Joy of Life

Often there was a common point between commercial and political battles that when it appeared things were at an end, there was also a glimmer of hope. When things were very intense and fiery, who knew when it would suddenly become desolate and quiet?

As for the Ministry of Revenue battle in Jingdou, Xinyang and the Eastern Palace thought they had their finger on the pulse and had gotten hold of the best information to use against the Fan family. They attacked proudly and quietly. They wanted the Fan family’s square and round crest to have a change of owner. They did not know that in the end, all the trouble had the opposite effect, and they would lose a large amount of power for no good reason.

To speak of Jiangnan, Fan Xian held the imperial envoy sword in his hand. After clearing the palace treasury, he controlled the transport company and forced the Ming family to rapidly retreat through Xia Qifei challenging them. Then through the officialdom, he successfully forced the Ming family into a chaotic situation, and, through the giant power of the Overwatch Council, he made life difficult for the Ming family all under heaven. His power was imposing, and it seemed that at any moment he could crush the Ming family into a pile of fine powder.

However, right at this moment, it was hard to imagine such a shocking thing could happen.

...

...

“My people need to enter the garden.” Fan Xian slammed the table. His eyes were like hooks as he looked coldly at the person before him. He bit off each word clearly as spoke. “Sir Xue, I have already waited for 10 days. I will not wait anymore today.”

Sitting beside him was the most influential person in Jiangnan, the Jiangnan governor Sir Xue Qing. They were having their secret discussion in the study of the governor’s manor.

The account’s master of the Junshang Conference, who was also the head housekeeper of the Ming family, Mr. Zhou, had already been found by the Overwatch Council. He was hiding in the Ming Garden. Regardless of whether it was for that assassination attempt in front of the Jiangnan Restaurant or because of Fan Xian’s strong interest in the Junshang Conference, the Overwatch Council had enough excuse to kill their way into the Ming Garden and retrieve him.

However, that was, after all, the Ming Garden. One of the three major gardens under heaven. It represented countless Jiangnan people’s interests, countless people’s lives, and countless people’s hopes.

Even though Fan Xian wanted to send people into the Ming Garden to search, he had no choice but to first go to the Jiangnan governor’s manor and inform Xue Qing. As long as Xue Qing nodded his head...what Ming family...what Jiangnan gentry...Fan Xian did not care much about them.. He could not directly enter the governor’s manor and raise this seemingly shocking suggestion.

Xue Qing’s attitude was also very clear.

You want to search the Ming Garden? Sure.

You want the governor’s manor to send officials to help? No way!

He was not afraid to offend the Ming family, but he knew very well that the Ming Garden was like a door. In the previous few months, Xue Qing and Fan Xian had cleaned up the Ming family industry outside of the door. They had tormented the Ming family’s spirit but had not touched the foundation of the Ming family. So, the other side had retreated and feigned weakness to protect itself. Once the government stepped over the Ming family’s tall threshold.

This meant that the battled had already reached the nucleus. The two sides had torn into each other, and it had become a situation of one must die for the other to live.

Qing Kingdom court did not care about the toppling of a wealthy merchant family, even if this family was the wealthiest in the kingdom. However, the Ming family directly supported a hundred thousand people, and they influenced the lives of many of the Jiangnan people. The Ming family did not need to strive to counterattack. As long as this situation was revealed, the stability of the entire Jiangnan area would be in question.

Xue Qing looked coldly at the young man beside him, thinking, You are the imperial envoy. After you’ve churned Jiangnan into a mess, you can dust yourself off and leave. After you return to the capital, there are still the Emperor, Director Chen, and Minister Fan to support you. But what about me? Would the mess at the end be all left to me?

If Jiangnan was not stable, how would he continue as the governor?

When Fan Xian, very respectfully, came to the governor’s manor to discuss this matter, Xue Qing rejected the request for the two sides the work together with a strange determinedness. His words were very clear. Since it was about the mysterious Junshang Conference and that the Overwatch Council had found the problem in the beginning, and it did not involve local governmental affairs, his people could help the Overwatch Council clean up around the perimeter but would not directly enter the Ming Garden.

This was the way of the being an official. Xue Qing knew that Fan Xian did not have a handle on the problems that could be caused by searching the Ming Garden. Thus, he wanted to drag him down too. How could he allow himself to meekly be dragged under?

It had already been 10 days, and Xue Qing still refused to relent. Fan Xian began to feel the anger gradually rise in his heart.

After leaving the governor’s manor, Fan Xian boarded his carriage and furrowed his brows. With his chin on his hand, he began to drift into a daze.

Deng Zi Yue glanced at his master and said quietly, “People have long been scattered outside of the Ming Garden door and are keeping watch. I heard that the Fourth master in the Suzhou manor also did not suffer much. When do we want to enter the Ming Garden to capture the person? We can do it ourselves. We don’t have to have the governor’s help, although we might lose some people.”

Ming Garden would have hired guards and maybe even a powerful private military. Fan Xian had once seen the garden from a distance. He knew that with some small additions, it could become a solid castle. If they wanted to force their entry with the Overwatch Council people, it would be a difficult matter without the Black Knights.

If Xue Qing did not agree, the Black Knights could not enter into the wealthy land of Jiangnan.

“It is not difficult to enter the Garden.” Fan Xian gave a pained smile and shook his head. “As long as the Ming family are not preparing to revolt, who would dare to hold back the Overwatch Council with my documentation for a search?”

“Whatever castle-like armed forces...the old Ming matriarch would not dare to move any of them.”

His face gradually grew cold. “If we want to enter Ming Garden to take someone, there are two problems. One, we don’t know how many aces the Junshang Conference had in there. If head housekeeper Zhou has the inside knowledge of the Junshang Conference and has not yet been silenced, would those aces escort him away from Suzhou? Two, we cannot make this too troublesome. The Ming family has already feigned weakness for a few months. The sorrowful atmosphere they have created is incredibly thick, particularly after that Fourth young master was taken into the Suzhou manor and has not been let out yet. The rumors floating around outside are becoming more and more strange...”

Deng Zi Yue listened quietly. He knew what the commissioner was worried about. Everyone in Jiangnan was saying that the Overwatch Council, under Fan Xian’s direction, was oppressing the Ming family and had intentions to take over the family wealth, and that it was about to change into a story of killing to steal the property.

There had to be a reason to send out troops, and the court’s reason for defeating the Ming family has never been straightened out. Thus, in the Jiangnan area, with hundreds of families of gentry, they all began to use a wary and irritated gaze to stare at Fan Xian. The reputation Fan Xian had built for two years in Jingdou had been majorly stained.

“Ming Qingda is a clever man,” Fan Xian frowned and said. “This strategy of retreating as advancing is indeed very good. They appeared to be constantly retreating, yet we are still pushing them back step by step. In the people’s eyes, there would always be an emotional bias, furthermore, the Ming family has deep roots in Jiangnan. Their ability to stir up public opinion is every stronger than that of our Eighth Bureau.”

After they learned that Zhou was hiding in the Ming Garden, the Overwatch Council and palace treasury transport company’s attack on the Ming family became more and more fierce. The Ming family industry received endless harassment. It had the appearance of the end of an era and looked incredibly pitiable.

“Public opinion is a very important matter, as is reputation.” Fan Xian sighed. “If we keep suppressing the Ming family like this, not only will the people develop an antipathy toward us, even the royal merchants Xia Qifei contact might grow fearful for the court. No one knows whether or not they will be the second Ming family.”

“What gives me the biggest headache is,” he shook his head, “I don’t know the situation in the capital right now. I don’t know if I make too big a move, if too many people die or if the criticism is too heavy, would that give the people in the capital an excuse to transfer us back?”

While the Jiangnan situation was still unstable, Fan Xian did not want to return to the capital. After he returned to the capital, he would be impeded by those women in the Palace. This was not a situation he could accept.

The carriage arrived at Hua Garden. He spoke a few words with the Third Prince and others, then he took Deng Zi Yue and a few trusted aides into the study. He spread out a large map on the desk and began to think in silence.

After Fan Xian thought for a while, he used his finger to point at a province on the map and asked quietly, “Has there been news from Quanzhou?”

The family home of the concubine of the heir of the Ming family, Ming Lanshi, was in a village right beside Quanzhou. The Overwatch Council had found that this concubine’s older brother was indeed the person responsible for running the Ming family’s pirate business and stealing from their own merchant ships on the Eastern Sea. That pirate leader had already been silenced by the military the Ming family had colluded with, while that concubine had also vanished. To use the Ming family’s words, she had gone back to visit family.

The Overwatch Council knew that this was a lie, but who could reveal this lie?

“That concubine did not return to the village,” A member of the Qinian Unit reported. “We also didn’t find traces of bandits along the way. She should have been silenced in Suzhou.”

Fan Xian nodded. He had long expected this, so he was not surprised. He asked, “What is important is that village. Since it is that pirate’s family home, there must be some people who followed him onto the island to become pirates. Those relatives must have some knowledge of this matter. Since the Ming family has washed that island in blood, those villagers are not likely to stupidly stay on the side of the Ming family.”

Shame flashed across the face of the member of the Qinian Unit. He said, “That village is already empty.”

Fan Xian furrowed his brows tightly. The village was empty? There was no need to ask for a reason. Since it was empty, it was one of those dirty methods.

“Where are the relatives from here?” His finger was still pointing directly at Quanzhou. He frowned and asked, “The shipping company and officials on the boat were killed by those pirates. When will those relatives come to Suzhou to report the case?”

Another member of the Qinian unit replied in a deep voice, “Most of the relatives have already returned inland, only some are still remaining in Quanzhou. However, the people of the Fourth Bureau went to have a look. Those relatives received a large amount of money as compensation, and their interest in pursuing the pirates have already faded. Most importantly...the Ming family have truly been good to them. They simply do not believe the Ming family would collude with the pirates.”

Fan Xian was startled then turned and lightly mockingly said, “Of course it is not collusion. The Ming family are the pirates.”

Following this, he asked about some of the earlier arrangements of a few of the Bureaus and received from them all some not very wonderful replies. Only now did he know that after he had chopped down the Cui family in Jingdou, in the days that Yan Bingyun took to plan and prepare a secret plan for the Ming family, they had already made sufficient preparations. They had not left many flaws.

Fan Xian sat down in that slightly icy chair. His mind wandered as he held a warm bowl of tea.

His subordinates looked at the commissioner silently.

It looked like it would be very difficult to take down the Ming family in a short amount of time with open and aboveboard methods. If they used the Overwatch Council’s sinister methods—Jiangnan, after all, was not like other places—they had to consider the people’s reaction. If the people really took to the streets, it would be difficult for the Overwatch Council to wrap things up.

Thinking of this, Fan Xian began to be angry at Xue Qing’s indecisiveness. If the Jiangnan governor made an appearance and followed in at the back...with one of them in the light and one in the dark, with one red face and one white face, this matter might be much simpler.

Fan Xian did not feel a great sense of defeat. He knew that in the battle between the court and the Ming family, the Ming family could always only be on the defensive. Fan Xian had plenty of time to play with the Ming family slowly. His rush to enter the Ming family was mostly because he wanted to understand the Junshang Conference.

In this competition with the Ming family, he could endlessly try to knock down the other party. Even if he didn’t succeed the first time, he could rest for a bit and then try a second time. But the Ming family couldn’t. This large family could not lose even once. Once they lost, it would be the end.

“Make the preparations.” Fan Xian lowered his eyelids. “Prepare to enter the Ming Garden to capture him.”

...

...

Deng Zi Yue hesitated for a while then said, “We’re not waiting for the governor to express his stance?”

Fan Xian smiled coldly. “When I do things, I’ve never liked to follow in other people’s footsteps. I’ve waited 10 days. That is giving Xue Qing enough face. If I make my move at this time, he would not blame me for being ruthless.”

“What about talk by the people of Jiangnan?”

“Talk? Saying that I am oppressing the Ming family? I am going to enter gently. I am not going to hit a single person or kill a single person. How have I oppressed them?” The trace of a smile was revealed on Fan Xian’s face. “Besides, I have thought it through. If such a thing as a reputation is destroyed in Jiangnan, I’ll just slowly pick it up later.”

Fan Xian waited for 10 days. It was not that he did not have the confidence of entering the Ming Garden to capture Zhou or not giving considerations to the talk, it was also not to wait for Xue Qing to express his stance, he was waiting for new from Jingdou.

After the palace treasury bidding, he knew that the Eldest Princess faction in Jingdou would attack the Ministry of Revenue. He was waiting for the result of this matter.

Although the matter was in Jiangnan, the head was in Jingdou. Each day that the situation in Jingdou was unclear, it was difficult for Fan Xian in Jiangnan to strike.

The next day, the birds on the tip of the willow branches cried out randomly. Three quick horses sped into Suzhou under the cover of the dawn. The garrisons guarding the city knew they were the Overwatch Council’s secret spies and did not dare to stop them.

Horse hooves thundered and rushed to Hua Garden. Someone had already come out to lead the three horses into the garden.

This was the Overwatch Council’s quickest messaging route. It was countless times faster than Qing Kingdom’s express post horse.

Fan Xian held the council report from Mu Tie in the capital and felt some joy. He knew that the result of the matter was as he had expected. The Ministry of Revenue was fine, while the Eldest Princess’ side suffered a major loss.

Only when he read the details, he understood that the Emperor intended to use this opportunity to have the Fan family in Jingdou retreat from the stage. The slight smile on his face immediately became serious.

He didn’t have time to consider his father’s matter. Fan Xian shook his head and said to the Overwatch Council official beside him, who was long ready to receive his orders, “Enter the Ming Garden and take him.”

Once the Overwatch Council official left with his orders, from the various offices around Suzhou came out a number of officials. The sound of horses’ hooves shattered the quiet of the morning. Leaving the city, more than 40 Overwatch Council Fourth Bureau officials rode out under Deng Zi Yue’s leadership. Openly and publicly they headed toward Ming Garden.

“Be careful,” Fan Xian turned and said warmly. “No one knows what kind of people the Junshang Conference has left in Jiangnan.”

Haitang’s hands were stuffed in the big pockets of her floral clothes. She tilted her head and smiled.

...

...

In the early hours of the morning, in the outskirts of Suzhou, the early rising birds sang a bit and then returned to sleep again in the trees. It was very quiet around the official road, particularly around the beautiful and expansive Ming Garden. They could faintly hear the sound of water being poured for face washing and teeth brushing. Everything was just like how it usually was.

On the road, there suddenly came dozens of riders. The people on the horses were wearing the Overwatch Council’s official robes.

As the dozens of riders vigorously arrived outside of Ming Garden, the spies hidden around the garden responsible for surveillance came down from the trees and out from behind the mountain. Some of them mixed in with their colleagues who had come to search the garden, while other quietly disappeared without a trace.

Deng Zi Yue’s face was serious as he rode his horse up to the Ming Garden’s main door. He flipped off the horse, and his subordinates behind followed in one uniform movement.

Ming Garden was silent like a shy virgin, but Deng Zi Yue could clearly see the soul-devouring flashes of metallic light behind the low wall. On some of the high points to the left, he could also see longbows and crossbows.

The other party had already laid down heavy defenses in waiting. If they fired together, not one of the dozens of Overwatch Council officials would probably be able to return alive.

Deng Zi Yue’s expression did not change. He believed in the commissioner’s judgement. Although the Ming family were bandits at heart, when faced with such a big bandit like the Overwatch Council, they would not be so stupid as to actively fight with fire.

As expected, the main door of the Ming Garden was slowly pulled open. With both eyes bloodshot and looking like he had not slept all night, the young master of the Ming family, Ming Lanshi, respectfully stood beside the door. He spread his right hand and said, “Everyone, please come in.”