Fan Xian clenched his fist and covered his mouth with a cough. He stepped forward and pushed the door. Naturally, it swung open. He understood what was going on. Since the couple was preparing to have a good fight, there was no reason for them to close the ring and not let anyone in. Even Fan Xian's earlier cough was a reminder to his wife that he was here, and that if there was anything to say, it was best to talk about it in the room.
This generation, after all, was a male-dominated society. Although Lin Wan'er's background was much more noble than Fan Xian's, since she had married into the Fan manor, it was reasonable to say that she would not express her dissatisfaction so directly. The way the couple interacted with each other was different from that of other official families. Although Fan Xian could not escape the control of the male animal's hormones, on a spiritual level, he still respected women.
When all was said and done, this was all Fan Xian's own fault. His sister was preparing to run away from home, and his wife was a little jealous. It was all because of his influence. If this had happened in the manor, it would have long since caused a ruckus.
...
...
"Young master." The servant girl Sisi covered her mouth and smiled. She welcomed him in, helped him take off his outer shirt, and handed him a towel. Fan Xian waved his hand, indicating that he had already wiped it. He looked at the girl's mischievous smile, and could not help but sigh in his heart. It was not just his sister and Wan'er. Even this servant girl had grown up with him, and he had spoiled her to the point where she had no sense of seniority. When the family drama was going on, she still had the leisure to watch the fun, and to tease him for his courage.
Lin Wan'er was lying on the bed. A thin blanket had been pulled up to her chest, and her black hair was scattered on her shoulders. She looked like she had just woken up. Her large eyes rolled around, and she looked curiously and sweetly at her husband, who had just returned from a long journey. There was not a trace of anger in her eyes, as Fan Xian had prepared to welcome him. Her small nose slightly raised, and she said, "My husband, I did not go out to welcome you. Please don't take offense."
Fan Xian looked at her peeking porcelain teeth and smiled. He sat down on the side of her bed and began to carry out the "three no's" policy. He did not explain, hide, or speak. He put his hand under the blanket, held her slightly cold hand, and squeezed it. They had not seen each other for months, and it had been a long time since he had squeezed Wan'er's soft, boneless hand. He did miss it.
Sisi was still in the room, and Lin Wan'er could not help but feel embarrassed. She glanced in that direction. Fan Xian raised his head and saw that Sisi was pretending to tidy up the medicine box on the table, but her eyes were flying in his direction. He couldn't help laughing and scolding, "You little girl, I've really spoiled you. Aren't you afraid of getting a pinprick? Get out."
Sisi chuckled and bowed to the young master and mistress. She then pushed open the door and closed it behind her. Coincidentally, she ran into Si Qi, who had gone to the front of the manor to bring back a tray of food. She quickly blocked her outside. Si Qi was a servant girl who had followed Wan'er when she married and had the same status as Sisi. The two of them got along well. Seeing her blocking the door, she immediately understood what the two masters inside were doing. She couldn't help but make a face. Looking at the tray of food in her hands, she said bitterly, "The young master has just returned home. He has to eat something first."
Sisi smiled and said, "These are just small snacks to fill his stomach. Isn't the manor in front preparing the main meal? Besides, our family's young master … needs to eat something first. "
To Si Qi, these words were unavoidably frivolous, particularly since it involved the young mistress. No matter what, it shouldn't be a joke that servants like her should make. Her expression became ugly. She glared at Sisi and snorted. Carrying the tray of food, she went to the room next door.
Sisi was slightly stunned. Then she remembered that her previous words were indeed very disrespectful. She stuck out her tongue and hurriedly ran over. After a while, after a moment of silence, there was a burst of extremely low laughter in the room next door. It seemed that the two principal maids had already reconciled.
— — —
On the enormous bed in the bedroom, under the large blanket, Fan Xian stretched out his right hand and took out the hair fork on his head. At home, he always liked to comb a petal at the back of his head for freshness. He felt his mouth was a little dry. He stretched out his hand to the small table beside the bed and took out a cup of tea to moisten his throat. After thinking for a moment, he brought the teacup to Wan'er's lips and fed her half a cup.
Wan'er's eyes were soft, and her cheeks were slightly flushed. After drinking half a cup of warm tea, she came back to her senses. Embarrassed and angry, she bit his left forearm and said, "How can there be someone as impatient as you? It's just nightfall. If those servants guess, how can I have the face to manage this family? "
Fan Xian chuckled and turned to his side to hold his wife. His fingers gently slid along her smooth upper arm. His heart was very satisfied. He said, "Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Besides, we haven't seen each other for a long time. Who would dare to say anything when we're intimate?" His eyes turned slightly, and he mischievously said, "Besides, if I wasn't so impatient earlier, I'm afraid you would still be suspicious of what I did outside."
Hearing this, Lin Wan'er remembered that today she was going to try to persuade her husband. How could she have let him into the room for less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea? She seemed to have lost her head and almost forgot what she was going to say. Could it be that her husband really did have some sort of bewitching spell? Thinking of this, she couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. She lightly hit him and said, "If you didn't mention it, I would have forgotten. I was going to ask you if you felt anything when you heard that order."
Fan Xian licked his somewhat dry lips. His handsome face and this expression didn't seem obscene. Instead, it gave off an indescribable sense of naughtiness. When it came to the way of a husband and wife, he had always been a man of action. He didn't care what Wan'er was thinking. First, they got into bed and made out. In this world, after intimate matters, women would always be incomparably attached to their lovers, and the jealousy in their hearts would fade a little. But he also knew that there had to be an explanation for this, so he took the initiative to bring it up. "You little girl, you dare not let me into the room? Be careful that I don't spank you!"
Lin Wan'er leaned into his arms and quietly said, "If you want to spank me, then spank me. In any case, you only know how to bully me."
"What do you mean by that?" Fan Xian laughed. "Are you mad at me for not bringing back chicken wings from Northern Qi?"
Lin Wan'er got up and half-knelt on the bed. Her undergarments were slightly slippery, revealing half of her shoulders. She stared into Fan Xian's eyes, and after a moment of silence, she suddenly said, "I was not happy before."
In this world, even if the women were jealous, they would not be as open and aboveboard as Lin Wan'er. So Fan Xian was at a loss for what to do. For a moment, he didn't know how to respond. He could only carefully reply, "What kind of jealousy is this? That song was indeed written by me, but it's not what you think it is. "
"What do you mean by jealousy?" Lin Wan'er didn't understand what he meant.
Only then did Fan Xian remember that in this world, there was no story of Lady Fang drinking jealousy and committing suicide. So he laughed and told the story, but he pretended to read it from someone else's notes.
After Lin Wan'er heard it, she also sighed at Lady Fang Xuanling's strength. But in her heart, she felt that her husband must have made up this story himself. Perhaps he had written it specifically to criticize her. She couldn't help but feel a little angry. "I'm not the kind of petty person who wants to monopolize you. Sisi and Si Qi will eventually have to enter the school. You don't have to deliberately use this story to make things difficult for me."
Fan Xian knew that his wife had misunderstood him. He laughed and said, "If you don't want to monopolize me, then that's a bit inappropriate." Lin Wan'er was, after all, a woman who had grown up in the palace. She didn't understand the hidden meaning of her husband's words. She heard Fan Xian say, "If you weren't jealous, then why didn't you let me enter the school?"
Lin Wan'er was still half-kneeling on the bed. She puffed up her cheeks. After a while, she said, "Do you know that this song has already spread throughout the world? Everyone in the capital knows that Fan Xian, the immortal of poetry, does not compose poetry. This time, on this diplomatic mission to Northern Qi, he made an exception for a woman. "
"It's just a song. If you want to hear it, I will naturally write one for you every day," Fan Xian said with a smile.
Lin Wan'er faintly said, "Just a song? I hear that in Shangjing of Northern Qi, you and Haitang travel together, drink together, and stroll along the streets in the rain every day. It has already become a legend. "
Fan Xian felt bitter. He knew that the Emperor of Northern Qi had purposely released this information. But as these words were being passed from mouth to mouth, Lin Wan'er was in an awkward position. He was about to explain when his wife asked, "Husband, tell me, that girl … Haitang, what does she look like?"
Fan Xian was startled. Of course, he couldn't praise Haitang to the heavens. But for some reason, deep in his heart, he didn't want to invert black and white in front of his wife and belittle Haitang to the point of being worthless — even though this was a shameless thing all men would do in their wives' beds. He thought for a moment and then said, "Haitang is the last disciple of the Imperial Advisor of Northern Qi, Ku He. She is most favored, and has a high status in the palace. Since I am on this diplomatic mission to benefit the country, it is only natural that I should befriend such an important person."
Lin Wan'er shook her head and sighed. "That Haitang girl may not have much of a reputation in the south, but now everyone knows her status in the north … I only have one question, husband. Given Haitang's status, can she be a concubine?"
Fan Xian was startled, wondering where this wild and unconstrained question had come from. He then heard Lin Wan'er sigh and say, "A woman like her must have a very high standard. If it weren't for someone of your stature, she wouldn't have taken a liking to you. But with her status, it will be difficult to make arrangements for her in the future. Wan'er is angry today because you never think about the consequences of your actions. You are a bit reckless."
Fan Xian laughed. "I'm not going to marry that Haitang. What consequences? Wan'er's words are a bit funny. "
Lin Wan'er turned pale with fright. For some reason, she began to sympathize with the woman called Haitang. She rebuked him. "Are you planning to abandon her?"
Fan Xian waved his hand and held back his laughter. "Since there is no chaos, how can I abandon her?"
…
…
A moment later, Lin Wan'er looked at him with a trace of suspicion. "Really? Then why did you write poems to provoke her? "
"Provoke her?" Fan Xian asked the heavens. After thinking for a while, he told his wife about the arrangements he had made before leaving the capital, as well as the many things that had happened in Shangjing. He shook his head and said, "Haitang's martial cultivation is extremely high. Aside from the four grandmasters, I am afraid she is one of the strongest. Since I am going to have dealings with her, of course I have to prepare some sharp weapons."
Lin Wan'er frowned. "Is this what you mean by 'keep it in your heart'?"
"Exactly." Fan Xian smiled. "When two countries go to war, attacking the heart is the most important."
After a long time, Lin Wan'er sighed. "My husband's plan … is a bit shameless."
— — —
The disturbance at home had subsided. Fan Xian thought for a while and then told his wife about his fight with the Great Prince. He knew that Wan'er had grown up in the palace and had more say in matters of the court than he did. Ever since they had gotten married, he had gradually gotten used to discussing his plans with her.
After hearing what he said, Lin Wan'er also frowned. She came to the same conclusion as Yan Bingyun. She felt that there was no need for Fan Xian to offend the Great Prince. It felt unnecessary. It was impossible for Fan Xian to explain his secret worries to his wife. He could only smile warmly and say, "Wan 'er, don't worry about why I'm doing this. Just tell me whether or not you think this will make the palace believe that the Great Prince and I are enemies in the future."
Lin Wan'er looked at him with amusement. "It will be very difficult."
Fan Xian was surprised. "Why is that?"
Lin Wan'er sighed. "Actually, you have been mistaken about one thing. It is true that the Overwatch Council, in the eyes of the officials and the people, is a sinister and terrifying yamen. The officials of the Six Ministries call you black dogs behind your backs, but not everyone dislikes the Overwatch Council … just like the military, the Bureau of Military Affairs, and the Western Army. They all have a good impression of the Overwatch Council."
Fan Xian immediately understood. When it came to war, the most important thing was intelligence and logistics. The Overwatch Council's network of spies all over the world must have provided the military with great support. It could reduce the amount of blood shed by soldiers. Of course, the military liked the Overwatch Council. He frowned. "That is one of the reasons. But the Great Prince will have to hand over his military power when he returns to the capital. The military's opinion will not affect him much."
Lin Wan'er did not understand why he wanted the palace to think that he had not befriended the three princes. She sighed. "There is one more thing that perhaps you have forgotten. Of the three princes, the one closest to Wan'er is … the Great Prince. Even for my sake, he will not hold a grudge against you. "
Fan Xian laughed bitterly. He knew that when Wan'er was young, she spent most of her time in the palace with Lady Ning. It was natural that she would be closest to the Great Prince. It was just that when he was calculating, he had intentionally or unintentionally neglected this layer of relationship.
Perhaps, deep in his heart, he did not want to connect his wife with the princes.
Lin Wan'er knew what Fan Xian was worried about. She said gently, "I think you are worrying too much. The Emperor is healthy. The situation you are worried about will probably take many years."
Fan Xian sighed and pulled her into his arms. He whispered in her ear, "People who do not think about the future will have immediate worries. Looking at the atmosphere when I return to the capital, I know that when I take over the palace treasury next year, your brothers, the Crown Prince, the Great Prince, and the Second Prince, will not let go of a fat piece of meat like me."
"How was the idea I gave you on the Cang Mountains last year?" Lin Wan'er did not seem like a sixteen or seventeen year old girl. She was more like a female strategist. After all, she was the daughter of the Eldest Princess. In this area, she had more or less inherited some of this, so Fan Xian had always trusted her advice. But Fan Xian had never agreed to the proposal on the Cang Mountains.
He lowered his head slightly and said slowly but firmly, "Asking for power to be reduced is the most appropriate thing to do. For a young official like me to be in charge of the Overwatch Council and the palace treasury, the favor of the Emperor is too great, and the power is too great. This is something that should not have happened … but Wan'er, I will not let go of the palace treasury. "
Although Lin Wan'er did not know why her husband did not want to let go of the palace treasury, as a wife, she could only silently support him. She nodded and said, "I understand."
Fan Xian continued, "Since I am not willing to let go of the palace treasury, then the Overwatch Council is even more so."
If the palace treasury was a mountain of gold, then the Overwatch Council was the army guarding it. If the palace treasury was empty, then Fan Xian would be a naked beauty with no sense of security at all. He would be waiting to be wantonly humiliated by the people in the palace.
Lin Wan'er sighed and shook her head. "Then you will have to work hard." She suddenly looked into his eyes and asked, "Are you confident?"
Fan Xian smiled and gently patted her cheek. "I do not dare to say things with certainty, but you know that I have always been a somewhat arrogant and even narcissistic person."
Lin Wan'er smiled. She suddenly bit her thick, plump lower lip and said softly, "Actually, I have an idea."
Fan Xian's interest was piqued. "What idea?"
Lin Wan'er's eyes flashed. No one knew what she was thinking. She quietly said, "… take Haitang as your wife!"
Fan Xian turned pale with fright. He thought to himself that his wife's plan was indeed unexpected.
Lin Wan'er excitedly explained, "Haitang is an upper ninth-level warrior. My husband said that she might one day become a Great Grandmaster. Say, if we have a Great Grandmaster in our family, and she has the power of Ku He behind her, even the royal brothers of the Kingdom of Qing would not dare to do anything to you. Even the Emperor would have to try to win you over. Look at the Ye Zhong family. All they have is Ye Liuyun, and they have dominated the bureaucracy for over a decade without suffering a single defeat …"
Fan Xian knew that what she said made sense. No matter who it was, marrying Haitang would be like having an iron ticket in the house, a gold medal for exemption from death. But he didn't know if his wife was testing him one last time or what, so he laughed evilly and said, "But... Haitang really doesn't look that good."
Lin Wan'er paused for a moment, then spat at him. "You pervert!"
Fan Xian smiled. He was thinking about what Lin Wan'er had said about the Ye family. Ye Zhong was the commander of the capital garrison, and Ye Ling'er was about to marry the Second Prince. What was the Emperor thinking? A Great Grandmaster? If the situation really did develop this way, from Fan Xian's point of view, the people in the palace probably did not fear the Great Grandmaster Ye Liuyun.
He frowned. "When I was not in the capital, did Ye Zhong resign from the Jingdou garrison?"
Lin Wan'er shook her head.
Fan Xian sighed in his heart and asked, "Did mother send any letters?" The mother he spoke of was naturally the Eldest Princess of Xinyang. Although he knew that Wan'er had no feelings for that peerless beauty, in front of Wan'er, he still had to be respectful.
Lin Wan'er still shook her head. There was no extra expression on her face. Fan Xian felt pity for her. He gently rubbed her forehead. "How have you been?" he asked quietly. "You were so focused on other things that you didn't ask about the most important thing. I deserve a beating."
Lin Wan'er laughed. "Master Fei comes to see me often. I'm also taking the pills. I feel pretty good."
Fan Xian nodded. "It seems that recuperating in the Cang Mountains is not bad. This winter, the whole family will live there. It's a shame we didn't soak in the hot springs last year."
Their voices gradually lowered. They were whispering sweet nothings and humming a little love song. Unexpectedly, a maid called out anxiously from outside, "Young Master, Young Mistress, it's time to eat. Master has sent word to urge us several times."
Fan Xian let out a strange cry. He lifted the covers and immediately began to put on his clothes. He had originally planned to stay in the back of the residence for a while before going to pay his respects to his father. He had not expected that by trading his body for safety, he would sink into a sea of tenderness. He had completely forgotten that his father was still waiting for him in the study. When he thought of his father's solemn face, Fan Xian could imagine how angry he was. A son had traveled a thousand miles to return home, and yet he had not paid his respects to his parents first. Instead, he had gone to fool around with his wife.
Wan'er complained to him as she began to dress and make up. Sisi and Si Qi had been waiting outside the door for a long time. When they heard the noise, they entered the room to serve the two mistresses. Using the fastest speed they could muster, they followed a servant carrying a lantern. They pretended nothing had happened and went to the front house.
In the hall, the servant girls stood quietly to one side. The Minister of Revenue, Count Sinan, sat solemnly in the middle. Although Lady Liu had already helped him to sit, she still stood by his side out of habit, placing cups and chopsticks. Fan Ruoruo sat to his left, deep in thought. Fan Sizhe sat to the right, his hands hidden under the table as he played with the thing Fan Xian had thrown to him earlier.
Seeing Fan Xian and Lin Wan'er enter, Ruoruo stood up. Fan Sizhe hurriedly hid the thing in his sleeves and followed his sister in saluting the two. Sitting in the middle, Fan Xian did not look at Fan Xian. Instead, he nodded to Lin Wan'er. His daughter-in-law's status was somewhat special, and he could not neglect her.
There were many rules in a large family, but Fan Xian was busy with official business, so he rarely had time to eat at home. Today was the first time Fan Xian had returned, so naturally he had to be more formal than usual. At the table, not a sound could be heard. With great difficulty, the meal was over. Fan Xian looked at his son and said lightly, "You are going to be made a noble."
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