Misty Rain of the Old Times

The festive bridal chamber has been transformed into a warm and inviting space. In the over 100-square-meter room, the intricately carved bed made of rare wood occupies more than ten square meters, and with the curtains drawn, it becomes a private little room.

This is the master bedroom of Chen Xuan and his wife, which has a separate bathroom and washroom.

Next to their bedroom were two small rooms, each about 30 or 40 square meters, for the four personal maids, Yunlan, Yunxin, and Dujuan. They could be called upon in the middle of the night if needed.

It was almost afternoon, and the little princess was in her room getting ready in front of the mirror, while Yunlan and the others were busy helping her.

Chen Xuan waited a short distance away, resting his chin on his hand. The tea on the table had already cooled down, indicating that he had been waiting for quite some time. If someone were to observe closely, they would notice that Chen Xuan's gaze was somewhat unfocused, and his thoughts seemed to have wandered off somewhere else.

Including the little princess, the girls are all stunning beauties, each one a rare gem. They are a feast for the eyes, but even the prettiest girls can become tiresome after staring at them for a long time. The key is that they can't help with things like dressing up. It would probably be quite interesting if they could participate.

"Husband, what do you think of this outfit?" The little princess's words, once she was all dressed up, pulled Chen Xuan back to reality.

He snapped back to reality, as if he had been watching intently the whole time, and clapped his hands, praising the little princess from head to toe, "My wife is so beautiful, I'm completely mesmerized!"

The little princess immediately rolled her eyes, put her hands on her hips, and said reproachfully, "Husband, can you be any more perfunctory? Tell the truth!"

At this moment, she was wearing a purple dress, which was gorgeous and noble. Her light makeup was cool, and her slightly elongated eyeliner gave her pretty face a touch of majesty. She was dignified, elegant and noble. If it were anyone else, they would not dare to look directly at her, but for Chen Xuan, she was more of a strange temptation to conquer and ravage.

However, when faced with his wife's questioning, Chen Xuan subtly shrank back and told the truth, "Wife, isn't this a bit too formal? We're just going back to our parents' home; people who don't know better might think we're putting on airs and coming to interrogate them."

It should be more formal, but the little princess listened carefully to her husband's opinion. Thinking about it, she felt that going back like this would lack a bit of intimacy, so she nodded and said, "Oh, okay, husband, wait a moment while I change my clothes."

After saying that, she went back to her work.

Seeing this, Chen Xuan's lips twitched almost imperceptibly. Here we go again. This is the fifth style she's tried. Dressing up for girls is such a hassle. She was planning to go back to her parents' home at noon, and it's already been almost an hour late. What can he do but wait? If he urges her even slightly, she'll ask if he's impatient. Tsk, there's no way to deal with it.

Chen Xuan kept reassuring himself, "This is my wife, this is my wife. I should face it with a smile. Otherwise, what if she won't let me sleep in the bed tonight?"
Behind the screen, the little princess was changing her clothes quietly with the help of Yunlan and the others. Chen Xuan could only vaguely see her outline, which made him a little distracted. They had only been married for a few days, and his new wife was still a bit reserved.

Then came another round of dressing and grooming. Afterward, the little princess turned around in front of him and asked, "What do you think of this outfit, my husband?"

At this moment, she wore more than ten pieces of jewelry, not so much that it was dazzling, and her makeup was also softer. Her long dress was mainly gold and silver, and she also wore earrings. In particular, a lotus-shaped pattern was carefully painted on her forehead with red paint. She looked less dignified and more gentle than before.

His wife really does look good in everything she wears. Facing her expectant gaze, Chen Xuan forced a smile and said, "She does look good, but isn't it a bit too flashy? Especially those jewelry, they must weigh two or three pounds. Aren't you tired, my wife?"

Upon hearing this, the little princess immediately pouted and stomped her foot in frustration, saying, "Husband, you always say it looks good, but this won't do and that won't do either. What do you want?"

Oh no, why are you blaming me? I thought it could have been done from the beginning, okay? You're the one who asked me for advice, and then you kept coming up with one solution after another. I think you're just addicted to changing things.

Chen Xuan dared not say that, and smiled, "I think either way is fine, as long as my wife is happy."

"Sigh, there's no hope of getting your advice, my husband. Forget it, let's just leave it like it was at the beginning, be casual and natural," the little princess said, shaking her head, and then went to change her clothes again.

Chen Xuan: ...

Honey, are you the client? You were clearly wearing a plain, simple dress at home from the start, and you didn't change at all, so all that effort for the past hour has been for nothing?
He looked up at the roof with a smile, as if he could see flowers in it; those tiles were truly tiles.

Wait a minute, we forgot to install a false ceiling. Won't it feel even colder in winter?
This time, the little princess got ready quickly, wearing a simple, understated long dress, with no makeup, her hair styled in a pretty updo, secured with a jade hairpin, her long hair reaching her hips.

Good grief, in the end it was clearly the same outfit they wore this morning. Chen Xuan was the same; he was only a little more formal on the two days of their wedding, and the rest of the time he was very casual, doing whatever made him comfortable.

Is this what married life is like? My wife is messing around with herself and me at the same time, which is quite interesting. It's not as boring as before, when I was a couch potato all day and had no interest in anything.

"Husband, I'm all better now, is this alright?" the little princess asked as she came to his side.

Chen Xuan dared not say anything about the point of all that fuss, otherwise he wouldn't be able to bear the resentful and pitiful look in his wife's eyes. He stood up and said, "Well, we're family, so feel free to do whatever you want. It's about time, let's go. We can't go empty-handed. I've prepared a gift for my father-in-law, he'll definitely like it."

As he spoke, Chen Xuan picked up a palm-sized wooden box from the table beside him.

Seeing this, the little princess blinked, seemingly wanting to speak but then hesitated. She lowered her head, her eyes darting around, and with a sly smile, said, "Yes, yes, let's go, husband. Don't keep Father waiting."

Chen Xuan sensed that something was off with his wife, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Without suspecting anything, he stood up and said, "Okay, let's go."

Although he was powerful, he didn't pay attention to his surroundings at all times when he was at home. He was no different from an ordinary person. Otherwise, what would be the point of life?
As a result, he didn't notice some things, such as that they were supposed to go back to their parents' home like this. Yunlan and Yunxin were slightly dumbfounded and were eager to say something, but the little princess waved her hand behind them to stop them.

Then Chen Xuan led the little princess and the others towards the palace. Apart from Xia Mei, the guard commander, they only had four personal maids and no one else with them.

After they left, in the side courtyard, Steward Hua waved to the nearly eight hundred-strong honor guard who had been prepared and said, "Disperse."

What else can we do if they don't disperse? The master and the others have all left, and they're probably already at the palace gates by now.

When bringing his wife back to her parents' home, it's natural to do it formally by going through the main gate. So Chen Xuan led them to the foot of the mountain where the palace was located.

Their sudden appearance startled the imperial guards stationed at the foot of the mountain. Upon seeing them clearly, they immediately stood up. The captain of the imperial guards waiting there, a flicker of surprise in his eyes, quickly stepped forward and respectfully bowed, saying, "Greetings, Your Highness, son-in-law."

The little princess was married into the family, so even though Chen Xuan was just a commoner, he still had to be addressed first.

Chen Xuan nodded and smiled, "No need to be so polite..."

The little princess also gestured with her hand, saying, "Rise."

As soon as he uttered those words, Chen Xuan glanced at the road and, for some reason, felt a little guilty. He saw that from the foot of the mountain all the way to the top of the mountain where the palace was located, the road was decorated with red and colorful decorations, as well as various ceremonial objects, canopies, and banners, making the procession extremely grand.

This is different from usual. The atmosphere is grand but not solemn. Could it be to welcome me?
Seeing him slightly lost in thought, the little princess tugged at his sleeve and reminded him, "Husband, we should go home."

“Okay, let’s go. This mountain is too high. Aren’t we tired living so high up? Let’s go straight up,” Chen Xuan nodded and then smiled at the head of the guards beside him, “You guys are busy, don’t worry about us.” After saying that, Chen Xuan and the little princess disappeared in a flash, leaving the head of the guards dumbfounded and bewildered in the wind.

Someone nearby asked cautiously, "Sir, what should we do if the son-in-law and his family just walk right up to us like this?"

What can you do when you encounter such an unreliable son-in-law? The Imperial Guard Commander, his scalp tingling, said, "Just do what needs to be done, follow the normal procedures."

Upon receiving instructions and a command, joyous and celebratory music arose, with canopies and incense burners clearing the way, and pairs of exotic beasts and birds of prey, along with an honor guard, proceeding up the mountain amidst a shower of flowers.

This was originally a ceremony to welcome the son-in-law and princess back to their parents' home, but since the couple wasn't there, it became a bit awkward.

At this moment, Chen Xuan and the others had already appeared at the palace gate. The surroundings were decorated in a festive manner. Eunuch Wang, dressed in a scarlet robe and holding a whisk, was already waiting at the gate. A red carpet extended all the way into the depths of the palace.

Seeing Chen Xuan and his companions appear so simply, even the usually composed Eunuch Wang was momentarily stunned. A whole string of prepared words caught in his throat, and he could only manage a forced smile before uttering, "Young Master, Your Highness, you're back."

Chen Xuan waved and greeted, "Hello, Steward Wang! You look as well as ever after all this time!"

Eunuch Wang thought to himself, "My son-in-law, I always look so good, but I reckon your complexion will be worse soon."

There was nothing they could do; this was not something they dared to say out loud. The Emperor would deal with it later. Muttering to himself, Eunuch Wang stepped forward and greeted them with a smile, "Young Master, Your Highness, please come with me. The Emperor will be very happy to know you've returned home."

"That's right. My relationship with my father-in-law is something I'm not bragging about. There aren't many people in the world who can match it. I was born a few decades too late, otherwise... well, anyway, it's just incredibly good. Well, a son-in-law is like half a son," Chen Xuan said proudly, getting a little carried away as he spoke. Fortunately, he managed to stop himself in time and didn't say anything inappropriate.

He hadn't seen the old man for a while and missed him quite a bit. However, Chen Xuan suddenly realized something was wrong. Every time they met, the old man never gave him a friendly look, so why was he being so kind to him?
The little princess lowered her head slightly and took a deep breath to keep herself from laughing out loud; there was going to be a good show to watch.

Following Eunuch Wang deeper into the palace, they were surrounded by festive decorations and lanterns. While chatting, Chen Xuan noticed his wife looking around nervously, trying to hide her smile. Curious, he asked, "Wife, what's up? What's making you so happy? Tell me so I can share in your joy!"

Blinking, the little princess suppressed a laugh and gasped, "No, I'm just excited about seeing Father soon."

Thinking about what Chen Xuan would encounter next, the little princess went through all the sad things that had happened over the past ten years, and still almost couldn't hold back her tears.

"Happy? Yes, I am happy," Chen Xuan nodded, secretly wondering why he thought fathers and daughters shouldn't be in tears when they reunite.

Eunuch Wang greeted them at the palace gate. Chen Xuan couldn't bring them directly to Old Deng, so it took them about half an hour to walk to a palace.

The place was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, and several tables of food and drink had been set up. There were quite a few people there, including Crown Prince Zhou Chen.

Upon arrival, Eunuch Wang spoke first, "Young Master, Your Highness, please."

After saying this, he quickly stepped inside, bent down beside the old emperor, and whispered something in his ear.

The old man was dressed in a majestic dragon robe and wore a flat-topped crown. He had a kind smile on his face and was looking eagerly towards the outside of the hall from time to time. However, after Eunuch Wang whispered something to him, his expression stiffened slightly. He tried to maintain his smile and nodded through his teeth to indicate that he understood.

As Chen Xuan reached the doorway, he looked up at the sky in confusion, scratched his back, and whispered, "I told you we shouldn't live too high up. It's broad daylight, the sun is shining brightly, but my back feels inexplicably chilly."

"What are you saying, my husband?" The little princess didn't hear clearly and asked curiously, looking around for the old man's figure. She was already married and belonged to another family. When she came back, she was a guest. This was her first time visiting the old man's family. She didn't know where to put her usual amused mood.

Before Chen Xuan could reply, the old man stood up with a smile, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the hall, and said, "I am a little tired. Crown Prince, please entertain the envoys from various countries for me."

As the ruler of a country, the old man's casual excuse for leaving the banquet was already a great honor. Who would dare to say a word against it?

These words surprised everyone, and they all stood up to see him off respectfully.

Then the old man smiled kindly at Chen Xuan and the others at the door and waved, saying, "My good son-in-law is here, and so is little Fuyao. I've missed you so much, come with me."

After saying that, the old man turned and walked away with a powerful stride. His originally kind smile turned into a gritted-teeth expression as he turned away from everyone, his fists clenched tightly in the sleeves of his dragon robe.

Upon seeing this, Chen Xuan was taken aback. It turned out that this was not a banquet prepared to welcome him. Judging from the tone, there were also envoys from other countries present. He had thought that his father-in-law was going to show off in front of them.

They were probably overthinking it. It was their arrival that disturbed the banquet. As a family, they should have a private chat.

Well, that must be the case.

Thinking to himself that he didn't recognize anyone present except for Crown Prince Chen Xuan, he smiled, cupped his hands in a gesture of respect, and nodded. Then he waved to Crown Prince Zhou Chen and said, "Ninth Brother, please enjoy your meal. We won't disturb you any longer. Go and talk to your father-in-law. See you later."

With a greeting, Chen Xuan and the others walked around to catch up with the old man.

Leaving the main hall from the side, the little princess couldn't wait to say, "Father..."

However, she had barely opened her mouth when the old man gently interrupted her, saying, "Fuyao, let's go to the Imperial Garden first. There's no reason for outsiders to be here when the family is reunited. Besides, these clothes are uncomfortable; let your father change first."

The little princess immediately understood, and lowered her head, her shoulders trembling as she endured the pain.

Father is saying that family scandals should not be aired in public, and that changing clothes will make things easier when we get down to business.

The little princess, who understood what was going on, secretly glanced at the carefree Chen Xuan and thought to herself, "Brother Xuan, you'd better pray for yourself."

Chen Xuan nodded in agreement, saying, "That's right, that's right. Our family is having a great time, what's the point of outsiders standing around?"

"Yes, what the son-in-law said makes sense," the old man said in deep agreement, but his eyes, which were turned away from Chen Xuan, looked like they could eat him alive.

...(End of chapter)