Misty Rain of the Old Times

In the year or so since leaving the Gao family and starting his own business, Chen Xuan's life has been somewhat sloppy, but it hasn't been completely aimless. However, some things are simply not experienced, so there's no experience to speak of, and some details are inevitably flawed.

It's true that young people are often naive and immature. They have lofty ambitions but often overlook the fact that their elders are there to protect them. They don't need to worry about trivial matters at all. What they thought was perfectly normal turns out to be something they do carelessly and incompletely when faced with it.

Marriage is a lifelong event, and Chen Xuan thought everything was arranged, but he hadn't even made any preparations for welcoming guests.

"Roujia, Sister Juan, please take care of Madam and the others. I'm going back to Yang County to pick up Steward He and the others," Chen Xuan instructed, and without the slightest hesitation, he headed south back to Yang County.

Du Juan and the others had no experience in organizing weddings. They had also heard what Madam Gao said, and then they realized that they had oversimplified things. They felt somewhat guilty, after all, they had not been able to share the burden with their husband.

Not daring to show the slightest disrespect to Madam Gao and the others, Du Juan quickly said, "Madam, Young Madam, and Master, you must be tired from your journey. Please come this way and rest for a while."

"Don't mind us. It's your first time here. Do you mind if we look around the outer courtyard?" Mr. Yushan said with a smile. He had difficulty walking and was being pushed in a wheelchair by Uncle Zhong.

"Please go ahead, sir, no need to be so polite," the little girl said sweetly.

At this moment, Madam Gao waved her hand and said, "There's no need for rest. Xiao Xuan doesn't have an elder to help him, so he's not considering things comprehensively. Roujia, why don't you show me around and let me see if there's anything I haven't arranged properly? We still have time, and it would be a loss if we made a fool of ourselves."

After the renovation was completed, before Madam Gao and her entourage arrived, the Ministry of Rites had made arrangements, leaving only Chen Xuan and his two companions. The large mansion seemed unusually quiet, but it would soon become lively.

"Please come with us, Madam," Du Juan nodded. Her husband was as obedient as a grandson in front of her, so how could he dare to disobey in the slightest?

Having managed the Gao family for many years, Madam Gao was very experienced. She dared not act on the proper procedures and etiquette for marrying a princess, but she also found many shortcomings after going through the process. Fortunately, she had brought a lot of people with her this time, and Gao Jingming quickly summoned the Gao family's servants in the capital. They were then completely under Madam Gao's command. Even though Gao Jingming was getting married, she was still very attentive to him and did not even mention money when arranging various matters.

On the other side, Chen Xuan soon arrived in Yang County and appeared directly at the gate of the Gao family. The guards were all old acquaintances. Today, Hou Jin was on duty at the gate. He was still doing this job even though he was still nimble on his feet. He was just not very bright and did not take the opportunity to make some extra money. He was a very honest person.

"Xuan-ge'er is here! Please come in quickly. Is there anything you need me to tell you?" Hou Jin hurriedly came out of the gatehouse, bowed, and greeted him.

Chen Xuan asked with a smile, "Brother Hou is busy. Is Butler He here?"

When business was important, he didn't waste time, though he would occasionally chat for a bit.

"He's at home. I'll have someone inform him right away. Xuan-ge'er, please come in and have a cup of tea first," Hou Jin nodded.

Stepping inside, Chen Xuan nodded and said, "Okay, you go ahead and get busy, I know this place well."

Soon Steward He arrived and greeted them with a smile, "Didn't Xuan-ge go to the capital? What brings you here?"

Without further ado, Chen Xuan said, "Greetings, Steward He. Did you receive the invitation? I've come to escort you to the capital. Well, don't laugh at me, Steward He, but I have little experience with weddings and my preparations are inadequate. I'll have to trouble you to help me with all the arrangements."

The old man had already sent out the invitations from Chen Xuan's list, and Butler He had naturally received them. He was just wondering how to attend Chen Xuan's wedding when the old man came to pick him up in person. He was taken aback and said, "Brother Xuan is so thoughtful. Of course I received the invitations. It's no problem for me to make arrangements for you, but am I suitable?"

He naturally wouldn't shirk his responsibility for Chen Xuan's wedding, but he was a little uneasy because of his status. After all, he was marrying Princess Fuyao. He had never experienced such a scene before. Last time, when Gao Jingming got married, he almost panicked when facing so many dignitaries. He estimated that the scene would be even bigger for Chen Xuan's wedding this time.

“No, Butler He, you can definitely do it,” Chen Xuan said with absolute certainty.

Butler He sensed that Chen Xuan looked rather desperate, as if grasping at a straw, and couldn't help but laugh, "Then I'll give it a try, and try my best not to disappoint Xuan-ge'er."

"Then I'll leave it to Butler He," Chen Xuan said with a smile, thinking to himself that it would be really impossible to manage a household without an experienced and capable butler. After the marriage, with such a large family, Du Juan and Su Roujia would definitely be in trouble. He just hoped that someone could come along to accompany his wife. If he had to manage the daily chores, he would be driven crazy.

Then Chen Xuan added, "We'll be heading to the capital soon. Is there anything you need to prepare, Steward He?"

Butler He had actually prepared everything, but to appear more formal, he said, "Indeed, we need to prepare a little."

Nodding, Chen Xuan said, "Alright, Steward He, go and make the preparations. We'll set off in half an hour. I also need to pick up a few people to go with us, so we don't have to travel back and forth."

Butler He chuckled, "Xuan-ge'er, are you planning to go find Young Master Deng Lingfeng and the others? Why don't I send someone to inform them to come over, so you don't have to make the trip yourself?"

"That would be perfect, thank you for your help, Steward He," Chen Xuan said with a smile, thinking to himself how much easier it would be to have a capable steward.

Butler He replied swiftly, "It's no big deal. Xuan-ge, you rest first, I'll go arrange it right away."

"I still need to personally invite two more people. Let's meet in the courtyard later," Chen Xuan said, standing up.

"Alright"

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Chen Xuan left the Gao family and soon arrived at the street corner outside his residence. He had come to invite He Hongyi, whose name was on the list he had discussed with the old man last time. He came to see if she had already left, and since he was already there, he might as well take her with him.

After spending more than a month in the capital, when Chen Xuan returned here, the renovation of the small building that He Hongyi had taken over was more than half completed. When Chen Xuan arrived, she was personally supervising the construction.

She was still dressed in that dazzling red outfit, but seemed somewhat absent-minded.

"How have you been lately, Hongyi?" Chen Xuan greeted her as he saw her. He had just stopped by to check on her, and if she wasn't there, he would have to use all his senses to find out if she was still in Yang County.

Upon hearing Chen Xuan's voice, He Hongyi's expression instantly brightened, though a barely perceptible hint of resentment flashed in her eyes. She turned and quickly stepped forward, asking excitedly, "When did Ah Xuan get back?"

Chen Xuan clicked his tongue in admiration; that soft, mature woman's voice was truly captivating. He chuckled, "I'm still in the capital, not back yet. No, I'm here to pick up a few people; I'll be going back soon."

Covering her mouth with a smile, He Hongyi said, "I see. Ah Xuan seems to be quite busy."

"It's alright, just busy with nothing. By the way, Hongyi, did you receive my invitation?" Chen Xuan asked directly. He had to go somewhere later and didn't have much time to linger here.

Hearing this, He Hongyi felt a pang of sadness, but she didn't show it on her face, still smiling brightly as she said, "I received it a few days ago."

A sudden awkwardness washed over him, but Chen Xuan spoke up, "Will the woman in red go? If so, come with me to the capital later, so we don't have to travel so far."

She pursed her lips, both amused and exasperated, and said, "I was hesitating, but since you've put it that way, how could I dare disobey?"

"Why does it feel like I'm forcing her?" Chen Xuan said awkwardly. "If..."

Before he could finish speaking, He Hongyi interrupted with a smile, "No problem, when do we set off?" "Half an hour, let's meet at the Gao family's place," Chen Xuan replied subconsciously. He couldn't understand He Hongyi's thoughts at this moment. Originally, when he drafted the list, he only gave her a copy out of courtesy. Now he realized that it was a bit inappropriate and that he hadn't thought things through.

He Hongyi nodded and smiled, "Understood. I'll make the arrangements here, and we'll head to the Gao family's place to meet up later."

"Alright, it's settled then. I have to pick someone up. See you later," Chen Xuan smiled and prepared to leave.

But He Hongyi suddenly moved closer to him, her gaze intense, and said, "I was just joking before. How could I, Hongyi, dare to be absent from Ah Xuan's wedding? Whether I will have the honor of entering the family in the future depends on His Highness's mood. I should go and curry favor with him this time."

"Ah, this," she said, leaving Chen Xuan speechless.

Seeing Chen Xuan's somewhat bewildered expression, He Hongyi felt a surge of pride. Her beloved young man wasn't so heartless after all. Her resentment lessened somewhat, and she covered her mouth with a smile, saying, "Don't feel wronged, Xuan, don't overthink it. I'll go prepare now, so as not to delay your business. See you later."

As she spoke, she slightly bowed, smiled, nodded, and gracefully departed.

Chen Xuan subconsciously scratched his head, feeling that something was wrong. He Hongyi seemed to have set a trap for him without him realizing it, and he seemed to have fallen into the trap without even knowing it.

Hopefully he was overthinking it, he didn't dwell on it. Business was important, so he moved on to the next destination.

He quickly arrived at Zhiwei Restaurant, went straight to the kitchen, and found Luo Erdan, who was busy at mealtime, saying, "Black Tiger, stop working. Did you receive the invitation? I knew you were planning to skip it. Come with me, hurry up."

"Ah Xuan, you... well, you should at least let me change my clothes," Erdan said awkwardly. He had originally wanted to postpone it, but Chen Xuan didn't waste any words with him and just grabbed him. He didn't care whether Erdan was busy cooking or not, since it was lunchtime.

Holding onto Chen Xuan, Erdan couldn't break free and had no choice but to give in.

Seeing that he was covered in smoke and soot, Chen Xuan had no choice but to let go of him and said, "Fine, I'll wait for you for fifteen minutes. Don't even think about running away. You can't miss my wedding."

"Of course, wait a moment," Erdan, who wasn't good with words, smiled awkwardly. He was definitely happy, but he was also a little nervous and reserved. He knew that Chen Xuan was going to marry Princess Fuyao and had received an invitation. He was just worried that his status would embarrass Chen Xuan if he went. He had been struggling with this for the past few days. Now that Chen Xuan had come to invite him directly, there was no reason for him not to go.

He has changed his name to Luo Heihu, and Erdan is his nickname. Even if he doesn't mind, Chen Xuan still calls him Heihu, which is really insulting.

In a quarter of an hour, Erdan tidied himself up, put on his best clothes, and even took a shower. Feeling inferior, he tried his best not to embarrass Chen Xuan on this trip. Moreover, he secretly brought a gift, which was not appropriate to take out now.

Now that he had decided to go, he said after they met, "There are only five days left until the date on the invitation. We should be able to make it if we travel day and night. Ah Xuan, you're getting married soon, and you still come all this way in person. It's not worth it for me. If I delay your wedding, I'll feel terrible."

With a laugh, Chen Xuan said, "What are you thinking? Do you think I'd make you travel all this way and suffer? You know my cultivation is high. Come with me, we'll be there soon. Let's meet up with the others first."

He nodded without thinking too much about it and readily agreed, "Alright, I'll go cook something to entertain your guests."

In his simple mind, when a friend who had shared hardships with him got married, he should do everything he could to help. As for whether he could satisfy Chen Xuan's guests, that was not his concern.

"What are you saying? Black Tiger, you're a guest. There's no reason for you to be busy. Just eat, drink, and have fun. I'm married now, Black Tiger, you'd better hurry up too. Don't think I don't know you're flirting with the lady who owns the cloth shop next door."

"I didn't do it, I didn't do it, Ah Xuan, how do you know?"

"Isn't it obvious? She comes to your place to eat every day, and sometimes you even secretly cook for her and bring it over. I'm not blind..."

Chatting along the way, the two arrived at the Gao family's house. Upon entering, they found that everyone was already there.

Not only were Steward He and He Hongyi ready and waiting, but Deng Lingfeng, Zhou Lintian, Xue Yu, Luo Taiyun, and Shu Yao were also there. Of the five tigers of Yang County, only Gao Jingming was missing. They would soon be able to gather in the capital.

Some of them also brought their families and servants, totaling about twenty or thirty people.

Upon meeting, Chen Xuan greeted him, "Ling Feng, it's been a while! You look radiant, did something good happen? Tai Yun, you've gained weight again, you should lose some. Xue Yu and Lin Zi, you two are here too, I was just thinking of picking you up later."

"Ah Xuan, we've been waiting for this day for a long time. Let me tell you, Ling Feng has a girl he likes. How could she not be radiant? She's the apple of Xiao Shan's eye in the next county. They often meet secretly. He let it slip when he was drunk that day," the chubby Luo Taiyun revealed Deng Ling Feng's secrets on the spot.

Zhou Lin said cheerfully, "We received your invitation, Ah Xuan, so we came to Yang County to meet up. We've been staying at Ling Feng's house for the past few days. We were supposed to go directly to the capital, but you said you'd come back to pick us up, so we came here first."

"How does Ah Xuan plan to take us there? Is there enough time? You're a Grandmaster, can you fly us there?" Tian Xueyu asked curiously.

Shu Yao said cheerfully, "Ah Xuan, congratulations! I'm shamelessly going to bother you and ask for a cup of wedding wine."

“Shu Yao is now the head of a county, and as for Baili Hou, those carefree days in the school are gone forever,” Zhou Lin sighed.

After everyone met, they all started talking at once, each with their own opinions.

After exchanging pleasantries, Chen Xuan first introduced Zhou Lin and the others to He Hongyi and her group, then said, "This is Miss He Hongyi, a friend I met in the martial arts world. And this is Luo Heihu, a buddy I shared hardships with before I met you all... Are you all ready? If you're ready, we'll set off now."

"Nice to meet you."

They exchanged greetings, but Deng Lingfeng and the others' gazes lingered on Chen Xuan and He Hongyi, winking and exchanging knowing glances without saying a word. Yang County was only so big, and although Chen Xuan usually didn't care about worldly affairs, many people paid attention to him, so how could they not know why He Hongyi had come?

At the same time, they were filled with admiration. Ah Xuan was getting married, and he even brought a close female friend with him. Wow!

"Alright, enough chit-chat. Let's head to the capital first, have a good drink later, and then we'll set off. Oh, and you'd better close your eyes first, or don't blame me if you feel uncomfortable," Chen Xuan instructed.

After they indicated that they understood, Chen Xuan used his true essence to protect them as they soared into the sky, heading straight for the capital.

On the way to Beijing, Chen Xuan thought carefully. After that, all that was left for them was the Xiao Miao siblings. He didn't need to personally pick up the other people who had sent the invitations. He planned to pick up the Xiao Miao siblings alone tomorrow.

As the saying goes, curiosity killed the cat. Even though Chen Xuan had warned them beforehand, some people still couldn't resist opening their eyes. As a result, when they arrived at the mansion in the capital, Luo Taiyun and several others turned pale and covered their mouths as they searched for a clean room.

"Haha, Linzi, Fatty, you're here! Our Five Tigers of Yang County have reunited after several months. Let's drink until we drop!" Gao Jingming, who had come upon hearing the news, said cheerfully.

...(End of chapter)