Chapter 36: Going to Kyoto?

  The people who followed Tōko Kyō to Bōshū are now buying local specialties, flower tea, in the streets. The Earl of Kyōto is very nostalgic for the taste of his hometown's tea, and every year he would ask the old lady of another house to buy some and send it to Kyoto, but this time, since the Earl's house has sent someone over, they might as well buy some on their way back.

  Three carriages came from the Earl's mansion, with seven people in total, led by Tōji Kyō.

  He didn't go strolling on the streets with those inferior servants, and was still wiping sweat. The weather in Tan Prefecture was indeed hotter than Kyoto. Originally, he should have gone to the Earl's estate to pay his respects to the old lady as soon as he arrived in Tan Prefecture, but thinking of this task made him a bit nervous, so he let the people below buy flower tea while he sat in the tavern to calm down.

  In the past few years, the second steward who was sent to Pingzhou has lost all contact and his life or death is unknown. Everyone in the Marquis's residence is clear that there is an irreconcilable contradiction between the capital and Pingzhou, although Pingzhou only has Fan Xian, but the fact makes everyone secretly guess whether something happened to the second steward.

  If it's really as everyone thinks, then the people of the Fan Manor will have to re-examine that illegitimate child. After all, when the second housekeeper had an accident that year, Young Master Fan was only 12 years old. If someone wanted to quietly make the second housekeeper disappear, it could only be on the orders of the elderly lady - this proves that the elderly lady is standing on Fan's side, and Second Madam's days are probably not going to be easy.

  Fujiko noticed the date on the newspaper on the wall, which was a month ago. He had seen it in Shinnanberu's study before. There was nothing newsworthy in the paper. The big shots in Kyoto were living quietly, and there was no update on the war between the Crown Prince and Saikoku. The Prime Minister's illegitimate daughter incident seemed to have also died down, at least under the great Emperor's personal protection, the young people of the Imperial Court did not achieve further results.

  The gossip section of the newspaper is serializing the story of the Director-General's first love, although the newspaper's backer is His Imperial Majesty, but if that terrifying to the extreme, more sinister than a jackal Director-General were in the capital, the newspaper editors would not have had the guts.

  It can be seen that Director Chen, who is deeply trusted by Your Majesty, has not yet completed his first trip back to his hometown for vacation in 20 years. And the Emperor will never make a big move when Director Chen is not around.

  Recalling the Earl's orders, Tōji Kyō was not very clear about why he had to rush back to the capital before the Dean returned, and why things were so urgent. He didn't dare delay any longer, even if it meant facing the old lady's anger... He wiped his sweat, stood up, called out to his subordinates, and hurriedly drove the carriage towards the Earl's estate in one corner of Tanjo Port.

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  The earl's estate was rarely so lively, all the servants and maids were standing at the lower part of the hall, curiously sizing up the people who looked like houseboys standing in the middle of the hall. Everyone knew that these people were from Kyoto headquarters, no wonder the light blue clothes on their bodies looked so spirited. It's just that Kyoto and Danzhou are far apart, and the two houses don't come and go often, it's rare to see Kyoto send so many servants, so the maids were all guessing what was going to happen.

  Tōyoko Kō got down on his knees, bowed his head and knocked several loud heads to the old lady, asking her to rest assured, then said all the words that Shāngnánbó had entrusted him with before he left, and quietly stood aside, waiting for the old lady's verdict.

  Tōyako knew the old lady's true status in the Fan family, so she deliberately lowered her breathing sound and appeared extremely respectful, but her eyes kept stealing glances at the young man standing behind the old lady, massaging her shoulders.

  The young man was very handsome, with long eyelashes, slightly red thin lips, and eyes that were gentle and bright. He looked like a girl, but the smile on his face made him seem very approachable.

  This is naturally Fan Xian.

  Touko Fuji sighed inwardly, such a jade-like person was actually an illegitimate child without status. The heavens were indeed unfair. As if infected by the young man's sunny smile, Touko guessed that this young master should be better than the good servant at home in Kyoto.

  After listening to the words of the person in front of her, the old lady slightly lowered her eyelids, thought for a moment, and said in a low voice: "Alright, Zijiang you go rest, over a thousand miles of road, it's been tiring... SiSi, let Old Huang head prepare hot water and food."

  The people below responded in unison, and the servants from Kyoto hurriedly thanked them before quietly withdrawing from the hall. Fujiwara no Kyō, although somewhat anxious, had been given a deadline by the Count, but in front of the old lady, she didn't dare say more, so she stole a glance at the young master who was still unfamiliar to her and then withdrew.

  The room suddenly fell silent.

  "You also heard just now, your father wants you to go to the capital." The old lady gently placed her hand on Fan Xian's shoulder and patted it twice, "What do you think?"

  Fan Xian smiled all over his face, but in his heart he had already started calculating. He was also puzzled as to why his father suddenly called him to enter the capital at this time without any prior signs. If it was to plan a promotion for himself, this illegitimate son, then the imperial examination had already begun in the spring, and going to Kyoto now would take at least a month or two, which was definitely not enough time.

  When the old lady asked him, he thought for a moment and smiled wryly: "I've never been to Kyoto.

  This answer is half true and half false - the truth lies in that he was indeed very curious about Kyoto, especially the place where his mother had lived and fought, but he wasn't afraid at all, just a thread of unknown melancholy.

  "Do you want to go?" The old lady smiled, as if she had seen through the thoughts in the young man's heart.

  "Really." Fan Xian replied honestly: "I've been living in Danzhou since I was a child, and I've long wanted to go out and take a look around."

  "Oh, don't want to keep me company anymore, this old thing?" The old lady teased.

  Fan Xian chuckled and chimed in, "Yes, yes, Grandfather can scold me." He continued, "Anyway, the official who came earlier also said that Father is planning to move all of us back to Kyoto this time. Since I'll be following Grandma wherever she goes, I don't have much to worry about."

  The old lady shook her head calmly, held his hand and made him stand in front of her, saying softly: "My body can't afford the ups and downs of this journey, if you want to go, then go, I'd better stay in Danzhou to take care of the house."

  Fan Xian was taken aback, he didn't expect his grandmother to be unwilling to return to Kyoto, and for a moment, he didn't know what to say.