Chapter 51 – Fan Xian on the Move

“Why am I making a move?” Five Bamboos actually rarely used this kind of rhetorical sentence, and ever since Fan Xian left Tanyuzhou and came to Kyoto, he seemed to have become even more mysterious than when he was in Tanyuzhou, going so far as to not meet with Fan Xian even once.

Fan Xian’s heart dimmed, and he thought to himself that it was right, even if the other party was the one who had watched him grow up, there was no reason for him to demand anything of him, and in this world, there was only the truth that he owed Uncle Five Bamboos.

Five Bamboo heard that he didn’t say anything, slightly inclined his body, and said lightly, “I have said once before, I have taught you for many years, and Fei Suo has also taught you, if you still can’t deal with these small things, it’s your own problem, not ours.”

“It was only afterward that I realized that the big man was actually an eighth rank expert, uncle you said before that my real seventh rank and my potential is at the third rank, how should I not be a match for that big man.” Fan Xian smiled bitterly and said, “You say it’s my own problem, don’t you care that I was killed by someone else?”

“Are you dead?” Five Bamboos asked a question with an obvious answer, a rare second rhetorical question.

Fan Xian stared at the black cloth on his face and sucked in a breath of cold air, “You were by my side the whole time?”

“Yes.”

“Then why didn’t you make a move?” Fan Xian lowered his voice and shouted angrily, “Those three guards are dead! Fuji Zijing was injured as well!”

“I’ve never cared about the death or life of anyone other than you.” Five Bamboo’s words seemed cold and unfeeling, “The people around you are gathered because of yourself, and if you want to manipulate their lives, you must protect them, so the lives and deaths of those guards are your responsibility, not mine.”

Fan Xian fell into silence once again, knowing that Uncle Wu Zhu was actually right.

“I can’t help you too much.” Five Bamboos said coldly, “On the cliffs of Tanyu, I once said that in Kyoto, if I were by your side, I would bring you trouble, and it would be some trouble that you would never want to face.”

Fan Xian smiled bitterly as he recalled that conversation when he was twelve years old, when he had playfully said, “I will protect you.” But that could only have been a naughty joke after all.

“So you remember, in Kyoto, I will never stand beside you in the sunlight, unless you are dying, or …… you are already dead.” Five Bamboo continued to say without expression.

Fan Xian didn’t understand what a supremely powerful man like Uncle Five Bamboo was still afraid of, but he heard the words spoken in a decisive and non-negotiable manner, and nodded somewhat grimly.

“Someone is coming.” Five Bamboos said these four words very quickly before disappearing into the darkness once more.

The visitor was a guest, but a guest that Fan Xian did not really want to see at this time. King Jing’s son, Li Hongcheng, walked in with a gloomy face, sat down on his butt on the edge of the bed without being seen, and lowered his voice to growl, “You know about today’s news, don’t you? The envoys from Northern Qi actually died without recognizing them, and those agitated eunuchs nearly smashed Honglu Temple.”

Honglu feed is the diplomatic institution of Qing, specializing in the paperwork and silver money with the Northern Qi, the vassal states, and the Eastern Barbarians, as well as related matters. Upon hearing that Honglu Temple was nearly smashed, Fan Xian smiled bitterly, “These young people are also really hot-blooded, but …… Beiqi naturally won’t recognize it. Otherwise, if the people of Qing confirm that the enemy country was able to send assassins to assassinate people at will in Kyoto, I’m afraid that the two countries will be in an uproar.”

Li Hongcheng laughed bitterly, “It’s already starting to get rowdy, His Majesty has already sent out an explicit decree, and the envoys from Northern Qi who stayed in Yanjing have already been kicked out of the city, and even their baggage has been thrown out.”

Fan Xian scoffed, “Dealing with the people outside is quite quick.”

Hearing something else in his words, Li Hongcheng frowned, “I’ve been coming to see you for the past few days, and your injuries aren’t healed, so there’s something I can’t easily say.”

Fan Xian sighed and said, “I don’t know which life I owe you, to have a treat and actually be assassinated. After I entered the capital I also made you an acquaintance, you hall of the world’s son, but you have always been straightforward in your speech, why are you swallowing today.”

Li Hongcheng some self-blame said, “this thing really blame me, who also did not expect drunken fairy house is actually the Northern Qi’s secret agent.” He said with a little deliberation, “The first thing I did today was to apologize on behalf of the second prince, he was originally prepared to personally come to the mansion to visit, but as you know, recently the water inside the capital was a little muddy because of your assassination, so he was not convenient to come rashly.” He said with a bitter smile, “You should know that many people are still speculating that the Second Prince and I were the ones behind your murder, just to try and plant the evidence on His Highness the Crown Prince.”

Fan Xian looked at him with a smirk.

Li Hongcheng lost his smile and said, “Looking at me in such an inscrutable manner, do I have to admit that I masterminded this?”

Fan Xian also laughed, he believed that this matter was not the other party’s doing, because losing the support of the Fan family, for the second prince who originally had no strong help in the dynasty, was a loss that he could not possibly afford, at least it would be far, far greater than the benefits …… gained from planting evidence to frame the crown prince.

Fan Xian could not easily sit up from the bed, the maid helped him to pour a bowl of water to drink, and when he saw the silhouette at the door, he could not help but curse in the bottom of his heart, he obviously suffered such serious injuries, but the visitors are constantly, where is this recuperating from his injuries, it is clearly suffering. This time the person who came is a stranger, the person who came to report his identity, the original is the first Supervisory Yuan officials, by decree to handle the affairs of the hospital, is checking the assassination case of the Niulan Street, this case due to the involvement of the officials of the dynasty, coupled with rumors that there are some unspoken and unknown backgrounds behind the scenes, so a case should be all handed over to the Supervisory Yuan.

“How to address?” The subordinate has already poured a bowl of tea for the officials of the Supervisory Yuan, Fan Xian narrowed his eyes and looked at the other party, this is the first time that he has seen the officials of the Supervisory Yuan in any other place except for the last time when he “bravely broke into” the Supervisory Yuan, and it seems that the officials of the Supervisory Yuan have a dead and rotten smell on their bodies, and this feeling reminds Fan Xian of that goddamned teacher Fei Jie once again.

“My official Mu Tie.” The official, whose lips were like thin iron and whose face was deep black, replied without expression, “Some days ago, your son was seriously injured, so there were some questions that weren’t asked clearly, so I’ve been ordered to come and inquire today, so I ask for your cooperation.”

Fan Xian frowned, thinking that this official seemed to be unaware of the secret relationship between the Fan Mansion and the Supervisory Court, which is why he spoke in such a manner, and said indifferently, “I’m already weary, let’s talk about it another day.”

Mu Tie seemed a bit surprised that the other party had refused to answer the question, and his face was a bit ugly.

Fan Xian waved his hand and asked curiously, “The joint submission from the courtyard and the Ministry of Justice has already been handed in, what else do you need to ask?”

“There are some things that have yet to be clarified.” The official named Mu Tie Di stared intently into Fan Xian’s eyes. Fan Xian’s heart fluttered, knowing that the Supervisory Court was also suspecting the matter of that batch of archers, but what purpose would it serve to come and ask himself? What he had offended in Kyoto was only Guo Baokun, the son of a civil official, who definitely did not dare to collude with Northern Qi. As for the crown prince side …… that is something that one can t even say out.

Fan Xian pulled out the waist plate Fei Jie left for himself from under his pillow and threw it over, “They’re all his own people, so let’s say what we have to say directly.”

Mu Tie did not move a sip of the tea around him, took the medal and looked at it twice, his face changed dramatically, he actually left his seat and got up, walked to Fan Xian and knelt on one knee in front of him, saluting with both fists clasped together, “Greetings to you, Your Excellency.”

Looking at Lord Mu, who was honestly kneeling in front of him, Fan Xian was startled, not realizing that the sign had such a great effect. How could he have known that the plate Fei Jie left him was a tisi plate, a transcendent existence of the Supervisory Academy independent of the eight divisions, and was on par with the eight divisions hosting it except for the dean, Lord Chen, who could give direct orders, so this Mu Tie was unavoidably shocked when he saw it, and naturally knelt down to ask for his peace.

Signaling him to stand up, Fan Xian frowned and asked, “When will Lord Fei return to the capital?” This was the issue he was most concerned about right now, for one thing, although Wan’er’s body was getting better, the root of her illness could not be removed. There was no telling how much longer she would have to stay up. Secondly, the current situation in the capital is complicated, Uncle Wuzhu is still a ghost, his father is still polite with a cover-up, and Fei Jie, who he trusts deep down for no reason, is not in the capital.

Hearing this beautiful son asked Fei Lord, Mu Tie confirmed that the other party must be a very deep hidden adults in the hospital, like the Supervisory Yuan this kind of secret service organization, always like to develop some nail-like characters in the various capitals and ministries of the Kyoto, it is very obvious that the young master of the Fan House in front of him is one of them, and also the kind of rank is particularly high. Mu Tie respectfully replied, “There should still be some days.”

“Have you found out anything yet?” Fan Xian stared into his eyes.

Mu Tie answered in a deep voice, “The courtyard knew about the news too late, so the bodies of the archers had all been incinerated, and when they were finally traced back to the City Patrol Division, the trail was broken.”

“Patrol City Division? Who is in charge of this area?”

“Jiao Ziheng.”

“Huh?”

Mu Tie raised his head to look at Fan Xian, somewhat curious that the other party didn’t know Jiao Ziheng’s identity, and replied, “It shouldn’t be one of the crown prince’s people.” As soon as he saw the impossibly imitated waist plate, he concluded the identity of the other party, so he spoke without any qualms; this was the style of the Supervisory Court, where all the hierarchical strictness only worked internally.

“You’re in charge of this case?” Fan Xian looked at him curiously, “How many ranks of official?”

“My subordinate officer is a seventh rank Commander.” Mu Tie smiled and replied, “Just an errand boy.”

“When will Siriri be able to enter the capital?” Fan Xian suddenly thought of the only witness and frowned.

“That group of people ran fast, and even if we intercept them now, it will take some days before they can return to Kyoto.”

Mu Tie looked at him, thinking that he had guessed why someone would collude with Northern Qi to assassinate this beautiful male in front of him, and it seemed that this male was a key candidate for cultivation in the courtyard. As soon as he thought of this, his heart warmed up, as if he had discovered some opportunity to soar, and he boldly asked, “My lord, although I don’t know what affairs you are specifically executing in the capital, but you are after all new to Kyoto, if there is any place where I need my subordinate’s services, please feel free to command.”

Fan Xian asked curiously, “What about your current affairs?”

Mu Tie said with a simple smile, “You can transfer them immediately. The affairs of the academy have always been graded according to class, and with Your Excellency’s status, it would be a simple matter to transfer me to help.”

Fan Xian immediately guessed what the other party was thinking and said with a bitter smile, “It’s better to be spared, I don’t even know what I’m going to do myself, so what good would it do for you to follow me and lose your life for no reason?”

He suddenly had a gloomy heart, thinking of the three guards who died the other day in Oxford Street, these guards had been following him since he entered the capital, yet he hadn’t even remembered their names clearly yet, but the people were already dead.

Letting the maid open the window, the light and fresh breeze from the sky outside all of a sudden flooded into the room that had been gloomy for a long time, Fan Xian took a deep breath, his spirit revitalized, and decided to do something, and asked this warm-hearted Supervisory Yuan official, “There’s a man in the courtyard named Wang Qinian, isn’t there?”