Everyone in the building was dumbstruck and speechless. They had seen fights before, but they had never seen a son of a noble family enter the fray. Even if someone had been lucky enough to see such a rare scene, they had probably never seen such a fair and square two-on-one fight.
Even Teng Zijing was a little depressed. Although he was much weaker than the master of the Guo family, the young master's actions had made him lose face.
Suddenly, his heart skipped a beat. He thought of the comical scene from before — how could the young master see through such a complicated situation so clearly? Furthermore … that punch seemed to be messing around, but in reality, the power and angle were terrifyingly accurate. When he looked at Fan Xian again, there was a hint of awe and amazement in his eyes.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the Fan family was about to go downstairs when a private room in the corner of the building was pushed open. A few people came out, presumably having heard the argument outside and had come out to see what was going on. One of them, dressed in luxurious clothing, looked at Fan Ruoruo, and his eyes brightened. He came forward and bowed. "Sister Ruoruo, it's rare to see you out of the manor."
The newcomer was handsome, with thick eyebrows and clear eyes, a straight nose and thin lips. He looked like a fine man.
Fan Ruoruo bowed in surprise. "The Crown Prince is here too." She quickly introduced Fan Xian to the man. Fan Xian had not expected this to be the Crown Prince of Prince Jing, who was on good terms with his family.
Prince Jing and the Fan family had always been on good terms, so he had a good understanding of their family. As soon as Fan Ruoruo introduced him, the Crown Prince immediately guessed who Fan Xian was, and couldn't help but feel slightly surprised.
He saw that Fan Xian's speech was neither servile nor overbearing, and that there was an indescribable self-confidence in his bones. The smile on his face was warm and amiable, and he couldn't help but feel very comfortable.
At that moment, the palace editor, Guo Baokun, also came to pay his respects to the Crown Prince. Someone else told the Crown Prince about the small conflict between the Guo and Fan families. After hearing this, the Crown Prince was greatly interested. He asked Fan Xian, "Brother, you seem to have a problem with scholars."
"Everyone can study, and everyone is a scholar," Fan Xian replied, bowing to the Crown Prince.
In his mind, there was no concept of class division in this era, and he didn't think that reading a few stereotyped sentences would make him a person who transcended the common people of industry and commerce. "I also study, how would I dare to have an opinion about scholars … It's just that …"
He smiled and continued, "I just have a problem with the so-called gifted scholars."
As soon as he said this, everyone in the building revealed a curious expression. They wanted to see what this disciple of a noble family who used black boxing would say. Even the crown prince asked with great interest, "Brother, why do you look down on the so-called gifted scholars?"
The crown prince was rather polite, but because Fan Xian had not formally acknowledged his ancestry, he could only call him brother and not mention anything else. At least, he did not mention his surname.
Fan Xian understood the rules of this society very well, and was not angry at all. He smiled and explained, "The reason why I have a problem with scholars is because I feel that there is something wrong with the way things are nowadays. It seems that if a scholar is willing to go to a brothel, he will become a scholar. I'm afraid this scholar has too much cosmetics and too little scholarly air. It won't be beneficial to the country, but it will benefit those women instead. "
Although his words were somewhat bitter, they were not malicious. It sounded more like a joke.
The Crown Prince's heir laughed and the people in the restaurant also laughed. This matter was considered to have been resolved. After all, in the eyes of others, this young master of the Fan family, who had come out of nowhere, seemed to have some friendship with the crown prince. As for Guo Baokun's side, it seemed that they were no match for Fan Xian in a fight, and they were no match for him in an argument either. They could only reluctantly drop the matter.
The crown prince invited Fan Xian in for a drink, but Fan Xian politely declined on the pretext of returning to his manor. They only agreed to meet again the next day, and the Fan family left the restaurant.
Just as they left the restaurant and were about to get into the carriage, the scholar named He Zongwei hurried down. He looked into Fan Xian's eyes and very sincerely thanked him.
"What are you thanking me for?" Fan Xian asked with a smile.
He Zongwei replied with a smile, "I have always looked down on the rich and powerful, and I have always prided myself on this. Today, you have pointed it out, and I now know that I just like this feeling. Deep in my bones, I can't get rid of those stereotypes."
Fan Xian frowned slightly. He felt that this person's attitude had changed a little too quickly.
Although he did not like this seemingly honest scholar, the reason for the conflict was that the other party was fighting for him, the author of 'Dream of the Red Chamber'. Therefore, he smiled and explained, "Everyone has a cowardly part in their bodies. It's just that they need certain things to force this part out. This is the so-called small part under the scholar's robe. Today, I was just speaking nonsense. I hope you don't take offense. "
"The small part under the scholar's robe?" He Zongwei seemed to be thinking about something. He came to his senses and bowed deeply to Fan Ruoruo, who was standing next to Fan Xian. He then turned around and went upstairs without looking back.
Fan Xian saw that the dark-skinned scholar's face seemed to be a little red, and only then did he know what was going on. He looked at his sister with a face full of ridicule, but Fan Ruoruo's face was calm, as if the dark-skinned scholar had never been there.
Knowing that He Zongwei's love was unrequited, Fan Xian did not have much sympathy. In his plans, his sister's future husband did not necessarily have to be a noble, but he had to be someone that his sister liked.
— — —
After Fan Xian left, Guo Baokun, He Zongwei, and the other scholars at the table also left the building. The third floor of the Stone Tavern gradually returned to normal, but the guests at the other tables were still talking about the young master from Fan Manor. They had never heard of such a person in Count Sinan's household, and they all guessed that he was a cousin of Miss Fan.
Crown Prince Jing naturally knew of Fan Xian's identity, but he could not speak to the idle people outside the room. He poured himself a cup of wine and slowly drank it. He faintly sighed. "Everyone says that the Crown Prince loves literature, and often associates with the upper class. Now it seems that among the people he associates with, there is not a single decent talent."
An advisor pondered for a moment. "He Zongwei is a student of Ceng Wenxiang. He will definitely pass the imperial examinations next year. I wonder what he is like."
Crown Prince Jing shook his head. "This He Zongwei is talented, but his temperament is …" He had actually heard the conversation outside from the side room. At this time, he thought of the comment about his strength of character. He laughed and said, "His strength of character is indeed lacking."
The advisor also laughed. "That illegitimate child that Master Fan has been hiding for over ten years is quite interesting."
Crown Prince Jing patted the fan in his hand. He was about to praise Fan Xian when he suddenly remembered Fan Xian's teasing words. He quickly put the fan back on the table and laughed. "That Guo Baokun relies on his father's power, and because he is on good terms with the Crown Prince, he does not care about Fan Manor. It is not easy for such a mediocre person to survive until now."
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