369-372

Chapter 369: The Bright Moon Is Not For Those Who Walk The Night

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

Fan Xian's chopsticks pushed the food around on the plate and picked out a piece of beef seeped in sesame oil. He placed to on his white rice before bringing it slowly to his lips. He chewed it finely, savoring the taste, and still did not acknowledge Ming Qingda kneeling at the side.

Ming Qingda was not a simple person. What this one kneel represented was also not that simple.

Fan Xian needed time to think.

Only when he finished thinking did he gently put down his bowl and chopsticks, and said, "Master Ming, your age is much more advanced than mine. How can I live with this?"

The imperial envoy's hands raised him without effort, and Ming Qingda had to stand.

The conversation between official and merchant began calmly and seriously. Fan Xian looked at him and asked, "What did you want to explain?"

What kind of explanation could bring back the lives of Fan Xian's subordinates? How could Fan Xian let go of the Ming family? Ming Qingda did not know and did not need to know. What he needed right now was for Fan Xian to temporarily let go of the Ming family so the clan and those in Jingdou could have the necessary time to adjust. The situation was too unclear. Even if he was going to be an opportunist, he had to know which way the wind was blowing…

He only hoped that his position was enough to have the imperial envoy let up the pressure a little, to have the imperial envoy believe that he had the strong desire to lean toward his side.

Fan Xian did not wait for this astute and circumspect old Ming master to reply and said, "You are not sincere, so it doesn't matter if you defect."

Ming Qingda's expression was calm, but he sighed and said, "You won't trust me."

"It is not I who cannot trust you," Fan Xian lowered his head and said. "You don't even trust yourself. You've been on that boat too long. If you want to get off…it's very difficult. You should be understand this, if you are still on that boat, the other people on the boat will always ensure your safety. If you come on to my boat, what will happen to the goods you left on the other boat?"

These goods were naturally not those goods. Ming Qingda also understood this clearly. Hearing Fan Xian's words, he knew he would not be able to persuade this young imperial envoy. With a trace of exhaustion, he self-deprecatingly begged, "Please point me on a bright path."

Fan Xian's gaze remained among the dishes on the table. After some thought, he quietly said, "You have many brothers. I recently heard that…Master Xia in room B4 is also your brother?"

Ming Qingda's expression did not change, but his heart began to hurt. The Ming family had followed Fan Xian's enemy for too long. If they wanted Fan Xian to truly believe the Ming family was willing to fall to his side, he had be able to completely control the Ming family in his hands. Xia Qifei clearly was the pawn through which Fan Xian would control the Ming family. Switched with any other person, Fan Xian would not accept this agreement.

Fan Xian's words were undoubtedly a condition for him. Only Ming Qingda could not accept this condition, no matter what. Never mind the fact that Ming Qing would never let go of his own family's business, every time he thought of Xia Qifei's cold eyes and the miserable whip scars beneath his shirt, his heart began to twist.

In the present situation, the Overwatch Council was on the attack while the Ming family was on the defense, and the Ming family was backing up step by step. Today's price surge in the palace treasury bidding was on the first of a chain. Problems would follow on each other's heels, and the Ming family would be shaken about by the wind and rain.

Only at this moment did Ming Qingda discover that this young imperial envoy was so cautious and conservative, severe and sinister in his bones. He was not moved at all by the enormous lure he had put out. What Fan Xian wanted was much more than what he was able to give. It was more than 400,00 liang. It was more than the future secret cooperation of the Ming family in Jiangnan. It was a rather egotistical and arrogant desire for complete control of the palace treasury's production.

"Please, will Sir give us a way out," Ming Qingda laughed bitterly and said. Earlier he wanted a bright path, but at the moment he could only ask for a way out. "If the last four lots go down like this, with the tens of thousands of descendants in the clan and countless servants on the sides, I fear that next year the family will not be able to feed them all."

"The Ming family does not lack silver."

Fan Xian looked at the master of the Ming family in front of him, and his approval of him grew in his heart. Clearly these were words to threaten him, yet they were said warmly and lowly, and did not pierce the ears at all. On the contrary, a comfortable smoothness shone through. "The four lots in a moment…it will be as if the Ming family has spat out the silver they swallowed in previous years."

He inclined his head slightly and narrowed his eyes as he sized up the slightly declining looking Ming Qingda. In his heart, he guessed at what this master of the Ming family was planning to do. He said, "You should know about my past. I very much do not approval of the methods you used in the past to sell things. Of course, I am not an unreasonable bandit. As long as you do things more reliably, I will also be more reliable."

The so-called reliability was referring to the incident last night.

Fan Xian used the tip of his chopsticks to knock on the edge of the porcelain dish making a crisp ding sound. "To hold the bowl like a dragon spitting pearls, to reach with chopsticks like a phoenix bending its head. To eat until mostly full, to pack away what is not finished…being a person is like eating a meal. The pose must be beautiful, and one must know one's limits. This is good enough."

Ming Qingda knew he would not be able to gain any more progress in front of this imperial envoy. Having received Fan Xian's last words, his heart relaxed a tiny bit. Although he could not believe all of it, he definitely believed Fan Xian did not intended to force the Ming family into collapse. The other party still wanted to control the Ming family rather than destroy them.

To want to control the enormous Ming family…Xia Qifei couldn't do it…mother couldn't do it, only he could. Ming Qingda had this confidence. Because of this, he was definitely going to vomit blood for the last four lots. He understood that in the future, there was still space for negotiation with the imperial envoy.

Merchants were the least afraid of negotiation, haggling over the price was their forte.

Ming Qingda respectfully bowed to Fan Xian again and retreated.

Watching the Ming master of this generation's slightly bent and slightly old looking back, Fan Xian once again placed his chopsticks gently on the table. He narrowed his eyes. Even now he still could not see Ming Qingda's limits.

The kneel earlier represented a wealth of meanings. Surrender? To ask for peace? Defection? As compensation for last night's incident? If the Ming family truly wanted to lean toward him, then this kind of public palace treasury situation today was actually the best place to show his true feelings.

The problem was that, Fan Xian did not believe, at all, that the old man would willingly surrender. He hadn't finished playing his own cards, and the Ming family had not yet reached the end of their lines. If a big tree that was used to standing on the other side of the river wanted to uproot itself and move to this side of the river, the pain and sacrifice it would have to go through would be more than what the Ming family was willing to pay.

Why would the other party assume such a lowly stance? Above him, there was still that old matriarch. If the Ming family wanted to lean in a direction, this kind of important decision that affected all the futures of the tens of thousands in their clan, Ming Qingda did not yet have the power to make this decision alone.

Furthermore, this kneel was not in secret. Someone should have already seen, and it would immediately spread. Fan Xian's eyes narrowed even further. Was the other party playing the pity card? In this world that has not yet produced Ah Bian, perhaps the pity card was still a viable move. But, to purposely kneel in front of others, how pitiful could this be?

If it had been a different official faced with the inclination that Ming Qingda had shown, they would definitely be secretly joyful. Only Fan Xian did not think this way. Just as Ming Qingda thought, he wanted too much, and the Ming family could not provide it. Furthermore, he had already prepared for this a long time. He had the confidence to consume the Ming family and was not here to accept the Ming family's defection.

Since he was able to consume the Ming family regardless of the time, why would he still haggle with the Ming family to obtain their surrender?

It was not because he did not want to, or could not do so, in was because he disdained to do so.

…

…

The clean breeze seeped through the door and blew away the lingering smells of food in the courtyard. It also blew away a trace of the firecrackers scent on the heavy atmosphere that could still not be moved. Tension filled the courtyard, like millennia-old ice or a massive rock at the bottom of a river. The spring sun and wind could not melt it, and the large waves in the river could not move it.

The voice of the transport company official responsible for the announcements had become raspy, not because he had spoken too much or not had drunk enough water, it was only because he was nervous.

The merchants along the A and B corridors in each room could not remain seated. Separated by the lattice windows and standing within the high thresholds, they nervously watched outside.

There was still the bidding for the last four palace treasury lots. After two rounds of bidding, no one was still cheering. No one was even wiping away the cold sweat from their foreheads.

The Quanzhou Sun family, who had been scared by the Ming family in the morning, listened to the prices with a pale face. His eyes looked listlessly outside and was scared anew by those two crazy families. All the merchants felt that today they had their eyes opened wide, but at the same time, they had also been greatly shocked.

That was silver! How could the Ming family in room A1 and the Xia family in room B4 dare to throw it out like that? Was there no difference, in their eyes, between those thick stacks of banknotes and waste paper?

Lingnan Xiong looked outside with red eyes and could not believe his own ears. He asked the accounts master beside him, "Did the announcer report it wrong last time?"

The accounts master of the Xiong family wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. "A number audited by the Flower Hall, how could it be wrong…my god, a few of the Xia master's brothers were killed yesterday and today he is ruthless and crazy…but this Ming family is actually going crazy with him! The old Ming master isn't a bandit."

Xiong Bailing was so nervous he didn't have time to swallow his saliva. It stuck in the middle and he almost choked. He turned his hand, took the tea from the hand of one of his subordinates, and chugged it down. He lowered his voice and cursed, "Even if Xia Qifei is the Seventh Ming, I think that the two brothers are fighting with real fire…watching brothers fight is very exciting. It looks like the Ming family are all a bit crazy."

It was not only the announcer whose voice was shaking and the Jiangnan merchants who couldn't stop wiping away their sweat, even the three figures sitting in the main hall were beginning to become nervous.

Hearing the prices for the second round, Eunuch Huang and Guo Zheng met each other's gazes, and their faces became completely pale. The two of them had never thought that the palace treasury bidding for the final four bound lots would be raised by Fan Xian and the Ming family to…such a horrifying price.

The Ming family was definitely going to suffer a loss on these four bound lots, and it was going to be a great loss. For Eunuch Huang and Guo Zheng, the less that entered the Ming family's accounts, the silver that could not see the light of day that was sent from Jiangnan to the capital would lessen greatly. Thinking of this, their stares at Fan Xian became somewhat poisonous.

Although Fan Xian had a powerful state of mind to maintain his outward appearance of calm, a careful observer would still be able to see the slight tremor at the washed and starched sleeves of the imperial envoy's official purple robes, the slightly tight press of the thin and delicate lips, and the slight redness below his earlobes.

After all, an occasion like this was rare to see. The Qing Emperor was said to be the richest person in the world. Fan Xian would dare to bet that the Qing Emperor, who had never entered the warehouse of the Ministry of Revenue, had never seen so many banknotes that floated through the sky with the raspy and shaky voice of the official announcer.

11,500,00 liang of silver!

Ten years after the establishment of the Qing Kingdom, the finances and taxes of the entire country added together was only 10 million liang! Even in today's extremely wealthy Qing Kingdom, an amount of silver that large was still an unbelievable number. If this 10 million was used to buy death soldiers in Jiangnan, it would be enough to destroy the small countries all around Dongyi with just the wave of a hand. It was enough to be a tyrant in a region.

An amount of silver this large, how many beauties could it buy? How many warhorses and weaponry could it make? If the entire amount was invested into the people's welfare, how many riverbanks could it fix? How many pots of porridge could it cook? How many halls could it open? How many people could it save? Yet…if it were all changed into silver ingots, how many people could it crush?

The 5 million in the morning was already the highest bid in the history of the palace treasury, yet the afternoon had easily broken the record. Particularly in the second round of bidding, the Ming family forcefully pushed the price above 10 million. This not only broke the record, it also broke everyone's psychological barriers.

This outcome was because of a few reasons, of course credit laid with the situation the Ming family was currently in, beset with difficulties inside and outside, as well as the large amounts of silver and gold that Fan Xian had borrowed from the hands of the Northern Qi Emperor. The Ming family needed to win this bid, and Xia Qifei had the power to hedge it. After all of these factors were added together, it created this horrifying number.

Fan Xian drank some tea and forced down the emotions in his heart. He made a hidden gesture.

Enough, stop here. Have a rest. Have a rest.

…

…

It was not until now that Fan Xian gradually understood Ming Qingda's thoughts, the Emperor's thoughts, many people's thoughts.

When Ming Qingda was bidding, he closely followed Fan Xian's plan. One reason was the pressure from Xinyang. The thoughts for another reason were a little mysterious. He did nothing but give silver to those around. If he bid a low price, he must give a portion of what he earned to Xinyang. If he bid a high price, it was the same as giving the silver to the palace treasury, which was the same as giving it to the Emperor and Fan Xian.

Ming Qingda saw that the matter was difficult and the court needed his silver, so he decided to go all out. He wished he could bring out half of his family business, then he could both win the bid and align with Fan Xian's intentions. Then of the people he couldn't afford to offend on either side, he wouldn't have offended either.

The only pity was offending the money. This much silver and gold, who knew how many years it would take before the Ming family recovered their strength? The so-called spending money to avoid disaster, this time the Ming family had really put down blood money on avoiding disaster.

From Fan Xian's perspective, the Ming family's financial power had already reached a terrifying stage. The Qing Emperor would definitely not allow this kind of existence to expand. He would either weaken the other party or completely destroy them.

This was the true purpose the Emperor sent Fan Xian to Jiangnan.

And Ming Qingda had also clearly grasped this intention.

However, back in the day Shen Wansan still died. Would the Ming family survive? These were future matters, and Fan Xian did not have a way to completely control it. However, Fan Xian felt that the Ming family's behavior was very useful, so he had made a hand gesture to stop Xia Qifei bidding.

He was not purposely causing mischief or being merciful, rather, Fan Xian knew that the old Ming master had not finished performing his show. Eleven million and five hundred thousand liang of silver was already enough. Fan Xian did not want the court to discuss too much and bring him too many negative evaluations.

Seeing that the bandits of room B4 had stopped bidding, everyone, including the officials and merchants, did not feel anger at not seeing the whole show. Rather, they all let out a breath at the same time like a heavy weight had been lifted off their shoulders.

The bidding this afternoon was too terrifying; that number was too sensitive. The merchants did not wish to cause something bad to happen, and the officials also did not wish for the situation to develop to an explosive degree.

In the Flower Hall, the Ministry of Revenue and the palace treasury worked together and began auditing work. They finally confirmed the lot and used a vermillion brush to carefully and nervously write the documents, then handed it to the front hall.

The announcing official walked to the stone steps. He swallowed to soothe his hoarse and scorching throat. In a shaky he voice he said, "Goods along the southeast roads, the water roads, four lots bound together. Room A1, Ming family, 11,500,000 liang…wins!"

No one cheered, no one clamored. Everyone wished they could quickly escape the courtyard of the palace treasury and get as far away from this number as possible.

"Father! Father!"

It was at this moment, a cry of alarm came from inside room A1, closest to the main hall.

In a moment, everyone rose from their chairs in shock and looked in that direction. They didn't know what had happened to the Ming family.

"Father! What's wrong? Help! Help! Come save him!"

From room A1 came the panicked sounds of young master Ming Lanshi as he called for him. In the clamor, officials quickly pushed open the door and entered. Only then did they discover that the master of the Ming family, Ming Qingda's face was ashen and he had fainted on the ground.

Regardless of official or merchant, everyone thought they knew what had happened. Everyone thought that the master of the Ming family was pressured by internal and external pressures to forcefully take this four bound lot and had been forced to pay an astronomical amount. Thinking of the fact that the Ming family may deteriorate because of this sum, the old Ming master was attacked by anxiety and had thus fainted and could not wake up.

Everyone knew who had forced the Ming family to their present miserable circumstances. All the eyes in the courtyard swung unconsciously toward the imperial envoy standing on the stone step.

Fan Xian did not panic. He narrowed his eyes and chided, "What are you all panicked about? Quickly seal the warehouse and deposit the silver. When the process is done, quickly send Master Ming to the doctor!"

There was an entire procedure for the opening and closing of the palace treasury. There were also a lot of banknotes in the courtyard, so it took some time before the still unconscious Master Ming was lifted out and put on a Ming carriage, which Fan Xian had given special permission to drive to the door, and was taken directly to the doctors."

…

…

No one had expected that the lively palace treasury bidding, which had created a number of new records and caused so many dangers, would have such a dismal and dull ending.

Watching the Ming carriage drive away and thinking of the Ming master whose life hung in the balance, the Jiangnan merchants couldn't but help sigh incessantly as a few threads of sympathy welled up in their hearts.

The Ming family left first. After the merchants had been inspected, they also left the palace treasury courtyard. The rest were all officials, who began the final winding up work.

Since they made a living through selling money, the work of checking the 40 percent deposit was the most important.

The three important figures stood in the Flower Hall and watched as the Ministry of Revenue and transport company officials registered the accounts and applied the seal.

Fan Xian saw at the very bottom of the Ming family's final 4 million liang deposit a thick stack of banknotes issued from Zhaoshang money house. His eyes narrowed slightly, and he knew this matter was finally complete.

In his original plan, when the Ming family was forced to use the Zhaoshang issued banknotes for the last four bound lots, Fan Xian had to purposely make it difficult for them. After all, Zhaoshang's reputation was not as good as Tianxia's. When the time came, Eunuch Huang and Guo Zheng would speak up for the Ming family and, thus, Fan Xian could once again remove himself of all suspicion.

Only, he hadn't expected Ming Qingda to do things so cleanly. Fan Xian was too lazy to make a fuss about the small things. Only when Ming Qingda fainted at the end…

"Pretend, keep on pretending."

Fan Xian smiled coldly in his heart but wore a sympathetic expression on his face. He sighed to the Eunuch Huang beside him and said, "The Ming family won the bid with difficulty, but Master Ming is indeed quite advanced in years and cannot suffer these surprises and has fainted. It will be fine as long as this happy matter doesn't turn into a funeral."

Eunuch Hong, who was rubbing his fingers and drooling over the silver, was still slightly nervous. Hearing the imperial envoy speak, he almost broke his finger in shock. He opened his mouth to curse but did not dare to do so. How can there be people like you who play with others and then make such cynical remarks?

Eunuch Huang huffed angrily and did not say anything. Instead, Guo Zheng smiled superficially and said, "This year, the palace treasury's income is a full 80 percent more than previous years. Once this gets back to Jingdou, the Emperor will definitely heavily reward you. You'll certainly be granted the title of king or marquis imminently."

Given Fan Xian's identity and the power he currently held, his future titles as king and marquis was sure to happen. He didn't want to hear Guo Zheng's fawning. He smiled coldly and said, "It is all due to you all and the Jiangnan merchants who are so considerate of the court. To be willing to suffer heavy losses to supplement the palace treasury…as for myself, I have not been of much use in this matter."

Guo Zheng choked and thought: Today the Ming family almost soiled their pants, isn't that all your doing? And you have the face to say you have not done much? He huffed coldly and did not speak anymore. Only in his heart he endlessly cursed, Act, keep on acting!

Chapter 370: Xia Mingji

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

"When the Great Prince killed Hu Ma, do you know how they invented the bronze wire with thorns they pulled?"

"Hmm? Isn't that iron?"

"The difference isn't that big. Do you know how?"

Honestly speaking, Northern Qi actually did not have this thing. The Northern Qi ruler and officials were the most interested in the military equipment the Third Workshop produced in the Qing Kingdom palace treasury. It was with great difficulty that the speaker voluntarily brought this up, so the girl of the other party naturally felt a thread of joy. She sincerely said, "I don't know."

"Oh, copper wire is difficult to pull out," the gentle voice sighed and said. "I heard it was the Jiangnan merchants fighting for a piece of copper board and pulled it out through with sheer force."

This joke was originally rather amusing. Coming from his mouth, it seemed rather cold.

The corners of the girl's mouth only twitched.

He asked again, "Do you know how the dike passage in Shazhou from Sha Lake into the river was dug?"

The girl shook her head. She didn't really want to play these games with him.

He waggled his head and said, "Because the Jiangnan merchants dropped a piece of copper into a mouse hole on the dike."

…

…

Haitang looked at the joking Fan Xian. She silently stared at him for a while before saying, "I understand the two jokes. I don't understand what you are trying to say."

Fan Xian rubbed the hair on his slightly itchy and sore neck. Sisi had not been in a good mood recently. Every day she was overly aggressive. She brushed his hair and pulled too hard at the back of his head, so there were little red spots. As he rubbed he said, "These two jokes tell us that for merchants, being miserly is always the virtue most worth praising while benefits is a temptation they can never defend against."

These were two jokes he had heard about Jews in his previous life, and they seemed fitting to use it on the Jiangnan merchants.

He turned his body and pointed his back to Haitang. He had begun scratching an itch himself, but the area of the itch had rapidly grown and immediately run to the center of his back. Although Fan Xian's palm could easily reach there with little tricks, the sensation was not very good. So, he pointed to his back.

Haitang gave him a glare. Her hand had already extended out and gently scratched his back through the clothing.

Feeling the clever hands that could easily defeat the Second priest scratching on his itch with no ulterior motives, Fan Xian felt his whole body relax. He gave a groan of comfort before continuing to say, "Being miserly is part of a merchant's nature. It is a little unexpected that Ming Qingda was so willing to cut himself. Furthermore, relating to profits, next year, I'll have to comfort the Quanzhou Sun family and the other families who were empty-handed this year. I'll have to trouble you to let your Emperor know that at most next year I can maintain this year's portion. Any more will be very difficult.

Haitang hmm'ed in acknowledgement.

Closely following this she asked again, "How are you preparing to deal with the Ming family? It seems like you are very pleased with Ming Qingda's attitude."

Fan Xian shook his head and said seriously, "His attitude cannot represent the attitude of the Ming family. The incident that night has not yet been wrapped, and I cannot pull back. Right now, all of the Ming family's injury is financial. In the next year, using just the goods shipped out of the palace treasury to block him, I can keep his family bleeding…but the Ming family as a whole is still pretty healthy. It is impossible to swallow them whole. So as long as I am in Jiangnan, I will go slice off a piece of meat every few days."

The so-called nibbling away perhaps followed this logic. Only, Haitang could not help feeling sorrowful for Ming Qingda as she listened to this. That old Ming master had sufficiently lowered his position, but he was still unable to stop Fan Xian from carrying out his aggressive plan.

Seeming to guess what she was thinking, Fan Xian explained, "The Ming family won't be resigned to their fate. The problem is that the plan Xiao Yan set this time is not the same as defeating the Cui family. The methods of the Overwatch Council have to be completely above board. Everything I do must adhere to Qing laws. This isn't a shadowy plot, this an overt plot. Facing a difference in power, the Ming family will not carry out direct counterattacks. Don't think that Ming Qingda wants purely to keep the peace. He is also wasting time to wait for the situation in Jingdou to change."

His tone became heavier. "For the Ming family, the situation has to change in Jingdou, otherwise they can only wait to be eaten by the court."

Haitang continued quietly, "So you will not let them wait quietly and peacefully, rather, you will try your best to weaken them as much as possible before the situation in Jingdou changes."

"Correct," Fan Xian said expressionlessly. "Everything has to be done by the rules. My only worry is that the Ming family's reputation is so good, it is difficult to understand. There are no problems at all in the palace treasury transport company accounts. The other party's ability to cover their tracks is too powerful…currently, there has been no other news from that island. It seems like someone is helping them cover it up. Faced with such a seemingly warm and virtuous large family like this, if I, or the Overwatch Council, pushed the Ming family too hard and they put on an overly pitiful appearance, there might be negative repercussions from the people of Jiangnan."

"You are not one who cares about others' opinion," Haitang chuckled and said.

Fan Xian also smiled, "That is true. However, although I don't care, that doesn't mean the Emperor doesn't care. He wants to leave his name in history and hold power forever. This was already a difficult matter. If it wasn't because of this, why hasn't the court moved against the Ming family and used one of their many methods to flatten them? It is because they are afraid of leaving the impression that the Emperor lacks grace and the court is shadowy and oppressive in the hearts of the people, which would leave a dishonorable mark on the history books."

"Is the Qing Emperor this kind of person?" Haitang asked doubtfully.

"Believe me," Fan Xian smiled bitterly and said, "the Emperor is indeed someone who cares about their reputation. Otherwise, why would he be so determined not to fall short of your Emperor when the auspicious signs came from the heavens last time? This time, the Emperor sent me to Jiangnan because he hopes that I will be able to handle everything beautifully, both crush the Ming family and not end up with a bad reputation. If the Jiangnan people, or even all those under heaven, at that time are outraged by the injustice the Ming family has suffered…if the powers in Jingdou make another ruckus, then even if the Emperor is heartless enough to want me to be the black dog, he would still be forced to summon me back to the capital."

"Since that is so, today is already the fourth day after the palace treasury bidding. Why have you done nothing?" Haitang asked.

Fan Xian smile and said, "Who said I haven't done anything? I have spent a great deal of effort on the Baoyue Brothel matter."

Haitang felt it was a bit strange to bring up Baoyue Brothel. She sighed and said, "You borrowed silver from me to use in river works, and that is fine. But you are using the silver of the Northern Qi court…to open a brothel. If this news gets back to Shangjing, I'm afraid the Emperor is going to laugh himself to death at me."

Fan Xian knew that this Northern Qi sage girl had always felt a bit uncomfortable with him running a brothel. He said seriously, "The river works are a good work, you know that. I am about to begin to arrange for refugees to work. That is also doing good works. But you don't understand, opening a brothel…is also doing good works."

Haitang was doubtful. Brothels force women to do such pitiful things, how is that connected to doing good works at all?

"The two oldest professions of mankind are the assassin and the prostitute." Fan Xian snapped his fingers and pointed to his back again to indicate for Haitang not to stop the scratching action. "You cannot change this. I cannot change it. Even my mother couldn't change it. Since it is, this profession will certainly always exist. Why don't we control this profession in our hands, set down some rules, and do our best to protect the interests of those poor women?"

First he said Gu Long's famous words, and then he repeated the words he used to persuade Shi Chanli. Fan Xian summarized seriously, "I run brothels to protect those prostitutes. Those who blindly wear virtuous hats and cover up their eyes to pretend there are not such things in this world, those are the people how truly have no humanity and don't consider those prostitutes as people."

By the time Fan Xian talked about the specific "new rules" in Baoyue Brothel such as bringing in doctors, having monthly leave, and such, the hand Haitang had been using to scratch Fan Xian's back had stopped. She gazed with shock at the back of his head. It seemed she hadn't expected Fan Xian to have more than empty words.

By the time she had heard the last words, the admiration on Haitang's face had already been hidden. She quietly said, "What you say makes sense."

"Hmm?" Fan Xian raised his head in surprise. He didn't think the other person would reply so seriously. This did not feel good at all, like Xu Ziling convincing a nun.

He shook his head and chased this sorrowful thought out of his mind. He said, out of the blue, "Duoduo, sorry."

This time it was Haitang who hmm'ed in surprise.

Fan Xian said, "A few days ago, you and I had been distant. I thought about it afterward. It was mainly my fault. Of course, there is also your fault, but at the root, it is my fault."

Although Haitang wasn't sure about what he wanted to say and did not understand this strange convoluted and verbose sentence structure. She still easily connected it to thoughts like that of standing beside the old road in Shangjing, Northern Qi, and this young man in front of her saying "morning sun, the world is yours and mine," and such things.

A faint smiled rose to the corner of her mouth.

Fan Xian clapped his hands and stared at her eyes. "I desire honesty between friends. I have not been honest enough with you, so that is my fault. Ever since you left Northern Qi and arrived in Jiangnan, you have been watching all that silver every day and worrying about how I am. You have too much pressure, and it is making it difficult for your state of mind to be calm. To not have acted earlier to successfully resolve this pressure is your fault. However, your pressure, my pressure, in the end, these pressures are both caused by me, so the fault is also mine."

Haitang smiled. She covered her mouth and only revealed that pair of bright and clear eyes.

Fan Xian was slightly startled and unconsciously said, "Your eyes are very pretty."

"Hmm?" It was the third hmm between the two of them.

Fan Xian chuckled and said, "I never thought you had a girly side to you…but in the end, you still haven't told me how old you are."

Seeing Haitang slightly angry expression, he noncommittally waved his hand and said, "Change of topic! Weren't you asking earlier why I haven't acted against the Ming family these few days?"

"You said you're busy with the brothel renovations." Haitang also knew how to joke, but was usually more tart.

Fan Xian nodded and smiled. "This is one reason but, of course, the main reason is…I am waiting for Xia Qifei to recover."

…

…

On the night of March 26th, in the west side of Suzhou where the salt merchants and royal merchants all gathered, red lanterns were strung up, firecrackers filled the sky, and the atmosphere was joyful. Xia Qifei, the leader of the Jiangnan water bandits who had, in recent days, stolen the limelight in the palace treasury matter had officially set up a courtyard in Suzhou. Today was the first time the doors had opened to welcome guests.

In reality, the true tycoons all had their own large gardens outside of Suzhou in the waterways. They usually lived in their own manors and rarely stayed in the city. However, each family also had an extravagant residence on the west side of Suzhou because it was a symbol of their status and a demonstration of a their power.

The price in the west side of the city was expensive, and no one ever wanted to sell property; not everyone had the right to live there. Yet, Xia Qifei was able to successfully open his own courtyard. This meant that after the palace treasury case, Jiangnan had acknowledged his right.

The Xia Qifei that moved into Suzhou had to wash himself clean and not leave a trace of his criminal ways on his face. Thus, he could not move in with the identity of the leader of the Jiangnan water bandits. His current identity had been changed. He was now master of Xia Mingji.

Xia Mingji was, naturally, also a newly opened business. The secret meaning behind the name was clear to all the merchants who had come to offer their congratulations. The Ming family was eye-catching, but no one knew whether or not the Ming family would send someone. Rumors said that after old master Ming Qingda had fainted, it took him two whole days to wake up, and he was still very weak.

A carriage stopped outside of the Xia manor. The carriage was completely black and did not have any crests. The sharp-eyed Tiger Guards surrounding it and sudden increase in strangers on the street made clear the identity of this carriage. The merchants around the door of the manor quickly walked over and bowed toward the carriage, then warmly prepared to welcome the person in the carriage.

In the carriage, Fan Xian said to the Third Prince in an even voice, "You Highness really wants to join in this ruckus? It does not seem proper."

The Third Prince smiled sweetly and said, "I know what teacher is worried about. Since the teacher is here today to help Xia Qifei without trying to avoid arousing suspicion, adding me won't count for much."

Fan Xian smiled and knew that this child had never forgotten Yi Guipin's teaching. No matter what, he was going to tie himself to Fan Xian, not only mentally but more so in public opinion.

One big and one small, the two nobles in Suzhou held themselves aloof as they dismounted the carriage. They drew cheers from outside and repeated calls to rise.

…

…

Fan Xian stood and used his hand to touch the clearly new study desk. Smelling the light scent of fresh wood, he thought that this world wasn't very good but it was enough that newly renovated houses didn't smell like methane. Suddenly he felt a shock in his heart and found that he hadn't thought about things in his original world for a long time. He didn't know what that meant.

Perhaps he was becoming more and more accustomed to this world. Why did he feel an unnamed desire in his heart that always burned and itched, yet he didn't know what he wanted?

It wasn't tobacco. It wasn't porn. He didn't know what it was.

He shook off his daze and found that Xia Qifei and the Third Princess were both staring at him. He couldn't help smiling self-deprecatingly and said, "Qingcheng, you're injured, have a seat. Don't mind me, I am often absent-minded."

Knowing that the imperial envoy had arrived with the Third Prince, the Jiangnan merchants in the front yard, who had come to offer their congratulations, were, on one hand, jealous of Xia Qifei's good fortune, and startled by the imperial envoy and the Third Prince's action, which did not try to avoid gossip. On the other hand, they did not dare to be overly noisy. Thus, the sounds of drinking and music from the front did not disturb the conversation in the study in the back garden.

Xia Qifei was actually shocked by Fan Xian's arrival, furthermore, the Third Prince had come with him.

Fan Xian shook his head and said, "In Jiangnan, everyone knows of our connection, I think Jingdou probably knows too. Since this is the case, why bother hiding?"

Xia Qifei glanced at the Third Prince, suddenly remembering a rumor. He didn't avoid the taboo subject and said directly, "Commissioner, I have brought you trouble."

"What trouble?" Fan Xian gazed at him warmly and said. "You're working for the court. Recently, you appeared to be impressive but in reality, you've lost quite a lot."

Xia Qifei thought of the brothers who had died that night and his face became dark.

"Has your injury gotten better?" Fan Xian asked.

Xia Qifei replied respectfully, "It's much better."

"Hmm." After a short silence, Fan Xian slowly said, "You don't have to worry too much. For the Ming family, my attitude is very firm. Perhaps the progress will be a little slower, but…don't think that I have been fooled by someone's act."

The master of this generation of the Ming family, Ming Qingda's kneeling in the palace treasury courtyard and his fainting after winning the bid had spread throughout and outside of Suzhou in the last few days. Thus, Xia Qifei, as the knife in Fan Xian's hand, was most worried that the hand holding this knife would suddenly change its mind. Hearing Fan Xian make his promise right now, although Xia Qifei's body was injured, his mood was lifted—revenge and taking back the Ming family were the greatest dreams of his life. If he didn't have Fan Xian's help, he would never be able to achieve it.

Fan Xian looked at his expression and said seriously, "You work for the court, so the court will support you. More bluntly, since you are mine now, I must publicly announce it to the world. This connection does not need to be removed, and there is no need to hide it. When you do things in Jiangnan in the future, send goods to the North, this layer of influence will make it much easier."

Xia Qifei's expression appeared to be moved, but he felt some fear in his heart. He didn't know why the commissioner was so anxious to make this matter clear. Xia Qifei thought he was working for the court, so he did not understand that Fan Xian using him did not mean that the court was using him.

Xia Qifei would send the goods to the North along the route the Cui family once used to connect with Fan Sizhe in the Northern territories. In the South, Fan Xian, under the protection of the Emperor in the North, reopened that smuggling route. This was Fan Xian's true purpose.

The South was secretly managed by the Overwatch Council, and the North had the Provost of the Discipline Commission, Wei Hua. Since he was an old friend of Fan Xian's and someone the young Emperor of Northern Qi trusted, this route was already flawless. The only thing that still needed to be hammered out was…Xia Qifei, the beginning of the line.

Fan Xian coming to talk was for nothing else but to use the words of the people to bind Xia Qifei tightly to his side. After today, no one would believe that Xia Qifei was not Fan Xian's trusted aid. In the future when the smuggling started, if Xia Qifei wanted to betray Fan Xian, there probably wouldn't be anyone who dared to trust him. Furthermore, Fan Xian's enemies would also target Xia Qifei. Before at the Jiangnan Restaurant was an excellent beginning. This would only have Xia Qifei hold onto Fan Xian even more tightly.

Using external threats to lock down his heart, the Third Prince had pestered his way aboard, but Xia Qifei had to come onboard whether or not he wanted to.

…

…

Before Fan Xian left the Xia manor, he gave Xia Qifei one more warning, "The day after tomorrow, all the necessary paperwork will be done. At that time, it will be your time."

Xia Qifei felt slightly excited. Although he knew the commissioner only needed him to attract the Ming family's attention, he was still able to make some noise in the Suzhou government. It seemed that he was getting closer and closer to his life's goal.

"But you have to understand," Fan Xian sighed and patted his shoulder, "there is no precedent for such a thing in the Qing law. The other party is the eldest son of the wife. According to the law, he has an advantage. Even if the Council helps, it would be impossible to obtain the ideal result…there are many ways to take back what has been lost. Don't be anxious, and don't be overly disappointed."

Xia Qifei's heart jumped. He always felt Fan Xian was not only talking about the Ming family matter. Between their two levels, it seemed that the words "family business" had created some kind of agreement and harmony. He wrapped one hand around another and said with emotion, "I dare not accept the honor for you to trouble yourself over my matters."

"You can accept it," Fan Xian said tenderly, "From the beginning, I have been clear. I am also one do things for my interest. You shouldn't think too much of it."

The more he emphasized personal interest, the more honest Xia Qifei believed him to be. He bowed many times and saw him and the Third Prince out of the manor. Accurately speaking, Fan Xian and the Third Prince had only stood for a while at the Xia home before leaving. Altogether they were there for less time than it took to drink a cup of tea, however, the attitude and determination revealed by this would certainly travel throughout the merchants' mouths into the ears of the Ming family.

After the carriage left Xia manor, it did not hurry back to Hua Garden. Instead, it dove toward the east part of the city. In the east side of Suzhou, there were many jianghu heroes, so the guards beside the carriage became nervous.

"What day is the day after tomorrow?" The Third Prince opened wide his innocent eyes and asked Fan Xian.

Fan Xian replied, "The day Xia Qifei enters the Suzhou yamen to sue the Ming family for stealing the family business."

Chapter 371: Torture Chamber And Will

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

It was quiet on the long streets of Suzhou. The crisp sounds of the carriage wheels covered a sound of surprise from within the carriage.

After controlling his surprise, the Third Prince said, "He can take this to court?"

"Why not?" Fan Xian smiled slightly and said. "Whether or not he wins is another matter, but he has to take it to court."

The Third Prince was only nine, after all, he was still a child. Hearing this, he immediately became interested and said, "Sir, when the time comes, let's go watch the show. I heard that Xia Qifei's birth mother…was beaten to death by the current Ming matriarch."

Fan Xian sighed. "It's a family property lawsuit, not an old murder case. They're going to talk about the articles in the Qing law. It won't be very interesting."

The Third Prince asked, "Sir, do you have plans?"

"No." Fan Xian smiled bitterly and shook his head. "If all this could be planned…why would I interfere in that way? I just ask for the time to be dragged out. The longer, the better."

The Third Prince sat back down on his chair unhappily. He looked at the unfamiliar scene around them that skimmed by and asked without thinking, "If we're not going back to Hua Garden at this time, where are we going?"

Fan Xian looked at him and said, "The Emperor has told you to learn from me, and you have worked hard. Since you have come out with me today…you can learn along the way what you will have to know in the future."

The Third Prince was slightly startled and didn't know what Fan Xian was talking about.

The carriage headed to the north part of the city through the west side of city but did not enter any of the places where the heroes had long lived. They quietly followed a small alley and turned toward the west. Using the darkness of the night as a cover, and with the secret alertness of the members of the Qinian Unit, they left behind any possible spies and shadows and disappeared into Suzhou.

…

…

The carriage stopped outside a private residence. The land here was isolated and difficult to notice. Gao Da dismounted from the driver's seat. His hand wrapped around the hilt of the long knife behind his back, and he looked coldly and closely for a while before clenching his fist to signal that it was safe. Only then did Fan Xian come down from the carriage holding the Third Prince's hand.

The assassins of the Sixth Bureau with Fan Xian were recovering from injuries, and Fan Xian did not want the only two unharmed ones to risk their lives again. Thus, the responsibility of his safety was presently handed completely to the Tiger Guards and Qinian Unit. They seemed to be doing things very carefully.

Following the silent archway in, the Third Prince felt some fear in his heart. It was dark all around, yet his nose could smell a trace of smoke. This kind of feeling made one's hair stand on end.

The child unconsciously tightened his hold on Fan Xian's hand.

Entering a room, they turned into another room. It was a bedroom. All of the furniture in the room was present: a large bed, dressing table…there was even a couple lying on the bed sleeping.

The Third Prince opened his mouth wide but couldn't make any noise. What was happening? Fan Xian started slightly and turned back to glance at the Overwatch Council official who led the way.

The expression of the official didn't change, he walked straight to the side of the bed and pulled a hook on the bed frame. There was a squeak, and the curtain at the head of the bed slowly pulled back revealing a downward slanting path. He then made a "please" motion.

Through the entire process, the couple on the bed shifted in a bit and did not have any reaction. They did not glance at the people beside the bed. It was like they were blind and deaf; it was also like Fan Xian and this group of people were all spirits.

Fan Xian looked at this scene and couldn't help smiling bitterly and shaking his head. He always thought it was some novel he read in his previous life. He never thought it would become reality before his eyes.

This private residence was a secret residence the Fourth Bureau of the Overwatch Council had placed in Suzhou.

…

…

The Third Prince now knew where they had come to today. He held Fan Xian's hand and carefully walked toward the underground passage. He heart beat like a drum. He said in a trembling voice, "Teacher, although I am a prince, following the rules of the court, I do not have the right to know the Overwatch Council's secret residences."

Fan Xian smiled and said, "Every city has three to five secret residences. It is nothing unusual. As for the rules, I am here. No one will say anything."

He was the Commissioner of the Overwatch Council. After that letter from Chen Pingping, he held the absolute and paramount power of the Overwatch Council.

Hearing Fan Xian say this, the Third Prince felt slightly assured and continued to walk forward in the light of the dim lamps. The residence of the Overwatch Council Fourth Bureau in Suzhou was not the largest, but it was the most hidden. Before they had gone down for too long, they arrived at a secret room.

The light was tranquil and dimly lit up the slightly narrow room. In the room were a charcoal fire, two branding irons, a few boxes of medicine, a few long benches, and a dozen sharp metal implements of varying shapes and lengths.

It was the standard setup for forcing confessions, particularly when paired with the two barely breathing people on the gibbet whose flesh and blood were blurry, it became incomparably clear.

Fan Xian smelled this familiar and intimate air, and couldn't resist sniffing. He felt the Third Prince's hand tighten around his and couldn't help laughing in his heart. Although this child acted sinisterly in the Royal Palace in Jingdou, he was, after all, still a child. He had never truly seen this kind of slaughterhouse-like scene.

The Fourth Bureau officials forcing the confession had, because of the heat, already taken off their clothes. They went about their work with their upper bodies naked. Upon seeing their superior and their superior's superior suddenly entering the secret residence, they jumped in fright and began to urgently look everywhere for clothes to wear.

Fan Xian waved his hand to stop their actions and said, "Keep on working…how is the questioning?"

One of the officials was just putting on a sleeve and, stuck in a dilemma, walked to a table in the corner of the room. He carefully brought a few pieces of paper over. They were the results of the forced confession.

Fan Xian took it and glanced it over. He couldn't help furrowing his forehead. It was because he was always thinking of the Junshang Conference matter that he had come personally today to see the state of questioning and to hurry things up. Unexpectedly, it had already been a few days, yet there had been very little progress.

The two people who had been caught by the Overwatch Council and tortured were the two swallow-like assassins that had tried to kill Xia Qifei outside of Jiangnan Restaurant on the night of March 22nd.

That day, the two assassins had been poisoned by the swordsman of the Sixth Bureau. They had quickly seen an opportunity and had thought to escape, however, they didn't expect to be knocked out by Haitang mid-flight. After the incident, Fan Xian took them over with no trace of politeness and hid them in a secret residence. The severe forced confession was to learn a bit more inside information about the Junshang Conference. For the Overwatch Council, the Junshang Conference was truly a mystery. Fan Xian couldn't help but worry about a power that even the Overwatch Council had no grasp of.

A loose organisation? Yet they could use the Second Priest of the Qing Temple as a pawn?

Fan Xian furrowed his brows as he looked at the results of his confessions his subordinates' had exhorted. These two assassins were famous killers in the Jiangnan area. Their martial skills were powerful, and they did things ruthlessly. However, they didn't seem to know much about the Junshang Conference; they had just been bought by the Ming family with silver to work for them.

"Wake them." He shook his head impatiently.

One of the officials took a little bottle and brought it close to the nose of the two people hanging on the gibbet and let them breathe it in. The two began to struggle weakly. Their muscles twisted and fresh blood began to flow again from their wounds. The men also awakened.

The two assassins forced their eyes open. Fear shone out of their blurred eyes. They had long lost the bravado of when they had first been captured. It looked like they had been heavily tormented by the ruthless officials of the Overwatch Council Fourth Bureau.

Fan Xian and the Third Prince sat on the unclean bench. Fan Xian flipped through the paper in his hands and quietly asked, "The Sir Zhou you talk about…how is he connected to the Junshang Conference?"

The two assassins knew of the methods of the Overwatch Council. Since they were not prepared to be martyrs, they naturally fought to answer first. They cried out in hoarse voices, "Sir, Sir Zhou is the Junshang Conference's account house. As for what he does specifically in there, I truly don't know."

Fan Xian felt slightly surprised and raised his head. "Sir Zhou is not the lead housekeeper of the Ming family?"

One of the assassins said in a trembling voice, "I also only heard it once, by chance. Concerning the Junshang Conference, I truly only know this one detail."

"You've been stewing for a few days, yet both of you are still quite spirited, looks like you haven't suffered much." Fan Xian shook his head.

A thread of hopelessness flashed through the eyes of the two assassins.

The officials of the Overwatch Council began to torture again, carrying out such work that lacked beauty and was repetitive and boring. The miserable cries in the torture room rang out again and again, incomparably mournful, yet they had no way of reaching the ground above.

Fan Xian did not cover the Third Prince's eyes.

The Third Prince looked at this scene. His face was a deathly white, yet he forced his head to not turn to the side. However, looking at this bloody scene, he suddenly felt the food in his stomach rising uncontrollably up his throat and his chest felt suffocated.

Fan Xian took out a small box of medicine and, using the tip of his fingers to pick some out, he smeared it carefully below the Third Prince's nose. He said quietly, "The Junshang Conference incident has already been reported to the Emperor…the other party's daring is unexpectedly large, and so Your Highness can understand just what kind of daring the other party has. As for our enemies today and our enemies tomorrow, there are some methods we must learn, but…we must never revel in them."

The Third Prince knew that Fan Xian was teaching him.

In the side room, the flesh on the assassins' chests had already mixed with the blood and become gooey balls of flesh that fell hissing onto the metal board.

"We cannot consider torture and torturers as the supreme strategy in protecting the court's rule. We cannot develop a dependence on these methods. Spreading the net wide may still miss some fish. Using torture to force a confession may still not obtain all of the necessary information," Fan Xian said calmly. "To know the way of governing the world is to temper justice with mercy. If you trust someone, you must not doubt them. If you doubt them, then you must not use them. Leniency is the foundation. The others only work as a supplement…little tricks."

A refreshing scent wormed into the Third Prince's nose and removed his nausea. He understood what Fan Xian meant. Fan Xian's different attitudes toward Ming Qingda and Xia Qifei clearly explained Fan Xian's "if you trust, do not doubt; if you doubt, do not use" method of doing things. Tonight's witnessing of the torture was to teach him that not all strong-handed methods were effective.

…

…

"To be able to find out about the Ming family is not bad." Fan Xian comforted his subordinate. "Handle the confession papers well and have these two to recover. They'll be useful in the future."

After leaving this secret residence, Fan Xian's mood was rather heavy. He had initially hoped to find some trace of the Junshang Conference but, unexpectedly, nothing could be discovered from these two assassins. He could only go along and teach the Third Prince some things when in reality it was only to hide his awkward helplessness.

Sitting in the carriage, heading back to Hua Garden, he carefully thought about it. The Overwatch Council was the Emperor's secret service, so there were many things that could not be done publicly. Thus, from the structure of the organization, there were some natural limits. For example, there couldn't be too many people. As for a strategic town far away in Jiangnan, although it had always been an important territory of the Fourth Council, it was still clear that there were not enough people.

If he wanted to investigate the Junshang Conference, which seemed like a mysterious organization floating in the clouds, the strength of the Overwatch Council at present was far from enough.

Fan Xian suddenly wished Xiao Yan could be beside him. Only, he knew that as Yan Bingyun controlled the Fourth Bureau now, he couldn't lightly leave the capital. Furthermore, much of the work of the First Bureau, which was directly subordinate to himself, also needed Yan Bingyun to help Deng Zi Yue make decisions.

Even if Wang Qinian was here, perhaps things would be easier.

He sighed.

Yang Jimei not only gave Hua Garden to him with both hands, he also left behind the servants and cook. After the Overwatch Council inspected them and confirmed that these people were clean, Fan Xian did not reject this kindness.

Thus, Sisi, except for handling the intimate matters, began to enjoy the treatment of being a young mistress of the house. Although she was not used to it, there was nothing she could do. The pitiful girls that Fan Xian had bought on his way to Jiangnan also did not have the opportunity to do much. They were truly treated like the girls of a big family.

Particularly worth mentioning was the cook that Yang Jimei had left behind. He could truly make the royal cook blush with shame. The three meals each day were all different and creative. It actually made Fan Xian reluctant to go out and try the Jiangnan delicacies.

Sisi very much liked this cook. The Third Prince hated this cook.

This morning, Fan Xian, Haitang, and the Third Prince were sitting around a little table drinking a porridge made from corn, diced ham, and watercress. The color of the porridge wasn't very nice, but the combination of different tastes mixed together was extremely delicious and strange. Fan Xian drank three bowls in a row, causing Sisi, who was ladling the porridge, to almost not have enough time to do so.

A few people suddenly came in from outside escorted by a Tiger Guard. The people came into the room, looking at Fan Xian and the Third Prince sitting around the table. They then looked at Haitang and couldn't help being startled.

Fan Xian looked at these people crossing the threshold and was surprised. The people who came were Sang Wen and Deng Zi Yue. Sang Wen had already come down to Jiangnan to help him, but why wasn't Deng Zi Yue keeping watch at the First Bureau? What had he come to Jiangnan for? When Fan Xian saw clearly the person standing between them, he rose to his feet without thinking and cried out in surprise, "Dabao! How come you are here?"

Who else could that rotund man standing between Sang Wen and Deng Zi Yue, without a care and a vacant expression on his face, be…other than Dabao?

Fan Xian hurried to them in fright and caught his uncle's hand in his as he asked Deng Zi Yue, "What happened? Where is Wan'er?"

Deng Zi Yue's expression was one of exhaustion, and he gave a pained smile. "Mistress is not feeling well recently so has temporarily slowed down her trip to Jiangnan. Only…this uncle heard that he was going to see you and was making a ruckus at home, so the Minister sent me to bring him to Jiangnan."

"Troublemaker." Fan Xian sighed. Immediately his heart clenched and he urgently asked, "Wan'er is not well?"

"Oh, it's nothing." Sang Wen's face wore a warm smile. Her two cheeks remained very cute. "The princess has probably caught a cold and is a bit tired. She'll be fine in a few days."

She took out two letters and handed them to Fan Xian. "These are for you."

Fan Xian accepted them and had a look. They were from father and Wan'er. Having no time to read them, he tucked them into his clothes and said angrily, "What does father mean by this? Right now Jiangnan is a mess, how could he send Dabao here?"

Dabao suddenly broke into a grin. He tugged on Fan Xian's ear and said, "Xiao Fanfan, you hide so long during our hide-and-seek game this time…that's incredible."

Holding his bowl of porridge, the Third Prince stared curiously at the door. He found that the usually scary Fan Xian, when in front of this big idiot, was so…he couldn't resist any longer. With a sputtering sound, he sprayed out the mouthful of porridge he had in his mouth.

Deng Zi Yue smiled awkwardly and quickly went up with Sang Wen to greet the Third Prince. He didn't dare even glance at the sorry figure Fan Xian cut. The two of them had probably also had to suffer many of Dabao's disturbances on the road.

Since Dabao was here, there had to be no shortage of servants on the way. Sisi knew this and quickly went out to make arrangements for them.

While Fan Xian finally got Dabao settled down, he first arranged for him to live in the back garden. He then had the little girls who had nothing to do all day go keep him company and eat melon seeds. It was only then that the front hall calmed down.

Haitang rose, gave a small bow, and then left the front hall. She knew that Fan Xian must have a lot of things to tell Deng Zi Yue.

After Deng Zi Yue entered the hall, it was like he didn't see the girl at all. When she bowed to him of her own accord, he quickly returned the bow.

Sitting on the table, Fan Xian furrowed his brows and said, "Just last night I was thinking that there is indeed a lack of people beside me. It's good that you came. But, what about the capital?"

"The capital has Xiao Yan keeping watch. After receiving the report you sent back to the capital, the director had me bring some people to help," Deng Zi Yue explained. "Besides, that thing you wanted prepared, the Second and Third Bureau have been busy for months and have only just finished it. I thought I might as well bring it with me."

Fan Xian shook his head and said, "I thought someone else would bring it. I didn't think it would be you."

He glanced at the Third Prince drinking porridge beside him eavesdropping and coughed a few times. He then asked the little master to leave.

After the Third Prince had unhappily left, Fan Xian furrowed his brows and said, "When you came in earlier, why was your expression so strange?"

Deng Zi Yue looked around and gave a pained smile, "When I left the capital, the rumors were flying wild in Jingdou…everyone was saying you and that Northern Sage girl, Haitang, were of the same profession, sat at the same table, slept…there is endless debate in court. Furthermore, since you control the palace treasury, you have to avoid suspicion. The officials in the court are all preparing to attack you for this matter… I didn't expect to see her the moment I walked into Hua Garden. Only then did I know that the rumors were true, and I couldn't help feeling worried."

"Sleep in the same bed?" Fan Xian smiled coldly. "Fancy that those people could think of such things. Never mind, it's fine to not discuss this matter. Show me the thing you brought for me."

Deng Zi Yue carefully took out a flat box from among his clothes and handed it to Fan Xian.

Fan Xian opened the lid and closely examined the piece of paper lying silently in the box. The paper was slightly yellowish white, the edges curled slightly, and it looked to be quite old. The writing on the paper was a bit crooked. It looked like the writer had written it by the last light of the oil lamp.

"It's well made," Fan Xian furrowed his brows and said. "Although this will won't be of much use if we want to drag out the family property lawsuit, it will depend entirely on this."

Deng Zi Yue replied, "Rest assured, the Second and Third Bureaus worked together and consulted countless pages of handwriting from the master of the Ming family back then. The paper used is also a presently difficult-to-find old paper from that year. Combined with the skill of the antique finishing and attention paid to the details, no one should be able to tell it is fake."

"Of course the Ming family knows it is fake; the real one was destroyed long ago," Fan Xian smiled and said. "Using a fake to pass off as the real…there really are all kinds of professionals in our Council. In the future, we could probably make a great of silver in the fake antiques business."

"Send it to Xia Qifei later. When the court opens tomorrow to try the case, with this will thrown in…the Suzhou government is probably going to be dumbfounded."

The investigation focusing on the Ming family was ongoing, but there had not been any results. One reason was that the family's ability to cover their tracks was very good. Another was that there were thousands and tens of thousands of links and connections in the Jiangnan officialdom that protected them. The Suzhou government was, naturally, one of them. Although Fan Xian did not have the means to directly behead the Suzhou government, using a secretly made orange-colored will to scare the officials of Jiangnan Road was still something easy to accomplish.

Waiting until there was only him left in the Flower Hall, only then did Fan Xian draw out the two letters tucked into his shirt. He first skimmed them quickly and then read them carefully. Wan'er's letter was mostly talking about other people's business in Jingdou. It did occasionally mention the situation in the Palace. Only, her phrasing was rather difficult to understand.

The biggest benefit of having his wife in Jingdou was that she could help Fan Xian at the first moment learn which way the wind would blow in the Palace.

The Eldest Princess had returned to Guangxin Palace. The Second Prince had quietly returned to the stage. The Crown Prince's movements were the most secretive. The dowager empress seemed somewhat displeased by Fan Xian's arrogance in Jiangnan.

The strangest thing was that the Emperor was still calm, this…wretched Emperor. What good did it do for him to make such a mess under heaven? Just where did his confidence come from?

Fan Xian sighed. His finger gently stroked the slightly scented letter paper. Suddenly, his longing for Wan'er surged up. He hadn't seen her for a number of months. He knew that his wife and was worried about him as well as plotting.

After he finished reading his father's letter, Fan Xian finally understood the purpose of Dabao's trip to Jiangnan.

In his letter, Minister Fan urged Fan Xian to find a time to take Dabao to Wuzhou. The Prime Minister Ling Ruofu lived in recluse in Wuzhou after quitting his position. It had been a long time since he had seen his son. Since Fan Xian was taking Dabao to Wuhou, he could also visit his father-in-law along the way.

This excuse was very good. Even the Emperor had no way to oppose it.

Chapter 372: The Family Property Lawsuit

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

A huge piece of gossip buzzed around the Suzhou government. The people, who lived to watch a show and were not afraid of the government, had heard the news earlier. They all waited around the yamen early in the morning, talking as they waited.

Everyone was discussing the matter that had spread like wildfire through Suzhou and gradually attracted all the eyes in Jiangnan—the battle of the Ming family property.

No one had imagined that the seventh young master of the Ming family, who should have died long ago, would suddenly appear before them all. Furthermore, he had changed into the leader of the Jiangnan water bandits and was a famous figure in the underworld. During the palace treasury incident, the Seventh Ming's identity had changed again, and he had become a royal merchant responsible for managing the palace treasury's road to the North.

No matter how his identity changed, what attracted people's attention most was still his identity as a descendant of the Ming family. Today, Xia Qifei was going to enter the Suzhou government and hand in his suit to sue for the Ming family property. Who knew how the Ming family would respond to this?

Into whose hands would the enormous Ming family fortune fall into?

In the hearts of most people, they were biased toward the Ming family. First, they had hidden well their darker side and cultivated an extremely clean and bright image for the Jiangnan gentlemen and people. Second, Ming Qingda was the eldest son of the wife of the Ming family. Even if Xia Qifei was truly the seventh son of the Ming family, according to Qing law and age-old precedent, the family property should belong to the eldest to inherit.

Besides, who could actually prove that Xia Qifei was Ming Qingcheng?

It was very lively outside of the Suzhou yamen but inside was unbelievably tense. The Suzhou Zhizhou lay sprawled on his table with a headache. He sighed dispiritedly and sadly to the advisor besides him. "Tell me, what do I today?"

The Ming family was a centuries-old large family with countless connections in the Jiangnan officialdom. They were long inseparable. If something happened to the Ming family, a small half of the officials in Jiangnan would probably go down with them. For important positions in the Suzhou government, the Ming family had long fed them fully. Xia Qifei insisted on making the family property case. Of course, the Suzhou Zhizhou had to stand on the side of Ming Qingda and the matriarch to consider this question. However, behind Xia Qifei was the imperial envoy. This was not someone the Zhizhou could afford to offend.

The advisor's face was filled with terror as he walked in anxious circles. Suddenly he stopped his movements and snapped the paper fan in his hand closed.

"Sir, it is time to be a clean official." The forehead of the advisor scrunched into an ugly looking knot as he gritted his teeth.

The Suzhou Zhizhou panicked and said in great anger, "What kind of crap is this? Am I not an honest official normally?" Finishing these words, he thought of some things and suddenly lost his anger. "This is a Ming family matter. I cannot remove myself out of the situation. After all, I am sitting in this position because I leaned on the old Matriarch in past years."

The advisor knew that the old master had misunderstood his meaning. He quickly edged forward and said a few words to explain in a low voice, "Sir, have you seen anyone come from the Ming family to say anything?"

The Suzhou Zhizhou paused. After thinking a bit, he said strangely, "You're right. The Ming family hasn't sent anyone to come make sure we are on the same page."

The advisor smiled darkly, "Thus, it seems that the Ming family has a card up their sleeve. No matter how this case is made or whatever Xia Qifei has in his hands…the Ming family's enormous property would still only belong to the old master… since the Ming family isn't worried, naturally they have the confidence to win. So, why are you anxious for them?"

The Suzhou Zhizhou slightly lowered his head and asked using an extremely low voice, "Then in your opinion, what should I do?

This advisor specialized in criminal law and was intimately familiar with Qing laws. With a swish, he opened his folded fan and proudly said, "No matter whether or not Xia Qifei could find an old person from back then to prove his past, even if he was the seventh son of the Ming family, following Qing law, he has no share in this family property. Since you don't want to offend either side, and the Ming family is presently protected by Qing law, what are you worried about? Today, you only have to act with justice and handle the case according to the law…I think it will be difficult for the imperial envoy to blame you."

There were countless eyes on this shocking Jiangnan case, and the Suzhou Zhizhou furrowed his brow and thought for a while. He felt that he could only follow this method. By acting with justice and determining the case according to the law, he could not offend Fan Xian. He could passively watch the Ming family succeed and also raise his reputation as an official. It seemed to be a win-win-win scenario.

He finally relaxed and let out a long breath. "It is indeed so. No action is the best action."

The drum outside of the government began to sound.

The Zhizhou furrowed his brows and cursed. "This Xia water bandit really is in a rush."

Although he said this, he did not dare to slight him. He tidied his official's robe, put on an imposing expression with a trace of benevolence, and walked out of his study toward the law court.

…

…

Arriving in the court, he could only hear the clamor outside of the building. It took a wave of "sha wei" to suppress the din outside caused by the Suzhou people.

The Zhizhou narrowed his eyes as he gazed down the court and found, to his surprise, that Xia Qifei had come alone to the law court. There was no one beside him. It looked like the imperial envoy did not send someone to help Xia Qifei."

"Who is there in the court?"

"Commoner Xia Qifei."

"What matter do you have to report?"

Xia Qifei was silent for a moment. His attention wandered a little and he momentarily forgot to reply. He wore a pure blue cotton robe, and the whiskers on his chin had been shaved completely clean revealing clear skin. He looked to be heroic and full of vitality. The hands that were showing at the sleeves were shaking very slightly. It looked like today's matter had great meaning for the Seventh young master of the Ming family.

The Zhizhou glanced at him with some annoyance. He felt that this man standing proudly in the court was not an insignificant challenge to his power. Furthermore, when facing him, he didn't kneel.

He prepared to fly in a rage but found his sleeve being tugged on by his advisor.

The advisor said quietly, "Fan…Fan…don't mind the small things."

The Zhizhou was startled. That's right. What was the point of kicking up a fuss about these small things?

Xia Qifei finally lowered his head. He wrapped one hand around a fist and said in a clear voice, "I am commoner Xia Qifei. My original surname was Ming, name Qingcheng, and I am the seventh son of the old Ming master. Since my youth, I have been kicked out of the house by the violent woman and have wandered lost and miserable until today. Having lost my father and my home, today, I have unwillingly entered the court to sue the old matriarch of the Suzhou Ming family as well as the master of the family, Ming Qingda, for colluding with bandits, rashly harming others, and stealing my property…please will the just and incorruptible official find justice for me!"

When these words were said, the entire yard filled with noise. Everyone knew that Xia Qifei had come today to take the family property, but no one had imagined he would immediately accuse the old Ming matriarch and Ming Qingda of conspiring to plotting murder back then. Each word was sharp and edged with menace. Furthermore, he had used violent woman and bandit all in one breath, not leaving any space to maneuver.

The people outside the court began to clamor. They thought the old Ming matriarch was a benevolent old woman who had done countless kind things over the years. How could she be connected to a violent woman? They also faintly guess that the old matriarch and Ming Qingda probably couldn't escape their connection to the strange disappearance of the Seventh young master all those years ago. But, people always believed what they believed. They believed what they had already convinced themselves, so they hissed in displeasure at this accusation pointed toward Ming Qingda.

The Suzhou Zhizhou also furrowed his forehead and said with annoyance, "These are serious accusations. Words are not enough. Where is the official form?"

Xia Qifei drew out the official form and handed it with two hands to the advisor at the bottom of the court. After the advisor handed the form to the Zhizhou, the two of them leaned close to read it and felt a shock. This form was well-written and perceptive. Each word accused the old Ming matriarch, and furthermore, it carefully avoided the rules the Qing law had concerning things of this matter. It only focused on the old Ming master's will and did not spare any efforts on detailing Xia Qifei's miserable and wandering life these years, moving all those who read it.

Although the Zhizhou was moved, he still smiled coldly in his heart. He narrowed his eyes. This kind of writing was good for a novel, but it would do no good in a lawsuit.

He banged the wood block and called in a severe voice, "Xia Qifei, do you have evidence to present?"

Xia Qifei replied calmly, "No one from the Ming family has arrived yet. Why are you in such a rush?"

Seeing Xia Qifei's calm expression, the Zhizhou furrowed his brows. He wondered if Xiz Qifei actually had some kind of fatal weapon? He was silent for a while and discussed it with his advisor. He then sent a subordinate to ask someone of the Ming family to come and answer the case.

Following the annotations as written beside Qing law, this was a civil case and originally did not need the defendant to appear. However, the matter contested today was too big. The powers behind the two sides were too big, and its effect on the Jiangnan area was too big. The Suzhou Zhizhou also did not dare to drag this out too long. In any case, he knew the Ming family would certainly not stay out of it.

As expected, the bailiff had just stepped out when someone from the Ming family followed them in. It looked like the Ming family had already prepared someone to answer the litigations and was just waiting to fight this victory-assured battle.

Seeing who came, the Suzhou Zhizhou furrowed his brows again and asked in a cold voice, "Who approaches?"

The elegant young master smiled slightly and bent forward in a bow. "Ming Lanshi greets you Sir."

This young master of the Ming family knew that the Suzhou Zhizhou was putting on a show right now. He had to play the role of an upright and plainspoken official in front of the common people, so he spoke coldly. Usually, this Zhizhou was much friendlier to him. However, after the Ming family's analysis these past few days confirmed the situation of their assured victory of this property lawsuit, Ming Lanshi understood what the Suzhou Zhizhou was thinking and did not concern himself with it.

"Hmm," The Suzhou Zhizhou said. "Recently, the master of the Ming family is not well. As the eldest grandchild of the oldest child, it is reasonable for you to come and deal with this matter. Come, give the form to Ming Lanshi to read."

The advisor brought the form down. Unexpectedly, Ming Lanshi did not accept it. Instead, he smiled slightly and bowed, "Sir, the Ming family are not criminals familiar with the law, so I do not understand the tangles within. I ask for the help of the litigation masters."

After he finished talking, he glanced to the side. The so-called "criminals familiar with the law" was naturally directed toward Xia Qifei to his side. Xia Qifei did not have any reaction and didn't even glance at his big nephew.

Following Ming Lanshi's words, a person flashed by behind them and accepted the form from the advisor with both hands and smiled fawningly.

The Suzhou Zhizhou and advisor saw the person and their originally hovering hearts immediately felt reassured. This litigation master, Chen Bochang, was a famous litigation master around the Jiangnan area. In other words, he was the most infamous litigation rod. He worked well with the local governments. When he made a case, he could always turn black into white, bring the dead back to live, and turn men into women. He had a glib tongue and walked the world with Qing law in his hands, and he had never lost.

The Ming family had brought out Chen Bochang. With the Qing law concerning the eldest inheriting set in stone protecting it, there was no way they could lose this family property lawsuit.

Chen Bochang held Xia Qifei's official form and read it closely. A disdainful smile appeared unconsciously at the corner of his lips. He seemed to belittle the other party, and the imperial envoy behind him a little. He cleared his throat and lightly laughed. "What a touching and moving story…only I'm not sure…Chieftain Xia, what this story has to do with the Ming family?"

This litigation master referred to Xia Qifei as Chieftain Xia to affect public opinion. He was reminding the commoners who were listening that this Xia Qifei was still a seasoned killed on the rivers and lakes, and a leader of the underworld.

Xia Qifei said without any expression, "It tells the story of the Ming family for the past 20 years, and you say it has nothing to do with the Ming family?"

Chen Bochang suddenly laughed coldly and said mockingly, "Sir Xia is very amusing. You say it is the Ming family's story, and so it is the Ming family's story? You say you are the Seventh young master of the Ming family, and so you are the Seventh young master of the Ming family?"

He saluted the Suzhou Zhizhou in the hall and smiled, "Sir, this case is too absurd. There is truly no need to continue it."

The Suzhou Zhizhou pretended to furrow his brow and said, "From where do these rash words come?"

Chen Bochang smiled and said, "There is not a shred of evidence, yet he calls himself the seventh son of the Ming family…sir, if another person called themselves the seventh son of the Ming family, what of it? Everyone in Jiangnan knows that the old Ming master had seven sons and four daughters. The seventh son was born of a concubine who was sickly as a child and unfortunately died decades ago of illness. How could there now be a seventh son of the Ming family? If anyone can say they are a descendant of the Ming family and make a suit in court to destroy the Ming family's reputation, while also damaging the name of the old Ming matriarch and master, were is the justice in that?"

He gazed at Xia QIfei and smiled slightly. "Of course, everyone today knows that Chieftan Xia is not a normal person…however, I am curious as to why you would make such an absurd move after the palace treasury bidding? What sinister intentions are you hiding that cannot be told to others?"

Chen Bochang clearly found the case to be lacking in challenge, so he had attacked aggressively from the beginning with devastating criticisms. He gazed at Xia Qifei and shook his head. "Without evidence, don't randomly sue people. Without witnesses, don't randomly attack…Chieftan Xia, today you humiliated the Ming family's reputation. In a moment, I will definitely sue you for leveling false accusations."

Those who had personally witnessed the old matriarch beating Xia Qifei's birth mother to death and chasing Xia Qifei out had all long been silenced these dozen years. It was impossible for Xia Qifei to have any evidence or witnesses at hand, thus the Ming family was very confident.

…

…

Suddenly a whiny and lazy voice that raised goosebumps on all those who heard it came from outside the Suzhou yamen.

"Who says you can't have a case without evidence? Who says you can't report a murder without witnesses?"

"In the first year of the Qing calendar, a concubine in Dingzhou killed her husband. The wife reported it with no evidence. Later, a saber was found in the stables. Case solved."

"In the Ministry of Justice archives, spring roll, case 137. With the Nanyue King of the Song dynasty as an example, it is clearly stated that civil cases are split into three levels. Of cases involving more than 10,000 strings of cash, they are not restricted by the rigid rules, do not need to stay in prison, and there is no need for complete evidence."

"The Ming family property is much more than 10,000 strings of cash."

"With two precedents, why can't this case be made?"

"For the matter of evidence, after it is reported, the court will naturally inspect the scene and look for clues. Why are you in such a rush?"

"Besides…who says Sir Xia doesn't have evidence?"

The person who walked in from outside the yamen wore a scholarly robe and held a golden fan in his hands. He was ostentatious and arrogant. He spoke rapidly, bringing in example cases and citing Ministry of Justice archives. Although he argued slightly irrationally, he successfully suppressed the Ming family's forceful and imposing pressure and pulled the gazes of everyone to him.

The Suzhou Zhizhou angrily stroked his beard and said, "Who are you? How dare you enter without being summoned! Come, beat him!"

The man folded his golden fan and stuck it behind him. He bowed respectfully to the top of the hall and said, "Sir, you can't beat me."

After saying this, he retrieved a piece of paper from his sleeve and waved it in the air. He smiled mischievously and said, "I am the same as this Sir Chen Bochang. I am also a litigation master, however, I am Xia Qifei's litigation master. I have arrived late. I hope you will spare me that offense and allow me to stand, with my body intact, in the court and reason with the Ming family…if this case hasn't even been tried and sir has the litigation master of one side beaten into a faint…if this gets out, I'm afraid it will affect your reputation."

Everyone was startled.

Xia Qifei gave a pained smile. How could the imperial envoy send him such a willful and troublesome litigation master?

The Suzhou Zhizhou was caught by the litigation master's words and extremely angry. Yet, he couldn't actually beat him, otherwise, he would not be able to explain it to the imperial envoy. For a time he couldn't say anything.

He couldn't talk, but Chen Bochang's eyes lit up. He e stared at the litigation master with his fan stuck behind him. He felt he had finally met an opponent who was silver-tongued and glib, and he was very excited. He also stuck his fan behind him and said, "The two examples you raised earlier, those are special cases. Particularly that of the Ministry of Justice spring cases. It is only for the Supreme Court of the Ministry of Justice in the capital to consult. It never affects the judgement of local cases."

The other litigation master shook his head and said, "Not so. In the fourth year of Daxing, when the former Prime Minister Ling Ruofu went to appraise matters in Suzhou, he followed the spring cases to judge a family property case. From where does the 'never affect' come from?"

Chen Bochang's heart clenched. He indeed had no recollection of the case the other party had brought up. Either he was making things up or this familiarity with Qing law and past precedents…was even better than his.

He only heard the other litigator continue speaking with a slight smile. "Brother Bochang, don't say things like the Qing law doesn't follow past sentencings. Whether or not past precedents are used is not limited by the Qing law, rather it is all at the whim of the main judge."

He raised his hands and bowed toward the Suzhou Zhizhou to curry favor, but the Suzhou Zhizhou was instead cursing in his heart. He knew that the words "at his whim" had forced him into a corner. It looked like this family property case had to be investigated.

Who exactly was this litigation master? Chen Bochang and Ming Lanshi met each other's gaze and both felt strange. Where in Jiangnan did such a shameless litigation master come from?

The Suzhou Zhihou finally could not resist anymore and opened his mouth to ask, "Please, dare I ask, what exactly is sir's name?"

Xia Qifei was also looking at his litigation master and saw him raise his hands and smile. "I am Song Shiren. I am a member of the Jingdou Litigation Masters Guild, transferred here under special permission from the Ministry of Justice to come today especially for the honor of participating in the largest family fortune case in history."

Song Shiren!

The Suzhou Zhizhou immediately had the desire to escape. Ming Lanshi also felt his mouth go dry, and Chen Bochang was even more shocked.

Who was Song Shiren? He was the most famous barrister in Jingdou. It could be said he was the most famous barrister in the entire Qing Kingdom. Chen Bochang's reputation was only in Jiangnan, but this Song Shiren was famous under all heaven for being clever, sly, and difficult to provoke. Ever since the start of his career, relying on his study of the Qing law since youth, he had made countless officials lose all face and made countless victims miserable and cry.

Song Shiren's fame and infamy had even been heard of by the common people of Suzhou. When they heard him announce his name, it was like the lid of a pot had been raised. It grew very lively outside of the yamen. Everyone knew that today's show was going to be even better.

Ming Lanshi glanced worriedly at Chen Bochang. After Chen Bochang slightly panicked, he recovered his calm. He narrowed his eyes. A powerful urge to banter suddenly exploded inside him. With a cold smile he said, "Young master, rest assured. I have yet to lose a case, but Song Shiren has lost before!"

…

…

Chen Bochang seemed to have forgotten a very important point. The only case Song Shiren lost in his life was the case last time when the Count Sinan's illegitimate child, He Quan, hit Guo Baokun. Song Shiren had only lost to Fan Xian once.

Since they were going to fight a family property case, they had to first confirm Xia Qifei's true past and whether or not he actually was the seventh son of the old Ming master.

Chen Bochang's stance was firm. If the Xia Qifei could not prove this matter, the other things did not need to be discussed at all. Only then he would not give the infamous Song Shiren an opportunity to grasp his flaws.

The Suzhou Zhizhou furrowed his brows and asked that Xia Qifei's side provide solid evidence to prove his identity.

Song Shiren was no longer as relaxed as before. He shook his head at Xia QIfei and invited out their first witness.

She was a midwife whose age was already very advanced. Her walk was slightly trembling and unsteady. She approached the court and verified, between breaths, that she was the one who had helped old master Ming's concubine give birth back then and that newly born infant had a green birthmark on the back of his waist. Xia Qifei opened his clothing in front of the court. Indeed, there was a green mark on the back of his waist.

Chen Bochang furrowed his brows. He gritted his teeth and said in a low voice to Ming Lanshi, "Why didn't you mentioned this yesterday?"

Ming Lanshi audibly ground his teeth and said in an angry and low voice, "This midwife…is fake! The one back then died a few years ago from an illness!"

Chen Bochang sighed sorrowfully. Even if they knew the midwife was fake, how could they prove it? Although that midwife looked muddled, in her answer earlier she remembered the position of the Ming Garden very clearly. She knew the appearance of the old Ming master and what the concubine wore to the rooms. She remembered everything correctly. From the spectator's perspective, this midwife couldn't be more real.

The Overwatch Council really was good at passing off fakes as genuine.