"Indeed," Teng Zijing replied respectfully, unwilling to repeat the tragic fate of the former second steward years ago, so he was particularly respectful to the half-master in front of him.

Fan Xian frowned, a hint of composure unbefitting his age appearing on his face, lacking the typical expression of a teenager hearing about his impending marriage. He slowly said, "I'm curious, who is she?"

He was sixteen years old and had long known that marriages in these powerful families were definitely on the agenda. And since his father hadn't forgotten about him, this illegitimate son, all these years, this day would eventually come. However, the timing was so urgent this time that he didn't understand why this marriage was being rushed.

Teng Zijing replied, "This… I'm not sure either. I just heard that the young lady is virtuous and kind, and her reputation in the capital has always been good."

His cautious explanation only made Fan Xian more suspicious. He questioned how a nameless illegitimate son like himself, even if his parents had exceptionally deep connections behind the scenes, could possibly have any official family willing to marry their daughter to him.

Seeing his expression, Teng Zijing finally said, "It's just… that young lady seems to be unwell. She's been ill recently, so they're eager to…"

Fan Xian suddenly understood. So, he was an auspicious charm to ward off bad luck. He understood now and shook his head with a wry smile.

Teng Zijing was carefully observing his expression, and he was taken aback when he saw that the young master wasn't angry or sorrowful. He thought, "He's about to marry a dying young mistress, isn't the young master angry at all?"

Fan Xian had no reason to be angry. He had seen too many such scenes in his previous life, and getting angry wouldn't help solve the problem. In his heart, he felt some sympathy for the woman in Kyoto who was lingering on her sickbed. Just because of her poor health, she was being forced to marry a man she had never met.

As for himself? Fan Xian didn't have that petty, repressed feeling. He always had a bit of a chauvinistic spirit, believing that in matters of men and women, it was always the woman who suffered and the man who benefited. Since he was going to get married and have children in this world anyway, if he happened to find a good woman, wouldn't that be a great bargain? He would go to the capital first and see. Escaping marriage couldn't be rushed; he would have to see what happened first.

Everything would wait and see.

See if the girl was pretty? Cute? A loli?

……

……

"Young Master, why…" Teng Zijing asked cautiously.

"Why aren't I angry?" Fan Xian looked at him with a smile and said softly, "First, my going to Kyoto doesn't mean I will accept this marriage. Second, if I accept this marriage, it doesn't necessarily mean I like that woman. Third, even if that woman is bedridden, I won't feel humiliated by this matter. Fourth… you might not know, but I'm actually a very good doctor."

Teng Zijing was stunned. These four reasons confused him, especially the last one. The young master actually knew medicine? But he still didn't think the young master's marriage would experience a dramatic leap from tragedy to comedy because of this. After all, that young lady's family was very powerful, and even the imperial physicians couldn't cure her illness. How could the young master cure it?

The carriage didn't stop. After Teng Zijing went out, he got into the first carriage, leaving Fan Xian alone in the carriage again. The journey was inevitably lonely. He lifted the curtain, letting the wind on the road blow against his face, squinting his eyes, watching the green mountains and the stone slab road on the official road whistling past, feeling like countless scenes were rewinding.

Just like sixteen years ago, when he first came to this world, the scene he saw in the carriage.

———————————————————————————

One day in late April, the long grass beside the road outside Kyoto had been cleared early, and the orioles had also been scared away by the men and women who were out for spring outings. Only the two rows of green willows along the moat were swaying their graceful figures, self-importantly examining the scholars and commoners from all over the world who were coming from outside the city.

A small convoy consisting of three carriages came from afar, lined up on the official road, waiting to enter the city.

The carriage curtain was lifted, revealing a clean face full of sunny smiles. The man looked at the city walls of Kyoto, looked at the peaceful-looking people around him, and took a deep breath: "So this is the taste of Kyoto."

This person was naturally Fan Xian. After dozens of days of arduous journey, his party finally arrived in Kyoto. Along the way, he curiously observed the Qing Yu Nian world, which was both unfamiliar and somewhat familiar, and finally satisfied his desire to travel. Moreover, his relationship with Teng Zijing and other guards had become much more familiar.

Fan Xian was a lovely teenager accustomed to wearing a smile on his face. Such people always easily aroused good feelings.

Teng Zijing helped him down from the carriage.

With both feet on the official road, Fan Xian slightly rotated his ankles, deliberately letting the soles of his cloth shoes make more contact with this land, as if wanting to experience the uniqueness of Kyoto's land.

There were many people entering Kyoto, and the capital's security was strict, so the queue was a bit long. Fan Xian was a little bored waiting, and he chatted with Teng Zijing about the city walls ahead. He guessed that the Si Nan Earl's mansion probably wouldn't send someone to pick him up, since his identity wasn't very legitimate.

While chatting idly, a slight commotion suddenly arose in the crowd behind them, and the crowd consciously made way for a very wide road. A team of cavalry silently rode over, moving very fast, heading towards the city gate without stopping at all.

On the horse at the very front of the team was a young girl wearing a light-colored Ru skirt. In this heavy spring season, she was actually wearing a white deerskin hat, looking very playful.

This girl had eyebrows like distant green hills, and her eyes were clear and bright, very beautiful. However, she was sitting on the horse, her expression slightly anxious. It seemed she was in a hurry to return to the city, something must have happened.

Fan Xian stood by the road, smiling and watching the passing cavalry team, and praised: "There are indeed many beauties in the capital." He couldn't help but think of what his possible "wife" looked like.

Teng Zijing coughed softly beside him.

Fan Xian thought to himself that he was just praising her and didn't lose his composure, so why was he so nervous? He asked with a smile: "It seems that the atmosphere in Kyoto is not as closed as I imagined. This girl is wearing a skirt, but she's still riding a horse, and no one is making any comments."

Teng Zijing explained with a wry smile: "That person who just passed by is the only daughter of the Kyoto garrison commander, Ye Zhong. Who would dare say anything about her?"

Fan Xian gave an "oh" and stood on the carriage to look towards the city gate. Sure enough, the team of cavalry arrived at the city gate, didn't queue up, and just checked their tokens and entered the city.

When it was Fan Xian's turn to enter the city, he deliberately looked at the expressions of the officials and soldiers at the city gate and realized that they were all acting according to official procedures. Looking back at his carriage, he understood what was going on.

There were no Fan family markings on the three carriages. It seemed that his entry into Kyoto this time wasn't a grand affair.