324-327

Chapter 324: Even If You Guess The Flower, That Is That

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

In the Royal Palace, deep into the night, was a dangerous quiet.

After hearing the empress's words, the prince almost fell to the floor. His face was full of shock and he stuttered, "Mother, that nonsense are you talking about?"

The empress's expression could not settle, and she was quiet for an indeterminable amount of time before speaking lightly: "Fan Xian, is the bastard of your father and that Ye witch."

The Crown Prince kept shaking his head, unable to accept this sudden realization. He shook his head too hard and felt a bit faint, and only then did he sit on his bed, dazed. He said in a faltering voice, "How is this possible? How is this possible?"

Thinking of the fact that he had a younger brother, who since his youth, had wandered about in the world, the Crown Prince felt that life was very mysterious. Furthermore, this brother could often been seen in the capital, had a reputation better than his own, and the power he wielded… the power he wielded was likely no less than this own.

The next moment, he leapt up and laughed foolishly, perhaps to comfort himself, or perhaps to reduce his pressure. "So it turns out I have a brother like this."

The empress stared dumbly at her son.

The Crown Prince flushed and lowered his voice in distress. "So what if that is the case?" he choked. "I have always had a good relationship with him—and besides, his birth was not legitimate. He will not be able to enter the palace. He is not a threat to me."

"Can't be a threat to Your Highness?" the empress laughed coldly. "Don't forget, I cannot escape the connection to his mother's death. Do you really think he will stand aside and watch you take the throne? Just suppose he has the generosity not to seek revenge. Will he not be afraid that you will deal with him after you inherit?

"Fan Xian would not let you take the throne—even if it were just for reasons of self-preservation." The empress's voice was like a deadly spell in the palace. "So, Qian'er, you have to be prepared. Of course, you cannot tell anyone else such a critical piece of information. Most importantly, you cannot let your brothers know of Fan Xian's past. Otherwise, eldest brother and second brother will…"

The Crown Prince understood his mother's meaning. His voice became a little uncertain, "No wonder Father still hasn't decided what he is going to do with all the rumors of Fan Xian being a descendant of the Ye family. After all… there are other hidden situations. But, Mother, if Father continues to treat him as well as usual, and he has the Fan family and Director Chen to support him, it will be difficult for me to move him."

Coldness emanated from the empress's lidded eyes. "We cannot move him now. We are too weak, and there is no one in this palace willing to help us. So you must pretend to be civil with him—but don't you dare believe that this bastard brother of yours will have any good intentions towards you. Just endure. From today on, you will conscientiously endure it. Don't do anything extra…

"After the spring examinations, you're right, no amount of power can compare to your father's affection. As long as the Emperor trusts you, Fan Xian wouldn't dare to move much. As long as we endure… there will always be a way."

The Crown Prince was silent, but in his heart he did not approve of his mother's plan.

…

…

The day brightened.

In the congee shop, there continued to be people gossiping about the Fan Manor and Ye family. The First Bureau of the Overwatch Council, watching the movements of the officials, continued to be alert. Everyone in the Fan Manor continued pretending to be calm despite their fear. The Emperor had a headache, the empress dowager had a headache, but Minister Shang arrived at the Treasury yamen appearing as he did yesterday: joking and talking, and not looking different at all. Chen Pingping did not return to the Chen Garden and stayed in the Overwatch Council, watching all that happened in Jingdou with his pair of unfathomable eyes.

The sound of sweeping came from outside. Fan Xian had been following Sir Fei's instructions and taking his medicine on time. In his hands he held onto the nameless book of martial tactics and stared blankly. He had already finished practicing the first book, but he still hadn't figured out the way for the second book. Particularly since his zhenqi had completely dissipated and his Meridians were covered in thousands of holes. He didn't dare to follow the instructions in the book and forcefully move his zhenqi.

As to the matter of his past, Fan Xian's attitude had calmed. The sky will rain, mothers won't marry, the unmarried will have children, just let it happen. Besides, this matter was no responsibility of his.

If the palace really feared his mother so much that they couldn't tolerate him, the time-traveling Fu Kangan, then why should he care? Worst case scenario would be a fight. If his life were in danger, and he couldn't use the Overwatch Council, Qinian's Unit, and his zhenqi were completely gone, this would be the most dangerous stage. If this happened, then it was not his fault for taking his teacher's advice and turning his back on his mother's intentions to use pesticides to destroy the bugs. He would use poison to hack open a path of blood! Using a big knife on ants, he would prepare a heavy ambush for those Grandmasters!

Ye Liuyun wasn't in the capital. It was difficult for the army to be effective against a small number of people. He couldn't imagine who could hold back this strange group; at this moment, Fan Xian's heart actually calmed down. He began to feel, bit by bit, the attitude of the young girl, Ye Qingmei, who had taken Uncle Blind and that box and became an enemy to all under the sky.

A little bit nervous, and a little bit excited.

Of course, it was best if things did not develop to this extent. After all, he had to consider the interests of the Fan Manor and the safety of his father, sister, and wife. And he also had to think about the lives those he was friendly with. Revealing the truth was his final resort. What Fan Xian needed right now was to maintain the current balance.

There were still many things he had not done, and those things depended on his current power and position.

For two consecutive days, no one came to the Fan Manor. Not even those closest to them would choose this time of struggle to come for news. What was most strange was that King Jing did not come. According to news from Qinian's group, this flower grower had, for some unknown reason, thrown down his hoe, left his manure bucket, and would only lounge around his manor drinking wine with heavy tears coursing down from his old eyes.

The officials that were on friendly terms with Fan Xian—such as Qin Qiwu, Ren Shao'an and other young officials—were all carefully watching. They were waiting to see what kind of reaction the court would have to the rumors.

No one dared, at this time, to make clear their opinion.

In the palace.

Lady Ning, wearing a well-fitted outfit, was currently walking around a withered tree in circles under the winter sun. This had been her habit for many years. Although this female prisoner had become a nobility in the palace, she still couldn't be at ease.

After countless circles, the Great Prince, standing quietly in attendance, could no longer stand it. He sighed and said, "Mother, what exactly is the matter?"

The royal sons had their own manors outside of the palace. Particularly the Great Prince, who had performed well in the western expedition, and was the first son to be given the Prince title. Naturally, he couldn't keep living in the palace. There were many rules in the royal family. If he wanted to enter the palace to visit his mother, the rules in between were rather complicated.

Today, Lady Ning had used some means and jumped over many of the obstacles. She had directly called her son into the palace, yet was now walking around the tree in fear.

The Great Prince knew that his mother must have had something important to tell him. Otherwise, she would not break the rule so ostentatiously. Only… he wondered, was it related to most recent rumor?

Lady Ning finally stopped. "You've heard right? Fan Xian's past." She pulled a plain handkerchief from her sleeve and wildly dabbed at the sweat on her forehead; her face was completely serious.

The Great Prince thought, Ah, indeed, it is about this. He respectfully placed a cup of warm tea in her hands and nodded. "I have heard of this matter, but it happened suddenly, and there is no evidence. It seems that Father and Great-Grandmother, the empress dowager, will not believe the rumors of these mean people—and I will also not believe it."

Lady Ning watched her son and laughed coldly, "Not believe? I think everyone is starting to believe!" Suddenly she slapped the table, fuming with anger. With hatred in her voice, she said, "I don't understand what the Director was thinking this time, to actively suppress this rumor. Does he not realize this will instead make people believe it? What does he want Fan Xian to do?" She suddenly seemed to lose focus; it was a moment before she gave a resounding sigh.

"Fan Xian? So… she had a son, and it is Fan Xian."

The Great Prince naturally knew which "she" his mother was talking about. Of course it was the one who had been brilliantly eye-catching but had come to a dismal ending: the mistress of the Ye family. He guessed his mother's meaning, and asked probingly, "What do you mean?"

Lady Ning's eyebrows pulled into a line, and she said sternly without anger, "Us Dongyi people stress the importance of showing gratitude and resentment to the right people! Now that Fan Xian's past has been revealed, regardless of whether or not the Emperor remembers the work the Ye family did, the one in the eastern palace… will definitely not tolerate him. You listen to me well!"

In front of outsiders, the Great Prince was a brave and fierce general, a strong hero. In front of Lady Ning, he was like a meek little cat. He brought his feet together and stood like a little soldier in front of his mother, and said in a deep voice, "I await mother's instructions."

"If things go wrong…" A trace of ferociousness appeared between Lady Ning's brows. "You must, by any means necessary, protect Fan Xian's life!"

The Great Prince didn't even think before agreeing to do so. He had never gone against his mother's intentions before. Only, he still felt some confusion. He knew, back then, his mother had played some role in the night that Jingdou ran red with blood; he just didn't understand why his mother would go to such lengths to protect Fan Xian. To the extent of ordering him to use the soldiers at his disposal in a time of need… how was this different to rebellion?

"If Director Chen had not been around to save me back then, I would never had followed the Emperor back from the mountains and waters of the north." Lady Ning spoke coldly of these past events. "You know about this. Even though I made it to Jingdou alive, all that welcomed me was an order from the palace… I was a prisoner from Dongyi, and no one, at that time, knew I was already pregnant with you. If Lady Ye had not spoken back then... you, me—we would already be two wandering spirits."

Lady Ning took a deep breath and said, "Fan Xian's mother saved both our lives. When she ran into trouble that year, you were still young, and I had absolutely no power… but it is not the same anymore. You hold some power in your hands, so you must protect Fan Xian's life."

The yard was silent. The winter sun spilled down lightly upon this pair of sincere, vengeful, unconventional mother and son.

"If Father cannot tolerate Fan Xian," The Great Prince spoke softly, "I fear I cannot do much, even though I hold the imperial guards… oh well, at worse I'll return him this life."

"It won't be that scary. You're about to get married—how could I bear for you to take such risks?" Lady Ning stared into his eyes and spoke. "Don't worry about the Emperor's attitude, just keep an eye on the eastern palace."

The Great Prince turned this matter over in his heart and immediately thought of a problem. Although he was of a cheerful disposition, he was not stupid. After a moment of shock he said, "If he is a descendant of the Ye family, Father would definitely not spare him. Yet, looking at the situation over the past few days… there is only one possibility!"

Lady Ning gave him a dead smile. "You've finally guessed? I also think this. For the Emperor to not investigate the so-called rebellion of that year, for even the empress dowager to maintain her silence, there can only be one explanation. Fan Xian is not only the son of the Lady Ye, but is also… the Emperor's own son. In other words, Fan Xian is the royal son the world has never known. He is your brother."

The color of the Great Prince's face turned ugly, and his hands curled into tight fists. He found it difficult to accept this reality. After a moment, he hesitantly said, "Perhaps… Fan Xian is truly Father's son? Then what about Minister Shang?… if all this is true, why did Father send Fan Xian to Danzhou?"

The Lady Ning laughed coldly, "Back then? Who really knows what happened that year? Don't forget that Fan Xian's mother was hated to her very bones by the two most powerful women in the palace."

The Great Prince blinked a few times, unable to believe that those words had come from his mother's mouth. He pondered this for a while and then said, "If you could guess the truth of Fan Xian's past, I suspect it has long spread outside of the palace."

"Let them guess," Lady Ning replied full of spirit, brushing the dust from her clothes. "Perhaps this is what the Director wants to see. Perhaps this whole matter is him helping the Emperor overcome his difficulties. After all, the Emperor probably doesn't know what to do with this son of his."

How would the Emperor deal with Fan Xian? This was the question all the people and officials were interested in these days. If the rumor were true, Fan Xian could only be arrested and sent to prison. If the rumor were false, the palace should act in some fashion such as awarding some title, or issuing assurances, to cancel out the impact.

The longer the rumor went around the stranger it became. Yet, the reaction of the Overwatch Council and the silence of the Fan Manor seemed to be proving its truth. Fan Xian was indeed the orphan of Lady Ye. The problem was, the palace still hadn't sent anyone to capture him!

The matter had become rather interesting.

The Emperor maintained his silence, the palace maintained their silence. In their confusion, the people began to speculate endlessly. The officials had originally all maintained a clever silence, and even the Imperial Censorate had only carefully handed in a few petitions, explaining the rumors in the capital. However, the Emperor still refused to speak, and the officials could do nothing.

When the rumor reached the pinnacle, causing waves in court, a brave (but not clever) official spoke up.

This official's family name was Mao and his first name was Yueliang. He worked with the Rite Administration, and was responsible for reviewing petitions and deciding and correcting inappropriate language. This muddled official's personality was straightforward and rough. He wanted nothing more than for things to be smooth for the royal family, and could not stand seeing anything cause the court to lose face. After the rumors of Fan Xian's past began to spread in Jingdou, Mao Yueliang was shocked to the point of overlooking his colleagues' silence, and went straight to the court to speak. He implored the Emperor to rebuke these false rumors, and to return to Sir Fan Xian his reputation.

In court, the Emperor only lightly said, "The innocent are innocent, and the guilty are guilty. The foolish like to meddle. Why should my ministers be involved in all of this and lose their sense of dignity?"

Who could guess that Mao Yueliang would not let it go? He was adamant that the rumor had damaged Commissioner Fan's reputation. If the rumor was false, then the court should refute it publically. If the rumor was true, then Fan Xian should be investigated by the Qing law for concealing the truth from the court, for secretly joining the court, for colluding with Fan Manor, and for having treasonous intentions.

"Even if these rumors cannot be believed, Your Highness should consider the face of the court, and have the two Sir Fans explain themselves. Furthermore, Sir Fan junior is no longer suitable to continue as the Commissioner of the Overwatch Council, as for the palace treasury—"

Before this confused and muddled speech had come to an end, the Emperor had already left his seat in rage, and ordered the guards to drag Mao Yueliang away and be flogged 20 times. If the empress dowager had not come out to ask for mercy, it was likely that this idiotic official of the six administrations would have been beaten to death by the Emperor!

No one knew of the Xinyang background of this official of the six administrations. And no one knew that the Emperor's final rage was because the empress dowager had come out to protect the person.

For the Emperor, the thing he most feared was his own mother and sister joining together with his sons. In the current situation, the Emperor had pointedly reacted; he was forcefully protecting Fan Xian's position and title. This was a certain kind of stance: the stance of a lion protecting his territory.

However, the officials and people of the Qing Kingdom did not know of the problems in the palace. After the incidence of the flogging, Jingdou was shocked! They remembered when the Imperial Censorate had accused Fan Xian of misconduct, they also received a brutal flogging. The people realized that the endless protection that Fan Xian had received over the years was even more apparent than that of the royal sons!

Connecting this to the Emperor's ambiguous attitude on this matter, people began to guess.

Humankind's imagination was sometimes extremely lacking, yet sometimes unbelievably rich. Regarding the rumor around Fan Xian's past, the people began to slide uncontrollably in a direction that was the least favoured by some people. Whether or not behind this guess was the shadow of that old man in the wheelchair, it could not be known.

In short, not long after the first piece of explosive news spread throughout Jingdou, a second piece of explosive news began to spread through the streets and alleys of Jingdou. The people and officials discussed this news more secretively, more carefully, and with more excitement.

"Have you heard? Sir Fan junior is the illegitimate son of… our Qing Emperor."

"Of course, they look like they came from the same mold."

"You've seen the Emperor?"

"Ah… I guessed. But, in all honesty, Sir Fan junior is a prodigy. He excels in both the arts and fighting, his poetry has surprised the world, and his reputation has spread far and wide. Such a figure… could only be born of our wise and mighty Emperor."

"That's true, that's true."

"However… Minister Shang… this… this…"

"Ah, poor Minister Shang—old master Fan's name didn't marry well—is also to blame."

In Xinyang's Li Palace, the Eldest Princess was gently drawing her brows, and there was a self-deprecating smile at the corner of her mouth. This extraordinary woman—who had never in her life been without a plan—knew that she had made a fatal mistake after hearing the two consecutive rumors. Her brother, the Emperor, must have started to suspect her, yet that little thing called Fan Xian…

"Sir Yuan, I didn't listen to your advice. I was wrong." The Eldest Princess gently pressed her lips to the lip paper, and spoke lightly. "Sir Fan junior's past is strange, and completely unexpected. The first rumor was already enough to shock everyone—who would have thought there would be a second?"

Now that they were like Huang Yi, Yuan Hongdao, who was the chief counsellor of Xinyang said, "I had originally advised you to wait and see because I thought the news of Fan Xian being a descendant of the Ye family came in a strange way. But I never expected that behind this information was this shocking conjecture. The event happened too suddenly; the situation changed too quickly. We dealt with it in the wrong way this time, but it is not because we did not fight well; it is the will of heaven."

The Eldest Princess had lost the Cui family, and her interests had been damaged beyond repair. She was truly starting to realize her son-in-law's ability. In her anger, she found it difficult to maintain her usual cool, and her return strike had been too slow; it had been practically useless. So when the first rumor entered her ears, she didn't think, and even went against Yuan Hongdao's strong opposition in her decision to use this matter to bring Fan Xian down.

Only, the connection between Xinyang and Jingdou was not convenient. She wanted to use the empress dowager's mouth and that seemingly-stupid official of the six administrations to first force the Emperor to strip Fan Xian of his positions. Then she had received this second message!

Fan Xian was the illegitimate son of the Emperor?

Perhaps other people might doubt this message, but the Eldest Princess believed it the first moment she heard it. She began to secretly laugh at her own stupidity. How could she have not clearly seen such a simple thing? She had wasted one of her pieces in court, used up a thread of the affection her mother had for her, and the worst was that she had rubbed the Emperor the wrong way and allowed Fan Xian, for no reason, to easily be able to stand steady again!

As that thought reached her, self-mocking and regret bit into her heart like a poisonous snake.

"Ye Qingmei…" Her head started to hurt; she moaned to herself, "In my life, will I never surpass you? Even your son is able to so easily defeat me."

Night in Jingdou.

The long absent Wu Zhu now appeared silently in an alley behind the Fan Manor under a black cloth.

At the end of an alley was a noodle shop. The light on the noodle shop looked like a bean, and it stuttered in the cold wind. A man wearing common clothing was sitting on a long bench outside the shop.

The man on the bench did not have a bowl of noodles in front of him. His clothing was thin but he was not cold. His face was eerily calm, as if he had been born without expression. And that pair of cold merciless eyes seemed to be able to see through everything in the world.

Chapter 325: The Cloth-Clothed Grandmaster Battle

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

Wu Zhu slightly lowered his head and allowed the cold night wind to blow as it pushed against the black cloth on his eyes. His steady and terrifying right hand slowly wrapped around the handle of the iron rod at the side of his waist. Step by step he walked towards the direction of the noodle shop.

The thin clothing the man in front of the noodle shop wore was made of rough cloth, of a dirt-yellow color with half sleeves. It was exactly the outfit of a hard labor worker at a river wharf south of Jingdou. There was nothing strange about it at all. He blinked, and the coldness in his eyes did not change at all; neither did the expression on his face. Only with the sound of Wu Zhu's footsteps did he slowly rise from the bench.

There was a straight knife in the cloth-clothed man's hand. He swung his hand and the sharp tip sliced through the air with a whistle. The straight edge swung through the neck of an old drooping man, the shop owner, who was stooped over picking up noodles. The neck of the noodle shop owner made a sputtering sound and fresh blood sprayed out from his neck, landing perfectly in the noodle pot!

Closely following that, the head of the noodle shop owner clicked and, like an autumn tree heavily laden with fruit, detached from the body and landed with a splash in the noodle soup. The landing sent up a spray of hot, bloody soup.

Without warning, without reason. An unusually cold and steady strike. The shop owner was beheaded and his old head bobbed up and down in the soup which had already been dyed a dusky red. Under the light of the flickering oil lamp, this scene appeared to be unspeakably scary and strange.

At this moment, Wu Zhu stood forty feet in front of the cloth-clothed man. The half of his face not covered by the black cloth did not move at all, as if he did not care that the other person had just killed an innocent noodle shop owner in front of him.

"You come from the south." The blind man's voice was always this monotonous, lacking a sense a rhythm.

The cloth-clothed man slowly drew back his straight knife. That pair of cold eyes focused on Wu Zhu, and although neither his eyes nor expression revealed any emotions, they somehow gave people the impression he had already entered a state of high alertness.

"Routine inspection." The cloth-clothed man spoke in a very monotone voice. "Bringing you back."

Wu Zhu said, "You are here to kill Fan Xian."

The cloth-clothed man said, "You purposely released the information."

"Because I couldn't find you in the south, so I had to use this method to force you to show yourself." Wu Zhu stared coldly at him like he was looking at a dead man. "Once you knew Fan Xian was her descendant, you would rush to Jingdou to kill him."

The cloth-clothed man's eyebrows moved oddly, as if they wanted to express surprise and confusion; it was clear his expression was a bit stiff, and so it appeared a little strange. The two eyebrows twisted like two little worms.

"You knew the reason, so you had me come."

…

…

Why did this cloth-clothed man have to come to Jingdou to kill Fan Xian after learning he was Ye Qingmei's son? From the conversation between Wu Zhu and this cloth-clothed man, it was clear that these two people knew each other.

Furthermore, Wu Zhu knew that once this man learned of Fan Xian's past, he would stop at nothing to come to Jingdou to kill him, and so had purposely waited outside the Fan Manor.

So it seemed that the recent upheaval in Jingdou was caused by Wu Zhu pretending to miscalculate, and secretly tipping off Ku He, so he could reveal Fan Xian's past from the distant Northern Qi. This also ensured he would be able to do so without leaving any trace of himself.

If uncle blind had the ability to concoct this beautiful plan, then the only reason for all this was to draw this cloth-clothed man to Jingdou.

Who exactly was the cloth-clothed man?

A number of months ago, on the southern seaside of the Qing Kingdom, there appeared a nameless man. He searched everywhere for a blind man, and when his question was met with no answer, he would very simply kill everyone who had seen him. He gave no excuse and asked for no reasons.

He was the Nanjiang serial killer that Fan Xian and Yan Bingyun could not forget.

Once the Ministry of Justice were at their wit's end, the Overwatch Council finally began investigating these strange and bizarre killings. However, each time an ace of the Overwatch Council tracked down the nameless man, they would be counter-attacked and killed without mercy. And so, until now, no one knew what the nameless man looked like. Yan Bingyun had once thought about borrowing troops from Fan Xian to take the Tiger Guards south; the reason was this man.

He had just appeared out of nowhere, and seemed unfamiliar with the way he should behave and the norms of this world. Thus, he had unnecessarily killed too many people. It was not until later that he gradually understood more things; so he put his wild hair into a common bun, his bare feet into common everyday grass shoes, and chose a straight knife commonly used by the martial arts people of Qing. At the same time, he also changed into inconspicuous, rough cloth clothes.

…

…

Wu Zhu took a step forward and was a little bit closer to the noodle shop. He lowered his head slightly and said, "I went to find you in the south, but failed."

The cloth-clothed man said something haunting: "I looked for you in the south, and also failed."

Wu Zhu's feet were bare, the cloth-clothed man's feet wore grass shoes. Wu Zhu's hair was tightly bundled behind his head, it moved not an inch. The cloth-clothed man's hair was bundled into a bun, slightly higher on the head.

The aura around the two of them was very similar. Although different in clothing and appearance, these two things seem to be the only things setting them apart. The aura on their bodies showed these two were both merciless killing machines; they were two hunters hidden in the night. Each was clearly searching for the other, yet they cared greatly about who first found who.

They demanded themselves to first find the other, and not be discovered by the other. Although this appeared to be the same, it was like the battle of life and death between the hunter and the injured tiger. Whoever had the advantage was the one who would continue existing in this world.

"Someone told you I was in the south," Wu Zhu said.

The cloth-clothed man did not reply to his question; instead, he said, "Cannot leave a trace."

Wu Zhu said, "She has already left too many traces. Go back to the temple, I won't kill you."

The cloth-clothed man seemed to think Wu Zhu's words were rather inexplicable, and was in great conflict with the truth he had always followed. A strange emotion flashed through that pair of eyes, bright and cold as ice. This kind of emotion was rare to see in people's eyes.

"You come back with me." The cloth-clothed man's voice remained emotionless.

Wu Zhu's voice was actually a bit angry. "I forgot some things—wait until I remember."

The conversation between the two men had used a strange rhythm the entire time; furthermore, if closer attention was paid, it could be discovered that these two had not asked a single question. They had only spoken in very certain tones. Perhaps they were both very confident in their ability to judge logically; more likely it was that these two strange men had difficulty understanding normal conversation with such leaps of logic.

The lips of the two people moved but no sound came out. It was as if they were conducting a final soundless negotiation.

The negotiation broke, and Wu Zhu took another step towards the noodle shop. The distance between the two people shrank from 40 feet to 20 feet.

The cloth-clothed man wore no expression and did not take a single step back. He only stared at the iron rod in Wu Zhu's pale white hand, as if waiting for the rod to sprout flowers.

…

…

A low spluttering sound came from the stove with the pot of noodles. The soup with the human head boiled over with red bloody bubbles; they followed the rim of the pot and fell into the stove. They spluttered as they came into contact with the cherry red coals and a smoky stench rose.

Wu Zhu moved. The black cloth around his eyes immediately dissolved into a streak of black silk. The iron rod in his hands did not sprout flowers; it was as sharp as a bamboo point after winter, and it speared straight towards the cloth-clothed man's chest!

What was strange was that, today, Wu Zhu did not choose to aim his rod at the throat.

At almost the exact same moment, the cloth-clothed man with the straight knife also moved. The two people moved towards each other with the same strength and speed; no one would be able to tell the difference between them.

The distance of 20 feet disappeared in the blink of an eye. Wu Zhu and the cloth-clothed man suddenly crashed together.

Their speed was too quick, appearing to exceed the limits of what the eye could observe. It seemed that in one moment, the two were still separated by two dozen feet, and in the next, the two were standing nose to nose!

Their speed was so fast that they seemed to meet as suddenly as two streaks of light. Fan Xian before his injury; that shadow assassin from the Sixth Bureau; even if Haitang were here: none would have reacted in time. They could have only waited to die. Other than the four Great Grandmasters, no one else had ever experienced such a realm.

Yet as the streaks of light clashed together, they didn't produce brilliant fireworks; rather, their came a deathly silence.

…

…

The point of a knife emerged, terrifyingly, from Wu Zhu's right rib area. Something was dripping from the tip of the knife onto the floor.

An iron rod was, with incomparable accuracy, stabbed through the cloth-clothed man's abdomen. There was not the slightest deviation.

Wu Zhu had moved first, and his speed seemed to be slightly faster than his opponent. When the two clashed together, his left knee took the extra time to kneel down. He was only slightly quicker, but it was enough to save his life.

At that moment, he maintained his half-kneeling position. The iron rod in his hand pointed upwards slightly, as if he were holding a torch to honor the heavens, and was pierced through his opponent's abdomen.

…

…

There came faint voices in the garden behind the little alley. The sounds were extremely light, yet they landed in Wu Zhu and the cloth-clothed man's ears.

Like sawing through wood, the two people silently moved apart and the weapons in their hands slowly slid out of the other person's body. At this moment, a click came from the cloth-clothed man's abdomen—it seemed like something was broken!

After receiving such a heavy injury, there was still no expression on the cloth-clothed man's face; it was as if there was no pain at al. He only examined the injury in his abdomen like a child, as if pondering why he would be just a little bit slower than Wu Zhu.

Wu Zhu defeated his enemy in one strike, but also took a heavy injury; yet he, like his opponent, remained expressionless. Only at the edge of his mouth, uncovered by the black cloth, there was the sense of a little bit of distance from the mortal world.

He knew the cloth-clothed man would no longer be able to exist on this earth. He had been a little faster than the cloth-clothed man because he had used Fan Xian's past to lure his opponent out today. So he had prepared more thoroughly: he hadn't worn shoes, and he hadn't brushed his hair into a bun.

"Do not stain oneself with the world of mortals." Those words from the temple indeed made some sense.

At night the snow began again. A few human shadows jumped over the garden wall, and landed without a sound in the small alley. After landing, each person drew a long knife from their back and arranged themselves into a striking formation, vigilantly observing each direction.

The people who had just arrived were the Tiger Guards responsible for Fan Xian's safety.

After confirming everything was safe, Gao Da sheathed his knife. He walked through the sparse snowflakes to the noodle shop. He furrowed his brows as he saw the terrifying human head in the soup left on the stove.

Closely following that, his gaze fell onto the wound that separated the head from the body. He only glanced at the wound before a chill and horror involuntarily flashed through his eyes—what a clean strike!

Gao Da's neck suddenly felt an icy chill, as if some snowflakes had fallen into his clothes. He knew the battle that took place earlier was definitely not one that people like him could rashly interfere in. Although he did not witness it personally, he could guess what unbelievable realms the two people battling had reached.

The snow fell heavier and heavier, and gradually froze the bloody soup; it also froze the spirits of the people in the alley.

The noodle shop stood wretched in the alley. The shop owner had died, the stove had cooled, and the blood had dried. No one else on this earth saw the two nameless people—not Grandmasters, yet possessing their skill—who tried to kill each other in this alley.

The night watchman at the Overwatch Council was currently taking a nap. The building appeared even colder and more solemn in the night through the wind and snow. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew past and shocked the guard awake. He slapped his face with the lingering shock and ordered himself to wake up.

Usually there were more guards on watch at night in the garden, particularly in recent days. Because of Commissioner Fan's matter, Director Chen had not gone back to the Chen Garden at all. Instead, he took direct charge of the Council to control everything. If the Director knew he had been sleeping earlier, there would not be pleasant consequences.

Chen Pingping was, at this moment, dozing off in his chair. The old man's body had not been well these past few years. Although the fireplace in his room was burning fiercely, he would, unconsciously, use his dry and thin hands to tug his sheep wool blanket on his knees up to his chest while he slept.

The door opened, and then closed.

Chen Pingping woke up and slowly blinked his murky and tired eyes. He looked at the piece of black cloth in front of him and said quietly, "How come you're here?"

It was only then that he noticed the horrifying wound on the left side of Wu Zhu's chest. The messy snow white eyebrows immediately leapt up. Although he wasn't angry, he asked with great vigilance, "What happened?"

To be able to injure Wu Zhu? It had to have been one of the Great Grandmasters who struck. No matter how arrogant Chen Pingping was, it would be difficult for him, in the mess that Jingdou was in today, to handle the news that the enemy suddenly had an extra Great Grandmaster's help.

Wu Zhu did not answer his question, he only said three very straightforward sentences.

"Let the Shadow return.

"The person who injured me knew I was in the south.

"If Fan Xian dies, the Qing Kingdom falls."

Wu Zhu knew that the old cripple in front of him had enough intelligence to understand those three sentences. He was not able to last much longer after the horrifying wound he had sustained today, and so once he finished talking, he quickly and quietly left the Overwatch Council.

…

…

Chen Pingping sat in his wheelchair and sunk deep into thought for a long time. In the fireplace not far from him, the red firelight leapt like fairies, and bathed his usually white and sallow face red.

Although Wu Zhu's three sentences were simple, they revealed very important information.

The first sentence told him to have the Shadow return. This meant that his injury was very severe, and he was unable to stay beside Fan Xian to protect him. He wanted Chen Pingping to fulfil his promise early, and summon the Shadow back to protect Fan Xian's safety.

However, the person who was able to injure Wu Zhu must have already died. Otherwise, given Wu Zhu's personality, and for the sake of Fan Xian's life, he would not leave Jingdou with an enemy that powerful around regardless of how heavy his injury was.

Who could have injured Wu Zhu? It must not have been one of the Great Grandmasters. Otherwise, Wu Zhu would not have purposely hidden the other person's identity. Chen Pingping's heart stuttered a little, and he vaguely suspected something. He had this suspicion many years ago, only he still did not have any evidence.

On the night Wu Zhu had carried Fan Xian out of Jingdou, the two of them had considered how to have Fan Xian escape from that unknown danger. Only… how did the Temple know that Wu Zhu was in the south? Chen Pingping furrowed his brow and began to make sense of all of this.

In the two years that Fan Xian had been in the capital, Chen Pingping had asked him, more than once, what had happened to Wu Zhu. Fan Xian always lied very carefully, saying Wu Zhu was in the south looking for Ye Liuyun. The only other person besides Chen Pingping who knew this false information was the Emperor, whom he had told.

Wu Zhu's second sentence was reminding Chen Pingping of this point. And so it seemed that the threat in the third sentence was something that would naturally happen.

"The Emperor." The wrinkles at the corners of Chen Pingping's eyes twitched, and he sighed softly, "You always manage to surprise me. Bravo, bravo."

It was only an instant, and he had already guessed the Emperor's true thoughts. Although he wasn't sure how the Emperor was able to connect with the Temple of the Void, he was very clear on one thing. The mighty Emperor very much wanted Wu Zhu to disappear.

As the Emperor of a dynasty, perhaps it was very difficult to endure your illegitimate son having a person next to them at the same level as the Great Grandmasters.

A Great Grandmaster, if crazy, had enough power to shake the rule of the court. This was something anyone could imagine. Even if he couldn't charge into the palace alone and slaughter all of the royal family, he definitely could travel by himself through the world, and wipe out all of the officials of each region guarding the borders. He also didn't have to worry about being trapped by the army.

He could also hide in Jingdou for ten years and kill each time he left. This would scare the Emperor into staying inside his palace forever, his edicts never leaving the city. In a scenario such as this, in which no one dared to be an official, the Emperor did not dare to show his face, other than for the court to fracture and collapse, what else could be done?

…

…

And so it was possible for Ku He to single handedly oppress all the princes and aristocratic families in the north who wanted to rebel.

And so Sigu Jian was able to protect Dongyi City for all these years by himself, able to spread the might of his sword, and to support those small countries caught between two powerful ones.

Although appearing to be undisciplined and careless, the actually highly intelligent Ye Liuyun only needed to keep traveling the world without end, and the Qing Kingdom would have to treat the Ye family well. Even if the Emperor wanted to change out Jingdou's defenses, he would be forced to use laughable, secret methods like creating disturbances himself. Of course, Ye Liuyun understood the fear of the royal family clearly, and so, in all these years, he had never returned to Jingdou.

If war broke out, the Emperor could use the Ye family to threaten Ye Liuyun, could use the lives of the tens of thousands of people from Northern Qi to persuade Ku He, and could use the ongoing existence of Dongyi City to remind Sigu Jian, so that both sides could reach a balanced agreement.

But Wu Zhu was different from those three Great Grandmasters. He had no great family as a burden, and no country or people that needed him to protect. Everything he did was for Fan Xian, so he had much more freedom, and could not be threatened or persuaded to help each other. In fact, the other party didn't even have any space to bargain.

If something were to happen to Fan Xian and Wu Zhu went crazy, the world would go crazy with him.

And so, as long as Wu Zhu was around, the Emperor must treasure Fan Xian. He must behave like the past years, acting the part of a remorseful but helpless father, and the part of an Emperor who was full of sorrow yet also full of lofty aspirations.

Perhaps deep down in the depths of his heart, the Emperor very much admired his son, Fan Xian. However, after all was said and done, he was still an Emperor. He could not allow for a Great Grandmaster who was loyal to Fan Xian to remain by his side as a servant. Even if he hadn't taken advantage of the person from the Temple, there was a day the Emperor would find a way to get rid of Wu Zhu.

Of course, Chen Pingping knew that this was only one of the reasons. The other reason was probably the faint fear in the Emperor's heart.

The Temple never interfered with the mortal world, and no one had truly seen the people of the Temple. The people in the Temple might not be seen for centuries if Wu Zhu and the man from the Temple were to perish together; and Fan Xian's connection to the Ye family could be hidden forever. If what happened that year could be buried away, for the Emperor, this was probably the best ending.

Only, the Emperor had not expected Fan Xian's past as a descendant of the Ye family to be discovered so quickly. His own son had become the main target of the Temple. He had wanted to use the Temple to kill Wu Zhu—instead, Wu Zhu had used Fan Xian's past and successfully lured out and killed the visitor from the Temple, and had saved Fan Xian's life.

Chen Pingping did not know of Wu Zhu's involvement in this matter, but he thought, with a trace of sorrow, the Emperor clearly knew that there was someone from the Temple in the mortal world. Yet after Fan Xian's past was exposed, he had never warned him or Fan Xian. Besides himself, did the Emperor only have faint traces of sorrow and sympathy for people?

The old man smiled coldly. He rolled his wheelchair to the fireplace, and greedily stretched out his hand a little closer. While he warmed, he yawned, and muttered indistinctly to himself, "You sure know how to enjoy things. You even managed to get a fireplace. Everything about you is great, except you were caught up in this matter, like a little girl…"

…

…

At dawn, it was pitch black at the place called "Wai Sanli," a remote and quiet place in Jingdou. The shadow of a round circular structure could faintly be seen. It was made completely of black wood, and it was a temple. Snowflakes fell one after another, and it gave the temple a transcendental feeling of being removed from the world.

This was the Temple of Qing, rumored as the only place to contact the Temple of the Void; the temple where the royal family worshiped heaven.

The temple door squeaked as it was pushed open. The Qing priest, who had not been seen in Jingdou for a long time, walked out. Compared to Ku He of the Qi Temple, this hardworking monk was unknown. His expression showed a moment of shock before it was hidden again. He silently and sadly lifted a corpse from the snowy ground, and staggered into the temple. The corpse wore commonly-seen cloth clothing.

Chapter 326: The Fan Manor's Changes

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

The Fan Manor was split into the front residence and the back residence, and took up a large plot of land in the south of the city. In between the two residences was a garden with rockery and flowing water. Naturally, the garden was not small either. At the moment it was winter, and the trees and plants had long become frozen. Only some freeze-resistant inch-plants were flowering. Early this morning, there suddenly came the sound of urgent wheezing.

"Ha…ha….ha…"

Fan Xian, wearing a light outfit, was currently running around the garden wall. His injury had recently healed and he was already out urgently exercising. Inevitably, it was tiring, and his breathing was rough. The two Tiger Guards who were on duty, and a few swordsman of the Sixth Bureau, were vigilantly watching every corner of the garden, ensuring the safety of Commissioner Fan's morning exercise.

In the distance, outside the study, Deng Zi Yue and Gao Da both wore strange expressions as their gaze followed Fan Xian's movements. They didn't understand why Fan Xian ran this much every morning, and Fan Xian had never explained himself. Practicing twice a day was a good habit he had gotten into when he was very young. Since he wasn't currently able to practice his zhenqi, he could only train the muscles of his body harder. Hardworking was secretly one of Fan Xian's best qualities.

None of the servants in the back residence who got up in the morning looked at their running young master. In the past few days, everyone had gotten used to it. They minded their own business; they kneeled in front of the stone steps of the servants' quarters and brushed their teeth, blew bubbles, and chatted. These were all good things from the palace treasury; only the Fan family would buy such things for their servants to use. It couldn't be helped that Fan Xian was slightly obsessed with mental cleanliness.

After finally finishing ten laps, Fan Xian stood beneath the eaves outside the study, breathing hard, with his hands on his hips and his head down. He looked as tragic as Yao Ming in the fourth quarter. He waved his hands, gesturing for the serving girl holding the copper basin to wait a bit.

The girls of the family were still at Cang Mountain, so the front residence had sent another serving girl to him. The serving girl, with her hair brushed into two rings, glanced curiously at the young master with a face full of sweat. She found it very strange; why would someone like the young master do this to himself? She placed the copper basin on the bench and helped Fan Xian put on a coat. She flicked the water in the basin with the tip of her finger to test the water temperature, and lightly reported, "Young master, the water is very hot, as you ordered. If you leave it, it will cool down."

Fan Xian nodded and reached into the basin for the towel, not caring at all that the water was boiling hot. He also didn't wring the towel much before lowering his body to place the towel on his face, and began to rub vigorously.

Water droplets between the towel and his face dripped down, and rung out against the copper.

After washing his face, his face was slightly red from the heat, but his spirit seemed much better and his eyes were full of vigor. He threw the towel back into the basin and glanced at the two people beside him. He paused for a moment, then said, "I'm going into the palace today. Zi Yue, go see if the First Bureau has anything that needs to be done from the last few days."

Deng Zi Yue made a sound of acknowledgement and left. Fan Xian took another glance at Gao Da and said, "Wait for me outside for a bit. I have business with you later."

After the upheaval in Jingdou had settled, and knowing that the palace didn't plan on physically destroying him, Fan Xian was no longer scared of anything. He had summoned four Tiger Guards down from Cang Mountain.

Gao Da was not on duty today but had been summoned by Fan Xian—this had made him suspicious. Hearing his words, however, he was slightly comforted and waited outside the study as instructed.

Only upon entering the quiet study did the spirit in Fan Xian's eyes dull a little. Straight away, he sat in a chair and carefully examined the condition of his body. He discovered that there were no major changes after the zhenqi in his body exploded. The Meridians remained peppered with hundreds and thousands of holes, yet the zhenqi that had spread between his entrails was currently behaving itself, and had not damaged the workings of his other internal organs. Under these conditions, he didn't dare to force his zhenqi back into this Meridians, but if he were to wait for the Meridians to heal on their own, who knew how long that will take?

After coming back to the Fan Manor from Cang Mountain, Fan Xian had maintained a deep silence, and did not participate in the discussions and fights in the outside world at all. In the eyes of Chen Pingping, Fan Jian, and Fei Jie, the older generation, the young man had perhaps been scared by the consecutive shocks. Furthermore, those layered political battles were not something Fan Xian could control, so they quietly accepted his low spirits.

But Fan Xian knew very well why he appeared very relaxed these days, and allowed those of his father's generation to plan whatever they wanted. The biggest reason was because of the condition of his body. Uncle Wu Zhu had once said, "There is no one in this world you can truly trust." And so Fan Xian only believed in himself. In his eyes, no one's grace, no one's care and love, were as assuring as his own power. Even if he had the Tiger Guards, the Overwatch Council, and the Qinian Unit beside him, if one day things went wrong, the final thing he could depend on was his own martial skill.

The problem was, his zhenqi had completely dissipated. He didn't have the ability to protect himself at all—although everyone thought his injury was gradually getting better, he understood clearly this was far from the truth. So he had to be silent, like a turtle huddling into his shell. Although the position was ugly, it was very safe.

A knock came from outside the study; Fan Xian hmm'ed and the wife of the Teng family pushed opened the door and entered. In her hands was a tray on which there were two bowls of medicine and a few pills, giving off a strong scent of herbs.

Fan Xian's medicine. It was the wife of the Teng family who watched the handling. There were not many people he could trust for something as important as this.

The wife of the Teng family placed the tray on the able and hurried to the side to pour a few cups of warm tea. She lined them up like soldiers on the table, worried that there wouldn't be time to pour water as Fan Xian swallowed the medicine.

Fan Xian shook his head and took the medicine bowl in one hand and a handful of pills in another, as if he were eating candy and drinking sugared water. Without a change in expression, he bought the medicine to his mouth.

Only, there was too much medicine. Even with the way he was sweeping through the medicine, it still took a while for him to clean the tray of all the medicine.

"It must be painful for you." The wife of the Teng family wore a pitying expression on her face. She smacked her lips as if she were the one who had eaten the medicine.

Other than pity, this woman admired the young master greatly. So much medicine in a day—how was this a quality life for someone? The young master's expression didn't even change, however, and he appeared to gladly endure the hardship. What was wrong with Sir Fei from the Overwatch Council? It was only a knife wound—did he have to be so nervous, and prescribe himself so much medicine?

Fan Xian smiled. "Saves me breakfast money."

Master and servant joked a little, and the wife of the Teng family left the study. However, Fan Xian sat behind his desk and went into a daze. Every day he had one or two jing of medicine, and his teacher's medicinal skills were beyond even mentioning. The medicine was indeed very effective in strengthening and solidifying his Meridians, but in the end, taking them was not a complete cure.

His thoughts arriving here, he couldn't help but think of Haitang's letter. Would Ku He really transfer the method of Tianyi Dao to him?

He laughed self-deprecatingly. It seemed the other party was going to raise him like a strong tiger. The people of the south kingdom had used this kind of method before. Like the Eldest Princess, like himself, all wished that the tiger in the north would maintain his boldness. This would keep the northern court in a tense and volatile state.

The transfer of the method of Tianyi Dao to an outsider was a matter of great importance; Ku He would certainly not dare to be careless. Out of all the disciples of Tianyi Dao, only Haitang had good relations with him. Fan Xian had determined that, in a few days, the person coming south to transfer the method would certainly be Haitang. It was only a guess, but for some reason that Fan Xian couldn't fathom, he began to anticipate that day.

Suddenly his gaze lowered and landed on the cups of tea in front of him. He thought that the light-yellow cups of tea each greatly resembled a one-eyed monster. After a momentary pause, he began to laugh loudly at his own strange ideas. After that, his throat felt uncomfortable, his stomach swelled, and he felt a great need to throw up.

He knew it was because he had taken too much medicine, and had taken it too quickly. He picked up a cup of tea and gulped it down. With some fear, he rubbed his chest, and smiled bitterly. He was never going to try and be cool in front of the wife of the Teng family again.

For some reason, after all this, he strangely felt better. The past, hate, threats, Emperor, Jiangnan: he tossed everything to the back of his mind. Life was like countless handfuls of pills. You had to take them slowly; they might be bitter, they might get stuck in your throat, but you had to eat them. It was always best to let yourself be a little happy.

…

…

Gao Da held his knife behind his back with one hand; he stood with his feet neither too far apart nor too close together, and his manner was imposing. No one could see that the hand holding the knife behind his back was shaking. He watched Fan Xian beam with joy not far from him, and his heart thumped. He wondered to himself why the Commissioner was so happy today. It was completely unlike his previously-depressed state.

It was only after Fan Xian had left his study that Gao Da realized why the Commissioner asked him to get up early: he wanted to practice with him.

Gao Da knew that he was normally no match for Fan Xian, but the man had just been seriously injured—of course he couldn't agree. However, he was forced to by Fan Xian, and the two of them decided to fight without using zhenqi. This was exactly what Fan Xian wanted. He had not a drop of zhenqi left, so he couldn't truly fight.

The Tiger Guard's long knife was matched against the black dagger; the one the palace guards had found outside the Hanging Temple in a bush of gold chrysanthemum. The two "aces" did battle with these weapons in the Fan Manor garden, and the clashing was very lively. It caused many servants to gather around and watch the fight, with some of the braver cheering on the young master loudly.

Unable to use zhenqi, the battle was all about control over the body and reaction time. Very quickly, Gao Da became disadvantaged. Any move compared to Fan Xian's reaction and speed seemed to do nothing. The weapons were not imbued with zhenqi, and Gao Da was surprised to discover that Fan Xian was a bit stronger than him. This he could not understand at all. He trained very hard—how could the Commissioner's skills be above his?

As he faced Fan Xian today, not only was he facing a superior, but each time he thought about the rumors surrounding Fan Xian's past, his strikes became unconsciously laced with fear. After some back and forth, and after they had crossed weapons a few times, his handing holding the long knife had begun to shake.

Fan Xian's finger moved, and the slim black dagger began to spin cleverly in his hand, drawing black circles in the air. It appeared to be very strange, but this was actually just the pencil-spinning skill he had practised before entering the hospital in his previous life. In Gao Da's eyes, however, this trick was incredible.

He watched Gao Da, and shook his head with furrowed brows. "You can see that I have completely recovered. Don't hold back."

After saying this, the tip of his foot tapped against the slippery winter mud, and his entire body leaned forward as he rushed over. A stern look flashed through Gao Da's eyes, and finally he used two hands to hold the handle of his long knife. He bent his legs slightly and roared, "Chop!"

The long knife chopped straight down, slicing through the morning air in the back residence of the Fan Manor.

The knife fell quickly, but Fan Xian struck quicker. After all, he reached Gao Da's when his knife was still raised above his head. He pushed with his legs, readied his wrists, and like a bird pecking at food, he stabbed down hard with the dagger in his hands!

There was a crisp clanging sound and the two separated by a few steps. After shaking a bit, they both stood steady. Fan Xian had the advantage, and he'd prevented Gao Da's long knife from executing its maximum power. Gao Da, however, had the advantage of the long knife itself. The two were tied.

Fan Xian smiled and waved his hands, saying, "Let's stop here for today. Starting tomorrow, we will fight once a day… I think this will greatly help the healing process."

After saying this, he coughed and used his sleeve to cover his mouth. He did not panic upon seeing the threads of blood on his sleeve. Although that last strike had not used zhenqi, without the protection of zhenqi around his heart, the excitement of pulsing blood had still caused a little damage.

Gao Da did not observe this; he only furrowed his brow and said, "Sir, you shouldn't use your zhenqi after being injured. However, regular combat instead of practicing your cultivation does not use zhenqi, and it does not seem to have much use. After all, when facing an enemy, and the difference in your power and theirs is too great… even if you train your body to the extreme, it will not bring many benefits to your realm."

As the leader of the Tiger Guards, and after seeing Fan Xian running routine, he had mistakenly assumed that Fan Xian was going to try a new way of practising: using physical strength to fortify the inner. Maintaining his position as a subordinate, he cautiously expressed opposition to these "crooked ways."

Fan Xian smiled. "I'm only loosening up. Of course I know the person is the foundation—you don't need to worry."

There was something he didn't say: in this world, there were people who didn't know zhenqi, yet had reached the peak of the realm. For example, uncle Wu Zhu.

Gao Da had already reported the murder that had happened last night in the little alley. He guessed that Uncle Wu Zhu had killed another assassin from Xinyang, and didn't care too much. One day he was going to find a secluded residence, have Uncle Wu Zhu make some cold sliced daikon, and have a few cups of wine, indulging with him in the nostalgia of those happy years in Danzhou.

By this time, the red sun had risen and the cold of the morning vanished. Serving girls from the front residence had already come to call. Fan Xian entered his room to change and then headed towards the front residence. As he walked, he watched the rising sun and the clear winter scenery in the garden. He felt comfortable and at ease in his heart. He didn't know that his dearest Uncle Wu Zhu had already gone far away to recover. Whatever dangerous he had faced before, at least, it was all over.

…

…

The atmosphere in the Fan Manor at breakfast was a little strange.

After all, the people in the front residence did not serve Fan Xian every day. The handsome serving girls usually enjoyed sneaking glances at the young master's beauty. The young maser was used to being stared at, and didn't care.

Today, however, there were not many serving girls who dared to look at Fan Xian as he entered. They only stood silently by the table, serving. Occasionally, they braved a glance and revealed that there was fear in their eyes.

Imperial power was like the sky in that people existed beneath it. People could gaze up at both imperial power and the sky in wonder and fear. This attitude was deeply ingrained in the hearts of every citizen.

Now that it was rumored Fan Xian was the illegitimate child of the Emperor and Lady Ye, the gaze with which people looked at Fan Xian was no longer the same. Blood of the royal family… he was no longer just the approachable, loveable, and admirable young master. He was no longer just a powerful official, talented in both the civil and martial arts. Now he was a child of the Emperor.

With this rumor, the master of Fan Manor, the Minister of Revenue, Fan Jian, could not help but feel a little awkward. So, no matter how curious the servants of Fan Manor were, they could not reveal so at the table—unless they didn't want to live. They could only whisper in the depths of the night in their rooms, under warm blankets.

Fan Xian could sense irregularity, but the clear smile on his face did not waver. He walked straight to the side of the table and properly, respectfully greeted his seated father with a morning salute.

Fan Jian had his eyes half closed, resting, and he very naturally nodded his head. The expression of Lady Liu, who was sitting next to Fan Jian, was very strange. She forced it back, but her smile was slightly unnatural.

The Liu family had a deep background, so of course they knew the verity of the rumors. She had been shocked beyond words the past few days, particularly when she remembered that she had once thought about poisoning the young man in front of her—this had made her even more terrified. Thinking of Fan Xian's true identity, she didn't think it was appropriate for her to accept this salute, but she was worried of angering the master if she stood and avoided it.

Seeming to sense her discomfort, a light mocking smile rose to the corner of Fan Jian's mouth. He slowly opened his eyes and, watching his son in front of him, said, "You're going into the palace today. Watch your behavior."

Fan Xian smiled. "It's not my first visit there; there is nothing to watch. It'll just be the same as always."

It'll just be the same as always. The meaning of this comment was both simple and complex. Lady Liu's heart stuttered as she listened from the side. As she turned this over in her head, both father and son were smiling at each other. They understood one another clearly. One was old and comforting; the other held him in great esteem: harmony.

…

…

As they were eating, they suddenly heard faint voices from the east main gate of the garden. Fan Jian stopped his chopsticks and furrowed his brows. "Who is making all that noise?" Fan Xian handed a towel over to Lady Liu so she could wipe the porridge that had dropped onto his father's beard for him. He knew that since his father had left his life on the Liujing River behind, he had been walking the correct path. At the moment, seeing his father's slightly-angry, beard stained appearance, he couldn't resist smiling. "What could possibly happen? Just eat in peace."

A servant urgently ran to the door of the residence and said something; a serving girl then entered the hall and repeated it. Fan An Zhi was stunned after hearing it, and didn't urge his father to eat in peace anymore. He stopped his chopsticks and stared, dazed, at the door to the room. He didn't know what he could say in the moments to come.

Mistress Lin Wan'er, and Lady Fan Ruoruo, had lead the two older girls, Sisi and Siqi, as well as a horde of servants, down Cang Mountain. They had returned to Jingdou in carriages. They were at the manor door!

Fan Xian watched his father in shock. "Father," he said, "weren't we hiding the news from those on the mountain?"

For Wan'er, Ruoruo, and the whole group to arrive early in the morning in Jingdou, they must have traveled through the night. They had moved in such a rush that the Tiger Guards and officials of the Overwatch Council on the mountain hadn't had the chance to send a letter to him.

They were here because the girls had finally heard of the rumors going around Jingdou. With this big a matter, they were worried about Fan Xian and had, naturally, rushed here.

Fan Jian recovered his usual color a few minutes after learning his daughter-in-law had arrived. He took the towel from Lady Liu's hand and wiped a few times, before lowering his head to have more porridge. Leisurely he said, "How many days could we possibly hide this?"

Seeing his son's panicked expression, Fan Jian smiled slightly and said, "You young people have things to talk about. Go to the back residence. In a while have the little kitchen make you something new. Coming down from somewhere cold like the mountain, have them make something hot."

Fan Xian knew his father was releasing him. He quickly acknowledged it and went out of the hall to welcome them.

…

…

There was absolute silence in the back residence. Fan Xian sat with Wan'er and Ruoruo in the room; they were like three mud Buddha. They weren't sure who should speak, since this matter was rather complicated. If they were to let Fan Xian explain he might write them a novel. If he let the girls ask questions, they might become even more confused; they didn't know what was what with each rumor. Also, if they probed, would that make Fan Xian unhappy?

After a moment, Wan'er finally bit her plump bottom lip. "Have the rumors died down in Jingdou?" she asked.

"No." Hearing his wife ask, he actually relaxed and let out a big breath. He smiled and replied, "Things like rumors, they won't die down so quickly… You two, how big a matter is this? Was it necessary to rush down the mountain and travel by night? What if you had crashed? Then what would I do?"

As he scolded his wife and sister, full of rhyme and reason, he forgot how he had also rushed down the mountain, like a dog who had lost his family. He also forgot how he had been mocked by the two elders, Fan Jian and Chen Pingping.

"I have to enter the palace in a bit." Fan Xian thought for a moment. He watched as his sister started to say something and then stopped, and he watched his wife's helpless face. He smiled slightly. "Whatever the matter is, we can talk tonight… but I'll say something now. I, Fan Xian, am still Fan Xian. I can make this promise."

…

…

As Fan Xian went out and prepared to enter the palace, Sisi, with a tired face, slid in front of him. Sisi had grown up with Fan Xian; their strong bond went without saying. Most importantly, she had been taught by Fan Xian to be fearless, and did not hold much regard for the idea of seniors and juniors.

Lin Wan'er and Ruoruo both had things they couldn't ask, but this girl was very straightforward. She led Fan Xian secretively by his sleeves to a quiet part of the garden and asked, "Young master, I heard Lady Ye say that your… mother was the mistress of the Ye family?"

Fan Xian chuckled and patted her head. "You are still very straightforward." And then he lowered his voice and replied secretively, "Yes."

Sisi's mouth dropped open but she immediately started laughing. This girl was actually a few years older than Fan Xian, yet she still had a gentle and foolish nature. She also had a never-satisfied heart for gossip, and continued asking, "Then… are you really… the Emperor's son?"

Chapter 327: Secret Movements In A Little Tower In The Palace

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

The carriage creaked as it rolled over the limestone of the new street. In the depths of winter, there was ice on the roads. Even four-wheeled carriages did not dare go too quickly. The coachman, Su Wenmao, carefully and lightly waved his whip. All around them, swordsmen of the Sixth Bureau of the Overwatch Council walked beside the carriage in boots. They vigilantly observed all sides. The Qinian unit walked separate and dressed like the commoners, scattered around the surrounding crowd.

On the carriage was the crest of the Fan family. A square and a circle crossed each other, and it was gold with a black border. In the carriage were Fan Xian and Gao Da, as well as two Tiger Guards who sat across from them. Fan Xian's expression was peaceful as he said, "The formation is too big, too ostentatious."

Gao Da lifted a corner of the heavy curtains and glanced out at the street, and spoke evenly. "Assassins suddenly turned up in the mountain, so who knows if the capital is safe? The Emperor was very angry about that, and ordered me to guarantee your safety."

His gaze swept across the street. There were not many people walking about. Everyone in their manors and shops, however, knew it was the Fan family carriage, and could guess who was in the carriage. They all gazed towards it strangely.

The rumors had been going around, and the idea that Fan Xian was the Emperor's illegitimate child had firmly planted itself in the hearts of the people. Seeing the direction the carriage was traveling in, the people of Jingdou all knew that Sir Fan junior was going to the palace. They all started guessing, wondering if, today, Jingdou would provide for them any more pieces of astonishing news.

The palace seemed very far that ride, though it was actually very close.

The carriage stopped as it reached the outskirts of the square outside of the palace. After the Hanging Temple incident, the defenses of the imperial guards had become much stricter. Fan Xian dismounted from the carriage and accepted the cloak Su Wenmao handed him as well as the crutch, which he put under his arm. Gao Da knew that Fan Xian's external wounds had already healed, and couldn't help but give him a strange look.

Fan Xian did not acknowledge his gaze, and led the group towards the cold, magnificent, red-yellow wall of the palace.

Before they reached the palace door, the imperial guards on duty had already sent a small group to welcome them. Silent but very considerate, they helped protect him from the wind, and led them through the palace entrance. This kind of privilege had always been enjoyed by old and frail ministers. Even royals sons did not receive this kind of treatment. Fan Xian couldn't help furrowing his brows, and felt confused.

He didn't know that the Great Prince had secretly given orders. Although the Great Prince hadn't explained anything, the quiet declaration was enough for the generals of the imperial guard to understand. The rumors had not harmed Fan Xian's position, but had actually helped to mend the rift between the Great Prince and Commissioner Fan.

Today, it was Eunuch Hou, the eunuch Fan Xian had met on his first trip into the palace, who was responsible for greeting him at the entrance. The two had long-ago become familiar with each other. Eunuch Hou, with a face full of charm, said, "Fan… young master. Fortunately, I was up early today. I didn't think you would be here so early."

Fan Xian jokingly scolded him a little before saying with a thread of hesitation, "You said you went to the Department of Internal Affairs last month. The last few times I came to the palace, it was always Lao Yao handling things. How come it is you today?" Eunuch Hou had been promoted to the head of the Department of Internal Affairs. He managed the use of medicine, and the death and mourning that went on in the palace: a very busy position. He was currently highly favored in the palace. Logically speaking, there was no reason for him to be waiting outside to greet Fan Xian.

Eunuch Hou smiled. "Lao Yao went out to carry out some business. The Emperor asked me to take his place for the day."

Fan Xian nodded and followed him. They walked by the Daping Palace gardens and spoke occasionally. After a moment, Fan Xian finally sighed. "I've become tired of the looks from people these days," he slowly said. "You're terrific. You still treat me the same as always."

Eunuch Hou felt a chill, but immediately his heart warmed and he said pleasantly, "Look at what you're saying. You've only got good days ahead of you. Of course I'm going to serve you well."

Fan Xian didn't question the lie, and just laughed heartily. Some people's behavior had become unnatural after discovering his connection with the royal family. He truly felt it was only the eunuchs in the palace that didn't seem to have much of a reaction.

He didn't know that the eunuchs in the Qing palace had always maintained their balance between the various princes. They didn't dare to pick a master hastily, as they weren't valued like officials. Once they picked the wrong master, when the other party took the throne, they could only die. And so they were respectful of the princes, but kept their distance. Furthermore, they usually served the Emperor, and other than the Crown Prince, they weren't overly-afraid of the over three princes.

It was not important to the eunuchs that Fan Xian was not a prince, rather, it was because of his actual position that the eunuchs wanted to please him.

…

…

Along their way, they passed a few familiar palaces before finally reaching the royal study. Eunuch Hou carefully announced him outside the door before he turned and gestured to Fan Xian with his eyes, then he retreated to one side.

After the door opened, Fan Xian walked in with the help of his crutch. He stood in front of the giant bookcase and faced the Emperor, who was currently sitting on his soft divan, reading memorials. He purposely placed the crutch to the side in an awkward way, and saluted the Emperor formally.

The Emperor didn't raise his head; he hmm'ed and said, "Find a place to sit. Wait until I finish reading these to talk."

How could he find a seat for himself in the royal study? Hong Zhu was very clever. Understanding what the Emperor meant, he quickly went to the back and carried out an embroidered stool, and placed it next to Fan Xian. Fan Xian gave the eunuch a grateful smile and sat down. He silently wondered why this kid's acne was still growing so vigorously.

The Emperor lowered his head and did not appear to see this exchange. But a hint of amusement flashed through the eyes that were reading the memorial.

The royal study was absolutely silent. No one dared speak; the eunuchs inside and out didn't dare make a single sound.

This was not the first time Fan Xian had met with the Emperor individually. But, being alone with him after all the rumors, he felt a strange nervousness in his heart. His chest felt itchy and he couldn't help but cough. The cough immediately echoed in the royal study, strikingly clearly, and it startled him a bit.

The Emperor raised his head to glance at him but didn't say anything before continuing to read the memorial.

Fan Xian quickly sat up straight on his stool and began to quietly watch the Emperor go about his daily business. He knew that very few people had the opportunity to witness this, but after a while he began to lose focus. He started studying the Emperor's facial features. Although the Emperor had his head lowered at this moment, Fan Xian was still able to find the shadow of some familiar features on his clear and spirited face. More accurately, they were features similar to his own.

This was the so-called connection of blood.

The Emperor spent a long time reading the memorials; there were many of them on his desk. His eyebrows sometimes furrowed in anger, and other times relaxed in joy. Sometimes they were sunk in thought, and other times they were elevated and excited.

The Qing Kingdom was vast, with seven roads, twenty-six regions, and provinces and counties beyond count. To rule the country from Jingdou was a very difficult task. The official memorials that arrived each day from all over the country were as plentiful as snowflakes. If he were a lazy Emperor, perhaps he would hand the power to the cabinet and spend his days traveling and enjoying himself. But the current emperor of the Qing Kingdom clearly did not want to be a muddle-headed master. He would not let go of any power and had even chased the Prime Minister out of the court, and would only go so far as to personally set up palace secretaries.

This is just self torture. Fan Xian quietly watched the scene before him, and cold amusement flashed through his heart. It was no fun being Emperor. In comparison, it seemed a much better choice to be like King Jing, who spent his time planting flowers.

The sun gradually shifted to noon. The sunshine poured down through the layers of cloud, but it was cold, as if it had lost all of its warmth. The people in the palace seemed to have forgotten the time. It was at this moment that the Emperor finally finished his annotations for the morning and closed the final memorial. He closed his eyes to rejuvenate himself, and finally stretched.

Eunuchs filed in. Towels, mind-clearing tea, pastries, and incense began to be cast onto the Emperor's body and into his stomach. Fan Xian noticed that the towel did not give off a thread of steam in this cold winter's day, and furrowed his brow. "Your Majesty… this is cold?"

The Emperor hmm'ed and accepted the towel to rub on his face vigorously. He mumbled indistinctly, "The cold enters the bone and helps wake the spirit." He glanced at Fan Xian and smiled. "A hot towel is too warm and comfortable. I'm afraid I'll fall asleep."

Fan Xian smile. "I use hot—the hotter the better." He suddenly felt like he was choking. He coughed and waved urgently, "Of course, be careful not to get burned."

The Emperor suddenly revealed a deep and meaningful smile. He glanced at him a few times and said, "Not bad, you were fairly calm."

Fan Xian was speechless.

The Emperor's gaze transferred onto the crutch behind Fan Xian and he sighed in his heart. This child is as stubborn-minded as his mother… he purposely wants me to see him showing off his cleverness. He wants me to scold him and to fortify his intentions. Does he not think I can see through all this?

The Emperor began to remember all the good of that person back then, and he realized that Fan Xian did not have any inordinate ambitions. Rather, he seemed like a quiet orphan… a good son. He rose and walked out of the royal study, indicating to Fan Xian to follow him. Fan Xian quickly went to grab the crutch and the Emperor smiled. "I already know that your injury is pretty much healed. Why pretend to be pitiful in front of me?"

Although the lie had been caught, there was no imperial rage. Fan Xian paused at his fortune, as if he didn't believe the Emperor… wouldn't scold him. Shortly after, he laughed and tossed the crutch to one side before following the Emperor out.

In the first meeting of the hearts between Fan Xian and his father, Fan Xian had won.

…

…

They walked along beneath the long eaves of the palace towards the northwest. As they walked, the palaces gradually became rarer; they left the large palaces like the Hanguang Palace and the Taiji Palace far behind them. The eunuchs and serving girls they saw humbly lowered their heads and gave way. Behind the Emperor and Fan Xian, there was only the eunuch Hong Zhu. As they walked further, even eunuchs and serving girls became rarer to see. The winter garden was unbelievably quiet, and there was still some snow left on the rockeries. The birds had stopped singing a long time ago, and there wasn't the screeching of bugs. Only a gentle silence.

Fan Xian knew where they were going, and was silent. The Emperor's emotions also seemed a little strange, and he did not say anything. It was not until the Cold Palace had disappeared and the palaces were looking rather broken that the Emperor stopped.

In front of them was a quiet little garden. The garden wasn't large and there was only a two-story wooden tower within. The tower seemed old and broken. It had not been repaired in many years.

Fan Xian followed the Emperor as they climbed the stairs. He began to feel nervous and took a deep breath.

On the second floor, in the main hall, the Emperor finally sighed. He walked outside, and gazed at the garden across from the balcony and sank into a deep silence for a long time. The balcony faced one corner of the palace, and was the quietest, most remote area in the place. No one tended to the garden, and it had grown wild on its own before being destroyed by the autumn wind and snow. The plants had fallen to the ground, looking like the corpses of countless bodies. The yellows and whites were dismal.

In the distance, the corner tower of Huayang Gate could faintly be seen.

Fan Xian stood silently behind the Emperor. It was naturally not appropriate for him to speak. However, he had already swept the room with his gaze and could not find the painting he had expected.

As if he were performing magic, Eunuch Hong somehow produced hot water and prepared some tea, which he respectfully placed on the table before he went downstairs. He didn't dare to serve on the side here.

…

…

"Earlier, when I had you wait in the royal study." The Emperor faced out towards the railing; his hands gripped the rails with strength, and his voice did not waver at all. "It was because I wanted to tell you: a ruler has his path."

Fan Xian maintained his silence.

"As the ruler of a country, I… have to consider the kingdom. I must consider the people." The Emperor spoke slowly, his eyes fixed on a distant point. "Being Emperor is not an easy job… as your mother once said. And so, sometimes I have to sacrifice some things, even some very precious things. Don't hold it against me, for keeping you in Danzhou for 16 years."

Fan Xian had been waiting for this day for a long time, and had mentally prepared himself well for it. However, upon hearing these words, he couldn't help a chill running up his neck to the top of his head. Shocked, he didn't know what to say, and was silent for a while. He suddenly bit his lip and said clearly, "I… don't understand what Your Majesty means."

The Emperor seemed to have expected Fan Xian's response. He smile was self deprecating. He did not turn his head. In an even softer voice, he said, "Including your brothers, in this world of tens of thousands of people, not many would dare express their anger at me in words, actions, or through their expressions… An Zhi, you indeed have some of your mother's style."

Fan Xian's neck was very straight, and he stubbornly refused to speak.

"You don't understand what I mean?" The Emperor turned around. His light yellow coat was even brighter than usual next to the railing. He slowly said, "I mean, you are my… true born son."

…

…

Fan Xian was silent and suddenly smiled after a long while, then lost his smile, then smiled in a stunned manner. In his expression, there was unspeakable grief and bitterness. After much time, he slowly restrained his mouth.

He suddenly felt frustrated. He had forgotten that from the first step he'd taken into the palace, he'd been acting according to plan. Now he had fallen into the role of the illegitimate son of the Emperor, and was finding it difficult to stop acting!

He bowed deeply to the Emperor with his hands clasped, but still refused to say anything.

The Emperor internally sighed. He had been completely fooled by the emotions Fan Xian had acted out, and slowly said, "I could have chosen to not acknowledge the rumors in Jingdou. I will eventually have to acknowledge them because you, An Zhi, are still my own flesh and blood."

The Emperor walked closer to him and looked at the unique spirit of determination and stubbornness on the beautiful young man's face. He immediately hid the pitying look on his face. He didn't demand that Fan Xian make a reply; instead, he said to himself, "You'll be 18 next month."

Fan Xian suddenly raised his head, but his words halted. After a moment, he faintly said, "I… don't know which day I was born on."

These words pierced the Emperor's heart, and finally made this usually cold-hearted man feel remorse. After some thought, he slowly said, "January 18th."

Fan Xian froze, and then melted to bitterly laugh. He sighed, "I didn't know my birthday was the 18th until I turned 18."

The Emperor smiled warmly. The more he looked at the child in front of him the more he liked him. Without meaning to, he said, "To think they were able to raise you as such an obedient child in the countryside. I suspect that Aunty worked very hard while you were in Danzhou. One day, I will go to Danzhou to visit her… An Zhi, how has she been recently?"

Fan Xian lowered his head and was silent for a while, thinking about something. He finally opened his mouth, "Grandma is very well. I… I often write to Danzhou."

"Oh." The Emperor noticed that he finally stopped referring to himself as a minister. His heart warmed and he smiled comfortingly, and began to ask gently of Fan Xian's life as a child.

Their conversation now had a topic, and Fan Xian seemed to have somewhat become used to their new "relationship between Emperor and minister," and began to tell the most revered and respected man under heaven about his childhood.