Misty Rain of the Old Times

Chapter 122 Reunion
He first bowed to Mrs. Gao and the others, then Chen Xuan responded and quickly went to change his clothes.

In the Gao family, others take him seriously, but he cannot really think of himself as the boss. He still has his duties to fulfill.

After he left, Gao Jingqing was surprised and delighted. She stepped forward, bowed, and asked cautiously, "Mom, is my sister back? Can we go see her?"

She was born out of wedlock and had to call Madam Gao "mother". She could only call her biological mother "aunt" in normal times, and only dared to call her "mother" in private.

Madam Gao nodded gently and said, "Let's go together. Qing'er, you haven't seen your sister for many years. Yu'er loved you very much back then, but you were still young at that time, so you may not remember it clearly."

"I remember that my sister was very good. I was almost four years old that year, and I cried for several days when my sister got married. Mom, I'll go change my clothes first and be back soon," Gao Jingqing said a little excitedly, and then quickly changed her clothes.

So many years have passed in the blink of an eye. Time flies so fast.

Mrs. Gao felt bitter in her heart. She hadn't seen the little girl who had fallen from her body for so many years, how could she not miss her? She wished her daughter would appear in front of her immediately to relieve her longing, but she had to remain calm and arrange the welcoming matters herself, worried that the servants would not know the rules and make a fool of themselves.

Although the daughter's return home is a happy occasion for the family to reunite, the daughter is a princess, so many etiquettes must be followed.

For example, at that time everyone would have to pay their respects, but she would only be the princess, so she would not have to kneel down and pay her respects.

Not to mention the princess, even the imperial concubine couldn't kneel down and pay homage, unless it was the queen, then she had to pave the road with yellow earth and set up an incense table...

Everything was almost arranged at the gate, and Chen Xuan and the others also changed their clothes and came over one after another.

All the necessary arrangements and instructions had been completed, nothing was left out, and Madam Gao nodded and said, "Let's go, let's go take Yu'er home."

She went outside the county in person to pick her up instead of waiting for her to come back. Firstly, she had not seen her for many years and missed her terribly. Secondly, as a princess, she had to be considerate of the royal status of Prince Qing and observe the utmost courtesy.

It's quite troublesome, but apart from the fact that I truly miss my daughter, the rest is just for show.

Gao Jingqing in the crowd had a dim look in her eyes. They, the younger brothers and sisters, could go to welcome the princess, but the aunt could not, as she would not be able to witness the princess's elegance at the first time.

Actually, this is normal. The Second Madam and the others are just the concubines of Master Gao. With such status, when they go there, should they bow to the princess, or will Gao Jingyu, as a junior, bow to them? That would be very embarrassing.

But there is not so much consideration for younger brothers and sisters of the same age.

This time, the Gao family's welcoming team was particularly grand, with seven or eight carriages. Mrs. Gao went there in person, and the guards were meticulous. Some servants and maids also carried incense burners and flower baskets.

Chen Xuan had nothing to do, so he just followed along and could sit leisurely in the carriage with Gao Jingming.

To be honest, he was also a little curious about Gao Jingyu. Over the years, he often heard people mention her name in the Gao family, and his ears were almost callused. As a congenital master, he wondered if she could see his hidden cultivation level?

Although Liu Changhe said in the annotation of Ze Yuan Jue that this skill is good at hiding and is difficult to detect without deliberately showing off, Gao Jingyu is a major realm higher after all, and is a master who has been in the innate realm for many years. Chen Xuan dare not guarantee it.

The princess came home to visit her parents, and this was not a low-key visit, but a high-profile return accompanied by the royal palace's ceremonial guard. Therefore, this was not just a matter for the Gao family. Even the government took it very seriously and sent soldiers to suppress and maintain order. Even the county government had to greet her respectfully.

Anyone who has a bit of ability and has heard about it will go and show their face. It's okay if you don't go. One more person won't make much difference, but if you're missing, you might be remembered. Although it's not a big deal, you might be petty and think that you look down on the princess because you didn't go...

This is only the standard for a princess, and the county level takes it seriously. If it were an imperial concubine, the county level would not dare to neglect it, let alone the queen. Wherever she goes, the state level has to hold a grand ceremony.

When Chen Xuan and his companions arrived at the archway outside Yang County, there were thousands of people gathered all the way from here to the gate of the county town. Most of them were civilians who came to watch the excitement, and officers and soldiers maintained order.

You can just greet her here. The reception ten miles away is only for the imperial concubine.

Many important people in Yang County had arrived early, and Chen Xuan saw many familiar faces, including County Magistrate Zhou and others.

It is said that County Magistrate Zhou seems to have taken root in Yang County. He passed the imperial court's evaluation in the past two years and has not been transferred or promoted. I wonder how long he will serve here.

Maybe he is accumulating experience here. What about the princess' hometown? Although it doesn't mean much in the royal family, he may have the opportunity to be promoted in the future. With the princess' hometown's names in front, people will definitely take a second look at his name, right?

They are all human beings.

In such an occasion, Mrs. Gao did not sit in the carriage and wait as steady as a rock. Instead, she got off the carriage, exchanged greetings with some people, and then waited silently.

But she should have roughly calculated the time. Not long after, at noon, she saw a ceremonial procession coming from the front in the distance.

"Sister is back, sister is back!" Gao Jingming was so excited that he stood on tiptoe, wanting to run to the front directly. Chen Xuan was speechless. Could she really run away? But they were siblings who hadn't seen each other for many years, so this reaction was normal.

He had sharp senses and could see what was happening over there from afar. Wow, there was music leading the way, followed by signs saying "keep out of the way", then the mighty royal army, then incense burners and canopies, then maids scattering flower petals along the way, and behind all that was the princess's motorcade, gorgeous and solemn, with more than ten carriages, and at the end there was the royal army.

There are about two to three hundred people in this group, which is quite a big scene.

When I was learning etiquette in school, the teacher said that the specifications for the princess's travel were like this. If the main wife traveled, there would be a ceremonial guard of 500 people, for the imperial concubine, 800 people, and for the empress, 1,000 people. As for the appearance of princes, emperors, etc., there was another set of standards.

As long as one is crowned as a king, he must have at least a thousand people to support him when he goes on an official trip. The emperor would be at a loss, so it is normal to have a team of tens of thousands of people.

Of course, this situation does not happen often. Firstly, it is troublesome, and secondly, it is a waste of time and money. Usually, they only come once every few years. This is why Gao Jingyu only goes home once in many years. If every concubine in the palace comes once or twice a year, I am afraid the prince will have to tighten his belt and live a frugal life.

Actually, the ceremonial procession over there was also near Yang County. I guess they were setting up the procession just when they saw the welcoming people. Otherwise, how much would it cost to throw flower petals all the way from the palace? Besides, wasn't the journey tiring? Who would have the mood to do all this? Who would show off in the wilderness?

"Here I come, sister is here," Gao Jingming excitedly grabbed Chen Xuan's arm.

Come on, come on, why are you arresting me? Chen Xuan really wanted to hit him on the head with a flying stick.

Her daughter was right in front of her. She hadn't seen her for many years. Now that the mother and daughter were about to be reunited, Mrs. Gao remained calm on the surface, but her heart flew to her daughter's side, and her hands were clenched tightly under her sleeves.

Gradually, the princess's procession got closer and closer. Thousands of people were eagerly waiting and competing to discuss the matter. It was truly an experience.

When the team stopped in front, the music and ceremony stopped. Under the pressure of the royal army, the atmosphere became solemn and people became quiet.

County Magistrate Zhou looked at Madam Gao. As she was slightly startled, he stepped forward, bowed slightly, and said in a clear voice, "Zhou Yun of Yang County, along with the elders and fellow villagers, respectfully welcome the princess home."

"Welcome the Princess back home"

As soon as he finished speaking, countless people bowed in unison. Chen Xuan and Gao Jingming did the same. Only Mrs. Gao did not move at all. It was impossible for a mother to greet her daughter.

"Dear elders and fellow villagers, please don't be so polite. Jingyu has returned home to fulfill his filial duties. The villagers have welcomed him warmly. Jingyu is flattered. I hope you can forgive me for disturbing him." A clear and beautiful voice came from the front, steady and dignified, without any arrogance.

This was undoubtedly Gao Jingyu's voice. Just by hearing the voice, Mrs. Gao's eyes couldn't help but sparkle. She had been looking forward to this voice for many years.

Yang County is the hometown of Gao Jingyu's mother, and everyone here is a fellow villager, so she spoke in a humble tone and did not act like a princess. She regarded herself as a junior and did not bring shame to the royal family. Her moral character was also impeccable.

"Thank you, Princess."

Everyone started to express their gratitude and then stood up straight.

Many people felt relieved that the princess gave them face. They were just afraid of meeting someone who would lose his way after becoming successful. Meeting such a person would be a real headache.

"Thank you all for coming to welcome me, fellow villagers. I will always remember your kindness. Yang County will always be my home. But I miss my family so much that I won't greet each of you one by one. I hope you can understand. Now, fellow villagers, please go back slowly," Gao Jingyu's voice sounded again.

At this point, the meaning has been expressed and the welcoming arrangements have been completed. The princess has said that she misses her family very much, and the villagers cannot be so tactless as to affect their reunion.

So the county magistrate Zhou Yun took the lead in welcoming the princess home again, and then signaled that those who needed to leave should disperse. They had wasted most of the day just to say a few polite words, and there were still a lot of things waiting to be dealt with. There was no time to waste here.

After the outsiders dispersed one after another, the royal guards in front separated, and a gorgeous carriage appeared. The curtain was lifted, and Gao Jingyu's figure finally appeared.

Without waiting for the curtain to be fully opened and the formalities to be completed, without being seen by outsiders, she lost her previous composure and dignity, and impatiently got off the carriage and ran quickly towards this side.

"Mom, I'm back. I missed you so much." She called out as she ran over, tears falling with every step.

Madam Gao was already moved, her eyes were red, and she could not help but step forward to greet him and reminded him: "Yu'er, go slowly, don't fall, mother is here"

This scene is just like when her daughter was a toddler, and her mother watched it with her eyes and protected her in her heart.

Soon the mother and daughter were reunited. Gao Jingyu, ignoring the dust on the ground, immediately crawled to her knees and threw herself into her mother's arms, hugging her tightly, her voice choked with sobs as she said, "Mom, I'm back. Your daughter is back to see you."

"It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back, my Yu'er is back..."

(End of this chapter)