Under Hong Zhu's lead, Fan Xian walked silently toward the outside of the Royal Palace. Along the way, the eunuchs and serving girls he saw all turned their bodies to greet him. Occasionally, a new person who had just entered the Palace would not be able to react and would be taught a good lesson by a ranked elder. Fan Xian did not have the energy to pay attention to these things. He just walked blindly.
The people in the Palace looked at Hong Zhu in front of him and thought that the Emperor had reinstated Eunuch Hong junior. It was probably to dirty Sir Fan junior's eyes. Unexpectedly, Fan Xian did not speak harshly or harshly to Hong Zhu. On the contrary, he chatted calmly with him. Hong Zhu also maintained his humble appearance and appeared very harmonious.
Sir Fan junior and Eunuch Hong junior were not normal people. The people watching this scene all sighed in their hearts. Perhaps only such people, who could hide their true emotions so well, could ensure their own survival and future in the unpredictable changes of the Qing court and Palace. In reality, the affairs of the world were strange. In everyone's eyes, the question and answer between Fan Xian and Hong Zhu on the way out of the Palace was an act for everyone to see. No one thought that Fan Xian and Hong Zhu were actually talking.
Their voices were low, and their expressions were natural. Each of them played their roles well, but the contents of what they said were not normal.
"The Emperor seems to like those dishes these days," Hong Zhu lowered his head and said obediently. Hong Zhu lowered his head and obediently said, "The Imperial Academy of Medicine has examined them. They are all extremely good ingredients for strengthening one's constitution."
Fan Xian's eyes looked straight ahead and did not look at Hong Zhu's face. He gently made a sound of acknowledgement. It was impossible to see the change in his expression. Three years ago, the rebellion had just been quelled, and the effects of the matter had gradually disappeared. Hong Zhu was taken out of the Cold Palace. At first, he was helping out in the royal kitchen. He was a person who had once seen great things. Adding to that his own cleverness and Fan Xian's secret help, not only did his days pass by easily, but he also gradually gathered some power in his hands.
Later, Hong Zhu followed Eunuch Dai to work, but it did not weaken his influence on the royal kitchen. What Hong Zhu said to Fan Xian at this moment was the little secret between the two of them. More accurately, it was Fan Xian's little secret. Even Hong Zhu himself did not know why Sir Fan junior wanted to influence the food ingredients the royal kitchen sent to the Emperor.
Hong Zhu was not worried that Fan Xian would poison the Emperor. In the Royal Palace, this was not possible. Regardless of whether it was a chronic or acute poison, there would be specialized people to examine it. Additionally, with the food tasting segment, the possibility of poisoning had basically been eliminated.
Furthermore, these ingredients that had been secretly influenced by Hong Zhu to be added to the recipes also received great praise from the Imperial Academy of Medicine, particularly the celery from the south. Because of its cool nature and sweet taste, it had the effect of clearing away heat and eliminating irritability, as well as curing extreme heat and irritating thirst, it was recommended by the doctors of the Imperial Academy of Medicine to be placed on the Emperor's daily dining table.
Not being poisonous was the most basic requirement. Hong Zhu didn't know if there were any problems with the Emperor's body. However, seeing that the celery, which could cure baths, clear away heat, and eliminate irritability, was so highly valued by the Imperial Academy of Medicine, perhaps the Emperor's body truly did have internal problems.
Hong Zhu lowered his head slightly and glanced at Fan Xian. He did not see his true emotions. He thought to himself, In the current situation, Sir Fan junior is still worried about the Emperor's body. Is he really a loyal official and filial son? Unfortunately, Sir Fan junior was a sentimental person. It would probably be difficult for him to let go of Director Chen's death and obtain the Emperor's happiness again.
The road out of the Palace from the royal study was not far. However, Fan Xian had already received an edict earlier to go to Shufang Palace to see Yi Guipin and the Third Prince. Thus, Hong Zhu took him in the direction of the inner Palace. The reason the Emperor had such an edict was perhaps because, from now on, Fan Xian would truly become an idle person in Jingdou. It would be difficult for him to have another opportunity to enter the Palace.
Walking outside Shufang Palace, Fan Xian heard waves of young women's laughter coming from inside. His brows furrowed slightly. Why had the Royal Palace suddenly become so lively? He turned his head to look at Hong Zhu and asked, "The madams and young ladies of the Duke's Alley are entering the Palace to pay their respects today? Why are there so many people? "
"They are the beauties waiting to be selected. Because they have to wait for the candidates sent up by the various provinces next month, these dozen beauties will have to stay in the Palace for a bit longer. Guipin has probably summoned them today and will have to follow some rules," Hong Zhu replied quietly.
Fan Xian listened to this news with a startled expression. For a moment, he could not come back to his senses. These days, he had been under house arrest in the Fan manor. Later, he had been busy with those secret plans and had not paid attention to the rumors about the consorts in Jingdou. It was not until now that he learned that the Emperor was preparing to take a wife again.
Just like Yi Guipin and the Third Prince, Fan Xian did not spend too much time before he sensed the hidden meaning behind the consorts. His brows furrowed. He knew that not only was he moving, but the Emperor was also moving. Furthermore, if the Emperor did not move, it would be fine. Once he moved, it would be a sword pointing at the future and giving him the strongest warning.
There was a glimmer of confusion and apology in his heart. This apology was for the mother and son in Shufang Palace. In this world, there were not many people like the mother and son who truly trusted a powerful aid from outside the Palace. This kind of trust was rare. Now, because of him, they were going to face an unpredictable danger. Fan Xian's heart was uneasy.
Seeing Fan Xian stand silently in front of Shufang Palace, Hong Zhu thought he was thinking that there were beauties inside and that it was not appropriate for him to enter to see the Empress and the Third Prince. In a quiet voice, he asked, "It is my fault. How about you come back another day?"
Fan Xian smiled and said, "Why wouldn't I come in? Not following the rules? I have never been a person who abides by the rules. The Emperor has given me an edict, so I came to see. If I still don't come to see … who knows when the next opportunity to enter the Palace will be? "
As he spoke, Fan Xian was already striding toward Shufang Palace. The two eunuchs guarding the Palace door had come with the beauties. They did not know who Fan Xian was. Seeing a young man wearing a plain cotton robe charging into the Palace, they couldn't help but jump in fright. Although they did not know Fan Xian, to be able to stay in the Palace, they were all clever people. They did not dare to stop him. One of them followed behind Fan Xian and lowered his voice to greet him. The other charged into Shufang Palace to inform the people inside.
Once he entered Shufang Palace, he heard a wave of panicked shouts and the sound of clothes being adjusted. Most of them were curious gazes.
Fan Xian had come too quickly. The eunuch did not have time to say anything, and the palace girls did not have time to prepare anything before he entered the palace. Suddenly, countless pairs of eyes focused on him. The atmosphere in the Kingdom of Qing was relatively civilized. Although they were deep in the palace, and men and women had to be on guard, suddenly seeing a young man enter the palace, these girls only lowered their voices and exclaimed a few times. They were not so embarrassed that they wanted to die, nor were they so perverted as to cry out loud.
Amidst the forcefully suppressed panic, Fan Xian smiled warmly and bowed seriously toward Yi Guipin in the middle. "Auntie, it is quite lively here today."
However, Fan Xian had already formally broken off relations with the Emperor in the royal study. Although the Emperor still had a death grip on his weakness and he couldn't do anything, in terms of his personality, he no longer wanted to hide anything. He faintly revealed a carefree spirit of not caring about anything.
Yi Guipin was the sister of Lady Liu. When Fan Xian first entered the Palace, she had been very fond of this jade-like little boy. Now that Fan Xian had long grown up, their relationship had long been very close. In private, Yi Guipin always wanted Fan Xian to call her aunt. She had not expected that with so many people in the Palace, Fan Xian would still call her like this.
Yi Guipin smiled slightly and said, "How old are you to be so cheeky?" These words seemed unhappy, but they were actually a reminder and a question. Fan Xian looked at her and shook his head. He smiled. A glimmer of worry appeared at the corner of Yi Guipin's brows. Fan Xian's behavior today was too strange. It looked like although the conversation in the royal study had not reached the worst result, it did not have any signs of getting better.
Thinking of this, Yi Guipin's heart felt like a large stone was pressing down on it. It was heavy. She forced a smile and said, "Why did you want to enter the Palace today?"
Everyone in the Palace knew Fan Xian's purpose for entering the Palace. This was just a formality. Fan Xian explained a bit. At this time, Xing'er had already moved an embroidered stool over. This former little serving girl had now become the most senior serving girl in Shufang Palace and had the most power to speak. Fan Xian looked at her delicate face and smiled. He even found a moment to chat casually. Only then did he seriously say to Yi Guipin, "Other than seeing the Emperor, the Emperor also ordered me to see the Third Prince's homework."
The worry between Yi Guipin's brows grew stronger and stronger. She thought to herself, Is he here to say goodbye? However, the young lady of the Fan family was in the Palace, and there were hundreds of people in the Fan manor and the Duke's manor. Would Fan Xian actually dare to leave? For a moment, she couldn't help but have many things she wanted to ask Fan Xian. However, the beauties present were all looking curiously at this young man, so she couldn't ask. Yi Guipin's heart was very irritated. She wanted to chase all of these teenage girls out of the Palace.
Fan Xian looked at her expression and knew that this concubine had misunderstood. He smiled and said, "Where is the Prince?" This was finding an excuse to leave. After all, he was sitting in a room full of the Emperor's future concubine. She was like his little stepmother. Fan Xian only wanted to use this opportunity to see the hidden meaning of the concubine selection. He didn't want to stay here forever.
"Ping'er is in the back. You can go by yourself." Yi Guipin felt a headache coming on. She looked at him and shook her head. The serving girl Xing'er gazed at Fan Xian and smiled. She led him to the back. Hong Zhu followed closely behind. In the eyes of the bystanders, this was the Emperor ordering Hong Zhu to keep an eye on him.
As Fan Xian walked into the back of the hall, the atmosphere immediately relaxed. From the moment he entered, the dozen beauties forced themselves to calm down after a slight panic. They wanted to display the bearing of a royal family in front of the concubine. However, looking at the young official's handsome face and confident bearing, how could these girls, who were only 14 or 15 and usually found it difficult to even step out of the front door, completely calm down?
What made them curious was how such a young man dressed like a commoner could walk freely in the tightly guarded Royal Palace. Listening to this person's conversation with Yi Guipin, any of the beauties with a bit of insight guessed that this person was Sir Fan junior.
Unable to stop it, his appearance, which had been so good that it did not seem mortal, immediately gained a bit more luster in the eyes of these beauties. Regardless of whether it was the bold or the Shuning, directly or quietly, they all looked at Fan Xian a few more times.
At this moment, Fan Xian had left. Finally, a brave girl from the Duke's Alley asked, "Concubine, is this Sir Fan junior?"
With Yi Guipin's nod of confirmation, these beauties couldn't help but begin to discuss in whispers. After all, they were still young girls. They had been bored in the Palace for a few days and had suddenly met the legendary Sir Fan junior. It was no wonder they were so excited. They had even tossed the admonitions at home before they entered the Palace and the warnings of the teaching nannies in the Palace to the back of their minds.
However, there were a few arrogant beauties who just sat calmly to the side. They had seen something strange from Fan Xian's attire. In addition, these beauties had always seen the young lady of the Fan manor in the royal study as their greatest enemy. Thus, when they saw Fan Xian today, they were not moved. On the contrary, they felt a faint hostility.
… …
"Things have already been said to this extent, yet the Emperor still wants you to go to Shufang Palace …" In a normal carriage, Lin Wan 'er looked at the slightly tired Fan Xian beside her. Quietly, she said, "The matter of the consort selection has happened very suddenly. I think the Emperor is just giving you a warning. He doesn't have anything against the Third Prince, so don't worry too much."
When they were alone, Fan Xian always referred to the Emperor as "Old Emperor," while Lin Wan'er referred to the man who had held her growing up as "Uncle Emperor." It was not considered disgraceful, but it was somewhat domestic. Today, Lin Wan'er had directly referred to him as "Emperor." Fan Xian knew that his wife understood that his mood was very poor.
"It is also to warn the officials in court not to think that the future Qing Kingdom will definitely be the Third Prince's." He smiled and said, "Although the Emperor is old, his ambition is still there. I just don't know if his awe-inspiring spirit is still there."
"What did you and Chengping talk about?" Lin Wan'er gently pulled back the curtain of the carriage and looked at the early autumn Jingdou street scene outside.
…
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