Misty Rain of the Old Times

Anyone who isn't too oblivious can see that He Hongyi has feelings for Chen Xuan. Although she acted gracefully and hid it well from beginning to end, the look in her eyes when she likes someone can't be hidden.

This can also be seen in some details. For example, sitting next to Chen Xuan, she naturally helped him pick up food and pour wine, and always paid attention to his condition. Her bowl and wine glass were never empty. If there were no other people around, she probably would have taken out a handkerchief to wipe Chen Xuan's mouth.

If it weren't for their deep affection, Deng Lingfeng and the others would have thought they'd eat the bowls themselves, ten of them.

Although the group had a good relationship, even after drinking quite a bit, they didn't joke about it. After all, Chen Xuan was getting married in a few days, and it was somewhat inappropriate to talk about Chen Xuan's romantic luck.

Xiao Gao winked and made a knowing look on his face, but he didn't say it outright, so it wasn't even a joke.

Chen Xuan laughed and said, "We didn't deliberately lower our voices, so can't you hear us, young master?"

Xiao Gao didn't dwell on it and instead asked, "I just heard you mention Xiaomiao, Ah Xuan. It's been almost two years since you last saw her, hasn't it? How has she been lately?"

He knew Zhou Xiaomiao, of course, but he hadn't seen her since she left Mocheng at the beginning of last year after finishing her studies. The year before that, he was busy with his studies and rarely went back to his residence in the city, so he didn't really catch up with her. Just now, when Chen Xuan mentioned her, that little figure suddenly appeared in his mind.

“Since Old Zhou passed away, only the two siblings are left. They are doing well now. I often correspond with them. By the way, a while ago they even traveled a long way to Yang County to wish me a Happy New Year. I plan to take some time tomorrow to pick them up. Young Master will be able to see them tomorrow,” Chen Xuan said with a smile.

"Well, I just don't know if they still recognize me," Xiao Gao nodded, also feeling a little nostalgic for his school days.

Zhou Lin was speechless for a moment, then asked, "Jingming, Axuan, what are you talking about? Who is Xiao Miao?"

"A few years ago, when the young master and I were studying in Mo City, I met a sensible little girl. Come on, let's continue drinking," Chen Xuan explained briefly, and they immediately stopped asking questions.

After several more rounds, it was already late at night. Luo Taiyun and Tian Xueyu, who didn't have a high alcohol tolerance, had glazed eyes and began to sway.

He Hongyi raised her glass and said, "Gentlemen, you are all close friends of Ah Xuan. It's our first meeting, so I'd like to offer you a toast."

"Miss He, you're too kind, please," Deng Lingfeng and the others said, raising their glasses. At this time, even if you can't hold your liquor, you have to stand up straight and not let us down.

After downing that cup of wine, Luo Taiyun and Tian Xueyu swayed and nearly collapsed to the ground, only to be caught by their servants. Seeing this, Chen Xuan said, "Taiyun and the others are both drunk. How about we call it a day? There are still a few days left; we can't finish all the wine."

"Alright, we've had enough to drink. Let's not let drinking interfere with Ah Xuan's business," Gao Jingming said, stopping the conversation at the appropriate time.

Nodding, Chen Xuan said, "The accommodations have already been arranged. Everyone, please go and rest. Young Master, would you like to stay with me or go back to your room?"

“We know where it is, so we’ll go rest first. Ah Xuan, you should rest early too. I’ll take them there,” Deng Lingfeng nodded and left with Zhou Lin and Luo Taiyun.

He Hongyi nodded and went to rest under the guidance of Du Juan and the others.

Gao Jingming said, "I think I'll go back to live there. Qing Rongyou is pregnant, and I need to stay with her. Ah Xuan, you might not understand, but women need their men's company most at this time. Hmm, you'll understand later."

"Then I'll see you off, young master," Chen Xuan nodded and didn't try to stop him.

"Why bother delivering it? It's just a few steps away."

That's what he said, but Chen Xuan still saw him to the door, patting Xiao Gao on the shoulder on the way and saying, "Congratulations, young master."

"Ah Xuan, what do you mean by this?" Gao Jingming didn't understand for a moment.

Chen Xuan said frankly, "Of course I want to congratulate you, young master. It's not convenient to tell others about this. Well, after seeing the young mistress today, I noticed she's been pregnant for several months now. I took a closer look, and it seems she's carrying a little boy. So, young master, do you know where the good news comes from?"

"Really?" Gao Jingming asked in surprise.

Chen Xuan nodded and said, "It's packaged. Would I lie to you?"

"Haha, that's great! I'm going to have a son! Oh, and Ah Xuan, you can't forget your gift!" Gao Jingming was so excited that even the top scholar couldn't maintain his composure.

It's only natural for Chen Xuan to not tease him, but he said in a disdainful tone, "Young Master, don't talk about the gift I gave to the young master. Are you going to come to my wedding with your hands bare?"

It was just a joke; I don't really care about the mere gift.

Gao Jingming laughed and said, "Ah Xuan is still thinking about this. Don't worry, it's already prepared and sent to the capital ahead of time. We couldn't possibly give it to you in advance, could we?"

"That's more like it. You can't just try to fool me with some cheap stuff," Chen Xuan said with a forced smile.

With his hands shrugged, Gao Jingming said, "Ah Xuan, you know I'm a poor wretch. I can't afford anything good, so please don't take my hobbies."

"Young Master, you're using my words!" Chen Xuan was speechless. No, you're a prefect with such a large family fortune. If you're a poor wretch, then what am I?
As they chatted and reached the door, Chen Xuan, joking aside, thought of what he had seen in Zhoushan County during the day and asked curiously, "Young Master, I saw that waterwheels are being built along many rivers in Zhoushan County, and some barren mountains seem to be being reclaimed. Are you really planning to do that?"

Xiao Gao has never given up on the idea of ​​developing agriculture so that ordinary people can have enough to eat, and now he has the means to realize his dream.

Gao Jingming smiled and said, "Let's give it a try. Someone always has to take the first step, right? But is it that obvious? It seems I haven't been careful enough."

“Young Master, you’re overthinking it. It’s only because we’ve discussed these things that we noticed this from the clues. No one else would think that much. Besides, everyone’s attention is now drawn to Wanku Mountain. Who would be watching your little tricks? Anyway, if you have an idea, go ahead and try it. I’ll just enjoy life. The sky won’t fall down,” Chen Xuan said with a smile.

"I've heard a little about Wanku Mountain, but I don't know the specifics. Can it really divert some people's attention?" Gao Jingming asked hesitantly.

“The news should have been blocked, it’s normal that the young master doesn’t know. There’s a vast and boundless cave down there, who wouldn’t want a piece of the pie? So the young master, you can take a bigger step,” Chen Xuan encouraged.

Nodding, Xiao Gao stopped at the door and said, "The cave, Ah Xuan, tell me about it when you have time. That's all for now, I'm going back first."

After he left, Chen Xuan watched his retreating figure, thought for a moment, and transmitted his voice, "Young Master, I support whatever you do, but I must remind you that since the beginning of the year, at least a third of our Jing Kingdom's territory has not seen any rain!"

Upon hearing this, Gao Jingming paused, nodded without saying anything, and simply waved before walking away.

'Xiao Gao is smarter than me; a little reminder and I don't have to think about it so much,' Chen Xuan thought to himself as he watched him leave. He also decided to go and rest, as he would be busy tomorrow. On the other side, Deng Lingfeng and the other three rarely got together after growing up. Although they were drunk, they weren't sleepy, so they all went to the guest room that Zhou Lin had arranged, and sat down casually, one after another.

Drunk and slurring, Luo Taiyun said, "Tell me, where did Ah Xuan find this beautiful woman, He Hongyi? She's even more beautiful than someone who stepped out of a painting. She's truly the envy of everyone."

"Didn't you hear Ah Xuan say that Miss He is from Yuhua Kingdom? You all know that Yuhua Kingdom is famous for its beauties. I would like to go and see them someday if I have the chance," Zhou Lin said longingly.

Deng Lingfeng, being a martial artist, was largely unaffected by the alcohol and remained relatively sober. He pondered for a moment and said, "Haven't you heard of her? He Hongyi is quite famous. Not only is her cultivation high, but she is also recognized as one of the top ten beauties in the martial arts world of Yuhua Kingdom."

"Hiss, really?"

Would I lie to you?

“No wonder she’s so beautiful. Ah Xuan is really lucky. Not only did he marry Princess Fuyao, but He Hongyi, one of the ten beauties of Yuhua Kingdom, also came from afar to throw herself at him. We grew up together, how come there’s such a big difference between us?” Tian Xueyu shook her head and laughed.

Zhou Lin glanced at him in surprise and said speechlessly, "Xueyu, aren't you usually quite shy? What's wrong? Missing a girl? Or are you the 'secretly flirtatious' that Ah Xuan always talks about?"

"Get lost, you're the one who's secretly passionate."

Luo Taiyun, who was as fat as a ball, suddenly said with a burning gaze, "Do you think it's possible that since Ah Xuan knows such outstanding women, he could introduce us to one? I'm not picky, as long as she's similar to Miss He."

"Fatty, I think you should be more realistic and stop dreaming, really."

"Exactly, exactly. Why would such a beautiful woman be interested in us? Besides, even if she were blind, could we afford to support her?"

"That's right. Without Ah Xuan's skills, even if you had the luck to win the heart of such a beauty, you'd probably be dead in some corner the next day."

"Sigh..." X3
Even if he drank until late at night the night before, his long-established biological clock made Chen Xuan wake up early the next morning and practice his health-preserving exercises without fail, while Deng Lingfeng and the others were still fast asleep.

However, many people got up even earlier than him. The Gao family mansion was busy before dawn. It was not yet time for guests to come and offer their congratulations. The servants arranged by the Gao family cleaned the house inside and out carefully, again and again.

Just as Chen Xuan finished his activities and was having breakfast, someone came to report: "Young Master Chen, Steward He has something to discuss and would like you to go and confirm it."

"Okay, I'll go right away," Chen Xuan nodded, quickly filled his stomach, and got up.

When they found Steward He, he was discussing something with several people. Upon seeing Chen Xuan arrive, he immediately said, "Young Master Chen, these are the managers of some of the best restaurants in the capital. The master discussed things with them yesterday, and they came early this morning to finalize the wedding banquet arrangements."

Chen Xuan nodded to indicate that he understood, and cupped his hands in greeting, saying, "Greetings everyone. I'll leave the rest to you."

"No trouble at all, it's our honor to be able to help Young Master Chen."

The group adopted an extremely humble posture, even bordering on obsequious. They were all well-informed and, upon learning that they were organizing a wedding banquet for Princess Fuyao and her husband, they dared not put on airs in the slightest.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the discussion turned to the details. Chen Xuan made the final decision to set the number of tables at 300, with an additional 200 tables to be prepared. Each table would have 18 dishes, both hot and cold, as well as two jars of wine, fruits, and snacks. The standard for each table would be 188 taels of silver.

A banquet of this standard is certainly not shabby, but it is far from luxurious.

It wasn't that Chen Xuan didn't have the money to buy better dishes, but rather that many expensive dishes needed to be prepared in advance. His decision was too hasty, and he could only do his best within the limited time available.

A banquet costing 188 taels of silver was not profitable for most restaurants; in fact, they were operating at a loss. If this were to be served in their restaurants, the price would be more than ten times higher, not even including labor costs.

It's not like they're short of money, and Chen Xuan wouldn't take advantage of them like that. But how could they dare to charge a high price?
The restaurant owners could tell that Chen Xuan wasn't the kind of person who would bully others by relying on his power. With just a few words, they dispelled his idea of ​​not taking advantage of the situation. They only hoped that Chen Xuan wouldn't mind doing business under the guise of having organized Princess Fuyao's wedding banquet.

Upon hearing this, Chen Xuan immediately stopped worrying. Nobody was stupid; they would only make more money in the future if they did business under such a name.

And so the details of the banquet were finalized.

Chen Xuan booked 300 tables for the banquet almost by clenching his teeth, not to mention that he also had to prepare 200 more, because he didn't know how many guests would come in the next few days. After all, he only knew so many people, and if they all came, he estimated that not even a fraction of the seats would be filled.

Who cares? Let's get things going first. If there aren't enough customers, we'll just hold a banquet and do a good deed.

Having more tables than the number of guests is a minor issue; the real problem is not having enough. It would be embarrassing if someone came and there wasn't even a drink available.

The reason for this is that Chen Xuan had attended Gao Jingming's wedding, and people he knew and didn't know all came to show their faces. He couldn't very well turn them away, could he?

In short, the banquet was settled. After that, the restaurants quickly sent their chefs over to do their best to prepare a few tables of dishes for tasting. After Chen Xuan confirmed the dishes, the next step was to purchase the freshest ingredients and seasonings. Who would dare to use stale ingredients for Chen Xuan's wedding banquet? They would have to be crazy.

Yes, there are many unscrupulous restaurants that use ingredients that have been sitting for days or months to pass off as high-quality food and sell them as such.

Chen Xuan asked Erdan to keep an eye on things, as he didn't want to be idle and needed something to do to pass the time.

Anyway, once everything was finalized here, truckloads of tables, chairs, bowls, chopsticks, stoves, and other supplies from several restaurants were transported to Chen Xuan's location, and the banquet venue needed to be set up in advance.

By the time the matter was finalized, it was already noon. Chen Xuan was so busy that he didn't even have time to greet Gao Jingming and the others. However, they were not idle either. Early in the morning, people from the Ministry of Rites came to have them try on one formal dress after another.

Before Chen Xuan could catch his breath, Madam Gao sent someone to find him again, asking him to finalize entertainment programs such as opera and acrobatics. She even brought a dozen or twenty opera troupes for this purpose. After all, a wedding should be lively and festive; the guests couldn't just sit there empty-handed.

As for the rituals and music, there's no need for special arrangements. The Ministry of Rites has its own set of standards, which they will be responsible for. After all, it's a princess getting married, and the common folk customs are not suitable. There is a special royal ritual and music system.

Overwhelmed with work, Chen Xuan couldn't help but sigh once again, wondering why getting married was so troublesome. But what could he do? He was marrying a princess. If it were a poor girl, he could just take her home and have her baby. There was no need for all this trouble.

Normally, guests start arriving two or three days before the wedding. That's how it was when Xiao Gao got married. So, starting tomorrow, I hope it won't be too quiet.

Having calmed down a bit, Chen Xuan thought to himself, not even having time to pick up Xiao Miao and the others. He quickly informed Madam Gao and the others in case they couldn't find him at a crucial moment, and then headed straight for the northern direction of Mo City... (End of this chapter)