Fan's family now occupied a large area in the southern part of the city, divided into a front residence and a back residence, with a rockery garden in between. The garden was naturally not small, and it was already deep winter. The trees were stiff, with only some frost-resistant bamboo and plum trees still stretching. This morning, a series of rapid breaths suddenly echoed in the Fan residence's garden.

"Heave-ho, heave-ho... heave... ho."

Fan Xian, dressed in a single layer of clothing, was running around the garden wall. Having just recovered from his injuries, he was eager to exercise, which made it somewhat difficult, and he was breathing heavily. Two Tiger Guards on duty and several Sixth Bureau swordsmen were vigilantly guarding every corner of the garden to ensure the safety of Director Fan's morning exercise.

In the distance, outside the study, Deng Ziyue and Gao Da wore strange expressions, their eyes following Fan Xian's movements. They did not understand why Fan Xian had to run for so long every morning. Fan Xian had never explained it, but his twice-daily practice was a good habit he had developed from a very young age. Now that his injuries prevented him from cultivating true qi, he could only work harder on developing his physical abilities. Implicit diligence was one of Fan Xian's best qualities.

The servants in the back residence who were up early did not glance at the young master running. They had long grown accustomed to it in recent days. They were busy squatting in front of the servants' quarters, brushing their teeth and chatting with foam in their mouths. These were all high-quality products from the Internal Treasury, and only the Fan family's back residence was willing to buy them for the servants, because Fan Xian was a person with a slight obsession with cleanliness.

Finally, after ten laps, Fan Xian stood under the eaves outside the study, panting heavily, with his hands on his hips, his head lowered, looking as disheveled as Yao Ming in the fourth quarter. He waved his hand, signaling the maidservant holding the copper basin to wait a moment.

The women of the family were all still on Cang Mountain, so a maidservant was assigned from the front residence to serve him. This girl, with two looped braids, curiously glanced at the young master, whose face was covered in sweat, and wondered why a person like the young master had to torture himself so much. She placed the copper basin on the long bench, draped a coat over Fan Xian, tested the water temperature with the tip of her little finger in the basin, and softly reported, "Young master, as you instructed, the water is very hot. It will cool down after a while."

Fan Xian nodded, reached into the copper basin for a towel, completely disregarding the scalding water, and without wringing it out much, lowered his body and covered his face with the towel, scrubbing vigorously.

Water droplets dripped from the towel and his cheeks, clanging softly.

After washing his face, it was already flushed from the heat, but his spirits seemed much better. His eyes were clear and bright. He threw the towel back into the basin, glanced at the two people beside him, and after a moment of thought, said, "I have to enter the palace today. Ziyue, go to the First Bureau and see if there are any urgent matters that have been piling up these past few days."

Deng Ziyue responded and left. Fan Xian looked at Gao Da and said, "Wait for me outside for a while. I have something to discuss with you later."

After the rumors in Kyoto subsided, and knowing that the palace did not intend to physically eliminate him, Fan Xian no longer had any scruples and summoned four Tiger Guards down from Cang Mountain. Gao Da was not on duty today, but was called up by Fan Xian, which made him somewhat puzzled. Hearing Fan Xian's words, he felt slightly relieved and stayed outside the study as instructed.

Entering the quiet study, the expression in Fan Xian's eyes became slightly dimmer. He went straight to the chair and sat down, carefully checking his physical condition. He found that the situation after the last explosion of true qi in his body had not improved much. His meridians were still riddled with holes, and the true qi scattered between his internal organs was temporarily behaving, not harming their function. In this condition, he dared not forcibly mobilize true qi to return to his meridians. But if he waited for the meridians to recover automatically, who knew how long it would take?

After returning to the mansion from Cang Mountain, Fan Xian had been very silent, not participating in any of the external discussions or struggles. In the eyes of the older generation like Chen Pingping, Fan Jian, and Fei Jie, the young man might have been frightened by the successive shocks, and that level of political struggle was indeed beyond Fan Xian's control at the moment, so they acquiesced to his sullenness.

But only Fan Xian himself knew that the biggest reason why he seemed so listless during this period, allowing his elders to arrange everything, was his physical condition. Uncle Wu Zhu had once said that no one in this world could be truly trusted, so Fan Xian only trusted himself. In his opinion, no one's favor or care was as reassuring as his own strength. Even with the Tiger Guards, the Supervisory Council, and the Qi Nian Team, if things really went wrong, he could only rely on his own martial strength.

The problem was that his true qi was completely scattered now, and he had no ability to protect himself—although people outside thought his injuries were gradually healing, he knew it was not the case at all—so he had to remain silent, had to shrink into his shell like a turtle. Although the posture was unsightly, it was safe.

There was a knock on the study door. Fan Xian grunted, and Madam Tengda's wife entered, carrying a tray with two bowls of medicinal soup and several small pots of pills, exuding a strong herbal scent.

Fan Xian's medicine was now being supervised and handled by Madam Tengda's wife every day. In this very important link, there were not many people he could completely trust.

Madam Tengda's wife placed the tray on the table and quickly went to the side to pour several cups of warm tea, arranging them on the table like soldiers, fearing that Fan Xian would not have time to drink water while swallowing the medicine.

Fan Xian shook his head, took a bowl of medicine in one hand, grabbed a handful of pills in the other, and sent them into his mouth as if eating candy pills and drinking sugar water, without changing his expression.

But there was too much medicine, and even with his heroic and rapid eating method, it took him a while to empty all the medicine on the tray.

"It's been hard on you, young master," Madam Tengda's wife said with a look of pity, smacking her lips as if she were the one taking the medicine.

In addition to pity, the woman also admired the young master very much. How could anyone live a life like this, being force-fed so much medicine every day? Yet the young master could still remain calm and enjoy it. And that Lord Fei from the Supervisory Council was also too nervous. It was just a knife wound, was there a need to prescribe so much medicine?

Fan Xian smiled and said, "It saved me the cost of breakfast."

The master and servant joked for a few words, and Madam Tengda's wife left the study. Fan Xian sat behind the desk and began to stare blankly. Eating a pound or two of medicine every day, the teacher's medical skills were naturally beyond question, and it was indeed of great benefit to strengthening the meridians, but it was not a complete solution after all.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but think of Haitang's letter. Was Ku He really willing to pass on the Heavenly One Dao's cultivation method to him?

He laughed mockingly. It seemed that the other party was preparing to cultivate him like a fierce tiger—the people of Southern Qing had also used this method before, such as Princess Chang and himself, all hoping that the northern Shangshan Hu could continue to maintain his bravery, keeping the other's court in a state of tension and unease.

The external transmission of the Heavenly One Dao's cultivation method was such an important matter that Ku He certainly wouldn't dare to be careless. And among the disciples of the Heavenly One Dao, only Haitang had a good relationship with him. Fan Xian determined that Haitang would definitely be the one to go south to transmit the cultivation method in the future. At the thought of this, Fan Xian didn't know why, but he began to look forward to that day.

Suddenly, his eyes lowered, looking at the cups of tea in front of him. He felt that the green and yellow tea water looked like a bunch of one-eyed monsters. After a moment of愣怔, he laughed at his own strange association. Then, a tightness in his throat and a swelling in his stomach made him feel nauseous!

Knowing that he had eaten too much medicine, and too quickly, he quickly picked up a cup of tea and drank it down, rubbing his chest with lingering fear, wearing a bitter smile, no longer the cool and tough demeanor he had shown in front of Madam Tengda's wife.

For some reason, after this torment, his mood became strangely better. He threw everything behind his head: his origins, hatred, threats, the palace, Jiangnan. That's right, life was like countless pills, you always had to swallow them slowly. Maybe it would be bitter, maybe you would choke, but you still had to eat them. It was always good to be happy.

……

……

Gao Da held his saber behind him with one hand, standing with his feet neither open nor closed, his aura imposing, but no one saw that the hand holding the hilt of the long saber was trembling slightly. He looked at Fan Xian, who was smiling brightly not far in front of him, and his heart sank. He wondered why Director Fan was so happy today? He was not at all like the unlucky figure he had been in recent days.

After Fan Xian came out of the study, Gao Da realized that the reason Director Fan had made him get up early today was to spar with him.

Gao Da knew that he was no match for Fan Xian, and that the other party had recently suffered serious injuries, so of course he refused to agree. But he was forced by Fan Xian, and in the end, the two decided to compete without using true qi. This was exactly what Fan Xian wanted. He had no true qi at all, so he naturally couldn't really fight.

The Tiger Guard's long saber clashed with the black dagger that the palace guards had picked up from the golden chrysanthemum bushes in front of the Hanging Temple. The two "masters" engaged in a real-weapon battle in the Fan residence's garden, clanging and banging loudly, attracting many servants to watch and join in the fun. Some bolder ones even shouted and cheered for the young master.

Without true qi, all that mattered was body control and reaction speed. Before long, Gao Da was actually at a disadvantage! Any move seemed ineffective in the face of Fan Xian's reaction and speed. Without true qi attached to the weapons, Gao Da was surprised to find that Fan Xian's strength was actually greater than his. He really couldn't understand this. He knew how hard he had worked at martial arts, how could Director Fan still be above him?

Especially now that he was facing Fan Xian, he was not only facing a superior, but also when he thought of Fan Xian's widely rumored background, Gao Da's attacks always had some subconscious fear. As a result, the gap widened. After several clashes, his hand holding the long saber trembled.

Fan Xian flicked his finger, and the slender black dagger spun deftly in his hand, drawing black circles of light. It looked very strange, but in fact, it was just the pen-spinning skill he had learned in class before he was hospitalized in his previous life. But in Gao Da's eyes, this move was really powerful.

He looked at Gao Da, frowned, and shook his head, saying, "You can see that my injury has healed. Don't hold back."

After saying this, he tapped the slightly slippery, cold, wintery ground with his toe, and his whole body leaned forward and rushed over quickly. A stern look appeared in Gao Da's eyes, and he finally gripped the hilt of the long saber with both hands, squatted slightly, and shouted, "Break!"

The long saber chopped down in the middle, cutting through the morning air of Fan's residence's back residence.

The saber fell quickly, but Fan Xian moved even faster. He had already rushed in front of Gao Da when the long saber was still raised above his head. He sprang up, his wrist turned inward, and like a bird pecking at food, he held the dagger and stabbed down fiercely!

With a crisp clang, the two men separated two steps, trembled twice, and stood firm. Fan Xian had the momentum, preventing Gao Da's long saber from fully exerting its power, while Gao Da had the advantage of the long saber's weight itself. The two were evenly matched.

Fan Xian smiled and waved his hand, saying, "Let's call it a day today. Starting tomorrow, let's fight every day... I think this is very beneficial for healing."

After saying this, he coughed twice and covered his lips with his sleeve. Looking at the traces of blood on his sleeve, he was not very alarmed. Although he hadn't used any true qi in the final blow, the energy and blood had rushed back, and without true qi to protect his heart, he had still suffered some injuries.

Gao Da didn't notice this, but frowned and said, "Sir, it's best not to use true qi after your injury. But fighting and training instead of using true qi doesn't seem to be of much use. After all, the difference is too great when facing the enemy... Even if you train your body to the extreme, it's impossible to bring too many benefits to your realm."

As the commander of the Tiger Guards, and seeing Fan Xian running, he mistakenly thought that Fan Xian was planning to take a new path of cultivation, using external force to enter the internal school. Naturally, he adhered to the duty of a subordinate and expressed his cautious opposition to this "heretical path."

Fan Xian smiled and said, "It's just for unblocking the meridians and invigorating the blood. Of course I know what the foundation is, you don't need to worry."

There was something he didn't say—in this world, there were indeed people who did not have true qi, but could still reach the top realm—like Uncle Wu Zhu.

The murder in the alley outside the mansion the night before, Gao Da had already reported to him. He assumed it was Wu Zhu who had killed another assassin from Xinyang and didn't care much. He was just thinking that one day he would find a secluded mansion and have Wu Zhu cut a few plates of cold radish shreds again, and he would drink a few cups of wine, reminiscing about the happy times he had in Danzhou.

At this time, the red sun had risen, and the morning chill had subsided slightly. The maidservants of the front residence had already come to call him. Fan Xian went into the house to change his clothes and walked towards the front residence, looking at the rising sun and the clear winter scenery of the garden along the way. He felt relaxed and at ease in his heart, completely unaware that his closest Uncle Wu Zhu had already drifted away to recuperate from his injuries, and what kind of danger he had faced. Fortunately, it was all over.

————————————————————

The atmosphere at Fan's residence's breakfast was a bit strange.

The people in the front residence did not serve Fan Xian every day after all, so those pretty little maidservants always liked to greedily peek at the young master's "beauty." Anyway, the young master was used to being watched and didn't care. But today, not many maidservants dared to look at Fan Xian, who had just entered, but stood silently behind the table to serve. Occasionally, a bold one would take a look, but the look in their eyes was one of respect and awe.

Imperial power was like heaven, and this idea had long been deeply rooted in the hearts of all commoners and scholars in the world. And now, it was rumored that Fan Xian was the illegitimate son of the emperor and the Ye family's mistress. So everyone looked at Fan Xian differently. The bloodline of the imperial family... He was no longer just the approachable, lovely, and respectable young master, nor was he just a powerful minister with both literary and martial skills, but the son of the emperor.

But in this rumor, the role of Fan Jian, the Lord of the Fan residence and Minister of Revenue, was inevitably a bit awkward. So the servants of the Fan residence, no matter how curious they were, couldn't reveal it at the dinner table, unless they didn't want to live. They had to whisper to each other in their rooms at night, in the warm blankets.

Fan Xian could also sense this strangeness, but the clear and beautiful smile on his face had not faded. He walked straight to the table, properly and respectfully saluting his father, who was sitting upright, for the morning.

Fan Jian closed his eyes halfway to rest his mind, and nodded naturally. Liu, who was sitting next to Fan Jian, had a strange expression on her face, forcing it away, but the smile she revealed was still somewhat unnatural.

Liu had a deep family background, so of course she knew the truth of the rumors. She had been shocked by it these days, especially when she thought that she had once wanted to poison the young man in front of her, she felt even more fear in her heart. When she thought of Fan Xian's true identity, she felt that it was very inappropriate for her to receive this salute. She wanted to stand up and avoid it, but she was afraid that the master would be angry.

Seeming to notice her strangeness, a faint hint of sarcasm appeared on the corners of Fan Jian's lips. He slowly opened his eyes, looked at his son in front of him, and said, "You're going to enter the palace today, pay attention to your actions."

Fan Xian laughed and said, "It's not the first time I've gone, there's nothing to pay attention to, it's still the same as before."

It's still the same as before. The meaning in this sentence was very simple, yet very complex. Liu, who was listening on the side, felt a chill in her heart. While she was still pondering, the father and son had already exchanged smiling glances, understanding each other's hearts. One was feeling old and comforted, the other was feeling affectionate and thoughtful. How harmonious it was.

……

……

While they were eating, they suddenly heard faint voices coming from the main gate on the east side of the garden. Fan Jian put down his chopsticks and frowned, saying, "Who is making so much noise?" Fan Xian handed a towel over, asking Liu to wipe the rice porridge on his father's beard. He knew that his father had been following the path of strict righteousness since he left the Liujing River career. Seeing his father's slightly angry appearance, he couldn't help but laugh, "What could it be? Eat your meal in peace."

A servant hurriedly went to the gate to ask, and a maidservant came into the hall to report. Fan Anzhi was shocked when he heard it, and no longer bothered to persuade his father to eat in peace. He stopped his chopsticks and stared blankly at the door, not knowing what he should say later.

Young Mistress Lin Wan'er and Miss Fan Ruoruo had returned to Kyoto from Cang Mountain by carriage, leading Sisi and Siqi, the two major maidservants, and a group of followers and maids. They had already arrived at the gate of the residence!

Fan Xian looked at his father in astonishment and said, "Father, didn't we hide it from the people on the mountain?"

Wan'er and Ruoruo had rushed back to Kyoto early in the morning, probably setting off yesterday, and had returned overnight. They were in such a hurry that even the Tiger Guards and Supervisory Council officials who stayed on the mountain didn't have time to send him a message... This was naturally because the young ladies had finally learned of the rumors circulating in Kyoto. Such a big thing, they were worried about Fan Xian, so of course they had to rush back.

Fan Jian's expression had returned to calm after learning that his daughter-in-law and daughter were home. He took the towel from Liu and wiped it twice, then lowered his head and continued to drink the porridge, saying leisurely, "Ye Ling'er and Princess Roujia are both on the mountain. How many days can this be kept secret?"

Looking at his son's confused expression, Fan Jian smiled and said, "You young people have things to say, go to the back residence. I'll have the kitchen make you something new later. You've come down from such a cold place on the mountain, let them make you something hot."

Fan Xian knew that his father was letting him go, quickly responded, and went out of the hall to greet them.

——————————————————————

The back residence was quiet. Fan Xian, Wan'er, and Ruoruo sat in the room, like three clay sculptures, not knowing who should speak first. After all, this matter was a bit complicated. If Fan Xian explained, he would probably have to say a long story. But if the young ladies asked, they didn't know what the rumors were all about. If they asked randomly, would it make Fan Xian uncomfortable?

After a long while, Wan'er finally bit her fleshy lower lip and tentatively asked, "Have the rumors in Kyoto subsided?"

"No." Hearing his wife's question, Fan Xian felt a great relief in his heart. He smiled and replied, "How can rumors subside in a short time... You two are too much. Is this a big deal? It's worth rushing down the mountain so urgently, traveling overnight. What if you two fell? How could I feel good?"

He was teaching his wife and sister a lesson at this time, but he forgot that he himself had rushed down the mountain like a bereaved dog, and had been ridiculed by the two old men, Fan Jian and Chen Pingping.

"I have to enter the palace later." Fan Xian thought for a while, looked at his sister, who wanted to say something but hesitated, and his wife, who was full of distress, and said with a smile, "Whatever it is, let's talk about it when I come back at night... But I'll say this first, I, Fan Xian, will always be Fan Xian. I can guarantee that."

……

……

Fan Xian went out to prepare for entering the palace, but Sisi, with a tired face, approached him. Sisi had grown up with Fan Xian since she was a child, and their relationship was naturally needless to say. The key was that she had been influenced by Fan Xian to be extremely bold, with no taboos or too much sense of hierarchy. Lin Wan'er and Ruoruo had things they couldn't ask, but this big maid was more direct. She mysteriously tugged at Fan Xian's sleeve, came to a secluded place in the garden, and asked:

"Young master, Miss Ye said that your... mother was the Ye family's mistress?"

Fan Xian laughed loudly, patted Sisi's head, and said, "Sisi is the most straightforward." Then he lowered his voice and replied mysteriously, "Yes."

Sisi opened her mouth wide, but quickly turned into a silly smile. This big maid was two years older than Fan Xian, but she was always so gentle and愣headed. Still not satisfied with that gossipy heart, she continued to ask, "Then... are you really... His Majesty's son?"