Sun Jingxiu was celebrating his mother"s birthday on her behalf. Thus, it was much more important than his own. It was only with this excuse that he invited Fan Xian. When Sir Fan junior actually walked through the front doors of the manor with Princess Chen, it was still difficult for Sun Jingxiu to suppress his excitement.

He had been tossed about by the wind and rain these few months. It seemed that in an instant, all of the officials and yamens had their eyes on him, making him feel uncomfortable and uneasy. Thinking back and forth, he finally landed on Fan Xian. However, the Sun manor did not actually have much of a connection to the Fan family, so he didn"t know if it would work.

It worked. Although there was a bitter taste in Sun Jingxiu"s mouth, and he felt a bit gloomy and remorseful toward his daughter, he still bowed respectfully after seeing Fan Xian"s handsome appearance and welcomed the well-matched pair into the manor.

Everything was already arranged. The female guests were in the back garden. The main officials of the Jingdou government were sitting in the front of the manor. However, the three halls that had been left for the officials of the court were all empty and particularly unsightly.

Fan Xian followed Sun Jingxiu inside. Looking at the completely empty long tables, he couldn"t resist smiling. Lin Wan"er said something quietly by his ear and went toward the back garden accompanied by the nannies and served by the female servants of the Sun manor.

Turning toward the west wing, Fan Xian followed Sun Jingxiu into the study. He knew King Jing and Duke Liu had already arrived. The two elderly n.o.blemen were chatting leisurely with Sir Sun"s mother. At such an age, there was little to be particular about.

It was quiet inside the study. Fan Xian looked at Sun Jingxiu and said with a smile, "Sir Sun, you are really not a clever man."

It wasn"t time for the banquet to start yet. Sun Jingxiu was worried about neglecting Sir Fan junior, so he personally accompanied him into the study. At this time, the servants hadn"t brought the tea yet. Sun Jingxiu couldn"t help being startled and muttered for a moment, unsure what to say.

"I am a bit curious," Fan Xian said in an even voice as he looked at him. "In the past, you never did these things to guess the Emperor"s thoughts. Why are you doing the opposite this year and using my reputation to scout out the situation of the officialdom? You are not one to l.u.s.t after money and status. I am truly very surprised."

Sun Jingxiu was silent for a moment and then bowed sincerely. "I believe I have been quite particular in being the Jingdou magistrate. I ask you to pity me."

Fan Xian knocked gently against the table as if thinking about the propriety involved. He hadn"t expected that Sun Jingxiu would directly raise his request. However, he also liked straightforward negotiations. A moment later, he nodded his head slightly and said, "I"ll speak on your behalf in the Palace."

"And, Sir He?" Sun Jingxiu asked in a slightly trembling voice. He was overjoyed, but his expression remained calm.

Fan Xian lowered his eyelids slightly and said, "He is the Imperial Censor of the Left. I can"t control him."

Sun Jingxiu"s heart trembled slightly.

Fan Xian raised his head and said with a slight smile, "However, he is just a junior in the Hall of Governmental Affairs. If Hu the Scholar does not nod his head, what can he do with you, the Jingdou magistrate?"

The conversation in the study ended simply. Fan Xian didn"t have Sun Jingxiu utter any promises about offering his life in sacrifice or other such mushy words. They both knew that since Fan Xian was willing to do such a major favor for Sun Jingxiu, Sun Jingxiu"s life could only be sold to Fan Xian. The Jingdou magistrate was not a casual position. When Sun Jingxiu gazed toward the officialdom, he could only see the back of Fan Xian"s head. He had no other choice.

Just as Fan Xian and Sun Jingxiu were chatting leisurely, the servants of the Sun manor were staring dumbfounded at the endless stream of official sedan chairs, watching the well-known officials from the court come forward with beaming smiles and warm birthday wishes. They couldn"t help but wonder to themselves where these people had been earlier.

A servant went to the study to inform Sun Jingxiu. He couldn"t help but smile bitterly. He knew these people"s att.i.tudes had changed so quickly because Sir Fan junior had come. Furthermore, he had asked King Jing and Duke Liu to open the way.

Fan Xian saw the bitterness in him and smiled. "Matters of officialdom are always so shameless. You"ve endured in the Jingdou government for so long. You should be used to this, Otherwise, how could you last more than few years in such an oppressive atmosphere?"

Sun Jingxiu nodded and accepted the lesson.

…

…

Only three tables were prepared in the main hall. All of the female companions were in the back garden with their own arrangements. Fan Xian only went with Wan"er to talk for a while with the old matriarch of the Sun family before retreating.

The main seat in the banquet was temporarily empty. Without hesitation, King Jing sat in the most respected position. Duke Liu sat across from him in the second position. The two elders had known each other their entire lives. Although they were sitting slightly far apart, they talked loudly. Leisurely conversation seemed to turn into arguments.

As usual, King Jing"s mouth was full of dirty language. Each comment he made always contained a number of curses. This made the officials at the three tables in the hall feel uncomfortable. It just so happened that Duke Liu was also someone retired from the military and familiar with such language.

Sun Jingxiu was looking after the other officials. Fan Xian sat between King Jing and Duke Liu, smiling, chatting, eating, and drinking with them, appearing quite at ease. King Jing and the Fan manor were family friends. Their relationship did not need to be mentioned. Duke Liu was Lady Liu"s father. When it came down to it, he was Fan Xian"s maternal grandfather. Naturally, Fan Xian was also very respectful.

Fan Xian talked with Duke Liu about the matters in Danzhou. Lady Liu was doing well, so this maternal grandfather was rea.s.sured. Additionally, with Fan Xian"s care, the children of the duke"s alley all had their territories.

However, it was a bit of a headache to talk to King Jing. Every few comments, he would vaguely bring the conversation around to matters relating to the medical shop. Fan Xian sighed in his heart. He didn"t know if there was a chance between Hongcheng and Ruoruo.

Speaking of Li Hongcheng, as general of Dingzhou, he couldn"t continue staying in Jingdou fighting with scholars after the New Year pa.s.sed. He had helplessly returned to the West. However, he had left a personal squad outside the Danbo medical shop to keep an eye on what was happening. The Emperor knew what he did and was angry, but there was nothing he could do.

…

…

The guests gradually arrived, including three ministers, two high-ranking officials, and eight vice ministers. Of all of the important officials in the Qing court, over half had come. The Jingdou magistrate could not gather so many important figures, but Fan Xian could.

With the pa.s.sing of time, Fan Xian felt a headache starting. When these ministers and vice ministers came to see him, he had to rise to greet them and accept thoughtful greetings from them. After seeing three tables of people, he was feeling a little tired. However, this was not the end. There were still many officials outside who came in one after another to give their greetings. They were not willing to pa.s.s up such a rare opportunity to meet with Sir Fan junior. After some time, the smell of bullsh*t floated through the hall. Fan Xian"s expression was forcibly changed a number of times from the fawning. Being flattered by dozens of officials was not a good feeling.

After three rounds of drinks, another official brought up the matchless deed Fan Xian achieved in Dongyi. Everyone"s gaze on him grew heated. Very few people cared about the scholar He Zongwei. After all, this little duke was the Emperor"s own son. Furthermore, he had done a great deal for the Qing Kingdom these years and was truly beyond popular. What could those in high positions do? It was not impossible that he would be given land and a t.i.tle.

Fan Xian"s head hurt. He wondered if the officials had come to the Sun manor to wish the old matriarch a happy birthday or if they had come specially to flatter him. When all was said and done, he understood. If they had not come to flatter him, why would these officials have come?

It was clear that King Jing was also interested in the Dongyi matter and pulled him to his side to question him closely about some top-secret things. However, there was at least another half-year to the negotiations being completed. Fan Xian could not say anything. He only picked some unimportant matters and secretly told the old farmer.

The less high-ranking officials could not worry about their appearance while fawning, but the ministers, vice ministers, and high officials sitting in the main hall still had to put on a calm expression. They only occasionally swept their eyes over Fan Xian"s face.

Fan Xian was blind to all of this. He knew that these people were waiting for him to act out and wanting to watch how he handed the consequences.

…

…

The sun gradually moved. The lively noise outside of drinking also died down. After drinking a few cups of wine, King Jing and Duke Liu felt their heads grow heavy and their bodies tired. They couldn"t be bothered to watch what happened next and gave an excuse before making their farewells.

Sun Jingxiu respectfully saw the two n.o.blemen out of the main gate before returning to the main hall. After thinking for a moment, he ordered servants to stand guard outside the main hall and keep watch.

He stepped inside and begged forgiveness from the people at the three tables inside. He laughed and talked for a while before declining drinks and returning to the main seat at the head table.

The noise gradually died down in the hall. Everyone unconsciously put down their chopsticks and cups. Looking at the various dishes in front, they used the calm smile on their faces to express their official manner and bearing, waiting for what would happen next.

Sun Jingxiu expressed his thanks and such. He then stopped talking and sat down calmly beside Fan Xian.

Fan Xian"s eyes lowered slightly. He slowly placed the ivory chopsticks in his hand on the blue porcelain chopstick holder, making a light clinking sound. The hearts of all the officials were battered by this sound.

A rather uncomfortable silence descended over the entire hall. Compared to the noise in the courtyard and music in the back garden, it was extremely silent.

"There is no need for me to praise Sir Sun"s official reputation." Fan Xian raised his head, pursing his lips slightly. "The Emperor has also spoken well of him in private."

Hearing these words, the officials all felt ridiculed. If the Emperor really liked this Jingdou magistrate, how could Sir He have let such a rumor escape? Did the little Duke say "in private?" Ah, who knew what the father and son said in private?

"Everyone is an official at the same court. Everyone has times when things don"t go so well, so I hope that everyone will a.s.sist each other." Fan Xian"s words were not chosen well. First, he had exposed Sun Jingxiu"s predicament and lost the vanguard advantage. Second, he used such commercial words as "a.s.sist." This was an appalling state of table manners.

When it came to well-chosen words, one had to consider who said them. Even if the Emperor wrote a limerick about a white swollen dog, officials skilled in poetry would have to extol its praise loudly. Thus, after Fan Xian said these words, all of the officials at the banquet stroked their whiskers and nodded, deeply believing that Sir Fan junior"s words were short but not simple and rational.

Fan Xian turned his head and looked at the official on his right-hand side. "What does Minister Wei think?"

The present Minister of Revenue, Wei Donghang, was also a crafty official who had been honed for many years in the Ministry of Revenue. In the past, he had seen Fan Xian countless times when he visited the Fan manor to discuss matters with Minister Fan. He wasn"t able to take over Fan Jian"s position because of his achievements in the Ministry of Revenue. It was because he had fallen completely to the Emperor"s side. He wholeheartedly did as the Emperor wished and pulled the Ministry of Revenue from the swamp of the Fan manor"s independent kingdom.

Minister Wei knew that this actions these two years had offended Sir Fan junior, but he had the Emperor right behind him. He was not too worried. Fan Xian had not expressed any discontent with him. It seemed that he understood his difficulties. It was precisely because of this that he still accepted the Sun manor"s invitation after learning about Fan Xian"s arrival and thinking things over for a long time.

He not expected that Sir Fan junior would choose to create difficulties because of the Jingdou government manor or choose him first.

His heart jumped slightly. He knew that Sir Fan junior did not like him. Otherwise, he would not have chosen the Ministry of Revenue to single out during the banquet.

A faint chill surged in his heart. Minister Wei had no other choice. After thinking for a moment, he smiled and said in an even voice, "You are right. The Ministry of Revenue acts according to Emperor"s orders and Qing law. We will certainly not act at will."

Everyone at the banquet were sly old foxes who had been in officialdom for a long time. They understood why Fan Xian had picked Minister Wei alone to answer the question. However, the matter did not concern them, so they let the matter rest. Unexpectedly, Minister Wei"s quiet words pushed back at Fan Xian. There wasn"t even a vague promise to express goodwill.

On one hand, the officials admired Minister Wei"s boldness. On the other, they were worried about what would happen next. They were all silent. The other two ministers raised their chopsticks and quietly indicated for those next to them to slowly eat.

"I am a peaceful person." The smile on Fan Xian"s face grew. Staring into Wei Donghang"s eyes, he said in an even voice, "If there is an edict, you must act according to the edict. If there isn"t one, I would like to see what consequences those lowly people will reap in the end."

The Overwatch Council and the matters of the court were two different things. Each did not interfere with the other. Fan Xian"s words were already breaking the taboo slightly. The words "lowly people" was, without question, a slap to Minister Wei"s face. His expression immediately became icy as he looked at Fan Xian and said, "I wonder what Sir Fan junior means by that?"

Fan Xian still did not get angry. He just said with a smile, "I mean nothing by it. It is just that I am going into the Palace tonight to ask the Emperor just what orders he has recently given to the Ministry of Revenue that they are not doing their proper jobs and are instead standing guard outside the Jingdou government every day."

"I control the Overwatch Council, but I do not privately investigate officials above the third-rank." Fan Xian"s expression remained very gentle. "As today is the old matriarch"s 80th birthday, I shouldn"t say such comments that kill the mood. However, I won"t be in the capital for many more days since I am returning to Dongyi soon. Thinking that the Jingdou government was an urgent matter, it is inevitable that I acted in a hurry. Please do not ridicule me."

The officials at the banquet all forced back a laugh. No one dared to actually laugh. Sir Fan junior"s words had made things clear. He was the Commissioner of the Overwatch Council. In three days, he would formally become the second Director of the Overwatch Council. As for his other ident.i.ties, there was no need to mention them. As for returning to Dongyi, this was to remind these officials that he had achieved enough to ask the Emperor for anything, even an edict.

Minister Wei"s heart jumped as he understood the meaning of these words.

Fan Xian raised his cup of wine and said to the officials at the banquet, "Everybody, let the Jingdou government be at ease."

With these words, everyone knew Fan Xian had formally stood out. After a moment of awkward silence, some people slowly raised the cups in front of them. Partic.i.p.ation was not unanimous, but most of the officials raised their wine cups.

Minister Wei was still staring at his wine cup, lost in thought. He was indeed in a difficult position. He knew Fan Xian was a person to hold a grudge. He had smiled so warmly earlier, which probably meant he was extremely angry. Even if he begged for mercy and retreated, would Fan Xian just let him go like this in the future? Furthermore, he was a minister. He had his status and dignity, as well as the Emperor and He Zongwei"s full support. It didn"t make any sense for him to retreat.

Fan Xian didn"t look at him directly and said with a warm smile, "Although we are all officials of the court, we are also all pitiful people who are trying to devise a good future for our children and relatives."

"The Emperor once said that living in the world, one needs a respectful and fearful heart." He looked at the people at the banquet. "I walk between the heaven and the earth. I only have respect and fear for two things."

The Minister of the Board of Rites furrowed his brows slightly. He had been the first to raise his cup. He was different from Minister Wei. He had never offended Fan Xian before, so he had a chance to correct things. He thought mockingly that Wei Donghang didn"t know what kind of person Sir Fan junior was or what kind of tactics he used.

He knew what Minister Wei was thinking. The Overwatch Council could not control officials above the third-rank. As long as the Emperor did not speak, Sir Fan junior seemed completely unable to threaten him. He knew better. It seemed that Minister Wei had forgotten history. When Fan Xian was still n.o.body, he had already forced the original Minister of the Board of Rites, Minister Guo, onto a fatal path. Later, he had brought down numerous ministers. He had even pushed the Crown Prince toward death. You are just a mere minister, so why clash head-on with him?

Thinking of this, the Minister of the Board of Rites picked up Fan Xian"s words and asked with a smile, "I wonder who you fear and respect."

"I first respect the Emperor and second, my father." Fan Xian gently spun the little wine cup between his fingers and said with a smile. "The Emperor spoke well. Without respect and fear, one"s action would become impetuous. My actions in the past were impetuous. I ask you all for your pardon."

There was another wave of laughter in the room, but everyone had clearly understood the meaning in these words. Respect and fear? Impetuous? Not only was he impetuous, he was straight up ruthless.

The old saying still held true. An ill-judged threat still appeared to have substance because the person making it was too powerful. Particularly when Fan Xian mentioned children and relatives, he had reminded some people that even if the Overwatch Council couldn"t touch a minister or vice minister, it was still easy to banish those in a clan into h.e.l.l.

This was an arrogant, aggressive, and presumptuous action. The Emperor favored Fan Xian. No one could change that reality. Wei Donghang"s expression gradually darkened as his fingers began to shake. He felt that Sir Fan junior was unreasonable. Did he dare to attack other people"s families for his own problems?

Everyone knew that Fan Xian dared. Although Sir Fan junior once had the reputation of being an immortal poet, he had always walked a dark and haunted road and was very unreasonable.

In the end, Wei Donghang slowly raised his wine cup and drank it in one gulp, not tasting the alcohol at all.

Fan Xian nodded and raised his cup again, saying one last thing, "Eat and drink well, everybody!"

…

…

No one knew if the remaining officials, particularly the Minister of Revenue, who had been openly threatened and treated with disdain, still had the mood to eat and drink well. In any case, Fan Xian was in a good mood. He left the Sun manor early but did not return home with Lin Wan"er. Instead, he sat in the black carriage and drove toward the north side of the city.

"To the Imperial Academy," he ordered Mu Feng"er. "Hu the Scholar is not on duty today. He is lecturing at the Academy."

Mu Feng"er made a sound of acknowledgment and didn"t wonder why he was in a hurry to see Hu the Scholar.

Fan Xian sat in the carriage and rubbed his tightly furrowed brows. What he had done in Sun manor was not actually appropriate, but he had to put on such an att.i.tude. This kind of att.i.tude would certainly immediately travel throughout Jingdou. He had to get there ahead and deal with the consequences.

He was going into the Palace. Before he did, he had to see Hu the Scholar. If he could convince the leading scholar, then he would have a bit more confidence in setting himself against the Emperor.