Joy of Life

“I always feel that there is something missing in my life.”

It was the last day of March in Jiangnan, the spring rains fell soundlessly to the ground and landed softly on the pavilion in Hua Garden like the gaze of lovers on each other. In the pavilion, a man and woman lay on two comfortable chairs talking to each other.

Haitang glanced at Fan Xian and shook her head. “Your life can be considered perfect. What is there to regret?”

Fan Xian thought carefully about all that has happened in his life. It indeed could be said he was high-spirited and lived unscrupulously. If he wanted money, he had money. If he wanted power, he had power. If he wanted people, he had people. The luxuries enjoyed by those around him, he also enjoyed. The luxuries that those beside him could not enjoy, he could enjoy them. For some reason, he always felt unsatisfied. He knew clearly how one’s life should be lived, but to truly live it that way was an unknown desire that only grew stronger and stronger.

Not concerned with ideals, culture, and those intangible things, he gave a pained smile and said, “Before, there was an Emperor. When he became old and muddled, he thought about his past and said that since he had 10 martial skills, he could be considered a perfect elder[JW1] ...of course, this king was also muddled headed when he was young. But he was an Emperor, he was much more arrogant than me. But I don’t want to be muddled, and I also don’t think there is such a thing as perfect in this world.”

“Do you want to be an Emperor?” Haitang almost smile as she asked the question everyone around Fan Xian, even Wang Qinian, his most trusted aide, dared not ask.

Haitang thought that Fan Xian truly was an incredible person. Hearing a Northern Qi person like herself asking such a traitorous question, he didn’t try to hide anything at all. Rather, he directly sank into a deep thought. If this kind of action was seen by outsiders, they would definitely think that Fan Xian already had a disloyal heart.

“Being Emperor is too tiring,” Fan Xian said with a headache. “Your Emperor...my Emperor...although they look like they are living comfortably, it is tiring in both body and mind. It is really no fun.”

Haitang smiled slightly and said honestly, “I think you, as the imperial envoy, are not much more relaxed than an Emperor.”

Fan Xian smiled bitterly and said, “To be an Emperor you have to be able to watch tens of thousands of people die in front of you and not have your heart tremble. I actually cannot do this.”

Haitang asked, “In front of you? Haven’t you always said you had ruthless intentions?”

“I can kill a dozen, a hundred people,” Fan Xian said seriously. “But to truly swim in a sea of blood, I don’t know if I would have the ruthlessness if that time comes.”

“The so-called quantitative change that leads to a qualitative change. I’ve told you this before.”

He waved his hand. He did not want to continue this topic. He lay on his chair and carefully listened to the quiet sound of the spring rain bringing moisture to the earth.

The pavilion gradually sank into silence.

...

...

An Overwatch Council official wearing a robe silently appeared at the back entrance to Hua Garden. The rainwater had soaked his official robes, and his body emanated a dark chill. It was Deng Zi Yue, who had recently come from Jingdou.

Haitang smiled and said, “It looks like you are going to continue being busy planning to kill fewer people.” Finishing this sentence, the girl didn’t wait for Fan Xian to reply before placing her hands into her big pockets. Dragging her steps and swaying her hips, she walked with the step of a village girl and left the little pavilion.

Fan Xian smiled slightly as he watched Haitang’s retreating figure. He saw her swaying gently away from the thin rain. The rain wet her hair at the temples, so it looked like she had not used the zhenqi from Tianyi Dao—the so-called being close to nature was naturally like so. However, the feet in her cloth slippers were not stained by the water collected on the ground, so it seemed she had used a trick.

Deng Zi Yue watched Haitang leave and then silently entered the pavilion. “Same as yesterday. Today in court they were still unraveling the articles of the Qing law. Although Song Shiren is eloquent and has not caught any disadvantages, in reality, there has not been any progress. As long as the Suzhou government hangs on to Qing law and won’t let go, Xia Qifei won’t win this case, even with the will in his hand.”

Fan Xian nodded to show that he understood and then sank into thought.

Today was the last day of March. The Ming family property case that had caused a sensation in Jiangnan was already on its fourth day. After getting through the storm on the first day, the case had sunk into a stalemate. Although this was within Fan Xian’s expectations, he was becoming impatient listening to his subordinates’ reports every day.

In the first day, Song Shiren had used a very cleverly faked will to confirm Xia Qifei was indeed a descendant of the Ming family. This news had immediately spread from Suzhou throughout Jiangnan. Now, everyone knew that the Seventh young master of the Ming family was alive again and, what’s more, was fighting the eldest son of the Ming family for property.

However, Qing law was set following the spirit of the scriptures. The natural inheritance right of the eldest heir was rooted deeply into people’s hearts, and it was also written clearly in the law. That will seemed to have exhausted its historical use. It would be difficult for it to be of much help for Xia Qifei’s wish.

If Xia Qifei wanted to take back the Ming family property, that would be the same as pushing over the rules the people had followed for hundreds and thousands of years. This rule was so powerful that one person could not overturn it, not even Fan Xian or the Qing Emperor. If this case broke the natural inheritance right of the eldest heir, the effect would be too large.

Fan Xian furrowed his head. He suddenly thought of a strange matter. If the effect of the Ming family property case continued to spread, to the point of bringing around a great debate on the liberation of thought, then what about the natural position of the Crown Prince in the Palace?

He sucked in a cold breath. This plan was made by Yan Bingyun and had been approved by Chen Pingping. That old far-planning cripple could not have not thought about the follow-up effects of this matter, unless...the old crippled had received the Emperor’s secret sign and had begun to shake the atmosphere of public opinion around the Crown Prince’s natural right of inheritance?

The matter of the Jiangnan Ming family was big. If it’s effects reached Jingdou, then the matter would become even bigger—to the point that Fan Xian did not even want to see that kind of situation. Because of his mother’s connection, Fan Xian would not watch as the Crown Prince inherited the throne and the empress who wanted the kill him become empress dowager. Currently, directly provoking the Crown Prince might urge him to give up his previous enmity with the Eldest Princess and Second Prince to join as one body—a result Fan Xian did not want to see it.

Fan Xian sank deep into his thoughts. His original orders to Song Shiren was to do his best to drag out the case, and make the case as large-scale as possible; the wider the effects, the better. Only now did he realize that behind this matter hid various thoughts of that old cripple.

He trusted Chen Pingping, only Chen Pingping seemed, on account of trying to protect him, to not tell him all the details of many matters. Fan Xian was a person who wanted to learn, understand and control the situation.

“It looks like I will have to make a trip to Wuzhou once the matter of the Ming family has temporarily halted.” He sighed and found more and more that his father’s arrangement for him to go to Wuzhou to see his father-in-law was a wise decision. It seemed his father knew long ago that he would have doubts about some of the state of affairs in court. Being so far from Jingdou, the only person who could meet him face to face and help him solve his problems was the old Prime Minister.

Deng Yi Yue could not guess Fan Xian’s true worries, but he could see that the commissioner had new thoughts about the case against the Ming family property. He furrowed his brows and asked, “Should we have Song Shiren close the case? In any case, Xia Qifei has now been confirmed as the seventh son of the Ming family. In a few days, the Overwatch Council will go forward and have him worship and return to his ancestors. Following Qing law, the Ming family has to give him a share. Although that share won’t be much, it accomplishes the original goal to have him successfully enter the internal unit of the Ming family.”

Fan Xian listened to Deng Zi Yue’s analysis and felt comforted. It felt good to have a trusted aide beside him. However, he did not answer his question, instead he asked carefully, “Having the Fourth Bureau arrange for Xia Qifei...oh, now we should call him Ming Qingcheng...the matter of having Ming Qingchen meet with the Fourth of the Ming family, how is that going?”

Since Xia Qifei was to be like a thorn in the throat of the Ming family, then, of course, they had to collude with the dissidents within the Ming family. Fan Xian’s understanding of the shady dealings within a wealthy and large family was not very detailed. In his previous life, who knew how many times he had watched the dramas on the Hong Kong TVB channel.

Deng Zi Yue reported, “We’ve already made contact. Xia Qifei will meet with the Fourth of the Ming family at the beginning of next month.”

Fan Xian nodded. Only now did he begin to talk about the earlier question. He gently bit his itchy inner lip and said calmly, “Have Song Shiren continue fighting. We’re going to fight this case until the end! The bigger the momentum the better...even if we can’t win, we also cannot lose! Put pressure on the Suzhou government, and don’t let them force the case closed. We will fight until all the scholars and people under heaven begin thinking about this question!”

Deng Zi Yue raised his head and asked in surprise, “Sir, what question?”

Fan Xian now realized he had let it slip. He smiled. After some thought, he decided not it keep it from this confidante in front of him. “To have everyone under heaven begin to consider whether or not the eldest heir should have the natural right of inheritance.”

As Deng Zi Yue was the leading official of the Qinian Unit, he knew everything about Fan Xian. Hearing these words of the commissioner, he quickly understood the meaning within. He started and paled, then wrapped a hand around his fist and advised against it. “Sir, we cannot...if the court and Palace begin to have...suspicion, that would not be easy to clean up.”

Fan Xian lowered his eyelids slightly and said, “Zi Yue, you seemed to have forgotten my identity. My surname is Fan. Don’t worry too much. As for having suspicions against me...I’m afraid that the nobles in the Palace will suspect that I am overreaching my duties.”

He had already thought it through. Since he was going to have to go against the East Palace eventually, he would first act on Chen Pingping’s intentions and prick the opponent. After all, given his current power and position, as long as he didn’t rebel, no one could do anything to him. Furthermore, even if there were people who thought he was creating these kinds of public opinions for his future, more people would think that Fan Xian was making arrangements for the Third Prince.

“Don’t report on this matter to the Director,” Fan Xian ordered. “It is only a small matter.”

Deng Zi Yue was unable to hide his shock. He gave a pained smile. He thought the marketing campaign for stealing the position of heir had officially begun. Was it a small matter?

Fan Xian thought of something and suddenly smiled. “Song Shiren is only a litigation master. Was he going to be the lever that opened the earth? Or, perhaps I have made this too complicated. A debate in court on Qing law has little to do with the old rules under heaven.”

Deng Zi Yue did not understand the wording “earth,” but he still guessed the general meaning. He gave a pained smile and said, “For Song Shiren to meet Chen Bochang is like a craftsman meeting a sound piece of timber. The two sides fight, and sparks fly off everywhere. They don’t just go around in circles on Qing law...if the contents of their debate in court actually spread out, I’m afraid it will cause people to think of that question.”

Fan Xian felt his interest awaken. “Oh? Then I’ll have to go see. Go call the Third Prince and Dabao. In a moment, the whole family will go to the Suzhou government to watch the show.”

Deng Zi Yue gave a pained smile and accepted the order.

...

...

Under the decoration of the thin rain, three completely black carriages left Hua Garden and slowly drove toward the street closest to the Suzhou yamen. The people riding had left after having lunch. No one was in a hurry though, since the Suzhou government was taking a temporary break.

Although it was the food street closest to the Suzhou yamen, it was still some distance away. Sitting on the third floor of the Suzhou branch of Xinfeng Restaurant, Fan Xian stood leaning against the railing and looked toward the direction of the Suzhou yamen through layers of rain. In an angry voice, he said, “I am not a clairvoyant. How can I see the fun?

Deng Zi Yue had sent someone ahead to book the restaurant and currently was setting out the security. Hearing the commissioner’s scolding, he couldn’t help giving a pained smile. “Commissioner, this is already the closest...although it is the whole family coming out to see the fun, we can’t drive three large carriages to the Suzhou government and alarm the officials or have the people stare. That just won’t do.

Fan Xian sighed. “If I had known earlier, it would have been better to stay home to have Yang Jimei’s cooking. Why bother braving the rain?”

As he spoke, a person behind him tugged on a corner of his clothing. He turned his head to look and saw the charmingly naïve Dabao. He couldn’t help asking with surprise, “Dabao, what’s the matter?”

Dabao opened his mouth in a grin and said, “Xiao Fan...this...restaurant...also has jietang buns.”

Dabao used a thick finger to point at the individual steaming trays on the table, each with a single large white bun. They were steaming warm. The delicious scent gradually seeped out from the inside.

Fan Xian sighed. He sat beside Dabao and used his chopsticks to split open the hot bun while grabbing a spoon to move the soup from the bun into Dabao’s bowl. He smiled and said, “This is also Xinfeng Restaurant, it is just the Suzhou branch.”

The Xinfeng Restaurant shopkeeper, who had been carefully serving from the side, quickly and solicitously said, “Yes. Young master Lin, although Jiangnan is far away, the taste is not very different from Jingdou. Have a try.”

Dabao muttered something distinctly then turned toward the bun in front of him and began his attack. He completely left the shopkeeper in the cold.

It was Fan Xian who asked, “Shopkeeper, how did you know to call him young master Lin?”

The shopkeeper laughed dryly and said fawningly, “Commissioner, what are you saying? At the old branch in Jingdou, you often brought young maser Lin to Xinfeng Restaurant to eat. This is giving the little store a lot of face. The old shopkeeper always brings this up and is very proud and grateful. Although I am often in Suzhou, I also know of your relationship to Xinfeng Restaurant. How could I not serve with heart?”

In Jingdou, Fan Xian personally controlled the First Bureau. The restaurant closest to the First Bureau yamen was Xinfeng Restaurant, so he often took Dabao to eat their jietang buns.

In the current trend, as long as it was noble eating—no matter the time—it would always be an ostentatious show and a big feast. There were few people of Fan Xian’s rank so interested in jietang buns and fried noodles in soybean sauce. Although the taste of Xinfeng Restaurant was delicious because of its homestyle cooking, it had three branches in the Qing Kingdom and was well-known, its business had always been average.

Because of Fan Xian and Lin Dabao’s regular visits, the Xinfeng Restaurant in Jingdou gradually raised its class. It attracted countless scholars who wanted to have a seat where the immortal poet once sat and try the buns that Sir Fan junior could not forget. This made the old shopkeeper of the Xinfeng Restaurant unable to contain his joy.

The Suzhou branch shopkeeper knew what kind of honored guest Fan Xian was and, of course, flattered him to no end. He was particularly careful in laying down seasoning that removed odors[JW2]. His attentions made Fan Xian extremely comfortable. For a moment, he was much less gloomy about not being able to see the show outside the Suzhou government.

...

...

Fan Xian ate noodles while Dabao munched on buns. The Third Prince, very much not in keeping with the steadiness of his age, was properly eating a bowl of soup balls. Sisi led the girls in drinking two bowls of porridge. She then stood beneath the eaves and watched the rain falling from the sky. She stretched out a hand to catch them, laughing with joy.

Fan Xian never controlled his servants much, so these girls were very lively. Hearing the laughter behind him, his mood improved. He waved his hand to summon Deng Zi Yue and said, “It should have started in Suzhou government. Send someone over to listen and write it down.”

Deng Zi Yue nodded and went to arrange it.

Fan Xian waved his hands again to have Gao Da and the Tiger Guards to eat. He then turned around and continued working on the bowl of noodles. He could not resist once again stealing a piece of meat from Dabao’s dish to eat. Dabao, as always, did not make a fuss. His large size represented a small grudge.

Haitang had disappeared to somewhere. At this moment in Xinfeng Restaurant were all Fan Xian’s subordinates, servants, and family. He happily appreciated the rain with a light heart. He picked at the white noodles and threw aside all thoughts in his head.

Seeing that Dabao had finished eating, Fan Xian asked warmly if he wanted more. Dabao shook his head. Fan Xian removed a handkerchief from his clothes and carefully helped Dabao wipe away the grease beside his mouth.

The Third Prince watched this scene and felt astonished. A strange expression flashed through his eyes.

The Tiger Guards at the next table also paused.

Everyone knew of Fan Xian’s kindness and care toward Dabao. Even seeing this kind of scene, it was still impossible for many people to reconcile this Fan Xian with that ruthless and severe powerful official of the Overwatch Council. When they often ate at Xinfeng Restaurant, this scene had once moved Deng Zi Yue and Mu Tie. Today, perhaps the Tiger Guards and the Third Prince would see Fan Xian in a new way.

His attentiveness to a mentally impaired uncle could not be as simply explained as “loving all under the same roof.” Although Fan Xian did indeed very much love and respect his wife, if all these details were used as a pretense by him to buy people’s hearts, no one would believe it. To be able to do so sincerely for so many years...if that person was not a great evil, then they were a saint.

Which one was Fan Xian?

...

...

During the monsoon season on the Jiangnan waterways, there was never the saying of spring rain being as precious as oil, so the thin rain gradually became larger. The heavens generously irrigated the earth with moisture.

Fan Xian narrowed his eyes at the rain outside of the eaves, but his thoughts had already turned to another place. The Council’s report was clear. This year there had not been much rain and snow upstream on Yangtze River. Although this would affect the disaster areas’ replanting, at least they wouldn’t have to worry, for now, about the spring floods—a terrifying creature. Thus, the matter of the river repairs could proceed smoothly. Yang Wanli should have just arrived to report in at Jingdou. He would probably need some time before reaching the River Transport Governor’s yamen.

As for the silver required for river repairs...this time, the palace treasury bidding was 80 percent higher than previous years. On the surface, the amount had already been given to the palace treasury and had, after a lot of complicated paperwork, began to be shipped to Jingdou. First, it would enter the palace treasury. Then, the Emperor would openly order it be moved into the national treasury and sent toward the River Transport Governor’s yamen.

In secret, under the combined efforts of the Overwatch Council and Ministry of Revenue, and after the old officials that Fan Xian’s father had sent had finished making up the accounts, a large amount of silver had already begun to travel through a different route, directly toward where the River Transport needed. The purpose of it had been prepared. In this large amount of silver, a portion of it was the palace treasury’s bidding silver, which the transport company had painfully squeezed out from their reserves. Another portion was the silver that Fan Xian had temporarily borrowed from the young Northern Qi Emperor through Haitang.

All that silver was put in Taiping money house that Fan Xian first took it to use. As for returning...that would have to wait until Xia Qifei had made contact with Fan Xizhe in the North to use the smuggled goods of the palace treasury to slowly repay it.

In these matters, Fan Xian had put sufficient effort into hiding them. Since it concerned the Northern Qi Emperor, the matter was hidden even more securely. He did not let the Qing court in Jingdou hear of a single whisper. Fan Xian had long mentioned to the Emperor in a secret memorial about the matter of the silver being shipped to the River Transport. In this matter, he had no selfish motives. He didn’t take a single liang, and the entire thing was run secretly. It was impossible for Fan Xian to obtain from this any reputation as one who loves the people...all of the benefits completely belonged to the people of the Qing Kingdom. Ultimately, it benefited that old Emperor, so he silently allowed it.

The only problem Fan Xian had to explain to the Emperor was how exactly did he manage to get his hands on such a large amount of silver.

Since he could not mention the Northern Qi Emperor, the major bankroller, he needed a good reason. Fan Xian had, when he first began this plan, already made the arrangements for this matter. One part was from the bribery money he had obtained the past two years in the officialdom. Another was from the benefits of toppling the Cui family last year. Yet another part was from the layer of earth that he had scraped off from the palace treasury transport company after going to Jiangnan.

In the future, if it could still not match the Emperor’s accounts, Fan Xian still had one last trick. He would say the silver had been left to him by Uncle Wu Zhu.

He guessed that the Emperor would not go find and confront Wu Zhu about it. If the River Transport really did well, perhaps the dragon would be happy and the Emperor would use the ample palace treasury bidding silver to return a portion to Fan Xian.

Concerning the Ming family, Fan Xian already had arrangements. The investigation work was still progressing slowly, only it was hidden at the moment by the eye-catching trial. For Fan Xian, defeating the Ming family was indeed a long-term project. He could only nibble away at it bit by bit. If his methods were too aggressive and bullied the Ming family too severely, it would affect the stability of Jiangnan. The Jiangnan governor would probably be the first to stand out and oppose him.

For the governance of a country, stability was the demand that crushed all others.

The survival of the Ming family did not lie with the Jiangnan trial, rather it was in the fight in Jingdou Palace. If the master of the Ming family, the Eldest Princess and the princes fell in the battle for power, then it would naturally be difficult for the Ming family to protect their basket of eggs. If Fan Xian lost, the Ming family would be elated, and Xia Qifei would have to, again, flee from calamity in all directions like a dog without a family.

If Fan Xian and the Eldest Princess maintained their current status quo, then the Ming family would be like how it was, struggling at the doors of death that Fan Xian pressed on them. They would never suddenly collapse but would stubbornly and basely live on, struggling and waiting.

“Sir.”

A soft call pulled Fan Xian from the depths of his thoughts. He shook his head in a daze. Only then did he find that the light outside was much dimmer. Not only because the rain had thickened, but also because it was no longer early. Only now did he know this thought of his had taken so much time. Thinking of this, he couldn’t help letting out a sigh. It seemed like Haitang was right, his days were not much more relaxing than the Emperors.

Glancing at Sisi, who was tired from playing and leaning on the rail resting, Fan Xian gestured with his eyes for one of the girls to cover her with some clothes. He then glanced at Dabao, who was uneasily and embarrassedly saying something to the Third Prince. Only then did he become more awake. He took out his interest in watching drama and said to Deng Zi Yue, “How is it over there?”

Deng Zi Yue smiled and handed over the paper in his hand. He moved closer to his ear and said, “This is a record of the debate on the court floor...Sir, do you think the Eighth Bureau should organize these debates into a collection and spread it everywhere under heaven?”

This was an extremely ruthless and daring idea. It looked like Deng Zi Yue had finally approved of Fan Xian’s thinking and knew that the Overwatch Council could no longer maintain its neutral position of previous years in the battle for the heir position.

Fan Xian jokingly scolded, “It’s fine if they are just rumors. If this is printed as a book, won’t the Palace hate me to death?”

Hearing the word “palace,” the Third Prince on the other table glanced over. Fan Xian pretended not to see and sighed. “Speaking of the Eighth Bureau...we have too few people in Jiangnan today. That matter still hasn’t had any effect.”

He was talking about the movement to spread Xia Qifei’s story in Jiangnan. Fan Xian had thought that with the people of the Eighth Bureau, the rumors battling around Jingdou could slap the Second Prince until he had no strength to reply. Now, with Xia Qifei’s loss of his mother as the script of the miserable story and the verdict of the Suzhou government as evidence, he thought he could stir up some noise in the Jiangnan region and completely destroy the kindly image the Ming family had cultivated. However, they did not expect that the power of the Ming family was indeed so strong in Jiangnan. The Eighth Bureau did not have enough people in Jiangnan, and the Ming family had sent many storytellers to yell about it. They were still linking the family property case and Xia Qifei’s underground background to a plot created by an important person in Jingdou.

When the two were compared, it was Fan Xian’s whose reputation was much worse. Although the people of Jiangnan believed that Xia Qifei was the seventh son of the Ming family, they all thought that Xia Qifei jumped out so suddenly this year because the Jingdou official that Fan Xian represented wanted to oppress the good people of Jiangnan.

When Fan Xian thought of this he laughed heartily. It looked like that still sick and in bed master of the Ming family, Ming Qingda, was indeed very familiar with his style of doing things. His methods and speed of responses were also incomparably accurate and quick. Ming Qingda was indeed not that simple.

The big power was not in Jiangnan, so Fan Xian could easily consider this fight against the Ming family as a game. He did not have much animosity toward Ming Qingda. On the contrary, it was faint approval. After he had read through the paper Deng Zi Yue had brought him, he couldn’t resist laughing out loud.

Jiangnan had many clever people, and Song Shiren from Jingdou was also not bad. This case in the Suzhou government had gradually left the realm of Qing law and begun to develop in the direction that Chen Pingping had hoped for. Both sides had begun to bring in classical literature. They always brought up things that had happened in early Wei and also raised their hands in respect to Master Zhuang. It looked nothing like a trial. For this concept of the right of the eldest heir to the inheritance that had rooted itself deeply in the hearts of the people, both sides had opened a pre-show for a place where the Emperor listened to lectures.

Fan Xian smiled and shook his head. The tense but slightly absurd scene of the trial seemed to appear before his eyes.

In the public court, the debate was still ongoing. This was the fourth day. The main generals on both sides were exhausted after repeatedly using their brains, so the intervals between the opening of the court was much longer than the first day. Without much being said, someone would come forward first and ask for a rest.

The Suzhou Zhizhou knew that Xia Qifei’s side wanted to drag it out, but there was nothing he could do. He had received the imperial envoy’s concern verbally earlier that wanted him to publicly judge the case and not carelessly close the case. Since he couldn’t carelessly close it, he could only have the two below argue it out.

But, with one Song Shiren and one Chen Bochang, they were both famous and able speakers. If he left to debate, they could probably talk for a whole year.

The Suzhou Zhizhou understood it and accepted it. Whenever the pair requested a rest, he would always smile and allow it. He also ordered the bailiffs to bring benches for the two to sit on. As for the matter of tea, it would not be lacking.

Ming Lanshi sat on the bench with an ashen expression. These days the trial had been dragged out had not been good for the young master of the Ming family. He couldn’t help with the family business, and those uncles of his were completely useless trash that knew only how to eat and not work. It was after the palace treasury bidding that the matter of the goods being shipped to North Min needed important figures from the family. And so, his father, who had claimed illness, had to stand up once again and manage these affairs.

The Ming family knew the imperial envoy wanted to use this trial to trip them up, forcing the Ming family to not have the ability to focus on multiple fronts in the palace treasury market. Only the Ming family did not have any good way to retaliate to this. They could only keep them company and keep dragging things out. Looking at this situation, the trial might drag on for a year. As long as they didn’t lose, it was fine.

It was now the Ming family’s turn to speak. The face of Jiangnan’s famous litigation master was a little bit grey, like he had been taxed in body and mind. He took the hot towel from the hands of a student beside him and vigorously rubbed his face to renew his spirit, and then walked into the court. In a serious voice he said:

“In ancient times, the sages spoke of five relationships—affection between fathers and sons, righteousness between rulers and subjects, difference between husbands and wives, order between seniors and juniors, and trust between friends. Sir, Sir Xia has been confirmed as the Seventh young master of the Ming family, but the affection between fathers and sons and the heir of the Ming family are not two extremes...”

He had not finished speaking when Song Shiren, in the side hall, cut in eccentrically and said, “It is not Sir Xia, it is Sir Ming. Don’t get it wrong again. Otherwise, after this case, Ming Qingchen, the Seventh young master of the Ming family, can continue to sue you.”

Song Shiren’s face did not have a good color, and his eyes were slightly sunken. He had come alone to Jiangnan. He didn’t have time to bring any servants or students. Although, he had the help of the scribes of the Overwatch Council. They were looking through piles of old paper for evidence and scripture useful to him, which was not an easy task. His opponent was a local litigation master with countless people helping him behind the scenes. So, even the spirit of the greatest litigation master in the world could not hold out against four consecutive days of batter.

Hearing Song Shiren’s words, Chen Bochang was not anxious. He chuckled and bowed in apology toward Xia Qifei, and then continued to speak, “But, we cannot afford to be inattentive to the words ‘order between seniors and juniors.’ Since Ming Qingda, the master of the Ming family, is the eldest of the heirs, then logically he should have the power to control the Ming family property.”

He continued in a high voice, “In the mourning garments of the Classic of Rites there are four regulations: the sky cannot have two suns, the earth could not have two masters, the country cannot have two rulers, and the family could not have two leaders.”

Chen Bochang became more and more energetic as he spoke, and his voice became more and more excited, “It has been so since ancient times, how can it change? Qing law has been set long ago, Xia...Sir Ming, why get so tangled in it? I hope Sir will determine the case as early as possible.”

Song Shiren rose with some difficulty and smiled at Xia Qifei’s concerned expression. He walked to the front of the court and proudly said, “The so-called family property is only an inherited position and a division of property. I have no objections to what Sir Chen said earlier, except in case of inherited titles and that of dividing the property. The old Ming master had the position of a count, back before, and now it has been inherited by Ming Qingda. Sir Ming Qingchen does not doubt this matter. While inheriting positions only take into account the seniority of heirs, there are other rules for dividing property.”

Chen Bochang said angrily, “The inherited title is guaranteed by the division of property. It is written clearly. The right of the division of property is naturally ready to come at the call.”

Inheriting a title and division of property were the two most important parts of an inheritance. Song Shiren smiled coldly and said, “The division of property is the foundation of inheriting a title. You talked of Qing law earlier. I will also talk about Qing law.

He slapped the golden fan into his hand and said in a high voice, “Article 34 of Qing law: housekeeping is united under the respected elder, family finances were public property! My client has no objections to the housekeeping, but these family finances are public property, so naturally need to be finely divided. As for how to divide it, since we have the will of the old Ming master, of course, we must follow the wishes of the deceased honored sir!”

Chen Bochang was angry. What kind of logic forcefully pulled apart the inheritance of titles and the division of property to be discussed like this?

” Qing law says: if living together and the elder does not evenly share out the family finances, this crime is decided by a combination of status, age, and private use of family finances. Every 20th string of cash is 20 strikes!” Song Shiren looked coldly at Ming Lanshi and said each word clearly. “My client was chased out of the house in his youth. Does this count as purposely uneven distribution? If it is 20 strikes for every 20 strings of cash...is the Ming family limited to 200,000 strings of cash? I want to see just how many buttocks the Ming family has to be beaten!”

Ming Lanshi rose in great anger.

Song Shiren turned in another direction. He smiled and bowed to the Zhizhou on the bench and said, “These are the laws of the Qing. The Ministry of Justice has records of using status, age, and private use of family finances to judge cases. Sir has also studied the law once and should know that I speak the truth.”

Without waiting for the Ming family to reply, Song Shiren said proudly again, “Speaking of the law, I have another one. In Qing marriage laws, it clearly says if living together and the property is not evenly divided, it should be counted as three levels below corruption! What crime is this? This the heavy crime of theft.”

Chen Bochang narrowed his eyes and felt great admiration for this litigation master from Jingdou. It was clearly a family property case, yet he had forcefully cut it into the two sides of inheriting a title and dividing property, and then he jumped around this crevasse like a monkey, coming closer with each step. Although he stood firmly with the Qing law and scriptures, he didn’t expect him to be so familiar with the tiny details from laws long ago.

The laws that Song Shiren mentioned earlier were all things the court had forgotten when fixing the law. It had probably long disappeared into a shadowy corner of the book depository that even mice disdained to visit. Yet, at this moment, it had been carefully found by the other party and used grandly in court—this litigation master was indeed incredible!

Song Shiren’s expression was calm, but his eyes were growing bloodshot. Fighting the case to this degree was already at the limits of his ability. The inheritance of the title and division of property was indeed very complicated. He began to have a gradually growing feeling of confidence. Even if that will had no effect, in the end, he could still try to reach the effect of “all receiving an equal share.”

One-seventh of the Ming family was not a small sum.

Although he could not satisfy Fan Xian’s wild dreams, since the imperial envoy had honored him so, he had to fight this case as beautifully as possible and add the most beautiful stroke to the profession of litigation master.

Participation in a fight at a level such as the Ming family property was, for a litigation master, already the highest level. Matters that were bigger, such as the inheritance in the Palace, what authority did a mere litigation master have to speak on it? Furthermore, if the court had not split into two sides and accidentally met in a trial of strength, the Ming family property case would never have gone to court. It would have been impossible to file the case. Song Shiren would never have had the opportunity to participate.

So, although he was very tired, his spirit was abnormally excited. Opportunities like this were too rare; he had to make the most of it.

If Song Shiren knew that this case he was fighting in Jiangnan would stimulate someone’s sensitive nerves and facilitate cooperation with someone else, and thus cause the situation in which Fan Xian’s and those people’s confliction views were confronted earlier...even if he were given the stimulation of leaving his name in history multiple times, he would still only be so scared as to conceal his identity and escape.

Song Shiren did not pay attention to that problem: the so-called family property, everyone wanted to fight for it. Not only the Ming family but also the Emperor’s.

[JW1]”十大武功”– 10 martial skills

“十全老人”– perfect elder

十全– perfect.

This part is a play on the word 十, which means 10.

[JW2] To flatter, mentioned in the previous sentence, is also “to slap the horse’s hindquarters.” This is a joke about tasteful flattering that didn’t “smell.”