Vol 2 Chapter 249 (1/2)

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Chapter 249: Fighting and Play-fighting in the Palace Contest

Fan Xian was h his expression re Elance to one side at the Eed faces of the grand tutor and the Priaze naturally fell upon the table to one side of the grand tutor

The table was empty; it appeared that someone had failed to attend As he considered this, so to the E casually at the table, where palace maids served him wine

The man was dressed head to toe in black He was tall, slender, and powerful-looking, yet his eyes were as calm as old water wells, their darkest depths invisible The strangest thing was the chain around his waist, to which two curved blades were fastened This was brazen indeed!

Fan Xian took in a breath of cold air and then turned to Lin Jing ”Who is that?” he asked ”If he can sit next to the grand tutor while carrying weapons into the palace, he is a for Tao, a disciple of Ku He,” said Lin Jing quietly ”He is a couard, but I've heard that over the past few years he has taken responsibility for the Emperor's martial practice He has little involverunted in acknowledg finally understood, he was rather taken aback ”So this is Haitang's senior student under Ku He No wonder he has such a high position”

At that aze had already fallen on Fan Xian

Fan Xian s Tao ”hello,” heTao frowned It see A shortwith Fan Xian

”Sir, you ought toquietly ”It's a shame that we leave for home the day after next when today is the first tiretful face, but wondered whether Lang TaoTao also had his suspicions Looking at the face of the young Qing official, it didn't look unnatural at all Could it be that Shen Zhong's conjecture had been correct - that the 's shadow bodyguard, and not this Coaze swept over the tables in the palace hall ”Why do I not see Master Shen Zhong?” he asked

”Though Shen Zhong is Provost of the Discipline Coh rank to enter the palace,” replied Lin Jing ”Besides, today is the E with all ”

Fan Xian nodded and said nothing A hout the palace, and dancers filled the courtyard Clear light shone through the rafters; the birthday feast had officially begun

First, the Eer, and then thelife As an official of a foreign nation, Fan Xian sat at the front, with Lin Jing to one side quietly instructing hi went sht out drinks and fruits and vegetables, and quietly and effortlessly placed them on the tables Every time a palace htly and smiled In the midst of all these Northern Qi officials, he couldn't help but be a little artificial, but thethat this young wunderkind was quite an outstanding character

Yet as he looked upon the fair-facedEmperor spent his days with all these beautiful women, and yet

he hadn't becoh the Eer's birthday wasn't like the birthday of any other old wo was that the guests were of a soreater quality, and as for the post- you'd see at a ed woman's birthday party It made Fan Xian's head ache

Fan Xian rubbed his temples He had a warun to curse

Gentle girls now like to curse like old fishwives, and boorish boys now like to play at bashful coquetry Pig-slaughtering butchers like to eat their neighbor's vegetables, and uno around acting as et closer to the sort of things they are cos they should not In psychological ter is edohout the land for its martial prowess, had set itself upon the path of culture and literature under its current Ean to involve themselves in poetry coained the E the classical scriptures, winning the hearts of the people until Fan Xian, the i the attention and reverence of all the scholars of the land

And Northern Qi, always prized as a center of culture, had worked to strengthen itself, no longer holding contests of poetry but instead contests of strength It had given up on using words, instead choosing to reason with fists So the fighters who had thrown their swords to the ground outside the diplo to duel with Fan Xian, could have stretched from the door all the way to Mount Yan

Fan Xian had closed his door and not co, narrowly avoiding the constant offers to fight To his surprise, just as he was about to return hoer in the palace hall

”Master Fan, what do you think of this suggestion?” The Eh it was a question, there was only one possible answer

Fan Xian treeneral in Northern Qi had suggested a contest Although it had sounded fine - just swapping pointers onmore - everybody knew that the i up to be a huer didn't knohy it seemed that he didn't like her

He stood up, looked around the rooth even to truss a chicken It is best that I sit this out”

Laughter erupted in the hall nobody believed what Fan Xian had said News of how he had killed Cheng Jushu and bested Ye Lin'g'er had spread throughout the land Everyone knew that he was a rare cohter No one had expected the South's chief diplomat to be so timid

”You are too er, her face cal else that Fan Xian found it impossible to refuse

Fan Xian's eyes widened No wonder that in all the novels he had read in his old world about people who travelled to other worlds, those travellers carried on the honorable tradition of Wei Xiaobao, and called the Eer an ”old whore”[1] If he really let hi face in front of the royal court, he would find it rather hard to explain himself to his father and the old cripple back ho would play hispers and rumors

So with a smile, he took a step back and cupped his hands in deference

The E by her side, the Ehtly concerned ”Minister Fan,” he asked, ”if you're not feeling well, then you should sit it out”

Though Fan Xian had talked with the Emperor on a nu about hi his sincere concern, he felt a certain respect for him as a ruler and could not help but feel touched ”Your Majesty,” he said, raising his head and speaking in a bright, clear voice, ”even if round before the palace, then I shall offer it as a birthday gift to the E to say, very much in violation of etiquette, and the er's face sank Yet the Ehed, aentle to him on the outside, but illful and determined to come out on top, with an eccentric teh As it is a contest, do not go too hard on each other”

There was a coldness in the Eathered in the palace hall ”If anyone feels unsure whether they can control their strength, then it is best they do not coave pause to those ere intending to inflict ”accidental” injuries

TheEmperor had reachedHis power had grown to a point where it looked unlikely to recede and as even stranger was his relationshi+p with Fan Xian Was he their E?

The chatter died down A general caer and the Euidance of Master Fan of the Kingdohtly The Eth He was a fellow student of Lang Tao, and they were students of the sauard, and had probably heard the order and so he had come to participate in the contest The E that Fan Xian was already a ninth-levelPuzhu was only seventh-level The E Tao, his owncal Puzhu bowed once more to Fan Xian ”Master Fan, you are renowned for your talent in both literature and cohed and looked at Lang Tao He knew that this contest in the palace was not in order to declare a victor, but for Lang Tao to see Fan Xian's fighting style before he left for hoht in front of others Lang Tao definitely still had doubts about the incident on top of the cliff

He cupped his hands toward Cheng Puzhu ”Master Cheng?”

”I a Puzhu

”You are no match for me,” said Fan Xian He sat down

There was a burst of chatter as those present discussed Fan Xian's arrogance Then they heard souidance”

Cheng Puzhu was angry, and yet behind Fan Xian, he saw that a guard had stepped forth He stood before hilass roofand scattering clear and bright, illueful expression on the guard's plain-looking face

With just one step forward, Gao Da seee Before, he was an unre in Fan Xian's shado that he had stepped forth, he had the air of a grandmaster There was no wind in the hall, but his zhenqi circulated, causing his clothing to flutter

Fan Xian shi+elded hied on the floor, his fingers grasping his wine goblet He squinted, taking note of Lang Tao's expression out of the corner of his eye

Lang Tao didn't see up soetables from a plate with his chopsticks, but Fan Xian could see his chin htly it see Puzhu took a deep breath Everyone in Shangjing knew that Gao Da was a powerful bodyguard for the southern diplo Shanhu's subordinate He was a truePuzhu could not retreat Instead, he called in a loud voice: ”Your Majesty, grantEmperor admired Fan Xian, he was no fool He knehat his duties as Ee and power of this military leader ”I shall permit it” he said, a praiseful look on his face ”General Cheng, take care This is purely a test of yourthe honor of the royal court Whether you win or lose, you have er looked at her son disapprovingly, but the young Elare

The Lin brothers were extremely nervous They had wanted to return home immediately, how could they let such a scene unfold in the palace? If their side won, then Northern Qi would lose face And if they lost, then Qing would lose face Even worse! But the Qing officials, who had cultivated a natural ruthlessness over the past decades, saw their opponent's provocations, and though they were civilian officials, they felt genuinely angry ”Gao, don't go too hard on hiun, one must first win the war of words Fan Xian looked at his two vice envoys and laughed bitterly So those tere ant than he was after all He turned to face the Eon Throne ”Your Majesty, I ask that you allowa sword into the palace”

The Emperor smiled at him and waved his hand

Outside the hall, they already knew that a contest was about to take place It was the Eer's birthday, so rules were relaxed someithin the palace, and the E in a side cha their necks to see as about to take place