The sky in the east had already turned red. The sun slowly rose from the sleepy clouds and shone on the capital's grandest buildings. The outer walls of the palace were even redder than the sky. They calmly and terrifyingly watched the crowd in the square in front of them. Fan Xian was also one of these people. He looked at the tall palace walls and the bottomless doorway at the bottom of the wall. He felt that this dark place was very much like the mouth of a monster. He couldn't help but feel a glimmer of nervousness.
Fan Xian, like everyone else in the world, still felt a sense of awe when faced with this solemn symbol of imperial power. But awe didn't mean obedience, and it didn't mean no resistance. This was where he was different from everyone else. After the guards at the palace gate examined them, they nodded with a trace of arrogance. Fan Xian and his group obediently walked in.
Today was the day of the festival, and the palace had issued an edict to summon an eighth-level functionary into the palace. The edict had arrived yesterday, and Fan Manor had been busy all night before deciding on the number of people to enter the palace. Naturally, Fan Jian wouldn't go. There were few women in Count Sinan's manor, so a few distant relatives of the Fan clan in the capital had come forward to volunteer.
Fan Xian had never seen such excitement before, and Fan Jian coldly put an end to everyone's thoughts. In the end, it was decided that Lady Liu and Fan Ruoruo would accompany Fan Xian into the palace, along with two old nannies. These two old nannies had been around his grandmother's time in Danzhou, and were very familiar with the rules of the palace. Lady Liu's willingness to follow Fan Xian into the palace was somewhat unexpected to Fan Xian. He knew that although Lady Liu had never been promoted, she had in fact been in contact with some of the nobles in the palace since she was a child. Their relationship was not ordinary. With her by his side, Fan Xian's trip to the palace would probably be much smoother.
The sound of light and hurried footsteps echoed in the quiet doorway. The doorway was so deep that the rising sun could only illuminate half of it. The other half was particularly dark. A cold wind suddenly blew out from the palace walls, making it difficult for everyone to keep their eyes open. The weather of August and September suddenly had a hint of the chilly late autumn.
Fan Xian subtly touched his belt and felt the pills that were smaller than soybeans. He felt a little more at ease. He knew that the checks for entering the Palace were particularly strict, so before he left the manor, he hid his secret crossbow and dagger in his room. However, Uncle Wu Zhu's lecture had left a deep impression on him. Even though he was in the Royal Palace, the safest place in the world, he still prepared a few life-saving tricks.
"Ta, ta, ta, ta." Man is a very strange animal, and people are a very strange group. Walking under the quiet palace walls, the footsteps of the group of six people gradually became synchronized. They landed on the ground at the same time, and raised their feet at the same time. Following the little eunuch in the lead, they sounded the same monotonous syllable as if they were playing a four-stringed zither at the same time.
A wave of discomfort welled up in Fan Xian's heart. He forced himself to pause and let his footsteps stagger with the others. The synchronized footsteps under the palace walls were immediately broken. He gently pulled his sister's sleeve and said in a low voice, "I'm a little nervous."
Fan Ruoruo smiled and wanted to give him some encouragement. But the little eunuch in front of them turned his head and looked at Fan Xian with a frown. He seemed a little dissatisfied. Lady Liu frowned and said quietly, "The Palace is not like other places. Be careful what you say."
The little eunuch wasn't handsome, and he had a worried look on his face. Hearing Countess Sinan's words, he suddenly felt that he had gained some glory. Where was this? This was the Royal Palace. Fan Xian smiled bitterly. He hadn't expected Lady Liu to continue with a smile. "But there's no need to be nervous. I've been in this palace since I was a child. At that time, Eunuch Hong was the leader of the eunuchs. In the blink of an eye, it's little children who serve in the Palace."
Hearing this, the little eunuch in front of him didn't dare put on airs. He hurriedly walked into the Palace. He had thought he was bringing some country bumpkins into the Palace, but it turned out to be acquaintances visiting relatives.
The Royal Palace was enormous. After the long entrance to the city, there was a large square made of bluestone, which made one feel suddenly enlightened. The early morning sun shone on the roof of the Taiji Palace's main hall, and the yellow glazed tiles reflected a dazzling luster. There was a large column several meters away from the hall, and the long stone steps in front of the hall looked like a white jade road leading to the Milky Way.
Fan Xian squinted at the building in front of him, and a sense of absurdity welled up in his heart. He wondered if he had arrived at the Palace Museum. Perhaps this sense of absurdity diluted his nervousness and his sense of estrangement from the unfamiliar palace. For the rest of the journey, Fan Xian finally returned to his natural demeanor. He looked a little like he had when he first entered Fan Manor. His face was full of smiles, and he looked around at the palace maids and eunuchs with their heads bowed as they walked along the palace walls. Occasionally, he raised his head to look at the eaves in the distance — but he didn't know which palace it was, and he didn't know who lived there.
The young eunuch shook his head, but a faintly discernible smile floated on Lady Liu's lips. She thought to herself, this eldest young master really has a personality that fears neither the heavens nor the earth.
The purpose of entering the palace today was simple: the concubines in the palace wanted to see what the talented Fan Xian, who was about to marry Chen 'er, looked like.
Although the purpose was simple, the process was particularly complicated. So everyone in Fan Manor got up early, washed up, and dressed up. They rushed into the palace as soon as the palace doors opened, and then waited in a corner room, waiting for one of the concubines to summon them. Those who were summoned could wait, but the concubines in the palace were not willing to wait.
Because he had gotten up so early, Fan Xian sat in the corner room, drinking the palace's fine tea. He was still sleepy, and his spirit was not good. Lady Liu glanced at him and stood up with a smile. She said to the eunuch who had come to greet them in the palace, "Eunuch Hou, long time no see." As she said this, she extended her finger and handed over the banknotes without the slightest hint of anger.
Fan Xian peeked, and the corners of his lips curled up. He almost laughed. His aunt's methods had indeed been influenced by his father, and she relied on banknotes to beat people.
Unexpectedly, Eunuch Hou looked embarrassed, and respectfully said, "Lady Fan, aren't you slapping me in the face? You grew up with the masters in the palace, and I wouldn't dare beg for food here. " Hearing this, Lady Liu couldn't help but laugh. "This is a reward for you, not a purchase. Who are you afraid of?"
Eunuch Hou chuckled, and the wrinkles on his face squeezed together. He said quietly, "They know you're entering the palace today, and there's no reason for them to keep you waiting for too long. Don't worry, it's just that it's too early, and I'm afraid they're all busy washing up. I'll just sit for a bit."
Fan Xian's ears twitched, and he realized that the old eunuch was referring to Lady Liu as "Lady Fan." It seemed that the palace was already leaning towards Lady Liu's promotion. He also heard that the various palaces were still cleaning the courtyards in the morning. He had originally felt that he had woken up too early and had come too early. Hearing this, he couldn't help but smile bitterly.
Fortunately, Eunuch Hou was right. Count Sinan was wise to have Lady Liu accompany him to the palace. Before the morning court had even begun, the three members of the Fan family had already entered the rear palace. The two old nannies were received outside, and there was good tea and water. They were old people who had been in the palace for a long time, and they didn't mind the boredom.
...
...
The first to go was to Yi Guipin. She was the mother of the third prince, and because she was a mother who relied on her son's status, she was promoted from a talented person to a guipin. Fan Xian bowed respectfully, and then heard a gentle voice. "Rise."
Yi Guipin was born plain and clean, but that was all. She was not at all as beautiful as Fan Xian had imagined. Much to Fan Xian's surprise, Lady Liu looked at Yi Guipin with moist eyes. After the two women bowed, they held hands and looked at each other, speechless. Fan Xian looked at his sister with a puzzled expression. Ruoruo's face was calm, and she was not at all surprised.
After listening to them talk for a while, Fan Xian realized that Yi Guipin was actually Lady Liu's cousin!
Fan Xian was incomparably shocked. Only now did he realize that the Liu family had such deep roots. Fortunately, he had carried out a policy of appeasement after entering the capital, and Lady Liu had treated him kindly. Otherwise, if the two of them had really clashed, who knew who would have died!
"Why haven't you come to the palace to see me?" Yi Guipin wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes. "It's been four years, and you have the heart to leave me alone in the palace. It wasn't easy to get an edict to summon you to the palace to talk with me. Who knew you wouldn't come? You've really depressed me to death."
A trace of sadness flashed across Lady Liu's face. She didn't speak for a while. After a while, she said quietly, "It's my fault. It's all my fault."
She didn't look at Fan Xian, but Fan Xian looked at Lady Liu's slightly thin shoulders. A strange light flashed in his eyes. Hearing Yi Guipin speak of four years, he very sensitively thought of the assassination attempt in Danzhou. According to his father, Lady Liu was only a scapegoat for the assassination attempt. The real masterminds behind the scenes were the two most "noble" women in the palace — was that the reason Lady Liu hadn't entered the palace for four years?
"In the future, I will often come to the palace to see you." Lady Liu smiled warmly and took Yi Guipin's hand. "Didn't I come today?"
Yi Guipin's anger turned into a smile. "If it weren't for the fact that the young master of the Fan family is going to marry the most precious girl in the palace, I wouldn't have hoped to see you." She turned to Fan Xian and asked gently, "You are Fan Xian?"
Fan Xian hurriedly stood up. His elegant face was filled with the warmest of smiles. He bowed to the ground. "Nephew Fan Xian greets Aunt Liu."
This was against the rules! The palace maids and eunuchs were stunned. Lady Liu was also a little surprised. She thought to herself, I'm not your real mother. But Fan Xian shamelessly claimed a relationship. Clearly, Yi Guipin, who was tired of the rules of the palace, liked it. She looked at Fan Xian and beamed. "You really are a good child."
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