Fan Xian held the scroll in his hand, not knowing what to say for a moment. He had not expected his meeting with Zhuang Mohan the night before to be his last. That night, he had discovered that Zhuang Mohan was not as energetic as he had been the previous year, but he had not expected the leader of the literary world to so abruptly bid farewell to the world.
Zhuang Mohan's last words were to hand over this book, the result of his last work, to Fan Xian. The meaning hidden within was not simple.
At this time, the officials who were seeing Fan Xian off outside Shangjing gradually learned of this shocking news. A sense of grief began to fill the air, and more Northern Qi officials turned their gazes to Fan Xian. Their gazes were vigilant, resentful, and suspicious.
Fan Xian understood what the Northern Qi people were thinking. Zhuang Mohan's only stain in his life was his own. But now that he was gone, Fan Xian felt a little sad, and he subconsciously filtered out all the complicated gazes.
As he was thinking, the carriage at the city gate finally arrived. Under the gazes of the officials, it came to the back of the diplomatic mission's convoy. The wood of the carriage was slightly deformed, and it creaked noisily. One could imagine that the carriage must have been carrying something very heavy. The servant who had come to deliver the news led Fan Xian to the carriage. In a trembling voice, he said, "Master Fan, the old master has ordered that you take this carriage back to the south and preserve it well."
The crowd had not yet recovered from the shock of Zhuang Mohan's death. Seeing this scene, they could not help but feel sad. They could not help but be curious as to what Zhuang Mohan had wanted to give Fan Xian before he died.
The sun was glaring. Fan Xian squinted and lifted the thick curtain of the carriage, but he could not help but be dazzled by the contents inside.
Inside the books were beauties, inside the books were houses of gold, and inside the books were grains of millet.
Although there were no beauties or jewels in the carriage, Fan Xian was still surprised and moved. It was an entire carriage full of books, presumably Zhuang Mohan's life's collection. Given the old man's status, he did not need to flip through the books to guess that they were rare and unique.
The servant respectfully handed over a booklet and said, "Master Fan, this is the list of books compiled by the master himself. Behind it are the precautions for preserving books."
Fan Xian sighed and put down the curtain. He picked up the book and read it carefully. Although printing had made great progress, printing books was still a very impressive thing, not to mention an entire carriage. Thinking of the old man's act of gifting a book to him, he couldn't help but feel touched. At this moment, he heard the servant say sorrowfully, "Master gifted a book to you, please take good care of it."
Fan Xian knew that this family member had said this on his own initiative, but he still raised his hands and bowed sincerely. Solemnly, he said, "Brother, please do not worry. Even if I die, these books will continue to be passed down in this world."
By now, the Northern Qi officials had gathered around. They could clearly see that the carriage was piled with books. These officials had all come from the imperial examinations, so how could they not know the value of this carriage full of books? None of them had expected that Master Zhuang, on his deathbed, would give these precious books, which he had spent his entire life studying, to the officials of the southern court. They could not help but feel shocked and a little jealous.
The grand tutor, however, understood his master's intentions and could not help but sigh.
Gifting the books was only an act. Zhuang Mohan used this action to show his attitude. This was not just a simple gift, but a symbolic inheritance. No matter how proud the civil officials of Northern Qi were, from now on, they could no longer ignore Fan Xian's existence. And Fan Xian's position in the hearts of the world's scholars had finally been acknowledged in a certain ceremony.
…
…
Fan Xian turned his head to look at the grand tutor and said sincerely, "It is only right that I return to the city to pay my respects. Only then will I be at ease."
The grand tutor could not hide the sorrow in his eyes. Right now, all he wanted was to return to the city to pay his respects, and he did not have time to think about it. In addition, Fan Xian had taken the initiative to offer his respects, which comforted him, so he agreed. Unexpectedly, Wei Hua, the vice-minister of the Office of the Grand Herald, approached the two of them. He bowed and said in a deep voice, "The world mourns Master's passing. But Master Fan, the diplomatic mission's schedule has been set, and the ceremonial guards have been raised. We cannot return to the city."
After a moment of silence, Fan Xian raised his eyes to look at the greenish-gray walls of Shangjing. It was as if he could see a faint purple light floating in the sky above. He tidied up his clothes and bowed deeply in the direction of the city. He bowed all the way to the ground, performing the etiquette of an outer sect disciple.
The grand tutor was slightly surprised. He knew that Fan Xian's disciple's bow was enough to put an end to last year's storm, and that his act of respect had cemented Master Zhuang's monument. He felt a little comforted, and returned the bow.
— — —
The cannon sounded, but it was unclear whether it was a send-off or a call for the soul. Shredded paper flew everywhere, and the slightly pungent smell of smoke dissipated in a flash, like the impermanence of this world.
The diplomatic mission's carriages moved slowly, following the road to the west. Behind the carriages, the officials of Northern Qi watched as the southern carriages left, and as the heavy carriage carrying books followed them. They could not help but sigh in unison. Straightening their clothes, they went back to their manors to change, and hurried to Master Zhuang's manor. Presumably, the Empress Dowager and His Majesty had already arrived, and no one dared to tarry. The grand tutor and the scholars, who had been personally taught by Zhuang Mohan, were crying so hard they almost fainted.
…
…
The group of carriages continued forward. When the majestic city walls of Shangjing gradually disappeared into the green mountains and dense forests, they arrived at the first relay station outside of Shangjing. According to the rules, a large group of people from the diplomatic corps returning home and the bridal party had to settle here for the night before continuing on their journey the next day. Fan Xian slowly dismounted from his horse and walked forward. As he passed by the carriage carrying books, he could not help but turn his head to look at it, but he resisted the urge to get on.
He walked up to the luxurious carriage, painted gold and painted red, and bowed. "We have arrived at the courier station," he said respectfully. "Princess, please take a rest."
After some time, a faint voice came from within the carriage. "... Sir, please help yourself. I would like to sit alone for a while."
This was the first time Fan Xian had heard the Great Princess's voice. It sounded slightly hoarse, and he could not help but feel a little strange. Then he saw the curtain of the carriage lift, and a palace maid stepped out, her eyes red. She walked to his side and said quietly, "Her Highness is not feeling well. Sir Fan, please wait a moment."
Fan Xian asked with concern. "Her Highness is of noble birth, and naturally cannot endure such a long journey. It is only right for her to rest."
The palace maid looked at Fan Xian's handsome face, and for some reason, she felt an inexplicable sense of trust in him. She said quietly, "The Princess was once taught by Master Zhuang. Today, she has received this news, so she is a little sad."
Fan Xian finally understood, and his gaze toward the carriage carried a trace of sympathy. It seemed that the Princess was not an arrogant and willful person, and that she would not stop crying out of gratitude for her teacher's kindness. But Zhuang Mohan had passed away in the city, and the Princess was in the carriage, and could not pay her respects. It was truly a sad thing to be in the royal family.
He sighed. Perhaps he was thinking of his own past. He gave the palace maid a few instructions, then summoned the Tiger Guards and the core members of the diplomatic mission, and made arrangements. Only then did he enter the courier station alone.
The courier station knew that the wedding procession and the diplomatic mission would be passing through, and so it had long since been cleaned up. All kinds of equipment were handled according to the rules of the palace. After a brief inspection, Fan Xian passed through the main room and quietly exited through the back door. His figure disappeared behind the tall beams behind the courier station.
After a while, most of the people had entered the courier station, and the officials sent by the Ministry of Rites were very busy. Naturally, no one noticed where Fan Xian had gone.
Outside the courier station, there were two carriages with no one alighted. One was the carriage of the Eldest Princess. Everyone knew that Her Highness was grieving, and naturally did not dare to disturb her. As for the officials of Northern Qi, in the other carriage was the handsome demon outside, and they paid even less attention to him. Only the Tiger Guards and Overwatch Council officials that Fan Xian had specifically left behind guarded the two carriages vigilantly.
A small corner of the curtain of the second carriage was lifted, and an incomparably pale and cold hand beckoned. The Overwatch Council official next to the carriage immediately walked over. He leaned against the corner of the curtain and asked in a low voice, "Sir Yan, what are your orders?"
Through the corner of the curtain, Yan Bingyun's handsome but exceptionally cold face appeared. "Where did you go, sir?" he asked quietly.
In the diplomatic mission, there was only one person whom he could call "sir": Fan Xian. The Overwatch Council official looked at him and said in a low voice, "I do not know."
Yan Bingyun frowned, as if there was something he could not say. After hesitating for a while, he finally said quietly, "Along the way, has there been a woman who likes to wear light blue clothes following the carriages? She likes to ride a big red horse. "
The Overwatch Council official shook his head. Yan Bingyun's face showed no expression. He put down the curtain and confirmed that Lady Shen had not risked coming to see him. His mood relaxed a little, but for some reason, after relaxing, he felt a little gloomy.
...
...
Outside the sorghum field was a lonely pavilion. Next to the pavilion was an old road that had been abandoned for many years. A carriage was parked on the road, and two girls stood inside.
A gust of wind blew past, rustling the sorghum field. Fan Xian walked out and slowly walked into the pavilion. His eyes were gentle as he looked at the incomparably plump girl. He said quietly, "Who would have thought that after entering Shangjing, the only time we could really talk would be when we were about to leave."
Si Lili bowed slightly to him. Her voice trembled slightly. "Greetings, sir."
Fan Xian did not continue speaking. He only glanced at Haitang, who was standing to the side. Haitang smiled and put her hands in her pockets. The tip of her foot touched the cracked ground beneath the pavilion, and she floated away, leaving the pavilion to the strange couple.
As soon as Haitang left the pavilion, the gentleness on Fan Xian's face disappeared without a trace. He looked at Si Lili seriously. "After entering the palace, you must be careful. The empress dowager is not a simple character. It will not be easy to hide from her."
Si Lili looked at him, and a trace of tenderness gradually appeared in her eyes. She said softly, "You just want me to be careful. Nothing else?"
Fan Xian smiled, but did not go forward to hug her frail shoulders. "Since you insist on staying in Northern Qi, why do you want to soften my heart now? Do you women find it fun to provoke us filthy things? "
Si Lili smiled lightly. She did not look as weak as she had in front of Haitang. "Isn't that the case, sir? Although I insist on staying in Northern Qi, you spoke first. Are you afraid that I will ask you to take me back to the capital? "
A trace of ridicule flashed in Fan Xian's eyes. "Perhaps you will one day become the mistress of the Northern Qi harem. Why bother hanging around with people like me?"
Si Lili also laughed. "To have a place to stay in the palace is good enough. How could I dare hope for more?"
Fan Xian shook his head and suddenly said, "Lili, you are different from other women in the world."
Si Lili made an "oh" sound, and then responded calmly. "Perhaps it is because I have traveled the world since I was young, and have been to many places. Compared to those women who stay in their houses all day embroider and compose poems, I am a bit more presumptuous."
Fan Xian was silent. He knew that what she said made sense. In today's world, ordinary women could only sit at home. Few had the experience Si Lili had, and the freedom Haitang had. He turned his head to look in the direction Haitang had disappeared. In a serious tone, he said, "I believe in your ability. But I must warn you not to underestimate those who seem old and muddle-headed."
The atmosphere in the pavilion seemed to freeze. After a long time, Si Lili bowed deeply and lowered her head. A few strands of her fine black hair danced in the wind. In a soft voice, she said, "Perhaps you don't believe me, but Lili really likes to talk with you, just like in the carriage when we came here."
Fan Xian looked at her. He didn't know how much of what she said was true, and how much was false.
Si Lili smiled. Her beautiful face looked incomparably charming. "Sir, I am very grateful that you cured me of the poison on the way. What you said... is true."
"I am not Chen Pingping," Fan Xian said. "I believe that even if there is a conflict of interest, it can be resolved in a more gentle way. And I do not wish for the Emperor of Northern Qi to be poisoned because of you... Of course, now it seems that Chen Pingping's plan had no hope of success from the beginning."
Si Lili's cheeks reddened. She knew that the man who was closest to her had already guessed something.
Fan Xian continued in a quiet voice. "You will live in the palace from now on. Your status will rise. No matter how powerful the Overwatch Council is, they will not be able to control you. So whether or not the agreement between us will be effective depends on us."
Si Lili said seriously, "Sir, please do not worry."
Fan Xian looked at the beautiful girl's brow and suddenly felt a little absent-minded. After a while, he said, "Wait for news in the north. Be careful. I believe it won't be long before someone helps you avenge your family."
Si Lili suddenly raised her head and looked at Fan Xian in disbelief. Fan Xian ignored the surprise in her eyes. He took a piece of paper from his sleeve and gave it to her. "Contact me through this person. After you memorize it, destroy it."
Fan Xian suddenly smiled. "I can allow you to abandon the agreement between us, but I will not accept you betraying me. This contact is a one-way street. Even if you sell him to Northern Qi, he will not be of any use, so it is best that you do not take risks. "
Seeing the young man's strange sweet smile, Si Lili's heart trembled. She didn't know why she was afraid, but she quickly nodded.
"Also, if …" Fan Xian was silent for a while, then suddenly said, "if there comes a day when you do not want to stay in the Northern Qi palace, let me know. I will take care of it."
"Thank you, sir." Si Lili weakly bowed her head in thanks. Her thanks finally revealed a glimmer of sincerity and reluctance. She knew that after this thanks, she would have to leave. With a slightly sad expression, she said, "After this farewell, I do not know when we will meet again. Every time I think about it, I cannot help but feel my heart break."
After saying this, Si Lili resolutely turned and left the pavilion, leaving behind Fan Xian, who was frowning deeply, still thinking about the meaning hidden in the words "heart break".
…
…
Watching the carriage gradually leave along the abandoned ancient road, Fan Xian's face showed no expression, but he sighed in the depths of his heart. He then punched a pillar of the pavilion with a bang. The pavilion had been in disrepair for a long time, and was already tottering on the verge of collapse. Now that Fan Xian had punched it, it creaked.
A figure floated down from the pavilion. Who else could it be but Haitang? Haitang gently landed next to Fan Xian and smiled bitterly. "Duoduo did not overhear anything."
"If you had," Fan Xian said, "I would have become mute."
Haitang smiled. "Master Fan, you are about to leave Northern Qi. I do not know when we will meet again."
Fan Xian thought of his sister back home in the capital and couldn't help but sigh. "I do not think it will be long … where did your illustrious teacher go?" He suddenly changed the subject. "I came to Northern Qi, but I did not pay a visit to this Great Grandmaster. It is truly a pity."
Haitang thought for a moment and decided not to hide this matter. She quietly said, "Three days before the Southern Dynasty's diplomatic mission entered the capital, Teacher received a piece of wood and left Shangjing. No one knows where he went, including the Empress Dowager and me."
"In these days in Shangjing, you helped me hide many things." Fan Xian looked at the lonely tree at the end of the ancient road. "I truly must thank you for that, so … regarding the matter of goods heading north, I am currently discussing it with Chang Ninghou and Shen Zhong. If that Emperor of yours needs to borrow money from me, he must get rid of Shen Zhong. That man looks ordinary, but he is actually a very powerful person."
Haitang was silent for a moment, then said, "This is a secret between the two of us."
Fan Xian looked at her incomparably bright eyes and said, word by word, "In this world, other than my brother-in-law, I have rarely seen a pure fool. How many people do you think the secret between us can be hidden from? Duoduo, on this trip to Northern Qi, you have helped me a great deal, both openly and secretly. Don't think that senior brother of yours did not notice. "
Haitang frowned. "What are you trying to say?"
Fan Xian smiled. "What I want to say is, since you and the Emperor are preparing to escape from the shadow of the Empress Dowager, then you cannot just count on the struggles of the court, and you cannot count on an outsider like me to provide you with funds. After all, Northern Qi is a great power. If you want to completely control it, it will take years."
Haitang smiled. "I think Master Fan might have misunderstood something."
"Oh?" Fan Xian smiled. "What are you worried about?"
Haitang seemed to be talking about a different topic. "I am a good student who respects his teacher."
Fan Xian suddenly said, "Zhuang Mohan is dead."
Zhuang Mohan had students all over the world, and was revered by all. Aside from the incident last year, there was nothing to nitpick about his moral writings. Even Haitang greatly respected this old man, but she had been waiting for the diplomatic mission in the suburbs of the capital, so she did not know of his passing. Now that she heard the news, her face revealed a trace of shock and sorrow, and she did not know what to say.
For a moment, there was a sense of desolation in the pavilion.
…
…
After a long time, it was Fan Xian who broke the silence. "Xiao En is dead. Zhuang Mohan is dead. All the great figures of the past will gradually grow old and die. Even if you are a good student who respects his teacher, I think you should be prepared for that day."
Haitang stared into his eyes. "Master, you seem to be hinting at something."
Fan Xian smiled. "I can understand the strong desire of a young man to be the master of his own house."
Haitang smiled, slightly dispelling the sadness she felt after hearing of Master Zhuang's death. "Why is it that when so many heavy things come out of your mouth, they seem so much lighter? Why is it that when so many dark things come out of your mouth, they immediately become incomparably bright? "
"Because the dark night gave us black eyes, and I want to use them to find the light."
Haitang tilted her head slightly. "I remember you saying that you want to use it... to roll your eyes at the world."
"The world?" Fan Xian said, "This world is theirs, and it is also ours. But in the end... it is ours."
…
…
The thick clouds in the sky floated over, completely covering the sun. But the sun was too strong. Even so, it could not hide the bright red light that seeped through the edges of the clouds. It was as if a fairy had used her skillful hands to embroider a golden border. A gust of wind blew over from the plains, passing through the ancient path on the ground and the pavilion.
Fan Xian looked at Haitang. "Duoduo, thank you for your help these past few days."
Haitang finally took her hands out of the large pockets of her coarse clothes. Somewhat unnaturally, she curtsied like an ordinary girl. "Master Fan is too polite."
Below the pavilion, Fan Xian stepped forward and pulled her into his arms for a hug. For some reason, even with Haitang's extremely high level of cultivation, she was unable to avoid his hug. Letting go immediately, he revealed a sincere smile. "To tell you the truth, if you and I could really become friends, I think it would be a very good thing."
Haitang gently tidied up the black hair at the corner of her forehead. Her ordinary face did not show the slightest bit of embarrassment or unease because of the extremely intimate hug. Smiling, she said, "Likewise."
…
…
Haitang stood under the dilapidated pavilion, beside the ancient path, watching Fan Xian's figure disappear into the distance. She could not help but tilt her head slightly, thinking back to her days in Shangjing. A trace of a smile rose to the corners of her lips. She thought to herself that this young master of the southern court was indeed an extremely interesting person, with extremely keen eyes. Presumably, when he returned to the Kingdom of Qing, there would be some very subtle changes in the south.
She sighed, dispelling the grief that had arisen from Zhuang Mohan's passing. Only then did she remember that she had ultimately forgotten one thing: did the Haitang Poetry Society in Story of the Stone have anything to do with her? She unconsciously reached out to tighten the floral scarf on her head, but found that she touched nothing but air. She immediately reacted, and could not help but feel a slight heat on her face. Only now did she realize that no matter how well she had hidden it, she had still been a little nervous during the hug. She had not even noticed that the little thief had stolen her floral scarf.
Fan Xian was currently walking through the tall sorghum. Occasionally, branches would hit his face and shatter, but there was a trace of a happy and pure smile on his face. His trip to Northern Qi had finally come to a relatively satisfactory conclusion, and after his rebirth, he had met some interesting people, such as Yan Bingyun, that block of ice, and Haitang, that seemingly tacky but actually delicate flower. Aside from some conflicts of interest and differences in philosophy, he very much enjoyed talking to Haitang.
The Emperor also wanted to have a son, Ku He also wanted to eat meat, Cripple Chen also wanted to go to the latrine, and Fan Xian also wanted to have friends.
He tucked the floral scarf in his hand into his clothes and pushed aside the plants in front of him. Looking at the faint green smoke rising from the relay station in the distance, he lightly hummed, "Throw, throw, throw the handkerchief..."
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
