Misty Rain of the Old Times

Tianshui Pavilion truly lived up to its reputation as one of the top restaurants in Yucheng. The dishes were incredibly delicious, comparable to those served in the imperial palace. As women, the little princess and her companions didn't eat much, and most of the dishes on the table ended up in Chen Xuan's stomach. Even after finishing everything, they still felt a little unsatisfied.

While others are full after two bowls of rice, Chen Xuan can eat two more bowls even after he's full. Of course, with his physique and digestive ability, he could easily eat a whole cow.

As they left the restaurant, the city lights were already on. When the young girl went to pay the bill, the restaurant insisted on not accepting it. Perhaps the people managing the hotel did not know the relationship between Chen Xuan and Zheng Wanqian, but Zheng Wanqian must have given prior notice to her staff.

Although Chen Xuan kept saying that he was living off a woman, he didn't take the Zheng family's property for granted. The shopkeeper refused to accept payment, and neither side could argue, so they finally signed the bill and were satisfied. However, they still didn't pay. When they left, the shopkeeper said that the private room on the top floor would be reserved for them, and they could come anytime.

On their way to their residence, Chen Xuan and his wife strolled hand in hand.

As they strolled along, observing the nightscape of a foreign city so different from that of Jing Kingdom, the little princess asked curiously, "Why is my husband so insistent on knowing Liu Yuyuan's cultivation technique?"

She was genuinely curious. Her husband's cultivation level was so high that he definitely wasn't after someone else's divine skill manual. If he really wanted a technique, the Jing Kingdom's royal armory had plenty of them; he could just go and browse through them at will. Besides, Liu Yuyuan's cultivation level wasn't high to begin with, so how high could his technique be, no matter how advanced?

To this, Chen Xuan frankly said, "Didn't I say that the internal energy fluctuations on his body seemed familiar? It's not that I necessarily need to find out the reason. How should I put it? It's like someone I met by chance many years ago, someone whose memory has become vague and forgotten. Perhaps I didn't even think about it. But when I meet them again, the memory resurfaces but I can't recall where I met them before. That's all."

"I see," the little princess nodded, not caring too much about it, and then asked, "If that's the case, then why did my husband give Liu Yuyuan some pointers on the direction of the investigation?"

With a smile, Chen Xuan said, "Firstly, I wanted to figure out why his internal energy cultivation seemed familiar. After all, he won't say, and I can't force him since we have no grudge against each other. Let's just consider it a deal. Secondly, I'm a lazy person who dislikes trouble. I usually don't care if it doesn't concern me. The disappearance of many women doesn't concern me, so I don't have time to deal with it. But since someone wants to uphold justice, I'll just offer some guidance. That's all."

The little princess didn't understand him at all. Her eyelashes curved as she smiled gently, "Husband, you're just being stubborn. You're clearly kind-hearted; you just haven't encountered a situation where you need to step in."

“My wife, you’ve misunderstood me. I’m the worst villain in the world. I’m known as Sang Biao. Are you scared yet? You call me a kind-hearted good person? Let whoever wants to be one be one. Hmph, even a good person has to endure being held at knifepoint. I won’t do that,” Chen Xuan said, raising his chin and shrugging.

If someone wants to uphold justice, then go ahead. He has no interest in rescuing people from dire straits or punishing lawbreakers, really...

As they chatted and laughed, they unexpectedly passed by the street outside the Qin Mansion. They glanced at it and saw that there were still people queuing to enter the mansion, but there were far fewer than during the day. The gatekeeper was so busy that they wondered if he would get a raise.

The Qin family mansion is a prestigious place. Those who want to take shortcuts to get in almost always leave a visiting card and wait for notification, and there is a high probability that nothing will come of it. Very few people can actually get in, and even if they do get in, it is still uncertain whether they can meet the person in charge.

Before long, Chen Xuan and his group arrived at the accommodations arranged in advance by their subordinates. It was a small two-courtyard house facing the street, which was more than enough for their group of twenty or thirty people. Anything too big would feel empty and wasteful.

This area is inhabited by the wealthy and powerful, and the environment and security are good. Even though they are away from home, they will not have to compromise their lives. Therefore, the people below will not be assigned to complex areas with harsh environments.

As the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together. It's no coincidence that the people under Chen Xuan were arranged to live on the same street as the Qin residence, less than a kilometer apart.

Xia Mei took care of the night watch and guard duties. After returning to their residence and familiarizing themselves with the surroundings, Chen Xuan looked at the little princess and said, "My lady, it's getting late. Let's rest. Tomorrow we'll go see the precious princess we've been longing for."

Dujuan was unwell lately, and the couple hadn't slept together for several days. The little princess pursed her lips and nodded, saying, "Yes, husband, you can't do anything reckless. The baby in my belly is the most important thing."

"Am I that kind of person?" Chen Xuan asked, both amused and exasperated.

As a wife, how could the little princess not want to spend romantic evenings with her husband? However, now that she is pregnant, she is afraid that her husband will not be able to resist doing something inappropriate. Therefore, she stays with him during the day and sends Chen Xuan away at night.

After a good night's sleep, Chen Xuan woke up early the next morning and looked at the little princess sleeping soundly in his arms like a cat. He kissed her forehead, got up quietly, and went to the courtyard outside to practice his meditation and health cultivation exercises as usual.

After he got up, the little princess opened her eyes with a slight flutter of her eyelashes, then closed them again and went back to sleep. She thought to herself that her husband was in the prime of his life, and she was not feeling well. It seemed that the arrangements for Yunlan and Yunxin should be put on the agenda. Those two little girls had been looking forward to it for a long time.

On a sunny morning, after breakfast and a short rest, Chen Xuan and his group set off for the place where the Golden Branch and Jade Leaf was located. That rare tree species was once given to the Yu Hua Kingdom as a national gift by the Rong Kingdom. It was located in the square outside the palace of the secondary capital, Yu Cheng. Since it was inconvenient to transplant, the Yu Hua Kingdom left it there when it moved its capital. It can be said to be a must-see place for anyone who comes to Yu Cheng.

Several months pregnant, the little princess is already showing, but she wears loose clothes when she goes out, so it's not noticeable.

As the saying goes, in this era, women from respectable families almost always wore loose clothing and covered up completely when they went out. Those outfits that showed off their figure or exposed their arms and legs were either not very proper or were for the convenience of martial arts practitioners. However, sometimes, even if a girl with a good figure was dressed very conservatively, it was hard to hide her outstanding figure.

On this trip, Chen Xuan and his group did not travel by vehicle. On their way to where Jin Zhi Yu Ye was, they once again passed by the street outside the Qin Mansion.

Looking at the long queue that had formed so early in the morning, Chen Xuan couldn't help but say, "It's really lively here; it's like they've broken down the door for us."

“It’s normal. As the ancestral home of a prime minister, his students, colleagues, subordinates, and countless learned men who are not yet successful will all come to visit him when they have the chance, whether to build relationships or to curry favor. If the house is deserted, people will misunderstand that the prime minister has lost power,” the little princess said matter-of-factly. She was more insightful in this regard than Chen Xuan.

Chen Xuan nodded in deep agreement, then said, "Luckily, I'm a carefree person. If so many people came to visit us every day, just thinking about it would drive me crazy."

Covering her mouth with a smile, the little princess rolled her eyes and said, "Husband, do you think no one wants to visit our home? It's just that you prefer peace and quiet. Apart from a few close friends, we've never received any guests. Gradually, people have given up on that idea. Besides, people need the opportunity. We went to Yang County not long after our marriage, so we wouldn't know the way to visit." "That's true," Chen Xuan chuckled to himself. Don't be fooled by his 'long-time seclusion in the mountains'; if he showed any intention of making friends far and wide, countless people would flock to him.

As she spoke, the little princess tugged at Chen Xuan's sleeve and pointed to the wall next to the Qin family's gate, where a reward notice, about ten feet square, was posted. The gist of the notice was that they hoped a skilled doctor could cure the eldest daughter of the Qin family. Although it didn't explicitly state what the reward would be, anyone who wasn't stupid could understand that curing the eldest daughter of the Qin family would surely lead to a meteoric rise in their fortunes.

As Chen Xuan looked in the direction she pointed, the little princess urged, "Husband, why don't you really try to accept the challenge? With your abilities, if you really cure Miss Qin, you'll surely win her heart. Then, with Qin Yan, the Prime Minister of Yuhua Kingdom, you'll have everything you want in Yuhua Kingdom!"

With a twitch at the corner of his mouth, Chen Xuan was used to his wife constantly encouraging him to seduce other women. He said speechlessly, "I don't have that ability. What kind of extraordinary people can't I find? I know my own limitations."

Then he secretly transmitted his voice to Xia Mei, Du Juan, and the others, saying, "Listen up, no one is allowed to mention any outstanding women in front of Madam from now on."

He was genuinely afraid of his wife. Now that he was just a commoner, he didn't even dare to imagine what it would be like if he were the emperor. His wife would surely have three thousand concubines for him; she was absolutely capable of doing such a thing.

Hearing Chen Xuan's secret instructions, Xia Mei and the others covered their mouths and chuckled. They knew how obsessed the little princess born into the royal family was with the prosperity of her family. Now that Chen Xuan's family was so large and he was the only man, how could he not worry? If he didn't have a large family, who would inherit such a large business in the future?
As they were about to pass the line outside the Qin Mansion's gate, near the end, Chen Xuan unexpectedly saw someone he recognized. Although they weren't exactly close, the person was still very familiar to him.

Wei Ziyan was a direct descendant of the Wei family, which was once the most prestigious family in Jing Kingdom. Back then, when Chen Xuan and Xiao Gao went to study at Liuyu Academy, Zhang Ao was one of the masterminds who instigated them to cause trouble. On that occasion, Chen Xuan used the Wu family genealogy to attack, and Wei Wuyai, the grandmaster and patriarch of the Wei family, tried to stop him. He was meddlesome and could not be persuaded to leave, so he was killed by Chen Xuan with a single blow. After that, the Wei family decisively split up and went to different places. Unexpectedly, they encountered Wei Ziyan here.

With a flicker of thought, Chen Xuan quickly realized that it must be that after the Wei family split up, Wei Ziyan's branch came to Yuhua Kingdom to settle down and operate.

After all, the Wei family was once the most prestigious family in Jing State. Where couldn't they get along? Even after splitting up, they could rise again quickly. However, it's impossible for a single branch to regain its former glory in a short period of time.

Even after many years, Chen Xuan still recognized Wei Ziyan in the crowd at a glance because of his deep impression. Judging from his clothes and appearance, he was obviously doing well in Yuhua Kingdom.

Even though Chen Xuan wasn't in officialdom, he had at least studied for a few days and knew a little about the official attire of various countries. If he wasn't mistaken, Wei Ziyan was wearing the robes of a sixth-rank civil official from the Yuhua Kingdom, though he didn't know the specific department or authority.

'Could this be considered meeting an old friend in a foreign land?' Chen Xuan murmured to himself.

Wei Ziyan was once so high and mighty, while Chen Xuan was just a lowly pageboy. In Wei Ziyan's eyes, Chen Xuan was no different from an ant. Who can say what fate is? The wheel of fortune turns.

Originally, Chen Xuan and the Wei family had no enmity. However, Wei Wuyai, due to his status, sided with the aristocratic family and opposed Chen Xuan. As a result, he ruined himself and implicated the entire Wei family, causing the once prestigious first aristocratic family of Jing Kingdom to disintegrate and collapse.

Although Chen Xuan did not actively cause trouble for the Wei family afterward, the Wei family scattered like monkeys when the tree fell. The branch of the Wei family that remained in Jing Kingdom was no longer a prestigious family. With everyone pushing them down, they were suppressed to the point that they could no longer be considered a powerful family. However, their foundation was still there, and they still had a place in the court. Especially since Zhou Chen had only recently ascended the throne, there seemed to be a trend of restarting the Wei family's confrontation with the old forces in the court.

These thoughts flashed through Chen Xuan's mind. When he saw Wei Ziyan appear in the line outside the Qin family mansion, he knew exactly what Wei Ziyan's intentions were. If he could get on the good side of Qin Yan, the powerful prime minister of Yuhua Kingdom, and especially marry Qin Yan's only granddaughter, Qin Ruyu, he might not be able to restore the former glory of the Wei family, but it would not be a big problem for him to enter the top circle of Yuhua Kingdom's powerful elite.

Since they had run into each other, Chen Xuan wondered whether he should go up and say hello. He had absolutely no intention of mocking or ridiculing them; he wasn't that bored.

It was clear that Wei Ziyan had also noticed Chen Xuan and his group at this moment; they were simply too conspicuous to ignore.

Upon seeing Chen Xuan and the others, Wei Ziyan was stunned for a moment, then her expression changed. She definitely recognized them. She immediately lowered her head and turned to the side, trying to hide herself in the group and reduce her presence so as not to be noticed by Chen Xuan and the others.

Noticing his action, Chen Xuan abandoned the idea of ​​going to greet him and pretended not to see it, then strolled away with the little princess and the others.

Wei Wuyai brought this upon himself back then, and the Wei family wisely withdrew from the limelight afterward, without bothering Chen Xuan. He couldn't be bothered with them. If he were to greet them now, it would seem like he was kicking someone when they were down and mocking them. He wasn't that petty.

As long as the Wei family doesn't cause trouble, he'll act as if they don't exist.

After Chen Xuan and the others had gone far away, Wei Ziyan in the group finally breathed a long sigh of relief. His fists were clenched tightly in his sleeves, his nails digging into his palms, his teeth were clenched, and his eyes flashed with resentment, unwillingness and pain. Then, he gave a bitter smile, let out a long sigh, and looked somewhat dejected and powerless.

The thought of the upheaval in the capital of Jing Kingdom that night, the ancestor's return, his few words of instructions before his passing without even a proper funeral, and the collapse of the entire family that scattered to the four corners of the earth, filled Wei Ziyan with a sense of powerlessness that made it hard for him to breathe. Even the scorching summer sun made him feel a chill run through his body.

'What's he doing here? Didn't he already marry Princess Fuyao? Could he also be here for Prime Minister Qin's granddaughter?'

Wei Ziyan's mind was in turmoil, and he subconsciously followed the group forward. Soon he let out a long breath, and his gaze became firm again. Life is still long, and a few hardships are nothing.

As long as we are still alive, if we pull ourselves together and work together, we can still bring glory to our family in the future!

The Qin family mansion now presents an opportunity to restore the family's glory... (End of Chapter)