72: Fan Xian kneels down! Ye Ling'er chops Fan Xian! (23

Chapter 72: Fan Xian Kneels! Ye Ling'er Strikes Fan Xian! (23, Please Subscribe!)

Xie Bi'an and Xing Yusen stood side by side, and that shout made Xing Yusen flinch.

As the Deputy Commander of the Shadow Guard, Xing Yusen suddenly felt he had failed in his duty!

They were both princely guards, and although Xie Bi'an was a ninth-rank master, Prince Yong's Dragon Guard Manor was a cut above other princely manors.

At such a moment to display authority, Xie Bi'an had stolen his thunder!

Xing Yusen brought out the prestige he had as a constable more than a decade ago, his eyes wide as he drew his waist saber and roared.

"Who is the person standing below?"

"Why do you not kneel before a Prince!"

This shout, like an interrogation from a veteran detective of over a decade, made Fan Xian's legs go soft, and he instantly knelt down.

Guo Baokun quickly explained, "Brother Fan is new to the capital and doesn't quite understand the rules. Please forgive him, Your Highnesses!"

Behind the gauze curtain, Fan Xian heard Li Chengze's voice, "Uncle Prince Yong, Fan Xian was quite startled a few days ago, so it's understandable if he's a bit rude."

Fan Jian had already informed Fan Xian about the current political situation in the court, specifically the struggle for power between the Crown Prince and the Second Prince.

So Fan Xian understood that the Second Prince was speaking favorably of him, intending to win him over.

Although the Crown Prince had to help him restore his reputation, Fan Xian was ultimately an enemy of the Crown Prince and The Eldest Princess.

Li Chang'an seemed not to care, "No matter, everyone may rise.

The Second Prince and I are just here to observe and listen; you all don't need to be so restrained."

Fan Xian could choose to kneel or not; according to the rules, a commoner must kneel before a Prince.

However, he possessed a Supervisory Council Investigator's token. The Supervisory Council was directly under the Emperor's command, and although it had no official rank, its power was immense.

The Supervisory Council Investigator was the highest authority below the Supervisory Council Director. If he truly refused to kneel, no one could do anything to him.

The people at the poetry gathering had their own interpretations of Fan Xian not kneeling.

Guo Baokun said, "Brother Fan, fortunately, both Your Highnesses are magnanimous, otherwise you would surely be punished for such a great offense of disrespect!"

He Zongwei, however, said, "Young Master Guo, there's no need to worry too much about Brother Fan. Have you forgotten that Brother Fan is Young Miss Ruo Ruo's elder brother?"

Guo Baokun slapped his own head, "Oh, how could I forget that!"

"Given the relationship between His Highness Prince Yong and Young Miss Ruo Ruo, why would he dwell on such a small matter?"

Fan Xian felt a little uncomfortable, because his kneeling was not from his heart.

He secretly vowed to keep some distance from Li Chang'an, so he wouldn't have so many concerns.

As the poetry gathering began, Fan Xian's gaze shifted to Lin Wan'er.

In fact, Lin Wan'er had already seen Fan Xian when he was hesitating whether to kneel.

After that one glance at Fan Xian's appearance, she no longer paid him any attention.

Lin Wan'er had made up her mind; she would absolutely not marry someone she didn't like. At worst, she would remain unmarried for life, as there was her mother's precedent.

She looked enviously at Fan Ruoruo beside her; Fan Ruoruo was already able to go out with Uncle Prince Yong.

After seeing Lin Wan'er, Fan Xian was stunned on the spot, because Lin Wan'er was even more beautiful than her portrait!

Elegant in demeanor, graceful and gentle, with a delicate and sweet appearance—she was exactly his type!

With just one glance, Fan Xian felt himself falling in love.

Now it seemed, the Emperor's attitude towards the bestowed marriage was still quite firm.

This being the case, his hopes were not small!

His concubine, Sisi, could be taken as a concubine later, which would not affect his marriage to his official wife.

The poetry gathering quickly began, and the always active Guo Baokun proposed the idea of composing a poem in ten steps.

"Your Highnesses, esteemed guests, this poetry gathering, this humble student has a plan."

"Each of us will walk ten steps in the corridor, then write a poem, and then recite it publicly!"

"After the poem is finished, please ask both Your Highnesses to evaluate its merits."

After Guo Baokun finished speaking, Li Chengze, from behind the curtain, quickly said, "With Uncle Prince Yong here, how dare this humble Prince show off his meager skills? Everything will be as Uncle Prince Yong says."

Li Chang'an said grumpily, "Everything will be as this Prince says? Then what are you here for!"

Li Chengze was momentarily choked with anger. Wasn't it you who insisted on dragging him here?

However, he had no choice. Li Chang'an was deeply trusted by His Majesty, and his reputation was too great. Bullying his nephew was already a common occurrence.

Then, Li Chang'an said to Li Hongcheng, "Hongcheng, you are still the host of this poetry gathering. The Second Prince and I are just here to observe casually."

Li Chengze gave Li Chang'an a resentful look. Was it really appropriate to publicly refer to him, a strong contender for the throne, as 'Little Second Brother'?

Li Chang'an didn't care at all. Prince Jing was the 'Big Second Brother,' so Li Chengze could only be the 'Little Second Brother.'

"Everyone, Young Master Guo's suggestion just now was good, but for the final evaluation, you all will still have the final say."

"Finally, this Prince and the Second Prince will appraise the three best poems. How about that?"

If Li Chang'an personally ranked the poems, wouldn't the top-ranked poems skyrocket in value and fame?

However, the scholars of Southern Qing generally couldn't produce any good poems, so Li Chang'an was unwilling to rank them.

Evaluating the better poems, with both praise and criticism, would also repay the favor to Prince Jing and the Little Second Brother.

Li Chang'an's words already gave them enough Face, and Li Hongcheng repeatedly nodded in thanks.

Subsequently, Li Hongcheng ordered someone to bring in a table and set up brushes, ink, paper, and an inkstone.

When he saw the four treasures of the study being brought in, Fan Xian was startled.

What the hell! Wasn't a poetry gathering just about reciting poems? Did he have to write them himself?

What a joke!

What Fan Xian didn't notice was that when he was looking at Lin Wan'er, Ye Ling'er was looking at him with a furious expression.

As Lin Wan'er's staunch best friend, she had already decided to publicly beat Fan Xian today!

As the poetry gathering began, Li Chang'an and Li Chengze ate grapes and chatted behind the curtain.

The Crown Prince and the Second Prince had already lost interest in trying to win over Li Chang'an for the succession.

Because Li Chang'an dealt with them with a three-pronged approach: no initiative, no refusal, no responsibility!

Whoever came to him was a dear nephew, but once it involved befriending court officials or using the Shadow Guard, Li Chang'an refused outright.

Over time, the two nephews also understood that this Prince only listened to His Majesty.

If one day Prince Yong suddenly sided with one party, it would indicate that it was His Majesty's will.

So, behind the curtain, the two discussed the last forty chapters of the Dream of the Red Chamber.

The poetry gathering began, and Guo Baokun still led the way, presenting the same poem with irregular meter.

"Clouds clear, towers stand, dew sinks deep,

Jade boat sketches the wind of a gilded hall.

Misty waves rise to shroud the sky,

A flicker of literary thought reflects a dying lamp."

Upon hearing this poem, Fan Xian shook his head inwardly, but he couldn't openly criticize it.

Although Young Master Guo was a bit arrogant, he was still wholeheartedly helping him.

Just for speaking up for him in front of the two Princes, Fan Xian had to remember his kindness, even if Young Master Guo was acting on the Crown Prince's orders; a favor given was a favor given.

Li Chengze whispered, "This good-for-nothing, this poem clearly looks like it's been prepared for a long time. The piling of flowery words is too obvious, it's just so-so."

Young Master Guo received applause from the talented women and scholars, then sat down contentedly. He had made his appearance; now it was time for Fan Xian to come forward.

Since His Highness Prince Yong had said that everyone could evaluate and rank themselves, with Young Master Guo's influence, helping Fan Xian rise to prominence wouldn't be difficult.

However, when he sat back down, he saw that Fan Xian was gone!

Young Master Guo ran to the back, grabbed Old Zhang, and asked, "Where is your Young Master?"

Old Zhang replied, "He went to the latrine with Old Zhao!"

Guo Baokun was anxious. Why go to the latrine at this time? Coming out earlier would make it easier to shine!

Not everyone had to compose a poem at the poetry gathering; if one couldn't write a poem in ten steps, they didn't have to participate.

The poem Fan Xian had was a bit better than Young Master Guo's, but his handwriting was terrible.

Just now, Guo Baokun held up his poem for everyone present to see; if his handwriting were displayed, he would be laughed to death!

In this era, handwriting was believed to reflect one's character. Not being able to write well was like not being able to speak Mandarin in Beijing in his previous life.

Unless you were a top-tier boss, speaking a dialect was considered a unique trait; otherwise, you would be looked down upon.

Li Chang'an was meticulous in copying poems, many famous works he didn't copy, but Fan Xian had long given up on the dangerous idea of copying poems.

His handwriting, if displayed, would surely bring great shame upon him in front of Lin Wan'er.

Fan Xian hid in the pavilion in the back garden, trying to think of a solution, but instead, he encountered the Second Prince, Li Chengze.

"Fan Xian, the Crown Prince helping you restore your reputation is out of necessity; he wishes you dead."

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Anyway, our meeting will eventually reach the Crown Prince's ears, so our cooperation is the Righteous Path."

Even the Second Prince came forward to win him over, giving Fan Xian an added boost of confidence in his own importance.

He had a Supervisory Council Investigator's token at his waist, and his father was the prospective Minister of Revenue, so he wasn't intimidated when facing the Second Prince.

The Second Prince was a bit disappointed; Fan Xian evaded the topic, refusing to state his position.

When he met the Second Prince, Fan Xian had seen Xie Bi'an's fast sword, and an idea had already formed in his mind.

He left the Second Prince, and as he passed the kitchen, he smeared some chicken blood on his hand, then wiped it off, making his right hand turn dark red.

After returning to his seat, he said to Guo Baokun, "Young Master Guo, my hand is injured. Could you write for me later?"

Guo Baokun was anxious, seeing that Fan Xian couldn't come forward to perform.

"What did you do in the latrine? You used so much force that you injured your hand!"

"I'll write, I'll write. It's no big deal!"

Fan Xian approved inwardly, Young Master Guo was a reliable person; he truly stepped up when needed.

As early as when Fan Xian was looking at Lin Wan'er, Li Chang'an had noticed. This fellow indeed still harbored lust at first sight.

Now, feigning a hand injury, wanting both to show off and hide his flaws—it wouldn't be that easy.

Seeing Li Chengze return with a dark expression, Li Chang'an immediately pointed it out, "Hit a wall, haven't you?"

Li Chengze sighed faintly, "It's bad enough that Uncle Prince Yong won't help me, but this fellow is also immune to both soft and hard tactics."

"Now I have to watch the Crown Prince's man clear Fan Xian's name on my turf, it's humiliating!"

Li Chang'an smiled and said, "It won't be that easy for Fan Xian to turn things around. Just wait and see."

Li Chang'an knew that there were simply too many people who didn't want Lin Wan'er to marry Fan Xian.

Not to mention Lin Ruofu and Lin Gong, Ye Ling'er, who was present, wished she could just kill Fan Xian.

She certainly didn't want her best friend to marry a man with a notorious reputation.

The poetry gathering continued, Fan Xian cradling his right hand with his left, his Face full of apology.

"Everyone, unfortunately, I injured my hand today and can't write, so Young Master Guo will have to do it for me."

Guo Baokun bowed in a circle, and declared generously, "Everyone, Young Master Guo and Young Master Fan became friends at first sight. Such a small matter, I shall naturally do it for him!"

After speaking, Guo Baokun quickly walked to the writing desk, picked up the brush, "Brother Fan, you have always been exceptionally talented, a leader in both chess and poetry!"

"This Guo is truly fortunate today to be able to write for Brother Fan. Brother Fan, please begin!"

Behind the curtain, Li Chengze spat, "That blockhead, for the Crown Prince's orders, he's truly going all out."

Li Chang'an said faintly, "It's all very serious, the brush falls and the poem is done."

Li Chengze frowned, "Uncle Prince Yong, why are you praising this blockhead!"

Li Chang'an said, "Read the first two characters of these two lines together."

The Second Prince chewed on a grape, muttering, "Sha Bi... Sha Bi... Uncle Prince Yong, what's the allusion?"

Above the corridor, Fan Xian had already recited the first line, "Looking east at the cloud-filled sky's shore..."

Hearing this line, Li Chang'an chuckled inwardly. Wasn't this the poem He Zongwei composed?

Indeed, He Zongwei's expression was complex. It turned out Young Master Guo had given He Zongwei's poem to Fan Xian to gain fame.

Looking east at the cloud-filled sky's shore,

White robes tread through the frosty chill.

Do not say one is far and alone,

Green mountains accompany the farewell.

This poem was indeed better than Young Master Guo's, and it was the best poem Young Master Guo could offer.

Just as Fan Xian began, a crumpled piece of paper was suddenly thrown onto Ye Ling'er's table.

She turned her head vigilantly, only to find no one there; Xing Yusen, who threw the paper ball, had already slipped away.

Ye Ling'er opened the paper ball and immediately became furious.

"Fan Xian's handwriting is unbearable. To avoid embarrassing himself in front of Princess Yichen, he is pretending to be injured."

Ye Ling'er looked at Fan Xian, who was holding one arm and putting on airs, and her anger flared.

"Wait!"

Ye Ling'er let out a clear shout, and had already swiftly walked in front of Fan Xian.

Name: Ye Ling'er

Age: 16 years old

Realm: Low Grade Seven-Rank

Talent: Martial Dao (Eight-Rank), Command (Four-Rank)

Abilities: Tracking (Six-Rank), Command (Three-Rank)

Emotion: 20

"Fan Xian!"

"I heard you are about to advance to the Eight-Rank. This young woman would like to ask for your guidance!"

Seeing Ye Ling'er suddenly appear, Guo Baokun was greatly alarmed, "Miss Ye, stop! Brother Fan has an injured hand, he cannot spar!"

The Second Prince quickly shouted, "Bi'an, quick, quick! Hold her down!"

How astute Li Chengze was; holding Ye Ling'er down at this moment would surely earn Fan Xian's gratitude.

Xie Bi'an didn't say a word, his feet like the wind, and he firmly held down Guo Baokun, who was about to step forward to block!

Guo Baokun screamed in pain, "Who are you? Why are you holding this Young Master down!"

Old Xie misheard! Li Chengze wanted him to hold down Ye Ling'er!

Xing Yusen's tightly clenched hand instantly relaxed. If Old Xie had gone to hold down Ye Ling'er, he would have had to hold down Old Xie.

Li Chang'an smiled faintly, and Li Chengze's vision went black as Ye Ling'er's Grand Coffin Split was about to smash into Fan Xian's Face!

Li Chengze stood up and frantically shouted, "Old Xie, hold down Ye Ling'er..."

Xie Bi'an only then realized he had held the wrong person. But he didn't have time to act, he found it was already too late.

Because Fan Xian had already raised his right hand, blocking Ye Ling'er's Grand Coffin Split.

Although Ye Ling'er was only a Low Grade Seven-Rank, the Grand Coffin Split was a simplified version of the Liuyun Loose Hand.

Fan Xian dared not be careless with such a technique.

Moreover, Ye Ling'er's family had a Great Grandmaster, so even if she crippled him, Fan Xian, she would have no fear, which is why her moves were all heavy-handed.

"You absurd and shameless scoundrel, you really were pretending to be injured! This young lady will split you alive today, you bastard!"