Chapter 115 – Offering Celery

Fan Xian in Hong Zhu’s leadership, silent toward the palace outside. The eunuchs and palace maidens he saw along the road, each side of the salute, and occasionally some newcomers to the palace not long ago did not react, is by the old people with rank a good lesson. Fan Xian has no spirit to pay attention to these things, just walking.

The people in the palace saw Hong Zhu in front of him, and thought that His Majesty had reinstated Eunuch Hong in order to defile Lord Fan’s eyes. Just out of the expectation of many people, Fan Xian did not how harshly to Hong Zhu, but from the calm and chat with him, Hong Zhu is also to maintain a modest appearance, looks like a harmonious ruthless.

Little Lord Fan and Little Eunuch Hong are not ordinary people, people watching this scene are sighing in their hearts, probably only such characters who can hide their real emotions so well can always ensure their own survival as well as their future amidst the unpredictability of the Qing Dynasty court. In fact, the world was so marvelous that in the eyes of the crowd, it seemed that the question and answer between Fan Xian and Hong Zhu on the road out of the palace was staged for the crowd to see, but no one thought that Fan Xian and Hong Zhu were really talking.

They spoke in low voices with natural expressions, each playing their respective roles extremely well, and what they said was something extremely unusual.

“His Majesty still likes those dishes these days.” Hong Zhu lowered his head and said with a submissive brow, “The Imperial Hospital has examined them, and they are all excellent ingredients for cultivating the vital energy and strengthening the foundation.”

Fan Xian’s eyes looked straight ahead, not looking at Hong Zhu’s face, and gave a soft hmmm, unable to make out the change in his expression. Three years ago, when the rebellion was first pacified, the impact of the matter gradually subsided, Hong Zhu was raised to the Cold Palace, initially in the Imperial Catering Room to help, he is a person who once had the scenery, coupled with their own resourcefulness, but also Fan Xian in the dark to help live, the days are not only not difficult to get by, but also gradually convergence of the hand back to some of the power.

Later on, Hong Zhu followed Eunuch Dai’s errand, but he didn’t weaken his influence on the Imperial Catering House. What Hong Zhu said to Fan Xian at this time was the little secret between the two of them, or more accurately, Fan Xian’s little secret, because even Hong Zhu himself wasn’t sure why little Lord Fan wanted to influence the food materials that the Imperial Catering House sent to His Majesty.

Hong Zhu was not worried that Fan Xian would poison His Majesty, because in the middle of the palace, this was something that was impossible, whether it was a chronic or acute poison, naturally, there were specialized talents to screen them, and with the addition of the food trial, the possibility of poisoning had been essentially eliminated.

And these are Hongzhu secretly influence to join the recipe ingredients, but also got the great appreciation of the hospital, especially that a taste from the south of the dry celery, but also because of its nature of the shock, taste sweet and pungent, quite a clear heat and remove the annoyance, treatment of fever and thirst effect, and the hospital’s medical doctors efforts to recommend his majesty’s daily dinner table above.

Non-toxic is the shallowest requirement, Hong Zhu does not know whether His Majesty’s body has any problems, just look at this bath, clear heat, remove annoying dry celery, so that the hospital so valued, I’m afraid that His Majesty’s body may really have internal dryness.

Hong Zhu slightly lowered his head, looked at Fan Xian, did not see his true emotions, in his heart secretly thought, in the current situation, Little Lord Fan is still worrying about His Majesty’s body, is really a loyal and filial son? It’s a pity that Lord Fan is a man of nature, so I’m afraid it’s hard for him to let go of the death of Chen’s old dean, and it’s hard for him to win His Majesty’s joy.

The road out of the palace from the Imperial Study Room was not far, but Fan Xian had already gotten the order to go to Shufang Palace to see Concubine Yigui and the Third Prince, so Hong Zhu took him around to the direction of the inner palace. Perhaps the reason why His Majesty had given this decree was because from today onwards, Fan Xian would truly become an idler in Kyoto, and would no longer have the opportunity to enter the palace.

Walking outside the Shufang Palace, Fan Xian listened to a burst of young women’s laughter coming out from inside, his brows slightly wrinkled, thinking about how the palace had suddenly become so lively. Turning back to look at Hong Zhu, he asked, “The ladies and young ladies of Guo Gong Lane are entering the palace today to pay their respects? How come there are so many people?”

“It’s the showgirls to be selected, because we have to wait for the candidates sent up by the states and counties next month, so these dozen of showgirls have to stay in the palace for some more time, and I’m afraid that your Concubine Mother has summoned them to talk about some of the rules this day.” Hong Zhu answered softly.

Fan Xian’s expression was slightly stunned as he listened to this news, and for a moment, he was somewhat unable to return to his senses. These days, being under house arrest in the Fan Mansion, and then being busy with all the planning in the dark underbelly, he hadn’t paid any attention at all to the whispers in Kyoto about the draft, and he hadn’t even realized until this moment that the emperor’s old man was preparing to take a wife again.

Just like Yi Gui Concubine and the Third Prince, Fan Xian didn’t spend too much time at all, and then he smelled the hidden meaning behind the draft, and his brow wrinkled, knowing that not only was he moving, but the Emperor’s old man was also moving, and the other party didn’t move then, but once they did, they were pointing the sword to the thousands of years after, and gave the strongest warnings to themselves.

In his heart, there was a trace of perplexity and apology, and this apology was for the mother and son in the Shufang Palace. In this world, there were not many people like that mother and son who really trusted a strong aid outside the palace, and this kind of trust was extremely rare, but now because of his own reason, he had to let them face unpredictable risks, and Fan Xian had a hard time feeling at ease.

Looking at Fan Xian standing silently in front of Shufang Palace, Hong Zhu thought that he was thinking that there were showgirls in the palace, and that it was not quite appropriate to enter to pay respects to the Queen and the Third Prince, and asked softly, “It was the slave’s fault, or would you like your honor to come back another day?”

Fan Xian smiled and said, “Why don’t you enter? Out of order? I’ve never been much of a rule-follower. His Majesty gave the decree, so I came to take a look, and if I don’t come back to see …… who knows when the next time I’ll have the chance to enter the palace?”

While speaking, Fan Xian was already taking steps towards Shufang Palace, the two eunuchs guarding the entrance of the palace were following the showgirls and didn’t recognize who Fan Xian was, but looking at a young man in a plain cotton robe barging into the palace like this, they couldn’t help but be shocked. Although they didn’t recognize Fan Xian, they were all smart enough to stay in the palace, so they didn’t dare to stop him. One of them followed Fan Xian and suppressed his voice to ask for peace, while the other rushed into the Shufang Palace to notify the people inside.

As soon as he entered Shufang Palace, he only heard a low cry of panic, the sound of some organizing their clothes, and more curious stares.

Fan Xian arrived so quickly that the eunuch didn’t have time to say anything, and the showgirls in the palace didn’t have time to prepare anything before he arrived in the palace. At once, countless pairs of eyes stared over, Qing’s culture is more enlightened, although at this time is in the deep palace, men and women to guard, but suddenly saw a young man inside, these showgirls also just lowered their voices exclaimed several times, and did not really shy to death, or cry out that perverted.

In the midst of a forcefully suppressed panic, Fan Xian smiled gently and gave a proper salute to Yi Gui Concubine in the center of the room, saying, “Auntie, this place is really lively today.”

This title is again extremely impolite, extremely impolite, just today Fan Xian in the imperial study has been with His Majesty the emperor formally break to speak open, although he is still by the emperor pinch the seven inches, can not do anything, but in the nature of the heart, but also is no longer willing to hide anything, hidden through a wave of what also do not care about the dashing energy.

Yi Gui Concubine is Liu’s sister, when Fan Xian first day into the palace, she will be extremely fond of this little boy, now Fan Xian has long been an adult, the relationship between them has been extremely close, in the past in private, Yi Gui Concubine always want to Fan Xian to call himself aunt, but did not expect this day in the palace so many people, Fan Xian but also called out.

Yi Gui Concubine smiled faintly and said, “How old are you, and still so impertinent.” This seemed unpleasant, but was actually just a reminder and inquiry. Fan Xian looked at her and shook his head, smiling. Yi Gui Concubine’s eyebrows then showed a hint of worry, Fan Xian’s behavior this day was too strange, and it seemed that the conversation in the imperial study, although it did not reach the worst possible outcome, it did not have much of a positive trend either.

Thinking about this, Yi Gui Concubine’s heart was like a big stone, heavy, forced a smile and said, “How did you think of coming to the palace today?”

The purpose of Fan Xian’s visit to the palace was well known to all, and it was just a pleasantry. Fan Xian briefly explained a few sentences, then in this moment, wake up child has moved an embroidery pier over, this was a small palace maid, now also became the most senior in the Palace of Shufang, speak the most powerful palace maid, Fan Xian looked at her cheeks and smiled, but also find a space to say a small talk, this is serious to Yi Gui Concubine said: “In addition to this day to see the driving, his majesty also commanded to see the Third Highness’s schoolwork.”

Yi Gui Concubine’s worry between her eyebrows grew thicker and thicker, and she secretly thought to herself, “Is this not a farewell? It s just that the Fan family miss is in the palace, and the Fan family state government has hundreds of people, does this Fan Xian …… really dare to go away? For a while, she couldn’t help but have a lot of words to ask Fan Xian, but at this time, the showgirls were all looking at this young man curiously, and couldn’t ask, Yi Gui Concubine’s heart was so annoyed, she couldn’t wait to drive all of these teenage girls out of the palace.

Fan Xian looked at her face and knew that this aunt had gotten the wrong idea, and said with a smile, “Where is His Highness?” This is to find an excuse to leave this room, after all, sitting in a room of the emperor’s son’s future little wife, such as their own little stepmother, Fan Xian just want to take this opportunity to see the hidden meaning of the draft, but do not want to always stay here.

“Ping’er is in the back. Go by yourself.” Yi Gui Concubine had a bit of a headache as she looked at him and shook her head. The palace maid, Waking Er, looked at Fan Xian and smiled, leading him to the back, while Hong Zhu followed without taking a step away. This following, in the eyes of the idlers, was His Majesty ordering Hong Zhu to keep an eye on him.

As Fan Xian walked into the back of the hall, the atmosphere in the room suddenly loosened up. From the first moment he entered, the dozen or so showgirls, after being slightly flustered, had forced themselves to calm down, making sure to show their heavenly temperament in front of the Empress, but looking at the young minister’s handsome face and dashing demeanor, these girls, who were only fourteen or fifteen years old, and who were extremely difficult to step out of the gate on weekdays, how could they be completely calmed down?

What they are curious about is why such a young man dressed as a commoner, but can walk freely in the tightly guarded palace, to hear this person and Yi Gui concubine’s conversation, but all have some eyesight price of the showgirls will guess, the original this person is a small Fan Lord …….

Unstoppably, the face that was originally just too good-looking to be mortal suddenly gained more luster in the eyes of these showgirls, and no matter whether they were the bold ones or the Shuning ones, they all looked at Fan Xian a few more times, either directly or quietly.

When Fan Xian left at this moment, a very bold showgirl from the State Duke’s Lane finally asked, “Your Highness, is this Lord Fan?”

After Yi Gui Concubine nodded her head in affirmation, the showgirls couldn’t help but murmur in whispers. After all, they are still some little girls, after being bored in the palace for a few days, they suddenly met the legendary Little Lord Fan, no wonder they would be so excited, even the instructions from their families before entering the palace, and the instructions from the teaching sisters in the palace these days, were all thrown out of their minds.

However, there were a few showgirls whose hearts were higher than the sky just sitting calmly on the side, but they saw something strange in Fan Xian’s dress, plus these showgirls had always regarded the Miss Fan in the Imperial Study Room as their greatest enemy, so accordingly, when they saw Fan Xian today, they were not very moved, but instead, there was some hidden hostility.

“The words have been said to this point, his majesty still lets you go to Shufang Palace ……” On a very unusual carriage, Lin Wan’er looked at the somewhat tired Fan Xian beside her, and said softly, “The matter of the selection of the draft, appeared suddenly, and I see that His Majesty is only warning you, he doesn’t have any opinions about Lao San, so you shouldn’t worry too much.”

When they were alone as husband and wife, Fan Xian always referred to His Majesty as the Emperor’s old man, while Lin Wan’er referred to the man who had held her since she was a child as the Emperor’s uncle, which was not considered treasonous, but was somewhat homely and amusing. Today, Lin Wan’er was directly referring to His Majesty, and it was clear to Fan Xian that his wife was in a very poor mood to understand him.

“It’s also to warn the hundred officials in the court that they should not think that the future state of Qing must be Lao San’s.” He smiled and said, “Although His Majesty is old, his ambition is still there, so I wonder if the ambition is still there.”

“What did you say to Chengping?” Lin Wan’er gently pulled back the curtain of the carriage and looked outside at the Kyoto street scene in early fall.