The swing soared higher and higher, and suddenly Sisi seemed to see something in the high sky. She quickly stopped pushing and let the swing slow down. Before it came to a complete stop, she hurriedly jumped off, not even putting on her shoes that had fallen on the grass, and ran towards Fan Xian.

The few little maids who were holding onto the swing were startled. Siqi was about to tease her, but seeing her expression, she wisely kept her mouth shut. Even the three masters on this side were puzzled, wondering what had gotten into this girl? Why was she so flustered? With the power of the Fan residence, what visitors in Kyoto would they be afraid of? Unless eunuchs led the Imperial Guards to confiscate their property.

"At the gate... it's Prince Jing's carriage!"

Sisi gasped as she ran to the soft couch where Fan Xian was resting, her chest heaving. Fan Xian was stunned, then immediately came to his senses. He jumped up from the couch and shouted, "Quick, retreat!" As he ran towards the back of the garden, he didn't forget to turn around and praise Sisi, "Good girl, you're sharp."

Seeing his incredibly agile movements, who would have thought he was a patient who couldn't attend court? Wan'er and Ruo Ruo, who were by the couch, exchanged puzzled glances, then immediately understood. Their expressions changed slightly as they quickly stood up, instructing the servants to arrange their departure and telling Teng Dajia to hitch up the carriage.

In an instant, the back garden of the Fan residence, which had been filled with laughter and cheerful voices, became a logistical base before a battle. Everyone was rushing around, those tidying up the soft couch tidied, those avoiding were avoiding, and those finding clothes for the masters were the most hurried. After a flurry of activity, they finally managed to pack everything up in the shortest possible time and escorted Fan Xian to the back gate of the rear residence. At this time, Teng Zijing had personally driven the carriage to the gate.

"Still sick, and yet you have to run and hide everywhere." Wan'er draped a slightly thick windbreaker over Fan Xian, complaining, "Little Uncle is really too much, saying he didn't need to come visit."

Fan Xian had no time to answer her. Like a guerrilla fighter, he bravely squeezed into the carriage.

Lin Wan'er smiled mockingly, then turned to see her little sister-in-law also looking tense, holding a small incense burner as she followed Fan Xian into the carriage. She couldn't help but be surprised and said, "Ruo Ruo, what are you hiding from?"

The reason why Fan Xian had to flee in a panic after Sisi spotted the Jing Prince's carriage was naturally clear to Wan'er, as his wife. Recently, the Fan family and the Second Prince's faction were fighting. Li Hongcheng had been smeared with so much dirt by Fan Xian that he had been confined to the Prince's residence by Prince Jing for the past few days. Prince Jing's visit now was undoubtedly for a few reasons: first, to ask Fan Shangshu what was going on; second, to have a word with Fan Xian. As for the third, it was undoubtedly to say a few good words for his son and try to mediate between the two sides.

The Emperor's younger brother had come, and for so many years, the children of the Fan family had treated Prince Jing with the respect due to an elder, getting along very well. If he came to mediate, what could Fan Xian do? Moreover, with that old gardener's cunning nature, how could he not guess that Fan Xian was framing Li Hongcheng? Fan Xian was extremely afraid of this elder's foul mouth. The other party's status and seniority could crush him, so what could he do? Therefore, he had no choice but to pack up and leave, for of the thirty-six strategies, running was the best.

Hearing her sister-in-law's question, Fan Ruo Ruo, who was usually so calm, gave a slightly embarrassed wry smile and said awkwardly, "Sister-in-law, it would be too awkward to meet at this time."

Upon hearing this, Wan'er was stunned, then immediately realized that her family had been bullying Li Hongcheng for several days, and the name of the Jing Prince's residence had been tarnished by her husband. It was indeed not appropriate for Ruo Ruo to meet her future father-in-law at this time. She suddenly realized that her husband and sister-in-law had both run away, so what would she do if she stayed in the residence? After all, the person coming was also her little uncle... and her little uncle's tongue... Wan'er shuddered, took her warm robe from Siqi's hand, lowered her head, and squeezed into the carriage as well.

The brother and sister in the carriage were stunned and asked, "Why did you come in too?"

Wan'er rolled her eyes at them and said, "Little Uncle has come to question us. Did you want me to face him alone? I'm not that stupid."

The servants of the Fan residence, both inside and outside the carriage, were very familiar with the old prince's temper. Seeing that their three young masters were so frightened, they couldn't help but laugh. Amidst the low chuckles, Teng Zijing flicked his whip, and the Fan residence's carriage, marked with a square emblem, quietly drove away. Faint sounds of young people complaining to each other could be heard from inside the carriage.

The carriage carefully avoided the main street, taking a detour out of the southern part of the city so that it wouldn't be seen by the Jing Prince's servants. Watching the carriage disappear at the end of the street, the servants at the gate of the Fan residence immediately dispersed. Before long, they indeed heard a voice as loud as a bell echoing through the back garden of the Fan residence.

"I'll be damned!" Prince Jing stood in front of a large group of uneasy servants, his hands on his hips, looking at the empty and desolate back garden, where not even a rat was left. He was beside himself with anger. "These little bastards knew I was coming and hid like farts. Am I that scary?"

At the front of the crowd, Liu Shi, the nominal mother of Fan Xian and his siblings, felt a little worried when she heard the prince's "I'll be damned." She lowered her voice and replied, "Your Highness, I told you earlier, those children went to see the doctor in the western part of the city today."

Prince Jing looked at the swing that was still gently swaying, spat, and cursed, "Fan Jian's illness was cured by Fan Xian. Does he still need to see a damn doctor!"

—————————————————————————————

Like two flowers blooming, let's talk about one branch first. Leaving aside Prince Jing's outburst at the air in the back garden, the three young people in the carriage were feeling relaxed and lighthearted, feeling that the autumn air in Kyoto was particularly refreshing and their moods were excellent.

Since Fan Xian returned to the country from Northern Qi, a series of events had occurred. Not to mention taking the family to Cangshan for a vacation or to the manor in the outskirts of Kyoto for a short break, they hadn't even had a chance to properly explore Kyoto. He spent his days either plotting conspiracies or playing tricks, stewing in his own anger at home. These past few days, with the overall situation settled, he had become a little more relaxed, but because he was pretending to be sick and not attending court, he always had to give the Emperor enough face and was too embarrassed to wander around the streets openly. So, he had no choice but to chat with his wife and sister at home until their mouths were dry.

Fortunately, Prince Jing came today, presumably Fan Shangshu would not be angry about Fan Xian's escape, which gave the three of them a chance to secretly tour Kyoto.

Sitting in the carriage, Fan Xian opened a small crack in the curtain and greedily looked at the scenery and people on the street with the two girls. The stalls selling snacks were hawking their wares, and there were some selling strange gadgets on the street corners, a scene of peace and prosperity.

Wan'er pouted and said, "We've come out, but it's not convenient to get out of the carriage. Are we just going to be stuck in the carriage?"

Ruo Ruo also frowned and said, "It's not convenient for brother to show his face at this time..." She suddenly said, "But brother, you can disguise yourself, right?"

Fan Xian laughed and said, "Even if the people in Kyoto don't recognize me, wouldn't they recognize you two flowers of Kyoto?" Knowing that he was saying something untrue, Wan'er and Ruo Ruo were still a little secretly happy. Girls were indeed easy to please.

"Let's go to Yi Shi Ju to eat." Wan'er was feeling a little bored and suggested, "Clear out a quiet private room on the third floor. No one will see us, and we can also see the scenery."

As luck would have it, the carriage was just passing by Yi Shi Ju's building at this time. Fan Xian looked out of the window and suddenly remembered that the first time he strolled around Kyoto after coming from Danzhou, he had eaten at Yi Shi Ju with his sister and brother. He had forgotten what they had talked about at that time, it seemed to be related to integrity, but he did remember giving Guo Baokun a black eye and buying a pirated copy of *The Story of the Stone* from the kind middle-aged woman downstairs.

The Guo family had already been brought down by him. Guo Youzhi, the Minister of Rites, had been strangled in the prison for the spring examination case, but the case had not been implicated, so he didn't know where that young master Guo Baokun had gone.

He didn't answer Wan'er's words but instead said with some regret, "Yi Shi Ju... downstairs, why are there no more book vendors?"

Fan Ruo Ruo glanced at him and said softly, "After brother opened Danbo Bookstore, Si Zhe hired some people, so the government's investigation became stricter... There are many fewer book vendors selling books in Kyoto."

Fan Xian was slightly startled, then remembered that his younger brother had once said that he would use both legal and illegal means to cut off the business of those who sold pirated copies. Thinking of this, he naturally thought of Fan Sizhe, who was now heading north, and subconsciously said, "Si Zhe should be able to reach Shangjing at the beginning of next month."

The carriage suddenly became quiet. Wan'er and Ruo Ruo looked at each other, and after a long while, they said softly, "It's quite cold in the north. I don't know if he brought enough clothes."

Fan Xian lowered his head and smiled slightly, saying, "Don't worry about this matter... He's fourteen already. He can take care of himself." Although he said so, what he was thinking in his heart was another matter. At least, Fan Xian's aversion to the Second Prince's side had increased. Looking at Yi Shi Ju, he felt particularly displeased and said coldly, "The Cui family's property is used to send money to the Second Prince. I'm not going to patronize his business."

Wan'er didn't say anything at this time. After all, she had spent nearly ten years in the palace with the Second Prince and had some feelings for him. Although she had rationally chosen to remain silent and secretly support Fan Xian in the struggle between her husband and cousin, she didn't want to say anything malicious. Seeing that the atmosphere was a little oppressive, she chuckled and said, "Since we don't support his property, then we have to support our own property... Otherwise..."

She rolled her eyes and said teasingly, "Let's go to Bao Yue Lou."

……

……

Taking his wife and sister to visit a brothel? Fan Xian was almost scared to death by this suggestion. He coughed twice and said seriously, "Bao Yue Lou is not my property. It's Shi Chanli's."

Wan'er rolled her eyes at him and said, "Who doesn't know that's just a smokescreen? If you want to open a brothel, go ahead. I didn't say anything."

Ruo Ruo was holding back her laughter to the side.

Fan Xian raised an eyebrow and said with a smile, "Why is it that I'm opening a brothel? You know I'm just cleaning up the mess for my brother."

Wan'er retorted, "Anyway, it's our own business. Didn't you say that the food there is the best in Kyoto? We're not going to find girls, so what's the harm in just eating the food? And because it's our own business, we don't have to worry about the news of you pretending to be sick and wandering around being known by others."

Fan Xian flatly refused, "If you want to eat, I'll have the chef from the brothel make it and send it to the residence. What's it like for a girl to be sitting in a brothel?"

Wan'er stuck out her tongue playfully and said, "The food will be cold by the time it's made and sent over."

Fan Xian said unhappily, "Then it's okay to call the chef home, right?"

Seeing that he was insistent, Wan'er couldn't help but sigh, regretting it very much, "I really wanted to sit in Bao Yue Lou and see what kind of brothel my little brother-in-law has built." She blinked her big eyes and said, "Seriously, I'm really curious about this kind of place."

Ruo Ruo, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke, "Let's go take a look..." She looked at Fan Xian preparing to speak and blocked him in advance, saying, "It's not proper for girls to sit in a brothel. Is it proper for you big men to sit there?"

She smiled and supported her chin on the window sill, "Besides, I heard brother say that you let that Ms. Sang manage the business of Bao Yue Lou. I haven't heard Ms. Sang sing in half a year. If we don't go to Bao Yue Lou, where can we go to listen?"

Wan'er, seeing that her sister-in-law agreed with her opinion, became more courageous and shamelessly begged Fan Xian, "You know I like to listen to Sang Wen sing. I haven't seen her in half a year. Now I know she was snatched away by that hateful little brother-in-law to Bao Yue Lou. Just take us there."

Ruo Ruo continued, "If men can go, why can't we?"

Fan Xian was momentarily speechless, carefully examining his sister and discovering that this girl seemed to be becoming more and more sharp and bold. Moreover, her thoughts and ideas were indeed different from other women in this world. Just looking at the previous conversation, she was obviously more upright, reasonable, and forceful than Wan'er—and more feminist. Of course, this was primarily due to his own education of her since childhood, but he always felt that the extraordinary temperament that the girl revealed came from somewhere else.

He smiled bitterly and said, "Actually, there's no harm in taking a look. You know, I'm also a guy who loves to shock the world, but... Kyoto is restless recently, and I don't want those censors to have too much to say."

Hearing him bring up serious matters, Wan'er and Ruo Ruo both stopped talking sensibly.

Fan Xian turned his head and looked out of the car, but was startled to find that not far ahead was Bao Yue Lou. He laughingly scolded the coachman, Teng Zijing, "Are you really pulling us here? You only know how to please your female master, and you don't know how to follow my wishes. Do you still want to go to Donghai Commandery to be an official? You should know that your family has already mentioned it to me several times."

Teng Zijing gave a simple and honest smile without saying anything. Instead, Wan'er and Ruo Ruo covered their mouths and laughed.

When the Fan residence carriage arrived at Bao Yue Lou, although they didn't know that Fan Xian was in the carriage, how could the shrewd managers of Bao Yue Lou dare to be disrespectful? Even Shi Qing'er, who was recovering from the beatings she'd received in the Kyoto Prefecture in a room on the third floor... limped down to serve them. When she saw that it was actually the legendary critically ill Fan Tidusi in the carriage, Shi Qing'er couldn't help but be shocked.

Seeing the legendary young madam of the brothel, the two noble young ladies in the carriage were somewhat satisfied. However, they were disappointed that Sang Wen was not in the brothel, saying that she had been invited to sing songs at someone's residence.

Without this excuse, Fan Xian would certainly not allow them to run wild in Bao Yue Lou, but he was also a little puzzled. Sang Wen was now a free woman and had secretly joined the Supervisory Council. She didn't need to care about the faces of other princes and nobles in Kyoto. How could she still go to other people's residences to sing songs? Whose residence had such a big face?

The carriage drove away from Bao Yue Lou. Seeing the two young ladies looking somewhat disappointed, Fan Xian comforted them with a smile, "Since we're out to have fun, we have to be happy... Bao Yue Lou isn't the most luxurious place in Kyoto, and the food made by the chefs here isn't the best either."

Before he could finish speaking, Wan'er preemptively said, "Don't even think about fooling us. Bao Yue Lou's reputation is really loud now. If this one isn't good... unless you say the palace." She giggled and said, "I don't mind going into the palace to see those concubines. It's been a few days since I last saw them anyway... But husband, aren't you afraid that His Majesty will see you pretending to be sick in the palace and become furious?"

Fan Xian smiled and tweaked her nose, "Don't curse me... I'll take you to a place that's definitely more comfortable than the palace, and the food that's made there is even better than what the imperial chefs can make."

The two young ladies were very surprised, thinking that under the entire sky, there was no land that didn't belong to the king. How could there still be a place more luxurious than the imperial palace? Even if those salt merchants and royal merchants had this kind of strength, they wouldn't have the guts to violate regulations.

……

……

The carriage drove out of the southern gate of Kyoto, and after reaching the outskirts, the number of pedestrians decreased. The secret agents of the Qinian Group and the guards of the Fan residence, who were protecting Fan Xian in the dark, had no choice but to awkwardly reveal themselves. They looked at each other somewhat inexplicably, and then followed the carriage, feeling very uncomfortable, as it headed towards a quiet small mountain in the outskirts of Kyoto.

The closer they got to the mountain, the wider the mountain road became. It still maintained the standard of Qing Kingdom's first-class official road, but the mountain forest beside the road was more secluded, and beautiful scenery came into view. Yellow autumn grasses were interspersed with unwithering wildflowers. The woods with white bark, green branches, and sparse leaves were distributed behind the grasses. Countless layers of rich colors, like being painted by a painter, were naturally scattered among the surrounding mountain forests, making it extremely beautiful.

Lin Wan'er and Fan Ruo Ruo couldn't help but sigh. The scenery here was indeed excellent, but why hadn't they heard people mention it usually? Even the outings and spring trips in previous years didn't seem to have come here. Logically speaking, this kind of good place should have been seized by the palace or some high-ranking official to build a villa, but why didn't they know who it belonged to? However, looking at the width of the mountain road, they could guess that the residence they were going to visit later must be inhabited by a very remarkable person.

However, seeing that Fan Xian was still acting mysteriously, the two women were somewhat unhappy, so they closed their mouths and didn't talk to him, only admiring the surrounding scenery.

As the mountain road gradually came to an end, the carriage turned past a patch of woods, and a manor that occupied a very large area suddenly appeared in front of everyone, as if it were a place where immortals lived. Suddenly, after removing the clouds of magic, it appeared before the eyes of mortals. The buildings in the manor were not tall, but their distribution was extremely appropriate, interspersed with low trees and green stones in the garden, subtly in harmony with the principles of nature. Although it was not ostentatious, the details of the eaves, corners, and door knockers clearly revealed a sense of nobility.

"How does it compare to the imperial palace?" Fan Xian asked with a smile.

Lin Wan'er closed her astonished mouth and mocked, "... Each has its own merits... But it's not our manor, so what are you so proud of?"

Fan Xian waved his hand and said, "The owner of this place did say that he would give it to me in the future, but I think there's one thing wrong with it, so I don't want to move here."

Even Ruo Ruo was surprised at this time, asking in surprise, "What's wrong with it?"

"Too many women." Fan Xian said seriously, "I don't know how many stunning beauties are hidden in this manor."

……

……

Ignoring the shock of the two girls beside him, Fan Xian stopped the carriage under his command. Under the gaze of the two women, he got out of the carriage and took out the Inspector's badge from his waist, abruptly reaching into the grass beside him.

A person appeared from the grass like magic. The person was wearing very ordinary clothes, like a common woodcutter in the mountains. The woodcutter carefully examined the waist card, then stared at Fan Xian for a long time before saying very embarrassedly, "Master, this is a strict rule, please forgive me."

"I'm not blaming you." Fan Xian said with a smile, "My wife and sister are in the carriage."

The woodcutter didn't dare to respond and respectfully retreated, finding another inconspicuous hiding place.

The carriage started again, heading towards the manor along the mountain road. It was extremely quiet along the way, but the two girls in the carriage could guess that this road must not have less security than the imperial palace, and could even be said to be full of dangers. Even if a small army wanted to attack, they would probably suffer a crushing defeat.

Of course, these two clever girls finally guessed who the owner of this manor was.

Who else could have more advanced enjoyment than the imperial palace, live in such a manor, and have such strict defenses, besides the owner of the Supervisory Council?

Behind the carriage, the two teams of people who had been responsible for protecting the carriage also stopped their progress extremely cleverly at a distance, squatting down helplessly and starting to herd sheep. Having reached this place, there was no need for them to be bodyguards.

Su Wenmao, the leader of the Qinian Group today, nodded to the head of the guards from the Fan residence over there.

The head of the guards also returned the greeting somewhat awkwardly.

"Be content." Su Wenmao said with a smile to his colleague on the other side of the road, "People like us can be so close to the yard of the Director... it's all thanks to Lord Tidusi."

"That's right." The head of the guards looked at the beautiful manor in the distance with some envy.

Then the two sides sat in the grass, chewing on grass roots, spacing out, feeling bored, looking at the sky, and yawning.

……

……

Chen Pingping lived in the beautiful manor, the old cripple with the most power in the entire Qing Kingdom besides His Majesty the Emperor. Unlike ordinary civil and military officials, Chen Pingping's position in the Qing Kingdom's court was too special, and he always claimed to be ill and refused to attend court, so he had time to live in the garden outside the city all year round, and he basically never lived in the house in Kyoto.

Today, Fan Xian, this little pretender of illness, came to see Chen Pingping, this old pretender of illness. After all, he was someone who had come a few times, so he was familiar with the way and went straight to the gate of the garden. The plaque on the gate of the garden had two ink-splashed characters, "Chen Garden," which was personally inscribed by the late emperor and was extremely valuable.

He frowned as he looked at the two carriages parked outside the door. He never expected that there would actually be guests in the garden today. With Chen Pingping's solitary nature and the notorious reputation of the Supervisory Council, ordinary courtiers would definitely not run over for tea—who were the guests who came today?

Wan'er got out of the car behind him. She recognized the mark on the first carriage with just one glance and said with a smile, "People from the royal family."

Fan Xian was slightly startled.

The old steward at the entrance of Chen Garden had already flown down the steps to greet him. He knew that the young Lord Fan in front of him was different from all the officials in the world. He was the most valued junior of his own Director, and was also the successor designated by the Director himself. Naturally, he didn't dare to act presumptuously and said with extreme politeness and a very soft voice, "It's Prince He and Master Qin from the Privy Council."

Fan Xian tilted his head and scratched the back of his neck, which was a little itchy. The First Prince and Little Qin? He knew that Little Qin was also deliberating matters under his command now and had already become an important minister in the central government of the court. Most importantly, above Little Qin was Old Qin, the former Director of the Military Academy and now the Chief Envoy of the Privy Council, General Old Qin. This family of powerful figures had a very deep influence in the Qing Kingdom's military. The First Prince had been fighting in the west for several years and had a close relationship with the Qin family. What were these two people doing coming to Chen Pingping's residence?

Fan Xian stood under the stone steps, not in a hurry to go in, but thinking about whether the other party's visit had anything to do with him. Although the relationship between the military and the Supervisory Council had always been very harmonious, this matter was still a little strange. He smiled, not caring that his outing would be known by the court, and led his wife and sister into the garden. He wanted to see what the First Prince was planning.

Passing through the extremely beautiful and luxuriously decorated garden pavilions and flowing water, they finally arrived at the main hall where Chen Pingping entertained guests. Without waiting for anyone to report, Fan Xian strode in. He hadn't thought about what to say, but when he saw Ms. Sang Wen, who was singing with an uneasy expression in a corner of the hall, he couldn't help but laugh loudly and said, "I guessed it. The only ones in the entire Kyoto who dare to forcefully pull Ms. Sang to sing are you people."

It turned out that Sang Wen, who wasn't in Bao Yue Lou, was actually in Chen Garden!

Sang Wen was the manager of Bao Yue Lou and a new recruit to the Supervisory Council. It was naturally just a matter of saying a word for Chen Pingping to pull her over to sing a song.

Laughter echoed in the hall. Chen Pingping, sitting in the main seat, raised his eyes with a smile that wasn't quite a smile, looking at the three young men and women who had arrived unexpectedly. A hint of warmth appeared in his usually cold eyes. His withered hands gently stroked the gray wool blanket that had been on his legs for many years, and he scolded with a smile, "Didn't you say that I have too many women here? Why did you come today? If you're coming, just come, but you brought your wife and sister. Are you afraid that I'll call some women to devour you?"

The two young people sitting in the guest seats were slightly startled and turned their heads to look towards the entrance of the hall. They couldn't help but be stunned for a moment. Sang Wen stopped singing, stood up with a smile on her face, and bowed to Fan Xian and the two girls.

After a moment, the young man among them who was wearing casual clothes but still couldn't hide the unique temperament of a soldier stood up. First, he bowed very politely to Wan'er behind Fan Xian, and then greeted Fan Ruo Ruo gently before smiling and saying to Fan Xian, "Lord Fan, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Fan Xian had met Qin Heng before and knew that the other party had an excellent family background and was very much appreciated by His Majesty. He was a rising star in the Qing Kingdom's court with unlimited potential. He cupped his hands in return and said, "Greetings, Lord Qin."

Although Qin Heng's rank was now above Fan Xian, both sides knew their respective strengths and status, so there was no need to play those superficial tricks. Qin Heng smiled gently and said, "I came to visit Director today and didn't expect to see Lord Tidusi. Qin is really lucky."

Seeing that his smile didn't seem fake, Fan Xian felt comfortable in his heart and replied, "Let's not say those insincere words about getting closer in the future. Since we've met today, we naturally have to have a few drinks."

Qin Heng laughed loudly and said, "Lord Fan is indeed a wonderful person. He acts in unexpected ways. He doesn't mention the matter of claiming illness and not attending court, but instead wants to enjoy the drinking to the fullest. It's hard for me to even make a few jokes."

Fan Xian looked at Chen Pingping sitting in the main seat and said with a bitter smile, "Of course, we juniors have to see if the host is willing to take out good wine to treat us."

Chen Pingping opened his mouth and scolded, "You're richer than I am!"

Qin Heng's expression didn't change, and he smiled slightly, but his heart skipped a beat and he was extremely shocked. The courtiers had always thought that Fan Xian was able to be so successful in the Supervisory Council mainly because of His Majesty's appreciation and advanced training. But seeing Fan Xian talking to the Chen Director, who everyone feared, so "disrespectfully," and Chen Director's response was so natural, he realized a trace of abnormality. It seemed that the relationship between Chen Director and this Lord Fan... was indeed extraordinary!

His Majesty's appreciation was certainly important, but if he really wanted to control the Supervisory Council... the most important thing was still Chen Pingping's attitude. Only at this time did Qin Heng truly realize that the young man named Fan Xian would one day truly firmly control the Supervisory Council in his hands. Then the military... the speed of befriending this person had to be accelerated, and it could no longer be just Qin Heng saying a few good words for Fan Xian in the council and then passing on goodwill to the Fan residence through the mouths of others.

With just a few conversations, a lot of useful information had been exchanged. Fan Xian also understood that Chen Pingping was using this opportunity to express his most real attitude to the military and strengthen his own bargaining chips.

The two exchanged some more greetings, and Fan Xian seemed to react and turned around, preparing to salute the First Prince, who was sitting quietly to the side.

Logically speaking, this move of his was a bit rude. However, everyone in the hall knew that he and the First Prince had had a falling out the first time they met. Moreover, Qin Heng was on good terms with the First Prince, so he didn't care much about this matter. As for Chen Pingping... he didn't care about things like palace etiquette.

Just when Fan Xian thought that the First Prince would be angry, he turned his head to look, but he almost got angry himself. He saw his wife sitting obediently beside the First Prince, smiling and talking to the First Prince—damn it, although he knew that Wan'er had been raised in Concubine Ning's palace since she was a child, which meant that the First Prince had watched her grow up and the two were as close as real siblings, Fan Xian was still very unhappy seeing this scene.

Even more unhappy was that even Ruo Ruo was sitting at the bottom and listening to the First Prince with relish!

Fan Xian perked up his ears and listened to a few words before realizing that the First Prince was talking about the Western Expedition and the story of fighting with the Hu people for horses. The people of Qing liked martial arts, and the First Prince, who had been stationed on the border for many years, was even more of a folk hero. Even Wan'er and Ruo Ruo couldn't escape this.

Fan Xian felt a little jealous and bitter in his mouth, thinking that he... he... he was a pacifist. Otherwise, he would have fought a few battles to let you little girls see his power on horseback. He was unhappy in his heart, but there wasn't a trace of reaction on his face. Instead, he smiled and saluted the First Prince extremely naturally, saying, "This official, Fan Xian, greets Your Highness... Oh, Prince He."

The First Prince was already feeling a little stifled seeing Fan Xian. Hearing his tone at this time, he couldn't help but say, "I say, Fan Xian... Did I offend you somewhere? If you don't stab me a few times when we meet, you won't feel good?" He turned his head and said to Lin Wan'er, "Chen'er, the husband you married... is really not that good."

Lin Wan'er was so familiar with the First Prince that she couldn't be more familiar with him. Hearing him talking about her husband, how could she agree? She took a fruit from the table beside her and stuffed it into his mouth, saying, "How can you say that about your brother-in-law the first time you meet?"

Fan Xian smiled, and the two words "brother-in-law" sounded better. He went to sit below Ruo Ruo, and the servants of Chen Garden had already brought hot towels and tea. Although he knew that the First Prince and Qin Heng must have important matters to discuss with the old cripple, he stubbornly stayed in the hall, not giving the other party a chance to speak naturally.

Lin Wan'er knew about the matter of the envoy and the Western Expeditionary Army fighting for the road outside Kyoto. In fact, this matter was really Fan Xian's fault. However, she also knew the reason why Fan Xian did this. Now that there was already the Second Prince as a target, there was no need for Fan Xian to offend another First Prince. Moreover, she herself didn't want to see a conflict between her husband and her closest older brother, so she subconsciously pulled the two of them to talk, wanting to ease their relationship.

Everyone knew what this move meant, but men would always have times when they couldn't see through things. Therefore, the First Prince looked at his nose and nose at his heart, ignoring her. Fan Xian just smiled and talked to Qin Heng, asking how General Old Qin's health was and when he would find time to visit his house.

Chen Pingping seemed to be asleep, half-lying on the wheelchair. It was strange that even in his own extremely luxurious home, he still insisted on sitting in the wheelchair instead of a more comfortable couch. Seeing this situation, Lin Wan'er had no choice but to sigh. Ruo Ruo laughed to the side. A First Prince who was good at fighting and a young minister who was currently popular in the court were actually bickering like two little boys. This scene was really a bit comical.

In the end, even Qin Heng felt that he couldn't talk to Fan Xian anymore, and the First Prince suddenly said coldly, "I heard that Lord Fan has been seriously ill recently and can't attend court. Even the Censorate can't impeach you or defend yourself. I didn't expect you to be so interested in traveling today..."

Fan Xian yawned and said, "I'll go to court tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow."

Qin Heng was stunned, thinking that you weren't playing the sick card anymore? Then there would be a show to watch in the court tomorrow... But... the matter that I was dragged to Chen Garden by His Highness to discuss, it's not good to talk about in front of you, Fan Xian.

He couldn't say it, but the First Prince was straightforward and honest, saying very respectfully to Chen Pingping, "Uncle, please say something about the Second Prince's matter..." He glanced at Fan Xian and continued, "I usually don't care about matters in the court, but those rumors in Kyoto are too absurd, and several officials under the Second Prince really have some talent. If they're dismissed like this, it would be a loss to the court."

Qin Heng thought that you were really straightforward, wanting to refute Lord Fan's face in front of Lord Fan, but when it came down to it, he could only grit his teeth and smile bitterly, "Yes, Director, His Majesty has always refused to say anything. If you don't come forward, if things continue to get worse, the court will lose face."

Fan Xian smiled. These two were really honest and upright. The purpose of the First Prince and Qin Heng's visit was very clear. The Second Prince's faction had