Fan Jian sighed, knowing that the young man before him was just like his mother, impossible to persuade. A look of tender pity arose in his eyes as he said softly, "The true driving force behind this marriage between the two families isn't our Fan family, nor is it the Prime Minister's residence. Because it involves many things, the situation is a bit complicated. Since you're so keen on meeting that young lady, you'll have to find a way yourself. I can't show my face."

Fan Xian bowed and replied, "As long as Father agrees, I'll naturally find a way to meet her." He thought of what he'd heard earlier and felt a slight doubt in his heart. He asked, "What if the Prime Minister is firmly against this marriage?"

Count Sinan sneered, "I told you, there's a great power behind this matter, leaving him no room to disagree… Don't forget, that Miss Lin isn't actually part of the Lin family. Her current identity is that of His Majesty's adopted daughter, a Junzhu (郡主) in the palace."

It was April or May, and Fan Xian felt like he'd been doused with a large bucket of ice water from head to toe. It was freezing—only now did he understand that his marriage was tied to the Emperor's decision on who would manage that large fortune in the future, so it wasn't as simple as it seemed on the surface. The real decision-maker behind the scenes was actually some important figure hidden deep within the palace.

He just didn't know if it was the Empress Dowager or the Emperor.

"Why would the Prime Minister object?" he asked, frowning.

Count Sinan took a sip of tea, frowning. He seemed to think the tea was too bitter today, and he used his tongue to push against his astringent teeth, saying vaguely, "Didn't I say so last time?"

Fan Xian smiled slightly, directly pointing out his father's logical flaw. "Last time, you said the Prime Minister was afraid His Majesty would suspect that there was something hidden behind the marriage between him and the Fan family. But in fact, since the marriage was approved by the palace, what's he afraid of?"

Fan Jian was momentarily speechless. After a while, he came to his senses, smiled, and placed the teacup on the table, saying, "Alright, I'll tell you the truth. Actually, the Eldest Princess doesn't want to marry her daughter to you."

Fan Xian was stunned, thinking, "What is this? After all this fuss, her parents don't want her to marry me. What am I getting involved in? I might as well just walk away and find that white-clad lady from a noble family." He thought so, but knew he couldn't say it. Just considering that the Eldest Princess and the Prime Minister were both opposed, yet his father could still persuade some important figure in the palace to force the marriage, one could imagine how much hidden power the Fan family had used in this process.

"Why doesn't the Eldest Princess want to?" he asked curiously, thinking, "That Miss Lin's background isn't that different from mine. We're both illegitimate children, so what's with the high-and-mighty attitude?"

"This is an exception. His Majesty cherishes that Junzhu very much, even more than he loves his own daughters. He once mentioned unintentionally after drinking that if the Junzhu were to marry, the Eldest Princess would have to delegate her power to the Junzhu's future husband, lest the Imperial bloodline…" Count Sinan gently stroked his four-inch beard, seemingly in a good mood.

Fan Xian spread his hands and sighed, "I see. So the Eldest Princess also likes power. I wonder why she didn't marry the Prime Minister back then. Wouldn't it have been more enjoyable to raise children and grandchildren?"

Count Sinan sneered, "In the end, it's the word 'love' that ruins people. If the Princess had married Lin Ruofu back then, Lin Ruofu would have been noble, but he wouldn't have been able to display his talents. How could he have become the head of all officials, enjoying such boundless glory as he does now?"

Fan Xian frowned, only then remembering that any husband of a princess couldn't hold official positions, only empty titles.

"If you marry that Miss Lin, although she's only called a Junzhu in the palace, and it's not on the Imperial register, your career might be affected." Count Sinan looked at his furrowed brow, assuming he was worried about this, so he simply stated it clearly.

Fan Xian stood up and smiled, "We'll see."

"Yes, the Imperial Exam is next year. You should start studying in a few days."

Fan Xian wondered if he really had to take the Imperial Exam and compete with those Fan Jins for food? He smiled wryly and didn't answer.

Next, Count Sinan told him that the Jing Junwang (靖郡王) residence would be holding its monthly poetry gathering the next day, and asked Fan Xian to make some preparations. These words didn't sound as scary as being forced to study for the eight-legged essay, but the thought of having to fabricate some old Xin, old Su, old Li, and old Du who sold private salt again made Fan Xian's head ache.

Fan Jian looked at him and said with a smile, "I know you have poetic talent. In certain situations, you don't need to hide your brilliance too much. Although someone in the palace is helping with this marriage, if you can gain some good reputation in the Kyoto literary scene, the Eldest Princess might be more willing to marry her daughter."

Fan Xian smiled wryly and agreed, knowing that his past letters to his sister had apparently all been secretly read by this old rogue in front of him. He naturally hadn't been able to hide the fact that he was writing *Dream of the Red Chamber* from him. However, seeing that his father had actually endured until now before subtly revealing this, he couldn't help but secretly admire the other party's forbearance and cunning nature.

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This era doesn't have Sundays, so even if you work, no God will come and chop you with a knife. By the same logic, this era doesn't have Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, or even Fridays. In short, there's no clear distinction between workdays and rest days.

Shops are definitely open every day, official duties are handled every day, and it's said that even His Majesty the Emperor has no possibility of stopping the approval of memorials for even a single day. But for the children of high-ranking families, who are everywhere in Kyoto, the only thing they can do every day is play.

After the great war sixteen years ago, Northern Wei split and became weak and difficult to rise, and the Western barbarians fled far away. Only a thousand Hu horses grazed in the Yinshan mountains. With a single command from His Majesty the Emperor, the eldest prince led an army of 100,000 to the Western border to expand the territory. This is also playing.

In fact, the Qing Kingdom has a strong martial spirit, but after His Majesty the Emperor became tired of fighting, he suddenly liked composing poems. When the superiors have a fondness, the subordinates will surely follow suit. Most of the children of other high-ranking families don't work and aren't qualified to lead troops to play, but fortunately, they have to prepare for the Imperial Exam to enter officialdom. They can play elegantly and set themselves apart from those merchants and peddlers. They have to read books, understand them, read poetry, and write poetry.

Therefore, what's most popular in Kyoto right now isn't duels between martial arts masters, but so-called poetry gatherings.