Misty Rain of the Old Times

Steward Hua thoughtfully arranged for someone to take Chen Xuan and his party to their newly purchased residence. There were originally options for a carriage or sedan chair, but Chen Xuan politely declined, saying that since the little girl had just arrived in the capital, he would let her take a look around along the way.

"How did you feel, Roujia, after your trip to the Princess's residence?" Chen Xuan asked as he strolled along.

The little girl seemed to be dreaming at the moment, and had no interest in the bustling capital. After thinking for a moment, she said, "The princess's residence is very large, very magnificent, and very solemn. The atmosphere there makes me feel a little oppressed, like I can't breathe."

This was her most genuine feeling. Chen Xuan nodded and smiled casually, "Roujia, remember this: from now on, no matter where you go with me, you don't need to be as cautious as before. Hold your head high, be bold and confident. Few people can look down on you; they'll be the ones watching your every move."

Mindset is not something that can be changed in a day or two; it requires gradual adaptation. Chen Xuan didn't remind her at first, but let her experience it firsthand before speaking to her. This way, she could better understand her current situation.

She wasn't actually stupid; she was just limited by her previous environment and couldn't access higher levels of society. Thinking back to her experience at the princess's residence, where everyone greeted her with smiles and even seemed somewhat ingratiating, while she herself felt anxious and uneasy, she felt embarrassed and said dejectedly, "Master, did I embarrass you just now?"

"Haha, no way, you just haven't gotten used to this kind of atmosphere yet. You'll be able to take it for granted like I have it after you've experienced more," Chen Xuan patted her shoulder to comfort her, supporting her and giving her courage in this way.

Nodding earnestly, she said, "Sir, I promise I won't make a fool of myself in the future."

"No need to be so serious. I'm shameless and don't care what others think. I'm not going to lose anything, I just want to be happy..."

Actually, the little girl had many questions she wanted to ask, such as what was the relationship between you and Princess Fuyao, and what kind of reputation you had outside, but she restrained herself. She didn't ask unless you told her, knowing how to keep her distance.

The residence that Steward Hua helped buy was not too far from the princess's residence, less than ten miles in total. Even if you strolled slowly, you would arrive in less than an hour.

"Young Master Chen, this is the place. How does it feel? Are you satisfied? If not, we can change it," the guard from the princess's residence who brought them asked cautiously.

Standing at the gate, the little girl stared in disbelief, her beautiful eyes wide and wide.

Even Chen Xuan was somewhat stunned, and asked the guard who brought them, "Are you sure there's no mistake?"

"Young Master Chen, what are you saying? How could such a thing be wrong? The house and land deeds are written clearly and plainly. If you are not satisfied, we can change them. If you are satisfied, I will go back and report," the guard said respectfully.

"If you want to exchange it again, it probably means you want something even better." Chen Xuan roughly understood the situation by now, and was both amused and exasperated. He waved his hand and said, "Alright, this is fine. Don't bother."

The other party cupped his hands and said, "Then we won't disturb Young Master Chen any longer. If you need anything, please feel free to have someone pass on a message. We'll take our leave now."

After the guards of the princess's residence left, the little girl finally came to her senses and turned to Chen Xuan, asking in a daze, "Master, is this the place we just bought?"

"There shouldn't be any mistake. Why don't you check the house deed to confirm?" Chen Xuan said, scratching his chin as he looked at the house in front of him in a daze.

Su Roujia actually went to check the house deeds and confirmed it.

Houses less than ten miles from the princess's residence could hardly be ordinary; it's safe to say that everyone living in this area is either rich or noble.

Therefore, it is quite normal that the 'house' in front of Chen Xuan and the others is extraordinary.

The tall lintel was several meters high, and the vermilion gate was covered with copper nails. It seemed that no one had maintained it for some time, as it was covered in dust. There were five steps outside the gate, and two imposing stone lions, each more than ten feet tall, stood on either side. The walls on both sides extended far into the distance.

This was nothing like the 'house' Chen Xuan had imagined. It couldn't even be described as having a few courtyards. It was clearly a huge manor, and without exaggeration, it was even bigger than the previous Princess Fuyao's manor!
Originally, Chen Xuan only wanted to buy a small house to settle down. It was arranged by Steward Hua, so he hadn't paid much attention to it before, and hadn't even looked at the house deed.

As a result, the other party arranged for this huge manor.

At this moment, Chen Xuan realized that he had been tricked by Steward Hua. No wonder she brought it up subtly and took charge of the arrangements herself; it turned out that it was premeditated.

However, there was a reason why the other party did this. Anyone could see that Chen Xuan was going to marry Princess Fuyao in the future. He was going to marry her, not just make her his consort. So, he couldn't let the princess suffer by living in a small house with him in the future, could he? Therefore, it was necessary to arrange appropriate accommodations in advance.

Chen Xuan, with his carefree personality, hadn't thought of so many things, but some people had arranged all these details for him.

In short, it is not appropriate for a man to live in the princess's residence after marrying a princess; it is necessary to find another place of residence worthy of a princess's status.

The layout of residences in this era was very particular, especially under the emperor's nose. The size of the gate, the number of copper nails on it, the size and specifications of the items used to protect the house on the left and right, etc., could not be overstepped without the corresponding status, otherwise one would be punished. However, Chen Xuan did not have such concerns. With his cultivation level, who would dare to make a fuss about such things? It was no longer a matter of turning a blind eye. He was worthy of the highest standards.

As for Grandmasters, he's the only one in the entire Jing Kingdom; you can't find a second one in any of the surrounding countries. Su Roujia, having quickly checked the house deeds to confirm, struggled to look up at the manor before her, then at Chen Xuan incredulously, saying, "Master, it's true. Although the deeds clearly state that this is the place we bought, is this correct?"

"Since the land deed is real, what's wrong with it?" Chen Xuan blinked and smiled, quickly accepting the fact without making a fuss. To be honest, if he wanted the Prince of Jiang's mansion, the other party would have to pack up and vacate immediately.

The young girl was still a bit confused and said, "But this was only bought for five thousand taels of silver. Although I don't know much, I roughly understand that five thousand taels of silver can't buy a house like this anywhere else, let alone in the capital. You can't even buy this gate, right?"

Indeed, but Chen Xuan said with feigned seriousness, "Five thousand taels is more than enough, isn't it? More than 90% of people in the world couldn't earn that much in ten lifetimes. And the price shouldn't be any lower, even if it's an internal price. If it's any lower, the Ministry of Revenue won't be able to fulfill its obligations."

"Is it a matter of price?" the little girl murmured. "Five thousand taels is indeed a lot, but compared to this manor, what's the difference between it and giving it away for free?"

“We purchased it through legitimate channels, which is reasonable and legal. How can you call it a free gift? Besides, who would dare to take it if it were free? Didn’t you hear what Steward Hua said before? The Ministry of Revenue has a backlog of unsold items. I guess no one would dare to buy them. People with that status and position don’t need them, and those without are not qualified to buy them. Only I, Master, don’t have such concerns,” Chen Xuan said with a shrug.

The little girl was still confused and wanted to say something, but Chen Xuan clapped his hands and said, "Alright, stop worrying about it. Let's go see where we're staying temporarily."

Is this what you call a temporary place to stay?
The gate was locked and sealed. Chen Xuan tore off the seal, took the key, and opened it. Surprisingly, the heavy gate didn't make much of a sound.

He had noticed before that there was no plaque on the gate, which must have been removed beforehand. In the past, even officials who were not of the highest rank would have been terrified to live in a manor of this standard.

When we get back, we'll hang up a plaque. Should we ask Xiao Gao to write the two characters "Chen Mansion"? Or should we ask Emperor Deng to personally inscribe it?

Just as Chen Xuan was about to enter, although it was hard to accept, it was already a fact. Since the master didn't care, the little maid naturally didn't dwell on it either. She quickly said, "Master, wait a minute. Although it's just a temporary place to stay, it's still a new place. Shouldn't we at least have a brazier or something?"

“That makes sense. We should have some sense of ritual,” Chen Xuan nodded. So he asked the little girl for two large sums of money and “bought” a charcoal brazier from afar, so he didn’t have to go through all the trouble of going to the trouble.

After lighting the torch, Chen Xuan stepped through the gate and looked at the flustered little girl, saying, "Haven't we had a proper ceremony? Why don't you come in and take a look at our new home?"

"Oh, I'm coming," the little girl said vaguely, thinking to herself, "Isn't this too hasty? Moving into a place like this, it would probably be normal to have a big banquet and a lively celebration, right?"
They entered without trying to hide it from outsiders, and the news that the manor had an owner spread like wildfire. It's estimated that countless people inquired about the manor afterward, as it was simply too conspicuous.

It took Chen Xuan and his companion a full half hour to roughly tour the manor. It had everything from rockeries and ponds to gardens, but it hadn't been maintained for a while. The rooftop gardens were covered in snow, and the houses were covered in a layer of dust. Moreover, the huge manor was deserted with only the two of them.

Back in the front yard, Chen Xuan asked, "Roujia, how do you feel about here?"

“It’s huge, unbelievably huge. I never imagined I could live in a place like this,” she murmured, feeling quite shocked.

However, Chen Xuan looked at her with ill intent and said, "Hehe, you're in for a world of hurt, Soft Armor."

"Huh?" she asked, looking puzzled.

So Chen Xuan pointed around haphazardly and said, "This place is so big, and it's just the two of us. Who's going to manage it? I'm so lazy, you can't count on me. You'll have to do everything inside and out. Isn't that terrible?"

Hearing this, the little girl didn't care at all. Instead, she said with great enthusiasm, "Master, I can do it. I'll definitely tidy up the house. At worst, I won't sleep or rest. I'd be happy to work myself to death here."

"You underestimated her personality a bit," Chen Xuan waved his hand and said, "I was just joking with you. How could I bear to let you work yourself to death? Otherwise, who would serve me? We can just tidy up a couple of rooms for temporary accommodation. Come on, let's go buy some daily necessities, cook a meal here, and after we eat, we'll go say hello to the young master and madam. Tomorrow I'll take you to see the floating island. It's snowing today, so we can't see much. Tomorrow will be a good day."

"Sir, you can stay at home. I'll go buy it myself."

"You've never been to the capital before. What if you get lost or abducted?"

"Alright, but sir, such a large estate will deteriorate if it's not cleaned up soon."

"You don't need to worry about that. This place will be bustling by next year at the latest. How about you be the housekeeper then? There will probably be a thousand or eight hundred people working here."

"Huh? I can't do it."

"If I say you can do it, then you can..." (End of Chapter)