Chapter 53 – The Mottled City Walls Are Heavy at Night

“Greetings, Lord Titus.” The one who interrupted Fan Xian’s pensive thoughts was the fellow envoy of the Qing State to the Northern Qi Council, Lord Lin Wen.

Fan Xian withdrew his gaze from those mottled city walls and said, “In this country, it’s better to refer to me as Fan Zheng Envoy.”

Lin Wen was slightly stunned, he had always been far away in a foreign country, so he wasn’t very clear about the details of what happened in Kyoto, but he also knew that this Lord Fan Tisi was a justly popular figure in the imperial court, and he didn’t expect to be refuted by the other party at the first line of greetings, and looking at the other party’s demeanor, he couldn’t help but think that this young official, relying on the shade of his father’s sainthood, was a boastful person, and couldn’t help but be somewhat worried.

The deputy envoy of the mission, Lin Jing, smiled slightly and explained, “What Lord Fan means is that since he is here to declare friendship, it is better not to use the identity of the Supervisory Yuan, lest the other party’s heart will be unhappy.”

Only then did Lin Wen understand and smiled, “I’ll listen to Lord Fan’s arrangements.”

Fan Xian turned back to look at this resident Northern Qi official, this person’s face was straight, but he looked a bit familiar, so he couldn’t help but feel a bit puzzled. Lin Jing smiled on the side and explained, “Lord Lin Wen, is none other than my cousin.”

Fan Xian came to his senses and laughed, “I see, the so-called father and son in battle, and pro-brothers in tiger fighting, with the two of you at the side, I think this mission will go smoothly.”

A Beiqi official came over, the three of them stopped talking at the right time, and began to study the traces on the wall of the capital city and the ants’ crawling routes. It wasn’t until the official came up behind the three of them that Lin Wen seemed to suddenly realize the situation and said in surprise, “Brother Wei Hua is also here today?”

Fan Xian turned around, looked at the Northern Qi official called Wei Hua, and smiled slightly, not comfortable saying anything.

That Wei Hua arched his hand and saluted, seeming to be quite familiar with Lin Wen, and laughed and cursed, “If it wasn’t for the purpose of receiving your mission, I would have still been having a good time in Lixiang Courtyard at this time.”

Fan Xian’s heart was happy, it seemed that this person and Li Hongcheng were generally good at that.

Lin Wen hurriedly introduced Fan Xian and said, “This is Lord Wei Hua, the young minister of Honglu of Northern Qi.” He also introduced Wei Hua, “This is ……”

Unexpectedly, Wei Hua waved his hand with a smirk and said, “Lord Fan is famous all over the world, why do I need Brother Lin to introduce him?”

Fan Xian was slightly stunned, arching his hand and saying, “It’s a false name. I don’t dare to.”

“Lord Fan is too modest.” Wei Hua’s features were quite clear, but his eyes always had a loose flavor, not like an official, but like a madman, “A generation of poets, but you’ve become a supervisory authority. In the coming year, I’m afraid that I still have to be in charge of the internal treasury of the southern dynasty, before the mission, but also uncovered the chunwu malpractice case, seventeen officials’ heads fell to the ground, and the bones of the bones turned …… Fan Taoyuan, but he turned to the north of Qi.”

He laughed twice and said, “I also don’t know what that His Majesty the Emperor of your country is thinking? Like Lord Fan and other important characters, of course, should be put aside in the capital to raise a good life, how can get to our great Qi country to suffer? What if you run into a cold on the way to ……?”

Fan Xian heard the faint threatening flavor in the other party’s words, but he didn’t care at all, and said with a smile, “How could he be so weak?”

Wei Hua realized that this young official with great talent seemed to be extremely interested in the city walls of Shangjing, so he said proudly, “This city has been built for three hundred years, and has never been attacked by a foreign enemy, so does Lord Fan also find it extremely majestic? I don’t know how it compares to the Kyoto of Nanqing.”

Fan Xian said with a slight smile, “It is naturally majestic, but it seems to be a bit old, your country seems to need to find a time to repair it.”

In their words, the two of them secretly undermined each other, and the crowd was silent. After a long time, Wei Hua said softly, “Lord Fan has come from afar, this official naturally has to be the host, after the official business is done, please enjoy your face.”

Fan Xian looked at him twice, thinking why this person’s words always show a faint hostility, but this hostility is not to the point of hatred, can’t help but be a little curious, he and this person has never met, how did he offend each other?

Lin Wen at this time in the two people beside haha laughed: “good to teach the fan know, this Wei Hua adults, is last year’s mission to the dynasty of Changning Marquis son, Fan Zheng Envoy last year in the temple of a spell of wine, the marquis did not support the drunkenness, returned to the country has always been remembered, said that the south of the dynasty out of a powerful young man, not only poetry is well written, the amount of wine is also amazing. Lord Wei Hua has often heard about it and naturally wanted to compete with your lordship.”

“So it is.” Fan Xian let out a bitter laugh, and looking at this Lord Wei again, he could really see some similarities with the Marquis of Changning in the other’s face. Last year, he was the deputy envoy to receive the Northern Qi delegation, and the Changning Marquis dealt with not less, and later in the palace banquet, it was a good fight through the wine, also considered half a drinking buddy, not to avoid the nerd arching: “Brother Wei if you want to avenge your father, you have to wait for some days, or I drink confused does not matter, messed up between the two countries of the right thing, it is not good to His Majesty to account for it.”

The crowd laughed and left the matter for later.

Beiqi on the capital, really a prosperous, although the street is not wide, but along the way all the restaurants, green tiles, light walls, tall trees, the scenery is quite beautiful, the street people pedestrians face is also a mild smile, full of self-confidence and self-preservation, which is like a defeated country.

The delegation in Wei Hua’s reception, to the west of the city line, a group of people arranged in the Honglu Temple behind the imperial residence, by this arrangement can be seen, the Emperor of Northern Qi for the Qing Dynasty delegation is to give full face.

Along the way, Fan Xian chatted with Wei Hua, and found that he knew the officialdom of Qing very well, and could not only say the names of some powerful people, but also seemed to know Li Hongcheng, the son of King Jing, according to his tone of voice, which surprised Fan Xian, as the capitals of the two countries were quite far away from each other, so he didn’t know how they became acquainted with each other.

In the middle of the conversation, Fan Xian also had a vague understanding of Beiqi’s current government, of course, before going north, he had already read countless files in the Supervisory Yuan, and knew that Beiqi’s court was far from being as peaceful and golden as Wei Hua said.

Beiqi Empress Dowager is only in her thirties, still young, the Emperor is not long ago, can not completely control the dynasty, the emperor party after the party in the dynasty each party forces, in the silent resistance. If it is not last year’s war between the two countries North Qi complete defeat reason, temporarily suppress the conflict down, I am afraid that now the capital of the early has been in chaos.

Uesugi Tiger was originally a general in the north, but because of this reason, he was transferred back to Shangjing.

Fan Xian asked as if he had no intention of doing so, “I heard that General Uesugi is an unrivaled hero, so when will Brother Wei have the time to take me to pay a visit?”

Wei Hua Yi said, “Lord Fan is interested in General Uesugi?”

“Although I am not a literate scholar, I always admire heroes who resist barbarians.” Fan Xian smiled gently.

Wei Hua had a different look on his face, as if he didn’t really want to talk about that Uesugi Tiger. Fan Xian took his look in and said no more, smiling faintly.

When the delegation arrived at the courtyard, there were people in charge of arranging the accommodation, and after a while, the arrangements were finally made. Wei Hua as honglu temple young secretary, of course, to arrange the evening meal, the seat a little test Fan Xian’s alcohol, found that this young official is actually take the wine as water, really perfect practice the true meaning of the word wine and water, can not help but be shocked, and then weakened the idea of fighting for his father’s vengeance.

Seats scattered people go, the whole courtyard is only left in the mission of their own people, the Northern Qi guards are very polite only outside the door to guard, and will be the inner courtyard of all matters are handed over to the mission to deal with their own.

There were only five people in the room, Fan Xian, Lin Wen and Lin Jing, Gao Da and Wang Qinian.

Fan Xian closed his eyes for a long time, confirming that there was no one listening around the room, before speaking softly, “We are in the heart of an enemy country, so be careful what you do and what you say.”

Lin Wen Lin Jing two brothers, indeed some quiet, slightly nodded and responded, just to see Wang Qinian and Gouda seems to be Fan Ti Si’s beloved, may not be very understanding of the recent situation in Northern Qi, Lin Wen slightly pondered before slowly opened his mouth, the recent situation in the upper capital report to Fan Xian to know.

“Uesugi Tiger is holding an idle post?” Fan Xian frowned, this was completely different from the prior judgment, the Supervisory Court had thought that Beiqi’s most capable general, since he had been transferred south from the barbaric land of ice and snow, he must have been deployed in order to deal with Qing’s aggressive offensive, how did it become an idle post again?

“Great General Huaiyuan, although the name is nice, but the person is in the capital, beside only a hundred private soldiers. In this capital, there are Shangjing guards, there are three great commanders, and there are hussar generals …… Great General Huaiyuan, although there is more than one big word, and the status is honorable, but nay, there are no soldiers in the hands, and even if Shangsugi Tiger has a supreme bravery, he can only honestly go up and down to the court, and hold his aunt and sigh.” Lin Wen said with a slight hint of mockery, “The tiger is kept in the scabbard, and even if it is powerful, it can only scare people.”

Fan Xian gently knocked on the table and shook his head in disbelief, “What the hell? Transferring such a guy back to Kyoto, not letting him go out to fight, just keeping him like this, is this Beiqi having too much money and no place to spend it?”

Lin Wen sighed and said, “The Northern Qi Emperor and Empress are competing with each other, everyone wants to win Uesugi Tiger’s support, but everyone is afraid that Uesugi Tiger will completely fall to the other side, so they can only let it go for now. However, Uesugi Hu’s name is here, and his appeal in the military is so strong that even if there were only a hundred of his personal guards in the capital, no one would dare to take him lightly.”

Fan Xian shook his head and sighed, “No wonder this time at the Misty Ferry River, just so many private soldiers came, I was wondering, to receive such a big thing as Sean’s escape, Uesugi Tiger would never have been so negligent.”

Lin Wen was stunned, he didn’t realize what had happened to the mission along the way. Lin Jing hurriedly explained quickly in a low voice from the side. Lin Wen was shocked, looking at Fan Xian who didn’t seem to have suffered any injuries, then he put his heart down and said worriedly, “What exactly is the relationship between General Uesugi and Sean?”

Fan Xian fell into silence, and only after a long time did he say softly, “If the courtyard didn’t judge wrongly, Uesugi Tiger should be the orphan Sean adopted back then.”