Teng Zijing hurried up from downstairs. Seeing the scene, he frowned and whispered something into Fan Xian's ear. Only then did Fan Xian realize that the man was Guo Baokun, the only son of the Minister of Rites, Guo You. He was now a palace editor and had a bit of a reputation.
When the gloomy-faced young man saw Fan Ruoruo, his eyes revealed an expression that Fan Xian loathed. "I was wondering which family could be so tyrannical. So it's the son of Count Sinan."
Count Sinan had always been favored by the Emperor, but his official position was only that of an assistant minister, of the fourth rank. Moreover, the children of ordinary officials had no idea of the hidden power of the Fan family.
Fan Xian didn't want to make a big deal out of this. After all, it was Fan Sizhe who had made the first move. And no matter what, the one who spoke first seemed to be a fan of "Dream of the Red Chamber". But hearing such teasing words, he couldn't help but frown.
Guo Baokun's father was a high-ranking official, and he himself was a palace editor on good terms with the Crown Prince. As a result, he had developed an arrogant and condescending temperament. When he saw the rumored icy Fan Ruoruo, he became angry and laughed coldly. "How laughable. A mere member of the Fan family dares to use his power to oppress others. How disgraceful."
He had always called himself a scholar. With a swish, he opened his folding fan with a certain elegance.
The scholars next to him were worried. They had offended Count Sinan and didn't know how to deal with it. Hearing Guo Baokun's words, they hurriedly chimed in, rushing to accuse him of using his power to bully others. None of them felt that they had done anything wrong.
Only He Zongwei, who had caused the trouble, became silent.
"Refined?" Fan Xian saw that the other party's words were threatening, and there was no sign of reconciliation. When he heard that word, he couldn't help but have a hint of mockery in his reply. "A scholar cannot be learned without learning, and cannot be learned without ambition. Look at you so-called scholars. Instead of studying in the Academy, you come to Yishi Tavern to drink and make merry. What is your aim? Where is your refinement? "
Apart from Guo Baokun, the rest of the people at the table were scholars of great talent. When they heard this, their faces changed.
A scholar scolded, "Don't think you can use your Fan family's power to speak so impudently!"
Fan Xian frowned slightly. He had originally thought that his side was not so bold and confident, but seeing the faces of these scholars, he couldn't help but feel disgusted. "You say that the Fan family uses its power to bully others," he said. "I dare not defend myself. On the other hand, all of you are sitting at this table, drinking wine and chatting merrily with the son of the current Minister of the Imperial Court. You are really not afraid of power, and are proud of yourselves. I really admire you. "
The meaning behind these gentle words couldn't be any clearer. Everyone in the building quietened down. The people sitting at the same table as Guo Baokun were furious and were about to argue. Guo Baokun waved his fan twice and was about to open his mouth to teach this young man a lesson.
However, Fan Xian's personality was actually a bit strange. He appeared to be gentle, but once he was unhappy, he liked to make others unhappy. Furthermore, he didn't like to give the other party any leeway to retaliate or talk back.
So he didn't wait for the Minister of the Imperial Court's son to speak. He pointed at the fan in Guo Baokun's hand and smiled. "When I first came to the capital, I saw all the scholars playing around all day. They were all skin and bones, and yet they still had to use a fan to fan themselves. Is that what they call strength of character? That kind of strength of character is something I would never dare to learn. "
Guo Baokun had been in and out of the Royal Palace and was friends with the Crown Prince. He had never been treated like this. He was so angry that he put away the fan in his hand and slammed it on the table. He was so angry that his whole body shook and he couldn't speak.
After the Kingdom of Qing was ruled by martial law, it placed great importance on the literary style. Young scholars were everywhere in the capital, and at least seventy to eighty percent of the people in Yishi Tavern were scholars. And these scholars … which one of them didn't have the "evil habit" of holding a fan?
Hearing Fan Xian's loaded words about strength of character, not only did the people at He Zongwei's table fly into a rage, but everyone else on the third floor also stood up.
In reality, Fan Xian had always disliked these so-called scholars. He had a feeling for them, and as someone who had lived two lives, he was naturally more free and unrestrained, so he blurted it out. But now, seeing the strange atmosphere in the tavern, he realized that he seemed to have angered everyone. But there was nothing to be afraid of. He smiled and cupped his hands in salute.
For some reason, when the scholars saw the radiant smile on this young man's face, they felt that their anger had dissipated by a large half.
But Guo Baokun's anger did not subside. Gnashing his teeth, he threw his fan on the table and gave the signal to attack.
— — —
Scholars belittling each other was just a matter of words, and the two sides of this confrontation were the sons of high-ranking officials and aristocratic families. So a dangerous atmosphere began to float in the air.
Teng Zijing stared coldly at the expert bodyguard of the Guo family, ready to protect his master at any time.
With two 'pa pa' sounds, the two silhouettes overlapped each other! The wind from their fists rose in all directions, causing the powerless scholars in the tavern to cry out in alarm.
In the battles of the rich and powerful in the capital, the servants and bodyguards fought to the death, while the masters watched from the sidelines in a boring game. Very few people would involve themselves in it.
But Fan Xian was very different from the sons of the rich and powerful. After Teng Zijing and the expert bodyguard of the Guo family fought, he quietly moved forward. Amidst the rain of moves, he found a fleeting gap, and stretched out his fist.
With a crisp bang, the fierce fighting that everyone had expected came to an abrupt end.
Fan Xian withdrew his right hand and stood where he was with a smile, as if he had not moved at all.
The expert of the Guo family was already crouching on the ground. The bridge of his nose had been broken by that punch. Blood flowed out, and so did tears!
Fan Xian was very satisfied with the effect of this punch. Teacher Fei had taught him correctly. Breaking that spot was a pain that even a ninth-level master could not endure.
Guo Baokun saw with his own eyes that his most capable bodyguard had been punched into the ground like a puppy. He turned pale with fright and pointed at Fan Xian. In a trembling voice, he said, "You … you dare to bully me with numbers!"
Fan Xian glanced at him and shook his head, feeling a little baffled. When it came to fighting, of course they had to do it together. He was not a bored swordsman in the jianghu. He took Ruoruo's hand behind him and confidently walked down the stairs. It never occurred to him that his previous actions were completely against some of the established rules of this world.
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