Chapter 25: The Royal Mansion

The Poetry Society of the King’s Mansion of Jing County and the Poetry Society convened by the Crown Prince were the two most lively social occasions in Kyoto, once a month, rain or shine, and I don’t know how many talented people from poor families and poets from poor families chipped their heads to get inside, wanting to use a poem or a sentence to make a name for themselves in the world, and to seek a ladder of advancement.

The Prince is good at writing, this is something everyone in the world knows. Although the King of Jing County is the Emperor’s own brother, he has always aspired to be a rich and noble king, so he doesn’t have too much power, so comparing the two, those who have a clear purpose would naturally be more willing to go to the Crown Prince’s side.

But if you can get a compliment from the Prince of Jing County, it is also a good way to grow your reputation, so every time the poetry meeting, not far outside the Shixin Gate of the County King’s Mansion will always usher in a lot of guests, some of these guests in sedan chairs, some riding in carriages, and some people on foot, but the old housekeeper at the door, but all are the same, after checking the name card, respectfully invited to enter.

Fan Xian sat inside the sedan chair, his face was very ugly, a burst of green and white, from time to time to cover his lips, forcibly suppress the urge to vomit.

Because he thought that he was coming to participate in the Poetry Conference, a cultural event, sitting in a green curtained sedan chair might be more appropriate, so he asked to sit in the sedan chair with his sister, but he always lived in Tanyu sea, the boat did not make him dizzy, but this sedan chair made him dizzy a little too much. He was having a hard time while pulling back the side curtains on the side of the sedan chair, and breathlessly asked Fuji Zijing, “How much farther.”

Fuji Zijing stifled his laughter and replied, “We’ll be there after the intersection.”

Fan Xian oh a sound, and sat back, hands fingers like orchids a bloom, thumb and ring finger on a place, let the true qi slowly released, scrubbing the internal organs, annoyed a little to go, but in the end can not cure dizzy sedan chair.

At this time his heart has a lot of questions are hovering not to go, coupled with physical discomfort, so the frown like a lock wrinkled up. These days in the mansion living, always feel that his father and his imagination is very different, and there are many things can not be explained, for example, why he will be so valued himself as an illegitimate child? Could it really be because of his mother, so he loves the house?

He turned his head towards the outside of the palanquin and looked at the figure sitting on the horse through the thin green cloth, knowing in his heart that Fujiko Kyo, although he was currently leaning towards himself, was after all his father’s man, and that he couldn’t possibly trust him completely. He sighed, and thought in his heart that he must find himself some men that he could trust before he could do so; Uncle Wuzhu was like a ghost, not a character that he could command at will.

Fan Xian was curious to know what his mother had done in Kyoto before, how he and his father met, and how he …… left the world. This is not just pure curiosity and admiration, but he believes that only by knowing history can he better grasp his present as well as his future.

In the county king’s residence, in front of a garden gate, a few scholars are flattered to a young man salute, they can never imagine, today’s poetry meeting, Jing County King Prince will personally meet outside the garden gate.

Two small green curtained sedan chairs slowly swung over, King Jing’s son somewhat impatiently arched his hand with those several guys who were saluting endlessly, and then greeted them. Until this moment, those few scholars realized that they would be wrong meaning, but the face does not dare to have the slightest expression, still reserved smile, dashing arch, in the steward’s leadership, went to the back garden.

The subordinates at the entrance of the Royal Mansion were also a little curious as to what kind of guest it was that could make the son personally go out to meet him.

When they saw the yellow shirt and skirt girl who came down from the first sedan chair, the subordinates realized that it was the Fan House’s eldest young lady who had arrived, not to mention the relationship between the King Jing’s Mansion and the Fan Mansion, on the subject of the personal relationship between the County Lord of Roujia and the Fan Lady, it was not convenient for the woman to show her face, and it was only right that she greeted her outside of the garden.

“Ruoruo sister.” King Jing’s son surnamed Li Hongcheng, in Kyoto’s popularity has always been with the greenhouse and such places can not be separated from the relationship, but in front of Ms. Fan, the son is the eyes to see the nose, the nose to see the heart, seem very polite.

Fan Ruo Ruo slightly scopolamine, asked the son of peace, and then smiled and said: “Zuo Jia today and what topic?”

The son smiled and answered a few sentences, but from time to time glanced at the back of the sedan chair, thinking that half a day’s work, that brother how not down? Has the subordinate went up, very respectfully will sedan chair curtain lift open, unexpectedly …… sedan chair in empty, a time, the county king’s house crowd was shocked, thought this play is which one?

Fan Ruoruo covered her mouth with a smile and explained, “Brother is in the back.”

As they spoke, the crowd saw the young man of sixteen or seventeen years old panting and rushing over from a short distance away, followed by one of his followers. This young man was wearing a light maroon colored singlet, and his collar buttons were not fastened, so he looked a bit frivolous, but when matched with that lovely, friendly and clean face, the onlookers felt that this person, should be dressed in such a relaxed manner.

“Sorry, sorry.” Fan Xian cupped his fists and made a bow to his son, and said awkwardly, “I was dizzy from the sedan chair and the sedan chair, so I walked all the way here, and the day was hot, so I drank a bowl of sour syrup outside of the mansion before I came, and it was late late late late.”

“Not late, not late.” As soon as Li Hongcheng saw this young man he had met once, he felt very happy and laughed loudly, “It’s good that Brother Fan can come.”

Fan Xian heard his address and realized that there was one more word Fan than the day before, for a moment he did not know what kind of attitude the other party was trying to express, after a slight pause, a smile floated onto his face, “The sour paste outside the royal residence is better than elsewhere, so naturally I have to come and take a look.”

Shi Zi Li Hong Cheng smiled slightly, seeing that the conversational reply was actually gently drifting into the sky, feeling even more interesting, leading his hand, then his brother and sister entered the garden.

When Fan Xian was in Tanyu, he knew that his sister made good poems – although in his opinion these poems were often just sad poems that couldn’t escape certain boxes – there were still good poems in this era, but it was clear that the princelings and those who often came to the poetry sessions were not too strong. young scholars didn’t have too strong attainments, so Fan Ruoruo still had a small poetic reputation.

So he was curious what kind of performance his sister would have on such an occasion, and what the Roujia County Princess, who had caused the outflow of Dream of Red Mansions and cheapened the death of book pirates, looked like.

But following Li Hongcheng into the back garden of the corridor, he realized that in such a seemingly open country, it is still men and women seated separately, and the ladies are sitting under a pavilion across the lake, with layers of white Aman veil hanging in front of them, dancing with the breeze.

Fan Xian was a little disappointed as he followed his son to the other side of the lake, looking at the light veils fluttering in the distance with the wind, he couldn’t help but think of his favorite star of the week from his previous life and sighed inwardly, “What a feeling of first love.”