"Killing people is something you do with your mouth, but I do with my hands." Fan Xian stood up, glanced at him, and said, "Think carefully, if I kill you, will His Majesty let me pay with my life?"

Upon hearing this, He Zongwei fell silent. After a moment, he took a deep breath, and a blush of shame and anger gradually appeared on his slightly dark face.

Since entering the court, he had been smooth sailing, enjoying His Majesty's trust and favor, and the respect of his subordinates and colleagues. But when facing this young Duke, he was subjected to constant ridicule, finding it hard to bear.

He was now a Grand Minister Walking in the Department of Ministries, and throughout the court, who else but Fan Xian dared to speak to him in this tone, dare to threaten him so nakedly with life and death? But He Zongwei also knew that facing Fan Xian, he was helpless. Leaving aside the nonsense about imperial favor, just the blood relationship between the other party and His Majesty was something that this court official could never attain.

He Zongwei simply didn't understand why Lord Fan held such strong hostility towards him. Many officials in the court were also puzzled. If it was because of the fall of Prime Minister Lin back then, that was orchestrated by the Eldest Princess. At that time, He Zongwei was just a small pawn, not yet in the court. Moreover, it was clear afterwards that all of this was His Majesty's will, so how could he be blamed?

He couldn't help but feel bewildered. How did Lord Fan's hostility towards him originate? Sometimes, He Zongwei would wake up in the middle of the night, feeling a cold, damp patch in his quilt. He was doing well in the court, but he knew that Fan Xian was always watching him coldly from behind. Being watched by such a cold and sinister power figure was truly uncomfortable.

In theory, He Zongwei knew that Fan Xian loathed him, so he shouldn't have any more thoughts about the Fan family's daughter. But he always believed that His Majesty's will surpassed everything, and he also wanted to use this marriage to express his feelings to Fan Xian, and at the same time alleviate their relationship. If he really became Lord Fan's brother-in-law, then he wouldn't have to constantly worry about those cold eyes behind him, would he?

But the most important reason why He Zongwei dared to pursue this marriage was that he had always yearned for Fan Ruoruo. This thought had started five or six years ago and continued to this day, without weakening at all.

So he had remained single all these years, just like Hong Cheng, the heir of Jing Wang Mansion. In fact, the reasons why the two men hadn't married were exactly the same.

However, he ultimately didn't understand Fan Xian, and didn't know that the reason Fan Xian loathed him was because he had seen the man's fanatical gaze towards Ruoruo at Yishi Residence years ago.

It was truly an unwarranted sin, pitiful indeed. The little bit of desire in the depths of his heart was finally shattered into a million pieces of glass by Fan Xian's very direct words today.

……

……

Fan Xian said, "Don't come to the clinic anymore."

He Zongwei's heart pounded. It was really difficult for him to give up on the Fan family's daughter. Although this man's character was generally average, he was deeply rooted in matters of love and was somewhat infatuated.

"I understand what young Duke means." He Zongwei stood up, forcibly suppressing the anger in his heart, and said as calmly as possible, "Tomorrow I will enter the palace and personally report to His Majesty, and decline this marriage."

Fan Xian shook his head as he looked at him, and said, "The imperial decree for the marriage hasn't been issued yet, so why do you need to decline it? Don't think about hiding your little thoughts from me. Go to His Majesty and cry about it, saying you are unworthy of the Fan family's daughter, and you won't say a word of bad things about me. But when His Majesty sees you like this, he'll know that I've bullied you again."

"Whoever I, Fan Xian, bully, will become popular, that is the current situation." He looked at He Zongwei and smiled mockingly, saying, "Do you want to use this matter to make His Majesty cherish your loyalty even more?"

He Zongwei finally couldn't suppress the anger in his heart. He looked at Fan Xian coldly and said, "What exactly does Duke want me to do? This is not okay, that is not okay, does Duke really have to force a minister to death to be satisfied?"

"You said that yourself." Fan Xian looked at him mockingly, "The day before yesterday, Grand Scholar Hu personally came to your residence to mediate on your behalf. Last night, former Hanlin Academy Grand Scholar Zeng Wenxiang, your former private tutor, came with Grand Scholar Pan Ling to speak up for you. Grand Master He is now at the height of his success. Three Grand Scholars have come forward as matchmakers. How dare I, a mere Director of the Imperial Censorate, force you?"

Hearing these lukewarm, sarcastic words, He Zongwei found it hard to suppress the anger in his heart. He said in a deep voice, "May I ask young Duke, where exactly have I gone wrong to offend you?"

Fan Xian smiled mockingly, saying, "I don't like you, that is your fault."

"Lord Fan, Zongwei is His Majesty's subject." He Zongwei sneered in anger, "Even if you have power over the court, you are still just His Majesty's subject. Threatening a court official in the street, not taking His Majesty seriously, aren't you afraid that His Majesty will issue an edict and take away all your power and position? One should be cautious in life and not be arrogant in one's actions."

Fan Xian was not angry either. He just stood quietly across from him and said softly, "Everyone understands this principle. Three years ago, the Second Prince once said the exact same thing as you in the teahouse of Baoyue Tower. But don't forget, now he is lying in the grave, and I am outside."

After saying these words, Fan Xian left the restaurant. What he had to say to He Zongwei and the attitude he had to express towards this person, he had done his part. As for whether the other party was willing to accept it, that was the other party's problem.

————————————————————

Back at the Fan residence, he indeed saw Ruoruo surrounded by Wan'er and Ye Ling'er, speaking softly about something, her expression very unnatural. Li Hongcheng, who had brought her back to the residence, had left for some reason and was not in the residence.

Seeing Fan Xian return, Lin Wan'er glanced at him and shook her head helplessly, probably feeling helpless about her sister-in-law's marriage, which had caused a storm in the city. Ye Ling'er just glanced at Fan Xian, but did not rush up to him as Fan Xian had expected, questioning him, the older brother, for not being able to handle even this small matter.

It seems that love really makes people gentle... Fan Xian didn't ask where Wang Shisanlang was, and couldn't help but smile. He waved to his sister, and the two of them entered the second study.

"Is Hongcheng afraid that I will beat him, so he ran away first?" Fan Xian sat opposite his sister and asked softly.

A blush appeared on Fan Ruoruo's face. After all, it was indeed a very embarrassing thing to ride on the same horse with a young man on the street. After calming down for a moment, she said softly, "Something happened at the Jing Wang Mansion, so he left first."

Fan Xian nodded secretly in his heart. He was originally worried that his sister would be angry at Hongcheng's presumptuous behavior, but it seemed to be okay. In this view, Li Hongcheng's rough methods were not necessarily a bad thing.

Fan Ruoruo suddenly came to her senses and looked at Fan Xian blankly, saying, "Brother was there just now too?"

Fan Xian choked and smiled, "This matter is spreading fast. Everyone in Kyoto knows that the heir of Jing Wang Mansion has returned to the capital and is fighting with Master He for a wife, of course I know."

"Hongcheng is also being reckless." Fan Ruoruo said with a slightly angry expression, "There are still so many patients waiting for treatment at the clinic."

"Let's talk about those things later, there will never be a shortage of patients in the world, and you can't possibly treat them all day long." Fan Xian looked at his sister and asked seriously, "I know that He Zongwei has often gone to the clinic these days. I want to ask you one question, what is your attitude towards His Majesty's decree for marriage?"

Without thinking, Fan Ruoruo said calmly, "Sister doesn't want to get married yet."

These days, He Zongwei had been sitting-in at the clinic showing gentle and elegant, sincere intention. Fan Ruoruo was not a woman living in a vacuum, of course she knew about the gossip about herself recently, and also knew that her brother was worried about this matter, so she would naturally explain it clearly to He Zongwei. However, He Zongwei was still persistent, playing the spirit of a dead pig not afraid of scalding water, and wearing a sincere mask, Fan Ruoruo couldn't learn from Si Zhe to pick up a broom and drive people away.

"Okay, if you don't want to marry, then don't marry." The calmness on Fan Xian's face was not feigned, "You know that I, as your brother, seem gentle, but I am actually a bit domineering. I don't like He Zongwei as a person. Even if you agree to marry him, I will still break up the couple."

Fan Ruoruo couldn't help but glare at him, and muttered in a low voice that when they were young, he still talked about freedom of love, but now he only knew how to be domineering.

But how would she know that when they were telling ghost stories in their childhood, Fan Xian, who was more than ten years older than her in real age, had naturally developed the feeling of raising a daughter.

When their own daughter wants to marry, how can any father believe in the ghost talk of freedom of love - Qing Yu Nian doesn't have it, that world doesn't have it, the entire universe doesn't have it.

After a word, Fan Ruoruo became silent. Her two hands clenched the corners of her clothes and rubbed them hard. Her tense and complex emotions made her no different from other women in this world. After a long time, she suddenly sighed and looked at Fan Xian and said quietly, "Brother, am I very willful?"

If it were in another powerful and noble household, or even in any place in this world, Fan Ruoruo's choices about her life, marriage, and love would seem particularly different. She first rejected the Jing Wang Mansion's request for marriage alliance, escaped Kyoto, and studied under Bitter Bamboo for several years. Now, she rejected His Majesty's second decree for marriage.

Resisting the decree and refusing to marry would, of course, bring a lot of danger and inconvenience to her family in a feudal imperial society. For the sake of her own life, putting her family in a state of instability, perhaps everyone would think that this kind of behavior was an extremely willful and irresponsible act.

But Fan Xian was everyone in this world. He was the only one in this world, the only Simone de Beauvoir, who had seen the politics of sex, so he never thought that his sister's decision had anything to criticize.

Many years ago, that woman named Ye may have seen it too, but she had already left after all. So now, only Fan Xian was standing firmly in the world, using the way of supporting his sister's willfulness to reminisce or rather, to recall the beautiful world where marriage did not require the parents' consent, that beautiful world that was at least more equal in some aspects.

"Are you stupid?" Fan Xian's face turned cold, and he said sternly, "I have been teaching you since you were a child that your own happiness is more important than anything else. Apart from things you are genuinely willing to do, nothing is worth us making any sacrifices or compromises. The way of loyalty and filial piety is to be talked about, but in the face of your and my own happiness, it is not worth mentioning."

"But isn't this a very selfish approach?" Fan Ruoruo was not deterred by her brother's cold expression, and said very seriously with her face raised, "Because of my matter, the residence is not at peace, and the entire Kyoto is in an uproar..."

Before she could finish her words, Fan Xian had already waved his hand to stop her, frowned and said, "You are the girl I brought up, although you haven't been by my side as long as those older servant girls like Sisi. But you know that I have high hopes for you... I just hope that you can become a person different from the ordinary women in this world."

"What is willfulness?" Fan Xian squinted his eyes and said, "Father and Grandmother are now in Danzhou, and I am the only one in Kyoto to make the decisions for you. What are you afraid of being willful? As for selfishness, I am an extremely selfish person, especially when it comes to family and relatives, you should be very clear about this."

Fan Ruoruo lowered her head and was speechless, but her eyes gradually became wet. Only she, who was in the midst of it, knew how long her brother had been worrying about her marriage since he entered Kyoto. In order to reject the Jing Wang Mansion's proposal, he even did not hesitate to reach an agreement with the Northern Qi people, and exchanged to get her to be a disciple under Bitter Bamboo.

It seemed simple, but Fan Xian had put in too much effort and paid too much price for it. Whenever she thought of this, Fan Ruoruo always felt that her willfulness made her brother worry too much. The sense of guilt in her heart grew stronger, and she could feel her brother's sincere affection for her even more. The young woman had all kinds of feelings mixed in her heart, which could not be clearly expressed in words.

——————————————————

In the next few days, Fan Xian seemed to have forgotten about the marriage decree in the palace. He was just immersed in the Imperial Censorate, arranging matters concerning Dongyi City with Yan Bingyun. The affairs of Western Hu had already laid a good foundation. Even if the Chanyu Subida and Haitang Duoduo, who was using the alias Song Zhixian Ling, were more capable, the spies in Dingzhou and Qingzhou had been wiped out by the Imperial Censorate. In addition, the grasslands had fallen into instability again due to the sudden death of the Left Sage King, and the western border of Qing Yu Nian could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

In fact, all the affairs of the current Imperial Censorate were being handled by Yan Bingyun. Whenever Fan Xian thought of this, he could not help but feel lucky for his decision to go deep into Shangjing to save Little Yan. His ability lies in surprise attacks, decisive killings, and judgment on the overall situation, while Yan Bingyun is the best candidate for specific planning and execution of plans.

Without Yan Bingyun's help, Fan Xian would not be able to control such a huge Imperial Censorate system at all.

Things had already proved this point. The actual writers of several major actions of the Imperial Censorate after Fan Xian entered Kyoto were all Little Yan, who was dressed in white and was distinct from the black official uniforms of the Imperial Censorate. The only plan that Fan Xian decided on his own was the Qing military affairs of the Jiaozhou Navy. This action was criticized by Chen Pingping afterwards, and he was covered in dog blood.

Therefore, after Fan Xian told Yan Bingyun His Majesty's and his own intentions, he no longer worried about the affairs of Dongyi City, but quietly entered the palace once with Wang Shisanlang.

Although Fan Xian and the emperor were still in a cold war because of Ruoruo's marriage, the father and son would not choose to be angry about major matters concerning the court. Since the emperor had secretly learned of Wang Shisanlang's existence, Fan Xian would not make big mistakes in these small places.

Regarding the marriage decree, although the task of fighting against His Majesty had been handed over to the Jing Wang Mansion, Fan Xian was still watching attentively from the side.

Fan Ruoruo still went to the clinic every day to take care of the patients, while Hong Cheng, the heir of Jing Wang Mansion, stood outside the clinic with a cold face. This young master was probably feeling extremely angry about the news of the imperial decree for marriage. His face was extremely gloomy. The patients who came and went to the clinic could not help but feel frightened and feel the coldness on this noble man.

Li Hongcheng was now a number one figure in the Dingzhou military. He had rarely returned to Kyoto for duty in the past three years, but he was willing to stand guard outside a clinic. A dignified general came to act as a door god. All parties in Kyoto felt a chill. Even Grand Scholar Hu no longer said more nonsense to Fan Xian.

He Zongwei did not give up the idea in his heart because of Fan Xian's intimidation, but he went to the clinic several times, but was coldly driven out by Li Hongcheng. The small clinic had actually become an arena for ministers and generals. However, He Zongwei was, after all, a civil official. How could he be able to defeat Hongcheng's pretended martial artist appearance?

Youjian Clinic… had already become a spectacle in Kyoto.

When Fan Xian heard about this, he couldn't help but sigh greatly, thinking that Master Lu was right, words are always not as powerful as fists. He smiled and felt sorry for He Zongwei. A dignified Grand Minister Walking in the Department of Ministries, but encountering himself and Hongcheng, two unreasonable but noble imperial descendants, he would ultimately only suffer.

In fact, in these days, He Zongwei had entered the palace once, probably to express his intention to politely decline the marriage decree. This was not beyond Fan Xian's expectations. With He Zongwei's harsh mind, he would certainly not miss such an opportunity to attack Fan Xian. Even though Fan Xian had reminded him, he still did not give up.

Sure enough, when His Majesty the Emperor saw He Zongwei's gloomy appearance, he guessed that Fan Xian had secretly intimidated his trusted minister in a cruel and inhumane manner. He was furious and urgently summoned Fan Xian to the palace, and gave him a good scolding in the Imperial Study.

However, Fan Xian just listened with a blank expression, resisting with silence as always. Marriage was just a small matter, but His Majesty intended to use this matter to completely crush his heart and make him a foolish and loyal minister who only knew how to be timid and obedient, which was an arrangement he could never accept.

He was not too afraid of His Majesty the Emperor's displeasure, because times were different now. The Imperial Censorate and the Inner Treasury in Fan Xian's hands provided the most important order and financial support for the healthy development and maintenance of the Qing Yu Nian dynasty. Even the emperor knew this well and knew that he was increasingly inseparable from this proud illegitimate son.

However, as far as the Qing Emperor was concerned, the more he appreciated Fan Xian, the more he hoped that Fan Xian would reveal all his thoughts to him and listen to all his arrangements. Because he always felt that Anzhi was a bit stubborn sometimes, his temperament was a bit too detached, and he even faintly had the feeling of jumping out of his control.

This feeling was not a very comfortable feeling for a powerful monarch, so he wanted Fan Xian to give in.

……

……

Entering winter, Fan Xian still did not give in. He still supported the Jing Wang Mansion in fighting with the palace. The marriage between the He and Fan families gradually subsided after causing a lot of noise, because there were no subsequent imperial decrees from the palace, and the heir of Jing Wang Mansion was still looking at all the medical patients who came in with a cold look at the clinic. Those poor and hard-working patients, if their last name was He, would take a false name and then go to see a doctor.

Probably the only one in the world who was not afraid of His Majesty the Emperor was Prince Jing. After all, he had fought with his brother many times when he was a child. Even if he had not won a few games, at least his fist had tasted the taste of dragon meat. Once he was close, he would have less respect and fear. Moreover, if he had no desires, he would be strong. Prince Jing spent his life on flowers, plants, and mud, and never interfered in politics. His Majesty probably always had some guilt towards this only brother, so he could not possibly come up with more punitive measures other than frowning.

And Li Hongcheng had led the army in Dingzhou for three years, taking the lead and fighting bloody battles. Even if he had no merit, he had worked hard. He made it clear that he was going to fight with He Zongwei for a wife. What could His Majesty the Emperor do? It was just that he was bound by the words of the emperor, which could not be retracted, and he insisted on his own opinion for the sake of his face.

The first snow in Kyoto fell. Fan Xian exhaled a breath of white mist, stood beside the carriage, and said to Wang Shisanlang beside him, "Everything that needs to be said has already been said. Our Qing Dynasty can give some pressure to the City Lord's Mansion, but I have no way to resolve the internal divisions of your Sword Sanctum. I think you would not want me to interfere either."

Today, Wang Shisanlang was about to leave Qing Yu Nian and return to the Sword Sanctum in Dongyi City to accompany his mentor through the last journey of his life. Fan Xian specially made time to come and see him off. The two of them stood alone in the snow, talking casually. Of course, most of the words were spoken by Fan Xian.

"I'll wait for you in the Sword Sanctum." Wang Shisanlang carried his package on his back, held the green banner tightly in his hand, and looked at Fan Xian with a gentle smile, "Come early."

Fan Xian also laughed. Regarding the affairs of Dongyi City, after Wang Shisanlang entered the palace, His Majesty finally nodded and handed over the full authority to him. The initiative was finally confirmed to be in his hands, and he was in a very good mood.

"Thank you." Fan Xian paused slightly, and then said, "I hope I won't have to thank you in the future."

Wang Shisanlang was stunned for a moment before he understood what the word "thank you" was aimed at. He shook his head and walked into the wind and snow.

……

……

(Overjoyed, scratching his cheeks and ears, the top three in the monthly ticket list, all thanks to everyone's support, please continue to support everyone, deeply gazing, speechless and choked... Ouch, the monthly tickets before October 5th are still doubled, it depends on everyone's face, bowing hands, thank you thank you.)