The officials took their leave, pa.s.sing by Fan Xian with strange expressions. Fan Xian was also a bit uneasy. He knew what the upcoming talk with His Majesty would be like. Even with his status as the Commissioner of the Overwatch Council, there was no guarantee his presence wouldn’t be unexpected. After all, he was way too young—but things had already reached this point, so there wasn’t much else he could do. He followed behind some elderly officials to the back of the palace.

They didn’t walk for too long. A few turns later, they arrived at a side hall which wasn’t exactly s.p.a.cious. On the left were wooden shelves each as tall as a man, filled with books. Judging by the setup, Fan Xian supposed this was the legendary Imperial Library. He smiled, probably thinking about the Qing dynasty-themed TV shows he had often watched in his previous life.

The emperor had already taken off his dragon robe and changed into a sky-blue shirt. On his waist was a jade belt. Overall it was a casual getup. He sat, slightly leaning on the short couch and set up some tea cups. With a casual wave of his hand, some eunuchs hurried to bring seven cushioned stools. The seven elderly officials gave their thanks and took their seats.

The Crown Prince and Great Prince stood with great discipline next to the emperor. While they didn’t have seats, based on their expressions, one could tell this was customary.

There were seven stools for the seven elderly officials. However, there was also a younger, eighth official. The eunuchs probably were unsure, having never seen Fan Xian before, and didn’t know if he was simply a low-ranked official who was summoned here for questioning, or some esteemed guest.

Fan Xian alone stood out, both figuratively and literally. But his father didn’t even look at him. Laughing at himself, Fan Xian moved back from his already inconspicuous spot.

The Crown Prince noticed his small movement and smiled at him. Fan Xian could only dare to respond with his gaze. During the process, he happened to witness the Great Prince yawning behind the emperor. Having just returned to the capital yesterday, the Great Prince probably drank too much and was tired as a result.

Not counting the encounter in the tea shop, today was the closest Fan Xian had ever gotten to the emperor. Fan Xian raised his head slightly and rapidly scanned what was in front of him. He dared not to let his gaze linger, as it would be incredibly rude.

Despite how briefly he looked, Fan Xian was able to see the emperor’s face clearly. He was almost stunned by the emperor’s returning gaze!

The emperor did not take offense. Fan Xian knew he got lucky and showed it on his face, although he wasn’t afraid in the slightest. A short while later, the Second Prince, who had been reading with the Third Prince in Xingqing Palace, were also invited over by a eunuch. He was still holding the Third Prince’s hand as they entered the Imperial Library. Seeing the brothers getting along, the emperor nodded in satisfaction. Although the Crown Prince was smiling, he was probably cursing away on the inside.

"Bring a seat for Fan Xian." After the four princes had all lined up, the emperor appeared to just notice Fan Xian was standing.

Fan Xian was slightly surprised. "I dare not." With his rank, getting into the Imperial Library was already an exception; how dare he sit when the four princes were standing? The elderly officials also subtly expressed their discontent. Each of them had earned their seats after serving for at least twenty years; how could this Fan brat be given a seat the first time he came?!

The Crown Prince looked at the officials and said to the emperor respectfully, "Lord Father, Fan Xian is still young. His body is much st.u.r.dier than those elderly officials’. Seeing as he is so afraid, he should remain standing."

That was said very reasonably; both Fan Xian and the officials were thankful.

The Great Prince chimed in, "Lord Father, I recall when you let my brothers and I listen to the officials discuss national matters, we were required to stand, because in the future we would have to aid the Crown Prince during his rule. It was like listening to a lecture. As students we must conduct ourselves as such…" He didn’t finish, but his meaning was clear. Fan Xian was too young and had too few achievements; there was no reason for the princes to treat him as a teacher.

The elderly officials also shook their heads—the seats may look ordinary, but the implications they held were anything but. If Fan Xian were to really receive a seat, the news would spread all over the capital in no time.

Fan Xian was about to take advantage of the situation. He was ready to decline the seat. But the emperor’s indifferent gaze had him slightly shaken, causing him to force down his words.

The emperor looked at his subjects and then looked at his straightforward but impatient eldest son, and said, "Of course, Fan Xian does not deserve this seat… But today, he must sit. Not to be rewarded for his efforts, but for what he accomplished."

The others didn’t understand. But since His Majesty spoke, no one said anything. The emperor looked at his sons and said softly, "If you bring back a cartload of Zhuang Mohan’s books, I shall let you sit too!"

Everyone knew what that carriage stood for, but they still felt the emperor was being a bit paranoid when it came to an empty literary reputation. Of course, there was no way for them to object.

The emperor knew what they were thinking and said coldly, "Don’t think this only involves academicians. What are academicians? You, my subjects, are all academicians. Political and martial achievements—I do not lack the latter, but the former… It’s easy to conquer land, but to rule over people’s hearts is exceptionally difficult. Sharp blades and swift horses are not enough to accomplish that."

The Great Prince showed disagreement on his face, but he dared not to interrupt.

The emperor continued, "You can obtain territory on horseback, but you cannot rule from on top of a horse. Literature may appear to lack substance, but it involves all the scholars of the world. Three times I have fought Wei into chaos, and in that chaos, some managed to rise up, gather together a large number of talented men, and form today’s Northern Qi in only several years. They stopped us from advancing north… What did they rely on? They relied on the proper place that was in the hearts of their scholars! Our order is promulgated by scholars… Shu Wu, Yan Xingshu! You are both subjects of Qing, and yet back then you took Northern Wei’s examinations. Why?

Scholar Shu and Director Yan quickly stood up in fear.

The emperor shook his hand. "All the scholars are like this, and the distasteful practice continues today. I do not blame you, nor should you doubt yourselves. I only want to tell you there is much benefit to be gained from unifying the scholars. Able ministers are abundant, and they can gain an advantage in public discourse." He looked at his eldest son, "I know what you are thinking. But if there is less resistance before you set off, resulting in you losing less men, do you not want that?"

The Great Prince was silent.

The emperor then said coldly, "With that cartload of old books, I could gather more traveling scholars and preserve the lives of many soldiers. Is it still wrong for me to award Fan Xian this seat?"

Everyone felt something was off, His Majesty seemed to be intentionally showing the world that he favors Fan Xian. Also, how come Minister Fan didn’t take the seat for his son? On the other hand, the entirety of Qing was born from warfare. Its civilians held an overwhelming enthusiasm and sense of being predestined toward the possibility of their nation ruling the world. Since His Majesty just connected Fan Xian bringing back books with world domination, no one dared to object. They all stood up to praise the emperor for his wisdom.

A carriage directly connected to the world? Fan Xian thanked the emperor and sat down with extreme calm. On the inside, however, he was smiling uneasily, not knowing why the old emperor had to put him in the spotlight so much.

The red cloth unraveled, exposing a vast map which had recently been renewed. The yellow territory of Qing was expanding northeast ceaselessly. Other than some barren wastelands, Qing had already taken over the surrounding regions. While Northern Qi was still a colossus, even it appeared weak and bloated in front of the ferocious beast known as Qing. Northern Qi was also a young nation, but it didn’t only inherit the vast territory of the former great Wei; it also inherited Wei’s decaying political structure and general conduct.

Looking at the map, listening to the discussions around him, sitting in the center of Qing’s power, Fan Xian for the first time felt Qing’s relentless demeanor and wild ambition. He couldn’t help but let out a sign. After all, Northern Qi was still powerful, and with their emperor’s and Hai Tang’s wish, an all-out war would only make the common people suffer yet again. It would take years for them to recover.

Fan Xian was no teary-eyed pacifist, but he had no interest in warfare either.

As the emperor discussed national affairs with the officials, Fan Xian occasionally picked out something about raising the river embankments, or the amount of tribute coming in each year from the various va.s.sal states. Fan Xian had no clue what those were about, and naturally he wouldn’t interject. Even if he had something to say, he wouldn’t say it while sitting on this hot seat.

Gradually, he became forgotten in a corner. Blanking out at the newly changed map, Fan Xian sighed.

Suddenly, his ears picked up a word—palace treasury! He frowned slightly and became alert. As he expected, the emperor had summoned him here not simply to award him with a seat.

"As you all know, although the palace treasury is named as such, it is closely linked with many crucial and vulnerable parts," The emperor said hatefully, "The treasury in recent years is an embarra.s.sment. In the third year of the new calendar, the southern rivers needed to be dredged. On top of that, the cold weather was approaching from the north. I sent out the order asking the treasury to distribute some silver, only to find out that… the Guanghui Treasury was unable to!"

The Guanghui Treasury was one of the ten divisions within the palace treasury that stored banknotes. Actual gold and silver had to be stored in Chengyun Treasury. The emperor seemed to be getting angry at the wrong target. But regardless, both treasury divisions were joint-managed by the Eldest Princess and the Treasury. Although the Treasury had not dared to act on its own in the past decade, Fan Jian still stood up to beg forgiveness.

The emperor waved his hand and didn’t even look at Fan Jian. "The new establishment died without cause, but I am willing to work on the palace treasury. I ask not to return to the prosperity of over a decade ago, but at the least, the Court could get some money each year."

The emperor did not raise his voice, nor did he intensify his tone, but the prestige of his words was more than enough to silence everyone else. He then said, "My sister returned to Xinyang. I need place an official in charge of this matter. If any of you have any candidates to recommend, report to me."

The officials and the princes present all knew this was simply a formality; the entire capital knew His Majesty wanted Fan Xian to take the role, which was why he was using today to give Fan Xian a push. The emperor also seemed to want to make his intentions clear so that there wouldn’t be any objections.

Those present also knew the situation of the palace treasury was not as disastrous as the emperor had described. Every year, the goods shipped up north earned a significant amount of silver. If it weren’t for the very secretive support from the treasury, Qing would not have gotten the monetary resources it needed to expand its territory. Suddenly, there were many who were jealous of the Fan household.

But considering how upset His Majesty was, regardless of who would take over the palace treasury, they would sure to get a headache over turning a profit each year.

Thinking about this, the feelings of jealousy lessened significantly. Even so, no one wanted to recommend Fan Xian—it was a matter of dignity and also economy. As difficult as it was to manage the palace treasury, the one in charge would definitely gain plenty of benefits each year. Those officials also received significant rewards from Xinyang on a yearly basis, so they knew what was going on.

No one spoke. Because of his position, not even Fan Jian brought up his son. For the moment there was an awkward silence. The emperor only raised his teacup and took a small sip; no one noticed the coldness in his eyes.

"I recommend…"

"I recommend…"

To everyone’s surprise, the silence was broken by two people simultaneously. It was the Crown Prince and Second Prince who spoke. Things should get interesting from here.

The emperor nodded. "Speak."

The Second Prince looked at the Crown Prince and smiled, "Since the Crown Prince has a good candidate in mind, I’m more than happy to listen."

The emperor looked at him without saying anything.

Seeing that the Second Prince offered to back down, the Crown Prince, being the master of the east palace and the future Emperor of Qing, took the opportunity. Saluting the emperor, he said, "Lord Father, I recommend Fan Xian."

All those present were well aware that the east palace wasted no effort trying to win Fan Xian over. Therefore, the Crown Prince’s recommendation was understandable. Unexpectedly, however, the emperor did not respond immediately; instead, he asked the Second Prince, "And you?"

The Second Prince smiled, "I was also planning to recommend… Fan Xian, Sir Fan."

It was still quiet. The emperor scanned Fan Xian with a meaningful gaze. Fan Xian, without any changes in his expression, prepared to stand up and respond, but the emperor did not grant him the chance to do so. His Majesty said blandly, "Since you two both agreed on Fan Xian, then so be it. The arrangements shall be made after autumn. There’s no need to inform each county."

And so, the decision was made. Even though it had been determined when Fan Xian married Lin Wan’er a year ago, the decision was officially pa.s.sed and recorded today. There would be no changing it. The fact that the father and son of the Fan household controlled the national and palace treasuries, respectively, made others feel strange. There were no other households in the capital that received such favor from the emperor. Seeing that both princes also backed Fan Xian, the Fan household would most likely continue to climb even higher in the future.

Fan Jian and Fan Xian stood up to express their grat.i.tude.

The emperor didn’t pay them much attention and said, "With that decided, why did both of you pick Fan Xian?"

The Crown Prince thought about it for a moment, "It was only a crude thought of mine. With Minister Fan being so efficient at managing the nation’s revenue, Fan Xian should naturally have some talent in it as well."

The Second Prince smiled. "I thought the same. Plus, because it involves gold and silver, there needs to be someone with a clean background. Forgive my insolence, but there is too much corruption within the current political circle. While there are honest and upright officials elsewhere, young Sir Fan has considerable talent and knowledge in many other areas. For that reason, I believe it would be suitable for him to manage the palace treasury."

"Oh?" The emperor’s expression did not change. He asked, "That was barely persuasive. Are there other reasons?"

The two princes looked at each other and felt puzzled. Could the emperor be testing them? The bow had already been drawn back; the arrow must be launched, and the Crown Prince struggled to find another reason. "My brother is absolutely correct. There’s also the fact that the palace treasury has always been under the jurisdiction of the Overwatch Council. Sir Fan is already the Council commissioner, so that would make things easier."

The youngest prince felt his legs were getting tired, and being too young to understand the matters being discussed only worsened his focus. Strangely, out of nowhere, he said with a childish chuckle, "Brother, from what you just said, wouldn’t this Fan Xian be investigating himself?"

Being only a child meant he could talk a bit more bluntly. However, pointing out this hole in logic still made the Crown Prince embarra.s.sed.

Fortunately, the Second Prince spoke up, "Lord Father, I also couldn’t think of anything else to say."

The emperor only said blandly, "Nothing else? Then why recommend him?"

The emperor was all over the place; even though he clearly wanted Fan Xian, he was still giving his sons a hard time. Those who were watching could not figure out what His Majesty was thinking and could only keep their mouths shut in order to prevent unnecessary trouble.

Since this was all about him, Fan Xian felt more and more uncomfortable sitting there. Then, the Second Prince spoke somewhat hesitantly, "Actually… there’s another reason. It’s because… because I’m on good terms with Sir Fan."

His Majesty quietly looked at his two sons. Moments later, he began to laugh. "You may list as many reasons as you could come up with, but that one is enough… What is the palace treasury? It is the treasury of the royal family. If Fan Xian were to take charge of it, naturally he needs to get close to the royal family. Since he has been to Taichang Temple, he is close enough."

Enough indeed, as Fan Xian was still a Prince Consort after all, as both the Crown Prince and Second Prince often called him brother-in-law. The Crown Prince sighed, impressed by his brother while at the same time blaming himself for not being quick enough to think of the answer.

Due to the army’s return and setting of the borders, today’s discussions took longer than usual. It was now time for lunch. The emperor ordered the eunuchs to prepare food and asked the various officials and princes to stay to eat. Despite eating the Imperial kitchen’s cooking for the first time, Fan Xian did not feel anything out of the ordinary; it was merely some vegetables with fish and chicken. He felt even more comfortable after realizing eating with the emperor wasn’t as much of an ordeal as he had imagined. He didn’t even need to kowtow before eating.

What the two princes had said earlier, Fan Xian heard it all and knew he couldn’t avoid the responsibility. When he looked at the emperor again, Fan Xian felt a chill and a sense of caution—the emperor’s favor was based on some absurd fact, but he didn’t believe a ruler would easily bestow something such as affection.

Fan Xian wasn’t easy to control. He would kneel, he would endure, he would listen; but when things started to threaten his baseline, he would reach towards his left shin with a smile. Then, he would not kneel, endure, or listen; he would only say "screw it all".

After serving the emperor as he ate, the princes went to the side halls to eat. Presently, the emperor was casually chatting with the elderly officials. Naturally, there would be no talk of serious national business as they ate. They talked about which household had the best well water for brewing tea, which region produced watermelons the size of boulders, and so on. Occasionally, they mentioned news from other parts of the world and inadvertently brought up the pa.s.sing of Zhuang Mohan. Everyone’s voice took on a dejected tone, since they all had at least read Master Zhuang works.

In any case, this lunch was more relaxing than eating back at home. Fan Xian was hungry, so he didn’t really listen to the chatter. As he picked up a long beansprout with his chopsticks and was ready to put it into his mouth, His Majesty suddenly said, "Fan Xian, come here."

Fan Xian froze slightly for and instant. He then put down his chopsticks. Reluctantly parting from his beansprout, Fan Xian put on a bright smile and quickly walked over to the emperor. Looking at the thin but very charismatic face before him, Fan Xian raised his hands and saluted.

The elderly officials didn’t know why His Majesty had called Fan Xian over, so they all listened. The emperor looked at Fan Xian with a smile and said, "Do you still remember what I told you in the tea house that day?"

Fan Xian wasn’t expecting His Majesty to bring up that coincidental encounter in front of all the officials here. He smiled and replied, "I did not know it was Your Majesty, and even clashed with the palace commander. I deserve ten thousand deaths for my insolence."

The Director of the Board of Civil Office stroked his beard and said, "Ah, so Your Majesty has met young Sir Fan before outside the palace."

The emperor of Qing was quite intimidating when discussing serious matters, but now he appeared as gentle as could be. The emperor chuckled and recounted the events on that day. Fan Jian was shaken by the absurdity and could only beg His Majesty to forgive Fan Xian. The elderly officials were chattering among themselves, having realized why the emperor liked Fan Xian so much; that brat was way too lucky. At the same time, they were curious as to what His Majesty promised Fan Xian.

"I said I would arrange an excellent marriage for your younger sister," The emperor looked at Fan Xian with an extremely gentle gaze which held a hint of self-esteem a ruler shouldn’t even have. "Now that Miss Fan had been arranged to Prince Jing, what do you think of the marriage?"

Fan Xian felt only extreme bitterness in his heart, but on his face, there was only the expression of emotional grat.i.tude as he and his father thanked the emperor. After recovering from their initial surprise, the elderly officials started to add in their praises.

They were being a bit loud, and the princes eating in the next hall heard them. The Great Prince frowned while the Crown Prince smiled, believing himself to be even wiser for influencing the Fan household. The Crown Prince intentionally looked at the Second Prince, only to discover there was no change in the Second Prince’s expression. The Second Prince was unhurried as usual—even chewing his food strangely slowly. The Crown Prince couldn’t help but silently curse the act.

Back at where the emperor was, there were waves of cheer and laughter. No one knew the agony Fan Xian was feeling inside.

And when Fan Xian left the palace under the remaining daylight and saw that prince riding along the new street, he felt even more troubled. Prince Jing Li Hongcheng came over, overjoyed, and Fan Xian went to greet him with a face which appeared to be happy about this reunion; his true emotions were nowhere to be seen.

Then sun went down. It was night.