Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
In the beginning of the sixth year of the Qing calendar, both Northern Qi and the Qing Kingdom had mysterious things happen within their borders. Due to cold weather, the millet had not yet grown in the rice paddies, so there were no double ears of grain or white fish in the rivers, and no one found any kylins in the mountains. When Wuzhou was excavated, they dug out a pair of copper walls. When Shazhou was repairing its river, workers found—to their great surprise and joy—a giant turtle decorated with cloud patterns; there also were black birds in the Jiangnan rice paddies and red geese flying in the horizon.
No matter whether it was copper walls, cloud turtles, or black birds, these were all auspicious signs. Officials from all over rushed to send in memorials and all kinds of fawning, however, the Emperor in Jingdou did not care because this shameless atmosphere of auspiciousness began in the Northern Qi.
The first rumor said that after the first snowfall on Xi Mountain, a woodcutter on the mountain found white deer, white wolves, and white foxes. Considering them auspicious signs, he wrote a memorial to the Northern Qi Emperor.
Great Grandmaster Ku He considered this a celestial sign and decided that the rulers of each country had governed well and aligned with heaven’s will. He reopened his school and took a female disciple, Si Lili, from a temple outside Shangjing. She later entered the palace.
This tempest eventually came south. Throughout Qing Kingdom things began to happen. However, it was clear that the Qing Emperor was an unyielding man who did not respect ghosts and spirits. It was not until the Director of the Imperial Observatory announced ecstatically in a shaky voice that the Imperial Observatory had seen a large star and iridescent clouds that the Qing Emperor began to take the matter seriously.
Auspicious signs, also known as lucky symbols, had a long history and were often noted in literature. It was a little magic that the heavens used to show people their satisfaction with their governance. There were many types of auspicious signs, such as favorable weather, double ears of grain, and new sweet springs from the ground. The common people were very trusting of them.
Auspicious signs were divided into five levels. Other than things like kylin, which could not be found and were considered excellent auspicious signs, the other levels were superior auspicious signs, upper auspicious signs,middle auspicious signs, and lower auspicious signs.
White wolves, white foxes, and such were upper auspicious signs. Black birds, red geese, and such were lower auspicious signs. The so-called large star and iridescent clouds the Director of the Imperial Observatory had so happily reported were strange and colorful clouds of the sky and most certainly a superior auspicious sign. Furthermore, the name had the Qing nation name within it. No matter how aloof and suspicious the Emperor was, he began to become elated. After all, the Emperor was still a man and always liked being fawned on. This year was sure to be a year with favorable weather.
Since it was to be a good year, there naturally couldn’t be warfare. Using auspicious signs as a directive, the communications of state affairs between the Northern Qi and Qing Kingdom became much closer, particularly since the two countries were about to be joined in marriage. The Great Prince and Great Princess of Northern Qi were just about to tie the knot.
Northern Qi had sent out a rather large diplomatic mission. The Qing people were surprised and honored that the Northern Qi Imperial Advisor, Ku He, was coming south with the diplomatic mission. He was going to be the presiding witness.
Although the Qing people were proud and radiant, each arrangement for welcoming the guests had to be redrafted. Ye Liuyun had disappeared to somewhere where even cranes couldn’t find him. The only person of rank left to welcome them seemed to the Emperor of the Qing Kingdom. However, the officials of the Honglu Temple did not dare to ask the Emperor to personally show his face.
In the end, the empress dowager could not stand to see the officials below panicking and came forward to solve the issue. Following the old rules for the literary master Zhuang Mohan, they would invite great master Ku He into the palace. She would be responsible for welcoming him.
The position of the Great Grandmaster Ku He in the world was extraordinary. Not only was he one of the top great grandmasters, but Tianyi Dao was secretly influencing the temples in all locations as well as the Ascetic Monks wandering the wilderness. Although the Temple never interfered in mortal business, this kind of restrained renown had long surpassed the influence of an ace martial artist.
Unexpectedly, when Imperial Advisor Ku He reached Jingdou, he politely declined the invitation and situated himself into the Temple of Qing. This did indeed match his identity.
Although the two countries had their differences, the Qing people still showed sufficient respect to the great grandmaster. Besides respect, everyone had a sense of curiosity and were making guesses. Although the marriage alliance was an important matter, it still shouldn’t have been enough to move him, right?
A few days after the Northern Qi diplomatic mission entered the capital, the true reason for Ku He to personally visit the Qing court was revealed.
It turns out that the Northern Qi Emperor had written a new state document explicitly stating he wished to repair his relationship to the South Kingdom and extend the draft agreement from last year into perpetuity. The two countries would refer to each other as brothers. They would not discuss the matter of juniors and seniors and only talk about their future friendship. Generation after generation, they would remain friends.
Ku He had to oversee such an important negotiation personally. The Qing Emperor held the letter from his northern colleague in his hand and thought about it for many days before finally gently nodding his head. It was probably three-tenths for the sake of Ku He’s face.
Once the message went out, the world celebrated. Even though the Qing People valued martial prowess, in the end they liked to have peaceful days. It was only the military that was quietly angry. They felt that since the court was in its golden age, it was the perfect time to unite the world as one. Why would they cover their heads with some papers? Although they weren’t heavy, it still made breathing less easy.
It was the leader of the old Qin family that saw things for how they were and did not care at all. He occasionally said to those closest to him:
Currently the Northern Qi is recovering at a pace that has exceeded our expectations. It won’t be good to send out troops for the next few years. This negotiation is just a few pieces of paper. When the time comes for them to be torn, they will be torn. It’s not like our Emperor hasn’t done something like that before.
Ku He’s other purpose for coming south shocked the officials and commoners in Jingdou. He was going to take Minister Shang’s only daughter—the lady of the Fan family—as a disciple.
His reasons were quite sufficient. Months before the end of year crossing of Yin and Yang, the heavens sent down auspicious signs. It was the kind will of heaven. Tianyi Dao believed in the unity of heaven and man. He conducted human matters according to heaven’s will, thus he was to select a prodigy among mankind and nurture them with care. To work for the happiness of the people was the right path. Since it was a deed to honor heaven, then it was not restricted by territory. Northern Qi showed auspicious signs, and he took a disciple. Now the South Kingdom had shown auspicious signs, so he would take another disciple.
The news of the Tianyi Dao Great Grandmaster Ku He reopening his doors had already spread all over last year, but the South Kingdom never thought this news would have anything to do with them. Who would have thought that the last female disciple of Tianyi Dao would be from Jingdou?
As to why he would chose the lady of the Fan family became the question. Not many people would think of Fan Xian far away in Jiangnan. No matter how arrogant and powerful Fan Xian was, he still didn’t have the power to order Imperial Advisor Ku He to create benefit for himself.
Ku He did not explain his criteria for choosing a disciple. It was only rumors from the eunuchs responsible for serving him that people learned Ku He had occasionally traveled through the Jingdou public. He once stood silently outside the Imperial Academy of Medicine for half a day and had a warm and appreciative expression afterward. He had said that one of the girls in the hospital was kind and pure, very intelligent, and an able person.
That day, Fan Ruoruo had been interning at the Imperial Academy of Medicine. She used the nursing knowledge and medical skills she had learned in the past months to carefully tend to the critically ill patients in the hospital. She hadn’t taken time to change. Her lips were dry, and her clothes were soaked with sweat despite the winter weather; she had worked very hard.
In this world there was a saying,
literary and martial skills know no borders.
The student of Northern Qi’s Zhuang Mohan could be a great official in the Qing Kingdom. Ku He wanted to take a Qing person as a disciple, and the Qing people would only feel honor rather than anything else. Thus, the public did not have any big reaction. In fact, they were happy to see it happen.
However, Ku He taking a disciple was a big matter, especially since it was the lady of an official’s family. He had to solicit the opinion of the seniors in the other party’s family. Even Fan Jian was not sure what to do in this matter and had to enter the palace to ask the Emperor for an edict.
Among the many palaces, the Qing Emperor sat on his dragon chair and furrowed his brows. After a long silence he only asked one thing:
An Zhi dislikes Hong Cheng this much?
Fan Jian was shocked and didn’t know what to say.
A smile flashed through the Emperor’s eyes. He was amazed at the length of Fan Xian’s reach and power. He also felt that Ku He was overly tender toward the girl named Haitang, but he still felt some remorse for banishing Fan Xian to Jiangnan, so it was not sufficient to be a problem. He waved his hands and allowed this proposal.
Not long after the Great Prince was married, Ku He left behind the diplomatic mission, took Fan Ruoruo, and swiftly left the capital.
Thus, the marriage between the Fan family and King Jing’s family was pushed back indefinitely. It was only a matter of time before it disappeared completely. King Jing’s heir, Li Hongcheng, had been under house arrest. Hearing the bad news, he almost spat blood. Once King Jing knew of this, he entered the palace and made quite a ruckus. In the end, it forced the empress dowager to come out. Only then could he be pacified.
After King Jing returned to his manner, he still couldn’t swallow his anger. He took the gardeners and thugs from his manor straight to Minister Shang’s manor, someone his family has been friendly with for generations. Regardless of the front residence or the back residence, everything was smashed to pieces. They smashed until the Fan manor resembled a heap of trash. They completely destroyed countless antiques Fan Jian had collected for many years and chased the Fan manor serving girls until their faces became pale. At the end, King Jing left Minister Shang, who had rushed home with a brutal black eye. Only then did he arrogantly lead his troops back to his manor and feel the anger in his chest dissipate slightly.
…
…
Jiangnan, beside West Lake, and no lotuses at the start of spring. The thin rain fell like thread.
Fan Xian and his group had already been living in Hangzhou for almost a month. Although nominally there were on holiday, with spring approaching there was another deeper layer of meaning for his stay. In the last few days, the Jiangnan branch of the Overwatch Council began working at full steam. Unlike before, when all their business had to be sent to Jingdou to be processed, now it was delivered directly to the manor beside West Lake.
Outside of the main Council in Jingdou, this manor had formally become the second center of power of the Overwatch Council.
All matters relating to the situation of the officials of Jiangnan Road, the details of the Ming family and the salt merchants, and the movements of the palace treasury in the last few months, were all summarized by the Fourth Bureau official in the manor. He then reported to Fan Xian. Without the distance between the cities, the control the upper levels of the Overwatch Council had in Jiangnan took a big step forward. However, the Ming family reacted quickly. They had made arrangements last autumn. As the Ming family was one of the giant local families, everyone they used was a family member. Thus, the Council was not able to place sufficient spies or receive much useful information.
On the contrary, the Jiangnan water bandits they had recruited in Shazhou began to show their use beyond what Fan Xian had expected. Xia Qifei was a man who planned far ahead. He had long planned to win back the Ming family and been preparing for many years. He had more detailed knowledge than the Overwatch Council about the Ming family’s export routes and other related information.
The Ming family had stayed strangely silent. It was said that they had an upper level meeting in Suzhou, and it was clear they were there for Fan Xian. However, the meeting was highly secretive, and the Overwatch Council didn’t find anything on it.
Given Fan Xian’s identity and position, in addition to that of the Third Prince, no one, whether it was the Ming family or the many officials of Jiangnan Road, had the daring to provoke him first. As for Yun Zhilan and those people from Dongyi, they were originally here to support the Ming family. Who would have thought that Fan Xian would be so unreasonable as to start an operation to chase out all the dogs?
One immortal living in the mortal realm could perhaps hide for a long time in a city, but a group of immortals would not be able to hide all traces of their movements. The long empty Peng family manor suddenly had more people living in it. Regardless of whether it was the grains, fruits, and vegetables that were bought, or the expensive daily use items brought in, when seen by those in Hangzhou who had the mind to care, they would all be able to guess something.
Eventually the news that Commissioner Fan was in Hangzhou had spread like wildfire throughout Jiangnan Road. However, he stayed in the manor and did not see guests. The Zhizhou of Hangzhou went to visit once and was turned away politely by the guards. Everyone knew Commissioner Fan was still on holiday and did not want to be disturbed.
However, the people wondered what exactly Fan Xian was preparing since he had been quiet for a long time. As he was silent, the officials and jianghu people were also forced into silence. There was no decrease in the gifts being sent to the big ship on the river, and the Ming family very respectfully moved out of the other manors beside the West Lake in fear they were disturbing the commissioner’s peace.
The manor beside the West Lake was quiet, yet it attracted the gazes of countless people.
…
…
A small leaf-shaped boat floated on the lake. Two young men, who looked to be students, sat on it. One was at the head, and one at the tail. There was a low table between them on which sat fresh fruit and Jiangnan alcohol. The set up was comfortable and at ease.
The two were Fan Xian and Haitang in disguise. They had not rubbed flour and such on their faces. Fan Xian had cleverly shaved the corner of their eyebrows and used glue to smooth the tail of the eyebrows up a little. With the eyebrows changed, the two people’s appearances were immediately different. If it were not people who were familiar with them, they would certainly not be recognized.
At this time, the little boat was slowly moving in an isolated corner of the West Lake. The lake air was fresh after the small rain had stopped.
Fan Xian often went boating on the lake with Haitang. He liked the lake scenery, and he was beginning to learn the Heart of Tianyi Dao. Haitang had said he needed to be close to nature to use the yuanqi between the heaven and earth to repair the Meridians in his body.
Speaking of which, that was rather miraculous. After Fan Xian began to cultivate Tianyi Dao, he no longer retained zhenqi in his lower back. It had shifted to a point just below his navel. Those drops of collected zhenqi seemed to carry a fresh scent and slowly spread moisture on the walls of his Meridians, moistening his dry and damaged Meridians. Being close to the beauty of nature, with the slightly cold lake water reflecting the white clouds and blue sky below and the forests at the foot of the mountain that were just starting to show green to his side, his cultivation was indeed faster.
Fan Xian believed what Haitang said made sense. He knew that most importantly the zhenqi in his body circulated one time more than other martial cultivators as he had practiced the skill of circulating back and forth internally and externally too much back in the day. In the past he had only used it for rock climbing. He only just learned that it was greatly beneficial for his spirit and interaction with the heaven and earth.
He closed eyes and half reclined at the head of the boat. His right hand was carelessly laid on the side of the boat, and his fingertips gently trailed along the lightly rocking water. A thread of very light, almost undetectable, zhenqi flowed out of his fingertips. It touched the water of the lake before gently being pulled back to flow into his body. His fingertips left fine ripples on the water’s surface.
Haitang gently rowed the double oars. Her eyes, as bright as the water of the lake, focused on Fan Xian’s fingertips. Her brows furrowed slightly and she quietly sighed. The comprehension ability and destiny of this young man in front of her was rare to see. Like the scene before her, the zhenqi leaving the body and then returning, stained with the breath of nature. This was clearly the appearance of the third level of the Heart of Tianyi Dao. Although she was considered a prodigy—she had been cultivating for five years before she understood this kind of realm—it only took Fan Xian a few weeks.
Fan Xian’s current realm was much higher than when she first started, and his comprehension ability was also much stronger. Haitang still felt a thread of disbelief and fear at his rapid progress. Fan Xian knew, at the same time, two great martial schools of the North and South. He also held great power in his hands, and his prestige among the people was excellent. This kind of person…what if in the future he walked an evil path? Who would be able to control him?
In reality, Fan Xian’s martial comprehension ability was nowhere close to that of Haitang’s. He was able to so successfully cultivate the Heart of Tianyi Dao because, first, Haitang was beside him teaching him without holding anything back; second, Fan Xian had built a strong foundation for his zhenqi as a child; and third, as mentioned earlier, Fan Xian was very familiar with the kind of method of having the zhenqi leave and then return. He was a stingy man, but had coincidentally catered to the Tianyi Dao cultivation method.
Seeming to sense what Haitang was thinking, Fan Xian woke from his meditation and slowly opened his eyes. He looked at Haitang with a not-quite-there smile.
Don’t worry. If I really wanted to go back on my word, I wouldn’t have let that Northern Qi man you brought to Jiangnan come into contact with so many things.
In his agreement with Haitang, or more accurately, in Fan Xian’s negotiation with the Northern Qi royal family, after the Eldest Princess had fallen, the smuggled goods from the palace treasury toward the north would not decrease. Additionally, their quality and level would see a major increase to the extent that Fan Xian would agree to the Northern Qi’s request for certain goods strictly prohibited from being exported.
The Northern Qin man that Haitang had brought to Jiangnan was an official of the Northern Qi court. He was the manager of the Ministry of Revenue, but also held the position of siyu in the Ministry of Works. In the beginning he had floated around the Ministry of War. Although this official has not risen in his official career, he was a multi-talented and able man. He could manage accounts, was knowledgeable about the making of weapons, and proficient in inspecting merchandise. Haitang’s decision to bring him here to be responsible for the trade with the Qing Kingdom palace treasury was truly an appropriate one.
I am someone who takes promises very seriously.
Fan Xian looked at Haitang and said,
What I promised you before in Shangjing, I will do it for sure.
So are we.
Haitang smiled slightly. She let go of the oars and allowed the little boat to drift as it wished on the lake.
You should have already received the message. Teacher has already taken lady Fan and left Jingdou.
Without waiting for Fan Xian to reply, she continued.
Fan Sizhe is also beginning to gradually take over the business left by the Cui family in the territory of my court. You should know, if it weren’t for the Emperor’s assent, these should have been taken into the national treasury and would not have become your personal property.
Fan Xian shook his head.
The Cui family were citizens of the Qing Kingdom. Even if they committed crimes and were caught, it should naturally be Qing people that take over.
Haitang did not acknowledge his irrational arguments.
Furthermore, I have already brought the Heart to you as we agreed in the letter. I think there is little for us to be picky about in the content of the first part of the agreement.
Fan Xian nodded. This was a deal that greatly benefitted both parties. Only, he wasn’t sure why he was placing so much trust in Northern Qi people. Haitang also seemed to not understand this point and furrowed her brows.
An Zhi, you’ve sent both your sister and brother to Shangjing. Don’t say you did this for no reason. What is this for?
Fan Xian smiled and knew she had finally realized something was up, but he also could not reply to her straightforwardly. Was he going to tell a foreigner that he was worried the Emperor would suddenly have a purge so he was placing reserve forces in the other countries under heaven?
He waved his hand.
This is nothing. As long as our agreement continues to be fulfilled, I trust that both you and that…little Emperor will protect my family well.
Haitang’s eyebrow rose.
If things fall through, how will you face everyone in Qing Kingdom?
Face? There will be absolutely no need to face them.
Fan Xian smiled.
Although I don’t think I am a traitor, others will definitely think of me as the biggest traitor of the Qing Kingdom.
Haitang smiled, having no words for this forthcoming and hooligan-like temperament. Fan Xian continued to smile.
Besides, as for this world, I don’t mind being an internationalist.
Did you have a hand in the auspicious signs around the Qing Kingdom? Haitang lowered her head and asked.
Fan Xian did not deny it. The events in Wuzhou and Shazhou, among others, were naturally the work of the Overwatch Council. As for the large star and iridescent clouds the Imperial Observatory saw…don’t forget, the previous official of the Imperial Observatory was one of the Second Prince’s people and had, one dark and windy night, been invited to the Overwatch Council for tea. He had yet to be realized. The current official of the Imperial Observatory’s relations with Fan Xian was much closer.
He thought to himself: The little Emperor in the North thought he was clever and did the three whites. Over here there have few creatures in our snowy mountains, but if we make a lucky cloud, that should be able to hold you down. In the Emperor’s secret letter, it was clear he was very pleased with the arrangements he made. A sense of pride came through between the words and lines.
The Emperor of Qing…
Haitang deliberated on her word choice,
although he has rarely shown himself these years, everyone knows the Emperor has heaven given brilliance, particularly since this time teacher has accepted your sister as his last disciple. It is difficult to say that he won’t guess something.
Fan Xian nodded.
These things could never have been hidden from His Majesty. As an official, I also will not hide it. I have submitted a secret memorial on the related matters.
Haitang was slightly surprised.
You are certainly open and candid. What things will you not say?
Fan Xian furrowed his brows and became serious.
For example, moving the silver from the palace treasury to my own home. This kind of thing, of course I’m too embarrassed to tell the Emperor.
The little boat once again sank into silence, and the waters of the lake also once again became calm. Fan Xian gazed at the slightly worried looking Haitang and found that after a half a year, this girl’s personality seemed to have changed a little. Perhaps it was her initial foray into court politics that had some influence on her frame of mind.
Facing Haitang, Fan Xian actually felt a faint unease. In the days they had interacted from last year to today, he had followed the principle of summarizing his heart with one word, to do his best to open his heart in their interactions, to be utterly sincere, and to even say some unbelievably childish things. He truly valued Haitang as a friend, but he also wanted to influence this girl from his heart to win a strong helper. That his starting point was calculated made him feel slightly ashamed.
From the side of the lake came the sound of urgent hoof beats. Fan Xian turned his head to look and saw a handsome horse rushing on the stone path beside the lake. It was candidly and openly heading toward the Peng family manor door that officials had not dared to approach in days. A familiar looking official flipped off the horse and angrily began to beat on the door.
