Fan Xian was holding the precious sword and smiling wryly.

Then, after his father entered the room, he immediately put on his most sincere smile and said, "Father, you're back so early?"

Fan Jian nodded and sat down by the bed, saying, "The Ministry of Revenue hasn't had much to do lately, so naturally I don't need to stay there all the time." After saying this, he handed over an oil-paper packet, saying, "These are steamed buns from Xin Feng Guan... His Highness the Third Prince has been reciting scriptures these past few days. The old man remembers that he's been outside for a year and watched closely. Although he knows about your injury, he couldn't come out for a while. He just remembered that you like to eat steamed buns from Xin Feng Guan, so he had someone buy them and bring them to you."

Fan Xian took the still-warm bag and carefully took out one, taking a bite. He found that the oily soup inside wasn't very hot anymore. Fan Jian watched his son's appearance and couldn't help but frown and shake his head.

Fan Xian took a bite and placed the bag on the table, subconsciously turning his head to look at the snow accumulated on the windowsill, a hint of envy in his eyes.

"Don't think about going out again." Fan Jian saw what his son was thinking and said sternly, "You should be content with sneaking out to Chen Garden the day before yesterday. Now it's snowing heavily and the roads are slippery in Kyoto, and you're injured like this. Can't you be more settled?"

Fan Xian laughed self-deprecatingly, "Am I really that popular? It's impossible that everyone wants to stab me. Besides, in Kyoto, would anyone really dare to make a move?"

Fan Jian sneered, "Inside and outside the city of Kyoto are only a few miles apart. Do you think there's much of a difference?"

After a moment of silence, he said softly, "You'd better stay calm about this matter for now. His Majesty will naturally seek justice for you."

Fan Xian responded respectfully, but in his heart, he was thinking something else entirely. Chen Pingping and Fan Jian seemed to be watching the Emperor's attitude. The two old men naturally had their own actions in secret, but they were hiding them from Fan Xian, not wanting him to get too deeply involved. But Fan Xian knew that he was the one who was injured, and he was the one most directly affected. Enduring silently simply didn't conform to his principles.

As for what the Emperor would do next, after his conversation with Chen Pingping, Fan Xian could vaguely guess a little. However, the reshuffling of the court didn't seem to have much to do with him.

...

...

After his father left the room, Fan Xian's eyes darted around. He stretched and tried it out, discovering that the wound on his back was almost healed. His medical skills and his freakish constitution were indeed very suitable for a life of dancing on the edge of swords.

He got out of bed, put on his clothes and shoes, trying to be as quiet as possible so as not to disturb the maids serving him in the outer room. Sitting on the round stool by the table, he frowned and thought for a while, feeling that the box should be safe just leaving it there. There were many smart people in the world, but those who were too smart would never expect him to be so foolish.

Having decided everything, he gently pushed open the innermost cotton curtain. A gust of heat rushed at him from the incense burner in the outer room. He crushed a medicinal pill between his fingers, and a delicate fragrance gradually filled the air.

The sleepy-eyed maid was already dozing off by the incense burner. She was startled when she saw the young master come out, but smelling the fragrance, she immediately fell back into a dream. Fan Xian tilted his head slightly, looking at the maid's charmingly naive appearance, and couldn't help but laugh. Si Qi, that girl, seemed to be destined to be charmed by him in this lifetime. Wan'er went to Hangzhou and thought it was too far, so she didn't bring this girl. He didn't expect that after returning to Kyoto, he would still have to send her to sleep.

Wrapped in a thick fur coat, Fan Xian carefully sneaked along the corridor towards the back door. In the current residence, both Mr. and Mrs. Teng were there, and they were already somewhat lax in their management of the servants. In this snowy weather, without the master's instructions, the servant women and maids liked to hide in their rooms and be lazy. So, coincidentally, no one noticed Fan Xian's elopement along the way.

Of course, there were always guards stationed near the large iron gate. However, when Fan Xian glared at them, the guards had no choice but to play dumb. Young Master and Master were both masters, and offending either one would be bad.

He easily left the residence, got into the ordinary carriage, and Mu Feng'er carefully helped him into the carriage, and carefully sealed the cotton curtains at the windows. Fan Xian shook his head and said, "I just want to see some scenery. What are you doing sealing it all up?"

Mu Feng'er smiled and didn't dare to say anything. She put on a raincoat, covering the Lotus Robe of the Overwatch Council underneath, and with a flick of her wrist, the whip swirled a few times in the air, bringing down a few snowflakes. The carriage slowly started moving.

The swordsmen of the Sixth Bureau followed in the shadows, and some secret agents of the Overwatch Council disguised as passersby also joined the small number of pedestrians in Kyoto.

...

...

The carriage traveled to a bustling area of Kyoto, carefully avoiding pedestrians.

Fan Xian lifted a corner of the curtain and looked outside. He saw that the shops on both sides of the street were still open, and the vendors selling snacks were holding up large umbrellas, using the heat in their pots to resist the harsh cold of winter. It was no different from what he had seen a year ago.

He couldn't help but laugh. The assassination of an Imperial Envoy was indeed a big deal for the imperial court. For the common people, it was probably the most talked-about entertainment after dinner these days. However, the matter didn't affect much. Those who should be running small businesses were still running small businesses, and those who should be worried about their family's surplus grain were still worried. His assassination was more about disturbing the court, and it didn't change much of the ordinary life that was the same for ten thousand years.

Suddenly, his heart shook, and he stared at a few people on the neighboring street, not moving his gaze for a long time. Those few people, who were clearly experts, were vigilantly guarding a young master. That young master had obviously disguised himself, but he couldn't hide it from Fan Xian's eyes. His heart was shocked.

"Follow them." Looking at the group buying some things and getting into their carriage, Fan Xian ordered urgently.

Mu'er Feng nodded and gently pulled the reins, and followed them.

The two carriages went around the bustling street one after the other, turning to a relatively quiet and luxurious district. At this time, it was still early, and the entertainment life in winter hadn't started yet, so the buildings on this street were a little quiet. Only the best location in the middle of the street, the brothel red lanterns were already hanging high, and the cotton curtains heavily shielded the wind, attracting the male creatures in the bitter wind and snow outside with the spring colors inside.

It was the most famous Bao Yue Lou in Kyoto.

Fan Xian frowned as he watched the group get off the carriage and walk into the building. He thought to himself, could it be that he was really seeing things after being injured? His mind was full of thoughts, and without thinking, he had Mu Feng'er drive the carriage from a side road into the inner courtyard of Bao Yue Lou, and stopped outside the lakeside gate at the rear of the building.

He was the real owner of Bao Yue Lou. The madam waiting at the back door was shocked when she saw him get out of the carriage. She thought, isn't this master seriously injured? How could he be in the mood to come to the brothel for inspection? But she didn't dare to say much. On the one hand, she quickly sent someone to inform the second manager, Shi Qing'er, and on the other hand, she carefully welcomed Fan Xian to the most beautiful independent courtyard on the lakeside.

Fan Xian shook his head, thinking about the person he had seen earlier, and walked slowly towards Bao Yue Lou through the snow on the lakeside. He went up to the third floor, came to the room exclusive to the owner, Fan Xian calmed himself slightly, listening to the slight words coming from inside, he couldn't help but curl his lips and smile.

The old madam behind him didn't dare to say anything, not even daring to cough. She had sent someone to inform the second manager earlier, but there was nothing she could do. She just hoped that the people in the room would be careful with what they said.

After listening quietly for a long time, Fan Xian pushed the door open and entered.

...

...

"Who?"

With a hiss, the sound of a scimitar being drawn rang out, and a chilling aura of the blade came at him. However, Fan Xian didn't dodge or avoid it, walking forward with a look of displeasure on his face.

The person who drew the knife was dressed in ordinary clothes, but his eyes were full of vigilance and composure. The knife was always drawn without return, but seeing that the young nobleman in front of him didn't dodge, he knew there was something wrong, and forcibly pulled the knife back, his true energy clashing, his face flushed.

Mu Feng'er, who was following Fan Xian, also entered the door, turned around and closed the door, then smiled gently at the swordsman, thinking that he would be a colleague in the future.

At the same time, the group that had entered the room earlier had suddenly stood up, surrounding Fan Xian, who was walking at the front.

Following this were two crisp "pa" sounds. The teacups in the hands of a woman and a young man fell to the ground at the same time. The two of them stared at Fan Xian dumbfounded, unable to speak for a long time.

"Put down your swords!" The young man was the first to come back to his senses and scolded his attendants angrily, "Are you looking for death?"

The attendants looked at each other, wondering who the person was that made the big boss so excited.

Fan Xian, however, wasn't excited. He walked up to the young man, bent two of his fingers slightly, and knocked down hard. With a pop, a red bump appeared on the young man's slightly chubby cheek.

"Are you looking for death!" Fan Xian scolded angrily, "Who told you to come back?"

The young man pouted, and said with incomparable grievance, "Brother, I miss home..."

...

...

After chasing everyone out of the room, even Shi Qing'er, who wanted to say a few words in defense of the young man, was chased out by Fan Xian. He sat down on the chair in the middle, looking at the respectful young man in front of him, and didn't speak for a long time.

After a long silence, Fan Xian opened his mouth with a sneer, "The big boss is so impressive now... He's surrounded by Northern Qi experts as bodyguards. It seems like this brother of mine doesn't have much of a presence."

The young man in front of him was of course not someone else. He was the one who was driven to Northern Qi by Fan Xian more than a year ago, and who had now fully taken over the Cui family's industrial route. He was the business genius who managed the smuggling affairs between the Northern Qi royal family and Fan Xian of Jiangnan, the second son of the Fan family, the one whose face always had annoying small freckles... Fan Sizhe.

Fan Sizhe approached his brother, carefully rubbing his arm for him, and said with a soft smile, "If you have money... what kind of expert can't you hire?"

Fan Xian was furious and rebuked, "Why did you come back so secretly? Don't you know that the wanted posters are still hanging all over the world?"

Fan Sizhe smiled, "That's just a waste of paper. I saw it once at the Cangzhou city gate, and it was already rotten by the rain. You can't even see what I look like."

Fan Xian couldn't help but scold, "Don't always be so facetious! Tell me what's going on? What are you doing coming back secretly? Why didn't you tell me in advance?"

Fan Sizhe was at a loss for words. After scratching his head for a long time, he said, "In a few days, it'll be Father's birthday..."

Fan Xian was stunned, and only then did he remember this matter. Looking at his younger brother's face, which was obviously much thinner than it was a year ago, he couldn't help but sigh. Thinking about how he had been alone in Northern Qi for more than a year, having to deal with so many complex matters at such a young age, he was also pitiful. His heart softened, and he couldn't bear to scold him anymore. He shook his head and said, "If you come back, just come back, but you should have said so in advance."

Fan Sizhe said aggrievedly, "If I had told you in advance... you definitely wouldn't have agreed."

Fan Xian suddenly thought of a question and frowned, "What about Lao Wang? He's watching you in Shangjing City... Why didn't he notify me when you left?"

He snorted and looked at his brother without speaking.

Fan Sizhe rolled his eyes a few times, looking a little anxious. After a long time, he said hesitantly, "Didn't Master Wang also come back? I followed him all the way into the customs... Brother, don't blame him."

Fan Xian slammed the table and roared, "That old skin has arrived in advance too? Why didn't he notify me? You guys are really rebelling! You dare to hide everything from me."

Fan Sizhe trembled and dared not say much. He knew very well that if this brother of his really got angry, he would hit people... and he was really willing to kick them!

"Since you're back, why didn't you go home?" Fan Xian said with a frown.

Fan Sizhe was slightly stunned, then a hint of ruthlessness appeared on his face, "Brother, as soon as I entered Kyoto yesterday, I heard about that matter. I'm afraid that going home at this time would cause trouble for you... Besides, hasn't the imperial court been unable to find out who did it? I was thinking about whether Bao Yue Lou had any news, so I stayed here first, to see if I could help you."

In fact, Fan Xian had overheard these words outside the room. Now, hearing his younger brother say them personally, he was even more moved. He gently patted his head and sighed, "What are you afraid of? His Majesty doesn't not know about your affairs. Who would dare to do anything? Come home with me later. As for Bao Yue Lou's news, if I need it, I'll naturally have someone come and ask. You're a proper businessman, don't get involved in these things."

He couldn't help but glare at his younger brother again and said, "Don't think I don't know what's in your watermelon head... You're afraid that I'll scold you if you go straight home, so you want to do something to make me happy. Don't play these tricks with me. Use that thought on Mom and Dad. It's been more than a year since you've seen them, and you don't even think about how much Aunt Liu misses you. You can even bear to stay outside. If this matter is said, see how your mom deals with you. I won't intercede."

Fan Sizhe nodded aggrievedly, thinking that it was because of your prestige that he was timid and didn't dare to knock on the door.

"You've grown taller." Fan Xian said with a smile as he looked at him, patting him on the shoulder. He hadn't seen him for a year, and he was naturally excited and happy, "You've also gotten stronger... It seems like you've been doing well in Northern Qi."

Fan Sizhe was about to complain a little and tell some tales about his future sister-in-law, but he heard a knock on the door. The knock was extremely gentle, extremely careful, as if weeping and complaining, and as painful as losing a father.

Fan Xian sneered, "Roll in, you're just a foil, don't play the grieving role here."

...

...