336-338
Chapter 336: What Should I Use To Worship You?
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
After the young official in front of him finished speaking, Xia Qifei's head was about to explode. The long suppressed humiliation made his hands start shaking. After all, he was the head boss of the Jiangnan water bandits, a famous figure of the underworld, when had he even been pushed around like this?
But he was a clever man. Although he wasn't sure yet, he already had a good idea as to the other party's identity. If his guess was right, then this young official was very much not ordinary, and the child beside him was…
Endure! Must endure it!
Xia Qifei repeatedly told himself this in his heart. He knew, given the power of the other party, they would only have to lift their little finger and they could completely wipe out the wealth he had accumulated these few years, and there would be more need to think about his revenge. The thousands of brothers he had under his command, who had families to feed and children to raise, would probably lose their heads. More importantly, the respect and fear the Qing people gave the royal family chained his spirit and did not allow him even a moment of rebellious thought.
Thus he could only endure. Although all men on the jianghu were always a bit bloodthirsty, and even rogues had their ruthlessness, for the lives of the brothers under his command and his dream of a lifetime, Xia Qifei suppressed the anger in his chest. With a trace of arrogance in his respectful tone, he said, "I didn't know sir was arriving today. Do you have any orders?"
Fan Xian glanced at him. "I'll trouble Master Xia to first deal with the matter I ordered earlier."
Although he used the title "Master Xia," his tone remained light and effortless, without a trace of the usual respect seen from jianghu.
Xia Qifei didn't know what the other party was planning. He turned, his expression depressed, and went out to of the room to give the quivering advisor some orders.
Fan Xian sat in the hall drinking tea and did not seem to be in a rush.
The conversation started again.
"I am here today to ask Master Xia about a matter." Fan Xian put down his tea cup and looked at Xia Qifei warmly. "A few days ago, at night at the Yingzhou pier, a few guests came aboard my ship and I kept them there. I wonder how Master Xia is prepared to explain this matter?"
Xia Qifei's expression became serious and he did not answer this question. Instead he took the initiative to ask, "Sir, I will speak frankly. I don't have to admit to anything, but as a man of the jianghu, I can't not consider my brothers. You're right; the people that accidentally boarded your ship that night were all my brothers…You came south incognito. I have eyes but did not see and offended you. I beg your forgiveness, and I will shoulder all the punishment. Please release my subordinates."
The Third Prince was tired of listening. He banged his tea cup down hard on the table, and the child said coldly, "Can you…afford to take all the punishments?"
He purposely dragged out the sentence, but it was still in a clear, childish voice. It did not seem enigmatic but rather carried a strange chill.
A chill ran down Xia Qifei's back. He knew that if this crime were taken to the extreme, then it was attempted murder of a prince. Thousands of lives might not be enough to fill in that grave. However, as someone who had managed to survive the attempted killings of the Ming clan at a young age and had successfully carved out a place in the underworld to become an important figure among the Jiangnan martial artists, naturally his spirit was steady and his thoughts were meticulously thorough. He noticed that these nobility had not ordered soldiers to wipe them out. Rather, they charged right into the branch despite the "great danger." There was deep meaning behind this move.
Thus, he was not truly afraid; he just didn't know exactly what these nobility from Jingdou wanted.
Xia Qifei gritted his teeth and actually let go of what jianghu people most valued: his backbone. He took a knee in front of Fan Xian and said sincerely, "I know I cannot shoulder this crime, but considering your good fortune that absolutely no harm was taken, I beg you to forgive my rash and ignorant brothers and sentence me instead to death by a thousand cuts."
This was his superficial effort after finding some confidence, but Fan Xian did not know and couldn't tell. He was very pleased with the other party's quick thinking. He nodded approvingly and said, "Master Xia is indeed a hero who loves and values his subordinates."
It takes two to tango. Xia Qifei's referral to himself had shifted from "I" to "yours truly," and from "yours truly" to "commoner." His status had become lower and lower. Yet, Fan Xian had started with calling him by his name, using "Master Xia." Until now he was using "Head of family Xia," each title higher than the next. He was confirming that the other party had the status to speak.
Fan Xian had only said one sentence before stopping. The Third Prince felt a chill in his heart. He knew that his teacher did not like how he had cut in earlier and wanted him to act as the evil person. However, as a prince, of course he was not afraid of the so-called vengeance of a rash jianghu man. Using a clear voice he said, "Master Xia's words have come too late. That night, the thieves were all killed by the guards and thrown into the river."
"Ah?" Xia Qifei was stunned. Who would have thought that these officials from Jingdou would be more ruthless than bandits? To not leave even one life...
He seemed to see the bodies of Guan Wumei and those brothers floating in the river. His heart ached and his rage soared. However, all that could be seen on his face was sorrow and not vengeance. He was truly a first-class actor.
Fan Xian said evenly, "Officials have different rules for doing things. Since those people drew their weapons on the ship, naturally, no one could be spared. If I had been soft-hearted and let them go, news would have gotten back to Jingdou. The court would become angry, and I'm afraid their ends would have been worse. And it would have involved their families."
Xia Qifei was silent. A moment later he repeated what he had first asked. "Do you have any orders for your visit today?"
The other party had already made it clear that the robbery had temporarily been washed clean by the blood of those dozen brothers. As this matter was put aside and no longer discussed, there must have been another matter to discuss.
Fan Xian waved his hand. The subordinates accepted the order and left the outer hall. The Third Prince jumped down from the chair and prepared to leave when he was unexpectedly held back.
There were only three people left in the room. Who knew what battles and whispers were going on inside Xia Qifei's mind? For a person of the underworld like him, to be able to meet two "princes" at the same time was a "blessing."
"I am Fan Xian."
Fan Xian's expression was soft as he publicly announced his identity.
Although Xia Qifei had guessed the other party's background, to receive definite confirmation made his heart stutter and legs weaken.
The story of this young man had long become a sort of legend among the Qing Kingdom people. Not yet 20, he already held the most powerful position in the nation: commissioner of the Overwatch Council. He composed poetry before the Emperor, killed people on the streets, uncovered cheating on the spring examinations, went to Northern Qi to battle Haitang, collected books, and bullied the princes back home. In two short years, this originally no-name poet and illegitimate son had become one of the most famous people in the world. Whether it was in literature, martial arts, or power, he was already at the peak.
In who knew how many back country and rural conversations, Fan Xian had become the goal many young men aspired to with golden lights in their eyes. Xia Qifei was no exception. Particularly because of his past, Xia Qifei felt an extra admiration for the commissioner he had never met. Only, he had now offended the commissioner—Xia Qifei was very clear on the kind of ending awaiting those that offended Fan Xian.
Roughly calculating, the people who had fallen at Fan Xian's hands included the previous Director of the Board of Rites Guo You, Minister of Justice Han Zhiwei, and the Imperial Censor of the Left Guo Zheng. Because of this young man, the Imperial Censorate suffered two floggings, the Second Prince was under house arrest in his manor, and the Eldest Princess was forced to give up the palace treasury with both hands.
Fan Xian's identity had become increasingly strange with these events. The son-in-law of the Prime Minister? The Emperor's illegitimate child? For the people who lived in the wilds of Qing Kingdom, any person or matter from Jingdou already had an aura of mysteriousness. With someone like Fan Xian, whose name was even embroidered with a border of gold, people dared not to watch intently.
Regardless of what Xia Qifei was thinking, his face showed unbelievable shock. They saw him cleanly spread out the front of his coat and kowtow to the ground, giving Fan Xian a formal salute.
"Commoner Xia Qifei greets the commissioner."
…
…
After a long silence, Fan Xian still did not let him rise. He looked at him with amusement before gently speaking. "Seventh Ming, I truly hope you will be more sincere in the future. At least when you are saluting, it is best to use your real name."
Xia Qifei's eyes tightened, and he raised his head in shock. He stared straight into Fan Xian's seemingly warm but actually aggressive eyes. His right hand had unconsciously lowered and was ready to release an attack at any moment.
Seventh Ming!
These long unheard words burrowed into his ears like poisonous snakes that tore into his brain. In his shock, he suddenly felt hatred in his heart. How could the other party know of this past? If this news got out, how could those large families with hundreds of years of deep roots in Jiangnan let him go? Even though he had the Jiangnan water bandits, he had no chance of victory.
"No need to reach for the dagger in your boot." Fan Xian didn't know how many twists and turns were going on in the other person's head, he was only watching his movements. He couldn't help laughing. "Of course as Master Xia knows, this kind of thing is what I am best at."
Fan Xian then gestured with his hands. Xia Qifei quickly straightened, but his entire person remained in a state of high alert. His ears were listening for sounds outside of the room; he didn't know if the advisor had completed his orders. Given the current situation, although he guessed that Commissioner Fan might threaten him, he was still prepared for the worst. He was ready to fight to the bitter end.
It was like the Third Prince couldn't sense any danger and looked on with great interest at the conversation.
"Back then, your mother was flogged to death by the current old matriarch of the Ming family." Fan Xian was making sense of the reports from the Council.
Xia Qifei saw red, and it appeared that he would rush forward at any moment to kill Fan Xian. But as the head boss of the water bandits, he knew who he was facing. The strong, ninth-level Commissioner Fan was someone who stood shoulder to shoulder with Haitang of Northern Qi. Even if he threw in his life, he wouldn't be able to kill him here.
"You've been mistreated since your childhood by your older brother." Fan Xian looked at him and furrowed his brows, "Don't take offense Master Xia. I don't mean to bring up your sore points. I just want one thing to be clear. I want to make a deal with you, and this deal must be built on your hatred for the Ming family. If you didn't hate the Ming family enough, then I wouldn't have come to find you."
Xia Qifei's tension immediately relaxed. He closed his eyes, calmed himself, and then asked in a serious voice, "What kind of business is sir thinking of?"
"The thing you want to do; I can help you." Getting to the topic of business, Fan Xian's words became much more direct. "I know Master Xia recently has a need for silver, and I have silver."
Of course Fan Xian had silver. With the Danbo Bookstore, Baoyue Brothel, Six Ministries yamen, and gold and silver people in the palace such as Old Dai who used the excuse of rectifying incorrect workstyles netted, added all together already reached a shocking amount. To compare with those large families in the wealthy Jiangnan region, there was still a ways to go. However, everyone knew that Commissioner Fan had a father who was the God of Wealth at home. His family controlled the national treasury and palace treasury. If someone said the Fan Manor didn't have money, not even someone like the aunt would believe them.
Xia Qifei guessed that the other party would threaten him, but did not expect them to actually be prepared to help him. He couldn't wrap his mind around it for a moment and asked in a startled voice, "Sir…are you talking about the opening of the palace treasury in March?"
"You and I are both practical people, so let's be more direct." Fan Xian spoke calmly. "In March, the palace treasury bids will be determined. If it were like the previous years, it would certainly be in the pockets of the Cui and Ming families, however, this year the Cui family has fallen and naturally there will be big changes. If Master Xia would like to have a hand in it, there is only this one opportunity. Coincidentally, I am organising the matter this year. I will give you the privilege to enter, enough silver, and the portion needed to take over."
In reality, Fan Xian had a cache of silver in his hands that no one knew about. This was where his ample confidence came from.
Xia Qifei's brows furrowed tightly. After a moment he replied, "The commissioner is generous."
He didn't immediately accept because he knew how scary an organisation the Overwatch Council was. Often the people involved with the Overwatch Council could only pay their lives and the lives of their family into it in the end. If Fan Xian had known of the thoughts in his heart, he would have gifted him a suitable phrase—making a deal with the devil.
"I'll explain what I need you to do." Fan Xian didn't care about the other party's hesitation. He smiled warmly and laid out his price. "The water bandits are yours. If things go well in the future, the Ming family will also be yours. Furthermore, I will not seek out related profits."
Xia Qifei's brows drew tight. Such a kind of Overwatch Council officer didn't exist.
As expected, after Fan Xian took a sip of the cold tea, he said, "What should be yours will all be yours, however you must be the Overwatch Council's."
After Fan Xian finished speaking, he took out a seemingly simple looking token and laid it gently on the surface of the smooth, black wood table. "The Overwatch Council, Fourth Bureau, Inspector of the Inspection Division stationed at Jiangnan Road. The ranking is not high. Don't be offended."
Offended? For a jianghu bandit to turn around and become an official of the court, an inspector that held the power to inspect governance, offended? Only an idiot would be offended.
Xia Qifei was stunned by the price offered by Fan Xian. Although he knew once he entered the Overwatch Council, whether he controlled the Ming family or Jiangnan water bandits, he would never be able to leave the organization. In the future, the division of the massive profits from the palace treasury and other related sources would on the word of the Overwatch Council…no, perhaps it would be down to a private word from Commissioner Fan.
To gain a large amount of funds, have a secret government identity and the consent of master of the palace treasury, and to be involved in the fighting gave Xia Qifei confidence for the first time that he could defeat that rust-spotted family clan. He knew he would never have such a good opportunity in his life again, but he still hesitated. First, it would be difficult to be free. He would have to be a loyal dog under Fan Xian. For someone who was used to doing as he wished on the jianghu, he felt unsatisfied, furthermore, he didn't completely trust Fan Xian. Second, the reputation of the Overwatch Council was terrible. If news of him secretly accepting the position got out, even if he held more power in the future, his reputation would be destroyed.
Perhaps he wanted to preserve that thread of independence at the bottom of his heart, so he made one last struggle. He stared at Fan Xian a bit rudely and said, "Sir, I don't know why I should accept this trade."
"Oh?" Fan Xian asked curiously. "Perhaps Master Xia does not want to win back the Ming clan? The clan that originally belonged to you. As far as I know, in the will of old Master Ming back then, the first name on the list was Ming Qingcheng."
Ming Qingcheng was Xia Qifei's original name. He paused and gritted his teeth. "It is not that I don't understand the current situation, but there are many ways to get revenge. Since I have the honor of being the head boss of the Jiangnan water bandits, I have many ways to defeat the Ming family. As for the matter of the palace treasury, perhaps I am mistaken, but the Ming family is wealthy and powerful, how could I openly defeat them?"
Fan Xian laughed and narrowed his eyes. "Killing people when the nights are dark and the wind is high? I believe you have this power and decisiveness. Only these years have proven that you are not such a crazy person. To run the risk of completely destroying the Jiangnan bandits to burn the Ming family home…nevermind whether or not you have this power, even if you could do it, how will you convince yourself? Your bandit brothers will be on the wanted lists, and their orphans and widows would be left to wander this world. Is this what you want to see? Or do you think that after this ending, after you've had your revenge and died, that you will still have the face to see the old bandit chief you owe everything to, who saved you and helped you to your place?"
He spoke methodically. His manner was not imposing, but these words struck where Xia Qifei was the weakest. The powerful persuasion accompanied this analysis and slowly began to sink into Xia Qifei's thoughts. It caused him to be gloomy again.
Without waiting for Xia Qifei to recover himself, Fan Xian continued warmly, "What you want isn't just revenge, but also to take back the Ming family and stand proudly in front of your older brother who is over half a century old. If killing people would solve the problem, then I wouldn't have waited all these years. What's more, using brute strength to accomplish this will end in the destruction of the Jiangnan bandits. Even if you managed to kill everyone in the Ming family, then where is the Ming family? Will the thing you stole back still exist?"
Fan Xian calmly met his eyes. "Standing in my position, I urge you not to choose that option. To have the goal you've been fighting for so many years disappear completely in front of you is not a good feeling. To preserve the Ming family was probably also in old Master Ming's will. Although the Ming family has treated you terribly, your father never did anything to hurt you and your mother."
Xia Qifei stood in silence and didn't move. He seemed to be digesting Fan Xian's words. This man who was long used to living on the edge suddenly thought of something. They young man in front of him had similar experiences to himself, perhaps he also was looking to get back what once belonged to him? For example, the palace treasury was originally the Ye family business. Did he want to take it back?
Fan Xian did not feel angry at his earlier refusal, instead he waited with great patience for the results of the other party's thoughts. He had confidence in his words and, more importantly, confidence in Seventh Ming. Their similar pasts allowed Fan Xian to understand, as clearly as was possible, the other's true thoughts.
"Master Xia, what you want is the Ming family business, not hundreds of heads."
After a long moment of thought, Xia Qifei threw out a last question. "Sir, there is one thing I don't understand."
"Please, go on."
"This trip was in preparation of taking over the palace treasury. The Cui and Ming families have long controlled the external channels and are too deeply connected to that side. Naturally, you will have to defeat them." Xia Qifei forced back the three words "the Eldest Princess," and his face turned slightly red from the effort. "But how come you think so highly of me? Given your power and position, you easily crushed the Cui family. It would not be difficult to get rid of the Ming family. You are completely capable of doing this on your own and don't need my help."
Fan Xian shook his head. "Ah, the Cui family is quite a different situation than the Ming family. As to why I don't appear personally. It is inconvenient for me to do so."
"Inconvenient" was a truth of officialdom. He was already the Overwatch Council commissioner and now managed the palace treasury. The regulations of the court were strict. The palace treasury was only responsible for production; all exports must be conducted by public merchants who had to write in for them. Whether it was Council or personal business, Fan Xian could not come forward for either of them. Thus, he needed someone trustworthy and convenient to use as a spokesperson.
For Fan Xian, the situation between the Cui family and Ming family was very different. When he was dealing with the Cui family, he had prepared well and for a long time. After a period of silence and sham politeness, he had Yan Bingyun lead the strike. Everything went smoothly. But, the Ming family had learned a lesson from their predecessors and made sufficient preparations. It would be a difficult matter to use the shipping channels and accounts to catch those profiteers.
Of course, the biggest difference was that Fan Xian had a powerful person as an aide. That person held the greatest power outside of the Qing royal family—the young Emperor of Northern Qi.
Similar figures connected to the Ming family were in Dongyi or overseas. Fan Xian had once killed two of Sigu Sword's female grand-disciples. The Qing court, including him, also had forced Dongyi to be the scapegoat countless times. The hatred was too deep between them. If Fan Xian wanted to work with Dongyi to topple the Ming family, he didn't think he had that ability.
Fan Xian rose and used his finger to lightly tap the token a few times. "I'll leave this token here for now. Give me a reply before tonight. Of course, you know what you need to prepare if you agree."
Xia Qifei respectfully turned and moved to the side. He didn't directly reply, instead he said, "Your arrival today is like the descent of a god. Although you don't like to disturb the people, given your reputation, it might be difficult to hide."
It was difficult to tell whether these words were sycophantic or if they hid another meaning. Fan Xian glanced at him and said, "At the moment, you are still someone who accidentally bit off more than they could chew. As for my movements, why do I need to hide them? There is a ship on the Yangtze River. I will have to trouble you to have your subordinates escort it downstream. I have a chest of silver with me and hope it doesn't catch the attention of thieves again."
Xia Qifei lowered his head. "Thank you for sparing our lives."
Fan Xian turned around and led the Third Prince from the chair. It was only at this moment that Xia Qifei realized that he might have ignored this little nobleman and felt a bit uncomfortable in his heart. It was too late to make up for it. His brain whirred. He heistantly said, "Sir, if I set up against the Ming family in the March opening, they will certainly become suspicious at that time."
"You stand on my side, and naturally I stand on your side." Fan Xian slightly smiled. Holding the Third Prince's hand, he headed outside making one last comment. "Master Xia decides quickly; I like that very much."
…
…
There was absolute silence at the Shazhou branch of the Jiangnan water bandits, a deathly, still silence. The head boss had sent out the most severe order for silence. Although he didn't say it explicitly, all the brothers knew that something big had happened. They only dared to guess and not spread it around.
Xia Qifei sat in astill warm chair. His face was cloudy, and it was unclear what he was thinking.
The advisor entered and leaned near his ear to whisper, "The sailors have sealed their camps. I don't know what happened."
Xia Qifei's expression became serious. He spoke in a low voice. "No matter. As long as this matter is settled, Old Sheng shouldn't have any problems."
The advisor slowly said, "They've already captured many of our ships. As per your orders, we haven't clashed with them. But after those people from Jingdou left, they also released our ships."
Xia Qifei lowered his head. "This is them showing their power." He laughed coldly. "In their eyes, we are nothing more than ants."
"Boss, everything is prepared. Gong Feng is cleaning his sword in the back room and waiting on your orders."
Xia Qifei still didn't give the order. His brow furrowed deeply. A moment later he asked, "Advisor Qian, do you think this should be done?" His hand slowly stroked that Overwatch Council token. The token was very smooth. Who knows how long ago it was made?
The advisor replied in a shaky voice, "It's all up to your orders, I…dare not interfere."
Xia Qifei closed his eyes. "The person from Jingdou seems used to doing things in this manner. He thinks too highly of his abilities. Even if he does have a few seven- and eight-level master guards, if we attacked with all our power, we still have a chance."
The advisor cursed him in his heart. You already know that's not possible, yet you still say this kind of thing; you just don't want to carry that notoriety and want me to try and persuade you. Out loud he said, "The head of the guards has reached the peak. If he were in the martial wilderness of Jiangnan, he's completely able to build a temple and start a school. Please consider this well."
"The most important is that man himself." Xia Qifei opened his eyes. In reality, the terms Fan Xian had given him were enough to sway him. As a powerful master, it was difficult to accept the thought of being someone else's subordinate, particularly since there was little chance of ever rising up again. Earlier, he had been speaking humbly with Fan Xian but also, through his advisor, preparing to kill all. The most skilled water bandit, Hong Feng, happened to be at the Shazhou branch, so the Jiangnan water bandits were not completely without the power to retaliate.
He knew in his heart that the so-called "kill all" was self-comfort to prevent him from losing too much face.
Xia Qifei sighed and felt a strange sadness. He knew that the Jiangnan water bandits would turn into lackeys for the court by his hands. This kind of feeling was embarrassing and uncomfortable. He rose and, looking at his advisor who seemed like he was going to cry, knew that he was afraid of him making a stupid choice. Unconsciously, he patted the other person's back, wanting to comfort him.
His hand came into contact with a patch of something wet and cold. Xia Qifei paused and then realized the advisor had, in the middle of winter, been scared into a cold sweat by the people from Jingdou. He couldn't help but laugh mockingly at himself—the might of the royalty and the Overwatch Council clearly was not something common leaders like him could stand against.
Finally making his decision, he said with a serious expression, "Immediately disperse all the men. On the surface, keep the ship under surveillance, but ensure the safety of the ship in secret. We must ensure that Jingdou ship reaches Suzhou safely!"
"What about on land? Beside that man?"
"He has many masters around him; he doesn't need us to interfere."
"Yes." The advisor nodded his head, then furrowed his brows. "But, about old Hong Feng…he is prepared to attack."
…
…
Xia Qifei sank into silence and knew that this matter was a bit complicated. His secret alliance with the Overwatch Council could not be exposed too early on the jianghui, otherwise he would lose control and the pressure from outside would grow. As for old Hong Feng, that was an urgent problem. Hong Feng was a mysterious ace among the Jiangnan water bandits. To speak of generation, he was a fellow disciple with the old bandit boss' teacher, his own great uncle teacher. He rarely interfered, yet he was the hidden glue of the Jiangnan water bandits.
What if that old-fashioned yet persistent old Hong Feng knew that he, this outsider, wanted to completely throw in his lot with the government?
Xian Qifei shivered with fear and realized he might have underestimated the complexity of this matter. After a moment of silence, his expression suddenly became ruthless. In a low voice he said, "Go summon the guards of the inner hall."
The advisor felt a chill in his heart and knew that the he was preparing to get rid of Hong Feng, only…could their people do it?
Half an hour later, the head of the Jiangnan water bandits, Xia Qifei, brought a bowl of chicken soup and respectfully came to the back garden. He was going to show his respect to Hong Feng, a man with the most special position in the water bandits, but behind him were hidden his most trusted assassins. They sought to finish this in one try.
He stood outside the door for a moment, but no one came to open it.
It was as silent as death in the garden.
…
…
Xia Qifei pushed open the door and walked in. He calmly called out, "Great uncle teacher?"
No one replied to him. Xia Qifei swept his gaze around. He felt a sudden chill in his heart. His hand loosened, and the chicken soup smashed on the group, splattering everywhere.
He saw a silver-haired elder sitting on a cushion beside the bed. His hair was tightly bound, and he wore a sword gown with a long sword tied to his side. A murderous aura emanated from his entire body. It was clear that Hong Feng already had brought himself to the perfect realm and was ready to kill at any moment.
However, Hong Feng was no longer able to kill. Only his wide eyes showed a strong dissatisfaction and rage. If gazes could kill, then it was profoundly unsettling.
A terrifying yet delicate wound split open his throat, reaching all the way to the back and bisecting the throat. Fresh blood flowed down old Hong Feng's back and onto the floor.
Hong Feng already had died.
…
…
The person who killed Hong Feng had remarkable skill with a sword. There was no blood on the front of Hong Feng's body because it had all been forced, by the might of the sword, to the back of the body.
Xia Qifei shook as he walked around Hong Feng's body; he was a little scared to look directly at this scene in front of him. He had been prepared to do something that would betray his teachers and ancestors, but after this had happened, he found it unbelievable. He had been prepared to sacrifice the lives of dozens of people, so who was able to kill this old man without a single sound?
A piece of paper floated down.
Xia Qifei swept the room with a panicked gaze only to see that it read, "You thought about it, yet I will still give you the opportunity. He was ready to kill, so I killed him."
The head of the Jiangnan water bandits began to shake uncontrollably. It wasn't until now that he truly realized the power of the Overwatch Council—it was not one that could be challenged by a gang. The other party was helping him clear out the final obstacles for his submission. It was also his last invitation and a warning.
Chapter 337: Pledging Loyalty And Fan Xian's Facade and Shadow
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
That night, the quiet in Shazhou carried a trace of nervousness. The usually lively and boisterous night streets were strangely quiet. Everyone knew that something had happened, but no one knew exactly what it was.
To the east of the gambling dens were a few of Shazhou's largest and most comfortable inns. Wealthy guests from the North and South liked to book these inns.
Although Fan Xian was a simple second generation, he did not have the attitude of a second generation. His lifestyle was not plain; it was simple. He had only booked the topmost, quietest floor.
Xia Qifei stood conscientiously in the corner of the room. In front of Fan Xian, he carefully stowed away the token and signed his name on the document, then pressed on to it. He then respectfully handed over a leather satchel.
Fan Xian glanced at the document, nodded and smiled. "Sir Xia, now we are one family."
Xia Qifei was crying in his heart. Having signed this document, naturally he was family with the young official in front of him. Only, there were all kinds of people in this family. While the other party was a young master, he was more like a bought slave.
It was clear that he probably wouldn't have a chance in this lifetime to reveal the disgust in his heart. A fierce man of the jianghu could adapt to circumstances. Since he had chosen this path, he would walk it properly. Thus he tidied his clothing and took a step forward before falling forward into a kowtow. "Lower official Xia…Ming Qingcheng greets you, sir."
He finished his words, but his body didn't bow down as a pair of hands had already firmly helped him up. Fan Xian looked at him. "No matter how you view me, I am not strict on the superficial things. Since you have entered this Council—even though we are officials of the court and divided by our ranks—we must be loyal brothers."
Xia Qifei paused slightly.
Fan Xian continued. "You are probably like everyone else and have this or that prejudices about the Overwatch Council, but you are not clear about the relationship of the internal department."
He paused for a bit and then smiled. "To put it less nicely, we are like a pack of wolves raised by the court, but there are many lions and tigers out there. If we want to survive to work for the court and interests of the common people, then we cannot care about the filth they say. What is important is that we are internally united. The wolf pack may have a leader, but the internal department will not have internal strife."
Xia Qifei furrowed his brows and replied, "I understand."
"You don't understand." Fan Xian told him directly. "I know these words are empty and hollow, but we'll go slowly. This kind of feeling you will eventually experience in the Council in the future…yes, I understand you, after all you are the extraordinary hero of a generation. Earlier I purposely suppressed you in the branch. I suspect you're not feeling good about that."
Xia Qifei's heart stuttered, yet Fan Xian's expression was soft and he laughed aloud. "You were a commoner and I was an official, naturally there was a divide…but now your identity is different."
Xia Qifei didn't know what to say, so he remained fearfully silent.
"Commoners are foolish." Fan Xian drew his brows together. "That is why you can use them and look after them, but you cannot trust them. You cannot let them come to the wrong conclusions, thinking they can climb on top of you. Thus, as an official of the Overwatch Council, although we stand on the side of the Emperor and common people when inspecting governance, we can only trust the Emperor. Commoners. It is enough for the Overwatch Council to maintain only sufficient authority and pressure."
"Of course, these are only my thoughts." Fan Xian lightly rolled his sleeve. "They may not be right."
People often forget that after that rainy night, Fan Xian's heart had chilled. Later, during his long stay in Jingdou, his heart had grown colder and colder. He had long accepted Uncle Wu Zhu's words as an obvious truth of the outside world—there is no one you can trust in the world. Besides the individual people who could not be trusted, it included the foolish commoners who got by in the Qing Kingdom and the Emperor. But Fan Xian would never utter this thought.
Other than Fan and Xia in the room, there was only Su Wenmao of the Qinian unit.
Fan Xian pointed at Su Wenmao and said, "I transferred Sir Su from the First Bureau. I think you don't have any desire to work close to me. If you want to enter the capital in the future, it is not impossible."
Xia Qifei thought being a landlord in Jiangnan would be much better than entering the capital, but he sincerely replied, "I rely on your promotion."
Fan Xian shook his head. "Don't say false words. But, it is true that the Council can help you do many things, so don't resent me. We all mutually use other. Sir Su was your witness to entering the Council today. In the future, if you have any contact or matters that need to be passed up, you should contact Sir Su. In a moment you two can talk for a bit."
He spoke to Su Wenmao again. "Have Sir Xia quickly become familiar with the handbook and regulations."
Su Wenmao acknowledged the order in a low voice with a salute. The two people were aware that Commissioner Fan had finished giving orders, so they saluted again and left the room.
The Third Prince's small body drifted out of the inner suite like a spirit. He approached Fan Xian and quietly asked, "Teacher, is this how the Overwatch Council recruits people?"
"Special measures for special cases." Fan Xian politely invited the Third Prince to sit, "What Your Highness heard earlier is not often seen in the Council. Usually when the Overwatch Council recruits, the person is inspected for a long time. We commonly pick people from the troops in each province. This was a habit left from before the first time His Majesty went on a Northern Expedition, when he was organizing the Overwatch Council."
"Of course, later we paid special attention to the failed examinees of each years' spring examination. After all, if an inspector cannot even read, then there is nothing to be done. All talented individuals who have just lost hope in the imperial examinations are common targets of the Overwatch Council. However the Council does not like to recruit people who are already quite powerful or have influential people behind them."
The Third Prince furrowed his brows. "Xia Qifei is the head boss of the Jiangnan water bandits."
"That's why it's a special case," Fan Xian explained patiently. "Usually, someone like Xia Qifei would, at most, be allowed to move in the outer circles of Overwatch Council business. To allow him to take the position of inspector is rare."
"Why is it a special case?" The Third Prince seemed particularly interested and keen on this topic.
This time Fan Xian did not scold him for concerning himself with the minutiae as a prince. "Because this time His Majesty has ordered me to Jiangnan to clean up the palace treasury, and I will run into a slew of wealthy merchants. Thus, the Overwatch Council needed to find someone local to Jiangnan, and it had to be someone who we could control absolutely."
"Why?" The Third Prince was very confused. Although he was cruel and ruthless at a young age, his princely identity meant that other than the brutal scolding Fan Xian had given because of the Baoyue Brothel incident, he had never met any frustrations. Thus, he could not imagine the complexity and difficulties of the politics in Jiangnan.
Fan Xian glanced at him and couldn't help finding the child's serious gaze a little funny, but he also felt a deep admiration for Yi Guiping deep in the palace. How had such a charmingly naïve mother raise such a ferocious prince who was hardhearted, studious, and willing to bend? The mother was also probably not so simple.
"Jiangnan has been run by Xinyang for too long." Fan Xian did not avoid mentioning the Eldest Princess in front of him. "After 10 years, this place has already been become a monolithic bloc. There are still people who are enemies of the Cui and Xia families, but each party always has inextricable interests, and no one wants the situation to change too much. Change will bring losses, and these people are not willing to see that."
"Coming all the way from Jingdou, we are a massive variable to them. When the outside attacks, even if the bloc has cracks, it will temporarily form one unit to battle the outside enemy together. Thus, we need a piece of sand that is already within the bloc and to have this irritant become larger and larger until it finally cracks the bloc so that it will be difficult for it to resume its old appearance."
The Third Prince furrowed his brows. "The piece of sand might not have this ability. If we help him, how is that different than coming forward ourselves?"
"The important part is that it is not convenient for us to come forward." Fan Xian had a bit of a headache and sighed. "Your Highness does not know how deeply ingrained the concept of territory is in this country. I can have Xiao Shi come and open a branch of the Baoyue Brothel. I can have Danbo Bookstores all over Suzhou. Once it touches the fundamental interests of the Jiangnan people, it will probably cause a group attack."
"Group? What people would be involved?"
"I've killed a few young masters from Jiangnan's wealthiest merchant family, the Ming family. There are a few salt merchants who have a deep hatred of me and officials of various ranks that have long been fed by the Eldest Princess, starting from the second-level Ling Admiral on the Jiangnan Road all the way up to the old soldiers watching the gates in Suzhou."
Fan Xian smiled and counted off on his fingers like he was making a game. "The shopkeepers of various levels in the palace treasury, the prostitutes on the street corners, the old man who makes a living as a performer in front of the temple…as long as they are Jiangnan people, they will not like me coming to criticize or give orders."
The Third Prince paused slightly then said ruthlessly, "They can attack if they like, I…teacher is not afraid of them!"
"It's not that I am afraid." Fan Xian smiled easily. "But, how does that saying go? The law does not punish the majority…if Jiangnan truly became chaotic, those people of all walks of life have plenty of ways for the people's resentment to be heard. When the people have no means of livelihood…if it really came to this, and the court debates this issue, do you think they would chop tens of thousands of heads to boost my courage or would they force my resignation to appease the hearts of the Jiangnan people?"
The Third Prince paused for a while and thought, given father's personality, you'll probably not suffer much at all, but he would transfer you out of the capital. He felt very dispirited about a proper teacher of the Third Prince still having to suffer such oppression.
Fan Xian seemed to guess what he was thinking and laughed out loud. "Of course, things wouldn't be that bad. His Majesty knows the Overwatch Council is very dangerous, but His Majesty cannot be blindly gentle. I'm just estimating these things to be more difficult." His smiled gradually faded, and he calmly said, "If killing is needed to set up power, then I don't mind carrying this notoriety."
The Third Prince shook his head. If too many people were really killed, then it's always going to be difficult to clean up. If the Imperial Censorate in Jingdou kicks up another fuss, could his father really flog them all to death? Father was an Emperor set on having his name recorded in the annals of history.
Why not have that newly recruited Xia Qifei go do the killing? His eyes lit up, but he didn't dare to tell his idea from his flash of inspiration to his teacher. He did not know that his seemingly warm teacher was actually ruthless and had already made such low arrangements.
"Ahem, ahem." He coughed a couple of times. "What about the sailors? The garrison of the sailors actually colluded mutually with the head of the water bandits. How will the Overwatch Council investigate this?"
Fan Xian casually lowered his head to look at the leather satchel. "That matter won't need investigating."
The Third Prince furrowed his brows and cruelly said, "How can you not investigate? The army is an important part of a country. The sailors of Sha Lake are important soldiers of our court and known by the title of Jiangnan sailors. If there are even problems here, if things are not investigated fully, how will the court rule itself? The Qing Kingdom is known as the strongest in the world. How will we ensure our safety?"
Fan Xian glanced at the Third Prince with surprise. From these childish and even unclear words he could tell that the child truly cared about this matter. He couldn't help but be confused, however he turned it over in his mind and immediately understood. It seemed that this young master had a true heroic heart. He couldn't resist smiling as he handed the leather satchel in his hand to the Third Prince.
"The sailor problem isn't very big. Of course, that garrison will naturally have some bad luck befall him. I think, after this matter the Admiral of the sailors will have to give me some kind of an explanation. On the Yangtze River, it was also a test. The military record of the sailors are pretty good."
The Third Prince refused to comment. He had his head down looking at the things he found in the leather satchel. The more he saw, the more startled he became. Inside were all the secret correspondence between the Jiangnan water bandits and government officials of various places—all the accounts were clear. Although there were no names of the officials on the correspondence, if things were investigated they could probably catch quite a few officials.
Fan Xian said, "This is the so-called loyalty pledge. Xia Qifei giving me these things is the same as giving me his head and those of the officials. Only after both sides have shown their hands can everyone feel at ease."
The Third Prince suddenly raised his head and said with disbelief, "Xia Qifei will always be a spy?"
"Your Highness has understood quickly; you are indeed clever." Fan Xian praised his student. "We can capture these officials if we want, it will just depend on time. If they don't recognise the current situation and want to stand in opposition to the court, then naturally we will capture them. As for Xia Qifei, he will continue to be the head of the Jiangnan water bandits and associate with the sailors and officials of various regions. This is for the best."
From Fan Xian's perspective, the so-called position against the court was naturally the side of Xinyang.
The Third Prince looked at Fan Xian with excitement. "Teacher has a good plan."
Fan Xian touched his hair and smiled self-deprecatingly. "What kind of shitty plan is this? Everyone would be able to think of it, except no one has the same kind of resources as the Overwatch Council so they can't discover details about Xia Qifei or control him. They will not be able to put to good use any tricks."
It was rare to hear him swear, and the Third Prince laughed. "Even though teacher is the immortal poet of a generation, you still swear."
Fan Xian laughed even louder. "What bullshit immortal poet? Even immortal poets need to use the bathroom. Master Zhuang married two concubines. Who in this world is made of crystal through and through? Even if someone is, they would probably freeze to death everyone around them."
The Third Prince giggled and suddenly asked mischievously, "Are you saying…even father…knows how to swear?"
Fan Xian paused and felt anger rising as he looked at the child. This was forcing him to tell a lie; he wanted to swear out loud. He smiled and scolded, "Go back and ask your mother Yi Guiping."
After talking and laughing for a while the atmosphere relaxed. The Third Prince remembered what Xia Qifei said earlier. Suddenly interested, he asked, "Teacher, I heard that head thief say that in a few days there will be some kind of meeting beside the Xi Lake to judge the martial arts of the Jiangnan heroes. It's a rare occasion…lets…lets go see it too?"
"Vulgar, so very vulgar." Fan Xian smiled. "It is nothing more than vulgar people fighting. Your Highness is a prince, why bother joining in that ruckus?"
"The jianghu." The Third Prince brows furrowed. "I am truly very curious about it." His eyes lit up. "Teacher is a rare ninth-level master, you could go in disguise and win the title of a leader, wouldn't that be marvelous? In the future it could be made into a story book and spread throughout the land…"
"More and more vulgar." Fan Xian smiled. "If I really did this, who knows what will be said in Jingdou. There will be plenty of material to write me up a dozen times over. In the end, the Emperor will criticize me as an impetuous youth…besides, how could I be so close to danger with you beside me."
He finally said, "Of course the Overwatch Council will send someone to see. I suspect that the people of the Fourth Bureau are already near Xi Lake. For my part, I am going to have Su Wenmao go."
It was only now that the Third Prince knew that Fan Xian already had a plan. He couldn't help feeling disappointed and sighed sadly. No matter how persevering and ruthless his personality was, he was still just a child. He was bound to feel a bit disappointed at not being able to join in the liveliness and see the legendary martial arts assembly.
"It's late, please go rest now, Your Highness." Fan Xian rose to see him out.
When he saw the Third Prince to the door, the Third Prince suddenly stopped and didn't push open the door. Rather, he turned around, slanted his face, and looked Fan Xian up and down with interest. Shortly after he said, "Teacher, why did father arrange for me to follow beside you and come to Jiangnan with you?"
Fan Xian paused. After a moment he smiled slightly and said, "Whatever Your Highness thinks, perhaps that is His Majesty's intention."
Words should be regarded with respect, but motives are grounds for death.
The Third Prince's youthful appearance immediately became serious. After thinking for a while, he slowly nodded and then asked, "Dare I ask, where my other cousin is? I have not seen him in a while, and I miss him."
Fan Xian knew he was asking about Fan Sizhe. Looking at the Third Prince's appearance, he found that the junior brothel boss' pining of the senior brothel boss seemed to be sincere. He smiled. "The Ministry of Justice has already sent out wanted posters to capture him…how would I know?" The Third Prince was not the Emperor, there was no need for him to say too much.
The Third Prince glanced at him with some anger and asked one last question. "There is a question I've long wanted to ask."
"Please speak, Your Highness."
"Hm…at the Hanging Temple, why did you come save me?" The Third Prince watched him expectantly. He didn't know what answer he wanted to hear.
Fan Xian didn't even think, he just smiled and was direct. "Because Your Highness was in danger at the time. Of course I would save you."
It was clear that the Third Prince did not want this perfunctory answer, and he continued to ask, "At that time…father was in more danger."
Fan Xian's answer was even more amazing. "I was closer to Your Highness."
The Third Prince pushed open the door angrily and walked out thinking, This bastard is indeed soft of body but hard of heart. He won't say anything clearly and likes to be mysterious!
The Li Chengping who grew up in the imperial family had since a young age been taught by his mother to live carefully. He was on good terms with the Second Prince but also often played in the eastern palace. He was the most tenderly loved by his older brothers. In his heart, he was the most daring and had a maturity far beyond his age—this kind of personality was forced on him by his circumstances. At the Hanging Temple, everyone was anxious about the safety of the Emperor. No one cared about the life and death of the Third Prince. The Crown Prince was even more unbearable. He then knew the saying that the royal family was heartless was not a lie.
He couldn't help feel a chill in his heart after the event and often remembered Fan Xian's heroics and the sight of him standing in front of him. The man had saved his life. Comparing the two, the Third Prince felt that his nominal "big cousin," who was in reality an "older brother," was more lovable than anyone else in the world and much more trustworthy.
Fan Xian stood at the door and watched as the Third Prince went with the Tiger Guards back into his him room. Only then did he turn around to go back inside. There was a small warm smile on his face. Going south with the Third Prince, their relationship was slightly strange. The other party was a prince, and he was a minister, but they were also student and teacher.
Furthermore, everyone knew in their hearts that they were children of the same father. Only, both the elder and junior were clever people and would never raise this issue willingly even if they mutually probed a little. After all, there are not many people who are as straightforward and direct as Sisi in this world.
…
…
"Young master, it's time to sleep."
Fan Xian was in a daze and found himself startled by the straightforward and direct girl. He turned his head to see Sisi carrying a basin of boiling hot water and looking intently at him.
"Don't move too much these few days."
He extended his feet into the water and let out a comfortable groan. He was tired from traveling day after day and his spirit was weary—he did need to soak for a bit.
Sisi held a square piece of cloth. She sat before him on a little stool and stared at him without blinking.
Fan Xian felt a bit uncomfortable under her stare and instinctively asked, "What's wrong"?
Sisi twisted her head to glance at the wooden door before lowering her head and quietly saying, "Young master…if you're investigating the palace treasury, then just investigate the treasury and don't mind those other things."
She was one of the few people who had received confirmation from Fan Xian himself, so naturally she believed his past. Although she was a straightforward girl, her mind was clever. Perhaps it was because Fan Xian had fed her ghost stories at a young age, but she also had a natural sensitivity to certain things. She saw how Fan Xian and the Third Prince spoke to each other and sensed that Fan Xian might be making some kind of preparation for the future. However, the matters of the imperial family were a terrifying and untouchable existence in the girl's heart. She also did not see Fan Xian as someone of the palace, so she was worried.
Fan Xian's feet stopped their movements in the water. He glanced at her with surprise. After a moment of silence, he comfortingly said, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. I cannot have this kid end up like Sizhe and suffer some hardship. I just hope this Jiangnan trip will be an eye-opening experience. Even if we are not talking about what could happen in the future, as a prince, he will help the Crown Prince govern the country. If he has a big heart, the world will be a better place."
Sisi spluttered with laughter. "Turns out that my young master is one who laments the times and pities the people."
Fan Xian laughingly scolded, "You say it as though I can't be like that."
"Too much so." Sisi covered her laugh with her hand. "It seems, on the contrary, a little fake. How did young master scold that Master Xia earlier? Seems like you've forgotten just now."
"The two do not cancel out," Fan Xian said. "To be good to someone does not mean you do as they wish in all matters. How do the common people know how to protect their own interests? This kind of thing is best left to us."
"Then why does it need to be done?" Sisi asked curiously. The girl had been born into poverty and always hoped that the young master would say something righteous. This is the so-called difficult-to-guess heart of a woman.
"Where do all of these contemplations of life come from? We are entering the Jiangnan Road tomorrow. Go and sleep. I can pour out the water myself." Fan Xian smiled and gestured with his hand.
Sisi chuckled but continued to watch his eyes. If she was alone with Fan Xian, she was always more daring than her servant identity should allow.
There was nothing Fan Xian could do. He tapped his thigh and slowly said, "Why does it need to be done? Of course not for reasons of lamenting the times and pitying the people…I don't have mother's generosity. I just want peace in the world. No wars on the borders. No starvation or chaos in the cities. Even if I wanted to be a wealthy nobility, I have to make sure that it is a time of peace and prosperity. That way when I retire at just 30, I can live a life of ease. In the end, I am just very selfish. I am working to create an environment that I can enjoy in my old age."
"Young master, what does retire mean?"
"Withdraw because of age? To do so just at 30? Although you can't be Prime Minister, you have to be at least a duke before you return to Danzhou, right?" Sisi asked with shock. "You are already the commissioner of the Overwatch Council. You will certainly take over old Master Chen's position in the future…you can no longer enter the court, and cannot personally direct army troops. At 30, at most you'll be a second-class Marquis."
With a pained face she asked, "Are you really preparing to go back to Danzhou at 30? How can you do that?"
Fan Xian didn't think the thoughts he haphazardly revealed would cause her so much anxiety. He smiled. "It might not be Danzhou, it could be Northern Qi, Dongyi, Nanyue, Ximan or even the countries on the other side of the ocean. We should visit them all, then we will not have wasted our lives. Ride horses across the plains, take ships across the oceans…we can go slowly and see everything."
"The Man people in the west eat people," Sisi said with fear.
Speaking of the Man people, Fan Xian remembered the news report from the Council. He shook his head and waved away that thought, returning to the present at hand. He knew his previous words were just a beautiful but difficult dream to achieve. However, he was already pretty content with his life at the moment, except for that one major matter.
At this moment, Sisi was still counting on her fingers. "Then there are another 12 years. What are you preparing to do?"
"What am I going to do? Of course I am going to be a capable and power minister. I will be loyal to the Emperor and govern the Overwatch Council. I will bring down all those exploitative and greedy lawless officials."
Sisi hesitated and then said, "You…are not an honest and upright official."
The people closest to him would definitely not believe his words. Sisi was already very polite, she didn't directly point out that he was a greedy official that broke one's heart. Fan Xian said innocently, "I can't help that. It's not my fault that my old man and my father-in-law are both known as the two greediest officials in the Qing Kingdom. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree."
Sisi refuted it. "But you are, for sure, not a greedy official."
Fan Xian sighed and stretched out both his hands to rub vigorously over his numb face. "After pretending for so long, I almost don't know which is the real me…hm, this sounds very petite bourgeois right…don't ask me what petite bourgeois is. Leave it as is, go sleep."
In the inn, the lights were extinguished. Matters of the bed did not happen.
Letting Sisi sleep, Fan Xian climbed up from the bed and swung a coat over his shoulders. He didn't rush to move, rather he poured a cup of cold tea that he drank to slightly dampen his anger. There was no light, so he depended on his eyesight to walk to the window in the dark.
He pushed open the window and a sky full of moonlight blew in along with the cool breeze. Opposite the inn was Sha Lake. At this moment the wind on the lake was gentle and eerily shook the long grass on the lakeside. In the middle of the lake was a picturesque moon. The scene was beautiful.
He pulled his gaze back from the lake water below the inn and naturally swung it to the right. Fan Xian saw, without surprise, the black clothed man sitting on a railing in the air with his feet dangling over empty space. He knew that given the man's martial arts training, it would be as difficult to die from a fall as it would be to drown oneself in a water basin.
"You know I have a woman in my room. Can you not leave some space? Don't say it's an accident again."
"Accident." The black clothed man repeated. "Yun Zhilan is about to arrive in Hangzhou, I'm here to let you know."
Fan Xian felt surprised, but his attention remained on the man's face. He asked, "I have a question, you used to always be beside the old man…do you never sleep?"
The man did not answer.
"Where are your white clothes? Although I don't know if that is your true appearance, you were much more handsome at that time."
The man remained silent. Although he was Fan Xian's subordinate, his identity and power had already reached a point where he didn't have to answer too many of these boring and childish questions.
"My biggest question is that you are always so mysterious and unpredictable, even the Emperor doesn't know you, so how do you govern the Sixth Bureau? After all, you are the true leader of the Sixth Bureau, that Ren person is only a representative."
"I have my ways." Relating to official business, the most accomplished assassin in the Qing Kingdom, the Shadow finally opened his mouth to talk.
"Also, could you talk a bit more? I know you worship that senior of ours, but you are not the same as him. You need to be clear about your identity as a civil servant…from Jingdou to here, you've only said three sentences to me. I am very unhappy. I have a question I've been wanting to ask for a long time, but I never have the opportunity to have you answer."
In front of the Shadow, Fan Xian seemed even more like a chatterbox.
The Shadow hesitated and then spoke. "Sir, please ask."
A faint smile appeared at the corner of Fan Xian's lips. "You stuck me with a knife. The question is: how are you planning to make that up to me?"
Chapter 338: A River Of Silver And Busy Receiving Gifts
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
It was unknown what the Shadow had promised Fan Xian for him to accept the compensation for the "accident" and to happily leave Shazhou the next day. There was a downpour of chilly winter rain; it was desolate and dreary like a spell had been cast. Fan Xian and his group, secretly entering Jiangnan, vanished into the low hills and forests outside of Shazhou.
In the depths of the night, a few officials wearing full body rain jackets boarded the big ship from Jingdou at the Jiangnan sailor's pier. They took careful precautions. Even the sailor responsible for welcoming them didn't clearly see their true appearances.
At that moment, the person who was in charge of matters on the ship, Su Wenmao, looked at his colleagues boarding the ship in the rain and asked, "You are all here. What about the boss? The Qinian Unit left some people at least, right?"
An officer said with a pained expression, "The boss said the setup should be as realistic as possible and left the Qinian Unit on the ship. We were sent back with our faces hidden. This way the sailor's people will believe he is on the ship. Once this message is released, it will at least fool a few people."
Su Wenmao was stunned and speechless. "He's starting to enjoy this. Since he's already revealed himself in Shazhou, hiding is a…" He forcefully swallowed the oath back down his throat. He coughed a few times. "That is fine too. Tomorrow, we set sail and enter Jiangnan Road."
"March 3rd," The member of the Qinian Unit said seriously. "The boat is to arrive in Suzhou on March 3rd. The boss gave this date."
Su Wenmao panicked. "What ship can go that slowly?" He rose and swung his hand, and angrily said, "No matter how we travel on the river, I cannot stay any longer in Sha Lake. We must leave port tomorrow."
The official furrowed his brows. "Sir, what's wrong?"
Su Wenmao's expression was worried. "After we entered the Jiangnan sailors' camp, the commissioner and Third Prince still refused to leave the boat. Of the various sailors' leaders, who do you think won't have misgivings in their heart? These past two days, there has been an endless stream of garrisons and commanders who have found excuses to come aboard every day. Everyone knows they are looking for an opportunity to please the two noblemen. If the boss isn't on the ship, how could we dare to let them on?"
The more he spoke the angrier he became. He had built up quite a temper from obstructing everyone coming aboard these past two days. "I can hold back this level of officials, but I heard that the sailors' admiral is arriving tomorrow afternoon. He is a first level super official. Even if the commissioner were here, he would have to obediently salute. Even the Third Prince wouldn't be able to do much. How I can obstruct him?"
The official he was talking to was also startled. The status of the admiral could not be compared to those small fry officials. Once that person arrived, this lie would be revealed. The admiral couldn't do anything more to Commissioner Fan and the Third Prince other than submit a secret memorial to the Emperor to express his anger at being tricked. People like him had to be the punching bag."
"Leave early tomorrow morning!"
The Qinian Unit left to guard the ship came to a strong consensus and began to instruct the sailor officials below to prepare to leave. At the same time, they informed the Tiger Guards and three Sixth Bureau swordsmen on the deck.
"The boss said he will send someone else to go to that assembly in Hangzhou. You won't need to go." The official watched Su Wenmao, then he asked, "I think that the sailors have sent many gifts."
Su Wenmao said, "They're all in the back. Those who control troops are truly rich. They live up to being the capable people that protect the lives and ships of the water bandits."
That official suddenly had a flash of inspiration. "Weren't you worried earlier about how to drag out the time until March 3rd? I have a plan, why don't we…"
He leaned next to Su Wenmao's ear and said something.
Su Wenmao was overjoyed. "Good idea! Commissioner doesn't mind small things like this. We are not allowed to accept silver from the officials, but there is nothing wrong in helping him collect silver." He thought of something and entreated. "Ah right, keep a close eye on the chest of silver in the back room. The commissioner has sent down a death order. No one is to get close to that chest."
That official made a sound of acknowledgement but his thoughts differed. Although the chest contains tens of thousands of silver, the commissioner's family is so rich. Is it necessary to keep an eye on it like a family heirloom?
Early the next morning, right after the fog on Sha Lake had disappeared, the almost new ship from Jingdou slowly left the dock under the "reluctant" gazes of the Jiangnan sailors through the conduit and out of Sha Lake. It went slowly and joyfully into the territory of the Yangtze River.
Watching the big ship disappear into the mouth of the lake, the three ships tasked with their protection also followed along. On the shore, the Jiangnan sailors and generals released a breath. Finally they had sent away the two plague gods they didn't dare come near or touch. But once they thought of all the gifts they had given these days that seemed to have completely gone to waste, they also felt a bit pained.
As for the matter of the commissioner and the prince's ship having had a run in with thieves in the sailors' garrison area—of course there would have to be a scapegoat. The glances the generals sent toward garrison Shen were pitying, but no one at the moment was taking a lead on this matter. Everything had to wait until the admiral returned to camp later that afternoon to decide.
Su Wenmao had guessed wrong. The generals of the Jiangnan sailors had to wait until the second day for the admiral to arrive.
That first ranking military figure in Jiangnan, Admiral Shi was not anxious at all to arrive. He was only anxious to arrive not too quickly.
Admiral Shi was a first-level official and disciple and friend of the old Qin family in Jingdou. He was not afraid of Fan Xian. He knew that if he rushed back to meet with Fan Xian and ran into him and the Third Prince's lie, he would have to lower his status to speak. To be sycophantic to a child whose beard hadn't even grown out, to a bird who had yet to grow feathers, where would his dignity and face go?
Thus on one hand, Old Shi sent someone ahead with a message saying he was conducting business elsewhere and was speeding back with all haste to greet the Third Prince. On the other hand, he held his favorite prostitute and sat in his carriage, swaying back and forth on his way toward the sailors, lamenting that the path was too short.
In the end, Admiral Shi succeeded in his mistiming. By the time he arrived, the ship had departed.
Speaking of the other side, Su Wenmao sailed the ship downstream in high spirits. Following Fan Xian's orders, he accepted the official's suggestion and stopped every time he came across a province or dock. He didn't care whether the pier was run down or only a small town of a few thousand on the river side, he simply went and stopped, went and stopped. A dock a day, no rush at all.
The movements of the ship were strange. It stirred up all manner of disturbances in the officialdoms of Jiangnan Road.
As everyone knew, Commissioner Fan and the Third Prince might be on the ship from Jingdou. Since it was so, whenever this ship docked, the local officials would have to go forth and offer their greetings, as well as prepare an excellent banquet; they also could not go empty handed. At such a juncture, who dared to be careless?
The county upstream gifted jade, and the downstream county could not compare, but they would have to at least give a bag of cat's eyes, right? Our county is poor? There has to be a few mountain ginsengs to dig up, right? Our county has no money? At least a few strands of the famous pine and cypress smoked golden cured meat! What if the two nobility were tired of eating exotic delicacies and likes the local flavor of our food?
What? The city has no exports? Quick, send workers to pull his boat.
In over a month, the officials along the river never saw the mighty royalty, but they had spared no effort in their attempts to please and suck up.
The big ship went down south and stopped each time it came across a county, even the smallest places were not neglected. While the Jiangnan officials were ecstatic at this rare opportunity to present gifts, they also couldn't help secretly criticizing, Commissioner Fan and the Third Prince…their appetites are too big! They didn't even let off those poor towns that didn't produce anything!
"You don't understand, right? Even tiny mosquitoes are meat," an advisor of a manor in Suzhou said. "Seems like this Sir Fan has inherited Minister Shang's style. His bookkeeping is very detailed."
Another advisor shook his head and sighed. "Reputation! Reputation! These young nobility today disdain to even make an effort of face!" Following this he suddenly said disdainfully, "Besides, that Sir Fan junior is not even Sir Fan senior's…"
"Shut up! You dare to comment on this matter! No need to wait for the Overwatch Council to cut you up. I will strangle you!"
The respectful official sitting in the middle scolded loudly and angrily. After he calmed his temper, he lifted his tea and drank before saying, "Do not discuss others behind their backs. As long as they are willing to accept silver, it is fine. Jiangnan lacks everything except silver."
The official closed his eyes and muttered to himself for a little while, then said with a trace of concern, "I'm just afraid this is a smoke screen the commissioner has released, but who knows? Besides, who knows if he is still on that ship? I heard the man from the South say that Sir Fan's carriage was still heading toward Danzhou, and he hasn't neglected to collect silver either."
On the official roads in the middle of the plains, the group with the most people, currently under the leadership of the fake Fan Xian, were taking servants, guards, and shopkeepers of the Qingyu Hall toward Danzhou.
On the Yangtze River, Su Wenmao sailed the ship and happily gilded his trip. He didn't know that in future days he would be cursed and berated harshly by Fan Xian.
Various pieces of information became mixed and confused all the Jiangnan officials. They didn't know where Commissioner Fan was. Even if some of the cleverer people guessed that Fan Xian might have taken an alternative route, they were unable to find any useful information. The people of the Second Bureau of the Overwatch Council were hiding the traces of Fan Xian and his group's true movements.
…
…
As for the February weather, spring had yet to arrive and winter had yet to leave. The cold arrogantly took over the fields on the two sides of the Yangtze River and refused the arrival of even a sliver of spring. But Jiangnan was close to the ocean and always slightly warmer than other areas, so there was no more snow these days. However, the mud tracks that had been torn up on the official roads were completely hardened by months of winter winds. This caused unspeakable suffering for those being jolted up and down in the carriages.
Fan Xian couldn't bear this kind of suffering. He lifted the curtain and called for a stop. He jumped off the carriage and went on horseback instead. Only then did he feel slightly more comfortable. He stretched and breathed in the chilly breeze that blew over his face. Watching the gutters on either side of the official road his eyes narrowed unconsciously. He saw the channels responsible for irrigation had long been empty of water and were completely dry. If it was because the water dried out in the winter, that would be understandable, but the problem was that there were weeds taller than a person growing in the channels. The weeds slowly followed the channels and grew forward. It looked utterly barren and did not seem to have an end.
He was a bit confused. He thought it would only look like this if it had been dry for many years. He stepped down with both feet and stood up to look into the distance. He couldn't help but suck in a cold breath. He saw that the channels around the official roads were mostly all like this. The tall grass in the channels had frozen to death long ago, but it remained standing upright, incredibly stubborn, and stabbed toward the sky. How could this kind of channel irrigate? What happened when it was spring planting season?
Along the way returning from Northern Qi, Fan Xian saw that the Qing Kingdom's water irrigation system was fairly complete. How could Jiangnan, one of the wealthiest provinces, not have the money to repair their channels? Were these fields not used for planting?
The official from the Fourth Bureau of the Overwatch Council, who had come from Jingdou, saw the displeasure on the commissioner's face. He kicked his horse forward to explain. "It is only here that is a bit barren. Suzhou and Hangzhou are not like this for sure."
Fan Xian furrowed his brows. "Of course Jiangnan does not lack grain. Most importantly, this land is not very fertile, and the labor has been locked by the palace treasury for too long." He laughed helplessly and didn't say anything further.
Everyone followed silently along the weed-infested channels. They had left Shazhou for some days now and traveled slowly all the way, but they were almost in Hangzhou. Everyone was somewhat tired. Fan Xian didn't have the mood to play the game of inspecting and visiting the people in disguise.
"The carriage at the back: keep up!"
The official of the Fourth Bureau's name was Mai Wu. Ever since Su Wenmao had stayed on the ship, the logistics and organization of this group had been handed to him.
He saw the commissioner was not in a good mood, so he couldn't say anything. He could only order the people behind to follow more closely. There were many aces in these unassuming carriages. The problem was that the swordsmen of the Sixth Bureau and Tiger Guards were not people to pass one's days with. They were veterans at soloing assassinations. If you asked them to burrow into the long grass of the channels and not eat or drink until they reached Hangzhou, it would not be a problem. However, if you asked them to participate in low-cost travel, they became lifeless.
Along the way they had bought five little girls. They stood with woven weed signs in a place 70 li out of Shazhou City at the foot of a mountain, where there were very little people to begin with. This made the group seem to move even slower and very much resembled a rich family on an excursion.
This encounter also shocked Fan Xian. Since the Qing Kingdom was in a golden age, he never thought that in Jiangnan there were people who sold their own sons and daughters because they were starving to death. Although these poor people were wanderers from north of the river, Fan Xian was still somewhat depressed.
Their group was secretly entering Hangzhou. It was not convenient to take these people, besides, Fan Xian also was a cold-natured person. In the end, the Third Prince couldn't stand it and spoke up. Sisi happily took out a dozen liang of silver and bought five girls. The parents of the girls were endlessly thankful and left with tears streaming down their face. Fan Xian more or less implicitly accepted this reality.
This group of people was too conspicuous. There was an elegant young master, a poor scholar, an arrogant child, a generous girl of a rich family, and a dozen powerful guards. Those who wanted to would be able to guess Fan Xian's identity. Since they had a few extra little girls, it was a small disguise. Fan Xian persuaded himself thus.
Another few days passed. The official road was as calm as a mirror, and the winter trees stood especially straight on the sides of the roads. A scene of wealth suddenly appeared before them. It was only upon seeing the lively roads, colorful clothing of people walking by, and green city wall faintly visible in the distance that the group realized this was Hangzhou.
Fan Xian sat on the horse and waved his whip. In high spirits he said, "Enter the city. We are going to find Aunt Song!"