Just as the nobles in the diplomatic mission were having their own thoughts, the carriages had already arrived at the last relay station on the outskirts of the capital. Fan Xian sighed as he looked at the ceremonial guards and the array of troops placed there. He had no choice but to put off the issue of Lady Shen until after they entered the capital. If it was just him, there was absolutely no need for this woman to stay. It was just that Lady Shen had a friendship with the Great Princess, and Sir Yan Bingyun seemed to feel somewhat apologetic towards her.
Officials from the Board of Rites, Honglu Temple, and Taichang Temple were already waiting there. Seeing the diplomatic mission's convoy slowly approach, they tidied up their clothes and respectfully welcomed the Princess of Northern Qi from the carriage. Fan Xian thought for a moment and called Gao Da over. He had him take two Tiger Guards to guard the Princess' carriage. He could not let the court officials discover that there was another woman in the carriage.
Actually, given his current position of power, there was no need to be so careful.
"Master Fan, you must have had a hard journey!"
"Master Fan, you have greatly increased the prestige of the country. His Majesty is very pleased. Now that you have returned to the capital, I'm afraid you will soon be given an important position."
"Old Hu, you are wrong. Master Fan is now..."
Amidst a wave of flattery, Fan Xian entered the relay station, escorted by the officials. The Princess of Northern Qi was resting in the inner chambers. The procession to welcome the head envoy was even grander. If one did not know Fan Xian's identity, they would certainly be puzzled as to why the Qing court officials were so respectful to such a young, middle-ranked official.
Fan Xian smiled and raised his hands to return the greetings of the officials around him. He was not annoyed, but he felt a little anxious. He looked around and found that he knew most of the officials who had come to greet him. Some were his colleagues from Taichang Temple, and some were nominal subordinates of the Chamberlain of Dependencies when negotiating with Northern Qi. Only the officials from the Ministry of Rites were respectful with a trace of fear. He understood the reason for this. After all, Guo You had been brought down by him.
As soon as he sat down and took a sip of tea, he asked, "What is the next procedure? Is there an edict from the palace, and when can the diplomatic mission enter the capital? " Without waiting for the officials to reply, he laughed at himself and said: "I am the Head Envoy, but I am still not clear about the process."
The officials of the Board of Rites had finally gotten a chance to get close to him, and they did not want to miss it. One of the vice counsellors hurriedly replied, "Do not worry, Master Fan. The Board of Rites has arranged everything. The palace has already made arrangements, and everything is in order."
Another subordinate from the Office of the Grand Herald said, "His Majesty knows that the officials of the diplomatic mission have been away from home for a long time and are very homesick. Thus, he did not issue an official edict. He only ordered the diplomatic mission to enter the capital. After you enter the capital, you will first go to the palace …"
Before he could finish speaking, an official wearing a fourth-rank official uniform walked in from outside, and the officials in the room hurried to welcome him. Fan Xian fixed his eyes on him and went up to him with a smile. He patted him on the shoulder and said, "Sir Ren, why are you here?"
The newcomer was Ren Shao'an, the vice-minister of the Office of the Grand Herald, a disciple of Fan Xian's father-in-law. Seeing that Fan Xian was safe and sound, Ren Shao'an was relieved. He smiled bitterly and said, "The marriage of the Princess of the Kingdom of Qi is a major event. If I, a laborer of the Taichang Temple, did not come, then there is no need for the Imperial Censorate to come. I have no choice but to resign."
Fan Xian smiled, but he was puzzled. He knew that the diplomatic mission would arrive today, so why did this vice-minister come so late? He greeted the officials in the room, and then pulled Ren Shao'an out of the door. "What is this all about?" he asked.
Ren Shao'an knew that although this man in front of him was young, his temperament was soft and gentle, and he had overthrown so many officials in the capital. He did not know whether or not he should say anything. But Prime Minister Lin Ruofu had already retired and returned to his hometown. The Lin family could only rely on Fan Manor in the capital. Considering the two sides, he could not help but hesitate. "Sir Fan," he said, "what is it that you ask about?"
Fan Xian stared into his eyes. "I am not an idiot. The return of the diplomatic mission to the capital is a major event. When we left Shangjing, the court of Northern Qi should be aware of the scale of the ceremony. A princess is in the diplomatic mission, so why are all the officials there to welcome her? Where is Xin Qiwu? And where are the officials from the Board of Rites? The Princess is getting married, and the palace should at least send some old servants. You are a man of the Taichang Temple, so you are in charge of royal affairs. If I did not ask you, who would I ask? "
Ren Shao'an laughed bitterly and said, "Today … unfortunately, Xin Qiwu went there. The elders of the Ministry of Rites also went there. Fan Xian, don't blame me. I came here in a hurry because I offended them."
"Which side is that?" Fan Xian was slightly surprised.
...
...
Ren Shao'an continued to laugh bitterly. "The Great Prince is also returning to the capital today. He has set up camp less than three miles away from you. So this is too much of a coincidence. The people from the Board of Rites, the Bureau of Military Affairs, and the Ministry of War are all there, so the diplomatic mission is naturally quieter." After saying this, he continued. "Fan Xian, we are friends, and I am not afraid to say it out loud. You are also a person with a crystal heart. Do you really care about these superficial formalities?"
Fan Xian now understood what was going on. He laughed and shook his head. "I just want to get back to the capital. But the Princess is a Princess, after all. If the court treats her poorly, it will incite gossip, and it will not be good."
He finally understood why the reception of the diplomatic mission was so much weaker. After all, it was the Great Prince who had military power. The court officials would naturally rush there. Even if it was to flatter him, they had to flatter him. Fan Xian waved his hand to stop Ren Shao'an's explanation. He asked curiously, "The edict at the beginning of the year clearly stated that the Great Prince would only lead his troops back to the capital when the grass was growing in autumn. It is only the beginning of autumn, why is he back?"
"It is said that the Empress Dowager misses her eldest grandson." Ren Shao'an gave a meaningful laugh. "So they set off early. The Western Army is stationed in Dingzhou. This time, the Great Prince is leading 200 soldiers back to the capital."
Fan Xian shook his head. "I don't know if those officials from the Board of Rites have learned from the Guo family. The diplomatic mission is entering the capital, and the Prince is returning to the palace. With so many people, did they not know to make arrangements to send a letter along the way? No matter the route, it is not impossible to delay it for a day or two. Now they are all crowded on the road outside the city. What do we do?"
"The Board of Rites and Honglu Temple sent letters to you along the way, telling the diplomatic mission to slow down. Who would have thought that the diplomatic mission would not rest for a day, and would go straight back to the capital? That is why they are all crowded together."
Fan Xian laughed and said nothing. The diplomatic mission was traveling thousands of miles back to the capital. This was his original intention.
"Rong Yirong, when the arrangements are made, the diplomatic mission will enter the city in two days. What do you think?" Ren Shao'an looked at him carefully. He didn't know how long this man had been in the Overwatch Council, and whether he had inherited Director Chen Pingping's arrogance. "The new Minister of the Board of Rites is too embarrassed to come to the diplomatic mission," he said. "So he asked me to pass on a message."
"Damn it, I'm in a hurry to go home and hug my wife!" Fan Xian was familiar with him, and his words were a bit presumptuous. "You want to wait two days? Be careful that when you come to the manor in the future, my wife will punish you."
Ren Shao'an's forehead was covered in sweat. Of course, he knew what kind of person Fan Xian's wife was. Although she was always ill, her background was incomparably deep.
Fan Xian did not want to fight over these things with the Great Prince, whom he had never met. Furthermore, he had no right to do so. He smiled and patted Ren Shao'an on the shoulder. "Don't worry. I won't make things difficult for you." He thought for a moment, then said, "I will go and report to the Princess, in case there is a rift between the two of them before they even meet. As officials, we have to explain."
Ren Shao'an was dumbfounded. He watched Fan Xian walk towards the room where the Princess was temporarily resting. He thought, What are you playing at? You don't say anything. So what if you drag things out for two days? If the Princess doesn't want to be at a disadvantage, then I'm afraid your explanation will become a provocation.
How could he know that Fan Xian, this mischievous fellow, was in a hurry to go home? As for how the Great Prince and Princess would fight, he couldn't be bothered to care.
— — —
Ren Shao 'an was wiping his sweat as he waited outside. He noticed another fourth-rank official running in from outside the courier station. The official's back was drenched in sweat. It was early autumn and it was hot and dry. He was at a disadvantage running from both sides. It was Xin Qiwu, the vice-minister of the Office of the Grand Herald. Seeing Ren Shao'an there, he cupped his hands in greeting and said in a low voice, "You're early."
Ren Shao'an knew that Xin Qiwu was close to the Eastern Palace. Originally, they were not close, but after the Prime Minister's departure, the bureaucracy had placed Ren Shao'an on Fan Xian's side. To the princes, there was no such thing as intimacy, so the two of them had become more familiar. He jokingly scolded, "With Master Fan here, if I didn't come, the Princess would scold me. You, on the other hand, have always been close to him. Why have you only come now?
Xin Qiwu was a little surprised. He smiled bitterly and said, "Master Fan is not that kind of person." Thinking of the absurdity of the day, he couldn't help but laugh at himself. "The Great Prince and the diplomatic mission have arrived outside the capital at the same time. I don't think the people from the Board of Rites know what to do. Even the officials of the Three Houses, Six Departments, and Four Temples are confused. Which side should they welcome first?"
Hearing this, Ren Shao'an and Xin Qiwu fell silent at the same time. The scene was a little strange. After a long time, the two of them coughed twice. The reason for this was because they realized that their conversation just now had placed the Great Prince and the diplomatic mission on the same level of importance. Could it be... that after Fan Xian took control of the Overwatch Council and gained a reputation for himself, he could be mentioned in the same breath as an army-wielding prince?
Xin Qiwu shook his head and threw this absurd thought to the back of his mind. But he knew that since the officials were so troubled, they had subconsciously placed Fan Xian in a very high position. Well, Master Fan had only been in the capital for a little over a year, and he had already done so much. It was indeed a little surprising. Although there was a foreign princess in the diplomatic mission, the officials' true intentions were naturally to curry favor with the Fan family and the Overwatch Council.
"Master Fan... you didn't say anything when you didn't see me earlier, did you?" Xin Qiwu asked carefully.
Ren Shao'an shook his head. Xin Qiwu felt a little more at ease. He smiled and said, "Actually, for the Great Prince to arrive first, I have to greet him on behalf of the Eastern Palace. After all, Master Fan is an official, and he has his own status."
...
...
"I don't have any status." Fan Xian walked over and greeted Xin Qiwu. "I can't believe you were so straightforward when you drank with me, calling me brother. I've been abroad for months, and you didn't come to welcome me. I'm angry, I'm angry, haha."
He was angry, but he was laughing. Xin Qiwu smiled helplessly. He was about to say something when he saw Fan Xian's warm smile. He said quietly, "For the sake of reason, you are the vice-minister of the Office of the Grand Herald, and you are in charge of all diplomatic affairs. Instead of greeting the diplomatic mission, you went to greet the Great Prince. Are you going to the Bureau of Military Affairs to become a counselor?"
These words were spoken calmly, but there was a hint of displeasure in them.
Xin Qiwu was slightly surprised. He thought that Fan Xian should not be someone who cared about such things, and he should not be so stupid as to show his displeasure on his face.
Fan Xian cupped his hands in salute to the two high-ranking officials of the court. He straightened his back and said, "The diplomatic mission will enter the capital today. Please make the arrangements. If the Ministry of Rites cannot find anyone, you can go and find them."
There was a buzzing sound! The two vice-ministers suddenly felt their heads swell. They had never imagined that Fan Xian would be so bold as to fight with the Great Prince! But the palace seemed to have forgotten about this matter. There was no decree. If the diplomatic mission wanted to enter the capital first, it was not a big problem.
The problem was... the Great Prince was there!
Ren Shao'an coughed and looked at Fan Xian. He wanted to remind him that Xin Qiwu was a follower of the Crown Prince, and that he should not show such disrespect to the Great Prince in front of him. But Fan Xian accepted all of his "flirtatious glances". He still smiled and said, "The diplomatic mission will enter the capital first. This is the wish of the Princess. You go and make the arrangements. As for the Great Prince... let them wait."
Having said this, he flicked his sleeves and left the relay station, instructing his subordinates to begin preparations for their entry into the capital. He left the two stupefied vice-ministers behind him, wondering just what kind of person he was. He dared to fight with the Great Prince! The expression on Xin Qiwu's face kept changing. In the end, he gritted his teeth and said, "The palace has not said anything. I don't care!"
Ren Shao'an asked curiously, "If you don't care, where are you going? You are a vice-minister of the Office of the Grand Herald. If you do not care about the diplomatic mission's entry into the capital, be careful that people do not accuse you. "
Xin Qiwu smiled and said, "I don't care about the Great Prince. This is my duty. Even if the Great Prince is not happy, I have an explanation. I will go with the diplomatic mission. But you, Taichang Temple is in charge of the royal family. On one side is the Emperor's son, and on the other side is the Emperor's future daughter-in-law. Which side are you going to care about?"
Ren Shao'an cursed him countless times in his heart, but he had a close relationship with Fan Xian. He could only shake his head and hurry to the Great Prince's side. He wanted the Ministry of Rites to make preparations, and at the same time, he wanted to talk to the Great Prince. He didn't know what would happen on the only official road outside the city gates.
— — —
After boarding the carriage, Fan Xian looked at Yan Bingyun and shook his head. "Don't show your face. Once we enter the capital, Sir Yan will send someone to pick you up. Remember, before you report, don't let anyone know about you."
Yan Bingyun nodded slightly and suddenly said, "Why fight? He is the Great Prince, the Emperor's son. What right do you have to fight with him? You are not a stupid person. Why would you do something so stupid? "
"The Prince?" Fan Xian sat beside him and waited for the carriages to depart. He smiled and said, "Is this thing very rare? Besides, it is not me who wants to fight with him. It is some noble who wants to fight with him. "
Yan Bingyun did not understand. Fan Xian laughed and said, "The young couple has not even met, and they are already fighting for the right to speak in the family. The Princess has always had a calm personality, but when she heard that the Great Prince was going to enter the city first, she frowned and stood on the east side of the river with her mouth wide open. This woman really does not understand."
"East side of the river? What river? " Yan Bingyun rebuked him. "You were the one who picked this matter. I don't understand. You haven't even returned to the capital, and you are already shedding all pretense of cordiality with the Great Prince. What are you thinking?"
"Very good. It seems that you are beginning to consider problems for me, your superior." Fan Xian's face was bitter. "I really did not pick the Princess. Who would have thought that this quiet Princess would also believe in the principle of the east wind suppressing the west wind. " This came from chapter 82 of the stone. It had not yet been written, and Fan Xian was only referring to it. He felt happy. He really was in a hurry to get home. It was that simple.
"As for why I offended the Great Prince, the reason is very simple. It is very difficult for me to find another opportunity like today, an opportunity to show how much I dislike the Great Prince."
"Why do you want to do this?"
"Although you have been in the north for a long time, I believe that you have learned a lot about me from the diplomatic mission." Fan Xian looked at Yan Bingyun.
Yan Bingyun nodded.
"How is my relationship with the Eastern Palace?"
"On the surface, there seems to be some conflict, but in reality, the Crown Prince thinks very highly of you. He was the one who took care of you during the spring examination. Later on, when you went on the diplomatic mission, he also took great care of you and was very friendly."
"Correct. That is why I am very protective of the Eastern Palace." He was talking about the spring exam cheating scandal. Fan Xian did not explain it clearly to Yan Bingyun. He continued, "Furthermore, I am on good terms with Crown Prince Jing, and Crown Prince Jing was sent by the Second Prince … so my relationship with the Second Prince is not bad."
Yan Bingyun immediately understood why Fan Xian offended the Great Prince.
"My relationship with the Eastern Palace and the Second Prince is not bad. If my relationship with the Great Prince is also good in the future …" A self-mocking smile appeared on Fan Xian's face. "Let me ask a young man who has the Overwatch Council and the palace treasury in his hands, and is on good terms with three princes at the same time. What is this young man trying to do? Do you think those concubines in the palace will like me? "
…
…
Today, the outside of the capital was a mess. The palace, the only place that had the power to calm the turmoil, had not yet issued an edict. As a result, the officials were sweating profusely and cowering in front of the city gate. They looked at the two rows of carriages coming from afar, and they could not stop cursing in their hearts. They cursed Fan Xian's mother. The Great Prince's mother was the Emperor's woman, and they did not dare to curse her.
The Great Prince's bodyguards were all valiant soldiers from the western battlefield. Seeing that this stupid diplomatic mission dared to fight with the Great Prince, they had long since become enraged. But the Great Prince's military discipline was extremely strict, so they had to endure it. They watched as the seemingly endless carriages of the diplomatic mission slowly passed by them. Among the horsemen, one of the Great Prince's barbarian generals could not bear it any longer. He yelled, "Where did this official come from? Do you not know the rules? Do you want to die?"
Both sides of the carriages stopped at the same time. The atmosphere was extremely tense.
Fan Xian disembarked from the carriage and pretended to straighten his clothes. He faced the faintly visible carriage of the Great Prince from afar and bowed. "Your humble servant, Fan Xian, pays his respects to the Great Prince."
…
…
"Fan Xian? You are Fan Xian? " A powerful voice came from the other side, with a hint of disdain in it, "I didn't think that Chen 'er's husband would be you. You dare to compete with a prince, you have guts, but aren't you a little too stupid?"
Fan Xian smiled and spoke very respectfully. "I do not dare to fight with Your Highness, but …"
Before he finished speaking, the calm and confident voice of the Great Princess of Northern Qi came from the unusually luxurious carriage behind him. "I am a weak woman, and I have come all the way to the south. Does Your Highness insist on me staying outside the city for a few more days?"
The Great Prince's bodyguards were stunned. It seemed that they had just remembered that there was a noble person in the diplomatic mission. This woman would soon become the Great Princess, the mistress of these people.
Fan Xian glanced at the Great Prince's horsemen. This was a family matter, and he would not interfere.
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