That sentence from Haitang made Fan Xian feel very good, very powerful. At this moment, the young man and woman were under the same blanket, whispering sweet nothings under the moonlight, inevitably leading to a very *x, very violent cliché ending...

But Fan Xian wasn't surprised, nor did he jump under the bed in fright, nor did he transform into a wolf and pounce. Instead, he said very sincerely, very seriously, and very directly, "Very well, let's discuss the wedding date."

……

……

This sentence was in response to "How about marrying you..." So, it was Haitang's turn to be stunned, feeling like she had created a trap for herself, deeply aware that she had once again underestimated the shamelessness and ruthlessness hidden beneath Fan Xian's gentle face.

She chuckled and lowered her head, wondering how she had blurted out such a sentence.

Over the past year, she and Fan Xian had spent a lot of time together, cultivating a closeness and understanding that transcended friendship but felt almost like family. One look at her expression, and Fan Xian knew what she was thinking. Raising an eyebrow, he smiled and said, "Your Empress Dowager."

"Your Emperor," Haitang replied, smiling as she continued.

"Your bald head," Fan Xian said solemnly.

Haitang tilted her head slightly. "Your identity."

"And your identity," Fan Xian said with a smile.

These few disjointed sentences clearly laid out the obstacles and problems between them. In relationships, it's all about being of one heart. Though they hadn't exchanged sweet words or romantic whispers, they used the moonlight as their witness, understanding each other's thoughts perfectly.

There are countless ordinary people in the world, and it's rare to find a confidante in the mortal world. Who would willingly miss or let go?

The problem was that the Qing Emperor certainly didn't want Fan Xian to have such great power and also gain such strong external support from the North Qi Tianyi Tao. The Empress Dowager of North Qi had also been eagerly seeking a suitable young talent for Haitang this year and would never allow Haitang to handle it herself.

The positions of Fan Xian and Haitang in their respective countries meant that if they broke the current situation and stood side by side openly, they would face unimaginable pressure.

The situation in Nan Qing was easier to handle. Even if the Qing Emperor didn't like Fan Xian gaining more external support, with his powerful confidence, he might think of weakening North Qi's strength through Fan Xian's affair. Fan Xian could use this reason to persuade his not-so-close father.

In the eyes of the Nan Qing people, Fan Xian marrying Haitang would be a joyous event that would bring glory to the Qing people. Who wouldn't want to take advantage of such a thing?

The resistance from North Qi would definitely be significant. Regardless of whether the North Qi citizens, who always considered themselves the orthodox, could accept the pride of their country, the Saintess Haitang, a celestial pulse bearer, marrying the southern barbarians they despised in their hearts, everyone, including the Empress Dowager and Ku He, would prevent this from happening.

Exchanging students is something both sides can discuss, but marrying off a daughter is clearly a loss for the North Qi people. How could they agree?

As for the little Emperor, even Fan Xian admired his methods and didn't expect him to let go. Fan Xian laughed self-deprecatingly, "You came to Jiangnan because your little Emperor asked you to supervise me making money... If you become my nagging wife, and we start a husband-and-wife business, spending his money as we please, wouldn't he be furious?"

Haitang laughed and said, "He'd be furious if he heard you say that."

Fan Xian sighed and said, "Actually, if we got married and our family went to a secluded place to live out our lives, it would be fine, regardless of how angry the two courts would become."

Haitang looked at him with a smile that wasn't quite a smile, "Are you willing?"

Fan Xian was silent for a moment, then looked back at her defiantly, "Are you willing?"

They looked at each other, knowing that each had ties and a sense of goodwill towards the world. Although Fan Xian's goodwill stemmed from his selfish heart, and Haitang's goodwill stemmed from her kind nature, neither of them could simply walk away and coldly watch everything happening in the world.

They were both people of the world, how could they transcend it?

The room fell silent again. In the night sky above Hua Garden, the crescent moon suddenly passed through the misty clouds, and the light increased slightly, reflecting on the walls and ponds in the garden, shining into the room and casting a halo on the large bed, the silk quilt, and the two beautiful people.

Haitang looked at him quietly and suddenly smiled, "The key is, you're already married."

……

……

Fan Xian fell silent, knowing that this sentence was difficult to answer. He had been reborn into this world for nearly twenty years and had never heard of the custom of marrying two wives. Although he had mentioned the "four haves" and "three principles" to Uncle Wu Zhu on the cliff, one of which was to marry many, many wives, he realized when it came down to it that being a Dumas who exclusively possessed many beauties was actually... very difficult.

The key was that his standards were too high... He sighed shamelessly. Wan'er aside, she was the most favored county princess in the palace. And Haitang, whom he couldn't bear to let go of, also held an incredibly high position in North Qi. He had already listed so many obstacles, so how could he let Haitang enter as a concubine?

Fan Xian shivered. He felt that this matter was a bit disgusting, and he believed that the people of North Qi would definitely go crazy, and maybe the two countries would go to war again.

"Are you cold?" Haitang asked with a smile, pulling the quilt and carefully covering his shoulders.

Fan Xian sighed with a bitter smile, "It's a chill in my heart."

The night was indeed a bit chilly. Sharing a blanket wasn't enough to cover both of them. Haitang pulled it over a little, leaving Fan Xian's upper body exposed. He shivered slightly and pulled it back.

With a swish, Haitang was stunned to find that the quilt had been snatched away. She glared at him angrily and snatched it back.

Fan Xian chuckled, not saying a word, and took it back again.

The two of them played a childish game of tug-of-war with the quilt on the bed. Fortunately, neither of them used their true energy, otherwise, what crime had the quilt committed? It would have long since turned into thousands of cotton fibers dancing in the night wind, torn apart and died. But how lucky was the quilt? It was being fought over by the two most famous and powerful young people in the world, neither giving an inch.

The quilt wasn't a jade seal.

If these two had followed the original course of history, perhaps they would be standing on the sides of their respective countries, fighting for the world in a few years. But now that they had started fighting over a quilt, then the world... shouldn't be fought over.

May Heaven bless the people of the world.

……

……

After such a rare moment of madness, the two of them closed their mouths tightly, glaring at each other. Haitang, who had been sitting with her legs crossed, put them down, stamping her feet in a mix of shame and anger. As a result, Fan Xian, that lecher, seized the opportunity.

Fan Xian let go, and Haitang immediately took the quilt back. With a whoosh, it rolled up, burying Haitang's upper body in the soft duvet. The girl let out a surprised little cry.

A pair of legs in thin trousers were exposed outside the quilt, especially those bare feet, so white and alluring.

Fan Xian reached out and covered those feet.

Haitang's feet trembled slightly, but she didn't struggle.

"Don't let them get cold," Fan Xian said righteously. He was actually very proud in his heart. His previous grab had truly reached his highest realm: as fast as lightning, quick as the wind. Once the Sunflower Scripture was unleashed, it vaguely resembled the realm of Uncle Blind's bamboo stick striking people. How could Haitang dodge it?

Or perhaps... Haitang didn't even want to dodge?

The feeling was good. Fan Xian held the girl's feet in his arms, squinting his eyes with satisfaction. He couldn't help but think of his previous life when he was in high school and it was snowing heavily. He had held the female class leader's feet in his arms like this...

Oh, only when you're happy do you recall those distant and almost blurred things, right?

……

……

"Let go," Haitang said in a muffled voice from under the covers, but her tone had a hint of anger.

Fan Xian was stunned and released them obediently, completely going against what a man should insist on at this time.

Haitang pulled the quilt down, looking at him angrily, but her cheeks were slightly red, and her hair was disheveled. She really didn't seem very intimidating.

Fan Xian watched her pull her feet back into the quilt, chuckled, and said nothing.

Haitang's face flushed slightly. She glared at him and turned to face the inside of the bed.

Fan Xian quietly turned into a black cat, crawled over, and lay down next to her. However, he lay very properly and said in a voice as thin as a mosquito, "Cold, give me some cover."

Haitang buzzed in a bee-like voice, "Don't you have hands?"

Even so, the girl still moved a little to the inside, giving Fan Xian some space, and at the same time leaving half of the quilt for him.

Fan Xian lay down comfortably, sniffing hard, and found that he still couldn't smell any body fragrance. It was just a peaceful, clean, and gentle feeling enveloping him. He opened his bright eyes and looked at the top of the tent in the dark.

The two of them lying in the same bed meant that silence was awkward, and awkwardness was ambiguous. Fan Xian had said before that he wouldn't play with ambiguity, but in reality, he loved this feeling.

He thought to himself, 'Duoduo... is finally showing a little girlishness today, which is particularly interesting, particularly interesting.' But he didn't reflect on the fact that his own psychology was particularly abnormal.

Haitang calmed down a little and carefully revealed her face, saying, "Are you really not planning to let me marry someone else?"

"Yeah," Fan Xian said, putting his hands behind his head and smiling. "If you're going to marry, you can't marry anyone else but me."

Haitang lost.

……

……

"I originally came here today to pour out my troubles to you." Fan Xian glanced at the girl beside him and told her about his anxiety in the garden earlier.

After thinking for a while, Haitang said softly, "Isn't it a bit inappropriate to come and talk to me about your affairs with your wife at this time?"

Fan Xian was stunned and realized that he did seem a bit of a jerk. He smiled bitterly, "Alright, let's talk about Ye Liuyun then. I still don't understand why he would show himself in Suzhou."

As soon as they talked about serious matters, Haitang's girlishness disappeared, and she returned to her usual calmness and composure. She turned around and began to discuss and analyze with Fan Xian, and also told him about following Ye Liuyun from a distance and the stories that happened along the way.

The two of them talked back and forth but still couldn't find a clue. Instead, Haitang suddenly said faintly, "There's a possibility, I don't know if you've considered it."

"What?" Fan Xian asked curiously.

"Maybe the Emperor has known about the relationship between the Ye family and Junshan Hui for a long time, so Ye Liuyun isn't worried about the Emperor knowing that he once took action," Haitang said seriously.

Fan Xian thought for a while and shook his head. "It still doesn't make sense."

……

……

After talking about Ye Liuyun, what else was there to talk about? The old mansion in Kyoto, Lin Wan'er? These were naturally topics that were inconvenient to talk about in bed. Fan Xian would feel guilty to some extent. No matter how broad-minded Haitang was, she wasn't an ignorant, unconscious wooden puppet.

But just lying there, their breaths intertwined, their body temperatures invading each other, and occasional contact, although it wasn't truly soul-stirring, it slowly raised the temperature in the quilt.

"Let's talk about the Temple," Fan Xian said faintly, perhaps having made up his mind.

A trace of tenderness and emotion flashed in Haitang's eyes. She smiled and said, "By the West Lake in Hangzhou, you said we would only discuss worldly affairs."

"The Temple is my business," Fan Xian said with a smile. "And it will naturally be your business in the future."

The warmth and trust in these words inexplicably warmed Haitang. Even though she was the Saintess of North Qi, who could enter and leave the palace without hindrance and held a prominent position, where could she find a confidante, a true friend, someone who could treat her equally and without prejudice?

……

……

"The character 'Wu'?" Haitang sat up slightly, drawing semicircles in the air with her finger, up and down, up and down, her brow furrowed tightly. "What does this symbol above the Temple mean?"

At this moment, Fan Xian had carefully described Sean's narration in the cave, but he had hidden the fact that Grandmaster Ku He had eaten human flesh in order to spare the girl's feelings.

Haitang had been listening quietly. Only when recounting Sean's affairs in North Wei did a complex emotion occasionally flash in her eyes. In the end, she was confused by those symbols and asked the question.

"How would I know?" Fan Xian said with a headache. "It seems that one day, I will have to go to the Temple to take a look."

A determined look gradually appeared in Haitang's bright, autumn-water-like eyes, "I want to go."

Fan Xian laughed, "I know how tempting this is to you, so you must promise me... that you can't sneak off on your own."

He pointed to his head and said, "Sean's route map is all hidden here."

"Who is the little girl who ran out of the Temple?" Haitang asked, already vaguely guessing a little.

Although the answer didn't surprise her, it still made her sigh.

"My mom."

Fan Xian said proudly.

……

……

So the topic turned back to the Ye family of that year. Occasionally, they would talk about Uncle Blind's demeanor. The more she heard those details, the stronger the yearning in Haitang's eyes became.

"What kind of era was that?" The girl sighed. "The four Grandmasters all appeared in that era, and beyond that, there were your mother and Grandmaster Blind, these two dazzling figures."

Fan Xian joked, "In a few days, you'll have to call her mother-in-law."

Haitang was too lazy to pay attention to him and sighed to herself, "Came out of the Temple... Could it be..." Her eyes lit up and she said, "Miss Ye should be a celestial pulse bearer, right?"

"What is a celestial pulse bearer?" Fan Xian sneered and naturally wouldn't tell the wonderful story of time travel. "Everyone in the world says you are a celestial pulse bearer, what do you say?"

Haitang smiled and said, "My teacher said that a celestial pulse bearer is someone who can inherit Heaven's will, someone who is ordained by the Temple. I don't know why my teacher calls me that."

"According to that statement, isn't Ku He a celestial pulse bearer? Your Tianyi Tao's cultivation method was truly stolen by my mom from the Temple."

"... This was stolen, not bestowed by the Temple's immortals."

"This... It's a matter for scholars. Stealing books... how can it be stealing?"

……

……

"Will Miss Ye have a very special bloodline?" Haitang suddenly became interested, her bright eyes staring at Fan Xian's cheeks. "Your meridians are completely different from ordinary people, otherwise it would be impossible to cultivate that strange and domineering cultivation technique. This must be related to your mother's background."

Looking at the girl's expression, Fan Xian knew what she was thinking in her belly. He sneered and said, "Are you thinking that the child I have in the future might also be a freak?"

Haitang smiled faintly and didn't respond.

"Don't think about borrowing seeds!" Fan Xian didn't know if he was reminded of his own questionable birth. He was furious and roared in a low voice, "And don't think about putting aphrodisiacs in my wine again!"

Haitang looked at his angry expression, just smiling and not saying anything.

"Si Lili is not pregnant." Fan Xian felt angry whenever he thought about that matter, and the evil fire gradually grew.

The bodies of the two people in the quilt were already as hot as fire, and now the evil fire was stirred up again, how could they not generate lust? Fan Xian bit his teeth, raised his face, and regardless of whether Haitang would easily kill him with a backhand, he pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly.

Hugging her from behind, feeling the girl's slightly hot and trembling body in front of him, Fan Xian said in her ear, "If you're really interested, you don't need to use aphrodisiacs, I'm willing to dedicate myself to you."

But at this moment, Haitang sneered, not turning her head, and said faintly, "Besides moving your hands and feet, don't you have any other abilities to make me admire you?"

Fan Xian said angrily, "I only moved my feet earlier, when have I ever moved my hands?"

Haitang didn't know what she was thinking of, her voice suddenly softened, and after a long while, she said softly, "On the official road from the Internal Treasury..."

Fan Xian immediately remembered. That day, by the side of the Chun Lin, he had calmly held the girl's hand in his arms, refusing to let go no matter what.

The relationship between men and women is about offense and defense, turning defense into offense. Fan Xian's approach to Haitang, since last spring, had been to draft poems in his stomach, then use the aphrodisiac trick of "one word to remember, say heart", plus the many encounters and clever changes later on, had long since shifted from fighting wits and strength to fighting hearts, and finally to fighting emotions.

The relationship between the two had changed, their emotions had changed, and their methods had also changed.

Today, what was the need to fight for? Was it really endlessly enjoyable to fight with others? Fan Xian didn't really like it, so his hand passed under Duoduo's arm, reached forward, grasped her hands, and rubbed his face against the back of her neck comfortably.

Haitang only felt her face getting hotter and hotter. The damned little rascal behind her clearly had a wife, but he kept teasing her. It was really hateful, but why had her Dao heart gradually been disturbed in the past six months? Why couldn't she maintain the clear and pure state of mind of being close to nature?

She sighed faintly and said that sentence for the third time tonight, "You really don't want me to marry someone else."

Fan Xian said vaguely, "You must marry me, and bring your sister with you... it's just a pity you don't have one."

"You're really shameless," Haitang said a little shyly and angrily, biting her lips lightly.

Fan Xian said softly, "There's no other way... If I don't ruin your reputation, if we don't sleep together for one night, tomorrow your old woman will make you marry someone else. This is just a last resort for me."

Haitang lost again.

……

……

"Today you've told me so many secrets, even including the secrets of the Temple, aren't you afraid that I'm using a beauty trap?" Haitang suddenly said with a smile.

Fan Xian said seriously, "Duoduo... you're not a great beauty."

———————————————————————

The next morning, Fan Xian pushed open the door and walked out, only to see the morning light was faint, and the breeze was cool and refreshing. He couldn't help but stretch.

Ah! A scream came from a maid in the garden, and then the maid immediately shut her mouth.

Everyone knew that the Imperial Envoy and Miss Haitang behind the garden had a private relationship, but the two had always treated each other with courtesy in front of everyone, without the slightest hint. Who knew that today... Lord Fan actually walked out of that girl's boudoir so openly!

Walking out of the boudoir early in the morning, what did that mean?

Fan Xian smiled at the girl and said gently, "Good morning."

Then he walked to the front garden and greeted the maids, servants, and subordinates he met along the way, saying gently, "Good morning."

For a moment, the people in the garden were a little confused, thinking when did the lord become so gentle and refined? How could his mood be so good that it was infuriating?

Soon, the shocking news gradually spread throughout Hua Garden through the mouths of the servants, and then it reached the ears of Fan Xian's subordinates.

Si Si listened to the news with her mouth wide open. Although she knew it was a matter of time, she still felt a little sudden, especially when she suddenly felt that the letter in her hand had become a little heavy. She had slept soundly last night and had forgotten to give the letter to the young master. She was the big maid from the old mansion in Danzhou, and her whole heart was devoted to Fan Xian. She quickly asked a maid, "Where is the young master at this time?"

"In the front hall?"

……

……

When Fan Xian had cleaned up and sat in the front hall preparing to discuss matters, several members of the Qi Nian Group, including Deng Ziyue, and the seven Tiger Guards of Gao Da, had already learned the biggest news of Hua Garden today.

The burly and powerful warriors looked at Fan Xian with respect. To eat the Saintess of North Qi required not only courage but also extremely high skill.

Deng Ziyue was the only one who looked worried. He was highly regarded in the old mansion in Kyoto, and Lin Wan'er was extremely skilled in managing subordinates, always generously rewarding Fan Xian's close guards, and was also kind and amiable, so she was deeply loved by the servants of the old mansion. He suddenly felt that something was not right... In the future Fan family, who would be the mistress? He, and even all the servants, were of course on the side of the young mistress, but he couldn't help but think coldly, if the Fan family had conflicts in the future, how could the young mistress defeat Miss Haitang?

Fan Xian didn't know what these confidants were thinking about, just kept drinking porridge. Actually, last night he mainly spent too much energy chatting with Haitang. He had to make arrangements for Ye Liuyun's mysterious appearance, and also analyze the situation between the two countries, so it was naturally inevitable that he was tired.

But no one would believe him if he said this. Talking about state affairs under the quilt? Give it a rest.

At this time, Si Si finally arrived at the front hall and handed over the letter in her hand.

Fan Xian was stunned when he saw the handwriting on the envelope. When he tore open the envelope and took a look, his mouth opened slightly, and the porridge almost spilled out. He thought to himself, that old woman drinking porridge is shameless and despicable, and he is indeed a bit shameless and despicable, but... was he going to be tortured so soon?

He stood up, looked at Deng Ziyue, and sighed, "Find some people to go to Shazhou, capable ones, meticulous in their work."

Deng Ziyue asked strangely, "The affairs of Suzhou are not yet settled."

Fan Xian said with a bitter face, "To pick someone up."

"Pick up who?"

"Your young mistress."

Wan'er was coming, and Fan Xian was of course happy, but... happy things suddenly became too many, and it seemed a bit troublesome.

(Fellow compatriots, I know I was wrong... Today is the last day of January, I was really confused, alas... But that's good, the last day, then let's ask for monthly tickets again, diligently asking for monthly tickets. Although the fourth and fifth places are the same money, it's still nice to see... Today's chapter is mainly about romance, but there are hidden messages in it, so I have to be careful. At the end of the month, everyone can relax. Please don't talk about what kind of stallion I am. Who says I'm not a stallion? My novel is a stallion novel... Didn't it say so in the introduction? I write novels, and I'm indeed a very stubborn person. I will only write in the direction that I should write, that's it, please understand... My ideal is to become Dumas and earn a lot of money.)