"No need," Fan Xian sighed, shaking his head. "Losing a son in old age… I fear this super-expert will go mad and slaughter all the royals in this building. How would I explain that to His Majesty?"

Everyone in the room felt a chill. They understood the hidden meaning in Fan Xian's words. As Fan Xian's confidants, they knew the kind of resilient and somber heart that lay beneath his gentle exterior. They certainly didn't think he was making a joke. Yan Bingyun couldn't suppress his inner shock any longer and looked up to ask, "Is it necessary to go this far?"

Fan Xian nodded calmly, still rubbing his forehead, as if trying to dispel all the gloom of the past few days. "Danzhou is good, Kyoto is difficult. Since the two sides will inevitably end up in a life-or-death situation, I personally prefer to strike first."

Among those present, Fan Sizhe was closest to Fan Xian, but he was too young. Listening to figures like his brother discussing someone's life and death so bluntly, he couldn't quite process it. The others dared not question Fan Xian's orders. Only Yan Bingyun persisted, "A premature explosion isn't a good thing."

Fan Xian shook his head, explaining, "It won't be a premature explosion. His Majesty will definitely find a way to turn my assassination attempt into something beneficial for the court, but the Overwatch Council… I fear little good will come of it."

After a few more words about the future affairs of the Overwatch Council in Kyoto, the secret meeting at the brothel ended. With Chen Pingping essentially no longer in charge, the old leaders of the Overwatch Council's eight bureaus calmly made way. Fan Xian and Yan Bingyun discussed and basically finalized most of the matters.

Wang Qinian and Deng Ziyue went out first, preparing to carry out the tasks assigned by the Director. As Yan Bingyun left, he couldn't help but turn back, frowning, "Killing Yan Xiaoyi's son… While it's certainly a very serious warning, it will also drive a tiger mad. I suspect my lord has other plans in mind that he hasn't revealed."

Fan Xian was silent for a moment before saying, "That's right, I won't hide it from you. Yan Xiaoyi, as a ninth-rank superior super-expert, is the most reliable martial and military force they can rely on. Even if it comes at the cost of my official career, I must try to eliminate him in advance."

He didn't fully reveal his thoughts.

Yan Xiaoyi was different from the Ye and Qin families. He wasn't in a cooperative relationship with the Princess, but a loyal one. He would eventually become an obstacle on Fan Xian's path. And Fan Xian didn't have the kind of monstrous confidence that the Qing Emperor possessed. So he always felt a very strange feeling about Yan Xiaoyi's arrows. He always felt a sense of dread.

Before the future great explosion arrives, if he could destroy this divine bow of Qing's northern regions, Fan Xian felt his life would definitely be much happier.

Killing Yan Xiaoyi's son would only drive that peerless expert mad. But killing that peerless expert, the Princess would surely go mad.

Fan Xian really liked this kind of exceptionally stimulating and risky attempt, even if it might bring many variables, might cause the Emperor's will to shift in an instant, he still wanted to try it like a madman.

He wanted to erase the shadow of that arrow in his heart.

Yan Bingyun looked at Fan Xian like he was crazy. After a long while, he sighed and said, "Grand Commandant Yan's cultivation is astonishing, how can he be killed so easily? Even the entire Council can't find anyone who can deal with him… Even if you weren't injured, you wouldn't be able to assassinate him with your sword, let alone now that you are injured… Furthermore, the Director wouldn't possibly make such a crazy arrangement."

"No," Fan Xian shook his head. "That old cripple is probably even crazier than I am. I don't want to be driven mad by him, so if I want to protect my own little life, I have to be a little crazy too."

"Besides you two, I don't want anyone else to know my thoughts." Fan Xian patted Sizhe's shoulder and stared at Yan Bingyun. "The words I said in the mountains outside Kyoto, they still count. If you want to create a great situation with me, sometimes, I hope you can put more heart into it for me, and not just for the Overwatch Council and the court."

Yan Bingyun knew he was talking about the topic of the way of the powerful minister and the joys of the world. He sighed, a hint of worry finally appearing between his brows, and went downstairs.

……

……

Pushing open the street-facing window of the third floor of the Embrace Moon Tower, the Fan Xian brothers watched the snowy scenery in the street through the railings, speechless for a long time.

Snowflakes fell slowly from the sky, gently landing on people's hats, shoulders, umbrellas, and the roofs of carriages. Kyoto was mostly solemn, with dark colors dominating. Especially today, the street in front of the Embrace Moon Tower was full of the Overwatch Council's black carriages. Inside and outside the carriages were the Overwatch Council officials in dark black rain and snow lotus uniforms, making it look even more gloomy.

Fortunately, there was endless snow, slightly dispelling the gloomy mood. The pure white snowflakes adorned the all-black world, forming a distinct and beautiful picture.

Fan Xian squinted at the scene below. Wang Qinian and his group left, Deng Ziyue left, and Yan Bingyun left the tower last. The Overwatch Council officials and spies on the street disappeared without a trace in an instant.

He couldn't help but smile. Now, these subordinates of his all had at least a dozen capable men around them. In the court and in officialdom, who dared to disrespect these confidants of little Lord Fan? And these capable confidants also wove a larger web of power for Fan Xian, making Fan Xian's position in Qing more stable and lofty.

The so-called system was built up layer by layer in this way. But how could the young man who had just entered Kyoto back then, haphazardly forming the Qinian Squad, have imagined such glory today?

"Don't tell Father what was said today," Fan Xian turned his head to look at his younger brother, saying gently, "I don't want the old man to worry about us youngsters."

Fan Sizhe hummed in agreement, chuckling, "Brother, it's useless even if I told him. Father is a master at managing the national treasury, but when it comes to killing people, he can't help you much. It's nothing like your Overwatch Council, which is so powerful."

Fan Xian smiled.

The eighty Tiger Guards, normally used for royal protection, could be said to be the strongest military force besides the Imperial Guards. Even if not everyone was a knife-wielding expert like Gao Da, but seven Tiger Guards could rival Haitang Duoduo... How terrifying would these eighty be?

Their serious and honest father had secretly trained so many experts for the royal family. Based on Fan Xian's understanding of his father's personality, it was completely impossible for him not to have retained some powerful figures for the Fan family.

Such a Minister of Revenue had long since broken away from the authority of a mere minister. Killing people? Fan Xian shook his head at his younger brother, not saying anything. Back then, the emperor's father-in-law, the empress dowager's own brother, was killed by their father with a single knife... Who dared to say he didn't understand how to kill people?

It was just that his father was used to being patient, used to watching things happen calmly from the sidelines. So not many people knew his ruthlessness, except for old foxes like Chen Pingping and Prime Minister Lin, who knew the true power of this Minister of Revenue.

But Fan Xian didn't want his father to suddenly change his style of doing things because of his own affairs.

"Did you see Ruoruo in Shangjing?" Fan Xian lightly changed the topic, still wanting his father to retain that solemn and pedantic image in his younger brother's eyes. Ever since Ruoruo became a disciple of Ku He, she had only sent some letters to Jiangnan at first, but later there was no news.

Although, through Haitang's relationship with the Little Emperor of Northern Qi, Fan Xian knew very well that his sister was definitely not in any danger, but brotherly and sisterly affection was deep, and he was always a little worried.

"I met Sister a few times," Fan Sizhe said with a smile. "She's learning medicine with Grand Preceptor Ku He and is quite famous in Shangjing. It's just that I heard she went to the Western Mountains to gather herbs in the second half of the year, cultivating in the mountains, and hasn't returned."

Fan Xian sneered, cursing, "That old baldy Ku He is truly shameless to the extreme. We didn't fall short of our part of the original agreement, but he's actually only teaching Ruoruo medicine? Does she need to learn medicine from him? Who's better than him, me or Fei Jie… If he doesn't want to pass on the supreme mental cultivation method of Tianyi Dao to my little sister, he just came up with these excuses."

He spoke angrily, but Fan Sizhe was a little horrified. Although this kid wasn't afraid of anything, only afraid of his brother's big feet, he had lived in Northern Qi for a long time and had long been influenced by the Northern Qi people's god-like reverence for Grand Preceptor Ku He. Now, listening to his brother calling him "baldy" with every breath, although he didn't know what "baldy" meant, it must be an ugly word... He couldn't help but feel a little frightened, thinking that his brother was indeed the most courageous and confident person in the world.

Although Ku He was being selfish, this exchange student program was originally an accessory to the elopement back then. Fan Xian didn't expect his sister to be taught into a second Haitang Duoduo. In addition, the supreme mental cultivation method of Tianyi Dao had already been secretly given to Fan Xian by the elbow-bending Duoduo. He stopped verbally humiliating the unreliable high-level officials of Northern Qi and instead frowned and said:

"I've checked the records of those experts you recruited in Northern Qi for you. Although their backgrounds are clean and they've always been hidden among the common people, you must be careful. I think the Northern Qi royal family must have planted a few nails around you."

The so-called "clean background" referred to those Northern Qi experts with curved sabers around Fan Sizhe, who had no official or Embroidered Uniform Guard background.

Fan Sizhe nodded. Although he was still smiling, a cold light flashed in his eyes. "Don't worry, Brother. I've already figured out who it is. If the Northern Qi court doesn't send someone to be around me, they definitely won't feel at ease. So I still have to use this person, just as a free bodyguard. I won't get rid of him in the short term, but I'll avoid him on those important matters."

Fan Xian was stunned. He didn't expect his younger brother to have noticed these subtleties long ago. He couldn't help but pat him on the back in appreciation. "Your body is stronger, and you think more carefully. It seems that being exiled to the north has indeed brought some benefits." He immediately laughed, "You don't need to worry too much. Now, Northern Qi is still relying on you, this young merchant, to procure goods for their internal treasury. They won't easily offend you."

The area below the Embrace Moon Tower was already empty. Even the ruffians standing in the street corners had pulled their thread hats and disappeared without a trace. Fan Xian stood by the railing, looking at this scene, a rather inscrutable and strange smile floating on the corner of his lips. All forces in Kyoto were staring at the Embrace Moon Tower, but he didn't bother to avoid anything. Everyone knew he would retaliate, and they were all guessing how he would retaliate without any real evidence…

Let people guess.

"Tell me about the details of one thing," Fan Xian's eyes were still fixed on the snowflakes outside the window, not turning his head back, asking softly.

Fan Sizhe said curiously, "What is it?"

"The story of that sword," Fan Xian lowered his head slightly, his tone calm, not revealing his inner thoughts. "Where did Wang Qinian get that sword from?"

Fan Sizhe's heart trembled. He didn't understand why his brother had doubts about his most trusted person, but he didn't dare to say anything more. He simply repeated the story he had learned in Shangjing. The sword's appearance, purchase, and delivery were all arranged by Wang Qinian. There was nothing unusual.

But Fan Xian smelled a hint of strangeness in this story. He smiled wryly and looked down at his waist. There was nothing at his waist. The Emperor-bestowed Celestial Sword was very inconvenient to carry around.

"From what you said, there's a very interesting detail," he sighed, shaking his head. "Even with your silver helping him, it was impossible for Wang Qinian to buy this sword, a southerner, after the rumors came out for so many days... Tens of thousands of taels of silver are a lot, but they're not as valuable as the blood of the Northern Qi people. This is the Celestial Sword of Great Wei. How could the Northern Qi royal family let him buy it? Old Wang is always so steady, but he likes to flatter me too much... Why didn't he think of this?"

Fan Sizhe turned his eyes a few times, asking curiously, "Does Brother mean that... the Northern Qi royal family deliberately spread the rumor about this sword, and then transferred it to you through Lord Wang's hand?"

Fan Xian nodded.

Fan Sizhe asked, puzzled, "Why is that?"

Fan Xian turned around, patted his younger brother's shoulder. The two brothers sat back at the table, took two sips of tea, and then he explained, "Using a sword to create discord, although it can't play much of a role now, and the Northern Qi side wouldn't want me to lose my position in Southern Qing right now, this is a gesture and a foreshadowing. Over time, it will always reach a certain critical point..."

He mocked, "The Little Emperor of Northern Qi is not simple. These past two years, he has quietly taken power step by step from his mother's hands, without causing any major shocks in the Northern Qi court. This kind of imperial strategy is not much worse than our Emperor. When dealing with someone like me, he naturally has a long-term plan in mind. This sword is just the beginning."

Sowing discord has always been a small trick in history, but it has also been tried and tested, because people are suspicious. On the dark and muddled skin blood vessels of the imperial heart, there are densely engraved question marks and exclamation marks. The Great Wei Celestial Sword from Northern Qi, being by Fan Xian's side, was itself a great taboo. If he hadn't handled it properly and quickly sent the sword into the palace, who knew what the Qing Emperor would have felt in his heart.

Fan Sizhe clicked his tongue and sighed, "Politics is indeed very complicated... Oh right, although I left Shangjing secretly, before I left, the Emperor of Northern Qi summoned me into the palace and asked me to bring you a message, presumably he knew that I would be returning to the country."

Fan Xian was stunned, frowning and asked, "What message?"

“看来岂是寻常色, 浓淡由他冰雪中.” Fan Sizhe looked at his brother's handsome face, saying with envy, "It's these two lines of poetry. It seems that that Emperor loves *The Story of the Stone* after all. It wasn't a lie. Every time I entered the palace, he always turned the topic to you, saying unspeakable fondness and respect."

Fan Xian smiled wryly. These two lines of poetry are from the section of *Dream of the Red Chamber* that praises red plums. They are not particularly outstanding in themselves, but the Little Emperor of Northern Qi sent them from thousands of miles away as a gift of poetry. The hidden meaning is quite worthy of scrutiny.

He turned to look at the wind and snow outside the window, shaking his head and laughing, "Northern Qi has ice and snow, and so does our Southern Qing. This invitation is better left unsaid."

The topic ended here, but a faint worry welled up in Fan Xian's heart. He didn't know why the Little Emperor of Northern Qi was so fond of him. Knowing that he was the illegitimate son of the Southern Qing Emperor, he still didn't forget to subvert him. Why would that Little Emperor be so fascinated by this seemingly impossible task? Could it be that the other party could really guess his thoughts, the stories of the past, the current situation, and therefore take the lead in standing at the city gate, smiling and welcoming him?

—————————————————————

After Fan Xian returned to the mansion, he was inevitably scolded by his father again, while Sizhe's safe return made Liu Shi overjoyed, tears streaming down her face. Although Fan Shangshu was angry at his two sons' boldness and recklessness, strictly ordering Fan Sizhe not to leave the mansion, and at the same time ordering the people in the mansion to keep quiet, the hint of comfort in his eyes could not escape Fan Xian's gaze.

After the Embrace Moon Tower meeting, the Fan Mansion was immersed in a warm mood, and the Overwatch Council had already taken action. At the Council meeting, Yan Bingyun coldly stated the matter of the investigation into the mountain valley assassination. Although there was no specific suspected target, he pointed unequivocally to the military, thereby requesting the full power of the Council to begin combing through personnel exchanges in the Dingzhou and Cangzhou directions over the past two months.

This proposal was somewhat strange. Without a clear imperial decree, the Overwatch Council had no power over the high-level military officials. Yan Bingyun's suggestion seemed to be simply wanting to make the seemingly peaceful life in Kyoto more lively. But Little Lord Yan had the strong support of Chen Pingping and Fan Xian, the help of several elders, plus all the Council officials and spies held a grudge against the mountain valley assassination, so they naturally wouldn't object.

What was strange was that the palace didn't say anything either.

Wang Qinian returned to the Qinian Squad, not immediately taking over Deng Ziyue's position. He and his subordinates disappeared into Kyoto, not knowing what they were doing.

Only the First Bureau, still temporarily under Fan Xian's personal management, seemed more lively. The Light Campaign, which had lasted a full year and a half, made the position of the First Bureau no longer so awkward in Kyoto, and the people of Kyoto gradually became accustomed to going to the wall outside the First Bureau to look at the notices.

For example, yesterday they caught that corrupt official who took bribes, and today they pulled out a parasite in a certain department. These internal affairs of the court, after Fan Xian's rectification of the First Bureau, were posted openly and uprightly. The people of Kyoto often read them as if they were reading legendary detective novels.

On this day, the old notices on the wall were suddenly torn off. After washing them with snow water, Mu Tie, the temporary head of the First Bureau with a face as black as iron, personally plastered them and pasted a new piece of paper on the wall.

The people curiously gathered around, only to see that it wasn't a case, but just a few witty words.

"Thirteenth Brother ah, are you hungry? If you're hungry, tell that girl. The girls will make you noodle soup."

The people looked at each other in confusion, wondering what the Overwatch Council, or rather the newly assassinated Little Lord Fan, was playing at this time?

……

……