Misty Rain of the Old Times

Chen Xuan truly understood the meaning of the phrase "longing with bated breath." On his first day in the capital, after parting ways with the little princess, he looked forward to their reunion. He was extremely curious about the surprise the little princess mentioned, his heart itching like a cat scratching.

He originally thought that the two of them would meet soon after one night, but by evening the next day he still hadn't seen his wife. He was so anxious that he was completely listless all day.

However, the same thing happened on the third day; the little princess still didn't come, and all our hopes were dashed.

He strongly suspected that Old Deng was behind it all, but he had no evidence. Undeterred, he decided to sneak out of the princess's residence under the cover of night to look for his young wife, only to find that the princess was not there and had gone to the palace.

In this way, Chen Xuan had no doubts at all. It turned out that it was Lao Deng who was interfering, which was utterly speechless.

No, we're just getting along so well, why are you... why are you acting like you're dealing with a thief?

Of course, Chen Xuan probably understood Lao Deng's intention. He was not deliberately teasing him, but was worried that the young people might not be able to control themselves and do something outrageous. With the wedding date approaching, it was especially important to be careful at such a crucial moment. If a scandal were to occur, it would be no joke. Ordinary people often value their reputation more than their lives, let alone the fact that his relationship with the little princess had risen to the level of the royal family and the entire Jing Kingdom.

Actually, Chen Xuan really wanted to go directly to Old Deng and say that he was overthinking things, and that he was the kind of person whose lower body controlled his upper body. But he was afraid of getting beaten up, so he decided against it. Anyway, the wedding was in a little over a month, and after the wedding, the old man would have no reason to break them up.

With this feeling of frustration and entanglement, Chen Xuan arrived on the fourth day after entering the capital. The little princess he had been looking forward to finally arrived, but before he could even be happy, he rolled his eyes, because the little princess came with Old Deng.

Goodness, Chen Xuan has figured it out. He figures he can forget about spending time alone with his new wife before the wedding; Old Deng will definitely not give him that chance.

"Father-in-law, you're here! Please have a seat," Chen Xuan said, gritting his teeth as he bowed, but his manners were impeccable.

Seeing this, Old Deng felt incredibly pleased. He loved seeing the brat unable to do anything about his dislikes, but he still gave him a disdainful look and said, "Oh, son-in-law, are you in a bad mood? How about I leave?"

"Not at all, Father-in-law, you flatter me. I'm overjoyed, happier than ever," Chen Xuan said, his smile more like a grimace. What could he do? If he dared to utter a single word and displeased the old man, the other party would definitely turn and leave, taking the little princess with him. Clearly, the old man had hit him where it hurt. What a mess!

With a smug smile, Old Deng snorted, "Not even a cup of tea? I think you brat clearly don't want to see me. Fine, I'll just leave."

"No, Father-in-law, please take a seat. Don't mention tea, you can order any delicacies you like," Chen Xuan grabbed him. If he really left, who knows when he would see his little wife again.

Old Deng flicked his sleeve and said disdainfully, "That's more like it. Let go of me. What kind of behavior is this, pulling and tugging like that?"

The little princess chuckled to herself, giving him a helpless and resigned look. Anyway, with Old Deng around, the two of them couldn't have any intimate moments. Even if they were close by, holding hands would be a luxury.

Chen Xuan was inwardly bitter, but he could only swallow his anger and do his best to entertain them.

As a result, Old Deng didn't appreciate it at all. He stayed for more than an hour, had a meal, and then left with a flick of his sleeve, taking the little princess with him as well. Chen Xuan had no choice but to send them off with tears in his eyes.

He was now certain that he shouldn't think about spending time alone with his new wife before the wedding; Old Deng was definitely doing it on purpose.

Old Deng interfered, and Chen Xuan even considered running away to Yang County to hide away. But after thinking about it, he decided to endure it. The old man didn't have much time left, so he decided to keep him happy. On the bright side, at least he brought the little princess to ease his longing.

Actually, these are all minor matters. With the wedding date approaching, Chen Xuan can't really be a hands-off manager. Even if he can't help much, staying in the capital is better than not being able to find anyone when something really happens. Besides, the old man is obviously busy with something, otherwise he wouldn't have come and stayed for so long. Just in case, he can be of some help at a critical moment.

But he was bored in the capital. He didn't have any friends there. He did have a good relationship with Zhao Qingluan, but she was busy with official duties and he couldn't bother her. Besides, she was about to get married, and it wasn't appropriate for him to ask a girl to pass the time, let alone go to a brothel to kill time. That old man would probably break his legs and shut down the brothel he went to, and find an excuse to kill another batch of people.

Helpless, with someone he cared about and unable to resolve the situation, he simply rushed back to Yang County, bringing back array materials to continue studying the concealment array to pass the time. Even though he wanted to forget his troubles in this way, the progress of the array was still touching.

As time went by, Old Deng wasn't so cold-hearted. Even though he kept a close eye on the little princess, he would still bring her to meet Chen Xuan every now and then, showing he still had some conscience. But whether he was deliberately trying to trick Chen Xuan was something only he knew.

A month or so later, it was late February, and only about half a month remained until Chen Xuan's wedding on the third day of the third lunar month.

During this time, he was ready at any moment for Lao Deng to send someone to notify him to help, but nothing happened and everything was calm. He was just overthinking things.

Even after a month, Chen Xuan's progress on the concealment formation was negligible, if not zero. He hadn't even produced the basic, qualified materials, which made him want to give up at one point. It was too difficult, but he kept persevering.

There was no way he could accomplish something that so many people in the Tai Xuan Sect had tried for hundreds of years without success. Based on his experience, once he took the crucial first step, the rest would be easy. Experience is accumulated, and with continuous trial and error, success would eventually come.

Then the courtyard for their wedding was completely decorated, with all the furniture and decorations, and every detail was unique. Chen Xuan didn't know much about art, but he couldn't find any fault with it. The little princess and Lao Deng came to see it several times and were very satisfied with the inside and outside.

Realizing that he would be getting married in just half a month and would no longer be alone, but would have a family and someone to care for, Chen Xuan didn't have any pre-wedding jitters. To be honest, he was both looking forward to it and feeling a little lost. He didn't have much of a clue about the future. He had taken on the responsibilities of being the head of the family, but he didn't know where to go from here.

He also understood that these emotions were just him being sentimental out of boredom. Who cares? He had no worries about food and clothing, and he could live however he wanted in the future.

As the wedding day drew near, Chen Xuan still had some things to do in his spare time, such as communicating with the Ministry of Rites about the details of the wedding ceremony, planning the route, and trying on the wedding clothes to see if they fit. These were all things that needed to be understood in advance to avoid making mistakes and causing a laughing stock at the last minute.

After several rounds of communication, Chen Xuan concluded that it would be very tiring, mentally exhausting. Everything was planned out, and he would just be a puppet on a string.

That day, Old Deng brought the little princess to Chen Xuan's place again. The father-in-law and son-in-law had a verbal battle for a while, and after the commotion subsided, they sat down in the pavilion to drink tea. The little princess accompanied the two most important men in her life.

This is the tenth time since we arrived in the capital. Old Deng has never allowed Chen Xuan and the little princess to be alone together. Glancing at the little princess beside him, Chen Xuan looked at Old Deng speechlessly and said, "Father-in-law, don't you find this boring? Qian Ning is about to become my wife, and you won't even give us a chance to have a private chat."

Taking a sip of tea, Old Deng said leisurely but with a hint of disdain, "I find this quite amusing, you brat. Don't think I don't know what you're up to. Let me tell you, not a chance. Forget about being alone with Xiao Fuyao before the wedding."

"Father-in-law, you've gone too far! Don't you know what kind of person I am? It's not like I don't know my limits," Chen Xuan said, on the verge of tears. He curled his lip and sneered, "It's precisely because I know what kind of person you are that I keep a close eye on Xiao Fuyao. You act like everyone's been young before. Marriage is not a trivial matter. If parents don't take responsibility, how will you cherish Xiao Fuyao in the future?"

This was already quite subtle, but even so, the little princess blushed as she listened. She wasn't completely ignorant; deep down, if the atmosphere had been right before the wedding, and Chen Xuan had been persistent and gentle, she probably would have given in half-heartedly, since the wedding day was just around the corner.

However, as someone who had been through it all, Old Deng was wary of this very point. In his view, performing the traditional rites of marriage before marriage was ultimately not enough to make a complete life, and there would be regrets in life. Once you wanted to make up for it, there would be no chance. That's why he became the villain.

His daughter was marrying Chen Xuan as his legal wife, not as a concubine whom he could do whatever he wanted with. There was no doubt about that. So Chen Xuan had no chance until the formalities were completed. Even though he knew the two young people knew their limits, he was afraid they might act impulsively.

It's okay to be the bad guy now, let them have a perfect wedding, and they'll thank him in the future.

Chen Xuan understood the old man's good intentions, but given their usual way of interacting, he still rolled his eyes and said, "You've got a lot of free time on your hands, old man."

"I'm happy to do it, what can you do about it?" the old man said smugly. As his life force faded, he became more and more unrestrained. A few years ago, he would never have talked about these things in front of his daughter.

Letting out a weak breath, Chen Xuan said in a daze, "Speaking of which, are you alright, old man? Why do you keep coming here every few days?"

Bringing your young wife along is like having a giant light bulb standing there; you don't even give her a chance to hold hands. It would have been better if she hadn't come at all.

"What, you brat? This is going to be my precious daughter's home from now on. Can't I renege on my promise?" the old man glared at him.

Chen Xuan quickly waved his hand and said, "No, no, Father-in-law, you can come anytime. We would be more than happy to welcome you, and we would be delighted if you could even stay here."

"You wish," the old man rolled his eyes, then added, "It is indeed quite boring. Coming here every now and then to bicker with you is a way to lift my spirits; otherwise, I might be driven to my death by this idiot one day."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan raised an eyebrow. No, it seemed that Old Deng had inadvertently shared some heartfelt words with him. This was not how they usually interacted. The only time this happened was when Old Deng handed over the Seven Star Sealing Formation to him.

He comes to see me every few days to cheer me up; it seems Old Deng hasn't been in a good mood lately? Chen Xuan said with interest, "What's wrong? Tell me so your son-in-law can have a laugh."

This tone wasn't meant to provoke the old man; it was meant to be lighthearted and let him get his thoughts out, which would naturally improve his mood. Having known him for so long, Chen Xuan had a way of making him happy.

As expected, Old Deng immediately glared and said, "Are you looking for a beating? I think you're tired of living. How dare you mock me? I usually give you a good look, but it seems you've forgotten that I am the ruler of a country?"

How dare you say that? Where is the demeanor of a monarch in my presence?

Chen Xuan remained silent, thinking that Lao Deng would reveal his troubles on his own.

Sure enough, he continued indignantly, "I hardly care about anything these days, I'm happy all the time. It's just that some of your brother-in-law's actions are so outrageous that even a dog would shake its head. Now that things have come to this, what can I do? I can only try to avoid seeing it and not worry about it. Do you expect me to clean up his mess? Well, it won't be long... never mind. After you and Xiao Fuyao get married, I won't bother with anything else. Children and grandchildren have their own lives."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan immediately understood. The current emperor was like a retired emperor, having almost entirely entrusted state affairs to Crown Prince Zhou Chen. However, Zhou Chen's handling of some matters had likely failed to satisfy him. But now that he was gradually relinquishing power, this position would eventually be handed over to Zhou Chen. It was not appropriate to interfere rashly, which was why he would come here every now and then to adjust his mood, guard against Chen Xuan's misbehavior, and also to temporarily forget his troubles.

What could the old man do? He didn't have many days left to live. The power structure in the court had already been set. Even if Crown Prince Zhou Chen had some flaws that displeased him, he had been carefully nurtured for so many years. Could he really change the heir at the last minute? That would only plunge the whole country into turmoil.

So he simply turned a blind eye and stopped interfering, instead choosing to torment his son-in-law.

As for what the future of Jing Kingdom will be like under Zhou Chen's leadership after the throne is handed over, he's almost dead, how can he care about that? Right now, the only thing on his mind is Xiao Fuyao's marriage. Once it's settled, he'll definitely pack up and leave as soon as possible. It's too tiring. He's had enough of sitting in this position for decades.

Having figured this out, Chen Xuan thought to himself, "No wonder Old Deng didn't come to me with anything. It turns out Zhou Chen was in charge of everything. So Zhou Chen was also in charge of Wanku Mountain."

As long as Old Deng is still around, no matter what the situation is over there, Zhou Chen will not be able to come looking for Chen Xuan. It's as if the old man has shielded Chen Xuan from a lot of unnecessary trouble. As for the future, who can force Chen Xuan to do anything?

Although it wasn't explicitly stated, Chen Xuan understood that the old man had good intentions. If it weren't for Lao Deng coming to bother Chen Xuan every now and then under the pretext of discussing marriage, would he have helped his brother-in-law?
These are all minor matters, but Chen Xuan thought about it again and realized that it was now a foregone conclusion that Crown Prince Zhou Chen would inherit the throne of Jing Kingdom. So what did Mr. Pei mean when he said that the hidden star had appeared and was poised to enter the central sky?
After listening to what Lao Deng said, it seems that something is going to happen. It can't be that Zhou Chen is not capable enough in the future and will cause trouble for himself and lose the throne. So who can replace him?

As for her own wife, there has never been a female emperor in the history of Jing Kingdom, and besides, she has neither the ability nor the idea.

In that case, among Lao Deng's sons, who else can replace Zhou Chen? Only Prince Qing has a slight chance, but he only has a mere 100,000 troops on the surface, and he has been away from the capital for many years, guarding the border. What can he accomplish?
Forget it, it was just something Mr. Pei said casually when he was drunk, so don't take it seriously. Instead of dwelling on it, you should think about what Mr. Pei said about there being an extra star in the sky.

When Mr. Pei used an armillary sphere to measure the night sky, the extra star was recorded on the star chart. It was not a so-called hidden star.

With a thought flashing through his mind, Chen Xuan slumped back in his chair without any regard for appearances, shrugged at Old Deng, and said, "So, Father-in-law, you'll understand a lot of things when you get to my age. Why think so much? It's so much better to just let things slide. You feel so relaxed. Look at me, I have no worries."

Upon hearing this, Old Deng was stunned for a moment, thinking that Chen Xuan meant that he had reached his age. When he realized what Chen Xuan meant, he immediately glared and said, "You've rebelled against the Heavenly Gang and reached your age? I'll beat you to death, you brat!"

As he spoke, he swung the stick and started hitting.

Chen Xuan darted away like a rabbit, smugly saying, "Am I wrong? It's so much better to just give up. Why live such a tiring life? Hey, I can't hit him."

My brother-in-law has upset my father-in-law, so I, as his son-in-law, have to do my best to cheer him up.

...(End of chapter)