Joy of Life

Living in Jiangnan was challenging. How deep was the snow there? The Qing court’s series of secret edicts sank all of Jiangnan into chaos as the not-so-heavy snowfall brought a chill to millions of people for no reason. All of the giant merchants felt the pressure and killing intent from Jingdou. Lingnan’s Xiong family and Quanzhou’s Sun family had always been on good terms with Fan Xian. Under the court’s pressure, they did not dare move. As for those salt merchants who had long been under the protection of the powerful figures of the court and had peeked at all the wealth under heaven, they began to slowly grow restless.

The change in the palace treasury’s method of choosing merchants was a foundational blow to the power Fan Xian held. Everyone could see this clearly. In particular, Xia Qifei, Fan Xian’s representative in Jiangnan and the present Master of the Ming family, felt the approaching danger. He trusted that given the Ming family’s influence in Jiangnan, the most important matter was the Jiangnan people. They were impacted by the survival of the Ming family and would influence and make the court worry about the consequences before it struck. At least, they would not force the Ming family into death in the 11th year of the Qing calendar. If the Ming family did scatter and die, the court would not benefit from it.

However, the trend had been established. If the situation progressed like this, in just a few years, the Ming family would be gradually marginalized and swallowed down by other Jiangnan merchants the court supported. Behind Xia Qifei, there was the survival of tens of thousands of people. He had no choice but to be alert and cautious. The long talk he had that night with Governor Xue Qing of Jingdou made explicit the court’s demands of him.

After that night, Xia Qifei sank deep into thought. He had to choose a side between Sir Fan junior and the court. It was because of these difficult thoughts that he did not choose to enter Jingdou to meet Fan Xian as soon as possible after he received notice from the Qinian Unit. It was also not because he had already begun to sway. Rather, it was because he knew Fan Xian wanted him to enter the capital to evaluate his loyalty. In the present situation, there was no time for Xia Qifei to demonstrate his loyalty. The situation in Jiangnan was too dangerous. He could only send Fan Xian a personally written letter expressing that he continued as always.

If it had been any other merchant, the choice between the court and fallen Fan Xian would not be a difficult matter. Merchants sought interest, but they had no true power to change the situation themselves. They had to voluntarily join or be forced to join a stronger power. This was the nature of merchants. Even if Xia Qifei abandoned Fan Xian, presumably, it would not surprise and shame too many people.

However, Xia Qifei was a not a common merchant. This was precisely the reason Fan Xian had chosen him to be his representative in Jiangnan back then. This illegitimate child of the Ming family had a similar life to Fan Xian’s. Ever since his youth, he had drifted on the jianghu and was the leader of the Jiangnan water bandits. Other than his natural merchant bloodline, he had some of the jianghu’s people righteousness.

Xia Qifei knew that without Sir Fan junior, he would never have returned to the Ming family, taken control of it, and avenged his mother. Xia Qifei did not dare forget such a large favor, and he did not want to betray Fan Xian.

The Ming family had run Jiangnan for countless years. Even when Fan Xian came in the past, he had only made progress with great difficulty. Presently, under Xia Qifei’s leadership, they began to resist the pressure of the Jiangnan Governor’s office and edict from Jingdou. For a time, the entire Jiangnan fell into chaos.

At this time, the Jiangnan Governor Xue Qin, who had cooperated well with Fan Xian in the past but was not very public with his power, rose up. This top-ranking border sealing official of the court coldly began to put pressure on the Ming family. Furthermore, he unexpectedly raised the Fourth Master of the Ming family onto the stage again.

This was the trick Fan Xian had used in the past. Now, Xue Qin was simply copying it. But, the results he obtained were very good. There were already a few factions within the Ming Garden. Although the old members of the Ming family held very little stock in their hands, they were, after all, people on the inside of the Ming family. Presently, the difference between the two sides had both been put on the stage. If Xia Qifei wanted to continue protecting Fan Xian’s interests in Jiangnan, it would be difficult.

Xia Qifei still persisted. Under the powerful support of Zhaoshang money house, he converted gold into power, infiltrating every part of the officialdom in Jiangnan. He used all means necessary to stop the court’s edict become reality. This Master of the Ming family knew very well that they could not hold back the main power. Sir Fan junior was just waiting for something in Jingdou. What he and his people needed to do was preserve his strength, allowing him to continue waiting in Jingdou. But, how long would the wait be? How long would his people have to last so desperately for there to be an end?

They had not lasted for long when the Qing court clearly lost patience with the Jiangnan merchants’ lack of cooperation. Three days after the winter tea conference hosted by the palace treasury transport company, the Master of Ming Family, Xia Qifei, who had spoken stern words opposing the new regulations of the palace treasury bidding at the tea conference, was met with an assassination outside Suzhou.

More than 500 black-clothed people attempted to assassinate Xia Qifei. No one knew how these vicious murderers got through the Qing Kingdom’s strict defenses to arrive outside Suzhou. No one knew where these murderers, who had ruthless knife techniques and similarities to the military, had come from. Why were the reactions of the Suzhou Government and Jiangnan Governor’s manor when Xia Qifei was met with an assassination so slow? Why did Jiangnan Road’s tens of thousands of provincial troops not capture a single murderer after the incident?

The 500 black-clothed assassins swallowed Xia Qifei’s group of carriages like the water of a lake. Although Xia Qifei was the head of the Jiangnan water bandits and had countless good men who were willing to die for him under his command, in front of such an unexpected surprise attack, they did all they could and spilled all their hot blood. In the end, their defenses were still broken.

The Jiangnan water bandits knew Gong Feng died in the battle and Guan Wumei, who had returned to Suzhou to help deal with the affairs, also died in this attack. Xia Qifei originally had no hope of surviving. However, at a crucial moment, an unremarkable Ming family servant carried a heavily injured Xia Qifei. Relying on a cold sword in his hand, he killed his way out of the heavy siege and carried Xia Qifei back to the Ming family.

The Ming Garden sealed themselves off and did not open for three days.

When the provincial army reached the scene of the attack, they found nothing other than the bodies of the Ming family servants and guards who had fallen. The black-clothed murderers did not leave a single body.

That night in the Jiangnan Governor’s manor, Governor Xue Qing and his two advisors looked at the intelligence report and fell deep into thought. The court had disregarded the shock of the world and brazenly struck out, staking everything on one blow. The Emperor in Jingdou no longer wanted to play tricks with Fan Xian. He had already lost his patience. However, Xia Qifei had managed to survive such a thunder-like strike. This reality made Xue Qing feel slightly disappointed. Presently, the Ming Garden was already sealed. The court could not carry torches and pitchforks and break into the garden of Jiangnan’s Ming family.

In the intelligence report, the sword-ace that carried Xia Qifei far away drew Xue Qing’s attention. Faced with hundreds of elite Qing soldiers, they were still able to kill their way out. A martial artist who could have such strength had to be a ninth-level one. There were not many ninth-level aces in the world. To be able to stay by Xia Qifei’s side the entire time and come out at a desperate time to save his life, it could only be a disciple of the Sword Hut sent by Fan Xian.

The Jiangnan matter did not end with this. In this bloody mess, the assassination on the Master of the Ming family was only the beginning.

After the Ming family shut itself away in their garden, the head of the Shazhou branch of the Jiangnan water bandits began to mobilize its top people to rush to the rescue of Suzhou. However, the group providing aid to the Ming family were stopped and disarmed by the court’s provincial soldiers before they arrived.

The Jiangnan Navy stationed at Shazhou took advantage of the emptiness of the Jiangnan water bandits and carried out the coldest purge. They lit a large fire on the Jiangnan water bandits surrounded by lake water. Countless people died. The fire burned for three days and three nights and still did not stop. It wanted to burn the lake dry and burn the reeds into long incense used in worship.

The court could have countless reasons to purge the Jiangnan water bandits. What disappointed Xue Qin was that the Jiangnan Navy had hit too viciously and the water bandits stopped on the road were either dead or injured. Even those who were captured were tough. No one was willing to talk. Thus, any attempt to link the Ming family to the Jiangnan water bandits was stopped.

On the third day the Ming Garden was sealed, the Fourth Master of the Ming family died in the well. It was said that he felt regret and threw himself down the well. Immediately afterward, the old people of the Ming family were gradually transferred away. Xia Qifei, who had lost too many family and brothers, began a cruel retaliation. At least at present, the Ming Garden had finally stabilized under his ruthless methods and the help of the Dongyi ace.

The court using such methods to deal with the Jiangnan magnate, the Ming family, caused overly negative influences. It easily caused the hearts of the Jiangnan people to sway. It also made the other merchants develop feelings of distrust toward the court. Furthermore, it must not be forgotten that Xia Qifei presently had an official status. His status as inspector of the Overwatch Council in Jiangnan had not been removed. Thus, the Governor’s manor did not want to admit that this matter had anything to do with the government.

Under the Ming family’s angry accusations and Jingdou Overwatch Council’s questioning, which may or may not have happened, the governments of a few provinces, with Jiangnan Governor’s yamen at the head, joined together and worked to investigate the matter of the assassination attempt on Xia Qifei. Of course, anyone could guess that this investigation would never have any result.

Wondrously, regardless of whether it was the government or the Ming family, no one mentioned the Jiangnan water bandits who had disappeared in that sea of fire. It was as if the jianghu faction that had once shone brilliantly in Jiangnan had never existed.

Compared to the strange and mysterious battle outside Cangzhou and the great battle at Hong Mountain that determined the course of history, the unrest and killing in Jiangnan was not very noticeable. Not as many people died. Its impact also seemed less. The people of Jingdou only vaguely knew that there was a very wealthy family in Jiangnan for whom things were not going so well these days. However, the contention in Jiangnan was the true fight because Jiangnan shouldered a large portion of the Qing Kingdom’s taxes. One-third of people lived and worked there in peace and happiness.

Furthermore, Jiangnan had always been peaceful. Even when Fan Xian had come down and caused a mess, he had carefully controlled the disturbance within a certain boundary. Although he had caused a Jiangnan scholar demonstration, he had not thrown Jiangnan into chaos. This time, Jiangnan had truly become unrestful. If Xia Qifei had not survived and used ruthless methods to comfort his own sorrow, perhaps Jiangnan would have already fallen completely into the court’s control. Concerning this point, it could only be said that Fan Xian’s luck had always been good. The trust invested in him by the confidants and subordinates he chose completely went beyond reciprocation.

The cold war between the Emperor and Fan Xian erupted into a heated battle in three important places under heaven. Other than these three places, something happened outside Yingzhou. However, this matter did not draw the attention of too many people. The Overwatch Council official and head of the palace treasury transport company, Su Wenmao, had been stripped off all his official positions and was being escorted back Jingdou to be questioned. Along the way, they passed Dingzhou. When the escorting carriages had just left Dingzhou, they were attacked by a group of mountain bandits. That day, countless Ministry of Justice officials responsible for escorting the criminal were injured or died. Su Wenmao had one of his arms chopped off. No one knew whether he was alive. His whereabouts were unknown.

…

…

“The mountain bandit in Dingzhou back then was actually just Wu Guanmei, right? That year, I took the boat down to Jiangnan. The first group we came into contact with was with hers. Only through her connection did we find Seventh Ming, who is Xia Qifei.”

On Dec. 28 in the 10th year of the Qing calendar, Jiangnan’s intelligence report finally reached the Fan manor through Baoyue Brothel. Fan Xian looked at the report in his hand in silence for a moment. He then said, “The Jiangnan water bandits had long been secretly enlisted by the enemy in exchange for amnesty. Hangzhou Conference’s heart has always been in Yingzhou. The tragic scene after the breach of the Great River disappeared long ago. Presently, the Yingzhou Zhizhou is a good official chosen personally by me. How could there be so many mountain bandits?”

Fan Xian smiled, but his smile was cold. He turned to glance at Lin Wan’er and said, “You and I have busied ourselves for so many years, yet it cannot compare to the Emperor’s unreasonable and blind killing.”

When Fan Xian had traveled to Jiangnan through Yingzhou, he realized that the lives of the people there were very difficult. Later, the palace treasury shone again with youth. The court’s national treasury was filled, and the palace treasury was abundant. At the first instant, the Hangzhou Conference organized by Lin Wan’er began to distribute silver to the poor provinces on either bank of the Great River. At that time, there were Fan Xian and Princess Chen’s reputations to hold the fort, as well as the Overwatch Council’s sinister surveillance. So, very few officials dared to take money from the initiative. Presently, the lives of the Jiangnan people should be better than before.

“The Sword Hut sent six people to Jiangnan. I kept three inside the palace treasury because that was of the utmost importance. The other three were mostly responsible for the safety of Xia Qifei and Su Wenmao. I don’t want people who follow me to all die,” Fan Xian said expressionlessly. “Even with this, such major problems happened. I hope Su Wenmao can survive.”

Lin Wan’er watched him quietly from the side. She knew he had a lot of bitterness and pressure in his heart. Fan Xian lowered his head and thought for a moment. He then slowly raised his head. A fire seemed to light up in his eyes. This fire was very much like the fire that had burned for three days and three nights on the lake. It was as if there were countless resentful spirits struggling, crying, and howling in this fire.

The situation in Jingdou was also filled with a storm of bitterness. Yan Bingyun was still in Dingzhou dealing with the matter of the Qingzhou battle. Even if he had already left Dingzhou, he would still have to spend some time on the road. It was also during this time that the Imperial Censorate took advantage of the situation and began to apply pressure to the Overwatch Council. Presently, two directors of the Overwatch Council had died and been deposed, and Yan Bingyun was unable to obtain true obedience from the Overwatch Council. The dragon was without a head. Relying on the Emperor’s indulgence and cooperation of the Hall of Governmental Affairs, the imperial censors of the Imperial Censorate, under He Zongwei’s leadership, began the cruelest purge of the Overwatch Council.

The First Bureau bore the brunt of the attack. In just three days, over 30 Overwatch Council officials had been thrown into prison and taken into the Supreme Court. Those seemingly gentle civil officials rarely had the chance to act against the Overwatch Council. So, they did not hold back. All kinds of torture instruments in the prison all began to be used at this time.

…

…

Lost. Fan Xian had lost. He lost again and again, completely and utterly. Fan Xian knew he had been wrong. The Emperor was like Dong Mountain. No matter how much trouble he created under heaven, as long as this mountain did not fall, the Qing court would not fall into chaos. They would remain calm no matter the trouble.

The very secret message that came out of the Palace was like the last straw on Fan Xian’s heart, forcing him to immediately make a choice. A woman that had been chosen into the palace was said to be pregnant with the Emperor’s child. Hearing this news, Fan Xian could not help but laugh coldly. It looked like the effect of celery in killing essence was not very effective for such a strange creature as a Great Grandmaster.

“In Jiangnan, Xia Qifei’s situation is difficult. If I don’t act now, he won’t even be able to save himself much less support me,” Fan Xian said narrowing his eyes. “The more power I lose, the more ruthless the Emperor’s methods become. These are things that go hand in hand. In the beginning, he would go slowly. As my ability to retaliate decreases, his fears also decrease and his methods become wilder and wilder… Until, at the end, he turns me into an isolated person.”

“The court’s actions in Jiangnan are actually not very wise,” Lin Wan’er said in a quiet voice. “Those with a discerning eye all know what’s going on with the Ming family’s situation. The court was too obvious this time, and their methods were too bloody. I’m afraid that the Jiangnan merchants will lose heart from this.”

“Not only was it not wise, it could even be considered stupid. It is very clear that the Emperor does not care about these things. He only cares about bringing me down in the shortest amount of time and crushing any chance I have of recovering.” Fan Xian’s expression was wooden. “I don’t know why, but it seems that he is also in a rush.”

Lin Wan’er looked at him. Her heart trembled slightly. Although the husband and wife did not say anything explicitly, she only needed a glance to know what he was thinking. Particularly in this situation, his expression was enough to prove his thoughts.

Just like this, two lines of tears leaked out of Wan’er’s eyes. She gazed at Fan Xian in a daze and said in a trembling voice, “But, what can you do?”

Fan Xian was silent for a long time. He then gently pulled her over, holding her like he was holding a child. Quietly, he said, “Although I have lost again and again and appear to have no strength to retaliate, it actually proved something I really wanted to know.”

“The Emperor has grown old. He no longer has the patience he once did. He is not steady and indifferent to a terrifying level, and he is not giving anyone any chances.” Fan Xian lowered his head and said by his wife’s ear, “Take off that dragon robe, and the Emperor is a common man. This is perhaps my opportunity.”

Times had changed, Fan Xian no longer had time to wait for that family member with a piece of black cloth to return from the land of snow and ice. If he continued like this, even if the Emperor could not bear to kill him and he waited until Uncle Wu Zhu returned, at that time, everyone he cared about would probably have all died, just like the Jiangnan water bandits, Guan Wumei, Su Wenmao, and those Overwatch Council officials.

He had to retaliate. Furthermore, he did still have a secret in his hands that the Emperor did not know of. However, he knew that once the retaliation against the palace treasury began, there would be no turning back between the Fan faction and the one in the Palace. Perhaps, the entire Qing Kingdom would be drawn into the unrest. If Fan Xian lost, countless people would probably die standing behind him.

Fan Xian did not have the confidence that he could defeat the Emperor. Thus, when he bravely stood out with his life on the line, he had to leave an escape route for the family and friends he cared about. After that autumn rain, he no longer cared about his own life. But, he still cared about the lives and deaths of those beside him.

For the sake of this escape route, the Fan manor fell silent for a long time after Dec. 28. The atmosphere was oppressive for a long time. Even the two little lords seemed to realize their father’s strange mood and no longer yelled loudly about anything.

After celebrating a dreary New Year and casually eating some dumplings, Fan Xian shut himself away in his study. This lasted seven days. He only came out from the study on the Jan. 7.

Everyone in the manor waited outside the study. Lin Wan’er stood to the side looking at him worriedly while Sisi carried a bowl of ginseng soup and delivered it into his hands.

Fan Xian accepted the ginseng soup and emptied it in one go. With a smile, he said, “Of the four Danzhou girls, it’s still your soup that tastes the best.”

Sisi’s heart thumped. She suddenly felt an inauspicious foreshadowing, but she bit her lip tightly and did not make a sound. She believed that the young master she had watched grow up had never been a mortal man. Regardless of what difficult situation he faced, he would always be able to resolve it easily, just like he had done these 20 some years.

On Jan. 7, the Imperial College began classes again. After washing up, Lin Wan’er helped straighten Fan Xian’s clothing and saw him to the front door of the manor. All along the way, her hands were trembling slightly.

The morning light broke through the cold clouds that had sealed Jingdou for a long time and shone down coldly. In a daze, Lin Wan’er looked at Fan Xian’s pretty profile and wondered if she would be able to see it again in the future. Suddenly, she saw a strand of white hair by Fan Xian’s Temple, which shone in the morning light. Involuntarily, her heart twisted with pain.

She did her best to ask in a calm voice, “You’ve thought for seven days, did you think anything through?”

Fan Xian sighed and recovered his mischievousness and hopelessness when he first entered Jingdou. With a smile, he said, “I thought for seven days in the hopes of becoming a Great Grandmaster. Do you think I am a bit delusional?”

Lin Wan’er covered her mouth as she smiled, “It is indeed a bit delusional.”

“There is a reply to the message we asked Eunuch Dai to take into the Palace for us earlier in the year. The Emperor wants me to enter the Palace tomorrow.” Fan Xian looked tenderly at his wife. “The Emperor has always loved you. Now that he is older, he will presumably not make things difficult for you. If you are not comfortable in Jingdou, go back to Danzhou. The Emperor has to give grandmother some face.”

Lin Wan’er still covered her mouth. She asked with a smile, “I can’t be bothered to go, I’ll just wait for you at home. But you, have you really thought of something?”

Fan Xian shrugged. Like a hoodlum, he said, “What is there to do? The Emperor has no weaknesses at all… Ah, I remember, a man surnamed Xiong once said that since there are no weaknesses anywhere, then the person is the weakness.”

“You’re joking again.” Lin Wan’er covered her mouth and laughed. Tears seemed to threaten her eyes as she coughed with laughter.

“I had originally been telling a joke.” Fan Xian lowered his head and gently dropped a kiss onto Wan’er’s head. Without turning back, he climbed into the carriage.

Watching the carriage drive toward the Imperial College on Dongchuan Street, the smile on Lin Wan’er face immediately became miserable. She put down the sleeve covering her lips, revealing two drops of blood on the white sleeve. During these seven days, she suffered greatly. Her old illness had returned, making her very unwell.

…

…

“Confucius said one should die for a good cause. Mencius said that one should seek justice. Only when has justice been exhausted can one find benevolence. We learn from reading books on saints and sages… I have nothing to be ashamed of. Ever since the ancient times, gentlemen have spoken of righteous to the world and have not allowed failure to blunt their hearts…”

A voice, cool to the point of being chilling, rang out in front of the small lake in the Imperial College. About a hundred students quietly listened to Sir Fan junior’s lecture. Many people felt the strangeness in Sir Fan junior’s mood because he seemed to like making jokes today. But, his jokes happened to not be very funny. Many people felt that Sir Fan junior had something on his mind.

Scholar Hu watched this scene quietly from beneath a large tree with assurance. He thought he knew what was on Fan Xian’s mind and was assured. The Emperor would summon Fan Xian into the palace. The upper-level officials of the Qing court all knew that it was Fan Xian who had requested entry into the Palace this time. Thus, Scholar Hu thought that under the Emperor’s repeated attacks and in front of the breath victory the Qing Kingdom had obtained, Fan Xian was admitting defeat.

Thinking of how, from now onward, the ruler and his officials would be of the same heart, father and son would be of the same mind, uniting the world, and the peace that would come, Scholar Hu felt comforted. He didn’t even pay attention to the specific content of Fan Xian’s lecture.

“Confucius is not Jiu Kong who played Wang Lihom, not the Kong Ming who swung the fan, and, of course, it does not mean conspicuous. Mencius… Hm, I don’t much like him because that bastard likes debating too much, very much like me.”

Fan Xian spoke to the hundred or so students with a laugh. He didn’t care whether these students could understand. There were indeed the classics and history volumes in this world, but there were no Confucius, Mencius, or any other –ius. There was talk of benevolence and righteousness, but very few spoke of it as clearly as Confucius.

“Giving up life for righteousness has to be done some time, but I am not this kind of person. I have always been afraid of death.”

With these words, all the students smiled. They felt that amidst Sir Fan junior’s nonsense, there was finally a joke they understood.

“But!” Fan Xian’s expression suddenly became cold. Waiting for silence all around, he said each word clearly. “There are very few differences between man and beasts. Was it only the value of righteousness? Not necessarily… Human nature is to seek life and avoid death, but what makes one respectable is in the moments that one needs to generously embrace death. Why embrace death? There are things more important than life in this world.”

“This still has nothing to do with me.” He smiled, but it remained silent all around him. Everyone could feel the strangeness. All the students stared in a daze at him by the lakeside. Not one person laughed aloud.

“I have always thought that there was nothing in this world more important than one’s own life and death. Later, I realized that people’s desires were an incredible thing, and to have a choice was an incredible thing.” Fan Xian was silent for a moment. He then said, “Since we are all going to die eventually, then we should choose a way to die that makes one content. Although these words are clichéd, they are, in the end, very practical words.”

“How should one live one’s life?” Fan Xian turned in all directions and asked this question, naturally, no one replied. After a wave of silence, his voice echoed in the silent Imperial College.

“I thought about this question for my entire life and could not resolve it. I read many books, earned a great deal of money, married many women, had many children… Yes, it seemed that I had done everything. Then, I thought again for a very, very long time and somewhat reached an answer: Live however you want, as long as you have no qualms about it. This is what I want to talk about today.”

After these words, Fan Xian left the Imperial College and sat in the lonely black carriage. He left behind a school full of confused young students looking at each other in mystery as well as a Scholar Hu, whose expression had changed wildly as he finally understood what Fan Xian was saying.

Scholar Hu left the Imperial College in a terror and headed quickly toward the Royal Palace. At this time, it was still early. Fan Xian was only entering the Palace in the afternoon. He hoped he still had time to say something to the Emperor and stop everything from happening.

Fan Xian’s incoherent ramblings in the Imperial College spread out in the shortest amount of time. There was no need for mindful people to add fuel to the fire. In reality, the entire Jingdou, those sensitive people, had been waiting for the reaction of this Jingdou man of leisure this whole time.

Unlike all these people’s anxiety and nervousness, Fan Xian was very calm. There was still a lot of time until he entered the Royal Palace, so he came to Xinfeng Restaurant and began to enjoy something rare in the winter, and perhaps his last enjoyment, the baskets of hot jietang buns, as well as Da Bao, sitting with his bun-like face by the table.