Fan Xian wanted to run away the moment he saw the young girl. He tugged at Hongcheng's sleeve, planning to sneak away, but a servant appeared out of nowhere, bowing with a distressed expression and saying, "Young Master, the Prince knows you're out and wants to see you."

Hearing this, Li Hongcheng, the heir, gasped, feeling extremely troubled and regretful, but helpless. He went first, but before leaving, he glanced at Fan Xian, a bitter smile on his face, his emotions indescribably complex.

Fan Xian naturally understood that the young master still resented him for ruining his marriage with Ruoruo, but he couldn't do anything about it, so he simply shook his head.

Outside the courtyard, at the foot of the stone steps, only he and Roujia remained. Knowing he couldn't escape any longer, Fan Xian smiled gently, looking at Hongcheng's receding figure, and said, "Your brother was such a refined young nobleman back then, how did he become like this now?"

Seeing him speak to her, Roujia's small face was filled with barely suppressed joy. She stammered slightly, "...been locked...up for too long...scolds people every day...becoming more and more like Father."

Fan Xian paused, thinking that was indeed the case. Looking at the heir through the crack in the door, he hadn't belittled him, but had seen the tolerance and resignation in him that were different from ordinary people in the power field. This kind of character was naturally inherited from Prince Jing. The so-called struggle should involve both winning and losing, that was the right way.

He gestured, inviting the Princess to go first.

Roujia pulled at the ruqun under her red coat, lowered her head shyly, and walked slowly ahead.

Fan Xian followed behind her, sizing up the girl who was gradually blossoming, watching the soft wisps of hair at her temples in the wind, and a subtle feeling stirred in his heart.

"Roujia, has anything interesting happened at the girls' school lately?"

"Brother Xian, no."

"Roujia..."

"Brother Xian..."

The two chatted aimlessly, Roujia calling him "Brother Xian" more and more smoothly, and the young girl never stopped calling him "Brother Xian". They walked slowly towards the main residence, passing through the Cold Garden, the Frozen Path, the pavilions with remnants of snow, and the waterlogged rockery hollows.

Princess Roujia walked with her head lowered, answering softly, but couldn't help but look back every now and then, then turn her head away as if startled.

Fan Xian sighed inwardly, quickened his pace, walked to her side, and walked alongside her.

Princess Roujia felt the presence of the young man beside her, and was startled, her posture becoming a little stiff, and her fingers gripping her ruqun tightened slightly.

Fan Xian smiled and said, "This world is really wonderful. Who would have thought that you were my cousin? This 'Brother Xian' you call me is quite fitting."

……

……

Hearing this, Princess Roujia's heart fluttered, and a few streaks of red flushed her small face. She stopped speaking and simply remained silent. The two cousins knew what Fan Xian meant - Qing law stated clearly that their relationship made anything impossible, regardless of whether Fan Xian had that intention or not.

Since Princess Roujia first met Fan Xian at the age of twelve, her girlish thoughts had been focused on him. Whether under the grape trellis in the Prince's residence, in the Autumn Grass Garden of the Fan residence, or in the Cangshan Villa, she always liked to watch Fan Xian.

Her young girl's feelings had not faded even after Fan Xian's marriage. Although she didn't dare to ask her father, she always hoped that there would be an exception for having two wives in the future. But who knew that such big news would break in Kyoto - Brother Xian was her own cousin!

From that day on, Roujia knew that this matter was impossible. But how could two years of affection fade in a day? Today, after seeing her favorite Brother Xian, she felt flustered again. Now, hearing Fan Xian say this, she knew that he was reminding her.

But Princess Roujia was, after all, only a fourteen-year-old girl. Hearing Fan Xian's gentle yet serious reminder, she didn't turn her head and glare at him with resentment like other noble women in Kyoto, nor did she snort... she just buried her head lower and refused to speak.

A crystal-clear tear fell from her long eyelashes, dripping onto the bluestone slab at her feet.

Fan Xian was dumbfounded. He didn't know what to do when he saw a girl crying.

Roujia continued to walk forward, and Fan Xian quickly followed behind her.

Roujia cried with her head down all the way, but stubbornly bit her lip, refusing to make a sound.

Fan Xian felt both pity and love and anger. Just as he didn't know how to comfort her, he suddenly noticed that Roujia had stopped and was looking at him very seriously.

Fan Xian smiled, reached out his finger, and flicked away the tears on the little girl's face.

Roujia was still as docile as in previous years, staring fixedly at Fan Xian, and stuttered, "Brother Xian, I have something to ask of you."

"What is it? As long as I can do it," Fan Xian said seriously.

"I know... the marriage between Sister Ruoruo and my brother was broken by you," Roujia said with her head lowered, twisting her ruqun, twisting countless worrying wrinkles in the corner of the light pink ruqun.

Fan Xian paused, not expecting this little girl to see this matter so clearly. "So?"

Roujia bowed gracefully, speaking softly, her childish voice still present, "The palace will definitely arrange a marriage for Roujia in the future... If Roujia doesn't want it, please Brother Xian to put in some effort."

The marriage between Kyoto nobles involved too many political transactions. Fan Xian's marriage and Fan Ruoruo's unfulfilled marriage were all like this. With Princess Roujia's status, her marriage would naturally be arranged by the nobles in the palace, or even the Empress Dowager herself.

Fan Xian opened his mouth wide, but after a long while, he nodded despondently, knowing that he had once again been forced to take on an extremely heavy burden. This world was really strange. Others were acting as matchmakers, but only he had become a powerful marriage breaker.

After Roujia finished speaking, seeing him nod, it was as if she had used up all the courage she had gathered along the way, and she immediately felt sad again. She looked at him deeply, turned around, picked up her skirt, and quickened her pace towards the main residence, ignoring Fan Xian.

Fan Xian scratched the back of his head behind her, looking at Princess Roujia's figure, watching her head down, watching her still crying silently, and the feeling in his heart was really uncomfortable. He thought that these little girls were more troublesome than the last.

———————————————————

In the long corridor behind the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the imperial palace, facing the high palace walls in the distance, and the winter trees under the palace walls. The palace was heavily guarded, especially the areas close to the inner palace, where it was strictly forbidden for anyone to make noise, and even less likely for anyone to do anything too presumptuous.

But when the palace maids and eunuchs passing by saw the young official stretching and doing leg presses under the corridor, no one dared to step forward to reprimand him, and no one dared to remind him of anything.

It was impossible for young officials to enter the inner palace. If there was one, there could only be one person, and only he dared to be so free and at ease in the imperial palace.

Under the corridor, the young official withdrew his leg resting on the large round pillar, turned his head to look at the middle-aged eunuch with a twisted face, wanting to laugh but not daring to, and scolded, "Laughing at what! This palace is so big, of course my legs will be sore. I don't know how you guys have such good legwork."

This young official was naturally Fan Xian. Everyone knew that he was the illegitimate son of the Emperor. In addition, he had been receiving unparalleled favor in recent years, and his relationship with the nobles and chief eunuchs in the palace was also harmonious. He had even spent a month recuperating in the palace, so the palace maids and eunuchs were used to his presence in the palace.

Only he had the courage to do calisthenics in the inner palace.

Today, he was accompanying Wan'er back to her mother's palace. As soon as they entered the palace, Wan'er was kept by the Empress Dowager, who refused to let her go, saying that she wanted to keep her most beloved granddaughter for the night. Fan Xian had no choice but to take various gifts and walk to various palaces. He had already walked through them once after returning to Kyoto, and now he had to do it again, which was really a bit annoying, so he took the opportunity to rest under the corridor behind the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

The eunuch accompanying him, carrying a large pile of gift boxes, was Eunuch Dai. He was once a very favored figure, and although he was from Consort Shu's palace, he was the one who made important errands to the various residences to announce imperial decrees. However, later, because of his nephew's affairs, he was involved in the struggle between Fan Xian and the Second Prince, so he was given a vacant position. Later, because of the assassination at the Suspended Temple, he was forcibly driven to a remote office. If he had spent two more years there, he would have died without even a mat to cover his body.

It was all thanks to Fan Xian constantly speaking good words for him that the Emperor still remembered his good service in the past, so he spared his life and let him return to the inner palace to do some idle work.

For Eunuch Dai, Fan Xian was his savior, even half of his master, a more important figure than Consort Shu, so how could he dare not serve him attentively?

Fan Xian's boots were hot, so he simply didn't pull them up properly and walked towards the end of the corridor, dragging them.

Eunuch Dai looked at his feet and said with embarrassment, "Your Excellency, you should still pay attention to your appearance in the palace."

Fan Xian glanced at him, intending to tease him a few more times, when he suddenly saw several eunuchs walking from the end of the corridor. The one in the lead was young, with a somewhat familiar appearance. His face was raised extremely high, and he exuded an air of arrogance. The few small eunuchs behind him followed with half-bent bodies, looking like the servants of servants.

"It's Little Hong Gonggong," Eunuch Dai said in a low voice, collecting his thoughts and reminding Fan Xian from behind.

Fan Xian frowned slightly, not saying anything, and walked straight towards him.

The two sides met in the middle of the corridor. Fan Xian clearly saw the pimples on the arrogant young eunuch's face, and without saying a word, he stood there, looking at the other person indifferently.

Hong Zhu was stunned. He knew that Fan Xian was waiting for him to pay his respects... but he was now the chief eunuch of the Eastern Palace, and His Majesty had recently asked him to help with work in the imperial study occasionally, making him even more prominent than when he was carrying books in the imperial study. Who in this palace didn't respect him? Even officials in the court were polite to him, except for Scholar Shu, no other minister dared to wait for him to pay his respects first.

He recognized Fan Xian, of course, and knew that Fan Xian was not an ordinary minister, but seeing the indifferent and disdainful look on Fan Xian's face, his face flushed red, and he stubbornly refused to bow his head first.

The two sides were deadlocked here.

The three or four small eunuchs following Hong Zhu were of too low a rank and had never seen Fan Xian before. How could they know that this young official was the powerful Little Fan? Seeing this scene, they were eager to speak up for Little Hong, saying in a shrill voice, "Sir, why are you wandering around in this restricted area of the palace?"

Eunuch Dai hid behind Fan Xian and snickered. He had long lost his former status and was bullied by Hong Zhu and others in the palace. Seeing that the other party's fools were about to offend Fan Xian, he was unspeakably happy, and was about to say something when Fan Xian waved his hand to stop him.

Fan Xian smiled and looked at the few small eunuchs behind Hong Zhu, amused and said, "You haven't been in the palace for long, have you? There aren't many people in this palace who don't know this official... I'm not wandering around, I'm just going to the Shufang Palace on orders to pay my respects."

As expected, they were a few small eunuchs who hadn't been in the palace for long. They didn't hear the meaning in his words and said with their necks straight, "What audacity! Where is the Shufang Palace? Why are you lingering in this corridor? Be careful Little Hong orders the guards to beat you out!"

He was trying to increase the momentum for his master, but he didn't know that he was causing trouble for his master. Sure enough, when Hong Zhu saw the smile on Fan Xian's face becoming more and more gentle, his own face immediately changed, with surprise, fear, and anger. He turned around and scolded the few small eunuchs, and then slowly bowed to Fan Xian and said, "This servant has met Little Fan."

As soon as the words "Little Fan" came out, the few small eunuchs immediately knew... they were finished! They looked at Fan Xian with terrified faces and quickly knelt down to beg for mercy.

Fan Xian didn't even bother to look at the few small eunuchs, just stared at Hong Zhu's face and said sarcastically, "My father is Fan Shangshu, so the world calls me Little Fan. What kind of Little Hong are you? If Hong Gonggong knows about this, he'll peel your skin!"

Hong Zhu's face was full of fear and resentment as he stared at Fan Xian hatefully, not saying a word.

"Slap yourself," Fan Xian said with a frown.

Hong Zhu gritted his teeth and said, "This servant is from the Eastern Palace. Sir Fan is a courtier, how can you interfere in the palace?"

Fan Xian didn't say anything, just looked at him coldly.

Forced by those two gazes, Hong Zhu had no choice but to gently slap his own face.

As soon as this slap landed, Eunuch Dai behind Fan Xian was overjoyed and prepared to promote it in the palace tonight. The few small eunuchs behind Hong Zhu were scared to death. They all knew Little Hong's status in the palace, but they didn't know that with just a word from Little Fan, Little Hong could only slap himself.

It seemed... Little Hong was indeed not as powerful as Little Fan.

Fan Xian turned his body slightly to the side, blocking Eunuch Dai's view, and winked at Hong Zhu while the few small eunuchs were kneeling on the ground.

Hong Zhu saw it clearly, but his eyes were full of bitterness, indicating that he really couldn't find a convenient place to talk at this time.

Fan Xian nodded and said coldly, "Get lost."

So Hong Zhu flicked his sleeves and left with the few small eunuchs towards the end of the corridor in anger and shame.

Watching this scene, Eunuch Dai smiled ingratiatingly at Fan Xian and said, "Let this dog servant be arrogant again, relying on the Emperor and Empress liking him, he just messes around in the palace."

Fan Xian smiled and said, "It's really not good to mess around in the palace. I still have to pay attention to my appearance when I go to the Shufang Palace later."

Without waiting for Eunuch Dai to say anything more righteously, he squatted down, pulled up the boots on his feet, and stuffed the piece of paper he had stepped on into his boots.