Chapter 162: Fan Xian

Soon, the day of Fan Xian’s wedding arrived.

Xiang Yunye, Su Haoming, and Li Shimin gathered at Lin Yu’s Daoist grounds and passed through a teleportation gate to enter the world of Qing Yu Nian.

He Jingfeng and Lin Lie had no such convenience; only the groom Fan Xian could spend his points to invite them over.

Now, the state of Qing had entered autumn; a cool breeze drifted through the streets and alleys of the capital, brushing past the bustling crowds as if sweeping away all the year’s heat and gloom.

Today was the first of the month, and according to Qing’s customs, it was the day officials took their scheduled rest.

Yet due to the wedding of Fan Mansion’s eldest son, even these rare days off could not be enjoyed.

The reason was simple: this wedding was causing a sensation throughout the capital.

The bride, Lin Waner, had only recently been reinstated into the Lin clan at the start of the year, but she was the daughter of the Chancellor, her lineage entangled with the imperial family, and had even been granted the unprecedented title of Princess by the Emperor of Qing.

Such an honor revealed just how highly she was valued in the eyes of the Emperor and the imperial house.

As for the groom, Fan Xian—there was no need to elaborate.

In appearance, Young Master Fan’s beauty had long been famed far and wide.

In talent, his impromptu poetry after wine at the palace banquet just half a month ago had left all in awe.

In martial skill, his public slaying of the eighth-rank expert Cheng Jushu at Niu Lan Street had stunned the realm.

In lineage, the Fan family of the capital was already a great clan; his father, Marquis Sinan Fan Jian, enjoyed the Emperor’s favor, and though officially titled Vice Minister of Revenue, he performed the duties of the Minister of Revenue.

With the current minister long confined to his home due to illness, everyone in the capital knew that Fan my lord would eventually take that seat.

In short, save for his illegitimate status, Fan Xian was unquestionably the most brilliant young man in the capital—and the only one.

With noble birth, literary and martial excellence, and boundless prospects, this rising star of the court naturally drew a flood of wedding gifts.

Such a dazzling wedding, however, had made life miserable for the groom, Young Master Fan.

Since before dawn, he had been dragged from bed by Aunt Liu, washed and dressed, then locked in the dressing chamber, surrounded by five maids who daubed him with rouge and clad him in layers of garments, leaving Fan Xian utterly tormented.

But there was no help for it; this was Qing custom.

No matter how impatient he was, Fan Xian had to endure it for his bride’s sake.

In contrast, his sister Fan Ruoruo and brother Fan Sizhe were even more delighted than he was.

Especially Ruoruo, now dressed in a pink gown, her usually cool and distant face beaming with smiles.

“Brother is still changing clothes—if you two elder brothers wish, come with me to the mansion for tea!”

Looking at the two unfamiliar men before her, Fan Ruoruo smiled sweetly.

Without doubt, these two were Lin Lie and He Jingfeng, invited by Fan Xian!

Fan Xian had already instructed his sister to host these two distinguished guests.

Fan Ruoruo had met Lin Yu before and knew her brother had some extremely mysterious friends, so she took no chances, personally bringing her brother Fan Sizhe to greet them.

Yet she clearly did not understand He Jingfeng and Lin Lie well enough.

Rather than treating them as honored guests, they were eager to see Fan Xian humiliated.

They exchanged glances and laughed: “No need, little sister, go about your business—we’ll wait right here.”

Fan Ruoruo paused, then smiled: “Very well—if you need anything, just send someone to find me.”

He Jingfeng nodded with a grin: “Of course.”

After Fan Ruoruo left, the two immediately turned their attention to the chat group.

【He Jingfeng: What a pity—the chat group doesn’t have a screenshot function?】

【He Jingfeng: I’d love to show you all what Old Fan looks like right now!】

【Lin Lie: Yes, yes!】

【Lin Lie: Brother Fan is now a flower-wrapped dumpling—his face painted like a ghost, layered in three or four outfits. Who even came up with this tradition?】

【Fan Xian: …】

【Fan Xian: I’m remembering both of you.】

【Fan Xian: You two better never get married!】

【Xiang Yunye: So what if they marry? They’re both from the modern world—you’re not!】

【He Jingfeng: Hahaha!】

【Lin Lie: @Xiang Yunye Where are you guys? When will you arrive?】

【Xiang Yunye: We’ve arrived—we’re on Tianhe Avenue now.】

Oh?

He Jingfeng and Lin Lie exchanged glances and immediately said: “Wait—we’ll go pick them up!”

【Lin Yu: No need. I know the way.】

Though he said so, the two still left the back courtyard to meet Lin Yu and the others at Fan Mansion’s entrance.

Along the way, servants and high officials passed back and forth, occasionally casting curious glances at them, puzzled by these unfamiliar faces.

But out of respect for the Fan family, they said nothing, assuming the two were merely retainers of Fan Young Master.

Speaking of retainers, it’s worth noting that after the wedding, Fan Xian would move out of Fan Mansion to his own residence.

Under the pretext of establishing his household, he began expanding his staff—publicly hiring servants, but secretly strengthening the outer circle of Bai Yu Jing, with Nie Kang, Fu Hao, Shi Hanwu, Teng Zijing, and Wang Qinian at its core.

Now, Fan Mansion housed roughly thirty to forty retainers.

Regardless of their prior strength, all who pledged loyalty to Fan Xian had instantly risen to at least the ninth rank.

As for the earliest among them—Fu Hao, Wang Qinian, and others—they had, under Fan Xian’s intensive cultivation, surpassed even the upper tier of ninth rank, nearing the level of true Grand Masters!

Such terrifying growth demanded a plausible explanation.

Fan Xian had implanted the Bai Yu Jing doctrine into them.

In truth, apart from Fan Xian and Fan Ruoruo, only these retainers knew the name Bai Yu Jing—and only they could vaguely sense the true identities of Lin Yu and the others.

At Fan Mansion’s entrance, Lin Yu and the other three were promptly stopped by the gatekeeper.

Fortunately, Fan Xian had prepared in advance; Shi Hanwu and Wang Qinian, already waiting at the gate, rushed forward, scolded the gatekeeper, and respectfully ushered Lin Yu and the others inside.

As soon as they entered, He Jingfeng and Lin Lie hurried over.

Lin Yu greeted them with a smile, then turned to Wang Qinian beside him and said: “Go about your duties—we don’t need you here.”

“Yes, Lord Lin!”

Wang Qinian bowed deeply, and together with Shi Hanwu, watched the six depart.

Once the six vanished into the front courtyard, both sighed in relief.

Seeing this, members of the Qian Group and Hanwu Group exchanged puzzled glances: “Two lords, who exactly are these guests? Even when the Minister himself visited, you two weren’t this tense!”

“...Are you kidding?!”

Wang Qinian shot him a glare, then muttered irritably: “You’re serving the Young Master—can’t you tell what’s important?”

“What’s a Minister? He’s just a mortal—can he compare to a Grand Master like Brother Wu?”

Shi Hanwu sighed: “Wang brother!”

Wang Qinian whispered with a grin: “I’m telling the truth. A Grand Master’s worth equals an army of a hundred thousand. It’s only because the Young Master told us to lie low—if we were to speak plainly, even the Emperor or Chancellor would treat you with courtesy.”

Here, Wang Qinian paused, glancing at the two groups’ subordinates: “And what about just now?”

“...”

Everyone exchanged uneasy glances, whispering: “You mean… the White…?”

“Shh!”

Wang Qinian quickly hushed them: “Just know it in your heart!”

Everyone’s expressions hardened, and they all nodded solemnly.

These men had only recently joined Fan Xian’s ranks and had yet to adjust their mindset.

Now, hearing Wang Qinian’s words, they felt as if cleansed—suddenly seeing the world clearly.

When they looked again at the illustrious guests, their earlier awe vanished; instead, they found these people vulgar and ignorant, unaware of who the true greats were.

Lin Yu, whose spirit covered the entire Fan Mansion, noticed their shift in attitude and couldn’t help smiling.

But their thoughts were merely a minor diversion—what Lin Yu truly wanted to see was Fan Xian’s current state.

True enough, the once handsome young lord now looked like a monkey dressed in finery—ridiculous in every way.

Lin Yu’s lips curled as he linked his spirit to the group, sharing the image he saw.

Unsurprisingly, all group members burst into laughter, teasing Fan Xian in the chat.

Some watched for amusement; others checked their own reflections.

Li Shimin admitted he couldn’t laugh—he’d looked no better on his own wedding day…

After much bustle, Fan Xian finally boarded the sedan chair and led the entire wedding procession toward the Chancellor’s mansion.

Lin Yu flicked his fingers, drawing the group into a mirror-space, traveling alongside them unseen.

Soon, the wedding procession arrived at the Chancellor’s mansion amid the crackle of firecrackers and the sound of flutes and pipes.

The Chancellor’s gates stood wide open; the one who stepped forward was the Chancellor’s strategist—Yuan Hongdao.

Fan Xian finally emerged from the sedan chair, forcing a pained smile as he approached and muttered: “Master Yuan.”

In the mirror-space, the six group members stifled their laughter, savoring Fan Xian’s humiliation.

Lin Yu even cast a spell to make their forms visible only to Fan Xian.

This only deepened his shame—he longed to crawl back into the sedan and flee all the way to Danzhou.

But the torment had only just begun; according to Qing custom, the groom’s party must argue loudly outside the bride’s home, claiming that by doing so, all future quarrels between the newlyweds would be exhausted in advance.

Fan Xian despised this absurd tradition.

But despising it changed nothing—the Fan and Lin families had long prepared for this moment.

Nearly every wedding expert in the capital had been hired by the two families, all waiting for this duel of words.

Fan Xian stood there with gritted teeth, enduring dual torment on both physical and spiritual levels.

In contrast, Lin Yu and the others watched with great amusement.

The reason was simple: the women hired by both families were truly skilled—on the surface, they offered flattery and festive words, but secretly boasted of themselves while belittling the other, hurling insults for hours without a single vulgar word, yet none were repeated.

Such skill left Li Shimin astonished; he thought that next year, during the northern campaign, he should recruit a few such loudmouths to taunt the enemy on the battlefield.

(End of Chapter)