Misty Rain of the Old Times

The little princess's instinctive, shrill cry startled the messenger, who even stopped proclaiming the decree. He glanced at it cautiously, but quickly resumed his proclamation. Business was important; this was not the time to pay homage to the princess.

Before the edict of the new emperor's ascension to the throne, everything else had to take a backseat, even the princess was no exception, and everyone had to listen to it with utmost respect.

As the saying goes, a new emperor brings a new court. No matter how favored and noble the little princess was in the past, her future status and treatment will depend on the new emperor's will. Theoretically, the new emperor has the power of law, and a subject can be made to die without hesitation. With just a word, he can erase everything the little princess had ever had.

Of course, this is only in theory. The old man has only abdicated, not passed away. Zhou Chen will have to be more restrained after ascending the throne. Besides, there is Chen Xuan. So what if the new emperor is Zhou Chen? Would he let his wife be bullied? He's not the old emperor. To put it bluntly, Chen Xuan can completely disregard his brother-in-law's feelings.

After a gasp, the little princess realized she had lost her composure and tried to calm herself down as she listened patiently to the imperial edict. Putting everything else aside, the little princess's interruption, if taken seriously, could be considered a serious offense of disrespect.

The little princess barely heard a word of what followed; her heart was filled with worry for the old man. How could he have suddenly abdicated in favor of Crown Prince Zhou Chen after only a few days? She hoped that nothing bad would happen to him.

Considering the old man's age, how could the little princess not worry when such a thing suddenly happened?

Chen Xuan was also worried about the old man and the little princess's feelings, but he still patiently listened to the contents of the edict, just to give the old man face in retiring after his success. He quietly held the little princess's hand to encourage her.

"...The whole world rejoices! His Majesty, in his boundless grace, grants a general amnesty, releasing all but the most heinous criminals as a sign of divine favor. A special autumn imperial examination is also held to celebrate this occasion. All prefectures and counties are hereby ordered to issue this proclamation throughout the land, so that all may be informed. First year of Chongwen!" Having read the edict in one breath, the messenger clasped his hands together and said, "Lord Gao, please receive the edict."

Gao Jingming was also stunned by the sudden imperial edict, and almost couldn't react. How could there be such a sudden change of dynasty? Such a big thing happened without any warning. To put it bluntly, it was as if they didn't want to give certain people any chance to react.

Taking a deep breath, Xiao Gao crawled forward on his knees and said, "Your subject receives the imperial edict and will immediately begin disseminating it to the people."

As he spoke, Xiao Gao subtly slipped a sum of money to the other party, his method quite discreet. This was an unspoken rule in officialdom; after all, the other party had gone to the trouble of making the trip. Xiao Gao was quite adept at these kinds of social niceties.

The messenger smiled and adjusted his tone to almost ingratiatingly, saying, "The imperial edict has been delivered. Please rise, Lord Gao. We will leave the rest to you now. We have orders to carry out and must proceed to other places, so we will not disturb you any longer."

It's a joke. Before the imperial edict was delivered, they represented the new emperor and had to show the corresponding authority. But frankly, they were just messengers. How could they dare to act arrogantly in front of Xiao Gao? No matter what, a new emperor brings a new court. Xiao Gao is young and has already been appointed as a prefect. His future is limitless. If they really offend him, dealing with them would be easy. Besides, Lao Gao is now a high-ranking official in charge of a region. Even if he is still on his way, with such a prominent family background, it's no exaggeration to say that even the new emperor would have to give him some respect. After all, although his word is law, he still needs people to help govern the region. Otherwise, how could he be in two places at once?

Xiao Gao nodded and smiled, "Since you all have imperial orders to carry out, then I will not keep you any longer. I wish you a safe journey."

He was very accommodating, but who knows if these messengers will go back and twist the reaction when receiving the imperial edict? These little devils are troublesome.

An imperial edict is simply another form of decree, essentially a public announcement informing the entire nation that a new era has arrived.

With both a general amnesty and a special imperial examination, it seems Zhou Chen had planned this all along. A general amnesty can greatly win over the hearts of the people, and as for the special imperial examination, it's probably to use fresh blood to quickly reduce the influence of the old man. Although the method is simple, it is quite effective.

It's obvious that there will be huge changes in the court. With Zhou Chen taking the throne, how could he not firmly grasp power? And such changes will hardly cause any major upheavals because the old man voluntarily stepped down. This means that whatever Zhou Chen does next will be tacitly approved by the old man, and everyone will have to cooperate!

Helping the little princess to her feet, Chen Xuan looked at the sunset and suddenly felt a strange sense of melancholy, like watching an elderly person casting their last rays of sunlight.

He has worked hard for this country for decades and deserves a rest. This final handover of the throne was something the old man had probably thought about for a long time. He didn't give anyone a chance to react, and the process was calm and peaceful, so as not to cause turmoil in the country due to the change of dynasty. The old man had been very careful in his planning for the peace of this country.

The old man's era has passed, and the Jing Kingdom is about to usher in a new chapter. What will the future hold? That depends on the skills of the new emperor, Zhou Chen.

In the forty-sixth year of his reign, which was the forty-sixth year of the Zhenkai era, his reign came to an end.

This 46th year of Zhenkai was the last year of the old man's reign as emperor, and it was also the first year of Chongwen. The new history that followed would begin from the first year of Chongwen.

In fact, this reign title reveals that the new emperor Zhou Chen is more inclined towards appeasement than radicalism, and it is likely that the status of military officers will be even lower in the future.

There has been no rain since the beginning of the year, and signs of a severe drought affecting half of the Jing Kingdom have already emerged. It seems a bit suspicious that the old man is abdicating at this time.
However, Chen Xuan did not think so. Firstly, the old man was not the kind of irresponsible person. Secondly, based on the old man's character, Chen Xuan had long guessed that he would do this. Now that his guess had come true, it just so happened that there were signs of drought when he was about to carry it out.

In short, he really did it, which was both expected and unexpected.

That being said, the old man is now free from all worries after retiring, but isn't he worried that Zhou Chen lacks the experience to handle the situation?

With a quick thought, Chen Xuan soon understood the old man's intention. He had not only handed over the entire country to Zhou Chen, but also left behind the cave world beneath Wanku Mountain. How many resources did that represent? It could be said that Zhou Chen now held a trump card. Dealing with a mere drought should be a piece of cake. If he could still mess this up, then it could only mean that the old man had misjudged his successor.

In this way, as long as Zhou Chen can properly handle the potential impending drought, his status and prestige will definitely surpass that of the old man. It can be said that the old man was paving the way for Zhou Chen when he stepped down, and his good intentions are truly touching.

With the old man's decades-long savings in his left hand and the cave world beneath Wanku Mountain in his right, how could Zhou Chen possibly mess things up if he wasn't out of his mind?

No, such a big thing, why didn't the old man give me a heads-up? He said the son-in-law was half a son, did he think I would interfere? The whole thing was settled so hastily, and I only found out when the imperial edict was issued. If I hadn't happened to come to Xiao Gao's place, I probably wouldn't have heard the news until tomorrow.

Could it be that our feelings have faded after just a few days apart?
Just as Chen Xuan's mind was racing with chaotic thoughts, the messenger quickly stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Greetings, Your Highness, and greetings to Mr. Chen."

Even if they still had to go elsewhere to deliver the imperial edict, there was no rush. If they didn't even have this much sense, they probably wouldn't be able to survive in the future. Although they didn't know Chen Xuan and his wife before, the excitement surrounding their wedding hadn't died down and was still being talked about. In addition, they had a good relationship with Gao Jingming. Meeting them here, along with the little princess's subconscious mention of "Father Emperor," made their identities obvious.

At this moment, the little princess didn't care about anything else and said urgently, "No need for formalities, please rise. Does the messenger know how Father Emperor is? Why did he suddenly pass the throne to my elder brother, the Crown Prince?"

The messenger lowered his posture, trembling with fear, and said, "Your Highness is too kind. I am unworthy of such praise. As for the matter of the Emperor Emeritus, I truly know nothing and dare not speak presumptuously." He paused, then forced a smile and said, "I dare to speak boldly, Your Highness, you should now be addressed as His Majesty. If I have offended you in any way, I hope Your Highness will forgive me."

When it comes to addressing someone, you have to be careful at all times, otherwise you might bring trouble upon yourself by using the wrong title. This is especially true for royalty. If you address the emperor incorrectly, even a princess can be easily disgraced with a single word!

The key point is that the new emperor has just ascended the throne and is extremely sensitive to matters of address. What if he is petty and narrow-minded?
Chen Xuan didn't care about any of this. He dared to confront the old man directly, so he was nothing if he didn't give Zhou Chen face. However, this messenger was quite interesting. His eagerness to show loyalty was too obvious, but that's normal in officialdom.

Seeing that she couldn't get the answer she wanted, the little princess lost interest in saying more and tried to remain calm, saying, "Thank you for reminding me, I understand." Then, turning to Chen Xuan somewhat flustered, she said, "Husband, I want to go see Father."

The messenger dared not disturb him any longer, bowed respectfully, and left, for he still had other places to deliver messages.

Nodding, Chen Xuan said, "My wife, don't worry. There's been no bad news about your father. He's having a great time. If you're still worried, we can go to the capital to check on things later." "Okay," the little princess relaxed, feeling inexplicably at ease with Chen Xuan by her side.

After the messenger left, Gao Jingming held the imperial edict and waved it helplessly, saying, "Ah Xuan, I'm going to be very busy from now on. I need to immediately arrange for people to spread the edict widely among the people, and I also need to discuss with my colleagues the pardon of criminals. I dare not neglect this task, and I'm afraid I won't have time to sit down and entertain you for a while."

Chen Xuan smiled and said, "Young Master, you're too kind. Business is important. You haven't had a moment's peace since you came back from Mo City. You're an official, but your salary isn't much. I feel sorry for you."

“Ah Xuan, be careful with your words. We can only say this between the two of us. We have to be loyal to the emperor since we are paid by him. Others would never even think of it,” Gao Jingming said with a laugh.

With a slight pout, Chen Xuan teased, "By the way, young master, the new emperor will be holding a special imperial examination this year. You haven't even had time to warm up as the top scholar yet, have you? There will be a new top scholar after the autumn imperial examination. How about it, are you feeling the pressure?"

"I'm just pressing down... this isn't my personal lamp," Gao Jingming said, both amused and exasperated. Madam Gao, watching from the side with a frown, didn't dare to swear.

To be honest, this matter is quite frustrating. New people replace the old, and with the emergence of a new top scholar, people gradually forget about Xiao Gao. There's nothing we can do about it; he just happened to be in the right place at the right time.

Of course, this refers to the path of the imperial examination, which Xiao Gao has now changed course for.

Then Chen Xuan asked curiously, "Speaking of which, I always thought you came here to gain experience, young master. The hierarchy has changed, why haven't you made a name for yourself? You should be moving to a different place, at least to become a high-ranking official in the capital or something."

"Ah Xuan, here you go again. I'll pretend I didn't hear you say that, otherwise it'll be a laughing stock if word gets out. Okay, enough of this nonsense, I'm busy now. Help yourself, don't be shy here," Gao Jingming said with a speechless smile as he turned and left.

With a wave of his hand, Chen Xuan said, "Go on, go on, you're destined to be a workaholic."

Watching his retreating figure, Chen Xuan clicked his tongue inwardly, thinking to himself that this was unreasonable. Xiao Gao was a team that the old man had left for Zhou Chen, so he shouldn't be silent. Was he being neglected because of Prince Qing, or was it because Zhou Chen hadn't figured out how to arrange things yet?

Who cares? Xiao Gao's talent shouldn't be buried, and Zhou Chen probably isn't so lacking in vision.

After they finished their conversation, Madam Gao said, "Xiao Xuan, please don't mind that you have imperial orders to carry out tomorrow. Feel at home here. Your room has been reserved for you. Please sit down for a while, and I will personally cook you a delicious meal later."

This kind of treatment is only reserved for Chen Xuan and Gao Jingming, siblings. For others, even Master Gao, it depends on Madam Gao's mood to have this privilege. Although somewhat tempted, Chen Xuan still said apologetically, "Madam, please forgive me. As you can see, with this sudden incident, Qian Ning is worried about her father-in-law, so I plan to take her there to check on the situation."

Madam Gao understood and could only say helplessly, "Alright then, Your Highness's filial piety is evident, and I cannot stop you no matter how reluctant I am. Please come often in the future."

"Madam, you're being too formal. Just call me Qian Ning. Since you treat Brother Xuan as a close relative, you are naturally Qian Ning's elder as well. Calling Your Highness is too formal," the little princess said obediently.

Madam Gao said kindly, "I did misspoke. You are all good children. Qian Ning, if you have any problems in the future, just tell me. If Xiao Xuan bullies you, I will stand up for you."

"Then I'll thank you in advance, Madam," the little princess said with a happy smile, then turned to Chen Xuan, tilting her chin up, and said, "Brother Xuan, did you hear that? If you dare to bully me again, I'll ask Madam to deal with you."

"How could I bear to bully you?" Chen Xuan said with a smile, then took his leave, saying, "Madam, I will take Qian Ning to the capital first, and then come to visit you later."

"Well, I won't keep you any longer. Take care on your journey."

Having just arrived and barely had a chance to catch his breath, this incident occurred. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Chen Xuan led the little princess and the others to the capital.

They rushed past mountains and rivers, and soon arrived in the capital. Instead of returning to their homes in the capital, they headed straight for the imperial palace.

Upon arriving in the capital, Chen Xuan and his group sensed an atmosphere unlike any they had experienced before. Everywhere was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, and people were singing and dancing to celebrate the new emperor's ascension to the throne. However, beneath this joyous atmosphere, there was a subtle sense of oppression. After all, no one knew what kind of sweeping reforms the new emperor would implement. New officials always make their mark, and a new emperor, in particular, would undoubtedly need to establish a few exemplary figures to demonstrate his authority. It was just a matter of who would be the unfortunate one to suffer the consequences.

Then Chen Xuan learned that the coronation ceremony was yesterday, and the news of the announcement to the world was still on its way. No wonder he hadn't received any news about it before.

After all, it was no longer the time for the old man to be in charge, so Chen Xuan and his group did not trespass and appeared directly at the foot of the mountain where the palace was located.

It's clear that things aren't quite set in motion yet since the new emperor ascended the throne, and the palace's security is several levels higher than before.

When Chen Xuan and his group appeared almost suddenly, someone immediately shouted in alarm, "Who are you? This is a sacred place in the palace. Do not act recklessly. State your identities immediately, or arrest anyone suspected!"

The faces were no longer familiar. Facing the group of imperial guards who surrounded him, Chen Xuan calmly said, "I am Chen Xuan, and I have come to the palace with my wife, Princess Fuyao, to request an audience with the Emperor Emeritus. Please inform him of our arrival."

At this moment, the little princess's eyes dimmed. When did it become that she had to be informed to go home?
Upon hearing this, the group's expression changed, and they immediately bowed deeply, saying, "Greetings, Your Highness, and greetings, Mr. Chen. We were blind and ignorant; it was our duty. Please forgive us."

"Rise, may we go in now?" the little princess said, her heart set on the old man. She couldn't care less about anything else at this moment, as she usually let Chen Xuan, the man, handle similar situations.

However, after she finished speaking, the person in charge present looked embarrassed and said, "Your Highness, please forgive me; Young Master Chen, please forgive me. This matter still needs to be communicated. Please wait a moment."

After saying that, he quickly gave an order, and someone rushed off.

This situation startled the little princess, who seemed somewhat incredulous, her small hands clenching unconsciously beneath her sleeves.
Home is right in front of me, but I need permission to go back?

Inevitably, a sense of shame and anger rose in her heart, causing her breathing to become heavier.

Chen Xuan gently shook his head, holding her small hand. "The saying 'the imperial family is ruthless' is indeed true. The old man hasn't even left yet, and the tea is already cold."

However, Zhou Chen is now sitting in that position. That's the rule; once the little princess is married, she is no longer an outsider.

...(End of chapter)