A man enjoys himself in the spring breeze, his horse galloping swiftly. Fan Xian, having recuperated for a whole winter in Cang Mountain, finally led his family out in a grand manner. The carriages stretched to six, and even then, they only carried a portion of their belongings. This time, as they left the mountain, there were no more bothersome noble young masters like Guo Baokun to be seen, nor any other vexing matters. Only the early spring breeze intoxicated the ladies' faces.

Fan Xian was in excellent spirits. The winter in Cang Mountain had been a rare period of rest for him since entering the capital, allowing for significant progress in both his martial arts cultivation and his mental state. Looking out, he saw that amidst the solemn coldness at the foot of Cang Mountain, there were already hints of green. Light green branches grew from the winter trees, seeming to tint the sky above their return journey with a touch of vitality.

The sunlight was faint, and a patch of dark cloud could be seen in the distance. Strangely, the cloud was extremely thin, allowing the gray-blue sky behind it and the wisps of white clouds above to be seen. Yet, it still gave a feeling of profound darkness and heaviness.

Amidst the sound of hooves, the carriage rounded a bend in the mountain and emerged from the bounds of Cang Mountain. The sun in the sky suddenly shone brightly, illuminating the clouds and making them appear radiant, a breathtaking sight.

Fan Xian withdrew his aimless gaze from the sky and smiled at his wife beside him, saying, "We've been in the mountains for so long, I'm afraid you've been stifled, haven't you?"

Lin Wan'er looked at him curiously and asked, "What is stifled?" Fan Xian was slightly taken aback and said, "Although the mountains are good, seeing nothing but white snow and trees all the time is bound to become tiresome. Don't you miss the bustling life of the capital, Wan'er?"

Lin Wan'er smiled gently, a faint dimness appearing on her fair face. She said, "In the capital, I'm either in the palace or in the residence. Husband knows I haven't lived in the Prime Minister's residence for long, and I haven't had many chances to go out. Although life in the mountains is monotonous, it's more comfortable than being within those high walls." Seeing the look of concern on her husband's face, her heart filled with warmth, and she giggled, "Besides, you've been in the mountains with me all along."

Having said this, Fan Xian didn't feel much, but she blushed first and turned her face away.

Fan Xian laughed heartily, then, thinking of something, he said gently, "After the spring imperial examination is over, the court will probably send me to Northern Qi."

The carriage fell silent, with only the sound of horses' hooves, the snorting of the horses, and the rumble of the wheels on the mountain road to be heard. After a long while, Lin Wan'er smiled and replied, "Don't worry, I'll be in the capital."

Fan Xian thought for a moment and said, "I'll probably take Wang Qi Nian with me. If anything happens, ask Father for his opinion first. If Teacher Fei Jie is still in the capital, you can also ask him for help. Just go through Teng Zi Jing for these things, I've already instructed him. Of course…" He smiled and said, "Probably nothing will happen."

---

Back in the capital, traces of lanterns still remained, and firecracker scraps lay unswept in the back alleys. Seeing people everywhere wearing new clothes and still immersed in the festive atmosphere of the New Year, Fan Xian couldn't help but feel a little regretful. His decision to re-enter Cang Mountain on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year seemed to have caused him to miss the Lantern Festival festivities.

The carriages arrived at the Fan residence, causing quite a commotion. The newly-ish married couple paid their respects to their parents and met with members of the clan. Only then did Fan Xian realize that the Fan clan was indeed worthy of its reputation. Although there were no high-ranking officials in the court, those distant relatives seemed to be holding lucrative positions in key departments, all living quite comfortably.

In the following days, he first led Wan'er back to the Prime Minister's residence, paid his respects to his father-in-law, and bid a reluctant farewell to Da Bao. Then, he went to the Jing Prince's residence to visit the familiar prince. Before he could settle down, Ren Shao'an, the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, and Xin Qi Wu, the Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, each hosted a banquet. These were officials he had worked with before, and he couldn't refuse. Fan Xian had no choice but to drink himself into a stupor to fulfill these obligations.

In the blink of an eye, it was February. By this time, the examination candidates from all the provinces and counties had arrived in the capital. The wealthy found inns to stay in, those with connections sought refuge with relatives, and those with neither money nor connections had no choice but to stay temporarily in the academies outside the capital. Even the dormitories of the Imperial College were now open, specifically for those candidates who really had nowhere else to go.

The imperial examination was administered by the Ministry of Rites and divided into three sessions, held on the ninth, twelfth, and fifteenth days of the second lunar month. So, by the time Fan Xian took office at the Imperial College, time was already tight. Fortunately, his fifth-rank Feng Zheng title was just a nominal position, randomly bestowed upon him by the Emperor in a moment of pleasure. The Imperial College didn't arrange anything for him at all. With the imperial examination so close, the Imperial College naturally didn't need him to lecture, so he was quite idle.

Only occasionally would examination candidates from various places studying at the Imperial College run to his room, staring at him with green eyes, like a pack of wolves starved for too long.

With a snap, Fan Xian opened the folding fan in his hand and waved it incessantly in the late winter and early spring weather. After the students around him backed away a distance, shivering, he smiled and said, "Gentlemen, I am still young, and I am by no means worthy of the word 'education,' so please do not mention this matter again, lest I be ashamed."

Seeing that he spoke wittily, and that this rising star in the court, who had reached the fifth rank at the tender age of seventeen, didn't seem to be the type of power-hungry noble who looked down on people, the students' sense of estrangement gradually faded. Someone then boldly joked, "When Lord Fan first entered the capital, he commented on the word 'integrity' at Yi Shi Ju. Now, however, Lord Fan is in the mood to wave his fan."

Fan Xian laughed and replied, "What does this mean? It means that I have always liked to fool around, and nothing I say can be taken seriously."

...

...

The officials responsible for the imperial examination, including the chief examiners, co-examiners, and coordinators, had already been chosen. With Fan Xian's age of seventeen and his fifth-rank official position, he was already somewhat alarming, but still far from qualified to take on these crucial roles. However, his reputation as a poet had long spread far and wide. Although he had sworn never to write poetry again, it seemed that few people took it seriously. The students were always trying to coax something more out of him. At the very least, if they could get a word of praise from Fan Xian, it would be an unexpected delight.

The *Ban Xian Zhai Poetry Collection* published by Danbo Bookstore had already sold well throughout the country, so the examination candidates who had rushed from all over the prefectures and counties couldn't help but feel very curious about this young man who had made a name for himself in the capital. Some reckless people, relying only on their mouths, actually found the location of the Fan residence. Only when they saw the facade and the stone lions did they realize that this talented Fan was not just rich in talent, but truly a nobleman born with brocade and embroidery. With such a strict hierarchy, how could these examination candidates dare to knock on the door and pay a visit? They had no choice but to leave dejectedly.

Fan Xian had only been at the Imperial College for a few days, and he had followed his superiors around to inspect the situation of the examination candidates after they entered the capital. He discovered that some children from poor families were indeed in dire straits after arriving in the capital. Although the imperial court had issued clear orders long ago, ordering all the major academies in the suburbs of the capital to be opened and some earthen temples to temporarily provide accommodation, it was still not easy to live in the capital. Some people were so short of money that they could barely afford food.

Thinking of the story that Uncle Wu Zhu had told in Danzhou, Fan Xian's heart stirred. He withdrew some silver from the bookstore's accounts and asked the shopkeepers of Qing Yu Tang to handle the matter, settling the lives of those poor examination candidates. Since it was not an act of showing kindness, he naturally would not let the candidates know that he was the one who had provided the money. However, when he returned to his residence, he complained to his father, who had been promoted to Minister of Revenue.

Minister Fan was somewhat surprised to find that his son was now concerned about these matters. In addition to a hint of gratification, he was more relieved that Fan Xian seemed to be content with his career as an official.

On the seventh day of the second lunar month, two days before the imperial examination, Fan Xian stole half a day of leisure and slipped out of the Imperial College. He really couldn't stand the students who didn't seriously study the scriptures but showed him their poems every day. Some of those students were old enough to be his father. The whole thing was really awkward.

Walking outside the imperial city, looking at the clear water and fine reeds in the imperial moat, Fan Xian felt very relaxed. To be honest, not many people in the capital knew what he looked like, so walking on the street was very comfortable. Especially walking under the red palace walls, Fan Xian glanced sideways at the high walls, looking at the solemn guards in the distance. Even the most composed person couldn't help but feel a bit smug - this young master has sneaked inside before, so what?

The corner of the imperial city was the corner watchtower of the imperial guards, responsible for long-distance observation. Back then, Yan Xiaoyi had shot Fan Xian down from the wall opposite the palace with a stunning arrow.

Fan Xian withdrew his gaze from that place and shook his head. Yan Xiaoyi had now been transferred to the Northern Metropolitan Commandery. If he were to go to Northern Qi, he would have to pass through his jurisdiction. He hoped that he didn't know that the assassin that night was him.

After circling the imperial city for a while, he entered Tianhe Road. The water beside the road was still gentle, and the golden characters in front of the Supervisory Council shone faintly. As if he hadn't seen those characters at all, Fan Xian passed by with a natural expression, without even glancing at them.

"I say, Lord Fan, it's so difficult for this young master to see you now. It seems that you have really become a rising star in the capital."

Fan Xian smiled wryly and turned around, seeing the Heir of Jing riding on horseback, looking at him with a smiling face. He cupped his hands and said, "Greetings, Heir. This official just wanted to find some peace and quiet, I never knew I would run into the Heir."

"It's not a coincidence." Li Hongcheng waved the horse whip in his hand and laughed, "I've been chasing you all the way from the Imperial College."

Fan Xian was slightly startled, but his clear eyes immediately regained their composure. He replied, "What's the matter, Heir?"

The Heir smiled and said, "Someone has invited you today."

"Who?" Fan Xian's intuition told him that there was something wrong with this banquet today.

"The Second Prince." Li Hongcheng said with a smile.

Fan Xian shook his head helplessly. This Second Prince had never summoned him before. Now that he had opened his mouth, he couldn't avoid it no matter what.