The Fan manor was now divided into a front and back manor, occupying a large area in the south of the city. Between the two manors was a garden with fake mountains and flowing water. Naturally, the garden was not small. It was winter, and the trees had long hardened. Only a few frozen plum blossoms were still growing. Early that morning, there was a sudden rush of breathing in the Fan manor garden.
"Heh, heh, heh, heh."
Fan Xian was wearing an unlined robe and was running around the garden wall. He had just recovered from his injury and was in a rush to train his body. Inevitably, it was a little strenuous, and he was panting heavily. The two Tiger Guards on duty and a few swordsmen of the Sixth Bureau were vigilantly guarding every corner of the garden, ensuring the safety of the commissioner's morning training.
Outside the study, Deng Zi Yue and Gao Da had strange expressions on their faces. Their gazes followed Fan Xian. They did not understand why Fan Xian ran for so long every morning, and Fan Xian had never explained it. Training twice a day was a good habit he had developed since he was very young. Now that he was injured and could not train his zhenqi, he could only put in more effort in training his body. Hidden hard work was one of Fan Xian's best qualities.
However, none of the servants in the backyard looked at the young master who was running. These days, everyone was used to it. They squatted in front of the stone steps of the servants' room, brushing their teeth, and chatting with each other while blowing foam. These were the best things in the palace treasury, and only the back manor of the Fan manor would be willing to buy them for the servants. Fan Xian was a person with a slight obsession with mental cleanliness.
The ten laps were finally over. Fan Xian stood under the eaves outside the study, panting heavily. His hands were on his hips, and his head was lowered. He looked just like Yao Ming in the fourth quarter. He waved his hand, signaling for the servant girl who was holding the copper basin to wait a moment.
His family's women were still in the Cang Mountains, so the former residence had sent a maid to serve him. The maid, who had two braided braids, curiously looked at the sweaty face of the young master. She felt very strange in her heart. Why did a character like the young master have to make himself suffer like this? She put the copper basin on the bench and covered Fan Xian with a coat. She flicked the water with her little finger to test the temperature of the water. "Young master," she said quietly, "the water is very hot. It will get cold if we wait any longer."
Fan Xian nodded and reached into the copper basin to pick up the towel. He didn't care at all about the scalding water and didn't wring it much. He lowered his body and placed the towel on his face, wiping vigorously.
Water droplets dripped down from the towel and his cheeks.
After washing his face, his face was slightly red from the heat, and he seemed to be in much better spirits. His eyes were clear and full of spirit. He threw the towel back into the basin and looked at the two people beside him. After thinking for a moment, he said, "We are going to enter the palace today. Ziyue, go to the First Bureau and see if there are any Council matters that have been suppressed these few days."
Deng Zi Yue responded and left. Fan Xian glanced at Gao Da again and said, "Wait for me outside for a while. I have something to discuss with you in a bit."
After the situation in the capital had settled, Fan Xian knew that the palace did not intend to destroy him physically. He no longer had any reservations and summoned four Tiger Guards to come down from the Cang Mountains. Gao Da was not on duty today, so he was a bit confused when Fan Xian called for him. Hearing Fan Xian say this, he felt a bit more at ease and stayed outside the study.
Entering the quiet study, the light in Fan Xian's eyes dimmed a bit. He sat down on a chair and carefully examined the condition of his body. He found that the condition of his body after the explosion of zhenqi last time had not changed much. His meridians were still riddled with holes, and the zhenqi scattered among his internal organs was temporarily well-behaved and had not harmed the functions of his internal organs. Under these circumstances, he did not dare to forcibly circulate his zhenqi. But if he waited for his meridians to automatically recover, who knew how long that would take?
After returning from the Cang Mountains, Fan Xian had been very quiet. He did not participate in the discussions and struggles of the outside world. In the eyes of Chen Pingping, Fan Jian, and Fei Jie, the older generation, perhaps the young man had been frightened by the successive shocks. Furthermore, that level of political struggle was indeed not something Fan Xian could control, so they tacitly approved of his silence.
But only Fan Xian himself knew that the biggest reason he appeared so relaxed these days and allowed his elders to arrange things for him was because of the condition of his body. Uncle Wu Zhu had once said that there was no one in this world that could truly be trusted. So Fan Xian only trusted himself. In his eyes, no one's favor, no one's care, was as reassuring as his own strength. Even if he had the Tiger Guards, the Overwatch Council, and the Qinian Unit at his side, if things really did not go well, the only thing he could rely on was his own martial arts.
The problem was, his zhenqi had completely dissipated and he had no ability to protect himself. Although the people outside all thought his injuries were gradually healing, he knew that was far from the case. Thus, he had to be silent. He had to shrink into his shell like a turtle. Although his posture was ugly, it was safer.
A knock came from outside the study. Fan Xian made a sound of acknowledgment. The person who pushed open the door was the wife of the Teng family. She held a tray in her hand. On it were two bowls of medicinal soup and a few small bowls of medicinal pills. It gave off a strong smell of herbs.
Fan Xian's medicine was watched and handled daily by the wife of the Teng family. In such an important process, there were not many people he could completely trust.
The wife of the Teng family placed the tray on the table and quickly went to pour a few cups of warm tea. Like soldiers lining up, she was terrified that she wouldn't have time to pour water while Fan Xian swallowed the medicine.
Fan Xian shook his head. With one hand holding the medicinal bowl and the other grabbing a handful of medicinal pills, he sent them into his mouth without a change in expression.
However, the amount of medicine was too much. Even with his bold and vigorous eating method, it still took a while to clear all of the medicine on the tray.
"It's been hard on you, young master." The wife of the Teng family wore a pitiful expression and smacked her lips as if she was the one taking the medicine.
Other than pity, this woman also greatly admired the young master. Every day, he gulped down so much medicine. What kind of life was this? Yet, the young master's expression did not change and he enjoyed it as if it were malt syrup. Sir Fei of the Overwatch Council was also something. It was just a knife wound. Was there a need to be so nervous and prescribe so much medicine?
Fan Xian smiled and said, "I saved money for breakfast."
The master and servant chatted for a bit before the wife of the Teng family left the study. Fan Xian sat behind the desk and began to stare blankly. Every day, he ate one or two catties of medicine. There was no need to mention his teacher's medical skills. It was indeed very beneficial for strengthening meridians and channels. However, in the end, it was not a complete solution.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but think of Haitang's letter. Was Ku He really willing to pass on the martial method of Tianyi Dao to him?
He smiled self-mockingly. It looked like the other party was preparing to raise him like a fierce tiger. The Qing Kingdom had done this before, such as the Eldest Princess and himself. They all hoped that Shang Shanhu in the North could continue to maintain his bravery and fierceness so that the other party's court would always be in a nervous and uneasy state.
Ku He would not be careless in such an important matter as the martial method of Tianyi Dao being passed on to outsiders. Furthermore, only Haitang had a good relationship with him among the disciples of Tianyi Dao. Fan Xian was certain that the person who would pass on the martial method to the South would be Haitang. Thinking of this, for some reason, Fan Xian began to look forward to that day.
Suddenly, he lowered his gaze and looked at the cups of tea in front of him. He felt that these cups of deep green and yellow tea were very much like one-eyed strange people. After a moment of surprise, he laughed out loud because of his strange ability to make connections. Immediately after, his throat felt dry, his stomach swelled, and the urge to vomit rose up.
Knowing that he had taken too much medicine and taken it too quickly, he quickly picked up a cup of tea and downed it. He rubbed his chest with lingering fear and smiled bitterly. He no longer looked as cool and fierce as he did in front of the wife of the Teng family.
For some reason, after being tormented like this, his mood strangely improved. He tossed his past, hatred, threats, the Royal Palace, Jiangnan, and everything else to the back of his mind. Life was like countless medicinal pills. You had to swallow them slowly. Perhaps it would be bitter, perhaps it would choke, but you still had to eat them. It was always good to be a bit happier.
…
…
Gao Da held his knife behind him with one hand. His feet stood at an irregular angle. His aura was imposing, but no one saw that the hand holding the hilt of the long knife behind him was trembling slightly. He looked at Fan Xian, who was beaming with joy not far in front of him. His heart skipped a beat. He wondered to himself why the commissioner was so happy today. It was completely unlike the mildewed state of a few days ago.
After Fan Xian left the study, only then did Gao Da know that the commissioner had asked him to wake up early to exchange pointers with him.
Gao Da knew that he was not a match for Fan Xian. Furthermore, Fan Xian had recently been heavily injured, so he would not agree. However, he was forced by Fan Xian. In the end, the two of them decided not to use zhenqi to compete. This was exactly what Fan Xian wanted. He didn't have any zhenqi left, so he couldn't really fight.
The Tiger Guard's long knife matched up against the black dagger the palace guards had picked up from the golden chrysanthemum bushes in front of the Hanging Temple. The two aces were fighting in the garden of the Fan manor with real weapons. The clanging and clanging was very lively. It attracted many servants to come and watch the show. Some of the bolder ones even shouted at the top of their lungs to cheer for the young master.
Unable to use zhenqi, he relied entirely on his body's control and reaction speed. In just a moment, Gao Da was at a disadvantage. No technique seemed to be of much use in front of Fan Xian's reaction speed and reaction speed. There was no zhenqi attached to the weapon. Gao Da suddenly discovered that Fan Xian's strength was slightly greater than his. Regarding this problem, he could not understand it no matter how he thought about it. He knew how hard he trained in martial arts. How could the commissioner be above him?
Particularly now that he was facing Fan Xian, he was not only facing a superior subordinate. Whenever he thought of Fan Xian's rumoured past, Gao Da would always feel an unconscious fear when he attacked. As a result, one weakened and the other strengthened. After crossing swords a number of times, the hand holding the long knife began to tremble.
Fan Xian's finger pulled. The slender black dagger cleverly spun a circle in his hand, drawing a circle of black light. It looked very strange. In reality, this was just a technique he had practiced in class in his previous life before he was admitted to the hospital. However, in Gao Da's eyes, this move was truly powerful.
He looked at Gao Da, furrowed his brows, and shook his head. "You can also see that my injury has healed. Don't hold back."
After saying this, the tip of his foot pushed off the slightly slippery winter mud. His entire body tilted forward and charged forward quickly. A cold light flashed through Gao Da's eyes. Finally, his two hands gripped the hilt of the long knife. His legs crouched slightly and he roared, "Break!"
The long knife chopped down squarely and sliced through the morning air in the back courtyard of the Fan manor.
The knife came down quickly, but Fan Xian's attack was even faster. While Gao Da's long knife was still raised above his head, he had already charged in front of him. With a spring of his legs and a pull of his wrist, like a bird with food, he held the dagger and stabbed down viciously.
With a crisp clang, the two of them separated by two steps. They trembled a few times before standing firm. Fan Xian had the upper hand and made it impossible for Gao Da's long knife to fully exert force. Gao Da had the advantage of the weight of the long knife. The two of them fought to a draw.
Fan Xian smiled and waved his hand. "Let's leave it at that for today. Starting tomorrow, we'll fight every day. I think this is good for healing."
After saying this, he coughed and used his sleeve to cover his mouth. Looking at the threads of blood on his sleeve, he did not panic. Although he had not used much zhenqi in that last attack, the blood had rushed back. Without zhenqi to protect his heart meridians, he had still suffered some injuries.
Gao Da did not notice this. He only furrowed his brows and said, "Sir, it's best not to use zhenqi after you're injured. However, replacing training with battle and not using zhenqi doesn't seem to be of much use. After all, when facing an enemy, the difference is too great. Even if you train your body to the extreme, it will not bring much benefit to your realm. "
As the Commander of the Tiger Guards, and seeing Fan Xian running, he mistakenly thought that Fan Xian was planning to walk a new path of cultivation, from external martial arts to internal martial arts. As a matter of course, he reported to his subordinate, and cautiously expressed his opposition to this "crooked path."
Fan Xian smiled. "It's just loosening the meridians. Of course, I know what the foundation is. You don't have to worry."
There was something he didn't say. In this world, there were indeed people who did not know zhenqi but could still reach the highest realm, such as Uncle Wu Zhu.
Gao Da had already reported to him about the murder in the alley outside the manor the night before. He thought that Uncle Wu Zhu had killed another Xinyang assassin and did not care much. He only thought that one day he would find a secluded manor and have Uncle Wu Zhu cut a few plates of cold shredded radish. He would drink a few cups of wine and reminisce about the happy times he had in Danzhou.
The red sun had risen, and the morning chill had slightly dissipated. The servant girl in the front manor had already come to call for him. Fan Xian went into the room to change and walked toward the front manor. Along the way, he looked at the rising sun and the light winter scenery in the garden. His heart was relaxed and at ease. He had no idea that his closest Uncle Wu Zhu had already floated far away to recover from his injuries or what kind of danger he had faced. Fortunately, it was all in the past.
— — —
The atmosphere at breakfast in Fan Manor was a bit strange.
After all, the people in the front manor did not serve Fan Xian every day, so the pretty little servant girls always liked to greedily peek at the young master's "beauty". In any case, the young master was used to people looking at him and did not care about it. But today, not many servant girls dared to look at Fan Xian, who had just entered the door. They only stood silently behind the table and served him. Occasionally, one of them dared to glance at him, but the expression in their eyes was one of respect and fear.
The imperial power was like the heavens. This idea had long been deeply rooted in the hearts of the common people and scholars. And now, there were rumors that Fan Xian was the illegitimate child of the Emperor and the mistress of the Ye family. Thus, everyone looked at Fan Xian differently. The blood of the imperial family ran in his veins … He was no longer just the loving and respectable young master of the past. He was no longer just a powerful official who excelled in both the pen and the sword. He was the son of the Emperor.
But in this rumor, the role of the master of Fan Manor, Minister of Revenue Fan Jian, was inevitably somewhat awkward. So no matter how curious the servants and servant girls of Fan Manor were, they could not show it at the table, unless they wanted to die. They could only whisper to each other in the middle of the night, under the warm blankets.
Fan Xian could sense that something was amiss, but the beautiful smile on his face did not fade. He walked straight to the table and respectfully bowed to his father, who was sitting upright on it, to pay his respects.
Fan Jian half-closed his eyes to rest, and very naturally nodded his head. Liu Shi, who was sitting next to Fan Jian, had a strange expression on her face. She forced herself to hide it, but the smile on her face was still a bit unnatural.
Liu Shi's family background was deep, and of course, she knew the truth of the rumor. These days, she had long been shocked, especially when she thought about how she had wanted to poison the young man in front of her. Thinking of Fan Xian's true identity, she felt that it was very inappropriate for her to accept this bow. She wanted to stand up and avoid it, but she was afraid that the master would be angry.
As if sensing her strangeness, Fan Jian's lips curled into a faint mocking smile. He slowly opened his eyes, looked at his son in front of him, and said, "You are entering the palace today. Pay attention to your actions."
Fan Xian laughed. "It's not the first time, so there's nothing to pay attention to. Isn't it the same as before?"
Wasn't it the same as before? The meaning of this sentence was simple, but also not simple. Liu Shi, who was listening on the side, felt her heart tremble. While she was still pondering this, the father and son were already smiling at each other. They understood each other very well. One was comforted by the old, and the other was full of admiration. How harmonious.
...
...
As they were eating, they suddenly heard the faint sound of people coming from the east gate of the garden. Fan Jian stopped eating and frowned. "Who is making a racket?" Fan Xian handed over a towel and let Liu Shi wipe the grains of porridge from his father's beard. He knew that ever since his father left his life in Liujing River, he had walked the path of righteousness. Seeing his father's slightly angry appearance, he couldn't help but laugh. "What could possibly happen? Eat your meal in peace."
A servant hurried to the door of the manor to say something, and a servant girl came in to say something. Fan Anzhi was shocked to hear this. He no longer cared about persuading his father to eat in peace. He put down his chopsticks and stared at the door, not knowing what to say.
The mistress, Lin Wan'er, and the mistress, Fan Ruoruo, had already led Sisi and Siqi, the two servant girls, and a group of attendants back to the capital in a carriage. They had already arrived at the gate of the manor!
Fan Xian looked at his father in surprise. "Father, didn't we hide this from the mountain?"
Wan'er and Ruoruo's group had hurried back to the capital in the early morning. Presumably, they had moved yesterday, and had come back overnight. They were in such a hurry that even the Tiger Guards and Overwatch Council officials left on the mountain hadn't had time to send a message to him … this was because the girls had finally learned of the rumors circulating in the capital. They were worried about Fan Xian, so of course they had rushed back.
Fan Jian knew that his daughter-in-law and daughter had returned home, and his expression had already returned to normal. He took the towel from Liu Shi and wiped his face, then lowered his head to eat his porridge. He spoke slowly. "Ye Ling'er and Princess Roujia are both on the mountain. How long can this be hidden?"
Seeing his son's blank expression, Fan Jian smiled. "You young people have things to say. Go to the back of the manor. In a bit, the little kitchen will make you some new food. Coming down from the cold mountain, make something hot."
Fan Xian knew that his father had given him permission, so he hurriedly complied and went out to receive them.
— — —
The back of the manor was silent. Fan Xian, Wan'er, and Ruoruo sat in the room like three clay Bodhisattvas. It seemed that they didn't know who should speak. After all, this matter was a bit complicated. If Fan Xian were to explain, he would probably have to say a long story. If he were to let the girls ask, they didn't know what the rumors were about. Asking random questions would make Fan Xian unhappy.
A moment later, it was Wan'er who finally bit her lower lip and probingly asked, "Have the rumors in the capital died down?"
"No." Hearing his wife's question, Fan Xian actually let out a big breath in his heart. He smiled and replied, "How can things like rumors die down so quickly … and you two, how big of a deal is this? Is it worth rushing down the mountain and traveling through the night? What if you two fall? How am I supposed to live? "
He was now teaching his wife and sister a lesson, but he had forgotten that when he first came down the mountain, he was like a frightened stray dog. He had been ridiculed by Fan Jian and Chen Pingping.
"I'm going into the Palace in a bit." Fan Xian thought for a bit and looked at his sister, who wanted to say something but stopped herself, and his wife, whose face was full of helplessness. He smiled slightly and said, "If there is anything, we can talk about it when we get back tonight … but I want to say something first. I, Fan Xian, will always be Fan Xian. I can give you this promise."
…
…
Fan Xian went out and began to prepare for the Palace. Sisi, with a face full of exhaustion, moved in front of him. Sisi had grown up with Fan Xian. Their affection did not need to be said. More importantly, she had been influenced by Fan Xian to become very bold. There were no taboos or too many thoughts of seniority. Lin Wan'er and Ruoruo both had some questions that they couldn't ask, but this serving girl was more direct. She mysteriously pulled Fan Xian's sleeve and came to a quiet place in the garden. She opened her mouth and asked,
"Young master, I heard from Lady Ye that your … mother is the mistress of the Ye family?"
Fan Xian laughed loudly and patted Sisi's head. "Sisi is still the most straightforward." Then, he lowered his voice and also mysteriously replied, "Yes."
Sisi's mouth opened wide and immediately turned into a silly smile. This serving girl was older than Fan Xian by two years, but she still had such a soft and dazed personality. She was still not satisfied with her gossipy heart and continued to ask, "Then … are you really … the Emperor's son?"
(To be continued, if you want to know what happened next, please go to WWW. CMFU. com. More chapters. Support the author. Support original reading!)
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