Chapter 5: The Ridiculousness of the Back Room

Fan Xian cupped his fists, gagged himself and coughed twice, went up and pushed the door, and naturally, the door to the room at this time of year opened at the push of a button. He understood what was going on, since the two couples are going to prepare for a good fight, there is no reason to close the ring and not allow people to enter, even Fan Xian’s previous cough was to give his wife in the house a wake-up call, he came, there is something to say in the room to talk about good.

This generation, after all, is a man-oriented society, although Lin Wan’er’s origin is much more noble than Fan Xian, but since she married into the Fan House, it is reasonable to say that she will not express her dissatisfaction so directly. Their husband and wife get along with the way, and with the general official family is different, Fan Xian although the bones can not get rid of the male animal hormone control, but in the spiritual level, or extremely respect for women.

After all, this is all Fan Xian’s own sins, his sister is ready to play with the family, his wife is jealous, it is not that he has been cultivated, in other houses, I’m afraid that he would have already made a scene.

“Young master.” The eldest maid, Si Si, covered her mouth and smiled, welcoming him in, undoing his outer clothes and handing him a towel. Fan Xian waved his hand, signaling that he had already wiped it off, and as he looked at this girl’s face with a bad smile, deep down he couldn’t help but sigh again, not only his sister and Wan’er? Even this maiden and himself grew up together as a child, was also spoiled by himself without the distinction between inferiority and superiority, when the family drama is staged, even still have the leisure to watch and make fun of their own courage.

Lin Wan Er is lying on the bed, a bed of thin quilt pulled up, pulled up to the chest, head of black hair scattered in the shoulder, look like really just woke up. Her big eyes were spinning, looking curiously and sweetly at her husband who had returned from his long journey, without any trace of the anger that Fan Xian had been preparing to greet, the tip of her small, slightly curved nose said with a slight hmmm: “Husband, I didn’t go out to welcome you, so don’t be offended.”

Fan Xian looked at her lips exposed glutinous rice fine porcelain-like teeth, smiled, sat straight to the side of her bed, began to implement the three no policy, do not explain, do not cover up, do not speak, directly into the quilt hand, held her slightly cold hand, pinched. This months not see, long time not knead Wan Er soft if boneless small hand, also really miss some.

At this time, Si Si was still in the house, Lin Wan Er could not help but be a little shy and anxious, her eyes glanced at that side. Fan Xian looked up and realized that Si Si was pretending to pack up the pill box on the table, but her eyes were darting this way. He couldn’t help but laugh and scold, “You girl, you’re really spoiled, and you’re not afraid of growing needle eyes. Still not quick to go out.”

Si Si laughed and bowed to the young master and young mistress, then pushed the door out and closed it behind her back, but she also happened to meet Si Qi, who had gone to the front house to bring back the food trays, and hurriedly stopped her outside. Siqi is with Wan’er married to the accompanying big maid, and Si Si status, the two get along quite well, at this time to see her to stop outside the door, immediately understand that the two masters inside doing something, can not help but put on a ghost face, but looked at the hands of the food tray bitterly, said: “Young master has just come home, always have to eat something first.”

Si Si smiled and said, “These are just a little bit of food to fill up your stomach, isn’t the mansion in front of you preparing the main meal? Besides, our young master …… has to eat something first.”

In four qi listen to, this is not inevitably some frivolous, especially when it is about the young lady, how should not be their own subordinates should not joke, face is a little difficult to see, with his eyes gouge out the Si Si a glance, nose a grunt, carrying the food tray went to the next room.

Si Si slightly stunned, only then remembered that her previous words were indeed extremely disrespectful, spat out her tongue and hurriedly followed and ran over. Not long ago, the next room after a moment of silence, there was a burst of very low laughter, I think the two big maids have already made up.

On the very large bed in the bedroom, under the large quilt, Fan Xian stretched out his right hand to remove the hair fork from his head, at home he always only liked to comb a flap at the back of his head, seeking refreshment. He felt his mouth a little dry, reached to the bedside of the small table under a cup of tea, moistened his throat, thought about it, and then handed the cup of tea to Wan Er’s lips, fed her half a cup.

Wan Er’s eyes are soft and charming, cheeks slightly flushed color, half a cup of warm tea under the belly, which only slightly back to some of the God, and shy and angry bite his left arm a bite, said: “Which have you this kind of anxious guy? It’s just nightfall, let those underlings guess, you asked me to have the face to manage this family size.”

Fan Xian hemmed and hawed, holding his wife sideways, his fingertips gently sliding on her smooth and tender upper arm, his heart was very satisfied, saying, “A little goodbye is better than a new marriage, not to mention that you and I have been apart for a long time, make out a bit, and who dares to say anything about it?” His eyes turned slightly, and then said, “Besides, if I wasn’t so anxious earlier, I’m afraid you’ll still suspect that I’ve done something outside.”

Hear these words, Lin Wan’er just thought up, today they are ready to persuade a good life, how to let him into the house less than a tea time, they are dizzy like he bullied some, and even their own ready to say the words are nearly forgotten, is it true that the male has some kind of mesmerizing technique is not. When I thought of this section, I couldn’t help but feel slightly embarrassed, and gently whacked him, saying, “I forgot if you didn’t say it, and I was going to ask you what you felt when you heard that little order.”

Fan Xian licked some dry lips, handsome face with this expression, not very obscene, but there is a share of indescribable bad flavor. For the husband and wife way, he has always played is the action faction, ignore what Wan Er heart idea, first bed to make out some say, this world woman well, in the intimate thing after, will always for their own groom attachment is incomparable, the heart of those small sour taste think will fade some. But he also knows that this matter will have to have an account, so instead of taking the initiative to mention: “You this girl, actually dare not let me into the house, beware of me to beat your ass!”

Lin Wan’er crouched in his arms and said quietly, “Beat it, you’ll only bully me anyway.”

“What’s that saying?” Fan Xian said with a smile, “Could it be that you’re angry with me for not bringing chicken wings back from Northern Qi?”

Lin Wan’er climbed up and half-kneeled on the bed, her blasphemous clothes slipping slightly. Exposing half of her fragrant shoulders, she stared into Fan Xian’s eyes, and after a moment of silence, she suddenly said directly, “Earlier I was not happy.”

Even if a woman in this world is jealous, I’m afraid she’s not as open and honest as Lin Wan’er, so Fan Xian was a bit at a loss for words, and for a while he didn’t know how to respond, and could only carefully reply, “What kind of jealousy is this? It’s true that I wrote that little song, but it’s not what you think.”

“What do you mean by jealousy?” Lin Wan’er did not understand what he meant.

Fan Xian also just remembered that there was no bridge in this world where Mrs. Fang committed suicide by drinking vinegar to make her mind clear, so he told the story with a smile, only pretending that he was reading the notes of his predecessor.

Lin Wan’er heard, also sighed at Mrs. Fang Xuanling’s strength. But in her heart, she always felt that her husband must have made up this story himself, and perhaps it was specially written about her, so she couldn’t help but get a little angry and said, “I’m not the kind of petty guy who wants to monopolize you alone, Si Si and Si Qi are always going to be introduced to the family, so you don’t have to deliberately use this story to make up about me.”

Fan Xian knew that his wife had gotten the wrong idea, and said smilingly, “If you don’t want to monopolize me, then there’s something terribly wrong instead.” After all, Lin Wan’er was just a woman who grew up in the palace, she didn’t understand the hidden meaning of the so-called love of love in her husband’s words, and heard Fan Xian say, “If you are not jealous, why didn’t you allow me to enter the door earlier?”

Lin Wan’er was still half-kneeling on the bed, puffing out her cheeks, and said after a long time, “Do you know that this little song has spread all over the world? Everyone in all of Kyoto knows that Fan Xian, a generation of Poetry Immortal who does not compose poems, made an exception for a woman on this mission to Northern Qi.”

“It’s just a little ditty, if you want to hear it, I’ll naturally write one for you every day.” Fan Xian said with a smile.

Lin Wan’er said quietly, “It’s just a little song? I’ve heard that in the upper capital of Northern Qi, Mr. Xiang and that Miss Haitang traveled together every day when they went out, drank together when they sat down, and strolled along the streets on rainy nights, and it’s already become a good story.”

Fan Xian was angry and bitter in his heart, knowing that this was a message deliberately put out by the Emperor of Northern Qi, only that these words were being passed around in people’s mouths, and would indeed make Lin Wan’er’s situation a bit awkward. Just as he was about to explain something, he heard his wife ask, “Tell me, Mr. Xiang, what does that …… girl called Haitang look like?”

Fan Xian was stunned, thinking that naturally he couldn’t praise Haitang to the heavens, but for some reason, deep down, he didn’t want to turn black and white in front of his wife and degrade Haitang to nothing – although this was a shameless thing that all men would do in their wives’ beds. After thinking about it, he said, “Haitang is the closed disciple of Northern Qi’s State Master Bitter Lotus, the most favored, and extremely powerful in the palace, for my husband’s mission this time, since he is working for the interests of the state dynasty, for this kind of important person, naturally, he should make more acquaintances.”

Lin Wan’er shook her head and sighed, “Although that Miss Haitang doesn’t have much of a reputation in the south, nowadays everyone knows that she has a status in the north …… I’ll just ask my husband, can this Miss Haitang be used as a concubine with her status?”

Fan Xian froze, thinking where did this come from as a pie-in-the-sky question. He also heard Lin Wan’er sigh and say: “Like this kind of woman, I think the eye is very high, if not a character like Mr. Xiang, it can’t fall into her eyes, just her status is here, it is always extremely difficult to arrange in the future. Wan’er is angry today, angry is that the gentleman always do not want to follow up things, is not inevitably nonsense some.”

Fan Xian laughed and said, “I’m not going to marry that Haitang, what’s the follow-up? Wan Er’s words are a bit too funny.”

Lin Wan’er was shocked, and somehow began to sympathize with the woman called Haitang, reprimanding, “Is it possible that you’re ready to give up after you’ve made a mess of things?”

Fan Xian waved his hands and said with a stifled smile, “Since there’s no mess, where’s the abandonment?”

A moment later, Lin Wan’er looked at him with a hint of skepticism and asked, “Really? Then why did you write a poem to challenge each other?”

“Flirting?” Fan Xian was speechless and asked the heavens, after thinking and thinking, he told his wife about his arrangements before leaving the capital, and the many things that happened in the capital, shaking his head, he said, “This Haitang’s martial arts cultivation is extremely high, apart from those four great masters, I’m afraid that she’s one of the strongest of the few, since I’m going to be dealing with her, I of course need to have to prepare some sharp weapons.”

Lin Wan Er frowned and said, “Is this what Sang Gong said about a word stored in the heart?”

“Exactly.” Fan Xian smiled and responded, “When two countries fight, attacking the heart is the top priority.”

After a long time, Lin Wan’er sighed and said, “This plan …… is not shameless.”

Home storm before the rise and leveling, Fan Xian thought about it, and will today and the great prince to fight the matter of the road to tell his wife, he knows Wan Er since childhood grew up in the palace, for these things in the dynasty than their own more say, so since the marriage, he gradually used to discuss their own arrangements with her.

Lin Wan’er also frowned after listening to his words, making the same judgment as Yan Bingyun, feeling that Fan Xian was really quite unnecessary to offend the Grand Prince and somewhat superfluous. Fan Xian could not possibly explain his hidden worries to his wife, and only said with a gentle smile, “Wan’er, you should not care why I am doing this, but only say that you feel that this matter of fighting for the Dao will convince the palace that the Grand Prince and I will be enemies in the future.”

Lin Wan’er gave him a funny look and said, “Extremely difficult.”

Fan Xian was stunned and said, “Why is that?”

Lin Wan’er sighed before saying, “Actually, you’ve been mistaken about one thing. It’s true that the Supervisory Yuan is a gloomy and terrifying government office in the eyes of the officials and the people. The officials of the six ministries all call you black dogs behind your back, but not all of them dislike the Supervisory Yuan …… just like the military, the Privy Council, and the West Road Army, who are extremely favorable to the Supervisory Yuan itself.”

Fan Xian immediately understood. The first thing that matters of marching and fighting is intelligence and logistics, and the secret agent network of the Supervisory Yuan all over the world is thought to provide extremely powerful support for the military. Being able to make those soldiers spill less blood, the military certainly liked the Supervisory Yuan. He frowned and asked, “This is one of the things, but the Grand Prince is always going to hand over the military power in his hands when he returns to the capital this time, and the military’s opinion doesn’t have much of an impact on him.”

Lin Wan’er did not understand why he had to make the palace think that he had not befriended all three imperial sons at the same time, and sighed, “There is another pile of things that perhaps Siangong has forgotten. Among these three imperial brothers, the one who is closest to Wan Er is …… the eldest imperial brother ah. Even for my sake, it’s impossible for him to hold your grudge.”

Fan Xian let out a bitter smile, he knew that when Wan Er was a child, in the deep palace, she spent most of her time in Ning Cairen’s palace, and was closest to the eldest prince, and thought that it was a natural thing to do, only when he was calculating, he intentionally or unintentionally, willfully ignored this layer of relationship.

Perhaps it was because deep down, he was unwilling to associate his wife with those emperors.

Lin Wan’er actually knew what Fan Xian was worried about, and said softly, “Actually, I think that my husband is a bit overly worried, His Holiness is in good health, and the situation that you’re worried about is only years away.”

Fan Xian let out a sigh, took her into his arms, and whispered in her ear, “If you don’t have far-flung worries, you will have near worries. This time when I returned to the capital, looking at that atmosphere, I knew that after I really take over the inner treasury next year, your crown prince brother, the eldest and second royal brothers, where willing to let go of this piece of fat meat of mine.”

“Years ago on Cangshan Mountain, how about the idea I gave you?” Lin Wan’er at this time is not like a sixteen or seventeen year old girl, rather like a female strategist who is long on planning, she is after all the eldest princess’s own daughter, in these aspects more or less will be inherited a little bit, so Fan Xian has also always been very convinced of her suggestions, just that on Cangshan Mountain that proposal, Fan Xian has not been able to nod his head.

He lowered his head slightly and said slowly but firmly, ”Asking myself to cut my power is, in reason, the most appropriate thing to do. A young courtier like me, in his hands if he manages the Supervisory Academy and the inner treasury, this holy grace is really a bit too much, and the power is just too much, which would have been a situation that would not have been possible at all……. But Wan’er, the inner treasury is something I will definitely not let go of.”

Although Lin Wan’er didn’t know why her husband had been refusing to let go of the inner treasury, as a human wife, she naturally just supported it silently and nodded before saying, “Wan’er knows.”

Fan Xian continued, “Since I refuse to let go of the inner treasury, it’s even more important that the Supervisory Court not.”

If the inner treasury was a golden mountain, then the inspectorate would be the army guarding it, and if the inner treasury was empty, then Fan Xian would be a naked beauty with no security at all, then he would wait to be wantonly abused by those in the palace.

Lin Wan’er sighed and shook her head, saying, “Then husband will have to work harder.” She suddenly looked into his eyes and said, “Confident?”

Fan Xian smiled faintly and gently patted her face, saying, “I don’t dare to put words in my mouth, but as you know, I’ve always been a somewhat arrogant and even narcissistic person.”

Lin Wan’er smiled, suddenly biting her thick, doe-eyed lower lip, and said softly, “Actually, I have another method.”

Fan Xian became interested, “What method?”

Lin Wan’er’s eyes flickered, not knowing what was going on in her mind, and she said softly, “…… Marry Miss Haitang to your door!”

Fan Xian was shocked, thinking that this plan of his wife’s was really something that no one could have predicted.

Lin Wan’er excitedly explained, “That Miss Haitang is a strong person on the ninth rank, and my husband said that she might advance to the realm of a great master someday. You say, if we have a Grand Master in our family, and there is also the powerful strength of the Bitter Lotus lineage behind her, even these royal brothers of the Qing Kingdom, I think they wouldn’t dare to do anything to you, even if it’s his majesty, he would have to enlist you more. You see Ye Chong family, just out of a Ye Liuyun, will be across the officialdom for more than ten years without a defeat ……”

Fan Xian knew that what she said made sense, no matter who it was, marrying Haitang into the family would be like putting a dan shu tian, a gold medal for immunity from death, in the house. But he didn’t know if his wife was having one last trial or what tick, so he said with a bad smile, “But …… Haitang really doesn’t look very good.”

Lin Wan’er spat at him after she froze, “You evil devil in color!”

Fan Xian laughed, but at this moment, his heart was thinking about what Lin Wan’er had said earlier about the Ye family – Ye Chong was a Kyoto guardian, but Ye Ling’er was about to marry the second prince, so what exactly was this emperor’s old man thinking? Grand Master? If things really went on like this, from Fan Xian’s perspective, it seemed that those people in the palace only did not fear Ye Liuyun, the Grand Master, very much.

He frowned and asked, “During the days I was not in Kyoto, did Ye Chong ask to resign from the Kyoto Guard.”

Lin Wan’er shook her head.

Fan Xian sighed in his heart and asked again, “Did mother send a letter?” The mother in his mouth was naturally that eldest princess of Xinyang, and although he knew that Wan Er had no feelings for that stunningly beautiful woman, he still had to show some respect in front of Wan Er.

Lin Wan’er still shook her head, with no extra expression between her brows. Fan Xian felt pity and gently rubbed her brow, saying softly, ”How is your body these days? Earlier, I only cared to talk about the other things, but didn’t even ask about this most important thing, little student should be beaten.”

Lin Wan’er smiled and said, “Lord Fei comes to visit from time to time, and that pill is being taken consistently, so I feel quite good myself.”

Fan Xian nodded, “It seems that the Cangshan Mountain is good for convalescence, the whole family will go to live there in winter this year, and it’s a bit of a pity that they didn’t soak in the hot springs last year.”

The two men’s voices gradually lowered, and they were talking about their little love story and humming a little love song, when a maid outside shouted with a slight hint of anxiety, “Young master, young granny, it’s time to start dinner, the master has sent word to urge them several times.”

Fan Xian let out a strange cry, lifted up the blanket, and immediately began to put on his clothes, he was originally only prepared to stay in the back of the house for a while and then go to ask his father for good health, he did not realize that he had played the trick of exchanging his flesh for peace, but he was trapped in a sea of gentleness, and had forgotten that his father was still waiting for him in the study. When he thought of his father’s serious face, Fan Xian could imagine how angry he was in his heart, a son who returned to his home after traveling thousands of miles and actually did not pay his parents a visit first, but went to fool around with his wife, which did not make sense even after talking about it.

Wan’er also complained about him on the one hand, one side began to dress and comb, Si Si and Si Qi have long been guarding the door, listening to the sound, they went into the house to serve the two masters with the fastest speed to organize everything, followed by a lantern carried by the subordinate, pretending that nothing has happened in general, went to the front of the house.

In the middle of the hall, the maids quietly stood by, Fan Jianzheng, the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, was sitting solemnly in the center of the room, although Liu had already been helped up, she still habitually stood at his side to place the cups and chopsticks, Fan Ruoruo was sitting on her left hand side, pondering, and Fan Sicheng was sitting at the bottom of the room, his two hands hiding under the table, playing with the thing that Fan Xian threw at him earlier.

Seeing Fan Xian and Lin Wan’er walk in, Ruo Ruo stood up, and Fan Si Zhe hurriedly hid the object in his sleeve and followed his sister in bowing to them. Fan Jian, who was sitting in the center of the room, however, did not look at Fan Xian, but nodded towards Lin Wan’er, this daughter-in-law’s status was a bit special, and it was not good to neglect her.

The big family house rules, just Fan Jian busy official business, so very few times at home to eat, today Fan Xian first return, naturally more formal than in previous days, above the table, even a little sound can not be heard. It was not easy to finish the meal, Fan Jian looked at his son and said, “You’re going to be knighted.”