Chapter 292: The Old Fan and the Young Fan
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Liu Shi always looked pretty, as she had a tendency to boisterously show off her noble-heritage through an overt brandishing of elegance each and every day. On this day, however, she did not very much care for her appearance. Today, she was looking pale and tired, clutching Fan Jing’s legs as she cried her eyes out, saying, "Please say something! Fan Sizhe is far too young; he cannot withstand this many beatings!"
Fan shangshu looked at the woman in front of her and could do little but sigh. Liu Shi had elected to follow him ever since his wife passed away. Even though Fan Jing had already been titled as Sinan Bo, he still had the emperor to watch over him; it was something no one else knew about. Liu Shi was the granddaughter of a sovereign, but she had chosen to marry into the smaller Fan family, and this was a move that surprised many within the capital. After they eloped, Liu Shi treated her new husband very well, and even pulled him away from the Liu Jing river.
So it was fair to say that he loved her from any and all aspects. But he also harbored some guilt regarding her, as well as for for the person who had now been beaten up in the study room. He was his son, after all. Fan Jing was old, and as much as he felt great sorrow for the image of his son receiving such treatment - his own personal opinion on the matter did and could not bear any relevance. He maintained his expressionless facade, shook his head and said, "If jade is not refined, how can one expect to become an accessory? It is the father who should bear the sins of the son, but kind mothers always foster poor children."
Screams of pain continued to erupt from the study room. All could tell it was Fan Sizhe who was yelling in pain, pleading with with remorse for his his absent mother. Fan Jing’s eyebrows jumped, and his heart hopped with them. There were additional words he felt compelled to speak, but he could not say them.
Liu Shi continued to observe her husband’s cold and seemingly careless expression, and her tears were finally let loose, rolling down her cheeks in profound sadness. She stood up, brushed her skirt and prepared to escape that room.
"Come back!" Fan Jing then lowered his voice to say, "Fan Xian is his big brother. It is his right to discipline his little brother. If you were to run up to them now, what would the kids think?"
"What would the kids think?" Liu Shi was miserable, and as she turned to look at him, so did the tears continue to roll. "It is obvious that you care about how Fan Xian feels in all of this, but how do you think I feel? Have you no concern for me? I only have one son, and you are just going to stand here and wait as he gets beaten to death?"
She bit her lips as the tears continued to flow, and she continued to plead, "Fine! I know I may have messed up raising the boy back in the day, but ever since he came here from Danzhou, I have always been patient. I have always been cautious. I was afraid he would not have a good life here, but despite that, I have always adhered to what you have told me. I have even continued trying to please every noble in the capital so I have never had to appear as a burden in the face of Fan Xian. The position he bears in this capital right now, I am a part of it, too. Of course, I am a mother, and it is only natural for me to do these things. It is not as if I would go and take credit from him. But as for what is occurring now, how can he so callously beat his own little brother so brutally? If he still remembered what happened back then, I would just give him my life in exchange for my son. Oh, please, don’t touch my son. My poor son!"
Fan Jing looked upon Liu Shi’s sobbing face, and an anger arose from his boots all the way up to his chest. He angrily yelled at her, "What are you doing!? What kind of person do you think Fan Xian is? Do you not yet know by now? If he let’s go of this matter right now, he won’t return to it. Although he may still appear young, he knows what he’s doing! What Fan Sizhe did crossed the line. If no one were to punish him, then his horrible deeds might very well bring the reputation of our entire family down. If that were to happen, would that still make you happy?"
Liu Shi was no ordinary woman. She only knew of what had transpired at the Bao Yue house today, but it didn’t take long for her to surmise that part of this had to do with the competition of power between Fan Xian and the second prince. She raised her hand to wipe the tears from her eyes and said, "It wasn’t something that serious at first; it was only because these transgressions were taken notice of by the second prince. That is why he is as mad as he is!"
This woman and her son both shared the same opinion regarding why Fan Xian was actually this mad.
Fan Jing’s face continued its stern, emotionless look, but he then told her, "Isn’t it that serious? The stuff they had delivered from the behind the study room, it is not as if you did not see it. Sizhe is only so young, yet he was commanding acts that were incredibly reckless. Although he himself didn’t do these sordid deeds himself, what difference does that truly make? He commanded the commitence of such acts. Do you really want your precious son to finally get to the point where he murders another with his own hands? Because that would be serious."
Liu Shi couldn’t help defending her own son, saying, "Are you sure this is such a rare thing in the capital? Which family out there hasn’t dealt with big problems--"
Fan Jing did not wait for her to finish speaking, and cut her off. His dialogue was spoken in a cold tone, saying, "Stop discussing the matter."
Liu Shi listened and did not say anything more. The tears on her face had dried and crusted upon her cheeks, but her eyes were still wet with their presence. Hearing the repeated screams from the study room now begin to subside, her fear and worry only increased. She wondered whether or not he had simply fainted…or worse.
Fan Jing looked at her face and sighed once more. He thought of the conversation he had shared with Fan Xian the night before, and it made the light in his heart dim.
Over the past few months, the business that Fan Sizhe had been doing in the capital was not something that the boy himself was unaware of. He merely lacked the mental aptitude to take concern and contemplate that which he was doing. He thought that it was all one big kid’s game, one that wasn’t causing grave trouble for anybody else. No one could have possibly expected what Fan Sizhe was capable of, what had transpired over all this time.
"Let Fan Xian handle this." Fan Jing attempted to comfort her, as gently as he could. He continued by saying, "You should understand this; the harsher his punishment, the more true his concern and care for his brother. The fact that he is his half-brother has not crossed his mind in the least. Fan Xian truly cares. Fan Xian has been known to smile when facing his enemies. The entire reason he is going so hard upon him today is because of the care and responsibility he genuinely feels for Sizhe. If he did not think of Sizhe as his own, he would most likely grab a sword and cut him down with little to no hesitation. He wouldn’t be that flustered or angry about it either. If you can understand this, then there is no reason for you to worry about it any further. I’ll be honest with you; you need to know who it is we can all depend on in this family."
Liu Shi understood what he had said. The Fan family’s reputation was huge, as were the stakes for maintaining it. At no small expense could the reputation ever be lowered, and it would have no alternative but to climb. And Fan Jing was getting old now. That is not to suggest he was anywhere near dying of old age, but it wouldn’t be long before he retired. In the future, it would not matter if it was Liu Shi or Sizhe; they could not ensure that the manor would be around forever. Its right to remain was entirely dependent on Fan Xian’s future successes, and how well he performed in his duties in the kingdom.
When I child is struck, most of the pain is felt by its mother. It did not matter what more great deeds Fan Xian would do following this day, for after the first strike of this evening, Liu Shi would forever harbor some element of hate and resentment towards him.
Fan Jing shook his head, gesturing for Liu Shi to follow him towards the study room. They both began their walk to that building that was nestled between the houses of the yard.
Liu Shi was visibly better, and walked forward with a brisk pace behind Fan Jing. She was so focused that she never left any instructions for the maids who had been following her all this time.
For the servants to see the master and his wife walk so quickly was a strange sight on the grounds of the manor, which surprised them. Although they were not told, this sight, combined with the sounds of screaming that were being emitted from that direction, had them correctly guessing what was unfolding. Their hearts were stricken with worry; if Fan Xian was beating up his little brother so vigorously and with such audible brutality, for those two to approach and intervene would be the cause of great commotion. An argument could most certainly follow, at the very least. The Fan manor had been relatively calm and had seen tremendous growth in the past few years. While the responsibilities of all were taken on with sincerity, it was generally a lively place, with plenty of room for joy. Even the servants held a great sense of belonging there, and with great concern for the well-being of the manor, none wanted to see something unfortunate befall it.
Liu Shi, her face full of anxiety, walked through the yard. She wished she had wingsso that she could fly to the study room sooner. When she looked ahead to see her husband stroll almost as if there was no cause for hurry, she did not dare overtake him.
When they arrived at the entrance of the yard beside the residence, they were greeted by the noise of greater screams. The ferocious lashing of wood against skin could now be heard clearly. Those sounds would have struck fear into anyone in remote proximity.
Liu Shi’s mind had already been disturbed, but to now hear these sounds of punishment and the coinciding calls of anguish proved too much for her heart to bear. As if in quicksand, her heart sunk lower and lower until she lost all composure and fell to the ground unconscious; Such was the wretchedness of those sounds, no matter if it was her boy at the receiving end of that atrocity or not.
With great fortune, her maids had decided to follow without being commanded to. When Liu Shi fell to the ground, they were able to catch and lay her down without injury.
The quietest study room of the three located in Fan manor, the one beside the zen garden, was where Fan Xian conducted his business at home. He always forbid anyone from approaching or entering, but this time, there were an additional three people already in there. The person who was sitting behind the bookcase was Yan Bingyun, who had just become leader of the Fourth Bureau of the Overwatch Council. The other two who were sat beside him were Fan Xian’s students - Shi Chan Li and the Eight Bureau’s leader-assistant Mu Tie.
Alongside Teng Zi Jing and Deng Zi Yue, who were watching the punishment unfold in the yard, those three were Fan Xian’s most trusted allies, and of them all, Yan Bingyun’s position was the most special. Not only was he a subordinate of Fan Xian, but he was now considered a friend, for a genuine friendship had developed between them. Now, as he heard the sound of wood striking the boy, he could not help but shake his head and say, "This is something that should be dealt with by the government, not by mere family discipline. By doing this, you are not adhering to the law."
Of the three, only Yan Bingyun dared to question Fan Xian’s course of action. Shi Chan Li laughed and explained to Yan Bingyun, saying, "We can’t have this ordeal blow up too soon. If it was truly put in the hands of the government, and if they were to find out that it was Fan Xian’s little brother that was allied with that person in the palace… There is simply no other choice. If that happened, the commissioner would have no choice but to start a war with the second prince. And no matter who won, Fan Xian’s little brother would be sure to lose. If the government were to uncover evidence regarding his involvement with Bao Yue, he would either be sentenced to death or exiled more than three thousand miles away."
Mu Tie awkwardly laughed and did not dare respond. After all, he was the one who secretly hinted at Fan Sizhe’s involvement with Bao Yue to Fan Xian; in a sense, whatever was to happen to Fan Xian’s brother would be an indirect consequence of this deed. Although Fan Xian was satisfied with his decision to come forward with his knowledge, who knew what the rest of the Fan family would think?
Yan Bingyun shook his head once more, as an obvious disagreement to Fan Xian’s methodology. He was firm in the stance that deliverance of the boy to the government was what should have been done. Still, he understood why Fan Xian had chosen to go about these issues in the way that he had. Yan Bingyun then spoke, "Our commissioner is indeed a smart man, using family discipline to punish the boy. In the future, if word of the events at the Bao Yue house were ever unearthed and Fan Xian at the palace, his ability to explain his course of action and line of thinking to the Emperor would be simple. At the very least, if the second prince chooses to prosecute the Fan family for hiding crimes committed by their own, it would be impossible."
Shi Chan Li heard his speech and froze. He knew that Fan Xian wanted it known just how brutal this punishment was, for he wished to test the reaction and response of the government’s officers. But what Fan Sizhe did was a clear-cut crime, and to go about solving the issue in such a manner would most likely not work.
Yan Bingyun smiled and looked at Si Chan Li, acknowledging wahat was plaguing his mind. He told him, "Don’t you worry. Your teacher will sort this all out in no time." In response to this, Si Chan Li’s started to think, This has nothing to do with the Fourth Bureau. There must be some extra reason as to why Fan Xian called upon the leader of the Fourth Bureau to be present here, but it was a reason he had not been privy to.
Mu Tie walked near the window. Looking past the zen garden, he watched the thick wooden stick lift up. It was covered in blood and bits of flesh, and when it was brought down again, a scream greeted its arrival. Even though he was an officer of the Overwatch Council, he did believe that Fan Xian was being slightly too harsh on them; seeing the Fan and Liu family members all suffer beneath that wooden stick, he couldn’t help but shudder with each strike.
Shi Chan Li then began to write out some documents on the table that were to be important in the near future.
…
…
Liu Shi woke up, startled. With ardent determination, she decided to confront Fan Xian. Rubbing her eyes, she saw that the people who were now receiving punishment were the distant relatives. The tool of their punishment was being brought up high, and brought down fast. With each hit, a lash of blood sprayed the ground and a painful screech pierced the air. As long as it was not her baby boy receiving such a beating, she was entirely fine with the sight of that scene. Having been brought quick reprieve, she hastily returned to her former self; the noble, elegant Mrs Fan. With all prior distress gone, she looked on coldly.
The way she saw it, her son Fan Sizhe was prone to making a mistake or two on occasion, but to create so much trouble and commit such wretched deeds across the capital was an impossibility and that if such a thing were true, he must have been negatively influenced by others. She assumed it to be the Fan family members who were now receiving punishment, to be the ones who drove Fan Sizhe to be this bad. Her delusion that led to this belief was so high, she was now filled with nothing but anger at the sight of those being beaten. She ignored any of their strained plights for aid and simply bit her teeth. She then yelled towards the subordinates of Teng Zi Jing, "Fan Xian asked you guys to beat them harder than that. If you don’t fix these little bastards, how can they be one day expected to uphold the honor of this family?!"
After she yelled out, Fan Jing and Liu Shi entered the study room. Seeing Fan Sizhe naked, lying on a long stool in the corner of the room, Liu Shi once again lost her composure. In absolute distress, she ran to his side. Looking at the bloodied marks that painted the entirety of the boy’s back, she could not help but start crying. She reached out her hand and with her fingertips, she stroked the swollen bruises that now adorned his body. Through her tears, she could only hiss, "My son."
A hand reached out towards her, holding a handkerchief. It wiped the tears away from her eyes for her.
Liu Shi looked up to see Fan Xian… gritting her teeth, she did her best to suppress the raging fires of fury which were boiling inside.
Fan Xian was already calm, for his personal beating of Fan Sizhe proved a great outlet for the release of his own ire. He comforted her, saying, "It will be fine. If you would excuse me for just a moment, I would like to apply cream to the wounds my little brother has endured."
Liu Shi did not want to move aside and leave her son, but she had no choice but to comply. Watching Fan Xian rub the cream across Fan Sizhe’s body, it looked as if the boy was dying, and that he was only faintly skirting the edge of life and death.
Fan Jing looked the other way, seeing his daughter-in-law and daughter, standing in a corner. Wan’er’s eyes were full of fear, and he thought it may have been because the viewing of the punishment was too much for her. Ruoruo’s eyes were full of tears instead, but she was not crying for the punishment the little boy had been forced to withstand, but it was in knowledge of his overall failure to follow in the graceful footsteps of his peers and become a person worthy of respect. Fan Jing shook his head and coughed, and all in the room turned their attention towards him. With words directed at Fan Xian, he spoke, "How is it going?"
"According to your desires, Sizhe will be leaving tonight." Fan Xian politely said. "It has all been arranged."