Chapter 104
I have to say, the Fan mansion is truly magnificent—whether in architecture or courtyards, it far surpasses Yun Ye’s marquis residence in grandeur!
As we walked deeper inside, we saw increasingly profound courtyards, with rockeries, grassy lawns, blooming branches over shallow water, all exquisitely refined.
Along the way, we encountered many servants and attendants—men, women, young and old—all present in numbers an order of magnitude greater than those in the Yun household.
Moreover, the Fan mansion’s grounds are enormous; even just its inner courtyard rivals the entirety of the Yun estate.
In the capital, where every inch of land is priceless, a mere Minister of Revenue could never afford a residence of such scale.
In fact, Fan Jian is not only the Minister of Revenue but also a trusted confidant of Emperor Qing since his days as a prince.
His mother was Emperor Qing’s wet nurse during childhood, making him, by that bond, the emperor’s milk brother.
This reveals just how close Fan Jian’s relationship with Emperor Qing truly is.
He wields immense power in the capital and even commands a elite unit of the emperor’s personal guard—the Wei Hu troops who later protected Fan Xian during his mission to Beiqi.
Lin Yu followed Fan Xian into the inner courtyard and, before even reaching Fan Jian’s study, sensed at least three hidden presences.
Without a doubt, these must be Fan Jian’s Wei Hu guards!
Lin Yu turned to look at Fan Xian.
Fan Xian could also sense the guards’ presence and understood Lin Yu’s unspoken concern.
“Ignore them.”
Fan Xian whispered, “Anyone who stays in the Fan household has been personally selected by my father. Though loyal to the emperor, they would never speak ill behind his back.”
Lin Yu nodded and soon followed Fan Xian to the study’s entrance.
Fan Xian asked Lin Yu to wait outside, then knocked and entered the study alone.
Inside, a middle-aged man with a solemn demeanor sat behind his desk, copying a calligraphy model.
Fan Jian’s features were strikingly regular, with a neatly trimmed four-inch beard favored by high officials of the capital—clearly a man of sternness and little humor.
Seeing Fan Xian return, Fan Jian frowned, lowered his eyes, and said coolly:
“What is it?”
Fan Xian smiled, “An old friend from Danzhou has come to visit and wishes to stay temporarily at the Fan mansion.”
At this, Fan Jian frowned again, glancing at the tall silhouette reflected on the door, and said expressionlessly, “Is this why you left the banquet to rush back here?”
He slammed his brush down and snapped coldly, “Absurd!”
“A mere commoner from Danzhou is more important to you than Prince Er’s invitation?”
Hearing this, Fan Xian’s smile vanished instantly. “Dad, Dad, don’t say things like that—”
“I’m making things up?” Fan Jian scoffed bitterly, cutting him off. “Yes, before the banquet, I told you not to pick sides—but I never told you to offend Prince Er!”
“That’s not what I meant…”
Fan Xian wanted to warn his father not to offend Lin Yu, but couldn’t reveal Lin Yu’s true identity, so he sighed helplessly and changed the subject.
“Dad, don’t rush—meeting Brother Lin was indeed a reason to come home, but only one of them!”
“...Really?”
Fan Jian calmed slightly, sat back down, and said coldly, “In front of your friend, I’ll spare you some face. Go on—what else is there?”
Fan Xian brushed it off casually, “Nothing much—just got ambushed on Niu Lan Street.”
“What?!”
Fan Jian shot to his feet, urgently asking, “Were you hurt by the assassins?”
This was the first time he’d shown concern for Fan Xian.
Fan Xian paused, then felt warmth in his chest and smiled, “Don’t worry—my bodyguards are all elite. A few assassins can’t even get close.”
Hearing this, Fan Jian fell silent, recalling Fan Xian’s three monstrous guards.
After a moment’s thought, he said gravely, “I won’t ask how those three became so strong—but you must tell me every detail about the assassination.”
Fan Xian had planned to tell him anyway, so he recounted the time, place, and identities of the assassins without omission.
Fan Jian initially showed anger, but as he listened, he grew calm, his face expressionless:
“To kill you, they deployed dozens of archers and death-soldiers, a wind-magic cultivator, two disciples of the Fourfold Sword Master, and the Beiqi eighth-rank hardened expert Cheng Jushu—what an extravagant operation!”
“Someone who can smuggle this many killers into the capital is no ordinary figure!”
He fixed his gaze on Fan Xian. “You captured three alive?”
Fan Xian smiled, “They’re already back at the Fan mansion!”
“Good!” Fan Jian’s eyes flashed with cold intent. “Hand them over to me!”
Fan Xian hesitated, “Won’t the Surveillance Bureau come to claim them?”
Fan Jian replied coldly, “Even if Chen Pingping himself comes, he’ll have to wait until I’ve interrogated them first!”
Fan Xian gave a thumbs-up. “No wonder you’re the one—I knew you’d be ruthless!”
“Stop joking around!” Fan Jian snapped. “You’ve been attacked and still haven’t learned caution… Go back to your room. I’ll investigate this—by tonight, I’ll give you an answer!”
As he spoke, a murderous glint flashed in Fan Jian’s eyes. He rose abruptly and strode toward the study’s exit.
“Hey, hey!”
Fan Xian quickly called out, “Dad, about Brother Lin—”
“Do as you please!”
Fan Jian walked out without looking back.
Outside the study, Lin Yu—who had been watching the whole scene—smiled and bowed respectfully. “I’m Lin Yu. Pleased to meet you, Uncle.”
Fan Jian merely grunted, not intending to pay attention to Fan Xian’s so-called friend.
But the moment he saw Lin Yu, that otherworldly aura made him instinctively pause.
“...You’re from Danzhou?”
Fan Jian eyed Lin Yu skeptically, unable to imagine someone so refined could come from such a remote region.
Yet Danzhou was his hometown, and people always see their homeland through rose-tinted glasses.
Seeing Lin Yu nod, Fan Jian didn’t doubt him and asked further.
“How is your knowledge of Confucian classics?”
“Decent enough.”
“Your demeanor suggests a scholar—surely you’re here to take the spring imperial exams next year?”
Fan Jian looked at Lin Yu with admiration and said warmly, “I haven’t seen a young talent from Danzhou in ages!”
“If you pass the exams next spring, I’ll personally arrange for you to join the Ministry of Revenue!”
Saying this, he patted Lin Yu’s shoulder and turned toward the front courtyard.
Inside the study, Fan Xian watched in shock, only exhaling in relief once his father left. He chuckled nervously, “Brother Lin, don’t mind him—my father’s just like this.”
Lin Yu glanced at him. “When did I ever mind?”
Fan Xian sighed. “I was just worried he might offend you.”
Lin Yu snorted. “You’re the one with a petty mind, projecting your fears onto a gentleman!”
Fan Xian rolled his eyes. “Fine, fine—you’re the gentleman, I’m the petty one…”
As they walked along the corridor toward Fan Xian’s room, Lin Yu recalled their earlier conversation and asked quietly, “I’ve already told you the general plot of Qing Yu Nian—you’ve taken some actions. Tell me, what’s your real plan?”
“What’s there to plan…?”
Fan Xian’s eyes turned cold. “I’m going to overthrow the damn system!”
Then, remembering Lin Yu’s strength, he quickly added, “I don’t mean right now!”
“Not until after I marry Wan’er and take control of the Surveillance Bureau and the Inner Treasury.”
Lin Yu sighed in exasperation. “I didn’t even push you to rebel—why are you so worked up?”
Fan Xian chuckled awkwardly, saying nothing.
He knew Lin Yu had told Su Haoming and Yun Ye things like “topple the emperor” and “take the throne,” so he feared Lin Yu might storm the palace and kill Emperor Qing for him.
“Honestly, Qing State is still stable—people’s living standards are good, and they deeply revere Emperor Qing.”
“Under these conditions, open rebellion is impossible—and I lack the strength to govern such a vast empire.”
“So I plan to use the Surveillance Bureau and Inner Treasury to hone myself, build my reputation, and when the time is right, reveal I’m the emperor’s illegitimate son—then legitimately enter the succession struggle.”
Lin Yu stared blankly. “Can you really put ‘illegitimate son’ and ‘legitimate’ in the same sentence?”
Fan Xian grinned. “Once I kill Emperor Qing and all the princes, it’ll be perfectly legitimate!”
Lin Yu chuckled. “Didn’t realize you were so ruthless.”
Fan Xian shook his head. “Talk is cheap—I don’t know what I’ll actually do when the time comes.”
“For now, we take it one step at a time. This assassination? It’s my chance to seize control of the Inner Treasury!”
The Inner Treasury was originally founded by Fan Xian’s mother, Ye Qingmei, as the Ye Merchant House, once the wealthiest enterprise in the world.
After Ye Qingmei’s death, the imperial family seized it, renamed it the Inner Treasury, and turned it into the royal coffers.
Today, the Inner Treasury’s finances are controlled by Princess Li Yunrui, who never married but once had an affair with Chancellor Lin Ruofu, bearing a daughter—Fan Xian’s fiancée, Lin Wan’er.
Emperor Qing granted Lin Wan’er the title of Princess and declared publicly: whoever marries her will inherit control of the Inner Treasury.
According to the plot, this assassination was orchestrated by Li Yunrui and Prince Er to prevent Fan Xian from taking over the Inner Treasury.
Fan Xian smiled. “Emperor Qing has an obsessive need for control. If someone doesn’t want me to take the Inner Treasury, he’ll make sure I get it!”
“To be honest, I’ve already discussed it with Wan’er—we’re getting married next month. I sent the wedding date to the palace before, but got no reply. This time? It’ll be different!”
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