Fan Xian looked at the girl and wanted to run. Tugging on Hongcheng's sleeve, he prepared to play with the two of them over the wall. Unexpectedly, a servant came out of nowhere and bowed to the two of them with a pained expression. "Crown Prince, the King knows you've come out and wants you to see him."
Hearing these words, Crown Prince Li Hongcheng sucked in a cold breath. He was extremely vexed and regretful, but there was nothing he could do. He went first. Before he left, he glanced at Fan Xian and laughed bitterly. The emotions in his heart were indescribably complicated.
Fan Xian understood that this crown prince still held a grudge against him for breaking up his marriage with Ruoruo. However, he couldn't do anything about it, so he could only shake his head.
Outside the courtyard, there were only him and Rou Jia left on the stone steps. Fan Xian knew he couldn't run anymore and smiled warmly. Looking at Hongcheng's figure, he said, "Your brother used to be such a refined noble young master. How did he become like this?"
Seeing him open his mouth to speak to her, Rou Jia's little face was filled with uncontrollable joy. She stammered, "Locked up … for too long … scolding people every day … more and more like father."
Fan Xian was startled and thought that it was true. Looking at the crown prince through the crack in the door, he didn't look down on him, but he saw that he was different from other people in power. This kind of character was naturally inherited from King Jing. In the so-called struggle, one could win or lose. This was the correct way.
He made a hand gesture, inviting the princess to go first.
Rou Jia pulled at the skirt under her large red coat and lowered her head shyly as she walked slowly in front.
Fan Xian followed behind her. As he walked, he examined the girl who was gradually spitting out her stamen. Looking at the soft strands of hair on her temples in the wind, his heart moved slightly.
"Sister Rou Jia, has anything new happened in the girls' school recently?"
"Brother Xian, nothing."
"Sister Rou Jia …"
"Brother Xian …"
The two of them chatted. Sister Rou Jia's "Brother Xian" came more and more smoothly. The little girl's "Brother Xian" never stopped. Like this, they slowly walked toward the front of the manor. Along the way, they passed the cold garden, the cold path, the pavilions covered in snow, and the artificial hills covered in water.
Princess Rou Jia walked with her head down and replied in a low voice. She couldn't resist glancing back from time to time and then turning her head as if in shock.
Fan Xian sighed in his heart and quickened his steps. He walked to her side and stood shoulder to shoulder with her.
Princess Rou Jia sensed the presence of the young man beside her and was startled. Her entire walking posture stiffened, and her fingers gripped her skirt tighter.
Fan Xian smiled and said, "This world is truly strange. At the time, who would have thought that you were my cousin? Calling me Brother Xian is quite appropriate."
…
…
As soon as these words came out, Princess Rou Jia panicked. Her small face flushed red. She didn't say anything else and just remained silent. This pair of cousins knew very well what Fan Xian meant by these words — it was written clearly in the Qing law. Given their relationship, regardless of whether or not Fan Xian had such intentions, it was still impossible.
Ever since Princess Rou Jia saw Fan Xian for the first time when she was 12, her young girl's thoughts had all been placed on him. Regardless of whether it was under the grape trellises in the manor, in the autumn grass garden in the Fan manor, or in the courtyard in the Cang Mountains, she always liked to look at Fan Xian.
The feelings of a young girl had not faded even after Fan Xian's marriage. Although she didn't dare ask her father, she always held onto the possibility of having two wives in the future. Who would have thought that such a big piece of news would explode in Jingdou one day — Brother Xian was her own cousin?
From that day on, Rou Jia knew this matter was impossible. However, how could two years of feelings fade in one day? After seeing her favorite Brother Xian, she panicked again. Hearing Fan Xian say these words, she knew he was reminding her.
However, Princess Rou Jia was, after all, only a 14-year-old girl. Hearing Fan Xian's gentle yet serious reminder, she did not turn her head and glare at him with hidden bitterness like other noble girls in Jingdou, nor did she huff coldly. She only lowered her head even more and refused to speak.
A crystal-clear teardrop fell from her long eyelashes and landed on the stone floor by her feet.
Fan Xian was dumbfounded. Seeing a girl cry, he didn't know what to do.
Rou Jia walked forward again. Fan Xian quickly followed behind her.
Along the way, Rou Jia lowered her head and cried. She stubbornly bit her lip and refused to make any sound.
Fan Xian felt pity, love, and anger. He was unsure of how to explain when he suddenly realized that Rou Jia had stopped in her steps and turned her head to look at him seriously.
Fan Xian smiled and stretched out a finger to wipe away the teardrop on the girl's face.
Rou Jia was still as gentle as before. She stared fixedly at Fan Xian and stammered, "Brother Xian, I beg of you something."
"What is it? As long as I can do it, "Fan Xian said seriously.
"I know … it was you who thought of a way to break up Sister Ruoruo and Brother's marriage." Rou Jia lowered her head. Her fingers played with her skirt until countless troublesome wrinkles appeared on a corner of the light pink skirt.
Fan Xian was startled. He hadn't thought that this girl would see this matter so clearly. "What is it?"
Rou Jia bowed slowly and said in a small voice that still retained her childish voice, "In the future, the Palace will certainly appoint a marriage for Rou Jia. If Rou Jia is not willing, then I will have to trouble you."
The marriages between the nobles in Jingdou involved too many political transactions. Fan Xian's marriage and Ruoruo's unfinished marriage were all like this. Given Princess Rou Jia's status, her marriage was naturally arranged by the nobles in the Palace and even personally by the empress dowager.
Fan Xian opened his mouth wide. A moment later, he nodded his head dejectedly. He knew that he had once again been forced to carry an extremely heavy burden. The way of the world was indeed a little strange. Everyone else was matchmaking, but only he had become an expert in breaking up marriages.
After Rou Jia said this, she saw him nod his head again. It was as if she had used up all of the courage she had mustered earlier. Immediately, she became sad again. She looked at him deeply, turned her head, picked up her skirt, and walked quickly toward the front of the manor, no longer paying attention to Fan Xian.
Fan Xian rubbed the back of his head as he watched Princess Rou Jia's figure. He watched as she lowered her head and continued to cry silently. The feeling in his heart was truly not good. He thought to himself that this girl was truly each more troublesome than the last.
… …
In the long corridor behind Taiji Palace in the Royal Palace, facing the tall palace walls in the distance and the winter trees at the foot of the walls. The Palace was heavily guarded, particularly near the inner palace. It was strictly forbidden for anyone to make noise, and it was even more impossible for anyone to do anything too impudent.
However, when the serving girls and eunuchs moving about saw the young official stretching lazily and doing leg exercises in the long corridor, not a single person dared to go up and scold him. No one dared to remind him of anything.
It was impossible for a young official to enter the inner palace. If there was, then there was only one person. Only he dared to be so free and at ease in the Royal Palace.
In the long corridor, the young official pulled back his leg from the large pillar and turned his head to look at the awkward middle-aged eunuch who wanted to laugh but didn't dare. He scolded, "What are you laughing for? This Palace is so big. Naturally, my legs will be sore. I don't know how you guys have such good leg skills. "
This young official was Fan Xian. The matter of him being the Emperor's illegitimate child was known to everyone under heaven. Additionally, these years, he had been favored by the Emperor to the extreme. His relationship with the various nobles and eunuchs in the Palace was also harmonious. He had once spent a month in the Palace recovering from his injuries, so the serving girls and eunuchs were all used to his presence in the Palace.
Only he would have the daring to do radio calisthenics in the inner palace.
Today, he was accompanying Wan'er back to her mother's palace. As soon as they entered the Palace, Wan'er was kept by the empress dowager's side. She refused to let her go. She said she wanted to keep her favorite granddaughter for the night. Fan Xian had no choice. He could only bring all kinds of gifts and walk toward the various Palaces. After returning to the capital, he had walked through one. Now, he had to walk through another. It was truly boring, so he took a break and rested his feet in the long corridor behind Taiji Palace.
The eunuch accompanying him, holding a large pile of gift boxes, was Eunuch Dai. Hearing Fan Xian scold him, he was not shocked. On the contrary, he was happy. He laughed and said, "Sir Fan junior is a ninth-level ace. How can servants like us compare?"
In the past, Eunuch Dai had also been greatly favored by the Emperor. Although he was a member of Lady Shu's palace and was in charge of the important tasks of announcing edicts to various manors, because of his relationship with his nephew and because he was involved in the struggle between Fan Xian and the Second Prince, he was given an idle position. Later, because of the assassination attempt in the Hanging Temple, he was forced into a corner. If he had wasted another two years, he would probably have died without a straw mat to cover his body with.
It was all thanks to Fan Xian's endless good words on his behalf that the Emperor remembered how well he had served the Emperor in the past. Only then did he spare his life and let him return to the inner palace to do some idle work.
For Eunuch Dai, Fan Xian was his savior and even half his master. He was even more important than Lady Shu. How could he not serve him well?
The boots under Fan Xian's feet were hot. He didn't even pull them all up. Just like that, he dragged them toward the end of the long corridor.
Eunuch Dai glanced at his feet and said awkwardly, "Sir, it's better to be particular in the Palace."
Fan Xian glanced at him and was about to tease him a bit more when he suddenly saw a few eunuchs coming from the end of the corridor. The one at the front was young and had a familiar appearance. His face was raised very high, and he had an air of arrogance about him. The eunuchs behind him followed with their bodies half-bent. They looked like servants of servants.
"It's Eunuch Hong," Eunuch Dai reminded from behind Fan Xian.
Fan Xian furrowed his brows slightly and didn't say anything. He directly went forward.
The two of them met in the middle of the corridor. Fan Xian clearly saw the few pimples on the arrogant young eunuch's face. He didn't say anything. He stood where he was and looked coldly at the other party.
Hong Zhu paused. He knew that Fan Xian was waiting for him to bow to him. However, he was now the head eunuch in the Eastern Palace. Furthermore, the Emperor would occasionally have him go to the royal study to help out. It was even more impressive than when he held books in the royal study. Who in the Palace would not respect him? Even when the court entered the Palace, they were polite to him. Other than Shu the Scholar, there was no official who dared to wait for him to bow first.
He knew Fan Xian and knew that Fan Xian was not a normal official. Looking at Fan Xian's cold and disdainful expression, his face flushed red. He refused to lower his head first.
The two of them were locked in a stalemate.
The three or four eunuchs following Hong Zhu were too low in rank and had never seen Fan Xian's face. How could they know that this young official was the powerful Sir Fan junior? Looking at this scene, they anxiously stood up for Eunuch Hong. In a sharp voice, they said, "Sir, why are you wandering around in the restricted Palace?"
Eunuch Dai hid behind Fan Xian and snickered. He had long lost the position he once had. In the Palace, he was bullied badly by Hong Zhu and the others. Seeing that these idiots were going to offend Fan Xian, he was unspeakably happy. He was about to say something when Fan Xian waved his hand to stop him.
Fan Xian smiled slightly and looked at the eunuchs behind Hong Zhu. Amused, he said, "You haven't been in the Palace for long, right? There aren't many people in the Palace who don't recognize me. I'm not wandering around. I'm just going to Shufang Palace to see the Emperor. "
Indeed, it was a few eunuchs who hadn't been in the Palace for long. They didn't understand the meaning in these words. They straightened their necks and said, "How dare you! Where is Shufang Palace? Why are you stopping in this long corridor? Be careful that Eunuch Hong calls the guards to throw you out! "
He was helping his master build up his reputation, but he had no idea that he was causing trouble for his master. As expected, Hong Zhu saw the smile on Fan Xian's face become gentler and gentler. His own expression immediately changed. He was shocked, afraid, and angry. He turned his head and harshly scolded the eunuchs. Only then did he slowly bow to Fan Xian and say, "Greetings, Sir Fan junior."
Once the words "Sir Fan junior" came out, the eunuchs immediately knew they were finished. They looked at Fan Xian with faces full of fear and quickly knelt down to beg for mercy.
Fan Xian couldn't be bothered to look at the eunuchs. He only stared at Hong Zhu's face and mockingly said, "My father is Minister Fan, so people call me Sir Fan junior. What kind of Eunuch Hong are you, a servant? If Eunuch Hong knew these words, he would carefully skin you! "
Hong Zhu's face was full of fear and ruthlessness. He stared hatefully at Fan Xian and didn't say a word.
"Slap yourself," Fan Xian furrowed his brows and said.
Hong Zhu gritted his teeth and said, "I am a person of the Eastern Palace. Sir Fan junior is a court official. No matter what, you can't control the Palace, right?"
Fan Xian didn't say anything. He only looked at him coldly.
Forced by those two gazes, Hong Zhu had no choice but to gently slap himself in the face.
After this slap landed, Eunuch Dai, who was behind Fan Xian, was overjoyed. He was going to advertise it in the Royal Palace that night. The eunuchs behind Hong Zhu were scared half to death. They all knew of Eunuch Hong's position in the Palace. They had no idea that with just one word from Sir Fan junior, Eunuch Hong could only slap himself in the face.
It looked like this Eunuch Hong was indeed not as powerful as Sir Fan junior.
Fan Xian moved his body to the side and blocked Eunuch Dai's line of sight. Taking advantage of the eunuchs kneeling on the ground, he gave Hong Zhu a meaningful glance.
Hong Zhu saw it clearly, but his eyes were crying out, indicating that he was unable to find a convenient place to talk.
Fan Xian nodded and coldly said, "Get out."
Thus, Hong Zhu shook out his sleeve and, angry and embarrassed, led the eunuchs toward the other end of the long corridor.
Seeing this, Eunuch Dai smiled charmingly at Fan Xian and said, "Let this dog of a servant continue to be arrogant. Just because the Emperor and empress both like him, he can do whatever he wants in the Palace."
Fan Xian smiled and said, "It is indeed not good to do whatever I want in the Palace. In a moment, when I go to Shufang Palace, I still have to pay attention to my appearance."
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