Crown Prince Li Hongcheng waited for a while and found that the person he was waiting for had not yet arrived. He couldn't help but laugh at himself, thinking that Master Fan was quite arrogant. Of all the civil and military officials in the court, there were few who had the right to make him wait. Then he thought of the events in the capital and secretly admired Fan Xian, who had not been in the capital for long, for all the ruckus he had caused. Throwing out a few poems had shaken the literary world; beating someone up in the middle of the night had shaken the bureaucracy; as for his marriage to the Prime Minister's illegitimate daughter, it had shaken those who had the right to know.
As he thought this, Fan Xian had already shouted from afar. As he bowed, he quickly walked over. He had not deliberately made the Crown Prince wait, but he had been in the middle of discussing some matters regarding the bookstore with the shopkeeper of Qingyu Hall, so he had been delayed. The two young men sat across from each other, took a few sips of tea, and then began to talk business.
The first to speak was, of course, Fan Xian. He had to express his gratitude for what had happened that night. Hearing his thanks, Crown Prince Li Hongcheng laughed and said warmly, "At the time, I thought, we've only known each other for a few days, how could you be willing to reserve the entire Drunken Immortal Tavern to entertain me? So that's what you were thinking … But it doesn't matter. Guo Baokun is an idiot, and among the Crown Prince's retainers, he doesn't rank very high. It's just that the old man at home has some knowledge. If you beat him up, then beat him up.
Fan Xian knew that the Crown Prince was referring to his actions in court. He laughed at himself. "Isn't that because I have no experience? If I had known that it was so easy to beat people up in the capital, I would have punched him in the manor garden. "
Li Hongcheng was startled and hurriedly waved the gold fan in his hand. "That won't do. If you go too far, I won't be able to protect you."
Fan Xian chuckled and thanked him again. Then he asked what the Crown Prince had come for. Li Hongcheng thought for a moment, then said, "I can't hide this from you. Because of the relationship between our families, I have to make things clear. Originally, the Second Imperial Prince wanted me to trick you into meeting him, so that we could meet naturally, so that you wouldn't be disgusted. But this method is still deceiving you, so I will say it clearly. Tomorrow, the Second Imperial Prince will hold a banquet on Liujing River, and he has specially invited you. I will only be accompanying you. "
Fan Xian frowned. "I really don't understand. The second prince's status is so noble. I'm just a mere scholar. How could I possibly be worthy of his attention?"
"Do you really not understand, or are you pretending to not understand?" Li Hongcheng pointed at his nose and laughed. "Acting like you is really a failure."
Fan Xian smiled awkwardly but did not reply.
Li Hongcheng noticed that there were no other people around the Flower Hall. He said seriously, "It's still the same thing. When I first saw you, I felt happy. I couldn't bear to hide it from you. I felt that this kind of method would inevitably alienate us. You know, even though the Emperor is still in his prime, there are always worries nearby. So, the eyes of the people in court are always on the princes. The First Prince was born with great martial prowess, but he led troops outside. Even though the Crown Prince is the empress' son, his conduct has always been dishonorable. Although King Jing's manor is impartial, to tell you the truth, among the princes, my relationship with the Second Imperial Prince is the best. "
Fan Xian was startled. Why was this situation so different from what he had expected? In his previous life, when he watched Er Yuehe, the princes would always make simple things complicated. They would want to wear eighty pieces of clothing so that they wouldn't fall into the trap of gossip. Who would be like this person in front of him? From the very beginning, he made things clear. This was a fight for the throne, and he would lose his head. How could he run around naked and shout wildly?
Seeming to realize that his words had frightened Fan Xian, Li Hongcheng laughed awkwardly. "Do you think I was too straightforward? To tell you the truth, I don't know why, but when I look at you, I don't want to play those empty games. You're right. I'm trying to win you over on behalf of the Second Imperial Prince. This is like marriage. It's a business that both parties are willing to do. "
Fan Xian was startled. He looked at the Crown Prince's clear eyes, as if he wanted to see something hidden within. He couldn't tell if the Crown Prince was a gentleman with a heart as clear as the moon, or if he was a strategist who used honesty as a way to win people over. But no matter what, the Crown Prince had already chosen the right side. Running around naked was one thing, but Fan Xian had no power in the capital, and no manpower. He would never dare to take off his clothes and hug the Crown Prince's arm. He smiled. "May I know clearly why the Second Imperial Prince wants to see me?"
"It's because of the marriage in October." Li Hongcheng was still very frank. He smiled and looked at him. "After next year's competition, if you show the appropriate ability, the Emperor will give you the right to manage those industries. For us, this is a great thing. First of all, there will be a lot less money coming into the accounts, and some things will be inconvenient. On the other hand, I believe that Count Sinan has been in charge of the Ministry of Revenue for many years. He must understand that when the new takes over from the old, there must be a need to check the old accounts. Perhaps there will be some pleasant surprises. "
Fan Xian was silent. His eyebrows drooped down, but he didn't seem very dispirited. On the contrary, he gave off a feeling of being docile and harmless. "It's still early," he said quietly. "The marriage is in October. I'll have to wait until next year or the year after before I can really come into contact with those things."
"Yes, so tomorrow it's just a meal." Li Hongcheng looked at him seriously. "How about it as a return gift for what happened last time? You know that I'm saying this today because I trust you. Perhaps when you see the Second Imperial Prince tomorrow, you'll have some new ideas. "
Fan Xian smiled. He thought that the struggle between the Second Imperial Prince and the Crown Prince wouldn't truly begin for another decade or so. Now even an inconspicuous person like him was involved. It really did feel like "rebellion starts with a child." He agreed and sent the Crown Prince out of the manor. Returning to his father's study, he sat in a chair by the desk and stared at the pens in the brush holder. His brows were furrowed as he pondered.
When he had beaten up Guo Baokun, he had chosen Crown Prince Jing as a cover to give the Crown Prince a chance to win him over. Because in order to survive in the capital, he had to choose the right side. His father could always stand by the Emperor's side, but he had also said that future matters were matters for the younger generation.
If Fan Xian wanted to choose a side, it wouldn't necessarily be with the Second Imperial Prince, but... it would definitely be against the Crown Prince. The reason was simple. Four years ago, the Empress had wanted him dead. Four years later, the people in the palace would still want him dead. And in the capital, which was as deep as the sea, it seemed that he was just an ant that could be pinched to death at any moment.
Could an ant like him climb a tree?
— — —
The Second Imperial Prince's banquet location was still on Liujing River. Hearing this, Fan Xian smiled bitterly. Recently, he had spent every night with Wan 'er. Although there was the occasional sweet and delicious taste, skin contact was too little. After all, she was his official fiancée, so when she was shy, he couldn't be too presumptuous. When he thought of the soft, jade-like body under his hands that night, Fan Xian immediately thought of her name: Si Lili. His heart couldn't help but ripple. He secretly thought back to his previous life in the Middle Ages in Europe who used intestines as condoms, and how they did it. Then he thought of why this woman had so coincidentally left the capital on the day of the lawsuit.
The security in the capital had always been good, except for the recent addition of the Fan family's underground boxing. So Fan Manor's carriage only brought four guards with it, and under the spring light, it slowly made its way west of the city.
After passing Wangchun Gate, they passed by Niulan Street, where he had once ambushed and beaten people. Fan Xian lifted the curtain and laughed. Teng Zijing and the other three guards had experienced what had happened that day. Hearing their young master laugh, they naturally knew what he was laughing about. Feeling refreshed, they also laughed.
There weren't many residences around Niulan Street, but there were a few shops that had fallen into disrepair many years ago, which was why it was called the Broken Door Shop. It was very quiet here, no matter whether it was day or night, and there were no pedestrians. It was truly the best place to ambush someone on the street.
Fan Xian stuck his head out of the curtain and watched the large leaves of the parasol tree slowly recede above his head. He looked up at the sky and thought about how he should behave when he saw the Second Imperial Prince later. The Second Imperial Prince should be well aware of his father's strength, and presumably wouldn't make any excessive demands. He probably just wanted to make some friendly contact, and pave the way for something that might happen a decade later.
As they walked, Fan Xian suddenly frowned. He didn't know why, but he felt that something was wrong, as if there was something strange about his surroundings. He looked around the carriage and found that it was quiet. There was nothing out of the ordinary.
Suddenly, his nose twitched, and he smelled an extremely faint sweetness.
It was the smell of "kourenine", an arrow poison extracted from the favorite frog of the Western Barbarians!
...
...
"Spread out!" Fan Xian shouted, and his body was already the first to jump out of the carriage window. He grabbed the guard closest to him with one hand, but he didn't see who it was. Although his childhood training had made his sense of smell unusually sensitive, he could still smell this strange fragrance, which meant that the archer was already very close to his carriage. The assassination was about to begin without warning!
Just as he jumped out of the carriage, a large stone was thrown from behind the alley. It whistled through the air and smashed into the carriage, shattering it into countless splinters that flew into the air!
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