Chapter Thirty-Nine: Gazing at the Capital

  "Yes." Futoshi Kyo replied respectfully, not wanting to repeat the tragic fate of that second-rate master from a few years ago, so he was especially respectful towards this half-master in front of him.

  Fan Xian furrowed his brow, a calmness that didn't match his age floating onto his face, completely unlike the usual expression of a young man who had just been told he was about to get married. He said slowly: "I'm very curious, who is it?"

  He was sixteen years old and had long known that in this aristocratic family, marriage would definitely be put on the agenda. Since his father had not forgotten him as an illegitimate child all these years, there would always come a day like today. It's just that this time is so urgent, making him somewhat incomprehensible why this marriage is so urgent.

  Tōko Kyō replied: "This... I'm also unclear, only heard that the young lady of that house is virtuous and gentle, with a good reputation in the capital."

  He carefully explained, but instead made Fan Xian suspicious, and he asked himself that as an illegitimate child without a status, even if his parents' background was exceptionally deep, it was unlikely that any official family would be willing to marry their daughter to him.

  Seeing his expression, Fujiko Kyō finally spoke up and said: "It's just... that miss seems to be in poor health, recently fell ill, so she's in a hurry..."

  Fan Xian suddenly realized that he was a god of good fortune, and now it all made sense. He couldn't help but smile wryly and shake his head.

  Tōyama Kyōshirō's eyes narrowed as he looked at his expression, and found that the young master did not get angry, nor was there a sorrowful expression, but rather seemed to be in a daze. He thought to himself, "The young master is about to marry a dying young mistress, could it be that he doesn't care at all?"

  Fan Xian didn't have much to get angry about, having seen this kind of scene too many times in his past life. Getting angry wouldn't help solve the problem anyway. In his heart, he even felt some sympathy for the woman lying on her sickbed in Kyoto, who was being forced to marry a man she had never met just because of her poor health.

  As for himself? Fan Xian didn't have that kind of petty, suffocating feeling - he always had a bit of a chauvinistic spirit, thinking that in matters between men and women, the woman was always at a disadvantage, while the man took advantage. Since he would eventually have to marry and have children in this world anyway, if he happened to pick up a good woman, wouldn't that be a huge gain? In any case, he'd enter the capital first and then think about it later - you couldn't rush into something like escaping marriage, better to take a look around first.

  Let's wait and see what happens next.

  Look at that girl, isn't she pretty? Isn't she cute? Isn't she a loli?

  ……

  ……

  "Master, why..." Tōji Kyō asked cautiously.

  "Why not get angry?" Fan Xian smiled and looked at him, saying lightly: "Firstly, my trip to Kyoto does not mean I will accept this marriage. Secondly, if I accept this marriage, it must represent that I like the girl. Thirdly, even if the girl is bedridden with illness, I won't think this matter is humiliating. Fourth... you may not know, actually I am a very skilled doctor."

  Tōyama was taken aback by these four reasons, which left him somewhat perplexed, especially the last one - could the young master really understand medicine? However, he still didn't think that the young master's marriage would make a leap from tragedy to comedy because of this point. After all, the young lady's family was not simple, and even the imperial physician couldn't cure her illness, so how could the young master do it?

  The horse carriage didn't stop, after Teng Zijing got off, Fan Xian got on the first horse carriage, and there was only one person left in the compartment. The journey couldn't help but feel lonely, he lifted the curtain, letting the strong wind blow against his face, narrowing his eyes, looking at the green mountains and stone roads rushing by outside, feeling like countless scenes were rewinding.

  Just like sixteen years ago when I first came into this world and saw the scene on the horse-drawn carriage.

  ———————————————————————————

  One day at the end of April, the long grass outside Kyoto Castle had been cut, and the swallows were frightened away by men and women coming and going to take a spring outing. Only the two rows of green willows along the moat were swaying gently in the breeze, proudly surveying the warriors and commoners from all over the country who had come to the castle.

  A small team of three horse-drawn carriages came from afar and lined up on the official road, waiting to enter the city.

  The curtain was lifted, revealing a clean face full of sunny smiles. He gazed at the city walls of Kyoto and looked around at the peaceful faces of the people, taking a deep breath: "So this is the flavor of Kyoto."

  This man was naturally Fan Xian, after experiencing several decades of arduous journey, they finally arrived in Kyoto. Along the way, he curiously watched the unfamiliar scenery mixed with a few unfamiliar Qing Dynasty heavens, finally satisfying his own travel aspirations, and also became more familiar with the guards such as Fuji Kyo.

  Fan Xian was a lovely young man who always wore a smile on his face. People like him were always easy to get along with.

  Fujiko supported his hand and let him get down from the horse carriage.

  His feet landed on the official road, and Fan Xian slightly rotated his ankles, deliberately letting the soles of his cloth shoes touch this land for a while, as if to feel the uniqueness of Kyoto's soil.

  There were a lot of people entering the city, and the capital was heavily guarded, so the queue was quite long. Fan Xian and others were getting bored, pointing at the city wall in front of them and chatting with Teng Zijing from time to time. He guessed that the Southern Governor's Mansion would not send someone to pick him up, after all, his identity was not very legitimate.

  Just as they were chatting, a commotion suddenly arose from the crowd in front of them. The crowd very consciously made way for a wide path. A team of cavalrymen rode over silently, at high speed, heading towards the city gate without stopping for a moment.

  At the front of the team, on horseback was a young girl wearing a light-colored skirt. In this heavy spring rain, she was still wearing a white deerskin hat, looking very cute.

  The girl's eyebrows were like distant mountains, her eyes were clear and bright, and she was very beautiful. However, as she sat on the horse, her expression was slightly anxious, it seemed that she was in a hurry to return to the city, something must have happened.

  Fan Xian stood by the roadside, smiling as he watched a group of horses galloping by, and exclaimed: "Indeed, there are many beauties in the capital." He couldn't help but think of his own possible "wife" and wonder what she looked like.

  Fujiko nodded lightly beside him.

  Fan Xian thought to himself that he had only praised her once and hadn't lost his composure, so why was she being so tense? Smiling, he asked: "It seems the atmosphere in Kyoto isn't as conservative as I imagined. This young lady is wearing a skirt yet still riding a horse, and no one has raised any objections."

  Tōko Kyō smiled wryly and explained: "The one who just passed by is the only daughter of Kyoto's defender, Yabu Shigeru. Who dares to say she's going?"

  Fan Xian let out a sigh, stood up on the carriage and looked towards the city gate. Sure enough, the cavalry had arrived at the city gate and without lining up, they just showed their tokens and entered the city.

  When it was Fan Xian's turn to enter the city, he deliberately looked at the expression of the officials and soldiers at the city gate. He found that they were all handling their duties with a serious expression. Only when he looked back at his own carriage did he understand what was going on.

  There were no signs of the Fan family on the three horse-drawn carriages, it seemed that this time entering the capital was not a big fanfare.

  (End of Volume 1)

  I'm quite satisfied with this volume myself, because it's just a setup and background, I was always worried that it would be boring, but after finishing writing it, I think it's still quite interesting, which is very satisfying. In the next volume, Fan Xian will go to Kyoto to commit a crime, new characters will appear, new stories will happen, everything will be faced with a relaxed and easy-going attitude, whether it's difficult or interesting things, using beautiful eyesight to look at the female lead, female supporting role, female third role and so on. During the Three Rivers period, I'll try my best to update three times a day (delete those afterthoughts, that is, three updates), sincerely asking everyone to vote.

  Almost forgot, tonight's ranking battle, will update a chapter later, add some highlights, if you have time, friends, please come and vote at 12 o'clock, thank you.