Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio 

  After the killing on Niulan Street, Fan Xian had a number of things on his mind. Teng Zijing had already left for the countryside to recuperate, and it was unclear whether he might be left handicapped. The families of the three dead guards had received sufficient financial compensation, and even the relevant court departments had issued them an order of commendation. The guards were buried in the tombs of the Fan Clan, just outside the capital; if Fan Xian were allowed to leave the city, he naturally would have gone and paid tribute. 

  The bloody incident had taught him that surviving in this world was no easy task, and it was not enough to simply invite guests to banquets. So he needed to have control of forces that belonged directly to him, such as Wang Qinian, Fan Sizhe, and his own martial arts training. 

  Now he had changed the period he spent meditating in the capital from midday to evening. Often half-awake, he felt that the zhenqi at the xueshan point in his spine was like a body of warm water, comfortably rinsing out every part of his body. It seemed almost as if the volume and concentration of his zhenqi had increased to 

  some extent. 

  The fact that he had been able to kill an eighth-level master alongside two female assassins seemed almost inconceivable to him. He had checked the zhenqi circulation of Teng Zijing and discovered that there was no one in the world who trained in the way that he did. This realization had not made him feel panicked in the slightest. Since he could kill an eighth-level master with his slender dagger and his hidden crossbow, it showed that his zhenqi was extremely useful. 

  He was different from others who had trained in martial arts in this world. He did not hold to the idea that levels of ranking were insurmountable—the big guy’s bloody guts sprayed out along the floor had shown him that. If you were ferocious and prepared enough, would the five grandmasters even pose a threat? 

  But he had not begun on the second badao scroll. His gaze fell on the box tossed into a nook in the corner of the room. After he had come to the capital, he had seemingly forgotten about this item that his mother had left him. It seemed that he would have to go find a key at some point. 

  Si Lili, a key player in the assassination attempt, was still on her way to the city after having been arrested, but a decree had flashed across the city as quick as lightning. The decree was issued from deep within the palace. It regarded Fan Xian. In the current context, the content of the decree seemed highly unusual. 

  “In accordance with the will of Heaven, His Majesty the Emperor thus decrees……” He watched the court eunuch’s lips flap as he spoke, but he could not make any sense of what he was saying, as the proclamation was written in highly formal classical language. Kneeling in the lobby of Fan Manor, Fan Xian feared that the eunuch’s spittle would land on his face, and watched uneasily as it pooled on the green floor tiles below him. The imperial proclamation was finally read aloud in its entirety, and under Lady Liu’s instruction, Fan Xian did what was expected of him by the rules, calling out “may His Majesty live ten thousand years!”, thanking him again, and taking the proclamation from the eunuch. With no anger at all, Lady Liu handed the eunuch a banknote worth a sum of silver, and, satisfied, he departed. 

  “Where do I put this thing?” Fan Xian asked Lady Liu, clasping the edict in his hands. “I can’t hold on to it forever.” 

  Lady Liu laughed and took it from him. “We receive a lot of proclamations at the manor. But you can’t just call it ‘this thing’. There’s a special room in the manor where we store them.” Over the past few days, there had been what seemed like an odd harmony between Fan Xian and Lady Liu. It was a product of the circumstances they found themselves in, but neither knew how long it would last. 

  “To tell you the truth, I’ve studied the classics, but I couldn’t make heads or tails of what that the eunuch said.” Back in his bedroom, Fan Xian redressed the wound on his shoulder. He looked at his sister, sitting at the desk next to him, who wore something that looked like a smile, yet was not. 

  “Eunuch Dai is from Tiaozhou in the south. His accent is so thick it’s hard to tell what he’s saying. But these sorts of proclamations have come to the manor a lot over the past few years, so I can understand what they’re talking about.” 

  “What does it say?” asked Fan Xian, worried. “Why is it addressed to me?” 

  Fan Ruoruo pursed her lips and smiled, choosing not to respond directly. “The palace has bestowed many rewards upon our house in the past decade or so. Although father hasn’t risen in the ranks, Sizhe and I, and even Lady Liu, have received our own titles. Now it looks like they have granted you a title too.” 

  Fan Xian knew that Fan Sizhe, despite being nobody of any stature, had received a title usually given to cavalry officers. But when it came to himself, he couldn’t help but feel curious. “But I still haven’t been made a legitimate child of the family. Even if the palace wanted to give me a title, there aren’t any that they could give to me.” 

  “That’s correct. That’s why the proclamation talks about you killing enemy spies and so on, and your services to the country, and gives you the title of Functionary of Taichang Temple.” 

  “Functionary of Taichang Temple?” Fan Xian sounded very surprised. Taichang Temple was a temple where people offered sacrifices to their ancestors, and although functionary was only an eighth-level official position, they could enter the Temple of Qing as they pleased. Since he had met Lin Wan’er, he had often guessed at the identity of the nobles who were worshipping at the Temple of Qing. Since they were Wan’er’s elders, and Wan’er had grown up in the palace, it seemed that the noble had been someone from the palace. He couldn’t be sure whether it was the Empress or the Eldest Princess. In the past few days that he had visited Wan’er, she had seemed particularly worried about the power struggles that would occur after their marriage, so he took pains not to ask her anything about it. 

  So what was the meaning behind all this? Fan Xian frowned as he pondered. If that person could persuade the Emperor to make such a proclamation, they wanted to point out what had happened that day at the Temple of Qing. So what was the idea behind it? Was it a show of goodwill? Or a show of force? 

  Fan Ruoruo looked at his pained face, deep in thought, and eventually could not stop herself from laughing out loud. “Xian,” she said, pointing at him, “what’s got you in such a muddle? Functionary of Taichang Temple…… it’s a title that is always bestowed on anyone who becomes the Emperor’s son-in-law by marrying a princess.” 

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  Fan Xian suddenly realized and laughed, somewhat embarrassed. It seemed that the wedding was finally confirmed. Due to his injuries, it had been a while since he had been to the palace. No doubt Wan’er was worried about him after the incident—could that have made her illness worse? He suddenly felt bewildered; how could someone so exceptionally smart have the mother and father that they had? 

  “I asked you if you would help me by going there yesterday. Did you deliver my letter?” he asked, trying to suppress the unease he felt. 

  “I did,” she replied serenely. “She listened to your words, and persuaded that older servant girl. Now she eats well every day, and her health is improving. When she heard about the attack, she was rather worried, but yesterday she was too busy, and Ye Ling’er was there too, so she didn’t have a chance to write a letter to you.” 

  Fan Xian sighed and said nothing. Fan Ruoruo was the person who understood him most in this world, and when she heard him sigh she knew he was troubled. 

  “Romeo and Juliet.” When Ruoruo was young, she had listened to her brother tell her their story of love, and had always remembered it. She smiled as she encouraged him. “You once said that people have to be brave enough to seek happiness.” 

  Fan Xian was greatly moved, and embraced his little sister tightly. He could feel her shoulder bones jutting out of her skinny frame as he patted her on the back. “Don’t worry,” he said, “those two died after one of them drank poison and the other stabbed herself. But I’m an expert in poison and knives, so it’ll be different.” 

  “Are you hurt?” As she watched the young man climb through the window, Lin Wan’er felt a twinge of heartache as she let him lie on her bed. “You’re still coming here and doing this,” she grumbled, “with your health the way it is?” 

  “I’m worried that you’re worried about me,” said Fan Xian, anxious. 

  Lin Wan’er felt warmth fill her heart when she heard of his worries. She got rid of the tea in her teacup and steeped some fresh tea for him to drink. She spoke quietly as he raised the cup to his lips. “I understand what you mean. I’ve been looking after my health the past few days. You should be looking after yours too.” 

  Fan Xian held the cup in his hands and waved away the rising cloud of steam. “How can a princess wait on someone?” 

  Lin Wan’er bit her bottom lip. “If you annoy me again I shall chase you out.” 

  “Are you really willing to part with me?” Fan Xian gazed at her, grinning slyly. 

  “I have decided after we’re married we’ll go to the villa in the Cang Mountains and spend the winter there.” Fan Xian leaned on the bed, gazing at his fiancée’s face, which was filled with worry for him. He smiled. “It’ll be good for your health, and before that, I believe Fei Jie will have returned to the capital.” 

  “Don’t just think about me alone.” Lin Wan’er bit her bottom lip, her white teeth cutely complementing the red of her lips. “If that sort of thing happens again, what will you do?” 

  Fan Xian had already forgotten the exact number of times that he had stolen into her bedchamber. The guards in the manor were truly awful. They had not discovered him even once, and had no idea that the couple was already quite so familiar with one another. Fan Xian was proud enough of that. Just think of the other, smaller imperial palaces—had there been anyone in history who could sneak into them as well as he had? 

  “What else is going to happen? The Northern Qi aren’t idiots. Since they’ve already played their hand in this manner, there’s no way that the palace will be fooled by them again.” 

  “I’m worried that there’s someone in the palace who will target you, feeling confident that they can use the assassination attempt by Northern Qi as pretense,” said Lin Wan’er, worried. 

  Fan Xian knew that his fiancée was a smart girl, and that she had grown up in the palace. Even though the Empress was fond of him, it was a complicated situation they found themselves in, so he was sure that she knew more about palace affairs than he did. When he heard her say this, he smiled and lifted up her soft chin, rubbing it with his fingers. “Don’t worry. I’m firmly convinced that I’m the luckiest person in the world.” 

  Feeling him tickle her chin, such an intimate gesture made her feel both happy and nervous. Patches of red suddenly bloomed on her snow-white cheeks, and she immediately pushed away his hand. “Nobody can rely on luck all their life,” she said, a little uneasy. 

  Fan Xian loved it when she looked so bashful. “I was lucky enough to have you,” he said, teasing her. “Is having me…… important?” Lin Wan’er drooped her head a little. From this angle, the fluttering of her long eyelashes suggested that she was rather nervous. 

  “Very important.” Fan Xian embraced her. He wasn’t an expert in words of love, so he felt a little nervous, and he awkwardly tried to search for her lips. 

  As Lin Wan’er allowed herself to be embraced, and his masculine scent filled her nostrils, she couldn’t help but feel weak. She leaned into his chest and turned her head. “Who could want to kill you?” she said quietly. 

  This fortuitous turning of her head evaded Fan Xian’s stolen kiss. Fan Xian wasn’t resentful at all, and when he heard the question, he felt a slight chill. He held her close, feeling her soft skin, his hands involuntarily stroking her back. “Don’t worry.”


  Chapter 95: Not Letting Flirting Interfere with Selling Books 

  Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio 

  Lin Wan’er felt a tickle along her back and had to giggle. Still, she managed to say, “If it were my parents……” 

  Fan Xian, who was enjoying the feeling of the girl in his arms, stopped suddenly. He looked at her seriously. “If it really were eldest princess and the prime minister, what would you do?” The two of them were still in contact with each other’s bodies when he said that, which took away from the seriousness of the question. 

  After a long period of silence, Lin Wan’er stared bravely into his eyes, her hands clasped behind his neck. “Once I’m married to you, I will belong to the Fan household.” 

  Fan Xian knew what she meant. While there was some lingering worry in their conversation during Fan Xian’s nightly visits, he knew his fiancée wasn’t overly close with the eldest princess because she was raised in the palace by Empress Dowager. Even so, upon hearing how much she was willing to give up, Fan Xian was so grateful that he felt embarrassed. 

  This young couple came from similar backgrounds and led similar lives, so they knew each other’s hardships and pride. Because of that, they chose each other to spend the rest of their lives with from the moment their eyes met at the temple. How could the royal family care for such sentiments? Fan Xian gave this young maiden care and gentleness she never experienced before, while she, in this dark bedroom, provided solace to his fatigued spirit. 

  “When can you go outside?” Fan Xian embraced her. 

  Lin Wan’er leaned against his left shoulder, taking care not to touch his injury. Hearing Fan Xian’s question, she answered, “I’ve been in the palace ever since I was little. I rarely get the chance to go outside, and that was only after my uncle gave me the authority as a ruler four years ago. And now that my body is weak……” She suddenly broke off. “Hey, don’t you think it’s inappropriate to be groping around all the time?” 

  That took Fan Xian by surprise, but only for a moment. He quietly giggled, “But I really like this feeling of groping around…… Back to the topic, you need to move around and get some sunlight.” Hearing him say he enjoyed groping made Lin Wan’er realize how absurd she had been for the past few nights, letting a young man lay next to her in the same bed. She helplessly blushed and said, “Then I’ll go ask uncle tomorrow.” 

  “Uncle?” Hearing such a familiar title made Fan Xian laugh, “Oh yes, our uncle is the greatest emperor under the heavens. With his word, you will become my wife.” 

  Only now did Fan Xian remember the Imperial order from yesterday. After hearing about the order, Lin Wan’er learned that the young man next to her had been named the Functionary of Taichang Temple, meaning their marriage had been officially confirmed. Overjoyed, she couldn’t help but blush again. 

  Fan Xian looked at her blush with a smile on his face. This girl was gentle and spirited, but also shy. He had always thought the girls in this world were like the ones from his previous life. He didn’t think he would be climbing walls every night. And for a proper ruler like her, this was already a major event. 

  “Oh, by the way, when we first met in the temple, who were you with?” 

  “I was with His Majesty.” Lin Wan’er replied curiously. 

  “Hm?” Thinking he passed by the royal prerogative without realizing it, Fan Xian couldn’t help but have other thoughts. Since that guest was His Majesty the emperor, then the martial artist he traded blows with must be the lead guard from the palace. Fan Xian felt somewhat proud of the fact the encounter only left him tasting blood in his mouth and nothing more. 

  Seeing his expression change made Lin Wan’er curious. “What’s wrong? Was it unexpected?” 

  “I can only blame myself for being stupid; I didn’t think of that.” Fan Xian smiled bitterly. “I always thought you would be with either Eldest Princess or Empress Dowager. Man, traveling in this world, it’d be a shame not to see His Majesty once.” 

  “Although I don’t know too much about the outside, I do know the Fan household is revered. It wouldn’t be difficult for you to seek an audience with His Majesty. Besides……” The girl lowered her head in embarrassment, “After we get married, you would have to go see uncle anyway.” 

  Hearing her mention marriage and seeing her charming shyness made Fan Xian’s heart skip a beat. He sneakily snuck his left hand—which had been around Lin Wan’er’s shoulder—downwards along her waist until it finally reached that soft and plump place. With his heart swaying, he squeezed his hand. The smooth firmness was just to his liking. 

  Lin Wan’er had previously been tolerating his presence because he presented himself as a well-mannered gentleman. For the past few days he didn’t do anything too unreasonable. Not only did she trust him, but she even inexplicably felt a bit proud of him. 

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  Never once did she think he would start lusting after her! Because of that, she initially did not respond to the fact her butt had just been squeezed. She stared at Fan Xian blankly for a moment and noticed the lust growing stronger in his eyes. Only now did she realize what just happened. Her entire face turned bright red and tried to pry off that perverted hand from her backside. 

  Fan Xian was too enamored by her ample hips and would not let go. He embraced her more tightly. As his right arm was still in no condition to do this, he decided…… to use his legs. Hanging on to the girl like an oversized koala, he locked his lips with hers. 

  From the first touch, her lips were moist and warm. 

  They didn’t part from each other for a while. Fan Xian felt refreshed and speechless, while Lin Wan’er was in a daze and on the verge of tears. She did in fact cry out from embarrassment. Looking at her, Fan Xian didn’t know what to say. He forced a smile and tried to explain, “I couldn’t control myself, I just couldn’t.” 

  “You’re harassing me.” Lin Wan’er wept. However, she kept her sobs low in order not to alarm the guards outside and the old nanny downstairs. 

  “How so?” Fan Xian felt greatly wronged. They would be husband and wife soon. What was wrong with getting a little intimate? 

  As if guessing what the young man was thinking, Lin Wan’er said with a pout, “There are still a few months until our marriage.” 

  Fan Xian looked at her with a shady smile. “We’ve already spent so many nights together. What’s the big deal?” 

  Lin Wan’er was afraid he would say that. She blushed yet again and started to hit him. Halfway through, however…… she thought about his injuries and stopped. Unfortunately, while turning, she came in contact with something rather indecent. As gentle as she may be, she knew what just happened and no longer cared for Fan Xian’s injuries. She forcefully pushed him off her bed. 

  “You should go back now. You’re still wounded.” She buried her face in the blankets, unable to look at Fan Xian. 

  Naturally, Fan Xian looked down. Feeling wronged, he told her, “Then I’ll see you tomorrow.” 

  Lin Wan’er pulled down her blanket for a bit, exposing her rather pitiful face. She asked, “Don’t you have actual business to do tomorrow?” 

  “Oh, that’s right. The bookstore opens the day after tomorrow,” Fan Xian recalled. The men from the Overwatch Council weren’t back in the capital yet, so he wouldn’t be able to investigate anything. In that case, it was better to take care of matters at hand. As the saying goes, sharpening your knife won’t waste your time cutting. This could probably be considered one of Fan Xian’s good points. 

  He dared not bully the girl any more than he already had, so he opened the window to leave. Moonlight spilled in, illuminating the maidservant who was sleeping close by. Seeing her sound asleep, Fan Xian let out a chuckle, wondering if she would get fat after sleeping like this for a few days. 

  Two days later, the bookstore officially opened. Dongchuan Road was crowded with people. Even the Imperial scholars ditched classes to come and see. The storefront was constructed out of high-class timber and the building was decorated by colorful lanterns. Furthermore, the entire store was garnished by the smell of new books. Eventually, however, too many people came, and the fragrance of books got replaced by the stench of sweat. 

  Half of those people were here to see Fan Xian. Everyone was curious about this illegitimate son who had just came to the capital a little over a month ago. How did he manage to become so influential in such a short period of time? They also wanted to know why a martial scholar like him would open up a bookstore. There were many lucrative trades in this world, and selling books was far from an ideal business. 

  Ever since his near-assassination, Fan Xian’s view on life underwent a drastic change. He no longer had any intention of running this bookstore behind cover. He instead came out in the open and introduced himself and his brother as the owners. He also gave his bookstore a name, calling it “Danbo Bookstore”. Its nameplate was calligraphed by King Jing himself and hung proudly above the front door. 

  The surrounding crowd pondered at the meaning of this name. Fan Xian explained that “Danbo” implied “sincerity”, and meant “being worry-free without chasing fame or riches”. He then threw out the quote “one can’t be sincere without simple living, one can’t have high aspirations without a peaceful state of mind” by Zhuge Liang. The crowd was shaken at the sound of this; even the crown prince was hearing this explanation for the first time and was shocked—he took this as a sign that they were confessing unwillingness to interfere with major affairs; obtaining safety by showing weakness. 

  Only Fan Ruoruo understood her brother. “Danbo” represented “wandering in Danzhou.” 

  Seeing the crowd growing large and larger, Fan Xian began to sweat. He whispered to Ye the shopkeeper, “Those advertisements worked a bit too well. So many people have come on the first day.” 

  The shopkeeper was no stranger to the term “advertisement” and chuckled. “It is known that the Dong family had Minster Cao’s original copy. After 68 chapters, we are the only ones printing it. The fame of Story of the Stone alone is enough to attract this many people.” He paused for a bit before chuckling again. “And of course, they’re mainly here to see you; to see what a poet who could kill an eighth-ranked master looks like.” 

  Fan Xian was taken aback and muttered, “I’m neither over two meters tall nor over two meters wide; what’s there to see?”