Chapter Twelve On the Carriage

  The Crown Prince, being a member of the imperial family, naturally knew about the relationship between His Majesty and the Fan family. He seemed slightly distracted, listening to his aide say: "It's just that Mr. Fan Xian rushed into the capital and today at the wine tower... not to mention showing off too much, it's also a bit too reckless."

  The Crown Prince Jing waved his hand and said, "Young people, having some impulsiveness is always good..." The tone of his speech seemed to be completely unaware that he himself was only in his early twenties.

  Thinking of the familiar smile on the face of the young man from the Fan family, the crown prince's lips curled up in a hint of a smile. "Moreover, the Fan family is currently planning that wedding, if Fan Xian is too low-key, it wouldn't be quite right. It seems that after today, people in Kyoto will know that the Fan family has another handsome and clean young master."

  He suddenly came to his senses, patted his forehead and laughed: "When I asked you to be my aide at the beginning, I said it clearly that you are only allowed to help me with romantic affairs. My father is a king who doesn't care about politics, as his son, I must not bring shame to him."

  "Come on, come on." He beckoned the people at the table to start drinking.

  Everyone at the table responded hastily, but in their hearts they thought: If you are really willing to be a idle son, why is your relationship with the Fan family so close, and why are you so close to the Second Prince?

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  They rode in silence for a while before Fan Ruoruo suddenly burst out laughing. Fan Xian curiously asked, "What's so funny?"

  Fan Ruo Ruo patted her chest and took a few deep breaths, calming down before saying: "I thought of my brother's words from earlier again, really, he was too harsh."

  "What was that?" Fan Xian had already felt that he had said too much today at the wine house, completely violating his own principle of being low-key, and it didn't feel right.

  "It's that sentence - a person who spends their days playing and having fun, becomes thin as a skeleton, yet still has to fan themselves with a fan, is this what they mean by 'wind and bone'?" Fan Ruo Ru imitated his tone, saying it while holding back her smile.

  Fan Siyan was also smiling foolishly on one side, but found that the other two people in the carriage didn't seem to care about him, and felt a bit dull.

  Fan Xian sighed and said, "Having a strong personality is a great thing, but it's not exclusive to scholars. When I first saw those so-called geniuses looking up at the sky with their noses in the air, I felt uneasy. They're just a bunch of guys who eat well every day, only know how to engage in empty talk and cause trouble. If they have any guts, they shouldn't go take the imperial exam, and they shouldn't sit together with that Guo compiler - when it comes to power and prestige, either overthrow them and trample on them twice, or just forget about putting on a show, because there's really no future in that."

  Upon hearing this sentence, Fan Ruo Rou couldn't help but laugh again. The tone of her own brother's words was unlike anyone else in the world; probably only she could understand what he meant.

  "Just now, King Jing's son was by his side, so Brother must have been reserved in what he said." Fan Ruo Rou really wanted to know her brother's true views on these scholars.

  "Without any reservations, it's just that the tone is much softer." Fan Xian smiled slightly and said: "I don't object to places like Qing Lou, nor do I think that scholars can't go to Qing Lou. But I've always felt that a customer is just a customer, if you go to Qing Lou and still pretend to be a scholar, it's just as hypocritical as the prostitutes on Libaofang."

  Fan Ruoruo's face turned slightly red as she said, "Brother, your words are also too rough." In her heart, her own brother was the only one who could truly be called a talented young man. Wasn't this remark also scolding himself?

  Fan Xian laughed and said: "Anyway, there's no outsider here." He suddenly looked at his sister seriously and said: "Mei, remember, don't marry a talented scholar no matter who you marry."

  Ruo Ruo finally couldn't keep a calm expression and spat out: "What nonsense are you talking about?"

  "What is He Zongwei doing now?"

  Fan Siyan hastily replied, "The students of the Imperial Academy are from humble origins, but it is said that they were once students of Zeng Wenxiang, a university scholar at the Ji Xian Tang. They have some small reputation for their talent and have written several poems... Everyone estimates that next year's imperial examination will be at least third class."

  Fan Xian furrowed his brow and said to his sister, "This person seems honest and kind-hearted, but in fact he is very tolerant and a good actor. I don't like people with this kind of personality. You should be careful in the future and try not to have dealings with him."

  Fan Ruoruo nodded without hesitation. In her heart, Fan Xian was her elder brother, teacher, and the person she could rely on most.

  Fan Xian was thinking about that dark-faced scholar named He Zongwei. Since he was already a well-known talent in Kyoto, if he wanted to rely on a powerful family, he should have had many choices. If it weren't for his sister's relationship, he wouldn't have jumped out earlier to give himself a good impression. A slight smile played on his lips as he thought that this so-called talented scholar was able to discover his identity and his position in Ruo Ruo's heart in such a short time, and he didn't seem simple at all.

  Turning his head, he saw Fan Siyan leaning against the car window looking out. Fan Xian felt a slight chill in his heart and said to Ruo Ruo: "Wait for a while, you and him go back to the mansion first, I'll stroll around Kyoto for a bit."

  Fan Siyan withdrew his head from the car window, with a look of confusion on his face.

  Fan Xian looked at his face, thinking that when he was twelve years old, he had already faced assassination attempts, and then thought that the other party was also just a twelve-year-old child who had been dragged into these very sinister things, couldn't help but sigh and say: "You're still so young... Alas, I really don't know what to say."

  Fan Siyan hid behind his sister, he was usually bold, but for some reason, every time he saw Fan Xian's gentle smile, he felt a little scared: "What are you talking about?"

  Fan Xian originally thought that the conflict on the wine tower was deliberately provoked by this little guy in front of him, so as to expose an extremely bad side in front of King Jing's son. To know that the opinion of King Jing's mansion will play a certain role in the future inheritance of the Fan family - because the wine tower is his choice, and the matter is also caused by him. But now looking at Fan Siyan's bewildered expression, he couldn't help but doubt his judgment, could it be that everything on the wine tower today was just an accidental accident?

  The horse carriage moved slowly forward. Fan Xian knew that among the six guards who came out with his siblings today, at least two were people of the Liu family, so he didn't say anything else.

  Fan Ruo remained calm and silent, lowering her head without a word, thinking about the things at home, feeling slightly annoyed.

  The horse carriage arrived at the entrance of the Fan residence on the main street, and Yurou led her brother back to the mansion, while Fan Xian continued his one-day tour of Kyoto. Originally, Yurou wanted to go with him, but he thought about what he had to do later and could only smile and decline, looking at Sizheng twice, reminding him not to mention the Dream of Red Mansions, but didn't know if the other would listen to him.

  Tōko Kyō sat in the carriage, looking at his young master. He had somehow come to believe that following this sixteen-year-old would lead to great prospects, perhaps because the spring of Tanshu was indeed easy to imagine beautiful things, or perhaps it was due to being infected by the young man in front of him, or perhaps some sort of agreement had been reached between the two people.

  Fan Xian thought for a moment, propped up his chin and asked: "I've borrowed you from my father, I reckon in the short term, you won't have any chance to get ahead, don't blame me."

  Tōko Kyō smiled and replied respectfully: "Young master is no ordinary person, following young master will naturally bring benefits."

  Fan Xian smiled and said: "What's so unusual about me? Just now at the wine tower, wasn't I just like any other ignorant young man spouting nonsense everywhere?"

  Tōyama Kengaku sensed the meaning behind his words and replied cautiously, "Young Master, I understand what you're getting at. In my opinion, this matter has nothing to do with Young Master."

  The horse carriage had come to a stop, the gentle breeze outside was quietly blowing in, refreshing one's mind. Fan Xian looked at Tong Zi Jing and said softly: "I also hope this matter has nothing to do with him."