chapter 8 going out of the palace to be a master

The corner of the square outside the palace, and the street connected with the new street, looking down the long street, vaguely can see a brow some shy curved moon is hanging in the sky. In the dim twilight, Li Hongcheng rolled over and dismounted from his horse, casually arched his hand, sized up the pretty as a bitch friend in front of him, and couldn’t help but chuckle, “I see your face is permeated with layers of red light, colorful and inexplicable, so I guess you’ve gained a lot of benefits today.”

Fan Xian laughed and responded, “I haven’t seen you in months, and this first sentence is to poke fun at me, you are the son of King Jing, the fifth youngest male in Kyoto, why do you have to go through with such a bitter person like me.” In addition to the four emperors, among the younger generation, naturally Li Hongcheng’s status was the most honorable, Fan Xian deliberately ranked him as the fifth young man, if it was a general friendship, it would not avoid appearing frivolous, but in the middle of the two of them, it appeared to be extremely cordial.

Li Hongcheng slightly stunned, thinking that this guy is always in the capital has always been lazy to mess with me, gentle smile always with a hint of hidden deep cold, how today but turned the nature? Thought of a pile of things, thought he figured it out, laughed and said: “You also bitter life? The saint favors you so much that he actually purposely left you behind after the court meeting, this kind of bitter fate, I’m afraid that those officials in the capital hate to grit their teeth and carry on.”

Fan Xian waved his hand and said nothing. Fuji Zijing, who had been waiting outside the palace, had long since greeted him, but seeing that the Shizi Master was talking to the young master, it was not good to interrupt much, and at this time, he hurriedly said, “Young Master, the old master said earlier that he would let me follow you.”

Li Hongcheng laughed, “What? Is Lord Fan worried that I’ll get Fan Xian drunk?”

Fan Xian said from the sidelines, “Then you can follow.”

As he spoke, Fan’s carriage drove by, and Li Hongcheng, who was letting the longest follower of the king’s household lead his horse through, turned around to see it and asked curiously, “What? You’re still only willing to ride in a carriage and refuse to ride a horse?”

Fan Xian said, “It’s not like I’m in a hurry, so what’s the point of riding a horse?”

Li Hongcheng couldn’t help but shake his head and sigh, “If the people in the capital didn’t know that you can write and fight, and just looked at your behavior, I’m afraid they would look down on you and think you’re just a useless scholar with no hands.” Qing country is martial, young people are to good riding for pride, Fan Xian is the opposite, have a car to sit, resolutely refused to ride a horse, this quirk in this year, has long been spread up and down the Kyoto.

Fan Xian laughed and cursed something, then walked towards the carriage, saying, “Riding a horse upsets your butt.”

The long followers of the Jing Wang Mansion had already gathered around, and together with the Fan Mansion’s guards and subordinates, they had actually synthesized into a small team of a dozen or so people, guarding a tall horse and a black, inconspicuous carriage, and driving slowly in the direction of the east side of the city.

There is no curfew in Kyoto, although it is already twilight, but there are still many pedestrians in the street, looking at this striking procession, see clearly the handsome young man on the horse, and also see clearly the logo of the square circle on the carriage, then know the identity of the two people. The people of Kyoto all know the news of the return of the mission, since walking together with the Prince of Jing, I think that the carriage is that legendary bastard of the Fan family, now the little Lord Fan, can not help but have stopped to watch, some bold mad students are even shouting Fan Shixian, Fan Shixian, to the carriage.

Last year’s night banquet in front of the temple, has been in the mouth of the people of Kyoto for a long time, and this time in the North Qi Zhuangmo Han’s book gift, but also in the Supervisory Yuan eight intentional promotion, into the streets know the anecdote, Fan Xian’s popularity further. Later, the song “Do you know? Do you know?” When the Poetry Immortal’s reopening work spread, the people learned that Lord Fan actually dared to pick up the Bitter Lotus Grand Master’s protégé in broad daylight in the capital of Northern Qi in front of countless young Northern Qi aristocrats, and that the people of Kyoto in the State of Qing felt even more enthusiastic every time they thought about it, as if this matter was even more glorious than the gift of the book by Zhuang Mohan – see? See? The begonia that you have been offering like a saint is not just a flower to be plucked in the hands of our little Lord Fan!

Fan Xian had given the people of Kyoto a good face, and naturally, the people of Kyoto also wanted to give Lord Fan a good face. Along the way, there were people constantly greeting and bowing to Fan Xian, most of whom were scholars, and occasionally there were some blushing girls bowing to Fan Xian with a slight blessing.

Little Lord Fan had won the hearts of the people, so naturally the crowd overlooked the Prince of Jing, who was also one of the noblest in Kyoto. However, Prince Jing’s face didn’t seem to have any unhappy expression, instead, he was smiling happily, as if the respect that Fan Xian received was also his honor.

Listening to the murmurs and invocations from outside the carriage, it was reasonable to say that Fan Xian should at least have some contented smile on his face at this point, even if he didn’t open the window and wave his hands in greeting like the chiefs of a certain world, but who would have thought that all that was spreading on the corners of his lips in the carriage would be a helpless, bitter smile.

The place where Shizi had arranged for Fan Xian to receive the wind was still at the One Stone Residence, the same restaurant where Fan Xian had made the comment about the wind and bones when he first entered Kyoto. This restaurant was also considered a luxurious place in Kyoto, but it was not quiet enough, and was far from being the most extreme eatery. Fan Xian could not help but not quite understand why Hongcheng had picked such a place, but he did not have any opinions.

Waiting for him to get off the carriage, only to find that today this stone residence is surprisingly quiet, the long street in front of the building is not many pedestrians, and in the past, the building is quiet, fortunately, the building is brightly lit, or else he simply want to doubt is not their own mission for several months, the premier gold grasping restaurant has been the business of business is broken and closed the door.

Seeing a trace of doubt out of the corner of Fan Xian’s eye, Li Hongcheng did not make a show of it, and said with a smile, “I’ll take care of it today.”

Fan Xian smiled bitterly and said, “Although you are a titular son, this gesture is too big. I don’t know how many officials and dignitaries come and go to the One Stone Residence every day, so I’m afraid that you’ll cause people to be cynical and hateful if you suffer the mouths of others in order to invite me to dinner. If you want peace and quiet, there are many places to go in the west of the city. Even if you like the taste of this place, pack a floor is good, the whole restaurant waiting for us two people, it is too flashy, King Jing does not say you, spread to the palace, it is also not good.”

Li Hongcheng saw him say earnestly, looked at him for a moment did not say anything, heart is a little touched, smiled and said: “afraid of what? I’m afraid that everyone in the world knows that my father loves to raise flowers, but I love to pick them, and I’ve always acted in a prodigal manner, so the so-called prodigal son’s name is always off the table, so what’s the point.”

Fan Xian knew that with his status, he could indeed afford to do this, and shook his head with a smile, “You, you’re almost married, and you don’t know to be more restrained.”

Hearing him talk about marriage, Li Hongcheng face light joy, but some embarrassed to talk more about this matter, said: “You are not too small-minded, to know that the power in your hands now is not small, plus you married that good daughter-in-law …… I put it plainly with you, in the palace in the house, we do these juniors The nature of us as juniors to recognize some of the limits, but if out of the palace away from the house, we are the real master, tube 俅旁人说去!”

This was a very arrogant and exaggerated statement, but when it came from Li Hongcheng’s mouth, it was not offensive.

Fan Xian in the palace is also holding a stomach of idle anger, then only smiled, followed him to the building. Who knew that when he walked downstairs, looking at the plaque on the Lord Pan Ling personally written “a stone residence” three gilded words. Li Hongcheng stopped in his tracks, pointed his hand and asked, “Do you remember where you and I met for the first time?”

Fan Xian smiled, “It was here.”

“Yes, but in just a year’s time, you, the guy who made a big comment about being mean in style and bones, and who even said that he looked down on the so-called talented people, has now become the most famous talented person in the world.” Li Hongcheng couldn’t help but shake his head and laughed, “If you can think of a generation of great masters that Zhuang Mo Han inherited from you at the end of his life, did you still have the heart to scold these talented people at that time?”

Fan Xian thought of the encounters in the past year and sighed, “I don’t know what happened at the end of the year. I’m not afraid to laugh at you, but at that time, I was only a bastard who entered the capital for the first time and hadn’t seen anything, so naturally, I couldn’t help but have a few big baskets of complaints in my belly.”

Li Hongcheng smiled at him, know in front of this young friend can have such a big change in a year, although there is the favor of the Holy Spirit, Fan Shangshu secretly support, marriage to get the power of the three elements, but the other side is so young to do the Supervisory Yuan’s Division, in the Royal Secretariat has a seat, without some real material, that is certainly not, not to mention the half idle Zhai poetry collection, several times, this is the world to see all the evidence! The first time I saw it, it was a very good thing that I was able to see it.

Regarding the supervisory office, in fact, the powerful and noble people in Kyoto did not directly link Chen Pingping with Fan Xian, but only thought that this was the meaning of His Majesty, Chen Pingping that loyal dog acted according to the decree only.

“Even though you keep pulling me around the Flowing Crystal River, I don’t rely on that half-assed talent to fool poor women.” Fan Xian looked at the slightly baffled Li Hongcheng and laughed, patting him on the shoulder, “That’s why I still have to scold those shit talents that should be scolded.”

In his mind, Haitang, who had been fooled by his poetry, was naturally not a poor woman.

The two of them stood in front of the Yishiju Restaurant, “looking back to the past” and expressing their feelings, but the shopkeepers and fellows inside the restaurant were tense. Although I do not know how the proprietor was able to invite the Prince to set up a reception banquet here, but if Lord Fan returned to the capital after the first meal outside, it is in a stone house, the restaurant’s reputation will be on a level, not to mention, I’m afraid that in the future to hit the south of the country to the rich scholars, will pick here to eat a meal, that silver is not a waste of money to come? Although a stone residence is already famous enough, but the name power money these three things, and who will be too much?

Good thing they didn’t have to be nervous for long, Li Hongcheng and Fan Xian had already put their arms into the restaurant, and the guards of the royal family who were behind them at the two ends of the street suddenly withdrew and guarded the entrance of the restaurant, and at the same time, there were some fellows who had led the carriage of the Fan family and their followers to go to other places.

Creak, a stone residence door closed, this is only the restaurant in Kyoto opened thirty-four years for the first time.

When the door was closed, Li Hongcheng seemed to turn back unintentionally, but his eyes sharply spotted several secret agents in unusual clothing, occupying the key points around the restaurant. He knew in his heart that it was the men of the Supervisory Court who were close to protecting Fan Xian, only that even he couldn’t figure out how many offices they were from. Shizi sighed in his heart and said to Fan Xian, “You still say I’m arrogant, look at you eating a meal all have the Supervisory Yuan to give you the door, go out on a mission then have the tiger guards to give you a bodyguard, on the subject of arrogance, I’m really not as good as you.”

At this time the two have picked up the steps on the third floor, two screens apart, a round table is not large has set up a few dishes of exquisite “cold openings”, Fan Xian is not polite with him, sitting on the stool before explaining: “Tiger guards are supported to the mission, this is not a return to the capital on the collection. As for the Supervisory Yuan ……” he laughed bitterly: “out of the Oxley Street that file thing, you think the courtyard still dare to rest assured that I am alone in Kyoto to wander?”

Said here, Li Hongcheng feinted anger scolded: “You this kid is also not enough fun, muffled as a gas to do the Supervisory Yuan’s mention, see the bull pen street after the Supervisory Yuan nervous look, think that time you have already been the …… If not the Ministry of Criminal Affairs on the drama, I even have to be kept in the dark. ”

Calculating, the time of the Oxley Street murder, Fan Xian has not been a night of poetic madness alarmed the saint, the world’s son is actually also in the secret set of words, not only him, even the second prince has never fully figured out, the saint why so trust Fan Xian.

Fan Xian did not explain, wiped his hands on a hot towel, and then began to grab him to drink, his mouth straight to go out for a long time, actually forgot the taste of Kyoto wine. Li Hongcheng smiled bitterly, knowing that the other party would not explain to himself.

In a short while, the first round of dishes were served, knowing that Master Shizi and Little Lord Fan had something to talk about, the shopkeeper and his fellows all wisely didn’t say anything more and retreated. Fan Xian took the tip of his chopsticks and pulled a fish belly to his mouth and ate it, smacked it a few times, and sent it down with a mouthful of wine, looking like he was enjoying himself to the extreme.

Li Hongcheng sized him up and teased, “Letting go of a first-rate bear’s paw and not eating it, trying to have a hard time with a fish, you still can’t get rid of your narrow pattern.”

Fan Xian blurted out, “The bear’s paw is what I want, the fish is what I want, I can’t have both, so I’ll give up the bear’s paw and take the fish.”

Hearing him say it amusingly, Li Hongcheng smiled and asked, “Why?”

Fan Xian patted his head and said with a laugh, “You don’t understand, it’s purely a matter of reading pedantry back then.”

Since it is a reception banquet, it should not be so cold, but Fan Xian had already sent someone to pass the word last night, asking the son to think of the journey hard, never a whole bunch of people to accompany, coupled with the son is also vaguely aware of, because of that little order Fan Xian’s backyard is on fire, so there is no shouting kabuki to accompany. But Li Hongcheng is also a habit of gentle treatment of people’s son of the rich and powerful, the two are familiar with each other, to tell some of the North Qi’s sights and sounds, gossip, drinking and eating, light but moderate, Fan Xian can finally do back to the seven points of the real themselves, but eat extremely comfortable.

After a few passes of sharp wine, the son of the world was a bit overwhelmed by the strength of the wine, pointing at Fan Xian and cursing, “I heard that you drank wine in Beiqi, and got drunk as soon as you drank it, how come you ran in front of me but became a wine fairy?” Fan Xian had been studying medicines, and his true qi was overbearing, so he couldn’t be poured over by a few cups of watery wine. The reason why he got drunk last time he drank with Haitang in Beiqi was because he wanted to give vent to his depression over the years, and deliberately sought to get drunk, and at this time, listening to Li Hongcheng, he laughed and said, “You’re a big old man, what’s the benefit of me getting drunk in front of you?”

Li Hongcheng suddenly showed a look of longing and asked softly, “Does that Haitang girl …… really look like a heavenly fairy?”

Fan Xian spewed out a mouthful of wine, but fortunately he turned quickly and only sprayed it on the ground, laughing and cursing, “Could it be that you invited me to dinner today for these words?”

After three rounds of drinking, the more Fan Xian drank, the brighter his eyes became, and Li Hongcheng’s drunkenness rose, pointing at Fan Xian’s clear face, saying, “Fan Xian, you’re on a mission this time, and I don’t know what you’ve encountered, but now that I look at you, this face is a little different.”

Fan Xian subconsciously touched his cheek and asked curiously, “What’s different?”

Li Hongcheng scratched his head, spilling wine all over the floor, seemingly trying to figure out how to word it, and only after a long time did he laugh out loud and say, “If I say that in the past, you had a light smile on your face like you do now, and looking at you made people want to get close to you, but there was always a hint of a divide, as if you didn’t want people to get too close to you. And now your smile is not that deliberately pure, but just let a person’s heart is at ease, eyes clear, whether it is speech or style, are like a piece of diamond that has been polished, warm and unrivaled.”

Fan Xian extremely appropriate smile, thought this is probably the cave one night to bring their own changes, they finally figured out some things, from the depths of their hearts began to regard themselves as a part of the world, began to do for their own future to really plan, hair from the inside, the shape of the outside, naturally there are changes.

Li Hongcheng was gradually getting drunk, but Fan Xian was incredibly sober.

“I know, today the palace set you in charge of the inner treasury.” Li Hongcheng seems to be some drunkenness embarrassing, “in the future you palm can leak some soup to me.”

Although it was a naughty joke, but with his status as the son of the world said it, it was already giving enough face to Fan Xian. Fan Xian couldn’t help but be a bit surprised, and looked at him twice, asking softly, “Your family is a hereditary king, why do you care about these things? Could it be that His Majesty still owes your family.”

Li Hongcheng showed mocking color, said with a big tongue: “You also know that I spend a lot, although Qingyu Hall also has a shopkeeper in the help of the royal family to manage the wealth, some income, but where is enough ……” he sighed, “you also know that My family is His Majesty’s own brother, but so many years are not willing to do something, even into the palace to see his grandmother is also once a month line, stubborn ruthless, an idle prince, natural filial piety less people. And I am in the way of identity, also not good to put down the shelf and those governor county guards to deal with, naturally, there will be some hands do not take advantage of the time.”

Fan Xian seemed a bit surprised, and was at a loss for words, “No one would believe this if it was said outside.”

Li Hongcheng waved his hand, his wine breath overflowing, and laughed coldly, “The name of being a nobleman is empty, but it’s useless. You don’t need to be embarrassed, the inner treasury is ultimately the court’s, the time you fish, don’t be polite, think of these years auntie in charge of the inner treasury, the crown prince does not know how many benefits from it. Even the old Guo’s family that you have been down when you copied the house, you copied 130,000 silver out of the inner treasury deficit? If you go to the Crown Prince’s palace in Wuzhou and take a look, you’ll know where all the people’s fat and wealth has gone.”

Fan Xian’s heart moved slightly, knowing that Shizi’s words were specifically for his own ears.

Looking at King Jing’s son, who was drunk on the table, Fan Xian’s heart flashed a cold smile, thinking that Uncle Wuzhu was right, that there was really no one worth trusting in this world. The trip to North Qi, much feeling, know that friendship is rare, so tonight know that Li Hongcheng is borrowed in the name of receiving the wind, on behalf of the second prince to the capital to declare their own and the second prince party of the close relationship, but still did not refuse, but I can not expect that this son will be in front of their own face to spread such a big lie.

Li Hongcheng, King Jing’s son, a close friend under him, has been secretly managing all the skin and flesh business on the Liujing River, although this business is not honorable and does not seem to match with the status of the son, but it is constantly conveying a large amount of silver for him. The son’s behavior was extremely secretive, and if Fan Xian hadn’t sent someone to investigate the red herdsman called Yuan Meng last summer, I’m afraid that even the second division of the Supervisory Yuan wouldn’t have known about it – no wonder he dared to cry poor in front of Fan Xian.

However, Fan Xian is also clear that the second prince does not necessarily see the silver money in the inner treasury, but during the time when the eldest princess Xinyang was at the helm, the East Palace must have done a lot of work in the inner treasury, perhaps the second prince is just planning to rely on Fan Xian, want to lift the crown prince off the horse from this road!

Moreover, he also understood that the son’s words were true within a falsehood, and indeed some princes and nobles were not as happy as they should be. Even he himself, if he didn’t have a bookstore to support him, and another treasury administrator in his family, I was afraid that he would have to stretch his hands all over the place – if he didn’t have anyone to honor him, did he only rely on the court’s little salary?

The banquet was over, the wine was finished, Fan Xian patted Li Hongcheng twice, saw no response, he didn’t bother to care whether Li Hongcheng was really drunk or pretending to be drunk, so he pretended to stagger and stood up with the wine table to go out, and the shopkeeper informed the followers on both sides to come up to wait for him.

The wooden door of Yishijiu was already open, and the night breeze of early fall blew in. Fan Xian shook his head and tried to treat his friend with sincerity, but he could not get any response, so he could not help but be a little disappointed.

It was at this time that a middle-aged man dressed in plain clothes appeared out of nowhere, and gave Fan Xian a big salute in fear and trepidation. Fan Xian slightly inclined his body and frowned slightly, thinking that since Li Hongcheng had bagged all of this building and there were guards outside the door, how did this man get in?

Seeing the puzzlement on Lord Fan’s face, the man hurriedly and humbly responded, “I am Cui Qingquan, the proprietor of the One Stone Residence, I beg Lord Fan to rest in peace.”

It turned out to be the proprietor of the One Stone Residence, presumably coming over to flatter him, and Fan Xian was subconsciously preparing to smile, when he suddenly thought of this surname and asked with a frown, “Cui?”

Cui Qingquan said with a small smile, “Precisely, the adults in the clan wanted to personally come to thank you for your great kindness in educating the second son in the north, but they just knew that young Lord Fan’s poetic splendor and bookishness did not like this kind of behavior, so they ordered my youngest to wait on your lordship well today.”

Fan Xian nodded expressionlessly, knowing that the Cui Clan was a famous clan with quite a bit of roots in the capital, the northern part of the businessmen, and this time, the Cui Duke who knelt down in the rainy night of the embassy in the Shangjing and begged for his life was one of theirs, so I think it was because Cui knew that his son had offended him, and so he tried to round up the matter by all means.

Cui Qingquan was wise enough not to come forward, but just handed over a box and said, “It’s a branch of dwarf mountain ginseng, although it’s not very tonic, it’s the best for sobering up, it’s already been washed, and it’s the best for chewing raw.”

Fan Xian nodded, and Tou Zi Jing took it aside.

Through the long street on the carriage, Fan Xian lifted up the box on his lap, found where there is what short mountain ginseng, but actually a thick stack of silver bills, frowned and turned over, and found that there are fully 20,000 taels!

Fuji Zijing sat across from him and said, “This Cui family is so generous.”

Fan Xian’s face remained unchanged, but in his heart, he was actually a bit surprised, how long would this have to be the income of the Tanyu Book Bureau, and the other party had sent it over so easily. Of course, he also understood that if Cui still wanted to be a businessman for the inner treasury to the north, he would definitely have to browbeat himself into a good position. Associated with today’s courtesy all the way out of the palace into the palace, he could not help but sigh, although the two worlds of people, more than the average person to be more resolute, but at this time so truly feel the feeling of power brought about by, but also some slightly perplexed.

–But Cui’s money is considered a waste of money, Fan Xian has long since made up his mind, in the future, Cui’s will only be buried with the Princess. Thinking of this, his loathing of the Shizi heart only faded a little, after all, life is a life, in the end is still using each other just, just some of his own dislike Li Hongcheng will be treated like a fool, in the end, still want to save this friend.

Fuji Zijing looked at the young master’s face and knew what he was thinking, frowning, “Is this appropriate?”

Fan Xian looked at him and laughed, saying, “The son of the world gave me a saying earlier: after we leave the palace and leave the mansion, we’ll be real masters, so what’s not appropriate?”

When the carriage arrived at a quiet street, the moon was about to reach the middle of the sky, and the silver light was soft and pale. Fan Xian got out of the carriage and let the royal family go back first. Fuji Zijing knew that there was always a team of officials from the Supervisory Yuan around him to protect him secretly, so he didn’t say much.

He beckoned to the shadows, and a secret agent of the Supervisory Yuan walked over silently, he was also one of the first people in the Qiyi Nian team, and was considered to be Fan Xian’s close confidant. Fan Xian looked at him and said, “Deng Ziyue, tomorrow pass a secret order back to the courtyard to find out if the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, the Supervisor of the Qin Tian Supervisory Authority, and the Left Vice Imperial Envoy have any involvement in those industries under Cui’s door.”

Deng Ziyue raised his head in a hugh manner, his two eyes big and bright: “Lord Tiji, you can’t check the royal family without a decree.” His rank in the Supervisory Yuan was extremely high, so he vaguely knew that behind these three ministers was the second prince.

Fan Xian frowned and waved his hand, “It’s just a few ministers, a secret investigation, what are you frightened of?”

Deng Ziyue knew that his performance had already displeased Lord Tishi and hurriedly answered.

Fan Xian looked at him and added, “Wang Qinian knows what to ask and what not to ask, since you took over his appointment, you should learn this.”

Deng Ziyue answered the order with a creepy smile, then looked at the box that was suddenly in front of his eyes, he didn’t dare to open it, so he had to hold it in his arms, and followed Lord Fan, who was strolling with his hands on his back, forward, and finally summoned up enough courage to ask, “My lord, how will I go about liaising with the courtyard in the future?” He wasn’t sure if this was the right thing to ask.

Fan Xian stopped in his tracks and said with a smile, “Don’t go through the official channels, that will keep a register, you’ll go directly to Mu Tie in one place.”

“Yes.”

Fan Xian lifted his steps and walked forward, it was rare to appreciate Kyoto late at night after a long time, this kind of opportunity he didn’t want to let go, he just dropped a sentence.

“This box isn’t for you, it’s for you guys.”