Volume One, Chapter 28: Don’t Let the Empress Hear This

With the appearance of the two men in black and Fan Xiu, Ying and the members of the Blood Feather Guard immediately stood on high alert.

The long sword in Ying’s hand shifted slightly in its scabbard. Should these two men show even the slightest hint of aggression, she would draw her blade in an instant and strike them down. She would never allow any harm to come to the Empress.

Fortunately, after the two men in black carried Fan Xiu to the entrance of the Fan residence, they tossed him onto the ground and turned to leave without even knocking on the door. Not until their figures had vanished into the night did Ying wave her hand to signal that the alert was over. Xiao Wan and the other members of the Blood Feather Guard dissolved into the shadows, as if they had never been there at all.

Ying approached Fan Xiu to check on him. His breathing was steady. It seemed he had merely been knocked unconscious.

"Serves you right! Telling stories about the Empress!" Ying gave Fan Xiu a sharp kick to the buttocks.

Evidently, the assassins from the Cheng family had captured him after hearing the tall tales he had been spinning. Those assassins had been lurking in Zhiyuan County searching for the Empress; for Fan Xiu to fabricate such a story at a time like this was simply asking for death. Fortunately, they had only captured him and done nothing more. They likely hadn't managed to extract any information.

Fan Xiu would never believe the Empress was truly right beside him, and the assassins sent by the Cheng family would never dream that Xiao Ruoqing was hiding in the Fan household. If the assassins didn't believe Fan Xiu, and Fan Xiu didn't even believe himself, what could they possibly have learned?

Ying did not bring Fan Xiu directly home. Given the personalities of the Fan family, if they saw him unconscious, there was no telling how worried they would become. Ying dragged Fan Xiu to a corner by the wall before pressing on his philtrum.

Fan Xiu stirred and woke up. Seeing Ying before him, he was startled and immediately jumped to his feet, assuming a fighting stance.

"Why are you so afraid of me? Do you think I’m going to eat you?" Ying curled her lip at his cowardly display.

"Where are those people? Why are you here? Are you with them?" Fan Xiu asked warily.

Ying crossed her arms and said, speechless, "This is near your home. Someone brought you back and dumped you here! Why did they capture you?"

Fan Xiu breathed a sigh of relief and cursed, "A bunch of bastards! How would I know who they are? They knocked me out with a single slap! They kept asking what the Empress looked like—how the hell would I know what the Empress looks like?"

Seeing Fan Xiu’s exasperated expression, Ying nearly burst out laughing. She had to recall every heartbreaking memory she’d had since childhood to suppress the smile at the corner of her mouth.

"Don't mention this again once we go inside, so as not to worry them."

Fan Xiu nodded. "Understood, I know what to do! How did I get back?"

"Two men brought you back. They didn't do anything to you, did they?"

"Not really," Fan Xiu frowned. "They just gave me a few thumps that hurt, and also..." As he spoke, Fan Xiu’s eyes suddenly widened. He reached back to touch his buttocks, his face full of panic. "Holy crap! Why does my butt hurt so much?"

He remembered two men bringing him back. Could it be... Fan Xiu’s face turned deathly pale, and he scrambled toward the Fan residence.

Ying stood stunned for a moment, instantly realizing what had happened, and couldn't help but let out a soft snort of derision. Should she tell him his backside hurt because she had kicked him? Forget it. Better not to. Watching his anxious, panicked expression was actually quite entertaining.

Seeing Fan Xiu return, Li Chuntao shouted, "You brat! You..." Before she could finish, Fan Xiu darted into the house like a gust of wind.

Ying followed him inside and gave a nod to Xiao Ruoqing. After a careful inspection, Fan Xiu finally let out a breath of relief. Thank goodness. Everything was still intact; he had only been kicked. Those bastards were truly vile to kick him so hard. If they ever fell into his hands, he would show them what true cruelty meant.

Back in the main room, Fan Xiu took out the seven taels and eight mace of silver he had earned that day and placed them on the table. The entire family gasped in shock!

From the chair by the wall, Xiao Ruoqing looked at Fan Xiu with an unreadable expression. This fellow had actually done it! On the very first day, he had earned seven taels and eight mace—the amount an ordinary person would earn in an entire year.

"Wife." Fan Xiu suddenly looked at her, grinning with smug triumph. "Stay with me, and I guarantee you'll live in luxury and become a happy lady of a wealthy household!"

Xiao Ruoqing looked down, not answering. She was pondering a question: the Great Yin Dynasty had long been weak, its treasury empty. If Fan Xiu’s ability to generate wealth could be applied to the entire nation, would the Great Yin still need to worry about its treasury? Once the treasury was filled, what else would there be to fear?

Beside them, Ying scoffed at Fan Xiu’s words. "You should worry about earning enough silver first."

In the presence of the Empress, what was a lady of a wealthy household? The Empress was the most noble woman in the world! Who could compare?

"Trust me!" Fan Xiu said confidently. "As long as I’m around, money is no object! My goal is to buy the entire city of Xuzhou!"

Xiao Ruoqing looked up. "Fan Xiu, you do have some talent, but buying the entire city of Xuzhou is not so easy. You could never stand against the Cheng family alone!"

"Exactly!" Ying nodded in agreement. "The Four Seas Bank alone forced you to give up your studies for business, and compared to the Cheng family, the Four Seas Bank is like a mayfly to a giant tree!"

As someone close to the Empress, Ying understood the situation in the Great Yin Dynasty perfectly. The empire was filled with powerful clans and wealthy families with deep ties to the imperial court. The Cheng family of Xuzhou was the most powerful among them, and every other clan in the region bowed to them! Even the Empress would not dare to move against the Cheng family lightly!

Fan Xiu had earned a few taels of silver and already dared to brag about buying all of Xuzhou?

"No, no, no," Fan Xiu waved his hand. "They didn't force me to give up my studies; I wanted to go into business all along!"

"What?" Everyone present looked at Fan Xiu in surprise. When the Four Seas Bank had come to cause trouble, he had decided to abandon his studies. They had assumed he was being forced into it. Now he was saying this was his plan all along?

"Why?" Xiao Ruoqing asked, puzzled.

Fan Xiu lowered his voice. "I am only telling you this because I trust you. You must not let it spread. If this reaches the ears of the Empress, it will cost us our lives!"

Ying glanced at Xiao Ruoqing, then looked at the foolhardy Fan Xiu with a strange expression. To say, right in front of the Empress, that it mustn't reach her ears?

Xiao Ruoqing asked with a peculiar look, "Tell me then, what is this all about?"

Fan Xiu cleared his throat and turned to his parents, his older brother, and his sister-in-law. "Father, Mother, Brother, Sister-in-law, why don't you all go back and rest first?"

"Huh?" Li Chuntao reached out to grab Fan Xiu’s ear, though he managed to dodge.

"Sister-in-law, what are you doing?" Fan Xiu clutched his ear, startled.

Li Chuntao pointed at him. "What am I doing? What is this mysterious business that we aren't allowed to know about?"

"I’m just worried you’ll be scared!" Fan Xiu insisted earnestly.