The swing went higher and higher. All of a sudden Sisi seemed to have spotted something while in the air. She quickly stopped her repeated ascension and slowed down completely. She didn't wait for the swing to come to a complete pause before jumping off. She did not even wear her shoes, which were on the lawn, before running towards Fan Xian.
The maids who were besides her jumped in surprise at her action. Siqi was about to make fun of her, but from the look on her face, thought it best not to say anything. Even those three misters thought it was strange, asking themselves, what is wrong with that lady? Why does she look so scared? Based the manor's reputation, it is not as if any particular person's sudden presence would be likely to bring them fear… unless it was some eunuch leading the royal guard to kill everyone, of course.
"At the gate; it is King Jing's carriage."
Sisi was gasping after her run towards Fan Xian's sofa. She held her panting chest as she spoke. Fan Xian, hearing her words, leapt up from the sofa. He said, "Run quickly!" Then, he himself started to run to the back of the yard. He turned around to compliment Sisi by saying, "You are smart."
Seeing this really skillful move, it did not seem like the behavior of a sick person who was unable to attend court. Wan'er and Ruoruo, who were near the sofa, now looked at each other. They immediately noticed what was going on, and their faces changed. They got up and ordered the servants to arrange an exit from the manor. They also told Mister Teng to prepare a carriage.
The blissful laughter that the Fan's yard generated had now all ceased, making the place appear more like a battlefield. Everyone was rushing around being busy; some took to moving the sofa, others simply hid. Some hastily rummaged for clothing for the masters. After the busy rush, they quickly tidied up and took Fan Xian outside the residence. Teng Zijing brought the carriage to the gate.
"You are still sick, and you are still off to hide yourself everywhere." Whilst complaining to him, Wan'er placed a thick coat on Fan Xian. "And my uncle… I told him he did not have to visit."
Fan Xian did not have the time to provide her with a response. As speedy as an arrow, he dived into the carriage.
Wan'er mockingly laughed. She turned around and saw her sister-in-law, equally nervous. In her hands, she held an incense burner, and she followed Fan Xian into the carriage. With surprise, she asked, "Ruoruo, why are you hiding, too?"
Wan'er, as Fan Xian's wife, knew why her husband was running off after Sisi's sighted King Jing's carriage. Recently, the Fan manor had been fighting with the second prince, but he had been prone to saying countless bad words about Li Hongcheng, and recently he had been imprisoned in the manor by King Jing himself. The obvious reason for King Jing coming to the Fan manor today, was so that he could see Minister Fan to ask exactly what was going on. He would undoubtedly want to speak with Fan Xian, and speak dignified words about his son, hoping to bargain a re-establishment of peace between them.
The Emperor's little brother was here. Across the years, the Fan family had treated King Jing like an elder of their own family - they got along really well. If he was coming to try broker a peace, there was nothing they could do to prevent his arrival. Fan Xian couldn't put off his fight with the second prince, either. Besides, that old gardener had an evil in his bones. He must have guessed that it was Fan Xian who had framed Li Hongcheng, and Fan Xian was a little scared of his incessant swearing. That aside, his reputation and standing was one that could crush Fan Xian in one fell swoop. There was nothing Fan Xian could do against him. It was best for him to avoid an encounter with King Jing completely, so Fan Xian quickly picked up his things and ran off.
Hearing what her sister-in-law said, Ruoruo's peaceful face brought on a wry smile. She said, "You know how awkward it would be for us to meet now."
Wan'er heard her and froze. She then remembered how they had been bullying Li Hongcheng for the past few days, and the reputation of King Jing's manor had been delivered a few decent blows by Fan Xian. It wasn't quite suitable for Ruoruo to meet her father-in-law right now, either. All of a sudden, Wan'er thought that if her husband and sister-in-law went into hiding, what was she supposed to do in the manor all alone? The person coming was her uncle, and that mouth of his… Wan'er had a chill run down her spine. She took her robe from Siqi and jumped into the carriage, as well.
The brother and sister in the carriage were shocked, and said, "Why are you here, too?"
Wan'er rolled her eyes and said, "If uncle is going to question me, do you expect me to handle it alone? I am not that stupid."
The people in the carriage were aware of what King Jing's temper could be like. Being aware of how ridiculous it was, for the three of them to be as scared as they were all together, they could not help but start laughing. During this laughter, Teng Zijing brought down his horse-whip and the carriage bearing the Fan manor insignia drove away quietly. Inside the carriage, there were a few young people making complaints.
The carriage was careful, and made sure to avoid the main streets. It avoided all the major roads in a bid to leave the south-side of the city. No servants from the King Jing's family caught sight of their departure. As the carriage disappeared from sight and into the winding streets, so too did the Fan manor servants at the gate. A while later, a loud voice boomed from the yard in the Fan manor.
"F*ck!" King Jing was standing in front of a bunch of nervous servants. He was holding his waist, staring into the empty garden that was devoid of all life. He was fuming with rage, yelling out, "These little bastards knew I was coming! Like a fart, they have all disappeared. Am I that scary!?"
The person who stood in front of the people, the so-called mother of Fan Xian, Liu Shi heard King Jing yell out the expletive. With a bitter face, she deepened her voice to say, "Master, I already told you. The kids went out to the west of the city in search of a doctor."
King Jing saw the swingset continue to move gently, the seat getting near the end of its abandoned ride. He made a bilabial trill and then said, "Fan Jian's sickness was healed by Fan Xian; why the hell does he need to go see a doctor?"
A few flowers had opened up in the garden. King Jing was on the side facing the yard, flipping out at the clouds. The three young people had escaped the Fan manor in a carriage, and could now all relax. The air in the autumn capital was much cooler and quite pleasant.
Ever since Fan Xian returned from the Northern Qi Kingdom, many events had transpired. There was no time to contemplate taking a vacation to Cangshan or going out into the countryside to relax at some farm. Even for the capital they lived in, they rarely had the time to go out and walk around. This was a consequence of Fan Xian having to scheme and navigate a course of conspiracies each and every day, either that or sit in the manor to sulk by himself. But for the next few days, things had mostly settled down, and he had obtained some free time. But because he had to feign a sickness and did not visit court, he had to do something to maintain the respect of the Emperor. He felt bad about pretending to be really ill, and so he avoided going out and just stayed at home with his wife and sister, who would pester him every day.
Luckily, King Jing was here. Assuming Minister Fan wouldn't be mad about their escape, this was an opportunity for the three of them to spend time walking around the capital together.
Sitting on the carriage, Fan Xian parted a small gap in the curtains. The two ladies looked out to peer at the people they passed by on the streets. They passed by multiple stalls that were selling snacks, whose owners would yell for the attention of any possible would-be
consumers of their goods. Some stalls sold creepy toys, but overall, it was a peaceful scene.
Wan'er raised her lips to say, "We are out, but we cannot exit the carriage. Are we just going to spend our day in here?"
Ruoruo furrowed her eyebrows and said, "It would not be appropriate for Big Brother to reveal himself…" Then, she all of a sudden said, "Though you could disguise yourself."
Fan Xian laughed and said, "Even if the people of the capital did not recognize me; do you think they would not recognize you two?" He was lying, but hearing this, both Wan'er and Ruoruo were happy. Girls are quite easy to please.
"Let's go to Yi Shi restaurant to eat." Wan'er was bored sitting in the carriage, and so she suggested this. "We can buy ourselves a room on the third floor where nobody can see us. We'd have quite the view to ourselves, as well."
This was quite the coincidence. As this was spoken, the carriage went right past that restaurant. Fan Xian took a look outside the window, and all of a sudden recalled the very first time he entered the capital after leaving Danzhou. The first time he went for a day out in the city, it was with his sister and brother, and they all went for a meal at the Yi Shi restaurant. He forgot what they discussed that day, but it had something to do with righteousness. What he did remember was that he punched Guo Baokun with his black fist and that the old woman at the bottom of the building bought an illegal copy of Dream of the Red Chamber.
The Guo family was brought down by Fan Xian, and the minister of the Board of Rites was hanged in prison due to the events of the spring exam. This case did not implicate anyone, however, so no one knew where Guo Baokun went.
He did not reply to what Wan'er had suggested, and feeling slightly guilty, he replied, "Below the restaurant… why has the book-seller left?"
Ruoruo looked at him and quietly said, "Ever since you opened Danbo Bookstore, Sizhe went to look for more people like him. The government was quite strict about this, and so they have clamped down on illegal book-sellers quite a bit."
Fan Xian froze, and now he remembered how his little brother used to say, You must use the good people and the bad people to bring down the illegal traders. Thinking about this, he thought about the well-being of Fan Sizhe and how he was coping in the north right now. He said, "Sizhe should be arriving in the Northern Qi Kingdom's capital next month."
The carriage suddenly went quiet. Wan'er and Ruoruo looked at each other. After a while, she said, "The north is quite cold. I don't know if he brought enough clothing."
Fan Xian looked down and smiled. He told her, "Do not worry about this. He is fourteen, he is able to take care of himself." Although he said these words in comfort, his heart was actually thinking the opposite. He hated the second prince even more now. He looked at this Yi Shi restaurant and felt a certain stroke of hatred. He said, "This is the Cui family's property. It is used to deliver money to the second prince; I won't spend a penny there."
Wan'er had nothing to say tho this. After all, the second prince was with her in the palace for ten years and as such, they had developed a certain relationship. Although her husband was fighting with her cousin, she still had the sense to support Fan Xian silently. It would just not be very nice of her to say something about it. Now, the atmosphere in the carriage had dimmed significantly, which is when Wan'er smiled and said, "If we are not going to support their business, then we should support our own! You want to…"
She rolled her eyes and said, "…let's go to the Bao Yue brothel."
Bringing a wife and sister to a brothel? Fan Xian almost had a heart attack and died when hearing this suggestion. He coughed twice and said, "Bao Yue brothel is not my property; it is Shi Chanli's."
Wan'er rolled her eyes at him and said, "Everyone knows that is just a facade. If you want to formally own a brothel, just go get one. I won't complain."
Ruoruo was simply trying her best not to laugh out loud.
Fan Xian raised his eyebrows and started laughing, saying, "Why is it me who owns the brothel? I was just cleaning up my little brother's mess."
Wan'er did not agree, and so she rebutted, "No matter what the case may be, it's a business of our family. And didn't you say that the food there is delicious? Didn't you say it was amongst the best in the capital? We are not looking for ladies there; so what's the harm in going there for some food? Besides, it's our business; and you don't have to be afraid of anyone seeing you pretend to be sick."
Fan Xian still objected her proposal and said, "If you really want to eat their food, then I will ask the chef to prepare the meals and have them sent over to the manor. You are a lady, and you want to sit in a brothel? What is this?"
Wan'er pushed her tongue out and said, "The food will be cold by the time it gets delivered."
Fan Xian almost lost his breath and suggested, "Then why don't I invite the chef over so that he can prepare the food at the manor?"
Wan'er, seeing her husband continue to resist, sighed. She felt remorseful and said, "I really want to go there. I want to sit in the brothel and take a look at what my little brother-in-law has wrought. I want to see what he made the place look like!" Then, with wide eyes, she resolutely finished with, "Really! I am so curious about this place!"
Ruoruo, who had been silent for a while, all of a sudden said, "If you want to visit, then you should just go visit." She looked at Fan Xian, who was preparing to say something. She cut ahead and said, "If it was inappropriate for a lady to visit a brothel, what makes it appropriate for you men to go?"
She smiled, and placed her jaw against the window. She said, "Besides, you said that Lady Sang is managing the business there. It has been so long since I last heard her sing a song. If I don't visit the Bao Yue brothel, where else am I supposed to listen to her?"
Wan'er saw her sister-in-law agree with her ideas, and she was emboldened. With a begging face, she implored to Fan Xian, "You know I like to hear songs sung by Sang Wen. She disappeared for half a year, and now we have learnt that it was that annoying brother-in-law who made her vanish by forcing her into the brothel. You should bring us there."
Ruoruo said, "If men can go in there, then so can we."
Fan Xian could not respond with anything at that moment. He observed his sister, and noticed that this woman was getting braver and braver. And the way she approached matters and thought of things was different from the majority of girls in this world. Hearing the conversation earlier, she was being much more straightforward and feminist than even Wan'er. Of course, this was a result of what Fan Xian had taught her ever since she was small. But he thought that there were other qualities of her that defined how special she was.
Fan Xian showed a really wry smile, and he said. "I suppose there is no harm in going there for a look. But you know I am a person who loves frightening things, though… it has not been safe in the capital lately, and I would hate for the officers to say poor things about me."
Hearing him say something quite serious, Ruoruo and Wan'er knew not to push the matter and say anything further.
Fan Xian turned his head to look outside the carriage, and then he was surprised. He noticed, not too far away from them, that the Bao Yue brothel was there. It was standing in elegance, and it looked quite unlike anything else. He was laughing at Teng Zijing, who was driving the carriage, and said, "You really brought us here? You only know how to please the ladies; you have no idea how to consider my opinion. Do you still want to become an officer in Donghai county? I know that your family has asked me a couple of times."
Teng Zijing merely laughed in response, though he did not say
say anything in return. Wan'er and Ruoruo held their mouths as they giggled.
The Fan manor carriage had now arrived at the Bao Yue brothel. Although they did not know that the person inside the carriage was Fan Xian himself, they were aware that whoever it was had to be a premium customer. Even Si Qing'er, who was recovering from her torture at the hands of the Jingdou government, came limping down for the welcoming - all the way down from the third floor. When she saw it was the severely ill legend himself, Fan Xian, she was shocked.
Seeing the legendary young pimp, the elegant ladies in the carriage were quite delighted. They were a little disappointed to learn that Sang Wen was not present in the building, however, and was away singing at another manor.
Without their excuse of wanting to see Sang Wen sing, Fan Xian now had no reason to let them inside to mess about in the Bao Yue brothel. But his heart wondered whether or not Sang Wen was actually free and had secretly joined the Overwatch Council. She did not need to go please the other nobles by singing for them. Which manor could make her do this?
The carriage drove away from the Bao Yue brothel, and seeing these disappointed ladies, Fan Xian smiled. He said, "If we are going out to have fun, we have to make the most of it. Bao Yue brothel is not the most luxurious place in the capital, and the food they make is not the best--"
Fan Xian did not finish his sentence before he was cut-off. "Do not try and lie to us. The Bao Yue brothel's reputation is really good. If you are suggesting something better, then you are suggesting the royal palace itself." She was giggling, and then said, "I do not mind going to the palace to see the ladies. It has been a while since I last saw them. But won't you be afraid of the Emperor seeing you there? If he finds out you were only pretending to be sick, he will be very mad."
Fan Xian laughed and rubbed her nose, saying, "Do not curse me. I am taking you to a place that is comfier than the palace. And the food they make there is prepared better than any royal chef could manage."
The two girls were incredibly shocked at what they just heard. They thought that he could not just push the ball to another place, for how could there be a place more luxurious than the palace? Even though salt merchants had this power, they did not have the balls.
The carriage drove out the southern gate of the capital. When they reached the countryside, there were far less people there. The Qinian Group and guards of the Fan manor were all awkwardly exposed. They felt bewildered, and looked at each other in confusion. Their boss just walked behind the carriage, following the trails left by the carriage up a mountain.
They were closer to the mountain now, and the path wasn't so narrow. Still, it elicited the style that was common for Qing Kingdom's roads. The mountainside was extremely pretty, and the lovely fields reached out beyond their very eyes. In the yellow grass, wildflowers that still exuded life continued to thrive. The trees, whose leaves had departed their boughs, spread across the fields. It was an evocative picture. Like an artist's painting, the trees were layered and scattered about everywhere, and it was a beautiful sight to behold.
Wan'er and Ruoruo were sighing. The view there was excellent, and for this, they wondered why no one had mentioned this place to them before. Even those travelling men from last year did not visit this place. Usually, a good place such as this would be bought out by rich noblemen, or even the palace itself. They would do so to build houses there. But how come they didn't know which family owned this place? Seeing this narrow path, they could guess that they'd be arriving at a certain manor eventually. Whoever lived there had to be pretty awesome.
But seeing Fan Xian create this aura of mystery to envelope them in, the girls weren't very happy. So, they closed their mouths and did not say a word to them. They continued looking out the window to admire the view.
At the end of the path, the carriage turned around. There was a forest, and beyond its eaves lay a garden of sorts. It looked like it would make the perfect residence for fairies. All of a sudden, it was like they transcended a veil to show something secret for the mortals. The garden was not too big, but it was laid out really well. The short wood and bluestone combined together for a perfect match. Although it was not luxurious, a chain that was wrapped around a statue displayed to them its richness.
"How is this, when compared to the palace?" Fan Xian laughed as he said.
Lin Wan'er closed her open mouth, gathered her composure from the shock to say, "It has its beauty. But it's not our garden. What are you being so cocky about?"
Fan Xian waved his hand and said, "The owner of this place said he would give it to me in the future. But there is one thing I don't like about this place, so I don't fancy moving here."
Even Ruoruo was shocked. Being spooked at what he had just said, she asked, "What is there not to like about this place?"
"There are too many women." Fan Xian said this with gravitas. Who could know how many beautiful women were hidden in this place.
Fan Xian ignored the two girls and signalled for the carriage to stop. He disembarked the carriage with the the eyes of the two girls fixed on him. He pulled out the commissioner's badge from his waist, all of a sudden reaching his hands into a certain bush.
The bush was like magic, as all of a sudden, someone appeared. That person was wearing fairly ordinary garb, and looked like a regular woodsman. He carefully inspected the badge and looked at Fan Xian for what seemed like half a day. Then, after a while, he collapsed his sharp composure of formality and mournfully asked for forgiveness. "Master, I am sorry. But these are the rules. I hope you will forgive me."
"I don't blame you. My wife and sister are inside the carriage."
The woodsman did not dare reply; he simply retreated to some other hidden spot.
The carriage started moving again, following the trail that led into the garden. The road was extremely quiet, but this time, the girls in the carriage were able to guess that the security of this place must have been as tight as the security of the palace. They could guess it was probably quite deadly. Even if an entire garrison of troops desired to march inside, they would most likely not make it through.
Of course, these two ladies were quite smart, and they were now able to guess the name of who owned this peculiar place.
To own a place that was more high-class than a palace, possess a garden such as this, and have security that was as tight as this was, who could it be aside from the leader of the Overwatch Council?
Behind the carriage, the two teams that came to protect it were smart enough to stop following. Dropping to their knees, they looked around and confirmed that they had already arrived. Now that their master had arrived, there was no longer any need for them to follow.
The Qinian Unit's today, Su Wenmao, nodded to the guards of the Fan manor.
The guard awkwardly nodded in return.
"We must know our place." Su Wenmao was laughing to his teammates on the same road. "People like us, we can get this close to the leader's garden. We have been blessed by the commissioner."
"We have been." The guards were admiring the view of the garden.
They were sitting on both sides of the grass field, laying around doing nothing of interest. With straw hanging from their mouths, they observed the sky and yawned.
The beautiful garden was owned by Chen Pingping. Aside from the Emperor of the Qing Kingdom, the person with the second-most authority would be that crippled old man. He was different to all the other officers. Chen Pingping's position was too unique in the kingdom, and he always said that he was sick, and that was why he never attended court. That is why he had the time to spend years in this garden that was a while away from the capital. His house in the city was practically empty most of the time.
Today, Fan Xian was pretending he
pretending he was sick. And he was coming to see Chen Pingping, who was also pretending he was sick. Fan Xian had visited here a couple of times already, so it was only natural that he knew the way. They arrived at the gate of the yard, in the yard, there were two big wooden words. It read: "Chen's Garden". It had been written by the previous Emperor, so it was quite the precious relic.
He saw two carriages stop outside the gate, and couldn't help but furrow his eyebrows. He did not expect he'd be entertaining so many guests today. With Chen Pingping's lonely personality, and the horrible reputation the Overwatch Council had, the average officer wouldn't dream of coming here for a cup of tea and a chat; was this guest going to be, then?
Wan'er disembarked the carriage behind Fan Xian. She took a look and noticed the insignia that adorned the other carriage. She smiled and said, "It is a royal carriage."
Fan Xian was shocked.
The old man had already come all the way to welcome whoever had now arrived at the gate. He knew this young Fan Xian was different from every other officer, and he was Chen Pingping's most precious student. He was also to be his successor. As such, they did not dare to mistreat Fan Xian and his guests. He was quiet and polite, and he told them, "It is the eldest prince and Mister Qin of the Bureau of Military Affairs."
Fan Xian tilted his head and scratched his itchy neck. The eldest prince and Master Qin? He knew that the latter was on his side, and he was an important officer in court. What was most important, was that Master Qin had his father there - he was the ex-leader of the Ministry of War. Now, he had become the leader of the Bureau of Military Affairs. This entire family possessed a lot of power adhering to the military forces of the kingdom. The eldest prince had spent his last few years at war in the west, and he had a strong relation with the Qin family. For both of them to go to Chen Pingping's manor, what were they doing there?
Fan Xian was standing on the stone steps, but didn't rush to go in. He was wondering whether or not their visit had something to do with him. Although the army had always been in fine relations with the Overwatch Council, this was still quite the curious assemblance. He laughed, and resolved to not care about whether or not his travel was made known by members of court or not. So, he brought his wife and sister closer, and walked towards the yard. He had become quite curious about what the eldest prince was doing here.
Going past a beautiful, babbling brook, which was adorned with the most luxurious of decorations, they finally arrived at Chen Pingping's bosom of hospitality - the lobby. Fan Xian did not wait for permission, and hastily walked inside. He didn't think to say anything, but in the lobby he caught sight of Lady Sang Wen sitting in the corner, singing songs with a horrified face. He laughed out loud and said, "Now I know; the person who was powerful enough to pull Lady Sang Wen away to sing for them had to be you."
Sang Wen was not at the Bao Yue brothel because she was in the Chen Garden.
Sang Wen was the manager of the Bao Yue brothel, and the Overwatch Council's latest member. It was easy for Chen Pingping to request that she sing songs for him here.
The laughing noises echoed across the lobby. Chen Pingping, who was sitting in the host's seat, widened his eyes. Seeing these three young people unexpectedly approach, a certain warmth intruded his previously cold eyes. His skinny hands lightly stroked the grey fur blanket that lay across his legs. He began laughing and said, "Do you not mind that I have many women here? Why have you come today? It was okay for you to come, but are you not afraid of me asking that the wife and sister you have brought here to eat you alive?"
The two young people who were sitting on the guest's seat were frightened. They turned their heads to gate of the lobby, and they were frozen together. Then, Sang Wen stopped singing. She possessed a grand smile, and she stood up to bow before the two ladies.
Not long later, a person with casual clothing arrived. Still, his presence bore the aura of a military man. He stood up and politely bowed to Wan'er, who stood behind Fan Xian. He then greeted Ruoruo. Lastly, he smiled to Fan Xian. He said, "Greetings, Master Fan."
Fan Xian had seen Qin Heng before, and he knew that his family was nice, and that even the Emperor appreciated them. He himself was a new star of the Qing Kingdom's court, and a bright future awaited him. Fan Xian greeted him in return by saying, "Greetings, Master Qin."
Although Qin Heng's rank was not higher than Fan Xian, they were aware of each other's position. Therefore, there was no need for them to beat around the bush. Qin Heng nicely smiled and said, "I did not expect to meet you, while coming here to meet with Chen Pingping. It has been a fortuitous day for me, indeed."
Fan Xian noticed that his smile was not a forced one. He relaxed and felt somewhat comfortable. To this, he replied, "Let us not indulge each other with meritless suggestions of, let's meet again someday. If we are here together on this day, let us drink and talk."
Qin Heng laughed loudly, saying, "Mister Fan is wonderful! You are a person who does things against the expectations of others. You have not said a word about your apparent illness, and now you are suggesting that we go drink. I would make a joke, but here I am, at a loss for words."
Fan Xian looked at Chen Pingping, who was sitting on the host's seat. He had a wry smile and said, "Of course, we are merely just guests. It all depends on whether or not our host is courteous enough to provide us with some nice wine."
Chen Pingping said, "You are richer than me."
Qin Heng's face did not change, as the smile lay fixed on his face. In his heart, however, he was shocked. The officers always believed Fan Xian had a great fortune with the Overwatch Council due to the Emperor's favor and a sound upbringing. But to see Fan Xian talk about Chen Pingping so casually, a person who everyone else feared, and have Chen Pingping respond so natural was a strange sight. It seemed that the relationship between the two was different from what most would have expected.
Being appreciated by the Emperor was an important thing, but if he wanted to obtain complete control of the Overwatch Council, that still hinged on Chen Pingping. It was only just now that Qin Heng realised Fan Xian would indeed one day take authority of the entire Overwatch Council. If this was to be, then it was important that the military establish a good relationship with Fan Xian, and not just to the man who would be in charge himself, but being friendly with the rest of the Fan manor as well.
In just a few sentences, he had already obtained a lot of information. Fan Xian understood that Chen Pingping had used this opportunity to show the military the relationship between them, which could provide for some bargaining in the future.
The both of them chatted for a little more, and then, Fan Xian turned around to bow before the eldest prince.
That movement was actually a little rude, but the people in the lobby were aware that when Fan Xian first met the eldest prince, it wasn't in the nicest of circumstances. Qin Heng was a good friend of the eldest prince, so they did not mind the behavior. As for Chen Pingping, he didn't care much at all for matters of etiquette.
When Fan Xian thought the eldest prince was going to be mad, he tilted his head to take a look but was taken aback and made a little angry. He saw his wife sitting beside the eldest prince, laughing out loud in return to something he had just said. Although he knew Wan'er was raised in Ning Cai Ren's palace, which meant that the eldest prince had watched her grow up to the result of them sharing a bond similar to a brother and sister, he was still annoyed and mad at seeing this.
What made him even more mad was Ruoruo also sitting next to him, listening to him, listening to what was being said.
Fan Xian perked his ears to listen, and heard that the eldest prince was discussing the battles he fought in the west. He was telling stories about his fight for horses against the Wu people. The Qing Kingdom's people loved battles, and the eldest prince had been out there fighting for all these years. He was much like a hero to the common folk. Even Wan'er and Ruoruo looked fondly on him.
In Fan Xian's heart, he was jealous. His lips grew bitter. He was thinking to himself, I… I… I am a pacifist. If I wasn't, I'd happily ride into battle and impress you girls. His heart was put into a bad mood, but his face did nothing to reflect this. Instead, he just laughed and approached the eldest prince. He bowed. He said, "My name is Fan Xian. Greetings, My Lord… oh, I mean my Great Prince."
The eldest prince saw Fan Xian and he already felt oppressed. Now, he was hearing him talk like this, so he couldn't help but respond with, "I must ask you, Fan Xian. Have I offended you in any way? Every time I see you, you have to go on and say something negative about me." He turned his head to Wan'er and asked, "Wan'er, what kind of husband did you end up with?"
Wan'er and the eldest prince were really close. Seeing him talk about her husband like this, though, she would not let it go. She picked up a fruit from the table and shoved it in his mouth. She then told him, "Who in the world would say something like that when meeting their brother-in-law?"
Fan Xian was laughing, thinking that brother-in-law sounded better. So, he went to sit down next to Ruoruo. A servant of Chen Pingping had already delivered some hot towels and hot tea. He knew the eldest prince and Qin Heng had come here to speak with the crippled old man, so it had to be a matter of some importance. Still, he shamelessly interacted with them in the lobby, preventing them from going to discuss that which they desired to.
Wan'er knew that outside the capital, the envoy fought for passage against the army returning from the west. The entire conflict was the result of Fan Xian's intervention, but she knew why he did so. He already had the second prince in his sights, but to pick a fight and offend another prince seemed unnecessary. She really did not want to see her husband have a conflict with her closest brother. So, she started to pull at them both in a bid to simmer the tensions between them and forage a peace.
Everyone else could see her desire to do this, as well. But they were just men, and men always have their times when they cannot see eye-to-eye with each other. As a result, the eldest prince simply looked around and pretended to ignore her efforts. Fan Xian simply smiled and continued talking to Qin Heng. He asked him how his father was doing, suggesting that he would soon visit his manor.
Chen Pingping was sitting like he had just fallen asleep; slouched down in his wheelchair. Even here in his luxurious home, he insisted on sitting on that decrepit wheelchair. Why didn't he take to lying down on a comfy sofa? Seeing this, Wan'er was not sure what to do anymore, and so she sighed. Ruoruo was laughing at the entire scene. The eldest prince, who was a powerful fighter, and the young popular officer were bickering and quarreling like children. It was an amusing thing to see.
In the end, even Qin Heng felt as if he could not speak any more with Fan Xian. The eldest prince then all of a sudden said, "I heard that you were supposed to be really sick in bed, unable to attend court. Even with the Imperial Censorate trying to impeach you, you have not gone to defend yourself and a present a case. I did not expect that you would be here today…"
Fan Xian yawned and said, "I will go to court tomorrow. Tomorrow, tomorrow."
Qin Heng was shocked, thinking Fan Xian had stopped feigning his illness. That meant tomorrow, there was to be a fair amount of drama in court. But Qin Heng had been dragged to Chen's Garden by the eldest prince to discuss something that was best not said in Fan Xian's presence.
He did not want to say it, but the eldest prince was quite straightforward. He politely spoke to Chen Pingping and said, "Uncle, in regards to your second brother, please say something." He turned his head to look at Fan Xian, and then continued by saying, "I don't care what has happened with court, but the rumors that are spreading about the capital seem quite ridiculous. Plus, some officers that have allegiance to the second prince are incredibly smart. If they were to be fired, it would be a grievous loss for the court."
In Qin Heng's heart, he said, You are such a straight man. To be right in front of Fan Xian, and to say something negative about him…. But things had reached a certain point, and with a wry smile, Qin Heng now said, "Yes, Master. The Emperor has not said a word, and if you don't say anything, this will likely continue. Then, things will become ugly in court."
Fan Xian laughed. Those two did not mask their motives and dress-up their dialogue. The second prince's party had already been crushed and suffocated by the Overwatch Council. It would be incredibly awkward if he were to go out in public, so he had asked his big brother to help alleviate these matters and bring the Qin family of the Bureau of Military Affairs. The way they had come straight to Chen Pingping was a smart move. This was not digging his own corner, it was him simply picking up the wood underneath Fan Xian's pot.If Chen Pingping was to ask Fan Xian to cease his crushing of the second prince, he had no choice but to adhere to that command.
But Fan Xian had already got what he wanted out of the conflict. The prefect of the Jingou government was fired, and the officers of the second prince had been removed from the Sixth Bureau. Fan Xian didn't really care too much about this, however. What he was curious about, though, was the way in which the eldest prince referenced Chen Pingping.
He called Chen Pingping uncle!
Chen Pingping had a lot of power, but no matter how close he was with the Emperor, it was quite inappropriate for the eldest prince to refer to him as an uncle. If this came out, it would scare someone to death. His Uncle was King Jing, not some chancellor.
While Fan Xian was still thinking, Chen Pingping already opened his mindless eyes. He coughed twice and said, "We can talk about the second prince later. I say…" He pointed towards Wan'er and Ruoruo and coughed twice again. "This is the first time you have both visited my garden. How come you have not said hello to your host?"
Actually, there weren't many people who didn't fear Chen Pingping. Especially since there were many legends and stories that painted the character of Chen Pingping as some sort of nighttime devil who just happened to be disabled. Although Wan'er and Ruoruo's identities were really noble, facing a commandant of some dark power of the Qing Kingdom, they too were quite afraid. This is why they quickly went to sit beside the eldest prince upon entering the lobby.
At this time, hearing the old man say this, Wan'er and Ruoruo had no choice but to stand up. With a bitter face, they approached Chen Pingping and bowed.
Chen Pingping laughed and said, "What are you afraid of? Your mother, and your father, they aren't better people than I." He was referencing the eldest princess and the old evil Fan Jian. Looking towards the eldest prince, he said, "And about that which you were talking about, the person you really need to talk to has already arrived. You need to talk to him directly. And Little Princess and Lady Fan, could you help this old man by pushing his wheelchair? I am going to show to you my collection here in Chen's Garden."
The two girls and Sang Wen pushed the crippled old man's wheelchair out of the lobby. Only Fan Xian, the eldest prince and Qin Heng remained. Fan Xian was starting to think that this old man was not being responsible, and he had now just left his home as a battlefield for the young ones, while escorting three beautiful women through the garden.