Fan Xian held the poetry scroll in his hand, momentarily at a loss for words. His meeting with Zhuang Mo Han the night before had unexpectedly been their last. Although he had noticed Zhuang Mo Han was not as spry as the previous year, he had never imagined the leading figure of the literary world would depart so abruptly.

Zhuang Mo Han's last words were a request to hand over the results of his last life's work to Fan Xian, the implied meaning of which was not simple.

At this moment, the officials seeing him off outside the capital city also gradually learned of this shocking news. A sense of sorrow began to permeate the official road, and more officials from Northern Qi turned their gaze towards Fan Xian, their eyes filled with vigilance, resentment, and a hint of suspicion.

Fan Xian understood what the people of Northern Qi were thinking. Zhuang Mo Han's only stain in life was one he had personally inflicted. But now that the man had passed away, he felt a slight sense of melancholy and subconsciously filtered out all those complex expressions.

As he pondered, the carriage from the city gate finally struggled its way over. Under the watchful eyes of the officials, it arrived at the rear of the envoy's caravan. The carriage's wooden frame was slightly deformed, emitting a grating sound, making it clear that it was carrying something very heavy. The family servant from the Zhuang household who had brought the news led Fan Xian to the carriage and said in a trembling voice, "Lord Fan, my master's last wish is for you to take this carriage of items back south and keep them safe."

The crowd had not yet recovered from the news of Zhuang Mo Han's death when they witnessed this scene. Amidst their grief, they couldn't help but feel curious about what Zhuang Mo Han was so concerned about in his final moments that he wanted to entrust it to Fan Xian.

The sun was at its brightest. Fan Xian narrowed his eyes and lifted the thick curtain of the carriage, but he was still momentarily blinded by the contents inside.

In books, one finds beauty like jade; in books, one finds houses of gold; in books, one finds stores of grain.

Although there were no beauties or jewels inside the carriage, Fan Xian was still surprised and moved. It was an entire carriage full of books, presumably Zhuang Mo Han's collection throughout his life. Given the old gentleman's status and reputation, he could guess, without even looking, that they were rare and precious editions.

The Zhuang family servant respectfully handed him a booklet and said, "Lord Fan, this is a catalog personally compiled by my master, with notes on preserving the books at the end."

Fan Xian sighed, lowered the curtain, and began to read the booklet carefully. In this era, although printing technology had made significant progress, printing books was still a remarkable feat, let alone an entire carriage full. Thinking of the old man's act of gifting books, a sense of emotion welled up in his heart. At this moment, he heard the family servant say sorrowfully, "My master gifted these books to you, Lord, so please preserve them well."

Fan Xian knew that this sentence was the servant's own addition, but he sincerely cupped his hands and bowed, solemnly saying, "Please rest assured, brother. Even if I, Fan Xian, were to die, these books will continue to circulate in this world."

By now, the Northern Qi officials around them had gathered. Having seen clearly that the carriage was loaded with books, these officials, all graduates of the imperial examinations, knew the value of such a carriage full of books. They had never expected that the great master Zhuang would entrust these precious books, which he had studied throughout his life, to an official from the Southern Dynasty. They were astonished and even felt a hint of envy.

However, the Grand Tutor understood the meaning behind his teacher's actions and sighed softly.

The gifting of books was just a facade. Zhuang Mo Han was using this gesture to express his attitude. This was not merely a simple gift but a symbolic inheritance. No matter how proud the Northern Qi civil officials were, they could no longer lightly dismiss Fan Xian's existence. And Fan Xian's position in the eyes of the scholars of the world had finally received a form of ritualistic recognition.

…

…

Fan Xian turned to look at the Grand Tutor and said sincerely, "Out of both emotion and reason, I should return to the city to pay my respects to bring peace to my heart."

The Grand Tutor's eyes still held unconcealable sorrow. He was consumed with thoughts of returning to the city to mourn and did not think much about it. Moreover, Fan Xian's initiative to offer to pay his respects brought him some comfort, so he granted the request. Unexpectedly, Wei Hua, the Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, approached the two of them, bowed, and said in a heavy voice, "The passing of the master is a loss for the world, but Grand Tutor, Lord Fan, the envoy's schedule has been set, and the procession has begun. We absolutely cannot return to the city."

After a moment of silence, Fan Xian raised his eyes to look at the gray city walls of the capital, seemingly able to see a faint purple light floating in the sky above. He straightened his clothes and bowed deeply towards the city, performing the ritual of an outside disciple.

The Grand Tutor was slightly surprised, knowing that Fan Xian's disciple's rite was enough to put the controversy of last year to rest, establishing the late master's monument with respect. He returned the bow from the side, feeling somewhat comforted.

--------------------------------------------------

The sound of cannons rang out, but it was unclear whether they were for farewell or to summon the soul. Scraps of paper flew everywhere, and the slightly pungent smell of smoke dissipated without a trace in an instant, just like the impermanence of this world.

The envoy's caravan slowly began to move, heading west along the official road. The Northern Qi officials watched the Southern Dynasty's caravan leave, watching the heavy carriage carrying books also leave, and they all sighed in unison. Then, they adjusted their clothes and returned to their residences with sorrowful expressions to change their attire, hurrying to the Zhuang residence. Presumably, the Empress Dowager and His Majesty had already arrived, and no one dared to neglect them. The Grand Tutor and several grand scholars personally taught by Zhuang Mo Han were already crying so hard that they almost fainted.

…

…

The caravan continued to move forward. When the majestic city walls of the capital gradually disappeared behind the green mountains and dense forests, they arrived at the first post station outside the capital. According to the rules, the returning envoy and the bridal procession had to settle down here for one night before continuing their journey the next day. Fan Xian slowly dismounted his horse and walked forward. He couldn't help but glance at the carriage carrying books as he passed it, but he resisted the urge to go up to it.

He walked to the ornate carriage painted with gold lacquer and decorated with red patterns, bowed, and asked respectfully, "We have arrived at the post station. Please, Princess, rest."

After an unknown amount of time, a faint voice came from inside the carriage, "...Please, Lord, do as you see fit. This princess wants to sit alone for a while."

This was the first time Fan Xian had heard the Great Princess's voice. Hearing that it was slightly hoarse, he couldn't help but feel a little strange. Then, he saw the carriage curtain lift, and a palace maid came down with red eyes. She walked to his side and said softly, "Her Highness is not feeling well. Please wait a moment, Lord Fan."

Fan Xian asked with concern, "Her Highness is of noble birth and naturally finds the long journey difficult to endure. It is only right that she rest more."

The palace maid glanced at the handsome face of this Southern Dynasty official and inexplicably felt a sense of trust towards him. She said softly, "The princess once studied under the great master Zhuang. Today, she received this news and is therefore feeling sad."

Only then did Fan Xian understand. The gaze he cast at the carriage couldn't help but carry a hint of sympathy. It seemed that this princess was not a spoiled character. She was weeping uncontrollably out of a sense of gratitude towards her teacher. However, Zhuang Mo Han had passed away in the city, and the princess, being in the carriage, was unable to pay her respects. Being born into an imperial family was indeed a very tragic thing.

He sighed, wondering if he was thinking of his own background. He gave a few instructions to the palace maid, then summoned the Tiger Guards and the core members of the envoy to arrange the matters at hand before entering the post station alone.

The post station knew that the bridal procession and the envoy were going to pass through this place, so it had been cleaned impeccably. All kinds of utensils were handled according to the rules of the palace. After Fan Xian checked briefly, he passed through the main room and quietly exited through the back door, his figure disappearing into the tall sorghum field behind the post station.

In a short while, most of the people had already entered the post station. The officials temporarily sent by the Ministry of Rites were busy as could be, and naturally no one noticed Fan Xian's whereabouts.

Outside the post station, however, there were two carriages from which no one had dismounted. One was the Great Princess's carriage. Everyone knew that Her Highness was sad and naturally dared not disturb her. As for the Northern Qi officials, the other carriage contained that handsome demon from the outside, so they would not pay any attention to it either. Only the Tiger Guards and the officials of the Overwatch Council, who Fan Xian had specifically left behind, were guarding these two carriages with great vigilance.

A small corner of the curtain of the latter carriage was lifted, and a hand that looked extremely white and cold beckoned. The Overwatch Council official next to the carriage immediately walked over and whispered near the corner of the curtain, "Lord Yan, what are your orders?"

Appearing in the corner of the carriage curtain was Yan Bingyun's handsome but exceptionally cold face. He said softly, "Where did the Lord go?"

The only person in the envoy whom he would call "Lord" was Fan Xian. The Overwatch Council official glanced at him and said in a deep voice, "This subordinate does not know."

Yan Bingyun frowned, as if something was difficult to say. After hesitating for a long time, he finally said softly, "Along the way, has there been a woman who likes to wear light blue clothes following the caravan? She likes to ride a large red horse."

The Overwatch Council official shook his head. Yan Bingyun's face showed no expression. He lowered the curtain, confirming that Miss Shen had not risked coming to see him. His mood became lighter, but for some reason, after the lightness, there was a little gloom.

…

…

Outside the sorghum field was a lonely pavilion. Next to the pavilion was an ancient road that had been abandoned for many years. A carriage was parked on the ancient road, and two young women were standing in the pavilion.

A gust of wind passed, slightly disturbing the sorghum field. Fan Xian walked out of it and slowly entered the pavilion, looking gently at the extremely plump girl. He said softly, "I never thought that after entering the capital, the only time I could really talk was when I was about to leave."

Si Lili bowed slightly to him, her voice trembling slightly, "Greetings, Lord."

Fan Xian did not continue speaking, but only glanced at Haitang, who was standing beside her. Haitang smiled, put her hands into her pockets, and tapped the slightly cracked ground under the pavilion with the tip of her toe. Her whole person had already floated away, leaving the pavilion to this pair of men and women with peculiar relationship.

As soon as Haitang left the small pavilion, the gentleness on Fan Xian's face disappeared without a trace. He looked at Si Lili solemnly and said, "After entering the palace, you must be careful. The Empress Dowager is not a simple character. It is not so easy for you to hide from her."

Si Lili looked at him, her eyes gradually filling with a touch of gentle lingering meaning, and said softly, "You just want me to be careful, is there nothing else to say?"

Fan Xian smiled, but did not step forward to hold her weak shoulders, and said, "Since you insist on staying in Northern Qi, why do you want to soften my heart now? Could it be that you women take pleasure in teasing the minds of us vulgar men?"

Si Lili smiled faintly, not at all like the weak appearance she showed in front of Haitang, and said, "Is not Lord the same? Although this little woman insists on staying in Northern Qi, are you preemptively saying this because you are afraid that I will ask you to take me back to Kyoto?"

A hint of mockery flashed in Fan Xian's eyes, and he said, "Perhaps the lady will be the mistress of the Northern Qi harem in the future, so why bother mixing with people like me."

Si Lili also laughed, "It is good to have a place to stay in the palace, I don't dare to expect so much."

Fan Xian shook his head and suddenly said, "Lili, you are a little different from other women in this world."

Si Lili said "Oh," and then responded calmly, "Perhaps it is because Lili has traveled the world since she was a child and has been to many places. Compared to those women who stay in their homes all day long embroidering and writing poetry, she is always a little more unrestrained."

Fan Xian was silent, knowing that what she said was true. In today's world, ordinary women only had the share of sitting at home, and few people had the experience of Si Lili, or the freedom of Haitang. He turned to look in the direction where Haitang disappeared, and said with a serious tone, "I believe in your ability, but I still want to warn you not to underestimate those seemingly old and dim-witted characters."

The atmosphere in the pavilion seemed to be a little stagnant. After a long time, Si Lili bowed deeply, with her head lowered, several strands of blue hair dancing gently in the wind, and said softly, "Perhaps Lord does not believe it, but Lili is indeed happy to be with Lord in one place, just like in the carriage on the way here."

Fan Xian looked at her, not knowing how much of what this woman said was true and how much was false.

Si Lili smiled slightly, her beautiful face looking incomparably charming, "Lord, Lili is very grateful to you for helping me detoxify on the way, this sentence... is true."

"I am not Chen Pingping." Fan Xian said, "I believe that even if there is a conflict of interest, it can be achieved in a relatively gentle way, and I do not want the Emperor of Northern Qi to be poisoned because of you... Of course, now it seems that Chen Pingping's plan has no hope of success from the beginning."

Si Lili's cheeks were slightly red, knowing that the man closest to her had guessed something.

Fan Xian continued softly, "In the future, the lady will live in the palace, and her status will be increasingly respected. No matter how long the hands and feet of the Overwatch Council are, they will not be able to control you, so whether the agreement between you and me is effective depends on our hearts."

Si Lili said seriously, "Please rest assured, Lord."

Fan Xian looked at the eyebrows of this beautiful girl, and suddenly felt a little dazed. After slightly calming down, he said, "You are waiting for news in the north, pay attention to safety. I estimate that it will not be long before someone will help you avenge your family."

Si Lili suddenly raised her head, looking at Fan Xian with some disbelief. Fan Xian ignored the surprise in her eyes, and took a piece of paper from his sleeve and gave it to her, saying, "Contact me through this person, destroy it after you memorize it."

Fan Xian suddenly smiled and said, "I can allow you to abandon the agreement between us, but I will not accept you betraying me. This contact person is one-way, even if you sell him to Northern Qi, it will be useless, so you better not take risks."

Seeing the somewhat strange sweet smile of this young Lord, Si Lili's heart trembled slightly, feeling somewhat afraid for some reason, and quickly nodded.

"Also, if..." After Fan Xian was silent for a while, he suddenly said, "If one day you don't want to stay in the Northern Qi Imperial Palace, notify me, and I will handle this matter."

"Thank you, Lord." Si Lili bowed her head weakly to thank, and this thank you finally revealed a trace of sincerity and reluctance, because she knew that after this thank you, she would be leaving, with a slightly dim color said: "After this separation, I don't know when we will meet again, every time I think of this, Lili can't help but feel her heart broken."

After saying this, Si Lili resolutely turned and left the pavilion, leaving only Fan Xian, who was deeply frowning in the back, still thinking about the hidden meaning of the four words "heart broken".

…

…

Watching the carriage gradually leave along the abandoned ancient road, there was no expression on Fan Xian's face, but he sighed in his heart, and then punched the pillar of the pavilion, making a snap sound. The pavilion had been in disrepair for a long time and was already crumbling. Now, after being punched by Fan Xian, it creaked even more.

A figure floated down from the pavilion, who else could it be but Haitang? Miss Haitang gently landed beside Fan Xian and said with a wry smile, "Duo Duo didn't overhear anything."

"If you were eavesdropping." Fan Xian said, "I would become a mute."

Haitang smiled and said, "Lord Fan is about to leave Da Qi, I don't know when we will meet again."

Fan Xian thought of his younger sister at home in Kyoto, and couldn't help but sigh, "I think it won't be long... Where did your famous teacher go?" He suddenly changed the topic, "I came to Northern Qi, but I didn't visit this Great Grandmaster, it's really a pity."

After thinking for a while, Haitang decided not to hide this matter, and said softly, "Three days before the Southern Dynasty Envoy entered Beijing, the teacher received a piece of wood, and left Shangjing City, no one knows where he went, including the Empress Dowager and me."

"During these days in Shangjing, you helped me hide many things." Fan Xian looked at the desolate solitary tree at the end of the ancient road, "I really want to thank you for this, so... regarding the issue of the goods in Xingbei, I am currently talking with Changning Marquis and Shen Zhong, if your Emperor wants to borrow money from me, he must get rid of Shen Zhong, this person seems ordinary, but in fact is a very powerful character."

Haitang was silent for a long time before saying: "This is a secret between you and me."

Fan Xian looked at her bright eyes and said word by word: "In this world, besides my brother-in-laws, I have rarely seen pure fools, how many people do you think our secret can hide? Duo Duo, this trip to Northern Qi, you helped me a lot in secret and in the open, don't think that your senior brother won't notice."

Haitang frowned: "What do you want to say?"

Fan Xian smiled and said: "What I want to say is that since you and the Emperor are preparing to get rid of the shadow of the Empress Dowager, then you can't just rely on the struggle in the court, nor can you just rely on me, an outsider, to provide so much funding, Northern Qi is after all a great power in the world, if you want to fully grasp it, you won't be able to do it without a few years."

Haitang pursed her lips and smiled: "I think Lord Fan may have misunderstood something."

"Oh?" Fan Xian smiled, "What are you worried about?"

Haitang seemed to be talking about another topic: "I am a good student who respects her teacher and values morality."

Fan Xian suddenly said: "Zhuang Mo Han is dead."

Zhuang Mo Han's students are all over the world, and he is extremely respected by the world. Apart from the incident last year, his morality and articles are impeccable. Even Haitang respects this old man very much, but she has been waiting for the envoy in the suburbs of Beijing today, so she did not know the news of the old man's death. At this time, hearing this news, a trace of shock and sadness could not help but be revealed on her face, and she did not know what to say.

For a time, a few more desolate feelings were added to the desolate pavilion.

…

…

After a long time, Fan Xian broke the silence: "Xiao En is dead, Zhuang Mo Han is dead, the great figures of the past will gradually grow old and gradually die, even if you are a good student who respects her teacher and values morality, but I think you should also be prepared for that day."

Haitang stared at his eyes: "Lord seems to be implying something."

Fan Xian smiled and said: "I can understand the strong desire of young people to be in charge."

Haitang smiled, slightly dispelling the gloom after hearing the news of Zhuang's death: "Why do many heavy things seem much easier when they are said from your mouth? Why do many dark things immediately become incomparably bright after your elaboration?"

"Because the night has given us black eyes, but I want to use them to find the light."

Haitang tilted her head slightly and said, "I remember you said that you were going to use it to... roll your eyes at this world."

"This world?" Fan Xian said, "This world is theirs, and ours, but ultimately... it's ours."

…

…

The thick clouds in the sky floated over, covering the entire sun behind, but the sun was too strong, even so, it could not hide the great red light that leaked out from the edge of the clouds, just like a fairy embroidered a gold edge with skillful hands. A gust of wind blew from the plain, passing through the ancient road on the ground, and the desolate pavilion.

Fan Xian looked at Haitang and said, "Duo Duo, thank you for your help these days."

Haitang finally took her hands out of the big pockets of her coarse cloth clothes, and awkwardly imitated the ordinary girls, and bowed a blessing: "Lord Fan is polite."

Under the pavilion, Fan Xian stepped forward honestly and unceremoniously, hugged her in his arms, and hugged her. For some reason, with Haitang's extremely high cultivation, she did not avoid his hug. He let go after a hug, showing a sincere smile: "To tell you the truth, if you and I can really become friends, it would be a very good thing."

Haitang gently smoothed the blue silk on her forehead, and there was no embarrassment or uneasiness on her ordinary face because of the previous intimate hug, and smiled and said: "Each other."

…

…

Haitang stood under the dilapidated pavilion, on the side of the ancient road, watching Fan Xian's figure disappear in the distance, she couldn't help but tilt her head slightly, recalling the days in Shangjing City, a smile floated on the corner of her lips, thinking that this Southern Dynasty's son is indeed a very interesting and extremely keen-eyed person, thinking that after he returns to Qing country, some very subtle changes will occur in the Southern world.

She sighed, waving away the sorrowful emotions caused by Zhuang Mo Han's death in her mind, and then remembered that she had forgotten one thing after all - is there any relationship between the Haitang Poetry Society in the Stone Record and herself? She subconsciously reached out to tie the floral cloth on her head, but found that she had touched nothing. She immediately reacted, and couldn't help but feel a slight fever on her face, only then did she know that even if she concealed it well, she was still a little nervous during the previous hug, and she didn't even notice that the little thief had stolen her floral headscarf.

Fan Xian was walking through the sorghum field that was taller than people at this time, and occasionally branches and branches fluttered in front of him and shattered, and a happy and pure smile floated on his face. The trip to Northern Qi finally had a relatively satisfactory result, and he met some interesting characters after his rebirth, such as Yan Bingyun that piece of ice, such as Haitang, a flower that seems vulgar but is actually light, apart from some conflicts of interest and different ideas, he likes talking with Haitang very much.

——The Emperor also wants to have sons, Ku He also wants to eat meat, Chen Cripple also wants to go to the toilet, and Fan Xian also wants to have friends.

He put the floral cloth in his arms, pushed away the plants in front of him, looked at the faint smoke coming out of the post station in the distance, and gently hummed: "Drop ah drop ah drop handkerchief..."