The Crown Prince, Li Chengqian, had a weak temperament and a weak body. This was what Fan Xian knew of the Crown Prince. After bowing, he raised his head somewhat rudely and looked at the Crown Prince with a slight smile. Although the Crown Prince's identity was noble, Fan Xian felt that he and the Emperor had both drunk tea and chatted. Facing his son, he would not be too nervous.
He had not wanted to come out and meet the Crown Prince, but the talkative Ye Ling'er had shattered his fantasy.
When Fan Xian looked at the Crown Prince, the Crown Prince looked back at him with interest. For the Crown Prince, the fact that Fan Xian's name had shaken the capital in just a few short months was already an anomaly. Furthermore, his father had appointed him to marry Wan 'er. As the master of the Eastern Palace, the Crown Prince was well aware of the meaning behind it.
If the Eldest Princess lost the right to manage the palace treasury, and the person who took over was an enemy, the messy debts of the past would come to light. This was what the Crown Prince was most worried about. Fortunately, it would take another two years for the palace treasury to change hands, so it was not an urgent matter. But the Fan family was on good terms with King Jing, and Crown Prince Jing's son, Li Hongcheng, was on good terms with his second brother. The Crown Prince frowned slightly. Looking at the beautiful young man below the carriage, he momentarily forgot to speak.
The advisors in the Eastern Palace were now divided into two factions. Whether to attack or pull the Fan family was still being considered. If it was a normal manor, the Crown Prince would not care too much. But the Fan family was different. The grandmother of the young man before him was his father's wet nurse. With this layer of relationship, the Crown Prince could not do anything to the Fan family.
"You … are Fan Xian?" The Crown Prince finally realized that he was a little absent-minded. After a slight pause, he asked with a smile.
"Your subject Fan Xian greets the Crown Prince." Fan Xian bowed again with great respect. "I did not know the Crown Prince's carriage was here, so I did not get out. Please forgive me, Your Highness."
"Hmm." Looking at Fan Xian's elegant face, for some reason, the Crown Prince's original dislike for him lessened. In that instant, he decided to temporarily wait and see. He quietly said, "Those who do not know are not guilty. But my sister Wan'er is weak and sickly. You must pay more attention to her. Do not be like those youths in the capital who only seek temporary pleasure."
"I am afraid." Fan Xian could tell that the Crown Prince was not planning to deal with him today. He felt slightly at ease and replied gently.
"Don't be too cautious. After the wedding in October, you'll be considered a relative of the country. You'll have to visit the palace often, so you should be more relaxed," the Crown Prince lectured.
Fan Xian smiled slightly and replied yes. Unexpectedly, the Crown Prince's next words surprised him.
"Envoys from Dongyi and Northern Qi will soon enter the capital. Because the incident at Niulan Street is related to you, the court has decided to make you a deputy and temporarily raise your rank. I am informing you ahead of time so that you can make some preparations and not panic." The Crown Prince spoke lightly, thinking that he had unknowingly done Fan Xian a favor.
Fan Xian paused for a moment, then said, "I am the Functionary of Taichang Temple. I am afraid it would be inappropriate for me to participate in national negotiations."
The Crown Prince snorted coldly and said, "If you don't have any achievements, how are you going to face yourself in court in the future?"
Fan Xian could tell that the Crown Prince was a little angry. He quickly agreed and thanked the Crown Prince, then moved aside to make way.
The Crown Prince waved the black horsewhip in his hand with golden threads and nodded his head in satisfaction. He then turned to Lin Wan'er and warmly said, "You should go to the Palace more often. I miss you very much." He paused and then said, "Recently, I often have a headache." There was nothing strange in the Crown Prince's voice, and his expression was as gentle as ever. But Fan Xian could see a trace of unease in the Crown Prince's cowardly eyes.
Lin Wan 'er smiled and said nothing.
"Crown Prince, let's go." The Crown Prince's carriages began to move, moving slowly in the direction of the mountain resort. Fan Xian didn't dare move until the carriages had disappeared at the end of the road. Only then did he let out a sigh and stretch his stiff waist. He smiled bitterly and shook his head. "Being an official is a tough life."
"Don't tell me you dare have thoughts of disloyalty?" Ye Ling 'er mocked him.
"Ling 'er, don't talk nonsense!" Sizhe was afraid of Ruoruo, and Ye Ling 'er was afraid of the little tiger. Lin Wan' er was angry, and Ye Ling 'er immediately jumped back into the carriage.
Lin Wan 'er walked to Fan Xian's side and saw that he was still looking in the direction the carriage had disappeared in. She couldn't help but sigh. "I know what you're worried about. But none of my three brothers are easy to get along with. I think it's best if you don't side with any of them."
Fan Xian had always acknowledged Lin Wan 'er's political wisdom, which she had cultivated deep in the palace. He nodded solemnly, then suddenly thought of something. "What about the youngest prince? Is he also a difficult person to deal with? "
"Wenyun is only eight years old. He doesn't understand these things." Lin Wan 'er continued to comfort him. "The nominal position of Taichang Temple's son-in-law, joining in on the ceremonial negotiations, has been done before. It's not as if the Eastern Palace really wants to recruit you. Don't worry."
Fan Xian smiled, thinking that he was already quite relaxed, but he still faked a sigh. "It's just that when I see the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace, the future ruler of the Kingdom of Qing, I can't help but feel nervous." It was strange. Although in his previous life, the highest official Fan Xian had seen before his illness had only been the headmaster of a school, after his rebirth, perhaps because he had been born into a family of officials, he didn't feel nervous when he saw important people. Even when he saw the Emperor a few days ago, he was able to hide it well.
Lin Wan 'er couldn't help but laugh. She pulled on his sleeve. "Didn't you hear what the Crown Prince said? Before the wedding, you have to go to the palace to pay your respects to the various concubines. If that ancestor is happy, it's not impossible for him to see you. After walking through a dozen palaces, even if you're nervous, you'll become numb. "
"Ancestor?" Fan Xian knew that Lin Wan 'er was talking about the empress dowager, who lived deep in the palace. For some reason, he shivered.
"Let's go. Your Highness has already gone so far. Why are you still standing there looking at the horse's butt?" Fan Sizhe, who had been silent for a long time, finally couldn't help but yell from the carriage in front. Da Bao, who was in the carriage in the middle, heard someone yelling and also yelled happily.
Fan Xian laughed. With a wave of his sleeve, he threw all these thoughts to the back of his mind.
— — — —
In Fan Xian's mind, since he was lucky enough to live again, he had to live it to the fullest. Women, money, power — he couldn't complain that it was too little. But after entering the capital, he saw the murky waters and couldn't tell how deep they were. He couldn't help but feel annoyed.
Danbo Bookstore's business was good. The last few chapters of "Story of the Stone" were about to be printed, and money was coming in. In the future, even if he took over the palace treasury, he would find a way to leave it to Qingyu Hall and Fan Sizhe. As for the matters of the court, his father, Chen Pingping, and his mother's former comrades would stand in front of him. As for the dangers lurking in the dark, he had Uncle Wu Zhu as his bodyguard. Even if Uncle Wu Zhu didn't want to see the sun like that time on Niulan Street, Fan Xian felt that he had the ability to protect himself.
So all of a sudden, he felt that he had the potential to become a free and unfettered rich man.
This was still just a fantasy. He and the people around him all knew this. Snapping his fingers, Fan Xian looked calmly at the dirt road outside the carriage window. "What a coincidence!" he said. "North, south, east, west, and west of the capital, there are 13 royal residences, two temporary imperial residences, and one hunting ground. Given the Crown Prince's status, he could use any of them. Why did he come to the summer estate today? The summer resort is far from the capital, and it's quiet. That's why we chose this place first. "
After setting off again, he and Wang Qinian were alone in the carriage, so they spoke very directly. Wang Qinian also frowned. "If someone deliberately let the Crown Prince come to the summer resort so that we could have a conflict with the Crown Prince, this kind of arrangement is too complicated, and it won't necessarily be effective."
Fan Xian shook his head, a slight chill in his eyes. "As long as there are people by the Crown Prince's side, it wouldn't be difficult to slightly influence the Crown Prince's destination. And my reputation in the capital has always been based on the word 'arrogant'. I reckon that whoever arranged for us to meet the Crown Prince by chance wouldn't have thought that the Crown Prince wouldn't be angry at me for stealing his silver, and that I would behave myself. "
"It's just that I don't know the rules of the palace. For example, how long does it usually take for the Crown Prince to travel out of the capital? We arrived at the summer resort yesterday. If the Crown Prince decided to come here a few days ago, then we can be sure that this was a coincidence, and not an arrangement by someone with ulterior motives. "Wang Qinian analyzed.
Fan Xian shook his head again. "I already asked the Princess when I was in the carriage. When the Crown Prince travels, as long as he doesn't stray more than twenty-eight miles from the capital, then he only needs to report to the palace. All the preparations will take about a day. Looking at the time we met, the Crown Prince will probably leave the palace this morning. "
Wang Qinian looked at Fan Xian worriedly and said in a low voice, "What benefit could the person who arranged this matter have?"
Fan Xian laughed. "There are many benefits. If the Crown Prince really humiliates me, I reckon that the Fan family will have no choice but to carry the flag and show our allegiance."
"Is it the Second Prince?" Wang Qinian probed.
Fan Xian thought that during this period of time after entering the capital, the Second Prince had repeatedly summoned him, but he had never met him. He really didn't know what kind of character this man, who was unwilling to be a peaceful prince, was. However, he would not judge everything arbitrarily. In a quiet voice, he said, "Who knows? "Everyone in the palace is like a demon. I don't care."
It would be a lie to say that he didn't care. He still arranged for Wang Qinian to get out of the carriage to see if anyone was following them. He believed that with Wang Qinian's ability, if someone was secretly watching him on the official road, then he would certainly be able to catch them. If there was no one watching over his caravan to facilitate that chance encounter on the official road, then it could only mean that he was overly sensitive and paranoid.
Fan Xian smiled bitterly and leaned against the soft cushions of the carriage, hoping that he really was being overly sensitive.
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