Still walking through the palace, Fan Xian saw a few more ladies, chatted with them, and received a few rewards. He couldn't help but feel a little bored. But he didn't dare show any expression on his face. This was the palace, after all. Who knew whose subordinate the eunuch next to him was, and whose confidant the young serving girl plucking the willow branches was? If his annoyance was seen by these people, then they would whisper it to their masters, and their masters would whisper it to the Emperor's pillow. Would he feel any better? Even if he and the Emperor were friends who had drunk tea and chatted, he could only suffer a blow without being able to defend himself.
But thinking of the people he was going to see, Fan Xian's heart had long since calmed down, and there was even a hint of coldness and cruelty. But when he looked at the palace, his eyes were still full of smiles, as if he was very much looking forward to it. Yaohua Palace was much larger than the other palaces and courtyards, highlighting the identity of its owner. The person who lived here was the Empress of the Kingdom of Qing, the motherly model of the world.
Fan Xian had not expected that the Empress' summons would end so simply.
The Empress smiled warmly, and her words made Fan Xian feel as if he was bathing in a spring breeze. Looking at the Empress' bright and beautiful face, looking at the Empress' eyes that were as calm as water, Fan Xian respectfully responded. His heart was filled with a strange feeling. This elegant and noble woman before him, whose every movement made him feel very comfortable, was actually the person who had wanted to kill him four years ago!
Kneeling down and kowtowing twice, Fan Xian left Yaohua Palace with a somewhat uneasy expression. His meeting with the Empress had started so simply, and ended so hastily. Seeing how well he had concealed his emotions, and even not showing any strange emotions, it could only mean that the Empress looked at Fan Xian without any unease. Fan Xian smiled, the corners of his lips slightly parted, but his heart was cold. Perhaps in the end, he had overestimated his importance. For these nobles in the palace, wanting to kill him four years ago was probably a very small matter.
...
...
Outside the gates of Guangxin Palace, the eunuchs who had followed him carefully moved to the back, not daring to breathe too loudly. The serving girl Xing'er was also very conspicuous. In a low voice, she said to Fan Xian, "Master Fan, please come in."
Fan Xian raised his eyebrows, thinking that if he went in without being summoned, it would be somewhat against the rules. What if he was killed by the Eldest Princess' mother-in-law? Lin Chong had fallen for the same trick back then. But he knew it wasn't that scary today. These eunuchs and maids were just afraid of the Eldest Princess for no reason.
The Eldest Princess Li Yunrui. Her name had a bit of masculinity, but she was a very weak person. Of course, this was just a facade. She had many identities. She was the de facto controller of the palace treasury, the Prime Minister's old lover, the Emperor's most capable political assistant, a transcendent presence in the harem, and the Empress Dowager's most beloved daughter.
For Fan Xian, the other party actually only had two identities. One was an enemy who had once wanted to kill him. The second was his future mother-in-law.
Guang Xin Palace was cold and gloomy. In broad daylight, the palace doors were naturally not closed. Standing outside the door, one could see some sleeping plum blossoms, heat-averse orchids, old green bamboos, and daisies that had yet to bloom. In the palace, one could see many white muslin curtains fluttering in the wind. The overall feeling was as pure and tender as a fairy tale world. A chill appeared between Fan Xian's brows. It was as if he had been infected by the aura of the Palace.
A maid in her twenties appeared at the door and bowed slightly to Fan Xian. The maid's eyebrows were extremely long, and her eyes were somewhat cold. But her speech and body movements were still very courteous. She respectfully welcomed Fan Xian into the palace.
Muslin. It was all muslin. Fan Xian was a little stunned as he pulled away the white muslin. There were many more muslin curtains in Guang Xin Palace than he had seen in the back garden of King Jing's manor. The decorations around him were also a little strange. It didn't match the solemn atmosphere of the palace. It was more like the living quarters of a young girl waiting to be married.
At the end of the heavy curtains was a low bed. A woman in a light pink dress was lying on it. She supported her chin with one arm, and her waist naturally revealed a sense of elegance. Her eyebrows and eyes were picturesque, but her expression was timid and lovable.
This was the first time Fan Xian had seen his mother-in-law, the Eldest Princess. Like many people who saw the Eldest Princess Li Yunrui for the first time, he was dumbfounded. He didn't know if the woman in front of him was real or fake. Was she a figure in a painting or a fairy in the water?
The Eldest Princess was 30 years old, but her demeanor was very much like that of a young girl who had just turned 16. Her eyebrows, and the straight black hair that fell naturally on the arm of the bed, were enough to make any man in the world yearn for her. Fan Xian's face was full of shock. But his strange encounter and the temperament he had trained in Danzhou for 16 years made his mind a sea of calm. But he still had to admit that although his mother-in-law looked like Wan 'er, she was much more beautiful.
Although Fan Xian could still maintain his calm, he didn't want to call her mother-in-law in his heart. It seemed that calling her that did not match her natural beauty. The Eldest Princess looked at Fan Xian. That look contained a lot of meaning. She was timid and lovable. She opened her pale lips and said, "Pick up a chair and sit. I have a headache."
Fan Xian looked around uneasily. He realized that the Eldest Princess had said something unnecessary. In the vast Guangxin Palace, there was not a single chair. As he was puzzled, he heard the Eldest Princess say softly, "Minister Fan, I hear that you are skilled in medicine. Wan 'er's health has improved greatly these days. It's all thanks to you."
Fan Xian quickly bowed. "Eldest Princess is too kind. It's all because of the royal doctors' meticulous care. I'm just giving you a few folk remedies."
"Oh?" The Eldest Princess stretched out her slender fingers and rubbed her temples. As her fingertips rubbed, her forehead gradually turned red. "Is there a folk remedy for migraines? I've had a terrible headache these days."
The Eldest Princess had a chronic headache. Fan Xian had heard about this from Wan 'er. Last time, outside the summer estate, he had heard the Crown Prince mention it. But Fan Xian paid more attention to how the Eldest Princess addressed him and how she referred to herself. In their few sentences, the Eldest Princess referred to him as "you" and "me". It seemed particularly intimate. Fan Xian smiled. "There are many kinds of headaches. When my teacher taught here, he had a headache as well."
His words were light, but the two headaches were quite interesting. The Eldest Princess smiled gently, and her charm grew. Fan Xian knew that his relationship with Fei Jie was no secret in the capital. There was no way he could hide it from the Eldest Princess, so he made it clear.
"Is there really no good way?" The Eldest Princess didn't ask about anything else today. Her only concern was the headache. Her face was full of worry, and she looked very weak. "These days, I've been in so much pain."
Fan Xian lowered his eyes slightly, and calmed his mind. "I've learned a method of massage. Although it can only treat the symptoms and not the root, it has a soothing effect."
The Eldest Princess's eyes brightened. "Then hurry and try it," she said softly.
Fan Xian smiled bitterly. "This … I'm afraid it's a little inconvenient."
The Eldest Princess covered her mouth and giggled. "I didn't think that the famous Great Scholar Fan in the capital would be such a polite little scholar. Not to mention that this is an emergency, you'll be my son in a few days. What's there to be afraid of?"
Fan Xian looked at the Eldest Princess's youthful demeanor and thought of her true age. He should have felt disgusted, but looking at the Eldest Princess's tender cheeks and her eyebrows, which were as clear as a young leaf, it was hard to feel disgusted. But hearing the word "son", he still laughed coldly in his heart. His face was calm, and he replied, "How could I dare disobey the orders of my elders?"
...
...
A eunuch brought a copper basin of clean water. Fan Xian carefully washed his hands, and then slowly walked to the Eldest Princess's side. He took a few deep breaths, calming his emotions. He did his best not to let his gaze fall on the Eldest Princess's white neck, which was slightly exposed under her black hair. He steadily stretched out his hands and placed them on her head.
His fingers ran through the Eldest Princess's black hair. The tip of her hair floated gently, and there was a slight itch.
Fan Xian simply closed his eyes, imagining that he was like Wu Zhu, covered with a black cloth. His fingertips touched the Eldest Princess's hairline, and then gently moved upwards. His thumbs pressed against her temples, and his two index fingers traced along her eyebrows, confirming the position between her eyebrows.
He knocked.
The Eldest Princess seemed unprepared. She gave a light grunt, but it was hard to tell whether it was from pain or from where he had pressed. Fan Xian was calm. Relying on his knowledge of the human body's acupuncture points, he slowly and steadily massaged her head. Every time his fingers made contact with Li Yunrui's skin, it was steady.
"Hmm." The Grand Princess frowned, wondering if she had been a little rash. She never thought that this little fellow's technique would be so good. His fingertips seemed to carry a fine stream of air, rubbing the source of her pain. Every time he pressed, every time he pressed, it would make her feel much more relaxed. Her mind gradually relaxed, and she seemed to slowly feel sleepy.
"Did Fei Jie teach you this technique?" she asked casually, her eyes half-closed as she leaned against the bed.
"Sir Fei taught me how to recognize acupuncture points." Fan Xian's fingers continued to move steadily across her smooth skin. His voice did not tremble in the slightest. "This massage technique, however, was learned by myself." As the saying goes, a long illness makes a doctor. In his previous life, when he was lying on a sickbed, in the beginning, he still had a glimmer of hope that he would be able to stand up again. That was why that cute little nurse often massaged his legs and the muscles of his body. But in the end, he had given up hope. As for the massage technique, Fan Xian remembered it.
"Not bad." The Eldest Princess praised him. She slowly closed her eyes again, enjoying the warm and relaxing feeling brought by the young man's hands.
Guangxin Palace was silent. The Eldest Princess's eyes remained closed. Her long eyelashes rested on her fair skin, trembling slightly. She suddenly said, "If you want to marry Wan 'er, then you must forget what happened four years ago."
Fan Xian's fingers paused, stopping just below the Eldest Princess's ear. It seemed ordinary, but it was a fatal acupuncture point.
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