The shopkeepers of Qingyu Hall had always felt the pulse of the palace treasury and managed the businesses of the various Kings. It had been many years since they had made an appearance. But Si Qing'er was a girl who had worked her way up from being a prostitute to being a top-notch madam. She was someone who was willing to learn, had a desire to improve, and had a deep understanding of the ways of business. She knew the old men of Qingyu Hall well. As long as they were in business, they all had a deep respect for the elders of the Ye family. It was the same as how the scholars of the world looked at Zhuang Mohan.
So when Si Qing'er saw the Three-leaf shopkeeper arrive, she immediately gave up all thoughts of playing tricks on the accounts. She was even more prepared to lose everything. She gracefully stepped forward and respectfully bowed.
The Three-leaf shopkeeper was probably in his fifties, and the beard on his chin was dyed white. He looked at Si Qing'er's beautiful face and nodded his head in appreciation.
Shi Chanli was frozen to the side, wondering why Master Xian had sent such an old pervert.
The Three-leaf Leaf sighed and said, "This lady … You must be the owner of this building. I look at the location of the building, the lighting, and the decorations. They are all the work of a genius. I am truly impressed. If you are willing to continue to stay in the building, I will return to Commissioner Fan. There is no need for my old bones to meddle. "
Si Qing'er looked embarrassed and said, "You are too kind. Everything in this building is the work of the owner. It has nothing to do with me."
The third Ye shopkeeper had a look of pity on his face. He sighed and said, "This big boss is indeed a genius in business … how could he … offend Fan …" Fortunately, he was old and not stupid. He knew his words were going too far, so he quickly shut his mouth under the gaze of Shi Chanli, who looked at him like he was an old monster. He only shook his head vigorously and looked around. His expression was full of the sigh of someone who was at the peak of Dong Mountain but did not see any aces.
In the eyes of the old shopkeepers of Qingyu Hall, who had been involved in the business for twenty years, although the Bao Yue Brothel was a shady business, the building was very bright. There was a lake behind the building, and there was a courtyard by the lake. The waiters knew when to stop and when to stop, and they knew how to be polite. The girls were not arrogant, and they did not lose their composure. It was a perfect fit for the hearts of the customers. The man who was in charge of all of this was a man who had a deep understanding of business.
The old shopkeeper sighed. Shi Chanli couldn't help but shake his head, thinking that the second young master of the Fan family was not a simple son of a noble family. It was a wonderful thing, though. The two brothers of the Fan family were different from the rest of the world.
There had been no news from the palace, so Si Qing'er did not dare make a decision about the third prince's money. But now that the collection team had arrived, they had to bring out the account books for both parties to check. Although most businesses in the Qing Kingdom had open accounts and secret accounts, in front of the Three-leaf shopkeeper, Si Qing'er did not dare play any tricks. In the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, the Bao Yue Brothel's money had been clearly accounted for. The 30 percent of the shares, which had been converted into a thousand liang of silver, had been temporarily separated. All that was left was to wait for the news from the third prince. After that, the entire Bao Yue Brothel would become Shi Chanli's business.
After finishing all of this, Si Qing'er thought that the next owner of the Bao Yue Brothel would be the Three-leaf Leaf shopkeeper of Qingyu Hall. She did not expect the old shopkeeper to leave in a carriage, which surprised Si Qing'er.
What surprised her even more was that the new owner of the Bao Yue Brothel was someone she knew.
"Sang Wen?" Si Qing'er was stunned, but she quickly came to her senses. After Fan Xian had forcefully bought Sang Wen away, there had been no news of her. Now she was back!
Shi Chanli looked at her expression and said, "Not bad. This Lady Sang will be the owner of the Bao Yue Brothel from now on."
Si Qing'er forced herself to bow to Sang Wen. Back when they were in the brothel, Sang Wen was always cold and unyielding because of her reputation. It was inevitable that Si Qing'er would make things difficult for her. Now that she had become the owner of the Bao Yue Brothel, she knew she would not have a good time. She suppressed the anger in her chest and prepared to return to her room to pack up her belongings.
Sang Wen was a little uneasy. Mister Fan had treated her well, and since he had given her the responsibility of managing the Bao Yue Brothel, she had to take care of it properly. But she was also a little afraid of the third prince's power. Seeing that Si Qing'er was willing to back down, she felt relieved.
Shi Chanli furrowed his eyebrows and said, "Lady Qing'er, you cannot leave."
Si Qing'er coldly laughed and said, "I did not sign a contract with the Bao Yue Brothel. Why can't I leave?"
Shi Chanli felt a headache coming on and loosened the buttons on his collar. After thinking for a while, he said, "I have never run a brothel before. Lady Sang is only a singer. If you leave, I do not know if the Bao Yue Brothel will be able to make money."
Si Qing'er now knew that he still needed her. She couldn't help but feel proud of herself. She smiled and said, "If …"
Before she could finish her sentence, Shi Chanli cut her off and said, "Mister Fan has said that if he does not say anything, you are not allowed to leave the Bao Yue Brothel."
Si Qing'er was angry. She finally understood that it was not that he needed her, but rather that he wanted her dead. She was just a woman. Even if she had some connection to the third prince, if the commissioner of the Overwatch Council had spoken, how could she say no? In this world, there was no official who would go against the Overwatch Council for the sake of a prostitute. Not even the princes would do something like that. If Mister Fan wanted to destroy her, it would be easier than killing an ant.
"What do you want me to do?" she asked, a little absent-mindedly.
Shi Chanli said, "Mister Fan … Oh, no, I am going to make some small changes to the Bao Yue Brothel. I think Lady Qing'er will be of some use in this. Perhaps in the future, all the brothels in the Qing Kingdom will need these changes."
Si Qing'er was shocked. The Bao Yue brothel's business was doing well, so the big boss had already used some of his capital to open up more branches in other provinces. But as of now, the brothel business in the Qing Kingdom did not have a large share. As for changes, this was how the brothel business had been run since ancient times. Unless, like the big boss, the brothel made some changes to its operations. Was Fan Xian really going to go crazy and stop all the prostitutes in the world from selling?
But the problem was … if the prostitutes did not sell, and if the pimps did not take in customers, would it still be a brothel?
Shi Chanli did not know what she was thinking, and so he followed the instructions of his teacher and said, "First, the girls in the brothel, from this day forward, are to change their death contracts to living contracts. This will be for five years, and when the time is up, they will be free to go. Second, the Bao Yue Brothel must have a doctor to ensure that the girls are healthy, and only then can they receive customers. Third … "
Before he finished, Si Qing'er was confused and asked, "Change to living contracts? What is the need for that? "
Shi Chanli explained, "Sir … Ahem, I was wrong again. I thought that in this line of work, five years is the limit. We have to give people something to think about. If they think that they can only be ridden by others for the rest of their lives, and that there is no chance of them being redeemed, the girls will be in a bad mood. Naturally, they will not be able to treat the guests well."
Si Qing'er mockingly said, "Five years is up. Do you think we, poor women, can stop selling? Who is going to remove their registration? "
The brothels of the Qing Kingdom were not registered. Once a prostitute became a prostitute, she could not leave the brothel for the rest of her life. Unless she was redeemed, or the government had given them a special order. According to what was said before, the Bao Yue Brothel signed a living contract for five years. After five years, the prostitutes in the brothel would not be able to escape. Regarding this question, Shi Chanli did not answer. Master Xian had said that he would deal with it in the future.
Si Qing'er mockingly said, "As for the doctors, that is even more ridiculous. The girls in the brothel are of low status, and no doctor would be willing to visit them. It is difficult to even see a patient, so how could there be a doctor who would be willing to stay in the brothel? Would the men be willing to lose face like that?"
Sang Wen, who had been silent this entire time, smiled and said, "The commissioner said that he has many students in the Third Bureau of the Overwatch Council. Hiring a few doctors would not be a problem."
Si Qing'er gave a wry smile and thought to herself that the Third Bureau of the Overwatch Council was the poison department that everyone feared. Was he going to become a doctor? She increasingly felt that Fan Xian was a man who only knew how to dream. She mockingly said, "So what if there are doctors? Even if the girls are clean, who can guarantee that the guests will not suffer from venereal diseases? "
Shi Chanli felt a headache coming on and said, "This … I do not have a good idea." It was not that he did not have a good idea; it was that Fan Xian's idea of industrializing prostitution had run into the problem of not being able to popularize condoms.
"Listen to the last few things first." He coughed and continued to say, "From now on, things like forced buying and selling cannot happen again. If something like this happens again … you will be held responsible."
He stared into Si Qing'er's eyes until she lowered her head.
"Things like young prostitutes cannot happen again."
"There should be a rule for drawing water, and it should be based on the brands of the girls."
"The girls should have three days off every month, and they can do whatever they want."
…
…
As "Big Boss Shi" continued to speak, not only did Si Qing'er's face change, but even Sang Wen was dazzled. Finally, Si Qing'er could not help but open her eyes wide and say, "If this goes on … is the Bao Yue brothel a brothel or a charity hall?"
Shi Chanli looked at her and said, "The master has said that you are someone who was raised by Yuan Xian. Logically speaking, he should punish you. But because of your poor background, he will give you a chance to redeem yourself. You do not need to worry about whether the Bao Yue brothel is a brothel or a charity hall. In any case, you should follow Lady Sang's lead and do your business. If you succeed in this endeavor, you can spread it all over the world. In the future, hundreds of thousands of girls in this brothel will be indebted to you. Consider it repaying the debt you have owed over the past few months.
At this point, Shi Chanli finally brought up Fan Xian's name without hesitation.
Si Qing'er was silent, and no one knew what she was thinking. Her face was full of fear.
In fact, Shi Chanli's heart was full of fear. Although the Bao Yue brothel would be monitored by Sang Wen, who had already joined the First Bureau of the Overwatch Council, he was a scholar, and a student of Fan Xian. Would he never be able to become an official? Would he only be able to stay in a brothel and be the owner of a brothel?
He looked at Sang Wen, and found that this woman, who had been a singer and singer, was calm and steady. It did not seem as if she was troubled by this.
— — —
A few days later, there was an autumn rain midway, and it was mournful and rustling, forcefully turning the clear autumn air into a cold rainy night.
The Bao Yue brothel had been taken over by Fan Xian, and the second prince had already sensed an ominous omen. He had begun to make arrangements. Fan Xian, on the other hand, appeared to be rather relaxed. These few days, he did not go to the First Bureau, nor did he go to Xinfeng Restaurant to eat buns. Instead, he went to the Imperial College, and with a group of young teachers, he organized the carriage of books he had brought back from Northern Qi.
The autumn wind blew, and the water droplets that had been hanging on the clouds for a while finally fell. They were so sparse that it was irritating. From Danbo Bookstore, Fan Xian walked north for a while, and then he arrived at the gate of the Imperial College. A large area here was managed by the Imperial College and the Tongwen Pavilion. The government offices that had been set up in the first year of the Qing calendar had long been dismantled.
Fan Xian raised his black umbrella and walked among the students of the Imperial College. Occasionally, he would nod and greet the students who respectfully greeted him. Although his status was different from before, the Emperor had not removed him from his fifth-level official position. Furthermore, he had given verbal orders for him to come to the Imperial College when he had time.
Although he did not like being a teacher and had never come to class, he used his official position to come to the Imperial College to read books and hide from the wind and rain outside. He was very willing to do so.
The first day he came to the Imperial College, the students could not help but be surprised. It had been almost a year since Sir Fan junior had come to the Imperial College. When the students thought of this young man, who now held a position in the Overwatch Council, they could not help but feel a sense of conflict and fear. They were not as enthusiastic as they had been a year ago. It was not until a few hours later that they realized Sir Fan junior was as easy to get along with as he had been in the past that they became lively again.
Arriving outside the study that the Imperial College had left for him, Fan Xian put away his umbrella and looked at the gloomy weather outside. He could not help but frown and push open the door to enter.
Inside the room, a few of the Imperial College's teachers were organizing the books that Zhuang Mohan had given them. For the Kingdom of Qing, the books in this carriage had a very beautiful symbolic meaning. The Emperor greatly valued them, so the Imperial College did not dare to be negligent. The work of copying and maintaining the books was being carried out in an orderly manner.
Seeing Sir Fan enter, the teachers hurriedly stood up and bowed.
Fan Xian smiled and returned the greeting. The people in front of him were all mediocre and unaccomplished people. Because it was difficult for him to repair Zhuang Mohan's books by himself, he had forcibly taken them from the Imperial College. They had gotten along quite well over the past few days.
The black cloth umbrella was placed in a corner, and water began to seep through the floor. There was a dark stove in the room, and as the two warmed, Fan Xian suddenly felt the humidity in the room increase. Feeling a little uncomfortable, he loosened his collar and said, "It's not good to be too wet. The weather is not cold yet. Sir, let us endure it for a while. How about we put out the stove?"
One of the teachers explained, "Books need a certain temperature to be stored. It's not good to be too cold."
Fan Xian knew this, and said, "It's not winter yet. It should be fine to leave these books in the room. It's not good to be too damp either."
Everyone agreed, and began to bury their heads in their work. The Imperial College had inherited the style of the Kingdom of Qing's court. It paid attention to practical matters, and was not easy to talk about. It was very different from Northern Qi. Fan Xian sat back down at his table, but before he had time to start working, he was asked to leave. Someone wanted to see him.
...
...
"Why have you returned to the Imperial College today?" Fan Xian was a little surprised to see Shu Wu the Scholar sitting in a chair, and he bowed respectfully.
After his father-in-law, the Prime Minister, had stepped down, and the Minister of the Board of Rites had been hanged, the civil officials in the court had become a mess. Some were secretly watching Fan Xian, and some were following the Eastern Palace. Instead, it was the Second Prince, who had always been quiet, who, because of his many years of business and literary fame, had the most support from the civil officials.
Shu Wu the Scholar had once been a student of Zhuang Mohan, and had always had a great reputation. In terms of seniority, he was second to none in the court. But because he had passed the imperial examination in Northern Wei, he was now an official in the Kingdom of Qing, so there was always a problem. In the turmoil of the fifth year of the Qing calendar, he had accidentally obtained the greatest benefit. Although he had been stripped of his position as Chancellor of the Imperial College, the original Scholar of the Tongwen Pavilion had been implicated in the spring examination incident and had been removed from his position. Shu Wu the Scholar was extremely noble.
The Scholar of the Tongwen Pavilion was extremely noble. With the removal of the Prime Minister and the absence of a new Prime Minister, the Scholar of the Tongwen Pavilion had to enter the palace to discuss matters. He had truly entered the center of the Qing court and was equivalent to a Prime Minister. No matter how powerful Fan Xian was, in front of him, he was still just an unranked official.
Of course, Shu Wu the Scholar was not stupid enough to see Fan Xian as a common official. If that was the case, he would not have come to find Fan Xian today.
"If Commissioner Fan can calmly return to the Imperial College, why can't I?" Shu Wu joked with Fan Xian, who was about the same age as his son. "It's cold outside, and you, a young man, know how to enjoy life and hide in the Imperial College. What? You don't want the Overwatch Council to be drenched in the rain? "
Cold wind and rain outside? Fan Xian did not know if Shu Wu the Scholar's words had a hidden meaning. He smiled, not knowing how to respond.
After Shi Chanli took over the Baoyue house, Yan Bingyun's actions began to unfold. First, he used the pressure of the Overwatch Council to force the Ministry of Justice to bypass the capital government. He directly issued an arrest warrant, focusing on a few crimes, and began to track down Yuan Meng.
But Yuan Meng could really hide. Under the cover of King Jing's son, Hong Cheng, no one knew where she was hiding. Fan Xian was not in a hurry. After all, issuing the arrest warrant was to lay the groundwork for what would happen next. The later Yuan Meng was caught, the better. In Yan Bingyun's plan, everything was connected. As long as he could achieve the results he wanted, it was fine.
Just two days ago, rumors began to spread throughout the capital. It was said that the brothel owner Yuan Meng, who the Ministry of Justice had been searching for, was actually the mistress of King Jing's son, Li Hongcheng.
Rumors spread easily, especially since Yuan Meng and Li Hongcheng were in a relationship. So, the capital was abuzz with discussion. Li Hongcheng's reputation was like a piece of juicy meat on a hot day, and it was only a matter of time before his reputation became worse.
Li Hongcheng and the second prince were friends, and this was something everyone knew. Not long after, another rumor began to spread. The famous Baoyue house in the capital was, in fact, the second prince. The case of the missing prostitutes being investigated by the Ministry of Justice was inextricably linked to the royal family.
These rumors were very convincing. For example, Yuan Meng used to be a popular figure on Liujing River, but aside from the prince, no one had ever seen her take on any other customers. Another rumor was that on a certain day, the second prince had a long conversation with Commissioner Fan of the Overwatch Council outside of the Bao Yue house. Although no one knew what the conversation was about, the next day, the Fan family sold their shares of the Bao Yue house to a mysterious businessman named Shi.
These rumors were, of course, the work of the Eighth Bureau of the Overwatch Council. When Fan Xian was forced to take up his post during the spring examination, he became the idol of the world's scholars. The Qing Kingdom's Wen Ying Headquarter Office, when it came to creating an image, they were very good at it. When it came to pouring dirty water, they did it very well.
Of course, as the rumors spread, the people of the capital learned that the original owner of the Bao Yue house was actually the second master of the Fan family. The reputation of the Fan family was affected by this.
But the source of the rumors was in the hands of the Fan family. They randomly tossed out a few stories about Commissioner Fan beating his brother, the old minister punishing the family, the second master breaking his leg, and the howling of evil in the garden. The Fan family selling the brothel at a loss was enough to shock the people of the capital. In addition, the Fan family no longer had anything to do with the Bao Yue house, so the rumors quickly died down.
When it came to controlling public opinion, Fan Xian was very familiar with it. Back then, Wu Zhu had written a few thousand leaflets, and he was able to chase the eldest princess out of the palace. Now, he was dealing with the second prince, who was even more immature. Therefore, the people of the capital always believed that the second prince and Li Hongcheng, who did not have any shares in the Bao Yue house, were the true culprits behind the Bao Yue house case. Fan Xian, on the other hand, was an innocent man. The Fan family must have had their reasons for doing so.
Yan Bingyun's next step was to deal with the money between the second prince and the Cui family. Not even Fan Xian knew the specifics, but he trusted Yan Bingyun's abilities. He didn't want to get involved in this.
…
…
Shu Wu, the scholar, looked at him and said with concern, "Did you know that yesterday, the capital government accepted the Bao Yue house case? Your second son's crime is not light. He committed murder, silenced witnesses, and forced prostitution. Today is the day he will be tried."
Fan Xian gave a wry smile and said, "It is unfortunate that our family has produced such an unfilial son."
Shu Wu shook his head and said, "The capital government has not yet gone to the manor to ask for him. I think they have other plans. Mister Fan, the word 'trial' is the most harmful. There is not much room for negotiation in a criminal case. If the capital government continues with the trial, the emperor will be alerted. I don't think it will end well."
After this conversation, Fan Xian knew where the scholar stood. He was speaking on behalf of the civil servants in the court, and he was advising the Fan family to live in peace with the second prince. Not to mention the problem of the court's reputation, these elders believed that when two tigers fought, one would be hurt. Both Fan Xian and the second prince were the best of the Qing Kingdom's younger generation. It didn't matter who lost in this fight, it would be a loss for the Qing Kingdom.
Of course, most people did not think Fan Xian had the right to fight a prince, even though he was the commissioner of the Overwatch Council. Fan Xian understood this, and so he knew that the scholar in front of him was trying to make peace for his sake. He couldn't help but feel touched. He smiled warmly and said, "Thank you for your advice … I believe you have already met the second prince."
Shu Wu nodded. Ever since Fan Xian returned to the capital from Northern Qi, he had been at odds with the second prince. The Overwatch Council had arrested many of the second prince's officials, and if he wanted to make peace, he had to first ask the second prince for his opinion. He did not expect the second prince to be so easy to talk to, and politely asked Shu Wu to speak on Fan Xian's behalf.
…
…
Hearing Shu the Scholar's words, Fan Xian laughed coldly in his heart. The Second Prince's nickname was "Stone." How could he be so easy to get along with? The two sides had already shed all pretenses of cordiality, and he had been forced to send his brother to a distant foreign land. There had to be an explanation for the matter of his father-in-law being taken down by the Eldest Princess and the Second Prince, right?
Furthermore, the spies of the First Bureau of the Overwatch Council had already sent word that the second prince had already brought back the three killers of the Bao Yue brothel, who had been hidden in secret. They were preparing to bring Fan Sizhe back to the capital's court.
The second prince had asked Shu Wu to speak on his behalf to temporarily calm Fan Xian down. Fan Xian was not that stupid, though. He respectfully offered tea to Shu Wu and said, "This has nothing to do with the Council, and it has nothing to do with me. I have been guarding the Imperial College these past few days because I was afraid someone might misunderstand."
Shu Wu could not help but smile wryly. The wrinkles on his face were full of pity, and he said, "Why fight with him? Even if we win this time, so what? No matter how many times we win, it cannot compare to the happiness of the Emperor. "
Fan Xian's heart jumped, and he knew that these words were true. He felt even more grateful to the old scholar in front of him. Although he had other thoughts in his heart, he still responded warmly, "Since you have spoken, then I have nothing else to say. As long as the capital government leaves the Fan family some face, the Ministry of Justice case will not be investigated too deeply."
In the eyes of an old official like Shu Wu, Fan Xian's reply seemed a bit rash. In the officialdom, there was always a need to conceal one's dignity. How could there be such a clear and unmistakable reason to talk about such illegal matters in front of the Prime Minister? But he also knew that Fan Xian's personality was like this. He smiled in satisfaction and did not say anything. He only watched the rain outside the window of the Imperial College.
…
…
Three li from the Jingdou government office, by the side of the Imperial Mountain Road, the autumn rain was falling heavily.
The case of the missing prostitutes in the Bao Yue brothel had already been investigated. Although the bodies had not yet been found, the capital government had already found the three murderers involved in the murder. If the three men who killed the prostitutes were arrested and brought to justice, then they would be able to claim that the second master of the Fan family was the mastermind behind the incident. This would be a huge blow to the Fan family, and it would also clear the second prince's name.
So, these three men were important figures. The second prince's people still did not understand why the Fan family had sent these three men to the capital government after carrying out the family's punishment. Did this not give them something to use against them?
But it was not until the Fan family sold the Bao Yue brothel and began to investigate Yuan Meng and point their finger at Li Hongcheng that the second prince realized that Fan Xian was using these three men to make him feel better. He thought he had chosen peace, and so his reaction was delayed for a few days. But the second prince still felt that Fan Xian was being unwise. As long as these three men were in his hands, where could the fat, pockmarked man of the Fan family run to?
Now, the second prince was truly angry. Fan Xian really did not know how high the sky was and how deep the earth was. He dared to make a move against the second prince. Even the ghosts knew that the rumors in the capital were spread by him. At this time, although Crown Prince Hongcheng was also very depressed, he could not go to the Fan manor to fight Fan Xian. This was because King Jing was the first to get angry. After a beating, he locked him up in the manor to avoid the storm that was brewing in the capital.
…
…
"Watch him carefully. Do not let anyone else have the opportunity to come in contact with him. Do not give them the opportunity to retract their statements!" Fan Wujiu, one of the eight generals of the second prince's manor, had a gloomy expression on his face. He said to the bailiffs sent by the capital government, "If you fail this mission, be careful of your own life."
The bailiffs of the capital government nervously nodded. He was not nervous about this mission, but he was nervous about facing the eight generals of the second prince. Yu Shan Road was only three miles away from the capital government. If it were not for the fact that he wanted to avoid suspicion, Fan Wujiu would have personally escorted these three men to the capital government's prison.
The carriage began to move, and in the dark autumn rain, Fan Wujiu watched from afar. The carriage traveled in the rain, as usual. There were not many people on the street, and only a few passersby with umbrellas in their hands walked by.
At this time, the passersby began to move. They flipped their umbrellas and pulled out sharp, black-stained weapons. Calmly, they stabbed into the carriage.
Fan Wujiu was shocked and rushed in that direction. But he was still some distance away from the carriage. Seeing the speed at which these people were moving, he knew he would not be able to save them in time.
The sharp needles were as sharp as tofu. They pierced into the walls of the carriage and killed the three people inside.
The passersby pulled out the needles and did not make any unnecessary movements. Holding their umbrellas, they walked into the alleys on the side of the street and disappeared into the rain.
…
…
Fresh blood flowed from the carriage. Fan Wujiu rushed over with a cold face. He pulled open the curtain and his face changed. The wounds all showed how professional the person who did it was. It was only a simple stab, and they were already dead.
Fan Wujiu could not help but take a deep breath. He began to worry for the second prince. To kill the three people in the carriage so cleanly was already difficult. What was even more frightening was that the other side knew exactly when they would move the witnesses. It seemed that the Overwatch Council had hidden many spies in the second prince's camp, which was why they were able to control the timing and location of the attack so well.
This assassination was so perfectly planned that it looked so natural and simple. It was like eating a meal, and it was not very thrilling.
Only an expert like Fan Wujiu could find a soul-stirring feeling in such a plain killing situation.
He did not need to think to know who had done it. Other than the assassins of the Sixth Bureau of the Overwatch Council who always hid in the dark, who else could have done it? His face grew paler. He could not help but think, if those passersby had been trying to assassinate him, would he have been able to survive?
Everyone in the second prince's camp seemed to have underestimated Fan Xian's power. That was because the new generation of people in the Kingdom of Qing did not know … how terrifying the Overwatch Council was.
Fan Wujiu nervously rubbed the dagger in his sleeve. For the first time, he felt that he should leave the second prince and save himself.
…
…
"My chess skills are not good. I play chess because I don't want to take the pieces," Fan Xian said with a face full of shame.
He was playing chess with Shu Wu at the Imperial College. The court had ended early, and the disaster relief in the south was almost over. That was why Shu the Scholar had so much free time. After only two rounds of chess, the old man found that Fan Xian, such an intelligent and quick-witted genius, was a complete and utter lousy chess player. He could not help but change his expression. He felt that playing this kind of chess, even if he won, would not be fun.
Shu Wu sighed and said, "Fan Xian, Fan Xian, I see that you are very clever in everything you do. How is it that you are so lousy at chess?"
The two of them casually talked about the matters of the court. Because Minister Fan rarely talked about such things in the manor, and the Overwatch Council could not investigate their disputes in court, Fan Xian listened with great interest. He smelled some of the important matters of court that he could not touch with at his current rank. Now, Yan Xiaoyi was the Governor in the north and endlessly stretched out his hand for silver. The small battles in the south were also ongoing. The Kingdom of Qing was currently lacking in silver.
Fan Xian's heart was now at ease. As long as the Emperor needed silver, the palace treasury would fall into his hands next year. The Eldest Princess was good at scheming, but when it came to making money from business, it was not very reassuring.
The rain had stopped, and Fan Xian did not have the right to ask the old man to stay for a meal. He respectfully saw the scholar out the door, then turned around and returned to the room. He began to look through the collection of books that Master Zhuang had given him. After the teachers had left, he still had not left. He held a book in his hands, lost in thought.
He knew what had happened in the capital today, but he did not take it to heart. The three people were already dead, but the families of the dead prostitutes had now come to the capital government to complain, pointing their fingers at the Fan family.
Of course, Fan Xian would not kill them to silence them. The three people who had died today had been secretly hidden by the second prince. If he killed him, the second prince would not be able to report it to the Emperor. Although Fan Xian was not a good person, he did not have the heart to kill the victims.
In fact, he understood that if he did not care about his status, as the Commissioner of the Overwatch Council, the resources and power he held were far greater than the second prince's. If there were no accidents in this battle, of course, he would win.
But the world did not know this.
The only thing that Fan Xian cared about was the attitude of the Emperor in the palace. If the Emperor felt that these little bastards playing around was nothing, then Fan Xian could continue to play. He actually had a good grasp of the Emperor's thoughts. The second prince... was just a whetstone. Although he was used to sharpen the Crown Prince, he was also used to sharpen the future Overwatch Council Director Fan junior. Looking at Director Fan junior's methods and thoughts, it seemed like a good choice.
Of course, if Fan Xian really did go too far, the palace would only need to issue an edict to settle the matter. He was not worried that the Emperor would hurt him because of this matter. On the contrary, he would laugh at himself and think, "Everyone is a bastard. You, the Emperor, can't kiss one egg and kiss another."
The rain in Jingdou stopped. He quietly avoided everyone's gaze and left the Imperial College. In a clothing store, he took off his outer garment, revealing the pure "work clothes" underneath. He then took a normal outer garment from the hands of the lowly shopkeeper and put it on. Only then did he flip over his rain hat to hide his face and disappear into the streets of Jingdou.
…
…
The rain had already stopped. The leaden clouds in the sky seemed to have been melted by the sun. They gradually thinned and flattened, then gradually split apart. Following the arc of the sky, they flowed toward the four corners of the sky, revealing a large piece of blue sky in the center and the particularly fresh autumn day after their victory.
The sun shone on the outside of the yamen of the capital government. A few rays of light penetrated into the hall, clearly illuminating the "Just and Honorable" sign in the hall.
There was already a crowd gathered outside the capital government, waiting for the prefectural magistrate to personally investigate the Baoyue Brothel case, which had recently caused a stir. This case had a background, a murder, and involved a prostitute that made people's imaginations run wild. It happened in a place of pleasure, and it satisfied many of the aesthetic requirements of the people of Jingdou. Thus, it was the focus of everyone's attention. If one did not know much about this case, it would be embarrassing to speak up. If the carriage drivers did not know the whole story of this case, they would not have the face to drive a carriage for a customer.
Fan Xian disguised himself as a passerby and blended into the crowd. He looked into the yamen and couldn't help but feel a strange feeling in his heart. The capital government was the most important yamen, and the changes in personnel in the last two years could not escape his involvement. He was afraid that once this matter was over, the Jingdou prefectural magistrate would have to apologize and resign.
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