Fan Xian had not expected that his grandmother would send Si Si, who was far away in Danzhou, to the capital. Looking at this young woman who had shared several years of peaceful time with him, he felt both happy and somewhat troubled, unsure how to arrange things. His grandmother's intention was clear: she wanted him to take Si Si into his household, and judging by Si Si's appearance, she probably wouldn't choose any other solution.

"Go and rest first," Fan Xian said, trying his best to appear gentle.

However, Si Si still felt that the young master before her seemed a bit different. After all, Fan Xian had undergone too many trials and struggles in the capital, and his temperament naturally possessed a calmness, along with an indescribable aura.

Seeing the uneasy look on Si Si's face, Fan Xian said with amusement, "What's this girl thinking about again? Once you've eaten and drunk your fill, I'll take you around the capital."

Si Si said with a hint of grievance, "Si Si is here to serve the young master, not to be served by him."

Fan Xian found that incredibly satisfying. After all, she was a girl who had grown up with him since childhood, and she was much more direct in her words and actions. Unlike the maids in the Fan family of the capital, who didn't even dare to breathe loudly in front of him, let alone openly contradict his wishes.

Fan Xian stepped forward and gently patted her slightly thin cheeks, smiling as he said, "Alright, alright, if you're going to serve me, even if it's just copying books and grinding ink, you still need to wash up first. You're all sweaty and sour. People say a beauty adds fragrance to a night of reading, are you planning to add a little vinegar flavor for your young master?"

The Qing Kingdom didn't have the story of Madam Fang Xuanling drinking vinegar to prove her devotion, so no one could understand the playful undertones in his words. Fan Xian couldn't help but feel a slight regret that his talent was wasted.

Si Si was both shy and embarrassed, and after giving another curtsy, she went to wash up under the guidance of the maids. These maids had long seen that this maid was very different from themselves and others, so they were exceptionally polite.

...

...

"So, this girl is Si Si?"

There was no sourness that Fan Xian had anticipated. Lin Wan'er's face was only filled with curiosity as she said with a smile, "I've always heard you say that the big maid in Danzhou is much more diligent than Si Qi. Today, I finally get to meet her."

After all, the Qing Kingdom was still a world of male dominance and female subordination. Although Lin Wan'er was a princess, she didn't seem to have too many thoughts or sensitivities. Besides, even if Fan Xian were to take concubines in the future, would a dignified princess really argue with those women? Fan Xian smiled, thinking that it was fortunate that this matter had nothing to do with him. Otherwise, if he really upset the little tigress, would he still have his arms?

————————————————————————

"Marriage is the tomb of love," Fan Xian said with a sour remark, "So we need to walk around more, lest we turn into a pair of zombies."

Lin Wan'er frowned, pouting her lips, and said pitifully, "I'm afraid of the cold."

"The snow on Cang Mountain is beautiful, especially in autumn and winter," Fan Xian said with a smile, looking at his wife, enticing her like a travel agent. "Although the medicine that the teacher prescribed for you is very effective, and the imperial physicians were pleasantly surprised after taking your pulse, high altitudes are very beneficial for your health."

Lin Wan'er tilted her head, leaned into his arms, rubbed against him gently, and said softly, "I still don't understand what altitude means."

"It's the level of elevation above sea level," Fan Xian felt that the explanation was a bit awkward.

"I still don't understand," Lin Wan'er said with a distressed face, "Don't go, okay? I'm so afraid of climbing mountains, I'm so afraid of the cold."

Fan Xian said unhappily, "Look at how round your face has become now. More exercise won't hurt."

Lin Wan'er suddenly broke free from his arms and said with a distressed face, "Just last night, you said you liked me a bit fatter!"

Fan Xian almost burst out laughing, but he still restrained himself and said sternly, "With the lights off, of course it's better to be a bit fatter, but when looking at you during the day... it's still better to be a bit thinner."

Lin Wan'er snorted angrily and started walking ahead in the corridor. Fan Xian quickly followed, not looking directly at her face, but stepping ahead by a step or so and humming softly, "I like your fleshy body the most, don't you know?"

In the autumn palace, it was as if a gust of summer wind was blowing. Lin Wan'er's face flushed red within a moment. She took two steps forward, grabbed Fan Xian's hand, and said with her head lowered, "There are so many people following behind us, aren't you ashamed?"

The two were currently in the imperial palace, with a large group of nannies, eunuchs, and palace maids following behind them. However, all of them had their heads lowered and were some distance away from Fan Xian and Lin Wan'er, so they probably hadn't heard what the young couple had said earlier.

Fan Xian's face was still facing forward, and he said with a smile, "My dear wife, you must learn from your husband how to do many earth-shattering things with an unchanging expression."

These words had a hidden meaning, but Wan'er didn't quite understand them. Today was the first time the two had entered the palace after their wedding. Those imperial consorts, upon seeing Lin Wan'er, hugged her and showered her with affection and gifts. Fan Xian accepted them all, but he couldn't help but feel a bit chilled at the consorts' affectionate gaze towards Lin Wan'er. This woman's family was the imperial family, and if there were any conflicts between the couple in the future, wouldn't he die without a burial place?

The Emperor had a total of four sons, one crown prince and three princes, which proved in a way that he was not a lecherous man. It was also a coincidence that none of the many imperial consorts in the palace had given birth to a princess. Therefore, Lin Wan'er, who had been raised in the palace since she was young, naturally became the consorts' favorite.

Lin Wan'er was used to being in the palace and was naturally not as restrained and nervous as Fan Xian was when he first entered the palace. She was more like playing in the backyard of her home. Fan Xian was infected by this, and also because the eldest princess, whom he feared the most, had now returned to her fiefdom of Xinyang, he also let his guard down and walked around the palace with her. Earlier, when he mentioned going to Cang Mountain for a vacation, Fan Xian had already brought it up when meeting the Empress and had obtained the consent of this noble in the palace.

Unexpectedly, Wan'er was a little confused and afraid of the cold.

However, Fan Xian had already made up his mind about this matter, especially since the prisoner exchange between the Qing Kingdom and the Northern Qi Kingdom would officially begin after the new year. The Supervisory Council had relayed a message through Wang Qinian, hinting that this matter also had something to do with him, so he needed a quieter place to handle some things and prepare for some things.

It was a pity that he didn't see his Emperor uncle on this trip to the palace. Lin Wan'er was a little disappointed, but Fan Xian's calm face hid some other emotions.

—————————————————————————————

A convoy of carriages set off from the Fan residence in a grand manner. Today, Prime Minister Lin also came to see off his beloved daughter, so the scene seemed even grander. The pedestrians on the street were also pointing and gossiping at the procession. After all, the marriage between the Fan and Lin families a few days ago had already shocked half of the capital. They didn't expect that just a few days later, the Fan family's "Poet Immortal" son would cause such a stir again.

"Why are they leaving the capital so soon after getting married?" An old man in the crowd, with his hands behind his back, frowned and asked, "These young people nowadays, relying on their family's wealth, only know how to play around everywhere. I heard that this Master Fan is also a Feng Zheng in the Imperial College. Why is he going to Cang Mountain again?"

"Look, you don't understand, do you?" A young man next to him mocked, "Master Fan's trip is called a honeymoon. They have to specifically choose a secluded place to go."

"What's a honeymoon?" An older sister asked with interest.

"It means life is as sweet as honey," Another impoverished scholar, who was clearly related to the Fan family by seven hundred turns, mocked, "You don't even know that. This is a new word invented by Master Fan."

The older sister got angry, "This word is strange and weird. What's so good about knowing it? Besides, what honey this and moon that, since they're going to pick a secluded place to stay for a few days, isn't it obvious? They just want some peace and quiet, so they can be happy and have a big, healthy baby."

...

...

Sitting in the carriage leaving the capital, on the left was Lin Wan'er, curled up in a fur coat like a cat, gazing at Fan Xian with a smile in her spring-like eyes. On the right was Fan Ruoruo, gentle, courteous, and reserved, peeling oranges, carefully removing the white silk from the segments, and then feeding them into Fan Xian's lips.

Fan Xian half-closed his eyes and glanced at Lin Wan'er's expression, he couldn't help but frown and say, "It's only autumn, why are you so afraid of the cold?"

Lin Wan'er giggled, got up, moved closer to him, opened her mouth, and leaned over, teasing Fan Xian's heart. Then she said to Ruoruo, "Good sister, give me a bite of orange."

Fan Ruoruo smiled slightly and said, "Sister-in-law, you can't eat oranges with your illness. They'll cause heat."

Lin Wan'er said with a distressed face, "How annoying."

Fan Xian couldn't quite figure out the way his wife and sister addressed each other, and asked, "One calls you 'sister', one calls you 'sister-in-law'. What kind of calling is this?"

Lin Wan'er stuck out her tongue and said, "I'm used to calling her 'sister', from before." Fan Ruoruo couldn't help but laugh and pointed at her brother's nose, saying, "Before you got married, brother told me to call her 'sister-in-law', so I got used to calling her that too."

Fan Xian shook his head helplessly. The carriage was already warm, and the mountain roads were slightly bumpy after leaving the capital, so it was easy to make people sleepy. Lin Wan'er gradually leaned on Fan Xian's shoulder, and Ruoruo also rested her chin on her hand, leaning against the carriage wall to rest.

The carriage suddenly shook, waking up Wan'er on Fan Xian's shoulder. She rubbed her eyes and said, "Have we arrived yet?"

"How could it be so fast?" Fan Xian smiled and shook his head, "Although the Cang Mountain Villa can't compare to the imperial palace's villas, it's also on the mountainside. It takes three days to get there from the capital."

Lin Wan'er looked at him calmly and asked, "Besides recuperating, what else is the reason for rushing to leave the capital after the wedding?"

Fan Xian knew that he couldn't hide it from her, and he didn't plan to. He replied with a smile, "Your two cousins have been sending people to the residence every day. I'm really scared, so I have to go and hide. Taking sides at this time, no matter which side you stand on, is a very foolish thing to do."