"Am I an idiot?" Li Hongcheng, the Heir Apparent of Jing Wang, looked earnestly into Fan Xian's eyes. "Please tell me, am I really an idiot?"

Fan Xian, as requested, said very seriously, "I think in some respects, you really are an idiot."

What Li Hongcheng was referring to was Fan Xian's fingertip pointing to the sky. What Fan Xian was referring to was the other party's insistence on getting involved in the power struggle between the princes.

The autumn grass in the Prince's mansion was neatly trimmed, lacking any sense of desolation. Instead, it spread out like a slightly yellow felt on both sides of the path. Fan Xian knew this was the result of the gardening-loving Jing Wang's daily hard work. He pointed to the patch of grass and said, "Look, this is what life is about."

Li Hongcheng scoffed, "If you are willing to tend the garden at home every day, I will have the Second Prince circle a few thousand acres of land for you in Jiangnan."

Fan Xian shook his head with a worried expression, "I told you, these recent events are not my idea, but you don't believe me."

Li Hongcheng had a warm, sunny face, but at this moment, the news startled him so that his eyebrows gradually furrowed. If the recent movements in the court were not Fan Xian's doing, but His Majesty's secret intention, then things might not be so good. Could it be that His Majesty's favor for the Second Prince was not as strong as before?

Fan Xian glanced at him and said, "Of course, I also have my own selfish motives. You should be very clear that I have no affection for the Second Prince."

Li Hongcheng frowned and said, "Since you came to the capital, the Second Prince and I have been quite polite to you. Of course, I wouldn't say wholeheartedly, but at least more friendly than the Crown Prince's side."

Fan Xian sneered and said nothing.

The two walked side by side into the Prince's mansion, not going directly to the back garden. Jing Wang's birthday banquet had not yet begun. Entering the Heir Apparent's secret study, Fan Xian sat down at the table, a hint of coldness between his brows, staring at Li Hongcheng.

The servant who brought tea left, leaving only the two of them in the study.

"Polite? Having the Censorate attack me is polite?"

Li Hongcheng was slightly taken aback, then said with a bitter smile, "The Censorate… that was Aunt's idea. Actually, you understand why. Who told you to start secretly investigating Aunt and the Second Prince's affairs as soon as you returned to the capital."

Fan Xian did not bring up the Niulan Mountain matter, but shook his head and said, "I said before, I have my own selfish motives. The reason I want to investigate the Princess Royal and the Second Prince's affairs, you should also understand, is that the money in the Internal Treasury has been taken away by the two of them. Do you want me to take over an empty shell next year?"

Li Hongcheng said, "However, you are also the Princess Royal's son-in-law. She only has Wan'er as her daughter. Surely she wouldn't really drive you to a dead end? Take a step back, it's always good for everyone to live in peace."

"Taking a step back is fine too." Fan Xian looked at him and said very seriously, "I'm just a little worried about you. I know that the reason you are standing on the Second Prince's side is that you think he will be more promising than the Crown Prince if he becomes emperor in the future. His personality seems gentle and amiable, and you think the Prince's mansion will be more comfortable after he takes the throne. But have you ever thought that the way you and I call him the Second Prince today, will he not remember these things when he really becomes emperor?"

Li Hongcheng smiled, "It's fortunate that it came from your mouth, otherwise others would definitely think this is a very clumsy attempt to provoke."

Fan Xian waved his hand and said, "This is serious talk, just consider me meddling… I told you in the spring by the Liujing River that you shouldn't get involved in these matters." He looked into Li Hongcheng's eyes, "I know what you have done, but because of Jing Wang's status, even if you have thousands of cosmetics at your disposal, you don't have a single soldier. Not to say anything arrogant, the power in your hands is not as good as mine. How can you navigate so smoothly among these princes?"

Without waiting for Li Hongcheng to reply, Fan Xian stood up and said seriously, "What I'm saying has a bit of a self-absorbed and courting-death flavor. Maybe you will secretly laugh at me in your heart, but since His Majesty has already made up his mind, I don't think the Second Prince will have too many good days in the future. If you can keep some distance, then keep some."

He patted Li Hongcheng's shoulder and said earnestly, "I'm not saying these things for any other reason, but only for Ruo Ruo."

Li Hongcheng was silent. Although he was expressionless, he was somewhat touched deep down. After a moment, he said quietly, "You don't understand the Second Prince. He is actually being forced as well. Besides, my friendship with him is here, and I can't let go."

Fan Xian shook his head and said nothing.

——————————————————————

Jing Wang's birthday banquet began. A large round table was set with various precious dishes. Jing Wang sat at the head of the table, his long beard slightly fluttering. He was dressed like a wealthy merchant, not like a prince, nor like a flower farmer, but more like those idle and wealthy salt merchants and royal merchants from Jiangnan.

Seeing his son and Fan Xian walking in side by side, Jing Wang laughed and waved Fan Xian over, "You sit next to me."

Fan Xian was most afraid of Jing Wang's foul language. With a bitter face, he sat down. Turning his head, he found Wan'er smiling and looking at him, while his younger sister was sitting quietly next to Wan'er. Thinking of how he had shamelessly used Ruo Ruo's name earlier to temporarily appease Li Hongcheng's heart, Fan Xian despised himself from the bottom of his heart. He picked up his wine glass and toasted Jing Wang, then toasted his father and Madam Liu sitting across from him, thus accepting the penalty for being late.

There were no outsiders at the birthday banquet, just the Li and Fan families. However, with the elders at the table, both the Heir Apparent and Fan Xian were inevitably a little restrained. The sumptuous feast was eaten without much flavor.

After a few rounds of drinks, Jing Wang became a little unhappy. He picked up the wine pot and said to Fan Jian, "How do you manage your children at home? How come when you're here, Fan Xian and the others don't dare to speak?"

Fan Jian picked up a strand of deer tail and chewed it, saying unhurriedly, "It's better than how you manage them. At least I don't swear in front of my children."

"I f\*ck your mother!" Jing Wang wiped the wine stains from his chin and cursed, "Don't talk bad about me in front of my daughter!"

Jing Wang's wife had passed away early. Now there were still a few concubines at home, but they were not qualified to be at the table today. Sitting at the lower position were Princess Roujia and the Heir Apparent Li Hongcheng. Hearing her father swear, the little princess secretly glanced at Fan Xian, feeling both ashamed and angry, and feeling terribly embarrassed.

Hearing these words, Fan Jian darkened his face and cursed back, "Go slap yourself."

Since Wan'er married into the Fan family, it was the first time she had seen the two families sitting together. Seeing the two elders seeming to be improper, she hurriedly tugged at Fan Xian's sleeve. Hearing her father-in-law actually telling a dignified Prince to slap himself, she couldn't help but gasp.

Fan Xian was used to it and didn't care much. Strangely, his father had always been upright and proper, but only in front of Jing Wang would he reveal the romantic and unrestrained demeanor of his youth.

Hearing Fan Jian tell him to slap himself, Jing Wang was about to curse when he suddenly thought of what he had said. He couldn't help but exclaim, "Oh dear," and smiled bitterly. He actually raised his right hand and gently slapped his face, making a crisp sound.

Fan Jian was still unrelenting, pointing at his nose with his chopsticks and cursing, "Your son is about to marry a wife, and you still don't try to fix your foul mouth!"

Jing Wang said with a smile, "My bad, my bad." He glared at the juniors and said fiercely, "No one heard what I just said." Then he coughed awkwardly a few times before asking Fan Xian beside him, "Fan Xian, how is my mama doing in Danzhou?"

Lin Wan'er lowered her head to suppress her laughter. Only then did she realize why Lord Shangshu dared to make the Prince slap himself. F\*ck your mother? Her husband's grandmother's status was not ordinary. The Prince was raised by that grandmother in Danzhou since he was a child.

Fan Xian had a bitter face, thinking why you old folks have to drag me into your arguments. He briefly described the recent situation of his grandmother, saying that she was in good health. He rolled his eyes and said, "Your Highness, let's drink, let's drink. By the way, since you have nothing to do in Kyoto anyway, and Hongcheng is also idle in the capital, how about we find a time next year to go back to Danzhou together for a few days? The tea trees there are excellent."

Jing Wang glanced at Fan Xian, knowing what he meant. He liked him even more in his heart and said with a smile, "That's a good idea. I'll go to the palace tomorrow to tell the Emperor… but you can't go. You have to go to Jiangnan next year, right?"

Li Hongcheng, who had been listening attentively, was shocked and thought, Fan Xian, you're playing this move brilliantly!

Fan Xian asked curiously, "Why do I have to go to Jiangnan?"

Jing Wang cursed, "You kid usually look very clever. Even the Second Prince has suffered a lot of losses at your hands. Why are you so confused at this time? You're going to take over the Internal Treasury next year. How can you take over if you don't go to Jiangnan?"

Fan Xian touched his head, a little confused, "Take over the Internal Treasury, why do I have to go to Jiangnan?"

Jing Wang glanced at Fan Jian and said with wide eyes, "I say, Fan Jian, is your son pretending to be stupid or is he really stupid?"

Fan Jian glared at Fan Xian and said, "I thought this kid didn't have great wisdom, but he always had some petty cleverness. Only today did I realize that he doesn't even have petty cleverness."

Lin Wan'er pouted and said, "My husband doesn't even know that the three major workshops of the Internal Treasury are all in Jiangnan… Uncle, go drink your wine. Why do you always talk about these boring things?"

Jing Wang almost choked, laughing and cursing, "Girls are always partial to their husbands. Sure enough, after getting married, you only speak for the Fan family?"

Lin Wan'er said with a smile, "I think you also dote on my husband, Uncle. Why do you always talk about me?"

Li Hongcheng, who was sitting at the lower position, nodded and sighed repeatedly. Looking at Fan Xian sitting next to his father, and looking at the smiling expression on his father's face, he felt extremely jealous. He, like the Second Prince, was very unhappy. He thought, why does my father like Fan Xian so much? Whose dad is this anyway?

———————————————————————

The banquet dragged on until the end. The juniors toasted and wished Jing Wang a happy birthday, finally making him happy. He spoke even more absurdly, saying that after the two families were married, they had to quickly have a baby. Then he said that when Roujia was two years older, they might as well marry her to Fan Xian in one go, to avoid it being cheaper for others.

Ruo Ruo nervously clutched her sleeves, not daring to reply at all. Li Hongcheng's face was calm, with a hint of affection in his eyes, as he glanced at his fiancée a few times.

Fan Xian was the most nervous and quickly replied, "What is Roujia's status? How can she be my concubine? Your Highness, you've really had too much to drink."

The little princess Roujia glared at her Xian-gege with a very resentful expression.

Jing Wang, filled with alcohol, cursed, "The capital is full of bastards. Can I trust her if she marries someone else? What status? Isn't she just my daughter? Is she not good enough for you?" Turning his head, he said to Wan'er, "Chen'er, do you have any objections?"

Lin Wan'er replied with a smile, "I have no objections. As long as you can persuade the Empress Dowager, Uncle, then it's settled."

As soon as Jing Wang heard the words Empress Dowager, half of his alcohol woke up. He remembered that his mother would definitely not allow Fan Xian to marry two of her granddaughters at the same time. He couldn't help but grumble and curse, "This matter needs to be thought about. Roujia's character is too gentle… F\*ck it, not marrying Fan Xian? Wouldn't that be leaving the position open for that woman from the north? It's not worth it, it's not worth it. Fan Xian is so handsome, it's really not worth it to let that tigress from the north take advantage of him."

He looked at Fan Jian drunkenly and said, "What's the name of that woman from the north?"

Fan Jian was clearly also drunk. He hiccuped and said with a hint of self-satisfaction, "Haitang. A saint-like figure from the north, the closed-door disciple of Grandmaster Ku He. I don't know why she took a fancy to my good-for-nothing son."

Saying he was good-for-nothing, but the old guy was clearly very proud in his heart.

As soon as these words came out, everyone at the table laughed, even Liu, who had been silent all along, couldn't help but cover her mouth. Fan Sizhe and Li Hongcheng laughed the most exaggeratedly. Fan Xian was the most miserable person at the table. He really didn't expect that his father would be so uninhibited after getting drunk, and he didn't expect that his father would also remember Haitang's name.

A slight pain on his forearm, Fan Xian's expression remained unchanged. He gently grabbed Wan'er's hand, raised his glass with his left hand, and said with a gentle smile, "Let's drink, let's drink."

There was another burst of laughter at the table. Even Ruo Ruo, who had been feeling somewhat inexplicably uneasy, laughed softly.

……

……

"That Haitang…" Jing Wang suddenly said, "I'm afraid she's not Ku He's closed-door disciple anymore."

Fan Xian was a little nervous about the word Haitang, but hearing the next sentence, he knew that the things he had arranged had finally begun. The news had begun to spread to Kyoto.

Fan Jian nodded, revealing a puzzled expression, "It's really strange, that Haitang girl." He glanced at his son and continued, "It is said that she is truly talented and is the youngest ninth-rank expert in history. The people of Northern Qi have always said that she is a Heavenly Veined person… With such a disciple, what could Ku He be dissatisfied with? He actually wants to open a mountain again to accept disciples."

Heir Apparent Li Hongcheng was also aware of this matter. He frowned and said, "Could it be a conspiracy of Northern Qi?"

Jing Wang cursed, "What conspiracy? Accepting disciples is a conspiracy? Does Ku He eating a meal also count as a conspiracy? Don't think about these things all day long. Be careful of exhausting your mind! You're so old, and you have no prospects at all."

Li Hongcheng quietly went to make a fortune. Fan Sizhe raised his cup in empathy.

Fan Jian was impatient with Jing Wang scolding his son, and said, "Although it may not be a conspiracy, it is indeed strange… After Ku He had been in seclusion for several months, he suddenly said that he had understood the will of Heaven and wanted to accept two female disciples again, and also said that auspicious omens had descended from the sky… This is really strange."

Jing Wang slowly drank a cup of wine, with a serious expression, "The Four Grandmasters are the most top-notch people in the world. Among the three we know, Ye Liuyun is a free and unrestrained person who doesn't accept disciples. Although Si Gu Jian accepts few disciples, his Sword Hermitage is wide open, which has created many ninth-rank experts in Dongyi City. Grandmaster Ku He has previously accepted four disciples, each of whom is amazingly talented."

Fan Xian thought of Lang Tao's soul-devouring scimitar and nodded lightly.

Jing Wang continued to frown and said, "However, these three Grandmasters haven't opened their doors for many years. At this time, Ku He suddenly wants to accept disciples again, which is really a major event in the world. Although those of us don't care, for the martial arts practitioners of the world, this is really a good opportunity. If they can become disciples of Ku He, not to mention the improvement in martial arts, they can also form a good relationship with Heavenly Path Sect…" He sighed and said, "If they can use the matter of accepting disciples to improve their relationship with Ku He's lineage, I think all the rulers of the world would be very willing."

Fan Xian asked with a curious expression, "Ku He is, after all, the national master of Northern Qi. Accepting disciples would probably involve finding people within the scope of Northern Qi. What does this have to do with our Qing Kingdom?"

Fan Jian glanced at his son and said, "This time Grandmaster Ku He is widely opening his doors, everyone has a chance. Although he is the national master of Northern Qi, the status of the Grandmaster is so transcendent. If any of our Qing Kingdom citizens have the opportunity to become his disciple, I think His Majesty would be happy to see it happen."

Fan Xian nodded, indicating that he understood, but he was thinking about other things in his heart – he wondered how Haitang had managed to persuade that Grandmaster. It seemed that this girl was indeed even more impressive than he had imagined.

——————————————————————————

After the banquet, Madam Liu went to the back house to talk to the women. The young people went to the lake to enjoy the breeze and disperse the alcohol. Fan Sizhe suddenly disappeared.

In the garden that Jing Wang personally managed, he and Lord Shangshu were lying on bamboo chairs, squinting and looking at the grass without saying a word.

"Fan Xian has been… too aggressive lately. You need to restrain him." Jing Wang's eyes were clear, while Lord Shangshu's face was serene. They didn't look like the two old drunks at the table at all.

Fan Jian hummed softly and said, "This child said after entering the capital that I couldn't completely control him."

Jing Wang snorted coldly and said, "If you and I don't control him, are we going to leave him to that old cripple to control? That old cripple has a belly full of bad water. Who knows what he's up to."

Fan Jian laughed and said, "That old cripple was also an old servant from your mansion. Otherwise, how could His Majesty trust him so much."

Jing Wang sneered and said, "Let you guys play around. Anyway, my heart has grown cold since that incident." He then closed his eyes and said, "Fan Xian is a good kid, I'm just worried that His Majesty is exploiting him too much. It won't be easy to clean up in the future."

Fan Jian sighed and said, "You also know that I have no say in this matter."

Jing Wang shook his head and sighed, "Let these kids play. My brother probably likes to watch this kind of show."