The First Bureau of the Overwatch Council dealt with the looting of the building very appropriately. They only arrested those who were related to the Fan and Liu families. The little bastards from the Duke's manor had been beaten by Fan Xian and had been sent home to recover from their wounds. They also did not have the right to get too involved, so none of them were arrested.
After Uncle Mu and Uncle Mu had arrested the people, they did not say anything to Commissioner Fan, who was standing next to the carriage. They took the young men back to Fan Manor. The people of the Overwatch Council saw Fan Xian stand outside the carriage for a long time and did not go in. The people in the carriage did not come out either, and they knew that the person in the carriage was someone more important than Fan Xian. Fan Xian was a member of the royal family, so the person in the carriage must be someone close to the royal family.
The looting of the building did not yield any results. Fan Xian wanted to destroy the accounts of Fan Sizhe and the Bao Yue brothel, but that was an impossible task. Because of this, he was forced to maintain a temporary peace with the second prince. Investigating the Bao Yue brothel was a stupid thing to do.
The people of the Overwatch Council left, and the people of the capital government came to keep the peace. Everything seemed to have returned to normal. The Fan and Liu families still owned 70% of the shares of the Bao Yue brothel, and they continued to be the infamous prostitutes of the capital. Commissioner Fan and the second prince were having a very intimate conversation.
It seemed that the capital was about to be at peace.
The second prince, who was in the carriage, looked at Fan Xian's calm face, and he could not help but feel a little admiration for him. What happened with the Bao Yue brothel was enough to make most people angry, but Fan Xian was calm. He accepted his suggestion of peace without any hesitation. He was a very good judge of the situation, and he was brave enough to make decisions.
Every time he saw that familiar smile on Fan Xian's face, he felt a sense of unease and familiarity in the depths of his heart. He always felt that Fan Xian was someone very similar to himself. Although Fan Xian was an official, he still had a strong urge to have a deep conversation with him.
…
…
"Hongcheng, you go first. I have some private things to discuss with Mister Fan," the second prince said coldly. He paid no attention to the eyes of the people on the street, and slowly walked down from the carriage.
Fan Xian furrowed his brows slightly. He was surprised by the other party's action. Just now, he had clearly said that he was going back to the manor and did not want to have a deep conversation. However, the other party was a prince and had personally come out of the carriage to invite him. Even if he was not giving him face, he still wanted to hear what he wanted to say. So, he gently nodded.
Li Hongcheng looked at him apologetically. He and the carriage left the Baoyue Brothel, a place of trouble.
The Second Prince's embroidered shoes stepped onto the street. He couldn't resist stretching. Amidst the whispers of the crowd in the distance, he led Fan Xian into a tea shop. A servant had already cleared the tea shop. Only he and Fan Xian sat facing each other.
Fan Xian picked up the bowl and took a sip. He raised his eyebrows in surprise and glanced at the Second Prince.
The Second Prince smiled and said, "I know you like this. Every time you go to Hongcheng Manor, you ask for some sour berries to drink." He then warmly said, "Brother Fan must hate me for what happened at the Baoyue Brothel."
Fan Xian slightly raised his lips and said, "I am not a saint. Naturally, I have emotions."
The Second Prince shook his head and said, "In the beginning, when your second brother and my third brother discussed doing business, I already knew about it. I even secretly helped …" He looked at Fan Xian's face and said, "But do not misunderstand. At that time, the court and the capital all thought the Fan family was on good terms with me. I did not have the intention to threaten you. I only wanted to find a place of mutual benefit for both sides and make our relationship closer. Who would have thought that it would become a dirty trick? It was not what I wanted. "
Fan Xian had already guessed the Second Prince's thoughts when he built the Baoyue Brothel in the spring, so he was not surprised. But hearing him admit to using dirty tricks, he did not know how to respond. He smiled and said, "Your Highness … you really do have a lot of respect for me."
The Second Prince was not afraid to continue this topic. He lightly said, "I have always valued you. You should know that. So, I do not understand why, after you returned to the capital, you would target me."
Fan Xian smiled and said, "Your Highness's words are a bit muddled. I am only an official. What good would it do me to target Your Highness?"
The Second Prince stared into his eyes and slowly said, "I need you to tell me … I know, you would not be willing to be a pawn of the Crown Prince, so I really do not understand."
He had not thought that this Prince would be so open and honest. Fan Xian felt a bit surprised. Shortly after, a clear smile rose to his face. He quietly said, "Your Highness, you really do not understand?"
The Second Prince looked into his eyes and gently shook his head.
Fan Xian slightly tilted his head and used his knuckles to knock on the surface of the wooden table. He suddenly opened his mouth and said, "Niulan Street."
The Second Prince was silent. A moment later, he said, "This is my fault." Having said this, he stood up and bowed deeply toward Fan Xian.
As the Emperor's own son, he bowed and apologized to an official.
…
…
Fan Xian did not show the expression that the second prince had hoped to see. He sat on the chair like a piece of ice, squinting at him. "Your Highness is Your Highness," he said quietly. "An official is an official. This is a matter of life and death. Perhaps Your Highness thinks that by personally apologizing, you have already given me enough of an explanation, and that I, as an official, should be moved to tears and feel a sense of belonging to the nation?"
The Second Prince took a deep breath and forcefully suppressed the anger that had not appeared in his heart for many years. He coldly said, "Then, Master Fan, how can you repair the relationship between us?"
Fan Xian suddenly laughed and said, "Actually, in the last round of investigation … you know why. Who told my mother-in-law to always dislike me as a son-in-law? One moment he was an assassin, the next he was from the Imperial Censorate? And next year, I will be taking over the palace treasury. I cannot avoid conflict with Xinyang. If Your Highness is willing to promise me one thing, I cannot guarantee that I will be biased, but at least in the capital, I will have the Overwatch Council maintain a relatively fair attitude. "
The Second Prince's heart trembled slightly. The sliver of negative emotion that had been lingering in his chest earlier had long disappeared. During these few months, his people and officials in court had been closely watched by the Overwatch Council, including the Imperial Astronomer and the others. They had all met with great misfortune, giving the entire Second Prince's faction a headache. Now that he heard Fan Xian say that he could change the Overwatch Council's attitude, how could he not be tempted?
After a moment of silence, he stretched out his right hand and very gently said, "Please speak, Commissioner."
This sentence used an official title.
Fan Xian looked at him and smiled. "Your Highness, if you can keep your distance from the Eldest Princess, I promise you a lifetime of peace."
The Second Prince was startled. He had never thought that Fan Xian would make such an absurd suggestion. Promise him a lifetime of peace? How arrogant and daring! He finally couldn't hold back his depression. In a cold voice, he said, "Commissioner Fan, are you playing with me?"
The two young nobles, who did not actually look alike, but their temperaments and auras were very similar, sat across from each other at a table and did not see eye to eye.
— — —
Fan Xian looked at him and said, "Your Highness has many questions, and I also have many questions. Is this dragon chair really so easy to sit on? Is peace not a rare blessing? Your Highness has always liked literature, and Lady Shu is also a clear-minded person like snow. How can you not see through the crux of this? "
Even though there was no one in the tea shop at this moment, and there was no need to worry that this conversation would be overheard by others, suddenly hearing Fan Xian speak his mind so plainly, the Second Prince's heart still trembled uncontrollably. There were many things in this world that could only be done and not said. For example, no matter how much he wanted to take the throne, he was still incomparably respectful to the Crown Prince. Who would have thought that this person in front of him would say it so lightly?
It was not until today that the Second Prince truly understood the extent of Fan Xian's courage! He also became more and more unclear as to what Fan Xian was relying on.
A dim light flashed through the Second Prince's eyes. This dim light was touched by Fan Xian's words. Years of pain finally began to burn. Staring at Fan Xian's face, he lowered his voice and said coldly, "Everyone knows that the dragon chair is not easy to sit on. But I am in the Emperor's home, and I have no choice. If I want to take this chair, I can take it. If I don't want it, I still have to take it. If I have the freedom to choose, I would rather go to the Imperial College and study every day than get mixed up in this matter. "
Fan Xian narrowed his eyes slightly. "Is someone forcing you?"
Perhaps Fan Xian's boldness had aroused a trace of bloodlust, and the Second Prince laughed coldly. "Of course someone is forcing me. From the time I was 12, they said that I was virtuous and that it would be a waste to be a prince. When I was 13, they made me a king. When I was 14, they built a manor outside the Palace. On the surface, it seemed like they were chasing me out of the Palace, but in reality, they gave me the opportunity to freely submit to the officials. When I was 15, they let me enter the Royal Study to listen to state affairs. Did you know? Before me, only the Crown Prince had such an opportunity! "
The Second Prince's handsome face gradually twisted. "I don't want to fight. But these things are coming out one by one. What can I do? Does the Eastern Palace think that I don't want to fight for the throne? The Crown Prince was young at the time, but he looked at me with such hatred in his eyes. We are brothers. When he was only 13, he already wanted to kill me. Even if I can convince the Crown Prince, what about the Empress? Will she let me go? "
Fan Xian was silent, listening to the Second Prince's madness.
"It was he who pushed me into this position." The Second Prince's eyes were like a cold fire sealed in ice, making people shiver. "I want to protect my mother. I want to protect my life. What should I do? Since he wants me to fight, then I'll fight for him. "
Fan Xian lowered his head slightly. He knew that the only one who had the power to force a prince onto the road of fighting for the throne was the Emperor himself. He smiled slightly and said, "But have you ever thought that maybe he is just using you as a stone, a whetstone to force the Crown Prince to mature."
"I knew that a long time ago." The Second Prince coldly waved his sleeve. "We are both favored by the heavens. Who would be willing to be a whetstone that will break in the future? So, I have to keep fighting. If I really do win, I will be happier to see him regret than sitting on that chair. "
Fan Xian smiled and said, "Why vent your resentment on such a matter? The Great Prince has already been made a Prince, but he seems to know a lot more than the Second Prince. If someone wants to push you into the river to compete in swimming, your best resistance is to fight to the death and not enter the river. At most, you can turn around and fight with the person behind you. It's not to go into the river and strangle your opponent to death. "
The Second Prince finally calmed down. He looked at Fan Xian with shock. "Your words … sound like rebellion."
Fan Xian shook his head indifferently. "The treasonous things Your Highness said today are no less than mine."
The Second Prince's eyebrows suddenly jumped. He looked at Fan Xian. A moment later, he suddenly said, "Help me, Fan Xian."
Fan Xian shook his head calmly, even coldly.
"Why?" The Second Prince quietly said, "In the future, you will have to choose someone."
Fan Xian did not answer him. He only thought … based on blood relations, this person in front of him should be his brother. He was different from other officials. He did not want to make a choice. He was just a little shocked by the Qing Kingdom's ruthless way of teaching, and he gradually grew afraid.
Seeing the Second Prince's "sincere" gaze, Fan Xian finally opened his mouth and said, "Do not get too close to Xinyang. That woman is a very talented madwoman. I don't know what she is thinking."
The Second Prince calmed down. He smiled and sat down.
Fan Xian sighed in his heart. He knew that although the Second Prince was tempted by his power, he still trusted the Eldest Princess's power more. But this was good. At least in the future, when he was dealing with the Second Prince in front of him, his heart would be a little harder.
"I still don't want to be your enemy," the Second Prince said seriously.
Fan Xian was silent for a moment. He suddenly raised his head and said, "Even if the Baoyue Brothel incident did not happen, I would still beat you down to the ground."
A mocking look flashed through the Second Prince's eyes. It seemed that he thought Fan Xian's arrogance had gone too far.
Fan Xian ignored his look and coldly said, "Perhaps this is the only way for you and Hongcheng to survive."
The Second Prince heard the pity and disdain in Fan Xian's voice, and he was furious. He suddenly stood up and stared coldly into Fan Xian's eyes.
Fan Xian mockingly said, "Your Highness, do not ever think that you can control everything. That includes the Baoyue Brothel."
The atmosphere in the tea shop suddenly became cold. Eight people slowly walked in from outside the shop. They were all wearing the same clothes, but it was impossible to tell how old they were.
Every single one of them had a murderous aura hidden deep within their bodies!
Some were like a knife, some were like a sword, and some were like a giant axe that could split open a mountain.
…
…
Fan Xian knew that the Second Prince would not choose to kill him in the busy market. He narrowed his eyes and looked at the eight people who had walked into the tea shop from who knew where. In a quiet voice, he said, "The four generals Gan, Liu, Xie, and Fan, the four gentlemen He, Zhang, Xu, and Cao, the legendary eight generals under the Second Prince's command. So this is what they look like."
The Second Prince looked at him and said, "Fan Xian, I value you, but that does not mean I must need you. So, do not be too arrogant."
Fan Xian stood up and smiled as he waved his hand. He said, "The Qinian Unit under my command cannot beat the eight people under your command, so I will not make a fool of myself. But, there is something that I must say. Your Highness, no matter how many people you have, it is useless for the bigger picture. Otherwise, Chen Pingping would have become Emperor a long time ago."
Amidst his laughter, he threw down his last rebellious sentence and left the teahouse in a carefree manner.
When he walked out of the shop, he seemed to casually pass through the eight most capable family warriors of the Second Prince. He only slightly shrugged his shoulders in front of the Gan and Xie Generals and waved his hand in front of the Xu and Cao Princes. A faint breath of air came into contact with the murderous aura of the eight people that had yet to be released. In an instant, it spread along the wooden pillars of the tea shop and mixed with the autumn afternoon sunlight outside the tea shop. There was no trace of it anymore.
…
…
A moment after Fan Xian left, the Second Prince rested his chin on the table and furrowed his brows slightly. He didn't know why he had suddenly lost his composure in front of Fan Xian and said many things that had been hidden in the depths of his heart. He took a deep breath, and a glimmer of seriousness flashed across his handsome face. In a cold voice, he said, "If there is a day in the future when you need to kill him, how many people do you need?"
Xie Bi 'an slowly put the sheathed sword back into his white sleeve and said woodenly, "I alone will be enough."
Fan Wujiu's face was dark, and he shook his head slightly. He said, "Even if the eight generals were to come together, they might not be able to keep Sir Fan junior."
The Second Prince was a little lost in thought. He thought that even the eight generals did not care about Fan Xian's words. This Fan Xian was a character that he could not see through. But then he remembered that after the Baoyue Brothel incident, Fan Xian would not make a move against him for a while. He shook his head and stopped thinking about it.
— — —
Sitting in the carriage, Fan Xian carefully used water to wash away the faint fragrance that remained on his fingers. He was a little disappointed with the conversation. Although he had taken a great risk to draw out some of the Second Prince's thoughts, there was no useful information. He still did not understand the arrangements between him and the Eldest Princess. It looked like the Second Prince was a person with a calm mind and a scholarly spirit. But he was not a caring sister, so there was no point in knowing these things.
The carriage arrived at Fan Manor. He jumped down from the carriage and calmly walked through the corner door. He quickly walked to the back garden, ignoring the confused faces of the Fan and Liu family members. He went straight to the study room, pushed open the door with his steady hands, and then kicked it open.
Inside the study room, there was a scream. Under the horrified gazes of the entire family, Fan Sizhe, who had no idea what had happened, was kicked into a ball and smashed into the armchair, breaking it into several pieces.
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.
