Chapter 2: Confrontation

Just when the nobles in the mission had their own thoughts, the convoy no longer used human will to move to the last station outside Kyoto. Looking at the ceremonial guards and formations placed there, Fan Xian sighed and had to drag Miss Shen’s problem to the time he entered Beijing before dealing with it. If only his thoughts were based on this woman, it was not necessary for this woman to stay. It was just that Miss Shen had a friendship with the eldest princess, and Mr. Xiaoyan seemed to have a vague apology to her.

At this time, officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Taichang Temple of Honglu Temple were waiting here. Seeing the convoy slowly coming over, each tidying up his clothes, and getting out of the Northern Qi Princess from the car, very respectful. Fan Xian's eyes turned and attracted Gundam, asking him to lead two tiger guards to keep the princess' car firmly in the car, and he could not find the fact that there was another woman in the car.

In fact, with his current power position, he doesn't have to be so careful.

"Mr. Fan has worked hard all the way!"

"Mr. Fan is very happy to have great power in his trip. This time he returns to Beijing, I am afraid that it will be used for another purpose soon?"

"Old Hu is wrong, Lord Fan now..."

Amidst a light and flattering sound, Fan Xian entered the post station surrounded by officials. The princess of Northern Qi was resting in the inner room, and the show of greeting the official was more grand. If you don’t know Fan Xian’s identity, you must be puzzled why the ministers in the Qing Dynasty court would respect such a young middle-level official so much.

Fan Xian smiled and raised his hand to the officials around him to return the greeting. He was not tired of it, but he was slightly anxious. He looked around and found that most of the officials who came to welcome him knew, some of them were his colleagues when he was in Taichang Temple, and some were nominal subordinates when the Honglu Temple negotiated with the Northern Qi Dynasty. Only the officials of the Ministry of Rites were a little afraid of respect. He understood the reason. After all, Guo Youzhi was beaten up by himself.

As soon as he sat on the chair, he only took a sip of tea. He asked, "What is the next constitution? Is there any order in the palace? When will the delegation enter Beijing?" Without waiting for the officials to answer, he started to laugh at himself: "I am a righteous envoy, but I am still a little unclear about this response."

The local officials of the Ministry of Rites finally got the opportunity to get close to him. They were not willing to miss it. A man from the Ministry of Rites quickly responded: "Don't worry, Lord Fan, there are arrangements for the Ministry of Rites when facing the ceremonial guards, and there are arrangements in the palace in front of the head, and it has been done long ago."

Another subordinate of the Honglu Temple said: "The emperor knew that the mission officials had left home for a long time and were eager to think about their family, so he did not issue an order, but only ordered the mission to enter the capital. After the adults entered the capital, they would go to the palace first..."

Before he finished speaking, an official wearing a fourth-rank official uniform walked in from outside, and the officials in the room hurriedly greeted him. Fan Xian looked closely and smiled and greeted him. He patted the other party on the shoulder and said, "Sir Ren, why are you here too?"

The visitor was Ren Shaoan, Shaoqing of Honglu Temple, and the disciple of Fan Xian’s father-in-law. Ren Shaoan felt at ease when he saw Fan Xian safe and sound. He smiled bitterly and said, “What a big deal is this? I, a coolie from Taichang Temple, don’t come, and I don’t have to resign if I don’t need the censor of the Censorate to come to participate.”

Fan Xian smiled, but he was a little confused. He knew that the mission was coming today, why did this Shaoqing come so late? He greeted the officials in the room. He pulled Ren Shaoan out the door and asked, "What's going on?"

Ren Shaoan knew that although the man in front of him was young, his temperament was covered with steel. He had done so many things in Kyoto and overturned so many officials. He really didn't know whether he should say it. However, Prime Minister Lin Ruofu had retired and returned to his hometown, a disciple of the Lin family. Now he had to rely on the Fan Mansion in the capital. The two ministers could not help but hesitate and said, "Mr. Fan, what are you asking?"

Fan Xian stared in his eyes and asked, "I'm not a fool. The mission returned to Beijing. What a big deal. When we left Shangjing, the court should have known the specifications set by the Northern Qi court. How could a princess welcome all the sesame officials in the mission? Where did Xin Qi go? And the ministers of the Ministry of Rites? When the princesses are coming to marry, at least some old nannies should be sent in the palace. You are from Taichang Temple, and you are responsible for the royal affairs. I won't ask who do you ask?"

Ren Shaoan smiled bitterly and said, "Today... it's really a coincidence that Xin Qiwu went there, and the elders of the Ministry of Rites also went there. Fan Xian, don't blame me, brother, I can come here, it can be considered as offending there."

"Where is there?" Fan Xian was slightly surprised.

Ren Shaoan continued to smile bitterly and said, "The eldest prince also returned to Beijing today, and he was stationed in the camp less than three miles away from you. So this is too coincidental. The people from the Ministry of Rites, the Privy Council and the Ministry of War were all waiting there, so the delegation was naturally quiet." After saying this, he continued, "Fan Xian, your friendship is here, I am not afraid to say it explicitly. You are also a crystal-hearted person. Do you really care about these superficial rituals?"

Fan Xian also understood what was going on, and shook his head with a smile: "I just wanted to go back to Beijing as soon as possible, but the princess was a princess after all. If the court was slow to treat her and would cause discussions in the world, it would be unhelpful."

He finally understood why the specifications of coming to welcome the mission were much weaker. After all, it was a great prince with military power. The courtiers naturally had to rush over there. Even if they flattered, they had to slap the butt of the tall horse. He waved his hand to stop Ren Shaoan's explanation and asked curiously: "I wrote the order at the beginning of the year clearly. Only when the grass grew in autumn would the eldest prince lead the army back to Beijing. It was only early autumn, why did he come back?"

"It is said that the Empress Dowager wants the eldest grandson." Ren Shaoan laughed meaningfully, "So he started Cheng early, and the Western Route Army stationed in Dingzhou. This time the eldest prince led two hundred personal soldiers back to Beijing."

Fan Xian shook his head and scolded: "The officials of the Ministry of Rites don't know if they are stupid from the Guo family. The delegation entered Beijing and the prince returned to the palace. There are so many people. Don't you know how to arrange it. You can send a letter on the road. No matter which way, it's not impossible to delay it for a day or two. Now, you're all crowded on the road outside the city. What should you do?"

"The Ministry of Rites and the Honglu Temple have sent you a letter to you, saying that the mission will be slower. Unexpectedly, the mission will not be able to rest for a day on the mission, so they went back to Beijing directly, and then they squeezed into a bunch of them."

Fan Xian smiled and said nothing. The mission rushed back to Beijing from thousands of miles away, which was what he meant.

"Rong Yirong, after the arrangement is made, the mission will enter the city later. What do you think?" Ren Shaoan looked at him carefully. He didn't know how long he had been in the Supervisory Office and whether he had inherited the arrogance that no one saw in the eyes of President Chen Pingping. He said, "The new Minister of Rites is embarrassed to come to the mission. So I ask me to pass on a message."

"Damn, I'm going to hurry home and hold my wife!" Fan Xian knew him, and he was a little arrogant while speaking, and laughed and scolded: "I'll wait for two days, beware that you will come to the mansion in the future. The one who is my family punishes you."

Ren Shaoan had sweat and penetrated his forehead. Of course, he knew what kind of character he was in Fan Xian’s family. Although he had been sick, his background was extremely deep.

Fan Xian didn't want to fight for these things with the eldest prince who had never met. Moreover, he was not qualified to compete with others. He smiled and patted Ren Shaoan's shoulder and said, "Don't worry, it won't make it difficult for you." He thought for a moment and said, "I'll report to the princess so that the couple wouldn't have a grudge if they didn't meet. We ministers should explain."

Ren Shaoan was dumbfounded and watched Fan Xian walk towards the room where the princess was resting for a while, thinking to himself, where did you play? You didn't say anything, so what if you delayed for two days? If that princess is a person who refuses to lose her temper, your explanation will probably become a challenge.

How could he know that Fan Xian, a naughty guy, was just in a hurry to go home. As for how the eldest prince and the eldest princess fight, he was too lazy to care.

Ren Shaoan was waiting outside to sweat, and found another fourth-rank official with sweat coming in outside the post station. The official's back was already wet, and it was hot in the early autumn. He was indeed suffering from running on both sides. The person came was the Shaoqing of the Honglu Temple. When he saw Ren Shaoqing here, he bowed and said in a low voice: "It's quite early for you to come."

Ren Shaoan knew that the other party was close to the Eastern Palace and was not very close, but after the prime minister left office, Ren Shaoan had already been transferred to Fan Xian's sect in the officialdom, and there was no closeness to the princes. So the two of them left these days and laughed and scolded: "Mr. Fan is here, I won't come, but I will be scolded by the lady. But you, you have always been close to him, why did you come here at this time? Be careful that he will lose your face in a while."

Xin Qiwu was slightly stunned and said with a wry smile: "Mr. Fan is not a passerby." Thinking of the ridiculousness today, he couldn't help but laugh at himself: "The eldest prince and the mission arrived outside the capital at the same time. I think, let alone the people of the Ministry of Rites don't know how to arrange it. Even the ministers of the Third Court of Six Ministry and the Four Temples are a little confused. Which side should we welcome first?"

As soon as he said this, Ren Shaoan and Xin Qiwu became quiet at the same time. The scene seemed a bit strange. After a long time, the two coughed twice. The reason for this was that they found that their conversation just now was to consider the importance of the eldest prince and the mission at the same level. Could it be that... After Fan Xian took charge of the Supervision Bureau and gained a generation of literary names, he could vaguely compare with the status of a soldier prince?

Xin Qiwu shook his head and threw this absurd idea behind his head, but he clearly knew that since the officials were so embarrassed, he had already placed Fan Xian in a very high position. It was also true that it was indeed a bit surprising to see that Lord Fan had done so many things in just over a year after entering the capital. Although there was a foreign princess in the mission, the real thoughts of those officials were naturally to curry favor with the Fan family and the Supervisory Office.

"Mr. Fan... I haven't seen me before, so I didn't say anything?" Xin Qiwu asked carefully.

Ren Shaoan shook his head. Xin Qiwu felt a little relieved and said with a smile: "Actually, it is reasonable and the eldest prince comes first. I always have to pay homage to the East Palace. After all, Lord Fan is a minister, and he has his own score."

"I don't have any score." Fan Xian walked all the way and greeted Xin Qiwu: "You are so happy when you drink with me, calling me brother-in-law intimacy. I have been abroad for several months, but you haven't come to welcome me. I'm angry, angry, haha."

He was angry as he said that, but he was laughing. Xin Qiwu smiled helplessly. He was about to say something, but he saw Fan Xian’s gentle smile on his face and said softly: “It’s reasonable, you are the Shaoqing of the Honglu Temple, who is in charge of diplomatic affairs and does not come to pick up the mission. But he went to pick up the eldest prince. Are you also going to get a counselor in the Privy Council?”

These words are plain, but they reveal a hint of discomfort.

Xin Qiwu was slightly surprised and thought to himself that Fan Xian shouldn't be such a person who cares about this matter, and he shouldn't be so stupid to show his dissatisfaction on his face.

Fan Xian bowed to the two middle-aged and young officials in the court, straightened his body, and said, "The mission will enter Beijing today. Let's arrange it. There is no one in the Ministry of Rites, so you can go find it."

With a buzzing sound, the two Shaoqings suddenly became bigger. They didn't even think that Fan Xian had such a great courage to compete with the eldest prince! But the palace seemed to have forgotten about this matter and had no intention at all. If the delegation wanted to enter the capital first, there would be no big problem in terms of rules.

The problem is...there is the eldest prince over there!

Ren Shaoan coughed twice and looked at Fan Xian, hoping to remind him. After all, Xin Qiwu is the prince's disciple, so don't express his disrespect to the eldest prince in front of him. Fan Xian accepted all his "sexy eyes" and said with a smile: "The mission must enter the capital first. This is what Your Highness the prince means. You can arrange it, the eldest prince... let them wait."

After saying this, he shook his sleeves and left the post station, and ordered his subordinates to start preparing for the entry into the capital. After throwing the two dumbfounded Shaoqing, he thought to himself who he was? He dared to argue with the eldest prince! Xin Qiwu's expression changed constantly, and he finally gritted his teeth and said, "Anyway, there is no explanation in the palace, so I don't care about this matter!"

Ren Shaoan said curiously: "You don't care where you are? You, the Shaoqing of the Honglu Temple, does not care about the ceremony of the delegation's entry into the capital, be careful that others will participate in you."

Xin Qiwu smiled and said, "I don't care about the eldest prince. Anyway, this is my local affairs. Even if the eldest prince is unhappy, I have an explanation. I will follow the mission... But you, Taichang Temple, manage the clan royal family. On this side is Your Majesty's son, and on the other side is Your Majesty's future daughter-in-law, who are you going to take care of?"

Ren Shaoan scolded him countless times in his heart, but after all, he had a close relationship with Fan Xian, so he had to shake his head and rush to the eldest prince to get the Ministry of Rites to prepare. At the same time, he planned to turn around in front of the eldest prince. I wonder what would happen on the only official road outside the city gate later.

After getting on the carriage and looking at Yan Bingyun, Fan Xian shook his head: "Don't show up later. Once you enter Beijing, Lord Yan will send someone to pick you up. Remember not to let others know your news before reporting on your work."

Yan Bingyun said with a slight head, and suddenly said, "What are you fighting for? After all, others are the eldest prince and His Majesty's son. What qualifications do you have to fight with him? You are not a stupid person, how could you do such a stupid thing?"

"Prince?" Fan Xian sat beside him, waiting for the convoy to set off, and said with a smile: "Is this thing very rare? Besides, it's not that I want to fight with him, but that a noble man wants to fight with him."

Yan Bingyun was puzzled, and Fan Xian laughed and said, "Before the young couple met, they were about to start robbing the rights of their homes in the future. The princess was originally a simple person, but when she heard that the eldest prince was going to enter the city first, she stood up and stood in Hedong and opened her mouth... This woman really couldn't understand."

"Hedong? What river?" Yan Bingyun scolded: "I don't understand this matter. Before I return to Beijing, I will tear my face with a eldest prince. What exactly do you think?"

"Excellent, it seems that you have begun to consider problems for me, my boss." Fan Xian said bitterly: "I really didn't pick up the princess, really. Who knew that this Princess of Quiet Land actually believed in the principle that the east wind overwhelmed the west wind." This sentence came from the 82nd chapter of Shi Tou and had not been written yet. Fan Xian was just a referee, but he felt a little happy. He was really in a hurry to go home, the reason was that simple.

"As for why I offend the eldest prince, this principle is very simple - it is difficult for me to find such an opportunity like today, an opportunity that can show that I do not like the eldest prince very much."

"Why do you need this?"

"Although you have been in the north for a long time, I believe you have learned a lot about me from the mission these days." Fan Xian looked at Yan Bingyun.

Yan Bingyun nodded.

"How is my relationship with the East Palace?"

"On the surface, it seems a bit of a dispute, but in fact the prince values ​​you very much. He is taking care of you in the spring exam. Later, he takes care of you very much and shows goodwill to you."

"That's right, so I also have many protections for the East Palace." This is about the incident in the Spring Examination corruption case. Fan Xian did not explain it clearly to Yan Bingyun and continued: "And I have a good relationship with Prince Jing, and Prince Jing is a second prince sect... So, my relationship with the second prince is not bad."

Yan Bingyun immediately understood why Fan Xian offended the eldest prince.

"I have a good relationship with the Eastern Palace and the Second Prince. If I have a better relationship with the eldest prince in the future..." A self-deprecating smile appeared on Fan Xian's face: "I would like to ask a young man with the Supervision Office and the Inner Cushion area and having three princes at the same time, what does this young man want to do? Will the concubines in the palace like me?"

Today, the chaos outside the Kyoto city was in a mess. The only deep palace that had the ability to calm this commotion was delayed. So the officials were sweating and shrank, and stood in front of the city gate. Looking at the two lines traveling far above the official road, they kept cursing their mother in their hearts, scolding Fan Xian's mother - the eldest prince's mother is His Majesty's woman, and they dare not scold her.

The eldest prince's personal soldiers were all brave soldiers from the battlefield west. Seeing that the destruction regiment dared to compete with the prince, they were already angry, but the eldest prince's military discipline was extremely strict, so they kept holding on, watching the seemingly countless carriages slowly pass by their side. Among the cavalry, a general of the eldest prince couldn't help but shouted: "Where did the ministers come from, I don't know any rules at all, are you looking for death!"

The teams on both sides stopped at the same time, and the atmosphere between the court was extremely tense.

Fan Xian got off the carriage, sorted out his clothes in a very artificial manner, bowed to the prince's carriage that was faintly visible there, and said, "My minister Fan Xian, pay homage to Your Highness."

"Fan Xian? Are you Fan Xian?" A powerful voice came from there, with a slight contempt: "I didn't expect that Chen'erxu's husband was actually you. He dared to compete with the prince. He had great courage, but he was a little stupid."

Fan Xian smiled slightly and said respectfully: "I dare not compete with Your Highness for the way, but..."

Before he finished speaking, the calm and confident voice of the Grand Princess of Northern Qi came from the extremely luxurious carriage behind him: "I am a weak woman from the palace, coming all the way south. Could it be that Your Highness must let me stay outside the city for a few more days?"

The eldest prince's personal soldiers were stunned, as if they only remembered that there was a noble person in the mission. This woman would be the eldest princess and the mistress of her people in a few days.
Chapter completed!