Chapter 210 (2/2)

Fan Xian smiled ”In the palace incense is used, and it is a fine product But corance of the ant”

To the side, Haitang nodded slightly, seely in deep praise of Fan Xian's words

Sat in the row This was his second day in Shangjing, and the young Eainst custon official, and although relations between the countries were fine on the face of it, beneath the surface there were always secret hed ”Master Fan, do you knohy I ahtly He wasn't sure whether the Eh his doubts, or whether it was just chance ”Please, Your Majesty, enlighten me,” he said respectfully

The Emperor smiled ”Ostensibly, it is because I enjoyed the Banxianzhai Poetry Anthology” He laughed ”Of course, I enjoy your poetry very much I used some money from the palace treasury to buy some of the treasures of the Danbo Bookstore and have your poetry published throughout Qi, sending it to acadehout the land Do you intend to repayhis ownpoet and make him famous How could Fan Xian not feel utterly moved?

He had not expected there to be a hint of bitterness in Fan Xian's face Dawdling for a while, he finally stood up and saluted the Eh in his head, he scolded hi as piracy in this world, but the royal household had caused a 30 percent drop in business in the north for Danbo Bookstore Seventh Ye the Shopkeeper tore his hair out daily, and yet he had to thank hi suddenly spoke ”Your Majesty, Danbo Bookstore is Master Fan's business I'ht Master Fan not appreciate your actions, he ry”

Fan Xian smiled ”Not at all,” he explained quickly

The Emperor looked at Fan Xian with some surprise ”Minister Fan, you are an immortal of poetry, how can you be a ood to have a little pocket est bookstore in the land, all to give Master Fan a little pocket money”

The E and Fan Xian just outside Wuduhe, so seeing that there seemed to be some hidden en ”My lady, you and Minister Fan are perhaps the most lauded people in the south and the north And yet you see was so that her words seemed more pointed, and at odds with her quiet and contented temperament she had had in the past, Fan Xian s still believes the h the Ye fahout the land, and the royal fas, apparently a great many people still looked down onshook her head slightly ”Workers, farmers, merchants, and scholars; all people must work - there are no lowly professions”

Fan Xian quite liked what she had said

It see to acco Emperor was unable to say what he had wanted to say to Fan Xian, and his face grew increasingly vexed

Fan Xian and Haitang looked at each other He had presuive them some space Instead she had stayed there, her cal no attention to the Ehed self-effacingly and walked to the side of thehed ”Fan Xian, what did you think of the scenery of Qi on your journey northward?”

”Northern Qi has a landscape to be treasured,” Fan Xian replied quietly ”Verdant hills and clear water, a vast territory with abundant resources The coh to asp in admiration”

The Emperor suddenly turned around and looked at Fan Xian with a calaze that seemed completely unlike the 17-year-old that he was ”So, hoould you co?”

[1] ”The first concern is affairs of state; pleasure coyan

[2] Fan Zhongyan is regarded to have grown up poor and hungry, and yet ignored his troubles for the sake of studiousness He was said to subsist on one portion of rice gruel a day, which he would let go cold and divide into four portions, sprinkling only a few chopped vegetables on it, eating it, and going back to his studies