Misty Rain of the Old Times

Despite Chen Xuan's nonchalant reminder, Xia Mei noticed that someone was indeed following them, about forty or fifty feet behind them, inconspicuously so.

The bustling streets were teeming with people, and all sorts of noises rose and fell. In addition, the wartime capital was a place where all sorts of people mingled, and the internal energy fluctuations of martial arts practitioners intertwined. Even Xia Mei, a top-tier innate expert, who could see in all directions and hear everything around her, still had to be on high alert for her surroundings. She really hadn't expected that someone would be following them from such a distance. However, with Chen Xuan's reminder, she quickly analyzed the crowd and identified the person following them.

Upon discovering the other person, she was somewhat surprised. In her cultivation senses, she hadn't initially sensed any cultivation in him; he seemed like an ordinary passerby. However, after noticing his unusual behavior, she carefully sensed his extremely restrained internal energy fluctuations. She realized why she hadn't noticed anyone following her before, and only realized it after her master reminded her.

This method of concealing one's aura is truly remarkable, but one's cultivation level is only at the stage of opening up the eight extraordinary meridians.

Knowing what was going on, Xia Mei immediately and discreetly signaled the two skilled eunuchs who were secretly guarding her to bring the person over. This was a small matter, so Xia Mei didn't need to personally intervene. Otherwise, what would be the point of spending so much money to support a group of people every year?
The person who secretly followed Chen Xuan and his group was the woodcutter he had noticed on the road earlier.

Chen Xuan only needed to give an order for this kind of thing; he didn't need to worry about it at all, and didn't even take it to heart.

As one of the top restaurants in Yucheng, Tianshui Pavilion is second to none in terms of the freshness of its ingredients, taste, environment and service. Everyone has their own preferences when it comes to such places, and no one dares to say that they are the undisputed number one.

The best private room on the eighth floor is over 300 square meters, occupying one-third of the entire floor. It is elegantly decorated and has a restaurant, living room, tea room, lounge, bathroom, and even a stage separated by a screen. Pushing open the screen, you can start a talent show. This is not a place to eat, but clearly a luxury suite.

Chen Xuan and his companion arrived at the restaurant surrounded by eight beautiful young maids. After a brief look around, they found the environment quite nice. Although they hadn't specifically looked into it, they understood that a single visit to this private room would cost at least four figures, measured in silver, and it was almost never open to the public.

"Wow, this place is so big! It's even more spacious than the entire house in Yang County combined. Rich people are so extravagant! The carpet is as soft as a cloud. I'm almost embarrassed to step on it," the little girl exclaimed in surprise as she entered the room.

"You've been to the palace more than once, little girl, why are you making such a fuss?" Chen Xuan thought to himself, speechless. He patted her head and smiled, "We've been traveling all day, let's all take a rest."

Speaking of which, the decorations in the palace, a place that symbolizes power, are not as luxurious as this private room. Chen Xuan has a lot to say about this, as he used to frequent this private room every few days when the old emperor was in power.

"I'm going to see what's special about them," the little girl said impatiently, wiggling her little bottom as she happily went to examine each room.

Two maids tried to kneel down to help Chen Xuan change his shoes, but he waved them off, indicating it wasn't necessary. He then helped the little princess inside and asked with concern, "Would you like to rest a bit, my lady? We'll call you when the food is served."

"No need to rest, I'll go wash up. It's inevitable to get dusty while traveling," the little princess said, shaking her head.

She didn't have a serious obsession with cleanliness; it was just a girl's love of beauty. As a princess, she had developed the habit of not being able to have the slightest flaw since childhood.

"Okay, I'll go take a look by the window," Chen Xuan nodded, and Yun Lan and Yun Xin helped her to wash up.

At this moment, a waitress from the restaurant, three steps behind, caught up and asked, "May I ask when the dishes will be served, and if you would like some singing and dancing to entertain us?"

"Let's serve the dishes in half an hour. No singing or dancing, I want some peace and quiet," Chen Xuan said, shaking his head.

If you're just going to eat at a place like this, you're just wasting your money. The real attraction is the various extra services. It's obvious that if you have the money, you can get any service you want, and it'll be top-notch. However, Chen Xuan wasn't interested in any of that; he was just there to eat.

Ordering food is unnecessary; the restaurant will arrange it themselves. Otherwise, it would seem too un classy.

The hotel maids tactfully withdrew without disturbing them. Each of them was professionally trained and could tell at a glance that Chen Xuan and his group were no ordinary people. In particular, the little princess and her companions exuded an elegance that was something that ordinary people could not fake. At the same time, they were also very glad that these distinguished guests were so easy to serve. They only did the most basic things and didn't make a fuss at all.

Standing by the window on the eighth floor, the expansive view that opens up almost encompasses half of Jade City is breathtaking.

The reason it's the eighth floor is because in an era where imperial power was supreme, the number nine was very sensitive. People from all walks of life would subconsciously avoid it to prevent breaking taboos. You could have the eighth, tenth, or twentieth floor, but if it's the ninth floor, people might take it seriously.

With great interest, Chen Xuan looked out the window at the Jade City. Soon, his attention was drawn to a place: a manor several hundred feet away from where they were. It covered dozens of acres, with a secluded courtyard. On the gate, which was several feet high, the plaque had the words "Qin Mansion" written in iron and silver strokes. A long queue had formed outside the gate.

That must be the mansion of a top-tier noble family. The reason Chen Xuan noticed that place was because he could sense the presence of two innate masters in the manor from afar. He guessed they were guards, a privilege that ordinary nobles wouldn't have.

Turning his gaze away and surveying the area, Chen Xuan looked at Xia Mei a few meters away, pointed to the manor in the distance, and asked, "Aunt Mei, do you know what that place is?"

Having learned about Yucheng's situation beforehand, she stepped forward and looked in the direction Chen Xuan pointed, immediately saying, "Master, that's the ancestral home of Qin Yan, the Prime Minister of Yuhua Kingdom."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan raised an eyebrow and thought to himself, "So this is the ancestral home of the Prime Minister's family. No wonder. The position of Prime Minister is extraordinary. He is second only to the emperor and above all others, holding both military and political power. Even the Three Dukes and the Three Masters would have to bow down to him!"
This is not an exaggeration by Chen Xuan. To put it simply, the most representative prime minister in Chen Xuan's memory is Zhuge Liang, also known as Wolong.

Nodding, Chen Xuan asked, "Then, Aunt Mei, how much do you know about Qin Yan, the Prime Minister of Yuhua Kingdom?"

"Your Majesty, I don't know much about him, and what I do know is all publicly available information. However, I must admit that this Qin Yan is extremely capable. He is one of the three Grandmasters of Yuhua Kingdom, and his word is law in the court. If it weren't for the fact that the Grand Princess of Yuhua Kingdom is a Grandmaster and can keep him in check, I'm afraid the entire royal family's power would be usurped by him. Without his permission, even imperial edicts cannot leave the palace!" Xia Mei answered truthfully.

Secretly astonished, Chen Xuan stammered, "The powerful minister?"

"You could say that," Xia Mei said thoughtfully. "I can't say much about his internal affairs, but my spies report that the emperor of Yuhua Kingdom is really frustrated with Qin Yan as his prime minister. He doesn't dare to openly confront them unless he's absolutely certain of success." Hearing this, Chen Xuan felt a pang of pity for the current emperor of Yuhua Kingdom. With such a powerful prime minister under his command, if it weren't for his elder sister's ability to keep him in check, the country would simply be ruled by someone surnamed Qin.

Xia Mei hesitated for a moment before asking, "Does Master need me to investigate the Qin family's situation further?"

"There's no need for that. I just asked because I saw a long line in front of his house," Chen Xuan said with a shake of his head and a smile.

Looking in that direction again, Xia Mei said, "That place is the ancestral home of Prime Minister Qin. Although it's not the Prime Minister's residence, people naturally come to curry favor with him every day. To put it bluntly, in Yuhua Kingdom, he can make decisions that even the Emperor can't. You can't afford to offend the Emperor, let alone him."

At this point, Xia Mei suddenly remembered something and continued, "By the way, sir, I've heard that although Prime Minister Qin Yan has a large and prosperous family, he only has one granddaughter named Qin Ruyu. She is twenty-three years old and still unmarried. She is said to be one of the ten most beautiful women in the Yuhua Kingdom, but this is just a rumor circulating among the people..."

She's twenty-three and still unmarried, and she's incredibly beautiful. Is it that no one dares to marry her, or that she doesn't want to? Or perhaps she has some hidden illness? After all, it's really unacceptable for a woman to be unmarried at twenty-three in this era. Old Deng doted on his little princess so much, but she still married Chen Xuan at eighteen.

These thoughts flashed through his mind, and Chen Xuan interrupted with a wry smile, "Aunt Mei, I was just asking casually. You don't need to explain so clearly. My wife is always trying to find me women. What, have you been influenced by her?"

Shaking her head, Xia Mei said, "No, sir. What I meant was that the Prime Minister Qin's granddaughter, it's rumored, contracted a strange illness five years ago. They searched for renowned doctors everywhere, but none could find the cause. She's been in poor health ever since and rarely leaves the house, which is why she hasn't married. This has caused the Prime Minister Qin's family a great deal of worry. They've already offered a reward: whoever can cure the Prime Minister Qin's granddaughter, if of suitable age and character, will be married to her. If not, she can still become a guest of honor at the Prime Minister's residence. Everyone wants to seize this opportunity, so every day there's a constant stream of people visiting, most of them hoping to use this shortcut to climb the social ladder and get into the Qin family."

"I see. No wonder there was such a long queue in front of the door, and many of them were carrying medical kits," Chen Xuan said with a sense of relief.

There's a shortcut to love right there, but it seems no one has been able to take it for years.

What about Qin Ruyu, who contracted a strange illness five years ago? It seems that many years ago, there were already cases of beautiful women disappearing one after another in Yuhua Kingdom. Could there be any connection between these cases?
For some reason, such a thought suddenly popped into Chen Xuan's head, but it vanished in an instant, and he didn't take it to heart at all.

"Husband, aren't you good at alchemy? I remember there are several large boxes of pills in the storeroom at home, and many of them can cause bloodshed if you take out just one. I suppose you are quite proficient in medicine. Why don't we go and try to cure the Qin family? If we can cure the granddaughter of Prime Minister Qin, we will surely win the heart of the beauty," the little princess, who had just finished washing up, couldn't help but tease them when she heard their conversation, her words full of encouragement.

Hearing this, Chen Xuan could only smile helplessly. He was used to his wife encouraging him to go out and have affairs whenever she had the chance. He turned around and said speechlessly, "Wife, let's put everything else aside. You are a princess of Jing Kingdom, and you are encouraging your husband to marry the granddaughter of a powerful minister of another country. What are you thinking?"

"So what? Even if my husband marries an empress from another country, he's still just an ordinary woman in our family. What can he do to us?" the little princess said matter-of-factly, hands on her hips.

Chen Xuan was speechless. What kind of talk was this? He had never heard of any country whose emperor was a woman.

At this moment, Xia Mei frowned slightly and looked towards the door of the private room. She saw the two eunuchs she had sent out earlier kneeling at the door, their faces filled with fear and shame. One of them said shamelessly, "Reporting to Master, reporting to Commander Xia, we lost the person. We failed in our duties. We beg Master to allow us to atone with our lives."

"Useless trash! You can't even handle this simple matter. What use are you? Get out of here and find a clean place to apologize, lest you offend the master's eyes," Xia Mei said coldly to the two men. If Chen Xuan and the others hadn't been there, she would have wanted to kill them herself.

With a clear objective, the two went to capture him. They couldn't even handle such a trivial matter; keeping him around would be a waste of resources.

Chen Xuan said dismissively, "Aunt Mei, there's no need to get so angry. They just didn't bring the person back. It just means the other party is quite capable. It's not their fault. After all, they didn't do anything disloyal. They can just be more careful next time and make amends."

Since he had said that, Xia Mei's expression softened slightly, but her voice remained icy as she said, "The master is not holding a grudge against you. You've failed in your duties, so you're spared the death penalty. Go and have fifty lashes given to you as a lesson. Why don't you thank him?"

"Thank you, sir. I am ashamed."

Waving them away, Xia Mei turned back and hesitated before saying, "Master, I dare to say that we shouldn't be too lenient with them, otherwise who will be willing to die for us in the future? It's also my fault for not disciplining them properly, and I hope you will punish me."

"Yes, next time for sure. It's nothing, Aunt Mei, don't worry about it. For some reason, I always feel that it's normal that they couldn't bring the person back. How about this, Aunt Mei, can you still find that person's aura?" Chen Xuan waved his hand and said.

Nodding, Xia Mei said, "Master, I'll go and bring the person here."

"Then I'll trouble Aunt Mei to make the trip."

With her personally taking action, the person following her should have no chance of escaping. After Xia Mei disappeared, Chen Xuan subconsciously scratched his butt, thinking to himself that he felt like he was becoming the villain. He had to send people to catch the person following him one after another. He couldn't possibly have to take action himself in the end, could he?

A smile touched his heart. The food had been delivered to the dining room one after another. Chen Xuan called out, "Come on, let's try the food here. I think Aunt Mei will be able to get all the food before it's served."

"Master, Aunt Mei is not good at tracking. Should I go and see if I can follow her?" Du Juan hesitated for a moment before asking for permission.

Waving his hand, Chen Xuan said, "He's just a newly acquired expert who has opened up the eight extraordinary meridians. Aunt Mei is more than capable of handling him. It's not that serious. Let's eat first."

As Chen Xuan expected, they had barely sat down, and the food and wine had barely been served, and before they had even touched their chopsticks, Xia Mei returned carrying someone. The whole ordeal took less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea… (End of Chapter)