Only a few patches of snow remained on the pavilion across the lake, thinly scattered like countless white fragments, resembling patches on the dark-colored pavilion. The snow in Kyoto had stopped on the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month. In the past three days, the servants in the Jing Wang Residence had already swept the snow clean from the lawn on this side of the lake.

But the weather was freezing, and naturally, there were no fresh, tender grass tips on the lawn. Only the white grass, stiffened after death, remained. Yet, no one seemed to care for it, giving it a desolate appearance.

Fan Xian quietly followed behind Prince Jing, walking deeper into the garden, his gaze lingering on the prince's slightly hunched back.

After entering the residence, Vice Minister Fan stepped forward, blocking Prince Jing's barrage of coarse words, causing quite a stir. But before even seeing Roujia and Hongcheng, Prince Jing suddenly suggested that Fan Xian take a walk with him. Although Fan Xian wasn't sure what the prince's intention was, he followed along after seeing his father give a subtle nod.

Along the way, the garden didn't offer much scenery. Even the few vegetable plots that Prince Jing tended to day and night were just patches of muddy mess. As Prince Jing walked ahead without speaking, Fan Xian had no choice but to follow in silence, observing the prince's back, his thoughts drifting elsewhere.

This prince was unusual. History books were filled with such self-effacing, even self-defiling, frivolous princes. But a noble like Prince Jing, so resolute and genuinely lacking any desire for power, was truly rare.

Especially with this aged appearance, one wondered what kind of mental blow he had suffered in his youth.

The old and the young stopped beside the vegetable plots. Prince Jing said in a raspy voice, "The first time I saw you was in this vegetable garden."

Fan Xian recalled the poetry gathering, the "Alone, far from home, I grieve this autumn day," and how he had imagined a smiling, fair maiden in white in the garden, only to find a farmer... He couldn't help but laugh, replying, "Your Highness always enjoys teasing the younger generation."

"I'm not the only one who grows vegetables in this city," Prince Jing said.

Fan Xian was taken aback, thinking this was a pointless remark. Although Kyoto was prosperous, there were still many poor people. It was common for these people to cultivate small vegetable patches in the corners of their courtyards to supplement their daily meals. But since Prince Jing said this, he must have something more to say. So he listened quietly.

"That old fellow from the Qin family also likes to grow vegetables, but he only grows cabbage and radishes." Prince Jing said with a hint of sarcasm on his lips, "Military men only know how to fill their stomachs. They don't understand that growing vegetables is an art."

Fan Xian was startled, carefully considering Prince Jing's words. He didn't know how to respond for a moment.

Prince Jing walked into the muddy vegetable plot, placing his hands on his hips, looking at the desolate scenery around him. After a long silence, he said, "Have you found out who was responsible for the assassination in the valley?"

Fan Xian kept his mouth tightly shut. He now knew, of course, that the assassination in the valley was orchestrated by the old killing god, Qin, from the military. The problem was, this was the biggest secret in Qing Kingdom. Apart from Chen Pingping and himself, few others would know. And Prince Jing first spoke of Old Man Qin growing vegetables, and now he brought up the assassination in the valley. Was he hinting at something?

But... Prince Jing had long been uninvolved in politics, and he didn't have any deep connections with civil or military officials in court. How... how could he dare to say that the assassination in the valley was done by the Old Qin family?

Since Prince Jing didn't elaborate, Fan Xian didn't know if his guess was correct, and he couldn't possibly tell the other party about the Qin family's affair, because that involved the deepest of dead spies. He could only force a smile and say, "The imperial court has been investigating, and the Imperial Censorate is also investigating. We only know that it must be related to the military. But the witness is already dead, and there are no leads."

Prince Jing turned to look at him, seemingly surprised by his indifference, thinking that this kid hadn't understood his meaning. He snorted angrily, "Idiot!"

Fan Xian smiled wryly, thinking, wouldn't I have to pretend to be an idiot in this kind of situation?

"The city-defending crossbow came from the Ye family," Prince Jing stared into Fan Xian's eyes, "But don't forget the Qin family."

Prince Jing's words were too direct. Fan Xian couldn't pretend any longer. In addition to suspicion, he was also deeply moved. This old guy was being too good to him. He frowned and asked, "I have no feud with the Qin family."

Prince Jing grunted a few times, without continuing to say anything, and stepped out of the mud plot, walking deeper into the garden.

Fan Xian looked at his back, vaguely guessing something. The reason why Prince Jing dared to deduce that the Qin family would take action must be based on what happened in the past. But the connection between the Qin family and the Taiping Courtyard massacre... This was a secret that even his father didn't know. Even Chen Pingping only found out about it after investigating for more than ten years after that.

Why did Prince Jing know?

Thinking of this, Fan Xian's heart surged with emotion. He couldn't care about anything else and directly caught up, grabbing Prince Jing's sleeve.

Prince Jing was startled, slowly turning around.

Fan Xian looked at him, speaking with utmost sincerity, "What exactly happened back then? Why does no one in the world know that the Qin family was involved? Why wasn't this matter brought up during the Kyoto Night of Bloodshed?"

...

...

"You're asking too much," Prince Jing sighed. "Although I'm just a good-for-nothing, idle prince, remember, I'm still a member of the royal family... As for why I know things that even the two old guys behind you don't know, the reason is simple: I was still young back then, and I was still by my mother's side."

The corners of Prince Jing's eyebrows twitched twice, revealing a cunning smile. "When you're young, you always like to play hide-and-seek, so sometimes it's easy to hear things. As for what I overheard, no one else has known about it all these years."

Fan Xian smiled wryly, wanting to say something but stopping himself. Prince Jing was already showing him extraordinary affection by pointing out the Qin family. But if that matter involved the Empress Dowager, then she was Prince Jing's own mother. How could he continue speaking?

"Yun Rui was young at that time. This matter has nothing to do with her," Prince Jing suddenly said after a moment of silence. "I still want to make this clear to you. You've learned a lot since you were young, following Fan Jian and the Imperial Censorate, but some things have also become laughable."

At this moment, the old and the young stood on the cold field ridges. Not far away was the wall of the Jing Wang Residence, and beyond the wall was the unchanging, bleak sky of Kyoto. But as Fan Xian listened to the prince's words beside him, his heart was filled with warmth.

"What things?"

"Whether it's that old dog Chen Pingping or your father, they're both masters of conspiracy. So they always like to make things very complicated. And... the most important thing is that they don't trust anyone, and the one they trust the least is each other," Prince Jing sneered. "This is the most foolish thing. Chen Pingping even suspected Yun Rui before, not even thinking about how old Yun Rui was at that time."

Fan Xian smiled wryly. The mutual suspicion and defense between his father and Chen Pingping had existed since his mother's death, growing deeper and deeper until it only got better after he entered Kyoto.

"I've kept the Old Qin family's matter to myself for so long. I'm telling you about it today not because I want you to seek revenge," Prince Jing said calmly. "I just think you've offended the military enough already, and our Qing Kingdom was originally built on military strength. If you don't know who your real enemies are in the military, I'm worried you'll die easily."

Prince Jing spoke the words "die easily" with great weight. He didn't want anyone else to die so casually.

Fan Xian bowed deeply to the ground, then straightened up, asking the question he was most concerned about.

"Your Highness, why are you so good to me?"

...

...

Prince Jing was stunned by these words. After a long silence, he suddenly laughed, his laughter growing louder, sharper, and more desolate, until his stomach hurt. He squatted on the field ridges, holding his abdomen, unable to lift his head for a long time.

Fan Xian's heart was slightly disturbed. He stood woodenly beside the prince, watching the prince, watching the gray hair on his head, which didn't match his actual age, fluttering in the cold wind, watching the tears squeezed out of the corners of his eyes by the smile.

After a long time, Prince Jing straightened up, frowning and thinking for a long time before saying, "I don't know either."

Then he walked off the field ridges.

Fan Xian followed him in silence.

"His Majesty and I were both raised by a nanny," Prince Jing said calmly, his face having already returned to its usual vicissitudes and serenity. "Back then, the Cheng Wang Residence wasn't very eye-catching. It didn't have much status in Kyoto. So my imperial brother and I could play around. Your father also followed us every day. Plus Chen Pingping, the companion reader invited by the palace... the four of us were always together. I was the youngest, so of course I was bullied the most."

"Later, my imperial brother, Fan Jian, and Chen Pingping went to our nanny's hometown, Danzhou, to play. When they came back, they said happily that they had met a very interesting girl there," Prince Jing smiled. "Not long after, that girl came to Kyoto and found the Cheng Wang Residence."

Fan Xian also smiled. "That was my mother."

"Yes," Prince Jing recalled leisurely. "I remember when I was young, I pestered your mother to play every day. Well, back then, I called her Sister Ye... Your mother was very kind to me, so my brother would never let Chen Pingping bully me again. That was good."

The old and the young spoke as they walked, and soon they arrived outside a study. Although Fan Xian was eager to hear more about the old days from the prince, he still focused his attention on the study, because it was obvious that few people came to this study. Prince Jing liked to grow vegetables and naturally didn't like to read.

Prince Jing pushed the door open and said in a raspy voice, "Sit."

Fan Xian didn't bother to brush off the dust on the seat and sat down comfortably.

Prince Jing rummaged through the bookcase for a long time, finally finding a thick book, which he handed to Fan Xian, saying, "Read."

Fan Xian was stunned, taking it with both hands. When he looked at the cover, it said *Agricultural Lectures*. He couldn't help but glance at the prince in confusion.

Prince Jing was silent for a moment before saying, "I don't have much to say about your mother. You ask me why I'm so good to you... Actually, it's not right. I haven't been good enough to you, at least I've been kept in the dark by them for almost twenty years."

Prince Jing slowly walked out of the study, his slightly hunched back facing Fan Xian, his voice somewhat dejected. "I always thought she had no descendants."

————————————————————

Fan Xian sat on the dusty chair, casually flipping through the thick *Agricultural Lectures*, but his heart was thinking about what Prince Jing had said earlier. In fact, he could vaguely capture Prince Jing's thoughts, that faint, bitter, unspoken, yet unforgettable feeling.

When a young man's heart first stirs, and there's a gentle, beautiful, all-powerful, all-encompassing sister beside him, such a story is bound to happen.

When he was reborn into this world, he was already a mature soul. But in his previous life, hadn't he had such an experience? All men have had such experiences. It's just that normal people will always have truly sweet fruits to fill their spiritual world after growing up.

Prince Jing's normal growth experience was obviously interrupted by the grand history of Qing Kingdom. The Ye family was destroyed overnight, but Prince Jing couldn't be angry, had nowhere to be angry, so he prematurely grew white hair and hunched his back, respecting only the fields and gardens and not the palace.

Fan Xian's fingers flipped the slightly yellowed pages of the book, suddenly his fingers stiffened.

He saw a few thin pieces of paper, sandwiched in the thick book. His heart stirred, and he quickly flipped backward, finding a few more pieces of paper.

The handwriting on the paper was unfamiliar yet familiar. The writer's brush was obviously not used well. The strokes were straight and awkward, like building blocks made of matchsticks.

The content on the paper was also not unexpected for Fan Xian. It recorded someone's suggestions to someone else, such as regarding the Imperial Censorate, regarding merchant affairs. There were also a few notes saying what they wanted to eat today, where everyone planned to go tomorrow...

Fan Xian laughed, talking to himself, "Most of what you wrote has probably been burned by the people of this world. I didn't expect the little boy back then to keep a few pieces."

He tilted his head and said again, "But your handwriting is really not as good as mine, and you put all your strength in the big strokes but not in the small ones. If you're not used to using a brush, then use a quill pen. By the way, I've made a small workshop at the internal treasury that specializes in making pencils. I'm much smarter than you in these matters..."

After a moment of silence, Fan Xian thought for a while and put these pieces of paper into his arms. He thought that Prince Jing also needed this kind of liberation. He stood up, a serene smile on his face, and walked out of the study.

—————————————————————

Prince Jing wasn't outside the study. Fan Xian had been to this residence many times, so he didn't need a maid to lead the way. With his hands behind his back, he swayed and swayed, arriving outside a row of large rooms. This row of rooms formed an independent courtyard, but a large copper lock hung on the courtyard gate.

Fan Xian couldn't help but laugh when he saw the lock. He walked up the steps and knocked loudly on the door, shouting, "If you don't open the door, I'm leaving!"

"Don't go! Don't go!"

A series of hurried shouts came from inside the courtyard. Someone ran over quickly. The wooden door made a bang, suggesting that the person had bumped into the door, which showed how eager this person was.

The door opened a small crack. Fan Xian squinted his eyes and looked inside, jumping in shock. He found that there was also an eye looking outside, and the person's eyes clearly had a few pieces of eye booger, and their hair was tied up haphazardly, looking haggard.

"Damn it!" Fan Xian spat.

"You're the ghost!" Li Hongcheng, the Prince Jing's heir, who was locked in the room, cursed, "Aren't you going to get me out of here!"

Fan Xian looked at him with pity and couldn't help but sigh. But before he could finish the sigh, he laughed again, cursing, "The prince has confined you. How can I get you out?"

"You plead with the old man!" Li Hongcheng was almost driven crazy. Now that he had finally seen a guy who wasn't afraid of his father, how could he miss the opportunity? He cursed, "You kid, do you still have a conscience? You framed me, slandered me, sprayed me with foul language, I accepted it... But I've been locked up for so long. Don't you have any sympathy? When you first entered Kyoto, was I bad to you? I took you to brothels, and you could pick any girl you wanted..."

Fan Xian blocked his ears, listening to Li Hongcheng's repeated curses. He knew that this guy was really too miserable. He smiled wryly and said, "The prince is locking you up for your own good. Otherwise, if you go out and mess around with those brothers again, you won't necessarily have a good ending."

"I'd rather die!" Li Hongcheng sneered. "It's better than being suffocated to death."

Fan Xian took a few steps back, looked at the layout of the courtyard, and couldn't help but be stunned. "Good heavens... could it be that you've been locked in this courtyard... for a whole year?"

...

...

Li Hongcheng was stunned for a moment, spitting out a curse, "Wouldn't that have driven me crazy long ago? Usually, I'm just not allowed to leave the residence. Although it's all imprisonment, the prison in the residence is always bigger."

Fan Xian rubbed his nose, nodding in admiration, "Taking the residence as a prison, the heart is not free. Heir's statement is truly philosophical."

Li Hongcheng sighed sadly, "Kid, don't provoke me... It would have been good for me to listen to operas in the residence. But as soon as you returned to Kyoto, you were assassinated and went to kill people. My old man immediately locked me back in the small courtyard without saying a word. Tell me, who did I offend?"

Fan Xian looked at Hongcheng's pitiful appearance through the door crack and couldn't help but feel sympathy and guilt. He certainly knew why the Jing Wang Residence had made such a move. Wasn't it because Prince Jing didn't want his son to get involved in those things? As soon as he returned to Kyoto, he launched a major attack on the Second Prince's faction. Who knew what he would do to Li Hongcheng if he was still tied to the Second Prince.

"Alright, alright," Fan Xian looked around to make sure no one was around, and said in a low voice, "I'll get you out and take you to enjoy yourself. But you have to promise me not to see those guys."

Li Hongcheng was overjoyed, nodding repeatedly, but said suspiciously, "Don't break this lock. If I wanted to escape, I would have broken it myself long ago."

Fan Xian pulled out a key from his belt, mocking, "Don't forget, I came from the Imperial Censorate."

...

...

With a click, the big copper lock was opened. Li Hongcheng, the Jing Wang's heir, who had been locked in the small courtyard, finally saw the light of day. He strode out, looking at the open environment around him, took a deep breath, and patted Fan Xian's shoulder heavily, "I knew you still remembered old times."

Actually, with such a commotion, how could the servants in the residence not know? But since the person in charge was Little Fan, and the one he was saving was their own heir, no one dared to stop him.

At this moment, suddenly a clear, bright, somewhat anxious, somewhat frightened voice rang out.

"Brother! How did you run out by yourself?" A noble young lady wearing an apricot-red robe stood not far from the bottom left of the stone steps, her small face flushed red with anxiety, "Be careful that Father beats you to death."

Fan Xian was stunned and turned his head to look at this young lady. He saw that this young lady was still as gentle and docile as before, but there were a few more traces of beauty and gentleness between her eyebrows. He couldn't help but be shocked, thinking, it's only been a year, how did the little loli become such a pure and lovely young girl?

That young lady also saw Fan Xian's face clearly, startled, covering her lips. After surprise, she suddenly seemed to think of something, and immediately a hint of mist arose in her eyes, about to burst into tears.

Fan Xian was terrified. If he had to say who he was most afraid of in Kyoto, apart from the emperor in the palace, it was this little girl who was deeply in love with him. He remembered that when the girl was young, she would pester him every day. Fortunately, everything had settled long ago, and he was her... cousin. He felt a lot more relaxed in his heart, but today, seeing the girl's sad appearance, he felt a little uncomfortable in his heart.

The young lady finally calmed down her emotions, walked to Fan Xian and gave a slight bow, saying in a mosquito-like voice, "Greetings, Brother Xian."

Hearing the three words "Brother Xian", Fan Xian took a breath of cold air, thinking, here it comes again, here it comes again, but there was no other way. He spoke with the steady and kind tone of an elder brother, "Greetings, Sister Roujia."