Chapter 5, Family Soldiers

Han Qianqiang suppressed the anger in his heart, his eyes fixed on Fan Xicheng. He thought to himself that regardless of whether Fan Xicheng could be trusted in the future, he was currently opposing him and was still carrying out the 'orders' of his father, Han Daoxun. Moreover, it was also Fan Xicheng who had come the previous night with people to scare away Yao Xishui, making it unlikely that Fan Xicheng was an insider.

Fan Xicheng was originally a soldier in the Chuzhou army. His wife and children were separated during the war, and thereafter he followed Han Daoxun. At this time, he was ordered by Han Daoxun to stay at the mountain villa to supervise Han Qian as he diligently studied, making him the primary person in charge of Qiuhushan Villa.

Han Qianggao has grown taller, but in recent years he has wasted away, his body hollowed out by indulgence in wine and pleasure. Standing at six feet tall, he weighs only 110 pounds, his frame is emaciated, as thin as a bamboo pole, and he seems ready to topple over with the slightest breeze

After Fan Xicheng was separated from his wife and daughter, he did not remarry and instead adopted two orphans to be by his side. At this time, they were also the household soldiers of Han Daoxun, living in the villa.

Han Qian gritted his teeth and gradually no longer felt it was particularly difficult

Perhaps it was the first time in these days that the young master Han Qian walked into the training ground with a bow. The family soldiers and their apprentices who were practicing their punches and kicks on the field all stopped, looking in surprise at Fan Xicheng, who was sitting on a bench by the side of the field basking in the sun

Fan Wu is tall and handsome, with an upright posture. Even in the mountain villa, he wears leather armor and carries a long knife at his waist, which enhances his heroic demeanor. As he approaches Han Qian, his brows reveal a hint of arrogance, and he does not even glance at Han Qian, or perhaps it can be said that he deliberately avoids making eye contact with him.

Fan Xicheng was previously seen by Han Qian as "Old Dog Fan" and "Nail," which led to many unpleasant incidents.

Han Qian's eyes were fixed on Fan Wucheng, but recalling that in the dream, Zhai Xinping would never be so restless in this situation, he forcibly shifted his gaze away from Fan Wucheng's face. He secretly felt that if Fan Wucheng were truly an insider, any probing words he spoke would only provoke Fan Wucheng into a cornered response.

After Han Qian arrived in Jinling, he found himself without even a beautiful maid to warm his bed, and he was particularly disgusted by the ugly servant girl Qingyun, often scolding her whenever things did not go his way.

If any changes were to occur in the future, the first person Han Qian would think of as a potential traitor would be Fan Wucheng

Han Qian saw Fan Dahei asking him to ride the chestnut horse beside him, which looked more docile, and impatiently said to him

The young master has just recovered from a cold and is physically weak. If he were to fall while riding a horse, I, as an old servant, could not bear the responsibility for that. Furthermore, the master wants the young master to be patient and study at home; this is not the time for sightseeing.

Han Qian observed Fan Wucheng's expression, and he understood well that if it were not for his father Han Daoxun and Fan Xicheng, this person would likely be unwilling to hold the reins and lead his horse for him

Fan Wucheng left midway under the pretext of an excuse; however, Fan Dahei calmly held onto the horse, wary that the hot-tempered purple-maned horse might go berserk and throw the young master Han Qian to the ground

At this moment, even while riding on horseback, Han Qian could not help but feel somewhat ashamed in front of the imposing Fan Wucheng.

Young Master Han Qian's words caused Fan Xicheng to be momentarily taken aback. He intended to keep Young Master Han Qian in check, preventing him from having the opportunity to act recklessly. However, the current statement from Han Qian left him unable to directly pull Han Qian down from his position and send him back to the East Courtyard.

If you hold the horse for me, I will ride A Zi and trot around the villa for two laps, it won't be a problem

In the past, when the young master rode for a while, he would always exclaim that his bones were about to be jolted apart. Why is he in such good spirits today

The maid Qingyun ran over and was quite surprised to see Han Qian still sitting upright on the horse's back.

Qingyun's temperament is innocent and carefree; after being scolded, she forgets it in just half a day

With this in mind, Han Qian tried to slow down his tone as much as possible, fixed his gaze on Fan Xicheng's eyes, and asked

Stay calm!

Fan Xicheng was momentarily stunned, then called out to the two young guards below the stage: "Wucheng, Dahei, come over and carefully attend to the young master, do not let anything go wrong"

Han Qian did not like Qingyun, finding her meddlesome. When he intended to use the riding whip to swat away Qingyun's outstretched hand, he suddenly retracted the whip at the last moment and, with Qingyun's assistance, dismounted from the horse

Fan Wucheng silently followed behind

Han Qian was unaware of who among these family soldiers was secretly colluding with Yao Xishui. At that moment, he could only remind himself to remain calm and composed, and he walked quietly towards a spirited horse with a purple mane. He placed the black cloud bow into the quiver, untied the reins, and was about to mount the horse.

Seeing Fan Dahei stretching lazily, as if relieved from a burden, he was waiting to lead the horse back to the northern courtyard for a meal. Han Qian said to him: "This purple-maned horse should be taken back by Fan Wucheng for proper feeding. It should not be overfed at noon, as I will need it in the afternoon; however, it can be given a few more pounds of beans at night. From now on, you will dine with me in the eastern courtyard..."

At the age of twelve, Han Qian was able to draw a two-stone strong bow. After six years of neglect, he did not feel a sudden realization at this moment that he still had the opportunity to become an invincible general of his time. However, when a dramatic change occurs in the Han family in the future, he cannot expect the family soldiers to loyally protect him. At that time, he must diligently practice archery and horsemanship in order to be able to escape on his own in the future

At this moment, if one were to rage and make a scene as in the past, it would only lead Fan Xicheng to be treated like a dead dog, directly pulled down from his horse and thrown into confinement in the eastern courtyard, which would not resolve the problems he is currently facing

Fan Dahei had a dark complexion and a more robust physique, with muscles bulging beneath his coarse clothing, harboring astonishing explosive power. Although Fan Dahei was quite dissatisfied with his young master, his eyes did not conceal this sentiment. However, there was no trace of the arrogance and disdain that Fan Wucheng exhibited. He walked over to take the reins and said in a deep voice

Han Qian walked straight towards those few horses

Fan Dahei did not possess much ingenuity, so he could only grit his teeth and accompany Han Qian to the East Courtyard first, tying the purple-maned horse to a peach tree in the West Cross Courtyard.

Qingyun walked over, took the reins from Fan Dahei's hands, preventing the purple-maned horse from moving around. She extended her arm to assist Han Qian in dismounting.

Fan Dahei was momentarily taken aback, feeling somewhat at a loss.

"Qingyun, go find Fan Wucheng and bring him to the East Courtyard to take the Zizong horse away." Han Qian did not think much of it; instinctively, he did not want to give Fan Dahei the opportunity to consult Fan Xicheng. He directly instructed Fan Dahei to lead the Zizong horse back to the East Courtyard first, while asking Qingyun to find Fan Wucheng to come to the East Courtyard to take the horse away.

In the six years since arriving in Xuanzhou, he has mostly been transported by horse-drawn carriage, and Han Qian hardly remembers how many times he has ridden a horse, let alone practiced archery

Han Qian felt anger at the thought that these household soldiers would betray him in the future. Instinctively, he picked up the riding whip and was about to strike Fan Xicheng's face. However, a thought flashed through his mind: would this truly resolve the issue? In the dream, if Zhai Xinping were in this situation, what would he do?

Young Master, do not be misled by how thin A Zi looks; her temperament is quite wild. She tends to bite other horses at the slightest provocation and possesses considerable strength. When you ride her, you must refrain from recklessly using the whip. If you were to be thrown off her back and sustain any injuries, we would not be able to bear the responsibility... Perhaps, Young Master, you should consider riding another horse—the one named Naiyu has a very gentle disposition.

Qingyun was originally an orphan adopted by Han Daoxun during the war. At only fourteen or fifteen years old, she was small and slender, and upon closer inspection, her features were quite delicate. However, she had a dark red birthmark the size of half a palm that covered her nose and most of her left cheek, resembling a sinister half-mask that obscured her face, making it particularly striking.

Fan Xicheng approached, extending his prominent wrist with visible veins, grasping the reins, and fixed a sharp gaze on Han Qian, signaling him to dismount.

Fan Xicheng was unsure of what the young master Han Qian intended to do. He leaned his head to peek towards the eastern courtyard, seemingly wanting to call the ugly maid Qingyun over to ask her if the young master had taken the wrong medicine today

Fan Dahei did not feel embarrassed about leading the horse for Young Master Han Qian, and even looked forward to seeing Young Master Han Qian fall off the horse for a bit of amusement, so he started to jog along the edge of the arena while leading the horse

In this way, Han Qian harbored an even greater disdain for Fan Wucheng, wishing he could strike him with a riding whip right then and there. However, he then recalled that after being brought to Jinling City by his father, he often squandered his time at the Wan Hong Lou, with Fan Wucheng accompanying him on many occasions. If one were to say that there were issues among the household soldiers, Fan Wucheng undoubtedly had the greatest opportunity to be bribed by Yao Xishui or others from the Wan Hong Lou.

At the creek bank of the training ground, there are several sturdy horses tied among the elm and willow trees

Han Qian repeatedly reminded himself that Fan Wucheng, this dog-like servant, truly had issues and would eventually reveal his true colors

You must remain calm

At this moment, Han Qian mounted the horse and jogged a few laps around the small estate, which covered an area of about twenty to thirty acres. He was soon out of breath, his inner thighs chafed painfully, and he felt a deep sense of hardship. However, he thought that if he found it difficult to jog this short distance, how would he manage to escape in the future, especially considering he could not rely on those treacherous and ungrateful household soldiers.

I have just recovered from a cold and my body is weak. I would like to ride this horse and take a stroll around the villa to regain some strength. Is that not permissible?

It has just entered autumn, and by noon, it is still somewhat warm in the mountains. Han Qian's clothes have been damp several times.