Joy of Life

“Do you remember last year, when I used the Black Fist to strike Guo Baokun? Did the capital government come around, asking me about it?”

“No.”

“Do you remember the incident in the spring exam this year? Did the Ministry of Punishment come around, asking me about it?”

“No.” Fan Sizhe was a little confused as he looked at him. Was his big brother seeking to remind him of the Qing Kingdom’s laws? But the problem was, those two cases had threads that led nowhere. Any effort to resolve them, was hopeless as they had pretty much disappeared. In the Qing Kingdom, an individual’s power could go above the law, and what Fan Xian seemed to be telling his little brother went against what he had preached in regards to justice.

Fan Xian laughed and patted his bum, saying, “Both times, you were the one holding the cane to beat the officers. Despite your insistence on being someone who’s always been cocky and rude, you have always been nice to me, even though our relationship is one that has existed for a mere two years. That is, unless I am mistaken.”

Fan Sizhe’s backside was plagued with marks and pulsating waves of pain that did not seem to relent. He gritted his teeth and said, “Then why were you so rough to me earlier?”

Fan Xian smiled and said, “First, I was really mad. And that was not something I was willing to hide. Second, if I didn’t beat you up badly enough, how was I supposed to convince the public that the Fan family is strict and law-abiding? I would say it was a half-and-half thing. Half-acting, half-true.”

Fan Sizhe suddenly spoke in a voice of absolute seriousness, saying, “Big Brother, the events in the north are ones of extreme significance; are you truly willing to let me handle them?”

Fan Xian replied, “You will first need to prove that you are capable of taking on such a task.”

Fan Sizhe gritted his teeth to display his enthusiasm and said, “Yes, I can do that.”

Fan Xian nodded and looked towards the Bao Yue’s prestigious prostitute, who continued to sleep soundly next to Fan Sizhe. He raised his eyebrows and told him, “Yesterday, when we investigated the brothel, I noticed how fondly that woman thought of you. I am your big brother, and I know that your personality is one of harshness and cruelty, but when you are supposed to be gentle, you should indeed become so. You will soon understand how much more curious and fun life can be when you slow down to appreciate the smaller things.”

Fan Sizhe was still quite young, and when it came to the discussion of men and women, he blushed like any child would. With a red face, he nodded.

The two of them had been conversing in the carriage for quite some time, and now, the carriage began moving forward slowly. It signalled to them both that their time together was now over, and the time for them to separate had at last come. Fan Xian mournfully shook his head and said, “This trip you are going on will be fraught with danger. Although you must despise me on at least some level, I can only hope that, in the future, you will understand my reasoning for placing you on this path. This is done without ill will, for I have nothing but good intentions. And in regards to how you may feel about your father, you should not hate him for a single thing. It is important for you to realize that in this world, rare is it to find someone who will look out for your greater interests outside of your father and family. You are extremely young, yet you are already being exiled. Auntie Liu is sad about all of this, as is your father.”

Fan Sizhe’s face was one of utter dejection. He nodded and saw the shadow of his brother disembark the carriage. He thought of what his future may soon hold, and as he did so, tears welled up in his eyes, and a profound sadness now veiled his heart.

“Big Brother! Come and get me before long!” The shadow that departed now froze in place, and within those few second, a voice replied from the darkness. “Have no fear, for I will remedy all of this soon enough.”

Seeing the carriage disappear into the enveloping darkness of night, Fan Xian’s mind drifted. I am not a good person myself, so how is it that I can expect him to be? Perhaps what I said earlier was correct, and that the relationship between people can be quite fascinating. Perhaps Wang Jing Wei never hoped for his son to become a traitor as he had been? Or perhaps Hitler would have preferred for his potential son to merely take up painting?

Of course, it was unknown to Fan Xian whether or not such a thing may have come to pass, but he did see Xiao En and Zhuang Mo Han harbor great respect and love for each other, despite their differences. Their relationship was both touching and inspirational to Fan Xian.

In the legendary brothers’ maintaining of their relationship, there were many things that Xiao En did for Zhuang Mo Han without his knowing. Nobody ever knew of these deeds, for Xiao En was a secretive person who favored sticking to the shadows. Furthermore, Xiao En never admitted their shared lineage to others due to the danger it may have posed to Zhuang Mo Han’s reputation as a scholar. To do these deeds without acknowledgment was an admirable thing indeed.

When Zhuang Mo Han was around 70 to 80 years of age, at the twilight of his life, his reputation peaked. It was during this time he sought to help his brother, disregarding the principles he had held onto throughout his lifetime. He travelled from the north to the southern Qing Kingdom in a bid to frame Fan Xian. The price he had paid was not something entirely material, for he gave up that which he cherished the most.

And yet despite this, as outlandish as it may have seemed, it was Fan Xian who stood beside each of them as they passed away.

Fan Xian was brought to his senses when the carriage was long gone. He sighed in his heart and worried the prospect of Fan Sizhe turning to despise him. He wondered if, one day, what if he himself was to fall into a pit of darkness and end up too far gone, suffering the same fate as the late Xiao En? Would Sizhe end up like Zhuang Mo Han, giving up all that he possessed to save him?

The wind rustled the mountainsides and across the plains before the capital. Fan Xian mocked himself for mulling such thoughts and shook his head. He humorously thought to himself that with Sizhe’s personality, he would only go so far as to lose 10,000 coins in a bid to save his brother’s life, if it ever came to such a thing. If the price was any higher, Fan Xian worried that his fat, greedy little brother would have to contemplate the decision deeply.

...

...

Yan Bingyun approached to stand by Fan Xian’s side and spoke, “you are a very manipulative person.”

Fan Xian, curiosity piqued, asked, “Why would you say that?”

“You use everyone around you, and have them believe you have their best interests at heart...” Yan Bingyun’s lips raised slightly.

Fan Xian calmly replied, “You don’t have a brother. You would never understand such a relationship. I really am looking out for him, in the hopes that he will one day become a better person. Perhaps my methodology is a little too harsh, and there is every chance it will all be in vain, but what else can I do? This is as far as I can go with my level of power. At the very least, I can tell myself I played a significant in the role of Fan Sizhe’s ascension to adulthood.”

“This is what I wished to point out.” Yan Bingyun followed his line with a nod. “You are still a cruel person.”

Fan Xian went silent, knowing that Yan Bingyun was sure to continue his dialogue.

“The second master is still young, and the state of affairs between our kingdoms is complex... and yet fully aware of this, you happily exile him. It’s as if you’re sweeping him under a rug so that you can halt the possibility of others blackmailing you. Your course of action is so radical, I would be surprised if the second prince could think this far ahead.” Yan Bingyun relayed his dialogue with cold earnestness.

Fan Xian faintly smiled and responded with a question, “How do you think a person should live their life?”

Previously, Fan Xian had posed this question to Ruoruo, Sizhe and Wan’er. In this world, Yan Bingyun was now the fourth recipient of Nikolai Ostrovsky’s ultimate question.

Yan Bingyun heard the question clearly and shook his head before replying, “Mine is rather simple: As an officer of the Overwatch Council, and one who is loyal to the emperor and kingdom, I strive to elevate the position of our land so it may one day dominate the whole world.”

“To dominate the whole world?” Fan Xian mocked his response and further added, “What is the purpose in doing that?”

Yan Bingyun was shocked. As a young person of the Qing Kingdom, born at a time when their homeland were rapidly expanding, people tended to harbor this desire naturally. It was a passive thought, accepted by all. It was strange to hear someone question the desire for why they sought to extend the reach and further the prosperity of their kingdom. And after having asked, Yan Bingyun had no idea how to explain this concept to Fan Xian at first.

“When the land is divided, many countries sprout up, and the concept of war is a difficult circumstance to avoid. Civilians lose their homes... if this is an unavoidable conclusion to the creation of a multitude of different countries, then why not have one sole, dominant one? There would be no need for more war.”

After much deliberation, Yan Bingyun eased his mind.

Fan Xian shook his head and said, “I never believed in the idea of dominating the world. When the land is split up for too long, it tends to come together. But when the lands are together for too long, the desire for segregation and independence tends to disrupt the peace you speak of. So, the lands separate once more. This unification and division tends to come and go every few hundred years. If the lands that split up have no desire for war, where then does it come from? Unification... it is not an effective method to avoid war and foster everlasting peace. It is a seed that’s future harvest is war. If everyone did not think of it that way, then perhaps the world would indeed be peaceful.”

Yan Bingyun looked at him with a mocking face, and spitefully said, “That is a childish thought!”

“I understand.” Fan Xian sighed and continued, “but for the duration of my existence, war is the last thing I desire to be involved in. In the last year, the number of people who were killed at the hands of our council tallied up to around four hundred. In August, when the river burst its banks, over ten thousand people were estimated to have died. If a war was to begin, I am only afraid another one hundred thousand people would be a victim of it.”

“Even though our qualms with the other kingdoms have been suppressed for now, it is not something that will last forever. It is only a matter of time before more war visits our lands.” Yan Bingyun scoffed and finished by saying, “Even if you were to collect the four Great Grandmasters as your personal fighters and used force to quash the ambitions of vying royal families, what would occur following your death?”

Fan Xian laughed and said, “After I die? After me, the flood.”

The most barefaced sentence spoken by Louis the Fifteenth finally made Yan Bingyun’s face change. He shook his head and sighed, before saying, “I thought you were the benevolent sort, merely shrouded in darkness. Hearing what you have just said, I knew I was being too polite to you... you are not just cruel, you are an extremely selfish man.”

“I think you have misunderstood. I told you before that I wasn’t a saint.” Fan Xian frowned and continued by saying, “although it would not hurt for me to try and become one.”

“A saint who is in charge of the Overwatch Council?” Yan Bingyun looked towards Fan Xian as if he had just seen a ghost.

...

...

“How are you going to live your life?” Yan Bingyun rarely obtained the opportunity to speak with his master as they did in the northern Qi Kingdom.

“I plan to live it well.” Fan Xian said this vaguely, a pointless sentence for which he did not await a response. He laughed and said, “I would like to thank you and your father for arranging Sizhe’s journey north.” To make a person secretly vanish and depart from the Qing Kingdom, evade officers that guard the borders, ask for help from the Fourth Bureau of the Overwatch Council and commit embezzlement, it would have been impossible for Fan Xian to do all of this alone.

“You are my boss.” Yan Bingyun replied straightforwardly.

Fan Xian understood his thinking and told him, “I will report to the head diplomat.”

He continued and said, “Did you know that the first night we left the capital alongside the envoy, where we first made camp was right here? Right here at Song Lin Bao.” He touched his nose and self-mockingly laughed and said, “back when we were in the envoy, there was a prostitute named Si Lili, and today Sizhe is getting exiled. Although his situation is far worse than the position I was in, I still got him a prostitute of his own to keep him company. It seems as if his journey north won’t be so different from mine.”

Yan Bingyun winced at the words he had just heard spoken. He shook his head and thought it quite difficult to get used to Fan Xian, particularly when he was more than willing to show his obscene side to his close subordinates. Desiring a change of subject, Yan Bingyun said, “There is nothing to worry about anymore, at least. What are your plans next?”

Fan Xian gave a wry smile and responded, “I plan to deal with a certain prince; why? Do you think I will go so far as to murder him?”

Yan Bingyun coldly spoke, “from what I have seen, I wouldn’t put anything past you.”

Fan Xian smiled and said, “you’ve come a long way in understanding me... but there is no rush; we will soil Hongcheng’s reputation one way or another. We will also keep the second prince’s subordinates busy while giving the Cui family a good push.”

As Fan Xian ended his talking, he gently said, “I won’t deal with the Bao Yue house anymore. You can aid Shi Chanli with clearing up those matters. And as for what you would like to do afterwards, that is entirely up to you. Besides, you are really good at formulating conspiracies, and in this field, your talents exceed my own.”