Misty Rain of the Old Times

As the two entered the princess's residence, people along the way greeted them with bows and salutations.

Chen Xuan was already familiar with the place and was calm and composed, while the little girl was a bit confused and nervous because it was her first time here. She didn't even dare to look up and look around.

Such a reaction is normal. She went from a country girl to the princess's mansion in one step. She took too big a step, so it would be strange if she could adapt all at once.

They soon arrived at the main hall, where palace maids served tea. No sooner had they arrived than the head steward of the princess's residence followed.

"May Young Master Chen have a peaceful winter?" she greeted him with a kind bow.

The head steward of the princess's residence was an old woman. As far as Chen Xuan knew, she came from the palace and had been the personal maid of Princess Fuyao's mother. After the empress passed away, she observed three years of mourning for her and came to the princess's residence to take care of Princess Fuyao's life.

She watched Princess Fuyao grow up, and although she had no children of her own, she regarded Princess Fuyao as her closest junior in her heart.

To be able to serve as the Empress's personal lady-in-waiting in a place like the palace, her skills and temperament are naturally beyond the imagination of ordinary people. It would not be an exaggeration to describe her as ruthless. Otherwise, how could she have retired in her old age and gone to live in the Princess's mansion?
But she doesn't show any ruthlessness on the outside; instead, she gives people a gentle and kind feeling.

Because of her affection for Chen Xuan, she also looked at him with fondness, but due to her status, she naturally wouldn't express this feeling.

"Greetings, Steward Hua," Chen Xuan said, rising to return the greeting. He respected the little princess as an elder, and the girl followed suit, behaving with utmost restraint.

Steward Hua was secretly delighted by Chen Xuan's gesture, but said aloud, "Young Master Chen, there's no need for such formality. Please, have a seat."

"Please, Manager Hua."

After they were seated, Steward Hua said with a smile, "Young Master Chen, it's been a few days since you last visited. How have you been lately?"

"I just do nothing all day and drift along," Chen Xuan said without any hesitation, not worried about giving people the impression that he was unambitious.

Upon hearing this, Steward Hua chuckled and said, "Young Master Chen's carefree life is truly enviable."

This is the art of speaking. What is clearly laziness and lack of ambition can be described as an enviable carefree life in other people's eyes.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, she looked at Su Roujia and asked with feigned curiosity, "Young Master Chen, who is this?"

"Su Roujia, my little maid," Chen Xuan said with a smile, then turned to the maid and said, "Roujia, come and greet Steward Hua. Hmm, she's not an outsider. Get to know her better in the future. Steward Hua is very capable; if you don't understand something, just ask her."

A master of innate skills for decades, once one of the most cunning and treacherous female officials in the palace, she was able to retire gracefully in her old age. Such a person is not only highly skilled, but if an ordinary person could learn even a little bit of her skills, they could become a prominent figure anywhere.

"Roujia greets Steward Hua," Su Roujia quickly and respectfully bowed.

After all, she was just a country girl. Even though she was used to Chen Xuan's extraordinary methods, she didn't realize what her status as Chen Xuan's only maid represented.

The Grandmaster's only maidservant, it's no exaggeration to say, is qualified to speak to even a king at eye level.

"What a pretty young lady! You are truly blessed to be with Young Master Chen. Since it's our first meeting, I haven't prepared any gifts. Please take this bracelet and don't be offended," said Steward Hua with a smile, casually picking up a clearly valuable jade bracelet and placing it in the young girl's hand.

The young girl said nervously, "Thank you very much, Steward Hua, but this is too precious; I cannot accept it."

Her limited experience and knowledge do not mean she cannot recognize good things.

"Hehe, no need to be so polite, just keep it safe. Didn't you hear what Young Master Chen said? We're not outsiders. Stay close to him and be bold. Make yourself at home here," Steward Hua said kindly. She could naturally tell that the little girl came from a humble background, and she couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion. She thought to herself that the little girl was really lucky to be taken in by Young Master Chen. This kind of luck must be the envy of countless people in the world.

Chen Xuan then smiled and said, "Please accept the soft armor. It's a gift from an elder; don't be shy. I can't refuse a gift from an elder."

"Then Roujia thanks Steward Hua again," Su Roujia nodded and bowed. Although she was somewhat flattered, she still had to listen to her master's words.

With a hearty laugh, Steward Hua patted her little hand and said, "That's right."

However, Chen Xuan was both amused and exasperated, thinking to himself, "Am I that kind of person? Would I lay a hand on a girl who is not even fifteen years old?"

Don't be fooled by the fact that Steward Hua was giving Su Roujia a gift to show his closeness; he was actually subtly checking the virginity mark on the little girl's arm.

Originally, Su Roujia, a girl from a poor family in the countryside, could not afford to have the cinnabar mark applied. However, during her training at the Gao family, Madam Gao arranged for her to have it done.

Steward Hua had never mentioned the purpose of Chen Xuan's visit, as it would seem too distant given his relationship with the little princess. Understanding this, Chen Xuan spoke directly: "Steward Hua, this is the first time I've brought Roujia to the capital. She saw the Void Floating Island and longed to see it, so I'd like to take her there to see it. It would be great if we could stay for a few days. Is that alright?"

Such matters naturally require consultation with the authorities. Even though Chen Xuan and the princess have already pledged their lives to each other, he cannot simply take possession of her belongings as a matter of course; it's a matter of attitude.

Although it's just a matter of a few words, following the proper procedures is a sign of respect for the other party. Hearing this, Steward Hua smiled and said, "Of course, it's fine. It's just sitting empty anyway. I'll get Young Master Chen a key later; he can stay as long as he wants. It'll bring some life to the place."

As the head steward, she could naturally make decisions on such trivial matters, but Chen Xuan still said, "I just arrived in the capital today and heard at the gate that Qian Ning went to the palace. I haven't had a chance to tell her yet. I'll trouble Head Steward Hua to pass on the message later, so she won't complain that I stayed in her villa without telling her."

"Haha, it's up to Young Master Chen to speak to Her Highness himself. I won't interfere in your young people's affairs. I'm sure the princess will be overjoyed," Steward Hua said cheerfully.

Chen Xuan thought for a moment and nodded, saying, "That works too."

At this point, Steward Hua's mind raced with countless thoughts. He spoke casually yet meaningfully, "By the way, has Young Master Chen considered buying a residence in the capital? Staying at inns all the time isn't a good idea."

Chen Xuan didn't think that much about it and said frankly, "I have thought about it, and I even discussed it with Roujia before, but we couldn't come to a conclusion."

"Why couldn't you reach a conclusion on something so simple?" she asked curiously, genuinely curious. What was there to be conflicted about? It was just a place to stay. If you, Young Master Chen, gave the word, countless people would be begging to send you a place.

By now, those at certain levels who should know about Chen Xuan's situation already do, and those who don't know are simply not at that level.

With a smile, Chen Xuan said apologetically, "I didn't plan ahead, and I came in a hurry. Firstly, I didn't bring much money, and secondly, I didn't even bring my household registration, which makes buying a house inconvenient."

Hearing this, Steward Hua was taken aback, then laughed and cried at the same time, "Young Master Chen, why are you still worrying about these things?"

"No, that's not it. It's mainly because Roujia hasn't experienced much. We're going through the normal process so she won't be overwhelmed. We brought her here, and she's still a bit confused," Chen Xuan said with a smile.

I knew it! You, Young Master Chen, would be so concerned about a mere place to live. It turns out you care about the little girl's feelings.

Nodding, she said with a smile, "Since Young Master Chen is interested in arranging accommodations, isn't that a coincidence?"

"Why do you say that?" Chen Xuan asked, puzzled, completely unaware that he had unknowingly fallen into Steward Hua's trap.

She had spent decades in a place like the imperial palace; Chen Xuan couldn't possibly outwit her. However, she meant well.

There's no need to spell things out since everyone knows the truth. She stated frankly, "A lot has happened in the capital in recent months, resulting in many houses becoming vacant. Now is the perfect time for Young Master Chen to buy a place to live."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan immediately understood. The destruction of the Wu family, the separation and relocation of the Wei family, and the old emperor's recent relentless slaughter had all contributed to the fact that many residences in the capital were now vacant.

Nodding, Chen Xuan said, "That's quite a coincidence. Does Steward Hua have any connections? I brought ten thousand taels of silver with me; that should be enough to buy a small courtyard, right?"

Chen Xuan had no particular requirements for his accommodation; as long as he could live there, that would be fine. Moreover, buying property in the capital was definitely the right choice, as it would appreciate in value once this period of 'turmoil' was over.

She had intended to guide him anyway, and Steward Hua was certainly resourceful. She chuckled and said, "Since we're all free anyway, let me help Young Master Chen make the arrangements. Ten thousand taels of silver is more than enough. Five thousand taels will buy Young Master Chen a satisfactory house. The Ministry of Revenue has a lot of unsold properties that are difficult to liquidate, which is giving them a headache. This is an insider price, and it's clean, so it won't bring bad luck to Young Master Chen."

"Then I'll have to trouble Steward Hua. Roujia, get the money," Chen Xuan said with a smile. There was no need to be polite with Steward Hua. They would be family in the future, but of course, he would have to pay for his own house.

Anyway, Chen Xuan didn't think too much about it at the moment. He discussed it with the little girl for a long time without any results, and then it was actually put into practice.

Then, Steward Hua took the five thousand taels of silver from the little maid and left with a smile. He also noticed the array flag in the bag when she took out the money. Steward Hua was naturally discerning and was not surprised. It was not strange that Young Master Chen would carry an array flag with him, given his cultivation level.

When you reach a certain level, many things can be resolved with just a single sentence. A simple sentence can be used to keep countless people busy and overworked.

Chen Xuan and his group waited for less than half an hour before Steward Hua returned, handing Chen Xuan some house deeds and saying, "Young Master Chen, everything is settled. The houses are now in your name, and the keys and receipts are here. You can move in anytime. I've also brought you the keys to the floating island."

It wasn't a big deal, but Chen Xuan still said, "Then thank you very much, Steward Hua."

"Young Master Chen, you're too kind."

After instructing the maid to put away the keys, deeds, and other belongings, Chen Xuan stood up and said, "Now that Qian Ning has entered the palace, we won't disturb her any longer. Let's settle in first and come back later."

"It's lunchtime, Young Master Chen, you can go after you've eaten," Steward Hua said, trying to persuade him to stay.

In the end, Chen Xuan and the others did not stay for dinner. It wasn't out of politeness; with the little princess not around, it didn't matter where they ate. They had their own place to live in the capital, so they didn't care about housewarming or anything like that. Of course, they would cook at their own home. With the key in hand, they could go and play on the floating island anytime. Living 'in the sky' was not as grounded as living on the ground.

Leaving the princess's residence, the young girl was still in a daze. Could it be that she had property in the capital so easily?
Our master is not only very capable, but his connections in the capital are also beyond imagination. Princess Fuyao's residence is such a place; he arranged her accommodations after just a few casual words.

Oh right, Princess Fuyao. What's the relationship between the master and Princess Fuyao? Does he want to be her husband?

But if he becomes the prince consort, he can't take concubines anymore. The master will be all alone; how will he have children...? (End of Chapter)