328-331
Chapter 328: All Exists
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
As the ruler of a country, there was much to take care of. It was impossible for the Emperor to pause for long in this remote place in the palace. Not sure exactly which part of the country was having problems, the Taiji Palace's head eunuch braved great danger to come to the tower. He bitterly announced himself many times before finally succeeding in entreating the Emperor to come downstairs.
Seeing that Commissioner Fan was standing behind the Emperor, the head eunuch cried bitterly in his heart. No wonder the Emperor couldn't be found anywhere in the palace. It turned out father and son were playing through the drama of getting to know each other with tears, and he had rashly interrupted them. If the Emperor became unhappy, who knew how many floggings he would have to suffer?
The Emperor's coloring did not look good. Of all his sons, the one he liked the most was, of course, Fan Xian. After entering the capital, Fan Xian had earned him, and the entire Qing Kingdom, much glory and honor. Furthermore, he was personable, intelligent, and suitable for powerful positions.
Also considering he had saved the third prince in the Hanging Temple and his ongoing denial of it, it was clear that beneath this child's relaxed expression was a loyal heart. His seemingly-cruel methods were full of intention to neutralize the situation.
In the heart of this middle-aged Emperor, had he not felt a thread of illogical jealousy when they'd first met? The Emperor was only a mortal, after all. And now, he could get to know Fan Xian. Although Fan Xian had yet to completely open up, that kind of atmosphere was enough to make the Emperor happy—and someone had interrupted. Naturally, he was no longer feeling all that happy.
There were now too many people inside and outside the tower, and the more people, the more talk. So the Emperor could not say anymore. Turning around, his frosty face gradually softened. Watching Fan Xian's beautiful—and slightly familiar—face, he said quietly, "Like I said earlier: as the ruler of a country, there are too many things I must do. Think about this, and don't hold too much resentment in your heart."
Given the Emperor's status, he didn't have to humble his attitude that much—even faced with his own son. These words, although not expressing an apology, expressed enough substance. Fan Xian did not dare to carry on acting. He bowed deeply, already moved.
Suddenly the Emperor furrowed his brows and remembered his sister far away in Xinyang. He couldn't help another flash of a headache and sighed, "Recently, the capital has not been silent. There are too many things being brought to the surface that can't be discussed. Chen Pingping is worried that it will be awkward for you to be at court, and suggests that you head down to Jiangnan. What do you think?"
Fan Xian didn't dare to have an opinion; an advantageous glint flashed through his eyes quickly and he slowly said, "I obey." He suddenly smiled warmly and said, "It's just that I've never been to Jiangnan. I hope Your Majesty will give me some advice about what needs attention."
The Emperor shook his head. "What I need is a clean treasury that can earn silver for the court year after year. As to how to do it, you should know. I very admire the things you have done these last two months.
He was obviously talking about the Overwatch Council arresting the Cui family and dealing with the palace treasury smuggling problem.
The Emperor continued, "Only… because of these things, you have made a lot of enemies in court. Somethings I can't… hm, you did well." In the Emperor's eyes, Fan Xian spared no effort in attacking Xinyang and the second prince. He had been acting for the court, helping the Emperor deal with matters that were inconvenient for him to act on directly.
After Fan Xian thought silently for a while, he opened his mouth to say, "From today onwards, I am still willing to be Your Majesty's disgraced minister."
The Emperor was satisfied with Fan Xian's declaration. Waiting for this opportunity, Fan Xian opened his mouth to say, "Only, the road to Jiangnan is long, and although I have the power of the commissioner, I am not familiar with matters concerning trade. If various affairs are led by the Council, I'm afraid things won't be go well… Your Majesty, I…" He faced the Emperor, gritted his teeth and said, "I want to borrow Qingyu Hall."
The Emperor paused, and was silent for a moment before saying, "Naturally, the shopkeepers of Qingyu Hall are familiar with matters concerning the palace treasury. However, by court regulations, they're not to leave the capital…" He suddenly felt that it was not right to say these things in front of Fan Xian. He coughed and said, "An Zhi, are you not afraid I will doubt you if you ask me so directly?"
Fan Xian answered straightforwardly, "The expansive earth is all the Emperor's. Since I asked you in person, I clearly believe that Your Majesty trusts in my loyalty."
The Emperor stared at him, his thoughts going round and round quickly in his mind. Back then, the Ye family had been well-established and flourished greatly. They could have destabilized the state system. As the ruler of a country, he really was terrified of history repeating itself of that night. The Fan Xian in front of him was her son. It would be understandable for him to seek vengeance for the lost Ye family.
But he thought about it from another perspective. Since Fan Xian dared to break taboo to ask this, it counted as being candid. He opened his mouth and lightly said, "Since you now stand high enough, you know that the so-called true gold and silver are not actually that useful. As for the palace treasury, I decided six years ago to let you manage it when you grew up, and I kept… that idea. This is what I wanted. Why would I have any doubts?"
Fan Xian appeared to be moved, yet the Emperor waved and mockingly smiled. "But don't you think you can fool me. Although the calculations for the palace treasury are numerous and complicated, they don't need the people from Qingyu Hall. I think you want to scoop them out of the capital with your request."
Fan Xian did not argue. "I don't dare to conceal with from you," he sighed dejectedly, "I did have that idea. From the day I learned of my past, I've had this idea. Last year, I actually visited Qingyu Hall. Those shopkeepers been held for many years in the capital… it really was very awkward. These people are not yet 50. If we release them from the capital, they could work for the court."
Last year he had gone to Qingyu hall, and knew that this matter would one day be used by someone. So he decided to bring it up today with the Emperor first.
The Emperor seemed caught off guard by his calm. After a moment, he finally nodded.
Fan Xian was overjoyed. The Emperor laughed in spite of himself and said, "But you can't take them all. Each manor's family business is managed by Qingyu Hall. If you take them all away, I'm afraid that King Jing would be the first to hunt you down."
Fan Xian chuckled, and the Emperor smiled slightly. "...A few among them, Princes who dare to stand straight and speak to me. On the contrary, his temperament is excessively steady and fierce, not like you—" He broke off, then said, "Upstairs in the side room, there is a painting… go have a look in a moment."
Although he knew very well that the painting was in the palace, Fan Xian still revealed a hesitant expression, asking, "What painting?"
The Emperor replied, "The only likeness your mother left in this world…" Thinking of Xiao Yezi, his gaze softened and he said quietly, "You've never seen her. Take a good look in a moment… speaking of which, you really look nothing like your mother."
Fan Xian was startled and heard the Emperor sigh again. "Although beautiful beyond comparison, her personality was excessively different. She was just like a man, and refused to paint her eyebrows. Otherwise, she wouldn't have had that name. Back then, she hated that so-called song the most, and could only practise doing so."
Remembering that his son in front of him was the most popular poet in the world, the Emperor suddenly found this matter to be amusing. He laughed and pointed to Fan Xian. "Although her poem had the power to swallow the wind and the clouds, it lacked her emotion. It was very different from yours…very different."
Hong Zhu looked at the eunuch's anxious and urgent gaze, and heard the Emperor talking happily with Sir Fan junior—how could he dare interrupt?
Fan Xian smiled and asked curiously, "Mother's… poetry. Has Your Majesty heard it before?"
"Only one." The Emperor leisurely recalled the past, and recited in a clear voice:
"The northern view: all the land is under ice, snow travels far and wide. Inside and outside the palace walls, only a vast expanse of white. Yellow River from tail to head has come to rest. Mountains are silver snakes in flight. Plateaus are white running elephants, they seem to rival the sky. Wait until the day is clear and fine. Watch for the girl dressed in white, what a fascinating sight. The nation is charming and fine, for it countless heroes are willing to die.
"It's a pity that Ying of Qin and Wu of Han lacked literary talents; Taizong of Tang and Taizu of Song also lacked literary excellence. A proud Son of Heaven, Genghis Ximan, could only shoot bows and arrows. The past is gone to find heroes. Look only in this dynasty."
Ying of Qin and Wu of Han? Taizong of Tang and Taizu of Song? Fan Xian's expression was very excited; so much so that he almost pulled a muscle.
The Emperor looked at him in disapproval and chided, "Do you think this poem is bad?"
Fan Xian set his face and said, "It is very imposing. Only, I don't know who Wu of Han, Taizong of Tang, and Taizu of Song are." He silently though, Mom, if you're going to change things, then change them more completely. What Ximan Khan… I surrender to you.
The Emperor explained, "According to legend, they were a generation of three great rulers before the ages."
Fan Xian was speechless, and thought, Turns out Mother's way of dodging difficult question was much like my own. Much like my conversation with Zhuang Mohan in Shangjing, Northern Qi, whenever there was something that was difficult to explain, I pushed it to the time before the ages. As something I once saw in a history book. And where was the history book? Sorry, I tore it up to use as toilet paper.
The eunuch entreated again, and the Emperor finally left the little tower. As he left, his thin shadow showed no trace of sentimentality.
…
…
Only Fan Xian and Hong Zhu were left in the little tower, watching the Emperor's figure disappear into the layers of frost-covered branches and Fan Xian finally couldn't hold back any more. He held his stomach and burst into laughter; his laughter rang through the little tower and was filled with unspeakable delight.
Hong Zhu stood to one side and was shocked. He wondered if Fan Xian had been overly-excited by the events of today, and whether or not he should go find a royal doctor to check on him.
After a long time, Fan Xian finally stopped the wild laughter brought about by that poem "Qin Yuan Chun." His stomach hurt and he was a bit short of breath as he spoke to Hong Zhu. "Everything's fine. I'll go up by myself. You wait for me here."
As he walked up the stairs, Fan Xian still felt the urge to laugh. That woman, Ye Qingmei, had truly been remarkable. Of all the tens of thousands of poems that could be copied, she had to pick this one. He suspected that her hand had been forced by Fan Jian, the Emperor and those people… However, perhaps that poem by Chairman Mao actually just matched her style?
Once he reached the top of the stairs, Fan Xian's smile had already been completed restrained and he had recovered his usual calm. Placed in a feudal dynasty, the poem his mother copied was truly the antithesis of everything. The Emperor could say it, but she could not. No wonder, in the end, she had clashed so strongly against this palace.
He gave a cold laugh in his heart, and tossed all of the Emperor's true feelings to the back of this head, and stopped thinking of them.
…
…
Arriving outside the side room, he picked up the cup of cold tea on the table in passing. He pushed open the door and stepped in, without hesitating or shaking at all. He calmly stood in front of the painting.
In the painting was a woman in a yellow dress, with a surging river in the background. The woman stood on a piece of limestone near the riverbank, her dress was floating in the wind, and she was facing towards the river. The muddy waves reached to the sky and the stone was turning into sand. On the opposite shore, ant-sized workers could be faintly be seen moving around rocks and shore. Perhaps those people were building up the riverbank.
The work of this painting was exquisite. The brush strokes were fine but the style was imposing and majestic, achieving grandness through meticulousness. No matter if it was the serious scene on across the riverbank or the complicated greens and yellows of the rocks closer to the front, they were all done well. Particularly the river trapped in place between the two mountains, the heavy swell and white-crested waves were imposing and forceful. Observing this picture, the viewer was almost able to feel the strong river breeze blowing from the picture and onto their face. Standing a bit closer, it seemed possible to hear the river slapping excitedly against the riverbanks.
But none of this was the focus on this painting. Any person lucky enough to view this painting, would, at the first moment, be drawn to that woman in a yellow dress standing beside the banks. They would not have any attention left to spare to look at the other people and scenery in the painting.
The woman in the yellow dress only revealed her profile. A few black threads of hair beside her crystal and jade earrings floated in the wind and her red lips were lightly pursed. She seemed to be thinking of something. The thing that most drew the attention were her eyebrows. Her eyebrows were sharp as a sword, unlike those of frail woman, yet they also did not have any sense of masculinity. They were simply clear and thin, and were likeable without reason.
But at this moment, Fan Xian's gaze was focused on the glimpse of the woman's eye that could been seen on her partially turned face. The spirit in that gaze seemed calm, yet also as if it were hiding many other emotions.
In just an instant, he remembered that Xiao En had once described his mother to him in a cave on the precipice of Xi Mountain outside of Shangjing. Yes, it was this kind of gaze! Soft, sad, full of love and longing for life, full of anticipation of the good things, sympathy for misery, and a confidence in the ability to change all of this.
Fan Xian sighed and slowly sat down, staring the painting on the wall. He didn't move his gaze for a long time, as if he wanted to carve this woman's image into his heart.
With the cold tea in his hands, and the old painting before him, he sat like this in silence. He didn't know how long he had sat there for; he didn't notice the shifting light outside the tower nor the movements of the wind and clouds.
…
…
The cold tea in his hands remained full. Fan Xian sat there for half a day, and his lips were a little dry. Suddenly, he tilted his head and spoke quietly to the woman in the yellow dress. "You did well. It's a pity… you didn't look after yourself."
He paused, and seemed a little nervous. He wanted to collect his thoughts into something appropriate to say to the woman in the painting.
"Of course, I haven't done as well as you—but I want to assure you, I will look after myself." He stood up and peacefully stared at the painting. In a light voice, he said, "I'll leave you here for now, I don't think he would let me take you. But I will come to see you in a few days—I'll see you often." He didn't know how long a few days would be.
Fan Xian leaned closer to the painting and suddenly smiled brightly. In high spirits he smiled. "The past is gone… the past is gone. To find a hero, let me do it."
After saying this, he walked out.
Silence descended on the room.
…
…
The room door suddenly squeaked as it was hurriedly pushed open. Fan Xian had returned and once again and stood in the room staring at the woman in the painting. He suddenly opened his mouth and asked:
"The sciences?
"Female doctorate?"
Of course the woman in the painting from so many years ago could not answer her son's question, and so could only remain silent. Fan Xian felt his heart twist, and he laughed aloud to hide the wetness in his eyes. Earnestly and sincerely he bowed and spoke:
"Thank you."
And then he truly left. The woman in the painting did not turn around, she only stared at the scene across the river in silence, with her back facing the door. Who knew how long it would be before the door opened again?
Chapter 329: Wishing You Meteoric Success
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Walking out of the door, Fan Xian tossed the cup of cold tea he was holding.
With a splash, the cup landed directly stacked on top of the other cup, with very little tea spilling out.
He walked downstairs and said something quietly to Hong Zhu, and the two of them left the little tower, walking along the cold stone paths.
After seeing Fan Xian off at the palace, Hong Zhu went around Taiji Palace, through the stone arch gate, and went to the royal study to report back on his orders. All along the way, he joked with the serving girls he saw, and chatted with the eunuchs. He was unspeakably happy. The eunuchs and serving girls found this to be a little strange. They noticed that since Hong Zhu had begun serving the Emperor, his status had gone up and his personality had become steadier and stricter. What had happened today for him to be so cheerful?
Seeing that the royal study was not far away, Hong Zhu came out of his daze. He knew that his behavior was a bit over the top, so he stopped and grabbed two handfuls of snow from the rocks beside him. He rubbed his face vigorously and forced the hot skin of his face to cool down. It was only then that he felt better. He coughed a few times, and copied how Eunuch Hong, an ancestor of palace eunuchs, used to conduct himself. With a deadly serious face, he pushed opened the door to the royal study.
At the moment, the Emperor was arguing about something with Shu the Scholar, and their voices were very loud. This Shu the Scholar was certainly brave: he was not willing to give even an inch in front of the Emperor. Hong Zhu could faintly hear something about a river, transferring money, Ministry of Revenue, and other such things.
Hong Zhu perked up his ears and waited to one side, not even daring to breathe loudly. He could guess what they were talking about for Shu the Scholar to gather his courage and go head-to-head with the Emperor.
This winter was the ideal time to dredge the river. The palace secretaries had two months ago come up with a plan to do so. They were just waiting for the Ministry of Revenue to put together the funds before organizing the provinces and counties to call on the people to repair the river. However, unexpectedly, the Ministry of Revenue was unable to provide this much silver. This had seriously delayed the repairing of the river. Thus, Minister Shang had become the target of public criticism. If the Emperor had not saved him, Minister Shang would have had to, at the very least, resign his office.
The Qing Kingdom was in its golden age, yet the national treasury did not have sufficient silver! The palace secretaries questioned the Ministry of Revenue, but the Ministry knew nothing; they only said that the palace had transferred it. However, palace spending had always come from the palace treasury… could the palace treasury have possibly fallen into such a state?
The business of the palace treasury involved the Eldest Princess, and involved the face of the royal family. Furthermore, the Overwatch Council had been investigating the Cui family recently, targeting the palace treasury. At this moment, the officials of the court could not question the Emperor directly.
Thus, Shu the scholar had entered the palace. It seemed that the conversation between the ruler and his official was not going smoothly.
The Emperor coughed and faintly said Fan Xian, Jiangnan, and a few other indistinct words. Shu the Scholar's expression finally cleared a bit. It seemed that he was very confident that after Fan Xian went to Jiangnan, he would be able to solve the Qing Kingdom's financial problems.
The old scholar lowered his voice, his face full of concern. "I'm afraid there won't be enough time. If it floods next year, what are we going to do? Jiangnan is a complicated matter. Even if Commissioner Fan has extraordinary talent, it will take him at least a year to sort everything out. Even if the heavens are merciful next year, what about the year after?"
The Emperor smiled and comforted Shu Wu, "Fan Xian is leaving in a few days, there should be enough time."
Shu Wu hmm'ed his acknowledgement and left the royal study smiling merrily. In reality, both ruler and official were experienced and prudent. How could they possibly stop worrying just because a young man like Fan Xian was going to Jiangnan?
Besides, Shu the Scholar was actually fighting for more than just these things on the surface. As the head of the civil officials in court, he needed the Emperor to make clear his stance on certain matters. What was going to happen with the palace treasury? And more importantly, after the two recent rumors, how exactly was the court, and the palace, going to deal with Fan Xian?
The royal family liked to be mysterious. They were secretive about many things and did not announce them publicly. The officials in the court could not handle this; everyone was terrified and needed some kind of firm answer. Since the Emperor had explicitly stated the date that Fan Xian would leave Jingdou, he was announcing that the management of the palace treasury would be certain to start, and would start strongly. He was also using Shu Wu to inform the officials of the court to stop the speculation about Fan Xian's identity. Regardless of whether he was a bastard of the rebellious Ye family, or the Emperor's illegitimate son, he was leaving Jingdou. So stop guessing, and let the matter die down!
…
…
"Hong Zhu," The Emperor suddenly woke from his thoughts and asked, "what reaction did he have earlier?"
Hong Zhu was startled, and immediately answered in a lowered voice, "Commissioner Fan had tears in his eyes, and he seemed relieved… for some reason, he laughed loudly for some time in the tower." To serve beside the Emperor at such a young age, the eunuch was naturally a few points cleverer than the ordinary person. He immediately knew who the "he" was in the Emperor's words: Sir Fan junior, who had just left the palace.
The Emperor's expression was slightly severe, but he turned it into a smile. "This is good. Once he's let go, he can work for the court without worry."
Hong Zhu smiled carefully and did not dare to comment. However, he was greatly shocked by the Emperor's next words.
"Starting next month, go serve at the side of the empress." The Emperor said this casually as he rubbed a piece of meditative jade in his palm.
It was like a lightning bolt had struck the eunuch's heart. With a thud, Hong Zhu knelt down and prostrated himself on the floor, crying, "Your Majesty, I… I don't know what I did wrong. Please, kill me instead of sending me away."
The Emperor furrowed his brow and looked at him in disgust. "How immature! You're going to be the head eunuch over there—I was promoting you. Look how it scared you… you're not fit for such responsibility!"
Hong Zhu panicked, and knew he had done something wrong. Yet, his face remained full of tears and he cried, "I don't want to be some head eunuch, I just want to stay by you."
"Ah." The Emperor half smiled at little eunuch and asked, "What's so good about staying by my side?"
The word "good" could have been a joke, or it could have been a guillotine. Hong Zhu hesitantly lifted his head; there was dust stuck to his tearful face. "Serving beside the Emperor," he stuttered, "I…it is honorable."
"Honorable?"
Hong Zhu bobbed his head like a bulb of garlic and sobbed, "I deserve to die… I shouldn't have been greedy…" He knew very well that none of the masters in the palace cared if the eunuchs took a bribe, but it just depended on how the master was feeling.
"How much silver have you taken?" The Emperor looked at the eunuch's dusty and tear-streaked face, thought it was rather funny and began to laugh.
Hearing the laughter, Hong Zhu felt his heart steady a little, and slowly replied, "In two months at the royal study, I've taken 400 liang of silver."
The Emperor's face suddenly darkened and became very cold. "Is that so? Then who bought that 800 mu of land for you? Who gave you the connection for your brother's position? You sure are bold. You haven't been by my side for even 100 days, and you've already done all this!"
Hong Zhu's expression was dismal and he abandoned himself to despair. He broke down, sobbing loudly, "I am guilty, I am guilty." He didn't even dare to beg the Emperor to spare his life.
"Who was it?" The Emperor turned around and kicked off his shoes. He sat down on the divan and began to annotate memorials again.
Hong Zhu's face was blotchy, and he knew he couldn't hide this. He gritted his teeth and said, "It was… Commissioner Fan."
The Emperor's expression did not change. He hummed gently in a questioning manner.
Hong Zhu suddenly crawled over to the Emperor. He raised his face and cried, "Your Majesty, you can kill me if you want—but the heavens will prove, the heavens will prove, I am loyal to Your Majesty. I swear that the Commissioner and I… the Commissioner is a good man. I begged him to do this. Have mercy on him."
Only now did the Emperor show a trace of astonishment. "Oh? You are begging forgiveness for him?" He suddenly laughed out loud, and said, "This child... seems like he has better relations with people than I thought."
The Emperor stared at the eunuch's messy face and jokingly scolded, "Get out, Fan Xian told me of this matter long ago. If I hadn't liked your cleverness, he would have chopped your head off long ago. Yet, you still ask forgiveness for him."
"Ah?" Hong Zhu's astonishment was stuck between awkwardness and distress; it took him a while to recover his wits.
"Are you still not getting out?"
"Yes, Your Majesty." Hong Zhu had a woebegone look, but he was overjoyed in his heart. He didn't bother to get up and just crawled out of the royal study. Whether he was moved to the empress's palace as the head eunuch or was sent somewhere else, at this moment, he didn't care.
…
…
It wasn't after Hong Zhu had hidden in a side room after leaving the royal study that his breathing began to even out, and he started feeling the icy coldness of the sweat on his back. He accepted a towel and roughly wiped off the sweat and dust on his face before waving the servants away irritably. It wasn't until he had reached his own room that he began to truly feel the fear.
"Sir Fan junior was right: there is nothing that can be hid from His Majesty." The eunuch's heart was still fluttering with fear. If His Majesty lets you be greedy; you can be greedy, so you might as well do everything openly.
Right here, right now, his admiration for Fan Xian settled into the deepest part of his bones; and along with admiration, he felt gratefulness for Fan Xian. The young man had guessed that the Emperor did not care about a eunuch beside him being greedy—this was because he was extremely intelligent. Furthermore, Sir Fan junior had used this situation to hide the most important thing, and this was the crux of the matter. In the future, the Emperor would not suspect anything if he were to become closer to Sir Fan junior.
Thinking of that matter, the eunuch's eyes narrowed into a smile and he felt unspeakable gratefulness. The only issue was that he was about to be transferred from the royal study, and he didn't know if he would be able to help Sir Fan junior in the future.
…
…
In the carriage leaving the palace, Fan Xian half closed his eyes to rest. Gao Da and the two Tiger Guards had been ordered off the carriage; Su Wenmao was the only other person in there.
Fan Xian couldn't determine if the Qinian Unit had spies from the palace in it. However, he had run into Wang Qinian, and had asked him to train these unsuccessful Overwatch Council officials and bring them to his side. These were the people he could trust the most. If there was anything he needed to get done, he only trusted them.
"Are there loose ends in the Yingzhou matter?" he asked with furrowed brows.
Su Wenmao was not currently driving the carriage, and he carefully listened to the noises outside before replying quietly, "The Zhizhou of Yingzhou died of illness after he was sent to prison. We didn't go through the Council. We used your medicine, and nothing will be found."
Fan Xian nodded. "If it is safe, then don't touch the family of the Zhizhou. This matter ends here, you should know what to do."
Su Wenmao nodded. He knew the Commissioner was reminding him to keep this secret. The Commissioner trust in him to do carry out these secret tasks meant that he had finally became his confidant.
Deep down, he did not approve of this matter. Assassinating a Fourth Grade Official, a Zhizhou, was something that was rarely seen since the inception of the Overwatch Council. If nothing happened in the future, then all was fine. But if something were to happen, the entire Overwatch Council would be doomed. Furthermore, the Zhizhou was part of no faction, and had been purely a servant of the Emperor.
Seeming to guess what Su Wenmao was thinking, Fan Xian smiled coldly. "That Zhizhou had no regard for human life and forcefully occupied peasant properties. Furthermore, he collaborated with bandits and massacred villages and exterminated entire families. Taking his life was letting him off easy."
Su Wenmao said with concern, "Sir, although that is the case, evidence was never found. The captured thief refused to give up anything on the Zhizhou."
"No sh*t," Fan Xian said. "If we could get evidence, why would I go to all this trouble?"
Su Wenmao shook his head in disapproval. "It was still too risky. Sir Qi might write to the palace secretaries, or even jump over them and report directly to the Emperor. Although there is no evidence, for the sake of Sir Qi, he would have preferred the Zhizhou brought forward."
Fan Xian smiled, but shook his head and didn't say anything.
This Zhizhou matter was something the Emperor could not know about. He closed his eyes to rest his spirit but his mind was spinning quickly. He had to bring down the Zhizhou so far from Jingdou because he wanted to buy a favor from eunuch Hong Zhu. A favor so big that Hong Zhu would have to repay it in the future the moment he remembered it.
Eunuch Hong Zhu, who currently served in the royal study, was from Yingzhou, and was surnamed "Chen." The Zhizhou who had been killed by Fan Xian, had forcefully taken the Chen family business because of the mountain products located there—he had only been Zhixian at the time. Luckily, the Chen family had two scholars, and naturally they would not yield. They went over mountains and crossed provinces to make their case, and they said they would take their lawsuit all the way to Jingdou.
In a moment of terror, the Zhixian acted decisively and colluded with thieves to completely exterminate the Chen family.
Who knew how many people died that night?
At the time, Hong Zhu and his brother were still kids. They had been playing in the mountain and had forgotten to go home, so they were fortunate and managed to escape this tragedy. The brothers were clever, and crossed the mountain overnight and begged until they arrived at Shangdong Street. Too afraid to report this to the yamen, they could only struggle desperately for life. Finally, the day came that the brothers could not stand it anymore. Chen Xiaodi, now Hong Zhu, had taken the knife and thrown his lot in with the palace, a crotch full of blood.
…
…
After entering the palace, Chen Xiaodi lived a life full of cowering. He was bullied by the older eunuchs and had his butt pinched by the dreadful old serving women. Fear grew under the humiliation, until he was too scared to even say his family name.
Coincidentally, one day, as Chen Xiaodi was carrying water, he walked by a side path of Hanguang Hall and happened to see old eunuch Hong sleeping outside. The old eunuch was wearing his old clothing from many years ago, not the palace clothing, so Chen Xiaodi did not recognize him. Seeing the old eunuch lying on a broken bamboo chair, with flies hovering around his face, he though him very pitiful.
They had both fallen into hard times at the end of the world, and at this point, Chen Xiaodi was still a warm hearted person. Seeing that he had no chores to do, he went back to his room and grabbed a fan, and began to chase away the flies for Eunuch Hong.
Once Eunuch Hong woke up, there was not some grand storybook scene where the man handed down skills to Chen Xiaodi and accepted him as a disciple; it was not as though from this moment on, Chen Xiaodi could do what he liked and was respected everywhere. No, the old eunuch gave only one thing besides gratefulness for the fan.
Eunuch Hong realized that the little eunuch did not have a surname, and so gifted him one word.
Hong.
And because the old eunuch was lying on a bamboo chair, he casually named him Zhu. This was the story of the name of the later-powerful eunuch, Hong Zhu.
…
…
From that day on, Eunuch Hong did not give another thought to Hong Zhu's life or death; he didn't even say another word to him. Even after Hong Zhu went to the royal study and looked for ways to please Eunuch Hong, the old eunuch didn't acknowledge him.
But the little eunuch had a name. Surname Hong, first name Zhu. The surname Hong meant something special in the palace. Furthermore, as Eunuch Hong did not speak out against it, gradually, some people began to say that Hong Zhu was Eunuch Hong's adopted grandchild. And so no one dared to bully him anymore; instead, they tried to please him. They would give him all the light and respectable work to do.
Hong Zhu was a clever man and had gone through traumatic childhood experiences, so his personality was very calm and steady. With this many opportunities in front of him, as well as Old Dai losing power, the people and things in the palace changed, and the little eunuch got very lucky. Entering the royal study directly and serving the Emperor was one of his opportunities.
Seeing more of the world, he realized just what the palace was like. He learned that the Zhizhou was not some big official, and the fire of revenge in his heart began to burn. Only, he was still very young, and didn't know the way, and had no idea of where to start. Was he going to tell the Emperor of his tragic experiences? He didn't have that kind of bravery.
Right when he had started to lose hope, the heavens sent a person to his side.
…
…
The carriage jolted, and Fan Xian slowly woke up. He yawned, still tired.
He had deduced Hong Zhu's situation, and his subsequent actions had been completely unknown to the eunuch. He just slowly completed the task, and had only him about it today.
Fan Xian knew that, given Hong Zhu's development in the palace, and seeing how much the Emperor trusted him, within three years this little eunuch would have substantial influence. At that point, he would be able to casually say something, and there would be plenty of people in the six ministries willing to help him seek revenge. Fan Xian had decided to act before this happened and exact the revenge very cleanly. No threats, no mercy, leaving no possibility of future troubles.
This was the superior method of doing someone a favor.
This man had been the Zhizhou of Yingzhou. Hong Zhu was recorded as being from Jiaozhou. The two places were far apart, and the extermination of the family had happened a long time ago, and was long forgotten by everyone. Fan Xian was not worried that someone would guess Hong Zhu's connection to this matter. He had also been very careful and had not told anyone.
Even if the Emperor later discovered that the Zhizhou of Yingzhou had died strangely, and found it was the Overwatch Council who had acted, Fan Xian would still be able to find some excuse. As long as it was not connected to those beside him, and did not harm the palace, the life of a mere Zhizhou was, in the Emperor's eyes, certainly not as precious as his own son's.
He lifted a corner of the carriage curtain and squinted at the distant, blurry corner tower of the palace behind him. He hoped the little eunuch would be able to rise meteorically in there.
Chapter 330: Disturbance Before Leaving (Part 1)
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The carriage stopped outside the door of the Overwatch Council. Fan Xian exited the carriage and went straight into the yard. Along the way, he smiled slightly at the officials he met. This was the first time he had come to the Council after the "chaos of the rumors," and met with the expected fire in the eyes of all the officials.
In reality, many of the officials in the lower ranks did not know who Ye Qingmei was. However, they saw those shining words every day and, below it, the name that looked down on all the men in the world. They had eventually developed a familial sense of familiarity and closeness.
Under Chen Pingping's—intentional or not—dissemination, the heads of the Eight Bureaus, Zong Zui, and those old fellows, had begun to publically speak to their subordinates about what kind of merchant family the Ye family had been back in the day. And what the Ye family had done for the Overwatch Council. Finally, they had reached a conclusion: without the Ye family, there would be no Overwatch Council.
After all, the Ye family had fallen to the crime of rebellion. When the officials of the Overwatch Council had first heard their superiors praising and boasting about the Ye family, the officials couldn't help feeling a bit anxious. However, they had discovered that the court did not seem to hold this as a taboo, and Commissioner Fan's other identity was very interesting. So they had become more interested in learning about the details of those years.
After a few rounds of brainwashing, the officials in the Council felt very close to the old Ye family, as inseparable as fish from water, as soldiers from the people. Now that they knew Commissioner Fan was the son of the name carved on the stone tablet, the gaze with which they looked at Fan Xian carried a trace of true fear and warmth, as well as the usual respect.
No wonder the old Director would support, with all his strength, this seemingly-frail man taking over the Overwatch Council in the future.
Regardless of officials or commoners in the Qing Kingdom, they all stressed something: things should be received by rights. Fan Xian's proven ability and sufficient intelligence when handling tasks in the Council, as well as his identity as the descendant of the Ye family that everyone knew of (but could not say), would be of great help to him in gaining full control of the Overwatch Council. At least, the internal members of the Council mostly had no more doubts.
Today, Fan Xian didn't have the time to win the support of the thousands of officials in the yard. He hurried to the plain surrounded by the square structure. It was bitterly cold today—the spring winds were still far away. The tall trees were frozen and stripped of leaves, and the shallow pool was frozen like a mirror. The fish inside had probably died long ago.
Chen Pingping sat in his wheelchair wrapped in thick furs. He was listening to a song that twisted back and forth and seemed to wail and cry. His eyes were slightly closed, and his right hand was lightly tapping out a rhythm on the arm of his wheelchair. Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap.
This scene made Fan Xian think of another world in which there were also old drooping men who liked to lie in old and broken wicker chairs. The afternoon sun would leak into the alley, and the ancient phonograph would be playing records of old Shanghai music: the soft, energetic music of Yao Li or Bai Hong. Just like this, they would tangle with the weak sunlight…
The problem was, Chen Pingping was not Li Jingguang, and he was not listening to a phonograph. The old man was at a much higher level than that of the ordinary person.
Fan Xian did not have time to appreciate the old cripple's feudalistic, petty bourgeois, and watched Sang Wen with great sympathy, who was standing under the trees and singing nonstop in the middle of winter. The girl's face was flushed with the cold but her voice did not shake. He didn't know if it was because she had become used to singing in the cold, or if she was just that shockingly good.
"What a waste." Fan Xian waved his hand for Sang Wen to stop, and smiled. "I invited Sang Wen to the Council because I wanted to make use of her abilities, not for her to sing to you."
Chen Pingping opened his eyes and smiled. "Different jobs, but all in the service of the court. If Sang Wen can make me happy and help me live a few more years, then that is better than her being by your side."
In a heartbeat, Fan Xian understood what Chen Pingping meant. It seemed like he also knew that he didn't have much longer.
"I am leaving soon." He lightly patted the back of Chen Pingping's wrinkled and dry hand. "I have to take Sang Wen with me. Baoyue Brothel is expanding towards Jiangnan."
"Have her go in the spring," Chen Pingping sighed. "Have her leave with the Third Prince. At least they can look after each other."
Fan Xian became very angry. How could he have almost forgotten the matter with the Third Prince?
Sang Wen curtseyed formally and walked away with Su Wenmao, leaving space for the old and young ministers of the Overwatch Council to talk.
Standing at some distance, they couldn't hear what Chen Pingping and Fan Xian were talking about. They could only see Fan Xian half kneeling on the ground with an increasingly serious expression, while Chen Pingping was silent for a while before smiling again. He lightly patted Fan Xian's head as if to comfort him.
…
…
"Let's go." Fan Xian spoke to Su Wenmao, and then glanced at Sang Wen beside him. He had single-handedly rescued Sang Wen from the Baoyue Brothel and directly transferred her into the Overwatch Council, so she was someone he trusted. However, Sang Wen had almost no opportunity to be at his side in recent days. She was instead responsible for singing to Chen Pingping every day.
"How have you been recently?" Fan Xian asked.
Sang Wen smiled warmly, and her slightly-round face seemed very cheerful. Her large mouth was not all that noticeable, and she said amenably, "There's nothing much to do all day, so I sing for the Director. It's very relaxing."
"Very good," Fan Xian smiled. "As the Director wishes, you'll go to Jiangnan in a few months. But for now…" he paused, and said evenly, "stay by the Director. Make him happy."
The carriage outside the Overwatch Council was ready to head in the direction of the Twenty-eight-Li Hill. The date the Emperor had given Fan Xian to leave the capital was too close; there wasn't enough time, and Fan Xian was unprepared. There were many things he had to make plans for before leaving the capital within a few days, thus he had seemed unusually busy.
Gao Da and the two Tiger Guards were again not in the carriage. Fan Xian still did not trust these personal bodyguards enough.
Fan Xian waited for a moment before Su Wenmao climbed into the carriage. He rubbed his red hands and lowered his voice to report, "The Third Bureau checked the records for the palace gate. Eunuch Yao went to the outskirts of the capital. This wasn't a secret, so the palace didn't order the Council to destroy the records."
"Why did Old Yao go the outskirts?" Fan Xian asked curiously.
Su Wenmao placed the side of his hand against his throat and mimed a throat-cutting gesture. "In the Hanging Temple incident, the eunuch assassin's… foster parents, live in a village on the outskirts of the capital. Eunuch Yao went to deal with this matter. He took guards with him."
Fan Xian furrowed his brows and sighed a moment later. "Assassinating the Emperor. Did that little eunuch consider the consequences? Did he consider that… whether or not he succeeded, his family in the village would all be wiped out?"
The carriage slowly began to move.
Su Wenmao saw that the Commissioner's face was not pleased, and did not understand why. Assassination was a big crime. This time, the palace had already limited the circle of involvement. The fact that they didn't involve all his close relations was already a benevolence.
"You are kind—but one cannot be generous in these matters," Su Wenmao explained. "Only a few dozen people died."
Fan Xian wasn't one to fake his emotions, and his discomfort was for other reasons. "I am just disgusted that the eunuch only cared about revenge, and did not consider the kindness of his foster parent's care."
Su Wenmao was surprised and said after a moment, "To suggest something treasonous, the crime of killing a father is unforgivable. While that eunuch should suffer death by a thousand cuts and have his bones ground into powder and scattered, no one thought anything strange of his decision."
Fan Xian was silent, but he laughed coldly in his heart. In the Qing Kingdom, starting with the Emperor, everyone stressed ruling through filial piety. The Qing law allowed for family to conceal for each other, and face no punishment. He furrowed his brows in deep disgust, but he could not say these things to the man beside him. He thought about how that eunuch had thrown away his foster parents' hardships and grace in order to avenge his father's death, and so committed his foster parents to certain death. Yet, people thought that was how things should be—what kind of bullsh*t logic was this?
They arrived at the Twenty-eight-Li Hill, and the carriage followed the long street in. The brightly-varnished store fronts along the street seemed to be welcoming Fan Xian's arrival. The carriage rolled to a stop outside the Qingyu Hall. Before Su Wenmao had time to hand over their calling card, they heard squeaking sounds, and the long center door of the yard opened without hesitation, welcoming their arrival.
The 17 shopkeepers of Qingyu Hall were not in their own rooms or out at various manors doing accounting; they were all impeccably lined up at the entrance in welcome. Seeing Commissioner Fan stepping down from the carriage, the 17 people all knelt with a rustling sound and gave him a formal salute.
Fan Xian quickly invited these shopkeepers to rise. He glanced at the seventh person, whom he was familiar with, and smiled at him with a nod.
Shopkeeper Ye was nearly half a century old with an agreeable appearance. He knew that the gate was not somewhere to talk, and also did not understand how the young master would dare to come here in broad daylight. But he maintained his calm, and gestured with his hand, inviting Fan Xian to enter the hall and take a seat. He had the servants look after the other people. Only Gao Da and the two others shook their heads; they were loyal to the Emperor's command and would not be separated from Fan Xian at all.
Fan Xian indicated with his eyes that Big Ye was not a problem and only then entered the hall. After taking a seat, he ordered Gao Da and the others to stand guard outside the door.
At this moment, there were no outsiders in the hall. The 17 shopkeepers were cowering, a bit scared, and a bit excited. The rumors outside said that this young official in front of them was a descendant of the Ye family… he was the son of the mistress! If this were true, then for Commissioner Fan to be here today meant he must have something urgent to say.
Because Fan Xian currently sat in a superior position, if he didn't proclaim his own identity, then these shopkeepers in Qingyu Hall would not have the courage to hold his legs and sob.
Fortunately, Fan Xian did not allow the silence to go on for too long; after a moment of hesitation he said, "I am here today for that matter from one and a half years ago."
Shopkeeper Ye had not expected Sir Fan junior to speak of this. He was very surprised and stared at him in shock.
Fan Xian smiled and explained, "Back then, I wanted my little brother, Sizhe, to be a disciple to the head shopkeeper. But you were too busy, and never told me to have my brother bring cured meats to your door. Currently, my good-for-nothing brother is out wandering somewhere—and so, naturally, we need not bring that up anymore. However, head shopkeeper, we talked about another matter at the time as well. Don't tell me you've forgotten that too."
How could Big Ye forget?
That day, Fan Xian had secretly told him that he would control the palace treasury in the future, and had come to seek help from Qingyu Hall. He had also promised these people the possibility of leaving the capital. Fan Xian's suggestion had made all the people in Qingyu Hall rather happy. If they could leave the capital, and continue the legacy left by their mistresses, then these shopkeepers would naturally be happy.
But they were terrified of the might of the Emperor, and they were also unable to determine whether or not Fan Xian had the ability to sway the palace. Most importantly, they didn't know exactly what Fan Xian's purpose was, or what he planned to do. And so, they had not sought Fan Xian to give an explanation of the matter.
Who knew that changes could be so wonderful? First, Fan Xian had suddenly become prominent in the last one and a half years, and was the most favored young official of the Qing Kingdom. His control of the palace treasury had also become a reality… and now there were rumors that he was the mistress's son.
If this rumor were true, then Fan Xian's reason for drawing Qingyu Hall to himself was obvious.
Big Ye coughed a couple of times and said with a serious expression, "Sir, we are all very willing… only, we don't know whether or not the palace would allow it." He didn't question Fan Xian's intentions, yet he continued to doubt his abilities.
Fan Xian began to smile, and nodded his head.
…
…
The noise in the hall exploded. The 17 mature, cool-headed shopkeepers revealed stunned and overjoyed expressions. Ever since the Ye family had fallen, they had been under house-arrest in the city, and were not allowed to leave. Hearing this good news, how could they control themselves?
Fan Xian took a sip of his tea and watched these 45-year-old shopkeepers smile innocently like children, and a sincere smile rose to his face as well. These people, because of his mother, had been trapped in the capital at their prime and could not free themselves. Now that he could do this for them, it was cheering indeed.
"Naturally, you cannot all go," Fan Xian warned. "Your families have to stay in the capital." The celebrating shopkeepers all stopped and listened to him continue talking. "After Jiangnan, you can take turns. Just think of it as a holiday. What does everyone think?"
Only then did everyone realize Sir Fan junior was joking. Surprised, everyone laughed loudly.
Fan Xian said a few more words of warning, reminding them to remember the Emperor's kindness, to work hard for the court, and other bullsh*t like that. This bullsh*t was obviously for the benefit of the listening Tiger Guards outside the door. Only after this did he lower his voice and say, "Seventh Ye, I'll have to trouble you to come with me this time. As for the rest of them, let them work it out for themselves… However, they must leave someone older in the capital."
Seventh Ye was standing right beside him and he furrowed his brow in question.
Fan Xian smiled. "Baoyue Brothel is about to be emptied—you have to at least help me clean up a bit. For a place like that, it will have to be organized by an older, morally admirable man."
Another corny joke. The shopkeepers set their faces and gave forced laughs. After a long while, the laughter finally calmed, and a different faint feeling grew in the hall.
In reality, the shopkeepers were not paying attention to what Fan Xian was saying; they were intently studying his appearance. They hoped to find familiar features in it. Although Fan Xian had not said anything about it today, his actions had already revealed enough. Including Shopkeeper Ye, all of them already believed he was the descendant of the Ye family.
In a moment of silence, with Shopkeeper Ye in front, and the 16 other shopkeepers lined up behind him, they faced Fan Xian sitting in the center and lifted their robes to kneel in unison.
"We will follow our young master's instructions."
Chapter 331: Disturbance Before Leaving (2)
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The New Year enjoyed the bounty of the previous year, and was a signal for spring. The New Year festival came once again. It was not delayed, and came with little surprise.
This winter, Fan Xian had not spent most of his time on Cang Mountain. With the addition of all the other events that happened, Wan'er and Ruoruo were frightened into returning to Jingdou as well. Everyone had gathered except for the second Fan son, and so the Fan Manor took the opportunity to celebrate properly.
A thick layer of red confetti lay outside the Manor doors like the carpet at a wedding. The smoke that permeated through the air and was a little pungent but also slightly sweet. The fish and meat from the big and small kitchens made the masters feel that life couldn't be this good. Luckily young master's digestion medicine was very effective…
On the night of the 30th, Fan Xian was in his room with his wife and sister having a difficult conversation. After slightly clearing their confusion, he didn't wait for the two woman to wake from their shock before leading them to the front residence.
A New Year's meal was hurriedly eaten and the family gathered around to play a few rounds of mahjong. Fan Xian was sprawled behind Wan'er, hugging her neck, and occasionally giving out bad advice and successfully losing quite a lot of silver to the two elders. He then carefully chose a few classic jokes from his previous life and finally lessened the strange atmosphere around the table.
The next day was the first day of the year. After the young people struggled awake after counting the New Year in, they went to the hall to give their New Year salute.
Fan Xian did it very seriously. His two knees solidly hit the ground and, in front of everyone's strange gazes, he (calmly, as usual) kowtowed three times towards his father. Bang, bang, bang—three times his forehead came into intimate contact with the ground.
Old master Fan stroked his beard and chuckled lightly, feeling an unspeakable comfort.
After the women left to go make soup balls, the front residence was just left with some single people on the first of the year. Fan Xian walked behind his father and gently rubbed his shoulders. Ever since the rumors had spread, it seemed to have broken a barrier in his heart. Fan Xian no longer held himself behind a veil, and began to show some of the feelings he was meant to have as a son. The distance between father and son seemed to be much closer than before.
The Minister of Revenue, Fan Jian, rested and enjoyed the ministering of his son. He asked, "How is Sizhe over there?"
Fan Xian answered respectfully, "Not bad, Wang Qinian is a clever man."
Fan Jian smiled slightly. "You know lots of people in Northern Qi. As to this point, I am at ease." He suddenly shook his head and said in some confusion. "Speaking of which, it is rather strange. I see that you are very good to northern people, but don't forget: there is an enmity between our countries that cannot be resolved. Sometimes, it is fine to use them, but you cannot completely trust them, and you especially cannot place your final hope in them."
Fan Xian paused, wondering if his father had guessed something. He chuckled and explained himself.
Fan Jian suddenly asked with interest, "Old Fei is treating your injury—how is it now?"
Fan Xian didn't want his father to worry, and so did not tell him about his zhenqi dissipating. He nodded and said, "Almost all better. Another two months of rehabilitation and there should be nothing to worry about."
"It still needs another two months?" Fan Jian furrowed his brows. "Jiangnan cannot compare to Jingdou. The mountains are high, the rivers are deep, and the Emperor is far away. Now that your body is not as good as before, you must be careful in everything you do. Don't do you as have for the last two years, always fighting to be first. Each time you move, you want to send the other to their deaths… but if things can be borne, then bear them for a while. There is no need to rush.
Fan Xian heard the worry in his father's words, but knew his father was also reminding him.
When fighting in the capital, Fan Xian had always been ruthless, bold, and relentless. Even when faced with the Eldest Princess and the Second Prince, he hadn't backed down. Once he reached Jiangnan and faced the high officials there deep in the territory of the area's the prominent families, he had to be more accommodating in how he conducted his business. Although from the perspective of his position, no one could move him, he would no longer have his father and Chen Pingping to rely on, and so needed to take precautions.
Father and son exchanged opinions on what would happen in the new year. They also made a careful analysis of the changes the Eldest Princess might bring to court with her return. Fan Jian reminded Fan Xian that he should pay attention to Hu the Scholar, who would enter the court this year. Fan Xian did not understand what his father meant by specifically bringing up that master scholar, but nevertheless, he fixed the name firmly in his heart.
Fan Jian lightly patted the steady young hands on his shoulder; he smiled slightly and said, "It seems like the Emperor really is going to hand the Overwatch Council to you. In the coming days when you are on the Council, he will have to find someone in court who matches you in name and position. This is simply preparing for the future."
When Hu the Scholar had led a change in the style of writing, he had been just a young man in his early twenties. Now he was almost 40 years old, and his literary name flourished in the south. Before Fan Xian was born, there was no one who could compare to him. However, this dear friend hadn't had any luck this year in court, and had been wandering around Qi Street. He had a lofty position, but no true power, and now he had entered the capital as a palace secretary and could be considered important in the court.
Fan Xian shook his head as he smiled. He didn't plan on interfering much in court politics, and would certainly not provoke Hu the Scholar. He figured Hu the Scholar wouldn't purposely bother him either.
Father and son chatted for a bit longer until Fan Xian remembered that the family still had to honor their ancestors, and so he asked a probing question.
Fan Jian turned his head and glanced at his son before sighing and shaking his head. He knew in his heart it was a rare thing for this child to have this intention. Although he could express his true intentions, he, himself, could not have his name enter the family tree. After all, he still had to consider the face of the one in the palace.
Fan Xian was only testing, and seeing his father's direct response, that there wasn't any possibility, he knew that it was just wishful thinking on his part. In his heart, he felt a bit upset.
…
…
The morning sun shined warmly onto the Fan family garden. Almost everyone, including Minister Shang, Lady Liu, and Ruoruo had already gone to the estate where the Fan clan ancestral temple was. Even a large portion of the stewards, old maids, and serving girls had gone. At this moment, there were not many people left in the front and back residences, and it seemed unusually quiet.
"I know you want to go," Wan'er sat at his side and comforted him quietly.
Fan Xian was reading a book. The Danbo Bookstore had just printed the first batch of the "Anthology of Zhuang's Critiques." Fan Xian had given the book its name, and Fan Xian had also written the inscription. According to the seventh Ye, the sales had been very good. The profits had come in much faster than expected, particularly since the Northern Qi court ordered 10,000 copies at once. This had caused Fan Xian's wallet to swell again.
Hearing the tone in his wife's voice, he smiled slightly and raised his head. He casually put the book aside and hummed. "What? Are you worried I'll take it too hard?"
Wan'er laughed, "How come you're not worried I won't take it too hard?"
Fan Xian stretched his arms and enveloped her in his embrace; putting his shoulder near her cold cheeks, he asked with concern, "How have you been feeling?"
Wan'er misunderstood his question and the face on his shoulder was slightly sad. "Still nothing."
Fan Xian laughed and said, "Who cares about the unborn girl? I was just asking how you were. When Sir Fei treats me, he uses the same methods as treating a cow. At this point, I'm starting to doubt his skills."
"Everything is fine." Wan'er thought for a bit and asked curiously, "Why is it a girl?"
"A girl is good. She won't need to stand in court and battle every day," Fan Xian said with a smile. His way of thinking was, of course, very different from the people in this world.
Wan'er pulled away a bit from Fan Xian and pointed to her heart. She laughed and said, "Being a girl is also not good. I married a husband, and I don't even know who he is exactly… it doesn't feel good in here."
Fan Xian's hand bluntly stretched towards his wife's soft chest, and he said seriously, "Let me see if this problem is serious or not."
Wife and husband laughed together, but were not able to completely throw this matter off. Wan'er said slowly, "Who would have thought that… you're…my cousin."
"Is that not good?" Fan Xian smiled slightly and said, "Sister Lin, let's hear you say brother Fan."
Wan'er spat, "Bah! You're not Baoyu."
Fan Xian thought about it and agreed; he was much prettier than Jia Baoyu. An idea flashed through his head, and he walked out of the room. Wan'er did not know where he went and was very curious. As expected, Fan Xian came back into the room shortly, only… he was wearing rags that not even servants often wore!
Wan'er looked at this beggar costume and couldn't stop herself from bursting into laughter.
Fan Xian's eyes were opened wide as was his mouth, and he said with silliness, "Cousin—hahahaha—I've finally waited for yer teh come!"
Wan'er froze, thinking her husband had suddenly gone crazy. Was it really that funny to call her "cousin?" She hesitantly asked, "Cousin?"
Fan Xian laughed foolishly, "Ah, I'm yer cousin, seventh Hong ah…"
…
…
Lin Wan'er was stunned. Hearing her husband use the Jiaozhou accent to spout a bunch of nonsense, she didn't know how to reply for quite a while. Seeing her reaction, Fan Xian became discouraged, and lowered his head like a defeated soldier. He went out to change his clothes back.
"Husband, before… what were you doing?"
"Dongchen Xijiu Imitation Show," Fan Xian said with a pained expression.
"Imitation Show?"
"Show… S-H-O-W. It's what people in the south often call… don't ask anymore, just pretend I was being stupid."
Fan Xian's acting ability was actually very good. Since being reborn into this world, he had acted as an innocent child, a god of poetry, and a playboy. Acting had always been his forte. If this weren't the case, he wouldn't have had the confidence in the palace, in the little tower, to act with real feeling and character to fool that Emperor, whose depths could not be measured.
But people always needed a rest, and so when he was with those closest to him, he didn't hide much. Like when he was with his wife and his sister. After his past was exposed, although Wan'er had been stunned, she had gradually accepted the truth. As for her husband suddenly becoming her cousin, that became the romanticism of cementing old ties with marriage.
As for Ruoruo, her brother had suddenly become someone without any blood relation to her, and was having trouble accepting this. Thus, the little lady of the Fan family was, intentionally or not, avoiding Fan Xian. As if she wasn't sure how to face her older brother anymore.
She was ill at ease, and couldn't even focus in Fei Jie's class. Of course, the Manor didn't dare to let her go to the Imperial Academy of Medicine to discuss matters of life and death with the old doctors.
"Ruoruo just hasn't thought it through," Wan'er comforted.
Fan Xian laughed bitterly, "Am I not still her brother? This kind of thing can't change." He closed his eyes and rested for a moment before saying, "After I leave, if things are peaceful over there, I will bring you over. As for my sister, I suspect she will also leave the capital soon."
Lin Wan'er was very happy to hear this; she leaned on his shoulder and said, "I've heard the water is good in Jiangnan, and that all the animals and people born there are like those in paintings. I've never been far from home. I'll have to really enjoy myself this time."
Fan Xian teased her, "Are you preparing to see handsome men?"
Lin Wan'er couldn't stand this kind of joking; her round cheeks immediately flushed red and she curled her hands into fists and beat them on Fan Xian's body.
Fan Xian laughed and caught her small fists. His face became serious and he said, "When the Eldest Princess returns to the capital, you must go visit at some point."
Hearing that, all sorts of feelings welled up in Lin Wan'er's heart and she suffered various sorrows. She didn't know how to sort out this connection. Fan Xian comforted her, "I know this is difficult, but you'll have to learn eventually. Tear this matter in two. The relationships are completely unrelated. Keep each matter to itself."
This problem couldn't be solved with comfort or persuasion. Fan Xian understood this and could do nothing but drop the conversation. On the contrary, Wan'er forced herself to cheer up and started to worry about the palace treasury matter for him. "Husband, even if you take all the shopkeepers from Qingyu Hall with you, I'm afraid you still won't be able to take charge of the palace treasury in the shortest amount of time. After all, Mother has managed it for so many years, many of the officials in Jiangnan look to her for direction."
She hesitated for a while, then said seriously, "Especially since you are taking old people from the Ye family to Jiangnan, it will easily cause discussion in the court and among the people…"
Fan Xian nodded and said calmly, "I know that too, but this must be done. All these years, the shopkeepers have all been helping various manors run their businesses. I don't completely know what they are thinking, whether or not they can trust me… it's just that without them, I wouldn't know what to do about the problems with the palace treasury. The reason why the court has been keeping a close eye on them all these years is because they understand the palace treasury manufacturing processes. These secrets are the most important of court secrets, and the court would not allow this knowledge to flow to Northern Qi or Dongyi City… for each business in the palace treasury, the production needs specialized support. This is what saved their lives."
Lin Wan'er was silent for a while then said quietly, "It looks like these shopkeepers move freely in the capital, but in reality, someone follows them around at all times. If there are signs that they have revealed their secrets, the person following them will immediately kill them."
Fan Xian was a little bit surprised. "This is a guess. Only, I don't know where those people are from. I've check in the Council, but the Overwatch Council is only responsible for the outer circle. I couldn't find the people responsible for killing them."
"They're from the palace." Lin Wan'er looked worried as she spoke. "I expect they will go with you to Jiangnan."
"Servants of the eunuchs?" Fan Xian smiled comfortingly. Since entering the capital, he'd had good relations with eunuchs and officials. No matter which palace, or which eunuch, they all considered Commissioner Fan a close friend.
"Let's stop worrying about these things." He thought about it for a bit, then said, "Although the matter of the palace treasury has not begun, it has mostly been decided… that stone-headed royal brother of yours probably doesn't have much of a chance. The battle between the princes probably won't surface again for another few years. This, I think, is what the Emperor is most grateful to me for, even though he doesn't say it."
Lin Wan'er sighed, and looked at her husband in a daze. A moment later she said slowly, "Don't oversimplify things. From what I can see, the Emperor just doesn't like his sons causing a ruckus. As to what he's really thinking, who really knows? Take the second royal brother for example. Even though he's currently under house-arrest, who knows whether or not he'll make a comeback in the future?"
Fan Xian felt a chill as he listened to his wife continue her analysis.
"The Emperor is a very special person." Lin Wan'er's eyes were opened wide, and they revealed an intelligence and cunning that seemed completely different from their normal shine. "He is an Emperor who crawled out of his own blood and fire. His most distinguishing characteristic is self-confidence, extreme self-confidence. He doesn't believe that there exists someone who could truly rock his position and so the battle between the princes is just an annoyance to him, a disturbance for a father to see his own flesh and blood hurting each other. I don't think he actually cares about the title the Crown Prince has. As to who will take the throne, it's actually all up to what he thinks, how the princes will behave in the coming years.
"The Emperor doesn't even care about all this," Lin Wan'er continued in a quiet voice. "Uncle is healthy, and he isn't very old either. He believes he can still live for many years. He's never considered the issue of inheritance. His mind is still on the world, he still has lofty ambitions."
Fan Xian's temple throbbed and he furrowed his brows. "The Emperor… does he still want to go to war?"
"It's hard to say." Lin Wan'er was still a woman, and did not like matters of war. She slowly said, "This decades-long peace has already been very strange. Currently, Xi Hu does not dare to come east and the Nanyue issue has been settled; the Emperor is just waiting for you to bring the palace treasury back to the fold so that people of Jiangnan will gradually settle down. Once there is sufficient silver and grain in the national treasury, I'm afraid he will send out troops again."
"Depends on the intensity and range," Fan Xian said. "The most important factor is the level of battle. If it's like last year's small battles and riots, then there's nothing much to worry about."
"Worry?" Lin Wan'er laughed. "This matter is for the Emperor and the Bureau of Military Affairs to worry about. You are about to head to Jiangnan, so stop worrying. Even if the Overwatch Council joins the battle, it'll be for the Third Bureau to deal with."
Fan Xian smiled and didn't argue. If the Emperor of the Qing Kingdom was preparing to start the Second World War, it would be up to him to dissuade him from that idea. If intellectual arguments wouldn't work, then he would have to try brute force.
Lin Wan'er didn't know he was thinking treasonous things, and continued her line of thought: "Logically speaking, the Crown Prince should be the one to the take the throne. But, as you know, the Emperor has always disliked the empress, so this matter is open to change. Other than the Great Prince, everyone has a chance. Even if the Third Prince is only eight, nine years old… although all of the court knows your trip down to Jiangnan is a different kind of exile, the Emperor is allowing you to take the Third Prince. This matter is a bit strange. You must investigate it, Husband."
Fan Xian nodded and still didn't say anything. He listened seriously to his wife's words; he knew that Wan'er was worried about his departure from the capital, and that's why she had broken precedent to say so much.
"The empress dowager likes the Crown Prince and the Second Prince equally. But the old woman dislikes the Great Prince the most, and she also doesn't like the Third Prince." Lin Wan'er was quietly revealing all the secrets in the palace. "Although the empress doesn't have much power, she's always been close with Mother."
Fan Xian listened intently to the politics of the Qing Kingdom harem, and interrupted to ask, "Why doesn't she like the Third Prince?"
Lin Wan'er stole a glance out the window and said hesitantly, "Probably because of his connection to the master… you know that Yi Guipin is close with our family."
"Wan'er, in your opinion, what should I do when I go to Jiangnan?" Fan Xian asked her seriously.
Lin Wan'er answered very candidly, "Be strict with the Third Prince, but also keep your distance. Be professional as a teacher. You can't let the empress dowager think that you've purposely instilled something into him. You should also do your investigating quickly. Do not drag it out—the longer you drag it, out the worse it will be for you. Mother has more than just the Second Prince and the Imperial Censorate at court."
Fan Xian was startled.
Lin Wan'er struggled with herself for a while before saying quietly, "Perhaps everyone believes that she was only close with the eastern palace because she was acting as a smokescreen to hide the Second Prince. But, Husband, you must be on guard. Perhaps, one day, the Crown Prince will fall towards her again."
Fan Xian was silent for a bit, then became dejected. The ways of this world had forced his own wife into this pitiful position. He accepted that the eastern palace would not watch him grow up—this was related to the hatred back then. But he hadn't expected for the Eldest Princess to have really used her money well, for her to have a foot in each boat, and for her to be a two-timing master.
Thinking of this amusing mother-in-law, Fan Xian couldn't help smiling.
The first day of the year was full of ancestor worship.
The second day, a horde of officials from the capital came to pay a New Year call.
The third day, the whole Fan family ran away and hid in King Jing's manor to get together. Fan Xian and Heir Hong awkwardly spoke about the past.
The fourth day, Ren Shao'an and Xin Qiwu hosted a banquet together for Fan Xian as a farewell gesture.
The fifth day, the father and son of the Yan family visited the Fan manor. After Yan Ruohai had quit his position, he'd taken up playing Go and played against the Minister until dark. Fan Xian and Yan Bingyun talked in secret in the small study until dark.
The sixth day was filled with a visit to Chen Garden.
The seventh day, tens of thousands of people in Jingdou were out. It was very lively; the chickens didn't crow, the dogs didn't bite, and the streets were full of young girls running around. Fan Xian took his wife, sister, Ruo Jia, and Ye Ling'er to run wild in the capital; they had lots of fun.
The eighth day, at noon, the Duke Manor sent an invitation. At dusk, the Fan clan gathered and Fan Xian was the focal point of the feast.
…
…
After the 15th, Fan Xian left the capital. A line of people came to the pier in the south of the city. This river was named the "Wei River," and the Liujing River emptied into it. The Wei River ran south for hundreds of miles before entering the Yangtze River. Down the Yangtze River was the city much wealthier than Jingdou, Jiangnan.
Fan Xian—as he had agreed with the Emperor—told others he was going to Danzhou to visit his grandmother, and that he would then would proceed to Jiangnan. This back and forth, in most outsiders' calculations, meant that it would be at least March before he reached Suzhou. No one expected that he would arrive earlier.
Fan Xian didn't allow for anyone come to send him off when he left the capital. This included the officials he was friendly with in the Council, and the officials at court. Unexpectedly, the students of the Imperial Academy had caught wind of this news, and had all come to the pier.
Fan Xian hadn't worked for long in the Imperial Academy, but he had always been very friendly. Last year, during the spring examinations, he had spent vast amounts of silver to sort out living arrangements for countless poor students, and had also lifted the veil on the spring examination corruption case. He had opened the eyes of students everywhere. Poetry in front of the palaces, exchanging gifts, and other such matters all added together to place him in an admired and beloved position in the scholars' hearts. His reputation was excellent.
When he'd entered the Overwatch Council as the commissioner, he'd had to deal with many cases of bribery. After rectifying the problem, he'd begun to use methods that were shed in light, and so had not lost his brilliance to the darkness of the Overwatch Council.
As for the rumors concerning his past—they were extraordinary to speak of. Scholars often considered themselves above mortal concerns, and did not take honor from their families. However, when they learned that the poet Sir Fan junior, the giant among dwarves, had such a glorious and brilliant background, they hadn't felt an iota of hatred—instead, they developed a sense of respect!
So what he was an official? Who cared he was a merchant? The head of these scholars was a prince!
On the pier, every professor and student felt a sense of regret at his parting. For a while, the pier was filled with voices and was very lively. Finally, Fan Xian drank three cups of wine in a row to sufficiently return each person's feelings of affection. The scene was very lively and brilliant; news of it would likely spread like wildfire through the court and public.
Having finally persuaded the crowd to leave, Fan Xian gently held Wan'er's hands and carefully entreated countless words to her. Once again, he told her that when it was springtime, he would have someone bring her to him. Only this stopped Wan'er's tears. Wan'er watched the leaving scholars in the distance, and suddenly giggled, "Did you tell them?"
Fan Xian flushed a little despite his thick skin, and he explained, "I'm fulfilling their glorious wishes."
He turned his head to see his sister hiding behind their family's serving girls and women with her head down and silent. She could not come to the front even though she was clearly trying to hide tears. Seeing the girl's huddled form, Fan Xian, for some reason, felt a great anger overtake him. He pushed aside the people who had come to send him off, and stood in front of Ruoruo. "Why are you crying?!" he yelled loudly.
Fan Ruoruo hadn't expected her brother to come directly to her. She jumped in fright and quickly wiped away the tear tracks on her cheeks, and stuttered, "No—no—no reason."
She suddenly thought, Older brother has never been this fierce before. Why is he so fierce today? In the end, he isn't my true bother—this is surely why he isn't as kind to me as before. Thinking this, the usually-elegant girl couldn't stop the tears falling from her eyes; but she also stubbornly bit her lip. There was a sense of tragedy around her.
Seeing his sister like this, Fan Xian's anger turned into a smile, a full-toothed smile, and he didn't know what to do. The people beside them quickly moved away, not daring to stay beside these two masters of the Fan Manor. Fortunately, Wan'er came at this moment and embraced Ruoruo, quietly comforting her. She said that Fan Xian wasn't feeling happy about leaving the capital, and that was why he was acting a bit fierce. Only after this did Ruoruo gradually calm down.
Fan Xian was ferocious because he couldn't stand to see his sister hurt or purposely avoiding him; he'd been suppressing his anger for the past few days. Seeing that his sister still stared at him with lingering fear, he internally sighed and said in a much gentler voice, "Me being fierce to you is the way it should be. I'm your big brother, you're my little sister. If I weren't fierce towards you, then you should be hurt."
Ruoruo was a very clever person, and instantly understood the implication here. If her brother did not consider her his sister, then why would he be fierce towards her in front of all these people? Having thought through this matter, a trace of joy appeared between her brows and she said to Fan Xian, "But—but—but—seeing Brother leave for a long journey, it's difficult not to be sad." She raised her face and spoke righteously. "Why are you being so mean?"
Fan Xian finally laughed. He knew his sister had worked through their issue, and his heart was comforted.
…
…
"Young master, if you don't leave, you'll miss the time!"
On board the ship next to the pier, Sisi stood with her hands on her hips and yelled loudly. Fan Xian had to bring some close company on his trip to Jiangnan. Sisi had been following him since Danzhou, and was naturally his first choice. This girl, after leaving Fan Manor, acted as if it were the time in Danzhou, and her entire person seemed brighter.
Wan'er watched her yelling and couldn't help smiling. "Husband, you've really spoiled that girl."
Fan Xian laughed, then quietly said a few words in his sister's ear about urgent matters that would soon make their way into Jingdou. Then he scandalized everyone present by pulling Wan'er into his embrace and kissing her hard. After, with a wave of his sleeve, he boarded the ship on the riverbank.
It was exactly like the saying, "I'll wave my sleeve and take all of the silver with me."
…
…
Sir Fan junior's departure from the capital became a source of conversation for the people in Jingdou. Whether it was in restaurants and tea houses, or manor houses, everyone was talking about this matter.
The Second Prince, who had been placed under house arrest, was listening to the reports of his strategist while sighing, "The bastard finally left."
The strategist without a strategy said viciously, "Lucky for him he left quickly. Otherwise, we would have skinned him to sate Your Highness's hate."
The Second Prince was hunched in his chair, scooping up frozen custard to eat. Hearing this, he furrowed his brows and didn't speak for a long time. His smile was self-deprecating as he slowly said, "No wonder people always say that Commissioner Fan and I look similar. It turns out there is a real reason involved… But similarities aside, I'm not his opponent. You all know this best."
He jumped down from the chair and looked at the free sky outside the yard. A sweet smile appeared on his face. "This bastard finally left… It feels great. It's like someone took away the venomous snake behind me."
…
…
One hundred miles outside of Jingdou was an unnecessarily long procession slowly making its way west. The woman from the Xinyang palace was currently on her way back to the capital. She didn't know that her son-in-law had also chosen this day to escape Jingdou. As for her kind gesture and attempt at negotiation, Fan Xian couldn't avoid it fast enough.
One mile outside the city, in the Temple of Qin, there was a very tall pile of dry firewood burning merrily in the middle of a desolate field. The fire was very hot, and the material being burned cracked and popped.
The Emperor, with his hands clasped behind his back, watched the fire burn with cold eyes. He watched the body in the fire gradually become black smoke. Behind his back, the Great Qing Priest maintained the calm of an ascetic monk, but fear showed in his eyes.
Outside the Temple of Qing, the eunuch Hong Zhu was talking on and off with the guards. He was being transferred to the empress's palace tomorrow to be the head eunuch; today was his last time serving the Emperor.
…
…
A few days later on the Wei River, Fan Xian stood at the head of the boat in deep silence. The chill on the surface of the river washed over him, but could not push past the expensive coat on his body.
He had left the capital, yet the reports continued to come in without end. The Eldest Princess had sent many advanced guards into the capital, and had also instructed her old servant to bring many local Xinyang goods to the Fan Manor. These were for Wan'er. It seemed that after her failed assassination attempts, she'd finally acknowledged Fan Xian's power, and was beginning to rebuild her relationship with her daughter.
These were details, not part of Chen Pingping's teachings of keeping the world under his eye.
What really interested Fan Xian was the message that the Great Qing Priest had finally returned to Qing after many years, but because he had used all his Essential Blood in the south during ascetic training, he had fallen ill and died. At the same time, he learned that Hong Zhu had been transferred to the empress's palace as the head eunuch. He was happy as well as a little disappointed.
His student, Shi Chanli, used his hand to cover his eyes, protecting them from the chilly river wind. He came to his side to report, "Teacher, earlier the captain said that at our current speed, we'll be able to reach Yingzhou tomorrow. In another few days we will enter Jiangnan's territory."
They had switched out their boat at a secret Overwatch Council dock not far from the capital. The boat they were currently on was a navy ship that had been refitted for common use.
Going against the river wind, the picturesque lakes and mountains of Jiangnan could be faintly seen. Fan Xian looked slightly startled. He nodded, and then smiled. "Xiao Shi, although the beauties of Jiangnan are waiting your embrace, don't be too rushed."
Shi Chanli became embarrassed. The Baoyue Brothel was expanding to Jiangnan, and that was why he and Sang Wen had to come. Sang Wen could wait until March, but as Fan Xian's student, Shi Chanli couldn't stay behind that long. When he thought of the friends and classmates he'd met in Tongfu Tavern all those years ago, and how they were now officials in Jiangnan, he didn't feel good about his transition into being the owner of a famous brothel.
Traveling in the cold of winter on the river was indeed irritating. Sang Wen had the luck of being kept back by Director Chen—Shi Chanli hadn't had such good luck. He had been ordered out of the palace by his own father, not allowed to wait until the warmth of spring.
The Third Prince shakily lifted the thick curtains on the boat and looked at Fan Xian. "Siye, sir, it's time to eat." Fan Xian had the right to teach princes because he still had the identity of an Imperial Academy Siye, and so the Third Prince referred to him as such.
Fan Xian turned his head and looked at the child of eight or nine. His smile was chilling. "So has Your Highness finished your homework?"