that." The eldest prince stared into his eyes. Although he didn't understand what "job" meant, he asked, "I am here to request a favor from you."

He was referring to himself as "I", not "emperor" as he used to.

Fan Xian realised these changes to his persona, and he felt a little nervous. It looked as if the eldest prince, whose blood pumped with the spirit of Dongyi, was seriously asking for his help.

"Oh no!"

Deep inside Fan Xian's heart, he sighed. He looked at the eldest prince and said, "My Lord, the leader of the royal guard has a very important position. The Emperor believes in your loyalty, and that's why he has arranged this. I am but a mere chancellor, so how could I possibly object?"

The eldest prince shook his head and said, "Fan Xian, to be honest, when I first returned to the capital, I thought you were nothing. When I was in the west, I once heard news of some legendary poet guy in the capital. Me? I was just a fighter, and I didn't think much of such things. To the people in court, how could the fanciful words of a poet be of any use?"

Then, he changed. "But in the few months following my return, I witnessed you do things that may have seemed harsh, but were infused with sentiments of true humanity. Your outlook on things is different; it is special. It all goes to show how smart you are. Not only did you crush the second prince, but in regards to what happened at the Floating Temple, it changed my entire perspective on you."

"When you were in the palace, you were able to fix your death wound." The eldest prince's face looked tanned. He continued, "I struggle to fathom whether or not there is anything in this world that would fase you. So, in regards to this thing, you have to help me."

Fan Xian was willing to face every trial he was presented in the past, but now he was silent. Chen Pingping used to say that the eldest prince was different from the rest. When he was young, he always tried to stay away from the politics and matters of the palace. He also wanted to stay as far removed from the throne as possible. And now, the Emperor who could slay without a weapon, wanted to drag him back into the muddied waters of the palace. It was no wonder why he wanted to resist.

The eldest prince's powers lay in the army and military men he often accompanied. He did not have any aides or persons of confidence that were smart and could deal with the writhing streams of politics. While Fan Xian knew this, he never expected the eldest prince would turn to him when he was in need of one.

Fan Xian was happy to see amidst the royal brothers that there was at least one who was firm and possessed a righteous mind. He sympathized with what had been put upon him, but still, Fan Xian stubbornly shook his head. His response was, "My Lord, it is not as if I would not dare to. And it is not because I do not want to. I decline because I literally cannot help you. I am just a chancellor, and the Overwatch Council cannot involve themselves with the court and affairs of the State."

The eldest prince sighed. He thought his visit here today may have been pointless and stupid, even a little risky. He did look around and think of other people he could visit, but there was no one of Fan Xian's caliber he could go for. He was wondering if he should have gone to Chen's garden instead.

"The Emperor has made up his mind, and no one can change that. I don't think you should visit Chen's garden either. But I am curious why you chose to come see me today. In your eyes, how can I be viewed as a nice chancellor?" It seemed as if Fan Xian was able to guess what he was thinking.

The eldest prince slowly drank the cup of tea in his hands. "Fan Xian, you might be able to hide from the others, but you cannot hide from me. Do not forget that I was in the Floating Temple, as well. Judging from your choice to save my little brother before my father, I can tell that you are someone who is trustworthy."

Fan Xian went silent. He did not expect that the values of this world could make the Emperor and the eldest prince place their trust in Fan Xian that much.

The eldest prince visited today because he wanted to show his attitude and opinions to the Overwatch Council as well. He was also hoping to receive some ardent tips from Fan Xian himself, too. Still, Fan Xian was remaining relatively quiet. He didn't want to be too bold, but he did have Wan'er, who was a firm bridge linking them together. If the situation at court changed, he did not expect the Overwatch Council would be able to help him, but if Fan Xian could at least relay to him some useful information, then that would be enough.

"I have heard that the royal doctor has visited your house a few times."

The eldest prince all of a sudden changed the subject. The years he had spent riding horses into battle had made him inept when it came to the delicate nuance and deliberations of politics.

Fan Xian was laughing on the inside. He explained, "He wanted me to become a doctor in the royal hospital, and the Emperor rejected this. Instead, he now wants me to go tutor the other doctors there.

This was supposed to be some idle chit-chat, but the eldest prince sounded serious in his response. He said, "Fan Xian, I think you should go to the royal hospital as well. On that night, I too was outside the Guang Xin palace. I saw the way in which the doctors looked at you, and I knew from that how proficient your medical talents are."

He curiously asked, "There are many people wondering about this, but why would you dare let Miss Fan, of all people, operate on your belly? The royal doctors described the scene as if there was a fairy working on you."

Fan Xian gave a wry smile and said, "Do not trust them. Everyone knows Fei Jie was my teacher. If they started digging crops in the graveyard when they were four years old, and cut up corpses in the water, perhaps they would be as talented as I am."

"Ah, that is why. It seems as if not everything can be described as natural-born genius." The eldest prince sighed and said, "Of course, the royal hospital may not be as highly-ranked or qualified as the Overwatch Council's wards are, but it is peaceful there. Add to that the simple minds of the royal doctors. If you did agree to teach others your medical skills, then it may save many lives further down the line."

He gave Fan Xian a serious look and told him, "Saving people is better than killing people. Besides, I have always been in the army, and I know what it's like for the injured and wounded soldiers to receive decent medical attention."

"Why must I go tutor the doctors?"

"To benefit the world."

"Do the royal doctors see it in that way, too?"

"Yes."

"Ah, you have come here at the behest of the royal doctors to convince me as well, haven't you? No wonder your quick change of subject seemed so unnatural." Fan Xian started laughing.

Seeing him laugh like this, the face of the eldest prince grew dim. He said, "Did you think we were just talking crap?"

It was close enough to it. To make Fan Xian leave his position as commissioner of the Overwatch Council and become a professor at the royal hospital was quite ludicrous, and no one believed they would be able to convince him. Yet here, even the eldest prince was speaking the desire out loud.

Fan Xian stopped laughing due to the hurt in his chest. In shock, he said, "I wasn't making fun of you. As a matter of fact, I quite admire that royal doctor."

If they wanted to perform surgeries, there was a high number of problems they would have to overcome first. The first of which would be anesthesia, the second would be the formulation of a quality disinfectant, and thirdly would be the tools required. This world had not advanced enough to trial these things. Chloroform was used on Fan Xian. The disinfection was merely luck combined with Fan Xian's strong body. If it was an average civilian, they would most likely have overdosed and died from certain complications. And in regards to the tools they required, that would be an even bigger obstacle. It was something Fan Xian and Fei Jie pondered for years. They used everything the Third Bureau was able to provide and in the end, only one set was able to be created.

If they could not stop the bleeding, how could they even suggest the possibility of opening someone up?

Fan Xian used the simplest of words to describe the situation and problems involved to the eldest prince, and he finally understood. These medical talents required a lot of knowledge and a lot of dexterity. Surgery required the one under knife to be strong, too, battling a variety of knives and drugs. If Fan Xian hadn't received the training he did, he would have not have survived.

His mind recalled the time a soldier of his took an arrow and died during their battles in the west, and he felt remorseful. He slapped his lap, sighed and asked, "Is there no better way?"

Somehow, in Fan Xian's mind, the steady hands that his sister possessed all of a sudden appeared. With a comforting tone, Fan Xian told the eldest prince, "There are a few other basic things they could learn. In a couple of days I will have Ruoruo visit the royal hospital to teach the doctors."

To this, the eldest prince nodded and replied, "Earlier, you seemed to express a dislike for the term 'for the good of the people.'" This was what he was wondering in his heart. When he observed Fan Xian, he thought of him as a chancellor who would always stick up for the common folk. He thought that Fan Xian shouldn't reserve his aspirations to accommodate such desires.

Fan Xian was quiet for a while. Then, all of a sudden, he quietly said, "There are many different ways in which we can improve the lives of the commoners, but that does not strictly adhere to the saving of their lives."

The eldest prince did not understand.

"Just like you. You were in the west for a few years, doing battle with the Wu people. You killed so many." He laughed and then said, "But you halted their invasion. Does that not mean you have aided the common folk?"

For this manner of boot-licking, it did not matter how sordid the eldest prince's demeanor was - anyone would feel better after hearing these words that Fan Xian spoke.

"And in comparison to me, although everyone thinks the Overwatch Council is some big, scary spy organization, if I can make it a benefit for the average citizen and work tirelessly for our works there to benefit the Qing Kingdom and make it stronger, providing further safety for the civilians… does that not equate to helping the common folk?"

"Perhaps our purposes align, but our methodologies differ." Fan Xian was beginning to speak with greater and greater happiness. He was sounding like his Chinese teacher in his past life, describing the story of Lu Xun. The person of that tale gave up his profession as a doctor to become a writer. It was a story he told with much passion, and Fan Xian had recited it to others. The only difference being is that he said that it was a book that Zhuang Mohan had read to him and that it was a story that dated back to over a thousand years ago.

The eldest prince was frozen, but he said, "The task of saving people's bodies is not as important as saving their spirits?" He slapped his lap and continued, "But our Qing Kingdom was not as weak as the kingdom in that story. Why do we need to teach words?"

What he said was true. The Qing Kingdom's culture was quite pure and quite fresh. It is totally different from the Qing's years with Lu Xun.

Fan Xian laughed and said, "So, I am not just giving up my medical talents; I am going to give up my talents with the spoken and written word. What am I doing, giving up my medical skills to become a politician? Putting down the pen and raising a sword in its stead?"

The eldest prince did not agree with his point of view and said, "But you are a genius; why don't you teach what you have learnt if it can work to make the world a better place?"

Fan Xian was having difficulties waving his hand, but said, "A lot of people harbor the desire to change this world, but very few are willing to change themselves. I thought I should change who I am first."

A couple of decades ago, there was a woman who wanted to change this world. Then she died. These were the footsteps he was afraid to follow. This was because he was selfish and did not want to die.

Amidst their talks, noises came from outside the window. They were jovial noises.

The eldest prince looked at him and smiled. He told him, "It looks like the decree for your reward has finally arrived."

Fan Xian self-mockingly laughed but did not say anything. In his clear eyes, he secretly worried about the condition of his body and that was it. He had little concern for the world at large.