Fan Xian, holding Fan Sizhe's hand, walked out of the bookstore. Suddenly, he remembered something and turned back to Ye, the shopkeeper, saying sincerely, "Please arrange the matter I mentioned a few days ago. I don't want too many people to know."

Although Shopkeeper Ye didn't understand why this young owner was interested in those survivors of Qing Yu Tang, he nodded in agreement. These seventeen senior shopkeepers had long been accustomed to life in Kyoto over the years, working for various royal residences. Although they couldn't run their own businesses, their lives were still considered wealthy.

Fan Sizhe asked curiously, "Big brother, arrange what?"

"Do you know what Qing Yu Tang is?"

"Of course, I know." This Shopkeeper Ye was the one Fan Sizhe had hired back at a great price. He was certainly clear about it and said with longing, "That's where the Ye family's shopkeepers were. If I could do business and have such a group of capable people under me, how wonderful that would be."

Fan Xian was taken aback and felt more and more that he had been too cautious. It seemed that the name "Ye family" had long become an old story in the yellowed papers. The people of Kyoto no longer regarded it as a taboo. He boarded the carriage that had come to pick him up and found that Ruo Ruo was also waiting in the carriage. Fan Xian said apologetically, "If I had known you were coming, we should have come out earlier." Fan Sizhe looked at his sister, feeling inexplicably scared, and explained, "I just came to take a look. This business has nothing to do with me. Don't tell Father."

Hearing this, a smile appeared on Fan Ruo Ruo's originally indifferent face, and she said, "We're all family. Who wants you to be beaten?"

Dongchuan Road, transformed from the hustle and bustle of the day into the tranquility of the night, the Fan residence's carriage clattered towards the east city of Kyoto, the home of the three young men and women in the carriage. As the sun set, the carriage's shadow stretched long and slid forward on the stone slabs of the street, bouncing slightly with the subtle undulations of the stone slabs, as if trying desperately to break away from the coolness of the stone slabs and plunge into the fiery red twilight.

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As the old saying goes, Fan Xian felt that his current family life was quite happy. Since he had already grasped a few strands of happiness, he had to hold on tight. Therefore, regarding the assassination attempt on him, Si Nanbo Fan Jian, limited by his official position, couldn't find out the real truth, so he had to endure it for the time being. But Fan Xian was currently free and unfettered, so he had no such concerns.

To accomplish his three major goals after rebirth, he couldn't accept being in an unsafe environment. The United Nations of his previous life had said that people should have freedom from fear. Although Fan Xian didn't understand politics, he thought, even if I've transmigrated, I still have human rights, don't I?

Wang Qinian sat at the table with a dusty face. This house was rented with the silver notes that Lord Fan had given him before leaving Kyoto. The location was inconspicuous and shouldn't attract anyone's attention.

Fan Xian quickly pushed the tea over and said, "You've worked hard."

Seeing him use honorifics, Wang Qinian didn't dare accept it and quickly reported on the mission, "As Lord predicted, Sili Li's party encountered people trying to intercept them on their way back to Kyoto. However, the courtyard was prepared and defeated the enemies in one fell swoop. As per Lord's instructions, after leaving Cangzhou City, this subordinate has been following the courtyard's team. Those interceptors were disguised as bandits, but judging by their coordinated advance and retreat, they should be soldiers."

Fan Xian was shocked, thinking how the military had gotten involved, and asked cautiously, "Is it the state government army or what?"

"Not very clear." Wang Qinian thought for a moment and added, "As per Lord's order, I only followed and tailed them all the way, and finally discovered that the leading officer had escaped to Wuzhou."

"Wuzhou?"

"Yes, that night, that officer met with the Wuzhou Military Advisor." Wang Qinian suddenly realized that some things had to be explained and quickly said, "Actually, there were other people following me at the time."

"Who?"

"Zong Zhui."

Fan Xian suddenly understood, "That's the Zong Zhui you once mentioned, who was as famous as you back then. Didn't you say he's been following Lord Chen?" He suddenly understood that, like himself, the Overwatch Council was also using Sili Li to track down the behind-the-scenes clues.

"Yes. That day, I saw Director Chen's carriage from afar. The Black Knights were also there, otherwise, it would have been impossible to withstand those cavalrymen." Wang Qinian asked with some difficulty, "Lord Fan, since the courtyard is already investigating, should we continue?"

"Well, let's not rush to say that. Which official in court does that Wuzhou Military Advisor belong to?"

"The other side is very careful. That Military Advisor's surname is Fang, and his name is Xiu. He doesn't have any background, but he's a distant relative of General Fang of the Patrol Division."

Fan Xian frowned, thinking that the Patrol Division must have played a disgraceful role in this matter. But how should he dig deeper? Or rather, should he really dig deeper? If too many big figures were involved, the situation might be difficult to control. He, who had been promoted by the court as a positive and heroic figure, might have to be forced to play other roles again.

He took a deep breath, his lips a little pale, and asked softly, "When will Sili Li arrive?"

"Tomorrow." Wang Qinian glanced at him and suddenly said, "Director is also returning to Kyoto tomorrow, Lord Fan. Should we first ask for instructions from the Director before we ask for orders to interrogate Sili Li?"

"What about Fei Jie?"

"Seems not."

Hearing that Fei Jie wasn't returning to Kyoto, Fan Xian was slightly disappointed. But thinking that Chen Pingping was about to return to Kyoto, he felt inexplicably invigorated – the Overwatch Council was created by his mother. Although so many years had passed, people's hearts would always change. But the scene he saw when he was first born into this world and the meticulous teaching of Teacher Fei Jie later made Fan Xian very certain that the Overwatch Council was not an enemy, not a friend, but... one of his own.

At this time, he felt like a motherless child who was being bullied, and suddenly a large group of burly uncles came to help him fight. The little guy wiped the dirty tears from his face while thinking: Damn it, who in Kyoto would dare to bully me in the future?

At this moment, Wang Qinian suddenly chuckled and said, "Congratulations, Lord." It seemed that even he, who had just returned to Kyoto, knew about Fan Xian's appointment as an Assistant Court Musician of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. It was just that most people didn't know which lady of the palace he would marry. Fan Xian smiled helplessly and said nothing.

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There was a saying circulating in the official circles of Qing Kingdom: "There is nothing in the world that the Overwatch Council cannot find out, even the silver you hide in your chamber pot." Fan Xian also believed this. Although his father's subordinates hadn't found any clues, if there was anyone in this world who could find out, it would definitely be that person named Chen Pingping. For safety's sake, Fan Xian had Wang Qinian temporarily stop his activities and only asked him to arrange some people to closely monitor every move of the courtyard.

Director Chen's return to Kyoto caused a reaction throughout the officialdom. It was said that on the night Director Chen Pingping returned to Kyoto, he was summoned to the palace by His Majesty's urgent decree and had a long talk all night before the somewhat exhausted Director Chen was allowed to return to his residence. The civil and military officials envied Director Chen's undiminished favor in His Majesty's heart, but on the other hand, they were secretly hoping that this old man would become ill from overwork and retire early.

While the Director was in the palace, the Overwatch Council's actions were proceeding in an orderly manner. That night, a large team of Overwatch Council's first division officials stormed into the Patrol Division's yamen with murderous intent and began to conduct a search. Another team went straight to the residence of the Deputy Commander of the Southern City.

……

……

Outside the Deputy Commander's residence, in a tall tree, Fan Xian firmly grasped the branches with both hands, the true energy within his body flowing slowly, silently hidden among the dense leaves, his eyes coldly watching the chaos in the residence.

Before long, the operation ended.

The disappointed Overwatch Council officials retreated from the backyard, bringing a disappointing result: Patrol Division Deputy Commander Fang Daren had committed suicide in fear of punishment, hanging himself half an hour before the Overwatch Council arrived.

Fan Xian sighed and, after everyone dispersed, slipped down from the tree. Walking on the quiet night streets, he was still thinking about this matter. Fang Daren, as a military general, even if his collusion with Northern Qi to plot the assassination was exposed and he chose to commit suicide, drawing his sword to kill himself seemed more in line with the character of a martial artist. The way he died by hanging himself was too resentful, and he was afraid that he had not been willing.

With a thought, he could no longer restrain himself and went directly to the address left by Wang Qinian. Wang's house was in an ordinary residential alley in the southern city. At night, the old men were lying outside to enjoy the cool air and sip tea, but they locked up their young wives and middle-aged wives at home. Fan Xian passed along the street without attracting attention, found the right place, and disappeared into the dark corner of the alley in a flash.

Although Wang Qinian was a low-level official, he was, after all, a member of the Overwatch Council. The reason why he seemed so poor after leaving his job a few days ago was because all his savings were used to buy this small courtyard.

When Fan Xian flipped over the wall and entered the courtyard, Wang Qinian was looking at his son with a face full of love, holding a large cattail leaf fan in one hand to fan him. Hearing the unusual movement, he turned his head alertly and saw Young Master Fan's clean and beautiful face, and couldn't help but be greatly surprised.

"Shh!" Fan Xian made a gesture to him and quietly followed him to a quiet place.

Wang Qinian didn't expect that he had just reported to this young lord during the day, and the other party had come again immediately. He asked with a suspicious face, "Lord, what happened?"

Fan Xian told him about the suicide of Deputy Commander Fang. Wang Qinian frowned and said, "The other side acted really fast. This will be a bit difficult."

"Take me to the prison, I want to see Sili Li," Fan Xian said.

"The courtyard is investigating. Will our intervention at this time cause any misunderstandings?" Wang Qinian considered things much more thoroughly than Fan Xian.

Fan Xian thought for a moment and said helplessly, "Director Chen has been summoned to the palace. I'm afraid there will be another accident in the prison."

Wang Qinian thought that he really had to hurry and said respectfully, "Lord, you'd better not get involved in these matters. Let this official handle it."

Fan Xian shook his head and said, "Let's go together." To be honest, he had always been very curious about the Overwatch Council's prison, and of course, about that Miss Sili Li.

Kyoto had already entered the night. In a vast expanse of ink-like blackness, some light shone like embellishments, most prominently along the Liujing River, followed by Walong Alley. And the darkest of the ink, the darkest place, was the Overwatch Council. That night, Wang Qinian led a mysterious person wrapped in a gray robe into the Overwatch Council's prison.