Misty Rain of the Old Times

In the misty morning, Chen Xuan stretched his muscles and practiced the Qi-cultivating exercise in front of the slowly rising sun. The little girl and Du Juan followed along, having developed this habit since they started following Chen Xuan.

After surveying the surroundings, Xia Mei also found a corner to practice her martial arts, remaining vigilant and never forgetting her duties.

The radiant little princess, being served by Yunlan and Yunxin, dressed in front of the mirror, glancing occasionally at Chen Xuan in the courtyard outside the window, her face filled with happiness and contentment.

After eating the beauty-preserving fruit, the little princess's appearance was frozen at the most beautiful moment on her wedding night. However, as the days of her marriage passed, she became more and more radiant and beautiful. The girlish immaturity gradually faded, and she became more mature and charming.

Fortunately, Chen Xuan's cultivation was so profound that the neighbors couldn't hear a sound, otherwise Du Juan, Yun Lan, and the other inexperienced girls would never have been able to sleep...

After the activities, Chen Xuan went to the pavilion to lie down and relax, while the girls went to cook. He had already put the matter of teasing Yan Quan and circling around Yang County behind him.

Staring blankly at the bright sun on the horizon, Chen Xuan thought to himself that he was living too comfortably. He had become lazy and had no ambition at all, like a useless person. But what could he do? He was just an ordinary person, and he would be happy to live like this forever.

Just as he was feeling quite content, a fragrant breeze wafted by, and the little princess, all dressed up, nestled into his arms like a swallow returning to its nest, asking curiously, "What are you thinking about, Brother Xuan?"

He pulled her into his arms and adjusted her into a comfortable position, then looked down and chuckled, "Just spacing out. Life's been so peaceful lately, it feels like a dream. I hope my wife doesn't think I'm having any troubles."

The little princess thought about it and agreed, then asked with great interest, "Where is Brother Xuan going to take me to play today?"

During this time, they toured almost the entire Yang County, but the little princess's enthusiasm remained undiminished. She even neglected writing the stories she had been writing since she was a child, never thinking about her eagerly awaiting readers. They had only been married for a short time, so of course she wanted to spend more time with her husband.

Having explored Yang County and the surrounding area quite a bit, Chen Xuan pondered for a moment and said, "Wife, how about we go to Zhoushan County later? The mountains and rivers there are quite beautiful. We can also pay a visit to the young master. He had some trouble recently, and I wonder how things are going."

“Okay, okay, I’ve never been to Zhoushan County before,” the little princess readily agreed. She was happy wherever Chen Xuan was; otherwise, even the most beautiful scenery would be meaningless.

Today's itinerary was set. The two remained silent, snuggling together to enjoy the pleasant time. Chen Xuan's hand seemed to automatically find its way to the little princess's neckline, which earned him a few whimpers and eye rolls from her.

Just as the two were lost in their sweet moments, a sudden sound of breaking dishes came from the kitchen. The little princess held Chen Xuan's hand to keep him still and whispered in the direction of the sound, "Brother Xuan, did you notice? After we came back yesterday evening, Roujia seemed a little off. She was often lost in thought and seemed to be worried or scared about something. I guess that's why she broke the dishes."

Nodding, Chen Xuan said, "Of course I've noticed, and I roughly understand what's going on. I'll ask about it during dinner later."

"Hmm, I don't know what's wrong with Roujia. She was fine when she went out yesterday. No matter what's on her mind, Brother Xuan, please give her some advice. She will definitely listen to you," the little princess said earnestly. As Chen Xuan's personal maid, Su Roujia will eventually be taken into Chen Xuan's household. She already considers the little girl as family and cares a lot about her feelings.

Chen Xuan, who roughly understood the girl's situation, felt somewhat helpless. Some emotions needed to be regulated by herself, and even the comfort from her closest relatives wouldn't be very effective. Perhaps doing something could make her feel better. Chen Xuan had already made up her mind.

Yunlan and the others asked if it was time to eat, so the two got up and went to the dining room. The little princess, with rosy cheeks, straightened her collar and gently kicked Chen Xuan, saying coquettishly, "Brother Xuan, you're so naughty! You always bully me!"

"Who can resist loving you so much, my wife?" Chen Xuan said, still savoring the moment.

How could she not be happy that her husband was so infatuated with her little princess? But she still gave him a little glare and then whispered, "Brother Xuan, do you feel that mine is a bit bigger?"

As she spoke, she looked down at herself.

After recalling for a moment, Chen Xuan nodded in agreement and whispered, "It seems that's really true. It's normal for a woman your age to still grow. It's all thanks to your husband. It seems I still need to work harder in the future."

"I think you just like to bully me. Don't think I don't know what you're thinking. You just like big things, hmph," the little princess said curiously, then added, "I wonder if mine will grow as big as a cuckoo. By the way, isn't it tiring for her to be that big all day?"

"Why don't you ask her yourself when you have time? But her innate cultivation level isn't a problem," Chen Xuan blinked and said, not having thought about these issues.

The little princess said thoughtfully, "Are there really that many benefits to practicing martial arts? Who cares? As long as the child won't go hungry in the future..."

Upon arriving at the dining room, we found that there weren't many formalities in this small home, and the group happily sat down at the table to eat together.

They all revolved around Chen Xuan; as long as Chen Xuan was around, everything was filled with positivity.

Xia Mei ate half a bowl of rice, hesitated for a moment, then put down her chopsticks and said, "Master, I noticed earlier that two of the innate masters in Yang County a few days ago seem to have left. Should we arrange for someone to keep an eye on their movements?"

Although they only had a few people around Yang County, with just a word, everyone in the surrounding court would be busy.

Hearing this, Chen Xuan nodded to indicate that he understood, and smiled, "No need to worry about it. It's their freedom to come and go. As long as they don't bother us, let's just pretend they don't exist."

Since the master had said so, Xia Mei naturally wouldn't interfere on her own. As for the two who left, Chen Xuan guessed it was because he had used some tricks on Yan Quan yesterday, and they had wisely left after understanding the situation. Also, He Hongyi's attitude was very clear; even someone as infatuated as Tian Bin didn't hesitate to take action, so they simply gave up and stopped insisting.

What else could they do? Not only did they lack the ability to target Chen Xuan, but He Hongyi's attitude also left them with no chance whatsoever. Smart people know when to advance and retreat. They might feel resentful, but life isn't always perfect. It's just the end of a one-sided love experience, and in the future, it will be a bittersweet memory.

In the end, the falling flowers were willing, but the flowing water was indifferent.

Su Roujia ate silently with her head down, her usual liveliness gone, her eyes dim and even carrying a hint of fear and unease. Seeing this, Chen Xuan sighed inwardly.

Urged on by the little princess's gaze, Chen Xuan spoke up: "Roujia, is something on your mind? You seemed a bit distracted after you came back yesterday. Could you tell me about it? If there are any difficulties, we can figure something out together. We're family; don't keep things bottled up inside."

The group of people who spent every day with Su Roujia naturally sensed that something was wrong with her mood and were worried about her. However, only one night had passed, and they hadn't had a chance to ask her any questions. At this moment, Chen Xuan spoke up, and everyone looked at Su Roujia.

She immediately disregarded her own thoughts and rose nervously as if she had committed a grave offense, saying anxiously, "I'm sorry, sir, madam, I didn't mean to, I'm fine, really..."

His speech was becoming somewhat incoherent. Seeing this, Chen Xuan waved his hand and gently interrupted, "Roujia, please sit down. We're all family here. Just say what's on your mind. Keeping it to yourself will only make us worry."

Chen Xuan's voice seemed to have a magical power, and the little girl gradually calmed down. This was naturally because Chen Xuan had silently used some methods to influence and soothe her anxiety; otherwise, it wouldn't have been so easy for her to calm down.

But the fear and unease in the little girl's eyes still lingered. She sat down again and bowed her head, saying, "Master, Madam, and Sister Juan, you don't need to worry about me. I'm really fine. It's just that I felt a tightness in my chest after going to the outskirts yesterday. I don't know why, but I just felt very uncomfortable and even panicked..."

She had already spoken, and everyone listened attentively without interrupting.

Once she started talking, and with Chen Xuan's deliberate guidance, her thoughts became somewhat chaotic, but she still managed to explain the situation haltingly: "Yesterday in the suburbs, I saw that the flowers, plants, and trees were all withered. This season should be full of life, but everything seemed lifeless. The fields were cracked and parched. The crops that were planted were supposed to be growing vigorously, but most of them had already died. The look in the eyes of the farmers looking at the fields made me feel sad. They carried water from afar to irrigate the fields, but it was no use. A bucket of water would dry up quickly. I also noticed that there were more beggars in the city than usual. I vaguely recognized some of them; they were originally villagers who farmed in the countryside, but now they were begging in the city with their wives and children..."

Speaking haltingly, the little girl's eyes reddened, her voice choked with emotion, and she became increasingly uneasy. The words from her heart were spoken, and the little princess and her companions, who had never experienced hardship before, felt terrible hearing them speak.

The lack of rain since the beginning of the year has already shown signs of trouble, and now is the time for spring planting. This is the season of "lean season," where the harvest is scarce and poor families have almost finished eating last year's food. They are counting on the autumn harvest to keep them alive, but if it doesn't rain, the crops will wither and die, and then there will be no hope. It could be fatal.

The young girl came from a poor rural background, so she knew all too well what this situation meant. The thought of the consequences was terrifying, and it was this empathy that led to her being in a daze when she returned yesterday.

Food is the lifeblood of ordinary people. If crops don't grow, there's no hope, and people will die. Many people will die, especially when natural disasters are followed by man-made disasters. That's the most terrifying thing. It's no longer just a matter for one family or household, but for an entire village, town, county, or city. Chaos will ensue.

People are capable of anything when they are hungry; once chaos breaks out, the world will be like a living hell!
Although the girl had lived a happy life after following Chen Xuan, she never forgot her roots. The scenes she saw when she left the city yesterday plunged her into deep fear and unease.

How could Chen Xuan and the others not have seen what she was talking about?

To be honest, the little princesses and the others had been pampered since childhood, so they naturally didn't have that awareness and didn't think about it that much. Chen Xuan understood this, but didn't mention it so as not to affect everyone's mood.

It was only because the little girl came from a poor background that she knew how terrible the consequences would be if things continued like this. She was not good at hiding her emotions, which is why she showed them so obviously. Before this, apart from Chen Xuan, the little princess and the others all thought that Su Roujia had encountered some difficulties that she was embarrassed to talk about.

Since the beginning of the year when it stopped raining, Chen Xuan had been keeping a close eye on things. Although he was busy with his wedding, he had also been to many places and had seen everything. In this era, he understood all too well what the consequences of drought would be, especially since this drought affected most of the Jing Kingdom. It was no exaggeration to say that if they were not careful, the entire country would be in turmoil and many people would die. It would not be an exaggeration to say that corpses would be strewn all over the fields!
The lesson of Rong Kingdom in the south is right before our eyes. Last year's drought plunged the entire country into chaos, and countless people died. If the drought in Jing Kingdom is not alleviated, the outcome will be no better, and may even be more severe.

No, now it seems that if the court does nothing, that outcome is inevitable, because the spring planting season has passed, and even if it rains, it will be too late to start planting again.

However, knowing is one thing, but what can Chen Xuan do about a natural disaster by himself? He is powerless to do anything about it; he cannot conjure up food out of thin air, nor does he have the ability to turn the tide and change everything.

Therefore, he has never brought up such matters on his own initiative, as it would only cause unnecessary trouble.

But being born into this world, he is just one of the masses. When something like this happens, he can't avoid it by simply trying to escape it.

After the little girl finished speaking, even the princesses, who had never experienced the hardships of ordinary people, felt somewhat depressed. This was partly due to the little girl's words, and partly because they knew what terrible consequences would follow.

After a moment's hesitation, Chen Xuan tried to sound relaxed, saying, "So that's what Roujia was worried about. Let's eat first, it won't taste good if it gets cold. We still have to go out later, so don't worry about it. Maybe it will rain tomorrow or the day after."

"Well, is there anything I need to prepare?" the little girl nodded, trying to smile.

The best way to regulate your emotions is not to dwell on things, but to shift your focus. When you're busy, you won't have time to think about so many things.

Chen Xuan's comment about the possibility of rain wasn't just meant to comfort the little girl... (End of Chapter)