The restaurant that the Fan siblings had chosen was called Yishi Tavern. It was one of the wealthiest places in the capital, so every noon, there were always rich officials, scholars, and beautiful women who came here to drink and chat. But no one knew where these scholars earned their money, and why these beautiful women were willing to show their faces in public. In any case, the third floor was quiet, and if one did not have the appropriate status, they would not be able to go up.
Because everyone knew that those who could sit at the table on the third floor of Yishi Tavern were people of high status, there were very few conflicts. After all, the capital was not small, but there were many hidden connections in the officialdom. Who knew who was behind them?
The one who had just spoken out to refute "Fan Xian's theory of peddling things on the street" was a true scholar. His name was He Zongwei, and he had always been famous for his talent. He was highly appreciated by the scholars in the capital, so he was a bit arrogant. A few days ago, He Zongwei was reading "Dream of the Red Chamber" at a friend's place. Although he was very dissatisfied with the meaning of the book, and didn't think there was anything special about the poems, he still admired the author's meticulous effort in writing hundreds of thousands of words.
Today, he had come to the restaurant and drunk two or three cups of yellow wine. He was slightly tipsy, but he heard a few ignorant youths in the room next door talking nonsense about 'Dream of the Red Chamber'. His heart was filled with anger, and he shouted these words.
At that moment, the three Fan siblings had finished eating and were chatting over tea. Hearing this, Fan Sizhe thought of his earlier boasting. He thought of how they had criticized Fan Xian, and how he had lost face. He couldn't help but be angry. He was born into the Fan clan, and was extremely noble. He had always run amok on the streets, so he didn't want to be insulted by these pedantic scholars. He lifted the curtain and jumped into the hall on the third floor.
Fan Xian thought that since he had just entered the capital, it would be better to keep a low profile. He looked at his sister and asked for her opinion. Fan Ruoruo knew what he was thinking. She smiled and shook her head, indicating that Fan Sizhe wouldn't go too far.
Over the past two years, Fan Sizhe had gradually grown older. Under Fan Ruoruo's advice, he had become more sensible. Smashing and robbing on the streets had basically disappeared, which was why Fan Sizhe was so relaxed.
Fan Sizhe rushed into the hall and accurately picked out He Zongwei from the crowd. He walked over to the scholar and snorted. "Were you the one who said that?"
"What if I was?" He Zongwei's skin was dark, and his face was prominent. He looked a bit ugly. When he saw someone rushing out from the inner room, he knew that his words had offended someone. However, when he saw the arrogant appearance of the rich and powerful's son, his blood rushed to his head. He said coldly, "You're so young, yet you speak so rudely. I wonder which family taught you."
Although this gifted scholar He had a wide circle of friends in the capital, he had never met the twelve-year-old Fan Sizhe, so he was very courageous.
Fan Sizhe was just going to scold him a little, but when he heard the word "upbringing", he remembered how his mother usually scolded him. He shouted angrily, "You bastard, whose family are you?"
He Zongwei had long forgotten his sister's teachings. He jumped up and slapped the man's face.
He Zongwei had never expected that someone would dare to be so tyrannical in a place as elegant as Stone Tavern. He hurriedly took half a step back and dodged the slap. The green scarf on his head was torn, and he looked a bit wretched.
The people who sat at the same table as He Zongwei were all rather renowned scholars, and there was even a noble character among them. When he saw this situation, he couldn't help but be furious and said, "You dare to be so impudent in broad daylight? Do you still have any respect for the law?"
"Law?" Fan Sizhe snorted. "I am the law." Having said this, he clenched his fists and continued to punch He Zongwei.
Suddenly, a hand reached out from the side and grabbed Fan Sizhe's thin wrist.
Fan Sizhe felt as if his wrist was being held by a red-hot iron band. The pain seeped into his bones. He couldn't help but cry out. "Why aren't you helping me?" he scolded.
His bodyguard moved forward to help, but unexpectedly, his figure swayed. Two palms landed on his chest and abdomen, and he retreated.
The one who had grabbed Fan Sizhe's wrist was the bodyguard of the gloomy man at the table. This bodyguard looked ordinary, but his eyes shone brightly. He was clearly an expert.
"Throw this child away. Don't let him disturb Zongwei's mood," ordered the gloomy man.
The expert waved his arm, and Fan Sizhe was thrown away like a little chick.
Fan Xian had thought that Fan Sizhe would at most argue a little. How could he have known that, in the blink of an eye, the situation had become so serious? But he remembered that his younger brother was young and arrogant. Although Ruoruo said that he had restrained himself, he still couldn't shake off his little debauchee aura. So he thought it would be fine to let him suffer a little.
But he had never expected that there would be a master among them, and that this master would be so ruthless. There was a hidden force hidden in that throw. If it wasn't careful, he would end up with broken bones and vomiting blood. No matter how unbearable Fan Sizhe was, it was a bit too much to use such a method on a twelve-year-old child.
Somehow, Fan Xian was already outside the door. With a flick of his wrist, he had already grabbed Fan Sizhe by the collar. Then he used the momentum to turn his body. His right hand twisted clockwise, and Fan Sizhe began to spin in a circle.
One circle, two circles, three circles... Fan Sizhe's body stopped spinning. His eyes were wide open, and it seemed that he still didn't know what had happened.
Fan Xian let go of his hand, and with a bitter smile, handed the still dizzy Sizhe to Ruoruo. He stepped forward, looked at the expert, and said softly, "My younger brother is young, and offended him. But for you to be so heavy-handed, you have gone too far."
The people at the table with the scholar snorted. They didn't know what to say. After all, what the scholar said was true. Only the gloomy young man drank his wine with some self-restraint. He didn't even look at Fan Xian.
After straightening his headscarf, He Zongwei felt that he was in a sorry state. Looking at the beautiful face of the young man in front of him, he felt an inexplicable anger. It seemed that even his smile was repulsive. He said hatefully, "Such a naughty and mischievous child. Why not punish him a little?"
Fan Xian ignored him. He smiled warmly at the expert, and then took two steps forward. The expert, who had seen Fan Xian twist his wrist and draw a circle to dissipate the force, couldn't help but feel that he was a bit unfathomable. He frowned slightly, and as if to show weakness, he followed Fan Xian's steps and took two steps back.
The two of them took two steps back, and the figure of Fan Ruoruo, who was wearing a full veil, was revealed.
Fan Ruoruo was famous in the capital, and the people in the restaurant had long heard of her name. A few of them had even seen her from afar at the prince's poetry competition. Among them were some of the children of high-ranking officials. They were all surprised, and greeted her from a distance.
It was only now that the people at the table facing Fan Xian knew who the troublemaker was. They couldn't help but feel a bit anxious. When He Zongwei saw Fan Ruoruo, his expression changed slightly, as if he wanted to say something.
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