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Fan Xian laughed. “I have heard that when Shangjing was once in chaos, Marquis, you took a great risk in leaving the palace, carrying a letter written by the Empress Dowager to Master Shen’s Brocade Guard, which eventually redeemed the situation. From that moment on, everything went well for Master Shen in his career, and you have kept on good terms with him, so I thought I would ask you if you could introduce me to him.”

The incident he spoke of was perhaps the one single impressive moment in the Marquis’ life. Chang Ninghou was already drunk, and at this point his face was bright red. His drunken thoughts were clouded, and there was a boastful look on his face, but no matter how stupid he was, he still felt there was something strange about what he’d just heard. He let out a drunken belch and fixed Fan Xian with an odd look. “Young Master Fan, you are an envoy. Meeting with the Provost of the Brocade Guard’s Discipline Commission... is rather at odds with custom.”

Fan Xian looked anxious. “Marquis, as you know, when a diplomatic mission visits a foreign country, there are a great many inconveniences.” He lowered his voice. “I won’t lie to you, your grace. I have also offended a number of officials in the Qing capital. Even His Majesty himself was unwilling to defend me, so he used the excuse of this diplomatic mission to kick me out of the country.”

The Marquis nodded and let out another belch. He felt rather distressed. Last year, Northern Qi had lost the war, and all of the influential officials with ties to the Empress Dowager had had their feet held to the fire for it. Chang Anhou had been demoted, and Ninghou himself had been sent away to the south to be signatory to a humiliating treaty... Fan Xian’s great offense against the scholar-officials of Qing had indeed been rather shocking. The Prime Minister had been deposed, as had the Director of the Board of Rites and 16 high officials. News of the exam hall scandal had even reached the royal court of Northern Qi, and so Chang Ninghou believed Fan Xian was telling the truth.

“But why exactly do you want to meet the Provost?” Chang Ninghou felt somewhat uneasy, and in truth, he was not sure what it was that this southern official wanted to do.

“I want to get rich. Do you, Marquis?”

The words “get rich” filled the Marquis with a sudden interest.

“Business.” Fan Xian filled up the Marquis’s wine goblet. There was no one else in the dining room save for the two of them; the young man and the old man. He spoke in a whisper. “You may well have heard, Marquis, that in two years’ time at the latest, I will take control of the palace treasury of the south. At least 40 percent of the goods of its associated businesses are sent to the north, so I must be sure to have good relations with the Discipline Commission. Otherwise, how can I ensure their smooth passage?”

The Marquis looked at him, shocked. Without thinking, he yelled, “You mean smuggling?”

Fan Xian put his index finger to his lips, smiled, and took a sip of wine. “Look, Marquis, do you want part of this business or not?”

The Marquis had already begun to sober up a little—partly from shock, and partly from happiness. What had Qing’s success of the past years relied on? Was it not the former businesses of the Ye family? If one could turn the profit of the southern court into one’s own personal profit, just how much money could one make?

But Chang Ninghou was still wary. The audacity of this young southern official! The Marquis sat in thought for a long time. If Fan Xian wanted to smuggle goods, then he needed a good relationship with the Discipline Commission. Corruption? Not in the slightest!

In any case, Fan Xian was taking money from the palace treasury of Qing. There would be no loss for the Qi royal court whatsoever! If they were smuggled, then the prices of the goods could be lowered. The palace would still make money. The Empress Dowager and his nephew the Emperor would probably be pleased with the arrangement. Seeing as he stood to gain and others stood to lose, then why wouldn’t he do it?

The Marquis took a voracious gulp from his goblet. “Very well! I shall arrange for you to meet Shen, but...”

“But what?”

“Fan Xian, let me be clear. This business must be done with the palace’s approval.”

“That’s not possible!” Fan Xian was resolute. “I have already said too much. This business can only be carried out by the three of us. If you tell the palace, then would I not be risking everything by putting myself at the mercy of the Qi royal court?”Chang Ninghou knew that Fan Xian was right, but he still laughed bitterly. “This is serious business. I dare not get involved.”

“Then I ask that you think about it, Marquis,” said Fan Xian coldly. “But my life is on the line here. You must keep silent.”

There was a sudden flash of ruthlessness in Fan Xian’s eyes. The Marquis saw it, and was not scared in the least, but instead gave a grim smile. Such an illustrious official, dealing in such underhanded trickery. The Discipline Commission was no match for him. Perhaps the Marquis was so astonished by the possible profits to be made from the smuggling that he had forgotten that Fan Xian’s true role was very much like that of the Discipline Commission.

Looking at the Marquis’s expression, Fan Xian knew that he had more or less taken the bait. He laughed and changed the subject, bringing up the diplomatic mission’s scuffle with Chang Anhou’s manor and asking Chang Ninghou if he would intercede.

At that moment, Chang Ninghou was thinking only of the meeting between Fan Xian and Provost Shen, and how he could enter the palace and convince the Empress Dowager to approve of the business, which guaranteed a profit. Hearing Fan Xian’s words, he naturally took complete charge of the situation in his response. “That brother of mine can never do anything right. He always causes trouble. Do not worry, I will deal with this matter.”

They had drunk much and not eaten enough, and thus were quite merry. Fan Xian took his leave, and climbed into his carriage, preparing to head back to the diplomatic mission’s lodgings. At that moment, he suddenly heard the hurried beating of hooves in front of him and immediately stopped the carriage.

Fan Xian peered through the carriage curtain. Sure enough, there was Chang Ninghou’s son. Wei Hua, vice-minister of the Office of the Grand Herald, hurried up to him. He couldn’t help but smile – it seemed that the four objectives behind his gift to Chang Ninghou had been achieved.

“Master Fan, just what were you thinking?” Wei Hua gritted his teeth, speaking in a low voice to Fan Xian in his carriage window.

Fan Xian let out a drunken belch, and the sour stench filled Wei Hua’s nostrils. He laughed and wafted it away with his hand. “Your father and I are old drinking buddies. As I am here in Shangjing, it’s only right that I pay him a visist.”

Wei Hua was angered. “You are the envoy of a foreign nation. People are paying attention to your words and actions. If you truly wish to visit acquaintances, then you must wait until our official business is concluded, and arrange things through myself and the Office of the Grand Herald, or ask for an official decree from the palace through the Ministry of Rites. What if the royal court hears of your unplanned visit and summons my father to the palace tomorrow to give an explanation?”

Fan Xian laughed. “The Marquis is an easy-going chap. He didn’t mind at all. You are very different from your father, vice-minister.”

Wei Hua tried his utmost to quell the anger in the pit of his stomach, grinning and bearing it. “My father is fond of drink, as everyone knows... Master Fan, just what were you thinking?”

Fan Xian’s drunken expression disappeared, and he fixed Wei Hua with a cold glare that made Wei Hua feel rather uneasy. “What was I thinking? I thought I would offer your father a business opportunity.”

Wei Hua was unsure what he meant, but he had a feeling that it was risky. He placed his hand on the carriage window frame and frowned. “Master Fan, if you have something to say, say it directly.”

“I was looking for you today. You’ve been hiding.” Fan Xian looked at him with an odd smile. “I wanted to find the vice-provost, and he was not at the Ministry of Rites. I wanted to ask, who should I be looking for?”

“Should everything not be being sorted out between yourselves and the Ministry of Rites?” replied Wei Hua, somewhat awkwardly.

“The territory is being divided, and the prisoner exchange is also underway.” Fan Xian looked at him. “But there is something I need to deal with. As a vice-minister of the Office of the Grand Herald, you should know it cannot wait any longer. By tomorrow, I must meet with someone.”

“The procedures are complicated. You cannot simply meet with someone any time you please.”

“Very well, tomorrow I shall have another meeting with your father.” Fan Xian laughed, his expression suddenly changing. “We shall drink, and chat, and discuss business. A diplomat’s life is quite a happy one.”

Having said that, the carriage, under the escort of the Northern Qi army, happily went on its way down the street.

Wei Hua angrily threw his horsewhip to his servant and walked toward the manor, asking them when Fan Xian had arrived and what he had done. Hearing that Commander Wei had accompanied him, he relaxed somewhat, presuming that the Emperor’s officials were unlikely to make a big deal out of it.

Entering the main hall, he saw that Chang Ninghou was still drinking. The anger welled up in him, but he forced it back, and respectfully bowed.

Seeing that his son, the family’s brightest future prospect, had returned, Chang Ninghou laughed. “Come, come,” he said, slurring his speech. “We had a guest today. It was that Fan Xian I’ve spoken so much about. Hey, that fellow got hold of two jars of the finest strong wine from Toushui Street.”

Finally, Wei Hua could not take it any more. He sighed. “Father, he is an envoy from an enemy nation. There are countless people in the royal court watching both us and Chang Anhou. Could you...”

Before he could finish, Chang Ninghou was already howling. “What!? I am the brother of the Empress Dowager, and if I wish to entertain guests in my own home, then I shall do so!”

“He was no ordinary guest! He was an envoy of Qing!” Wei Hua’s voice became louder. “Because our family is not like other families, even if it’s only for the sake of the Empress Dowager, you should not have let Fan Xian in today.”

For some reason, Wei Hua’s anger had spilled over, and Chang Ninghou had softened. He clutched his goblet. His face looked bleak. As he spoke, he almost sobbed. “For my sister’s sake? Ever since she entered the palace, I have been humiliated! What sort of a man am I? I was a student of Zhuang Mohan! But in everyone’s eyes, what am I? In all these years in the capital, when have the ministers of the royal court ever bothered to visit me? The only ones who call on me are the ones without any sense of shame. I’m sick of it.”