Misty Rain of the Old Times

"Ah Xuan, you didn't split one gift into five parts, did you?" Gao Jingming turned around and looked at him suspiciously, exposing him on the spot.

Chen Xuan pretended not to hear, gestured for Su Roujia to take out the gifts, and casually handed him the five array flags, saying, "Young Master, here's the congratulatory gift. Don't say I didn't give you anything on your joyous occasion. We'll skip the formalities; I was going to give it to you sooner or later anyway."

With a wry smile, Gao Jingming took the gift and shook his head, saying, "What kind of person are you, Ah Xuan? The wedding hasn't even started yet, and you've already given the gift."

"We're like family, we don't need to stand on ceremony. Formality is just for show, as long as the sentiment is there, that's enough," Chen Xuan said casually.

He chuckled inwardly, glanced at the array flags in his hand, unable to discern their significance, and shook them, saying, "Five small flags, perhaps Ah Xuan wants me to perform in an opera? But these are far too small."

Su Roujia, standing to the side, felt a pang of melancholy. It seemed that neither the master nor the young master took it seriously. That was a legendary formation that the master had spent months of painstaking work on, capable of creating a dense fog. Could they please stop treating it so lightly?

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan looked Gao Jingming up and down thoughtfully and said, "Don't say that, young master, if you went to sing opera, you would definitely become a star. But I think you are more suited to singing female roles."

"Haha, if I can't stay in the officialdom one day, I'll go and sing opera to make a living," Gao Jingming said with a smile.

Only the two of them could joke around so freely and not take it seriously at all. If it were anyone else, and they dared to make fun of the top scholar going to be a street performer, they would immediately become enemies. It would be a huge insult!
In the midst of their joking conversation, Chen Xuan was about to introduce the array flags, but they had already arrived at their destination. They had come to the west courtyard of the Gao family's manor, where Gao Jingming was currently living, and where their wedding room would be located in a few days.

Madam Gao and Master Gao are still young. Even if he is the future successor of the Gao family, there is no reason for them to drive their parents away and move into the East Courtyard.

"Young Master, Xuan-ge'er, please sit down and have a cup of tea. I'll go arrange the food and drinks right away," Xiao Ye said before turning to leave, while Xiao Cai served tea and water.

They were both in their mid-twenties, the most beautiful time of their lives. Xiao Ye was gentle and virtuous, while Xiao Cai was plump and lovely. Her cultivation was deepening, and she was close to opening up her eight extraordinary meridians. She looked to be only in her early twenties. Perhaps recently, she had been nourished by Xiao Gao, making her even more radiant and charming.

Chen Xuancong never makes excessive jokes about his brothers' women and has always treated them as his older sisters. He hopes that Xiao Gao will treat them well in the future. In this era, it is normal for men to have multiple wives and concubines. They are destined to be concubines because of their maidservant background. It is unrealistic for Xiao Gao to treat them equally after he gets married. He should be able to follow his father's example and have a harmonious family and a peaceful backyard.

This interruption made Xiao Gao temporarily forget about the battle flags. He casually placed them on the table, sat down, and asked, "By the way, Ah Xuan, where are you staying? If it's inconvenient, why don't you move in here? I've reserved a small courtyard for you."

Given their relationship, it wasn't a matter of staying for a few days, but for as long as they wanted. Whether it was the Gao family in Yang County, Xiao Ming's residence before, or even here, Chen Xuan always had a place to stay.

Why bring this up again? Chen Xuan casually replied, "It's not far away, just around the corner from here. I bought a house there for five thousand taels of silver, and Roujia is managing it. You're worried I'm not doing well? It's very close. I can come over for a meal anytime."

"Alright, I'll go take a look later. If anything is missing, I'll have someone send it over," Gao Jingming nodded, not worrying too much about it. Five thousand taels of silver could indeed buy a nice little courtyard in the capital recently.

After quickly moving on, Chen Xuan asked curiously, "By the way, young master, are you in such a hurry to be sent abroad that you're not running away?"

"It's all up to His Majesty's arrangements, what can I do?" He shrugged.

The old emperor, whose life is nearing its end, has become increasingly 'crazy' lately. In order to pave the way for the crown prince, he has killed countless people in the court over the past few months, to the point that many officials are terrified every day when they go to work, and no one knows whether His Majesty will make an example of them.

Normally, if an emperor reaches this point in his later years, he would inevitably face backlash from his court officials. However, the problem is that the Wu family was massacred by a "mysterious man" a few months ago, and the head of the powerful Wei family, a grandmaster, perished. He then withdrew from the court and fled. Now, no one dares to step forward to stop the old emperor's "tyranny," and they can only let him sweep through the court and seize the power that should belong to the royal family.

Of course, the old emperor wasn't truly insane and killing people indiscriminately. He was only killing those who held positions of power without merit. Perhaps to officials, this was a meat grinder, but it must be admitted that the Jing Kingdom's officialdom in recent months has been the most honest and incorruptible in the decades since Zhenkai. The court is extremely efficient, unlike before when the old emperor's words often couldn't even reach the palace.

During this period of dynastic change, the old emperor knew very well who should be killed, who could be used, who could be promoted, and who could share the burdens of the next ruler.

Given the current situation, Gao Jingming, as the last top scholar of the Zhenkai era, has only been studying in the Hanlin Academy for a few months, and now he has been sent out to a powerful post. Does His Majesty need to make his intentions clear? It is clearly a team left for the Crown Prince. After going out for a stroll, when he comes back, it's a case of "a new emperor, a new court," and he can be put to important positions immediately.

Of course, such a rapid promotion was unreasonable and would inevitably make him a thorn in the side of some people, but that was exactly the effect the old emperor wanted. He wouldn't feel at ease if Xiao Gao and the other officials were of one mind.

Chen Xuan only had a superficial understanding of the ways of officialdom. These thoughts flashed through his mind, and he couldn't help but look at Gao Jingming and say, "Young Master, wouldn't you say that you're favored by the Emperor?"

“What are you thinking, Ah Xuan? As a subject, it is only right to obey orders and share the burdens of the ruler. It doesn’t matter where you work,” Gao Jingming said with a smile.

The food and wine had already been served, and Xiao Cai, Xiao Ye, Su Roujia, and the others were serving them. Chen Xuan gestured for Xiao Gao to drink first, then shook his head and said, "Tsk tsk, young master, you've only been in the court for a few months, yet you speak so slickly. I feel like we're not on the same level anymore. It was better before, when we were simple and straightforward, without so many twists and turns." "Really? Ah Xuan, do you think I've changed that much?" Gao Jingming asked in astonishment.

Shaking his head, Chen Xuan smiled and said, "It's not a matter of change; everyone has to grow, it's just that often we don't even realize it."

Anyway, their relationship wouldn't change, but Gao Jingming said enviously, "Ah Xuan, I really admire you. When I was a kid, I always thought you were a bit old-fashioned, but looking back now, you're clearly young at heart. I just didn't understand it when I was a kid. How have you managed to keep your mindset unchanged all these years?"

"Perhaps it's because of their high cultivation level and long lifespan that their mental growth slows down?" Chen Xuan blinked and said.

That was the end of the conversation. Amidst the eating and drinking, Gao Jingming changed the subject, saying, "We're having a good time today, so no one can use martial arts to sober up, right?"

"I'm not afraid of you, I'm ready to play along," Chen Xuan said, rolling up his sleeves. He found it amusing. Xiao Gao had told him that he couldn't drink too much because he had to go to work tomorrow, but it wasn't a big problem. No matter how much he drank now, he would sober up with a burst of internal energy tomorrow morning.

Nodding, Gao Jingming smiled and then pondered, "Ah Xuan, the Grand Court Assembly will be held on the 25th of this month, followed by a ten-day year-end holiday. Before the Grand Court Assembly, I will have already left the capital to take up my post."

"Young Master, I don't quite understand what you're saying," Chen Xuan said in surprise. What does this have to do with him?

Xiao Gao continued, "Ah Xuan, I just want to remind you that in another ten or twenty days, officials from all over the country will gather in the capital to report on their duties, including that great general and his son from the north!"

"I understand about the Jiang family father and son. However, it is their duty to return to the capital to report on their duties. It would be a problem if they didn't come," Chen Xuan nodded and said.

After hesitating for a moment, Gao Jingming said, "The Jiang family father and son seem loyal, but my brother-in-law's advisors analyze that they are actually very ambitious. They are likely to cause trouble this time they come to the capital. As far as I know, Jiang Li has not given up on Her Highness the Princess. Ah Xuan, you should be careful."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan smiled and gestured for a drink, saying, "So what? I don't care about court intrigues, but if you dare to provoke Qian Ning, don't blame me for being unreasonable!"

Gao Jingming drank a cup of wine and said, "Ah Xuan, I know you are very capable, but the Jiang family father and son are not simple either, especially Jiang Yuan, who should not be underestimated. If a conflict arises, remember that no matter what the situation, I will stand with you through thick and thin."

"Young master, you flatter me. It's no big deal. Come on, let's have a drink," Chen Xuan said with a laugh. He appreciated the sentiment, though he knew that men shouldn't be so sentimental.

Did Gao Jingming not know the size of the Jiang family? Yet he stood with Chen Xuan without hesitation. This was not just about him alone, but also about the entire Gao family. How many people in the world could do that?

At this moment, Chen Xuan was pondering. It seemed that the death of Wei Wuyai was not enough to deter Jiang Yuan, that Grandmaster. Thinking about it, it made sense. He was once the youngest Grandmaster in Jing Kingdom. How could such a person easily give in for his own benefit?

To put it another way, that level is too complicated; once the arrow is released, there's no turning back, and it's not something he can simply back down from.

Having touched on the matter briefly, Gao Jingming didn't bring it up again. During their conversation, they drank glass after glass, and before they knew it, they had drunk quite a bit. Half-drunk, Gao Jingming picked up the banner on the table and asked, "Is this the congratulatory gift you gave me, Ah Xuan? I haven't even had a chance to ask what it's for yet."

Having said he wouldn't use martial arts to sober up, Chen Xuan, despite his strong constitution, would still get slightly tipsy after drinking too much. Intrigued, he said, "Young Master, you clearly don't know anything about these things. These... do you understand what array flags are? They're used for setting up formations."

"Good stuff, Ah Xuan, where did you get this?" Gao Jingming asked, speechless.

Chen Xuan said speechlessly, "What do you mean by 'where did it come from'? Can't I have this skill myself?"

“Alright, alright, Ah Xuan is really capable. What’s the trick to this thing? How do you use it?” Gao Jingming asked with great interest.

Chen Xuan reached out and said, "Come, come, let me demonstrate for you, and teach you how to use it..."

Gao Jingming, Xiao Cai, and Xiao Ye were unaware of the power of the fog array. Su Roujia, who had personally experienced it, hesitated to speak, but since the master and young master were talking, he didn't want to say anything.

As a result, the Gao family's mansion was soon shrouded in a magic array under the cover of night.

Meanwhile, Master Gao and his entourage, who had gone to the Lü family to discuss the marriage, returned and learned that Chen Xuan had arrived. They originally intended to go and talk to him, but as soon as they arrived near the courtyard where Chen Xuan and his group were, they inexplicably found themselves lost in a thick fog... (End of this chapter)